Chapter 1: The Well

She sighed heavily as she brought up her fingers, pinching the tip of her nose in order to control the annoyance that was currently spreading through her as her silver haired, dog eared, half demon kept going on a rant. Something that was never out of the norm. She wasn't sure why it would always become World War III with him whenever she wanted to go home. It was always the same thing. The same old argument whenever she needed to go back for a test or for once, sleep in a comfortable bed and a bath.

She sure loved her hot baths.

As he continued with his rant, she could feel the impediment headache setting in. By this point all she could hear was blah blah blah.

She finally looked up at him, and his amber pools were glaring at her.

"Have you even be listening to what I'm saying?!" He yelled, clearly offended as he crossed his arms while his lip lifted in a silent snarl.

Back when she was fifteen, that look had terrified her. Three years later, it didn't do anything anymore.

She took another deep breath, "I kind of lost you when you said no."

He growled in warning to her but she ignored it as she went and grabbed her old enormous yellow bag.

"Kagome! I'm serious! You can't leave right now!"

Her voice still remained calm as she placed the strap on her shoulder, "Why Inuyasha? We've been after Naraku's tracks for a month, following a lead that Kikyo told you, but we haven't found anything. I need to go home, restock on supplies, and catch up on my school work! The entrance exam for the University of Tokyo is in two months and I have not studied!" at the last part she raised her voice, "It's a freaking miracle I'm even graduating from high school!"

He rolled his eyes, "I don't understand why you keep insisting on going to that stupid shit."

Sango and Miroku, alongside Shippo and Kirara, could see that Kagome's calm demeanor was crashing at a fast pace. The small kitsune jumped up on Miroku's shoulder and shook his head as he removed the lollipop he had been eating from his mouth with a loud 'pop.'

"That idiot will never learn."

Inuyasha growled louder as his gaze shifted to the small demon and then going back to Kagome. He saw her dark blue eyes narrowing at him. Oh yeah, he knew that look.

"Why do you keep insisting on practicing with Tetsusaiga?" she snapped back.

He gave her a look like if she was seriously stupid. Which currently, in his head, she was.

"To get stronger stupid! How else am I supposed to kill Naraku?"

Her eyebrow twitched when he called her stupid, "Sit."

His eyes widened, but before another insult could slip out of his mouth, he crashed face first onto the ground. She lowered herself and she spoke to him like if he was a child. Slow and clear.

"Look. In my time, slaying demons isn't a profession. I have to get an education to make a living. I'm turning eighteen in a freaking month and that is an adult in my time!"

She got up, took a deep breath, and fixed the strap of her backpack, "Now, for calling me stupid, I will be gone for a week."

He immediately raised his head from the ground, "What the fu-"

"Sit."

His cursed was instantly muffled again. She sighed again as she made her way to the well, leaving Kaede's hut. Sango shook her head at Inuyasha's body and started to follow Kagome. Shippo looked at Inuyasha as well and the form of Kagome leaving, and he immediately opted out with going with the women. He knew if he stayed, Inuyasha would thump him on the head for his insult at him.

Kagome was internally fuming as she stomped towards the well, unaware that Sango was trying to catch up to her.

As she finally caught up with the pissed off priestess, she spoke, "I'm sorry that he's so…"

"Egotistical? Rude? Inconsiderate? Selfish? Moronic?"

Sango's eyes widened and nodded her head with a small laugh, "Yes. All of the above."

"Are you really gonna be gone for a week Kagome?" Shippo's high pitch voice cut in as he landed on Sango's shoulder.

They finally reached the well and Kagome removed the backpack from her back. She stretched her arms upwards and immediately could smell the dry sweat from her armpits, causing to scrunch up her nose in disgust. That bath kept sounding better and better.

"I have to catch up on my studying. I doubt it will be a week but I only said it because he pissed me off," she said with a grin on her face. Sango laughed and Shippo started to snicker.

"Serves him right! Specially after believing Kikyo!"

Sango's eyes widened slightly as she immediately looked at Kagome, expecting to see the usual sadness at the mention of the deceased priestess. But surprisingly, the black haired woman just rolled her eyes.

"He should've known better. She's unpredictable."

However, Kagome was smart. She saw the look that Sango gave her.

In all reality, she still held some feelings towards Inuyasha. It wasn't as deep and head over heels for when she had first met him. But for the past year, she had noticed her heart wasn't racing as much whenever he would do something sweet for her or the way he would sometimes hold her while they were traveling. She definitely cared deeply for him, but feelings of romance were fading away with the wind. It also had to do with his lack of attention to detail, never seeing how all the times he would run off to look for Kikyo would deeply hurt her. So many jabs to her heart like that, she was bound to not have feelings for him eventually. At least not romantic ones.

"Well, I gotta get going," she suddenly said, "I leave right now and I will be able to eat dinner with my whole family!"

Sango smiled at her, "Go ahead!" but her smile suddenly faded and she started to blush, "Would you mind bringing another one of those strange scrolls? The one with advice on fitness and the paintings of women?"

Kagome was confused for a second until it dawned on her, "Oh! Tokyo's Women's Fitness! Yeah, I can bring you another one. I take it you really enjoyed the last one?"

Sango nodded, "Some of the exercises were very helpful!"

Kagome hugged her, "Yeah I will!"

"Bring me candy!" Shippo immediately said.

She rolled her eyes playfully, "If it wasn't because demons don't get cavities I would never bring you as much candy as I have all this time," she grinned at Sango, " I'll also bring some treats for Kirara while I'm at it."

And with that, she went up to the well, put one leg over the edge and then the other, and jumped. And like any other time, she was engulfed in a bright blue light.

But little did she know, she wouldn't be getting home in time for dinner.

He rolled his eyes, probably for the hundredth time that day. He loved his team, he really did, and he had missed them greatly for the months that he was gone, but their persistent chatter for him to ask to be let back into the guild was getting old. He knew his grandfather. He was a stubborn son of a bitch. Something he was sure it ran on the Dreyar bloodline. He was set on his decision and had no plans on going back on his word. Which he respected. At the end of the day, what he did was wrong and a lot of people would've gotten hurt if the Thunder Palace hadn't been destroyed, even if his intentions had been good.

And he learned his lesson. Traveling from different parts of the country and even visiting new ones gave him a whole new perspective on everything. More importantly, he started to miss the guild. Yeah, there were a bunch of idiots. Filled with drunks, perverts, destructive idiots, but it was a good guild. A family.

A dysfunctional, but a family nonetheless.

Freed could feel his irritation, "Well if you don't want to do that, why don't you come and crash at my place?"

Bickslow immediately shook his head, putting an arm around a not so happy blonde, "Nah man, if he's staying with anyone it's me! Just like back in the day after a good time at the bar!"

The only female in the group smacked the seith mage with her fan, "Your apartment is too small and a mess! If anything he could stay with me. I have an extra bedroom after all."

Laxus thought about it for a moment. Freed was his best friend, but the man could be a little controlling and nosy. He would be constantly asking him what he was doing. Evergreen was right about Bicks. He saw him as his partner in crime, but the apartment was disgusting. He had only stayed there while he was drunk because he had been too drunk to even care.

Bickslow immediately made a face, "But then he would hear you and Elfman fucking and that would scar him for life."

The busty brunette stopped walking and screeched loudly, "NOTHING IS HAPPENING BETWEEN US!"

Laxus immediately pushed that option out of his head.

He sighed, "I made a perfectly good camp. It has a well with clean water. Besides, it's not like I'm going to stay for long anyways."

His three friends looked at one another, but for once, they didn't bother to tell him otherwise.

They continued walking through the woods, sparred a little bit for old times sake, which unfortunately, caught the attention of Natsu and Gajeel.

And one thing led to another, and now Laxus had to fight them the following day. It's not that he was concerned about them, he just wanted to have his last days in Magnolia to be peaceful so he could remember the old times. Now he had to be careful to not kill them during their match. The last thing he wanted was the old geezer to be more mad at him and he definitely did not want to deal with Mirajane and Erza if he accidentally killed the morons.

However, it was always good to add in a good workout before a long trip.

They got back to his camp and immediately sat down. As he reached for his canteen, he realized he was out of water. Bickslow noticed and extended his hand.

"I got it man. Wouldn't want you harming yourself from getting water when tomorrow you have a fight."

Laxus gave him a glare, "How the fuck have I put up with you for so long?"

Evergreen sighed as she fanned herself with a shook of her head, "We keep asking ourselves that on a daily."

Bickslow pretended to be hurt by their words but laughed anyways. As he neared the well, he suddenly started to hear splashing. He stopped and raised his eyebrow as he called to the group, "Hey boss, are fishes supposed to live on wells where people drink water from?"

Laxus had finally laid down when he heard him. He got up and started to mumble to himself, "For the love of fucking God…"

He got to where Bickslow was and sure enough, they could hear the splashing. However, thanks to his heightened hearing, he could hear shallow gasps of air.

What the hell? He thought as he decided to check inside the well. Before he could look, the splashing stopped, making it more suspicious. He placed his large hands at the edge made out of stone and leaned over.

What he saw, made his eyes widened.

There was a woman with long black hair, and she was sinking as she was unconscious. He didn't think twice, and ignoring Bickslow's question on what the hell he was doing, he jumped in, careful to not land on top of her. He took a hold of her waist and surfaced back up with a gasp. Using his other hand, he removed the dark bangs out of her face, but her eyes were closed and she wasn't responding to him softly patting her cheek.

"GET ME A FUCKING ROPE RIGHT NOW!"

The loud command immediately made all three of them to move. Bickslow went back to the camp and grabbed one out of the backpack that was there. Freed and Ever ran to the well and the woman gasped.

Bickslow came back and immediately threw the rope in. Laxus got a hold of it and he pulled himself and the body of the woman out of the well. Freed and Bickslow assisted for him to come out while Ever helped him with the woman the moment they made it to the top. Freed let go of the rope and finished pulling her out with Evergreen as Laxus jumped out. He got on his knees and put his ear by her heart and nose.

Nothing.

He placed his large hands on her chest and started pumping it. He then closed her nose with his fingers and breathed in air through her mouth, and then repeated the process.

"Evergreen, go to the guild and get Wendy! We are going to need her," Freed said as he brought a blanket with him from Laxus' tent. However, before the woman could soar through the air to the guild, Laxus interrupted.

"Freed, you go. If this works and she wakes up, she's going to freak being surrounded by three men."

And so his best friend left. Laxus continued pushing her chest and it wasn't until he breathed in air through her mouth that he finally heard the water making its way up her throat. He helped her sit up as her eyes shot open and she puked all the water that she had digested. Her lips were blue and her creamy skin finally started to have some color again.

"Breathe calmly," he told her as she was shaking, trying to breathe normal again, "You're okay, you're safe now."

Her tired disoriented dark blue eyes turned to look at him, her dark eyelashes fluttering as she tried keeping her vision under control.

"...W...h..o…"

He knew what was coming then. He saw her eyes roll back and her body go limp, but he caught her before she would land on the hard ground. He turned to look at Ever.

"Mind sparing your other bedroom?"

The woman nodded, "Of course!"

He looked at Bickslow, who sure enough was already packing Laxus' things, "Find Freed and have him and Wendy meet us at Evergreen's place."

Bickslow immediately left. However the woman was worried as she looked at the wet girl, "You can't teleport to my house with her being wet. We don't know how she would react to your lightning while being soaked."

He gave her a look, "Then what am I supposed to do? I don't particularly carry women's clothes with me because I know I'm about to rescue them from drowning on a well."

She ignored his snappy attitude and rolled her eyes, "No, but you have that ridiculous long coat of yours. Let me undress her and then we can go."

He bit back what he was going to say. In his standards, it wasn't ridiculous.

He carried the woman to the tent and then left her and Evergreen to do their thing. A few minutes later, she opened up the tent to reveal the woman wearing Laxus' coat while using a rope to tie it around the middle to secure it. She had used the blanket that had been placed under her body when Laxus brought her out to dry her hair as much as she could.

He gently picked her up and immediately teleported. He knew with Evergreen using her wings she would be at her place within just a few minutes. Thankfully he knew where she kept her spare key and quickly opened the door. He avoided the room that funny enough, reeked like Elfman and her, and went to the other room that already had the door open and set the woman on the bed. He then noticed that she was starting to have a deep blush on her face, and when he carefully placed his hand on her forehead, under her bangs, he silently cursed as she was developing a fever.

He would always thank the heavens that little Wendy had healing magic. Who he could hear from the hallway alongside…

"Oh you gotta be fucking kidding me," He grumbled as he stomped out of the room and closed the door, just as they were coming in.

He glared at Freed, "I told you to bring her, not the whole cheerleading squad."

"We are not cheerleaders!" Natsu defensively said.

"Lucy cosplayed as one!" Bickslow said with a grin.

Cosplay! Cosplay!

Erza ignored the animosity in his voice, "Freed said someone needed Wendy's help."

His glare didn't lessen, "And that was an invitation for all of you to come?" He didn't wait for a response as he looked at Wendy, "Come with me. She's in here."

Only Gray and Erza took notice that his voice was a bit more gentle when he addressed Wendy. The small bluenette nodded, slightly intimidated by the large man, but followed him. He opened the door and had her come in. But the glare was back on his face as he looked at them, "Ever is going to be here soon and she's going to flip shit seeing all of you here," his eyes turned lower to the ground, "You can stay, uh…"

"Carla," the white exceed said as she crossed her arms and walked to go inside the room. He nodded as he opened the door again, "Right," his head turned to the others, "The rest of you get the fuck out."

He didn't wait for a reply as he went inside the room and closed the door.

"I wonder who's the girl that's in there?"

"I don't know Lucy, but it must've been pretty serious to have Wendy come."

"Gray, where are your clothes?"

"Why do I smell Elfman here?"

"You all should leave before she's here. Don't worry, Wendy will be safe with us!"

The door closed.

"Did Natsu just say it smells like Elfman here?"

"Don't mention it to her or she will permanently remove your lower body parts."

Laxus snorted at the last part and shook his head. He removed himself from the door and walked up to Wendy, whose hands were glowing a soft blue as she had them over the body of the girl.

Carla still had her arms crossed as she looked at Laxus, "Where did you find her?"

He took in the superiority like voice from the cat, but surprisingly he didn't mind it. As long as she or the black cat that hung around Gajeel didn't act like Happy, he didn't have an issue.

"Bickslow heard something inside the well by my camp in the forest. I looked over and there she was, drowning."

Carla furrowed her eyebrows, "Was she trying to kill herself?"

He shook his head, "By the sound of splashing I heard, it didn't sound intentional," he focused his attention to the blue haired girl, "How is she?"

The glow disappeared from her hands and turned to look up at him, a small smile on her face, "She just needs to rest now. Give it a day, maybe two for her to wake up. I was able to get rid of the fever, she just needs to replenish her own strength. It'll be best to keep her in the cloak since it'll keep her warm enough until she awakens."

Laxus nodded as he took in all the information, "Thanks. If there's anything I could do for you, let me know."

The small girl immediately blushed and shook her head furiously while waving her hands in front of her, "Oh no! It's okay! I'm happy I was able to help."

"Are you going to tell your grandfather about her?" Carla cut in.

He grunted, "Probably. Once the girl wakes up and we figure this out. She's going to need a place to stay for the meanwhile. He'll help her."

Carla suspiciously looked at him, "You sound like you're washing your hands about this."

He put his hands in his pockets, "I'm leaving soon. She won't be my responsibility then."

Wendy's chocolate brown eyes were shining with disappointment, "So you're not going to stay?"

He hated the look she was giving him. He always didn't do well with disappointed kids, specially girls. It didn't help that Wendy was a sweet girl. Shy, but sweet. She had tended to his wounds after the battle of Hades and had welcomed him back, charming him with her sweet smile. He saw the potential in her. Once she was older there was a possibility of her being deadly.

"Once I know the girl is fine I'll be leaving. Come, I'm sure Ever has some tea or some shit in the kitchen."

Carla gave him a look at his brash vocabulary and Wendy giggled, not even caring. As they were walking out of the room, that's when Evergreen arrived with some of his things. He gave her a look and she rolled her eyes.

"You can crash on the couch for the meanwhile," her eyes moved to Wendy and Carla and she smiled, "Oh you're here! How did it go?"

Wendy shyly smiled back, "She should be awake in a day or two."

Freed then came in alongside Bickslow with the rest of the things they left at the camp. As Evergreen left to the kitchen with the young girl and the exceed, Bickslow went up to him.

"I found this by the well. I'm sure it was hers since it seemed to be tied around a neck cause of the string."

And in his palm, it was a tiny flask with four pieces of a jewel, a pink soft glow coming from them. Laxus grabbed the bottle carefully and brought it up to inspect it closer. He could feel a strange but powerful magic coming out of the jewels, which seemed to be broken and part of something bigger. His head was swarmed with questions as his eyes went towards the closed bedroom door.

Who was this girl?