Haloha, everyone! Finally drew myself a cover art for this, hope it looks great!

Anyhow, to answer a fellow reviewer skyrim Morrowind who asked if Erza likes Natsu in this fanfiction, she doesn't! They share a very close bond as family. She has her eyes for Jellal only :D

Well, I've said enough. Enjoy reading Chapter 4!


Chapter 4 : Entering Nightglades!

"Wow, are those waterfalls real?! They're huge!" Natsu shouted excitedly. He recently woke up and was shocked at the scenery he was witnessing. He hadn't been able to contain his excitement since he woke up. "They look as big as Igneel… actually, they might even be bigger!" Natsu's eyes showed excitement like that of an innocent child at a playground. He was running ahead of the group.

"Aye, sir! There's gotta be so many delicious fishies…" Happy flew over the Fairy Tail wizards, taking in the sight and imagining the fish.

The team entered through the entrance, walking on a straight path of cobblestones protected by fences that seems to lead deeper into the forest. Surrounding them were magnificent waterfalls spanning through the sky. Sounds of streaming water crashing against the surface of rocks at the bottom were dominating the environment.

"Where does he get all this energy from… he was passed out just a moment ago." Gray asked, facing one of the waterfalls.

"Haha, I appreciate his enthusiasm." Erza said smiling, looking at the waterfall to her right.

Suddenly, Erza and Gray felt arms from behind wrapping itself around their shoulders.

"Erza, Gray, say cheese!" Lucy moved in between them, bringing them closer and snapped a photo. A shutter sound was heard a second later.

"Oh, Lucy, you brought a camera lacrima?" Gray asked, a bit surprised.

"Yes, though this isn't mine. It's Levy's. I borrowed it from her." Lucy showed them the photo that was taken.

Gray smiled approvingly at the photo. "Hey, this looks ni-"

"Hmph. I'm not looking at the camera here, and my hair doesn't look great. Lucy, let's take another one! Let's stand in front of the waterfall. That'll make for a good background." Erza adjusted her hair. She then forcefully dragged Lucy and Gray to the edge of the path, their backs facing a waterfall. She put her arm around Lucy's shoulders.

"A-Ahaha, alright, alright." Lucy put her arms around Erza and Gray again and took another photo. She then showed the photo to Erza.

Feeling satisfied, Erza gave her a thumbs up. "I like this one. Keep it."

"Man, I wish I brought a camera too. This seems like a good spot to make memories." Gray said wryly, scratching the back of his head.

"Don't worry, I brought this for everyone! Here, do you want to take some pictures now?" Lucy asked, handing the camera lacrima to Gray.

"Oh, really? Thanks, though maybe not right now. I'd like to take some after we're done with the mission."

"Sure thing, just let me know!" Lucy smiled, now looking around for potential photo spots.

Behind the group was Wendy and Carla, who were also taking in the grand sight of these waterfalls. Carla was walking beside her.

"I never thought a place like this could even exist. It's like something you'd see in a dream!" Wendy said excitedly, trying to see how high the waterfalls are.

"I'm very surprised too. I'm quite curious how these waterfalls look at night." Carla replied.

"Maybe it'll look even more amazing!" Wendy exclaimed.

"It might… but first things first. We have a job to do." Carla said dryly.

"O-oh right." Wendy scratched her cheek.

"… You forgot again, didn't you?" Carla asked her deadpanned.

"Did not." Wendy puffed her cheeks, turning the other way. Carla smirked at her reaction.

"Come on, child. Let's catch up to the rest of the group." Carla sprouted her wings and flew.

"Okay!" Wendy smiled and quickened her pace on the path, seeing Erza and Gray in view.

Erza noticed they were approaching and turned her head around. "Wendy, Carla. Enjoying the view?" Erza smiled at them.

"Yes, Erza! This place looks wonderful." Wendy said.

"Good to know that. Everyone here seems to be excited and in good spirits." Erza glanced at everyone, making sure they were nearby. She noticed Natsu and Happy weren't nearby. Lucy was taking pictures still.

"Hey, Erza. What should we be doing? We've just been walking for a while." Gray asked.

"We're supposed to meet with the client, but I'm a bit at a loss here." Erza took a crumpled map from her pocket and unfolded it. "This map shows there's supposed to be a second path here, but as far as my eye can see, we've been travelling on the same path since we entered. We haven't passed by any intersections." Erza put a hand on her chin, appearing in deep thought.

"Another path, you say? Hmmm…" Gray looked at the map. Sure enough, there was a second path diverging from just about where they were standing. Gray looked in the direction where the second path was supposed to be according to the map but there was nothing. It seemed like a dead end. Although, his attention was brought to the waterfall in that direction. I wonder if there's a secret passage behind the waterfall? An idea popped in his mind. Maybe if I freeze it…

While Erza and Gray were discussing, Wendy was trying to find where everyone else was. Erza, Gray, and Carla are here, so that leaves three other members. Her eyes were searching around for the fire dragon slayer. It was hard to use her hearing sense since the waterfalls were drowning most of the noises, so she relied on her nose to locate them. Soon enough, she caught a whiff of the fire dragon slayer, and tracked his scent. There was something about his scent that made her feel calm and assured. Her lips slightly curved up when she finally spotted him, but were immediately back down when she noticed Lucy was there too.

"Hey, Happy, how high do you think these waterfalls are? Could you fly that high?" Natsu asked, standing at the fence of the path. He pointed at the sky where the waterfalls are barely visible, fading in the distance.

Happy judged the distance of the height of the waterfalls. He shook his head. "I've never went that high, Natsu. I'm not sure."

"Wow, really? That's crazy, I thought you could fly anywhere." Natsu asked, putting his hands behind his head.

"Maybe I could but… I don't think my magic power will last that long." Happy started flying upwards to see how tall the waterfall was.

"I see." Natsu softly said. He was remembering back to the past when his foster father, Igneel flew him through the skies. He was holding on to his father for dear life. It was a memory he cherished very deeply. It filled him with a sense of nostalgia. He stood still in silence, enjoying the moment…

Click!

Natsu heard a sound of something clicking in their direction. He turned around swiftly to see Lucy, holding her camera facing them. He smiled.

"Hey, Luce! What'cha got there?" Natsu stepped down from the fence and walked to her.

"It's a camera! I hope you don't mind me taking your photo. I thought you looked pretty cool." Lucy blushed faintly, showing the photo to Natsu.

"That's neat!" Natsu grinned at her, swinging his arm around Lucy. "Hey, I got an idea! Why don't you take a photo of us?"

"Sure! I would love to!" Lucy beamed back. She was hoping to take a photo with Natsu since they came here. "Let's take one right now." Lucy held the camera a good distance. She put her arm around Natsu's neck, bringing him closer till their cheeks were touching. Her cheeks started burning up.

"H-hey, Luce, your cheeks feel rather… hot. Are you alright?" Natsu asked with concern.

"D-don't worry, it's fine! Keep your eyes on the camera." Lucy ignored the heat in her cheeks and readied herself to take a picture. She started counting down. "3… 2… 1… " Both of them put their best smile into action.

Click!

"Nice, let me see!" Natsu said impatiently. Lucy turned the camera around and showed him the picture. "I love it!" He flashed his toothy grin at her. Lucy couldn't contain the happiness in her own smile seeing his. Her cheeks were now both flushed red. He looks so cute…

"I love it too." Lucy brought her hand to cover her face, her eyes darting away from his.

"H-hey, Luce, are you sure you're doing okay?" Natsu noticed how red her face was. He moved his hand to feel her forehead, but Lucy waved her hand in front of her and took a few steps backward to avoid his touch which she slightly regretted.

"I already told you, I'm okay! I'm just a bit excited is all!" Lucy said, still embarrassed. "Well, I'm heading back to meet with the others, don't take too long!" Lucy waved her hand as she turned around and walked away quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Er, sure… " Natsu said, a bit unconvinced. She's weird.

Walking to the others, Lucy gazed intently at the photo she had just taken with Natsu. She deeply cherished it, bringing the camera close to her chest. Who knew just taking a photo could make you all giddy? I'm going to ask Levy to print this later.

Wendy quietly saw their interactions from start to finish. Before her negative thoughts came rushing into her mind, she clapped her cheeks multiple times. She can't let her jealousy take over her every time this happens. Even so, she felt deplorable, pouting and crossing her arms. A photo with Natsu, huh… I want one too. Carla took notice of this.

"What's wrong, child? That expression is certainly not befitting of you." Carla asked.

"N-nothing's wrong! Hmph." Wendy puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms even more tightly.

Carla sighed at her dragon slayer's behavior and followed the direction where her eyes was looking. I see Natsu and Happy are over there. Lucy is over there too… and she's holding a camera? Carla took a guess and turned to Wendy.

"Do you want to borrow Lucy's camera?" Carla deduced.

"Wha-!" Wendy, feeling flustered, frantically waved her arms around. Her eyes avoided Carla's gaze. Blood was rushing to her face; she felt as if a bomb was set off. Carla hit the mark… sort of.

"You're so easy to read, child. Go on, ask Lucy for the camera. She wouldn't mind lending it to you." Carla pointed at Lucy, urging Wendy to go.

"W-w-what do you mean?" Wendy pretended to not understand. She put her hand on her hip and scratched her cheek with the other.

"You understand perfectly what I mean." Carla flew to Wendy's back and pushed her towards Lucy.

"W-wait, Carla!" Wendy tried to stand still, but Carla was determined. If Wendy was a coward, then she would take matters into her own hands.

"Lucy!" Carla called out to her.

"Oh, hey, Wendy, Carla!" Lucy waved at them, a bit amused by Carla pushing Wendy.

"Wendy would like to ask you a favor." Carla asked in her stead, now flying beside her.

"C-Carla, stop this!" Wendy fumed at her, stomping her foot.

"Sure, what can I help you with, Wendy?" Lucy smiled brightly.

"Why don't you be more honest with yourself?" Carla whispered to her.

"Muuuu…" Wendy covered her face, trying to save her embarrassment. A part of her wants to run away, but there was also a part of her that wanted to go on. Why was she helpful at a time like this?

"Camera…" Wendy said quietly, her head facing downwards. She was clenching the hem of her dress.

"I'm sorry?" Lucy asked inching closer, not able to hear what she's saying.

"C-could I borrow your c-c-camera for a bit?" Wendy nervously asked, feeling like a train wreck.

"Oh, sure! Here! I did bring this for everyone after all!" Lucy handed the camera to her, to which Wendy slowly took out of her hands.

"Have fun with it! I'll be meeting up with the others!" Lucy smiled and went to where Erza and Gray were.

Wendy simply stood still, staring at the camera in her hands. That was surprisingly easy. She didn't expect to get this far. She looked at the camera then to Natsu's direction, then back to the camera. Heat was still rising in her cheeks.

"Are you just going to stand there? Go on! Take some pictures!" Carla said sternly, crossing her arms. "I'll be waiting here."

Wendy simply stared at her. Why is she doing this? Does she… know? Regardless, Wendy did want to take a photo with Natsu, but she didn't want to outright admit it to Carla. She took a deep breath.

"J-Just so you know, I'm only doing this because you're asking, okay?" Wendy pouted at Carla, then quickly turned around in place and ran towards Natsu, but not before Carla caught a glimpse of her smile. Carla simply nodded at herself, mentally encouraging Wendy at whatever she wanted to do. I wonder why she's acting like this all over a camera…

"N-Natsu!" Wendy called out to him. Natsu was just observing Happy flying in the sky.

He turned around and saw Wendy. "Hey, Wendy? What's up?" He smiled. He then noticed Lucy's camera in her hands. "Oh, here to take some pictures? This is definitely a great spot!"

Wendy stopped in front of Natsu. "Uhm…ah…" She froze in place. Her heartbeat was accelerating. It's only just a photo, why am I so nervous? She took a moment to calm herself down. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath then slowly releasing it. "N-Natsu!" She called him again.

"Er... yeah, Wendy?" Confusion rose in his face.

"W-would you… like to take a photo with me?" Wendy asked nervously, clutching the camera to her chest. Still, she was able to maintain her cool somewhat. She praised herself internally.

Natsu heavily grinned at her. "Of course, Wendy! I would love to!"

All the tension immediately left her body. Wendy couldn't stop her lips from curving into a smile. "T-Then, let's go over there!" Wendy tugged Natsu's sleeve towards the fence where the waterfall was fully visible from this angle.

Natsu wrapped his arm around Wendy's shoulders. His face was inches away from hers. Wendy slightly flinched at his bold action, but then again… Natsu doesn't really judge his physical space. Still, she wasn't going to complain, being this close to him, being able to feel his warmth she felt so safe in. She was feeling a bit greedy today, wanting to feel even closer with him. She decided to take a bold action herself: she softly leaned her head on Natsu's face, closing any distance between them. Kyaaaah! What am I doing? She didn't understand why she did what she did. She glanced at Natsu, but he didn't seem to mind. Being so close to him, being enveloped in his warmth, her heart was about to explode. She was grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Uh… Wendy, you alright?" Natsu noticed how warm her cheeks were. Why does this feel familiar again…?

Wendy was snapped back to reality. "A-ah, it's nothing!" Wendy frantically moved the camera in front of them. "Okay, ready?" Natsu nodded.

Click!

Wendy turned the camera around to look at the photo. Needless to say, she was embarrassed to actually see how close they were, but she was overjoyed.

"Looks great!" Natsu slowly pulled his arm away from Wendy's shoulder. Wendy frowned a bit, not wanting to let go of his warmth. She instinctively held on to his arm from letting go.

"Er… Wendy?" Natsu raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

"Could we… take another one?" Wendy asked shyly, her cheeks dyed red. She was looking for an excuse to stay close with him. At least for a little longer.

"Cool, that's fine by me." Natsu replied, leaving his arm on Wendy's shoulders to her satisfaction. Another bold idea appeared in her head…

"N-Natsu, let's do this!" Wendy moved her hand in front and slightly curled her fingers inwards, as if resembling the half of a certain shape.

"Haha, sure!" Natsu followed suit and followed her gesture, putting his hand just beside hers.

Click!

Wendy turned the camera around to look at the photo. She was thrilled with how it turned out. We look so much like a couple... that thought instantly set her mind ablaze.

Natsu flashed his signature smile. "I love this one a lot!" Natsu put his hands behind his back.

"M-Me too!" Wendy smiled back at him. Knowing that Natsu loves it too filled her heart with joy. It was just the two of them, laughing and sharing a wonderful moment together.

"Ah…" Wendy's mind drifted to the Harvest Festival. Since I'm here… I might as well ask him. She looked around her, making sure they were alone. She held the camera tightly to her chest and gazed at Natsu. "Uhm… Natsu."

"Yeah?" He replied.

"I was wondering if… you'd like to go to the H-H-Harvest Festival with m-"

"Natsu! Wendy!" A voice interrupted Wendy. They both turned towards them.

"Erza's looking for you. We're about to continue with our search for the client." Carla said, hurriedly flying towards them.

"Carla…" Wendy said weakly, staring at her with lifeless eyes. You couldn't have waited a few seconds?"

"Come on, let's get a move on!" She flew beside Wendy, neither noticing her gaze nor understanding the situation.

"Alright, thanks for the heads up! Wouldn't want Erza to get mad at us, do we?" Natsu laughed, patting Wendy's shoulder. "Hey, Happy! Come down here! Let's go!" He shouted to Happy.

"Aye, sir!" Happy flew down and perched on his shoulder.

They started walking back to where the others were. Wendy's shoulders were slumped. Her head was angled downwards. Slowly, she was falling behind Natsu.

"Did something happen, child?" Carla asked, wondering about Wendy's state of mind.

Wendy slowly turned her head to Carla. "Hmph!" She huffed and angrily pouted away from her, crossing her arms. She faced forward and began running towards Natsu, keeping their pace.

"What's the matter, child?" Carla was left dumbfounded. She thought she helped Wendy by encouraging her to borrow Lucy's camera. Was she unhappy with that? No, she did seem eager a while ago. I'll just ask her about it later. Carla flew towards them, keeping her pace with the group.

Natsu's group was now approaching Erza's group.

"Hey, you guys! Get over here! Erza and Gray figured something out!" Lucy called out to them, waving her hand.

"Lucy!" Wendy walked to her, handing the camera back. "Thank you!"

"No problem, Wendy!" Lucy smiled, giving her a thumbs up.

"So, what'd you figure out?" Natsu asked.

"We believe there may be a secret passage behind that waterfall." Erza motioned to the nearby waterfall.

"A secret passage?" Both Natsu and Happy asked. They didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

"Gray, if you may." Erza signaled others to step back, and lightly nodded to Gray.

"Just leave this to me!" Gray faced the waterfall, activating his magic. The temperature around him starting to cool down below zero. He shifted into his casting stance.

"ICE-MAKE ARCH!" Gray slammed his left fist on to his right palm in front of him, sending out a chilling wave of ice towards the waterfall. A durable arch of ice was molded from the water, blocking the waterfall raining from above. The water and icy vapor started clearing out, revealing a hidden cave.

"Wow." Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Wendy said in unison, awe-struck. Their eyes comically widened.

"Very impressive, Gray, but…" Erza slowly rubbed her forehead.

"Did you really have to remove your clothes too?!" Lucy angrily put her hands on her hips, motioning to Gray's clothes… or the lack of them.

"A-ah, sorry!" Gray scrambled towards his clothes and put them back on. He apparently stripped out of his clothes as he casted his magic.

"Anyway, what's a cave doing out here? Wouldn't it be easier if the client just waited for us here?" Lucy asked, slightly furrowing her eyebrows.

"Who cares? This feels like an adventure! Let's go in!" Natsu exclaimed, pumping his hands up.

"Aye!" Happy followed.

"Always so positive, aren't you…" Lucy smiled wryly, putting her hands on her hip.

Erza smiled at Natsu's adventurous spirit. "I suppose the client had their reasons." She answered. "Well, we might as well proceed. We can ask later." Erza motioned everyone to follow. They all entered the hidden cave, slowly being surrounded by darkness with faint light illuminating the surroundings.

Lucy decided to turn off her camera lacrima and put it back in her bag. Before she did, she skimmed through the photos quickly that were taken. She stopped on Natsu and Wendy's photo. They were quite close, and their hands formed a "heart" shape. Lucy stared and smiled at it for a while. Hey, this is rather adorable. She thought. She then turned off the camera and put it back in her bag.


In the cave….

..

.

The group was now traversing the cave, nearly devoid of light. Erza was leading the group deeper into the cave as she was reading the map. Happy and Carla were scouting above them, trying to look into the distance. Suddenly, a cool breeze of wind swept through them, sending shivers.

"Hey, guys… is it just me or does this cave feel colder than when we entered?" Lucy wrapped her arms around herself, shivering a bit.

"It's probably just you." Gray said nonchalantly.

Lucy stared dryly at Gray. Says the ice wizard…

"You're right, Lucy. This feels considerably colder than we first entered. It seems to be getting colder the farther we go." Erza said, turning her head to Lucy.

"I should have worn something warmer…" Lucy wrapped her arms tightly, shivering even more. She was wearing her signature outfit. It's a sleeveless blue shirt with a short white skirt, as well as black, leather high-heeled boots reaching up to her thighs. "It's freezing!"

Happy and Carla started freezing as well. Happy flew to snuggle down on Natsu's hair, while Carla flew to Wendy's arms, seeking warmth. Wendy held Carla and noticed how cold she was.

"Wow, it's quite cold here." Wendy said, hugging Carla close to her chest. "A-A-Are you alright, Carla?" Her lips were trembling.

"I'm alright, Wendy. I hope we can leave this place soon. How about you? Your clothes aren't suitable for this temperature." Carla snuggled close to Wendy.

"I-I'm okay. I think I can manage." Wendy was actually freezing. Her dress doesn't offer much protection in this environment. She didn't have any enchantment magic that could keep her warm.

Chills were now sent down Erza's spine. "The temperature seems to be dropping quick here. In that case… REQUIP!" Erza swapped her clothes into a warm, wooly sweater, cap, and pants. "This is better."

"Must be really convenient for you two, huh…" Lucy glanced at Erza and Gray, then to her keys. An idea popped into her head. Should I summon Horologium? Just as she was considering it, she felt rising heat emanating from her right side as if it was inviting her. She turned her head to the source of the heat.

"This warm enough for you, Happy?" Natsu patted Happy's head. He regulated his body temperature to keep Happy warm.

"Aye, thanks, Natsu!" Happy took shelter in his warm hair, almost dozing off.

Desiring his warmth, Lucy quickly put her arms around Natsu's. "Sorry, Natsu, I hope you don't mind. I'm freezing over here."

"Haha, no problem, Luce!" Natsu grinned at her, taking her hand in his to share his body heat. A slight blush appeared on Lucy's cheeks. She bowed her head down, looking at their intertwined fingers.

"Thanks, Natsu!" She smiled brightly and snuggled against his arm, pulling it between her chest. Ah, this is so warm and comfortable…

Wendy simply observed them from the sidelines. A sharp pang of jealousy appeared in her heart. She pouted but turned her head the other way quickly. She was freezing here too, but she couldn't be that daring like Lucy to hold his arm. I'm just going to bear it while I can…

"Are you okay, child? You're shaking quite a lot." Carla asked, concerned.

"O-oh? Ah, I'm okay, Carla. Don't worry." She was, in fact, not okay. She was practically freezing now, dropping her chin to her chest. They were much deeper in the cave. "Brrrr…." Wendy rubbed her arms, trying to combat the freezing vibrations. Suddenly, she felt warmth draping itself around her shoulders, gently pulling her in.

"You two are cold, aren't you? Here, stick close to me." Natsu had noticed Wendy's little trembling body and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm over her shoulders and generating body heat.

"N-Natsu…" She lifted her head to look at him. Besides the heat she was receiving from his body, heat was also being generated in her cheeks now. A faint blush graced her face.

Natsu wrapped his arm gentler and tighter around Wendy. "Better?" He grinned.

Wendy smiled shyly, leaning her head against him. "T-thank you, Natsu." Her face flushed deeply. Being in his arms was the best thing ever. A feeling of warmth and safety enveloped her delicate body. She loved how caring and gentle he was towards her. Sure, he was like that with everyone, but she especially loved it when his attention was for herself. She wouldn't mind if the cave path was a little longer.

Erza turned her head away from the map to look at them. She simply smiled warmly at the three, her attention being brought to Wendy in particular. Wendy… and Natsu, huh?

"How far is the client now?" Gray asked, having stripped out of his shirt.

Erza turned her attention back to the map. "Hmmm… we should be nearby. It's just a little over there." Erza motioned to the path in front of her.

"I wonder what kind of client lives in a cave like this. Must be an eccentric old man or something." Gray put his hands in his pockets.

"The job itself is already dangerous and odd enough, I wouldn't be surprised if the client was too." Lucy replied, tightening her grip around Natsu's arm.

"Now, now, don't go making assumptions. Regardless of the what the job or who the client is, we'll see it through the end." Erza declared proudly.

Moments later, a shadowy figure appeared in the distance. Erza extended her right arm to her side, signaling to the others to stand still.

Gray accidentally bumped into her hand. "Hey, Erza, what's wrong?" He asked, glancing at Erza.

"There's someone there." Erza whispered, motioning forward.

Natsu then picked up on a fresh scent, a scent of another being nearby. "Yeah, I can smell it. Someone's there." Natsu instinctively brought Lucy and Wendy closer to him. "Wendy, can you smell it too?"

Wendy's mind was a bit of a euphoric mess, being so close to him, but she managed to open her mouth. "Y-yeah, there's definitely someone there."

The shadowy figure then approached them slowly with what appears to be a lantern on their left hand, illuminating the surroundings. "Salutations. Are you the Fairy Tail Wizards?" A feminine voice spoke out.

Soon, the shadowy figure came into full view. She was wearing a long, light blue dress with a white head covering. Her brown hair flowed down to her back. She looked rather young, just about Lucy's height.

"Yes, we're wizards from the Fairy Tail guild. We've come here for the job regarding the Whisperer of the Waterfalls." Erza said.

"I see." She smiled. "We must find a safe place first. Please follow me. You must be looking for the client, yes?" She turned around in place and began walking forward.

The group followed behind. "I presume you're not the client then?" Erza asked.

"I'm afraid the client isn't available to meet you today." She answered. "She has some errands to do. If it makes things easier, allow me to inform you about the job. She sent me to meet with you." She stopped in front of a wall. She silently chanted an incantation. Moments later, a door faded into existence in front of them. She opened it and motioned others to enter first. "Please come in quickly."


Inside a shelter….

..

.

The group was now in an isolated space somewhere in the cave. It looked like an underground shelter. In the middle of the room, there was a round table with chairs spread around it. In a corner of the room, there seemed to be a magical platform.

"Wew, finally safe from the cold!" Lucy let go of Natsu's hand, exploring around the room.

"Where are we? This place doesn't seem… real." Gray said, observing the magical platform. He felt something off about this place.

"This place smells funny." Natsu added. Wendy sniffed a bit and noticed it as well.

"Please, have a seat." The lady motioned to the round table.

Lucy, Erza, and Gray took their seats around the table. Natsu still had his arm around Wendy.

"Whoops, sorry, Wendy." He attempted to unwrap his arm away from Wendy, but she kept hold of his arm, reluctant to let go of his warmth. She wanted an excuse to stay close to him.

Wendy averted her gaze away from Natsu. "N-Natsu, could we sit together like this? I-I'm still feeling a bit cold." Her cheeks slightly blushed.

"I would appreciate that too. This is surprisingly comfortable. It seems your fire has other uses besides wrecking and blowing things up." Carla added, staying cozy in Wendy's arms. Wendy mentally thanked her in her mind. Nice excuse, Carla!

"Sure. That's fine by me." Natsu took a chair nearby and moved it next to the chair he was going to sit on, essentially creating a bench. They both took their seats with Wendy snuggled up to him, her lips curving upwards a bit. Erza took note of this and nodded to herself.

"Well then, can you tell us more about the job?" Erza asked, facing the girl now.

"Of course." She smiled sweetly. "I'd like to keep this short and simple." She shifted in her seat, straightening her posture. "My name is Celia, you may think of me as the client's substitute. I'm sure you have questions about this place, and why it was concealed behind a waterfall." She took on a more serious tone. "This is all to protect against the Whisperer. We've had many unfortunate encounters with the Whisperer hunting us down, so we've had to hide ourselves for the time being. As you may have noticed, this room is conjured using spatial magic. It doesn't exist in this real space. This is simply a precaution to avoid the Whisperer knowing of our whereabouts."

"You're saying we could have met the Whisperer on the way here?!" Lucy asked, frightened at the thought.

"We're all quite fortunate not to have encountered it so soon." Celia said. "The Whisperer is sensitive to environments with dense magical power."

Lucy glanced at everyone. Everyone here is pretty powerful.

"I'm sure you've heard that many other guilds and wizards did try to take on this job… but none have been successful." Her tone turned sad. "The Whisperer is a dangerous being, more so than we thought. I know all of you came all this way here… but I understand if you want to back down from this mission. You… may not come back from this alive." She clenched her fists on her knee.

"No way we're leaving! You can count on us." Natsu said strongly. "We'll get this job done. We'll kick this Whisperer's butt!" Natsu clenched his free fist and punched forward.

"Don't worry. We'll defeat this Whisperer being, and make sure it doesn't harm anyone else ever again." Gray continued, having stripped out of his pants now.

Celia was a bit surprised by their determination (and also Gray's behavior). "But still…"

Suddenly, the magical platform in the corner of the room glowed. Celia's eyes widened. "Oh no…"

"What's wrong, Miss Celia?" Erza asked.

"The Whisperer is now active… somewhere in Nightglades." She said, panicking a bit. "This is sooner than I thought."

"It may be due to the fact that many strong wizards are gathered here." Erza said, glancing at everyone. "In that case, we better make haste. We don't want the Whisperer to come here."

Celia stood up abruptly, walking over to the magical platform. "I could… send you to its location immediately." She put her hand on the magical platform, a rune forming and glowing on the ground. "This device had been designed to track down the Whisperer and to teleport wizards to its location. But I wouldn't recommend-"

"So, we can directly meet this guy and fight? Sounds like a plan to me!" Natsu said excitedly, interrupting her.

"I don't think you realize how dire this situation is…" Lucy scratched her neck.

"Aye! That's Natsu for you." Happy exclaimed, raising his paw.

"So, there you have it." Erza said, putting her hands on her hips. "We'll deal with the Whisperer directly." Erza motioned others to stand around the teleportation device. Unfortunately for Wendy, she had to separate from Natsu.

Celia was worried, but she put her faith in them. "Okay. Take this." She gave Erza a round, bright crystal. The crystal lightly glowed upon Erza holding it. "This is a teleportation crystal. Break it while you're with your friends to return here directly. This may be your only chance of escape if the Whisperer proves to be too powerful."

"Much appreciated, Miss Celia." Erza smiled, observing the glowing crystal.

"Good luck, everyone." Celia activated the teleportation device. The wizards' bodies were glowing, slowly fading out of existence until she was the only one in the room.

Fairy Tail… please be safe.