Haloha, everyone! How you're all doing great today! Thanks for the reviews, as always!

To address a review by AJ, that is true! I'm adapting the story closely from SilverWrath's fanfiction, so I chose not to include it. Though my primary reason is Wendy's element doesn't seem as straightforward as Natsu's fire or Gajeel's iron in the anime, despite being… the most resourceful element, I'd imagine? Honestly, she could technically be the most powerful dragon slayer if she could suck air at her own convenience (would be overpowered, sure… but badass :P). Anyhow, thanks for bringing this to my attention!

Chapter 8 : Mission Complete!

The sun was slowly rising into the sky, illuminating the forests of Nightglades with its morning rays. Birds could be heard chirping. The waterfalls and rivers still continued on its course. Somewhere in these forests were the two dragon slayers cuddling and sleeping together under the shade of trees.

"Mhmm…" Wendy slowly rubbed her eyes, opening them up. Everything looked rather blurry. She slowly blinked a few times to clear her vision. She noticed the environment looked rather bright and vibrant. Slowly, she shifted her head upwards away from Natsu's chest and saw his sleeping face. She had her arms wrapped around Natsu, while his right arm was wrapped around her.

Ah, it's already morning.

She was quite hesitant to move away. She was quite comfortable lying down like this with Natsu. He loved how his arm was wrapped around her little body. She tightened her arms around him, snuggling her head against his chest. It was so warm and comfortable. She gazed at his sleeping face, observing it in greater detail. She paid attention to how his chest faintly rose and sink, the way his lips parted away as he breathed softly. It was a side of Natsu she rarely saw. He looked so peaceful and calm. As if pulling her in, her hand moved towards his pink hair and gently stroked it. Deep inside, she secretly hoped he didn't show this side of him to anyone else. Only to her. Her cheeks slightly rose in heat. She didn't know if this meant anything to Natsu, but being able to cuddle in his arms, just the two of them alone together…. It meant the world to her.

W-What are you thinking about, Wendy?

Wendy shook her head, trying to rid herself of these needy thoughts. She shouldn't give in to the temptation of his warmth. It was so tantalizingly inviting, to close her eyes and sleep again in his embrace. She knew they had to wake up. They were still on a mission, after all. They also had to find the others. After collecting her thoughts and energy, she reluctantly poked Natsu's soft cheeks.

"Natsu, wake up." She gently spoke in a hushed voice.

"Mhmm…" He shifted a bit.

"Wake up. It's already morning." She poked his cheeks again.

Natsu slowly opened his eyes, which met with Wendy's. He stood silent for a bit, regaining his awareness.

"Morning, sleepyhead." Wendy giggled, caressing his face.

Natsu rubbed his eyes a bit. "Oh… Good morning, Wendy." Natsu groggily greeted her and yawned. "How are you feeling? Did you sleep well?" He asked weakly.

"It was the best!" Wendy exclaimed. "I haven't slept this good in a while." She wasn't going to tell him it was because she was sleeping in his embrace, so close to him. Her cheeks slightly blushed at the thought.

"Oh, really?" Natsu was amused. "I'm happy to hear that. I've slept… enough." Natsu paused halfway as he answered. He tried stretching both his arms but groaned a bit. He forgot his left arm's injury.

"Take it easy, Natsu. You're still hurt." Wendy whispered. She raised herself into a sitting position. Her body felt lighter than before. She wiggled her fingers and feet, feeling out her movements. She tried slowly stretching out her left leg. It still hurt, but not as much as yesterday. Being the Sky Dragon Slayer, she naturally had regenerative abilities, so most of her minor wounds had been healed up. She placed her palms on her broken leg and activated her healing powers. Her palms glowed a powerful light blue and poured magic, spreading calmness throughout her leg. Slowly, she felt the fractures in her left leg repair itself.

"Nice, it seems you've recovered." Natsu smiled and pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Yeah, I feel much better now." Wendy stretched out her left leg again. There was barely any pain there now. Still, she had to give herself a few days for her leg to naturally recover completely. "Well then…" She then faced Natsu and strongly patted the spot besides her.

"What is it, Wendy?" Natsu asked, a bit confused.

"It's your turn now. Come on." Wendy patted again.

"My turn for what?" Natsu asked, dumbfounded.

Wendy frowned a bit. "You said I could heal you after I heal myself, right? Get over here."

"O-Oh, well…" Natsu looked into the distance, scratching his cheek.

"Natsu." Wendy called him strongly. "You promised. Twice." She raised two fingers up.

"Yes, yes. I know." Natsu sighed in defeat. He moved over to where Wendy motioned to. He then faced her.

Wendy noticed his clothes were covering most of his injuries from her view. She found it oddly annoying, as if it was teasing her. "T-Take off your clothes." Wendy boldly said, heat rising in her cheeks.

"Why do I have to do that?" Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"H-How am I supposed to heal all your wounds then? I need to see them." Why am I persistent? I'm just doing this because I need to heal him. Yeah, that's it.

I'm sure you can heal just fine still… Natsu decided to let Wendy have her way. "Fine, fine." Natsu slowly removed his waistcloth, revealing his firmly toned chest and abs bare for Wendy to gaze at. Wendy's face slowly flushed red. She instinctively covered her eyes with her hands, sneaking a peek through her fingers every now and then. He's… hot.

"Why are you covering your face?" Natsu asked, even more confused.

"I-I'm not!" Wendy swiped her hands down, but she darted her eyes away, squirming a bit. She was mentally preparing herself first. Natsu never really covered himself. He would typically leave his waistcloth open, exposing his chest for the all the world to see. Sure, Gray had a cool, finely sculpted body too, but Natsu was an entirely different matter. This is the first time she's basked in its full glory. His well-built body was too stimulating for her eyes, exciting her a little.

Bad, Wendy, bad! It's not the time for that!

Natsu found her antics amusing, to say the least. "Well, I'm all yours. Do as you wish." Natsu crossed his legs and put his hands on his knees.

D-Did you really have to phrase it like that? Wendy's mind nearly short-circuited. She took a few deep breaths to clear her mind of 'impure' thoughts, then scooted closer to him. She observed his body, noticing all the cuts and bruises it showed. Her attention was drawn to his abdomen, which looked the most critical out of all the other injuries. Although… something looked off about this injury. It smelt of… fire? Ash? Smoke? She couldn't sense any of Gray's magic there anymore. She gently placed her palm on his abdomen.

"Geh…" Natsu flinched a bit at her touch.

"S-Sorry, does it hurt?" Wendy apologetically looked at him.

"N-No, it's fine."

"Okay, stay still, alright?" She focused her magic energy into her palms, which started glowing a calming light blue. She poured her magic into Natsu's body. Natsu felt warmth and calmness spread over his body, feeling his wounds healing themselves. Slowly, his cuts and bruises faded away, as if they never existed in the first place. He drifted his left arm around, not noticing most of the pain that it had previously. "Your healing never ceases to amaze me. You're awesome, Wendy!" Natsu flashed his signature smile.

"Y-You think so?" Wendy's heart fluttered at his words. She couldn't stop her lips from curving into a smile. "A-Anyway, I'm going to heal this now, alright?" She motioned her hands towards his abdomen.

Natsu simply stood silent, then spun his neck to look behind. His eyes were focused.

"Natsu? What's wro-" Natsu lifted a finger towards Wendy's lips, signalling her to be quiet.

"Sshh… we're not alone." Natsu whispered.

Wendy focused her hearing senses and heard… familiar sounds. Sounds that shouldn't be here. Her eyes widened and were alert.

"It's them again…" Natsu muttered. "We need to hide. Quick." Natsu abruptly stood up, bearing the emanating pain from his wounds. He extended his hand towards Wendy. "Come on."

"But I haven't finished healing you yet-"

"Don't worry. You've done more than enough." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Come on, let's go." He quickly put on back his waistcloth and white scarf.

Natsu hurriedly walked over to a nearby tall tree. Wendy followed, albeit a bit slowly. She wanted to be careful not to exert her left leg, otherwise her healing would have been pointless.

"Get on my back." Natsu bent down in front of her. "I'll climb up this tree."

"But your wound…" Wendy knew they were in a dangerous situation right now, but she was more worried about Natsu's state.

"It's nothing I can't handle. Hurry." Natsu urged.

Wendy sighed and nodded. She climbed on to his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Natsu gritted his teeth, hoping Wendy didn't catch on to his pain.

"Hold on tight." Natsu jumped up and climbed the tree until they reached a branch they could sit on. Natsu got on to the branch and let Wendy go. He put his back against the tree, focusing his hearing senses. They're even closer.

Soon, they could hear the leaves below rustling. Wendy slowly craned her neck, and her eyes widened.

It's those minions again.

Natsu and Wendy held their breath, keeping their body completely still. The minions passed under them. Both of them noticed something… different about these minions. The magic power emanating from them was quite weak, compared to the ones they fought earlier. Still, there were many of them to take on. If they had to fight, Natsu was confident in his abilities, and he believed Wendy could hold her own, but he'd rather not confront conflict in their current state.

"Natsu…" Wendy gasped.

"Yeah, Wendy?"

"Your wound… it's bleeding." Wendy gazed at his abdomen. The wound seemed to have reopened.

"Ah, this? Don't worry about it… I'll close it again." Natsu gazed downwards.

Close it? Again? Wendy wondered what he meant by that.

Natsu ignited his right hand in flames, bringing it closer to his bleeding wound.

Wendy's eyes widened in disbelief. "You…burnt it shut?!"

"Yeah, it works… somewhat." Natsu said plainly.

The gears in Wendy's head finally snapped in the right places. The fire she smelt before… Natsu must have burnt his wounds shut multiple times. He must have woken up throughout the night to close his wounds over and over again… while keeping Wendy safe. Just how much pain had he been bearing all this time?

Tears started welling up in her eyes. She quickly snatched his arm away before he could cauterize his wound.

"Wendy?"

"Natsu. Please… let me heal you." She couldn't stand to see him like this.

"Not right no-"

"One minute is all I ask, please!" Wendy unintentionally raised her voice and clutched his clothes, begging him.

Natsu simply stayed still, looking off to the side.

"Natsu?"

Natsu's pupils suddenly diminished. He immediately grabbed Wendy in his arms. Soon after, multiple plasma blades were shot towards them. Natsu turned his back towards the attacks, using his body to shield Wendy.

"Grrr… They're here!" Natsu grunted from the pain.

Another round of blades was shot again. Natsu wrapped his arms tighter around Wendy, bearing the full impact of the attacks.

"Natsu!" Wendy cried out.

"I'll be alri-"

The branch under them started creaking, starting to fall off. Natsu tried to keep his balance, but ultimately lost it and fell downwards to the ground with Wendy in his arms. He fell on his back and let out a groan.

"Gugh…You alright, Wendy?" Natsu asked weakly.

"I'm so sorry, Natsu… " Wendy apologized. If she hadn't raised her voice, they wouldn't be in this predicament. What's worse was Natsu pushing himself and keeping her safe. Her heart was filled with guilt.

"It's okay. I had a feeling they would find us eventually, anyway." Natsu said, trying to assure her. Wendy got off him and helped him to stand up.

The minions started encircling them, blocking off all routes of escape. The dragon slayers put their backs against each other.

"What's the plan, Natsu?" Wendy asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Let's beat them down." He grinned. "I'm all fired up." He ignited his fists in flames.

"Don't push yourself, okay?" Wendy said with concern.

"Don't worry, these guys don't seem tough like last time." Natsu scanned the enemies around. "Let's show them what we dragon slayers can do."

"Yeah!"

They both split off and charged forward towards the minions. The minions roared and extended their claws.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu punched forward, releasing a moderate explosion of flames as it connected with his opponents.

"SKY DRAGON CRUSHING FANG!" Wendy swiped her hands forward, releasing a burst of wind on impact.

Some of the minions leapt forward with their claws, aiming to strike Wendy down.

"FIRE DRAGON SWORD HORN!" Natsu ignited himself in flames and charged against the minions attacking Wendy, sending them flying to other enemies.

"SKY DRAGON WAVE WIND!" Wendy swung her hands, creating a powerful tornado and hurled it towards the minions in front of her.

Both Natsu and Wendy sent consecutive blow after blow, killing off the minions one by one.

"Wendy, let's roar together!" Natsu dashed next to her and grinned.

"Yeah!" Wendy beamed back.

They both started inhaling, filling their lungs with air. The remaining minions started approaching them.

"Fire Dragon…"

"Sky Dragon…"

The minions leapt forward with their bony claws towards the duo.

"ROAR!"

The duo unleashed their breath attacks together in sync, releasing a stream of blazing flames and violent hurricanes that merged together into an obliterating force of their fire and sky elements. The minions, as well as a part of the forest, were completely decimated, leaving nothing in its wake. The ground was shaken with trees being blown into the sky.

"That was amazing, Wendy!" Natsu raised his right arm for a high-five.

"Yeah!" Wendy returned his high-five happily. She was amazed at what their unison attack had achieved. If she was a little more honest with herself, she'd say it was even better than his Unison Raid with Lucy's….

"You're…so…" Natsu's voice trailed off. His body stumbled forward.

"Natsu!" Wendy caught him, putting her arms under his. "Natsu, what's wrong?!"

"D-Don't…worry." Natsu stood up slowly, regaining his balance and putting his arm around Wendy's shoulders as support. "I think I may have just used too much magic power, ahah…" He said with a pained voice.

"You're pushing yourself too much, Natsu…" Wendy smiled wryly. "You haven't been able to rest since yesterday."

"Well… " Natsu nervously scratched his cheek. He didn't want to admit it.

They heard the leaves rustle in the distance. They turned their direction towards the source of the sound. Their eyes widened.

"There's more of them?!" Wendy said in shock. Five minions approached them, emitting dark auras.

"Damn…" Natsu muttered under his breath. He knew all too well he couldn't fight any longer. There were only five of them, so maybe he could find it within himself to finish them in a single blow…

Natsu tried to let go of Wendy, but he couldn't. He didn't have any strength left in him. He felt weaker by the second, his vision starting to blur.

"Natsu?" Wendy called out to him, noticing his grip weakening.

His breathing got fainter, his remaining strength draining out. Ultimately, his body gave out, falling down to the ground back-first.

"Natsu!" Wendy hurried lifted his head on to her lap. "Natsu, stay with me!" Tears started welling in her eyes.

"Wendy… run away…" Natsu struggled to talk. It was hard to keep himself conscious.

"I'm not leaving you behind!" She cried out.

The minions approached the dragon slayers slowly, revealing their claws from their cloaks.

Wendy turned her attention to the minions. Oddly, it wasn't sadness that conquered her emotions… it was anger. Angry she couldn't heal him. Angry she couldn't protect him. Angry they've put him through this Hell. Wendy glared at the cloaked figures, holding Natsu close to her chest with both her arms. I'll protect you no matter what!

The minions launched themselves at Wendy. She stretched her palm outwards, ready to engage when…

"ICE MAKE COLD EXCALIBUR!" The ground in front of Wendy erupted with ice, crawling forward and spreading into two directions, freezing and killing off the last of the cloaked figures.

Wendy's eyes widened in surprise. Huh? Ice… That means…

"WEEEENDDYYY!" A voiced gradually screamed louder. She felt something soft bumped into her back. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Carla! You're… here!" Wendy exclaimed in joy. It was her white Exceed.

"Natsu, Wendy!" She turned towards the voices. She saw Lucy, Gray, and Erza running towards them.

"NATSUUUUU!" A crying Happy flew straight into Natsu's chest. "I thought I'd never see you again!" He bawled loudly into his chest.

"Happy…" Natsu smiled weakly.

"We're so glad you too are safe." Erza sighed in relief. "We've been searching everywhere for you since yesterday."

"How did you find us?" Wendy asked.

"Well, it was hard not to miss those explosions. It was pretty spectacular, if I may add." Erza replied.

Ah, she must be talking about our Unison Raid. Wendy thought to herself. Her remarks made her slightly happy.

"Natsu!" Lucy panickily rushed to Natsu's side. "What happened to you?!"

"Ahah… just got a little roughed up is all…" He forced a grin at her.

Wendy defensively held Natsu closer to her chest, away from Lucy. She wasn't sure why she did that.

"Man, that's way more than just a little." Gray walked over and saw Natsu's state, paying attention to his abdomen in particular, filling him with guilt.

"What happened to him, Wendy?" Lucy asked worriedly. "Did he do something reckless again?"

"He…was always looking out for me since we separated." Wendy gazed at his face. "I guess you could say that's reckless of him." She smiled and gently stroked his pink hair.

"Heh, is that so?" Lucy gently held his hand and brought it to her cheek. "You always know how to make me worry, Natsu…"

"He pushes himself too hard sometimes… I'm grateful he kept you safe." Carla said softly. While she despised his reckless nature, she deeply respected his loyalty and compassion for his friends.

"Forgive me, Natsu. This is all my fault. If only I had arrived sooner…" Erza clenched her fists, hanging her head downwards.

"Oh yeah, what happened to the Whisperer?" Wendy questioned. If Erza's here, that means…

"Oh, you don't need to know." Gray jumped in. "Let's just say the Whisperer ain't going to be waking up anytime soon. She didn't show him any mercy." Gray shuddered as he remembered. "I'd be surprised if he somehow survived all that. It'd have to be an act of God or something."

"I-Is that so…" Wendy said, a bit scared. I mean… this is Erza we're talking about.

"Turns out the Whisperer had been controlling all those entities around Nightglades." Erza crossed her arms. "He was just some unfortunate wizard who got his hands on a forbidden relic. Once he was defeated, his entities had been losing power and disappearing one by one." She said plainly.

"I see…" Wendy thought back to those earlier, weaker entities. That must mean Erza had already defeated the Whisperer by then.

"Well, in any case…" Erza dropped on to her knees and gently hugged Wendy. "I'm glad you're safe. We were all worried… that both of you could have been gone for good." She softly cried, a few tears travelling her cheeks.

"Erza…" Wendy held her arm. She then felt arms hugging her from the front.

"You have no idea how worried sick we were." Lucy said softly. She then smiled brightly at her. "I was so scared we would never find you."

"Lucy… I'm so sorry for worrying both of you." Wendy tried to hold back her own tears.

"We got lucky when we saw those trees being blasted into the sky. That's when we knew where to find you two maniacs." Gray looked at the sky.

"For once, you destroying things has proven to be quite useful." Carla said with a weak smile, dropping her shoulders.

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed.

Wendy couldn't help but smile at her friends. She was so grateful to have them. There was no other place she'd rather be in.

Erza walked around Wendy, paying attention to Natsu' state. "Wendy, could you heal Natsu's wounds?" She asked.

It's about time! "Yes! Leave it to me!" Wendy rested Natsu's head on her lap. She channelled her magic energy into her palms, releasing a calming blue light towards his abdomen. Soon enough, his abdomen and other minor injuries started to close itself.

"Thanks, Wendy… I owe you one." He whispered.

"J-Just doing my job!" Wendy blushed a bit. She turned to Erza and smiled. "He should rest for a few days, then he'll be back in shape!"

"That's good to hear." Erza nodded and smiled back.

"Here, Wendy. Let me help Natsu up." She took hold of Natsu, helping him stand up.

"Thanks, Luce…" He rested himself against Lucy, putting his arm over her shoulders as support.

Wendy was reluctant to let Natsu go, but she shook that thought away. Lucy was such a great friend, and she's just looking out for him. Besides, in a dangerous turn of events, she got to spend a lot of time together with Natsu. I guess that's enough for now. She sighed and let her arms go. Happy flew to his other arm, helping him to keep his balance. Wendy stood up and cradled Carla in her arms.

"Well, I think it's about time to wrap things up here." Erza summoned a glowing crystal in her right hand. It was the teleportation crystal Miss Celia had given her. "Gather close to me." She commanded. Everyone gathered around and formed a circle. Erza glanced at everyone. "Alright, here goes nothing." Using the force of her hands, Erza crushed the crystal which emitted a white, blinding light, swallowing everyone it touched.

..

.

The Fairy Tail wizards had been teleported into the entrance of Nightglades.

"Is everyone alright?" Erza glanced at everyone, confirming all of them had teleported safely. "That's good."

"Everyone!" A voice called out to them. The group turned towards the source of the voice.

"Oh, it's Miss Celia!" Lucy said.

Miss Celia ran to them, standing in front of Erza and catching her breath. "I can't believe it. You managed to defeat the Whisperer and restore the forests!"

"Of course. We did say we would get the job done." Erza said with a smile.

Tears started welling in Celia's eyes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She held Erza's hands. "Everyone here can live peacefully now, especially the children. It's been such a long time since everyone's been in high spirits."

"We were just doing our job." Erza held her hands as well.

Celia handed her a bag. "Please, take this. It's your promised reward plus a little bit extra."

"That's quite generous of you, Miss Celia but-"

"Please, accept this as a token of my gratitude. It's thanks to all of you our children and the people here can smile once again." She forced the bag on to Erza's hands.

"I-I see… very well, we shall humbly accept it." Erza bowed her head down, accepting the bag.

"Guess this is a mission success, eh?" Gray smiled.

"Hell yeah, it is!" Lucy exclaimed. My sweet rent money, baby!

"Although, I'm sure it must have been an eventful mission for those two." Erza motioned towards Natsu and Wendy.

"Nothing's going to bring us down…" Natsu weakly pumped his free fist in the air.

"Aye!" Happy raised his paw.

"Careful, Natsu! Don't move too much." Lucy advised him.

"Still energetic as ever, I see." Carla smiled, shaking her head.

"Ahaha… that's Natsu for you." Wendy chuckled.

"Well then, I believe we should be off. We wouldn't want to miss our train." Erza turned to Celia. "Thank you for your assistance, Miss Celia. I'm afraid we must bid farewell soon."

"Of course, don't let me keep you waiting." Celia stood near the entrance. "Come visit us again soon!" She waved her hand.

Everyone waved their hands back, walking towards the train station.

..

.

The group had now entered the train, sitting together in a compartment. Wendy, Erza, and Gray sat on one side while Natsu and Lucy sat on the side opposing them. Happy and Carla sat on the windowsill. The train hadn't even begun to move, yet Natsu's motion sickness was kicked into high gear. Lucy gently rested his head on her lap, stroking his pink hair and rubbing his forehead, which gained a jealous glance from Wendy. Erza frowned a bit, not wanting to see Natsu suffer like this considering what he had just been through. "Wendy." She turned her neck towards her. "Could you treat his motion sickness?"

Wendy's eyes lighted up. "O-Of course, Erza!" She had been wanting to heal his motion sickness for a while, but she was afraid if Erza had something else to say about it. She intertwined her fingers with Natsu's hands and casted her Troia spell. She didn't actually need to hold him, but she was feeling much more confident after what happened in the mission. She didn't care about the looks she was getting. She wanted to show off they were close too.

Moments later, Natsu slowly opened his eyes. "Thanks, Wendy. That's much better…" He weakly grinned at her.

"Don't go causing a ruckus now." Lucy teased. "You still need to rest." She continued her warm gestures of stroking his hair and rubbing his forehead, to which Natsu clearly enjoyed. If there was something Wendy couldn't match up with Lucy in, it was this. Lucy knew the right amount of force and exact motions to calm Natsu down while he was in a vehicle. They have been on train rides that often. Wendy silently pouted then returned to her seat, cradling Carla in her lap. She had to admit… her patience was running out watching Natsu and Lucy all… lovey-dovey. It took every fiber of her being to not speak up and switch positions. She wondered if the mission made her more… possessive of Natsu. She shook her head. Lucy's just looking out for him, that's all there is to it.

The train began to move. Slowly, the horizons started flying past the window. Wendy turned her attention to the moving scenery to distract herself.

"Natsu, Wendy." Erza called out to them. "I would like to ask what happened to you too while we got separated."

"Sure, Erza." Wendy nodded. Natsu attempted to raise his head, but Lucy kept hold of his head on her lap. "Take it easy, Natsu." She caressed his cheek.

"I'm sure you two will be bombarded with questions if you returned to the guild." Erza crossed her legs. "Right now, you need to prioritize your recovery. I'm going to report to Master Makarov on your behalf, so you won't need to return to the guild when we get back."

Wendy appreciated Erza's concerns. She may have a tough demeanor on the outside, but she was extremely considerate.

"So, Wendy, mind telling me what happened?" Erza shifted her head to Wendy.

Wendy straightened her posture, recollecting her memories since that time. "To be honest…" She bowed her head down. "I don't remember much. We fell down into a river and got separated. The river carried me off somewhere, and I think I passed out along the way."

"You passed out?" Erza asked with concern.

"Yeah, she did." Natsu answered weakly. "I found her just in time in the river and kept her safe."

"I see." Erza nodded for them to continue.

"Then we fell down a waterfall, and everything blacked out. I woke up because I heard Wendy crying."

Erza hummed a bit, putting her arm around Wendy's shoulders. "That must have been terrifying."

"Yeah…" Wendy softly answered. "I thought you were…" She couldn't continue that statement. She didn't want to imagine if that was the case. Her heart throbbed in pain at the thought.

"Haha, I could never leave your side, Wendy..." Natsu weakly grinned. It was comforting to her heart to hear Natsu say that. She blushed a bit.

Lucy rested her palm over Natsu's chest, feeling his heartbeat. She assured herself that Natsu was here and well. When he went away for a year after the battle against Tartaros, she understood the feelings of loneliness and longing all too well. Now if he was gone forever… she didn't want to imagine what it would do to her heart.

Erza smiled. "What happened after that?"

"We slept in for the night." Wendy answered, remembering the events of that night. She could imagine it vividly… being in his embrace, the warmth of his body… it was a memorable night. Her cheeks dyed red just remembering it. Although, she definitely couldn't let anyone else know.

"After we woke up, some of those guys came hunting us and we beat them down." Natsu continued.

"Then we found you two. I see." Erza nodded to herself. "You really went over and beyond to keep Wendy safe, didn't you?" She directed the question at Natsu.

"Of course." Natsu grinned. "Can't imagine a life without her."

"Haha, things just wouldn't be the same without Wendy, you know?" Lucy smiled warmly.

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed.

"Agreed." Gray nodded.

Wendy's face rose in heat hearing him say that, but she was extremely happy inside... not just because of Natsu, but because of everyone too, her friends she valued the most.

"Well said." Erza smiled. "Thanks for telling us, Natsu, Wendy. I'll report the job to Master Makarov later."

"Thank you too, Erza." Wendy smiled back. She then rested her head on the glass window, looking out at the moving scenery.

"Get some rest, child. I'll wake you up once we reach Fiore." Carla said.

Natsu slowly closed his eyes, surrendering himself to Lucy's comfortable lap pillow. Lucy continued caressing his pink hair and cheek, helping to make it easier for him to fall asleep.

Wendy glanced at Natsu. After this mission, she felt more confident in herself. She felt they grew closer to one another. She strongly believed she had a chance with Natsu now. Although seeing Lucy made her feel a bit insecure, she would not let it bring her down. She softy smiled at his sleeping face as she closed her eyes.

Let's go home.