Sorry for the delay. I was distracted by another of my stories. But here is a little bit of fluff before we move on! Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 6

Searching for Marie

The Master had pulled Ryoko aside and told her that she had passed and when Team Natsu returned from their mission she would join them. In the meantime, she would relax and help out at the guild. Mira had set her up helping out at the bar. Every day, though routine, was fun. At the bar, she got more one on one time with the guild members. She learned about the different teams as well as the different magics that were used. However, at the end of the day. She still went home to her empty apartment. Marie still wasn't back and Ryoko was beginning to believe that her friend had left her for forever.

After seeing team Shadow Gear celebrate another successful job, Ryoko had finally had it. She wanted Marie back. The Master had forbade her from taking on any guild jobs, so this was a nice little loophole. Walking into the guild that morning, she walked up to Mira and pulled her aside.

"Mira, I can't work with you today. I'm sorry," Ryoko said as she hefted her backpack over her shoulder.

"What do mean? Where are you going?" Mira asked concerned.

"I'm going to fine Marie. She's been gone for so long that something must have happened to her," Ryoko explained.

"But Master said you weren't allowed on any jobs," Mira pointed out.

"Yes, but this isn't a job. This is one friend looking for another and I won't sit by anymore and hope that she might come back. I'm going after her," Ryoko declared, her voice making it very clear that she wasn't going to budge on this.

Before Mira could say another word, a deep voice cleared behind her. She turned around and looked down to see Master. "Where are you going, Ryoko?" the Master asked.

"Master, I need to look for Marie. She's been gone for so long and I can't just sit here and wait for her to come back. I promise I'll be careful, but I need to find her," Ryoko pleaded.

The Master watcher her very carefully but the determination in her eyes told him all he needed to know, and he conceded. He knew how important the cats were to the Dragon Slayers. "Alright, but you aren't going alone. Take Mira and Elfman with you," he said as he looked at Mira. The two seemed to have a silent conversation before she nodded.

"Well, if you're ready to go, let's go!" Mira said as she smiled at Ryoko.

"Oh yeah! Manly mission to save a guild mate. Let's do this," Elfman said, thrilled.

Ryoko held an annoyed look but knew she had been defeated. "You may want to dress warmly," she said as she pulled her bag over her shoulders.

Mira nodded but Elfman huffed. "Real men don't get cold. Besides, you aren't dressed for the cold," he pointed out.

"Because I don't get cold. I mean, do you see Natsu cooking in fire?" she pointed out before making her way out of the guild. They made a quick stop so Mira and Elfman could gather supplies from their home before heading out of town.

"So where do we go to find Marie?" Mira asked.

"Glacial Peaks is our first stop and then Canyon Falls," Ryoko explained. "Those two places having meaning for us."

"Like what?" Elfman asked as he walked beside her.

"Canyon Falls. That's where I found Marie. I stumbled into that canyon by mistake. I was low on magical energy and I reached out for water. When I got to the falls...well I dove right

in," she said as she chuckled at the memory of a little girl so happy to find water. Ryoko shook her head and continued as they boarded the train. "When I got to the bottom, there was an egg. I grabbed the egg and took care of it until it hatched, and Marie has been with me ever since."

Immediately Ryoko opened a window and placed her face close to it. A Dragon Slayers major weakness was motion sickness, but she had learned some tricks to combat it. Air made her think of flying with Marie and that helped. Mira and Elfman chuckled. "Just like Natsu. Hopefully you're not as bad," Elfman commented.

"As long as I don't move away from the window, I'm good," Ryoko grumbled.

"So, what about Glacial Peaks? What's special about there?" Mira asked.

Ryoko smiled and closed her eyes. "You'll see," she said before focusing on her breathing. They had 5 hours on that train and Ryoko had to focus on not dying before getting there. After several short hours, although it felt like an eternity to Ryoko, they had arrived in a small town called Ordria. It was situated between a mountain range and the sea. This town was known for the being quite the snow resort for families to gather and play.

"Wow! This place is gorgeous! Look at all the snow. And look at those sleds! We should bring the guild here when we have some free time! Everyone would love it," Mira said as she admired the giant sled holding a family coming down a hill.

"Ah man! Think we take a ride down before we leave?" Elfman asked.

"Yeah. It's a winter wonderland for all snow enthusiasts," Ryoko said as she pulled on her favorite boots. "And I have a better way of getting down these hills. You guys ready for the next leg of this journey?"

Mira and Elfman nodded as they followed Ryoko towards a hidden path behind a resort. The path led to the highest mountain the brother and sister had ever seen. "We're going all the way up there?" Elfman asked as he looked unsure.

"No. We're only climbing about a quarter of the way up," Ryoko laughed as she started to make her way. "There's home."

Mira and Elfman gave her a confused look before following her. The winds whipped around them as they climbed. Snow blew heavily as they made their way up the mountain side. Mira clung to Elfman for warmth as the wind blew through their coats. Ryoko felt bad for them as she munched on another snowball. Cold never affected her. One of the perks of being an Ice Dragon Slayer. Thankfully, they didn't have far to go. After another half mile, they rounded a bend to find an opening into the mountain.

By this point the wind and snow were blowing so intensely that verbal communication wasn't possible. Ryoko pointed to the opening in the mountain. They made their way into the cave and Elfman and Mira were blown away by what they discovered inside. Inside the cave

was a hidden hot spring within a large cavern. It was significantly warmer than they expected.

"How does this place exist?" Elfman asked.

"Nice spot, right? Believe it or not, this mountain is an active volcano. There are wizards down at the resort to keep this bad boy sleeping. So welcome to my old home. This place is

where I lived with my parents before they disappeared. Marie knows what this place means to me," she explained as she placed her bag down at the entrance and walked further into the cave.

Mira and Elfman took off their coats and followed Ryoko. They could tell that Ryoko was uneasy being here, with each step. She lost her parents and now there was the chance that

she was going to lose Marie too. "So where do we start looking?" Mira asked. Ryoko stopped just at the shoreline and dipped her hand in. The water felt like life to her, but she couldn't enjoy it like she normally did. This cave ran the entire length of the mountain. Marie could be anywhere.

"Well there are two main paths that lead to different

areas that we lived in. But one path leads to the mouth of the volcano and if you go down there...well, you're toast!" Ryoko said as she made her way down to a large area with many openings. "Why don't you two take the tunnel to your left? It will take you to the magic room we had. It's a straight path so you shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"Which one are you taking?" Elfman asked.

Ryoko smiled as she started down a pitch-black tunnel. This tunnel let to a place that was sacred to her. It led to her home. As she made way down the tunnel, she could hear the echoes of her childhood bouncing off the walls. Days fill with laughter, songs, magic, and love were etched onto the walls of the tunnel and her memory. As the tunnel opened,

she wasn't surprised to that nothing had changed. The hot spring that sat in the corner was linked to the one at the front of the cavern was her mother's favorite way to come home.

A small bed, big enough for a small child sat to the side of the room. Ryoko would sleep in the bed, surrounded by her mother and father. Keeping her safe and keeping a watchful eye on her. But instead, there was little kitten, curled up and in pain.

"Marie!" Ryoko shouted as she went to her friend.

Marie looked up at her and gave her a look of relief. "Ryoko! You came after me," she said as she tried to sit up.

"Of course, I came after you. You're my best friend. What happened?" Ryoko asked as she looked her friend over.

"I've hurt my wing. I came here to pick up something for you, to help you and I got stuck in a blizzard. I lost control and hurt my wing against the mountain," Marie said as she showed

Ryoko her left wing.

Ryoko examined the wing and was pretty sure it was just a sprain, but it hurt her enough that she couldn't fly." You didn't need to come here, Marie. Do you realize how long you've been gone? I've been really worried about you," Ryoko said as she gently hugged her friend.

"I know. I'm sorry. I had no intention of being going this long. But how have you been? What did the Master decide?" Marie quickly asked.

"I'm doing really well. Better than I think we thought I would be. But we can discuss this all on the ride back home to the guild hall. You're sorely missed! Besides, I can't go on a proper job without my best friend. So, let's go!" Ryoko said as she offered her hand to her friend.

Marie smiled and followed her out of the tunnel where they met up with Elfman and Mira. Elfman placed Marie in a carrier and attached her to his chest to keep her warm and safe when they made their way down the mountain. When they left the cave, the blizzard didn't even seem to want to let up, in fact it was stronger than ever.

Ryoko took a slow and steady breath before creating a soft slope and turning it to ice. She took a seat on the top of the ice and indicated for the others to join her. As they sat down next to her, she took their arms and pushed off, taking them with her. With incredible speed, they slid down the mountain, twisting and winding around bends until landing just before the ski resort. "Told you it would be easier and faster getting down. But also, fun!"

Mira laughed as she brushed off the snow off herself. "That was fun!" she said as the made their way towards the train. "How are you doing, Marie? We were worried about you."

"Yeah. You made Ryoko very worried. Not very manly of you. What were you doing here anyway?" Elfman asked.

Marie pulled a small charm bracelet out of her pocket. It was made completely from ice. "Ryoko told me about a special bracelet that her parents when she felt unsure. I thought it might help her," Marie explained.

Ryoko had stopped walking as Marie explained her absence. A part of her tried hard not to cry. She couldn't believe that Marie had found it when she was so certain that it was lost forever. Elfman and Mira stopped and looked at Ryoko. Marie held out the bracelet towards Ryoko. The bracelet was small, meant for a young child. A few charms dangled from, each holding a special meaning for her. Two of the charms were prefect replicas of her parents. Another one was a copy of the first snowflake that Ryoko caught. The last one was a small water drop.

Ryoko took the small bracelet held it close to her heart. Tears slid down her face as she thought of her parents and how much she missed them. And how Marie decided that after what had happened with Laxus, that she would need this, draw strength from this small simple item. Ryoko took Marie from Elfman and hugged her close. "Thank you, Marie. These means so much to me," she whispered to her friend.

"Of course. Now let's go home. My wing is killing me!"

Ryoko laughed as she carried her best friend back to Magnolia and to their guild.