The Future Is Ours

Chapter 4

By: juvia0613 (aka FayeValentine00)

Wendy Marvell (Continued)

In early spring of x803, Wendy left Carla to watch over the napping children while she headed out for a walk. The sun was blazing high in the cloudless sky, making it just warm enough to enjoy the fresh air without a jacket. This was the kind of weather she liked the most. Birds were chirping and everything felt so fresh and clean. As a Sky Dragon Slayer, this was the air that made her feel the strongest.

Wendy made her way across the front garden of their home, heading towards the tree line. Her goal was to see the first few flowers of the season popping up in the meadow near the waterfront. As she tried to enjoy her rare moment of peaceful alone time, Wendy began to feel lonely. Dugal had been gone the last two nights for work and it occurred to her that this was the longest they'd been apart since the day they'd met. With him gone, it felt like a piece herself had been taken away as well.

And maybe it was because she was already feeling lonely but just that morning, Wendy had begun thinking about her friends at Fairy Tail again. She wondered why she'd only just remembered to think about them. She felt herself slowly growing more and more curious about how her friends were doing and she wondered how big the children had grown. She even contemplated how the guild itself was holding up.

A gentle nudge of guilt crept into Wendy's subconscious as she pieced together some old memories that had somehow slipped her mind. She could tell that the memories were important but trying to focus on them was like trying to catch smoke. The Dragon Slayer just couldn't get a grasp on anything tangible.

How long had it been since she'd contacted them? Had Wendy even told her friends about Kichirou and Piper… or even Dugal? She couldn't remember the answers to any of those questions and it felt surreal.

With her mind still trying to process the confused mess of information, Wendy wandered absentmindedly amongst the trees. She walked in the general direction of the meadow, paying little attention to anything, when two males voices coming from nearby stopped the mage in her tracks. No one should have been that close to their home and they certainly shouldn't have been hiding in the woods. Wendy crept through the trees until she could see where the men stood then watched and waited, fully alert.

"How long do you plan to defy me?" The first voice belonged to an older man who's back was to her, making it impossible to see his face. There was a coldness to his voice with an edge of menace.

"I'm not defying you. I've told you time and time again that I cannot force her to do something that she's morally opposed to. She won't join us." That second voice belonged to Dugal, the father of her children, but it wasn't the smooth, friendly voice she'd grown accustomed to. This Dugal sounded colder and the dark look in his clear blue eyes shone with barely suppressed anger.

"We need her power! I've told you that from the start! That's why I let you play house for so long," the first man spat. "If Perdition is going to succeed, we'll need to force her hand. … Or are you trying to tell me that the woman is more important than your family?... Your blood?"

"No, it's not-" Dugal stuttered, trying to collect his thoughts but the other man attacked relentlessly.

"Do you no longer care for your guild? Are you hoping that we'll fail?!" The unknown man was practically shouting, demanding answers that her lover didn't seem to have.

The men stood in tense silence as the father of Wendy's children carefully considered his response. When he finally spoke, it was slowly and carefully. "Of course, Perdition is my Priority. Everything I've ever done was to support it and you. I-I only stayed with Wendy in the hopes that I could bring her to our side but… I can't. My magic can't force a person to do something they're morally opposed to."

"Then be done with that woman!" The command was loud enough to cause several birds in the trees to flee. "Stop wasting your time and get back to work. With those children… in a few years we will have the power we need."

"The children?" A touch of apprehension had entered her lover's voice.

"Yes, the children," the elder parroted in a mocking tone. "Bring Kichirou and Piper tonight. When we raise them correctly, they'll do anything their father asks. We won't need to squabble about these petty things any longer."

"But, Wendy?"

"I don't care what you do but get rid of her. We already have what we need." The flippant way he spoke told of his utter disregard for the Dragon Slayer.

"I can't just take the-"

Dugal was cut off by the magic-laced booming voice of an exasperated old man. "You can and you will! You will bring me those children and you'll get rid of that woman tonight. If not, tomorrow I'll kill your precious Wendy and take the children myself. What is your answer?"

After a short pause, Dugal answered slowly. "I… I'll bring the children. Just… Just don't touch Wendy."

With a curt nod, the older man walked past Dugal and disappeared amongst the tree, leaving them alone.

Wendy couldn't breathe. As the men spoke, small cracks had begun to appear in the facade of her idyllic life. Line by line, it felt like pieces of the veil lifted one after another. Little by little things clicked into place. For the first time in years, she questioned her decisions up to this point. She was scared and confused and nothing happening on the other side of the trees made any sense.

Had they said something about a guild? But Dugal was a merchant and to her knowledge he had no guild affiliation.

She knew they'd said the name Perdition. If Wendy remembered correctly, Perdition was the largest dark guild in Bellum. It was one that the magic council had been watching for a long time.

But it was the last words Dugal spoke that had been the nail in the coffin. The illusion that had been so carefully created for her over the years shattered the moment she heard him promise her children to a dark guild. No matter what her lover's reasons were, this was the ultimate betrayal, an unforgivable sin. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to make sense of her swirling thoughts. When she opened them again, it was like Wendy was seeing world for the first time.

It was suddenly crystal clear what had happened. Dugal must have used some sort of illusion magic and subtle mind control that prevented her from focusing on anything other than him and their children. She could instantly see how strange it was that she'd forsaken her guild and abandoned her friends for this man. She understood how horrifying it was that she'd not once even considered contacting Fairy Tail. It was now undeniable that the perfection on her life had been nothing but a lie.

True rage began to build in her core and the surrounding wind swirled around her in response to her chaotic emotions. When she stepped out from the trees, see saw the man she'd loved whole heartedly in a whole new light. It was then she noticed the guild mark on his arm for the first time. Plain as day, the symbol for Perdition was clear, and it shocked Wendy that she'd never been able to see it before.

Knowing she'd been manipulated and lied too would have been enough to crush Wendy. Knowing that Dugal had been ordered to throw her away, and he had acquiesced made her want to run far away and never return but it was the threat to her children that kept the blue-haired woman rooted to the ground. Wind whipped her hair wildly as she took another step closer.

Dugal knew his spell was broken the moment he saw Wendy's face. In truth, he knew she'd been there the entire time, but by that point it was clear the game was over. No amount of magic would fix the cold anger that he saw in the eyes that were normally so warm and caring, so he didn't try. Instead, he just watched her walk closer and waited for her to speak.

The Dragon Slayer's hands were shaking and only anger kept her tears from spilling. Her heart felt like it'd been turned to dust but the need to protect her babies was infinitely more important than wallowing in self-pity.

"Why?" Her voice was barely a whisper, despite the wind tearing wildly around her.

Wendy thought Dugal might try to apologize or tell her that it was somehow all a misunderstanding but after a long moment, his eyes turned hard and cold, practically glaring. "I had an opportunity, so I took it."

"A-And none of it was real?" It was a miracle he could stay on his feet, let alone make out her words through the wind. The first large tear rolled down her cheek as she fought for composure.

He said nothing. The man simply looked at her with empty eyes, emotionless and Wendy was forced to take that as confirmation. It took every ounce of willpower to contain her grief and refocus. "You won't touch my children."

"They're my children too," he countered weakly.

"No!" she spat. "You lost all right to them the moment you promised to give them to that man!"

"I have no choice!" There was an edge of frustration in his voice now.

"There is always a choice, Dugal!" An edge of hysteria colored her words as she pleaded with him. "Please!"

"You don't understand."

"YOU don't understand!" she screamed. "If you touch Kichirou or Piper, I'll… I'll k-kill you."

Her voice broke and her threat became a sob but she stood her ground.

"Wendy," Dugal softened his voice and took a step towards her. His eyes met hers for the shortest of moments before Wendy forced herself to look away. She was certain his power was some type of eye magic and she couldn't chance being confused again.

"Stop!", she cried as he moved closer yet and she could feel her own control slipping. "Don't come closer!"

"You'll have to do it, Wendy. I can't defy my father." He was only ten feet from her now.

"S-Stop!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, blurring her vision as she pleaded with the man who she'd loved so completely just minutes before. The choked sobs were coming faster now, and she could hardly breathe.

He moved closer slowly, step by step, but it wasn't until his fingers were just inches away that she unleashed her power. She let out a Dragons Roar at point blank range; the force blowing Dugal back nearly 50 yards before his body hit a tree and crumbled to the ground.

Wendy didn't dare look to see if he was ok. The older man, Dugal's father, could be anywhere and she needed to get to the children before he did. The moment her lover hit the ground, the Dragon Slayer turned and ran back towards their home as fast as her legs would carry her.

Carla was waiting at the front door when Wendy broke through the tree line heading towards her. She'd heard Wendy's roar for the first time in years and it had scared her to death. She knew instantly that something was wrong and seeing Wendy's tear-streaked face and hearing her sobs as she ran, only confirmed it.

"What happened?!" The Exceed in human form asked her as soon as she was in earshot.

"Carla, get the children! We have to leave!"

"Leave?! What are you talking about, Wendy?!" As Wendy tried to rush past, Carla grabbed her friends arm and spun her around to look her in the eye. "What is happening?!"

"It was a lie! Everything was a lie! The children are in danger! Magic… Dugal has magic, and he used it to manipulate us. They're going to take the children! We have to go!"

Once Carla had knowledge of the spell that'd been place on her, the facade shattered for her as it had Wendy. Instantly she understood what had happened and the sense of guilt and anger nearly overwhelmed her. It was only Wendy dragging her down the hall towards the children that forced her to prioritize her emotions.

Carla watched her lifelong partner shake with silent sobs as she fought to secure a wrap around her body so she could wear little Piper on her back as they traveled. Once the little girl was snug and falling back asleep cuddled tightly to her mother, Wendy scooped up her son into her arms. It felt like if she wasn't touching her children; they would disappear just like everything else around her. With that horrifying thought, the women fled the house.

With Carla's help and a large amount of transportation, they managed to get the children back to Magnolia in less than a week. Aside from trying to occupy the children, Wendy and Carla hardly spoke. Aside from Wendy's terrible motion sickness, both women felt a terrible sense of shame and responsibility and that neither knew how to make it better. What had begun as a journey to see more of the world had turned into the biggest mistake of their lives. Not only that, but she had brought two innocent children into this world who'd done nothing to deserve the life that her poor decisions had handed to them.

Finally, nearly five years after Wendy had left her Fairy Tail family, the Sky Dragon Slayer made her way back to the guild. With a heavy heart, a baby on her back and a child in her arms, she reached the front gates of the guild and a second later the door to the building slammed open. Natsu and Gajeel were there. They must have had smelt her coming. Their eyes flashed from her to Carla to the two sleeping children she held before Natsu whispered her name, "Wendy?"

Just hearing his voice after all this time was the straw that broke the camel's back. All the pain and hurt she'd kept at bay crashed down on her and his name came out as a sob. "Natsu!"

Her knees buckled, but he flew across the yard caught her and the kids before she could fall. As her consciousness faded, she saw his worried eyes look her over and heard him ask, "What happened?!" Then everything went black.

When Wendy woke up, she couldn't remember where she was or how she'd gotten there but everything felt off. There was a moment of confused panic before she realized that both Piper and Kichirou were asleep beside her on the large bed. The room she was in smelled familiar and the Sky Dragon Slayer realized she'd gotten home. This was definitely Fairy Tail.

Just as fresh tears were filling in her eyes, a familiar voice spoke from beside her. "Welcome home, Wendy."

Turning her head slowly, Wendy looked up to see Erza at her bedside. Over the last five years, she had changed little but something in her expression gave off the air of maturity which was something Wendy definitely felt that she was lacking. Looking into that familiar face made her feel like a little kid again yet she didn't mind. Right now, a big sister was exactly what she needed. To her surprise, Wendy did not see Carla anywhere.

"I'm home," she answered softly, letting the tears fall freely down her cheeks.

There weren't any words to make the situation better so instead Erza just reached out and pulled Wendy into a tight embrace. The younger woman clung to her tightly, hoping beyond hope that somehow things would be okay now but she knew it couldn't be that easy. The women stayed in that protective embrace until Wendy felt the children stirring beside her. Looking to the window, she could see that the sun was setting and knew that they would be hungry soon.

As if reading her mind, Erza spoke gently. "Mirajane is making dinner for you and your son and Lucy went to the store to get formula for your daughter."

"T-Thank you."

"So, are you going to introduce me?" the scarlet-haired woman asked, pushing Wendy's bangs away from her eyes then gesturing to the little ones who were now looking up at their mother with wide eyes.

Looking at the innocent faces of her children was the one thing that made Wendy feel truly centered. For the first time since re-entering Fairy Tail, Wendy smiled. Reaching out, the blue-haired woman swept up her little man setting him down in her lap with a few sound effects to make him laugh. Then she picked up her daughter and turned to face Erza properly.

"This is my son, Kichirou," she said, kissing him gently on the top of his head before directing her words to him. "This is Miss Erza. Can you tell her how old you are?"

"I'm two!" he practically shouted, shoving his two fingers in the air just a few inches from her face. To Wendy's surprise, Erza laughed easily and replied directly to him.

"Two?! You're so big! My son Dillon will be home in a few days. He is five years old, so I hope you become good friends, ok?"

"Ok!" he practically squealed in delight. He'd never had many playmates so hearing that he'd have friends to play with was huge in his little mind.

Once that introduction was done, she turned back to Wendy and smiled again. "And who is this little angel in your arms?"

"This is Piper. She's six months old. Would you like to hold her?"

With a huge smile and the practiced hands of a mother, Erza took Piper into her arms and looked down at the blue-haired little girl who gazed up at her with the exact same brilliant blue eyes as her brother. These children had the eyes of their father but judging from the pale, pained expression on Wendy's face, that was not a topic they'd be talking about tonight.

"They're beautiful, Wendy," Erza finally said with a sigh as she watched the young mother fuss over how dirty her sons only outfit was.

It was crystal clear to everyone that Wendy had come home with Carla and her family with only the clothes on their backs. The only thing that Carla had been willing to tell their friends was that Wendy's lover had put them under some sort of spell or illusion this entire time and that spell had only broken when the man in question had threatened to take the children. Other than that, she told their guildmates that Wendy would have to fill in the remaining details. Although everyone was dying to know what had happened and nearly every single one of them would have dropped everything to get revenge on the man in question, it was clear that Wendy needed her family now more than ever.

Over the next few days, Gildarts gave Wendy and her children an apartment at the guild. Although unspoken, everyone knew that he was keeping her nearby just in case they needed protection. With all the children born in the guild over the last nearly ten years, Wendy was given practically an entire wardrobe of clothing for each of her children and thanks to Levy, she had enough clothes to make a new start as well. Because her children were so young and because of the circumstances of her ex, Wendy was unable to work many jobs, yet somehow there were always enough small jobs that allowed her to make ends meet.

It took the Sky Dragon Slayer nearly a week before she felt settled and clear-headed enough to explain to her friends what had happened. The problem was that her feelings were still all over the place. She'd been madly in love with Dugal. Regardless of any spell or illusion, she'd truly loved him. As for why she never contacted her friends, she couldn't answer that. It became clear as she tried to explain that things had been off from the very start.

At first her friends felt emotions closer to confusion or even pain that Wendy had disappeared for so long without a word but, as the story unraveled, that pain turned into serious anger. If not for the large number of children in the room when the story was being told, the conversation would have had a much darker tone.

As Wendy spoke, Cana watched silently from the bar while her daughter, Shayla, along with Mari Redfox and Carnation Strauss played nearby. There was a sad look on the Card Magic users' face as she listened intently to Wendy's story while drinking even heavier than usual. Even Gildarts side-glanced her a time or two during the story feeling certain he knew what she was thinking.

"I just feel so stupid. I should have realized that something was wrong," Wendy said in frustration as she wrapped up her story. Pulling Piper closer to her chest, she leaned her head on Lucy's shoulder with a heavy sigh. "I know I loved him but still…"

"Oh Wendy," Lucy breathed, wrapping her arms around her slight shoulders. "Don't blame yourself. None of us go looking for faults in the person we fall in love with. You did nothing wrong."

"And you're home now," Erza added, giving Carla a hug while smiling across the table to the youngest Team Natsu member. "That is what matters."

"Thank you," Wendy said, trying her best to return the smile.

Natsu had been holding Kichirou in his lap the whole time, making little flames to delight the toddler while the adults spoke but once he'd heard enough, he passed the little boy to Levy who sat across the table and jumped out of his seat. His expression was grim as he announced loudly, "Hey, Gray. I think it's time that we visit Bellum. What about you?"

"Yeah. I've been needing a vacation," the Ice Devil Slayer said darkly climbing to his feet as well, his eyes looking dangerous. The men clearly wanted revenge.

It was ultimately Gildarts who stopped them when he saw the pained expression cross Wendy's face. "Stop!" Their guild master spoke up for the first time that night, putting one hand on each of the men's shoulders to hold them in place. "It's not the time for that. Right now, we need to focus on helping Wendy remake her home here in Magnolia, right?"

For a moment both men looked like they might argue but it was Wendy who spoke out next in a shaky voice before the situation could escalate. "Natsu, Gray… Thank you but it's okay… rather, it will be okay so… please don't. … Your families need you here."

After everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks, her entire life was upside down. The very last thing she wanted was to see her friends leaving their own families behind to go fight a battle that wasn't theirs. No matter what had happened, Wendy took full responsibility for it and she would not let anyone else suffer for her mistakes. She'd already hurt her own children in a way they couldn't even begin to understand. That was something she didn't think she'd ever forgive herself for. No one else need to get involved.

Wendy's words, her entire aura as she spoke made everyone, especially Gray and Natsu, even more upset, but looking into the face of their friend, they knew that she was right. With a frustrated sigh, Gray sat back down on the bench next to Juvia looking sour but nodded his understanding.

Natsu, on the other hand, let out a frustrated growl while nodding sharply. "You and Kichirou and Piper are our family too, Wendy! But fine, I won't go but that guy won't get away with this!" Having made his declaration, Natsu kicked a nearby barrel as hard as he could. In an instant, the barrel smashed through a window and was out of sight before the Dragon Slayer turned and stalked grumpily out the front door.

"Natsu!" Lucy called after him, but he didn't stop. With an apologetic smile and one last quick hug to Wendy and Piper, Lucy jumped up from the table and followed quickly after her husband. "Natsu, wait!"

When Wendy finished answering her friends' questions, she felt the weight lift from her shoulders. Being home in Fairy Tail once again and having the support of all of her friends reminded her of just how blessed she was. She was well aware that bad things had happened and, yes; she had made mistakes but no one here was judging her. No one was blaming her. Every single one of her friends had stepped up and helped her as she struggled to put her life back together. It was then that Wendy realized everything really would be ok. She just needed to have faith and work hard to give her children the future that they deserved. With the help of her friends and family at Fairy Tail, it reminded her that she could do anything. That's what Fairy Tail was all about.

Later that night, Wendy checked in on her sleeping children before leaving them in Erza's care. When she'd finally been able to properly explain what had happened over the last five years, Wendy noticed that Cana hadn't said a word. In fact, her close friend wouldn't even meet her eyes and Wendy knew that her friend felt responsible.

As expected, Wendy found Cana at the bar, drinking heavily. She'd heard something about Shayla spending the night over with Elfman and Evergreen so this was the only place she figured that the dark-haired beauty would be. Normally Cana was social and full of smiles but tonight she looked sad and drank facing the wall. She'd picked the seat as far away from the others as possible. "You shouldn't drink alone," Wendy whispered, sitting down beside her friend.

Cana jumped when she heard Wendy's voice. She'd been so deep in thought she hadn't even heard Wendy approach. "I don't really think I'll be good company tonight, Wendy. You should go hang out with them. They all missed you terribly," her voice had a sad tinge to it as she gestured towards the group of Gajeel, Levy, Jet, Droy and Laxus sitting across the room.

"I'll go see them in a minute," Wendy promised, scooting her chair closer and leaning in to get a better look at Cana's face. "But I wanted to talk to you first."

Cana's face clouded over and she knew her old friend was about to run so, before she could, Wendy threw her arms around Cana's neck and held her tightly. "Please don't look so sad! None of this is your fault, Cana!" As she spoke, a sob tore from her throat and tears were rolling down her face. She felt Cana try to move away but Wendy didn't let go. She clung to her friend for dear life and she repeated herself. "None of this is your fault. Please don't blame yourself."

At first Cana's body tensed up but after a moment her guard fell. Cana threw her arms around Wendy's waist and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Wendy," she whispered into the Dragon Slayers blue hair, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

The women cried together for a long time. Everyone else in the hall was trying not stare, but it was hard not to react to such a touching scene. Cana had hardly said anything since Wendy and her family had returned. Even her friends had started to worry about how much she was drinking but now that she had opened up, everyone felt a serious sense of relief.

"It's not your fault. It's not…" Wendy repeated the words over and over until she was sure that Cana understood. When the embrace ended, both women managed real smiles. "I've missed you, Cana."

"I've missed you too." The just looked at each other for a long time before Cana grinned and took another swig from her bottle, adding. "Your children are adorable."

The compliment from Cana was enough to cause her to blush as she nodded her agreement, "Thanks."