Chapter 3: Promises

One Week Later

"One life on this earth is all that we get, whether it is enough or not enough, and the obvious conclusion would seem to be that at the very least we are fools if we do not live it as fully and bravely and beautifully as we can."

The tears slowly slid down her cheeks, her bright brown eyes clenched tightly in pain. She brought her hands up, wiping at her eyes to clear some of the tears, but it was futile. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop the tears from reforming. Sniffing, she let her hands drop in submission as the tears continued to slide down her cheeks.

Happy and Charla were by her feet, with the former crying uncontrollably. The white cat tried to console him, but it was useless. He had just lost his partner and father figure, and it didn't help that she was trying to hold in her own tears as well.

"Natsu Dragneel was the embodiment of that quote. Never having been one to dwell on the failures, but instead having chosen to always look forward. To always prepare for what's ahead." The speaker choked up and turned away to recollect himself. This was one part of the job he never wanted to have to do. Losing a guild member is never easy, but to lose one so young, it hurt tremendously.

The entire Fairy Tail guild stood in a half circle around the small man. Cries could be heard throughout the entire group, and many had their eyes shut as they held onto their loved ones. Hearing the guild master choke up did nothing to ease their pain. It was hard for many to believe that the seemingly invincible Natsu Dragneel had finally fallen. That he wouldn't burst into the guild any more demanding a fight, or that he wouldn't be around anymore to cheer up any member who was feeling down.

It seemed as if the spark that lit Fairy Tail had died out.

Many of the other guilds had sent their condolences, with even a few of their members staying around for the funeral. Lyon Vastia and Jura Neekis were two of said mages. They stood quietly off to the side, their heads bowed in respect for the fallen mage.

"While we may mourn for a while, and while it may be tough, we must move on. Natsu would not want us wallowing over him, he would want us to continue as we were. And so, we shall honor him by continuing to make Fairy Tail the best it could be." As the man finished he raised his hand and stuck his index finger up into the air. "Natsu Dragneel shall never be forgotten!"

Cries rang throughout the crowd even louder now. Team Natsu all stood together, with Wendy and the Exceeds standing in the middle. Lucy stood with her face buried in her hands, crying her eyes out. Gray and Erza both stood with empty looks on their faces, but if you looked close enough, you could see the tears slowly sliding down both of their cheeks.

Wendy's silent cries continued as she watched the small man slowly get down from the pedestal. He slowly made his way over to her before placing one of his small hands on her shoulder. A single tear slid down his cheek as he nodded at her reassuringly before walking away, wiping away the tear with one hand.

Long minutes of silence passed until the rumble of thunder rang overhead. The gathered people took one long, sorrowful look back at the grave before slowly making their away from the cathedral, all seeking shelter to cover them from the storm. Their cries slowly getting softer as they made it farther away, and soon the only remaining people were those from Team Natsu.

Rain had begun to fall, pouring from the sky. The remaining group were drenched from head to toe, but it didn't faze any of them. Erza slowly walked up to the gravestone before lightly touching the Fairy Tail emblem etched onto the front. She let out a small cry before withdrawing her hand and walking away, making her way into the cathedral alone.

Gray had turned towards Lucy and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a supporting manner. Gently, he guided the tearful girl away into the empty streets of Magnolia, bringing her back towards her apartment. Charla had quickly taken the still inconsolable Happy into the cathedral with Erza. The white cat having kept one paw on Happy's back the entire time.

And thus, Wendy was the only remaining person. Rain continued to pour down, but she didn't acknowledge it. And now that she was alone, she cried out and fell onto her knees before sobbing into her hands. Through her tear-filled eyes, the only thing she was able to make out was the Fairy Tail emblem carved into the stone above Natsu's name. She didn't know how long she remained there, but it had to have been a while as Erza eventually returned and enveloped the girl in a tight hug.

Much like that time on the boat, Wendy cried into Erza's shoulder. The small girl's cries rang throughout the area, with the only other sound being the soft pitter-patter of the rain hitting the ground. Erza ran her hand across Wendy's back to console the girl, but it was difficult to do when she was still trying her best not to break down.

The pair sat there for many long minutes, but when Erza noticed the girl finally begin to calm down, she decided to take the girl back to Fairy Hills. No words had been spoken between the two, but none were necessary. Both took in the other's watery eyes and sorrowful expression. And as soon as they had arrived at their destination, Erza gave the small girl one last hug before going on her way, leaving Wendy by herself.

The Next Day

Wendy brought her knees up to her chest as she sat staring out one of the windows inside of the guildhall. The soft pitter-patter of the rain hitting the window creating a soothing sound for her. Her hair was loose, flowing down to the small of her back. A small backpack was strapped around her shoulders, slightly covered by her hair. But if one was to look closely, they would be able to make out the end of Natsu's scarf sticking out of the top.

It had only been one week since they had returned from Tenrou Island, but to the small girl and many other members of the guild, it had seemed like a lifetime. All missions had come to a halt, and for the first four days the guild hall had been completely empty. Only recently, with the conclusion of Natsu's funeral, have people been showing up once more.

But it wasn't the same. Words were scarcely spoken. Almost everyone who chose to make their way to the guild hall stuck to themselves. The bar had been shut down for the time being as well. It seemed like the guild was a shell of its former self. Some had decided to go on missions, trying to keep themselves busy so they would forget about their loss.

Erza had been one of the members to go on a mission. She had briefly paused to offer Wendy the choice of accompanying her, but the small girl had quietly declined. No further words were shared as the scarlet-haired mage left the building, most likely in search of their teammates who had yet to show up to the guild. Wendy had taken that time to move next to the window.

She didn't feel like doing anything. This past week she had spent all her time cooped up in her room in Fairy Hills. The only other human interaction she had was when one of the fellow residents had retrieved her for meals and the funeral.

Her arms tightened around her legs as she stared dully out of the window. On the inside she felt as if she was falling apart, and she wanted to do nothing more than just sit and cry, but she couldn't. This past week she had cried more than she ever had, and now she didn't want to cry anymore.

Reaching one arm behind her, she withdrew the scarf that had been sticking out of the top of the bag. As she felt the soft texture, the frown deepened on her face. It was one of the few personal items of the dragon slayer they had left. Her hand clenched the scarf tightly, and she wouldn't let anyone else have this.

Once again, her promise rang throughout her mind. It had been haunting her the entire week, and she needed to find some sort of relief. She needed to become stronger, so that she could fulfill the promise and protect Fairy Tail as Natsu had wanted.

Switching her gaze to the scarf within her hand, she delicately ran her other hand across its surface. She wouldn't wait any longer. Starting tomorrow she would put all her effort into training. And she would do so alone, no longer would she rely on others to do everything for her. It was the only way to keep her promise, and she would prove to the guild that she can help them just as Natsu had.

Edited 8/27/18

First Quote Spoken by Frederick Buechner

Thanks to SilentSniper05, Jerrend, Barbatos Iupus, Draconic King, Dragon Lord Draco, Shadow99999, The wiErDos Association, Guest, and Sky for the reviews! And thanks to everyone as well for the favorites and follows!