Happy and Carla plummeted Natsu, Wendy, Romeo, and Yajima through the air, their bodies corkscrewing as they descended into Crocus, the capital city of Fiore. From above, the daily clockwork was a marvel to anyone who took it upon themselves to witness it. It was an incredible sight for Natsu and his friends to behold; paved roads embellished the atmosphere, countless houses and buildings stood proudly, and the citizens of thousands walked, jogged, and drove to their everyday lives. Though Crocus seemed peaceful and prosperous at first glance, it had its fair share of troubles; crimes, natural disasters, and the like.

"Whoa!" Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo marveled in unison.

Romeo whistled, "Check out the view. Now that's a real city. Dad never took me to a place like this before."

Natsu confirmed, "This must be the place."

Yajima nodded, "Yes, kids. Let me be the first to welcome you all to Crocus, the capital of the Kingdom of Fiore. The Magical Capital of the World and Home to the Rich and Enshrined. The majesty, the beauty, the lights, the sights, the sounds…"

"Really?" Wendy asked. "All in one place?"

Yajima replied, "Precisely."

Natsu looked at the sights of the city with wide eyes, "Wait, you mean this is Crocus? The same place where the Grand Magic Games were held?"

Yajima nodded, "The very same."

Romeo exclaimed, "Oh, man! This is so awesome! If my Dad was here, he'd give me the grand tour!" He then paused, his heart filled with concern, "Wherever he is…"

Wendy smiled, "I wish Mom and Dad were here to see this. And by Mom and Dad, I mean, Makarov and Porlyusica."

"Who's Makarov and Porlyusica?" Yajima asked.

"They're our adoptive parents," Natsu explained. "They found us when we were babies."

Yajima confirmed, "Oh, I see. The ex-god and the demigoddess abandoned by accident."

Natsu and Wendy nodded in unison, "Uh-huh."

"Still, is this a great place or what?" Happy remarked. "I've only looked at the whole city from the clouds, but in person, I never knew it would be like this."

"Don't be fooled by its richness and beauty, blue cat," Yajima advised. "Within the walls of this great city lay an unseen reign of terror, disaster, crime, and villainy. One city equals a million troubles. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere."

Natsu, Wendy, Romeo, Yajima, Happy, and Carla landed safely at the town square. The three young wizards looked around; the streets were bustling with endless vehicles, either operated by a horse, a man, or a wizard's SC-Plug.

"Boy, all this flying is making me hungry," Romeo said, rubbing his rumbling stomach. "Let's go to a hotdog stand."

Wendy insisted cheerfully, "Or we can go to Ryuzetsu Land! It's Fiore's biggest amusement park, and it can only be found on Crocus! We can ride the Wyvern-Go-Round, take the Rocket Coaster…"

Happy added, "…and play at Millianna's Arcade! Lots and lots and lots of games galore! My favorite is the Fish Crane Machine, where we get one free fish using the crane!" Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo chattered in agreement, excited of the thought of exploring the sights and sounds of the city.

"This is not the time for fun and games," Carla reminded, spearing their hopes. "We've got work to do."

"But maybe we can have some fun when we're done?" Wendy asked hopefully. "There are other things we can do besides hero stuff."

"We'll see," Carla replied. "For now, you must keep your head up, Wendy."

"Right," Wendy responded to Carla's advice.

"Stick with me, kids. And no lollygagging. This city is a very dangerous place," Yajima instructed. He yelped when the carriage of a horse sped towards him, nearly hitting the group. "Hey! Watch where you're goin', road hog!"

"Hey, I'm drivin' here!" Hughes, the carriage's coach, snapped at the pedestrians.

Natsu rubbed his head, "And here I thought I could run fast holding a cart."

Happy wondered, "New record?"

"See what I mean?" Yajima pointed out. "Almost every citizen in Crocus is a bunch of wackos."

Along the way, the group encountered a cloaked person named Zoldeo standing in front of them. He whispered, "Psst. Hey, kids…"

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!" Yajima covered Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo's eyes, while Happy and Carla cringed in shock. "Shield your eyes! This isn't for children to see!"

"You wanna buy a sundial?" Zoldeo asked with a smirk. He was actually a black market salesman aiming to sell sundials, watches with the ability to turn back a small pocket of time at will. "It's the modern day turn of the century!"

"Let's get one, Carla!" Happy cried excitedly. "I want one! I bet with a sundial, I bet we can go back in time to save Natsu before he turned mortal!"

"Sundials only turn back a slightly earlier point in time, approximately sixty minutes or less," Carla pointed out. "It would take extensive amounts of magic to control time, even with Lost Magic."

"Oh, okay," Happy nodded, before he got excited again. "But I wanna buy it!"

"This is no time for fooling around!" Carla snapped.

"Yaj, can we buy one?" Happy begged Yajima. "Please? Please? Please?"

"Sorry, no one is interested," Yajima refused, dragging Natsu, Wendy, Romeo, Happy, and Carla away from Zoldeo. "Trust me, you do NOT want to buy any souvenirs! Except for food, as long as it's not poison." He added with a shudder, "Buying a sundial's a nightmare."

Happy pouted, "Ah, what so wrong about a sundial, Yajima? They look fine to me."

"Oh, you have no idea, cat. Sundials are time-travelling watches powered by an incomplete version of the Arc of Time. Time-travelling could create serious consequences," Yajima explained. "The last time I bought and used one, it nearly ruined my friendship with Gildarts and Mac—"

"The end is coming!" a citizen named Moka stood in front of the group, acting nuts. "The curse of the moon has brought the apocalypse upon us! Can you feel it?"

"Yes, yes, thank you for the info. We'll think about it for a while," Yajima confirmed, leading away the others. "Just stare at the sidewalk. Don't make any eye contact with strangers."

"Don't talk to strangers? Why?" Happy asked.

"Like I said, the people here are nuts," Yajima replied. "They're in such a wretched state because they live in a city filled with a lot of turmoil than you can shake a stick at. Luckily, Natsu, Wendy, Romeo are going to be just what the doctor ordered."

"He's right," Carla nodded. "We'll be safe as long as we stick together. We must limit our interactions with other people for as long as possible."

"Hold up a sec," Yajima said, interrupting Carla as he looked around. "Where'd the kids go?"

Realizing that the three young wizards weren't following him anymore, Yajima doubled back to look for them and panicked when he saw Natsu, Wendy, and Romeo about to approach a large building somewhat resembling a castle in appearance, and a flag adorned with the symbol of a fairy with a tail was attached to the top tower. Quick as a flash, Yajima dashed in front of the three to block their path.

"Oh, hey, Yaj. Sorry we wandered off, but we're just wondering… what's that tower standing over there?" Natsu asked curiously, pointing to the building.

"Nothing!" Yajima cried, holding his arms out. "There's nothing interesting at all in the Fairy Tail Guildhall. Dusty, drafty, dull, very boring."

"Oh, so that's the Fairy Tail Guildhall," Natsu smiled at this revelation.

"The place where Mr. Yajima's last student used to be the guild's master," Wendy stated.

"It used to be his home, until he died," Romeo added.

Yajima covered his mouth in embarrassment, "Me and my big mouth."

"You know, it wouldn't hurt if we'd just take a good look inside," Natsu stared at the guildhall.

"Good idea," Wendy agreed.

"Let's go in," Romeo said.

"No!" Yajima panicked, the horrible memories of his hero training days starting to kick in. "I'm not going in there!"

"Why not?" Romeo asked.

"You remember the story I told you?" Yajima reminded. "The day Gildarts died, they blamed me for leading him to his death!" He added fearfully, "If they ever saw me in their presence again, they'll kill me!" He mentioned, "Come on, kids, let's go someplace else…"

Natsu laughed, "Ah, what's the matter, Yaj? You're afraid to go in there just because you're too old?"

"I may be old, but yes, I am scared! And I have every right to be!" Yajima countered with a glare. "Do I look like a courageous old man just because I'm afraid of a guild that hates me? Is that the kind of thing the young generation has become so quick to assume in this day and age?"

Carla, with her paws crossed, replied, "Are people so quick to believe their first judgment based on idle things they've heard and initial impressions? Sadly, yes. I should know; there are a lot of people that are like that."

Yajima's glare receded, "They are?"

Natsu spoke, "As someone who's worked so hard on being a trainer of heroes, I know what you mean. People don't always appreciate our talents. Some people were afraid of us, some reacted in a bad way, and I'm pretty sure some people said things about us. We kept going, of course, but I still know how heartbreaking it is to see people react that way instead of looking past the surface."

Happy added, "For example, when Natsu was found by Makarov and Porlyusica, everybody called him a freak because his magic was out of control."

Yajima's expression turned sad. He murmured, "I… I had no idea… You're called a freak by the locals because you're a god turned mortal?"

Natsu shrugged, "It's all in the past. The best thing we had to do is move on. We can still do things for the better. It's something Gramps would want." He added with a smile, "And who knows? Fairy Tail will find it in their hearts to forgive you, too. It's probably been a very long time; maybe they've forgotten all the anger when Gildarts died."

Wendy suggested with a smile, "Come on, Mr. Yajima. Join us. We'll go inside the guildhall together. Fairy Tail will forgive you. They'll be your friends again."

"I..." Yajima's eyes shifted down, looking at the ground as he considered Wendy's words. "I don't know, I…"

Wendy continued, "Wouldn't you do anything just to spend one more day with Fairy Tail? Gildarts was your student and your friend, so the members of Fairy Tail are your friends, top. This is what it's all about, to forgive, move on, and make things better. And Mr. Yajima, you're not alone; you've got your students to help you." She gestured to Natsu, Romeo, Happy, and Carla, who nodded in agreement.

"C'mon, Yaj!" Natsu urged. "You said you wanted to train the greatest hero their ever was so that people would say, 'That's Yaj's boy', right? Do you really want to just give up on your old friends and retreat into a statue head for the rest of your life, hiding away from the world? That sounds like running away to me. The way you ran away from your job…"

Yajima shuddered, Natsu and Wendy's words resonating strongly within him. A moment later, his face sported a brave expression. "No!" he declared. "I don't want to give up. I want to see my old friends again. Have fun the way we used to." He turned to the others, "You're right, kids. They will find it in their hearts to forgive me. I'll go!" With a confident beam, he approached the guildhall's doors. "I'll march right through the doors, and I'm gonna—"

He grasped the doors' handles and pulled, but his words were cut short by the time he and the others entered.

Yajima paused when the members of the Fairy Tail Guild stared at him with odd eyes. Some sat on their benches and tables with their food and drinks, while others stood still. Yajima sweated nervously. A silent fear filled his heart, and he quailed ever so slightly. He was anxious and afraid of the guild's reaction. Will they lash out? Or welcome him back with open arms?

Every member seemed to have recalled a memory of Yajima. The day he took Gildarts as his disciple, the day that Fairy Tail was the prominent guild in Fiore, the day Gildarts sacrificed his life in a tragic accident, and the resentment towards Yajima…

However, their eyes didn't show any sign of resentment at all. Their eyes widened with joy. They were smiling. This could only mean one thing…

"YAJIMA!" one by one, the guildmates darted from their spots and rushed towards Yajima, greeting him with shouts of joy and open arms.

"W-W-W-What?!" Yajima was overwhelmed by hugs, kisses, and patting. "What's going on? What happened?"

"I don't believe it! It's you, Master Yajima!"

"Man, we missed you big time."

"We never knew you would visit us."

"Welcome back, Master Yajima!"

Yajima was overwhelmed with emotions. He was fearful that the guild would rage against him for Gildarts's death, the way they used to, but instead, he was met with a warm, positive welcome. From the side, Natsu, Wendy, Romeo, Happy, and Carla watched happily as the old trainer of heroes finally reunited with Fairy Tail.

They were so many things they wanted to talk about.

One hour later…

Natsu, Wendy, Romeo, Yajima, Happy, Carla, and some of the most prominent members of Fairy Tail situated together in a large table to discuss the recent chain of events from the past to today; memories of joy, grief, bliss, and laughter, how Gildarts died, how the anger against Yajima faded away, and what the guild had been reduced to.

"…and that's what happened," narrated Erza Scarlet, a 19-year old crimson-haired woman in armor, and one of the guild's S-Class Wizards. "Master Gildarts threw his own body to defend Master Yajima from the snake's venomous fangs."

Romeo asked, "What kind of snake?"

"Ophiuchus, the Snake Charmer," Yajima explained. "She's a gigantic demon snake born from the depths of the Underworld. Her power is so legendary that it exceeds the might of an entire nation's army, and rivals that of a god. Thousands of demigods faced Ophiuchus, and one by one, they fell."

Wendy gasped, "How horrible... Why would Gildarts risk his life to fight that snake?"

"It was his choice; he would do anything to protect the guild, the only family he ever had," Yajima folded his arms, his expression turning solemn. "Still, it doesn't change the fact that my star pupil— the guild's beloved master— died because of me. In the end, I guess you could say I did send Gildarts to his death. His daughter, Cana, took her father's death the hardest, and she retired from the guild out of grief."

"It wasn't your fault, sir," Erza assured with a smile. "You stood up for Master Gildarts when he tried to protect our guild from the giant snake. It took us a few years to realize that we were wrong about you. We realized that anger and vengeance isn't the answer. The best thing to do is to put the past behind us and move on. That is something our master would want." She placed a gentle hand on Yajima's shoulder, "We're very grateful for what you've done for him. For us. For all of Fairy Tail."

Yajima chuckled with a blush, "Oh, it was nothing, Erza. Really."

Natsu smiled proudly, inching an elbow to Yajima's arm, "Ha! We told you it would work!"

"That's because you taught me how to be brave," Yajima smiled back. "Now you know the full story of what happened to the guild after that."

"It was tragic," mused Mirajane Strauss, Fairy Tail's administrator. "Our guild suffered horribly after our master's death. We lost a lot of members, a lot of funds…"

"…and we're bullied by the Twilight Ogre Guild," Mirajane's younger brother, Elfman, crossed his arms. "Every day, Twilight Ogre gets to humiliate and bully us in front of the whole city. And it's NOT manly."

"Some things just got worse," added Lisanna, Mirajane's younger sister. "We lost a lot of food, a lot of water, and a lot of valuables in the Great Crocus Fire."

"On the plus side, we still had our reserves in the storage room," said an Ice-Make Wizard named Gray Fullbuster.

"Remind me again, my beloved Gray:" Juvia Locksar asked, staring at Gray with hearts glowing in her eyes. "Were the fires before or after the earthquake?"

Gray shrugged, "How should I know? And don't stare at me like that, Juvia. It's creepy."

Juvia squealed, "Oh, my goodness! Was it something I said?"

"All I remember is that the fires came after the earthquake, but before the flood," Levy McGarden replied.

"Don't even get me started on the economy," Wakaba Mine frowned. "Every day, whenever we finish a job request, they only give us a single penny!"

Alzack Connell sighed, "Crocus has certainly gone downhill in a hurry. Same goes for our guild since Gildarts died."

"Tell me about it, darlin'," Alzack's wife Bisca agreed, holding their daughter Asuka. "It seems every time someone turns around, there's some new monster like Ophiuchus wreaking havoc and—"

"The last thing we need is a plague or something worse," Warren Rocko noted. "What could go wrong now?"

Just then, a frog jumped on top of the table and croaked, scaring everyone gathered there. Except for Natsu, Erza, Yajima, and Carla, that is.

"Alright, that's it!" Elfman snapped. "We're telling the Second Master that we're moving to Clover Town! I heard it's a safe, manly place to settle in."

Lisanna agreed, "He's right. We can't take it anymore."

Max Alors added, "Things will get even worse if we don't move elsewhere. No city's worth all this trouble!" The rest of the Fairy Tail members chattered in agreement.

"Hey, guys?" Natsu caught the attention of all Fairy Tail guildmates present before they could leave. "Look, I get what your problems are. It seems to me that what you guys need is a hero."

Of course, the guildmates just stared at Natsu with odd looks. They were perplexed that Natsu claimed to be a hero. Gray was the first to speak, "Yeah. And who are you?"

"I'm Natsu Dragneel. I'm a Dragon Slayer," he introduced himself, standing up from the table. He then posed proudly, "And I happen to be... a hero."

"A Dragon Slayer? How interesting," Erza grinned at Natsu. "Dragons Slayers are wizards practicing magic comparable to that of the most destructive dragons, magic inherited from the gods themselves." He darted from her seat and shook Natsu's hand. "It's an honor to meet someone of your stature, Natsu. I'm Erza."

Natsu chuckled, "Yeah. Nice to meet you, too."

Wendy introduced, "My name is Wendy Marvell. I'm a Dragon Slayer, just like Natsu."

Romeo added, "And I'm Romeo Conbolt. I use Rainbow Fire, one of the Advanced Magics. I'm a friend of Natsu and Wendy."

"Conbolt?" Erza's eyes widened upon hearing Romeo's surname. "Did you just say Conbolt?"

"Yeah, that's my last name," Romeo nodded.

"Hmm…" Erza rubbed her chin. "Surely, the name Conbolt sounds familiar…"

Before anything else could be said, the rest of the guildmates burst into laughter, much to Natsu and Erza's chagrin. They found the idea of Natsu being a Dragon Slayer to be quite ridiculous. Some guildmates like Erza, Levy, Lisanna, Mirajane, and the Connells didn't laugh. They didn't find Natsu's claim to be funny at all. He might be telling the truth.

Gray chuckled, "Oh, is that so? You're a Dragon Slayer slash hero?"

"Like, a manly hero?" Elfman joked. "He's like a hiker from Mt. Hakobe!" The perfect situation for jokes was what caused Gray and Elfman's group to laugh in such an excessive amount.

"Tell me something, Mr. High and Mighty Dragon," Elfman said. "Have you ever saved a town before?"

"Well, I did saved a girl from a bunch of centaurs," Natsu answered.

"Have you ever reversed a natural disaster using your fancy dragon powers?" Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Well, to be honest..." Natsu was not sure how to answer that.

"Oh, listen to this," Gray scoffed. "He's just another rookie for Fairy Academy. This we need…"

"That's a laugh," Elfman chuckled as he, Gray, and their fellow guildmates proceeded to leave the guildhall. Most members of Fairy Tail weren't taking Natsu seriously. Yajima was embittered by their insults. Determination to prove them wrong about their viewpoints of Natsu built up within him.

"Don't you brats get it?!" Yajima shouted angrily at Gray and Elfman's group, causing them to turn back. He motioned to Natsu, "Natsu Dragneel is my new disciple! He's the successor of my last student and your former guild master. He's a Dragon Slayer, the son of Igneel."

"Whoa! Are you serious?" Levy exclaimed. "Natsu's the son of Igneel? The God of Fire and king of Olympus?"

"That's right," Natsu nodded. "I'm Igneel's son. And it's proof that I'm a real Dragon Slayer."

"Amazing!" Levy remarked.

"I heard only gods can teach Lost Magic," Mirajane stated.

"You can control fire?" Alzack asked.

"Give us some more juice! Our girl Asuka's itchin' to hear your stories!" Bisca said eagerly.

"Please, Natsu. Tell us how you inherited your Dragon Slayer Magic," Erza requested.

"It's a very long story…" Natsu began.

Another hour of storytelling later…

"…to go back home to Mount Olympus, I need to be a true hero," Natsu finished. "And Yaj, Wendy, Romeo, and Happy are here to support me."

Erza admired, "Your resolve to rejoin the gods was truly admirable, Natsu."

Mirajane marveled, "You're the son of Igneel turned into a mortal…"

Levy added, "That demonstration of Fire Dragon Slayer Magic you showed us was amazing!"

Alzack grinned, "Yaj was smart to choose Natsu as his next big thing."

Bisca smiled, "Personally, I think you're kinda cute. Right, Asuka?"

Asuka cheered, "Yeah!"

Elfman crossed his arms and grinned, "Well, color me impressed. You wanna be a god again, you gotta be a real man."

Lisanna nodded, "Big Brother Elf is right. You're one of a kind."

Natsu smiled proudly, "Not bad, huh? I heard Crocus was the best place to cook up some trouble. And when there's trouble, a hero always comes in to save the day."

Yajima agreed, "That's right. Natsu is the genuine article."

"Say, now that you mention it, the name 'Natsu' does ring a bell." Warren recalled. "I read from the local newspaper. Isn't 'Natsu' the name of the guy who wrecked the whole town of Magnolia seven years ago?"

"Watch it, pal…" Natsu's anger flashed. He recalled the time his Fire Dragon Slayer Magic spiraled out of control and destroyed Magnolia, an accident that drove the people to banish him. It was something he wanted to forget more than ever.

"Yeah, you're right. He's gotta be the same guy!" Gray remarked with a cruel grin. "Natsu the Fire Breather! Nice job on cleaning up the whole town with fire! Ya missed a spot!"

"I GOT YOUR FIRE RIGHT HERE!" Natsu roared. "YOU WANNA PIECE OF ME?!" He flew towards Gray and smashed his face with a burning fist, and began pounding him down to the ground wildly and hysterically. "I'LL WIPE THAT STUPID GRIN OFF YOUR FACE! YOU—"

"Stop! Stop, stop! No, no! Stop, stop, stop!" Wendy, Romeo, Yajima, Alzack, and Elfman grabbed Natsu's body and pulled, trying to break up the fight. Erza watched the brawl with outrage. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" By the loud tone of Erza's voice, everyone stopped and whipped their heads around in shock; a few even recoiled at the word. With that distraction, Wendy, Romeo, Yajima, Alzack, and Elfman successfully pulled Natsu off Gray, who suffered a black eye, charred and ripped clothes, and broken teeth.

"Take it easy, Natsu," Wendy calmed Natsu down. "Take it easy."

"Stay calm, kid," Yajima eased. "Stay calm."

"What are you, crazy?!" Gray screeched, staring at Natsu incredulously for the painful beating. "Sheesh!"

"You know the rules!" Erza shouted. "Fairy Tail is not a place for brawling or fighting! All members should get along with one another, especially our guests."

"Well, talk to him!" Gray pointed angrily at Natsu. "He started it! He's not even a member of our guild!"

"Guild member or no guild member, it doesn't matter! Fighting each other violates everything our guild stands for," Erza glared at Gray. "You should show proper respect to Natsu. He's the son of Igneel, a Dragon Slayer, and Yajima's new pupil."

"How could this joker be Yajima's pupil?" Gray glared back. "Does he like Natsu better than Master Gildarts?" He then pointed a finger at Yajima, "I thought Master Gildarts was supposed to be your one and only star pupil! Do you really mean it?"

Yajima remained frozen. He felt a burning shame, and he dreaded having to choose between his faith in Natsu or in Gildarts.

Gray growled at Yajima, "Master Gildarts was more of a student than Natsu will ever be. I don't care how he was born; he'll never replace Master Gildarts. He'll never be your new star pupil." He banged a fist at the table for emphasis, "And he'll never be one of us." With the final word in the matter said, he turned to the doors to exit the guildhall, accompanied by those who agreed with him. Only Natsu, Wendy, Romeo, Yajima, Happy, Carla, Erza, the Strauss siblings, the Connells, and Levy were left behind.

"Hey, Mr. Dragon," Wakaba remained, turning to Natsu with a stern look. "If we need a hero, we need a professional, not an amateur." He then joined Gray and his group outside.

"Hey, wait! Stop!" Natsu shouted and ran to the exit, trying to reason with the skeptic guildmates.

"Wait for us!" Romeo cried as he, Wendy, and Carla went after Natsu.

"I'll go with him," Yajima elected. "It's been fun visiting your guild. Thanks, kids." With that, he waved and hastily followed Natsu and the others to the exit.

"Should we follow them?" Levy asked.

"Let them be," Erza replied. "They need some time to think."

In the midst of the few guild members that remained, only one sitting in a separate table stared silently at the group's departure with shock and surprise in his eyes. He was an elderly man with short blue trimmed hair and a blue moustache. He wore a white long-sleeved jacket, a black shirt with a purple vest, and black pants. He whispered, "Romeo…? Is that you…?!"

"Wait! Hold on! I can explain!" Natsu yelled, searching the empty town square for Gray and the skeptic guildmates. After extensive searching, the Dragon Slayer sighed in frustration and leaned his back against the wall. When Wendy, Romeo, Yajima, Happy, and Carla rejoined, Natsu spoke worriedly, "How am I gonna prove myself a hero if nobody will give me a chance? Erza and her crew were the only ones that believed me. But Gray… that's a different story. What will happen to me? Will I end up just like Gildarts?"

Yajima replied, "Look, I'm not saying I'm choosing you over Gildarts. I'm choosing you because I believe you're my one last hope to redeem my past failures as a hero trainer."

Happy patted Natsu's back, "Don't worry, Natsu. One day, you'll get your chance."

Romeo said, "All we need is some kind of catastrophe or disaster."

Wendy added, "With so much trouble going on, I bet finding one is a whole lot easy. But how?"

"Help! Help!" the cry of a familiar voice sounded. The gang peered through the crowd to find Lucy Heartfilia crying desperately for help, pushing her way towards the sea of people blocking her path. "Please! Help! Please! Someone, anyone! There's been a terrible accident!"

"Lucy?" Natsu was surprised to see Lucy again, yet happy at the same time.

"Ugh, speaking of disasters…" Yajima rolled his eyes, with Romeo groaning in agreement. Natsu raised his eyebrow, but shook it off as Lucy ran up to him and his friends.

"Natsu!" Lucy breathed, wheezing from the frantic search. "Natsu, thank goodness!"

"Calm down, Lucy," Natsu eased. "What's going on?"

"Did something bad happen?" Wendy asked.

"Outside the city, two little boys were playing in the gorge," Lucy explained frantically. "But then, there was this rockslide, a terrible rockslide! They're trapped behind a huge boulder!"

"Whoa! Talk about a rocky situation!" Happy exclaimed jokingly.

"This isn't a joke, cat!" Lucy snapped. "It's a very serious situation!"

"Kids? Trapped?" Natsu beamed with hope. This was it! This could be his chance to prove himself! He turned to his friends with an excited expression, "Guys, did you hear that?! This is great!"

"You're really choked up about this, aren't you?" Lucy asked incredulously.

"No time to lose! Everybody, let's fly!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye, sir!" Happy confirmed.

"Right!" Carla agreed.

The two Exceeds spread their wings and grabbed the two Dragon Slayers' backs, and Natsu pulled Romeo and Lucy with him, much to her alarm.

"No, I… You don't understand—" Lucy's protest gave way to a scream of fright as Happy lifted Natsu, Romeo, and Lucy up miles into the air. "I HAVE THIS TERRIBLE FEAR OF HEIGHTS!"

Romeo chuckled at Lucy's nausea, "That totally made my day."

Carla urged, "Let's go, Wendy! Everyone needs us!"

Wendy nodded, "Okay!" The two flew up and followed Natsu, Lucy, Romeo, and Happy on their way to the gorge. The local citizens and all of the Fairy Tail wizards, including the skeptic ones, caught wind of the ongoing commotion and decided to follow the flying Exceeds to the source.

"Wait for me!" Yajima screamed, as he began to chase after the others. "I'm right behind you! Whoo…" He then panted rapidly, fatigued from running too much. "I'm way behind you… Hoo-boy, I need to lose a little weight."