Carla watched as the leafs flew around in the duststorm. She was in the middle of it with her partner and the scarlet knight. Wendy touched the stone pile and her shoulders slumped. "She isn't...here."
"What do you mean, Wendy?" Erza questioned once more. "What about Grandeeney?"
Wendy turned around and looked at the scarlet haired. She knew of her mother's scent, and this one was only a lingering scent. "Her scent is here...but she isn't."
The cat glanced back at her partner, "Could this be...her old nesting grounds?"
"I-I...don't remember this place," the girl confessed as she looked around at their surroundings. She would have remembered a place this high up, but the only place she remembered with Grandeeney was a grassy forest in the northern of Fiore; it was no where close to these mountains.
Erza knelt down and patted Wendy's shoulders. The girl was slumped against the rock pile with her arms crossed. It seems like all hope was lost in the small girl's eyes. "This is only a clue that she still roams Earthland, Wendy. It's not a dead end."
"You believe so, Erza-san?"
"Igneel came back for Natsha. Another point in the right direction. They are still here. Looking down at their foster children." She lifted Wendy's chin up and looked her into the eyes, "Alright, Wendy?"
She closed her eyes and slowly nodded. Out of all of the people she knew, she knew she could always count on the scarlet haired even on matters. She may see Natsha as an older sister, as well as Gajeel as her older brother, but Erza was always the eldest of the lot.
Carla turned around and started walking back to the other two. She leaned against the rock pile just like Wendy did.
Her eyes closed.
A vision.
Three people stood in a clearing as fog rolled through. Their bodies were glued to the ground as the fog covered them.
A scream.
It pierced Carla's ears.
"HAPPY!"
The four bodies shouted in concern. Their hands shifted in cones over their mouths as they tried to find their missing member.
The leader of the group grunted as he took a step forward. The green haired reached out to halt him, but the blonde boy started moving into the line of trees. Fog covered each one, and he disturb their pretense as he touched the bark. "We are not losing the Furball."
"Laxus-san," the green haired uttered in respect.
"It would be a shame brought onto us. Natsha will kill us, and the others in the guild will mock us. Unless if you enjoy that type of attention, we are moving forward."
With that on their lines, each one of them followed their leader into the fog. As soon as they touched the cloudy air, they disappeared from her vision.
She blinked twice. Wendy's face was inches away from her own. "A vision? Again?" the girl asked the cat. Usually she only gotten visions rarely, if ever; and those only counted the ones Carla informed her of.
The cat's head tilted as she stared at the ground. Happy. He was missing. The cat who always bugged her was no where to be seen.
"Was it about the dragons?"
"It was about Laxus-san's group."
"How do they relate to this?"
Carla's gaze moved from the ground and onto the questioning redhead. "I don't know much, but each location had a certain strange wind pattern. They were lost in a field of mist, while we are trapped in the middle of a dust storm."
"They haven't found Natsha then," Erza uttered as she looked off into the dust storm. She didn't know how long they have been inside, the dust storm completely cut off the sky from their sight and only allowed the light through.
"They must be getting close then, right?"
Carla nodded. "Certainly. All of the other groups has checked the other points, then their group is the only one left. Unless if Gajeel-san or Gray-san found a clue."
...
Rogue looked at the sky. "We should be along the border soon."
Mirajane gazed back through the trees. This was the last of the civilization they will encounter for the remaining of their journey. "The tales they told...I hope they were only myths."
"A location like that would have been taken over by other kingdoms by now. Or taken cared of by the Magic Council. It would posed too much as a threat to others."
She nodded at his words and tuckered Fro closer to her chest. "Who rules the land then? From others, it sounded as if no one enters the place."
Rogue shook his head. "That, I do not know. I have heard stories that it was fought over in the old times, but no victory. While everyone was fighting over it, a simple man entered the land and claimed it as his own. No one noticed his words and he stayed in the land. No one knows who inherited it. And soon, the cause of the war was forgotten about, yet it still continues in some countries."
"Like Desierto?"
"Exactly."
"Fiore seems so civil compared to these other countries."
"Every place has their own history," the black haired boy gave a small shrug. "One action caused by another country could have an giant effect on the other."
"Fro thinks so too!" the cat raised his hand as if he was trying to join in on their conversation. Mirajane giggled at his attempt and held him closer.
"Tell me, Fro," Rogue turned back and in a teasing tone, asked, "What do you think of the conflicts?"
His eyes widen. "Uh..." he was speechless. "Fro thinks it's...bad...?"
"Of course, Fro-kun," Mirajane brushed his head, "Conflicts are bad."
Rogue's eyes made contact with his exceed's. "You miss Lector-san?"
"Fro misses Lector," the cat nodded. "When will Fro and Rogue see them?"
"Soon," he nodded his head and in a lowered voice, "Hopefully."
"Don't worry, Fro-kun." She brushed him behind his ears, "I am sure your friends are missing you greatly, as much as you are missing them."
"Fro thinks so too!"
The black haired couldn't help but grin at Mira and Lector. Usually the little cat would be walking at his side, but now he wouldn't leave Mirajane's side. He brushed a branch to the side. "At least we know Laxus-san went this way." It has already been two days since they found his trail. "We will see Happy-san soon."
"Fro will?"
"This is his scent."
Fro's eyes widen in delight as his hands raised over his head. "Fro will!"
"You are just so cute~!" she giggled. The cat giggled along with her; missing the reason why she was laughing in the first place.
...
The two embraced each other as one cried in joy. She snuggled close to his hard scales and rubbed her head in his scent. She couldn't believe her eyes. He was here. Right in front of her.
"It has been a while, hasn't it?" he brought up his front arm and touched her back.
"It has been fourteen years!"
"Yet you are missing seven of those years, my dear."
She looked up at him in the eyes and finally asked the question. "W-Why did you leave?"
"Us dragons," he leaned his head low and looked off into the distance. "We needed to leave human affairs. Even leaving our own behind. I am sorry, Natsha. I hope you can forgive me."
"Of course," she laid her head back onto his scales. She didn't care about that at the moment. All she cared about was the beast in front of her. Her dad who vanished from her life. She didn't know much, but she knew he was back. "Of course...Igneel..."
...
The fog sucked them. Laxus started marching forward, while the others tried to follow him. Their hands were out in front of them as they tried to piece who where they were going. With the fog in their way, they saw nothing of the path.
Laxus sighed as he looked back into the fog at his directionless companions. He thought it was only Happy who was lost. "Either everyone hold on, or we keep talking."
"Excellent idea, Laxus-san." Freed's voice broke through the fog, and imminently, there was a hand touching Laxus' bottom.
"Who ever dared to do that," he narrowed his eyes. "Please walk into a lavapit before I throw you into it."
"Freed, why aren't ch runnin' yet?" Bickslow questioned as he laid his hand on Laxus' buffed shoulder.
"As if I would touch Laxus-san's ass!" He paused and placed his hand on Laxus' other shoulder. "Not that his ass isn't worth touching."
"Ever?" Laxus questioned.
"She's over here," Bickslow stated with a shrug of his shoulders. On his own shoulder was Evergreen's.
"T-That's Bickslow? I thought it was Laxus!" The girl squealed and jerked her hand back. She didn't know when was the last time the mage changed. "Ew!" She wiped her hand on Freed's back.
"Hey!"
"You're not Laxus either?"
And finally, the girl rested her hand on Laxus' backpack straps; choosing not to touch the other two males of the group.
"Wait...if it wasn't Ever or Freed touching you...then who?" The blue mage questioned out loud.
"Is this some kind of joke, Bickslow?" Freed's eyebrows knotted as he turned to Bickslow's direction.
"No, I'm not gay!"
They all froze.
"Then who?"
Their eyes shifted back and forth into the fog.
"Furball!" Laxus shouted into the fog. Happy was the only one not accounted for; and this was no time for playing pranks. "If you're out there! I'm gonna cook you!"
Short chapter...again. Sorry if the pace is so slow, I'm trying to get all of the pieces connection, plus add screen time for other characters.
rinpup14: It wouldn't be that easy for Wendy. Though...her dragon...may be...appearing...not making any promises though!
darkhuntressxir: Not everything cute is good XD And good, I really didn't mean to make her so annoying.