Wendy smiled brightly as she reentered the guild spotting the person she was looking for. Lucy hadn't moved from her place at the bar, however she seemed in much better spirits. Wendy took note of the older woman as she laughed while watching Plue and Happy do their traditional dance. This was good! She'd be much more open and receptive if she was in a better mood. Finally reaching the bar she took a seat. "Good afternoon Lucy-san, Happy, and Plue!" She stated brightly.
"Afternoon Wendy!" Lucy responded just as joyful.
"AYE!"
"Pu-puunnn"
A moment's hesitation took root in Wendy. Shaking it off mentally she steeled herself. This was for the sake of her friends! "Lucy-san, would you do me a favor?"
Slightly confused at the sudden request Lucy said, "Sure, I mean so long as I'm able to."
Wendy smiled brightly once more. "Oh I'm quite sure you can help! You see I wrote a story…"
Lucy cut her off with a surprised gasp and strange twinkle in her eye, "You wrote a story?"
Nodding once more the girl continued, "Yes. Actually I wrote this story just for you! I need your help telling me if you like it or not!"
Speculation rose at the small girl's statement. "You wrote a story just for me?" she asked. Seeing Wendy nod once more a slight unnerving feeling rose up. "What's this story about?"
"Nu-uh you have to read it first!"
Lucy squinted at the girl. Happy had told her earlier that she had gone off with Natsu somewhere. That was during his only attempt to try and get Lucy to forgive the man. This couldn't bode well in the end. Then again if Natsu had anything to do with this she wouldn't be affected thanks to the runes. "Ok hand me the story to read." She said confidently.
Smile still in place Wendy eagerly obliged. She crossed her fingers behind her back hoping that Lucy would continue reading after the first page.
Lucy took hold of the pages still skeptical. Natsu had definitely not written this or she wouldn't be able to touch it. Feeling slightly guilty for suspecting the girl she tried to give her a reassuring smile. That was until she began reading.
Once upon a time, in a village by the sea a dragon and a cat found a girl. The dragon wasn't looking for the girl but a great fire dragon that had gone missing.
Frowning, Lucy looked up from the pages, "You said you wrote this right Wendy?"
"Yes I did Lucy-san."
Glaring slightly Lucy continued, "All by yourself?"
Wendy shook her head negatively, "No I had help. I wrote it but it isn't my story completely. I just helped." Small beads of sweat formed on the girl. She had seen Lucy mad before and never wanted to be on the receiving end. Honestly she hoped that the woman would just continue reading.
Lucy raised an eyebrow to the girl's statement. So Natsu was behind this. She frowned at thinking he had used the girl next to her. Then again said girl seemed awfully happy when she had sat down. Thinking it over she had to admit this was inventive. Leave it to Natsu to use an odd way of saying something to her. She had to admit that Wendy was telling the truth. There was no way these were Natsu's words verbatim. "I see," was all she offered as she once more turned to the pages in her hand.
The dragon and cat were very sad when they didn't find the older fire dragon. However the girl had lifted their spirits by offering to feed the pair. When the dragon and cat parted ways the dragon couldn't help but hope to see the girl again. He had been in luck! The girl had gotten captured by a foul man that was using his home's name as a ploy.
After beating up the man and making sure he knew to never speak of the dragon's home again he and his cat decided to take the girl with them back home since she had said she liked their home and wanted to go there. Eventually the girl became one of his nakama and moved into the same village as him and his cat.
The dragon and the cat thought the girl's house was the best place. She had all kinds of weird things they had never really seen not to mention she had the comfiest bed in the world. The best part of all for them was that it was where the girl lived. Eventually the three of them became really great friends.
Lucy sighed. Even in a story he had Wendy write for her he called her weird and focused on her bed. Maybe she should just give the damn thing to him, find a mission and buy a new one? Snickering to herself she thought that if she had figured that out long ago then maybe this whole mess would have been averted. Shrugging the thoughts away she continued to read.
One day the dragon and cat found out that the girl wasn't just a girl but a runaway princess. The dragon didn't care though because he liked the girl for who she was not wherever she had come from. Her father the king had tried to take the princess away from the dragon and the cat but they would not have that. So the dragon rescued the princess from a tower she was trapped in by a stupid wizard and brought her back to their nakama. Eventually the king sent out a dragon of his own to bring the princess back.
The fire dragon and cat once again set off to rescue their princess. This time though the fire dragon got there late, only to find that the princess had been hurt by the ugly and dumb metal dragon. Sending the cat to get the princess and keep her safe, the fire dragon beat the metal dragon in a massive battle. After that the king never tried to take the princess away again.
"Not quite how it went but close." Lucy mumbled. "Oi, Wendy?"
"Yes Lucy-san."
"You said you helped write this story, did the person you help read this?"
Wendy fidgeted a bit. "Well not exactly. I read it to them so they know what it says word for word."
Lucy hummed in response still unsure what to make of all this. Looking back to the pages she continued.
The dragon and cat were the happiest ever because their princess was always with them. The dragon always made sure no one would ever take the princess away. However, one day the dragon almost failed. He and the cat watched as another evil dragon tried to take her away permanently. Watching what they saw as the princess die hurt them both terribly and the image wouldn't go away, even after the evil dragon was defeated.
For weeks the dragon and cat suffered from nightmares but didn't dare tell the princess. The cat was small and loveable and could get away with telling her, but the dragon was supposed to be strong and he was sure the princess would push him away if she knew. One night the cat finally told the princess everything. The princess surprised the dragon by embracing him and the cat and making him think all would be well.
Lucy stared shocked at what she had read. On one hand she was upset at Natsu for telling an impressionable girl like Wendy about last night, on the other she felt incredibly sad and guilty thinking that Natsu thought he couldn't tell her about the issues he and Happy were having. If they got past this, which reading this looked like they would, she would be sure to make this all up to him somehow.
In the morning the dragon had woken up the happiest he had ever been. Being held by the princess was the best feeling he could think of and he wanted to find a way to keep them like that forever. But the cat was hungry and the princess decided to feed them all before they went out for the day.
Lucy blinked at the pages. She had to reread the last few lines several times. Did he actually mean it like that? If so then what the hell was this morning all about? Then again was she reading too much into this again? Sighing frustrated she continued to read.
While they ate a terrible thing happened. Somehow the dragon had made the princess think he didn't want her around. The truth was he was just confused because the princess had agreed to the cat's request to go fishing. The dragon knew she didn't like to go fishing and so he had thought it was a good idea to ask her why she agreed. Some way though his words were misheard. The princess thought he didn't want her around and that was the complete opposite of what the dragon wanted.
He really loved the princess being with him all the time and if he could he'd find a way that the princess, cat and himself would spend all their time always together.
"Wait WHAT!?" Lucy said suddenly. Blushing fiercely she looked to Wendy. "You said Natsu knows exactly what this says. Like word for word?"
Slightly shocked and a little scared Wendy nodded. Would Lucy quit reading already? She wasn't sure where the woman even was in the story but something had caused this reaction. "Well yes Lucy-san, what…"
Waving dismissively Lucy huffed, "No it's alright. I just… I wasn't expecting what I read. That's all." She didn't really want an explanation as to why this was written the way it was. There was no point getting her hopes up at all. Yet again she turned her attention to the paper.
But with the princess angry she locked herself away, making the cat angry at the dragon also. The poor dragon was so confused and even though he tried to explain to the princess she ran away from him. When he went to follow she had a sea beast attack him. By the time the dragon found her she had a loser of a mage cast a curse on her so the dragon couldn't talk to her. The dragon was so hurt that he had actually accepted the help of a frosted pervert.
Lucy chuckled a bit. Yes Natsu definitely knew exactly what was written here. She had no idea he had actually talked to Grey though. Did that mean this was all Grey's idea? It made it less special if that was the case but then again she couldn't see Grey of all people coming up with an idea like this.
The creepy walking popsicle had suggested writing a letter to the princess since she couldn't hear him. However the stupid useless mage that cast the curse made sure that anything the dragon touched the princess couldn't. The frostbitten stripper said to have someone write the letter for the dragon. To this the dragon cheered. Looking through the village the dragon found a younger dragon that would help him.
Now things made a little sense. Grey had told him the best option and Natsu had gotten Wendy to help him. Still didn't explain the story. What on earth possessed him to want to write a story?
The adorable little dragon was more than happy to help the fire dragon out. However the little dragon realized that the princess was so upset a letter wouldn't do. She had asked the fire dragon about the things the princess liked so that maybe he could make it up to her with something she would truly cherish. At first the little dragon was surprised with everything the fire dragon knew about the princess and just how much he cared for her. The way he spoke of the princess was quite caring. Quickly she realized that this princess had to be the fire dragon's special princess that he'd forever protect and so once again tried to help the dragon.
Blushing once more Lucy looked up to Wendy again. "Umm what exactly do you mean by… Umm… this?" She couldn't bring herself to read the words aloud so she just pointed at the lines.
Wendy blushed slightly but then smiled noticing Lucy didn't look angry about it. "Well, you see that's kind of what happened. I mean he was just rattling off all kinds of stuff he knew about you and what you liked."
Five shades redder Lucy squeaked, "Like what?"
Wendy continued to smile. Glancing around she knew if she said what was actually said someone would hear, so she chose to speak cryptically. "Let me put it this way Lucy-san, he listens to things you say even if you both think they are pointless rambles or, well 'weird' as he would put it." She giggled slightly at that.
Lucy smiled a bit. Silently thanking the girl for being so private and also cursing Natsu for saying who knows what to her. Really though he was quite sweet when he wanted to be. The fact that Wendy had blushed remembering what was said didn't go unnoticed and she'd have to find out just what he had said to the girl, but that could wait she had a story to finish.
Rereading the last line she left on she once again blushed remembering she had another question. "What about this part?"
Wendy smiled slyly at that. She remembered Natsu raising quite the fuss over that line but he let her leave it in anyway. "Hmmm, I'm not really sure." She said faking innocents.
Once again the girl's countenance didn't go unnoticed and so deciding on not having that kind of embarrassing conversation with a child she let it go.
Eventually the fire dragon had said how much the princess loved to read and so the little dragon suggested writing a story to the princess. Surely it would be something the princess would want to read and would enjoy then. The fire dragon agreed and the two began to write. When they were done the little dragon headed off to find the princess and deliver the story. When she arrived the princess began to read the story the little dragon handed her.
After reading the tale the princess went in search of the dragon only to find him waiting under their special tree.
Lucy flipped the page over thinking the rest was on the back since this was the last page. Nothing was there. Confused she asked, "Where's the rest?"
Once again Wendy acted all the more innocent, "Oh no! I must have forgotten it! I wonder where I left it?"
Lucy frowned slightly, "Natsu has it doesn't he?"
Nervous laughter started, "Maybe?" Wendy tried.
Sighing Lucy stood with the pages gathered in her hands. "Wendy I'll say this, you write really well for someone your age. If you ever want to really write a story I'd be happy to read it." With that she headed out of the guild leaving the girl confused as to whether her plan had worked or not.
A quick shout out to Link (LinkinParkTheKillersFan) for the review hope you continue to enjoy!
Also another thank you to leoslady4ever for continued support!
So I've hit an impasse in my writing. While I still have a few chapters left to go over and post, I'm currently stuck. My plot bunny ran off with my muse and the two are hiding out somewhere! That being said I might not update near the speed I have been. I apologize for this. But fear not I will not leave this story to fall off and become an unfinished work that people will pine over.
Thanks again to all my readers and hope you have been enjoying so far!
~Gemi