"Ugh…" Happy's usually cheerful demeanor was being overshadowed by the little amount of sleep he received. Close to falling out of the sky, the blue Exceed rubbed his eyes. "Natsu, can't we take a break?"
"Come on, Happy! Just a few more!"
The Dragon Slayer wasn't kidding when he said they were going to train day and night. Natsu woke the blue Exceed up before sunrise to get ready. Since the crew made the decision to stay at the Dragneel Residence; Lucy, Wendy, and Carla were also awakened by the noise.
"Ugh… The sun's not even out." The blue Exceed complained as he plopped into a chair.
"If you weren't ready for the training, you shouldn't have told Natsu you'd be his partner." Carla rolled her eyes.
"Well… You don't have to be up Carla." Wendy chuckled, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "You could've stayed home and slept in."
"I'm not going to leave you to train with.." The white Exceed didn't finish her sentence, only looking towards the Fire Dragon Slayer. "Let's just say I'd feel better making sure you're taken care of."
After a hearty breakfast for the group, they immediately went outside to begin their strenuous training regiment.
Beginning with morning stretches facilitated by Virgo, each patron was thoroughly limbered up by the Maiden. Going so far as to bring out her 'tools of the trade', The pink haired Celestial Spirit spared no expense on the young wizards
"Hey!" Lucy screamed as she was being strapped into what looked like a medieval torture device. The Celestail Mage was attached to a wooden board. It was separated in the middle, with restraints on both ends. There was a wheel on the left side, and the Maiden had her hand on it.
"Virgo, don't you dare!" The young blonde continued to wriggle on the board.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Wendy questioned, a look of pure terror in her eyes.
"What in the hell is this?" Natsu raised a brow.
A devilish look on her face, Virgo snickered. "Oh just a little something to stretch you out."
After the 'Stretch of Punishment', the rest of their morning was spent hiking up the nearby mountain. While the scenery was amazing, the weights Natsu created for them to gain strength were heavier than Happy could bear. It took the group hours to reach a stopping point. However, at the top of the mountain held some beautiful scenery. It was definitely worth the trip.
Deciding to eat the lunches they packed; Wendy, Carla, Happy, Natsu and Lucy all enjoyed the view as they rested up. The hike down wasn't nearly as strenuous as the way up. The Dragon Slayer made a last minute decision to forego the weights, instead making it a competition.
"Last one down is a rotten Dragon Egg!" Natsu yelled as he bolted.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Lucy hollered after him. "You got a head start!"
"Then we'll just have to catch up!" Happy laughed as he picked the young blonde up. The duo flew through the sky, quickly catching up with the pink haired wizard. Wendy and Carla were not far behind them.
Once the crew was successfully down the mountain, each of them resumed training. Wendy brought out a couple of new moves! Using them against her fellow Dragon Slayer in battle. Lucy brought in several of her spirits to assist, almost every one of her gold keys were used. This drained her magic power severely over the course of the next few hours. Leo and Virgo were the only two spirits remaining there when Happy suggested a break. Staying through their own sourse of magic power, Loki could see how tired everyone had become.
"Maybe Happy's right, Natsu. I mean you guys have been at it all day!" The Lion suggested.
"Training is important, but so is rest and proper stretching!" Virgo chimed in.
Inclined to deny their request, the Dragon Slayer sighed. It was then he noticed just how truly tired everyone else was. Natsu could also see they were going to lose daylight soon. The pink haired wizard felt the need to continue through the night. His friends were infiltrating a dark guild and didn't get a single moment of rest.
Compared to that, what they did today was childsplay.
The Fire Dragon Slayer wrestled with this thought daily. While he had the potential to be one of the strongest wizards in their guild, Natsu wasn't exactly the best when it came to covert operations. In order to become an S-Class Mage, it's nearly a required skill. While not every mission requires you to be discreet, it is what fills up the S-Class board quickly.
"Alright… Let's get some rest. We'll pick it up tomorrow." The pink haired wizard mumbled, his mind in a completely different place. Natsu walked away from the group, deciding to head to the house.
Wendy sat down at the first mention of stopping, her own muscles giving out before she gave the okay. Happy and Carla's wings had effectively disappeared, their magic power depleted. Loki and Virgo said their goodbyes, heading back to the Celestial Spirit World.
"I'm starving!" Happy groaned, his stomach rumbling loudly.
"Then get something to eat, Tomcat! You're not helpless." Carla rolled her eyes, wiping the dirt from her clothes as she stood up. "I'm going to return home. Wendy, are you coming with me?"
The bluenette glanced towards the Dragneel home, where Natsu went. Wendy was concerned for her friend, and wanted to make sure he was alright. "I think I'm going to stick around for a bit, Carla."
"Suit yourself." The white Exceed shrugged, walking back to their apartment in Magnolia.
Happy wasn't far behind Carla. "Hey! Wait up! I'll walk you home."
This left Wendy and Lucy alone. Looking at the Celestial Mage, the Sky Dragon Slayer decided to ask the next best person. If anyone knew what was going on with Natsu, it was Lucy.
"Natsu's really eager to get stronger for the S-Class Trials. I've never seen him so determined." Wendy waited for the blonde to answer her. However, she was in a trance of her own. The young bluenette noticed the Celestial Mage was staring miles into the distance.
I wonder what Lucy's thinking about… Wendy thought to herself. Could she be communicating with Natsu telepathically? That would explain the distanced look.
"Lucy? Are you okay?" The Sky Dragon Slayer took a couple of steps closer.
"Huh?" The Celestial Mage jumped, not realizing anyone was talking to her. Glancing up at Wendy, the young blonde smiled. "I'm okay. I just got a little lost in my own thoughts. Did you say something?"
"Natsu seemed a little on edge today, is everything alright?"
Attuned to the strange vibe Natsu was emitting, Lucy sighed. "He's thinking about the team inside Grimoire Heart. I'm sure he's worried sick about them. I know Erza's there. However, if their cover is broken I'm not sure if they'll be able to get out alive."
The bluenette's eyes widened, a chill running down her spine. "You're serious? They're that strong?"
"From what I understand, yes." The Celestial Mage nodded grimly. "This is going to be one of the hardest battles Fairy Tail's faced in a long time."
The two sat in silence for quite some time. Each of them sitting with the heavy words in the air.
"I really appreciate you being my partner, Wendy. I know it was a tough decision." Lucy glanced at the young bluenette.
The Sky Dragon Slayer grinned. "Of course! I've been looking for a new way to challenge my abilities. This seems like as good of a time as any!" While the Celestial Mage was engaging with the young wizard, Wendy could tell her mind was somewhere else. "Are you worried about Gray and the team?"
Lucy took a slow, but deep breath. "I am." Although she answered the question, it didn't encompass everything on her mind. The Celestial Mage wasn't sure if she should bring up her current anxieties about their future mission.
Wendy could see there was a lot more to it than what lied on the surface. It was very rare for Lucy to be this lost in thought. Even Natsu's behavior today was cause for concern. As the Sky Dragon Slayer leaned against a nearby tree, she glanced at her fellow comrade. "Your eyes look as if they're peering into another world. Are you sure that's all that's on your mind? Lucy, you can talk to me."
"There's…" The blonde collected her thoughts. "There's a bigger part of me that is almost ready for this fight. I'm more fired up than I've ever been."
"Do you think that has something to do with your connection to Natsu?" The young Dragon Slayer asked curiously.
"It could be." Lucy noted. "I've been plotting scenarios in my head, trying to think of the best moves I have in my arsenal. I'm not just fighting for Fairy Tail…"
"What do you mean?" Wendy asked, concerned for her friend.
"Having Melody die in my arms…" The young blonde's voice broke. "Was one of the hardest things I've had to process. Losing her, along with her boyfriend Rhythm in the ambush could've been avoided if I'd kept my guard up-"
"You can't know that, Lucy." The Sky Dragon Slayer interrupted in a comforting tone.
``There are so many factors that go into what happened. I'm sure the group was trained to leave no man behind. Virgo made the right decision getting the two of you out of there when she had the chance."
"Still…" The Celestial Mage persisted. "I'm fighting for them also. I carry their memories with me, and I'm going to make sure they don't die in vain."
In the distance the Fire Dragon Slayer's voice could be heard shouting. "Hey guys! Come get something to eat!"
Wendy held out her hand, offering assistance to her fellow comrade. "I'm starving, and I'm sure you are too."
Lucy smiled, taking the Sky Dragon Slayer's hand. She stood up and the two of them walked back to the Dragneel home in silence. Each of them stretching their tired and achy muscles.
As they got closer to Natsu's place, the scent of what he was cooking began to waft through the air. The two ladies picked up the pace, smelling the delicious food the pink haired wizard threw together. Wendy and Lucy walked through the door, seeing the Fire Dragon Slayer make his plate.
"You guys are just in time.." He mentioned, turning to look at the ladies. "I just finished up, the plates are-"
The Celestial Mage nearly spirited to the cabinet, grabbing two plates for her and Wendy. Effectively leaving the Dragon Slayer speechless, he watched as the ladies stormed past him. After piling their plates high with food, the two girls sat down at the table with Natsu.
Immediately, the trio began eating as if their lives depended on it. None of the wizards could remember ever feeling this hungry. After their intense training today, the meal was well deserved.
"This is amazing, Natsu! So good!" Wendy couldn't get enough of the delicious food prepared by the Dragon Slayer. Most of the meals she ate came from the guild hall. While MIra was a great cook in her own right, having a different chef can truly make an impact!
"Thanks, Wendy.." The pink haired wizard mentioned between bites. "Where'd Happy go?" Natsu asked as he looked around, only now aware his friend was gone.
"He decided to walk Carla home." Lucy snickered. "Said something about wanted to make sure she wasn't alone."
"At least he keeps trying. I think Happy's finally wearing her down." The Sky Dragon Slayer giggled.
The pink haired wizard couldn't help but smile as he listened to the girls. Their laughter made it easier to think about the good times. Since Lucy came back to the guild, all the Dragon Slayer could think about was the battle ahead. The moment Grimoire Heart became involved, Natsu feared the worst for his fellow teammates. It was his main motivator for pushing everyone so hard today. Fairy Tail needed to be as strong as possible to stop the Dark Guild.
A calm silence enveloped the room, each of the wizards content after finishing their meals. Lucy stood from the table, taking everyone's plates. Natsu and Wendy thanked her.
"Do you think Gray, Erza, and Juvia are going to be okay?" the Sky Dragon Slayer questioned, looking at the pink haired wizard. Even though she asked Lucy the same thing not long ago, the bluenette was curious about Natsu's perspective.
It took him a few moments to answer. "Each of them are very strong wizards." the Fire Dragon Slayer calculated. "If their cover was blown…. I can't say for certain. It may take a rescue team to get them back, and even then I'd suspect heavy casualties."
Wendy couldn't believe her ears. Normally, it was Natsu who was the optimistic one. He used to say something like 'the enemy won't know what hit them!' The older Dragon Slayer has changed in her eyes, becoming slightly more mature. More often than not, Natsu would be the one to dive into a challenge, not knowing of the consequences.
"But, if we keep training like we are, and everyone is solid on the plan, I don't see why we can't win this." The pink haired wizard flashed a toothy grin. "I mean, when you mess with Fairy Tail, we fight back with everything we've got!"