The Secret Forest Meadow

Wendy could hear the continuous droplets of rain falling from the leaves of Porlyusica's tree as they pattered against glass windows and bark and the quiet groans of the swaying branches as the wind blew strongly above outside. The sounds were rather ambient and, combined with the dim lighting of the room, it made sleep desirable. The night was already turning very late and the rain that had started at nightfall had yet to let up.

Carla was already curled into a ball and fast asleep by Wendy's side on the only bed. Leaning against the hard wood wall, the girl took comfort stroking the soft white fur of her partner and friend, a gesture she often did when others weren't around or watching since Carla was a little self-conscious about being seen when petted like an ordinary cat. The Exceed was asleep and Porlyusica was the only other person awake in the room aside from Wendy, so the Dragon Slayer was certain her friend wouldn't mind (or notice) too much.

Although sleep was tempting, Wendy couldn't rest, not until she knew Bacon was alright. Frowning, her eyes fell on the unconscious boy lying in bed. He had not moved since he fainted, making Wendy deeply worry. Going against what Erza had told her, Wendy had healed all of his injuries in hope he would recover sooner shortly after Titania had left Porlyusica's home along with Master. It was Erza who carried Bacon all the way out here. As grateful as she was for Erza's help, Wendy was still upset with her.

After hearing the situation, Porlyusica assumed that Bacon may have fainted from a combination of dehydration, magic depletion, and stress, both mental and physical. "He knew how to use his magic on instinct. That had likely triggered a memory or perhaps his mind was trying to grasp how he knew but the strain was too much," the Medicinal Advisor had stated. With great skill, she had given the boy water, a small spoonful of his bitter red potion, and a smaller spoonful of his green one, which she had come to conclude replenished magic energy, without making him choke. There was nothing else that could be done but to allow him to rest.

Not long after that, Erza and Master had departed, leaving Bacon in Porlyusica's care while Wendy stayed behind, inevitably making Carla stay too. To pass the time, and not to be a burden, Wendy had offered to help around the house. While Carla watched over Bacon, Wendy had swept the floor with the same broom the old lady often used as a weapon, organized the lighter crates scattered around by stacking them and pushing them into a corner, watered the indoor garden and potted plants, sorted out the fresh herbs Porlyusica had gathered from the forest earlier in the day, and crushed and grounded the dry ones into a fine powder. Throughout the last three tasks, Wendy enjoyed learning a few things about the different medicinal properties of each unique plant. At first, she was hesitant to strike up a conversation with Porlyusica but, after asking a few curious questions, the tension between them was instantly gone. Talking with Porlyusica felt as natural as speaking with her own mother, Grandeeney.

Once everything was done, the three of them enjoyed a small meal consisting of forest fruits, nuts, and crisp and soft edible leaves tossed into a salad. As they ate, they had discussed Wendy's training, the upcoming Grand Magic Games, and Bacon's progression. "You should not be angry at Erza," Porlyusica had told her when she mentioned how harsh Erza was treating the poor boy, "she only meant well. She did what others would not dare to do."

"But… He's…" Wendy had tried to argue.

"Would you have been willing to inflict bodily harm to make him feel physical pain? Or attempt to invoke fear into him through intimidation or threats? Would you have given him the chance to use his sword to fight? You wouldn't have known he is capable of handling a weapon in times of hostility and danger if you kept him out of harm's way. No, I am not saying that endangering him is the best method," the old woman had added after Wendy lowered her eyes in guilt, "but certain situations do require extreme measures – though, not as extreme as in Erza's standards – and the right people to do it. Wendy," Porlyusica gave the girl a small smile that vanquished the sternness from her wrinkled face, "you must remember that everyone is trying to help in their own way. Continue to show him your kindness and perhaps one day he will remember something from it."

Wendy had felt better after that. The grudge she held against Erza had diminished. "Do you really think that he could have remembered something?" she had asked, sounding hopeful.

"It is possible. We can only wait and see."

Hours had passed since then and Wendy was still waiting as she sat at the foot of the bed, gently petting her sleeping feline friend atop the head between her soft, pointed ears. Porlyusica was quietly working at her desk under the only Light Lacrima lamp turned on. The chamber was bathed in a pale yellow glow while on the other side of the windows it was pitch black. Water visibly trickled down the glass panes in rivulets.

Sighing wearily, she took a quick glance in Bacon's direction and noticed his peaceful expression had changed. His brow was furrowed as if he was deeply troubled by something. "Bacon? Are you okay?" she asked quietly as she leaned a little closer. However, the boy remained unconscious.

"He dreams," informed Porlyusica as she stood from her chair and strolled towards the bed. Her crimson eyes narrowed inquisitively as she lightly placed the back of her hand over the boy's forehead. "Dreams can be vague and meaningless, formed from fragments of the past and present. If we are fortunate, the dream he is facing might be more than just fragments of his memory turned into a nightmare. Has he dreamt before?"

"I… I don't know." Since Bacon never spoke or tried to verbally communicate, it was hard to tell if he had dreamed in his sleep over the past couple nights. The boy didn't act any different from his usual curious self every morning, so Wendy assumed that if he did, it was probably easily forgotten like most dreams. She wondered if it'll be the same this time once he woke up. The thought was rather disheartening.

The Dragon Slayer sighed, silently hoping for Bacon to remember at least some of the details. However, at the same time she did not want his nightmare to haunt him forever. I wish I could see so I can heal your pain and protect you from your fears. But then again, was there anything he feared?

She pursed her lips and wondered if Bacon would even understand what he saw and felt in his dreams.

Again, they could only wait and see.

He could hear people all around him; their claps, cheers, and shouts all sounded muffled as if they were all behind a door. When he took a quick look around, he saw dark ghostly figures standing by, their thin, wispy arms waving and pointing at something behind him.

He followed the hands and gaped at the giant creature towering before him. Its huge body was black and cloudy and its eyes were large, round and crimson. It made a deep rumbling noise as it slowly approached him on shrouded feet that metallically clanged against the shadowed floor.

In his hand, he held his sword that was bright and shining, turning from silver to blue to red. The tips of his fingers tingled from the warm sensation flowing through him as the energy surrounded his blade, imbuing it with power that felt both familiar and foreign. His body moved on its own, one foot stepped forward and he spun in a circle, screaming in a fury. The fiery energy burst outwards and struck the giant hidden in the black mist, knocking it flying back and spilling shimmering red water.

'Blood…' said a loud, sudden voice that silenced all the noise and gave him quite a start. The voice was one he did not recognize and it came from every direction, making him frantically scan the darkening area in search of the speaker. But he found no one. Not even the ghosts were around anymore.

He only saw the bright red water – the blood – that gushed and pooled on the floor before him as the clouded creature shrank and dissipated away. He blinked in confusion only to jump back in alarm when light emerged from the darkness like an opening door. Golden light stung his eyes and streamed through the widening gap, touching something lying in the growing red pool; something enormous, white, and bleeding.

All he caught was a glimpse of it because two shadows suddenly appeared before him, obstructing his view. Silhouetted against the light, they were both tall and human-like. However, they were unlike the people he knew from Fairy Tail. Their faces were hidden but their eyes were shining and angry, one pair glowing a bluish-white while the other a deep red. The air around them was neither friendly nor pleasant. They were…

'Evil…' warned the strange voice from earlier, more fervent than before.

He tensed, not liking the sound of the word spoken. It had no meaning to him and yet he could sense that it wasn't a nice one. Unnerved, he took a wary step back from the two shadows, his left hand tightening around the hilt of his weapon while his other grasped at empty air. There was something missing, something that should be there within his grip.

"Wretched little whelp," snarled the shadow with eyes that were pale and cold as ice. It was a man whose voice was deep and harsh and unkind and with a mouthful of white teeth that were viciously pointed and gleaming. "How dare you interfere! You will pay for what you've done!"

He was perplexed by the strange words spoken so angrily. Right after he blinked, he saw blood covering the speaker, splotched on the man's face and drenching the man's arms and hands where it dripped off each of his nails that were long, curved, sharp and glistening red. The man suddenly vanished from the boy's sight, only to reappear right in front of him within a second.

The next thing the boy knew, he was down on his hands and knees, sharp pain flaring from his chest and limbs. To his shock, he saw blood on his own skin, seeping from the stinging wounds that adorned his bare arms, and smeared on the ground beneath him. There was a rapid pounding in his ears; the sound of his heart beating against his chest. His breath was ragged, his body worn. He was badly hurting and exhausted and couldn't move to stand, feeling much worse than the time the one named Erza had repeatedly struck him down.

Darkened boots stained with droplets of crimson appeared in his vision. Breathless, he slowly raised his head and met the man's pale, wicked gaze looming over him. The last thing he saw was the man's mouth twitching into a malevolent sneer before everything turned black.

It was completely silent now. He saw nothing and felt nothing. The terrible pain and exhaustion was gone and the man with the mean eyes was nowhere to be seen. It was dark, darker than the night. It was completely black as if his eyes were tightly closed. But he never did close his eyes. He looked from side to side, down, then up… and stopped to stare at the glowing round thing hovering right over his head. It was a glowbug, but it looked a little different with its whole body shrouded in bright white light and flying on four wings instead of two.

The blood, pain and unease from before was soon a fleeting memory. He smiled and reached up an open hand, wanting the glowbug to land and crawl over his fingers with its many long, ticklish feet like the ones that fluttered around the light in the glass jar on the windowsill whenever he stuck his hand inside. To his disappointment, the glowbug flew away instead, speeding out into the darkness and leaving a glittering trail.

He chased after it, his feet stepping on solid ground he could not see. The flying orb of light was shrinking in size as it got farther and farther. Not wanting to lose it, he mustered everything he had to run faster. He suddenly tripped over something and landed face-first on the ground. The fall didn't hurt like the other times he tumbled over, making him blink in surprise. And when he opened his eyes, the world was no longer dark but bright and green.

A gasp escaped his mouth when he saw and felt the soft grass beneath him. He looked around, bewildered by the sudden appearance of trees and leafy things everywhere. Golden beams of sunlight shone through the narrow gaps in the branches, brightening the little blue, white, yellow, and purple flowers that flourished on the lush green floor. The silence was broken by quiet sounds; the soft rustling of the leaves stirred by the wind at the very top and the faint cries of birds and animals in the distance.

This place with the tall trees and greenery growing all around… what was it called again?

'A forest…' he heard someone answer. It was the same voice from before, but softer in tone. Once again he searched around and saw no one.

Confused, he slightly furrowed his brow and started to walk forward only to perk up when he spotted a flickering white ball of light dancing ahead of him. It was the glowbug and it was beckoning him to come after it. With a broad smile, he gave chase yet again.

Rounding thick trunks, leaping over raised roots, clambering over rocky slopes, breaking through shrubbery, splashing through shallow streams, (and occasionally stumbling painlessly to the ground), he gleefully followed the quick moving orb.

He was out of breath by the time he reached a wide and tall set of steps carved from pale gray stone that was cracked and crumbling with age and covered with light green moss in spots untouched by the sun. Bordering each side of the steps were gray-brown walls of smooth rock that reached as high as he could see. Waiting at the top of the steps was the glowbug, spiraling up and down in the air, seemingly impatient for his arrival.

Hopping up the steps two at a time, he climbed the stairs and let out an astonished gasp when he entered an open area surrounded by a thick growth of massive trees that grew so close together that their long arms entangled around one another like vines, forming a living wall that stretched far into the blue sky. At the far end, merged within the twisting brown branches, was a large structure made from the same gray stone as the steps and just as old and broken. Here the sun shone brightest, casting warm rays over the tall grasses and vibrant flowers that grew under the light.

'A meadow… This place… is sacred…' said that voice again, making him pause and glance warily around. But there was no one nearby, only the trees, plants, rocks, and sky.

He frowned, not quite understanding what was actually spoken. It was soon forgotten when he heard a new sound that disrupted the quietness of the area. He recognized it immediately, and yet it didn't sound quite the same as he had remembered it. Not as painfully loud, shrill, or abrupt, the constant noise fluctuated in pitch and rhythm to meld into…

'A melody… It is a song…' said the voice, almost blending into the music.

It was unlike the funny, shrieking, warbled noises that came out of Wendy's blue ocarina whenever she or Romeo blew into it. But knowing the sound was coming from Wendy, he started to follow it. As he stirred the tall grass that grew up to his stomach, interesting things buzzed, fluttered, and floated into the air: bugs with shiny wings and shells, butterflies that ranged in all sorts of colours and patterns, and little, round, fluffy white things that scattered into many smaller pieces when touched.

Halfway through, his eyes widened when he found two glowbugs instead of one hovering over someone sitting atop a big stump near the broken stone building up ahead. Fascinated, he quickened his pace and slowed to a stop right before the person where the grass was shorter and sparse, seeing not Wendy but another girl.

Her hair was a bright green, the same shade as the leaves basking under the sunlight, as were her clothes, while the band within her hair, her long sleeves, and boots on her feet were a darker shade, matching the underbelly of the forest around them. Eyes closed, she slowly swayed from side to side as if dancing to the sound coming from the wooden object in her hands. It looked just like the ocarina Wendy had, but it was smaller and not blue. Fluttering in circles above the girl, the two glowbugs excitedly bobbed up and down, moving along with the music as well, their paths sparkling behind them.

In awe, he watched the glowbugs dance and the girl play, listening to the pleasant sound coming from her ocarina. He swayed on his feet, entranced by the jaunty tune. The music stopped the instant she pulled the wooden object away from her smiling lips.

Eyes as blue as the deep waters of a river opened and met his curious stare. Her smile widened; it was warm, kind, and friendly – like Wendy's. 'She is not Wendy…' whispered the voice.

Blinking, he tilted his head slightly as he studied the girl more closely. She giggled. Her laugh was as pleasant as her song, resounding around the meadow and bringing a sense of happiness within him. And her voice was just as sweet; "You're finally here. I've been waiting for you. Did you get lost again? The woods are aptly named after all." She chuckled, drawing a smile upon his face. The girl sounded and felt just the same as Wendy.

'But she is not Wendy…'

He held out his left hand, a custom he had learned to do when meeting new people, and the girl responded by placing her ocarina within his palm. He stared at the object as she folded his fingers around it with her own. Her touch was gentle, her skin soft and warm.

She pushed the ocarina to his chest and said, "Do you remember how to play my song?"

He gazed at her questionably, unable to make out most of her words.

The girl sighed, her face turning sad. "You forgot, didn't you? But that's okay. It's been so long, so I don't blame you." Her smile soon returned and she stood up. She was the same height as him whereas Wendy was a little taller. She grabbed his other hand and lifted it to hold the ocarina before positioning his fingers over the holes. "Go on." The girl pushed the mouthpiece to his lips and nodded in assurance.

He puffed into it and produced a shrieking note that hurt his ears. He pulled the ocarina away in surprise while the girl laughed. Pouting, he held it out for her to take it back.

"Not like that, silly. Like this." She grabbed the ocarina and demonstrated, softly blowing into the musical item to make that pleasant sound again. She shifted her fingers over the holes, changing the tune to a higher pitch, then to another. Three different notes. She repeated them twice before making him try again. He refused but she grabbed his hand and placed the ocarina back in his grip.

His attempts didn't end with the same result as hers the first few times, but under her guidance and patience, his frustration was short-lived and he eventually got the hang of it. Three different notes turned to four, then to five. He lost count after the sixth since he couldn't remember what number came after that. All the various tones were starting to blend into the song the girl had played earlier, making him eager to keep on playing.

Both now sat upon the stump with the glowbugs hovering right above their heads. The two orbs of light would always dance to the tune of the ocarina, often distracting him from playing correctly. Whenever he got it wrong, the girl would laugh in amusement and encouraged him to try again.

He didn't know how long they stayed there. By the time the sky was turning dark and the sun was hidden behind the forest trees, he managed to flawlessly play the entire song in one go. And at the moment the last note ended, he was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of familiarity. The green-haired girl smiling at him, she had taught her song to him before, in this same place – this sacred meadow. He knew her, but he didn't know how or why. And she had a name, but he couldn't remember that either.

Confused, he could only stare at her while his mind struggled to find the answer that he knew was there but unreachable. The girl who smiled and laughed, whose voice was sweet and kind, whose touch was gentle and warm, she was just like Wendy.

'But she is not Wendy…'

It had suddenly turned darker than night. The trees were no longer visible and neither the meadow nor the sky. Above, the glowbugs flickered once before vanishing away to nothing, not even a glittering trail left behind.

Only the girl sitting on the stump with him stayed in his view but she too was starting to fade into the growing shadows. Her smile was sad again, as were her eyes as she gazed upon him, her clasped hands held to her chest. "It's time for you to go. If you ever feel lost… or lonely… play my song so you can always hear my voice," she said, her voice growing fainter with each word spoken as if she was walking away. But she was still seated right in front of him.

He didn't understand what she said and he didn't want her to leave. He reached out to grab her hand, but his fingers grasped at empty air. She was gone within a blink of an eye. Shocked, he looked around for her and saw only darkness.

Disappointed, he looked down at the wooden ocarina in his hand and thought of the green-haired girl. He could hear her song just from thinking of her, bringing a broad smile on his lips. In his mind, he saw her kind face and her warm smile and he saw the forest that always surrounded her, lush and green and full of life. She was not Wendy, but she felt just as close, just as important. She was…

'A friend,' said the voice, sounding so faint and distant that he had to strain to hear.

Her name was… "Saria…" he whispered. And she was waiting…

A/N: To celebrate the grand achievement of 100 reviews I would like to present to you all a special gift. Below are extra scenes that take place in previous chapters written not only by me but by Tenrousha, author of Link: Mage of Fairy Tail (check it out if you have yet to do so!), and Quathis, which you already know is my awesome beta-reader. It's a big 'Thank You!' to all you readers. Enjoy!

Asuka and Bacon's Little Adventure

by Tenrousha

The sun was shining in the sky above Magnolia Town as the newly dubbed Bacon and Asuka played outside behind the Fairy Tail Guild Hall while Bisca, Wendy, and Carla looked on. "When are you planning to go to Porlyusica's?" Bisca asked as she watched her daughter run around with the young blonde close to the tree line.

"Later this afternoon," Wendy answered as she watched Bacon suddenly stop to crouch down and look at something on the ground, which Asuka identified as a flower. "Hopefully she'll be able to restore..." the Dragon Slayer trailed off for a few moments before she shook her head and sighed, "Bacon's memories."

Bisca smiled down at her. "It has to be better than Grasshopper," Bisca said, referring to the name Asuka had suggested. "Or how about Fairy boy?" she asked with a smirk and that got a giggle from Wendy.

"At least it's only until he gets his memories back," Wendy remarked and Carla folded her arms over her chest, which made the blue-haired girl look down curiously. "Is something wrong, Carla?" The white Exceed blinked at the question then looked up at Wendy.

"Did you say something?" Carla asked and that made Bisca look down at her curiously as well. Though Bisca didn't know her as well as Wendy or even Natsu, she couldn't recall ever seeing Carla distracted enough to not hear something her partner had said. The Exceed suddenly shook her head as if she just processed Wendy's question. "I was just thinking," she said and Wendy's look became questioning. Carla sighed then turned to face her as she uncrossed her arms. "We found this boy in an ancient temple no one had seen before and that we were unable to find again. He was covered in injuries, several of them life-threatening, carried an array of weaponry, including explosives, and a pouch that was full of many different colored and obviously valuable gems. His hands are calloused so he was used to fighting before he lost his memory, his magic has a different feel from anyone else I've met, and he's obviously physically strong." Bisca and Wendy looked at her uncertainly for several seconds when she was done, not sure what she was trying to say. "Wendy, how sure are you that this boy getting his memories back would be a good thing?" she asked and Wendy's eyes widened in shock.

The Dragon Slayer's eyes quickly narrowed with indignant anger as she put her hands on her hips. "Carla! How could you say something like that?" she demanded as she glared at the Exceed, but Carla met Wendy's anger unrepentantly for several seconds before she crossed her arms.

"How do you know he's actually good?" Wendy blinked at the question and Carla pointed her left paw at her. "For all we know he could be evil and returning his memories could-"

"Enough, Carla!" Wendy snapped angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest. "How could you possibly think he's evil?" she asked before she pointed over to where Asuka and Bacon had been looking at a flower. "Just look at him," she said angrily and Carla's eyes glanced over for a moment then returned to Wendy.

"That's only because-" Carla started to say before she froze as her stern expression disappeared. The Exceed quickly turned back to look at the children and her eyes went wide with shock, prompting Wendy and Bisca to look over as well. Both of their eyes widened in shock as well which soon turned into panic when they saw that Bacon and Asuka had disappeared.

Bacon and Asuka both laughed with delight as they chased a purple butterfly through the forest. "Don't weave, Mr. Butterfwy!" Asuka called out cheerfully as they followed it into a clearing. Bacon suddenly jumped ahead with a burst of speed as he tried to grab the butterfly before he tripped over his feet and fell to the ground.

Asuka stopped when she reached Bacon and started to crouch next to him in order to see if he was hurt. She stopped, however, when she saw the young boy already getting up to look around for the butterfly that had evaded him. "Bacon, your leg," Asuka said and he immediately turned to look at her. When he didn't react to anything she had said beyond his name, Asuka pointed at his knee and he looked down then frowned momentarily at the scrape there before he started to look for the butterfly again. "Hmmm... maybe it went this way!" she suggested when it seemed Bacon wasn't bothered by the scrape and started to pull him in a random direction with a big smile on her face.

The two of them continued to look for thirty minutes before Asuka abruptly sat down and hugged her knees to her chest. "We're lost," she cried as tears started to well in her eyes. "Mama's gonna be mad at me, too," she added while Bacon looked down at her with his head tilted, not sure what she was saying or what her tears indicated. However, he got the feeling she was upset about something so he sat down next to her and put a hand on top of her hat. When she looked over at him, he gave her a bright smile that made her blink before she smiled back in response. "Right, Mama will be wooking for us, so no need to cry," she said and then stood up with Bacon following suit.

They both walked for ten minutes. Bacon's ears twitched as if he heard something right before a hissing sound made them both stop and look to the left. A two foot long, brightly colored snake raised the front part of its body with another hiss and the two children looked at it with wide eyes before Asuka smiled brightly. "Pwetty," she said as Bacon walked up to it with astonishment. The snake gave another hiss at his approach before it launched at him, mouth open to pierce his right arm with its fangs.

Bacon's left arm moved in a blur as he snatched the snake out of the air and held it up just behind its head. "Can I touch it?" Asuka asked as she walked up next to him but Bacon was already bringing his other hand up to stroke the thrashing serpent. He made a small grunt of pain when his arm was hit by the thrashing tail and quickly tossed it away. "You okay?" Asuka asked as she looked at the welt but Bacon was already looking around again for something else to do. His eyes went wide and he grabbed Asuka's hand then pointed to her right. "Mr. Butterfwy!" she squealed happily as she caught sight of the purple butterfly and the two of them were off again.

They followed the butterfly into another clearing full of purple and orange flowers and surged forward before coming to a stop as all the flowers suddenly fluttered into the air. "More butterfwies!" Asuka cheered as she thrust her hands into the air and Bacon mimicked the action with his own smile.

Bacon jumped around and awkwardly tried to catch every butterfly he could see but each one managed to narrowly evade his grasp. In contrast, Asuka seemed content to stand in the middle of it all and giggle happily as she marveled at the display. This continued on for several minutes until all the butterflies disappeared into the forest, leaving the two children alone in the clearing.

The blonde looked as if he was going to chase after them for a few seconds but ended up walking back to Asuka. Right as he got to her, a loud crash made them both turn in surprise to see a large, ape-like Gorian, also known as a Forest Vulcan. Over ten feet tall and heavily muscled, this monster was covered with green fur except for its purple pectorals, abdominals, hands, ears, and face. On its arms were five pink hearts and its white eyes glowed malevolently as it looked at them for a few seconds. "Hoo, hoo!" it suddenly called out as it walked towards the children with an evil smile on its pointed face. "Lookey here, I found some snacks, hoo, hoo!" it said happily as it started to drool.

Asuka cringed behind Bacon as the Gorian got closer, but Bacon seemed fascinated by the green monster; his blue eyes sparkling as he looked on without a hint of fear. His reaction actually caused the Gorian to pause and regard him with a confused expression. "You no scared?" it asked but got no response in return, just the same curious look as Bacon continued to study it. "ROOOOAAAARRRGHHH!" it suddenly roared as it beat its chest with its massive fists and Asuka closed her eyes with fright as she pressed her face against Bacon's back. The boy flinched and covered his sensitive ears against the sudden sound.

The Gorian stopped its display after several seconds and looked back down at Bacon with its evil grin back. The grin quickly disappeared and was replaced with shock when it saw Bacon actually beating his chest in imitation with a broad smile on his face. "You mocking me?" the Gorian demanded as its eyes flared angrily. "You die!" it roared as it launched at them and Asuka screamed in terror.

At the sound of Asuka's fear, something in Bacon's gaze hardened as his ears flicked straight back. A sudden, strong presence made the Gorian hesitate as it saw the change come over its intended meal and it came to a stop a few feet from the boy. Almost immediately Bacon's eyes regained the same curiosity, which left the Gorian in a state of confusion that quickly turned to anger. The monster brought both fists up to smash the two of them when a sudden blast of blue fire hit it from the side, knocking it the ground.

"Bacon and Asuka are over here!" Romeo yelled as he charged in from the forest and Asuka's eyes snapped open as she looked over. "Are you two okay?" the fire mage asked as he got between them and the dazed but quickly recovering Gorian and got a nod from Asuka while Bacon simply smiled.

"Cold!" the Gorian shouted unhappily as it glared at the Fire Mage. "Me hate cold!" it snapped as it ground its teeth angrily and Romeo dropped to a ready crouch as he created two purple fireballs.

"Lock on." Asuka's eyes sparkled with joy at the new voice as she turned to see Bisca standing with a dark brown, pump-action rifle decorated with ornate and intricate motifs over its stock chamber. "You have two seconds to get away from my daughter," she said coolly as she looked down the rifle's sights. The Gorian hesitated at this new foe. "Time's up!" Bisca declared then pumped a round into the chamber. "Homing Shot!" she cried and a red streak shot out at the Gorian and hit it in the chest. "Burst Shot!" she called a second later and the round detonated. She pumped another round but refrained from firing as she watched the Gorian slam into the ground after being sent flying from the explosion. "You have two seconds to get away from my daughter," she repeated and this time the Gorian didn't hesitate to take off with a few flames still burning the ends of its fur.

"Mama!" Asuka called out as she ran to Bisca, who immediately Ex-Equipped the rifle and crouched down to pick her up in a hug.

"Don't you ever do that again," Bisca scolded as her body shook and Asuka quickly nodded her head as Wendy, Carla, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy came charging into the clearing.

Wendy gave a large sigh of relief when she saw Asuka unharmed with Bacon walking up with Romeo. "Bacon, are you okay?" Wendy asked as she moved out to meet them halfway then stopped when she saw the scrape on his knee and welt on his arm. The boy just looked at her with his usual smile then pointed back into the clearing and thrust his hands into the air happily. Wendy sighed as she quickly started to heal his wounds while Natsu chuckled.

"Looks like he had fun," Natsu said then took a step back as Wendy turned enough to glare at him.

"Come on, let's just go and see Porlyusica," Lucy said as she stepped forward to put a hand on Bacon's head, who turned to look up at her inquisitively. "With any luck we can finally find out what happened to him," she said and Wendy hesitated for a few moments before she nodded her head and stood up.

"Don't leave my sight, okay... Bacon?" Wendy hesitated at Natsu's name for him but he immediately looked at her. "There are more dangerous creatures out here, so you have to be careful," she said and Bacon blinked at the concern in her voice. "You still don't understand a word..." She looked down with a helpless sigh before she paused as Bacon put a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up, she saw him smiling bright at her and found herself smiling as well in response. "But I guess I'll take it as a yes," she said and hoped it to be true.

"I think Asuka's had enough excitement for today, so we'll head back to the Guild," Bisca said as she turned around. "Good luck."

Asuka slightly leaned out of her mother's arms. "Bye bye!" the little girl called out and everyone grinned as they waved back, with the exception of Carla.

"Come on, everyone, let's go," Wendy said as she took Bacon's hand and everyone fell in behind her as they headed out to a possible cure for Bacon's amnesia.

Tenrousha - Well, this was fun to do and I'm glad Icy Cake gave me the chance to do this. Hope everyone enjoyed the short.

Till next time.

Dancing with Bacon

by Quathis

Vijeeter Ecor, dancing mage of Fairy Tail, loved dancing with children. They were so free with their movements and passion that he easily got even more caught up in his favorite activity. Now he was gleefully teaching the new kid Bacon as many dance moves that the little one could take.

What puzzled Vijeeter was the pattern that was emerging in Bacon's movements. With more moves learned, the more often the pattern showed back up. Vijeeter, intrigued by this, tried to guide the dance Bacon was showing, but found that Bacon didn't alter it.

When it was finally compiled by Bacon, the dance held a deeper fascination for Vijeeter. Ghostly music seemed to play as he watched the boy repeat the same moves over and over. A wide stance, hands cupped in front of him swaying with the rest of his body was followed with a slow spin. A curious move finished it all off: right hand cupping the face, left wrist on waist, and a sinuous movement of the hips moving the body to the right and left.

There was a magic in it, but like most things about Bacon, it had an ethereal quality to it. Desire to understand this dance burned in Vijeeter as he watched the dance again.

And so Fairy Tail watched as their resident dancer copied the movements of a lost boy with no memory.

Quathis - How many know the dance Bacon is doing?

The Lion's Lesson in Love

by Icy Cake

The moment Loke stepped through his gate leading out of the Celestial Spirit World and into Earthland, he was greeted by the usual sounds of his guild: chattering, laughing, bickering, the clink of beer glasses, the splash of spilled drinks, the screech of chairs being pushed back, and the childish insults being exchanged by two childhood rivals. It was loud and rowdy in the building and growing louder and rowdier with each passing moment, and Loke couldn't help but grin and feel right at home.

He really missed the nightly festivities when Lucy and most of the guild vanished on Tenrou Island. For nearly a month, he and Lucy's spirits had waited in the Celestial Spirit World for everyone's return. And now that most of the guild was back from their training and out-of-town missions, he didn't want to miss another crazy party.

Loke slightly adjusted the front of his suit as he casually approached his master. Lucy was seated at the table closest to the bar along with Erza, Romeo, Wendy, Carla, and the amnesiac kid Natsu had unfortunately named Bacon who Loke had yet to properly meet face-to-face. The girls were talking while the boys were playing with a bunch of ice cubes, carefully stacking them on top of one another to construct a tall frozen, melting tower.

"Ah, my sweet, beautiful Master Lucy," Loke purred as he came up behind the spirit mage, leaned over, and draped an arm around her shoulders. "You're as gorgeous as ever." He playfully raised his brow and brushed his cheek against hers.

Lucy shoved a hand into his face, firmly pushed him away, shot him a sullen look and then demanded, "Loke! What are you doing out here?"

Loke straightened, pushed his azure-tinted shades back up the bridge of his nose and grinned, flashing his perfect white teeth at his favourite Celestial Spirit mage. "Why to be with you, of course. And to join in on the fun. We've been out training and doing missions for the past two months that I hardly get to see everyone together."

"Not everyone is back," Wendy spoke up, drawing the lion's attention.

As he turned his head to the young Dragon Slayer, he met a pair of curious blue eyes staring at him right across the table. "Yeah, I've noticed Laxus and his gang aren't back yet and Gildarts is still out and about," he coolly replied before stepping over to Wendy's left side to stand between her and Bacon. He offered a friendly smile and a little wave of his hand. "Hey there, kid. Glad to see you're feeling better… to a point," he mumbled the last part under his breath after noticing the boy's dirty clothes and battered appearance. Aside from the bandages and injuries, the boy looked livelier than the last time the lion had seen him back at the missing temple. Loke took a quick sideways glance in Erza's direction, suspecting she was the main cause for his recent beating. The warrioress was calmly eating her (possibly second or even third) slice of strawberry shortcake that he was certain the kids had already devoured within an instant, having noticed the empty dessert plates sitting on the table. Loke's eyes flickered back to the boy gazing at him and introduced himself; "The name's Loke."

While gesturing, Wendy slowly repeated the spirit's human name for the child. Bacon blinked once, tilted his head slightly and reached out his left hand.

With only a shrug, Loke grabbed the kid's hand that was wet and cold from the ice and shook it like a gentleman. That brought a wide smile on the boy's face. "Sad that you don't remember anything," Loke began, frowning slightly. But then he perked up with a clever thought. "That means you forgot all the basics." He stooped over the boy, propped an arm on his shoulder and winked. "There's no way you can survive in this world if you don't know how to pick up pretty girls. You have to learn to treat the ladies right."

Someone soundly cleared her throat. The spirit looked over and saw Erza's angry, disapproving scowl.

Loke flinched and stood as straight as a pole before nervously stammering, "Wh-What? Wh-Why are you so mad about that?"

The question further angered Titania for some reason. She slammed an armoured fist on the table, making her cake and Carla jump, the forks and empty plates noisily clatter, and the grand ice cube tower to topple over. Carla had to scramble away and hop onto the lap of her partner to avoid the scattering ice. Romeo pouted at the destruction of his well-built ice structure while Bacon stared at the shimmering mess in awe.

"I am not mad. It's only sunburn," Erza grumbled, gesturing at her face.

"Oh… That's why you're so uh, red…" Red as your hair, he wanted to add but quickly thought otherwise lest he risk getting punched through the wall by a solid steel fist and suffer more than a bloody nose.

Another fist pounded on the table, lesser in power but just as effective in making the dishes and ice jitter. Bacon, having copied Erza, was greatly amused by the result and repeatedly pounded his clenched hands against the tabletop until Wendy got him to stop.

Erza snorted in irritation at Loke's previous remark and resumed to eat her cake. "Never mind that. Bacon does not need to learn how to woo girls. There are far more important skills. Survivability for one."

The lion feigned horror. "But charming ladies is a survival skill! For all men! You wouldn't understand!"

"All men?" Erza raised a skeptical eyebrow before shifting her gaze over to the next table behind Loke.

Loke peered over his shoulder and couldn't suppress the groan at the sight waiting behind him. Natsu and Gray - who was now down to wearing only his boxers - were still in the midst of a heated quarrel that involved immature name-calling, death threats and thrown fists powered by frost or fire. When it came to seducing women, Natsu was a lost cause and Gray was hardly any better. However, the Ice Make mage did have a certain admirer who was strangely fond of him and his stripping habit so he wasn't completely out of the dating game just yet. Juvia was standing alongside Cana and Elfman among the crowd, ogling Gray with love clearly reflecting in her dark blue eyes.

"Okay, well, not every guy has the charm," Loke admitted with a hopeless sigh, "but the kid's still young. He can learn all the right moves. Same goes for you, Romeo. Aren't you at the age where you'd rather marvel at girls than toys?"

Romeo flushed and absentmindedly tugged on the frays of his yellow scarf as he nervously looked aside. "Err, Dad says girls are complicated and that I shouldn't, um… think about them until I'm eighteen…" he shyly murmured.

'Sage' advice from the single father. The lion burst out laughing. "You're never too young to find love."

"But sometimes young love is reckless love," said Lucy, propping her chin upon her knuckles as she leaned over the table. She stared off in the distance as if fantasizing a romantic scenario. "You have to find the right love for it to be true."

Loke was immediately by his master's side, grasping her free hand and kneeling by her seat as if proposing marriage. "I love you, Lucy! We can make our love true!" He would have included some flashy sparklers and confetti to add a special effect on his confession but he left them back in the spirit world.

Lucy smirked and rolled her brown eyes before playfully shoving him away again.

"I don't think Bacon needs to learn about love and relationships… yet," said Wendy hesitantly.

Pouting slightly, the lion went back to stand between Bacon and Wendy. "Fine. Fine. You're right. I suppose he's a little too young for that. But he does need to learn how to properly treat a lovely girl like you, Little Miss Wendy. Bacon," the boy raised his head at the sound of his name while clutching onto half a piece of ice he was about to use for his new sloppy tower, "let me show you how to be nice to Wendy." Loke smoothly draped an arm around the small girl's shoulders and lightly kissed her on the cheek, eliciting a startled gasp from Wendy that was soon followed by the noticeable reddening of her face. She hastily bowed her head to hide her embarrassment behind Carla sitting on her lap. The Exceed smiled in amusement.

Loke grinned and lightly nudged Bacon as he leaned against the kid. "See? Like that," he whispered.

Bacon mirrored the lion's smile and unexpectedly wrapped one arm around the spirit's neck and copied the same action Loke had performed on Wendy; he lightly pecked Loke on the cheek.

"Isn't that cute?" Lucy remarked, giggling. Even Erza and Carla chuckled. Not before long, Romeo and Wendy joined in the laughter that was quiet compared to the battle cries coming from Natsu and Gray as they started an all-out fight.

Loke only gave the innocently smiling Bacon a sullen glare before humorously smirking. "Ah ha… Not me, little guy. Wendy. Wen-dy." He pointed at the Sky Dragon Slayer who started to frantically shake her head and wave her hands in protest. "Show Wendy your affection."

The boy looked between the smirking lion and blushing girl and knitted his brow, not quite understanding the gestures.

"You'll get it eventually," said Loke, patting the kid sympathetically on the back.

It was later in the evening, when all hell broke loose in the guild in the form of a drunken Erza, did Loke witness his lesson unfold. Somehow the lion had ended up lying on the floor with an unconscious Elfman and an out cold Gray piled on top of him. As he was trying to drag himself free, he spotted the kids hiding under the table. Just as Wendy was soothing the new bump on Bacon's head, the boy leaned close to her and kissed her lightly on the cheek, bringing a satisfied smirk on the spirit's face.

Sweet Affection

by Icy Cake

The kitchen was fragrant with the sweet smell of baked goods, quickly replacing the aroma of coffee and breakfast. Mirajane was absolutely delighted when her cream-filled pastries turned out perfectly out of the oven. She set the hot tray on the counter alongside the batch of chocolate-chip cookies, custard pudding, and the double-layered red velvet cake that still needed to be frosted.

"Oh! I smell cookies!" announced Elfman the moment he pushed open the kitchen door. He quickly made his way to the counter and plucked two of the warm chocolaty treats off the cooling rack and stuffed them in his mouth. When he reached for another one, Mirajane smacked his greedy, muscular hand away with a wooden spoon.

"Uh-uh. Save some for the kids," she told her younger brother.

Rubbing his hand, Elfman pouted and grumbled to the side. "Aww, it's always for the kids."

Lisanna chuckled by the stove as she stirred around the melting ingredients needed for their next dessert; caramel fudge brownies. "You know how much she loves to spoil them, Brother."

Mirajane's grin was wide, unable to deny the truth. She absolutely adored the youngest members of their guild. So many valuable years had been lost since the incident at Tenrou Island. She didn't get to see Romeo grow up from a cute little boy to a handsome young adolescent and she completely missed Alzack's and Bisca's wedding and the birth of baby Asuka. Looking at pictures and listening to stories just wasn't the same as actually seeing the children grow right before Mirajane's eyes.

So to make up for all that lost time in birthdays, holidays and special occasions, Mirajane wanted to shower the children with all her love and affection in the form of sweets. And with the addition of young Bacon to their family, she more than doubled her effort.

Once all of the day's desserts were finished and set aside, she untied her white apron covered in flour and soiled by icing and left the kitchen with a large platter full of different tasty goods. The moment she stepped out of the door, she was greeted by little Asuka, hopping up and down excitedly around her. "Auntie Mira! Auntie Mira! Uncle Elfie says you have cookies! Can I have one please? Can I?" the small girl begged, her wide violet eyes desperately pleading.

Mirajane smiled and placed the platter on the counter behind the bar. "Of course, sweetheart!" She gave the girl two.

Seeing she got more than she asked, Asuka's smile was as bright as the sun as she politely thanked Mirajane and eagerly ran back to her mother sitting on one of the stools at the bar.

Bisca sighed and slightly shook her head at Mirajane. "Mira, it's way too early for Asuka to have any sweets," she said, crossing her arms over the counter in a stern, motherly manner.

Mirajane placed a slice of chocolate fudge cake on a plate with a fork and slid it in front of the sharpshooter with a knowing smile. "It's never too early."

Bisca grunted but didn't refuse the dessert laid before her. She took a bite and was unable to hide the pleasure on her face. She quickly regained her composure. "How many cakes did you make this time? Three?"

Mirajane chuckled in amusement. "Nonsense! I made six. And three pies. And a dozen cookies. And pastries. And pudding. And brownies, of course." And they were all made within two hours.

Before the dumbfounded sharpshooter could make a reply to that, the doors of the guild creaked open and everyone present took a gander to see who it was. To their surprise, it was Erza along with Romeo, Carla, a shivering, wet Wendy, and an equally drenched Bacon.

"Oh my, did you two fall into the river on your way here?" Mirajane was first to ask as the group made their way to their usual table closest to the bar, wet boots squelching with each step. Asuka cheerfully welcomed them all, her smile covered in crumbs and chocolate.

"More like thrown into the canal," was Romeo's mumbled reply, taking careful glances in Titania's direction, hoping not to sound so offending.

Erza disregarded the boy's comment and plopped onto a stool next to Bisca. She was smirking while Mirajane raised a curious eyebrow. "It was only a simple test," Erza began, eyeing the cake on Bisca's plate briefly before continuing, "It turns out Bacon can swim."

Mirajane didn't doubt Romeo's words, knowing that when it came to Erza's method of doing things, it was always on the risky side. Nevertheless, Mirajane easily overlooked the fact that the situation could have turned badly and went on to congratulate Bacon. She patted the boy over his damp, green-hatted head and gave him a cookie and a flaky cream pastry as a reward, bringing a wide smile on his face.

"Mira, don't give him too many sweet things!" said Wendy, hands on her hips. "He might get sick if he eats too much of it. Plus, you're going to ruin his appetite! It's almost time for lunch."

"Oh, don't worry, Wendy. It's just a little something," the Take-Over mage replied, setting a few other desserts for the Dragon Slayer and Romeo on the table. "Maybe he'll remember something from eating some of them!" She had used the same excuse before and it was still convincing enough for Wendy to believe her.

As the young girl studied the delicious goods sitting in front of her, she childishly pouted to the side, visibly trying to resist the temptation, and grumbled, "Well, okay… But no more after this!"

By lunchtime, everyone not out training was at the guild enjoying their meals and each other's company. An interesting conversation started up when Erza mentioned her ideas of frightening poor Bacon which, of course, brought a lot of protest from Wendy and a few others.

While everyone was distracted by the discussion, the two youngest children were running about, taking turns scribbling glowing green lines and drawing crude but cute pictures that floated in midair with the Light Pen Levi had given Bacon for his first lesson learning about the alphabet and numbers during the morning. (Suffice it to say, he was more interested in doodling random things rather than learning.) Under the tables, all over the bar, and in between the legs of chairs and standing people, the magic pen had temporarily left its mark seemingly almost everywhere in the main hall.

Seeing that no one was paying too much attention to the two kids brightening the corner by the kitchen door, Mirajane sneaked over and whispered as she passed them by with a beckoning finger, "Psst! Asuka! Bacon! Quietly come with me!"

Intrigued, the little girl covered her mouth to stifle her giggles as she sprinted over to the older woman. Bacon followed right after and since he had forgotten to put the cap back on his magic pen, he left a wavy trail of green light behind him. Mirajane led them into the kitchen where Lisanna and Kinana were busy washing the dirty dishes piled in the sink. Lisanna rolled her eyes, knowing what Mirajane was up to.

Mirajane handed the children a small piece of brownie and quietly said, "Don't tell your mommies, okay?"

"I promise!" said Asuka with a happy smile as she nodded vigorously. Bacon followed her action. Asuka then looked confused. "Who is Bacon's mommy?"

"Wendy, of course," Mirajane answered with a short laugh.

Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open and Erza strolled right in. "There you are, Bacon," was her greeting. The sneer adorning her lips matched the sinister gleam in her eyes. "It's time for test number two."

The boy didn't even get to take one bite of his treat before Erza grabbed him by the back of his belt, making him drop it on the floor. The look of extreme disappointment on his face was the last thing Mirajane saw before Erza was out the door and out of the building.

'Test number two' apparently involved dropping Bacon from the sky, much to (almost) everyone's horror. Fortunately, nothing seriously bad happened.

After the entire ordeal, a frazzled Wendy, an exhausted Carla, and an excited Bacon were back inside and seated at their table. Mirajane came by with slices of lemon cake to calm the Dragon Slayer's nerves and to yet again congratulate Bacon. "Aren't you a brave little boy?" she praised, fixing his wind-swept hair with a comb while he ate. She had taken his green cap off and set it aside. "If you're not afraid of a little fall, you're not afraid of anything. Am I right?"

"That was not a little fall," Carla muttered, lying face-first on the table. Happy was by her side, softly patting her back. She involuntarily shuddered. "I fear what Erza might do next."

"She promised she wouldn't put Bacon in anymore danger," said Wendy, although she sounded doubtful. Brushing a hand through her messy bangs, she sighed and started to eat her cake. Her eyes widened when she suddenly realized something. "Wait, Mirajane! I said no more sweet things today!"

Mirajane teasingly grinned. "Why not treat this as a celebration for Bacon? He deserves it for showing such courage!"

"But–"

"And you deserve it too for bravely jumping to his rescue."

"That's because…"

"Hey, Wendy," Natsu began as he joined her table, "if you don't want your cake, can I have it?"

The girl hesitated as she stared at the partially eaten dessert, struggling with the tough decision. "Um…"

"I'll get you a piece, Natsu," offered Mirajane, saving the Sky Dragon Slayer from the painful choice. Wendy was too kind to say 'no'. After putting away her comb, the Take-Over mage returned Bacon's green hat upon his head and gave him a little pat on top. The boy glanced up at her and she gave him a warm smile as she made her way to the kitchen. She had to remember to bring out the ice cream too.

She overheard Natsu ask, "By the way, have you guys seen Erza?"

"No," Carla replied, "but as long as she stays far away from Bacon, no more harm will come to him."

However, little did she know, she was far from being right.

A/N: Many thanks to Tenrousha and Quathis for sharing their writing skills! Please leave your thoughts and comments to them as well!

Thanks for reading!