A/N: This is a story I decided to write after watching some of 100 Year Quest and coming to the realization that there hasn't been much Cappy love lately. So, I figured it was time to throw my own hat into the ring. Of course, this is my first time working with the characters of Fairy Tail, so be warned! There might be a little bit of OOC-ness here and there, but I did my best to depict the characters as accurately as possible. With that being said, enjoy the one-shot!

Exterminate the Dragon Slayer, Wendy Marvell.

That was the mission of a little white Exceed who hatched six years ago. Ingrained in her mind was an endless expanse of information from her homeland, twisting her earliest thoughts into a frenzy. When her thoughts finally straightened out, she concluded that her mission was underway. Born to the Cait Shelter guild, the newly hatched Exceed came to be close acquainted with a clumsy little girl. The little girl was cheerful but had a habit of crying and whining. Not only that, but she was quite clumsy, much to the Exceed's chagrin. Despite that, she was still a Dragon Slayer, was she not?

How could this be the so-called Dragon Slayer she'd been ordered to exterminate?

It wasn't long before something changed in the Exceed. The little Dragon Slayer would chase her, no matter how far she seemed to fly. She wanted nothing more than to get away from it all, even if just for a moment, to collect her fragmented information into something more clear. The simple order to exterminate the little girl needed to be clearer. How was she meant to go about this? When? Where? She would have to figure that out before she could act on her orders. The little Dragon Slayer followed her, calling out to her and naming her as her friend. She never had a friend before.

Just like that, the little Dragon Slayer, Wendy, did it. Unbeknownst to her, she had thwarted the greatest foe to have entered her life. The Exceed's little heart couldn't handle it. Her mission, the reason she was sent to Earthland, paled in comparison to Wendy. She found herself quite attached to the small girl. She wanted to protect her. Not only from the minor threats that lay around their little guild, but from the fate Wendy would one day face at the paws of her race.

She'd do it. Carla the Exceed—despite her mission—would protect that child.

From then on, Carla was Wendy's guardian. In her small world, she was all that mattered. Carla dedicated herself to ensuring that everything was done correctly and as efficiently as possible. There was no time for games, no time for leisure. Carla would have to prepare herself for what was to come. And so she did. For six long years, she stuck with Wendy, each day spent dreading the moment her abandoned mission would become known by Wendy, known by her kingdom. She would become a traitor to all at that point. There was nothing to smile about. Nothing to be happy about.

Ironically, she happened to come across another Exceed that embodied all she considered a waste of time when her guild was sent to a coalition between three other guilds to take down Oracion Seis. His eyes appeared to light up the moment she entered the room. This wasn't good. She was not thrilled by the idea of a tomcat finding romantic interest in her. After all, it was a waste of time, and if this tomcat was like her, he would understand that there was no time for romance and leisure. Both of them were living a lie. At least, that's what she assumed.

He didn't know. The tomcat remained oblivious to their objective and what he was on Earthland for. The years she spent preparing for what was to come, the endless nights agonizing over her only friend's potential fate, he spent in ignorance. It angered her. Why didn't he remember? How couldn't he remember? The mere mention of his name brought a shockwave of ire from the pads of her paws to the tip of her tail.

There was nothing to be happy about. What could possibly be worse than the reality of their situation? She couldn't stand to be around him. The endless gifts of fish and constant attention only whittled at her patience more. It didn't take long for her to finally snap, lashing out at the tomcat. There was no way he could protect his own Dragon Slayer from that fate. But Wendy? She would protect her.

Even when Cait Shelter and its members were revealed to be fake, she protected her. Even when they were left all on their own, she protected her. Even while they faced death again and again while fighting for all they had left, she protected her. But the tomcat? He could not. His Dragon Slayer would only become a victim to his fate if the tomcat couldn't remember what he was and what he came to Earthland for.

As though by sheer coincidence, her patience running out perfectly aligned with Edolas finally making itself known. The newfound home that she and Wendy found in Fairy Tail was eviscerated in an instant, the guild hall becoming mere sparkles of light smaller than her paws. She had spent her entire life preparing for the day she would have to be honest with Wendy, but never did she expect that she would wind up going on a mission to rescue anybody other than her sweet Wendy.

She, Wendy, Natsu, and the tomcat all ventured into Edolas, where they were soon separated. Wendy, Natsu, and his friend Lucy were ambushed and taken on what was supposed to be a stealthy mission through the royal capital of Edolas. Carla had been leading the charge, using the information that had been in her mind to navigate the caverns. However, they were caught, and the Exceeds were congratulated for completing their mission.

But that made no sense! Neither of them had completed their missions, nor did they intend to do so! Why was everyone treating them as though they had?

Now, Carla was furious. Wendy had been taken, and everything she'd ever known had been thrown into utter anarchy. She was going to find out what was going on, and she was going to take Wendy back. But, all of that rage and determination melted away in the face of newfound revelations. Their missions had been changed. Rather than exterminating the Dragon Slayers, they were supposed to bring them to Edolas and the royal capital.

Their mission was complete.

Carla cried out in agony. Six years of pent-up stress, anger, frustration, and sadness all beat down on her mentally, reducing her to a shaking ball of fur in the middle of that hallway. As though she was finally making up for those younger years of her life spent putting up a front and maturing, she could only wail. She was unsure how long she spent hunched over, sobbing on the ground before she felt a presence rise beside her.

Just like her, the news hit the tomcat quite hard. He couldn't choke back his tears as he rose to his feet. Carla could see in the corners of her hazy eyes that the blue-furred Exceed was shaking. More so than herself. Somehow, amidst the panic and agony they both were feeling, Happy cried out, but not in sorrow as she'd done moments before. In anger. He took his stand, positioning himself in front of Carla, fur standing on end. He declared that they weren't puppets of the kingdom. Rather, they were what they made for themselves. They were Fairy Tail wizards. Whatever they wanted to be. It was only then did she truly understood his namesake.

Only then did she understand Happy.

They fled, paw-in-paw. Happy led the charge, something entirely new within him beginning to show. Happy's name wasn't only an indication that the little blue Exceed was an upbeat individual. But rather, it spoke to his optimism. An unyielding force even stronger than the pain they both felt. That optimism granted her a beacon of light to walk toward as darkness overwhelmed her world. Through his actions, his words, and his spirit, Carla began to see him, and herself, in a completely different light.

They hid, side by side. Now labeled as "Fallens" by Extalia, they were truly on their own for the first time in their lives. Natsu wasn't there to punch their problems away and provide some much-needed levity to the situation, even if it was ridiculous at times, and Wendy wasn't there to sweetly reassure them and check on them from time to time. Where she was at the moment, Carla was unable to even protect Wendy. All she could do was allow Happy to protect her. And he did.

Happy protected her multiple times while fleeing Extalia, even more when they returned to the royal capital. The situation was grim. They had managed to save Lucy through their actions, but with the Celestial Mage's hands bound, there wasn't much fighting they could do. And yet, Happy readily threw himself into harm's way again and again, eventually throwing his own life on the table for the sake of protecting Carla when all chips were down.

Strangely enough, she was ready to do the same for Happy.

Edolas was in chaos, and they were in a life-or-death fight for the sake of the world as well as the sake of the Exceeds. Carla found herself evading energy blasts and endless attempts to turn her into an energy source for Edolas. Amid the fighting, her eyes flicked to Happy, noticing that he was right in the line of fire. She felt herself scream out and run toward him before she had a chance to think rationally. For once, thinking rationally didn't seem to be a concern for her. She took a blast for him. Thankfully, it did not turn her into a lacrima, but it was enough to put her out of commission for a while.

Carla watched her allies fight for the sake of Edolas, finding a warm smile come to her face upon seeing how well things were turning out for them. For once in what seemed like an eternity, she could rest easy, and she only felt more secure knowing that Happy was right beside her. She'd done it. After six long years, she'd completely strayed from her mission, rescued Wendy, and could finally rest knowing that the days of her hiding her ties to Edolas from Wendy were over.

One could only imagine the kind of shock Carla felt when she was told that this mission never existed.

A strange combination of precognitive abilities, a series of misunderstandings, and bad luck all piled up and stirred together to create the supposed mission Carla spent her entire life defecting from. All of it wasn't true. All of that pain, all of those sleepless nights over what ultimately was a misunderstanding. Carla stood there in the presence of the false queen of Extalia as she learned this, realising her anger toward Extalia had no grounds to remain. She forgave the Exceeds and bid them farewell. However, there was still one last Exceed she needed to address.

In learning that the Exceeds' mission wasn't real, she was forced to come to terms with the notion that she had been the one living in ignorance. Even if it was unintentional, she lived her entire life not knowing the truth. The one thing she scrutinized Happy for from the moment they met. After everything they went through in Edolas, after acquiring all of the newfound clarity from the impromptu visit to her homeland, she needed to address this one last misstep. Maybe then she could begin moving forward and leaving the past behind her.

The guild was filled with excitement. For the mages who were conscious during their time in Edolas, it was a much-needed reprieve from the battle they'd been in the middle of a mere few hours ago. For the mages in the guild unaware of the Edolas events, it was a party to celebrate the return of the long-lost mage Lisanna. For Carla, it was a warm reminder that no matter what happened, the wild and rambunctious Fairy Tail would remain the same. For once, she couldn't be more happy about it.

Across the hall, she spotted him. The blue Exceed she'd been looking for was talking to the current strongest of Fairy Tail, Gildarts, about his time in Edolas. Typically, she wasn't one to interject herself and interrupt a conversation, but she needed to speak with Happy about everything that was building in her mind. The downtime between big events proved itself to be quite short. It was imperative that she take advantage of whatever downtime she had left and spark a conversation.

Carla sprouted her wings and stepped off of the table she was sitting on, taking flight. The snow-colored Exceed soared above the action brewing in the middle of the guild hall, evading short blasts of magic flying past. She ignored the sounds of stray magic blasts hitting the roof above, her attention focused entirely on Happy and the complicated feelings occupying her mind.

She called out to him as she descended, landing on the floor behind Happy. Of course, at the sound of her voice, the blue-furred Exceed didn't hesitate to glance over his shoulder and see what she needed from him. They had grown closer during their time in Edolas, sure, but Carla was never one to be keen on starting conversations with others. She could hold conversations just fine, but to start them? There must've been something quite pressing on her mind. Happy flew down and stood in front of her. He stared at Carla, who immediately cast her gaze downward to avoid meeting his eyes. With her usual professional demeanor, she spoke.

"We need to talk."

A small bridge overlooking a river is where the two Exceeds decided to land for their overdue conversation. Happy, ever the oblivious, was not sure what Carla wanted to speak to him about. Of course, he was elated by the idea that he was spending some one on one time with the female feline, but he also wondered if she needed to talk to him about something serious. After all, that's how she was. An Exceed who stopped at nothing to achieve her goals and remained cool and collected as she did it. One of the many things he loved about her.

Happy plopped down on the stone railing of the bridge. "What's wrong, Carla? Why didn't you wanna talk in the guild?"

"Because I didn't want anyone eavesdropping on our conversation." Carla sat beside him, leaving a few feet of space between them. "...I want you to be the only one to hear these words, as you deserve them the most."

The blue-furred Exceed could feel his fur stand on end. Words just for me? Could this… Be a confession!? His mind lured him to a paradise, wherein Carla was standing in front of him with a bouquet of roses. In this fantasy, she was turning her nose up stubbornly as always, but her cheeks were a faint pink as she not-so-subtly urged him to take the flowers.

"Happy!"

"Huh?" In an instant, the fantasy was gone, leaving an unamused feline in its wake, staring at him. He'd spaced out, clearly having missed something in the process. "S-Sorry. Words for me? What words?"

"...I'm sorry."

Instantly, Happy's lighthearted demeanor evaporated. This was serious, and he needed to be paying her attention. However, something was troubling him. What was there to be sorry about? Why was she apologizing? Especially after she saved his life in Edolas? If anything, he should've been the one apologizing to her, as she was left unable to move on her own for quite a while after taking a hit in his place.

"Sorry?" He asked, "For what?"

Carla paused, her eyes narrowing. She studied Happy's expression, wondering if she had heard him correctly. She had. Was he being sarcastic? No, Happy wouldn't be. Not in a conversation like this. "You're… Kidding, right?"

Happy shook his head, "Of course not, why would I? You—"

"Happy!" She shouted, cutting him off. "From the moment we met, I treated you as though you were less than. I looked down on you for not understanding what we were on Earthland for! You've always been so kind to me, and yet… How did I repay you? I cursed you in my head for being so oblivious! And despite that… You stood up for me in Edolas when my legs were too unsteady to stand for myself. You stood in the line of fire again and again for my and Lucy's sakes. I didn't deserve that! I'd been treating you so harshly because of something I made up in my own head with my clairvoyance… You never deserved that!"

Happy was left stunned. Never would he have thought he would see the day when Carla would shed her usual composure, especially in his presence. "...Carla…"

"Happy, you changed the way I view life," she admitted, regaining some of her composure. "My whole life, I dedicated myself to protecting Wendy and nothing else. The more I think about it… I didn't even care about myself all too much. I saw myself as a pawn my whole life. The only choice I thought I had was who I was going to follow until the end. But, when you said…"

"Let's get one thing straight; we're not your puppets! We're Fairy Tail wizards, we don't work for you!"

"...I looked at your back and saw your guild mark." Carla could feel a faint smile coming to her face, "While we might've thought at the time that our missions were to exterminate Wendy and Natsu, your choice to be a part of Fairy Tail was your own. Your birthright. Just as it had been mine with Cait Shelter. That was one thing Extalia could never have. What environments we were born into. Who we were around… Who we chose to love…"

With that final comment, she found her gaze shifting up to meet Happy's. She noticed a silly smile come to the Exceed's face, accompanied by a blush of embarrassment at the thought of his feelings for her. Strangely enough, she could feel a strange burning sensation in her cheeks. However, it soon calmed once Happy opened his mouth to give a response.

"...I didn't blame you."

Carla's brows rose. "What?"

"Y'know, I thought about it…" Happy mumbled, fixing his gaze to the clear sky above. "...What would've happened if I was the one born with those 'memories' instead of you? Whenever I thought about that, I realized that I probably would've been like you. Frustrated and scared. I would feel so alone. That's why I wanted to protect you when we got sent to Extalia together."

Carla could feel her brows merge. "Because you saw me as fragile in that state, did you not?"
"Because you'd been strong for too long." Carla shut her mouth at the response, intrigued. "You got us so far, and then you blamed yourself when everything got bad. If it were me, my tummy would be out of control, growling! I'd be so nervous-hungry! I just… Wanted to help you get rid of some of that. So I wanted to protect you and show that I could be someone you can depend on when things get tough!"

"Happy…" It was her turn to be surprised by a sudden monologue from her companion. She studied him, quick to realize that he was now looking down at the water below.

Happy managed a gentle smile as he stared at the water. "...Even if all of Extalia was chasing after us, I was going to protect you and save our friends with you. Even if all hope seemed lost when we were looking for Natsu and Wendy with Lucy, I was going to protect you. Even if… scary Erza wanted to kill you…" Carla studied him closer; he was shaking. "...I was going to protect you…"

"Are you alright?" Carla, noticing his shift in demeanor, was quick to ask.

The question from her was enough to shatter his composure, and in its wake, a trembling Exceed. Happy choked back a sob as tears began to trickle down his face, leaving streaks of darker fur where his tears had once been. "...It was so scary, Carla…" He admitted, "I thought I was gonna die! But I didn't think about that until she was about to impale me… I just didn't want to see her hurt you or Lucy…!"

Carla had always been a reflective girl. Because of the visions she'd misinterpreted as her mission, the majority of her time was spent thinking about them. How to best defect from her mission, how to protect Wendy, how to live what seemed to be a lie as Wendy's partner. As she grew into a mage of Cait Shelter alongside Wendy, she thought about how she could ensure that they remained safe on missions. Upon meeting Fairy Tail and, by extension, Happy, she spent a lot of time thinking about why Happy wasn't like her. Thinking is what brought her the most comfort in a life of unease. Order within the chaos.

But for the first time in her life that didn't involve a life-or-death scenario, she didn't need to think.

Before she knew it, she'd wrapped her little arms around Happy, pulling him into a tight embrace. She could feel the little Exceed sob into her shoulder as he slowly returned her hug. She felt horrible hearing the sounds of him crying. It made her angry, wanting restitution for the tears the typically upbeat Exceed was shedding. But at the same time, the embrace with Happy felt warm. She felt warm. With each tear that ran down her back, she would tighten that embrace, her eyes closing tight.

"Happy, I owe you my life…" She whispered, feeling her own eyes begin to sting. "Thank you so much for protecting me…"

Happy sniffled, "N-No, you don't…"

The air fell silent. Midst the bustling town of Magnolia, somehow, all either of them could hear was the faint breaths of the other. A light breeze wafted over the town and the two. The breeze on their fur was what brought them back to the current moment. They relaxed, their grip on one another loosening a little, but their proximity remained the same. Eventually, Carla pulled her head back to look into his eyes. His slightly puffy, bloodshot eyes. She offered him a gentle smile.

"Happy, I believe wholeheartedly that your intervention is what saved us all, not just me." She moved her paw to wipe a couple of tears from her own face. "You fought so hard until Erza and Gray saved us. You were so strong."

Breaths shaky, the Exceed couldn't help but ask, "Y-You think so?"

"It's simply a fact."

"Y-You saved me too, y'know…" Happy mentioned, referring to when Carla took a blast for him during Edolas' final battle.

Carla nodded. "I know."

Happy took a deep breath and relaxed his body, while at the same time, Carla shifted in her seat. The sudden movement from the two closed their proximity once more. However, instead of another embrace, the two Exceeds found themselves staring into each other's eyes, noses pressed together. They both shared a look of surprise. For Happy, it was an unexpected turn, but one that seemed to brighten his mood instantly. For Carla, it was a strange occurrence that sent her heart into an unfamiliar overdrive.

Unconsciously, the two gently rubbed their noses together. A tender smile from both parties is what followed.

It didn't take long for both of them to snap out of their trances, their embrace breaking at last. They hopped away, the initial distance between them returning for an encore. Happy let out an awkward chuckle, paw scratching at the back of his neck. Carla, meanwhile, simply focused on adjusting her clothes and brushing herself off.

She cleared her throat. "So… Do you accept my apology?"

"What? Do you even have to ask? Of course I do!"

Carla gave him a nod. "Yes, I have to ask. It's the very reason I brought you out here."

"I kind of forgot that was the reason…" Happy admitted with a giggle. "I've just been enjoying being here with you, actually talking about stuff. We've… Never really talked like this before."

She thought for a moment. He was right. This was the first real conversation they ever had that wasn't cultivated from their forced proximity. And, against all of her initial opinions of the male Exceed, it wasn't bad in the slightest. She quite enjoyed the time she spent with Happy alone. Perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing if they did this again sometime soon. Maybe somewhere else. A restaurant or perhaps just a walk around the town? Neither seemed like an awful choice. Suddenly, she froze.

That's just a date!

"Hey, Carla…?" Happy suddenly asked, drawing her attention back to him. He seemed a little jittery, a blush spread across his face "...Remember what you said earlier… about our free will and what we were born into? And, well… about who we choose to—"

Happy immediately shut up near the end of his sentence, eyes growing to the size of saucers. His now dilated pupils shifted down to where his left paw had been resting. Rather than the familiar blue of his fur, he noticed a white paw on top of it. Carla's paw. As he stared at it in shock, he felt something else strange. A sensation on his left cheek, almost like something was pressing against it. As the pressing sensation came to an end, it was accompanied by the ever-so-faint pecking noise that is most commonly associated with a… kiss?

The blue Exceed immediately looked upward. Of course, the first thing he noticed was Carla looking in the other direction, her nose turned upward. Despite what demeanor she seemed to be giving off, her paw—which was currently squeezing his—and the warm sensation on his cheek were telling an entirely different story.

Carla kept quiet. Just like that, the little Exceed, Happy, did it. Unbeknownst to him, he thwarted the greatest foe to have entered Carla's life, herself. Her little heart couldn't handle it. Her supposed mission, the reason why she was sent to Earthland, paled in comparison to the life she was able to live on it with her loved ones and Happy. She found herself now having grown quite attached to the blue-furred bundle of joy. And that brought to light a new revelation within her.

"...From here onward, I will be the one protecting you, Happy."

"Happy!"

"Carla!"

Natsu and Wendy roamed Magnolia, not leaving any stone unturned. It had been hours since either of the Dragon Slayers had seen their beloved partners. Typically, both of them would leave the Exceeds to their own devices; Happy loved going out to fish, and Carla often stepped out to be in silence for a while. However, both of them weren't in any of their usual spots, and both were growing quite concerned.

"I hope they're okay," muttered Wendy. After Edolas, she kept it in mind to pay closer attention to her partner, but in the excitement of their return to Fairy Tail, she hadn't considered that Carla might've been troubled in any way. The thought that she might've been after everything worried her.

Natsu kept his eyes peeled. "C'mon, buddy… Where'd you go?"

The sun began its timely retreat below the horizon, painting the sky with a vibrant orange. Wendy, quite exhausted from all of the walking, finally came to a stop upon spotting something up ahead on the bridge. Her eyes widened in her initial shock, but her expression soon calmed, settling into a tender smile.

"That's so adorable…"

Soon, approaching her was Natsu, who followed the Sky Dragon Slayer's line of sight and spotted what she was looking at. His eyes lit up as he cupped his hands around his mouth, most likely to prepare to call out. "Hey! Happy—!"

Wendy immediately slapped her hand over Natsu's mouth, "...How about we leave them be?" She asked, her voice gently pleading. "They're okay. We don't have to worry about them."

Natsu was a bit flummoxed by the request. Why wait to say hi to them? It wasn't like they were busy with something else, right? Besides, Happy would be pleased to see him, as always, right? Despite his thought process, he figured it would be better to listen to Wendy. He could catch up with Happy about what was soon to happen with the S-Class Wizard trial. Happy, of course, was going to be his partner. Hesitantly, he turned around and began the trek with Wendy back to the Fairy Tail Guild.

Wendy glanced over her shoulder and at the Exceeds they'd been looking for.

The two were sharing a warm embrace, tails twined. Carla, for once, seemed quite vulnerable with the blue Exceed, her head resting on his shoulder as they both relaxed and watched the sunset side by side. The young Dragon Slayer could feel her smile grow tenfold.

Carla found someone else to care for, just as Carla always cared for her. She couldn't be more proud.