Chapter 16 – (SLIGHTLY UNEDITED VERSION)

Wendy let out a loud groan, slowly raising her left hand and delicately feeling around her forehead. Her entire head was wrapped in bandages, making it next to impossible for the half-asleep girl to tell what kind of damage had been done. She couldn't even feel the right side of her body, and no matter how much she willed it, her right arm wouldn't move from its place beside her. Her eyesight was blurry, with the most she could make out being a mesh of tan and brown around her.

A sudden flare of pain erupted in her abdomen, and she let out a blood-curdling scream. It felt as if her insides were being ripped apart while being tossed around in a pit of fire. It was worse than anything she had ever felt before. She was doing all she could to not pass out on the spot from the pain alone.

It seemed that her screaming had caught someone's attention, however, as light suddenly filled the space she was in when someone stepped in beside her. They placed their hands on her shoulders, forcing her back onto the ground and preventing her from squirming.

"Wendy!"

The voice was faint, barely there. She knew that it had come from the figure above her, however, and that worried her. Her hearing had never failed her like this. Ever. Even in the most life-threatening moments, when she was on the brink of death itself, her hearing was always the first thing to recover. With her ability to see impaired, and the world around her muted to the point of being nearly incomprehensible, the fear festering in the pit of her stomach began to grow.

She struggled again, although it was nothing more than a wiggle of her shoulders, only to feel the person above her grasp her tighter. It wasn't for long, however, as soon the feeling of their grasp on her shoulders began to fade. She let out a shuddering breath, which she was only able to tell from the tremble of her chest, and before she knew it, the blurriness above her faded to black.

The next time she awoke, her entire body was numb. Wearily blinking her eyes, she was immediately relieved to find that much of the blurriness had dissipated. She was able to make out the brown burlap that made up the tent around her. There was a dull throbbing in her abdomen, but she forced herself to ignore it for the time being. She pushed herself up onto her elbows slowly, hissing when the pain in her stomach flared up. Her right arm soon followed, making her eyes tear up as she glanced down at the charred flesh.

She had known that her arm was bad but having not taken the time to seriously look at it during the fight, she had missed the severity of the injury. Looking at it now, a wave of nausea hit her. From her wrist to her elbow, there were only splotches of normal skin. The rest was a deep black, and from the lack of feeling in that part of her arm, it would take a while to heal.

Turning away from her injured arm, she grasped the fabric of the mat in her left hand. It was one of the basic sleeping rolls that many of the guild members had brought. She hadn't bothered to bring one for herself, thinking that she wouldn't need to bother with sleeping during the trial. Besides that, the tent was empty, with her only source of warmth being provided by the thick blanket that was wrapped around the lower half of her body.

The flap of the tent was suddenly flung open, and when the person entering noticed that she was awake, they dropped the bowl that they had been holding in their hands. It fell to the floor with a clang, spilling its contents onto the rocky ground below.

"Wendy!"

Her head immediately flared up in pain. When she hissed, the figure seemed to pick up on her distress as they lowered their voice. "Sorry."

The figure hesitated before moving in and placing a hand on Wendy's shoulder. "How are you feeling? You've been out for a while."

Wendy swallowed a few times to sooth her dry throat. When she spoke, her words were barely more than a whisper. "Everything hurts…" she grunted, "How long has it been?"

"Five days." They squeezed her shoulder, and luckily it was the lesser injured left side. "It really took a lot out of you."

There was silence for a moment, with Wendy laying there attempting to sooth the aching pain. The figure shuffled above her, and a flash of blond shone in front of her eyes. "Lucy?"

Lucy chuckled lowly. "Yeah, it's me."

Wendy pinched her lips together. A sudden flash of guilt hit her. "Oh…"

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, neither of them meeting the other's gaze. Eventually, Lucy looked back up, giving the girl a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

Wendy didn't respond. Not that she didn't want to, but it was more that she didn't know how. It seemed that Lucy picked up on her silence as she shuffled into the tent a bit further. As the flap swung shut behind her, Lucy took a seat beside Wendy's legs, close enough that their thighs were brushing against each other.

"It's alright," Lucy began, reaching up to lift her hair away from her head. When Wendy glanced up, she noticed that the bandages were now gone, leaving only a faint scar behind. "It has already healed."

Wendy hesitated again, but after a moment said, "I'm sorry."

Lucy chuckled softly, "I know."

The pair sat in silence for a few moments. Wendy didn't know what to say after that. She didn't feel as if there really was anything to say. When Lucy suddenly began standing, she glanced at the bigger girl with a start, only to be placated.

"I'm just going to go and get a new bowl of soup for you. Would you like help standing up?"

Wendy nodded, and with a gentle nudge, Lucy placed her hands underneath her shoulder. Pain immediately flared up in right arm, but she pushed through it with a grunt. The arm may hurt, but the pain was spread throughout her entire body. There were plenty of other places screaming in pain to distract her for the time being.

When she was finally standing, Lucy gently let go, but hovered around her in case she fell. Wendy took a tentative step forward, immediately feeling a wave of dizziness wash over her. Before she could fall, she grabbed onto the wooden tent post, and Lucy wrapped her arms underneath her again almost instantly.

"I…I can do it."

"I know you can," Lucy breathed softly; her warm breath hitting Wendy in the face. "Although, it's better to be safe than sorry."

Wendy didn't argue. With the world spinning around her, she wasn't sure that she would have been able to keep herself upright, let alone standing. She shut her eyes tight. Her head was pounding, and it was only when the pain began to fade away that it also began to dissipate.

After a few minutes, Wendy reopened her eyes. "I think I got it now."

Lucy slowly backed away, gently removing her arms from under the younger girl's shoulders. She remained close, and Wendy found herself suddenly thankful for the girl's presence. Tears quickly began to build up once more, although for once it wasn't due to the pain. With a sniffle, she blinked them away.

Delicately placing one foot in front of the other, she began walking out of the tent. She offered a quiet thank you to Lucy when she lifted the flap of the tent for her. The animated chatter from the crowd around her hit her like a wave. Wendy immediately winced, closing her eyes and raising her arms in a desperate attempt to block out the noise.

It seemed that she got her wish, as the crowd quickly died down around her. She didn't know why, but when she slowly reopened her eyes, all their eyes were on her. Wendy wrapped her arms around her stomach, holding herself tight. They were silent, and she was growing more self-conscious as the silence continued.

"Wendy!"

Happy's voice broke through the silence, and Wendy was barely able to turn before he slammed into her chest. The impact brought a fresh new wave of pain, but she forced herself to ignore it. She hugged the cat in return, frowning when she heard his muffled sobs. Charla stood on the ground in front of her, clearly having followed Happy over. From the frown on her face, and paws on her hips, the Exceed didn't look to pleased either.

"Happy…"

He looked up at her words, cheeks wet with tears. "I thought you wouldn't wake up!"

Lucy stepped forward from behind her, glaring at the cat. "I already told you that she would. She just needed time to rest."

Happy turned towards the blond, the tears disappearing from his eyes and a mischievous smile appearing. "You lie too much, Lucy. I didn't know if I could trust you."

Lucy's glare worsened as she snatched Happy away from Wendy. "Oh yeah?" She pinched the cat's cheeks, making him wail in pain. "Let's see about that."

A ghost of a smile brushed across Wendy's face as she watched the two interact. Happy had probably been attached to Lucy's hip since Tenrou. When she heard Charla clearing her throat, she ignored Happy's cries.

"Hi Charla—"

Before she could utter anything more, Charla summoned her wings and flew up to Wendy's face, placing a paw on her forehead. "How foolish can you be?"

She didn't reply. The scrutinizing gaze was one that she had been on the receiving end of for many years. Yet, even though she had grown so much, she still found herself shrinking beneath it.

"You scared me half to death. What were you thinking when you tried using so much magic? You could have killed yourself or Laxus."

"I—I'm sorry," she replied meekly. Thinking back on Charla's words, her eyebrows furrowed. "How do you know what happened?"

"That would be because of me, my dear."

Craning her head around, she noticed the master's small form. Although, he wasn't alone. Gajeel and Gray stood behind him, both sporting all kinds of different bumps, bruises, and cuts. If she had to guess, Gray looked slightly worse than her fellow dragon slayer. Erza and Mira stood close behind them, looking pristine in their usual outfits.

And finally, Laxus stood behind them all. He had a few bandages wrapped around his upper chest, and one wrapped around his head, but otherwise looked fine. She only met his eyes for a moment before turning away, unable to hold his gaze any longer.

Makarov walked over, eyeing her wearily. "How do you feel?"

"I—I'm alright, I suppose."

"Good." He placed a hand under his chin as he nodded slowly. "Although, I suppose I should explain myself."

He flicked his hand, and above Wendy a lacrima expanded until a screen appeared. Though it looked a little blurry, she could clearly make out what was shown. The clearing where she had fought was destroyed, with trees uprooted and the earth jagged and uneven. The never-ending snow had seemingly filled the crater, as it didn't look as deep as she remembered it being.

"The S-Classes mages, along with myself, planted lacrima around the area you would all be fighting at. I thought it would be a good idea for the rest of the guild to be able to watch."

Realization quickly settled in. "Everyone?"

"Yes." Makarov dug around in his pocket for a moment. "Everyone watched your fight with Laxus, which now leads me to ask." He pulled out a familiar red gemstone, and Wendy immediately reached up to her neck, only to find it gone. "About how you found this."

She immediately froze, suddenly feeling small with all the eyes on her. "I—I…"

Luckily, it seemed that the master had taken notice of her anxiousness, as he glanced quickly around the room. He tucked the gem back into his pocket, closing his eyes with a slight huff. "Never mind. We shall talk more about it later."

Wendy sighed a breath of relief, although the feeling was short-lived as everyone crowded around her. Lucy placed a hand across her shoulder, and she quickly took the opportunity to lean into the older girl's embrace.

Erza was the first one to speak, giving her a small smile despite the sharp edge in her gaze. "Wendy, it's nice to see you up. How do you feel?"

"Fine," she replied meekly. Even after all these years, the redhead never failed to intimidate.

"That's good." Erza glanced briefly at the master before looking back at her. "Take this time to rest. The fight took a lot out of you. Your magic reserves are almost non-existent now."

Wendy knew that her words were true. Standing here, she couldn't feel the typical sensation of magic flowing throughout her. Her sensation and control of the wind above was low. So low, that she couldn't even tell which way it was flowing.

Wendy just nodded in response, and Erza took a small step back. Gray and Gajeel both shuffled beside the redhead, both looking as if they wanted to say something, but were unsure of what. Mira just gave her a soft smile, crossing her arms across her chest as she watched from beside the master. Despite all their stares, none stood out more than Laxus' who has only watched her in silence.

After what seemed like an eternity, Wendy gently leaned her head against Lucy's shoulder, closing her eyes. "W—What happened?"

When no one responded, she slowly opened one eye. No one was looking at her any longer, but instead at Laxus. The man sighed before standing up, being careful not to move his upper body too much.

"Once you depleted all your magic, you fell unconscious. I just brought you here afterward."

Wendy muttered softly in acknowledgment. Despite many of the others seemingly accepting his words, the sharp look he gave her made her believe that there was more. That feeling was only reassured when she noticed the same look being given to her from the master. Even from here, in her weakened state, she could feel the sudden pull from the gem in his pocket. It was the first time in years that it wasn't around her neck, and she was growing more desperate to get it back.

Pushing herself away from Lucy, she attempted to take a step forward, only for her foot to get caught. She fell forward but was luckily caught by both Erza and Lucy before she could hit the ground. Her chest was aching, making her suddenly gasp for air. Before she could do anything else, a sharp pain suddenly replaced the dull ache. She cried out in pain, and Erza and Lucy quickly laid her out against her back.

"Wendy, what's wrong!?"

Erza's voice was muffled, and Wendy could only gasp as tears filled her eyes. The pain was excruciating, and she desperately clutched at her chest with her good hand. A hand was placed on her shoulder, although she was too busy being consumed by the pain to see who it was. Suddenly, just as fast as the pain came, it was gone, and Wendy was left gasping for breath on the ground.

"It's just as I thought…" Makarov spoke again, and Wendy finally turned up to find him standing just a few inches away. He had been the one to touch her shoulder, but she was able to make out a faint glow coming from underneath his palm. Next thing she knew, he removed his hand from her shoulder, and pain immediately returned. She writhed and screamed out in pain once more, until the pain dissipated once Makarov touched her again.

"It would seem that your magic has merged, although I've only experienced this once before," he continued, carefully placing the gem around her neck. "We will take a visit to Porlyusica upon our return to the city. She will be able to explain in better detail."

Wendy sighed softly as her body sagged in relief. Once the gem sat against her skin, she almost felt normal again. Turning back towards Makarov, she nodded in acknowledgment. "Where else have you seen this?"

The man paused, tapping his foot on the ground a few times. "Perhaps that it would be best if I answered that question in a more… private place."

Questions still flowed throughout her mind, but Wendy accepted it nonetheless. If he thought that it needed to wait, then it shall. "Alright."

Wendy slowly pulled herself back up, noticing Erza share a few hushed words with the master as she did. Lucy patted her shoulder lightly, and when she turned to look at her, she only received a small smile in return. From the slight quiver in Lucy's lips, she wasn't sure that she was going to like what came next.

"Well then," Makarov cleared his throat, turning to address the entire guild. "Now that our last candidate has awoken, I suppose that I can discuss the next step for the Trials."

Wendy slightly perked up at that but winced and settled back down at the sharp spike of pain in the back of her head.

"The winner has already been decided," Makarov sent her a sideways glance, "Which means that the rest of the contestants have been disqualified."

Murmurs broke out through the crowd, with some yelling mixed in. Wendy watched the master's face for any kind of sign. A sign that she was the one who had been chosen, and yet, she found nothing.

It didn't take her long to come to the proper conclusion. She placed her palms against the ground, pushing herself slightly away from Lucy. A look of sadness flashed across the girl's face, but she ignored it. "I have been disqualified?"

Makarov gave her a slightly pitying look, which didn't serve to help her sudden anger. "I'm sorry, my dear. I'm afraid I can't allow you to continue in your current state."

"I—I can still compete! I'm awake now, aren't I?" Wendy immediately knew that her words would have no effect. Despite the resistant edge that had overtaken her voice, she knew that it was futile. Just getting to this point had taken almost all her energy. There was no way she would even be able to cast a simple spell, let alone fight in another match. But her pride wouldn't allow her to sit quietly.

Makarov raised his hands. "I understand your anger, Wendy, but it isn't your decision."

Her eyes fell to the ground, but before she could respond, a hand was placed on her shoulder. Tracing the limb from its fingers, then to its elbow and shoulder, she finally met Lucy's gaze. "Wendy, please don't fight the decision. We just don't want to see you hurt yourself anymore."

Despite her racing thoughts, she couldn't get herself to reply to the blond. There were so many things that she wanted to say, and yet, at the same time didn't have to. The supportive looks that she received from everyone around her confirmed that. Why should she force herself to continue fighting? When did she lose sight of what it meant to be a Fairy Tail mage?

Tears burned in her eyes, and she nodded. Just as she felt the tears begin to slip down her cheeks, Lucy pulled her into a hug, tucking Wendy's head into her shoulder. The older girl's embrace felt so warm…so nice. It had been so long since she had just sat in another person's presence and just embraced their warmth and comfort. So long since she had stopped trying to fight.

She quickly lost track of how long they remained there, but at some point, Lucy had gently coaxed the girl into sitting on the ground. When they finally separated, the crowd around them had dispersed, leaving the two alone. Wendy dug her palms into her cheeks, the taste of salt still dancing on her lips.

"Feel better?"

She nodded, sniffing lightly. "Yeah…"

Lucy grabbed her shoulders, offering a bright smile. "I'm glad."

They remained there for a time longer. Wendy did her best to remove the evidence that she had been crying. Her eyes still stung from the recent tears, but no amount of rubbing was going to get rid of that.

"Are you hungry?" Lucy questioned, turning her torso to the side. When she turned back, there was a bowl in her hands, which had a trail of steam emitting from the top. Wendy immediately picked up its wonderful smell and within moments she was practically salivating. Lucy giggled softly when she lunged for the bowl and ripped it from the blonde's arms before beginning to slurp it down. "I'll take that as a yes."

Lucy only watched as she continued to down the soup. It was nothing special, just plain chicken soup, yet it had to be one of the most delicious things she had ever tasted. Although, perhaps that was what any type of food tasted like when you haven't eaten for so long. Laxus finally took a step forward, drawing a quick glance from Wendy before she returned to her soup.

"It has been a long few days, and I know that I am looking forward to returning to the guild."

A few guild members nodded or murmured in affirmation. Most of the cavern had been packed up, as many people wore backpacks loaded with different goods and possessions. It seemed like all they had left to do was announce the winner. Makarov took that as his queue to finally continue, raising his arms up into the air.

"And with that," he paused, receiving a few groans as he did so. "I would like to announce the end of the S-Class Trials."

Makarov gazed around the cave, meeting each of the candidate's eyes. Wendy found that he held hers a bit longer than the rest.

"For those of you who did not pass, do not fret, there will always be next year." He turned towards Gajeel, who stood beside him with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk etched across his face. "Until then, let us celebrate the success of our newest S-Class mage. Gajeel Redfox."

The entire cavern exploded with roars and screams. Wendy winced and was forced to cover her ears with her hands. Gajeel was smiling on stage, and when she looked closer, she was sure that she spotted Levy cheering from the bottom of the stage, louder than anyone else.

Despite the sour taste that was left in her mouth because of the loss, Wendy couldn't help but feel relieved. Relieved that for the first time in years, she was finally back where she belonged. No longer would she have to continue this self-imposed mission. Surrounded by all her family, there was a warmth that she had long forgotten. One that couldn't be provided by the fire that raged inside her no matter how desperately she tried.

She met Laxus' eyes, and no longer was there any resentment held in her gaze. Instead, loyalty, sadness, and joy all managed to overtake her. And when she felt Lucy's hand tighten on her shoulder, she couldn't stop the tears from starting to pour down her face. Sobs wracked through her body, and she buried her head beneath the girl's arms, melting in her arms as she listened to the soft reassurances that Lucy offered in return.

Many questions were still left unanswered, and some would undoubtedly take longer to find the answer to than others. Yet, for the first time in as long as she could remember, she found herself filled with hope.

THE END?

To be honest, when I first set off to write this story, I had something completely different in mind. Natsu's death was supposed to be the key focus point alongside Wendy, as the event that drove this story, and yet, Wendy somehow quickly found herself becoming the only key figure to this tale. Yet, because of that result, I feel that the story has ended up being even better than I could have ever imagined.

Despite Natsu sacrificing himself, it was never solely supposed to be about him. It was always meant to be about Wendy's growth as a character. I'll admit, Natsu was most likely never going to be making a return in the main story. Why that is, well, perhaps I'll save it for an epilogue or side-story…

I went through a lot of changes with Wendy's character throughout the process of writing the story. Originally, she was supposed to be this closed off, bad-ass character, yet, that just isn't who she is. She is more emotional than that. She cares about her guildmates. That was the difficult part in writing this, as he personality took a turn where it was close to no longer being Wendy's. I did my best to keep the portrayal of her character as real as possible, and I will say that I am happy with the result.

Laxus was never going to be in this story. Period. But after Chapter 3 or 4, I found myself lacking a key mentor character, someone that would accommodate Wendy's newfound personality. Laxus ended up being that result. I am incredibly happy with the dynamic between the two, despite many questions being left unanswered.

Now, I'll admit, this was never going to be the definite end of the tale. There was a bit more that I had in mind, yet as I found myself writing this chapter, I couldn't help but think that perhaps this is where it was meant to finish. The future of the tale is uncertain, just as Wendy's road ahead is. This fight was supposed to be a knock-back into reality, and I hope I did it justice.

I would like to seriously, seriously, seriously, thank everyone who has stuck with me this far. It has been a long road up until this point, and I am sorry for the delays in posting. Some real-life tragedies really kept me off writing for the past few months, but I have finally started to get back in gear.

Perhaps, just perhaps there is still a bit more to explore. If I do, I think that it will be an Epilogue (Or Two), but despite that, I seriously do not think that there is any more of this story that needs to be told. It's been a roller coaster, but I can say for sure that this has been my best, and favorite piece of writing yet.

Seriously. Thank you all once again for the love and support. You all don't know how much it means to me. This is super hard to do, as this will be my first completed work. Ever.

And with that, I shall say for possibly last time in this story, Until Next Time!

Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews(CorruptHero, TheLaughingStalk Lenny-kun, Gilgamesh King of Mongrels, Guest 1, zubhanwc3, OverLordRevan, Dragon Lord Draco, and midnightscar17)!

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