Chapter 23: Pesky Farewells
…
Ultimate Fairy
Chapter 23: Pesky Farewells
…
Over an hour had passed since the Ultimate Team, Sho, Wally, and Millianna reunited on the beach. Everyone, especially Erza, was more than relieved to see that Ben had survived the Tower of Heaven's annihilation. The group walked down the sandy shoreline for a few miles until they arrived back at Akane Resort.
Erza carried an unconscious Ben on her back the entire way, ignoring the protests from the guys of the group who had offered to carry him. Sho, Wally, and Millianna were split up and stayed in separate rooms amongst the Ultimate Team.
Meanwhile, Erza had carried Ben to his hotel room and gently laid him down on the bed. She had even tucked him under the covers. Now, the redheaded warrior was sitting on the right side of the bed, watching Ben as he slept. She had re-quipped into her sleeveless white blouse and blue skirt attire minutes prior.
Erza could tell that Ben was utterly exhausted, and she understood why. After all, he had battled against a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, absorbed all the magical energy within the Tower of Heaven, and had swum all the way back to shore. Anyone would be drained after doing only one of those, but Ben had done all three in a single day!
She took notice of the numerous cuts and bruises across his body. He would definitely need to have those treated and bandaged up tomorrow morning. However, he was in the same boat as her and the rest of the team, especially Natsu.
Erza was deep in thought as she gazed at the slumbering superhero with glossy brown eyes. "You saved my life today…three times…" She counted the times when Ben pulled her out of the lacrima twice and took down Jellal. "…and even when I told you to leave, you never abandoned me." She smiled warmly. "And you helped me overcome my fears…whether you know it or not. Thank you."
Unconsciously, Erza closed her eyes and leaned down; planting a soft kiss on Ben's left cheek. Realizing what she did, Erza went wide-eyed, stood up, and hastily exited the room. Erza sat on the floor outside of Ben's room, leaning up against his door with knees folded up to her ample chest. Her face had turned several shades of red as she breathed deeply.
'How could I have done such a thing?' Erza yelled inwardly. 'Why is my heart beating so fast?' She placed her hand over her chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.
"That was a bold move." a monotonous, feminine voice said.
Erza cried out and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Juvia sitting next to her. "J-Juvia?!" She stuttered comically. "When…h-how did you…"
"I just came by to see how you and Ben were doing." Juvia answered with a neutral frown. A tint of pink then bloomed on her face as she gushed with a smile. "When I peeked in I saw you place that heartwarming kiss on his cheek. Oh…how romantic!"
Erza's blush intensified. She closed her eyes and looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. "You were just seeing things." She said stubbornly. "Ben is just a dear friend and teammate to me…nothing more."
Juvia blinked twice and looked at Erza quizzically. She could tell that Erza wasn't being honest with herself.
"But…back on the beach, he looked like more than just a friend to you." Juvia pointed out. A goofy smile appeared on her face as she placed her hands on her flushed cheeks. "Oh, you were crying so much when you and Ben were reunited, both of your eyes were just swelling with tears."
Erza's eyes snapped open in shock from the latter part of her comment. She turned to Juvia with a shocked expression. "What! That can't be." She muttered. "I…I can't cry from my right eye."
Juvia turned to Erza, confused. "That's never happened before?"
"No," Erza whispered as she lightly touched under her right eye. "This eye is artificial, and ever since it was put in, I've never cried from it at all. The one who made it never understood why, and it's never swelled with tears since. Until now…so why?" She then stopped when she noticed Juvia's starry-eyed look.
Erza sweat dropped and calmly asked, "What?"
"I think I know why." Juvia beamed with her hands clasped together. "It's the power of love."
Erza growled in annoyance while looking away with a bright blush. "It's not love!" She exclaimed obstinately.
All of a sudden, a certain blue cat popped out of nowhere. "Erza luuuuvs Ben." Happy teased.
The Fairy Queen slumped her shoulders in defeat, and groaned, "Can you two just drop it?"
"Very well," Juvia nodded as she stood up. "But you cannot hide from your feelings, Erza. Sooner or later…you will have to face them."
Erza's eyes widened slightly from how wise Juvia sounded, and watched as she walked away.
"Ooooh…Ben and Erza sitting in a…" Happy didn't get to continue as he noticed the glare Erza was shooting him…as well as the dark, scary aura wafting off of her.
Happy screamed comically as he flew down the hallway. "RUN AWAY!"
When he was out of sight, Erza let out a deep sigh as she pondered on Juvia's words. She got up from the floor and glanced back at Ben's door.
'Could it be true? Could I…really be in love?' Erza sighed again she ambled down the hotel corridor, a swarm of thoughts racing through her head.
…
The group spent a couple days resting and recovering from their injuries sustained in the Tower of Heaven. Everyone had to get bandaged up and have their wounds treated, except for Ben. Once Ben finally woke up, he simply transformed into Swampfire and his injuries from the tower were instantly healed; however, that didn't mean he wasn't still sore.
In mid-afternoon, Erza had called a meeting with Sho, Wally, and Millianna on the beachside in front of the resort. She wore a simple white dress and she had bandage wrappings around her arms, shoulders, neck and torso.
Erza had already told them of Simon's death two nights ago; however, she felt like she just needed to speak with her old friends. The main point being, where would the trio go from here?
"It's not like we ever meant to hurt you or nothing." Wally said, rubbing his neck awkwardly.
"We're really sorry about everything." Millianna apologized.
Erza lowered her head and held her left elbow. "I should apologize to you. I left you in the tower for all those years." She looked away in shame. "I hope that you can forgive me."
"We've already forgiven you, Sis!" Sho insisted sincerely.
"But if I had gone back, then Simon might still be here with us." Erza stated calmly.
"I gotta tell yah," Wally stepped forward, "he was a good man. I just thought you should know that…'cause he always loved…"
"Shush, Wally!" Millianna interjected, panicked.
Erza still held her head low in dejection. "It's okay. I already knew how he felt. He gave his life to save mine. I'll always be grateful." Determination soon returned to Erza's features. "I know it's hard but we have got to keep moving forward. That's what Simon would've wanted us to do."
Sho, Wally, and Millianna simply smiled in agreement.
Erza smiled too as an idea came to her. "You could join Fairy Tail. Give Guild life a try?"
The trio's eyes widened and their jaws dropped from her suggestion. They certainly weren't expecting that.
"Really?" Wally asked, surprised.
"Meow. You sure that's okay?" inquired Millianna.
"Of course, but I don't want to put any pressure on you." Erza replied. "So I'll let you think it over for a bit."
Wally and Millianna turned to each other with elated smiles. "I don't know about you but I'm pretty sold on the idea already." The former commented.
"Meow. That would be a new adventure every day!" Millianna fist-pumped excitedly.
Erza's smile grew wider. "And we can all stay together. That would make me very happy."
Sho lowered his head slightly and smiled.
Erza stepped behind her friends and led them back toward the resort. "Let's head back to the hotel. I haven't had the chance to properly introduce you to Ben and Natsu."
"Meow. I really want to see Ben change into that big, cute kitty witty again." Millianna beamed brightly, referring to Rath.
Wally sweat dropped, annoyed. "That ain't no kitty, doll face."
Erza smiled and chuckled in amusement.
…
For the rest of the day, the Ultimate Team, Juvia, and Erza's old friends had fun at the resort; whether it was on the beach, at the amusement park, or in the casino. The group from Fairy Tail was very thankful that their vacation was back on track after the whole incident with the Tower of Heaven.
Though Ben still felt a bit sore from his experiences in the tower two days ago, he toughed it out and continued to have fun with his friends. Even though Millianna had kept pestering Ben to turn into Rath, which he ignored, he still had a good time with everyone.
But what really made Ben happy…was that Erza was finally smiling again.
They ended the day with a big feast outside under the starry, night sky. The food was enjoyable, and of course Natsu, Gray, and Happy provided entertainment with their usual antics.
While they ate, Ben and Natsu took turns explaining how they defeated Jellal. The group was quite shocked about hearing that Natsu had unlocked a new, higher level of Dragon Slayer magic known as Dragon Force. They were even more astounded when Ben told them about his newest powerhouse, Atomix. To think those two had so much power hidden within them...
Then, the topic was switched and Ben was asked how he managed to keep the tower from exploding. The Omnitrix bearer explained how he had transformed into Ultimate Chromastone and absorbed all the Etherion's magic. Needless to say, quite a few jaws had dropped at the table; not counting Erza, who simply smirked.
However, Ben didn't tell them of his vision of Jellal while he was sinking in the ocean. He concluded that it would be best to keep it to himself for the time being. Maybe he could tell someone in the future.
He glanced over to a smiling Erza, who was sitting next to him. A smile was brought to Ben's face as his cheeks flushed slightly. There was just something about Erza's smile that made Ben's insides flutter. Suddenly, the Omnitrix hero's blush deepened when a startling thought crossed his mind.
'No. It can't be. Am I really…' Ben trailed off when words of that Jellal apparition echoed through his mind.
"Go…return to Erza…and stand by her side. She needs you now more than ever."
Ben shook his head from his musings. He would ponder on that thought later. Right now was a time for fun and enjoyment.
The group talked about various things and laughed, having a great time. Ben looked around and grinned. Though he was a stranger to this magical world, he inwardly admitted that he wouldn't mind staying a little longer.
…
Later in the night, Ben opened the door to his hotel room and walked in. Closing the door behind him, he let out a tired yawn. He'd had a fun time today with his friends and was worn out as a result. He slipped off his green hero jacket and hung it up on the coatrack next to the small dresser on the left side of the room.
He was about to turn off the lacrima lamps and fall into bed, but stopped and slightly cringed from how sore his muscles felt. Combined with the strenuous events in the Tower of Heaven two days ago and his physical activities today, Ben would be lying if he said he wasn't aching badly.
'Maybe a hot shower will help soothe my muscles.' Ben thought.
Ben grabbed a set of new clothes from his suitcase on top of the dresser and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Ten minutes later, the door to Ben's room burst open as a certain redheaded beauty clad in a simple but lovely white dress rushed inside.
"Ben!" Erza cried. She paused when she noticed that the brunette was nowhere in the room. "Ben? Are you in here?"
Ben opened an eye and looked in the direction of the bathroom door through the steamy mist. "Erza? What do you need?" He asked, confused.
"Have you seen Sho and the others?" Erza inquired.
"No," Ben responded, "not since dinner. Just hang on a sec. Let me get dressed."
Erza nodded. "Very well."
The Queen of the Fairies sat on the bed as she waited for Ben. Erza took a glimpse behind her and slightly blushed, remembering the kiss on the check she gave a sleeping Ben two nights prior. She turned away and closed her eyes, trying to purge those thoughts from her mind.
When she reopened her eyes, her gaze came across Ben's green jacket hung up on a coatrack. Erza blinked as she stared at Ben's signature jacket. Despite it being unusual compared to clothes normally seen in Fiore, it certainly complemented him well. It reminded her of Natsu and his scarf. There had never been a time where Erza saw the Dragon Slayer without his signature scarf given to him by Igneel.
Then, a thought raced across Erza's mind. The scarlet haired warrior stood up and pulled the jacket off the rack, holding it in her hands. Erza stared at the article of clothing attentively as she ran her thumbs across the smooth, green leather.
Shockingly, Erza pressed the collar area of the jacket to her nose, inhaling deeply. After a short moment, she closed her eyes and slowly exhaled with a dreamy smile on her face.
'I don't know if it's his natural scent or cologne…but it smells so…good…' Erza thought languidly.
The reality of what Erza was doing suddenly slammed into her like a freight train, causing her to sharply gasp. Panicked, Erza quickly put the jacket back on the coatrack and sat back on the bed. A blush swept across her face as faint trails of steam hissed from her ears.
"What's wrong with me? Why did I do that?" Erza whispered, shocked over her actions.
"Do what?"
Erza almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Ben walk through the now open bathroom door, wearing his usual attire: a pair of blue jeans and black t-shirt. His hair was slightly wet as a few locks stuck to his forehead.
Erza flushed. She had to admit, Ben certainly looked appealing...as always. Erza inwardly shook her head and refocused on what she had originally come to do.
"N-nothing!" Erza stuttered. "Anyways, you're sure you haven't seen Sho and the others?"
"Like I said, I haven't seen them since dinner." Ben replied.
Erza stood up and closed her eyes, resting her hands on her hips. Ben looked at her for a moment and it didn't take long before he finally deduced what she was thinking about.
"You don't think they would leave without saying goodbye, do you?" Ben questioned.
"I'm sure that's it." Erza responded.
"But why?" Ben said, slightly surprised. "I thought they said they would give Fairy Tail a try."
Erza didn't respond immediately as she lowered her head in thought. She then looked back up at Ben, and said, "Tell Natsu, Gray, and Lucy to get the fireworks ready and meet me on the beach."
Before Ben could inquiry further, Erza turned and walked out of the room.
"…Uh…okay…" Ben mumbled; a brow cocked in befuddlement.
…
Under the pale moonlight, Sho, Wally and Millianna were pushing a wooden rowboat into the water. The lights of Akane Resort were shining brilliantly from across the cove.
"You sure we'll be able to make it in the outside world?" Wally asked Sho as he tipped his hat up. "We've never been on our own before."
"Meow…" Millianna agreed.
Sho clenched his fist as determination swept across his features. "We're gonna have to try. Erza's got her own problems. She doesn't need us to weigh her down."
"There you are!" A voice interjected.
The trio turned to see a frowning Erza standing in front of them.
"You found us?" Sho noted.
Erza walked a few steps toward her old friends. The three turned away from her, unable to meet her gaze at the moment.
"Please don't try to stop us from leaving. We've made up our minds." Sho spoke up. "All we've ever known is the inside of that tower. It's where we grew up. Now we're adults and we don't know a single thing about the outside world.
"This is our chance to get out there and see it. For the first time in our lives, we're free to do whatever we want." Sho turned to face Erza with a resolute smile. "We want to follow our dreams like everyone else, but that's something we're gonna have to do on our own. We want to know what it means to be free."
A smile took shape on Erza's face. "Well, I have complete faith in you, and I know you'll do fine out there. I'm not worried."
Suddenly, Erza's body was shrouded in golden-white light. When the flash died away, she was now clad in a peculiar set of armor.
Its breastplate was attached to the waist-guard, which was composed of two hanging plates; all of which surmounted a long, white skirt that went down to her knees, and also had a blue and yellow design going down the center. Her gauntlets covered her arms and the upper plate took the form of wings. On her head was a headband with a wing-shaped design that protruded up on both sides. Attached to her shoulder-plates was a long, red cape that reached her ankles. In her left hand was a long shaft that had massive spearheads on both sides. On the top part was a red flag that bears the Fairy Tail symbol in white.
This was Erza's Farewell Fairy Tail Armor.
"However, there are three rules that any member…who chooses to leave the Fairy Tail Guild…must abide by." Erza proclaimed.
The trio's mouths gaped slightly as they looked at Erza, confused.
"What do you mean 'leave'?" Wally asked. "We never even officially joined it."
"Number one: never share sensitive information about the Guild with anyone for as long as you shall live." Erza continued. "Number two: never contact any clients you worked for while in the Guild for your own personal gain. Number three: although our paths must stray, promise to live the rest of your lives to the fullest. That means…you must treat every day…as though it was your last in this world."
Sho, Wally, and Millianna stared at Erza in shock, tears beginning to fall from their eyes. Erza, however, already had salty tears brimming from her brown eyes.
"Promise that you'll never forget your Fairy Tail friends." Erza declared, sobbing. "Treasure them…for as long as you live."
The trio was lost for words as they sobbed, overwhelmed by Erza's words. The Fairy Queen held up her spear, and shouted, "Let the Fairy Tail Farewell…begin now!"
Ben, Natsu, Gray, and Lucy stepped out from the forest foliage and onto the beach. "Yes ma'am!" They said simultaneously.
Natsu looked up as he shot three fireballs into the sky, which left smoky trails in their wakes. Once they were over a hundred feet up, they ignited into bright orange and yellow fireworks. Sho, Wally, and Millianna looked up at the fiery light in awe.
"May all your journeys bring you joy." Erza smiled tearfully.
"Here goes!" Gray held up his arm and shot a white, icy magical ball into the sky. It ignited into an explosion of white-bluish light.
Lucy pulled out one of her keys and twirled it above her head, causing a stream of golden magical energy to swirl above her. "Watch this!" The Celestial wizard fired a yellow projectile into the sky, which exploded into a shower of sparkling, gold light and star-shaped projections.
Ben smirked as he activated the Omnitrix and scrolled through his playlist. "If you thought those were good, then you're gonna love this!"
He slapped down the dial and, after a green flash, he was now replaced by…
"Atomix!"
Gray and Lucy glanced over toward the white, bulky robot in awe. This was the first time they had seen Ben's new powerhouse; needless to say, their expressions were similar to Natsu and Erza's when they first saw Atomix.
"So this is the form Ben used to beat Jellal…" Lucy muttered, awestricken.
"Whoa…" Gray murmured, sensing the incredible power coursing off from this form.
Atomix lifted up his hands that were now glowing in emerald light. "HAA-MEE-NA, HAA-MEE-NA, HAA-MEE-NA…"
Suddenly, a few trails of green energy shot out of his hands and into the sky, detonating into an array of bright and dark emerald light.
"Gaze up at Atomic Sparklers, courtesy of…Atomix!"
Sho, Wally, and Millianna looked up at the magical and nuclear fireworks with bright smiles. The trio then got in the boat and began to row away.
"I wish we could stay together forever," Erza admitted, "but deep down, I know I'd only hold you back. I don't want that. After all the years you spent stuck in that tower, you deserve to finally be free."
"We'd never think you'd hold us back!" Millianna cried, tears rolling down her face.
"If we were to stay with you, we'd just do nothing but remind you of painful memories!" Wally wept, sniffling madly.
"But I have so much more than just painful memories with you." Erza countered, smiling. "Besides, what we went through made us stronger; it brought us closer." She paused.
Atomix, Natsu, Gray and Lucy continued to shoot fireworks, bathing the night sky in a plethora of orange, icy blue, gold, and emerald sparkling light. It was truly a beautiful sight to behold.
"I will always hold onto those memories, both the good and the bad." Erza proclaimed. "I wish you the best of luck and happiness in your new lives. This isn't goodbye! I know we'll meet again!"
The group ceased shooting fireworks as they stood behind Erza, watching her old friends' boat depart further into the ocean. Natsu and Gray grinned with their arms folded over their chests, Lucy waved at them, and Atomix simply placed his bulky hands on his hips.
"We'll miss you, Sister!" Sho shouted.
"We promise to see you soon, Erzy worzy!" Millianna yelled, elatedly waving to her.
"Yeah!" Wally beamed. "We'll meet again someday! I can guarantee you of that!"
Erza smiled as a tear fell from her right eye. "I'll be waiting." She whispered.
The group resumed their colorful fireworks show as Sho, Wally, and Millianna's boat grew smaller in the distance.
…
The next day, late in the afternoon, Ben was currently lounging with Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Happy in Natsu's hotel room. The Dragon Slayer, in question, was sprawled out on the bed. Bandages were still wrapped in various places around his body. He wore nothing but a pair of red boxers as he snored loudly, slumbering soundly.
The rest of the team sat on chairs around a wooden table while Happy simply flew around the room. Erza was wearing her white blouse and blue skirt outfit, and Lucy wore a green button-up shirt and brown pants. Gray wore a white button-up shirt and black pants while Ben was dressed in his usual hero attire.
Though the group, minus Ben, still had bandages on their bodies, they were steadily coming along in their recovery from the injuries they had gained while in the Tower of Heaven.
"He's still sleeping? It's the middle of the day." Lucy mentioned.
Gray folded his arms over his chest and smirked smugly. "I guess all that partying and firework show we put on for Erza's old friends last night wore him out."
Ben nodded, remembering how tired he felt after sending off Sho, Wally, and Millianna. Although Atomix was undoubtedly his newest, most awesome form ever, he did apparently take a toll on draining Ben's stamina. "I can understand that." He commented.
Erza then lowered her head. "I know I've already said this, but I'm sorry for causing such trouble."
"You don't need to apologize, Erza. What happened wasn't your fault." Ben assured gently.
"Yeah," Lucy agreed. "We've already told you we don't blame you."
"So just let it go already…will yah?" Gray smirked.
"Aye," Happy chimed.
Erza smiled softly and nodded. Suddenly, a thought entered her mind. She noticed that one person in particular was absent.
Erza turned to Gray. "Where's your friend, Juvia?" She asked. "I wanted to thank her."
'Even though she caused my thoughts to become so flustered,' Erza mused, recollecting what the water wizard said to her three days prior.
The ice wizard smirked. "She left yesterday evening. She wanted to go back to Fairy Tail to talk to Gramps about signing up with the Guild."
"I see." Erza responded.
"Well, I hope Makarov let's her in." Ben confessed with a smile. "She was really cool…despite her obvious obsessions." He glanced over to a clueless Gray.
"Ain't that the truth," Lucy sweat dropped, recalling the incidents in the tower where Juvia claimed that she was her rival in love for Gray…when she most certainly wasn't.
Before anyone could say anything else, their attention was gained by Natsu, who was mumbling in his sleep.
"…Uh…she's not my wife…" He slurred silently, stirring in the bed. "…can't…find her…"
The group was a confused by what Natsu was murmuring about; although, it was clear that whatever it was seemed to be causing him distress. Happy placed a paw to his chin in thought. He had an idea about what Natsu might be dreaming of, but he wasn't quite sure.
"I wonder what Natsu's dreaming of." Lucy wondered, sounding concerned.
"It certainly doesn't sound pleasant." Gray noted.
"Aye," Happy agreed worriedly. "Poor Natsu"
Ben hummed as he looked at Natsu's distressed slumbering form in concern. It was obvious whatever his pyromaniac friend was dreaming up wasn't good. The Omnitrix hero only wished he could help ease Natsu's pain.
Ben's eyes widened as a light-bulb clicked on in his head. He remembered three months ago, a month before he had arrived in this magical world, he had unlocked a rather lame transformation. One that had earned him at least a week's worth of laughter and mocking from Kevin; though, Gwen apparently believed it was adorable, which didn't make the situation any less embarrassing.
However, thanks to the Omnitrix uploading his transformation's abilities into his mind, he had discovered an unusual but cool ability that said transformation possessed.
Ben glanced back at Natsu, who rolled over and moaned; his facial features were slightly scrunched up. The teen hero knew this form may be able to help Natsu sleep better; nonetheless, he knew what the other's reactions would be if he changed into it.
Ben mentally shook his head. 'Whether they mock me or not, if it can help Natsu sleep more at ease, then I'll do it.' He thought determinedly.
Ben stood up from his chair and activated the Omnitrix. "I think I got a remedy for Natsu's bad dreams."
The three wizards and flying cat looked at Ben curiously and befuddled.
"You have something that can help Natsu dream better?" Lucy inquired, surprised.
"Seriously?" Gray added.
Ben smirked and nodded in response.
Once he found the icon he wanted, he slapped down the Omnitrix core. The others shielded their eyes from the bright emerald flash of Ben's transformation.
When the light faded, floating in his place was a short, fairy-like alien with light blue skin. It had purple fairy-like wings and blue hair that stuck straight up. It wore a green dress-like outfit with black zigzags and white gloves on its three-fingered hands. It had two toes on its feet, feminine eyelashes, and pink markings on its cheeks and chin. The Omnitrix symbol was positioned on its chest while the Fairy Tail mark was emblazoned in purple on its left shoulder.
"Pesky Dust," He spoke in a high-pitched, feminine voice, "So, what do yah think? Prrr…"
The three wizards and cat blinked twice as they did a double take on this new form, their jaws slightly slacking. After a moment of silence, Gray and Happy busted out into hard laughter and pointed at Pesky Dust. The ice mage and blue cat closed their eyes as their faces turned tomato red from the intense laughing.
"HA-HA-HA! Oh wow! Talk about lame!" Gray collapsed to the floor, holding his aching sides.
"AYE, SIR!" Happy laughed as he fell to the floor next to Gray, rolling around. "He looks like a girl fairy!"
"I know!" Gray chortled loudly. "Maybe he could be the Guild's mascot?"
"Lamest form ever!" Happy cackled.
Pesky Dust's lower lip pouted as he glared angrily at the cackling duo; however, due to his appearance, his glare had no effect. The Nemuina sighed in exasperation. 'I knew this would happen…'
Erza and Lucy remained silent as they stared at the fairy-like being with wide eyes and slightly gaped mouths. The former blinked as a thoughtful expression crossed her features. Just two days ago, Ben had transformed into a seemingly unstoppable powerhouse that easily defeated Jellal. Now, he was a short, girlish fairy that didn't look like it could harm a fly even if it tried to.
Erza realized that this only proved that Ben would never cease to surprise her. The redhead growled and grew weary of Gray and Happy's laughing.
"Enough!" She commanded.
The raven haired teen and the blue cat immediately stopped cackling and looked up at Erza. She and Lucy both wore unreadable expressions as they stared at Pesky Dust. Ben cocked a brow, bemused over the looks Erza and Lucy were giving him.
"This form is not lame." Erza stated.
"Yeah," Lucy added, speaking in a rare serious tone. "In fact…it's really, really…"
Pesky Dust was taken aback when Erza and Lucy rushed over and hugged him tightly, pushing him up against both of their ample chests; much to his embarrassment.
"CUUUUTE!" They squealed loudly.
Needless to say, Gray, Happy, and Pesky Dust were shocked from this unexpected reaction.
"NO WAY!" Gray and Happy shouted simultaneously, their eyes bulging out of their heads.
"Hey! Prr…Let go! Prrrr…" Pesky Dust purred, flustered.
Lucy squealed louder whilst Erza's smile grew wider. "OH! Those purrs are even more adorable!" The blonde mage said.
"I agree." Erza said in giddy voice. "This form is much more adorable than Ditto!"
Pesky Dust struggled against Erza and Lucy, feeling his face flush a light purple from their closeness. "Please…prrr…let me go…prrr…so I can help Natsu…prrr…" The Nemuina purred out.
Reluctantly, Erza and Lucy relinquished their hold on Pesky Dust, both still wearing giddy smiles on their faces.
Gray chuckled as he returned to his feet, wiping a stray tear from his eye. "So, Ben…how is this guy supposed to help Natsu sleep better?"
"Aye," Happy held his paws over his mouth, stifling his laughter. "You look really girly!"
Pesky Dust grinned frivolously as he extended his right hand. Suddenly, a sparkling, greenish-white gas dispelled from the fairy-like being's hand towards Happy's face. Without warning, Happy instantly collapsed to the floor, falling asleep with a content smile on his face.
Gray, Lucy, and Erza all blinked in surprise. They certainly weren't expecting that.
The Nemuina's playful smile grew wider from the trio's expressions. "Prrr…I can make people fall asleep…prrr…and I can also enter their dreams too…prrr…"
The three wizard's eyes widened further from this revelation. "You can enter someone's dreams?" Lucy echoed, slightly shocked.
Pesky Dust nodded; a cute smile on his blue face. "Mhmm…prrr…I can also manipulate their dreams as well…prrr…"
The trio's surprised looks only intensified. Erza blinked twice. A form that can make anyone fall asleep and can enter and manipulate one's dreams? She had to admit, though Pesky Dust appeared weak and adorable, a transformation like this could certainly prove useful; especially for gathering information from enemies, if there ever came a time for that.
"Now…prrr…time to make Natsu's dreams brighter…prrr…" Pesky Dust purred as he expelled his green gas at Natsu, causing him to stir slightly in his slumber.
Suddenly, Pesky Dust's expression became blank and stone-like as his consciousness left the outside world and entered the Dragon Slayer's mind.
…
When Pesky Dust could feel that he was now inside Natsu's mind, he opened his eyes. He looked around and observed his surroundings.
The sky was blanketed in black clouds and rain was pouring down hard. The sound of thunder echoed in the distance. Pesky Dust then noticed that he was in the back courtyard of the Fairy Tail Guild Hall.
'This certainly doesn't look like a good dream.' Ben noted.
Pesky Dust glanced to his right and saw a small boy sitting on the edge of the seaside cliff behind the Guild Hall. Ben flew closer to the boy so that he could get a better look at him. He appeared to be around eight-years-old, and he had a full head of pink, spiky hair. He wore a red shirt, brown trousers, and had a familiar white, scaly scarf wrapped around his neck.
Though he was younger, Ben had not trouble recognizing him. "Natsu? Prrr…"
Pesky Dust was confused as to why the young Dragon Slayer was just sitting out in the middle of the rain. He then took notice of the downcast, desolate expression on his face. For Ben this was quite a surprise. He had never seen Natsu look so sad in the two and a half months he had known him.
"Prrr…I wonder why he looks so sad." Pesky Dust wondered, holding his chin.
"You're gonna catch a cold, yah know." A feminine voicesaid.
Natsu and Pesky Dust both turned to see a young girl with short, white hair and piercing cerulean eyes behind them, holding a red umbrella above her head. She wore a small light pink dress with a dark pink stripe going down the center. The girl looked at Natsu with a bright smile.
'Who's that?' Ben pondered. 'She reminds me of Mirajane, but…I don't think that's her.'
"Oh…hey…uh…what was your name again?" Natsu asked.
"I'm Lisanna, silly."
"Lisanna? Prrr…I've never heard of her before. Prrr…" Pesky Dust commented. He flew closer to hear the two better, intrigued over what was happening.
"That's right." Natsu stood up and faced the white haired girl. "You're Mira's little sister."
"You got it!" Lisanna smiled.
Ben's eyes slightly widened from this revelation. 'I didn't know Mira and Elfman had a little sister.'
"So why are you out here?" asked Lisanna. "It's cozy inside."
Natsu hummed as he looked away, looking rather sheepish.
"That's okay. You don't have to answer that one. So, Natsu, is it true that you were raised by a dragon?" Natsu perked up as soon as he heard 'dragon'. "That's incredible!"
"Uh…yeah," Natsu replied, slightly surprised. "His name's Igneel."
"I'd love to see one for myself someday. It sounds fun!" Lisanna beamed.
Natsu smirked and put his hands behind his head. "Sure is! Igneel's awesome! I think you'd really like him!" the young Dragon Slayer's previous sadness vanished completely as a smile grew on his face. "He's super strong and he's as big as a house! He taught me all the Dragon Slayer magic I know. Wanna see?"
"You bet! But…let's get out of the rain first." Lisanna suggested.
"Okay!" Natsu agreed eagerly.
Pesky Dust smiled. Just a minute ago, Natsu was depressed and lonely; however, as soon as Lisanna showed up, he quickly became happy and exuberant.
Nonetheless, one thing was still bothering Ben. If Mirajane and Elfman have a little sister, then how come he'd never seen her, or at least heard of her?
Pesky Dust was brought out of his musings when everything became distorted and began to fade away. He realized that he was now moving onto another part of Natsu's dream.
…
A couple seconds later, an entirely new scene appeared. Pesky Dust saw that he was now in what appeared to be the inside of a small, straw hut. He could hear the sound of the rain from outside and was slightly surprised that no water was leaking inside the hut. It must've been built really well.
Pesky Dust looked down to see a young Natsu and Lisanna sitting on the straw floor. He then noticed a large, white egg with peculiar blue markings on it lying between them.
'Okay…what's going on now? And…what's with that big egg?' Pesky Dust thought.
"Good thing we made it here. The rain isn't stopping." Lisanna said.
Suddenly, Natsu's stomach began to rumble. The pink haired boy smiled sheepishly and blushed lightly, putting a hand behind his head. "Uh…sorry!" His stomached growled louder, causing Natsu's face to flush darker.
"Hey, I was wondering…you live alone. Don't you?" Lisanna asked.
"Yeah" Natsu responded.
"Well then, who cooks your meals for you?"
"I just eat at the Guild." Natsu replied nonchalantly.
"So you have to pay?" Lisanna inquired further.
"Sure," Natsu frowned, "why else would I work all the time?"
"Ahh," the white haired girl sighed sadly, resting her chin on her right hand. "That's sad."
"You think so?" asked Natsu.
Pesky Dust noticed that Lisanna quickly perked up and looked at Natsu with a smile. "Yah know I could cook dinner for you sometime if you like?" She suggested.
"WHOA! I didn't know you could cook!" Natsu exclaimed.
"I'm not as good as my sister though." Lisanna mentioned modestly.
"Whoa! Hang on!" a nervous sweat drop raced down Natsu's face as he imagined Mira holding up a large butcher knife, with a predatory smile on her face. "You're telling me Mira actually cooks? You mean like food, right? Not little children?"
Pesky Dust blinked, befuddled. "Huh…prrr…where did that come from? Prrr…why would Natsu say that about Mira? Prrr…"
"Does Elfman cook too?" Natsu asked.
"Yeah! Of course he does!" Lisanna beamed.
Natsu held his chin as he imagined a kind, smiling Elfman cooking up an omelet. "Actually…that's not so strange at all. It suits him pretty well."
"Huh? Prrr…" Pesky Dust sweat dropped. He imagined the Elfman he knew standing over a stove, beating it with his Iron Bull arm and shouting out something about what a real man would do. "Why in the world would he think that? Prrr…"
Ben couldn't quite understand why Natsu was so shocked to hear that Mirajane cooked and not-so-surprised to hear that Elfman did. To him, it was completely switched around! Pesky Dust tapped his chin in thought and deduced that perhaps Mira and Elfman acted differently years ago.
All of a sudden, Ben was pulled out of his thoughts when Natsu unexpectedly snatched up the egg and turned away from Lisanna. "NO! I won't let you eat the egg! I bet it's Igneel's kid! I gotta let it hatch! Don't you dare try to fry it up!"
"Don't jump to conclusions!" Lisanna snapped. "Now listen, I built this house so we could raise the egg together, didn't I? I want it to hatch as much as you do."
"Then why'd you scare me like that, jerk?" Natsu gushed and hugged the egg affectionately. "AH! Who's my little buddy? You are. You are."
Pesky Dust sweat dropped from seeing Natsu's affectionate side.
Lisanna smiled. "Yah know…even though you get mad and pick fights all the time, you still have a sweet side. Don't you? Just like Mira."
Natsu stopped loving on the egg and turned to the white haired girl with a blank expression. "Huh?"
"It's been fun playing house with you." Lisanna continued. Her smile brightened as her face blushed lightly. "Maybe someday I can be your real wife?"
Natsu's eyes widened as a blush appeared on his cheeks. "Huh…wha…w-what got you thinking about that?" He stuttered.
Lisanna placed her hands on her cheeks and smiled adoringly. "I just noticed how strong and brave you are, and you're really good with kids too. What's not to like?"
"Yah think so?" Natsu's jaw then dropped as his face turned as red as Erza's hair, steam hissing off his head.
Pesky Dust giggled at Natsu's reaction. He had never seen Natsu look embarrassed so this was quite amusing. "Ooh…she luuvvs Natsu…niiiice…"
"What are you getting so embarrassed about?" Lisanna smiled slyly. "I was just making a joke."
Natsu's jaw dropped and his embarrassment quickly transformed into anger. "HEY! I know the word for you! Gramps calls me it all the time! Nuvenile!"
"Juvenile?" Lisanna looked away with a sly smile, and teased, "Geez…you're one to talk."
"GRR!" Frustrated, Natsu grabbed his hair and pulled it. "No fair! Why you gotta be smarter than me?!"
Pesky Dust's giggled more from Natsu's reaction. It appeared that Natsu hasn't changed much since childhood.
Suddenly, the trio's attention was captured by the golden rays of sunlight that came through the door. Natsu and Lisanna stepped outside to see the sun setting over some rocky mountains. The wet foliage around them was glistening in the sunlight.
The two kids looked at the scene in awe; even Pesky Dust had to admit it was a beautiful, tranquil scene.
"Wow!" Lisanna gasped, smiling brightly. "It's so pretty!"
Natsu only nodded, but the smile on his face showed that he too was captivated by the spectacular sunset.
"It'd be nice if we could stay like this forever. Don't yah think?" Lisanna asked.
Pesky Dust grinned from this touching scene. He never would've guessed that Natsu had a girl in his life that obviously liked him so much.
Suddenly, before Ben could ponder any further, the scene once again began to warp and fade away.
…
When the scene refocused, Pesky Dust found that he was now inside the Fairy Tail Guild Hall, where a large group of wizards were dispersed across the giant room. They were either at the wooden benches, sitting at the bar, or looking for a job at the Request Board.
Pesky Dust looked around and, despite their younger appearances, quickly found some familiar faces amongst the crowd. His attention immediately fell upon a young Natsu, who appeared to be very angry and quarreling with various Guild members.
"ALRIGHT! Which one of you stole it?" Natsu yelled indignantly.
"We don't want your dumb egg." A boy around Natsu's age retorted. It didn't take but a second for Ben to recognize him. The raven hair and the lack of clothing was a dead giveaway.
"I don't know anything about it." A brunette girl added. Ben looked closer at the girl and quickly realized it was Cana, only a lot younger…and not falling over drunk. "Gray, your clothes." She sighed, annoyed.
Immediately, the younger Gray freaked out when he saw that he was only adorned in a pair of blue boxers.
Pesky Dust snickered. "Heh-Heh…prrr…looks like Gray has always had that problem…"
Natsu ran over to a bench where a spiked, blonde haired teenage boy was sitting. "Laxus, was it you?!" He accused, a vein throbbing on his temple.
"Yeah right…" Laxus scoffed nonchalantly.
Pesky Dust rubbed his chin as he looked at the lightning mage. It seemed that Laxus was more layback and nonchalant years ago. He wondered what could've changed the master's grandson into the snide, arrogant jerk he was today.
Ben was brought out of his thoughts when Natsu stormed over to a redheaded girl in armor, who was standing by the Request Board. To Ben, it was fairly obvious who this girl was.
"Okay, Erza. Out with it already!" Natsu demanded.
Erza sweat dropped and said calmly, "Now, now…let's not jump to conclusions. It wasn't me."
Pesky Dust glanced to his right to see Lisanna talking with a teenage girl, whose long, white hair was tied up into a ponytail by a purple bow. She wore maroon tank-top, blue shorts that barely reached her upper thighs, and a black collar around her neck.
"What about you, Mira, have you seen the egg?" Lisanna asked.
"Nope. Afraid not." Mira turned to Natsu and snidely smirked. "You ate it, didn't you pinky! Just admit it."
Pesky Dust thought his jaw was about to fall off. "Prrr…that's Mira!?" He exclaimed, shocked. "Prrr…what…what's wrong with her?!"
"Mira!" Erza scolded.
Natsu gasped, startled by Mira's accusation. The young Dragon Slayer's expression darkened as he glared at the white haired teenager. "That's it." Natsu jumped at Mira, but the latter quickly caught the wrist of his attacking arm; both had rage plastered on their faces. "You're going down!" Natsu shouted.
"Oh yeah? Well bring it on!" Mira countered angrily. "I'll skin you alive, twerp!"
"Natsu! Watch where you're punching, stupid!" Gray cried as he got caught up in-between Natsu and Mira's fight.
Pesky Dust sweat dropped once more and half-smiled at the scene. He couldn't believe how the sweet, angel-like Mirajane that he knew used to be so violent and arrogant. He guessed that the saying 'Life is full of surprises' had some meaning to it after all.
He watched as younger Erza rushed over and quickly broke up the brawl between Natsu, Mira, and Gray who had gotten caught in the middle.
When they were finally split up, Natsu clenched his fists and stared at the ground on the verge of tears. "Why are you so mean? I just want my egg back."
"C'mon," Gray groaned.
"Ah…look at you crying. How cute." Mira teased.
"I'm not crying!" Natsu shouted indignantly.
"You have to quit teasing him about it." Erza reprimanded Mira. She straightened her posture and placed her hands on her armored hips as she turned to Natsu. "Now, would you please stop crying?"
"I'll make you cry!" Natsu retorted, a couple tears rolling down his face.
Erza's expression darkened slightly as she got in Mira's face. "Hurry up and give him the egg back, alright!" she whispered harshly.
"I told yah, I don't got it." Mira scowled, getting into Erza's face. "Besides, it looks like you ate it, porky!"
"What did you call me?!" Erza clenched her teeth in rage.
Pesky Dust blinked, his mouth gaping slightly, dumbfounded. Mirajane and Erza used to be rivals? He sweat dropped as they began trading childish insults with one another; much like Natsu and Gray would when they were about to fight. He was grateful that Mira and Erza eventually grew out of it though. One duo that constantly starts fights with each other was bad enough.
The Nemuina glanced in another direction to see Lisanna wiping tears from her eyes. Ben frowned sadly. It was evident that that large egg meant a lot to Natsu and Lisanna. Maybe this was why Natsu was having a bad dream, because they never found that egg.
"Yah know," Cana interjected, gaining the group's attention, "Elfman told me how jealous he was of your egg the other day."
Lisanna's face paled from horror as let out a startled yell.
"He's the one who ate it!?" Natsu shouted.
"No! He'd never do that." Lisanna defended.
"Hey. Sorry guys." Pesky Dust turned to see a small, white haired boy wearing blue pants, white shirt with a red bowtie, and a blue jacket. In his arms was the large egg that Ben had seen in Natsu and Lisanna's straw hut.
"It was you all along, wasn't it?!" Natsu stated angrily.
Elfman smiled timidly. "I didn't mean to steal it or anything." He assured. "It's just so you toss and turn so much in your sleep I was afraid that you wouldn't keep the egg warm enough."
Pesky Dust blinked, his mouth gaping slightly. He was having a hard time believing how drastically different Elfman and Mira's personalities were years ago. 'I guess people just change…I know I did…for the better.' Ben thought.
"Oh, wait a sec…" Natsu trailed off, beginning to calm down.
"So it's okay?" Lisanna asked.
"I'm not very good with magic, but I stuck close to it all night and kept it warm with my body heat." Elfman explained.
"Oh, I get it now." Natsu smiled.
"Thank you!" Lisanna beamed.
Elfman gently handed the egg over to Natsu. "Thanks a lot! You sure are a real man!" Natsu complimented.
'Hmm…I wonder if this is where Elfman got the whole 'real man' thing from.' Ben pondered.
"And you blamed everything on me?" Mira frowned, turning to Erza. "Typical"
"Well, that's because things are usually your fault!" Erza retorted.
All of a sudden, before another argument could ensue, the shell of the egg began to crack. The group of kids gasped while everyone else went quiet, their attention focused on the egg.
Laxus, who was leaning against a post off to the side, glanced toward the commotion. "Now what?"
A group of mages gathered around the egg as larger cracks grew on the shell. Pesky Dust flew over the crowd, eyeing the egg curiously. All of a sudden, the egg finally cracked apart and a sphere of bright, blue light came out and floated in the air. Pesky Dust and the Fairy Tail wizards stared at the azure light in awe and intrigue.
When the light died away, a blue kitty with small, white wings was floating in the air.
"Whoa! It's a freaking cat!" Macao and Wakaba shouted simultaneously.
Pesky Dust was also quite shocked as his eyes widened and his mouth gaped slightly. "H-Happy?" He stuttered. "Prrr…"
Natsu, Lisanna, and the other wizards looked at the flying cat in awe and joy.
"Whoa! It has wings! Is it a bird?" Natsu inquired, excited.
"No. It's a cat, a blue cat." Lisanna corrected.
The kitty gently came to a smooth landing on top of Natsu's head as his wings disappeared. Baby Happy sat up with a cute smile and said, "Aye!"
Everyone in the crowd had hearts in their eyes, admiring how adorable Happy was.
"He's so cute!" Lisanna gushed.
"I know!" The crowd agreed.
Pesky Dust snickered as he gazed down at the crowd that was hypnotized by Happy's cuteness. 'I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that his first word was aye.' The Nemunia then scratched his head, a befuddling thought crossing his mind. 'So…cats in this universe hatch from egss? That's kinda weird…'
Ben snapped out of his musing as his attention was recaptured by Natsu and Lisanna. "Do you see that?" Lisanna asked as she took hold of Natsu's left arm. "A minute ago everyone was so worked up…and now they're happy."
It was true. Everyone in the Guild Hall was laughing and had a smile on their face.
"He's almost like a little, blue bird of happiness. Isn't he?" Lisanna said.
Natsu's eyes widened slightly as he stared down at the baby cat in his arms. "Happiness, huh? Well…in that case, I'll name him, Happy!"
The azure cat's eyes opened again as he stretched out his limbs. "Aye!" Happy chimed cutely.
"Happy the Dragon!" Natsu cheered exuberantly, dancing around with Happy in his arms.
"It's not a dragon." Mira deadpanned, annoyed.
Pesky Dust giggled in amusement. He sometimes wondered how Natsu and Happy met, and now he had his answer. He did find it odd that Happy hatched from an egg though.
However, Ben was now becoming confused over something. Before he went into Natsu's mind, he seemed distraught in his sleep, which meant he was most likely having a nightmare. So how come all the images he's seen so far have been good ones?
Before the fairy-like alien could ponder any further, the memory ended as the scene began to distort and fade away.
…
When the scene recalibrated, Pesky Dust was now in a dark, foggy forest. Ben looked around and couldn't recognize the setting at all.
"Prrr…where am I now?" Pesky Dust said out loud.
Ben was pulled out of his thoughts when a loud voice yelled out through the fog. "Lisanna! Where did you go!?" The Omnitrix bearer turned to the right to see an eight-year-old Natsu running along a forest path with an unnerved expression.
Natsu stopped and turned his head left and right. "Would you quit playing around already? C'mon, say something!"
The young Dragon Slayer suddenly tripped over a large tree root and hit the ground hard. "Ow! This stinks…"
Pesky Dust looked at the pink haired boy in confusion and curiosity. 'Guess Natsu must've lost Lisanna in the woods…not good.' Ben thought.
Without warning, a shriek called out through the forest mist. Natsu and Pesky Dust turned in the direction of the scream to see a twenty-foot-tall, green ape-like creature with pink hearts on its arms stepping out of the fog.
Pesky Dust's eyes widened slightly. This creature resembled the one that had tried to smash him when he had first arrived in this magical universe. He could only assume they were part of the same species.
"Long time no see, little punk." The green Vulcan jeered. It held out his right arm to show a frightened Lisanna trapped in its grip. "You ain't looking for this, are yah?"
"Help me!" the little girl cried.
"Lisanna!" Natsu clenched his fists and got in a fighting stance, glaring hard at the large ape. "Let her go! Get your filthy hands off her, monkey!"
"No way! You don't know how things work in the forest, do yah kid? Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers!" The Vulcan proclaimed smugly.
"She isn't yours to keep!" Natsu retorted.
"Yeah!" Happy agreed, who was flying next to Natsu.
"Prrr…uh-oh…this doesn't look good…" Pesky Dust commented.
The Vulcan grinned sinisterly as it brought Lisanna closer to its face. "Oh, I'm gonna keep her alright because it just so happens that I've been looking for a wife."
Pesky Dust face-vaulted as a result from the Vulcan's statement. Did he just hear correctly? Did this forest ape-like monster want to make a little girl his wife? What the hell!?
"Oh no!" Lisanna squealed, imagining herself married to the Vulcan and having many Vulcan babies. "I don't think so!"
Natsu's arms slumped while he wore an exasperated, half-smile. "Yah see? That's kinda how I feel."
"Oh wow! Scandalous! Truly forbidden love!" Happy remarked.