A/N: Can you smell that? Take a good whiff! Can you guess it?... NO?
It's the good old smell of neglecting responsibilities!

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Sorry...

Chapter 3: Little Girls

Dread. Fear. Anguish. Helplessness.

Those were the things revolving through her mind. Her eyes betrayed all emotions as her frame shook in fright. It couldn't end like this, right? They were Fairy Tail, the strongest guild in Fiore. No one could beat them. They had the power of love, family and friendship, no one could beat that, right. They defeated Hades, the Oracion Seis, their Edolas counter parts and they had managed to seal Zeref. So why, why was this happening?

Natsu and Gajeel lay unconscious on the floor, their battle against Tempesta and Torafusa had exhausted them. Sting and Rogue lay completely beaten next to her. Erza and Minerva had their own scars and bruises. Levy lay knocked out near Gajeel and the most remaining were all run out of magic. In the corner of her eye she saw Mira stand in front of her heavily beaten siblings, herself not looking any better. Her eyes shot back to the man facing them. A spine chilling laugh escaped his fowl mouth as he threw his head back and his hands up.

She cringed at his laugh. It was evil, dark and it made her want to spit in disgust. Never before had she felt so much rage. Not when Jellal did not recognise her, not when people ridiculed her guild, not when she saw her guild mates beaten in the GMG, not ever. The pure anger made her tremble even more, she began to see red. She had never wanted to kill someone so bad before.

Her mind froze.

Kill? She had never wanted to kill anybody. Her magic was based on supporting and healing, she hated the idea of killing! Yet, it couldn't be mistaken, this feeling. The itching of her hands, the way her mind seemed to shut down, the way her heart spread black through her veins. She was sure of it. She was done with the childish little helpless Wendy! She hated him. Hated, hated, hated, hated! She wanted to scream! Scream it all out. This urge, she had never felt it before. The urge to leap at him, wrap her hands around his throat and scream out all her sadness. She couldn't take it. Her inner dragon growled, banged and trashed in her heart to get out.

"My, my, seems like I am not the only dark one," his disgustingly voice sneered with a haughty tone.

Her eyes widened and shot up to his face. He was talking to her. She somehow felt the rage sink. Her courage slowly started to melt.

No! No!

She was done with the little Wendy! She didn't want to be small and frail anymore. So, why? Why were there tears pricking in her eyes. Why did her heart sink to her stomach and that infuriating rage that she felt, disappear. The others were in no state to fight, she had to help! She didn't have a choice!

Faintly she registered Carla shouting something to her. She couldn't hear it, not even with her enhanced hearing. All parts of her body and mind were focused on the man standing in front of her. This dark, retched, despicable man.

Her hands felt clammy as a large smirk adorned his face, showing off his large canines. "You're not really thinking of taking me on, are you little girl?" he spoke mockingly, a dark eyebrow raised in mock-amusement.

A spark of rage flared within her heart again. A large glare formed on her otherwise cute face and her eyes spat fire. "I. Am .Not. A. Little. Girl," she growled slowly through clenched teeth.

She spread her legs in a steady manner and lifted her fist. She'd be damned if she at least didn't try. She was going to show him.

He let out another booming laugh and raised his own hand. "If that is what you really want," he said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

She narrowed her eyes and started channelling her magic in her hands and mouth. The tension hung thick in air. Again she registered the voices of her friends, telling her to stop. But she couldn't now. How could she? She had to protect her family. They had gone through hell to help her, so now it was her turn.

Yes.

She would protect her family, no matter the cost... And with that last thought in mind, she charged. "Sky dragon; ROAR!" she shouted and blew out a powerful tornado of magical wind.

"Futile," he said with a bored sigh and easily swiped away her wind.

She bit her lip and narrowly dodged a large spiky vine of dark magic. "Sky Dragon, Crushing Fang!" she shouted.

Irritation boiled in her as he once again easily deflected her attack. He was mocking her and it annoyed her to no extent. Her brows furrowed as she poured more magic in her hands. She was going to get him this time.

Mard Geer let out a sigh and raised his hand. "I don't have time for this," he muttered and shot his dark magic out of his hand, just as she shot another tunnel of wind his way.

His dark magic obliterated her attack and went straight through its defences... Right towards her. The beam of dark magic hit her head on, making her fly back and crash into a large stone wall.

Pain seared through her whole body and it felt like she was being punched by a million iron fists. She let out a cry of pain as she landed on the cold unforgiving ground. Her muscles and limbs jerked at the aftershock. Once it subsidised she felt confused. Her mind was hazy and her eyesight swam. She could faintly see her friends try to reach her, but Mard Gear attacked them. She felt strangely calm for just a fraction of a second, serene even. Something glistened in the corner of her eye, making her turn her head in confusion. She strained her eyes to see what it was.

During her fall her pendant had flipped out of her shirt. The enticing dark purple crystal still hung around the silver chain, completely undamaged. Her eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment. Her clothes were torn to shreds due his magic, but the pendant had stayed completely unscratched. It somehow spread a warm feeling through her as she held it in her hand.

A soft humming~

She still remembered her. Her long beautiful golden blonde hair. Her large chocolate brown eyes that sparked of mischief, kindness and mystery. Her strangely dark aura, that somehow also felt warm and trustworthy. Her soft hands that clasped around her face. They were almost icy cold, but they spread warmth through her nevertheless. The way she looked at her with so much trust and gratefulness. She never really forgot her. Not only had she received the necklace, but somehow she always felt her mind drawn to the girl. The soft words that she had told her circled through her mind.

"Wear this at all times and I swear that I will repay your kindness."

She felt a little irony well up. Probably the girl had forgotten about her, she had after all disappeared for seven years. But surely if she had watched the GMG she would have seen her. But then again, why would this mysterious girl help her? Especially now? Nobody knew where they were, let alone on the brink of death fighting a few of the strongest demons. She wanted to scoff a little. She almost angrily squeezed her hand shut around the stone.

"Watch out! Run Wendy!"

She looked up in a confused daze. Oh, yea, she was in a fight. Mard Gear stood far in the back parallel to her. He had his hand raised, a large black magic circle forming in it, and a nasty smirk on his face. The smirk alone showed his insanity and cruelness. If that wasn't enough, you could look in his eyes. They spoke pure evil.

She found herself unable to move. No matter how much she willed her feet to move, do as she was told, run. They just weren't responding. Her eyes were blank, as if accepting this fate. She didn't want to, but she just felt so hopeless.

She rubbed slow circles around the dark purple stone. The warmth it emitted into her became stronger. She blinked slowly as the ball of dark energy forming around her enemy's hand grew larger and larger. She lazily looked down at the stone, if the girl really wanted to keep her promise... This would be the ideal time.

"Silly Fairies," Gear muttered and shot his magic at her.

The beam of dark magic raced straight too her, enveloping her in it, and passed effortlessly through her, destroying all the things behind her. Stone, debris and dust exploded around everyone, creating a large smoke screen. The dust flew over the terrain entering everyone's lungs, making them splutter and cough, and their eyes sting. The tears they started to shed mingled with the dust as they frantically tried to get up.

"WENDY!" Mira shouted, her sobs choked in her throat as she looked for any sign of blue.

Carla only stood frozen on her spot, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Her heart clenched painfully as her mind raced.

Another nasty laugh resonated through everyone's ears.

They all turned slowly towards the demon. Bodies trembling and hands shaking.

Carla's eyes widened and started to shake. She felt a lump build in her throat. Rage flamed through her normally calm eyes and the most distasteful, hate filled look filled her face. "NOOOO!" she shouted in pure anguish. "NOOO!" she repeated. Her limbs were shaking as she channelled the last bit of magic into her wings. "NOOOOO!" She jumped up and flew at max speed towards him.

"CARLA STOP!"

Everyone stilled at the voice. Even Gear's eyes widened in surprise. Standing up with arms covering her body, was Wendy. Her clothes and shoes had burnt off completely, leaving her bare. But other from that, she only had a few cuts and bruises marring her body. Gear's mind couldn't wrap around it. There was no way a puny human could survive a blast like that, dragon slayer or not. His eyes flitted over her. There was nothing special about her, no demon heritage, blood or DNA, nothing. Then, something caught his eye. Not all her clothes had been blasted off. Around her neck, unscratched and still glinting slightly in the dark light, a dark purple pendant, attached to a long silver chain. There was no mistaking it. The power that emitted from the stone couldn't be confused with any other. It was her...

"Give me that stone!" he demanded and took threatening steps towards Wendy.

She quirked a brow and followed his eyes. She gasped in surprise. It wasn't broken!

"Give it to me now girly!" he warned again.

She felt a strange certain protectiveness come over her and angrily clutched it in her hand, totally forgetting her bareness. "No!" she shouted stubbornly.

Carla watched in confusion as Wendy quickly stepped back. "What are you doing? Just give him it! You only got it from a hussie that you don't even know!" she pleaded desperately.

Wendy shook her head and took another step back. "No! She told me to always wear it! Besides she still has to repay her favour, she promised!" she shouted.

Carla couldn't believe her ears. Was she being serious. She had just survived a blast of extremely strong magic by pure luck and now she was just throwing her life away?! Over a stupid necklace she got from a mysterious nobody who promised her something SEVEN years ago?! Was she going absolutely mad or had the whole world just lost his sense?

Gear's face turned in a nasty sneer as he kept on approaching Wendy. "Come on now, listen to your cat!"

Wendy's eyes narrowed, "Why do you even want this necklace?!"

He clenched his jaw, "None of your business," he growled.

The comment made Mira raise a brow, "Wendy has a point, why do you want that necklace?" she asked slowly.

He finally snapped. "God dammit! If you won't give it, then I'll take it by force!" he shouted.

His actions stopped as the whole area suddenly became quiet, too quiet. It was as if the wind itself had stopped. Not even the breaths of the Fairies could be heard. It was as if it was all filtered, leaving nothing but utter silence.

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"Little Girls should not go out at night~"

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That tune! The ghostly beauty that echoed through the whole room! It sent a chill down everyone's spine and Wendy jumped up to run towards the source of the sound. The octave lowered and turned back up. She knew it!

Slowly, emerging from the shadows, came a figure. An elegant black cloak pulled over their face, hiding their whole appearance. Until she looked up, revealing a pair of plump rosy lips. She hummed the last of the ghostly tune and stopped. Her lips turned up in an easy smile as she looked at the small girl run towards her.

Tears sprung in Wendy's eyes and she engulfed her in a hug. "I knew it! I knew you would come!" she shouted and buried her face in the girl's stomach.

She giggled and patted her head. "Hey, did no one ever tell you it's inappropriate to walk around naked," she teased lightly.

Wendy's eyes snapped to her body and a heavy blush appeared on her face. She let out a small squeak and quickly tried to hide her body.

The girl shrugged off her cloak, revealing her enchanting appearance, and hung it over Wendy. She looked up in surprise. The girl was wearing the exact same simple white dress as she had on the day they first met. A warm glint sparked in her eyes and she took Wendy's hand.

"Looks like you guys got yourself in quite a pickle," she said, observing the battered Fairies and Gear, who was still a little dazed.

Wendy bit her lips as she looked at the whole scene. "You came to help, right?" she asked, a hint of despair still in her voice.

She nodded and locked eyes with Mard Gear. "Well, well, well. That has been a long time," she said, the enigma that clouded her whole being never faltering.

A nervous smirk crept up his face as he faced the blonde. Wendy tugged the cloak closer to her body as a thick tension clouded the air. The girl and the demon stared at each other, their eyes not looking at anything else. The girl took a few slow steps towards the demon and the greasy smirk Gear had was turning into a rather rather troubled and nervous look, while the girl's posture was relaxed with a full blow grin was spread across her face.

"Wendy-chan, get out of here with your friends," the girl said slowly, not breaking eye contact with the demon.

Wendy looked up in shock and tried to get up, "NO! We are can't leave you alone, we will fight with you," she spoke hastily and glanced towards her guild mates who nodded their heads in agreement.

"We appreciate you coming, but we have are a guild with pride and determination. We will fight with you," Mira said and clenched her fist next to her side.

The girl smiled, Wendy couldn't make out what it meant, good or bad. Her hand raised and Wendy could feel powerful magic surging through her hand. The ground under Wendy's feet started to glow and around all the other Fairies.

"I'm sorry, but I promised I would protect you," the girl said in a whisper and the glowing light turned into a magic circle.

Wendy reached out for the girl, but her vision began to swim. She could feel herself losing consciousness and it made her want to shout. The girl started to fade from her eyesight and a strange pulling feeling made her entire body relax until it felt like she was floating. The dark corners that had started to darken her vison took over and soon all she could see was black, followed by a familiar smell of booze and disinfectant.