Okay, this is the last chapter. It was sort of my way of throwing a few small ideas into the story at the last minute. I've always found that ending a story is harder than starting one. This is something I find odd because I always aim to see a story through to the end. Otherwise I kill it completely—meaning I delete it and never think of it again, and I think that's only happened twice at most. At least once that's happened.

Happy: That was a long time ago, too. So, anyway, thanks to all you viewers who read this story. Thanks to those of you who added it to your favorites and thanks to those of you who reviewed it.

Myo: Thank you! You're awesome!

The readers fuel the fire for the authors, you guys, so thanks again for all of your support!

Happy: Tell your friends! Have a fish once in a while! And enjoy the chapter!

Hey! That's my line!

Carla: Also, thank you, TheGreatSakura for lending Ruby and Garnet to Pokémon Ranger-Trainer once again, as well as lending him Aquamarine for her Fan Fiction debut. Okay, now you may sit back and enjoy this rather fluffy and cute installment, if I do say so myself.

Chapter 21: The Aftermath

And so, the Allied Forces returned to their respective guilds in their respective towns. Lucy ended up piggybacking Natsu the entire way back to Magnolia Town, which certainly wasn't easy to pull off and even harder to forget. Wendy carried both Happy and Carla as Happy was immobile at the time and she always held Carla.

"Wendy, you look rather depressed. Is something wrong?" Carla asked as she looked up at Wendy.

The blue haired girl sighed and claimed, "I really wanted Avia-chan to come join Fairy Tail…"

"You can't win them all, child," Carla sighed. She looked over at Happy, who was disturbingly limp. "Happy, when do you think you will move again?"

"I don't know. Soon, I bet. I'm not worried. Actually, I kind of don't want to move," Happy replied with a yawn. "I'm so tired…" Carla couldn't help but smile at his answer.

"Need… zesty breakfast burrito…" Natsu mumbled as he slept on Lucy's back.

"Doesn't he hurt your back, Lucy?" Gray asked curiously.

"No. Actually, I feel pretty balanced," Lucy stated pleasantly. Even if it was a bit of a bother, she didn't mind. Natsu had gotten her out of more jams than she could count. On top of that, he looked rather cute when he was sleeping and not inadvertently burning villages to the ground.

They reached Magnolia and they raced to the guild hall with unbridled joy. Cursed Fang was dead. The path of victory was for the legal guilds. They were all very proud of their accomplishment. And…

"Mommy, you laid the egg!" Crimson exclaimed in awe as he studied the red markings on the large, white egg.

"And Miss Porlyusica said it's due to hatch at anytime now!" Ruby claimed excitedly.

"Also, we planned on joining Fairy Tail! How's that sound to y'all?" Salberay said with more than a hint of enthusiasm. He pulled off his jacket to show off his black guild mark.

"We're joining? That's awesome!" Garnet exclaimed. He glanced off to his right to see little blue Azure and the ever radiant blue Aquamarine. He worked up his nerve, walked over to them, and said, "You know, they say blue is the warmest color of all."

"Do they now?" Aquamarine asked pleasantly. "That was pretty bold. So, are you joining Fairy Tail, too?"

Too?! Oh, yes! "Yeah, I am. My whole family is," Garnet replied with a warm smile.

"Great! It has an awesome reputation, right?" Aquamarine began making small talk with Garnet. Azure walked over to the egg, standing next to Crimson, and watched the vessel of birth patiently.

Suddenly, the egg began to move. It shook. Then it bounced. A crack appeared on the patterned shell. And a baby red Exceed with an orange tail tip and matching orange cheek blushes broke out. Ruby held the baby, announcing, "It's a girl!"

"Howdy!" the kitten said in a small, cute baby voice.

"She looks more like her Ma, but she acts just like her Pa!" Salberay cried—no, sobbed tears of joy.

"Oh, my little Scarlet!" Ruby fawned over the baby in her arms.

"Now Myo has a new little friend!" Shagotte pleasantly realized.

"Aye!" Myo agreed.

"She's so cute!" Cana gushed over the kitten.

"Look at how sweet she is!" Levy gasped excitedly. Ester gently tickled Scarlet's stomach, summoning adorable baby giggling from the red kitten.

"What a sweet, soft little kitten!" Gajeel oozed as he admired Scarlet.

"Oh, I love the name! It's so strong and youthful!" Erza commended, but it came off as thinly veiled self-praise, not that it wasn't.

"Has anyone seen my lighter?" Wakaba asked openly.

"I'm right here," Macao announced to him.

"No, the one I keep in my pocket!" Wakaba clarified.

"Say, where are Happy and Natsu?" Gray asked curiously.

"Lucy-san and Carla took them back to their house so they could rest up," Wendy stated as she was stuffing her face with sweets. She held out a plate of pudding to him. "Want some, Gray-san?"

"No thanks. You can have it," Gray passed up the offer.

"Stare…" Mavis uttered creepily as she stared at Wendy's pudding.

"F-First Master!" Wendy exclaimed in shock.

"Oh, c'mon, Wendy, let me have some! Please!" Mavis begged.

"What does a ghost want with pudding?" Gray asked.

"Gray, Gray, Gray," Mavis began a lecture, "you will never reach enlightenment like the Buddha if you ask these questions so blindly. You need lots of meditation and fiber in your diet!"

"Maybe I don't want to be Buddha!" Gray exclaimed defiantly.

Meanwhile, Natsu and Happy were sitting at home, resting in bed. Carla was wearing a tiny maid outfit, feeding Happy some fish. Happy looked like he had gone to heaven, given the goofy grin on his face. Carla grinned as well, glad to be making the blue cat feel like his name. She told him, "You really are a hero. I know some people underestimate you, but I never will. Especially not after today."

"Thanks, Carla!" Happy politely thanked her. "You're the best!"

"I am…?" Carla asked, blushing intensely.

"Aye!" Happy replied with his honest opinion and signature answer to just about everything.

Lucy was holding Wakaba's lighter to Natsu's face, watching as he ate the flames off of it. She smiled as she thought back to when she first saw him ate fire. She wished she had seen the look on her face then. It must have been pretty funny. She told him, "You know, you're absolutely crazy…"

"Nothing like the flames from Wakaba's lighter to cure a tummy ache!" Natsu said with satisfaction and let out a loud belch. "Eating that Cosmic Buster thing made me feel sick as a dog after the fight, but I was too beat to feel it until a little while ago. When you return that, can you tell Wakaba I said 'thanks for the antacid'?"

"The things I do for you," Lucy sighed. Then she laughed. "I ought to be saying 'the things you do for me'—and pretty much everyone. Sure, I'll tell him." She winked and then said, "Leave it to me."

"You rock, Luce," Natsu yawned as he drifted off to sleep.

"Aye!" Happy yawned.

Carla tucked him in and asked, "Would you like me to fetch your parents for you? I'm sure they're on their way back now with more fish. Seriously, it's only a hop, skip, and a jump away."

"No thanks, Carla. I think I'll be asleep when they get back," Happy claimed. "Thanks for getting me out of there."

"It's only because of you and Natsu that any of us are even alive," Carla hugged him and stated. "Thank you for saving our lives."

"Carla… I saw your father when I… I don't know what I was then. When I was knocked out, I guess. You have his eyes. I'm glad I got to meet him, especially because I love your eyes," Happy explained his meeting with King Cedric to her. She took in every word and analyzed each one in her mind.

"You met the late king?" She finally spoke.

"Aye! He was so nice!" Happy confirmed. She smiled and kissed his forehead. "And we met Lucy's mama, too! Natsu thought she was your twin sister, Lucy!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Lucy asked as she was halfway out the door. She paused for a second and said, "Thank you, Happy." Then, under her breath, she whispered, "Thank you, Mom, for bringing him back to me."

"Rest well, Happy, and may you dream of mountains of fish and having reign over them all," Carla spoke softly and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Aye!" Happy said before passing out from the ecstasy of her sweet kiss combined with the thought of being King of All Things Fish in his dreams. Soon, he was sleeping soundly.

"Are you coming?" Lucy asked, waiting for Carla.

"Go on ahead, Lucy. I'll wait for Miss Marl and Mr. Lucky to get back," Carla urged. Hesitantly, the blonde left, leaving the white cat along with the blue cat and the pink haired human (though he didn't always seem human). She let out a sigh and began to pray to her departed father. "Thank you, Daddy. He's a nice boy, I promise you. I've been a lucky little queen to have met him, aren't I? And to have you watching over me. And over him. Thank you."

"Oh, Carla…" Happy moaned in his sleep. "You look so good in that dress. It goes well with that fish…"

In response to this, Carla stifled a giggle and yawned into her paw. She mumbled, "We've all had a long day. I think I'll just rest my head for a moment…" She laid her head down on Happy's bed, smiled, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

About ten minutes passed when Marl came in with a big bag full of fish. She grinned from ear to ear when she saw Carla resting her head and arms on Happy's bed, fast asleep. She thought about how she could worry a little less knowing a responsible young lady was almost always with her little boy on all of his adventures and misadventures alike. She briefly placed the bag on a table, got a spare blanket from the linen closet, and draped it over Carla's shoulders.

"Sweet dreams," Marl whispered softly and went to store the fish away in the kitchen.

"Yes, Happy… Two lumps, please… Thank you," Carla mumbled in her sleep, dreaming she was having a tea party with Happy. She loved that adorable, goofy grin of his. She was enchanted by his blue fur. His youthful voice was music to her ears and serenaded her dreams. His huge, dark eyes spurred her on with their cuteness. Perhaps his passionate heart was what captivated her most of all. She was perfectly content with her silly blue tomcat.

The end

Scarlet: (has her brothers hogtied)

Salberay: That's my girl!

Ruby: Oh, boys! (unties them)

Natsu: Zzz…

Gray: Where's the bathroom? I gotta take a leak.

Lucy: TMI, Gray!

Azure: Thank you all once again for reading.

Aquamarine: It was an honor being read by you! That sounded better in my head…

Plue: (holds up a sign that says "That's All, Folks")