Letters Across Fiore

by Chiharu Tanaka

A/n: Okay there's a few things I have to explain beforehand. One, is that this is a friendship fic between Doranbolt & Wendy - so there's no paedophilia involved. Two, this follows the Fairy Tail manga plot until the end of the Tenrou Arc. Three, there may be slight OOC moments in terms of Doranbolt, but because he's a complex character, so yeah.

Enjoy! Please read & review.

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Prologue

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The light that enveloped Tenrou Island that fateful day was as bright as the sun - so bright, in fact, that everyone around its perimeter had to shield their eyes to avoid becoming permanently blind. When it was over, though, there was nothing.

The island with the massive tree, symbol of the holy grounds to the guild of Fairy Tail, had just disappeared into thin air.

"What in the world..." Lahar managed to mumble out, blinking a few times to make sure it wasn't just a hallucination. "It can't be...where's Tenrou Island?!"

Everyone aboard the Council's ship frantically looked upwards, only to find that the massive dragon that had attacked the island earlier soared higher into the skies, before disappearing behind the clouds.

"Captain, move toward the island!"

The captain of the ship looked at Lahar incredulously. "But sir, the dragon could..."

"The dragon's suffered some loss of power from that. It won't be coming back anytime soon, so we need to hurry and check the remains of the island."

The captain merely nodded before setting the course of the ship. Lahar frowned, his eyebrows furrowed together, before approaching his subordinate who was seated on the deck, holding his head with both hands.

"Doranbolt," he began, tapping the younger man on his shoulder.

"It's gone...they're all gone...and I couldn't do anything..."

Lahar sighed softly at his words. "Look, it's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault but Grimoire Heart, really. C'mon, stand up - you look pathetic."

Doranbolt, a man who had gone by the alias of 'Mest Gryder' for the past few months as an undercover agent in Fairy Tail reluctantly stood up, wiping his tears with the back of his hand.

Guilt weighed at his heart the moment he realised what kind of guild Fairy Tail was like - because he had been sent to find incriminating evidence against them - and now that most of their elite members, including their master Makarov - had just vanished in a blink of an eye.

And even the poor innocent girl I had dragged along...

"We'll need you to come down and search with us."

He merely nodded, unable to say another word.

Wendy...

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After the disappearance of Tenrou Island, Fairy Tail members, as well as Lahar's division of the Magic Council, had been searching for survivors. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, but there was nothing.

The Council had given up after a mere 3 weeks, but the Fairy Tail members persisted: even after 3 months. Their numbers dwindled, however, mostly due to internal conflict, as one by one they began to give up hope.

One man never quitted, however, and that was Macao, the appointed 4th Master of the guild. He sat on the deck of the small ship alone, his young son Romeo sleeping inside the cabin. He lit a cigarette, like he usually would on nights like these, creating a small glow around his face on this otherwise dark night.

Breathing out a cloud of smoke, he smirked and turned to another boat slowly approaching the site where Tenrou Island used to be. "Well, well, well. I didn't think any of you would show up by this time."

The boat stopped as it anchored several feet away from Macao's ship. "It's not a crime to be here," was the reply, in a grave tone.

"I know you," said Macao, still seated and casually smoking. "You're that guy who got into our guild and messed with our heads."

Doranbolt was far from amused, his arms crossed as he stood solemnly. He may have made them think he was Mystogan's disciple - that was all a lie - but the times where he actually sat, drank and laughed with them...that was real.

"What's it to you?"

"Heh, you lyin' piece of shit. I'm not itchin' for a fight today, so I'm gonna leave you alone."

They sat in silence for a while with only the sound of the waves and the sea breeze filling their ears. It wasn't until several minutes later that Doranbolt finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry."

"What? I can't hear you."

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I have no excuse for infiltrating Fairy Tail, but I never meant for this to happen."

Macao scratched the back of his head as he stood up. "Look, young man. As a member of Fairy Tail, we'd do everything for our guild. Had you still been a spy, I would've taken you down myself, but..."

Doranbolt turned to face him, featured faintly outlined by the pale moonlight.

"I heard about what you did, from one of my old buddies who works in the Council's lower ranks. You risked the charge of treason, just to make sure Tenrou Island didn't get hit by the Etherion like that tower did. I don't know what's happened to them, or if they're still alive but at least...you've saved them once."

He remained silent, unable to respond to Macao's words. "So don't carry all that guilt around with you. I'm sure they're alive...I just know it."

Doranbolt made an unlikely friend that day, and although his first night of simply waiting had not been fruitful, he came back two days in a row, meeting Romeo on the second night and Alzack and Bisca when they followed Macao on the third night.

And it was on the third night that something miraculous happened.

A blinding light, much like the one he first saw when the island disappeared, flashed through the night like a beacon. The waves rolled backwards, moving their boats as they stuggled to find balance and shield their eyes.

When the light was gone, there stood Tenrou Island, in all its former might and glory.

They wasted no time and rushed towards the island, leaving their boats on the sandy shore as they raced up the darkened beach with magic-powered torchlights.

"Oi! Natsu! Lucy! Master! Are you guys here?!" Macao shouted.

"Ma...cao?"

Natsu sat up from where he was lying on the ground, and once he was up, he explained briefly what happened to them - they were flown away from where they once joined hands to make a circle. Macao nodded, as Romeo gave the Dragon Slayer a bone-breaking hug, and told the group to split up to search for the others.

It wasn't long until Doranbolt came across the girl he was looking for, breathing softly as she held one hand over her little cat's paw. "Wendy," he said, kneeling down next to her. "Wendy, wake up," he said again, shaking her shoulders.

"Mmm...what?"

Her eyelids fluttered open, before she gasped when she realised what had happened before. "The Acnologia...!"

"It's gone. It disappeared three months ago."

He helped Wendy sit up, and eventually Carla woke up and sat with her as well. "Where's Natsu and the rest?"

"He's fine. Macao's with him. Alzack and Bisca are looking for the rest."

Wendy blinked, before looking at the night sky. "What happened? All I remembered was joining hands with everyone, and the First Master Mavis...and then there was a bright light..."

"Actually, when Acnologia flew away, the island...disappeared. Into thin air. We've been looking for you for the past three months."

Her eyes widened. "Three months? But..."

For once, Doranbolt smiled in relief as a great burden in his heart had been lifted. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you and your friends are safe," he said as he patted the back on her hand. "Come, we should start searching for the others."

They found all the missing members eventually, and with a message delivered to the HQ, soon a few more ships joined in to pick up everyone from the island. Mavis Vermillion also made herself known, although only to guild members so Doranbolt was not able to see her.

There was a grand party, in the style of Fairy Tail, the next night to celebrate their miraculous comeback. Everyone was drinking, cheering and having fun, and oddly, even if Doranbolt thought he was going to be treated coldly for once having been a spy, he received thanks, pats on the shoulders and smiles like how he used to when he was Mest Gryder.

"You look surprised," said Wendy as she approached him with a cup of soda in her hands.

"I am," he replied, scooting sideways so she could sit next to him. Carla was not with her - the young Exceed was too busy trying to stop Happy and Pantherlily from sparring.

"Why?" the twelve year-old asked.

"Everyone knows what I've done, or what I was trying to do. Yet they still treat me like I was still part of the guild."

Wendy chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"You look so different when you're serious," she admitted. "I remember when I first met you - you jumped into a river in winter just because you wanted to know how it felt like!"

"Don't remind me," he said, looking away with a shudder down his spine.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about that. I mean, Fairy Tail is a wonderful guild. Master Makarov is such a nice person, I think that's why everyone's so loyal to him. Gajeel and Juvia were once part of Phantom Lord, who tried to destroy Fairy Tail. Yet here they are."

He watched her as she continued talking with a loving look on her face, like one of a mother when talking about her children. "Just before I joined the guild, I heard Laxus also messed up the guild that one time, when he wanted to forcibly take the role of Guild Master, but Master merely exiled him and not the other three that were with him. And yet...Laxus is now back with us."

He knew this much already during reconnaissance, but when he saw how she spoke of her guild so dearly, he knew how much the Guild meant to her. "I see," was his mere reply.

"Do you want to join? I can talk to the Master if you want-"

"That's alright," he said, patting her head. "I still have a job to do, even though I'd consider this 'slacking off' by now. Thank you for that offer, though."

A tinge of pink came across her cheeks. "I still haven't thanked you yet...for helping me back on Tenrou Island."

"There's nothing to thank me for," he said. "You're a good girl, Wendy. I'm sorry I had to trick you."

She shook her head. "It's okay."

Doranbolt finished his mug of beer and set in on the table. "Well, I'd best be off."

"Wait!" she said, tugging at his sleeve. "Are you...are you gonna come by Magnolia once in a while? I mean...I know you're busy and stuff..."

"I'm...not sure. I've been away from the Council for some time, and I'm usually travelling during missions..."

He gulped, a little too alike his alias Mest Gryder when her brown eyes turned away from him in disappointment. "Oh...I see," she mumbled.

Not wanting to see her sulk, he looked down at her as he scratched his cheek. "I'm sure you have plenty of errands to run yourself...but I suppose I could...write to you. That way we can keep in touch."

Her eyes brightened up as she caught his gaze and a grin formed on her face. "Really?"

He nodded, although he really only wrote letters for official business.

"Okay, wait here. I'll get us some paper and a pen."

The little girl scurried off towards the bar, where she asked Mirajane for some stationery. She quickly returned, the grin still on her face before she scribbled her address in a cursive, rounded handwriting. "This is my address in Fairy Hills," she told him, giving him the piece of paper. "Can I have yours too? If you're going to be busy, I can start writing first."

"I think you should," he said with a nervous laugh as he wrote down his residential address in Crocus, the capital city of Fiore. "I'm...not exactly good at writing. Oh, and please write 'Mest Gryder' on the envelope. The landlady doesn't know my real name."

"Sure, but why the alias?"

"It's...complicated. When you're in my line of work, you'd understand."

He returned the slip back to her, and she looked down to read his address. "You live in the capital? That's pretty far."

"Yes, which is why I have to get going first thing in the morning," Doranbolt replied as he stood up. Wendy ended up walking him out through the front gates of the guild.

"I guess this is goodbye," she said, her eyes lacking the lustre it had moments ago.

"I'm sure I'll see you again, Wendy. Don't cry, okay."

"I won't, I'm not six years old."

"Sorry," he said, before he chuckled. She surprised him when she suddenly wrapped her thin arms around his waist - only briefly - before she let go.

"Travel safely. I'll see you soon, I hope."

"Thanks. Good night, Wendy."

That night, Doranbolt left the Fairy Tail guild without the guilt he had been harbouring for months, and although he knew he was going to face repercussions from the Council for skipping work...

He turned around, to find her standing there, and she waved at him when she noticed him looking at her.

For her smile, I guess it's worth it.

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To be continued

A/n: Next up - the letters! Please leave a review/favourite!