~Third Person POV~

The sky turned a soft rosy red as the remainder of its light began to fade away into the evening. The setting sun cast its shining rays onto the grassy riverbanks as a young girl walked towards the water, her long blue pigtails trailing behind her. She stopped and closed her eyes, taking the time to breathe in the gentle breeze. Lifting a hand to her cheek, her fingers brushed softly across the large bruise as she smiled to herself.

~Wendy's POV~

"Natsu and Gray really overdid things again," I chuckled, remembering what had happened earlier that day.

Flashback

"What did you just call me, Ice Popsicle?"

"I called you an idiot, Flame Brain!!"

They bashed heads together and growled at each other, tossing names back and forth between them, not noticing an angry Erza standing behind them.

"Boys," she said quietly. "Do I hear arguing?"

"E-E-Erza!!!!!" They gulped, hugging each other in fear.

"They're gonna have it," Lucy sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Aye!" Happy agreed, taking a bite out of his fish.

In the end, the fight nearly destroyed the poor guildhall. Tables and chairs were flying everywhere. One of which just so conveniently hit me in the face.

I sighed and stopped walking. "Well, at least it's all over for today. I hope nothing happens tomorrow..." My eyes glanced over to the ridge over the riverbank—the boundary between the forest and the river. I had always loved coming to this riverbank. The cool breeze and the clear water was pretty, not to mention the soft and warm sand shaded by large trees. Happy had also told me that this riverbank was the place Natsu and Gray used to use as little kids to settle their daily brawls and fistfights, in a secluded place away from Erza's wrath.

"It's got a lot of memories for Fairy Tail, doesn't it," I smiled. I felt the cool wind blow again, this time just strong enough to make me take another step forward.

I was at the ridge. The very, very edge of the ridge.

There was no room in front of me for another step.

~Romeo's POV~

I was sitting on the shore of the river underneath a small, shady tree when I heard a small yelp and then saw someone tumbling down the slope from the ridge to the riverbanks. "Ouch," they said softly, slowly standing up and brushing themselves off. My eyes widened when the dust cleared.

"Romeo?" Wendy asked, noticing me under that tree. She walked over to me cautiously, like she was circling a monster that was about to kill her. Although I wasn't a monster and I certainly was not about to kill her.

"Relax, I don't bite," I teased her, a slight smirk appearing on my face as her face flushed a bit out of embarrassment. She finally reached me and sat down next to me.

We sat there in silence for a few moments, looking out at the still water with the sunset's reflection. "I think this is the first time I've ever talked to her alone," I murmured to myself.

"I think so too." My head snapped up and I stared at her. She smiled innocently at me. Right, I forgot... she has Dragon Slayer hearing senses.

"So, uh... how did you fall off the ridge up there?" I asked.

"Oh! Ahaha..." she laughed. "I guess the wind pushed me off. I was standing at the very edge and I accidentally took another step forward."

"I see." I smiled slightly at her, raising an eyebrow.

We sat like that for a while, both wondering what to say to the other.

"Um—" she said quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I nodded. "What's up?"

"Why were you sitting under that tree? Its branches reach really close to the ground, so it'll cover your face and block out your sight. Don't you want to see the sunset?"

"Well..." I scratched the back of my head. "You know, sometimes I just like to sit under this tree and think about the day. It's kind of like that feeling where you want to sit somewhere peaceful and zone off, you know?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Actually, I came here for pretty much the same reason. And also because..." she laughed hesitantly and pointed to her cheek. My eyes widened when I saw the large bruise.

"How badly did that fall hurt you?" I asked. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, no! I didn't get this from the fall," she said quickly. "It's just from the fight between Natsu and Gray today at the guild hall today. They accidentally hit me in the face with a table."

"Ouch," I said, wincing. "That must've hurt."

She shrugged. "I've felt worse."

I sighed. "I kinda feel so weak and useless. I mean, look at everyone else. They're all really tough and strong. They can hold their own in wars like that time with the Alvarez Empire."

"Do you really think they were just born like that?"

"Huh?"

She smiled at me. "Everyone's got a time where they feel powerless. That's when they'll have to work even harder to get stronger."

"Yeah, but..." I clenched a fist. "I couldn't do anything... nothing... when you guys were stuck on Tenrou Island. I couldn't protect the guild when Twilight Ogre came. Even though I was training endlessly to get stronger... There wasn't a thing I could do."

She looked down at her lap. "I used to feel that way, too. I was scared and hesitant to use my magic. But over time, I realized something. That in order to protect the people that you love, you can't be afraid to fight. That's what I realized... that's what told me to fight."

"You're right about that," I admitted. "But still... I just can't help feeling like I could've done something... something more than I am doing now."

She didn't say anything.

I continued. "After we heard about the news of Tenrou Island, I didn't know how to act or what to do. I was lonely and I..." I stopped for a second, a bit embarrassed before saying, "... I cried every night before falling asleep. After a few months, I completely lost hope of ever getting you all back. I put it in my mind that everyone was dead, and I shut myself away from everyone else." I lowered my gaze towards the shining river, flowing peacefully downstream. "Is it possible that, in a person's heart full of sadness and anger, a door will open, taking all emotions and feelings away through that opening? Is it actually possible to act indifferent to the rest of the world?"

"I don't think that's the problem," she said quietly. "As long as you have an accepting mind and heart, then I think... it's not possible to be indifferent."

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

Sighing and stretching, I laid down on my back and looked up at the tree, staring at the darkness. The sun had already set, and long shadows were forming around us. Night had fallen.

I thought about her words. An accepting mind... and heart? So I have to accept everything that happens to me?

"Romeo, look!" she suddenly cried out. "Look!" She stood up, running out to look at the sky. "The first star's out!"

I looked up a little. "Where?"

She turned. "You won't be able to see it from under the tree, silly. The branches block your view. Come out and see the sky. It's so beautiful tonight!"

I got up and walked to her, staring up at the sky. "Yeah, it is pretty," I agreed with her.

"Isn't it funny, how a single star just makes the whole sky look brighter than before," she remarked.

"Mhm," I said. Wait.

The sky. The tree. Stars.

The sky is the world around me. The stars are all the good things that make life brighter, all the people that I love and care about. The tree is the shield I form around myself, trying to protect myself from getting hurt. It's literally limiting my view.

With the tree in the way, making everything dark, I can't see the light others bring into my life, even if they're right next to me.

"Wendy," I said. "I think I'm starting to understand a little bit of what you've been trying to tell me."

She nodded. "One step at a time. You'll get it eventually."

We laid down on the grass, staring up as countless stars appeared in the sky. Now I remember why I used to love coming here, I thought. It's because of the stars... the stars that told me how much I was loved by the people around me.

Geez, since when did I become philosophical?

I smiled to myself, turning my head slightly to look at her. I could tell that she was dozing off; her eyes were slowly closing and her movements stilled, only rising and falling with every breath she took.

"Thanks," I whispered, taking one more glance at her before turning on my back. "For making me realize a whole lot about the world today, and for telling me about the light in the sky."

"You really are something else, Wendy."