A/N: Welcome, readers, to a new story of mine!

I would like to thank Quathis for not only beta-reading but for also providing the title and giving me the motivation to publish this. Many thanks!

Now, please enjoy!

The Lost Cat

Wendy Marvell crept towards her furry target, one small tip-toe at a time, trying hard not to make too much noise as she crushed the low-growing plants beneath her feet. She held her breath and carefully made her way, not wanting to startle the oblivious orange-striped tabby named Mr. Snugglebottoms curled up on a branch in a deciduous tree deep in the forest. The cat's ears pricked and raised his head. The girl froze. A few seconds passed and the cat had yet to notice her, bringing a small relieved smile to adorn her lips.

After three arduous hours of searching in the thick woods, Wendy, Carla, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy had finally tracked down the 'most precious, adorable, pet' that belonged to Adeline, the Mayor of Saffarion's elder daughter.

The five members of Fairy Tail had accepted one of the very few jobs posted on their guild's Request Board since they had some spare time and building back the guild's lost reputation still needed to be done. Every odd job counted, Wendy tried to assure her teammates, even if the job was ranked a measly D with a tiny reward of two thousand Jewels. The mission: Mayor Burgandy's daughter's favourite pet tabby, Mr. Snugglebottoms, had run away two days ago and the Mayor required help from nearby guilds to search for him. Lucy was on board the instant Wendy kindly asked the spirit mage to join her. Natsu, on the other hand, needed to be nagged and coaxed into coming along by Happy and Lucy. Saffarion was a small village about three hours away from Magnolia Town by train, which wasn't too torturous for Natsu thanks to Wendy providing him temporary relief from his motion sickness.

With Mr. Snugglebottoms in sight, Wendy couldn't wait to finish their mission and head back home in time for a late dinner. She was starting to get hungry. Just when she was right below the tabby, something blue with white feathered wings burst from the nearby bushes and loudly proclaimed, "There he is! Natsu! Mr. Snuggle is in that tree!" Both the cat and Wendy gave a start at Happy's sudden appearance. The green-eyed, lacy pink ribbon-collared tabby bolted out of the tree and dashed deeper into the forest. "No! He's getting away!"

Not before long, Natsu noisily exploded out of the same bushes as Happy, sending leaves and twigs flying about, his expression one of absolute frustration with his brow deeply furrowed and his sharp teeth showing. "Where?! Where's that damn Snugglesbutt?!" he roared, looking around in a fury.

"Natsu! Happy!" Wendy exclaimed with an angry pout. "It's 'Mr. Snugglebottoms' and I almost had him until you two showed up making so much noise!"

Happy apologized while Natsu huffed and crossed his arms in annoyance. Visible on his grumpy face were the many scratches he received when he nearly caught the runaway feline a short while ago using a bait trap. "That cat…" he snarled, raising a flaming fist before him, "I want to roast that Snugglesbutt…"

"Mr. Snugglebottoms," Wendy sullenly corrected, hands on her hips, "And we can't harm him! Our mission is to catch him!"

Natsu loudly groaned in utter misery. "I hate this stupid mission!"

Wendy sighed. "Just try to calm down, Natsu. We'll catch him eventually. You have to be patient!"

Natsu groaned again and extinguished his flames. At that moment, the three of them heard Carla and Lucy calling for them; "This way!", "Guys! He's over here!"

Without hesitating the Dragon Slayers and blue winged Exceed darted towards the sound of their friends' voices, rounding the trunks of trees, dodging hanging branches and deftly leaping over bushes. Lucy and Carla were a little farther ahead flying and running after what Wendy assumed was Mr. Snugglebottoms.

They entered a wide clearing and were immediately blinded by the light of the evening sun. Stopping, Wendy shielded her eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness before she could get a good look around. Her breath was taken away at the sight of a large ruinous stone structure overgrown with natural life that might have been a grand two-storey temple at one point in time. The others also marveled at the remnants of the building built within the centre of the clearing, curious as to why such a thing existed all the way out here in the middle of a forest with no roads or paths visibly leading to it.

"Wow, what is this?" Lucy questioned as she slowly made her way through the tall grass, giant weeds, and overgrown shrubs towards the stone staircase hidden under flourishing plants of various kinds. Blossoming flowers both big and small added colour to the green and gray and sweetened the air with their enticing fragrances.

"Looks like it used to be a temple," said Wendy as she craned her head up to see the top of what remained of a bell tower. She sniffed the air, catching the faint scent of the tabby and the smell of the stones amongst the pleasant aroma of nature. "Smells ancient. Mr. Snugglebottoms went inside."

Lucy lightly laughed. "Definitely don't need to smell it to consider it ancient. It's hundreds of years old for sure. This place is huge so let's split up again and try to corner that cat."

They all nodded and searched for different openings to sneak inside. Lucy took the front shattered gate, Natsu and Happy flew up to the collapsed roof of the tower, Carla entered a broken second-storey window, and Wendy rounded to the back.

Wendy kept her senses alert as she made her way through grass that grew as tall as her, stifling her shrieks when she felt spiders and other nasty bugs crawling on her arms and legs. However, she couldn't stop the panicked whimpers from escaping her mouth whenever she walked into every stupid spider web that clung to her face. After the fifth one, she gave up on stealth and madly dashed through.

At last, she found a door made of heavy wood and rusted iron bolts hanging haphazardly from one remaining rusty hinge at the top. Easily, her small lithe frame squeezed through the crack between door and stone wall without touching either. Inside was empty, dark and extremely dusty, with crumbling stone counters and empty hearths filled with piles of sooty ash. It looked like the kitchen.

Tentatively, Wendy walked on the dirty wood floor, cringing every time the boards creaked under her weight. She paused when she spotted something orange and furry crouched behind the remains of a wooden chair against the far wall. It sensed her the moment she took another step closer and ran out of the kitchen, much to the girl's growing frustration. She dashed after it, her steps light and quick, and her shoes stirring up the centuries' worth of dust gathered around.

Darkness was replaced by light in the next room; a beautiful wide open chamber with tall gray-stoned rounded columns and gaping holes that once held stained-glass windows. Ivy and honeysuckle draped down some of the windowsills like long thick curtains that touched the floor, turning into a carpet of leaves that spread over the ancient stones beneath and entwining their vines around the bases of the few columns they have reached. The last few golden rays of the setting sun shone inside, enhancing the rare, breathless beauty between nature and man-made architecture.

Lucy was searching around the far entrance and after seeing Wendy in a rush at the opposite end, Lucy started to run towards the younger mage, her footfalls echoing in the vast empty chamber.

Wendy caught a glimpse of the tabby's tail before it disappeared into a small gap at the back of a low-rise altar. Two thick, bluish-gray stone slabs, each bearing one-half of a radiant sun carved upon the smooth surfaces, blocked the way to the other side. Wendy peered through the gap that was about half a foot wide, seeing another smaller chamber in the back filled with natural light and mossy piles of rocks. She suddenly reeled away and wrinkled her nose when she noticed a strong metallic smell coming from inside mingled with the smell of damp.

Lucy was panting when she met up with Wendy atop the short flight of stairs. "What is it, Wendy? Did something happen to Mr. Snugglebottoms?" she asked, noticing the smaller girl's frown.

The Dragon Slayer looked at the other with worry. "I smell… blood…"

The spirit mage furrowed her brow and took a look through the opening herself. "I can't see much. Just piles of rubble…"

"I can squeeze through to the other side," Wendy suggested, gently patting Lucy on the shoulder to make her step aside.

However, Lucy refused to move. "It might be dangerous."

"Mr. Snugglebottoms is in there. I have to make sure he's okay."

Lucy hesitated for a moment before reluctantly conceding. "All right. Be careful."

With a nod and an assuring smile, Wendy sucked in her stomach and sidled through the tight gap between the slabs of stone that were both as thick as the length of her arm. The smell of blood was strong once she reached the other side. The tall chamber was empty save for the lumpy piles of mossy rocks strewn about, the pieces having fallen from the domed ceiling and walls ages ago. Crawling down the gaping holes high atop were long vines of ivy that hung halfway down the height of the room. A couple more years and they would likely touch the floor.

Just like the vast chamber behind her, the smaller room held a particular beauty as the many broken holes and the intact arched window high above allowed the last of the day's sunlight to shine through, lighting up the room with a soft orange glow.

Hopping on top of a pile of mossy stones in the centre was Mr. Snugglebottoms. He sat like a sophisticated animal, his sharp green eyes watching her intently and his tail flicking from side to side in a nervous manner, sweeping the dust off the moss. The room was sealed with the exception of the holes in the roof and upper walls and the opening behind Wendy. There was no place left for the cat to run, making it the perfect opportunity to catch it.

Wendy slowly made her way towards the feline. Showing a friendly face, she wanted to let the animal know that she was trustworthy. All the while, she kept her eyes peeled for the source of the coppery smell, noticing it growing stronger as she approached the tabby's position.

She was within an arm's reach when the cat decided to jump behind the pile of rubble. "Oh, come on…" the girl muttered, suppressing a groan. Her patience with the tabby had finally run out so she leapt over the rocks and dove at the cat hiding in the shadows. She missed when the agile animal dodged to the side, resulting in her landing face-first on the cold, stone floor. She coughed and sputtered at the dust flying into her mouth and nose. Grumbling, the young mage pushed off the ground and rubbed her sore, throbbing face, all the while biting back the tears of pain welling in her eyes. On the other side of the stone opening, Wendy could hear Lucy yelling at her summoned Celestial spirit, Loke, to quickly catch Mr. Snugglebottoms who had escaped through the gap.

Dusting her hands, Wendy moved to stand only to stop midway when she noticed something lying prone in the shadows of the rubble. She sharply gasped when she recognized it was a person lying on his front, partially buried under the pieces of ancient rock and blending well with the green of the moss.

She shifted closer, her eyes wide with horror upon seeing the pale face of a young boy. His blond hair was matted and stiff with dried blood and the strange green hat he wore was stained dark as well. He was the source of the coppery smell…

Fearing the worst, Wendy grasped the boy's limp wrist, relieved to feel his skin not cold as ice, but as hot as fire. "Fever," she concluded, frowning in worry. His wounds were likely a few days old and infected. Acting in haste, the Dragon Slayer mustered all her strength to push off the heavy stones that crushed the poor boy. She managed to topple most of the rocks over onto the other side, sending thick clouds of dust into the air. Wendy puffed it all away with a single, powerful breath, sending it out through the ceiling holes and open gap. The noise drew Lucy's attention.

"Wendy! What is it? What are you doing?"

"There's someone in here and he's badly hurt! Quick! Find everyone!" the younger mage replied. Not waiting for an answer, she kneeled beside the wounded boy to begin her healing. Cool blue light shone from her hands as she gathered her magic, converting the surrounding air into healing energy. Closing her eyes, she lightly pressed on the boy's head, concentrating her efforts on the most serious injury before examining the rest of his body for other wounds. A gentle breeze surrounded her, softly caressing her skin and swaying her long, navy hair. Moments passed and sweat was starting to bead on her brow from exertion.

She didn't notice the others arriving in the room until hearing Natsu exclaim, "A kid? How did he get in here? Who did this to him?"

Keeping her magic steady, Wendy slowly opened her eyes and saw her teammates dropping in from above. Natsu worked quickly in lifting the rest of the rubble off the young boy.

"More importantly," Carla began after lowering Lucy to the ground, "why is he here? Alone? These ruins are far from town… and there are no other towns or villages nearby." She padded to Wendy's side, eyeing the unconscious child intently.

"Maybe he lives in the forest?" Happy suggested.

"It's possible…" said Lucy, although she sounded rather doubtful. "He's certainly well-armed though." It was then Wendy noticed the shield, small bow, quiver full of arrows, and sword strapped to the boy's back, giving her the impression that he was trained with swordplay and archery. "And his ears… they're long and pointy. Is he a demon?"

"Doesn't really look like one," said Natsu, sitting cross-legged nearby. He heavily frowned and folded his arms. "He doesn't smell like one either. I can sense some sort of magic from him though. Could be Take Over magic."

Carla disagreed. "I wouldn't say his appearance is because of magic. If it was, he should have returned back to normal after losing consciousness."

Dispersing her spell, Wendy sadly shook her head as she lowered her gaze on the boy before her. "It doesn't matter what he is," she began, brushing away his dirty hair to touch his forehead. She was thankful to find his fever gone, however he was still very weak. Barely could she sense the boy's magic energy. "He needs our help."

Her companions silently nodded. Carefully, she shifted the boy onto his back with the help of Lucy. Looking him over, she found many lacerations on his bare arms and legs and a few broken ribs she could feel beneath his one-piece tunic that was the same green as his hat. Breathing deeply, Wendy tended to the rest of his injuries immediately, calling forth the power of the Sky Dragon once more.

She was exhausted and breathless by the time she finished healing every last cut and scrape that covered the boy's body. It was dusk when she opened her eyes and saw Carla's worried expression that she always wore whenever Wendy used too much of her magic. Smiling at her friend, she silently told Carla that she was all right.

As the girl wiped away the sweat trickling down her brow with the back of her hand, her attention fell back on the boy. In the flickering light of the small flame held within Natsu's hand, the boy appeared to be sleeping peacefully while ignoring all the dirt and dried blood on his clothes and skin. Worn brown leather boots caked in dry mud adorned his feet and he wore a simple belt that held a pouch decorated with gems. He also carried a large brown satchel tied around his waist. Looking at him closely, he was younger than Wendy, probably around nine or ten years old.

It was worrisome to wonder how a young boy ended up in the ruins of the temple so far from civilization, alone and injured. Wendy's brown eyes glanced over the broken rubble, pondering if it was the unstable rocks that fell on top of him that caused him harm. Then she remembered Carla's previous question: why was he even here in the first place in a secluded, old room no less? Her eyes suddenly narrowed when she thought back on her own question.

She swept her hand across the floor, disturbing what was left of the dust that she had not previously blown away. The room was covered in centuries of settled dust and the pile of rocks that she had shoved away was overgrown with moss… So how did the boy end up lying underneath the ancient stone that had not supposedly been disturbed for many years? And his injuries were only a few days old…

It was a very bewildering situation. Only the mysterious boy had the answers and they had to wait until he woke up first.

Natsu clenched his hand to snuff out his flame as he approached the boy. Easily, he picked up the child in his arms. "Let's get outta here."

Lucy craned her head up to the ceiling to gaze at the starry night sky visible through the damaged roof. "It's too dark to walk back to town and Wendy's exhausted. We'll have to stay here for the night."

"I'm sorry…" The younger Dragon Slayer bashfully bowed her head.

Natsu snorted. "Why are you apologizing? You just saved this kid's life." It was too dark to clearly see, but Wendy could detect his grateful smile.

Grinning, she felt better, knowing that she had just saved someone in dire need in the nick of time. It was most fortunate that Mayor Burgandy's daughter's runaway tabby led them to the temple hidden deep in the forest. "Oh! Did you guys manage to catch Mr. Snugglebottoms?"

Lucy smirked. "Yeah. Loke's looking after him on the other side of this wall. Who knew he was so good with cats? I should have summoned him first when we were chasing Mr. Snugglebottoms."

"Loke's a lion! Of course he's good to all cats!" piped in Happy.

The spirit mage shortly giggled before falling in a more thoughtful tone. "But then again, we wouldn't have found this place or the kid. So I guess it kind of worked out."

Carla gently nudged her partner. "Are you ready to fly, Wendy?"

The girl soundly nodded and carefully stood up, feeling slightly dizzy. Shaking her weariness away, she dusted off her hands and dress. "Let's get out of this old, dusty temple."

They decided to camp in front of the overgrown stone steps leading to the temple's main entrance. Having thought their mission simple and only a few hours long, no one brought any provisions or gear necessary for camping outside with the exception of their water bottles. Soon after building a fire, Natsu set out to hunt for something to eat since he was complaining about starving to death with Happy, Loke and, oddly enough, Mr. Snugglebottoms tagging along.

The males were gone for almost an hour. Wendy could only wish for them to hurry up and find something because her stomach wouldn't stop growling at her. She constantly took sips of water to keep her hunger temporarily satisfied. She also gave some to the boy as well, to hydrate his weakened body.

Lucy was gingerly dabbing away the dirt and blood on his face with a damp handkerchief. His belongings were neatly piled nearby so he could properly rest on the ground. "I wonder who he is," she pondered out loud. "I hope he wakes up soon so we can take him home."

Carla crossed her arms and knitted her brow. "The Mayor neglected to mention a missing child in town. He's likely from a distant country judging by his clothes and the odd design on his shield. And his magic… it feels different and foreign. Almost ethereal in a sense. "

"If he really is from another country, he travelled pretty far by himself," stated Wendy. She soon became worried. "Do you think someone tried to attack him? Maybe that's why he was hiding in that one room…" Although that still did not explain the ancient setting of the chamber.

Neither of her companions had an answer.

"We can only wait to find out the truth," murmured the Exceed with a slight shake of her head. "However, I have a strange feeling that the truth is something we would not like to hear… nor would it be easy to come by." She spoke the last part under her breath but Wendy heard it all. However, the girl did not get a chance to question her friend because the men had soundly returned with a wild boar in tow.

To and fro went Mayor Burgandy's long, thin moustache as he wriggled his nose in thought while peering closely at the unconscious child in Natsu's arms. Twisting one end of his lip hair, the man wearing a velvet red vest and yellow-striped silk tie shook his balding head and said, "No, I've never seen this boy before. Have you tried asking around?" Behind him was his eldest daughter, Adeline, smothering her pet, Mr. Snugglebottoms, against her bosom while weeping tears of joy and shrieking out her affection.

Wendy couldn't help but pity the poor squirming tabby. It was no wonder he ran away in the first place. Happy and Carla were grimacing at the awkward display as they hid from view behind their respective partners. Even Loke was wincing from the scene as he stood beside his master.

Lucy answered the Mayor's question, "We did ask a few townspeople on our way here. They don't know anything about him either. We found him in an old, ruined temple in the forest east of here."

The Mayor perked an eyebrow. "A temple? Absurd. There are no temples in the Verloren Woods. Just trees and whatnot."

"You kidding?" Natsu grumbled in disbelief. "It's about a one hour walk away if you head straight through."

Mayor Burgandy shook his head, resuming to twisting his moustache between his fingers. "I've gone on hunting excursions through these woods hundreds of times and never have I seen a ruined temple or even heard of it."

Every member of Fairy Tail was confused by that. With no other answer to the group's inquiries, the Mayor handed their reward of two thousand Jewels. "Thank you again, uh… which guild are you again? Raven Tail?"

"Fairy Tail," Natsu corrected, holding back his bitterness for being mistaken for that guild.

"Ah, my dear Adeline gives her thanks as well. As for the boy, I suggest asking around again in hope of finding any clues. No one has reported a missing child so I doubt he came from Saffarion."

Disappointed by the outcome, the group decided to find an inn first to get the child cleaned up and into bed for proper rest. The kind elderly couple running the inn down the main road offered them some help after hearing their story. They provided a free meal and free rooms, allowing them to stay for as long as they needed.

Once they ate, Natsu, Happy, and Lucy left to ask the townsfolk about the temple and the boy while Wendy and Carla watched over him.

The room the boy slept in was small and square with two single beds set against opposite walls, a little bedside table between the beds, and a little round window that was left open to allow cool air into an otherwise hot and stuffy room. The walls were decorated with faded yellowish wallpaper that was starting to peel at the corners and the floor was covered by an old shaggy brown rug that had seen better days. Despite the worn down appearance, the room felt rather cozy and the beds were actually quite soft and comfortable.

Unable to restrain her curiosity, Wendy was sitting on the other bed in the room, taking a peek through the boy's belongings while Carla frowned with disapproval. She was agape when she opened the pouch decorated with gems, finding it full of colourful, beautiful jewels. What looked like emeralds, sapphires, rubies, topazes, and amethysts brightened the inside of the pouch. There were even a few silver and gold pieces that were shaped like the gems. Wendy couldn't imagine the total value of the treasure contained within the little bag in her hand. She quickly put it away in fear of someone peeking into the room and seeing them. After all, they were not the only occupants staying in the inn.

The Dragon Slayer picked up the brown satchel and placed it beside her. She pulled out six glass bottles filled with three different colours of opaque liquids; two red, two green, and two blue. When she took a whiff of the red one, she instantly reeled back, her face scrunched up in disgust at the strong, foul, herbaceous odour. She dared not to investigate the other colours after that. One by one she shoved them back into the satchel while taking quick, wary glances at the owner of the bag.

The boy continued to sleep in peace, his damp blond hair quickly drying from the heat coming from the hot day outside. The elderly woman gave him a quick bath and a change of clothes that once belonged to her son.

Seeing that he wasn't likely going to wake up soon, Wendy went back to snooping. The next thing she pulled out was made of gilded metal and a little hefty. It had a handle with a trigger and a wound up chain that ended with a sharp, golden point. "I wonder what this is…" she mused aloud, turning the strange object in her hands. She wanted to pull the trigger.

"Do not even try it," warned Carla with a stern glare, reading the girl's thoughts. "It could be dangerous."

Wendy bashfully smiled and wordlessly returned the strange item into the bag. She found another brown bag inside containing a handful of dark blue spheres that looked suspiciously like bombs and beside that was a purple magnifying-glass-like object with a violet tinted lens that bore what appeared to be an eye in the centre. Looking through the lens only turned everything a shade of purple and nothing more. However, Wendy could sense something odd about it. Even Carla was getting a strange vibe. Unable to discern the object's use, Wendy stuffed it away.

The last thing in the bag was the most fascinating to Wendy. Carefully held within her hands was an egg-shaped wind instrument that was sky blue in colour with a silver band around the mouthpiece. Engraved into the silver were three golden triangles in unity, similar in design to the one on the boy's steel shield lying on the floor with the rest of his gear. She rubbed her thumb over the smooth wood before touching the golden mark, wondering what the symbol represented. Without thought, she brought the mouthpiece to her lips, hearing Carla sigh, and blew into it. What came out was a sharp, wobbly note that was quickly cut off from Wendy giggling at the sound. She played a few more notes, shifting her fingers over random holes to see what sort of pitch they made. Needless to say, she was making more noise than music.

She froze and dropped the instrument onto her lap when she noticed the pair of blue eyes watching her from the other bed. She broke into a nervous laugh and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Y-You're awake! I-I'm sorry! I was just uh… I didn't mean to touch your things – uh, well, I did, but, you see… I, um…" She trailed off with no better explanation and quickly changed the subject. With the instrument back in her hand, Wendy moved to stand over him, a relieved smile on her face. "I'm glad you're okay now. My name is Wendy and this is Carla." She gestured to the Exceed perched atop the table who gave a nod and a friendly smile. "We were worried about you. We found you injured and brought you here. How are you feeling?"

The boy didn't move or say anything. He only stared up at Wendy, his eyes wide and unblinking as he continued to lie in bed.

The Dragon Slayer slightly frowned and softened her voice. "Are you alright? Don't worry, we won't hurt you! We're friends!"

Again, he did not respond. He silently looked at the girl, his gaze never leaving hers for an awkward moment – until Carla spoke up; "Perhaps he does not understand us…"

Upon hearing the feline's voice, the boy's attention fell on the white cat with the same wide-eyed expression, finally noticing her.

Wendy's frown deepened at the dilemma. What her friend had pointed out may seem true. However, she didn't give up trying to communicate with him. Patting a hand over her chest, she slowly pronounced her name, drawing his focus on her once more. "Wendy. I am Wen-dy." When she pointed at Carla, his eyes shifted to the cat. "Car-la." She then held her hand towards him and put on a kind smile. "You are?"

He stared at her hand in a curious manner for a brief moment before freeing his left arm from beneath the covers. His hand was unsteady from fatigue but he still reached out to touch her fingers, much to the girl's surprise. Before his strength gave out, Wendy didn't hesitate to hold his hand within hers, to show that she was there to help. He started to smile; an innocent and childish smile that made him seem far younger than his actual age.

Carla took on a pondering pose as she studied the boy, the end of her tail twitching in thought. "Wendy, give him the flute you hold."

Unsure of why that was important, Wendy wordlessly held out the boy's blue instrument for him to take. He blinked and eyed the small flute as if it was the first time seeing it before pulling his left hand away from Wendy's to touch it. His fingers slid across the polished, painted wood before grasping it in his weak, trembling grip. He was rather fascinated at the instrument, just like when Wendy first found it, even when he held it upside down and backwards. It didn't seem like he recognized the object at all…

Wendy was worried and confused by his odd reaction, however Carla knew the reason. "He doesn't remember…" she murmured quietly, a look of pity crossing her face. "This child has lost his memories."

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this. Thanks for reading!