Magnolia, it's already been a few days after the flower viewing. Ben had decided to go on a lone job, much to Erza's irritation considering he left without a trace. "Are you sure he didn't leave one clue on where he was going?" She asked Mira.

"Nope and he told me not to tell you, sorry, oh hey look it's his little sky dragon" Mira cooed as Wendy walked in. Both walked over to her "hi Wendy, looking for a job?" She asked. "Yeah" the blue head replied, "so far she's taken the small low paying jobs around the city so she could stand to be a bit more ambitious" Carla said.

"I'm trying" Wendy retorted, Mira giggled "there's nothing wrong with making small steps to build up experience. It's perfectly normal to start that way". Natsu and Gray came over "she's right, but don't you wanna get started on some of the big time jobs like we do?" The pinkette asked.

"They're fun, and you get to visit some cool places" Gray added. Wendy then put on a determined face "now that you mention it the sooner I can take on some of the bigger jobs, the sooner I can be more helpful to the guild" she said.

Everyone had applauded to her determination, "Lucy could take a page or two out of her book huh" Happy said. "Are you saying I'm not helpful or I got no heart" said blonde asked. "Tough question huh" the cat added, "NO ITS NOT STUPID CAT!!!".

However a very depressing aura filled the guild hall. "Woah, what's with the air, it's gone still" "is there a monster around?" "Man this feels scary". The guild members were very uneasy until the doors opened.

Ben had returned from his job, and he looked pretty depressed and worn out. "WOAH WHAT HAPPENED TO BEN!?!?!?" The whole guild shouted. Said shapeshifter groaned, "Mira... don't let that job hang on the wall ever again" he said.

"Ben, what happened to you?" Lucy said, Erza went over panicked in concern. "I decided to take a job alone this time and look where I landed" he said holding up the flyer. "Huh help stop a peeping tom near a girls dormitory?" Macao read. "That doesn't sound so bad" Wakaba said

Ben turned pale "its wasn't that, look at the reward" he said. The group near him looked at the reward, "1,000,020 jewels and a surprise? What's that supposed to mean?" Happy asked. "Here was the destination" Ben said handing them a map "oh I know this place this dorm houses some of the most beautiful guild mages in Fiore" Lucy.

"There's a picture of them on the wall" Cana said pointing to a wall with framed pictures. "And here's how they looked now" Ben said giving them a picture the guys looked and their faces turned red. "Wait these girls are... are... super hot!!!!" They yelled, "I got the reward, the surprise however, well" he shivered.

Lucy had a puzzled look, so did Erza then Cana boasted heartily "oh wait a minute that means they... pffft AAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" She laughed. Erza paled, Lucy pondered then she froze. The guys all around the guild went red with jealousy.

"WHAT THE HECK BEN YOU SHOULD'VE ASKED ME TO JOIN!!! YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN THE REWARD I WOULD'VE TAKEN CARE OF THE SURPRISE!!!! WHAT!? YOU!? NOT YOU ME!!!! WHY YOU" they all started fighting.

Ben then sat down exhausted, "if they put out another request I'm not going to answer" he said. "Well at least you're back sweetie" Erza said hugging him, "yeah... I really need a pain killer... I'm really sore" he then felt better.

"That better?" Wendy asked from beside him, she was using her healing magic. "Yeah thanks whew the fire has been re ignited and up" he then jumped to the top scaffolding. "I am on fire" Wendy chuckled nervously "eh he I think I gave him too much" she said.

Later on Ben finally tired out, or at least back to his normal range of energy. "Whew that's about right"
He said sitting back down.

However when he looked around there was no sign of Happy, Freed or Wendy. "Hmm" "if you're wondering why a few people are gone Wendy, Freed and Happy left on a job to Onibasa" Ben's mother Saundra said.

"Oh really? Well hope they travel safe" he said, "Ben you don't get it the request she took was from Fredrick remember that train wreck play?" Lucy asked. Ben went stiff, apparently Erza dragged him along for that mission and he was in charge of special affects for the play. Unfortunately they were forced to do it fifty times and the director was a slave driver.

"Oh no way am I letting Wendy work for that unreasonable, slave driving, little punk of a director" he said running to Onibasa full speed. "Guess he's still holding the grudge" Gwen said, "yeah Freddy was pretty hard on all of us" Gray said.

Time skip: in a desert.

Ben had been running for a while that he was on a straight course for Oshibana. "I think I did speed past them. Either that or I accidentally used Clockwork's powers to move forward in time again" he said. "Yup most likely the second option" he said as he saw Erza, Lucy and Carla on a nearby sand mound.

He sped towards them "hey guys" Ben greeted, "oh hey Ben we thought you were in Onibasha by now" Erza inquired. "I sort of traveled through time by accident, say did any of you spot Wendy and the others around" he asked.

The shook their heads, all of a sudden the ground beneath them shook. "Please tell me that wasn't what I thought it was" Lucy cried out of fear. They soon fell into the pit, which turned out to be quicksand.

"AHHHHH HELP!!!" The blonde squealed trying to get out. Ben turned into predator then went into Slamworm mode and dug under. "Huh did Ben just leave us here?" Carla exclaimed in surprise.

Then out of the blue he rose back out and caught them, and carried them back up to the top. "Okay too close" he said, Lucy nodded in agreement. All of a sudden a familiar voice called out. "Ben is that you?" It turned out to be Wendy, along with Freed and Happy.

"Oh hi Wendy, what made you want to take on this job anyway. Didn't anyone warn you about Fredrick?" He asked. "Well I thought he needed help" she replied, "he did when we first met him but he was a major pain in the neck and back I have the time frame to prove it" Ben then used Clockwork's powers to project out a replay of the train wreck and how Fredrick treated them.

Little to say she was shocked, "told you" he said, "okay, if I had known about that", "you wouldn't have gone like I said you weren't read... AAAAHHHH AGAHA AAAAHHH" Carla was speaking until Ben was pulling on her cheeks.

"I'm guessing Carla saying you weren't ready for this job was what tipped you off right?" He asked. Wendy looked down for a moment, then nodded, "what how did I influence her to go when I told her not too?" The cat asked.

Ben sweat dropped "you did tell her not to take the job, but telling her she isn't ready is something else" Ben said. "Well she clearly isn't... AAAHAHAH HAHAHAAHHAAAAHH STOP PULLIBG ON MY CHEEKS!!" She demanded.

They decided to let Wendy take the job and walk there on foot, the whole time he and Carla had been discussing about what she had said to Wendy.

"In just looking out for her, a person needs to know their limits and as a young girl she has a fair lot... and owe stop it with the cheeks" she said trying to get out of Ben's grip.

"If you keep saying she isn't how can see her potential?" Ben asked her, she stopped struggling and listened. "Sure holding a person back is necessary, especially for Natsu, but if you keep telling Wendy what she can't do or what she's not ready for how is she supposed to be encouraged to become stronger?" He added.

"Stronger, I don't think Wendy needs muscle biceps" Carla said, "not the kind of stronger I meant" Ben replied. "I mean Wendy is a smart kid, and she's strong too, but if you don't let her make her own decisions and trust her how can she trust in her own instincts".

Carla was about to argue back, but she realized that she couldn't counter what he had said. "Okay you have a point there, but what will happen if she makes a mistake?" she asked. "How will she be stronger by making those?", Ben smiled, "because that's life, everyone makes mistakes and they're natural" he said.

"If people didn't make mistakes or if there weren't any mistakes at all, how could we learn and grow. Learn to deal with the problem, and make a better choice out of it" Carla looked at him with interest. "Have you made any mistakes?" She asked him, "tons, a lot actually, able to fill a train's load" he said.

Ben then chuckled, "like that job request I went on earlier, I that was a huge mistake, but now I learned to not take requests with surprises in them" he said. "Well I guess you're right about that, maybe I can learn to trust Wendy a little bit more without being so over protective".

Ben smiled, "Still why did she go when I told her no though? I'm confused by that logic" the cat added, "I think she was trying to prove herself to you, and prove you wrong" Ben said.

Later on when they finally reached Oshibana, and Ben had turned into Predator and given them a Tyrannopede ride. They found Natsu struggling to walk to the theater, "uh Natsu what are you doing?" He asked.

"Tried to ride train, didn't work " he then passed out. "Remind me to remember Natsu" Ben said to Happy "Aye sir". When they reached the theater everyone, aside from Ben, were exhausted from the travel.

"Looks like we're gonna have help them out" Ben said before they all passed out. "Forget what I said we're gonna need a basket, I don't suppose either of you know how to weave one do you?".

The two shook their heads, "my word" a voice spoke. A small man with purple hair came out of the theater, "Fredricks out and he doesn't look happy" Ben said. "Anymore at least he looked happy when I talked to him" Wendy said.

"You two" he said both Ben and Wendy answered "yes". "Could you please remove them from my property, I know this is a big job but I'll pay you for it" he said.

Later on the two, three if you count Carla who didn't lift anything heavier than Happy, had gotten everyone off the theater's courtyard. "I can't believe I actually kicked my friends out for some reward" the dragon slayer groaned. "Sometimes we have to do things we regret in order to make ends meet, even if you don't like it" Ben said.

"At least you can learn from it" Carla said, "Wendy I know I've been hard on you. And I'm sorry, it's just that I wanted you to be safe, and strong" Ben looked at them. "However I failed to allow you to trust in your instincts and trust yourself, and I've prevented you from learning from mistakes made so you can learn".

"Carla" Wendy said, "I haven't allowed you to explore your own potential, and I'm sorry for that". Wendy smiled "thanks Carla" she said then hugged her. Ben smiled at the two's exchange, "so who wants to walk and who wants a ride?" He asked turning into Omni and activated Gravattack's orbital field, they both smiled.