Happy's moment to shine

Led by the two cats, Happy and Carla, they went outside. The pillars on both sides of the corridor were carved with delicate cat paw patterns.

Sunlight streamed through the arched windows, casting dappled patterns of light on the floor.

The cat that looked exactly like him introduced itself with a calm demeanor, one paw behind its back and the other slightly raised.

"I am Nichiya Nyan, the commander of the Imperial Guard Division."

The long, black cat with Parkinson's disease also introduced itself, its right hand still trembling wildly, like an uncontrollable metronome.

"I'm Minister of State Nadi. Thank you for your hard work on this mission, meow."

Happy was puzzled. He tilted his head, his ears stood up, and his face was full of question marks.

"A mission? What mission?"

Before they could get an answer, Happy and Carla saw the lively scene outside the palace. They stopped in their tracks at the same time, their eyes wide with surprise.

Cats everywhere.

Some cats were selling fish; the fish on the stall were all very big, and their tails were constantly slapping against the cutting board.

Some cats are teaching other cats to learn; a row of furry students sit in front of a small blackboard, holding chalk in their paws and writing crookedly.

Some cats were bragging, gathered in twos and threes, gesturing wildly, while a group of onlookers watched.

This is completely a cat kingdom, no different from human society.

Most of the cats aren't very good-looking, and they don't make you want to pet them.

The cats on the street also noticed Happy and Carla, and whispers of conversation rose and fell among them.

"Oh, so that's the great hero who completed the mission?"

"Look, she's a stunning beauty!"

"The one next to him looks kind of silly."

Happy's ears twitched; the words "silly" stung him so much that his tail drooped, but his mind was too preoccupied with confusion to care.

Along the way, Nadi told Happy and Carla about the Exceed, speaking at a moderate pace, his right hand trembling the whole time.

But the narrative is well-organized, detailing the size of the tribe, the structure of the kingdom, the relationship between the Exceed and humans, one event after another, like reading a prepared report.

Upon arriving at the outer corridor of the Palace of the Exceed, one finds a spacious terrace at the end of the corridor.

Carla frowned, her little hands clenched tightly, and she finally asked the question she had been wanting to ask. Her voice was much lower than usual, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

What exactly is our mission?

"I was programmed with a mission from the moment I was born."

Carla's voice became somewhat hollow, as if she were retelling a memory that didn't belong to her but was etched into her bones.

"Those chosen for the Queen's human governance are Dragon Slayers, and I must kill Wendy."

Carla continued to describe the so-called mission in her mind, her voice growing softer and softer, but each word sounded as heavy as a stone.

These words caused Nadi and Nichiya to exchange a puzzled glance, both of them displaying expressions of confusion.

"So that means my mission is to kill... Natsu?"

These words immediately caused Happy's brain to shut down, the cat froze on the spot, its two round eyes wide open like saucers, its mouth agape.

"What do you mean by that? Carla, what do you mean by killing Wendy? What exactly happened?"

Happy's voice rose, filled with obvious panic and disbelief.

Carla looked at Happy and tried to comfort Happy.

"Calm down, you tomcat."

Then the conversation turned to Nadi and Nichiya.

"We didn't carry out any mission, nor did we ever intend to complete one. Why do you say our mission was accomplished?"

Nadi and Nichiya looked confused. The two cats exchanged glances, Nichiya touched his chin, and Nadi's right hand trembled even more violently.

"Huh, have they lost their memory?"

"There's nothing we can do about it; overwriting memories always carries some risk."

Nadi's hand continued to twitch. He cleared his throat and began to explain the situation in a businesslike tone.

"Let me explain this to you. Six years ago, we sent one hundred Exceed to Earth-land. At that time, we inputted intelligence that after you hatched, you would go find the Dragon Slayer and then kill them."

Happy's breathing became rapid, and his little paws clenched tightly at his sides.

"However, a new situation has arisen: the invention of the Anima by humankind has given rise to new possibilities."

"Therefore, we've decided not to kill the humans of Earth-land, but instead to use them as a source of magic, especially since the magic of Dragon Slayer is exceptionally powerful."

"Your mission has been changed to bringing the Dragon Slayer back to Edolas."

Carla knelt down in agony, her two little paws supporting her on the ground, her shoulders trembling violently like two rain-soaked leaves.

Her lips were pressed tightly together, but a suppressed sob still escaped from her throat.

Happy was so shocked that he couldn't speak. The cat stood there dumbfounded, his mind completely blank.

Nadi and Nichiya praised the two cats in an approving tone, as if they had accomplished something remarkable.

There was not a trace of guilt in his tone; it was as if he were praising two obedient children.

Carla screamed in despair, her voice sharp like shattered glass, echoing throughout the corridor, making the whole cat tremble.

I don't believe it!

Happy recalls the various moments in the guild, the times she spent with Natsu, and those heartwarming and touching moments.

Those warm memories burned like flames in my heart, turning all the confusion and fear to ashes.

Happy stood up, clenched his two little paws into fists, and stood in front of Carla.

Its small frame stood ramrod straight, like a short but indestructible wall, roaring and shouting at them, its voice hoarse but firm.

"We are not puppets to be manipulated by you!"

"We're both mages from Fairy Tail!"

Nadi and Nichiya were stunned by Happy's imposing presence, and both cats took a half step back at the same time.

Nadi's right hand even paused for a moment, Nichiya's claws hovering in mid-air, momentarily forgetting what to say.

With tears streaming down her face, Carla called out Happy's name for the first time, her voice hoarse and choked with sobs.

"Happy."

Happy turned around, grabbed Carla's hand, and ran outside, her little paws gripping Charlotte's hand tightly as she ran quickly.

The wind howled past on both sides, blowing his tears backward.

"We two have to go and rescue everyone! We absolutely must rescue everyone."