Hey, guys! This is my first fanfic for Fairy Tail, so I hope you like it! :)
I don't own Fairy Tail.
The girl stood, watching, her hand clenching and unclenching at her side. Two wizards were battling in the square before her, surrounded by a crowd of people. One—a shirtless young man with dark hair—was presently hurling shards of ice at the other—a scantily-clad, spectral woman whose attacks became more ferocious by the minute. The woman dodged the ice easily, and raised her hands, sending a horde of metal snakes writhing through the air towards her opponent, who froze them.
The pair had been battling for the past thirty minutes, going at each other's throats like two dogs. Until recently the woman had been losing, but now the boy was breathing heavily, and his attacks were slowing. One of the snakes had managed to latch onto his right arm, and was now in the process of crushing the bone. Make-magic couldn't be performed with only one hand, so when the bone finally cracked the girl knew he was done for, and his opponent knew it, too.
She sent another volley of serpents, and the boy dodged just barely, his motions restricted by the weight of the snake on his arm. One of the metal creatures slammed headfirst into his stomach, pinning him up against a storefront on the other side of the street. The woman called the snake back and laughed as the boy struggled to rise to his feet. Her voice was grating on the girl's ears, reminding her of someone with a similar laugh, someone who chilled her to the bone.
Once again the woman raised her hands, preparing for the final blow. In the crowd behind her, the girl's hand closed on empty air by her left hip. She drew her hand back, and ever-so-slowly, a sword was pulled from empty space. As the weapon emerged, a slight glow surrounded her, and a black symbol of interlocking circles appeared on her chest. A pattern on the sword glowed in unison, and she closed her eyes. Despite the sudden weight she felt on her wrists, she raised the sword up in front of her, and whispered a single word.
The woman was still advancing, gathering magic energy to herself. Snakes were emerging from alleyways and gathering at her feet, flicking their tongues. She raised her hands above her head, savage electricity snapping around them. When the crescendo reached its climax she brought them down, and . . .
And nothing. Nothing happened. All the energy crackled out of existence as the woman slowly lowered her head to look at her chest.
A sword jutted out from between her breasts, the point sparking in the sunlight. She raised her head again, eyes wide with disbelief. The sword began to break down, becoming a collection of pixels that scattered in the breeze. Her support gone, the woman dropped to her knees and then fell flat on her face, blood pooling around her. In the alleys, the snakes began to disappear.
The girl may have gotten away unnoticed, had the onlookers not pointed and gasped as the sword reformed in her hand. The young man, still slumped against the wall, turned his head to look at her. She looked back. Without a word she walked forward, and the crowd parted for her. She stopped at his side and raised the sword above her head. Another collective gasp passed through those gathered, and one woman screamed. A few moments later the girl brought the sword down.
It struck the metal snake with a clang, and cracks erupted along its body. The thing split into pieces and fell away. The boy looked up at her. "Are you alright?" she asked. He nodded, and then grimaced. "Let me help you." As she draped his arm over her shoulders, she asked. "What's your name?"
"Gray," he replied, through clenched teeth. "And you are. . ?"
"Hemlock," she said, standing up. Gray winced, but that was the most sound he made in the five minutes it took for Hemlock to help him into a small shop a few streets away. The door swung shut behind them with a bang, the sound echoing through the empty room. Hemlock glanced around. "Hey, Lira!" she called. "I need your help!"
A stout woman popped up from behind the counter. Her white hair was gathered op in twin buns on the sides of her head, which were stuck though with a pair of pencils. Her thin face was out of place on her broad shoulders, and even more so in comparison to the roundness of her stomach. Beady eyes settled on Hemlock and then widened at the sight of Gray. "My God, Lo," she remarked. "Isn't he cute!"
Hemlock felt Gray stiffen, and chose to ignore the old lady's comment. "Can you help him? He's the wizard who took the job to defeat Medusa."
Lira nodded, and began to bustle around the tiny shop, gathering things up in the apron tied around her waist. "Set him down on the bed," she called over her shoulder, and Hemlock obeyed. A few minutes later the old lady was at Hemlock's side, her apron overflowing with jars and bandages. Hemlock stepped back as Lira went to work. The old lady was efficient, and her magic was strong. Soon she had Gray's arm in a cast, and his various over scratches healed. When she had finished she disappeared into the backroom, saying something about replenishing her stock.
"Hemlock," Gray said, and she turned to look at him.
"What?"
His dark eyes met hers. "What guild are you from?"
Hemlock looked away. "I don't have a guild."
"You don't?" Gray said, sounding somewhat surprised. When Hemlock didn't respond he remained silent for a few moments. Then: "You should come to Fairy Tail."
Hemlock, spun, startled. "I don't think that's a good—" she began, but was cut off.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Lira had come back in, and was now standing with her hands clasped in front of her like a little school girl. "Oh, Lo, don't you see? This is perfect! Fairy Tail is the best guild in Fiore! You could hardly do better!"
"But—I," Hemlock began, flustered.
"You seem to be a strong wizard," Gray said. "Fairy Tail would welcome you."
Lira positively glowed. "I always wanted to join Fairy Tail when I was your age," she said. "Please, Lo—you have to go!"
Hemlock's eyes darted frantically, pleadingly latching on to Lira, but the old lady was ignorant of her distress. Gray seemed equally unaware of her mounting tension. Any wizard in their right mind wouldn't turn down an invitation to join Fairy Tail. Hemlock didn't want to— nor did she know how to—explain her objections to the pair. She sighed and dropped her eyes. A few seconds later she raised her head. "Fine," she said, and Lira grinned. "I'll go with you. I'll join Fairy Tail."