(Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, The Corpse Bride, or any of the characters.)
Chapter One
Over her 21 years, life on the road was the only thing Cana Alberona knew. She had traveled all over Fiore with her father, Gildarts Clive. They had been all the way from historic Oak Town in the northeast to the beautiful southern port of Hargeon. An illness, a mystery to Cana as her father never liked to talk about it, had taken her mother from them when Cana was only an infant.
Following his wife's death, Gildarts could hardly bear to be in the house. He did the only thing he could think to do – pack up everything that he and Cana would need and travel wherever he could find work, mostly odd jobs. As they traveled, Cana found that she had a knack for reading cards. She began doing so for the locals in every town they traveled to, making a little extra money to help her father.
It was a hard way to grow up, never staying in one place for long. Cana never had the chance to make many friends, at least not permanent ones, and Gildarts could see the toll it was taking on his daughter. He always hoped that the next town they arrived in would offer enough work that they could make it their home. It seemed like a pipe dream, until Magnolia.
"Cana, wake up. We're here."
Gildarts reaches over and shakes his daughter's shoulder gently. Cana opens her eyes, yawning and stretching as much as she can in the restricted space of the passenger seat. She blinks a few times, trying to adjust to the bright morning sun. She peers out of the windshield as Gildarts passes a large sign:
Welcome to Magnolia! Population: 60,000
Surprisingly this was the first time they'd ever been to Magnolia, a bustling merchant town in the southeast. While they were in Clover Town, their last stop, Gildarts had heard about a popular staffing agency called Fairy Tail that helped freelancers find work. It sounded like the perfect opportunity to finally settle down and give his daughter some stability.
Gildarts maneuvers the car through the busy streets while Cana takes it all in. There were people everywhere it seemed. Some were operating stalls selling everything from fresh produce to souvenirs while others shopped or ate at one of the several sidewalk cafes. Her father finally turns down a less packed street and finds what he was looking for, the elegant Heartfilia Hotel. They retrieve their suitcases from the trunk and head inside.
When they enter the lobby, a pretty blonde greets them cheerily with a smile that reaches her round brown eyes. Her name tag identifies her as Lucy Heartfilia and Cana wonders if there's a connection between her and the hotel name. As she waits for Gildarts to retrieve their room keys, she takes the opportunity to take in Lucy's appearance. Her lower half, starting right above a curvy waist, is blocked by the desk but there's plenty to appreciate about the part that Cana can see. Her long blonde hair hangs straight with carefully trimmed bangs framing her heart-shaped face.
As she begins to admire further down, Cana is suddenly pulled from her thoughts when Gildarts holds the key card in front of her. She flashes a smile toward Lucy, who returns it, and follows her father to the elevator. They go up to the third floor where they find their adjacent rooms.
The first thing Cana does when she gets into her room is take a shower. As she stands under the hot water, letting it soothe her stiff muscles, she thinks about how they probably won't be staying in Magnolia for long. After all, what would make this town different from the rest, other than the lovely woman at the front desk? After her shower, donning only a towel, Cana begins sifting through her suitcase to find something to wear. There's a knock on the door, followed by the sound of her father's voice.
"Cana, I'm heading to Fairy Tail to meet the owner. Do you want to come or are you staying here?"
Cana opens the door a crack, peeking out at him. "I'll go. Just let me get dressed first."
He smiles, waving his hand slightly. "Take your time. I'll wait downstairs."
Cana nods and closes the door. She listens as his footsteps fade before she goes back to her suitcase. She settles on a blue striped tank top, black skinny jeans, and a pair of black biker boots. She goes into the bathroom to blow dry and brush out her hair, dark brown curls hanging just past her shoulders, and quickly brushes her teeth. After sliding a few gold bangles onto each wrist, she checks herself in the mirror.
She makes a last-minute decision to put on some mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss. It makes her feel a little more confident, especially in a new place. On her way out the door, she grabs her purse, sliding her room key into it and checking to make sure her cards are packed safely inside before slinging it over her shoulder. It's a fuzzy blue thing that she had gotten while they were in Hargeon the year before. She thought it was cute and ignored the jokes Gildarts made about it.
She takes the elevator down to the lobby, where Gildarts is waiting with two cups of coffee. He hands her one as he takes a sip from the other. She thanks him, and they head out into Magnolia. They opt to walk to Fairy Tail, enjoying the warmth of the late spring day and stopping at a few of the stalls they had passed on the way in.
They reach Fairy Tail about an hour later and Cana is awed at the size and grandeur of the building. The main focus is an elaborate sign, painted a striking red and bordered with gold. The overall style of the building reminds her of the old castle in Oak Town. She follows Gildarts inside, where they're greeted by a beautiful woman with fiery hair as red as the sign outside.
"Mr. Clive? Welcome to Fairy Tail. My name is Erza Scarlet." The woman holds her right hand out and Gildarts shakes it firmly before she continues, "Mr. Makarov is finishing up with a prior commitment, but he'll be down shortly. In the meantime, please have a seat." She points toward a group of chairs.
Gildarts nods. "Thank you. I'm glad he could meet with me on such short notice. This is my daughter, Cana." He gestures toward her.
Erza gives a curt nod in Cana's direction, before turning and walking away, heels clicking on the granite floor. Cana makes a mental note to never get on her bad side as she and Gildarts take a seat. They don't have to wait long before an older man, quite a bit shorter than the average person, approaches them. By the time he makes it over to them, he has a hand stretched out. Gildarts stands and when he reaches out, the man grasps his hand and lays his other hand on top of it.
"Mr. Clive, it's a pleasure. I'm Makarov Dreyar, the owner and operator of this fine establishment." He removes his overlaying hand to gesture around the foyer.
Gildarts grins. "Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Dreyar. Call me Gildarts, please."
Makarov chuckles. "Of course, but only if you'll call me Makarov." He releases Gildarts' hand and looks over at Cana. "And who is this lovely lady?"
Gildarts introduces Cana and Makarov shakes her hand in the same manner that he had shaken her father's. She can't help but smile. There was something comforting about the old man and, if he treated both workers and clients as warmly as he was treating them, then she could understand why his business was flourishing.
After the introductions are out of the way, Makarov insists that they get down to the business of why Gildarts is there. Cana bows out of the meeting gracefully, saying she'll go roam around town for a little while. After agreeing to meet Gildarts back there in an hour, she says goodbye to them both and heads outside while the men take a nearby elevator up to Makarov's office.