Charlie took a deep struggled breath before opening the old wooden doors that concealed Fiore Academy's Great Hall. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the curious stares, suspicious glares, and possibly flirtatious winks that she knew all too well, came in a neatly wrapped gift for every new high school student in history. Sucking in as much air as she possibly could fit in her lungs, she used her body weight in order to push the immensely large door ajar, ready for all the various looks she would receive from her fellow students. Still holding her breath, she peered into the long narrow hall, filled with five tables, nervously. Four of them split in two sections, two set together side by side on one end of the hall, two placed the same way on the other end, and one standing horizontally above the other tables at the head of the room.
It took her only a moment to realize that the room was scarcely filled. She must have gotten there earlier than she thought. The horror of walking in to a room full of white orbs all glaring and questioning her existence was, to her relief, postponed to a later time; however, she knew it would come eventually and wasn't very enthusiastic about the experience either.
She let out an audible sigh and forced a wide smile on her face. She had been a new kid plenty of times before today, but this school was much different compared to the other public schools. Charlie kept the smile on her face, leaving all fears and fantasies of how her year would pan out in the doorway, readying herself for her new life at Fiore Academy: School for Mages and the Magically Gifted. It had always been a dream of hers to come to a private magic school, but her father never allowed her to, and for the first three years she could have gone to Fiore Academy, her father kept her in public human schools, insisting that their family did not need any school to teach them magic. Yet here she was, at a school that would teach her things about magic she could never have learned from her father. This school would be capable of making her a better mage, even if it meant studying her ass off, kissing up to the teachers, and following every rule the school had! She gave herself a satisfied nod, proud of her goals for the future and gave a confident strut to the front of the room.
She passed a few curious students that had gotten there early as well, but she ignored their stares and headed to the older man standing behind the long table.
He peered up at her as she approached and smiled with crinkled eyes. "May I help you, young lady?" he asked me politely.
She smiled at him sweetly. "Yes. My name is Charlotte Black?" She asked hoping he would recognize her name.
"Ah, that's right! We don't get many transfer students, you know? However, I'm glad to say that we made a special exception just for you," he informed me. She realized already that she was lucky to get into such a prestigious school and was very grateful to this man for accepting her request to join.
"I take it you are Professor Makarov? Thank you so much for allowing me to attend your school! It is a great honor to be here and I promise I will show you my gratitude with hard work and perfect behavior." She smiled at him and he answered with a thumbs up which slightly surprised her.
"Good for you," he stated with approval. "See I told you letting her in was a good idea!" he turned to the young woman next to him.
"I'm pretty sure I was the one who did the convincing, Headmaster," she laughed and Charlie stood there in awe. The girl was beyond gorgeous and had beautiful long, white hair. She turned to Charlie and offered her a set of papers in her hand. "Its nice to finally meet you, Charlotte. My name is Mirajane Strauss and I will be your Assistant Headmaster this year. I also am a teaching professor here, as well." She flashed a perfect set of flawless teeth at the small blonde haired girl in front of her and pointed to the stack of papers she had handed her earlier. "That is your schedule, map of the grounds, and list of rules and regulations that you are required to follow as a student attending the academy. I hope you have a good first day!" she was very enthusiastic about her job and Charlie couldn't help but grin back at her. She had a feeling that Professor Mirajane was going to be one of her favorite teachers here.
"Thank you so much!" Charlie exclaimed which only made the white haired woman grin even wider. Charlie then took a quick peek at her schedule. "Wow! It looks like I have you as a teacher this year!" Charlie said excitedly. She took a closer look at the piece of paper in front of her and raised a brow. "Transformation?" she said nervously. "Is that really a class here?" She asked warily. Charlie new what kind of school this was, but was not all that informed about other types of magics that weren't related to her type.
Mirajane laughed slightly. "Of course! We knew what type of magic that your family uses; however, since you are new to the school and have never really explored different magics, I thought I would put you in some classes that would help you explore what you could be capable of," she verified. "If you feel like you are too uncomfortable with these choices, please let me know as soon as possible and I will see what I can do."
"Oh No! Of course I will take the classes! I would never question the judgment of a teacher who is probably much more experienced than I am!" Charlie exclaimed. Her eyes were wide with determination. "I promised myself that I would be open to everything at this school because I want to learn what my father refused to teach me! Throw at me everything you have! I assure you I can handle it." She looked them both in the eye with a proud smile on her face. She may not be very fond of her father, but that did not mean she did not have pride for her family. They were famous for their amazing talents in magic and had defeated many strong foes in the history when no one else was up to the task. She would continue their legacy and become as strong as ancestors had been.
The two teachers both nodded their heads in approval and she also noticed a few other teachers listening into the conversation were giving her proud smiles causing the blonde to beam brightly. She suddenly felt more confident then she had opening the large wooden door. A new school year never seemed so bright and promising before. A school of magic! She could barely hold back her excitement. What would the classes Professor Mirajane picked out for her be like? What kind of people would she meet? Charlie was very sheltered most of her life and only met people related to her. Every now and then, a small child would curiously wander near the family's grounds, but was quickly shooed away by one of the workers in the yard. Public school was different. Many kids her age were fond of her in a way, but she also knew very well that they could tell she was different. Their human instincts would cause them to keep their distance, and whenever one was brave enough to get closer to her, her father would not hear of visitors or anyone that was not family hanging out outside of school with her. So it was safe to say that Charlie never truly had any real friends.
Mirajane pointed to one of the tables behind her. "That over there is the Fairy Tail house table. We decided to place you there for the year and see what happens. I'm quite happy with this match and I am pretty confident you will, too." She then wished her good luck and Charlie retreated to the table she directed her to. Taking a deep breath, she sat down at the house table that she would be at for the rest of her life here at this school.
"Well, I guess it's safe we are going to know each other for a while, right? So go easy on me, okay?" she whispered under her breath and rubbed her hand over the brown polished wood, feeling every curve and dent in the table. "You're my new home now Fairy Tail. I hope I don't disappoint you too much, but in case I do, it's your job to remind me what it was like before I came here, alright?
….
"Who ya talking to?" Lucy Heartfillia watched the long haired blonde girl in front of her jump out of her seat, letting out a small squeal. Was this girl just talking to the table? Lucy managed to hold back a giggle as the startled girl stared at her with wide icy blue eyes.
"Wh-who are you?" she squeaked. The poor girl looked like she was going to have a heart attack with her chest heaving in and out through her dark blue vest and red striped tie that was identical to hers.
"My name's Lucy," she told her. "The real question here is who are you? Are you a first year? What are you doing here? Don't you know that all first years are supposed to come in together in the opening ceremony? You lost or something?" she bombarded the girl with questions causing the blonde to stutter. Her sapphire eyes searched the ground for nothing as she struggled to think of an answer to Lucy's questions. Lucy tilted her head to the side, slightly confused. Her questions weren't all that hard to answer. So why was the first year so frightened? I guess having an older student interrogate you is a bit intimidating.
Lucy scratched the back of her head and smiled sheepishly. "Hey, I'm sorry. If you want, I can take you to the place where the first years meet. I was a first year once too, you know. So don't be too scared." Lucy then proceeded to reach for the girl's wrist when suddenly the girl backed away from her nervously.
"Wait, you got it all wrong," she stated suddenly finding her voice. "I'm not a first year. I'm actually in my fourth year, but I can see why you got confused. I do look a bit young, don't I?" She smiled at her causing Lucy to take a small step back. This girl was completely gorgeous! With her long golden hair, dark lashes, and well defined cheek bones, she was stunning and Lucy felt completely idiotic for thinking her a first year. A girl like this was someone she couldn't forget, especially if she was in the same year and house as her. Just who was she?
"I've never seen you before. Unless you got an extreme makeover or you are actually a ghost that has come to haunt me for the rest of my life, I am almost positive that you did not go here last year, or ever for that matter." Lucy continued to eye her suspiciously while the girl stared up at her like a deer in headlights. "And don't just say I probably just haven't ever seen you or something like that because I know everyone in Fairy Tail. I mean it's hard not to get to know the people you have been going to school with for 3 or more years." Lucy stated this proudly. These past few years, she made it a sort of mission of hers to get to know everyone in her house no matter who they were. She didn't like it when people were left out and alone because she had a similar experience growing up without her mom while her dad treated her like the plague. So no way was she going to except that this girl had managed to escape her knowledge and go her whole life in Fairy Tail unnoticed by anyone. I frustrated her to have made such a horrible mistake. So she gave the girl one last pleading question, hoping her answer would not be as she feared it was. "Just who are you?" she asked, trying not to make a bigger deal out of it than she already had.
The girl sighed and raised a brow at Lucy. "My name is Charlotte Black and im the new transfer student." She smiled at her and then continued. "I really am looking forward to this year. Its my first year at a real magic school so please don't freak out. I haven't ever gone to this school before so you can rest assured knowing that you didn't somehow sweep over me." She laughed at Lucy's relieved expression. "It's nice to meet you, Lucy. I hope we can get along this year." Lucy studied the girl whos name she now knew was Charlotte. She was a bit odd, but Lucy somehow felt a strange sense of fondness for the girl. She couldn't put her finger on it, but Charlotte somehow reminded Lucy of herself. She hoped that she would learn why this was sometime in the future. Lucy always loved a good mystery to solve and this girl seemed like the perfect case.
"So, Charlot-" Lucy began but was quickly interrupted.
"Oh please, I prefer Charlie if that's alright." She said politely.
"Charlie then," she corrected. "So, you're a transfer student? We don't usually get those. What type are y-" Lucy was suddenly interrupted again by the sudden rise in volume. She looked around to see that many students had entered the hall without her noticing and had already begun chatting amongst themselves. The hall was magically transformed from a quiet chilly room where you could probably hear a small cough in the distance and still jump, startled out of your seat, to a busy social hot spot filled with happy smiles, screaming girls who just saw that person they hadn't seen in months, and friendly conversations filled with various stories about the passing summer.
Charlie and Lucy both stared in surprised wondering how this change could have happened without either of them realizing it. Lucy caught a glimpse at the girl standing by her side. Her eyes were oddly filled with awestruck wonder. She stared that the scene as if it were some foreign custom that should be closely observed.
"Hey are you alright? It's just a bunch of people talking you know? What's so weird about that?" The suddenly snapped out of her trance and waved her hand up in front of her trying to reassure Lucy.
"No it's nothing like that," she explained. "It's just that I expected a magic school to be much more… alien. But, now that I'm looking at it, it seems as though I was very wrong to assume so. It's exactly the same as public school was. People talking with their friends and just acting normal, it is all much unexpected" She rubbed her forearm nervously when she saw Lucy's confused expression. "I know silly right? I'm sorry I haven't really ever hung around mages before. Just you know my father and relative, etc.…" She trailed off in deep thought.
Lucy suddenly felt a bit awkward, as if she had trespassed into a personal matter that Charlie obviously had some difficulties talking about. "Well Charlie, it so nice meeting you and I hope we can become good friends this year," Lucy told her brightly. The girl's flawless face light up and she looked at Lucy with a newfound load of enthusiasm.
"Yes, of course! I hope so, too," she declared with a wide friendly grin. Maybe this girl wasn't so weird after all. She actually possessed the friendly gorgeous and overly happy girl next door type of quality. Lucy grinned at her in return and left her where she found her while she headed towards the group of her best friends just outside the Great Hall's doors.
…..
"What did you call me, Ice Queen?!" Natsu Dragoneel narrowed his eyes at the raven haired boy in front of him. His hands were practically steaming as he debated whether he should smash Grey Fullbuster's face in.
"You heard me, Pyro," Grey retorted. "I said you were a loser. I clearly beat you here today and you know it!" Grey crossed his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrows, challenging the salmon haired 4th year to fight back.
Natsu snorted at Grey. "You are such a liar! I definitely got here first by a whole second. Anyone there could have seen that, so cut the crap!"
"You're just jealous that I'm better than you in every way so maybe you should cut the crap, loser."
"WHAT?! You better shut your mouth right now or ill shut it for you!"
"Oh, yeah? I'd love to see you try!" Natsu and Grey put their heads together both daring each other to make the first move. Natsu could feel his body temperature rising fast and he knew that to anyone looking in on their spat could see the fire that had been unconsciously summoned around his hands.
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed both of their collars and pulled them apart only to then smack their hands right back together. Grey and Natsu lay on the floor, both dazed. Natsu looked up in horror to see bright red hair getting tossed back and forth through an unknown source of wind.
"Anymore out of you two and I'll string you up by your ears. Am I understood?" Erza Scarlett stood above them looking more like a demon than a human.
"Yes, ma'am!" they both shouted in unison. Natsu hated loosing, especially to a girl, but he would be an idiot to stand up to her of all people. Instead he stood and started muttering curses under his breath while his other "friends" began conversing about their summer vacation.
"So Grey, did you have a pleasant summer?" Erza smiled at Grey while he hesitated answering her. But, Natsu assumed he decided his head was better left on his neck.
Grey shrugged and said, "Yeah it was alright. Pretty boring I guess. My mom left on a mission in the north so I was stuck with my stupid brother and sister the entire summer." He sighed and Natsu could've sworn he saw him shiver a bit at the memory. They must have really been tough on him. The image of Ultear and Lyon tying him to a chair in a dark room with various torture devices spread a feeling of pure bliss through his body and he chuckled to himself.
Grey noticed this immediately because he grabbed the front of his shirt. "What are you laughing about, freak?!"
"You obviously," Natsu stated bluntly. Just as they were about to throw punched, Erza shot them a deadly look causing them to separate right away.
Grey better watch his back because he was so going to get it later, Natsu began to think of ways he could beat the crap out of him when the demon wasn't watching. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his shoulders, interrupting his train of thought. He looked over to see a blonde girl with low pigtails in her hair. Her large brown eyes sparkled above her smiling face. He automatically wrapped his arm around her shoulders, too. "Hey Lucy! Long time no see." Natsu gave her a toothy grin and they separated.
"Yeah it has been a while. How have you guys been? I'm sorry I wasn't able to really meet with you guys over the summer, but you know how my dad is around magic…" She trailed off but quickly changed the subject. "Did you guys know we have a transfer student this year?" she asked.
Natsu and Grey shook their heads but Erza nodded and stated, "Yes, she had a special case so Makarov decided to let her in. I heard she comes from a very powerful family, but they are all really particular about the magic they use so most didn't ever attend any academies. I guess she convinced them to let her come."
Lucy cocked her head at Erza. "How did you know all of that? I never heard of her until today."
Erza flashed the short blonde a strange look. "I'm going to be Headgirl this year remember? It's my job to know all the students so I can do my job efficiently." She stood above them proudly and Natsu wondered if all this Headgirl talk was getting to her head.
"A transfer student? I don't hear about many of those here, or rather I don't think we have ever had one. Wonder what she's like, probably super powerful to have the Headmaster make a special case for her right? When do you think she will get here?" Grey asked. He seemed pretty interested for some reason, but Natsu had already begun to tune them out. His mind was on other things, like the fact that his younger sister, Wendy, was going to be starting her first year today. He wondered if she was going to be alright after seeing her this morning. She was very quiet and barely touched the food he made her. He wished that it was just nerves, but he knew that it was because her powers hadn't surfaced yet. When Wendy turned 13, Natsu and Grandeeney expected her to receive her abilities just as they had, but after waiting for a full year, Wendy never showed any sign of the family magic type and she slowly became more and more depressed until she gave up trying to use her magic. If Natsu hadn't spent almost a month of begging her nonstop, she would have never agreed to attend Fiore Academy. He insisted that maybe being around other magic students and skilled teachers would somehow surface her powers. Now he was feeling a bit guilty. He wasn't sure what would happen this year, but he felt safe knowing his sister was at the same school as him. This way it would be easier to keep a close watch. No way was he going to allow those first year brats to pick on his little sister just because she was a late bloomer.
"She's actually a bit weird if you ask me." Natsu looked up to see Lucy answering Grey's question. Who was weird again? Oh that's right, the strange new transfer student. Weren't they just saying that she was supposed to be super powerful for being admitted? Natsu wrinkled his nose at that. No way in hell was he going to let some new comer surpass him in strength. He may not be all that skilled in History of Magics or Earthland Geography, but when it came to Destruction, Study of Elemental Magics, and Defensives, he was top of the class. Erza or Grey would sometimes give him a run for his money, but most of time he was unstoppable. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to see what kind of magic the new kid had. He could probably beat her easy, but if not, it was always nice to have a bit of a challenge. "And actually, she's already here. I talked to her before I saw you guys. She is in the Great Hall," Lucy said only to gasp when suddenly the group of people in front of her were gone.
Natsu, Grey, and Erza all zipped to the hall doors fighting each other for a better look inside.
"I can't see!" "Move it, Freak!" "Hey, don't push me!" "I got here first so move!" "Get out of my way before I smash your faces in!" Grey and Natsu froze as Erza pushed through them. They then moved to each side of her, peeking through the halfway opened door.
….