Fairy Tail

Chapter 1 / Path of the Light

"To perceive is to suffer." - Aristotle

Song: Doki Doki Morning - BabyMetal

Present Day - Countryside Fiore

The whole thing began with a joke, and bargain with a child.

"Need a hand?"

It wasn't a particularly funny one, but one of laughs on his behalf, while she looked on with a pale demeanor, quietly observing. Her hand rested neatly on her hip, elbow pointing outwards and the other - well, literally, was hand-in-hand with the kid's. Her hazel eyes were planted on the material of her shirt, how freely it moved with the changing breeze. Here it smelt like freshly cut grass.

"May I have my arm back?" Andy asked the girl, who continued to smile up at her - mainly out of fascination. A blind mistake, an accident, that's all this was. There wasn't anybody apart from the two of them on the road. Not surprising, since there was an explosion about thirty miles behind themselves. You could still see smoke trailing up into the sky.

The girl in front couldn't have been taller than her waist. While Andy herself was indeed short, the girl later would profusely proclaim that she was actually eleven, and not some annoying brat that she called her in her mind - which wasn't true. On her back was a bag filled to the brim, the clips that held it together were somehow still able to continue their services. It was hard when Andy knocked on it.

"H-Hey!" The girl squealed, jumping back slightly. "What are you doing!?"

"It looks heavy. Are you going to carry all those books by yourself?"

"You bet!" Skyhead cried, and with determination burning passionately in her eyes, her fist clenched at the prospect of future knowledge to come from these precious gems. "What's it to you!?"

Andy blinked, tilting her head to the side. Frivolous as the conversation was - she hadn't had such a connection for a while - there was other things she needed to attend to. She spoke in a clear voice, poised to leave. With her arm, of course. "You must really like to read. I was just noticing."

Her eyes sparkled widely. "I do, I do!" She blinked, and pausing, took notice of how scuffled Andy looked. "Have you been in a fight?"

Andy shrugged. "No, I've just been walking for a while and managed to lose my arm. Can I have it back?"

"What's your name?" The girl asked, moving the armed arm away while doing so.

"Andy."

The girl smiled wider. "Andy! That must be a very hAndy name!"

Thus, an onslaught of tinkling laughter.

The conversation was a dead end, in her opinion. Chances were that she wouldn't see the kid ever again after this, nor did she have any willingness to go back to where she came. So it seemed like a fair thing, for her to take few minutes out before having to escort herself back.

"And your name? Or should I keep calling you Skyhead?"

"It's Levy!" The girl blurted. "Not Skyhead!"

A pressed smile doned Andy's face, out of exasperation. "A pleasure. But really, I need that arm back for army-to-do-things. If I could…?"

Levy shook her head. "Tell you what, I'll give it back, but you've got to promise me something!"

A promise huh? Her nose twitched, and feeling colder than before, she nodded. "Alright."

"Can you take me home?" She asked.

"Why?"

"There's been rumours of children being kidnapped!" She cried, and Andy had no choice but to agree. There was nothing better to do anyway.

As it turned out, Levy had been lost for a little while now. No girl should be out on her own, Andy thought as she headed forward with little Levy following like a duckling. Thankfully, the girl was true to her word and had infact given back her arm, to which she locked back into the socket. Andy carried the bag for her, when Levy got to the point where her feet hurt. And then she realised that right then would be a good time for sleep.

So she kept watch, by the light of the bonfire.

They were driven out by the wild wolves that hunted in the forest the morning after. Levy had still been asleep, still been oblivious to the guttering growls they hungrily forced out; you could see they hadn't eaten for days, you could see a series of rips quietly protruding out from underneath their patchy fur hides. The daylight was colder, clouded over and slowly turning dark as the rain drew closer. Andy gave them no heed and quietly picked the sleeping child up in her arms, the backpack slung over her shoulder.

The wolves eyed the pair as the left, but made no moves to attack them. Maybe it was because of the aura the blonde gave out, or their natural instincts advising them to avoid her and only go for the blue haired child. But whatever way, they were never going to attack them. So hungry they were though, so they slinked back to where they came from, barely continuing on.

Andy carried on throughout the day with a straight back. Levy woke about an hour after they had left, confused as to what was going on - and somehow catching a cold in the process. Andy wasn't actually surprised at this development. Her clothes were few - something a child shouldn't just be wearing - and the girl admitted that the only reason she left was to go to the book fair. It was being held in the Town of Glades, a smaller merchant town than Magnolia, south-western of the mountains. As to why she was permitted to go alone was beyond her. Andy just had a feeling in her head that she was alone, and didn't ask. It wasn't needed to be said.

The duo stopped for dinner in a small village, and from the diner, you could see the edge of the sea as the night drew in. From blue to grey, the two sat in the booth, Levy slurping on a hot beef broth. Andy smiled to herself, closing her eyes and only opened them when a pair of men departed out the front door. Quietly, she heard the reverberating sighs that came from many of the other customers - Andy assuming that it was a good thing that nothing happened.

"Did you see his arm?" Levy asked, looking up from her bowl, spoon being tightly bitten. "He's part of the Lamia Scale Guild!"

Andy looked back at where the two sat, noting how they both ate such large portions. She turned back to Levy, who was happily continuing with her meal, saying something about how juicy the meat was.

"We better leave soon then. There's no need for them to know we're here."

Two Days Later - Hargeon Station

Andy handed over the correct amount of Jewels for the train tickets and thanked the man, who stared at her oddly behind the protective glass he sat in. She brushed her hair right back, thinking that it should've been longer - that way, she would have been able to tie it up.

"Here's yours." She said, giving Levy the window ticket. When they boarded the train, it wasn't entirely full. Mostly filled with families returning from a holiday at the beach, or what other nobodies from all walks of life, the two blended in the best they could. Levy who was still tired from walking, fell asleep in Andy's lap; the older girl watching the trees whizz by as the seat klick-klacked. They had sandwiches for dinner, and hours later, they arrived in Magnolia Station. The air was dirty in the station, as the train left for wherever it was going; Andy had no interest in where. Levy was still asleep when they arrived, so she picked her small frame up and carried her like a bride. Carefully and close to her chest.

The night was alive here, and Andy's mind was melting in with the lights that strung from house to house, how the laughter of children scattered everywhere, the voices of vendors selling goods reverberating back. The canopies above the houses jolted gently in the wind, and Andy wished she had something to cover Levy in; mind you, Andy wasn't particularly clothed in a lot of material either. She walked by the bank of a canal, wondering where to find….what was the guild called again?

Levy felt cold when she awoke, and it was strange. She woke up worried because she felt how cold Andy was and jolted right out of her arms. That almost made the older girl drop the backpack, but luckily she caught it before any of Levy's precious gems could be soaked in the canal.

"Oh, we're here already?" Levy muttered to herself, looking around at the buildings. Andy nodded absentmindedly and followed her as she guided the girl through the town. It was certainly much bigger than what she was used to. Everything felt much much more alive and healthy. Nothing like, well, nothing.

Andy watched the joint in Levy's back move through her skin, the skin tinted shades of red, blue and yellow from the hanging fluorescent bulbs; somewhat like a dimming vision before blacking out. Andy didn't though. What seemed like a dream ended when Levy turned around, smiling joyfully, eyes wide open.

"Here we are, Fairy Tail Guild!"

Andy nodded nervously, and Levy guided her in with her hand. But before the blue haired maiden could even speak a word, Andy grabbed the hem of her collar and pulled her close; the flying table breaking on the concrete outside, shattering into splinters. Her face hardened when she was met with many contorted faces.

When she was sure that no more tables were going to fly her way - it seemed that two kids were fighting in the corner of the hall - she placed Levy down, who was confronted by a fiery red head. An angry redhead.

"Where were you!?" She yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Levy, who shrunk back a little in embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry!" Levy pipped, hiding behind the legs of Andy. "I-I got lost, I swear I didn't mean to be gone for that long!"

"You idiot!" The girl yelled, her face matching hair. "Why didn't you t-"

Smack!

Unfortunate enough, the girl was interrupted by a flying chair to the back of the head, which made the two fighting fish on the other side of the hall stop immediately and shudder. Her gaze felt dangerous, and Levy still huddled beneath her shadow, until a short man jumped down from the balcony.

"There you are." He said, his face tart. "Wandering off like that, you're lucky you're weren't kidnapped!"

"I sure was!" She said, nodding her head, it poking out from behind Andy. "Almost, but Andy scared them off!"

Not true, but hey, she didn't need to point that out. She blankly looked away from all the fighting, all the awful noises being protruded from the kids until the old man pulled her out from her thinking state.

In his aging state, Makarov wasn't the type of person to so swiftly judge another simply on their appearance. Fair to say, the two girls looked quite disheveled, the older one having several cowlicks floating upwards, small tears in her clothes. Fair - yet scarred - skin. Long sleeved, high neck dress. Black tights and dress shoes, the girl wasn't exactly dressed for long distance journeys. She would have probably fitted somewhere more appropriate, like a cemetery, or in mourning. Despite the state of her hair, he could see how it cropped under her chin, and how her pale, non-iris eyes waited for him to speak. But before that, she addressed him.

"She's was quite tired when I found her." Andy murmured, under the howls of the boys and someone yelling 'take it outside!'.

"You can stay here for the night if you wish. It's the least I can do." He sighed, and looked over at Levi. "Go home and sleep. We'll discuss this in the morning, and how you'll be disciplined."

"Yes Master!" Levi gulped, nodding, but stood there still. Andy wavered for a bit, and stood in front of Skyhead.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have to decline as bringing her here has deeply affected my schedule. There are other things to attend to and I cannot be any more late."

How they met, it was simply by chance. Fate may be a thing she didn't believe in, but by choice she was here. It was a good one. Better than most she had made.

Levy's lip wobbled. "You can't stay?"

Andy shook her head.

"Don't go running off anymore without someone there to help you." She told her, a hand messing her 'do. Levy squealed a little, and fixed her hair back up. Andy smiled. "Don't do it, otherwise I won't be able to find you again."

Levy's eyes widened with hope. "So you'll come back?"

"Maybe." She admitted. "We'll have to see."

Six Days Later - Unknown

The air was colder up in the mountains, Andy judged, but it wasn't like it affected her. The path had ended long ago, back two hours, and just before that was the last village noted on the map. It mainly consisted of sheep farmers and produce growers that would spend their autumns plucking new fruit out from their roots. They always grew such large, red apples. And that made Andy wonder about their taste.

She was far south now, away from the hustle of urban sprawling, something that she just wasn't used to. She liked the countryside more, but she missed the conversations and that vibe of enlightened happiness that came so easily in Magnolia.

Inside one of the mountains laid a labyrinth of a laboratory which worked in secrecy. The grandiose columns supported the roof, small flickering flames lay moving on each candle she passed. This place was not designed for the empathy of the human mind, so once she stepped into the main hall, everything behind her stopped mattering.

"I'm home." She called, taking her shoes off and tucking them into the wall hatch, which closed and melted into undefined tiles.

"You're late." He said, her boss, her maker. "I thought you said you'd be back a week ago."

"My apologies." Andy replied, bowing deeply, so that her nose touched her knees. "I ran into trouble on the way back home and I had to lay low for a while."

He paused, and put down the scalpel. The live experiment cried out, the limbs of the child strapped to the ends of the table. It was a teenager, a boy, probably no older than fifteen. Mr T liked the live ones.

"And did you finish the job?"

"Yes." She nodded. "He is dead, just like you asked."

"Turn around." He ordered, and she did so, knowing what he was going to do. She felt his fingers on her neck, zipping down the dress and unlocking the panel on her back.

"You spent too much energy." He muttered, closing it again. "Probably short circuited some fuses too. Alright, get back to your port. I'll tend to you tomorrow."

"Yes Master." She said, turning to bow after zipping herself up again. "Goodnight."

Hurry up is what his eyebrows were saying. And so she left for her room, alone.

Just like old times.

Same Night - Magnolia Town - Levy's Room

Levy made room on her bed, pushing the piles of books to the wall so that she would have a place to sleep. She had gotten home late again, but admittedly, that was her own fault. Master Makarov had put her on cleaning duty as well a mission ban for an entire three weeks. So, that was where he spent her time, talking to everyone and catching up on how everybody was going. This was the things that she missed while she was on the road - her friends - and she was thankful to be in her bed right now.

There's no place like home, after all.

Same Night - Unknown - Andy's Room

Andy laid on the stand up frame, naked with her connective cables working on recharging her power supply. Being low made her feel drowsy and incoherent, so it was the best thing for her to stay down there for days so that she could be sure it was filled completely. She also had to stay down here because sometimes Mr T would send more information for her to store. Sometimes they were voice memos, or sequences. Most were boring, and since she stood in relative silence, her ears picked up on the tiniest whisperings from the experiments down the hall.

There's no place like home, after all.

Ciao a tutti!

So, this is the first fanfiction I've done in a while. I hope you enjoy it so far. So please, leave a comment on your thoughts and whatnot. I like hearing constructive feedback as well as nice people. Nice people are nice. :D

See you in the next one!

- MsMaleficoProtettore