Days. Years. A lifetime.
That's how long it took her to come to the Wizard Guild Fairy Tail. The stone and mortar guild hall towered over her in all it's glory, recently built after the Guild's win in The Grand Magic Games. Fairy Tail was the city of Magnolia's pride and joy, this she knew. She also knew that they were very commonly a thorn in the side of Fiore's Magic Council.
Her life's mission was right in front of her face and yet still, she had trouble getting past the anxiety that vibrated her bones. Everything she wanted, everything she needed, was right through the threshold of the doors before her.
All she had to do was go inside.
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"I smell something funny." Natsu said, sniffing the air.
"It's probably you." Gray laughed.
"Cut it out will yah, I'm being serious!" Natsu yelled, the heat of his breath in Gray's face.
The guildmates, friends, that they shared the table with all laughed. This was normal for Gray and Natsu. They always kept each other on their toes, often times rumbling in a blur of ice and fire that would essentially cost the guild money for repairs. This time though Natsu's seriousness didn't allow for distractions. Lucy noticed this and it made her uncomfortable. Juvia could care less because all she payed attention to was Gray. Happy just sat by eating fish.
Normally Wendy and Carla would be joined at the table with them, but today her and Carla were out on a solo mission. Everyone was proud and excited at the growing Wendy had done. Once a shy and timid young girl, she was now a girl who embraced her amazing Sky Dragon Slayer powers.
Natsu's attention snapped to the entrance of the Guild Hall as the door opened and someone walked in, carrying the scent of a lonesome forest in with them. The smell of trodden dead leaves, the comforting musk of a mother wolfs fur, the smell of Earth after it rains. This smell may have only alerted Natsu and Gajeel, the strong nosed Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail, but the magic energy that came with it caught the attention of the rest of the Guild. Cheerful banter turned to shallow whispers, and then to silence.
The girl stood in the doorway, her hood pulled over her head and her tattered cape hugging her frame. Peeking from under the hood were waves of deep brown hair and two braids the color of sapphire on each side of her face. At her back was a large death scythe, the blade sharp and the color of midnight, the staff made of aged elm tree wood.
The lustrous MiraJane broke the silence with her cheerful voice and a charming smile. She came out from behind the bar with her hands clasped together in front of her stomach.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail! How can I assist you?" Her smile never wavered.
The girl lifted her head and removed her hood. Her eyes, the color of burnt wood, never broke contact with Mira's. A scar went from her right eyebrow to the middle of her cheek in a straight line on the side of her face.
"I'm looking for Makarov." She said, in a voice hollow as a mountain cave.
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"Mmmmm."
She sat across from Makarov, the Master of Fairy Tail. He looked as if he was thinking deeply, and she kept wringing her hands together with nervousness. She had told this man everything about her. All her secrets, as dark and twisted as they may be. She fully expected to be turned away, shunned and judged for the life she was born into.
"So you want to be a member of Fairy Tail?" Makarov asked, not yet making eye contact with her.
"Yes. It's all I want. I have heard brilliant and terrifying stories of this Guild. Miraculous things even. I desire the camaraderie and bonds that are born here, and cherished. I understand if you cannot, and will not trust me." Her voice quivered.
"Child, I am not the type to judge the young by their pasts alone. Everyone deserves the opportunity to crawl into the light out of darkness."
"Th..Thank you, sir. I hope you can learn to trust me."
"I already do."
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"What is going on? What is taking so long? Who is that? Why is she here"
"Natsu, calm down."
Natsu was still in a skeptical mood, and somewhat suspicious. Gajeel seemed to share his feelings, standing close by with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"You two are acting ridiculous. She's just a girl that strolled in here, like so many others. No one reacted this way to Lucy." Cana chimed in, a barrel of alcohol in her lap.
Lucy shifted in her seat and blushed. Cana was right. When she had first showed up at Fairy Tail she was welcomed with open arms. Her transition from stranger to family happened rather quickly. That's how it was for most people. Except Juvia and Gajeel, but that was because of their history with Phantom Lord, the dark guild that tried to destroy Fairy Tail. Granted, now they were family like everyone else.
"It's her smell. She smells like the Earth after it rains." Natsu quipped.
"Petrichor. She smells like petrichor." Lexy chirped, excited to add into the discussion.
"You and yours words." Gajeel sniffed, rolling his eyes with a sly smirk on his face.
Lucy didn't understand the significance of someones smell, or if it even meant anything at all. Then again she wasn't a damn animal like Natsu. Gajeel wasn't even as much as an animal as him, even though he had a tendency to be more vicious. But one thing Lucy did understand was the sense of magical energy that a wizard gives off, and she couldn't put her finger on why the mysterious visitors magical energy was unnerving. It could possibly be because it had been a long time since Fairy Tail had to accept a new member to the family. But it could also be something else. Either way, Lucy was willing to give anyone and everyone a chance. She had seen first hand in the past that even those who may seem evil are actually good at heart.
"I think you are over reacting Natsu. Then again, you always overdo it." Lucy giggled.
"Aye!" Happy added. The tiny blue cat, a magical race of flying cat called an exceed just like Carla and PantherLily, usually always sided with his best friend Natsu. But at this moment he just so happened to agree with Lucy.
"Hey Happy! Who's friend are you anyways?" Natsu growled, turning to his tiny friend and making the kitty jump.
"Don't take your tension out on Happy!" Lucy barked.
Gray started laughing, which caused Juvia to laugh as well, and soon others joined in. The tension in the air started to thin itself out. Everyone started chattering happily again and drinking with friends. The distraction seemed to be over. People were getting over it.
Then the sound of Master Makarov clearing his throat echoed through the Guild Hall, and everyone stopped what they were doing to pay attention to the Master.
Makarov stood by her side looking intently out at his children. She looked towards the ground and shuffled her feet. The eyes, so many eyes, and they were all on her. Most of them judging she assumed. Most of them not liking what they see. Not accepting. She was used to this, but she was determined to change those negative feelings that surrounded her into positive ones. This was the beginning of a new chapter. A chapter she could write for herself.
"This young lady is Ember ElmSpire. She is our newest member to Fairy Tail. She is now family. I am sure you will all accept her as easily as you do all our new recruits." Makarov announced, a goofy grin playing across his face.
Natsu stood up on top of the table he was sitting at, his lifes fire burning in his eyes. Gajeel stood at his side, his stare as hard as his iron scales. Everyone else looked on confused, but also uncomfortable because the dragon slayers were acting in such a weird fashion. This automatically made them untrusting, and Ember could sense that, and it made her sad. She just wanted to be accepted. She wanted these people to be her friends. But she could see that wouldn't come so easy, as expected.
"Who IS she? I don't like her scent!" Natsu yelled.
"She's a wizard Natsu! Like all of you." Makarov answered, his goofy grin non wavering.
"My scent? What is that supposed to mean?" Ember asked embarrassed. Did she smell? She had been on the road for a long time. Did she over look her cleanliness?
"You smell like wet Earth! And dead leaves! I don't like it!" Natsu answered.
"It is quite a different smell." Gajeel sneered.
"Yeah...well...Your fire dragon smell is like the sulfur fire pits of hell and it burns my nose! And YOU, you smell like spilled blood, it's like sucking on metal bolts!" Ember yelled back at the dragon slayers.
Everyone in the Guild Hall went silent. Ember quickly curled into herself. She hadn't meant to lash out so quickly, and now she felt like a bully. She didn't even know if what she said was an accurate way of how the dragon slayers smelled. She just said the first thing that popped into her head.
From over in the corner a laugh erupted, smooth like honey and deep. Then another followed, this one bone chilling and somewhat creepy. Ember looked over at who was laughing and saw a beautiful brunette with glasses and curves, and a man with a metal helmet over his eyes and his tongue hanging out of his mouth. They sat at the bar with drinks in their hands, and they laughed genuine gut wrenching laughs. The other guild members seemed to roll their eyes and generally ignore them.
"That was a good one! Come over here girl, my name is Evergreen, and this is Bixslow. You can join us, if only for your comedy!" The brunette laughed.
"Yeah, ignore those punks! Hang out with us and my babies!" the man said, his voice as bone rattling as his laugh.
"Uhm, I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lash out like that. I..." Ember stammered.
"Don't apologize, they lashed out first! Put it behind you and come over here." Evergreen smiled, sipping her drink.
"That's right, don't apologize." A firm, and new voice, reached the ears of everyone in the Guild Hall.
Walking straight and narrow toward Ember and Makarov was the scarlet haired Erza. Ember could feel the power she carried with her. The famous power that was known all over Fiore, and even farther. Titania.
"Erza, welcome back. This is Ember, our new recruit." said Makarov, nodding at Erza.
"Welcome Ember. Don't let the boys bother you. They like to be dramatic. I am sure you will fit in fine here." Erza smiled, and that smile melted Ember's shakiness. She already started to feel more comfortable.
No one was really paying attention to them anymore now that Erza had shown her acceptance. Her rank in the guild preceded her it seemed, her friends following her lead. Ember knew they didn't accept her yet, but she was determined to get in their good graces.
After Erza walked off to join her friends at the table the rosey haired Natsu was standing on, Ember let out a sigh and decided to go join Evergreen and Bixslow at the bar. She was not picky about making friends. Besides, all friends were good friends, right? It would be nice to have someone to talk to and learn the ropes from anyways. After all, this was Embers first guild.
MiraJane poured Ember a drink with a smile, and she knew the smile was genuine. That MiraJane, as friendly and warm as her reputation lead to believe. Even though her first day in Fairy Tail seemed to get off to a rough start, Ember had faith that with time everything would get better. That was really all she could hope for.