After all the commotion of me getting my emblem, the guild cheered as they had gotten a new family member. New faces introduced themselves to me, so fast that they all started to blur together.
"I'm Elfman! Joining Fairy Tail is MANLY!"
"Hello, I'm Lisanna. Pardon my brother. Welcome to the guild!"
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Erza. If Natsu or Gray bother you, tell me."
"E-Erza! That's not nice! I'm Gray, by the way."
"Juvia is pleased to make your acquaintance. DO NOT LOOK AT GRAY-SAMA, LOVE RIVAL!"
"Nice to meet you, I'm Lucy!"
"Hi! I'm Cana!"
I started to get overwhelmed by all the people. I could feel my breathing become erratic, almost hyperventilating.
"MIRA! WENDY! Is she okay?"
"EVERYONE BACK UP!" A familiar voice shouted. "I think you're scaring her!" While Mira kept the rest of the guild away, Wendy ran up to me.
"Hey, Diane. Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
"I-I'm prone to p-panic at-t-tacks if I m-meet too many p-people o-or if I g-g-et too stressed…" I mumbled. The blunette rubbed my back a bit, then told this to Mira. Mira said something, but a buzzing filled my ears. Wendy noticed and grabbed my hand. Running me upstairs, only she, Carla, Mira, and some people named Happy and Lily were allowed up.
Carla went and got the people I hadn't met while Wendy stayed with me in a room. The only thing in there was a bed. She sat me down on it when Carla and two cats came in. One was blue and introduced himself as Happy. The other was black and said he was Pantherlily, but said I could call him Lily.
I reached for Happy, as I was reminded of my cat from childhood. Happy climbed onto the bed and let me hug him. I could feel his purring and it calmed me down. Then Lily and Carla came over, so I had three purring cats on my lap. I sighed, happy, and Wendy giggled. She left the room, probably to tell Mira I was okay.
I don't know how long I had been sitting with the cats, but Wendy came back in with Natsu and a tall man with long black hair.
"I'm Gajeel," he said, not seeming very happy. "Lily is my cat."
"Happy's mine!" Natsu chimed. "And Carla is Wendy's cat!"
"Do you want them back?" I asked, not really wanting to give them up, but prepared to do so.
"Oh, no!" Wendy answered quickly, glaring at Natsu and Gajeel. "You and the cats all seem happy. Just tell us when you've calmed down, and we'll try reintroducing you to everyone." I nodded.
"Alright. Just give me a couple more minutes and I should be good. When I was little and this happened, I just cuddled with my cat for a while until I felt better. Medicine did nothing to help, surprisingly. Only snuggling with Momo." I replied. Natsu's face lit up and he ran out of the room. After he left, I was slightly confused, but no longer panicky. I gently removed Happy, who had fallen asleep, and Lily and Carla went to their respective owners. We walk headed downstairs to try again.
Natsu's POV
(A/N: I'm probably not going to switch POV much, but I wanted ya'll to know this bit)
"MASTER!" I exclaimed as I barged into his office. "Can you call the Exceeds back? Diane had a panic attack and cats calm her down so I thought she should get her own!"
"Woah, woah, woah, Natsu. Who's Diane?" Gramps asked.
"She's our new member! That's what that explosion was a few hours ago! It was her release of magic power! But can you please call the Exceeds back? She needs one!"
"Okay, but I'll have to meet her first. Then, maybe," Gramps decided.
"I'M ALL FIRED UP! LET'S GO MEET DIANE!"
Diane's POV
"GUYS! Be careful! Don't overwhelm her again, alright?" Mira instructed. I'd only known her for a few hours, but she was already becoming one of my closest friends.
"Hi Diane. My name's Levy. It's nice to meet you!" another bluenette said. She looked only a few years older than Wendy, but her height could let the two be confused for the same age.
"It's nice to meet you, too, Levy!" I replied.
"Hello again, I am E-"
"Erza, right? You're the one who threatened Gray and Natsu!"
"Yes, I did. I'm glad you remember me." Erza said. The guild was staring. Gray's jaw was practically on the floor.
"What's up with Gray? And pretty much the entire guild?"
"You interrupted me. Usually I would yell at you, but you're new, and I quite like you as well. So you're off the hook for now." She began to walk away and Natsu ran up to me with a small old man in tow. He looks familiar, and then it clicked. It was Makarov, the Master of Fairy Tail!
"Hello, my dear. I am Makarov, Master of Fairy Tail. You must be Diane. I hear you have panic attacks?" the Master inquired.
"Yes, I do. Luckily, Wendy, Happy, Carla, Lily, and Mira saved the day."
"Ah. Natsu told me that cats calmed you down. Natsu, come here," Makarov walked away and started whispering with Natsu. I continued meeting everyone in the guild, one of the cats flying over (because apparently they can fly? Why didn't Wendy tell me?) whenever I started feeling panicky. Eventually, there was no one left to meet besides the people who were out on jobs.
Right as Mira told me that, the doors opened to reveal a boy around my age with dark skin, brown hair, a tan shirt, and brown shorts.
"Haja! How was the job?" Mira queried.
"It was good. The monster that was terrorizing Leold is gone now," he answered. Then he saw me. "Who is this? DID WE GET A NEW MEMBER?" He ran up to me and slung his arm around my shoulders.
"YASSSSS! YOU WILL BE MY BEST FRIEND, GIRL!"
"My name's not girl, it's Diane."
"DIANE IS MY NEW BEST FRIEND!" Haja sang. "What magic do you use? WE MUST FIND OUT! TO THE TRAINING GROUND!" Haja grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the guild, laughing. Everyone tagged along, interested to see what magic I did. The explosion that happened earlier didn't show any of my attacks, just proved I have power.
He stopped and made sure I didn't move from the spot I was standing in. He ran a few meters away and stopped as well. Mira stood in the middle of us, arms raised. When her arms fell, she sprinted out of the way as Haja and I fought.
He charged me, sand swirling behind him. On reflex, I teleported behind him. He crashed into the ground which gave me a window for my next attack.
"Meteor!" I shouted, and flaming chunks of rock fell towards the ground. Haja managed to dodge them and send his own attack my way.
"Sand Swirl!" A cyclone of sand began to come towards me, and I didn't have enough time to teleport away.
"Fabric of Space and Time!" A galaxy colored piece of fabric appeared, and I used it as a shield from Haja's attack.
"GIRL, WHAT KIND OF MAGIC IS THIS?" Haja shouted to me as he sent more sandstorms my way.
"TIME AND SPACE MAGIC!" I called back, continuing to use the fabric as a shield. When the storms dissipated I used a spell that I came up with on my own.
"TIME SET: NIGHT! PHASES OF THE MOON: NEW MOON!" The bright daylight suddenly turned to night and I the slight light I gave off suddenly disappeared.
"Diane?" Where'd you go, girl? I don't see you. Or anyone, for that matter."
"Right here," I said as I teleported in front of him and pushed him to the ground. "Time set: Day!" Daylight returned and the guild could clearly see me pinning Haja to the ground. He was barely winded, but I was panting.
"WOW! Diane, you're really strong! Last year, Haja was in the S-Class exams and got pretty close to winning!" Mira exclaimed.
"I-if you'll excuse me, I th-think I need to take a n-nap," I yawned. Haja frowned and lifted me off him. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was the gentle up and down motion of Haja carrying me.
Makarov's POV
"Yes, Chagot. I know you're looking for the children you sent to Earthland, but I need you to come back," I pleaded. "Yes, I know you don't want to, but I have a wizard here who needs an Exceed… Who? She's a new member named Diane…. Why? Diane is prone to panic attacks and the only thing that calms her down is a cat… I know we have Happy, Carla, and Lily, but what if they're on a job and can't come? ….. You'll come? When?... In three days? Alright. Thank you, Chagot. You know how much it means to me to be able to help my children. Thank you. Goodbye, now." I closed the call on the communication lacrima. I really hoped Diane would find an Exceed to love just as much as Natsu loves Happy, or Wendy and Carla, or Gajeel and Lily.
Diane's POV
I woke up in the infirmary again. Someone was snoring away to my right. It was Haja, asleep on the bed next to me. I laughed quietly at the drool coming out of his mouth. I had only known this boy for minutes, but he was probably my best friend, or tied with Mira for that position.
"Goodnight, Haja," I whispered to him. I turned and closed my eyes. I missed the smile he gave me as I fell asleep.
