Beach coast-Unknown
"Miss!" She feels a shake on her shoulders. "Miss are you ok?"
Citlali opens her eyes, the blinding sun beating down on her sand covered face. Quickly she realizes that a human was assisting her and she cowers away from her rescuer.
"I won't hurt you, I promise" Says the young girl, wearing a one piece bathing suit, her white hair tied behind her head in a low pony tail. "We saw you on the waves, I went out there to bring you to shore. Do you need anything?"
Citlali looks out to the beach before her, noticing there was a small group of people, who seemed to be enjoying themselves on the beach, now watching her. "I don't need help from humans." She replies.
A young man approaches the two girls. "Were not human, if that makes you feel any better."
The girl elbows the blue haired man in the shin, causing him to fall to his knees in the sand. "That wasn't very nice! Oww oww oww" He cries, rubbing his leg.
"If you're not human, then what are you?" Questions the exhausted girl.
The white girl turns to face Citlali. "We're Exceeds." She smiles, changing her form into a white cat. The whining boy changes his form too, revealing blue fur wearing a green boxer type bathing suit. "I'm Carla." She states.
"And I'm Happy. The name Happy, not the emotion happy, got it?"
Citlali feels faint...not able to comprehend what it is that she is seeing. She's never seen a exceed before. She felt a strong impulse to snuggle them both roughly...but her nausea was aiding her from embarrassing herself. She relaxes back into the sand and stares into the waves beating on the coast. Tears start to form in her eyes.
"What are these?" Questions Happy, picking a small blue scale from Carla's fur. "Is this a fish scale Carla? I thought you hated fish."
Carla sniffs the scale and turns back to the water she came from. "It doesn't smell like fish, but look, there are more. " She states, pointing from the direction she came from.
By now the crowd had faded away, leaving the two Exceeds and Citlali to rest on the beach. Carla went back to the shore, picking up some of the glittering scales left in the sand. Happy reaches into a small green bag and takes out a bottle of water and offers it to Citlali. Citlali eyes the bottle being held by blue paws.
"Thirsty? I'm sure salt water doesn't taste all the great." Citlali gently takes the bottle and drinks the liquid. Wincing at the sensation of it going down her throat. Realizing how parched she really was, she quickly consumes the liquid, leaving no drop behind. Happy then pulls a fish from his sack as well and offers it to the girl. "I have a fish too if you're hungry."
Carla is flying back to the group. "Foolish tom cat, I'm sure she'll want something better then a fi-" she is interrupted, seeing Citlali shoving the fish into her mouth as if eating for the first time in years.
Citlali finishes her beach meal and bows to the cats. "Thank you so much Happy and Carla! I don't know how I can repay you."
Carla offers the scales to Citlali. "I think these came off of you dear." She turns towards Happy, thinking inwardly. Something about this girl seems vaguely familiar. "Why don't we take her with us. She has mud all over her face, she could use a nice bath." The turns to Citlali, extending out a paw. "We have a pretty big birthday party tomorrow at our guild hall. You can come with us if you like."
"Aye!" Exclaims an excited Happy.
Citlali grips the scales in her hand looking back to the water. 'Mom…' She thinks. 'Did you save me?' Citlali wobbly stands on her feet, her frayed dress stretching and audibly ripping with every move she makes.
"Carla, we should get her something better to wear. Her cloths look so ragged." Happy mentions.
They walk in unison to a local hotel, sneaking Citlali from the front desk. She was covered in dirt, and seaweed, her hair was petrified and matted together. You could hardly make out the true color of her skin.
"Happy, help her in the bath." Carla instructs. "I'm going to go to a nearby shop to get some cloths for her, ok?"
"Aw why do I have to help her bathe. I can get the cloths for her."
"You? Picking up clothes for a young lady? I don't think so…" Replies Carla. "Leave a lady such as myself to pick the cloths. You just stand by if she needs anything ok?" And with that Carla leaves.
Happy leads Citlali to the hotel restroom, and shows her the shower and nearby bath tub. Citlali is dumbfounded. 'This is a bath?' She thinks...but can't find the words to ask Happy without fear of looking our sounding ridiculous. I mean, she already was talking to a blue cat to begin with...what kind of world was this?
"I'll fill the tub for you, wash off in the shower, turn it this way for hot water, this way for cold." He hands her two bottles. "Here is the shampoo, and this is for your body...you may need to use all of it. And you can put your cloths in this bag here, I'll throw it away ok?"
Citlali is feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. She holds the two bottles and watches the blue cat fly over to the tub to fill it up, and watches in amazement at the liquid he puts in, causing bubbles to foam where the water was hitting the surface.
"That should do it." Happy turns off the faucet and begins to leave the room. "Give me a call if you need anything, ok?" And with that he is gone.
Citlali walks over to the tub, filled with white foam and inhales deeply. She is overwhelmed with the scent of lavender, and various other fragrances. Her curiosity gets the best of her and she sticks her finger in the bubbles to swipe some into her mouth...and quickly spits out the soapy taste.
"Ugh,, smells wonderful..tastes awful." She steps back to the shower, and undresses. Nearly ripping off the aged frayed clothing. It falls to pieces and she tries desperately to collect all the pieces neatly into the bag Happy provided.
"Well Mama, these creatures aren't humans. I don't know what an Exceed is but they seem nice. I can trust them right?" She brings her hand up to touch her necklace, covered with the earth she had been asleep in for ages.
She steps into the water, and it is hot to the touch. She quickly adjusts the temperature, and watches in awe as years of grime and dirt are pulled down the drain to her feet. She moans in pleasure. Never has she taken a bath that could feel this good. Her mother had to warm their water at least an hour before they could actually bathe, but this seemed to pour water forever. It was simply amazing. She continued to stare at the drain and noticed blue hairs reaching the inside of the drain. She wiped her now damp, matted hair to the side, reveling in the length that was coming undone from its matted confinements. She tried to run her fingers through the mess, but even under the water, she couldn't undo hundreds of years of growth and tangles. Her fingers snag in her hair and she looks to her fingers to see broken, elongated nails. She bites them off one by one, throwing her tangled loosened hair and other larger debris in the bag with her tattered cloths.
She spent another 40 minutes under the constant running water, washing her hair over and over again, reveling in the sweet smell of the shampoo she was given. When she could finally see clear water going down the drain, she was satisfied that she was done and turned the shower water off. She stepped out, only to be surprised, seeing the trail of dirt and sand that she must have brought in on the floor. Determined to keep herself from becoming dirty once more, she grabbed a nearby towel and wiped away the mess on the floor. Once she was satisfied with her work, she tied her hair up in a knot to keep if from dragging on the floor and remembered the foamy bath that was waiting for her. Once she looked at the bath, her excited smile quickly turned into a frown, noticing the bubbles had all but disappeared. When she stuck her fingers in the water, it was cold to the touch.
For some reason, the water being cold comforted her, and she slowly submerged herself into the clear pool. It reminded her of her own mother. She recalled when it would be hot outside, she would create cold pools for her to play in. Her mother could conjure water and freeze it solid, or cool it to the touch.
"Hey," She feels a slight shake on her shoulder. "Hey are you ok...the water is boiling!" Happy yells out lifting Citlali out of the water and onto the cool floor. Citlali opens her eyes, looking around panicked.
"I'm sorry! I must have turned on the water with my foot!" She picks herself up and wraps a towel around her body.
"Woah, your hair is long!" Happy notes. He lifts the hair, still left behind in the water.
Citlali looks into the mirror, surprised to see own reflection so clearly, is also surprised to see that her own physique has not changed. Citlali was always heavier than the other ladies in her village. She hated that about herself. Constant jokes and teasing from the older slayers in the village prompted her to want to learn how to disguise herself. Her mother caught her one day trying to bind her growing curves with rope. It horrified her mother deeply, and to prevent her daughter from harming herself, she taught her a concealing magic.
Still looking into the mirror, Citlali became depressed, staring at herself. She resembled her mother so closely. She missed her so much, she could feel the slight sting of tears in her eyes. She used her magic to change the look on her face, so she wouldn't have to stare back at her mother, and followed Happy out of the steaming room.
Out of the bathroom, she flexed her toes to feel the soft carpet beneath. It was like walking on feathers. She hopped on the carpet all the way to the single bed before her looking below to see some cloths laid out before her.
"Carla thought you might be hungry so she went to get some food seeing that you weren't done yet." Happy floats to the bed, picking up a shirt and handing it to Citlali. "I hope this fit's ya. I guess Carla has some good taste."
Citlali takes the white beaded shirt in her hands. It's a halter top, with beads around the neck and it flares openly to the bottom. There was a pair of black shorts on the bed and some strap sandals, with adjustable sizes. She got dressed and Happy assisted her with putting her sandals on. She ran back into the bathroom and admired her image in the mirror. The thought to herself that it must have taken months to bead the shirt she was wearing. Coming out of the bathroom Happy was floating in the air holding a brush.
"I thought you might want some help with your hair, it's still really tangled."
"Yes please!" She exclaims. She hops on the plush bed and lays her head back, letting her hair flow over the top of the bed and off the edge. Happy gets to work quickly, removing as many tangles as he can.
"You're really weird. But you remind me of my little sisters, so I kinda like you." States Happy. "That's how I learned how to brush hair real quick." He makes his way to a tough spot in Citlali's hair and the brush is caught momentarily. "What is your name?" He asks.
Citlali whimpers, feeling her scalp being tugged by the brush strokes. "Cit-ow-La-OUCH!" She scratches her head.
"Sorry! That was a bad tangle." He apologizes, moving onto the next section of her long hair.
"Just call me Lali." She states, intertwining her fingers on her stomach, staring into the sky.
A few yanks and slight yelps later, and Lali's hair is finally brushed through and pulled into a high ponytail atop her head.
She sat on the edge of the bed, braiding her long black hair reaching down to the part that it was once blue. She finished her braid and traced her finger from the bottom all the way to about half way up her braid, a deep teal color following where her finger touched.
"Woah that's so cool! Is blue your favorite color?" Asks Happy.
Lali blushes and smiles slightly. "Yeah it's my favorite. It was my mom's favorite too. It reminds me of the Sea, and the sky." She turns her head to look out the open window.
"Is that why you were at the beach? Seeing you kinda scared Carla and me." Happy sits next to Lali. "We thought you were dead."
Lali reached her hand to scratch Happy's head. "I'm sorry if I scared you. Thank you so much for saving me. Were you and your girlfriend on a date?"
Happy blushes, oddly enough through his blue fur. "Ahh, ha ha, not really. Carla had a vision a few days ago. She has a gift of clairvoyance." He explained. "I was training with a friend of mine, and Carla came to meet us so we could talk about going on this new mission. Carla said she felt like her vision was about some island nearby."
"Oh, that's cool. I wish I could see into the future!" 'Because, maybe then I could have saved my family.' She thought.
Carla entered the room, in her human form, carrying a few bags. She placed the bags on the table nearby and Happy flew over to join her. "Yes Happy, I got you a fish."
"Aye!" Happy says excitedly, going through the bags and pulling out various boxes of food. "Her name is Lali. I don't think she's from around here."
Carla looks at Happy wide eyed, and then at Lali. Carla moves in front and around Lali, looking at her up and down. "Where are you from?" Carla questions.
Lali gulps nervously, her growling stomach breaking the silence. She looks down, frowning at her discomfort.
"Come on Carla lets eat. Pantherlily will be coming to meet us soon before we go back to the guild hall for Igneel's birthday." states Happy.
Carla calms down a bit, walking back to the table. "I hope you're feeling better." She takes out a box and offers it to Lali, gesturing her to sit at the table. "I apologize if I came off as rude, you just reminded me of someone." Carla opens the box as Lali approaches, exposing steaming food inside. There was a pile of rice in one corner, and strips of beef in a dark brown sauce that smelled like heaven to her.
Lali takes one bite of the food in front of her, and tears begin to fall from her cheeks. The two exceeds watch the young girl as she shoveled the food into her mouth. She couldn't eat it fast enough and before she knew it it was all gone.
"Good heavens child, I'm glad I got extra. This is why it took me a little bit longer then normal." Carla states as she politely eats her noodles.
Minutes later and Happy is laying on the table fat and, well, happy to be full of his favorite fish. Lali pats her belly, bulging just a bit from the 3 boxes of food she consumed.
"I am in your debt Ms Carla. I don't know what I would do if it weren't for your help."
Carla gathers up the trash to dispose of. "It's ok dear. We're fairy tail mages, and we always help anyone who is need." She turns to face the stuffed girl. "What brings you here, and, pardon me asking but, why were you so dirty?"
Lali thinks carefully. She remembered how cautious her mother taught her to be, and feared giving out too much information that might hurt her, or potentially her father. "I lived a sheltered life, and escaped." She explained. It wasn't all a lie. "I'm looking for my father. He's the last family I have, but I don't know where to begin to look."
Happy chimes in "Well it's a good thing we're heading back to the guild. Carla has some important information to give to our guild master, and we can help you post a job about your Dad!"
"A job?" Citlali questions.
"Oh dear, you really have lived a sheltered life." States Carla. She gathers up some belongings that were around the room. "We are going to need to get going soon Happy, Pantherlily should be meeting us at the front desk shortly."
Happy floats up, gathering some of their belongings. "Well Lali, a job is what you can request for the guild to do for you. Rumor has it, we're going to be getting a new member tomorrow, and maybe some investigation work will a great start for him, right Carla?"
"Well, since Levy is going to be tied up with Natsu and Lucy, that may be a good idea." Replies Carla.
Happy uses his magic to change his form into his more humanoid boyish look. He approaches an astonished Lali and reaches his hand out. "You can come with us. I'll show you around, and help you post the job on our board. Were going to be throwing a big party tomorrow, so it's almost like fate."
Citlali smiles and blushes slightly, keeping her hands to herself. "Okay, I'll come with you." She states. Happy takes his hand and motions for Carla to join as they walk out the door. "Oh wait!" She exclaims, halfway out of the door. She rushes into the bathroom, to retrieve the scales Carla picked up for her on the beach. She takes a small rag and wraps the scales in it, putting them in her pocket. She comes out of the bathroom to see Carla waiting in the doorway now in her own human form, Happy well ahead of them. "Thanks." she states abashedly, following Carla out of the room.