A/N: Thank you for the reviews and follows!

People are strange when you're a stranger

If Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus shook Buffy's assumptions about guilds, Fairy Tail completely blew them out of the water. There was no question about it. Fairy Tail was a force unto itself. It was also the complete opposite of what she had been expecting from one of the strongest guilds in Fiore.

And she could tell all that just by looking at the guild hall.

The building was huge. Surrounded by an impressive stone and iron gate, it was over three stories high and made completely of stone, looking more like a castle than anything else, complete with giant torches lining the battlements. It towered over all other buildings in Magnolia, rivaled only by the cathedral on the other side of town. At its peak was a giant belfry, with a massive bell housed inside. Just underneath that, hanging from the topmost tier of the building, was a giant flag with the Fairy Tail insignia on it, all but declaring itself master to none as it fluttered gently in the breeze.

And yet, somehow, it was also the friendliest, most laid back guild hall she had ever seen. Just inside the gate was an outdoor cafe, which was always filled with laughing, happy guild members. In the seven days Buffy had spent observing the place, no less than 80 wizards of all shapes and sizes and abilities walked in and out of the hall, and they were almost always interacting with each other, teasing and joking like they didn't have a care in the world. She also frequently heard the sound of raucous partying inside. Between that and the ever present smell of alcohol, she could only assume they had non-stop keggers.

It was no wonder the guild members stuck close to home whenever they were around, almost always choosing the guild hall over the local restaurants and bars. They lived and breathed Fairy Tail.

Unfortunately, that made it difficult for Buffy to observe the guild in her usual manner. She hadn't even bothered to get a job yet; as big as Magnolia was, there were no restaurants within ear or eyeshot. Instead, she had spent the last week lingering around the nearby businesses or pretending to read a book along the edge of a fountain across the street.

Today, however, was different; her goal was different. Instead of keeping her usual distance, she ventured much, much closer, pretending to browse around the goofy looking Fairy Tail souvenir shop just outside the guild hall. Though she was vaguely aware of the store clerk and his attempts to interest her in bobble-headed toys and keychains, her attention was solely on the guild hall and its members as they entered and exited the building, catching snippets of their conversation as they passed by.

"... see Mira today? She was lookin' good!"

"... take that job request? I'm in if you…"

"Alberona was hogging that last barrel of beer! I swear, one of these days, I'm going to challenge her for it… Maybe… If I'm really thirsty…"

"... will win the next fight, Natsu or Gajeel? My money's on…"

Buffy's ears perked up at that last part.

As it turned out, the human lightning rod had not been lying to her. Fairy Tail had not one, not two, but three dragon slayers amongst its ranks, something the guild was extraordinarily proud of. They were Natsu, a fire dragon slayer, Gajeel, an iron dragon slayer, and Wendy, a sky dragon slayer. Though Buffy had yet to see them, she frequently heard their names, and she was always interested in whatever tidbit of information she could get on them - particularly the odds on favorite in a fight.

From what she heard, it was a toss up between Natsu and Gajeel, varying widely within the group. The consensus, however, was that they both were pretty powerful.

Without a doubt, Fairy Tail was where she needed to be - if she could just bring herself to walk inside. So far, however, her feet wouldn't move past the souvenir shop.

It was funny, really. Stop an apocalypse? Bring it. Face down a Hell God? Buffy didn't flinch. Try to join a magical frat house? She felt like she was going to hurl.

It really shouldn't have been so difficult, though. After observing all the members and the day to day operations, she was fairly confident the requirements for joining Fairy Tail weren't too strenuous. More importantly, they'd be too busy partying to take much notice of her, allowing her to finally make some headway in finding her way home.

Letting that last thought fuel her, Buffy pushed aside her lingering doubts. After taking a deep breath, she strode up to the massive double doors, pulled on the brass handle, and walked inside.

It was just like she had pictured it, only… more.

The guild itself looked like the Great Hall from Harry Potter, with high vaulted ceilings and lines of tables that covered most of the main floor. It might've even been bigger; this space also had a full bar and even a stage, and the upper levels were lined with balconies that overlooked the main floor. Scattered throughout the main hall were dozens and dozens of wizards, just hanging out and having fun.

"Oh, so you finally decided to come in!"

Buffy gave a start at the sound of a very sweet, very feminine voice. Whirling around, she found herself face to face with the most gorgeous woman she had ever seen. Only a few years older than Buffy at most, she had long snowy white hair, a heart shaped face, and sapphire blue eyes, not to mention a body Buffy would've killed for. And she was looking straight at her.

Buffy winced. Apparently, her espionage skills needed work. Before she could explain her behavior, though, the woman continued to talk.

"Are you looking to post a job request?"

Buffy shook her head. "Actually, I'm looking to join," she said slowly, watching closely for the other woman's reaction.

She needn't have worried. As soon as the words left Buffy's mouth, the other woman's face lit up.

"Wonderful! I'm Mirajane, by the way, but everyone here calls me Mira," she said brightly. "Wait here, and I'll go get the Master!"

"Wait!" Buffy called out, a bit desperately even to her ears.

At that moment, though, she didn't care. It was all moving too fast. She had been hoping for a chance to take a look around, maybe get a tour, something before signing on the dotted line, but it was too late; Mira was already gone, disappearing in the crowd of people.

Awkwardly, Buffy stood there and waited, fighting the temptation to leave. She stayed, though, and a few agonizing minutes later, Mira returned. Walking next to her was a little old man - emphasis on 'little'. Seriously, he barely came up to Buffy's waist. He looked friendly, though, and when he caught sight of Buffy, he gave her a warm smile.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail. I am Makarov Dreyar, the Guild Master here. What is your name, child?"

"Buffy Summers."

"Well, Buffy, Mira tells me you are looking to join our guild. Tell me, why is it you wish to join Fairy Tail?"

Buffy opened her mouth, her cover story on the tip of her tongue, but the words never came. She thought she was ready, but she wasn't, so she said the only thing she could.

"I don't!"

Both Mira and Makarov looked startled by her reply. Flustered, Buffy quickly tried to cover. It wasn't easy, though. For a few moments, she floundered for a reasonable and not at all crazy sounding explanation, until the smell of food wafted over to her, giving her a much needed stroke of genius.

"I mean, not as a wizard. I can't perform magic," she explained, which wasn't a lie, per se. "I was hoping you might need a waitress."

"Ah, but you must still be a member of the guild to do that," Makarov said gravely. "Are you willing to endure the trials all Fairy Tail wizards must undertake in order to join?"

Buffy felt her heart drop. So there was a test after all.

"I-"

"Master!" Mira scolded as she put her hands on her hips. "Be nice! You're going to frighten her away. You know I could use the help."

Makarov seemed to wither under Mira's stern look. "Sorry, my dear," he winced. Clearing his throat, he looked at Buffy. "Welcome to the guild!"

Buffy felt her jaw drop. "That's it?!"

"That's it!" Mira chirped.

Still in disbelief, Buffy just stared.

Makarov smiled gently at her confusion. "We welcome all to our guild, and once you join, you are nakama. You are family. As long as you are a part of Fairy Tail, you will always have a place to call home. It does not matter-"

He was cut off abruptly when a wooden bench hit him square in the head as a fight broke out a short distance from them. His eyes glowing with anger, Makarov grew larger and larger, until he was at least thirty feet tall, his head almost brushing the ceiling as his whole being was encompassed by an ominous shadow.

"You little brats! Stealing away your Master's dignity when he's trying to welcome a new member!" he raged.

The fight immediately stopped, with those involved prostrating themselves at Makarov's feet.

"We're so sorry, Master!"

"We didn't mean it!"

"What he said!"

With a mixture of fascination and alarm, Buffy stared at the spectacle before her. Before she could see how it played out, she felt a tug on her arm. She turned to see Mira smiling at her.

"Come with me, Buffy. You need your guild mark to make it official," she said. When she saw the way Buffy's eyes strayed toward Makarov, she giggled. "Oh, don't worry about that. This kind of thing happens all the time. He'll cool down in a moment."

Sure enough, the towering mountain began to shrink, leaving a disgruntled little old man in its place. As he turned to leave, Buffy could've sworn she saw a twinkle of affection in his eyes for the same people who had incurred his wrath only moments before.

Wondering just what the hell she had gotten herself into, Buffy let herself be led away toward the bar. Her curiosity piqued a moment later when Mira pulled what looked to be a stamp kit out from under the bar.

"Your guild mark," Mira explained. "To signify to the entire world where you belong. Now, where would you like it?"

Buffy bit her lip. After her experience with Eyghon, she hadn't really planned on getting inked ever again, but it seemed like there was no way around it. Besides, it was a stamp; there wasn't a single needle in sight. It seemed silly to make a fuss over something that could very well wash away within a week or so.

Deciding to just go with it, she presented her left shoulder blade to Mira, who promptly stamped the area with the mark.

Buffy immediately felt a tingle of magic as it settled onto her skin. It felt… nice. Warm. Soothing even. It also felt very permanent.

"Hmm, interesting choice of color," Mira murmured. "It suits you, though."

Buffy frowned. She immediately craned her neck around to see her mark, to no avail. "What do you mean? What color is it?"

She had just assumed the color would be the same as the stamp pad. From the way Mira was talking, however, it sounded like there was more to it than that.

Mira just smiled. "See for yourself."

She held out a small handheld mirror for Buffy to see; before she could take it, however, someone else noticed them.

"Eh, what's this?"

Buffy glanced over her shoulder to see a girl looking right at her. She couldn't help but stare back. The girl was a pretty brunette, a year or two younger than Buffy, and she wearing nothing but a string bikini top and capris as she perched on top of the bar. What really got Buffy's attention, however, was the way she was guzzling her glass of alcohol, which she quickly refilled from the giant cask sitting next to her before draining it again.

Mira was completely unfazed by this. "Buffy, this is Cana Alberona. Cana, this is Buffy, the newest guild member," she explained. "She'll be helping me and Kinana here in the guild hall."

Cana squinted, her eyes a little glazed and unfocused. "New member, huh? I say we celebrate!" she exclaimed, as she poured herself another drink. Once it was full, she held it out to Buffy. "Here, this one's on me!"

Buffy didn't take the proffered glass, however. Drinking was definitely one thing she would not be doing here. Thankfully, she had a ready made excuse to refuse the friendly gesture without seeming completely rude.

"Uh, sorry, but I just started working here-" she started to say, but Mira cut her off.

"Oh, don't be silly! This is your first day in Fairy Tail! Please enjoy it. Why don't you come in first thing tomorrow morning to start? I can show you around then and we can work out a schedule," she suggested.

Before Buffy could argue, Mira caught sight of a customer at the other end of the bar and hurried away.

Inwardly, Buffy winced as she watched Mira retreat, seeing her one excuse go out the window. She turned back to Cana, hoping she didn't offend the girl with an outright refusal. As it turned out, though, she didn't have to worry. Cana had already forgotten about her offer, having moved onto something - or more accurately, someone - else.

"Hey, Levy!" Cana shouted, as she took a swig from her glass. "Come meet the new girl!"

A small, blue-haired girl around Cana's age came walking towards them, a friendly smile on her face. "Another girl? We could certainly use another one to balance out all these guys! I'm Levy McGarden. It's nice to meet you."

"Buffy Summers," Buffy introduced herself.

"So you're new to the guild? Are you from Magnolia? I don't remember seeing you around town at all," Levy mused. When Buffy shook her head, Levy's eyes lit up. "Does that mean you'll be living in Fairy Hills?"

Buffy frowned. "Fairy Hills?"

Levy laughed a little self-consciously. "How silly of me! If you're new to town, there's no way you'd know about Fairy Hills. It's an all girls dormitory where most of the other Fairy Tail girls live. The rent's around 100,000 jewel depending on what you want, but it's-"

She was interrupted by the sound of Buffy choking at the thought of paying 100,000 jewel a month. "Uh, no, I'm paid up at the Magnolia Inn for the month already."

Levy frowned at what was the Earth Land equivalent of an Econolodge. "But you'll need something more permanent, right?"

Buffy shifted uncomfortably. She couldn't exactly explain that it didn't make sense for her to get an apartment if she didn't plan on staying long. She also didn't want to mention that she really didn't have the money for anything nicer.

Thankfully, Levy didn't notice. "At least let me give you a tour of Fairy Hills! You can see what it looks like," she offered. Then she giggled. "Oh, I know! You should come over soon and we can have a sleepover! I can tell you all about the guild."

Buffy gaped at her, completely caught off guard by the offer. "Are you guys always this nice? I mean, seriously, I could be an axe murderer for all you know!" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

She immediately cringed, waiting for Cana and Levy to freak out, but they just laughed, as if this were the funniest thing in the world. Not everyone thought it was a joke, though, and he voiced his displeasure with a low growl.

Scanning the crowd, Buffy quickly located the source of the sound. It wasn't difficult. Though the guy sitting at one of the benches on the other side of the hall, he was staring right at her, his red eyes intently watching her and Levy, clearly unhappy with their conversation.

He must've just arrived; Buffy didn't recognize him from her stakeout the previous week, and she definitely would've remembered him. He had a wild mane of black hair that reached his waist and studded piercings that lined his eyebrows, nose, and chin. He also had a cat, who was studying her just as intensely, though with less hostility. As he stood on two legs. With a sword strapped to his back.

Buffy had seen some unusual animals since she had arrived in Earth Land, but this was a first. She was so distracted by the cat, she missed what Cana said next. Judging by the way the brunette was looking Buffy up and down as she waited expectantly for answer, she knew she missed something, though.

"Huh?"

Cana smirked, laughter glinting in her eye. "I said, are you an axe murderer?"

Buffy scowled. "No, but you don't know that," she retorted.

At this, the guy leapt to his feet and began stalking toward them, the cat not far behind.

Blissfully unaware of the trouble brewing behind her, Levy smiled. "So what do you say?"

"Oi, I don't think she wants to sleep on a pile of books. Or trip over them every time she tries to move."

At the sound of the gravelly voice behind her, Levy flushed. "Gajeel!"

Buffy gave a start at the name, recognizing it immediately. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice her reaction, as all eyes were on a furious Levy.

"You're gone for two weeks on a job, and that's the first thing you say to me, making me out to be some sort of… freak?!" she fumed.

"I call 'em like I see 'em, bookworm," Gajeel replied, the smirk on his face revealing that he had gotten the reaction he had wanted from Levy.

His eyes told a different story, though. They told Buffy that she should tread carefully around Levy or else. Seeing that his message had been received, he sauntered away without saying another word, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

The cat rolled his eyes at Gajeel's behavior. He went to follow, though not before nodding politely at the present company. "Ladies," he said, giving one last curious look at Buffy before he, too, left.

"Idiot," Levy muttered under her breath as she stared at Gajeel's retreating back. Then she took a deep breath and turned back to Buffy, as if the last few minutes hadn't happened. "So what do you say? Lucy's been away for forever, and I'm dying for some girl talk!"

"Hey, what about me?" Cana protested. "I'm here."

Levy rolled her eyes. "Well, we really can't talk here, not with the way certain people can hear, and you know as well as I do that drinking isn't allowed in Fairy Hills, not unless you want to face Erza's wrath."

"You're right," Cana shuddered. "Screw that! I'm out."

With a giggle, Levy turned back to Buffy expectantly, who fidgeted under the other girl's gaze.

"I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with everything," she admitted.

Levy's face fell at the subtle rejection, making Buffy feel like she had just kicked a puppy. She didn't give up, though. "Maybe another time then?"

Buffy smiled. "Definitely. I'd love to see your book collection some time."

Levy instantly brightened at this. "Alright," she conceded. "For now. In the meantime, let me introduce you to some of the people here."

Before Buffy knew what was happening, Levy whisked her away.

It was probably for the best. Buffy was on the verge of saying something stupid again out of guilt; for although she liked the girl, if it hadn't been for the mention of books, she never would've agreed to hang out - and it made her feel awful. It made her feel like Gajeel had been right to mistrust her. As Levy took her through a whirlwind of meet and greets, however, Buffy was able to tamp her guilt down, as all her concentration was needed on the names and faces that flashed before her in rapid succession.

Halfway through the introductions, Buffy knew there was no way she would remember a third of the people there. Thankfully, not everyone cared who she was. She got a handful or so of polite but friendly nods and nothing else. Others were too caught up in their partying to really notice her. The ones that were interested, however, wanted to know all about her. Her brain was hurting after awhile, dodging and weaving their questions like Muhammed Ali. She lasted as long as she could, but eventually she called for mercy, extricating herself from Levy's grasp and dashing toward the door before anyone could stop her. When she stepped outside, she took a few steadying breaths.

She was finally in a guild, which brought her one huge step closer to her goal. It definitely wasn't as easy as she'd thought it would be, though. In fact, after spending so many months in voluntary solitude, it was quite the culture shock. She actually found it overwhelming to be with so many other people, particularly ones who had accepted her, a complete stranger, without question. That had to make them either the craziest guild in the world or the nicest.

Buffy had a feeling the answer lay somewhere in between.

Almost unconsciously, her fingers traced her guild mark. For the second time that day, she wondered what she had gotten herself into.

"Leaving so soon?"

Buffy jumped in surprise, having been so lost in thought that she didn't sense someone approaching. She immediately spun around to face Makarov.

Nervously clearing her throat, she nodded. "Uh, yeah, it's been a busy day, and I have some things to take care of," she said.

He pursed his lips together thoughtfully. "Very well. We will see you tomorrow, then?"

When she nodded again, he smiled but said nothing more. Relieved, Buffy turned to leave. Before she could take a step, however, Makarov spoke.

"Oh, and Buffy? Know that when you are ready to talk, we are ready to listen," he said solemnly.

Like a deer in the headlights, Buffy froze at his words. She had to force herself to nod before she hurried off. For the rest of the day, his words echoed in her head, taking up all her thoughts as she wondered what he knew, how he knew. It was a relief when she finally went to sleep - at least, until the dream started.

Buffy was surrounded by trees, and she could hear the ocean. All the leaves began to wither, however, as a darkness descended over the ground, filling her with a sense of dread. At the same time, the air grew thick, stifling, blocking out light and sound, until even the crashing waves faded away.

Suddenly, a loud explosion rent the air.

Running, Buffy headed toward the sound. Each path led to a dead end, though. Frustrated, she began pushing her way through the brambles. The foliage was so thick, however, she couldn't see a thing. Still, she managed to make it to the edge of the clearing before she stumbled over something.

Cursing as she hit the ground, she looked behind her to see what it was.

She felt all the blood drain from her face when she saw Makarov's lifeless body lying on the ground. She tried to go to him, but a ring of fire sprouted up around him, the flames so hot they began to singe her skin.

Then ground began to shake. It started off small, just a pebble or two vibrating on the ground. It quickly escalated, however, until Buffy could barely stand. With it came this feeling of utter desolation.

It was then that she knew.

Death was coming.

A/N: And… she's in. With a lot of Fairy Tail characters in the mix. What do you think? Also, for those of you unfamiliar with Fairy Tail, yes, they really are that friendly and accepting. I swear I'm not writing OOC. :)