So... As you can tell ships are being determined now. In all honestly Lucy is super undecided right now. Lol. Probably because she hasn't gotten much screen time. I'm open to hearing ideas. Not for Alanza, but for other characters. Though the story might not listen to us...
Fairy Tail is the creation and property of Hiro Mashima, blah, blah, blah.
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They ended up splitting into three groups on the way home. Laxus took off to who knew where on his own. Gajeel, not having aquired motion sickness yet, stayed with then as far as the little town where the train tracks ended, or started depending on which way you are headed. Since they had the magic mobile the trip back went so much faster than the trip out to the river had. When the girls got on the train Gajeel took the magic mobile and a very short list of essentials from Juvia and headed to Oak town. He would be doing his best to stay unnoticed as he collected Ryos and anything the three of them just couldn't replace with the not inconsiderable savings the two ex Phantoms had. It did not go unnoticed to Alanza that he pulled Juvia aside before he left and charged her with protecting herself and Levy. Mostly Levy.
Juvia and Levy talked almost nonstop during the train ride back to Magnolia. Gajeel was a topic of conversation of course. Levy tried to act uninterested as she milked Juvia for information. Though there weren't a whole lot of good stories the water mage could tell considering how they had been living while with Phantom Lord. Totomaru also came up. Honestly it hadn't occured to Alanza that he might be a salvagable guy, though it sounded like he was a decent sort. She should have seen that coming considering the fact that he was Romeo's magic teacher in what was now the alternate future.
Alanza took chance to meditate. She could feel her magic now. The first time it happened she had panicked, thinking she had accidently killed herself or something. It was an odd tingly, hot feeling in her chest, which was why she thought she was having a heart attack. Laxus had laughed at her openly, Levy had at least tried to hide how funny she thought the incident was. She still hadn't done anything with that magic yet, which was growing increasingly frustrating.
"Here it is. Fairy Tail's guildhall." Alanza grinned, trying to ease the extreme case of nerves that the water mage had been struck with. "Welcome home, Juvs." She shoved the doors open. "We're back!"
"Levy!"
"Levy, you're back!" Jet and Droy mobbed the little blunette before she even had time to breath.
"Hey Girly! You got back aweful fast."
"And who is this lovely lady you have brought back with you?"
"Back off, Loke. Let her talk to Gramps first. You can flirt all you want later. She's here to stay." Alanza glanced around, looking for said master and found him missing along with Mira.
"Come have a drink, Girly. On the house." Alanza couldn't help but grin when Cana beckoned her over to the bar.
"Who left you in charge of the booze, Cana?"
"Mira took our new dragon slayer and her cat over to Fairy Hills to get settled in. I think she left Gramps in charge, but he went upstairs with Mystogan. I wanna unwrap that man. Whadda ya think he's hiding under all those layers? You traveled with him, fess up? Is he delicious?"
"Leave poor Myst alone. He wouldn't know what to do with you if you came onto him. Let him grow reaccustomed to talking to people first. And he stayed all wrapped up while we were traveling, so I have nothing to fess up about. Come on, Juvs. Let's go get you properly stamped."
Alanza received a few more greetings from people she didn't really know as she dragged Juvia toward the stairs.
Master Makarov's office was empty, so she moved on to Mystogan's. What she saw there had her jaw dropping. It was clean for one, and bigger. It looked like whatever office had been next to this one had been cannibalized to double their space. The single dusty desk had been replaced with a conference table. There was a huge chalkboard on the end wall and one of the long walls was almost entirely corkboard. The other long wall had smaller chalkboards, cork boards, and separated bins marked in and out. There was one of each for each S-class wizard, Makarov, and herself, with their names on the wall above them.
"What the hell happened here?"
"Ah, Alanza dear. You are back sooner than expected."
"Lightning teleportation and a magic mobile. I repeat. What the hell?"
"Apparently Master and Mira are taking this very seriously. I take it your mission was successful."
"Umm. Yeah. Juvia this is Master Makarov and Mystogan one of our S-class wizards. Master, Myst, meet Juvia Lockser. Gajeel will be joining us in a couple days. He went to fetch some things and another slayer." She grinned sheepishly. "I totally forgot Ryos was with Gajeel right now."
"You don't waste time, do you child? Well, Juvia, shall we go to my office? There are a few things we should talk about and we need to get you your new guildmark." Juvia went to follow the little old man out of the room.
"Hey, Gramps! Behave yourself like Porlusica is watching!" That drew a chuckle from Mystogan. She could only hope Gramps had heard her since he was already gone. "So. How is Wendy?"The man in blue shifted nervously.
"She is doing well. I'm... I'm glad you sent me to get her. Roubaul is a good man, but she needed to be around real people, and people closer to her own age."
"Ryos is close to her age right now."
"Right now?" Oops. She was going to pretend that slip up didn't happen.
"I've got a few others I might be able to find. Sting, Yukino, Kinana." Actually all of the Sabers who had been at the games should be about the right age right now. Maybe she could get Minerva taken away from her father on grounds of being a murdering, abusive maniac. Later. "So. How long will you be in town?"
"Erza called this morning. They are on their way back. I figured I would stay at least until we can all sit down and talk one more time." Alanza plopped into one of the chairs and dropped her head back.
"Damn. These are cumfy."
"You've been on a mission. Everything will be comfortable right now."
"Are you laughing at me?"
"Whyever would I do that?" She could hear the smug in his voice.
"How should I know? I just feel like you are. What about Laxus?"
"What about me?"
"Speak of the devil. Erza should be back today and I was trying to figure out where everyone was." She picked her head up and blinked. The Thunder Legion was standing behind him. In that moment, with Freed and Evergreen both all but sneering at her and Bickslow behind his visor she could totally get why the rest of the guild avoided them. They just put off this air that said they didn't want anything to do with the lesser life forms around them. Just like Laxus. "Huh. You guys are back Really early." Evergreen huffed and snapped open her fan.
"What would you know of it?"
"We returned when Laxus summoned us as is our duty."
"What the Bossman wants the Bossman gets." *gets what he wants, yes sir boss sir, who's the babe, hey babe.
"Alanza. It's nice to meet you too. Gee you three make me feel so welcome. Relax. Come on in and have a seat. This room will be locked up tight once Erza gets here so this might be your only chance."
"Freed's up here to set up runes just for that." Laxus sat down and immediately tossed his feet into the table.
"Your manners are atrocious, Thunder Butt."
"How dare you speak to Laxus that way!"
"Freed, sweetie, Laxus is fully capable of defending himself from little ole me all by himself. Besides maybe I was calling his ass explosively sexy?" Freed gaped at her and Bickslow cracked up. His tongue really was impressive.
"Oh, I like you. Sugar and Spice. Where ya from Spices?" *sugar and spice, everything nice, so spicey.
"A galexy far, far away." Wow that was cheesy. Thankfully noone would catch the reference.
"That settles it. You are now one of my favorite people ever!" *I am your father, Nooo, may the force be with you, the dark side has cookies. Strike that. Apparently Earth Land had Star Wars and Bickslow was a fan.
"Those movies are such ridiculous drivel."
"They are epic!" *so epic, drama, kaboom.
"You can make a Star Wars fan out of a Trekie, Bix." Freed's eye twitched, as did the hand resting on his sword. "Not that I'm dissing Star Trek or anything because Spok rocks." Evergreen scoffed.
"Guy bonding moments aside, who are you?" Her fan shot out to point at Alanza's face. "And what are you doing up here on the second floor?"
"She is the key to winning wars before they begin, and you three are taking her shopping."
"What!"
"As you wish, Laxus."
"No they are not!"
"I don't wanna go if Ever's going!" *nooo, don't make us, the pain.
"Take off your shoes, Carrots."
"I'd really rather not."
"Just do it."
"No! Hey!" Her shoes started taking themselves off. "Shit! Stop it, Bix! That hurts!" It stopped, but two of the babies stayed sitting on the table.
"Take em off, Carrots." She glared at him, but complied.
"Alanza! You're bleeding!" Mystogan shoved her chair away from the table to look at her feet.
"I'm fine, Myst. I'm just not used to that much walking."
"Mystogan?"
"How did we not notice him sitting back there?" *hiding in the shadows, so sneaky, so quiet.
"Most peculiar."
"Why did you keep walking till it got this bad?"
"I had somewhere I needed to be!" Mystogan started peeling her socks off as gently as he could.
"And that is why you are taking her shopping. She's a stubborn little shit and doesn't know how to take care of her own fucking self."
"I don't see how that is our problem." Evergreen huffed again and hid behind her fan. Alanza had seen the cringe when she saw her feet though, and the fact that the woman started ro lean forward as if to help before she thought better of it.
"She's putting herself in danger for the guild. That makes it our problem."
"We have to get your feet cleaned up."
"Seriously, Myst I'm-"
"Don't you dare say you are fine! You are not fine! You are the most frustrating, stubborn, difficult woman I have ever met and I know Erza! Twice!" Despite the fact that unbinding her feet made them hurt a shit ton more Alanza couldn't help but laugh at his outburst. "This isn't really a laughing matter you know." He narrowed his eyes at her and felt very small. "These abbrasions could get infected extremely easily. You must take better care of yourself."
"Yes your Highness." He jabbed his finger at her face.
"You stop that!"
"Freed."
"Yes, Laxus."
"Go tell Mira we need drinks." Freed walked briskly from the room.
"But Mira went-"
"She's back. I smelled her." Evergreen wrinkled her nose in Laxus's direction.
"That is gross."
"Shut it, Ever."
"Fine. I agree to take the new girl shopping. "What kind of budget am I working with?" Alanza opened her mouth to argue again, she had no money after all, but Laxus was not to be denied.
"Bill me. Till we get her out taking her own jobs the S-class will cover her. We'll call her a guild expense. Now get lost. We have a meeting. You can have her after we are done." Evergreen got all sorts of excited, squealed, and ran from the room. Bickslow waved and followed after her.
"See ya later, Spices!" *bye, see ya, spicey lady.
"Laxus-"
"Look at it this way, Carrots. You're putting your training on hold to help us with shit. We owe you for that. Besides you can pay me back later."
"Fine."
"I know Mystogan got you the gear you already have. The girls can make sure you have a place to stay and shit like that till you start taking jobs."
"You can't just volu-"
"Indeed. There is a room right next to mine in Fairy Hills. I shall cover your bill for the time being. I insist." Alanza facepalmed. Apparently timing was a natural force in this universe. Like gravity.
"Hey, Erza. Welcome back."
"Looks like everyone is here!" Mira came bustling in with a tray full of drinks, followed by Freed who carried a tub of steaming water and what looked like a first aid kit, Fairy Tail style which ment it was pretty impressive. "I'll go get Master so we can all report." The drinks went on the table and the other supplies were handed off to Mystogan. Freed was scarily efficient with his rapier and soon purple runes ran around the room and across the door.
"Alanza, you must be more careful with your feet. If you injure them you will be at the mercy of your enemies." Alanza shuddered. The red-head was just so intense.
"There. See!" Mystogan glared at her as he dampened a clean cloth. "Maybe you will listen to Erza if you won't listen to me."
"I told her the same damn thing."
"Fine! Gee guys. Ok. I will take better care of myself and my feet and not push myself so hard lest my enemies be drawn to the smell of my foot blood!" All three of them looked at her like she was crazy. Maybe she was. She was a Fairy Tail wizard after all.
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To be continued