Chapter 2: Moving Into the Dorms
It was indeed painfully difficult for the guild members, as their guild hall was what they called their second home in addition to their main homes. Some even tried to hold back the tears they had when they were packing. Their guild was extremely close to their hearts and they had unforgettable memories during their times there, whether they were joyous or melancholic. Makarov tried his best to hold back his tears as he closed the doors to the guild hall and locked them up. He was reassured by Mirajane, who stated that they will all return once this quarantine would be over and had hopes that Juno will make a swift recovery.
Everyone was soon all packed up and ready to go, their bags on hand as they departed their homes and met up with Makarov at the closed up guild hall. They followed him in town, with the residents watching them and they could hear concerned whispers among them. The dormitory was just a few blocks away from the guild hall, and it took only five minutes or so for the Fairy Tail mages to reach their destination.
Once they paused at the front of the dormitory building, Makarov stepped forward with his grandson and Mirajane by his side. In his hands were a piece of paper containing rules that were written by the owners of the dormitory.
"Now that we're here, remember the rules," he said, as he held out the rules in his hands. "Rule number one: No magical fights. Physical violence and property damage will not be tolerated here."
"Awww! Why can't I settle the score with Gray, Gajeel or Laxus?!" Natsu grimaced with a frown.
"You don't want us to go down as statistics for the magic flu, do you, flame brain?" Gray reminded him, while trying to push a clingy Juvia away from him again.
"Aww, shut up, Ice Boy! You'll be the one to catch it first!"
"You shut up! And don't call me Ice Boy!"
"Rule number two: No gatherings of more than four people. However, you can still contact your comrades via doorstep and make any deliveries when they need them."
"At least I can get my booze from Mira," Cana said, as she took a sip of a bottle of beer that she brought along with her.
"Rule number three: No loud noises. We all need to have our peace and quiet at night and it will be disruptive if excessive sounds are heard."
"Good. I need that peace and quiet for reading my books anyway," Lucy said. She then turned to Natsu and Happy and gave them a stern glare as she warned them: "You two better be quiet every night."
"Rule number four: All members of the Fairy Tail guild must be in their dorm rooms by their nightly curfew of eight o'clock sharp."
"That should be easy enough to remember," Wendy assumed.
"As long as you don't wander off alone, child," Carla reminded her. "Erza and I will have to look for you if you do end up disappearing in town. This is why we must use the buddy system."
"Yes, Carla."
"Rule number five: All members must have the keys to their assigned rooms at all times."
"That one I can keep in mind!" Lucy said optimistically. "I'll make sure to hold onto the key to our assigned room.
"Good for you, Lucy!" Happy cheered. "You're quite the responsible one!"
"Why, thank you!"
"Rule number six: Any incident that were to escalate should be reported to the guild master immediately. That would be me," Makarov read, before pointing to himself.
"That we should remember if a situation would escalate into a highly troubling one," Erza said with a nod.
"Rule number seven: All rooms must be kept clean at all times."
"I'm looking at you two," Lucy said, leering at Natsu and Happy. The Fire Dragon Slayer and the blue Exceed gulped apprehensively, as they didn't like Lucy when she would be infuriated at them for making a mess.
"Rule number eight: Before visiting your friends, you must knock on their door first and notify them who you are."
"Of course we know who our friends are. Why wouldn't we?" Gray inquired, before lightly pushing Juvia away from him.
"Rule number nine: Before leaving the dormitory to go to public places like the grocery store, the door to your room must be locked. We don't want a burglary to occur, do we?"
"No," everyone replied, shaking their heads in unison.
"Good. And finally, rule number ten: you must adhere to the health guidelines of our medical experts—in addition to Porlyusica. Face masks are to be worn when going out in public places, hands must be washed frequently, and anything that is frequently touched must be disinfected."
"But what happens if one of us develops symptoms of the magic flu?" Wendy asked, as she raised her hand.
"Then that person must be directly taken to a doctor in town immediately. You can also contact Porlyusica, but she will likely be preoccupied with Juno," Makarov answered her. He peered his eyes around the crowd as he then asked: "Are there any other questions?"
There was silence throughout, indicating that there were no further questions to be asked.
"Alright, then, we're going in and assigning room keys to each group, one at a time."
All of a sudden, everyone began rushing forward to him, frantic about which room they will get. His exact words fell on deaf ears and he didn't like the sound of impatience one bit, so he had to resort to growing to his giant form again.
"I SAID ONE GROUP AT A TIME!" he boomed, frightening the guild mages. They scrambled back to where they were standing, like baby chicks in a chicken coop.
Makarov shrank back to his normal height, and he held up the first key in his right hand as he called out Natsu's group to step forward.
"This is gonna take forever," Gajeel grumbled, with his bulky arms folded across his chest.
"You'll get the room, soon Gajeel. You just gotta have patience," Levy said to him.
"She's got a point. Patience is a virtue," Lily added with a nod of concord.
"I don't have much patience left. That salamander should be lucky he gets the room key first," the Iron Dragon Slayer grimaced, leering his red eyes at Natsu receiving the key from Makarov.
Gray and Juvia were up second, and when they received their key, Juvia whispered to him: "Please do not invite that rival in love over."
"For Earthland's sake, Lucy's not in love with me!" Gray whispered back irately.
Wendy, Erza and Carla were called up next once Gray and Juvia stepped back, followed by Bickslow and Lisanna, Elfman and Evergreen, Ariella and Freed, and so on. Mirajane and Laxus were already covered because Makarov had handed them their room key after Elfman and Evergreen's turn.
It took approximately two to three minutes for the master to give each group a room key. Now everyone was ready to move into their assigned rooms.
"Alright, does everyone have their room keys?" Makarov asked them.
"Yes!" everyone answered in loud cheers, holding up their keys.
"Then go onward to your new rooms and enjoy them while you can, brats!"
Cheers rang throughout as the groups finally headed inside the dormitory, eager to see their rooms and unpack their belongings. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad for them to live there during this brief time.
"Well, now that it's out of the way, shall we head up?" Mirajane asked the elderly master.
"Of course. I do need a tea break from all of that yelling and shifting to my giant form," Makarov answered with a nod.
"I'll give Sloane a call and see how she's doing," Laxus said, taking out his communications lacrima. "Hopefully she won't flip her lid when I show you to her, Mira."
"I hope not. Love can be complicated with miscommunication sometimes," Mira replied to him.
Makarov let out a low sigh as he followed his grandson and Mirajane into the dormitory, where they would be staying at the top floor. But they wouldn't be the only ones there, as Ariella's group, Bickslow's group, Evergreen's group, and Gildarts's group will also be joining them. The groups staying at the middle ground floor were Natsu's group; Gray's group; Gajeel's group; Erza's group; and Jet's group. The Connells, Macao's group, Reedus's group, Max's group and Laki's group were who would be staying at the lower ground level.
The groups all got settled into their rooms, which each had a balcony for them to get some fresh air. Inside, they each had a queen-size bed with clean white bedspread, sheets and pillows—simple but good enough for two people to share. Next to it was a full-size bed for an extra person to sleep in, with the same white bedding and pillows.
"This looks comfy," Lucy said, as she landed herself on the queen bed.
"You can say that again," Happy replied, blissfully getting himself settled on the full-size bed next to her.
"Well, what do you know? We have the whole bed to ourselves, buddy!" Natsu chimed with a big grin. "You don't have to worry about having to sleep on the floor or couch."
"You're sharing that bed with me!" Happy said to Natsu, smiling back. "We're gonna be bunkmates!"
"Yay!" the Fire Dragon Slayer cheered, bellyflopping himself onto the bed and startling Lucy in the process. Happy hovered out of the way just in time and he landed by Natsu's side once he got himself comfortable.
"Don't get any funny ideas about using the beds as trampolines," Lucy reminded them with a leering glare.
"We won't, Lucy," both Natsu and Happy said in unison.
Gray and Juvia were also accommodating themselves in their room, even though Gray dreaded the option of having to share the bed with her. Sometimes, he wished that she would just give him some space for once during the quarantine. Then again, he cared deeply about her and didn't want her to be a burden to him—or become a burden to her—if either one of them would fall ill with the magic flu.
Erza, Wendy and Carla were adjusting to moving in the dormitory as well, and to their delight, they were living next door to Natsu, Lucy and Happy. Gray and Juvia were across from them, which was also a wonderful thing to them.
While the Thunder Legion were ecstatic to be neighbors on the top floor, Freed was most overjoyed to be right next door to Laxus. It was embarrassing for the Lightning Dragon Slayer to be smothered by Freed's obsessive devotion and his constant worries about him, and he had to push him away and advise him not to worry too much.
Once the door to Laxus's room was shut, Freed was about to go back to his room when he was stopped by Evergreen and Bickslow.
"I know you and Ari are going to adjust to this situation, but I think she's not too happy right now," Bickslow said to him.
"Not happy. Not happy. Not happy," his five dolls parroted.
Freed took a peek from the open doorway and spotted Ariella on the side of her bed. She was staring at a portrait of her and Juno, which was sketched especially for them by Reedus.
Juno…, she thought of her.
Back at Porlyusica's house, the elderly woman was getting started on the antidote, with ingredients and various flasks gathered on her worktable. Juno was still bedridden, asleep and suffering from the ill effects of her drained magic power and her fever.
Like Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus had also moved into a dormitory not far from their closed guild hall. Ivana, Eve and Ren were the ones who had caught the magic flu, primarily because Ren was over at Lamia Scale to see his fiancée Sherry over the weekend for a date. As a result, Ivana and Eve were exposed to the flu upon Ren's return. They were currently hospitalized, being closely monitored on a daily basis by nurses and doctors. A trio of doctor was in charge of making antidotes for the patients, but it could take some time and prudence for them to complete them before the quarantine time would run out.
Sherry, too, had to be hospitalized and isolated from her guildmates. She had to be monitored daily by a doctor who was working on an antidote for her. At a dormitory nearby the closed guild hall, Lyon was supporting Sherry's cousin Shelia, who was extremely worried about her and wished that she could help her as a Sky God Slayer. He was just as worried about Sherry, but had to remain as positive as he could to maintain his mental stability.
Hang in there, Sherry, he thought of her. We're all hoping that you will recover from this magic flu.
Unfortunately, Sherry wasn't the only one suffering from the magic flu. Juno's boyfriend, Arthur, was also hospitalized because he was exposed to the virus by getting too close to Sherry. His family was left in distraught states following the news about him and had to stay inside their home rather than go to the dormitory; however, they would have to try to stay calm and have faith in the doctor if they would want to see him fully recovered. The doctor who was closely monitoring Sherry had agreed to make an antidote for him as well, but it could take him some time to complete two antidotes.
At Sabertooth, Yukino had been the first member of the guild to be hospitalized after having a fever and her magic power was significantly reduced to low levels. She had been diagnosed with the magic flu and had to be isolated from her guildmates. Sting was shaken by Yukino's hospitalization and diagnosis, but with his partner Lector comforting him, it eventually helped him ease his anxiety about her. After all, he was the one who took her to the hospital after witnessing her collapse in front of the entire guild.
Not long after that, Winona had been taken to the hospital by Rufus when she started having similar symptoms as well as aches all over her body. An hour later, Minerva had to be admitted as well, having the same symptoms as the other two mages. Rogue was left in a state of shock after learning of Minerva's hospitalization and diagnosis of the magic flu, but thanks to his partner Frosch, he remained calm and had hopes that she will recover. All three patients were required to be closely monitored by doctors and a race against time to make antidotes for them was on. In the meantime, the remaining Sabertooth wizards had to move into a dormitory of their own after closing up their guild hall and packing up their belongings. Sting and Rogue were paired up as roommates, with their Exceeds joining them as their means of comfort whenever their stress and anxiety would reach high levels. The Twin Dragons of Sabertooth would thank their furry friends for that, especially during this emerging crisis. Rufus and Orga were roommates together and were certain that they would get along well, even though Rufus was worried about Winona's condition. He cared deeply about her, and he had never seen her come down with an illness like the magic flu before. As a Butterfly Soul Mage, she was a fighter and Rufus believed that she will fight the flu just as she would a rival guild or a dark guild.
As for Mermaid Heel, the all-female guild had to carry out the same procedures as the other legal guilds did after Millianna had fallen ill with a moderate case of the magic flu and was taken to the hospital. Kagura, her close guildmate, was deeply concerned about Millianna after hearing the news about her hospitalization. However, she had to remain strong for her sake and her guild mates did the same thing. They all had high hopes that Millianna will recover and reunite with them.
News outlets from across Earthland were working hard day and night to gather information about the magic flu outbreaks and where this flu virus originated from. Journalists and reporters had to adhere to safety measures from health experts, such as wearing face masks and washing their hands frequently, before going onto doing their interviews. Even Sorcerer Weekly Magazine, which would normally feature steamy pinups of female wizards, did a special cover story on the magic flu and interviewed female wizards who were not infected with the virus. The selected wizards were: Mirajane of Fairy Tail; Jenny of Blue Pegasus; Shelia of Lamia Scale; and Kagura of Mermaid Heel. Sabertooth didn't have their female wizards on hand since they were both hospitalized, so they had to be painfully skipped over. However, they did receive special requests for Yukino, Winona and Minerva to be interviewed for their next special issue once they would fully recover, and they gratefully accepted the compromise.
Quatro Cerberus, the all-male guild, was the latest guild to have a magic flu virus outbreak and had to temporarily close their guild hall. It was because one of them, Warcry, had recently visited Lamia Scale for a showdown with Yuka and lost to him. After returning home, he had started having symptoms of the magic flu and exposed three other mages to it without even knowing it. As a result, all four of them were immediately hospitalized and self-isolated.
Fairy Tail had adjusted well to living in their temporary dormitory, even though the city of Magnolia was on edge since they knew how serious the magic flu outbreaks were. Makarov was constantly reading the Sorcerer Weekly special cover story and newspaper stories highlighting the outbreaks to stay informed; however, his grandson was growing tired of hearing about them. Even Mira didn't want to hear about them either, as because it would become too much for her if she were exposed to them for a long period of time.
"Hey, Gramps. You should put down the damn magazine and stop freaking out so much," Laxus said to his grandfather. "I'm sick and tired of hearing all of these fear-mongering headlines and information."
"And while you're at it, please put the newspapers away," Mirajane added.
"I'm sorry if all of that is bothering you both," Makarov said, as he did what he was told. He stashed the magazine and the newspapers in a basket nearby a wooden desk and let out a low sigh. "I just want to stay informed. That's all."
"I understand, Master, but you shouldn't be rereading all of these over and over again. It'll make you… obsessive," Mira advised him, as she was pouring some tea out of a teapot and into a white teacup. She carefully placed the cup onto a saucer and handed it over to Makarov.
"I will literally go insane if I hear another one," Laxus grimaced.
"Again, I'm sorry," Makarov replied to him, as he took a sip of his tea. "We as a guild have to do what we can to keep everyone safe from this flu. It doesn't affect civilians who are not wizards, but they are still concerned about it and are willing to take similar measures, like face masks and frequent sanitizing."
"And Magnolia is doing just that, for our sake," Mirajane informed. "Many of its markets have already implemented these safety guidelines in places."
"Good to hear our town values our safety. Right now, let's just relax in this dormitory."
"Yes."
"If you excuse me, I have to call Sloane again. She hasn't answered me at all yesterday and she'd better be alright," Laxus said, taking out his communications lacrima as he headed out to the balcony. He opened the screen door and closed it once he was finally outside. To his relief, she finally answered him.
"Thank Mavis you're alright. I was worried sick about you," he said to her.
"I'm fine, dear. I'm getting myself adjusted to this quarantine with Jenny as my roommate," Sloane answered him, as she appeared as a hologram above the lacrima. "But I am still concerned about Ivana and hope that she will recover from the magic flu. Anyway, how is quarantine going for you?"
"It's just started. And I have to show Mira to you, as she and Gramps are bunking with me."
"Good. And don't get any ideas about flirting with her when you're dating me," Sloane chastised, irking him.
"I'm not flirting with her!" he snapped, with Mirajane smiling nervously from nearby. Perhaps she would clear up this misunderstanding soon enough…
Ariella was at the table in her room, staring at her cup of green tea. She had not taken a sip since she made it a couple of minutes earlier, as because her worries about Juno wouldn't go away. All she could think about was the recent past memories of her leading up to her diagnosis of the magic flu.
Freed took notice of her from nearby as he was preparing some green tea for himself, and he believed that this was not the Ariella he knew and loved. The usually benevolent, collected side of her had disappeared and a cloudy phase of depression and uneasiness had completely overshadowed her. He had to do something to cheer her up, but what?
Perhaps talking to her may help, he wondered to himself.
Once he had his cup of green tea ready, Freed glanced over at Ariella and said to her:
"Ariella, I understand how deeply concerned you are about your sister. However, she is a fighter like the rest of us and she will overcome her magic flu. Please, try to have faith in Porlyusica."
"I am, but I can't see Juno because Porlyusica forbade me from doing so. She's concerned that I might also catch the magic flu. I will feel guilty if I start an outbreak in here…"
"We'll talk to the master and see if he can get Porlyusica to allow you to see her… with some safety measures implemented."
"Thank you, Freed."
It was soon mid-afternoon, and Ariella and Freed were at the front door to Laxus's room, with Makarov answering it.
"I'll try to get Porlyusica to grant you special permission to see Juno," he said to Ariella. "I'll let you know the answer momentarily."
"Thank you, Master," Ariella said to him. "We'll be waiting."
The door to his room closed up, and she and Freed headed back to their room to wait prudently for the answer. Makarov activated the Lacrima Crystal Ball to contact Porlyusica, whereas Mirajane was making some drinks and Laxus was on the sofa, tuning out the world with his headphones and Sound Pod.
It took three attempts before he finally got a response from Porlyusica. Later, the elderly guild master knocked on the door to Ariella's room and it opened up. Ari was the one who answered it, as she had been busy cleaning to keep herself occupied.
"Yes?"
"I just got an answer from Porlyusica when I was able to contact her after three failed attempts," he said to her. "She said that she will indeed grant you permission to see Juno."
A smile lit up on Ariella's face, as her hopes to visit her sister had finally been answered.
"Thank you so much! It's what I've been wanting to hear this whole time," she said delightfully.
"You're welcome. However, she has set some safety guidelines for you to follow when you come to her house in East Forest. First, you must wear a face mask. Second, your hands must be washed frequently. And third, if you have anything to deliver to Juno like some food, leave it on the side desk beside the bed and Porlyusica will give the meal to her. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"And there is some more good news: Our town's residents have volunteered to make many cloth face masks and they have also donated a box full of them for our guild members. It has just been delivered, so you can go check them out on the first floor and pick any face mask you want. I'll reserve the rest for the other members."
"Thank you very much, Master Makarov. And I will thank the town for donating the face masks as well, on my way over to Porlyusica's house."
"Their gratitude will be thankful indeed. And please be safe out there."
Ariella nodded to Makarov, and she made sure to wash her hands first before she left her room. She headed downstairs to the first floor and spotted the box full of face masks sitting at the door. They were in a variety of solid colors and prints, but it didn't take long for Ari to pull out a floral face mask. It really suited her style due to her strong passion for flowers.
She put the face mask on and headed out into the town, with East Forest as her destination.
I'm coming, Juno, she thought of her sister. Please, keep fighting this flu!
With the Magic Flu dominating all the legal guilds across Fiore, what will the next two weeks bring for Fairy Tail during their quarantine? And will Juno ever recover from the Magic Flu?
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