"Layla?" The man gaped up at Lucy, stricken face going white, as if he had seen a ghost. In his defense, though, he thought he had.
"I'm Lucy, Layla's daughter," the blonde corrected shyly. "Are you Master Makarov, sir?"
"Oh, yes, yes that's me," he said, shaking his head to bring himself out of his memories. "Please take a seat, dear."
Lucy set down her backpack, sheepishly settling into one of the chairs before his desk so she could look at him eye-level. She felt a little embarrassed, barging into his office and seeming to fluster him so much. She did look similar to her late mother, and it was probably pretty hard to suddenly see her. Lucy hesitated, maybe she should go, stop causing so much trouble―
Before she could say anything, Makarov had reached across the table and clasped her hand in his. "I'm sorry I seem so shocked. Your mother―before she passed―sent me so many letters about you. She told me all about your interest in art, in engineering. She loved you so much."
Lucy felt tears prick her eyes as the headmaster continued.
"I've wanted to meet you for so long," he said warmly, tears glistening in his eyes as well. "What can I do for you, my dear?"
The blonde hesitated again, rethinking what she needed to say. It felt kind of manipulative to use her mother's connection with the headmaster to ask for favors. But she remembered Layla's written words: all you need to do is ask. She needed a home, she needed a family. Lucy trusted her mother's instructions.
Taking a deep breath, she began. "I don't know how much you know about my father but I needed to leave, sir. I had to go. My mother gave me a letter before her death and said to come to Fairy Tail. Please Master, I know I'm only sixteen, but I need a place to go."
"I don't know much, but Layla did tell me her worries about Jude. For her daughter, I would do anything," he said, squeezing the blonde's hand. "Don't worry about your age, your mother sent me photos of many of your engineering projects from when you were a child. They may seem basic to you now, but with the experience I'm sure you've gained, I know you would thrive with older students. Welcome to Magnolia Academy, Lucy."
Lucy finally let her tears fall, reaching over the desk to give Makarov a huge bear hug. "Thank you so much, Master!"
"Let me give you dorm key, for Fairy Tail, just like Layla, and you can go meet your dormmates," Makarov smiled, rustling through a drawer to hand her a gold key on a lanyard. "I've alerted your dorm manager that you're coming, so it isn't a surprise to Fairy Tail that you're here… Oh Mavis, I actually have a meeting in, oops, it's in two minutes."
Lucy laughed as the short man scurried out the door, waving goodbye and shouting "good luck" over his shoulder. The blonde stood, walking back into the hallways happily. "Wait a sec," she thought, coming to a halt. "I have no clue where I'm going!"
And so that's how Lucy found herself wondering around campus, peeking into empty classrooms, staring wide-eyed at the seemingly ancient architecture, searching for someone to give her directions.
It's also how Lucy found the unconscious boy.
AN: I'm sorry this seems a bit slow, Natsu and other characters will be in the next chapter, promise!