"Kou…"
Kou awoke to a familiar female voice. Familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on who. Just that she was important.
"Kou...Chan…"
The most important thing to him. The one he loved most, the one he couldn't let go.
"Kou-chan, please…"
Shiori.
"Please… Don't let a lie come to this world. My Rebirth Prince, don't let this world fall."
There was a burning sensation on his palm, then. It was like fire, his entire hand exploded into pain, each one of his nerves felt as if they were being lit aflame. He fell to his knees, and his surroundings became lit around him, allowing him to the see that room in Pandora's Box where he and his friends fought Shiori. Sitting on her knees in front of him was Shiori herself, clad in the same clothing she wore before they fought, when she still looked like herself. Before she was fully the Princess of Doom. She brought his burning hand to the jewel embedded in her chest, and gave him a gentle smile. Lines similar to the ones on her body -red, and blocky, and straight - began to cover his hand, the same one he used to fight with his Raging Gear.
"I love you, Kou-chan. Please don't worry. I'll always be right there with you."
The pain intensified and traveled up his arm, and then the scenery turned black.
Kou startled awake, and almost tumbled out of his train seat, leading Happy - the only one who was still awake - to give him somewhat of a worried look. He waved the blue cat off and shook his head, before looking towards his hand. Those lines weren't there. Was it just a dream? You don't feel pain in dreams interrupted a voice in Kou's head.
"Kou? You okay?" the cat spoke up, now floating in front of Kou so they could maintain eye contact, "You were… Whimpering, in your sleep."
Contrasting Happy's normal behavior, the blue cat seemed worried and a bit uneasy.
"I'm okay, just a bad dream. No need to worry about it." Kou responded. Happy frowned.
"You saying that just makes me worry more…" the cat stated.
"I'm fine, Happy." Kou reiterated, a more forceful tone subtly making its way into his voice. He gave the cat a smile to reinforce his words. Happy frowned deeper, but went quiet.
"Okay, if you say so…" he mumbled after a moment, returning to his own seat next to the currently-unconscious Natsu.
Kou then glanced out the window, looking at the landscape passing by. It had been a little over a day since he had met Lucy, Happy, and Natsu, and most of that time had been spent traveling back to what he supposed was Natsu's and Happy's hometown. Magnolia, he believed it was called. It was somewhat strange to him, a town named for a flower, but he presumed it was normal for this world, or at least the country of Fiore. He glanced back down at his hand, frowning a bit.
Just what was that? Does that mean that Shiori is in this world too?
He honestly hoped it had been exactly what he had told Happy.
Nothing but a nightmare.
To say that the Fairy Tail guildhall - and the town that housed it - wasn't something straight out of some sort of fantasy novel would be a blatant lie. One could easily feel the magic - a warm feeling, stemming from the guildhall - in the air, and the building that housed the strongest guild in Fiore couldn't be less than two stories.
Kou stared up at it, smiling a bit despite himself. Next to him, Lucy stared up at the guildhall, awe and a large, happy smile on her face.
"Wow…" She used her hand as a visor to block the sun, "It's so big!"
Natsu and Happy turned back to them, both smiling proudly.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Happy exclaimed.
Once they entered the place, the sound of laughter and conversation filled the air. Shenanigans were happening everywhere, with people drinking and being served and being the servers - one white-haired woman in particular standing out, as well as a bespectacled woman that looked no older than a teenager. Natsu barged inside, yelling out of his return, Happy much quieter by his side.
"Natsu! Happy! Welcome back!" exclaimed the white-haired woman.
"You really went overboard again, huh, Natsu? Heard you destroyed half of Hargeon's h-" commented a rat-faced individual before being promptly kicked in the face by Natsu.
"You creep!" Natsu exclaimed, "That info you got on the Salamander was nothing but a lie!"
"There it is. Now that Natsu is back, this place is in danger of going to pieces!" laughed the white-haired woman.
"It's already in pieces!" exclaimed an older man behind her. Soon enough, the entire guild ended up fighting.
"It's incredible…" Kou heard Lucy state, "I'm really… Here, in Fairy Tail…"
Suddenly, a male in nothing but striped underwear appeared in front of Lucy and Kou.
"You said that Natsu's back?!" exclaimed the male, "Lousy… This time, we'll finish it! You hear?!"
"Gray, what kind of outfit is that?" questioned a woman with long, brown hair with a barrel nearby.
"Huh?! Dammit!" 'Gray' exclaimed, noticing his state of undress finally.
"Just another reason why they say the men here have no class…" The brown-haired woman sighed, before picking up the barrel she had nearby and chugging down booze, "It makes me sick!" Behind them, Gray and Natsu began to fight.
"This is disgusting." stated a tall, somewhat intimidating young man with white hair and a car on the right side of his face, "They aren't babies. They shouldn't be screaming and making so much noise." He then stepped towards Natsu and Gray, "If you're a man, then let your fists do the talking for ya!"
"Another fight?" Kou commented.
"You're in the way!" Natsu and Gray both exclaimed, punching the white-haired man away.
"And he doesn't even last five seconds!" exclaimed Lucy.
"What a disturbing racket." stated a young man nearby, with two girls, each under one arm.
"It's Loke!" Lucy exclaimed, "One of the top-ranking for the Weekly Sorcerer's "The Wizard I'd Most Like to Be My Boyfriend" list!"
"That's a thing that exists…?" Kou questioned, sweatdropping.
"Then you're entering the fray?!" exclaimed one of the girls.
"Teach them a lesson!" cheered the other girl. Lucy fell to the ground, somewhat comically and looking like a dream had just been shattered. Kou poked her.
"What's with this place…? Isn't there a normal person somewhere here?" Lucy groaned.
"Oh! Are you two new?" questioned a voice. Kou turned, spotting the white-haired woman now in front of them. Lucy looked shocked.
"Mirajane!" she exclaimed, "Aaaah! I'm meeting you in person!"
She then stopped her fangirling and pointed to the fighting, "Sh-Shouldn't you be stopping them?!" she exclaimed. Mirajane turned to the fights.
"This happens all the time!" she stated cheerfully, "It's best to just let it run its course."
"R-Really?!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Besides…" Mirajane was then hit by a bottle, falling.
"Aaaah! Mirajane-san!" Lucy exclaimed in shock. Mirajane stood back up, blood dripping down her forehead. Kou watched her, frowning. That must've been a hard hit, with a bottle, no less. She was shrugging it off like it was nothing!
"It's more fun this way, don't you think?" she questioned. Lucy looked scared for a moment, then shocked again as Gray slammed into the floor next to her, entirely naked. Natsu laughed nearby, lifting up Gray's underwear like it was some sort of prize. Gray stood up, unfortunately facing Lucy's way(And giving her a nice view).
"Where's my underwear?!" he exclaimed. Lucy looked absolutely mortified. Gray then spoke towards Lucy.
"Miss, if you don't mind, could I borrow your underwear?" he questioned. Lucy punched him.
"No one lends out underwear!" she exclaimed. She was then picked up in a bridle carry by Loke.
"How unsightly! I cannot understand the lack of delicacy from these men! By the way, you're a model, right? I can tell." he stated.
"What's going on here?!" she exclaimed.
"I will speak with my fists!" exclaimed the white-haired man from earlier.
"I said, you're in the way!" Natsu exclaimed, punching the man again.
"Shut up, all of ya! A girl can't drink in peace and quiet around here!" the brown-haired woman yelled out, before brandishing a card, "If you can't control yourselves… Then I will!" She charged magic into her card.
"I'm mad now!" exclaimed Gray, going into a strange stance.
"Yaaaa!" Elfman yelled, his arm changing.
"Your crass ways must be dealt with…" Loke stated, brandishing a ring on his finger.
"Come and get me!" Natsu exclaimed, his fists now aflame.
"Magic?!" Lucy yelped
"Now, this could get messy…" Mirajane stated, sweatdropping.
"Indeed…" spoke the bespectacled woman who looked like a teenager. Kou noticed her quickly and had to take a double-take. Towa-nee…?
"This ends HERE!" came a sudden booming voice as a giant being loomed over the whole guildhall, "Cut it out, you dolts!"
"It's huuuge!" Lucy exclaimed. Kou watched as everyone immediately stopped fighting and got quiet.
"Oh, Master! You were watching?" Mirajane exclaimed. Everyone else began to grumble and return to what they had been doing before the fight had broken out.
"Hahahaha! You're scared of that?! I claim victory, then!" Natsu exclaimed. The Master took a step forward - or, rather, a stomp forward, and looked towards Kou and Lucy.
"New faces?" he questioned.
"Y… Yes…?" Lucy whimpered. The Master suddenly looked angry, causing Lucy and, -though he probably wouldn't admit this afterwards - Kou, to become scared - terrified, in Lucy's case. The Master suddenly shrunk down to the size of a child, and was revealed to simply be an old man. He raised a hand in greeting.
"Nice to meet you." he stated, before jumping up and into the banister on the second floor with a painful smack. He then hefted himself onto the banister and began to yell.
"You dolts have done it again!" he exclaimed, holding up a ton of papers, "Look at all this paperwork from the council!"
The council? Kou questioned in his head.
"Gray! It's good that you rounded up that ring of smugglers, but afterward, you stumbled around town in the nude, and in the end, stole someone's underwear straight off the line and ran off!"
"I couldn't keep running around naked." Gray grumbled.
"Maybe if you hadn't gotten naked in the first place…?" Elfman commented.
"Elfman! While performing bodyguard services for a VIP, you attacked that same VIP!"
"He made a crack about how "a man is only worth as much as his education", and before I knew it…" Elfman stated, looking away and rubbing his cheek with his finger in what could be perceived as shame. Makarov shook his head.
"Cana Alberona, you drank fifteen full kegs of liquor at a certain tavern, falsely claimed it as 'expenses', and worse, sent the bill straight to the council!"
"So they found out, huh…?"
"Loke, you seduced the granddaughter of the senior Council Member, Rage. Also, we've been sent an invoice about damages at a certain talent agency.
And, Natsu… In bringing down the Devon Bandit Clan, you destroyed seven private homes! You brought down Tuly Village's historic clocktower! The town of Freesia's church is completely destroyed! You damaged a section of the Lupinus Castle! The observation station at the Nazuna Ravine is closed due to wanton destruction. AND you leveled half of Hargeon's harbor!"
How has he not been arrested? Kou thought.
"Alzack, Levy, Krov, Reedus, Warren, Bisca, etc…" Makarov began again, shaking, "All of you… Have done nothing but make the council made at me!"
Kou saw Lucy shiver, looking scared. Makarov continued to tremble above everyone in what Kou thought was anger.
"But…" Makarov set the paperwork on fire, "The Council can eat shit for all I care!"
"Huh?" Lucy stared. Makarov tossed the flames forward, letting Natsu gobble them up.
"Ours is a power that goes beyond reason, though it is born from reason. Magic isn't some miracle. What we do is match the energy the flows between us… With the wavelength of the world's natural energy. And take what is embodied in that union… using our force of will and concentration… More than that, we pour our entire souls into it to make what we call magic. If you spend time worrying about what authority thinks of you, your magic will never advance! So, don't let the council intimidate you! Follow the path you truly believe in!" Makarov, and the rest of the members of Fairy Tail, raised their hands high into the air, a few even doing the Fairy Tail symbol,
"That is what it means to be a wizard of Fairy Tail!"
"Are you sure?" Mirajane questioned Lucy, holding up a strange device. Lucy nodded.
"Absolutely!" she exclaimed. Mirajane nodded, and stamped onto Lucy's right hand a pink Fairy Tail symbol.
"There! Now you're an official member of Fairy Tail." Mirajane stated before turning to Kou, allowing Lucy to run off.
"What about you?" she questioned. Kou blinked stupidly, before pointing to his shoulder and lifting up his sleeve. Mirajane pressed the device onto his skin, stamping a reddish Fairy Tail symbol onto his skin. He almost shuddered when he realized that it was the exact color of the jewel that had been on Shiori's chest in his dream. Kou thanked Mirajane and let go of his sleeve, the fabric loosely covering the mark. From what he understood, joining the guild was a good idea - he'd need the money. He looked around the guild from where he stood, before a familiar voice hit his ears.
"Glad that you're part of the guild, Kou-kun."
Kou turned around, meeting the green eyes of his cousin, Kokonoe Towa, though she was looking a tad different than what he was used to, even though her curly, brown hair was still tied in a blue ribbon and draped on her right shoulder, and she still wore her glasses. Towa now wore a short, dark red dress with a white collar and bow and brown shoes. Clutched to her chest was a serving platter, and on her left hand was a blue Fairy Tail mark.
Kou stared at the last person he'd expect to be in this world.
Her appearance here was wrong, he felt. She didn't fight. She had no supernatural abilities beyond being able to be awake in the Eclipse, and whatever spiritual stuff she got from being a shrine maiden.
Why was she here?
"Towa...Nee…?"
Shiori, seen in a dream! Kou now knows that he is not alone! Towa, his cousin, is also in this world!
To be continued in Chapter 3: Magnolia
Haha, this took way longer than I expected! Sorry!
From now on, this'll be updated when I get the motivation. Apologies! Hope everyone likes this chapter! I did my best to edit out any typos and weird sentences I could find, and I'd appreciate it if you could tell me if you find any others! Just don't be mean about it :P A lot of this chapter comes from the Kodansha translation on the Master Edition(Volume 1).
Please review! :)