Fairy Tail: Rekindle
Fairy Tail, Rave © Hiro Mashima
Note: Last chapter of the Introduction Arc
Chapter Five: Welcome to Fairy Hills
Yesterday had been the greatest time in the life of Izumi A. Dragneel. Not only had seen be able to join Fairy Tail – her dream guild and the place where her parents met – but she had made a great number of new friends and even got to meet some of her idols. Though her unexpected and mostly unexplained rivalry with the daughter of the guild's heaviest drinker did put a damper on the celebration quite a bit, but she was able to work past that. But that was yesterday and now Izumi and Blaise were left to deal with their greatest crisis yet: house hunting.
Meeting up with their legal guardian after the party in Fairy Tail, the girls had found out that Marina had started renting an apartment in downtown Magnolia. But when they found out that the apartment was only one-room, Marina firmly explained that she was renting the place for herself and wouldn't be supporting the girls now that they were in Fairy Tail. She claimed that it was a good learning experience and that they need to provide for themselves now that they were growing up. Unfortunately, this left them homeless for the night and they crawled back to the Guild Hall – Erza was kind enough to let them sleep in the back room for the night. Once their situation had been fully explained, the mighty Titania told them of possible place for them to stay.
And now, Izumi and her Exceed partner were climbing up the hillside just a short distance away from the Guild Hall. Izumi was pairing a blue suitcase and duffle bag over her right should while Blaise carried a red sack over her back similar to another Exceed in Fairy Tail. The partnering duo steadily reached the top of the hill, looking particularly impressed with the area.
The building looked something similar to the college dormitories in Seven with perfect-white walls, crystal-clear glass windows fitted with artistic designs, and a modest shingle roof that appeared to be well maintained. At the entrance of the building was a stone archway topped with gilded Fairy Tail symbols and a wide sign with the words "FAIRY HILLS" in bold red letters. Needless to say, the building deserved a passing grade in Izumi's opinion.
"So this is Fairy Hills, huh?" Izumi commented, whistling impressively. "Wow, it's even bigger than how Master Erza described it. And look, it's got the perfect view of the ocean from all directions. I wonder if they have anything with a balcony directly over the beach – it would be just like something out of those romance novels."
"The exterior is impressive." Blaise nodded, sounding slightly suspicious. "But how much is it going to cost us?"
"The rent is 100,000 a month." A small voice chirped.
"Eh?" Izumi blinked.
Having been distracted by the wide dormitory, the Dragon Slayer duo had almost missed the little girl sweeping the porch. Based on her height and appearance, she couldn't have been older than eight years old. The young girl had short, jet-black hair that framed her face with the exception of the long, braided ponytail in the back and honey-brown eyes. She wore a traditional maid's outfit including a black dress with a white apron, white stockings, polished-black shoes, and a white headband. Just from the outfit and the fact that she was sweeping the yard with a broom much larger than herself, Izumi had to guess that she was the caretaker of the dorm. But to be able to clean up a large building after a group of rowdy wizards seemed like a tough job for one little girl.
"Uh…excuse me." Izumi said, catching the girl's attention. "What did you just say?"
"Renting a room in Fairy Hills costs 100,000 jewels per month." The girl giggled; The Dragon Slayer duo looked dumbstruck. "Didn't you know?"
"100,000 jewels!" Blaise hissed to her partner. "We don't have that kind of money!"
"Maybe we could ask the landlady for a discount." Izumi whispered.
"Oh, you guys must be the new renters staying in the dorms!" The little girl stated, tapping herself with the broomstick in sudden realization. "Nee-chan's been waiting for you! Hang on, let me go get here!" She carefully leaned the broom against the wall, being extra cautious to clean her shoes before entering the building. "Erza-Mama! The new renters are here!"
"Erza!" Izumi and Blaise shrieked simultaneously.
Undoubtedly, the armored Guild Master of Fairy Tail emerged from the dormitory a few moments later with the young child nipping at her heels. Somewhere in the back of Blaise's mind, this didn't seem all that surprising. Who better to maintain order in household full of hormonal, rambunctious teenage girls than the terrifying Titania? The scarlet-haired wizard approached the Black Dragon Slayer and unexpectedly pulled the tan-skinned foreigner into a swift hug, consequently earning Izumi a powerful migraine.
"Izumi, Blaise, I'm so glad you two could make it." Erza smiled, letting the poor girl go. "Welcome to Fairy Hills, the all-girl dormitory for Fairy Tail wizards. There are a few rules you must follow if you want to stay here, but most important is that you are not allowed to bring any boys in the dorms after six." The Titania stared down at the Dragon Slayer with menacing dark eyes, scaring the young foreigner quite a bit. "I see and know all, so there won't be any funny business, got it?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Izumi squeaked.
"Good." Erza nodded proudly before turning to the little maid, who curtsied ceremoniously to the two. "I'm sure you had the chance to meet our housekeeper, Pulito. She is in charge of cleaning up the dorm and making sure everything is in proper shape."
"Isn't she a little young?" Izumi asked.
"Pulito is just a child." Erza chuckled, patting the maid on the head. "But Fairy Hills has never been in a better state. We hired her last year and the hallways were literally sparkling on the first day. All the trash was properly disposed, the dishes were put away, the dorm rooms were tidied up, and even the rusty water pipes were cleaned." Pulito was red with embarrassment at the woman's praise. "Fairy Hills is in good hands with Pulito around, so I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay here."
"Um, Master, we have a bit of a problem." Blaise proclaimed, earning the attention of the landlady. "Pulito told us that the monthly rent was 100,000 jewels. We don't have that kind of money."
"Hmm…that is a problem." Erza hummed, tapping her chin in thought. "I don't normally do this, but I think I'll be willing to make an exception just this once. For the first month, I'll cut your rent to 70,000 jewels. That should be enough to cover a couple of missions. But after that, you must pay the same fees as everyone else. Just because Natsu and Lucy were your parents, you shouldn't expect special treatment."
"Right!" Izumi nodded excitedly.
"Now then, how about a tour of the dorms?"
Izumi squealed with excitement that not even Blaise's solemn scolding could bring her down. She was actually going to be staying in the same dormitory as the famous Titania and the women of Fairy Tail! The scarlet-haired Master stepped up to the front door and pushed it open, letting the young Dragon Slayer have a good view of the lobby.
Just as Master Erza had said, the entire area was completely spotless – Izumi could see her own reflection in the walls! The room was rather simple with hardwood floor paneling, a comfortable couch and leather chair, a nice little rug underneath a furnished table, and desk on the opposite. It reminded the girls of the many hotel lobbies they had stayed at when taking vacations around Seven.
"So cool~" Izumi said excitedly, taking her first step into the dormitory.
"NO!" Pulito screamed
The Black Dragon Slayer was taken by surprise when the tiny maid tackled her by the legs, causing her to fall flat on her face into the hardwood floor. With surprising force, the little housekeeper spun the new tenant around and brandished a spray bottle and a wire brush with a menacing gleam in her eye. And the next thing she knew, Izumi was being viciously scrubbed down by a girl half her age and size, who was showing an incredible amount of strength and stamina to be able to hold down the Dragon Slayer. Blaise just stood their dumbfounded until Pulito grabbed her by the tail and dragged the Exceed into the painful cleansing.
The struggle only took a few moments until Pulito finally walked away, clapping her hands proudly to herself, leaving both foreigners groaning weakly from the tingling feeling in their skin. Sitting up tensely, Izumi noticed that her skin and clothes had been scrubbed down to the point where her tan was almost unnoticeable – though she knew it would be back in a matter of minutes. As for her partner, Izumi tried to resist the urge to laugh as the Exceed's fur was fluffed outrageously, giving her glare an almost comedic look.
"I should have mentioned it before." Erza said, having transformed her armor into a white cat-girl suit during the scrub down. "Pulito has an obsessive compulsive disorder to keep things clean and sanitary. If you bring even the smallest speck of dirt into this house, she will hunt you down."
"What the hell is with that outfit?" Blaise exclaimed shockingly.
"Do you like it?" Erza asked, modeling for the girls. "I was wearing the exact same outfit when I showed Lucy around. She was wearing the exact same thing when she took her first tour."
"My…my mom was…a cosplay freak?" Izumi cried unbelievably. She quickly found the darkest corner of the room and emasculated herself in a depressing aura. "So…many…dreams…shattered."
"Oh dear, I think you broke her." Blaise commented.
After pulling the poor girl out of her slump, the Guild Master personally showed the young foreigner to her room, which was situated in the center of the hall on the right-hand side. The room was rather plain with its sky-blue wall paint and pink carpet, but Erza told them they would redecorate the place in any way they wanted as long as it was within reason. There was a firm mattress in the right-hand corner with sky-blue sheets, a desk and dresser on the opposite side of the room, and a wide vanity dressed tucked away in the corner. But the best part was the white-framed doors that led to an open-spaced balcony, overlooking the perfect view of the ocean.
"Awesome!" Izumi cheered, feeling the ocean winds whipping against her face. "This is exactly what I wanted!"
"I had a feeling you would like it." Erza nodded, watching the girls set their baggage on the bed. "The rooms provide all the essentials, so any extras you're going to have to bring yourself."
"So where's the television?" Izumi asked curiously.
"What a…television?" Erza responded in confusion.
Apparently, those were not the words that the immigrants from Seven wanted to hear. It was only three words, but the question earned a huge response from the new tenants. Without a word of warning, Izumi and Blaise screeched in absolute horror, making the hair on Erza's cat suit stand on end. The Dragon Slayer started running around in circles around the room, screaming at the top of their lungs as if they were being tortured by the devil himself – Erza was tempted to summon her largest sword at that point.
"Blaise, they don't have TV in Fiore!" Izumi screeched terrifyingly. "What are we going to do?"
"Wait!" Blaise yelled, raising her paw in defiance. "I've prepared for this moment!"
The rich-purple Exceed clawed her way up to Izumi's suitcase, kicking the side and snapping it open. Blaise burrowed her way through her partner's magazines, beauty products and sexy underwear – Erza was red-faced when one of them landed at her feet – until the Exceed found what she was looking for. With a grunt, Blaise pulled out a black box with a glass screen and ran across the room to settle the device on the dresser. Izumi pressed the buttons with a sense of urgency, finally taking a deep breath of relief when a moving picture finally appeared on the screen.
"And once again, everything is right with the world." Izumi sighed.
"It's amazing we can even get satellite in this place." Blaise nodded, climbing her way up to her partner's shoulder. "But then again, I don't really care. As long as I get my soap operas, I'm happy."
"I don't really understand what's going on here, but I can tell you one thing." Erza stated with a serious look in her eyes and her hands (paws?) at her hips. "To allow yourself to be so consumed in something such as this…thing is disgraceful. Back in my day…"
"We now return to The Young and the Stupid." The television announced.
"I am sorry, Carmelita." The male actor said dramatically. "I love you, but I have committed a terrible crime and must atone for what I have done! And for that purpose, we cannot be together!"
"NO!" Erza cried, suddenly pushing the girls aside and clutching the television for dear life. "It doesn't matter what happened, you still be together! Don't give up on love just yet!"
"Um…master." Blaise sweat-dropped. "Weren't you going to show us the rest of the place?"
"Uh…right! Of course!" Erza coughed embarrassingly, trying to regain her sense of dignity. "Let's um…start down stairs."
Possibly in hopes of erasing that embarrassing moment in Izumi's room, the mighty Titania showed the new tenants the public areas of the dormitory including the open bath area, the library, and even the small swimming pool in the backyard. And as a treat, Izumi and Blaise were giving an exclusive look in Erza Scarlet's room. The "room" turned out to be eight separate dorm rooms all conjoined together into one lengthy hall way that lead to Erza's four-post bed with red-satin sheets. Lined up in a neat row along the walls were, unsurprisingly, Erza's complete collection of armor and weapons all given special placement and left in perfect condition. How the hell she managed to pay for all this was beyond her.
"That was…something, Master." Izumi chuckled as they reached the lobby. "You really have a lot of armor and weapons."
"There is a limit to the amount I can store in my magic zone." Erza explained. "The stuff I can't bring I leave in my room."
"It is nothing less than impressive." Blaise complimented until she noticed something different about the scenery. "Hey, who's that?"
Erza and Izumi looked in the direction the Exceed was point, noticing the appearance of a girl Izumi had never met before. She looked kinda young and had an almost child-like build with wavy-blond hair and large, emerald green eyes. She wore a frilly, white-pink layered dress with intricate patterns around the abdomen and white wing adornments around her ears. She didn't bother wearing shoes, possibly as a way to avoid becoming another casualty in Pulito's ongoing war against dirt.
With a new face in her sight, the majesty-looking girl practically glided across the hall, stopping short of the trio.
"Hello, Seventh." She greeted Erza kindly. "You brought a new friend today?"
"She is the newest member of Fairy Tail!" Erza answered proudly, slapping the Dragon Slayer hard on the back. "This is Izumi A. Dragneel, Natsu and Lucy's daughter. And the Exceed on her shoulder is her partner, Blaise. I was just showing them around the dorms."
"That's wonderful." The girl cheered, clapping her hands happily. "I love meeting new people! My name is Mavis Vermillion! I'm sure we'll become good friends!"
"Mavis Vermillion…" Izumi hummed thoughtfully. "Wait…was that the name of the…"
"I'm sorry I can't stay and talk." Mavis giggled, suddenly floating several feet off the ground. "But I really should be getting back to Tenrou Island soon – It doesn't do too well if I'm away from my grave for very long. Put I promise, I'll come and visit you again very soon."
With that said, Mavis dissolved into a shower of fairy lights and floated out the window and into the open skies, only just barely avoiding the assault from Pulito's vicious broom. Meanwhile, Izumi and Blaise were left stupefied with their eyes bulging out of their sockets and their jaws practically digging into the floorboard. If you had just met the ghost of Mavis Vermillion, the Mother of Fairies and the founder of the Fairy Tail guild, your expression wouldn't be any different.
"You're lucky." Erza said nonchalantly, clapping the teenager's shoulder. "Not many people can say they met the First Guild Master on their first day."
It was probably going to take a little longer getting used to having the ghost of the First Guild Master popping for random visits – it sorta borderlines on the definition of creepy. Erza, however, remained oblivious to Izumi's obvious discomfort and decided to give the young Dragon Slayer a tour of the rooms, which the consent of the owners. Blaise had elected to greet the neighbors first and chose the one directly to the right of Izumi's bedroom.
Once getting permission to enter, both foreigners from Seven felt an immediate drop in temperature and were shivering down to their bones. The entire room was made entirely of ice from the walls to the floor to even the crystalized doorknob – that was actually very fancy, but still cold. Frozen versions of various pieces of furniture was masterly sculpted with perfect detail – floor molding shaped like blooming orchids, chairs were topped with Fairy Tail markings, and even the frozen rug was shaped like a perfect snowflake.
It didn't take much thought to know who lived here and looking over to the opposite end of the room, Izumi's suspicions were confirmed. Ur Fullbuster was spread out on the icy block she called a bed with a magazine in hand and – much to the shock of Izumi and Blaise – was buck naked. The Ice-Make Wizard looked over briefly when the door open and smiled brilliantly when seeing her new best friend walking through the threshold. She quickly jumped off her bed and hugged the Dragon Slayer; Izumi felt too uncomfortable to return the embrace.
"Izumi, I didn't know you were coming!" Ur shouted happily, releasing her friend.
"Izumi just moved in today." Erza explained. "She'll be your new neighbor from now on."
"That's great!" Ur cheered until she noticed the stupefied look on the Dragon Slayer's face. "Oh, I bet you're wondering what I'm doing here instead of living with my mom and dad. Well, I decided to move out when I turned thirteen so that I could be more independent during my missions. Plus, I can decorate my room any way I want without my parents telling me no."
"Actually…I was wonder…" Izumi said hesitantly, scratching her cheek embarrassingly. "Did you lose your underwear somewhere?"
"No." Ur answered simply. "I always walk around dorms like this – it gets a nice breeze."
"Did she just admit that openly?" Izumi sweat-dropped.
"Doesn't the master have rules against that?" Blaise questioned curiously.
"She never stopped me before." Ur shrugged; she moved in closer to whisper into her friend's ear. "Between you and me, I think Master Erza might be a little bi. One time, I found a whole stack of porno magazines under her…"
Not a moment later, Ur's head was smashed through the icicle mattress by the fearsome Titania herself – pools of red were splattered within the ice. Erza quickly pulled the Dragon Slayer and Exceed away from the crime scene with a menacing gaze in her eyes and a wicked smile that would make the devil tremble in terror.
"Let's move on, shall we?" Erza suggested
"Ur…" Izumi whimpered.
The next room they visited belonged to Asuka Cornell, who the foreign duo was on good terms with as long as they didn't bring up the topic on Asuka's ex-boyfriend. The room was everything you would expect from someone who earned the name of Bull's-Eye. The walls were colored in a steel-grey tone with a white carpet and a simply mattress with steel-grey sheets. The majority of the room was filled with shelves and boxes containing every assortment of firearms from a palm-sized pistol to a military grade Gatling gun.
But most likely the main concern with the thick cloud of smoke hovering around the ceiling; Izumi and Blaise started choking the first moment they entered. Though the resident chain-smoker seemed largely unaffected by the polluted air, sitting casually in the center table with an ashtray piled high with used cigarettes. Asuka had taken in a deep puff when she was greeted by the Guild Master and the new Fairies, putting her smoke out on the table surface before reaching for another.
"Were you smoking again?" Erza questioned strictly, somehow unaffected by the cloud of smog.
"Maybe a little." Asuka responded, lighting the new cigarette with her custom pistol. "So what?"
"Air…" Izumi coughed, struggling to open the door. It had somehow locked behind them and both the Dragon Slayer and Exceed with attempting to claw their way through. "Need…air."
"Smoking is very hazardous to your health." Erza stated in a motherly tone. "It can lead to cancer, liver failure, and other kinds of diseases that could hurt you. As your master, I am simply suggesting you take into consideration of your own health and the health of those around you. I take pride in knowing I am ensuring the welfare of my Nakama."
"Help…us…" Blaise begged weakly.
"Not now." Erza replied quickly.
"I don't need a lecture from you – I get enough of those from my parents." Asuka responded with a big puff. "But if you really want, I can try to cut down from my usual twenty-four smokes to twenty-three."
"I think your parents would be proud of you." Erza nodded.
"Can't…breathe…" Izumi said before passing out.
After some intensive CPR from Ur – who was still naked when they woke up – Erza led the new tenants to Grace's room. In comparison to the rest of her roommates, Grace's room seemed…normal. The blue-haired girl's room had simple, hot-pink wallpaper with a white carpet that went well with the area, and apparently the only ceiling fan in the dorms. Her bed was tucked away in the upper-right corner next to the doorway to the balcony, a simple set of mahogany dresser and wardrobe, and row of shelves on the left-hand side filled with various trophies and awards. There were a couple of posters of some of the more famous characters in Fairy Tail on the walls and a few stuffed animals at the head of her bed.
Izumi was the one to notice the picture of her and Razor sitting on the bedside table – she was definitely crushing on him. Grace quickly picked up on Izumi's direction of sight and "conveniently" sidestepped to block the picture with her cheeks cherry-red.
"Master, Izumi, Blaise." Grace greeted courteously. "What can I do for you?"
"Izumi is moving in today." Erza answered happily. "I was just giving her a tour of the rooms."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Grace cheered, taking Izumi's hands into her own. "We're going to be roommates! This is going to be so much fun! We could have sleepovers or do each other's hair or pulls some good pranks on the other girls!
"Or, you could tell me about your boyfriend." Izumi suggested slyly.
It happened so fast that the Black Dragon Slayer wasn't sure what happened. Within a split second of time, the foreign girl was slumping on the girl with a deep gash on her forehead and a river of blood trailing down her face. Grace was standing over the unfortunate Dragon Slayer holding a paperback book with the binding soaked in Izumi's plasma, looking a cross between embarrassed and horrified. Blaise was gapping in shock, but Erza seemed to be more focused on the trophy case.
"Does this…always happen…?" Blaise asked slowly.
"No." Erza answered without looking. "Usually it's leather bound."
Izumi was seriously reconsidering staying at Fairy Hills. Within an hour, she had already been haunted by a ghost, suffered frostbite, chocked herself to death in smoke, and most likely lost several hundred brain cells. That in addition to the OCD cleaning girl and the armor-wearing master, it was enough to drive anyone insane. Master Erza was leading the Dragon Slayer Duo to the last border in the house, but she had not stated who the person was. If she was anything like the others, she was moving out.
…She may as well start packing her bags now.
As the armored Guild Master threw open the door, Izumi and Blaise were greeted by a more…traditional space. The walls were stone-brown and the texture gave it a rocky appearance, which was complimented by tribal drawings and graphic designs. The bed was moss-green cot with matching sheets, the dresser and wardrobe were replaced by more traditional designs, and the desk was littered with piles of paper on random subjects. On the left-hand wall was a lengthy board with over a hundred pictures and articles pinned to it, usually connected by red string. Everything looked like a cross between paranoia office and an excavation camp.
But by far the worst thing about the scenery was the fact that Mana Alberona was sitting at the desk, ruffling through the mounds of paper with interest. The side-braided woman looked over her shoulder when the door to her room opened, jumping to her feet at the sight of her hated rival. There was no logic or reason behind the girl's mutual dislike – it just came natural.
"What are you doing here, dragon breath?" Mana growled, getting up-close to the foreigner.
"What's it to you, ya small-boob bitch?" Izumi sneered.
"Izumi and Blaise are going to be living here." Erza said, ignorant to the potential outbreak about to take place in the very room. "I hope you two will become good friends."
"Not a chance in hell!" Mana exclaimed.
"I'd rather have my throat cut out than be friends with her!" Izumi snapped.
"I said…" Erza pronounced more forcefully, cracking her knuckles (paws?) loudly with a malevolent stare. "I hope you two will become good friends! Do I make myself clear?"
"Of course!" Mana shouted merrily, doing an animated dance with the Dragon Slayer. "Good friends, best friends! Right, Izumi?"
"Aye, sir!" Izumi shouted, most likely out of fear.
"Well, that's one way to do things." Blaise sweat-dropped.
"Good." Erza nodded, not realizing that the truce was only temporary. "Now that we have all met, I asked Pulito to prepare a welcoming feast down by the pool. I hope you will join me very soon."
The moment the armored master stepped out of the room, Izumi and Mana pushed each other aside and resumed glaring. Nothing would have satisfied them both than to knock the lights out of their opponent, but that would not be wise with the Titania under the same roof. Still leering at the tribal-dressed wizard, the Black Dragon Slayer grabbed her partner and made her way back to her room – Mana slammed the door behind them.
"November 16, X811" Izumi narrated
The Black Dragon Slayer, wearing her personalized bathing suit, ran outside to greet her new roommates by the poolside just as the sun was starting to set over the horizon. A string of lights were hung around the trees to give the area a calming glow and a table stacked with various foods and a layered cake was situated at the edge of the pool. The Black Dragon Slayer was greeted with the cheers from the various girls in Fairy Tail, all throwing streamers and yelling at the arrival of their newest member.
"Living in Fairy Hills is going to be a different experience. I've always had Marina to take care of me, so striking out on my own can be a little scary."
Absorbed into their little party, the girls went off to do their own thing. Blaise was casually lounging on an inner tube with Grace pushing the Exceed around the water with a soft giggle. Ur had offered Izumi a piece of cake, but she declined due to the awkwardness of having a naked girl serve her food. Pulito followed everyone like a cougar, ready to pounce if even the tiniest crumb had touched her precious floor. The two Guild Masters were in hushed discussion over something concerning Fairy Tail and Asuka had moved to the only smoking area in the area, taking the deepest breath she could to sate her addiction.
"But with Blaise, Ur, and everyone else helping me, finding my own path doesn't seem so frightening anymore."
The only person who hadn't joined in on the celebration was Mana, who had taken to watching the party from the roof.
"Though if I had a choice, I'd prefer different neighbors. Oh well, you can't always get what you want."
Please, Read and Review or Pulito will sick her wire brush on you.
Next Time: Kane the Iron Fist!
Fairy Tail Guild Card
Name: Erza Scarlet
Age: 39
Magic: Re-quip – The Knight
Likes: Weapons, armor, cheesecake
Dislikes: Evildoers, rule breakers
Relatives: Jak Scarlet (Son), Pulito Neteso (Adopted Daughter)
Description: Once revered as the invincible Titania, Erza now presides as Fairy Tail's seventh Guild Master and an active member of the Ten Wizard Saints. She views all of Fairy Tail as her family and will throw herself into danger without a moment's hesitation to defend her nakama. Erza is confirmed to be married, but the identity of her husband and the father of her child remains a mystery.