Disclaimer is on Chapter 1
Sitting upon his stone throne in the center of his Guildhall, Roubaul patiently stared at the two visiting Wizards who were sitting crossed legged on the floor in front of him mentally measuring them while the rest of the Guild members filed in to the building all no doubt eager to see why they were receiving visitors from Fairy Tail whose reputation were known all across Fiore.
Of the two, the orange haired girl seemed to be the most fidgety apparently not accustomed to waiting patiently for things to begin whereas the lad, despite having his hood up, sat there still as a statue hus eyes barely visible from beneath the hood yet still high enough for him to stare right back as if trying to measure him just like what he was doing to them.
With the Guildhall filled to capacity, Roubaul ceased his staring contest with the lad in blue and raised his hand causing the quiet murmurings coming from around the Guildhall to hush.
"Welcome to our Guild, Wizards of Fairy Tail. I am Roubaul, the Guildmaster of Cait Shelter." Roubaul greeted Alastor and Will before grabbing a cup and bottle filled with amber liquid from the table beside him.
Filling said cup, the Guildmaster offered it to his guests. Immediately Will shook her head while waving her hands furiously. She had had several bad experiences with alcohol in the past, all of which incurring the wrath of Alastor or their own Guildmaster, sometimes both, and was trying to refrain from ever touching a drop of the stuff again- no small task given Fairy Tail's penchant for parties. When the cup was offered to him, Alastor merely put his hand up to decline.
Seeing his offer refused, Roubaul took no offense merely shrugging as he put the full cup back on the table and took a deep swig straight from the bottle.
"So then," He began dribbling the amber liquid all down his beard as he spoke. "What brings you here to our little Guild?"
"I came here to offer you an invite to a Guild Alliance." Alastor began coming straight to the point after recovering from the Guild Master's disgusting display. "There's been a steady increase in Dark Guild activity over the past year ranging from robberies to assaults and yet the Magic Council seem to pay it no attention instead trying to keep it all hushed up as if they believe letting them having a few minor victories will quell their rampage."
That's putting it mildly, Will thought with disgust. In her eyes, she believed the Magic Council were doing nothing to at least dissuade Dark Guilds from causing carnage because they were too afraid to get their hands dirty in the likely case they were sent packing. There were likely bribes and blackmail involved also but those who just sat on their rears and did nothing were one of the reasons why she prefered working for Fairy Tail rather than the Council.
"So, suffice to say, this is not something the Magic Council would authorise?" Roubaul asked curiously.
For the first time today, Alastor smiled. Well, almost smiled. More like a grin perhaps.
"We're from Fairy Tail. Our Guild Master taught us to follow our hearts not the rules of the Council in order to master our craft." Alastor stated proud remembering the words of his Guild Master who had stated them at least once a week after grilling them all for all the complaints and reprimands he had received for their actions during jobs.
The Wizard's answer had Roubaul smiling widely clearly liking Fairy Tail's ideology.
"There is truth and conviction in your words. We of Cait Shelter will gladly join your alliance." Roubaul stated loudly for all of his Guild members to hear.
As the hall filled with the sound of cheering, Alastor glanced at Will and Rui who were both grinning widely at the success of their trip.
"When the time comes for this alliance to act, young Wendy shall represent Cait Shelter." Roubaul continued taking another swig from the bottle.
While the rest of the Guild continued to celebrate as if not hearing their Guild Master speak, the Wizards of Fairy Tail were more shocked than surprised. And Will, who had managed to keep quiet thus far in the proceedings, could no longer remain silent.
"ARE YOU FREAKING INSANE!?" she shouted out while jumping to her feet.
The room went silent leaving just the sound of the alcohol pouring out of Roubaul's mouth like a waterfall while the Guild Master stared slack-jawed at the enraged Dragon Slayer.
Before Will could go on a further tirade, Alastor got up and slapped Will hard on the back of the head quieting her instantly.
"I apologise for my friend's outburst." The blue haired Wizard began pausing to glare at Will who whilted under his gaze. "I have to agree with her though. This alliance isn't just to combat run-of-the-mill Dark Guilds but the Balam Alliance- the top three most powerful Dark Guilds. This isn't something you should be sending a single kid out to battle."
He had a right to be concerned. The Guild's that made up the Balam Alliance had some of the most deadliest of Wizards among their ranks. Even the weakest of the three Guilds would not be easy to tackle and it was highly likely there would be casualties. To send a child into something like that was like sending a lamb to the slaughter. Something that Alastor did not want on his conscience.
"Do not let Wendy's age lead you astray. She may be young, but her gifts of Healing and Support magic surpass anything the rest of Cait Shelter can give you." Roubaul explained to Alastor. "She is also, as you may know, a Dragon Slayer."
"She's also only a child." Alastor pointed out.
"It does not matter how old a Wizard is to be powerful. Wendy is one of those Wizards."
Alastor frowned as he stared at the Guild Master. He could not help but feel like Roubaul was trying to push the young girl onto them. Yet trying to persuade him not to send a mere ten year old into a lion's den seemed likely to just have them going round in circles.
"Give us a minute to discuss this." Alastor said casting Requip to summon a staff.
Touching the base of the staff to the floor, a glyph spread across the ground beneath the feet of the two Fairy Tail Wizards. Now encased inside the Privacy Glyph, Alastor turned to his fellow Fairy Tail Wizard.
"I know it's pointless to ask this but, what's your take on all this?" Alastor asked of Will.
"Well obviously I think it's too dangerous for a...a..." Will stuck her head outside the field of the glyph towards Wendy. "How old are you?"
"E-Eleven." Wendy blinked at the sudden question.
"Thanks." Will grinned at the girl before sticking her head back in the field. "It's way too dangerous for an eleven year old and this whole thing reeks of a set up!" This whole place made her feel uncomfortable and on edge. Like there was something off and she couldn't quite sniff out what it was. "It's like they want to get rid of her, Al."
'Why do they just want to send her? Can't any of the others do Healing or Support Magic?' Rui asked.
"Support Magic maybe, but Healing Magic isn't a singular magic but a branch of Wind-based Dragon Slayer magic." Alastor supplied recalling what he had heard at the entrance of the Guild hall. "That could also be why she's skilled in Support Magic also, I suppose."
"Yeah, but, if that's true, I doubt the girl's dragon taught her anything offensive before abandoning her like what Aquis and Igneel did to me and Natsu." Will pointed out.
Unlike most brands of Caster Magic, there were certain kinds of magic that could not be learned merely through reading books or taught by a fellow Wizard. Certain Slayer Magics, specifically Dragon Slayer Magic, could only be taught by an actual dragon. Will was one of those pupils and had spent seven years under a Water dragon just learning only the basics of how to use Water Dragon Slayer Magic before being abandoned when she was around Wendy's age.
That was nearly seven years ago now meaning that Wendy, if her dragon had left her in the year X777 also, had only been around five at the time. Meaning that there was no way the young girl knew any offensive Dragon Slayer arts which meant she would not be able to fight back to defend herself.
Unless the sudden idea coming up in Alastor's head could work.
"Will, elements aside, Dragon Slayer Magic is pretty much the same, isn't it?" He asked the Water Dragon Slayer. He had spent most of his teenage years with two Dragon Slayers of different elements and had noted quite a few similarities between the twos' respective repertoires.
"Uh… I guess so. Although it would probably differ a bit due to the properties of the element, I suppose." Will answered unsure where her friend was going with this but could practically hear the gears turning inside his head as an idea came to mind.
"So it could be done…" Alastor muttered casting Requip again this time returning the staff to his pocket dimension. The action cancelled the Privacy Glyph allowing the two Fairy Tail Wizards to hear the mutterings echoing through the Guild hall before they too went quiet when the Wizards of Cait Shelter realised they had finished discussing business privately.
"We'll accept your offer." Alastor began holding up a hand to stop anyone from speaking up before he finished what he was saying. "Providing you allow us to take the kid with us back to Fairy Tail for a week."
"What?! Me?!" Wendy exclaimed when she realised what Alastor just said.
"As you are now, you're likely to be a liability to us." Alastor told her bluntly causing Will to wince.
'She's a kid, Al, at least try to tone it down.' Will thought wishing the blue haired wizard could not be serious all the time at least when conversing with Guild mates or children. She could never really fathom how Lisanna always managed to put up with it.
"Fortunately for you, Fairy Tail has two Dragon Slayers among their ranks- including this idiot." Alastor added motioning to Will before continuing. "Hopefully, between the two of them, they should be able to help broaden your Dragon Slayer abilities."
The shock left Wendy's face to be replaced by wonder and disbelief as she realised what she was being offered. Ever since hearing about the two Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail, she had always dreamed of meeting them. Now it looked like that dream was going to become a reality.
"Well? Don't just stand there staring, child. Answer the hooligan." Carla scolded her.
Snapping back to reality, Wendy bowed so that her upper body was near parallel to the ground. "T-Thank you very much! I-I humbly accept!" Being taught by two dragon slayers was something she's never even fathomed were possible. She didn't even know if she could learn from them all that she could do but it couldn't hurt to at least try.
"...Sensei Will, Will Sensei..." A grinning Will muttered as she rubbed her chin. That had such a nice ring to it, she just couldn't help herself.
'Well, someone's getting into it.' Rui wrote in the air a deadpan look on her face before she blinked and thought of something. 'Though we might not want Natsu teaching her practical combat. Wind and fire make for explosive combinations.' The more oxygen you added, the bigger the flame would become. And the more property damage would surely follow.
"That's ok! I know I could probably teach her since wind and water go together like that." Will waved off her concerns with a cheerful grin crossing her index and middle fingers to indicate the togetherness.
"Don't go getting ahead of yourself. You're only helping her learn basic Sky Dragon Slayer Arts not Unison Raids and anything you and Natsu consider flashy and devastating." Alastor scolded the Water Dragon Slayer deflating her jubilant mood like a punctured balloon.
"I really do hope that's all you'll be teaching her." Carla spoke up. The last thing she needed was her friend becoming a hooligan just like the two before her and their mangy alley cat familiar.
"By all means, come with us. That way you'll get to see just how great and awesome our Guild is while me and Natsu show Wendy the real fun of being a Dragon Slayer." Will grinned only to stare solemnly down at the floor as Alastor fixed her his deadly gaze.
"I shudder at the thought." Carla sniffed.
'Then pack some fake furs to keep yourself warm, granny.' Rui wrote angrily before she could stop herself.
Ignoring the build up of what looked to be an actual catfight, Alastor walked over to Wendy who was looking slightly starstruck as if her biggest dream had just become a reality.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" He asked the girl snapping her out of her dreamlike state. "This isn't going to be a vacation you're going on. More of a boot camp to help you become more prepared for what lies ahead should the time come. If you want to back down, now is the time to do it."
Wendy fidgeted slightly as she mulled over what Alastor told her. She would be lying if she were to say she was not afraid of what might happen in the near future. But she wanted to be of help and not just be a burden to everyone else in the alliance. Doing so might help in finding out where Grandeeney had disappeared off to. With that thought in mind, Wendy returned Alastor's stare with a determined look of her own.
"I want to come with you to Fairy Tail and learn how to be a real Sky Dragon Slayer. I don't want to be a burden to you and the others when the time comes." Wendy stated sounding more confident than she dared believed.
"Heh. That's a good answer there. You may very well survive Fairy Tail yet." Will grinned as she reached over and patted the girl's head affectionately. The girl had some backbone alright, she just needed some help finding it.
"T-Thank you." Wendy giggled at the pat, feeling all fuzzy with a tinge of pink to her cheek. And then the words registered in her brain. "Wait, survive?" That's a weird way to word it.
"Don't worry about it." Will waved off with a cheery grin. "The bar fights have toned down a lot over the past year!" It was a pretty big accomplishment really! Now barely anything was set on fire- it was the breaking stuff part that needed to be worked on now.
That doesn't make me feel any better! Wendy thought beads of sweat beginning to drip down her face as she tried to figure out exactly what Fairy Tail was like.
'Just stick close to Alastor if anything kicks off. When he gets fed up, he'll tell them to stop. And nobody has the stones to go against his word in Fairy Tail. Not even Erza and Mira when they begin slugging it out.' Rui advised turning her back of an angry Carla to join in.
"Stop putting images in her head you two." Alastor told the two off wondering if maybe he should have just sent them packing back to Magnolia after all before coming here. There was no doubt Wendy was going to be shocked upon arriving at their Guild but, to be dreading it before they even got there, he reckoned the girl's training might take more than a week.
Making sure the Water Dragon Slayer and her familiar were no longer trying to traumatize Wendy, an easy feat for him, Alastor turned back to Roubaul who had just finished drying off his beard.
"So then, do we have a deal?" He asked the Guild Master.
"But of course! To deny a girl a chance to see more of the world would be a sin!" Roubaul replied jovially getting cheers from both his Guild Members and Will. "I have every confidence that young Wendy shall be fine and flourish tremendously under your care!"
'He makes it sound like he's giving her away to me.' Alastor could not help but think making a mental note to talk to Master Makarov when he returned to Fairy Tail. Will was right, there was something fishy going on in this Guild and it all seemed to centre around Wendy for reasons he could not yet comprehend.
Minutes later, Alastor, Rui, Wendy and Carla were back on the makeshift raft that had brought them to Cait Shelter with Will towing it at an impressive clip. On the lake shore, the entire Cait Shelter Guild were waving them off with shouts of good luck and have fun echoing across the sky.
Despite the rockiness of the raft, Wendy was on her feet waving back to her fellow Guildmates while trying her hardest not to cry in front of Alastor. A moot attempt as he saw through her easily.
"Just let it all out. Keeping it all in will just come back to bite you otherwise." He told her a slight hint of softness in his voice. "You'll feel better afterwards."
As if he had said the magic words, tears began to pour down Wendy's cheeks like waterfalls as she began waving more enthusiastically mentally promising bother herself, her Guild and Grandeeney that she would return to Cait Shelter as a true Dragon Slayer.
This was the beginning of her first real adventure. And she had no idea how wild of a ride it was going to be.
Finally updated. My apologies for anyone who has actually bothered to read this. Hope you enjoyed it & I'll see about trying to stay motivated enough to do more chapters in the new year.
Review if possible & until next time
Watch this space, peace out & Merry Christmas!