Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading and commenting- it means so much to know you guys like my writing! I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile, but classes started and life got hectic. Hopefully I'll keep to my schedule from now on, but just to make up for the gap, I'll get a second chapter out this week! Thanks again, now read on!

Chater 4: The First Battle

Jura started, "Now, since all guilds are present-"

"Wait a moment." Guildless' hooded head was turned to Wendy. The young girl looked back at her fearfully. "Should we really let a kid come along? This is going to be dangerous."

Sherri observed, "Cait Shelter must really be hurting for members if they sent her here on her own."

"She's not alone. You shouldn't jump to conclusions, gaudy trollop." A small, white cat in a pink and yellow dress was walking calmly in the door.

Happy stared, dumbfounded, as Grey asked, "What is this?"

Lyon responded, "A cat."

Natsu spoke in awe, "Wow, she's just like Happy."

Lucy smiled. "She can talk too?"

Sherri pouted. "Stupid cat. I'm not gaudy."

Lucy asked in surprise, "That's your beef?"

Wendy turned. "Oh, Carla. You followed me here?"

Carla answered sharply, "Of course I did. You are far too young to be traveling unaccompanied, child."

The Trimens were suddenly on their game again. "Pretty kitty."

Lucy questioned incredulously, "You flirt with cats too?!"

As Happy nervously attempted to find a way to approach Carla, Wendy apologized, "Sorry, I'm probably not what you expected... I know I'm much smaller and younger than most of you, and I may not be much of a fighter, but I can use all kinds of support magic. So please... Let me join the group, I'd be so embarrassed if you sent me home!"

Guildless roughly said, "I think your life is worth your embarrassment, kid."

Lyon growled, "You're not even a member of a guild, so you don't get a say."

Jura intervened, "Yes, of course she does, Lyon. But if Cait Shelter sent Wendy to us, we shall embrace her."

Erza agreed, "No offense was meant. We're glad to have you onboard, Wendy."

Wendy lit up like a candle. "Oh wow, you're Erza, right? I can't believe it's really you!" She looked at Guildless. "And you're Guildless, that wizard that goes around fighting dark guilds alone!"

Guildless still seemed annoyed, not answering, ignoring the following conversation of Wendy's impressive power.

As the Trimens began pampering Wendy, Guildless moved in. "Do I have to count, boys? The love seats can stay in a dusty corner until we finish the mission."

The boys paled, putting everything away quickly as Ichya began his presentation.

"Okay, now that all the involved parties are present, it is time to get the briefing underway."

Lucy asked sarcastically, "Are you going to brief us through interpretive dance?"

Ichya dramatically called, "Our first order of business is determining the location of the Oracion Seis!" A pause, then the squat man shuffled off. "Riiiight after I make a letter of the alphabet."

The Trimen clapped as if this were a great achievement. "We're rooting for you, teacher!"

Lucy groaned, "Pick a title, would you?"

Guildless muttered, "I'll wait outside. I've had enough stupidity for all my life, all in a day." With that, she slipped away and out the door.

As Natsu excitedly knocked the doors of the palace down, Guildless stood next to them, yelling after the boy futilely. "Natsu!"

Lucy ran out, stopping near Guildless. "Where do you think you're going?"

Erza admonished, "Always thinking without a thought in his head."

Lucy whined, "Some days I wonder about his mental health."

Grey agreed, "What do you guys want to bet he didn't even hear the plan?"

Happy added, "I bet five fish he didn't!"

Guildless asked roughly, "Then what are we waiting for? We catch up to the idiot." She launched forward quickly, seemingly floating with her cloak flying out behind her.

Ren admired, "She sure is rugged."

Erza ordered, "Double time, come on!" The Fairy Tail wizards started running after the two who had started earlier.

Guildless finally caught up with Natsu, grabbing a handful of his spiky hair and yanking back. "That's enough, Dragneel."

Natsu pulled away, growling, "You're not the boss of me!"

Guildless' voice was low and dangerous. "No? Then cross me, right now and find out."

Natsu yelped, backing up a step- a step too far. Natsu yelled as he tumbled right off the edge of a cliff.

Guildless stood at the edge, shaking her head as the others arrived. Grey said, "Well, he didn't cross you."

Erza scowled. "If he's not dead, I'll kill him."

Sheri said, "Well he hasn't changed at all."

Lyon reminisced, "To think I once crossed fists with that fool. It's kind of embarrassing now."

Sheri proclaimed, "It's another form of love!"

Grey deadpanned, muttering, "Yeah, not quite."

Guildless sighed. "So we follow again." She jumped off the cliff, diving face first until she disappeared under the trees.

The others took awhile to catch up, Guildless out of sight by the time they got onto the forest floor. Lyon muttered, "She's good at disappearing, I'll give her that."

Even as the caught up to Natsu and Christina arrived, only to be shot down, there was no sign of Guildless. The lone wizard seemed to have disappeared completely.

Yet just as the fighting began, Guildless seemed to appear out of nowhere, right in the middle of the Oracion Seis, and quickly sent a tiny sphere of black energy into Hoteye's back, making him fall to his knees.

Brain turned quickly, smiling. "The prodigal son returns- or rather, daughter."

Guildless hissed, "Save it." Another sphere formed in her palm, flying for Brain, but was easily dodged.

A sudden attack from behind sent Guildless flying, the girl struggling to her feet immediately, hood back. Pitch black hair pulled back in a long braid, her black mask decorated with white dots around the edges and the eye holes. "Now you've done it."

Fully fledged battle began, clashing enemies everywhere, but Guildless aimed directly for Brain, sweeping toward him in a rapid flash of black, but was intercepted, thrown back by a speeding blur once more. She steadied herself again and again, but the strikes came too quickly to be stopped.

Racer taunted, "So you call yourself Guildless these days, huh?" He drove his arm into her chest, knocking her back and back to her knees. "Bet your old guild would love to see more of you. Oh wait-"

"Are we fighting or chatting, slowpoke?" Guildless was on her feet again, cloak shredded and hair now loose to her hips.

Racer scowled. "Just wait until we tell Diviner we've found you." He lunged again, but that seemed to have struck a nerve. Guildless seemed to melt into her own shadow, disappearing as Racer hit where she should have been.

He growled, "Coward. He'll still find you."