Chapter 11: Found Family

"I'd like to send a letter to Ginger Village, please."

I handed my note to the delivery man with a nod.

He hummed, scratching at his stubble as he flipped the note and gave it a once over. "Ginger Village, eh?... That's pretty far out. Family?"

"And friends," I added somberly. "I haven't contacted them in a while. So I wanna rectify that."

"Hmm." the man nodded and smiled at me. "Well, don't you worry! We've got the best delivery service here in Fiore! Ditzy!"

A yelp came from the back, followed by a loud crash. The man groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. I blinked owlishly as a young girl who couldn't be any older than 15 or 16 came out. She had long messy blonde hair and wide golden eyes.

... which were also cross-eyed.

"Yes, sir!" Ditzy performed a sloppy salute, standing rigidly in place.

The man rolled his eyes and placed my note in her hands. "We've got a delivery for Ginger Village. Think you can handle it?"

"Oh, wow! That's super far~! Don't you worry, I'll have this delivered lickity split!" Ditzy beamed brightly, grabbing a satchel off a coat rack and stuffing the note inside.

She stumbled over her feet as she ran around the counter and dashed out of the store. I blinked in surprise at the speed at which she moved. I didn't detect any sort of magic from her at all, yet she moved so fast... what the hell?

"She may be a bit of a clutz, but don't let them fool you, she's one of our best." the man nodded, crossing his arms over his chest with a look of pride on his face.

I nodded slowly. "Uh... right. I'll be heading out, now."

"Have a good day!"

Sighing, I stepped outside and took in a deep breath. That would be the first of many notes I sent to Ginger Village... at least until I worked up the courage to head back. And found the time. There was still so much I had to do here... and I was kind of... scared.

Going back home after leaving everything behind in pursuit of my own goals. The old me would have probably not batted an eye. Far too absorbed in his grief and frustration to give a damn. I wasn't him. I was different. In a figurative and literal sense.

I don't know if I have the strength to see those people yet... but this is a good first step. Hopefully, Sachi is alright...

"Are you okay?" I looked over to my right. Pip was perched on my shoulder, happily munching away at a carrot. I was thinking of getting her a cute little outfit - I mean, Carla had one. So why not Pip?

Shelving those thoughts away for later, I shrugged my left shoulder and began walking down the street with a sheepish face. "I'm fine. Just nervous, I guess. I dunno. My home? I left that place abruptly and abandoned the only family I had left."

I shook my head and sighed. "It's eating me up. And I hate that I can't man up and just... go back. But I'm not ready yet - I'm not prepared."

"Well, that's okay!" Pip chirped with a smile, flapping her ears animatedly. "You'll get there eventually! One hop at a time!"

I smiled at the bunny's enthusiasm and raised a brow. "Don't you mean step?"

Pop blinked and hummed to herself, tapping her chin with her paw as she looked away with a contemplative face. Then she shook her head and beamed. "... nope! I'm pretty sure it's hop!"

I rolled my eyes. "Vorpal Bunnies have their own sayings... who would've thought?"

"So what are we going to do today?"

At Pip's question, I pursed my lips and hummed to myself. That was a good question... "We can stop by the guild today and introduce you to everyone. Maybe Gramps'll even give you your guild mark."

"'Gramps'?" Pip crooned in confusion, tilting her head to the side.

I nodded. "Yeah, Master Makarov. He's in charge of the guild. I call him Gramps, though. Pretty much everyone does." a smile crossed my lips. "He's pretty much our dad if 'ya think about it."

Pip squealed, bouncing in her spot on my shoulder. "I'm so excited! A family... I've always wanted one!"

I chuckled softly and rested a hand on her head. "I'm glad I've given you the chance to have one."

My stomach growled, twisting a painful knot that was difficult to ignore. My cheeks warmed up and I grimaced before letting out a boisterous laugh and scratching the back of my head. "Ahaha... but first, let's get something to eat before heading over there..."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Before heading to the guild, I went back home to get my wallet and a change of clothes. I was currently wearing a black tunic shirt with a jacket wrapped around my waist, baggy beige pants, and dark-brown boots. After that, Pip and I got food to go from the nearby bakery. I chewed silently on a fresh muffin, carrying a bunch of other pastries in a plastic bag. Pip had changed her position from my shoulder to the top of my head.

As we neared the guild, I could already hear the chaos running rampant from within. Pip shifted and spoke up, her voice laced with worry. "All of that racket... is the guild being attacked!?"

"Nah. This is normal." I said, swallowing the rest of my muffin and pushing the doors open.

"DUMB PYRO!"

"STUPID POPSICLE!"

"ASH-BRAIN!"

"ICE PRINCESS!"

We were greeted with Gray and Natsu duking it out, as usual. Everyone was minding their own business. So long as their fight didn't interfere with them, there was no problem. I looked around and spotted Erza sitting at one of the tables near the back, eating strawberry soufflé. I quietly made my way over and waved with a smile. "Yo."

Erza perked up, greeting me with a small smile. "Good morning, Taruko." she raised a brow. "You're usually the first one here... what held you up?"

I smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. "My last job wore me out... and I had some business to take care of this morning."

Erza stared at me in confusion before looking up and spotting Pip resting on my head. Her eyes widened and she sat up straighter. "... Taruko, there's a..."

"Yeah, I know. I want to introduce her to the guild." I grinned softly, hopping onto the table and clearing my throat. With a deep breath, I channeled my magic and clapped my hands, firing off a powerful shockwave that resonated throughout the entire guild. "EVERYONE LISTEN UP!"

All chatter and buzz went silent, and all eyes landed on me. Even Natsu and Gray stopped squabbling to shift their focus on me. Mirajane stuck her pinkie finger into her ear with a small scowl, huffing. "Was that necessary? What the hell are you yellin' for, anyway?"

"Yeah, what's the big idea?" Natsu mumbled, backing up and scratching the back of his head.

"I was getting to that." I rolled my eyes and placed my hands on my hips. "I want everyone to meet someone..."

My eyes trailed upwards and they all followed my gaze. Several gasps left many of the guild members' mouths as Pip hesitantly stood up and hopped off of my head and onto the table. Her nose twitched as she looked around the room, slowly locking eyes with everyone in silence.

Lisanna squealed, running over and cupping her cheeks with a beaming smile. "Omigosh, a Vorpal Bunny! It's so cute~!"

"A Vorpal what?" Natsu's brows furrowed in confusion.

"It's a magic beast, Dino-Breath." Gray scoffed and rolled his eyes. Natsu shot him a glare.

"I knew that!"

"You made all that noise just to show us a dumb rabbit?" Mirajane drawled with an incredulous look on her face.

I shot her a soft glare. "She isn't dumb. She's my friend."

Pip shuffled awkwardly, inching back and hiding behind my leg. I guess she was nervous being around all these people...

Lisanna frowned at her sister. "Miraaaa! You're scaring the bunny...!"

Mirajane sputtered in shock. "W-What?!"

I smirked impishly. "Yeah, Mira. I know you're a she-devil but come on, have a heart."

"I didn't know she had one to begin." Erza snarkily called out from behind me, biting into her soufflé.

Mirajane glared at the redhead. "You wanna go, you oversized Tin Can?!"

Erza glared back at her and slowly rose from her seat. "You don't have to ask, you stupid hag!"

Everyone inched away from the two girls as they eyed each other venomously, I sighed and shook my head. Cana walked over and eyed Pip curiously, tilting her head. "What's her name?"

I looked down at Pip and nudged her. The bunny squeaked in surprise, shooting me an unsure look. I smiled softly and gave her a reassuring nod. Taking in a deep breath, Pip looked up at everyone and smiled bashfully. "I-I'm Pip! It's nice to meet you!"

. . .

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~?!?!?!?!?!?"

"THE FREAKIN' RABBIT CAN TALK?!" Gray and Natsu yelped with wide eyes.

"She's even cuter now~!" Lisanna cooed with sparkling eyes.

"You've gotta be kidding me...!"

"A talking bunny? Never seen that before..."

Erza blinked, staring at Pip dubiously. "... it can talk."

"She." I corrected gleefully.

"... she can talk."

"Don't all animals talk?" Pip asked curiously.

"NO!"

"Oh."

"Now what's all this racket?"

"Master Makarov." I stammered before laughing sheepishly and scratching the back of my head. "Sorry, I was introducing everyone to a new friend."

"Oh?" Makarov hummed, eyeing Pip curiously. "Now who might you be?"

"I'm Pip! It's nice to meet you, Gramps!" Pop chirped happily, bouncing on her feet.

I coughed into my fist and glanced off to the side sheepishly. "She might've gotten that from me."

"A Vorpal Bunny capable of human speech..." Makarov's eyes widened and he rubbed his chin with a look of curiosity. "Well, this is certainly a surprise. They don't typically talk..."

"What do you mean, Master?" Elfman asked, the boy meekly rubbing his hands together.

"Magic beasts are far more powerful than your average animal due to their ability to harness magic power much like us humans. Due to this, over centuries, specific breeds of different magical beasts have evolved and developed the ability to speak in the human tongue." Makarov folded his arms behind his back and nodded. "Examples like this would be the Dragons, Demons, and Vulcans, just to name a few..."

His gaze landed on Pip, who tilted her head in confusion. "I haven't seen a Vorpal Bunny possess so much magic power before. Quite the rare sight indeed."

"... Pip did say she was the only one amongst her pack to be capable of human speech," I muttered with furrowed brows.

"I observed humans a lot whenever they went into the Grotto," Pip smiled. "And I picked up a few things!"

Natsu blinked owlishly, slamming his fist into his palm and grinning with excitement. "Oh! I get it! That means Pip is CRAZY strong, then!"

Everyone face faulted and groaned at the Dragon Slayer's exclamation, earning a look of confusion from the boy. "What?"

"Of course, that's your takeaway from that explanation." Mirajane rolled her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Honestly..."

"I shouldn't have expected anything less." Erza shook her head.

"WHY DO YOU SOUND DISAPPOINTED?!"

"It certainly means she's rather gifted." Makarov agreed with a laugh, folding his arms behind his back.

"So," I hopped off the table and looked Makarov in the eye. "... can she join? The guild, I mean."

Makarov raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Join the guild?"

"She helped me out a ton on my job yesterday. And all she wants is a place where she can belong, Gramps. She never fit in back at the Grotto because of what she could do..." I clenched a fist and smiled somberly. "And I think she'd make a great addition to the guild. To have a place she can call home, and people to call friends... and family. I wanna give that to her."

Pip looked up at Makarov with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Makarov closed his eyes and hummed, turning around and pacing throughout the hall. "Many Wizards have had animal companions... pets, familiars, that is common. But are animals being officialized members of a guild? Simply unheard of."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Pip's hopeful expression become crestfallen. But I smiled instead. Knowing Master Makarov, there was a 'but' here...

"However!"

There it is.

"If we were to always abide by what is perceived as normal, then we'd never be able to grow! We must embrace the unconventional, and relish in what makes us different from the rest!" Makarov grinned, walking up to Pip and lifting her into the air. "LET'S WELCOME THE NEWEST MEMBER TO THIS FAMILY!"

"YEAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

The room was filled with a resounding shout of joy, bringing with it a heartwarming atmosphere. Cheers resonated throughout the hall as the members crowded around and tossed Pip into the air with varying grins and beaming smiles. Pip's smile was the brightest of all, making my heart swell with warmth and satisfaction as I watched on.

"Everyone's smiling."

Erza stood at my side, watching the scene with a small smile. She turned to me. "And it's because of you."

I huffed, shaking my head and watching as drinks and food were dished out to celebrate the new addition to the guild. "Nah. I didn't do much... this is just how the guild is."

I grinned softly. "We're just that accepting, y'know?"

Erza chuckled. "I guess so. It's nice, though, seeing everyone smile like this."

I nodded. "Yeah, it is."

"Enjoy, everyone~!"

"Holy crap, you work fast, Eliana!"

We turned to see a massive cake find itself planted on one of the tables. Everyone watched on with wide eyes and drooling mouths. Natsu grinned, diving towards the dessert with a gleeful laugh. "AWH, YEAH~! TIME TO DIG IN-!"

*WHAM!

Eliana's fist collided with his cheek, sending the boy flying across the room and crashing into the balcony. "THE CAKE ISN'T JUST FOR YOU, YOU BRAT!"

Her furious expression became serene as she swiftly cut a slice and offered it to Pip on a silver platter. "It's only right that Pip gets the first slice~!"

'Scary...' everyone thought with pale faces.

"Ooh~!" Pip stared at the cake with sparkling eyes. Biting into it and chewing quietly, she cooed and cupped her face with her paws. "Yummy~!"

"AAAAAAALRIGHT! BRING OUT THE BOOZE~!" Macao crowed, waving his fist in the air with a boisterous laugh.

"Now you're speaking my language!"

"Hell yeah!"

I felt sweat roll down my cheek and Erza sighed, shaking her head with a soft smile. "Let's hurry up and get a slice before Natsu ends up eating it all."

I laughed. "Yeah, sounds good-" I paused when I caught Macao trying to slip Pip a glass of beer. I could catch the scent of alcohol from across the room, and it was clear he was already intoxicated. How he got drunk so fast, I don't even know... but still...!

I lunged at the man with a violent right hook, shouting at him with snarling fangs. "DON'T GO GIVING HER ALCOHOL, JACKASS!!"

*BLAM!!

"GAHAHHHHH--!"

Erza sweat-dropped and took the glass away from Pip as the Vorpal Bunny watched on in confusion. "Eh?"

"Don't worry. This is... normal."

. . .

"Eh?"

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Uwah~! I'm so full~!"

Pip's back landed on the grass with a soft this, closing her eyes with a content smile on her fuzzy face. I rested beside her, my arms folded behind my head as I watched the setting sun with a smile on my face.

After the party at the guild began to die down, we quickly realized how late it'd gotten. We'd been going at it for hours... so it was about time we finally put a stop to it all and went home for the day. Although most of the members of the guild were far too drunk to even stand up, so they were still at the guild. Erza went off to train, Cana and Mira, and her siblings all went home, and Natsu and Gray went off to spar somewhere.

Before we left the guild, Eliana gave Pip her guild mark since Master Makarov passed out from having too much to drink. She had it stamped on her lower back in pink.

I decided that we should take a detour before heading home... I dunno. I just felt like spending some more time outside. So I took us to the edge of East Forest, which is why we were knowing lying down at the hillside. The falling sun beaming down on my face, accompanied by the chill breeze... it felt nice.

Peaceful.

"...thank you..."

I blinked, turning my head to look at Pip, I flinched to see tears budding in her eyes. I sat up in alarm. "W-Woah, what're you crying for, Pipsqueak!"

"I-I'm just so happy!" Pip sniffled, the tears growing. "Everyone was so nice to me and it was so fun... and the food was really yummy...!"

I sweat-dropped. I'm starting to think she's going on a glutton streak...

"WAAAAAAAAAH~!" Pip bawled, lunging at me and glomping onto my face. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU!"

"AGH! PIP GET OFF MY FACE!"

"I'M JUST SO THANKFUL!"

"I GET IT, I GET IT! NOW GET! OFF!"

I grunted and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck yanking her off my face with a scowl. My face softened as I stared into her watery eyes and a sigh left my lips. "Yeesh, you're just one big baby, huh...?"

"Sorry..."

I placed her on my lap and rubbed her head gently. "It's alright, I get it... it sucks being alone, don't it?" I paused, staring at the clouds with a huff. "I get the feeling."

There was no doubt in my mind she'd be accepted there... if Happy eventually could, why couldn't she? That, and...

We're all a group of misfits. Irregulars in society. We aren't normal by any means. We've all come from different walks of life. We've all got our own type of pain that we have to deal with and overcome. At Fairy Tail we can confide in each other, grow stronger together. At Fairy Tail, all our fears and pain can be washed away... even for a moment, because none of it matters.

A life of adventure, surrounded by people that love and care about you. That's what matters.

"You'll never have to be alone again, Pip." I said softly. "I promise."

"Fhu..."

Eh?

I blinked, looking down to see that the bunny had fallen asleep in my lap. I snorted softly and pat her head gently.

"Rest up, Pip... you deserve it."

A/N.

Shorter chapter today, mostly fluff n' slice of life.

Peace~!