X784.
Lucy's heart hammered against her ribs as she stood before the massive wooden doors of Fairy Tail. The guild mark carved into the wood and she could hear the chaos inside—laughter, shouting, what sounded like furniture being thrown around, and some kind of strange noises she couldn't identify.
"So this is really Fairy Tail," Lucy said, her voice soft with wonder as she looked back at the massive doors. "I can't believe I'm actually here."
"You gonna stand there all day, Lucy?"
Lucy jumped, spinning around to find Natsu grinning at her with that wild, crooked smile of his. Charmander was perched on his shoulder, flames dancing around its tail as it studied her with bright, curious eyes, while Happy floated beside them, his little blue wings fluttering as he hovered in the air.
"Aye! She does look pretty nervous," Happy chimed in, his whiskers twitching with amusement. "Maybe she's having second thoughts about joining."
"Scared?" Natsu tilted his head, and for a second his expression softened. "Best guild in all of Fiore! You're gonna love it, Lucy."
"It's not that." Lucy shook her head, blonde hair catching the afternoon light. "It's just... this place is special to me. My mom used to tell me stories about Fairy Tail, about how someone from here saved her life once."
Natsu's grin widened. "See? You're already family then."
Before Lucy could ask what he meant, Natsu kicked the doors open with enough force to make them slam against the walls. The sound echoed through the guild hall like thunder.
"YO! EVERYONE!" Natsu's voice boomed over the noise. "We're home!"
"Aye, sir!" Happy cheered, pumping his tiny paw in the air.
The entire guild fell silent, and Lucy immediately wanted to disappear into the floor. Every eye in the place turned toward her—human and... what are those things? A tiny yellow creature with pointed ears perched on a blonde man's shoulder sparked with electricity. A small white bug-like thing looked up from where it was creating frost patterns on a table.
The guild hall erupted into chaos the moment Natsu's words sank in.
"NATSU!" A voice roared from across the hall. "What did you do to Hargeon Port this time?!"
"I heard the whole dock was on fire!" someone shouted.
"The knights are furious!" another voice added.
"Aye! Natsu really went overboard this time!" Happy said cheerfully, completely unbothered by the growing crowd of angry guild members.
Lucy's eyes went wide as she took in the scene unfolding around her. Tables and chairs were being knocked over as people rushed toward them. A white-haired girl was watching from behind the bar with an amused smile, while a man in nothing but his underwear was standing in the corner.
"Of course the flame-brain caused another mess. How much property damage this time, Natsu?"
"Gray!" Natsu's eyes lit up with excitement. "Wanna fight about it?"
"I'm not the one who burned down half a port, you moron!"
"Wait, wait, WAIT!" Natsu held up his hands, but his grin never faltered. "It wasn't that bad! I barely used any fire magic!"
"BARELY?!" Wakaba looked like he was about to blow a gasket, his pipe nearly falling from his mouth. "The whole port smelled like smoke for three days!"
"And what about that Salamander guy you fought?" A redhead in armor stepped forward, her voice stern but concerned. "The reports said you completely destroyed his ship."
"Oh, that!" Natsu waved his hand dismissively. "That fake was asking for it! He was using charm magic on innocent people!" He turned to Lucy with a proud expression. "That's actually how I met Lucy! She was one of the girls he tricked, but she figured out something was wrong."
"Aye! Lucy's really smart!" Happy added, floating in a circle around her head. "She helped Natsu kick that fake Salamander's butt!"
Lucy felt her cheeks burn red as dozens of curious eyes turned to study her. "I... I didn't really do much," she stammered.
"Don't be modest!" Natsu laughed, slapping her on the back hard enough to make her stumble forward. "You totally saved the day! And then you said you wanted to join Fairy Tail, so here we are!"
The guild hall fell silent for a moment, and Lucy could feel her heart racing again. Then, suddenly, everyone started talking at once.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
"Another blonde! Just like Master!"
"Hope you're ready for the crazy!"
"Did Natsu actually recruit someone normal for once?"
"Aye! She seems way too nice for this place!" Happy called out over the noise, earning a few laughs from the crowd.
Lucy's head spun as she tried to take in everything happening around her. The guild hall was even more chaotic than she'd imagined, and that was saying something.
These people are completely insane, she thought, watching as the man in his underwear—who someone had called "Gray"—started arguing with Natsu about fire versus ice magic.
"Don't mind those two," the white-haired girl called out from behind the bar, her voice warm and friendly. "They fight like this every day. I'm Mirajane, by the way!"
Lucy's jaw dropped. That's Mirajane? She'd seen the girl's face on magazine covers, but seeing her in person was completely different.
"You're really Mirajane?" Lucy blurted out. "The cover girl? I mean, I've seen you in Sorcerer Weekly!"
Mirajane laughed, a sweet sound that made Lucy feel instantly at ease.
A crash echoed through the hall as Natsu and Gray's argument turned physical, with flames and ice flying everywhere. Lucy ducked as a chunk of ice sailed over her head.
Okay, maybe I should have thought this through more, she mused, watching the chaos unfold.
"If Aiden were here, those idiots would actually behave," muttered a dark-haired young woman sitting at a nearby table. "But he's off on some mission, so we get to deal with their nonsense."
"Watch out!" came a gruff voice from nearby. Lucy turned to see a large man with orange hair and a pipe hanging from his mouth. "Those two idiots never know when to quit. I'm Wakaba, by the way."
Another man approached, this one with purple hair and a relaxed smile. "I'm Macao. Welcome to the madhouse!" He gestured around the guild with obvious pride. "Hope you're ready for this kind of excitement every single day."
"Every day?" Lucy's voice came out a little higher than she intended.
"Aye! Sometimes twice a day!" Happy chirped, still floating near her shoulder. "You should see what happens when Gildarts comes back from missions!"
The dark-haired woman from before approached them with an amused expression. "I'm Ultear," she said, extending her hand to Lucy. "And don't worry—it's not always this chaotic. Just... most of the time."
"Ultear's being modest," Mirajane called out with a grin. "She can handle these troublemakers just fine when she wants to."
"Lucy's gonna fit right in!" Happy declared, landing on her shoulder.
The fight between Natsu and Gray was escalating quickly. Ice and fire clashed in the center of the guild hall, and Lucy watched in growing alarm as more people got dragged into the chaos.
"Hey! That ice ball hit my drink!" shouted a young girl with brown hair, who looked barely older than a child. She had a barrel in her hands that she was clearly protective of.
"Sorry, Cana!" Gray called out, not sounding sorry at all as he launched another ice attack at Natsu.
"THAT'S IT!" Cana yelled, hurling her barrel at both of them.
A massive white-haired young man suddenly stood up from a nearby table, his chair clattering backward. "A REAL MAN SETTLES THINGS WITH HIS FISTS!" he bellowed, cracking his knuckles as he prepared to join the fray.
"Elfman, no!" Mirajane called out, but it was too late.
"This is getting out of hand," said a smooth voice nearby. Lucy turned to see an orange-haired young man in a suit adjusting his sunglasses. "Though I suppose a little excitement never hurt anyone."
"Loki, don't you dare—" Ultear started, but the man was already moving toward the fight with a confident grin.
This is insane! Lucy thought, watching as what started as an argument between two people rapidly turned into a full guild brawl. How is this normal?!
Chairs flew through the air. Magic crackled and sparked. Someone was shouting about "manly fights" while another person complained about their drink being spilled again.
"ENOUGH!"
The voice boomed through the guild hall like thunder, and suddenly everyone froze. Lucy looked up in shock to see a massive figure towering above them all.
Master Makarov stood at least thirty feet tall, his giant form casting a shadow over the entire guild. His expression was stern, but Lucy could see a hint of exasperation in his eyes.
"We have a guest," his voice rumbled, each word carrying the weight of absolute authority. "And this is how you choose to welcome her?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Lucy's heart hammered as she realized every single person in the guild was now looking at her.
But then Natsu, being Natsu, apparently didn't get the memo.
"Come on, old man!" he shouted up at the giant Master Makarov, flames still dancing around his fists. "We were just getting started! Lucy wants to see what Fairy Tail's all about!"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
"NATSU!" Master Makarov's voice thundered, and before anyone could blink, his massive fist came down and bonked Natsu on the head so hard that the dragon slayer was driven straight into the floor, leaving a perfect Natsu-shaped crater.
"Aye, sir..." Happy whispered, floating down to poke at his unconscious partner.
Lucy's jaw dropped. He just... flattened him like a pancake.
Master Makarov's form began shrinking back down to his normal size, his expression shifting from stern authority to weary disappointment. When he was back to his tiny self, he hopped down from the platform and walked toward the center of the guild.
"Now then," he said, his voice carrying easily through the silent hall, "while we're all gathered here, I suppose it's time to address the reports I've received from the Magic Council."
A collective groan went up from several guild members.
Lucy noticed how everyone suddenly found their shoes very interesting to look at.
"Gray," Master Makarov's voice cut through the air like a blade. The ice mage straightened up immediately. "Excellent work sweeping out that smuggling organization in Onibus. However..." His tone grew dangerous. "Care to explain why you were seen walking through the town square completely naked afterward? And why there are reports of stolen underwear from several clothing shops?"
Gray's face went bright red.
Master Makarov pinched the bridge of his nose. "Moving on. Elfman."
The white-haired giant looked like he wanted to disappear.
"Your mission was to guard a VIP at a fancy party. A simple bodyguard job." Master Makarov's eye twitched. "So why did you beat up the very person you were hired to protect?"
"He... he said real men don't cry during emotional speeches!" Elfman protested. "It was un-manly!"
"He was giving a eulogy at his father's funeral, Elfman."
"...Oh."
Lucy stared in horrified fascination. These people are disasters.
"Cana," Master Makarov continued, and the young girl tried to hide behind her barrel. "Seventeen barrels of the tavern's finest alcohol. Seventeen. And then you had the audacity to charge it all to the Magic Council's expense account?"
"I was... conducting quality research?" Cana offered weakly.
Finally, Master Makarov's gaze fell on the Natsu-shaped crater in the floor. Natsu had managed to pull himself halfway out, his hair even spikier than usual.
"And Natsu," Master Makarov's voice dropped to a dangerously quiet tone. "Where do I even begin? Burning down half of Hargeon Port. Setting fire to the mayor's mansion in Shirotsume. Somehow managing to accidentally destroy a historical monument that had stood for three hundred years. The reports are piling up faster than I can read them!"
Natsu grinned sheepishly, still stuck in the floor.
Master Makarov's eye twitched as he looked around at his guild members. Then, suddenly, his expression shifted to one of complete exasperation.
"You guys have gone and done it again!" he shouted, waving a massive stack of papers in the air. "Just look at how much paperwork the council sent me this time! And it's all complaints!"
The papers scattered as he gestured wildly, floating down like confetti around the guild hall.
"The council is the organization that holds together all the wizard guilds," he continued, his voice rising with each word. "All you guys ever do is get the council mad at me!"
Master Makarov's expression shifted, and a fierce determination blazed in his eyes.
"However..." he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper that somehow carried to every corner of the guild hall. "To hell with the council!"
"Listen up!" Master Makarov's voice boomed with sudden passion, his tiny fist raised high in the air. "Power that surpasses reason is still born from reason! Magic is not a miraculous power!"
The entire guild was hanging on his every word now, their earlier shame forgotten.
"It is only realized when the flow of energy inside us and the flow of energy in the natural world come into perfect sync!" Master Makarov continued, his voice growing stronger and more inspiring with each sentence. "Magic comes from mental strength and focus—nay, it comes from your entire soul!"
Lucy felt something stirring in her chest—a warmth, a sense of belonging she'd never experienced before.
"Worry about the eyes watching from high above and you will make no progress in the ways of magic!" Master Makarov declared, pointing upward as if directly challenging the council itself. "Don't let the fools on the council scare you! Follow the path you believe in! That's what Fairy Tail wizards do!"
The entire guild erupted in cheers.
"AYE!" they all shouted in unison.
"And then..." Master Makarov's voice softened as he turned to look directly at Lucy, his expression warm and welcoming. "And then..."
He gestured toward Mirajane, who appeared beside Lucy with a gentle smile and what looked like a stamp in her hand.
"There!" Mirajane said cheerfully as she pressed the stamp to Lucy's right hand. "You're now a member of Fairy Tail!"
Lucy stared down at her hand in amazement. The pink Fairy Tail guild mark gleamed on her skin like it had always belonged there.
"Look, Natsu!" she called out excitedly, holding up her hand for him to see. "I got the Fairy Tail mark!"
Natsu, who had finally managed to extract himself from the crater, grinned widely. "Oh, yeah? That's great, Luigi!"
"LUCY!" she shouted, bonking him on the head.
The guild erupted in laughter, and Lucy realized that for the first time in her life, she was truly home.
======
Get early access to 30+ chapters of my fanfics by supporting me on Patreon! [email protected]/ShuuraiFF