I left the Fairy Tail guild hall with Lucy and walked with her down the street to her flat.
"So, how are you liking Fairy Tail Akari?" Lucy asked.
"It's brilliant, everyone is so kind and they are really funny. Is the guild normally like that?" I wondered.
"Pretty much, they're all a bunch of goofballs but, they're all lovely. When I first joined the guild I was concerned about the amount of destruction they cause, especially Natsu, but I'm used to it now… unfortunately." Lucy giggled.
"Yeah I noticed that." I said awkwardly.
"Anyway, what were you and Laxus talking about earlier?" Lucy asked curiously.
"Pardon?" I asked nervously.
"Well you were outside with Laxus for a little while weren't you?" Lucy inquired.
"Oh yeah. Um, he was talking about the fight and insulted my guild a little bit but, I put him in his place. He was just interested because I use lightning magic like him." I explained.
"Oh right. Yeah sometimes he can be a bit awkward to talk to but, he's nice really." Lucy said positively.
"That's good." I said quietly.
Maybe Laxus just isn't great with words, understandable. I think he's a good person definitely.
We arrived at the building where Lucy's flat is and entered inside. Stood in front of us was a short and stout old lady with purple hair and glasses.
"Lucy your rent is due now." The Landlady said, annoyed.
"No it's not, it's due in a couple of days." Lucy replied.
"I said now!" The Landlady demanded.
"I'm not the one going senile, it is marked on my calender for Friday, that's still a couple of days away!" Lucy retaliated.
"I'll let you off this time but, it's not happening again you hear?" The Landlady crossed her arms.
"Whatever you say." Lucy sighed. "Anyway I have something else to ask." Lucy mentioned.
"Yeah what is it?" The Landlady asked grumpily.
"My friend Akari here has just moved to Magnolia and is looking for a flat, she'll be staying with me for a couple of days until she earns some money but, I was wondering if the flat next to mine is still available for hire." Lucy inquired.
The Landlady stared at me intensely for a few seconds, until a bright smile appeared on her face.
"Isn't your friend lovely, she's so beautiful. Why can't you be more like her Lucy?" The Landlady stated.
"Uh thanks." I smiled awkwardly.
"Jeez. Will you just answer my question?" Lucy asked.
"Alright! Yes the flat is still available. Because I like you Akari I will cut the rent from 70,000 down to 60,000 Jewel. How's that?" The Landlady said with a smile on her face.
"Oh, that's ever so lovely, but I don't want to put you out." I replied.
"Oh it's not a problem dear, I'll reserve the room for you until you get the money, I'll make sure it's ready as well." The Landlady beamed.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it." I smiled.
The old lady let us pass through and we walked up the stairs to where Lucy's flat is. Lucy got her key out of her pocket.
"I can't believe her. I've never done anything to upset her." Lucy said, exasperated.
"I'm sorry, I don't know why she favoured me." I said, feeling bad for Lucy's misfortune.
"Don't apologise it's not your fault, it's that old hag's fault." Lucy replied.
Lucy unlocked the door and opened it. To my surprise, but, not to Lucy's, we were greeted by Natsu and Happy working out in the main room.
"Hey Lucy." Natsu put his hand up.
"What are you guys doing here?! I told you to stay out of my flat, how many times do I have to tell you?!" Lucy freaked out.
"Chill out Lucy. We haven't wrecked the place. Hi Akari." Natsu said happily.
"Hey Na-" I said before being interrupted by Lucy.
"Don't switch conversations! Look you can't stay here tonight, because Akari will be here for a day or two until she gets some money for rent." Lucy explained.
"Okay okay, we're leaving. Thanks for the awesome fight earlier Akari, I haven't felt pain like that since Laxus knocked me out with one punch." Natsu grinned.
"Thanks… I'm sorry for roughing you up that bad." I apologised.
"Don't be, we said we weren't holding back and we kept to our word, that's good enough for me." Natsu said before sticking his leg out the window.
"You're not seriously jumping out the window are you?! Have you seen how high up we are?!" I said with concern.
"It's not the first time I've left through the window, besides Happy always flies me to the ground so I don't hurt myself." Natsu reassured.
"I wouldn't even take the risk." I replied.
"Oh well. See you tomorrow guys." Natsu said before climbing out of the window.
Lucy went over to the window and shut it.
"Those two can really be a pain sometimes." Lucy said, annoyed.
"So, this isn't like a one off thing they do then?" I asked.
"Definitely not. I usually catch them waiting in my apartment every day of the week. I don't know why they still bother. Anyway let's get you unpacked and settled down." Lucy smiled.
"Thanks. Um do you happen to have a communication lacrima?" I asked.
"I do actually. Do you not have one?" Lucy asked.
"I did but, I broke it on my last job, I'm going to need a new one." I replied.
"You can see the master about that, he likes to make sure that everyone has one. I can get mine out for you if you want to borrow it. What did you need it for if you don't mind me asking?" Lucy wondered.
"Thanks I appreciate it, I'll see the master about that. Anyway, I promised Master Chikao of Howling Dragons that I would contact him when I found a new guild." I answered.
"Aw, that's sweet. I'll get the lacrima for you." Lucy said kindly.
I sat down at the chabudai (A/N: A chabudai is a short-legged table used in Japanese homes.) with Pika sitting on my lap.
"I really love it here Akari." Pika said.
"Same here. I do miss Kasumi and Swift though." I sighed.
"Same, but they didn't mind, we can always visit them in a couple of months if we save up." Pika said.
"That's a good idea." I smiled.
Lucy brought the lacrima over and placed it on the table.
"Here you go, all yours. If you don't mind I'm going to have a bath, that way you have some privacy." Lucy said.
"I don't mind at all, thank you." I said gratefully.
Out of the corner of my eye, I looked at Lucy's feet and saw a small, shivering creature holding on to her leg; only it looked like an animal crossed with a snowman.
"What's that thing by your leg?" I asked.
"Oh, don't worry it's only Plue. Plue is a Nikora, a celestial spirit." Lucy explained.
"You're a celestial wizard?! That is so cool, I've never met one before, they seem to be so rare these days." I said, astounded.
"Yeah, there's not many around partially because, there isn't a lot of keys around, a celestial wizard needs several keys in order to do most jobs, it all depends on which spirit keys they collect, some aren't really good for combat, like Plue for example." Lucy elucidated.
"Makes sense. I know that celestial wizards all want to get their hands on the rare gold keys, the zodiac keys. They're the most powerful ones right?" I asked.
"Yeah, I have ten of those keys but, I'm good friends with the person who has the other three." Lucy replied.
"You have ten? That's so awesome! You'll have to show me what they look like." I smiled.
"…yeah I don't think that would be wise." Lucy said awkwardly.
"How come?" I asked.
"Well… I love all of them but, sometimes they are a bit on the crazy side." Lucy giggled awkwardly.
"It doesn't matter to me." I giggled.
"Okay, when I have some spare time I'll show you." Lucy smiled before walking into the bathroom.
"Hang on. Didn't you say that you had ten and your friend had three?" I called out.
Lucy stood in the bathroom doorway.
"Yeah. There's thirteen zodiac keys, it shocked me when I found out because I didn't know it existed, but apparently it does." Lucy smiled.
"Unbelievable. That's so cool!" I said, thrilled.
"Wow, you're certainly really excited, you'll fit right in at Fairy Tail." Lucy said elatedly.
"Yeah. It's just that I've learnt and discovered so much today already just by moving to another guild, this is the stuff I live for. I can't believe how much there is that I never really knew about." I said enthusiastically.
"That's good to hear, you remind me of me when I first joined the guild, everything was new and exciting, and I found a place to call home. We're lucky to have someone like you on the team." Lucy smiled.
Lucy went into the bathroom and I activated the lacrima so I could talk to my old Master.
"Is that Akari?" Master Chikao asked.
"Yes it is sir." I smiled.
"Well you certainly look chipper, I presume you have some good news for me." He smiled back.
"Yes I do. I've joined a new guild, I had an initiation battle beforehand but, apparently that was just so everyone could see what magic I used." I giggled.
"You really have been busy, I'm glad you got a chance to show off your skills, how did they react?" He asked.
"They were shocked at the end of the battle, they didn't think I was really strong because, I came from Howling Dragons, apart from the Master, although I think he had his doubts. I managed to prove them wrong though, they were really impressed with my performance." I explained.
"Well done Akari. So which guild have you joined then?" He asked.
"Fairy Tail in Magnolia." I replied.
"Thank the Gods from up above. That is fantastic Akari! I tell you what you have joined a top guild young one. Fairy Tail are definitely powerful but, also their moral values are superb and they will never leave you behind, Master Makarov treats all his wizards like his children, I'm so glad you have joined his guild." He said with relief.
"I'm so glad you are happy with my choice, I think I'm going to really like it here. I talked with Pika and we were thinking of visiting Howling Dragons in a couple of months to catch up and see how you guys are doing." I suggested.
"Well that'll be something to look forward to. Make sure you are settled down first and then come and visit. Give us some notice in advance and we can prepare for your arrival." He mentioned.
"Will do. Anyway I have to get going, make sure you take care of yourself and send my best wishes to the rest of the guild." I said humbly.
"I will, take care Akari. See you soon." The Master said before turning off his lacrima.
I turned off the lacrima and cuddled Pika in my arms. Lucy came in shortly after and sat down.
"How did your conversation go?" Lucy asked.
"It went very well thank you. I'm going to visit the guild in a couple of months to see how they're doing." I replied.
"That's lovely. So, your very first Fairy Tail job request, who do you think you'll be going with?" Lucy asked whilst cuddling Plue.
"I'm not sure, I guess I was planning on going by myself since I haven't really bonded with anyone yet." I thought.
"No offence, I'm sure you could handle a job by yourself by watching your performance today but, I would advise you to team up with someone just so if something does go wrong you have someone to help out." Lucy advised.
"Good point, I guess I'll have a look around tomorrow and see who'll want to team up with me. I'm sure one of the men in the guild will want to tag along, they didn't seem to leave me alone earlier." I sighed.
"Yeah. I'd watch your back Akari, I'm pretty certain they are looking for more than a job partner if you know what I mean..." Lucy warned.
"Yeah I know, I was highly aware of that fact. I'm not a pushover, I'll have them disciplined in no time." I grinned.
"I can tell we are going to get along great." Lucy giggled.
For the rest of the night me and Lucy talked and talked, gradually getting to know each other better. Lucy told me so many amazing and funny stories about her time at Fairy Tail and it made me even more excited about what I have to look forward to.
By the end of the night Lucy even offered to go on a job with me the next day if I couldn't find anyone else, I was really thrilled about the idea, going on a job with a celestial wizard would certainly be really thrilling. Lucy set up her sofa for me to sleep on and I got changed into my pyjamas and wrapped myself up in my blanket, keeping Pika close to my chest like a teddy bear. I've always slept this way since I found Pika, it's really comforting to me.
"Night Akari." Lucy said as she turned out the light.
"Night Lucy. Night Pika." I said.
"Night." Pika yawned before closing her eyes.
Me and Pika were really tired by the end of the day and slept like logs through the whole night. I had really good dreams that night, dreams of what I could be doing now since joining Fairy Tail, the new adventures I could be going on, and the new friends I could make. I couldn't wait to go on my first job as a Fairy Tail member, it'll be exciting to find out who I might be going with as well.
I woke up the next morning to the chirping of birds outside and the streams of light coming through the gap between the curtains. I opened my eyes and turned on to my back. I sat up, stretched my arms out wide, and yawned. I looked for Pika and saw her still asleep by my feet. I reached my hand out towards her and gently tickled her paws, she started wriggling around and giggling since she's extremely ticklish.
"Okay okay, I'm awake." Pika said, still giggling.
Pika stood up and ran up my legs towards me.
"Did you sleep well?" I asked.
"Yeah, until you pushed me off the sofa." Pika said grumpily.
"I'm sorry." I apologised and hugged Pika.
"It's okay." Pika replied.
I looked around the flat and saw that Lucy wasn't around, however, I heard sizzling and could smell a variety of things; eggs, toast, bacon. I pushed the blanket off of me and carried Pika in my arms, following my nose to the kitchen where Lucy was making breakfast.
"Morning you two. Sleep well?" Lucy asked.
"Yes thank you." I smiled.
"Good. I've made breakfast for us." Lucy said whilst serving breakfast. "I also have some fish for Pika too." Lucy pointed at a plate with two fish laying on it.
"Thank you so much, you didn't need to go through all that trouble though." I said politely.
"It wasn't any trouble, you're my guests it's the least I can do." Lucy insisted.
"At least let me give you something towards the food." I said whilst pulling out my purse.
"No. It's fine really, you need that money for rent and living. At Fairy Tail we're a family and we help each other out." Lucy asserted.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes, thanks for the offer but, all of this is on me." Lucy smiled.
"Okay, but I'll have to buy you a meal out some time." I promised.
"Okay. Anyway, let's eat up before the food gets cold." Lucy said happily.
We sat down at the table and ate the wonderful breakfast that Lucy cooked up for us. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a breakfast like that, it was beautiful. I took my napkin and patted my mouth to remove the tomato sauce on the corners of my mouth.
"You really know how to cook Lucy, that was delicious." I said with delight.
"I'm glad you liked it, I'm okay at cooking but, I'm no where near Mira's level, you have to try one of her stews, they are out of this world." Lucy mentioned.
If Mira's cooking is better than Lucy's then it must be heavenly.
I got up from the table and helped Lucy with the washing up before getting dressed. Me and Lucy were both ready to head to the guild hall and as she was about to open the door, she looked down at the ground and picked up a small package that was laid there.
"What is it Lucy?" I asked.
"Someone's posted a package. I don't remember ordering anything." Lucy said with confusion as she observed the brown package.
"Maybe it's a gift from someone?" I asked.
"Could be, but…" Lucy paused.
"What?" I questioned.
"It's got your name on it." Lucy said.
"Me?" I replied.
Lucy handed the package over to me and I opened it. I couldn't believe what was inside.
"What is it?" Lucy asked curiously.
"This… this is… 30,000 Jewel!" I said in complete shock.
"What?!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Look." I said, still in shock from what was in my hands.
Lucy came closer and picked up the money, she counted it before putting it back in my hands.
"You're kidding, 30,000? I have so many questions right now." Lucy said, stunned.
"Same here. Who did this?" I asked.
"I don't have a clue, they must've posted it during the night when we were asleep so they wouldn't get caught." Lucy thought.
"What confuses me the most is how the person knew where I was." I said, confused.
"Maybe someone in the guild heard about you needing money for rent and found out that you were staying with me so, they dropped this off." Lucy considered.
"That makes a lot more sense but, this is a ridiculous amount of money, how can they afford to just give this up for me?" I wondered.
"I don't know. Maybe you have an admirer." Lucy teased.
My face filled up with red quickly and I tried to fan myself.
"I don't think that's the case I mean I've only been there a day ya' know so…" I giggled nervously.
"I was only joking." Lucy laughed.
The red drained from my face and I deflated with embarrassment for being so silly.
"Of course." I said awkwardly.
"Well what are you going to do with the money?" Lucy asked.
"I'm going to give it back, it's awfully nice of the person to give it to me but, I can't possibly accept it, it doesn't feel right. I'd rather earn the money than have it handed to me." I explained.
"You have a point but, you don't know who gave it." Lucy said.
"I know. I might consolidate Mira about this, she seems to be very wise." I thought.
"Yeah let's do that." Lucy replied.
Me and Lucy left the flat and walked through Magnolia town to the Fairy Tail guild hall. Along the way all I could think about was the mysterious money that was delivered to me. Who gave it? How did they know? There was a lot of pieces to the puzzle and me and Lucy needed to investigate to complete the picture.