The Other Fullbuster

Chapter 1 New Arrival

Amber sighed, walking down the street with the little river on her right as she tried to avoid the many people around her. While she had a bubbly personality and people generally liked her, she didn't generally like people. Or rather, she didn't always appreciate them. They were too noisy. Too loud and annoying, too intrusive, and most of all too stupid. Stupidity was by far her biggest annoyance. Everyone around her seemed so happy. It made her skin crawl just a little. Looking down at her palm she created a little ice flower and her heavy mood lightened slightly before she tossed it into the water. Feeling hungry she started looking for a place to eat and decided on a crepe diner. The food was good - sweet with strawberries bananas and nutella. Looking over the river she sighed again. Dammit I really don't want to do this. It's been too long - is there even any point to it now? She'd been heading here for so long but now that she was here she didn't think she could face him. At least not with the truth. Continuing on her way she finally arrived at the guild hall that she'd heard so much about. Fairy Tail.

About to knock on the door she paused, not sure what to say, so she instead just opened the door and entered. The room was huge, full of tables that looked as if they'd been repaired many times, some with old burn marks still visible. It was more crowded than she'd expected. Some guys congregated in a corner looking sketchy and some people were sitting at the tables deep in conversation. The bar was pretty empty though, the sole person sitting there being and a girl wearing only pants and a bikini top. She had dark brown hair and nearly as dark of brown eyes. She was very pretty but that wasn't why Amber chose to sit near her - it was because she was drinking from an entire barrel of what she assumed was beer, and she found this interesting to say the least. Another pretty girl, this one with white hair, was standing behind the bar.

"Why hello there." She smiled while the brunette ignored her. "Who are you?"

"Hello, my name's Jaden, but you can call me Jade." She gave the fake name that she'd used before at times. It wasn't similar enough to Amber that someone might guess her true identity, but as it was still a color she generally didn't forget to respond to it.

"Welcome Jade, what brings you to Fairy Tail?"

"Well.." Being here finally she realized that she REALLY couldn't tell them why she was here. "I was honestly just curious about this place. I've heard that this is the best guild anywhere."

"Haha, we try! I'm Mira by the way." She giggled. "Are you a wizard then?"

"I am."

"What sort of magic do you do?"

"Umm.."

"If you want to drink here you'll need to do what Mira says and answer her questions." The brunette interjected, having finally put down her drink. There was a warning tone in her voice.

"I use animal magic."

"Animal magic?"

"Like transformations?" Mira asked.

"Sort of..." Amber hedged. "I can transform but I prefer using creatures from the wild."

"Where are you from?" The dark haired girl asked again.

"I'll tell you in exchange for your name."

"I'm Cana."

"Alright, well Cana I'm from the North."

"Where?"

"Cana don't be rude." Mira whispered.

"It's fine. I don't know exactly where I'm from - you see I grew up in forest all alone, so I have no clue." The two of the girls stared at her but she just shrugged. "Any chance I could get a drink?"

"Sure." Mira smiled. "The first one's on the house."

Amber got a jack and coke, then another, and then another after that. With each drink Cana seemed to like her more. By one in the morning the two were laughing and Amber had to remind herself that she was really Jade. At three, Mira apologetically announced that it was closing time. Amber's head was resting on the bar, half awake.

"Jade, come on, you can sleep in my room tonight." Cana offered.

"Mhmm m'kay" Amber mumbled as Cana draped one of her arms over her shoulder and helped her through the guild and to her room.

"Ugh, I'm so sorry." She mumbled, still half asleep but starting to feel more awake.

"Haha, sorry for what? How're you feeling?" Cana asked, more cheery than usual. At this Amber took stock of herself and shrugged.

"I'm actually feeling pretty good." She grinned.

"Want to have a drink?"

"If we can go for a swim at the same time? I saw a pool out back."

"Deal!"

For the next three days the two hung out, Mira joining them frequently. On the fourth day an old man came out around noon while they swam, but the two others acted as though he was a big deal so Amber looked attentively up at him from where she was treading water with only her feet, holding her drink in her hand.

"Well well, who do we have here?"

"Sir, this is Jade. She's an animal mage who wanted to see our guild. Jade, this is our guild master."
"Oh wonderful. Can you show me what you're capable of? Then I will decide if you can join."

"I'm actually not sure if I want to join."

"Ooh, why's that?"

"That's personal, sir, but I suppose I could show you something. Any requests?"

"You should do something dangerous."

"Sure." Focusing, Amber turned herself into a bull shark. Both girls screamed and the master turned wide eyed as she turned back, swimming onto the wall to hold on. Changing from fins to legs always messed with her swimming for a few minutes after.

"That was quite impressive. Are you sure you don't want to become a member?"

"Maybe later."

"Alright then, I'll leave you girls be."

"He's really your guild master? He seemed too nice." She mused once he'd left.

"Oh yes, he's quite powerful. How did your clothes not get shredded just now?" Amber looked down at her black one piece swimsuit.

"When you're the sort of wizard who can transform you make sure to have clothes that won't get shredded."

"That's why you wear a one piece?"

"Yes." She lied. Better to lie than to let them see the tattoo of a dark guild.