𝙉𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙎𝙃𝙄𝙁𝙏 // 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙭 𝙤𝙘

ＯＮＥ．

Sunlight filtered strongly through the windows on each wall of the somewhat sizeable cottage Fuyumi lived in.

She laid on her back, small frame almost drowning in the little hammock. A small, red Exceed snoozed at her side, giving quiet snores every few moments.

The summer breeze fluttered along her cheeks and they gave a groan, realising what that meant.

She sat up, moving a hand up to ruffle her hair.

"Natsu," she said gently, eyes finding the figure of the Dragon Slayer, who was crouched by the table in the centre of the cottage, eating something out of a pot with a wooden spoon. It appeared to be some kind of noodles.

"Natsu!" she repeated as she sat up, cradling her Exceed in one arm so as to not disturb them.

Natsu looked up, cheeks full of food. Sauce was smeared around his lips.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, "mornin' Fuyumi!"

Happy sat at his side, staring longingly at the noodles he ate.

"You left the door open again," Fuyumi said.
"I did?" Natsu and Happy both turned to look at the wooden door, synchronised, "oh, I did!"

He grinned to himself and then met eyes with Fuyumi and frowned.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry," he said sheepishly, "hungry?"

"Uh... yes," she nodded.
"Well, I just finished this, but I can always take ya out for some grub," Natsu replied.

"Sure. Give me a second to get ready though," Fuyumi nodded. Her bare feet met the floor and the green blanket draped around her shoulders followed shortly, piling onto the wood planks.

She flounced over to the old, red couch in her sleepwear and grabbed her clothes from the previous day, before trotting out of the room to change.

She jogged the red Exceed in her arms, cooing softly.
"Rue?" she spoke, "Rue, it's morning already."

The catlike creature stirred and then opened her eyes.
"Uhh..." she moaned, "what year is it?"

Fuyumi giggled, pulling their top on.
"It's 782," she replied, "has been for a couple months now."
"Oh, yes..." the Exceed, Rue, nodded.

Rue and Fuyumi had been partners for as long as they could remember - when they had been younger, really younger, Fuyumi had come across an abnormally large egg and taken responsibility for it. It had been white with dark red patterns streaked across it, as if someone had gone at it with a paintbrush.

And when it had hatched, Rue had popped out. And since then, the two had looked after each other.

It wasn't long after that Natsu had found them scavenging in the forest for berries. Fuyumi had been all skin and bone, and frightened. Though when Natsu approached her, she had felt a sense of warmth, and even more so when Happy had popped out from behind his shoulder.

Natsu had put Fuyumi on his shoulders and carried them back to the guild, surprising everyone with a brand new member. That was when she met her friends for life - Gray, Erza, Mirajane - and the rest.

Initially, Master Makarov had been against bringing such a young person into the guild, but when Fuyumi had shown that they not only had Magic, but very powerful Magic for her age, she was accepted immediately.

Fuyumi was raised by Isolde. Isolde was a very powerful being -  a Dragon. An Ice Dragon.

When Natsu had heard of this, he had sworn Fuyumi as his younger sibling and that he would protect them with his life.

And that's how she had come to be here, dressing themselves in the cottage that she lived in with Natsu, Happy and Rue.

"You're takin' forever!" Natsu exclaimed.
"Sorry!" Fuyumi sprung up and scampered back out, now dressed. Rue towed behind them.