The New Girl (Fairy Tail Fanfic)

Chapter 13: Winds of Conflict

The New Girl (Fairy Tail Fanfic):
Chapter 13: Winds of Conflict

Third Person POV-

"NEIGH~! NEIIIIIIGHHH!"

Elaine blinked a few times, trying to register the sight of a donkey bolting down the hallway like it had lost its mind.

"A donkey? Seriously?" she muttered in disbelief.

She darted up the stairs of yet another townhouse and flung open the door to a bedroom... only to freeze as a black leopard lifted its head from the windowsill, eyes gleaming dangerously.

"Of course," she grumbled as the leopard bared its teeth at her.

Elaine slammed the door shut and bolted down the stairs, checking house after house. A room full of chittering monkeys, birds squawking in a living room, and an otter casually lounging in a bathtub greeted her at each turn.

It was like she'd stumbled into a cursed zoo.

"Can you stop running around like a maniac?" Gray groaned, slouching on a nearby bench in the town square, trying to adjust to the weight of the enormous wings that had sprouted from his back. He had already ripped through his trench coat, and now the cloak Elaine had lent him barely managed to cover the awkward lumps of muscle.

Elaine shot him an irritated glance as her new black tail flicked stiffly behind her. It wagged in a way she couldn't control, betraying just how on edge she was. Her newly acquired furry ears twitched atop her head, reacting to every little noise. She felt ridiculous.

"How is this my life right now?"

"Well, I'm not going to sit around and wait until I'm trotting around on all fours," Elaine huffed, her voice sharp. "What do you suggest we do, oh prepared one?"

Gray's jaw tightened. That nickname grated on his nerves, especially since it was similar to the other one she jabbed at him before.

"How about instead of pacing like a stressed-out cat, we stick together and actually try to figure this out?" Gray shot back, rubbing his temples as the irritation pulsed behind his eyes. His wings twitched in agitation. "Other Mages came here and didn't return. They probably turned into animals before they could break the curse."

Elaine crossed her arms, the cold biting into her skin as the temperature steadily dropped. Her tail swished in frustration. "I wasn't just running around like an idiot. I was trying to find something—anything—that could break the curse."

Gray leveled a glare at her. "And did you find anything, princess?" he snapped, the nickname rolling off his tongue with more venom than usual.

Elaine exhaled sharply, a low growl bubbling in her throat. "Why don't you get off your ass and help, bat boy?"

Gray immediately shot up from the bench, biting back a grimace as the movement sent a shock of pain from his wings down his spine. His muscles throbbed, the weight of the wings throwing off his balance as he rolled his shoulders to ease the discomfort.

"I wasn't just sitting around. I was thinking." he retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Elaine's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms tighter. "Oh please share these brilliant thoughts," she shot back, her voice mocking.

Gray scowled, wondering why the hell she was more standoffish than usual. It was like every second that passed, her frustration with him grew more unbearable. "Is she hangry or something?" he thought bitterly.

The animal ears were oddly fitting, though. Not cute—he corrected himself from that thought—just annoying. She looked like an angry dog with that stiff tail, and the thought only irritated him more.