Tower of Lies

Chapter One: Emily

Honestly, I didn't know what to think of the place. There was a massive archway above the bright orange double doors. And above the doors lay a metallic, golden sign. On it were two words, inscribed in purple:

Fairy Tail

The whole building had this shiny, polished feeling about it, like an owner that kept their pet constantly well-groomed. Although it looked nice, I couldn't help but wonder what was waiting for us on the inside. Angelina and I had arrived in Magnolia just this morning. It has always been a dream of Angelina's to see Fairy Tail, but she had never gotten around to visiting, until now. I had always been happy with my own guild, Sabertooth.

And then it was blown up by some psychopath with a cannon.

My original plan was to move back in with my parents. However, they live all the way in Oshibana. So, instead, Angelina suggested that we stay with her friend Lucy in Magnolia for a little while, until we figured out where to stay long-term. Magnolia is closer and therefore more convenient, so I agreed to her plan. I had no idea what I was getting into.

As we stepped up to the humongous entryway, I was beginning to have second thoughts. Can Fairy Tail members such as Lucy be trusted? Will she let us stay with her? Angelina must have noticed my distress, because suddenly she leaned over and squeezed my shoulder.

"We'll be fine, Em." She insisted. I wasn't convinced, but I didn't want her to worry, so I gave a feeble nod and reached for the door handle. Before I could reach the door, however, it swung open and I was smacked to the ground. From my cozy viewpoint on the floor, I could see a pair of big, worn, black boots, and a room full of Fairy Tail members staring at me. They ranged from young to old, from girl to boy, from short to tall, and in between. A couple of girls in the back were in the middle of a fist fight. One boy with messy, pink hair seemed to have set fire to his table amidst all this excitement.

I slowly pushed my blue locks out of my face, and gathered the courage to look up. The view did not disappoint. He was tall and slightly pale, and had black, spiky hair. He also had no shirt on.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, as if to not draw the guild's attention. He raised an eyebrow at me. I cleared my throat, trying to stop myself from staring at the strange emblem on his chest.

"Y-yes. Just... give me a second." I stammered and stumbled over this short phrase. It didn't seem to affect him in the least. He reached one big, rough hand out. It was unnaturally cold and it kind of swallowed my hand, but I didn't mind the help. I brushed my jacket off, grabbed my bag, and smiled at the boy. Now that I could get a better view, I realized the mark on his chest was the Fairy Tail guild symbol.

"Ahem." Angelina pointedly cleared her throat. The boy seemed to notice her for the first time, and his smile suddenly increased in size.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail. I'm Gray Fullbuster." He exclaimed. The name sounded kind of familiar, now that I thought about it. Angelina smiled back half-heartedly as she attempted to drag her million-pound suitcase inside.

"Angelina. Now be a gentleman and help me with these bags, please." She commanded. His smile wilted slightly as he tried to yank the heavy luggage through the doors.

"What is in here?" He asked, unbelievingly, and frowned. He looked a bit less threatening carrying a pink polka-dotted bag. I heard the dramatic scraping of a chair behind me. I turned to see the guy with the pink hair stand up. He was the one that had set the table on fire.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? You can't just barge into the guild like that, when you're not a member yourself!" He hollered. Obviously he had seen the Sabertooth mark on my neck. The rule was that guilds were not allowed direct contact with each other, unless approved by the Magic Council. As for the mark, it would only disappear when the Guild Master officially disbanded the guild. And at the moment, the Guild Master was a bit too dead to issue an order like that.