Chapter Text
Part 1: The Beginning
Chapter 1
Irina blinks, her coffee-brown hues taking in all the sights of the port-side town of Hargeon.
It’s so beautiful, she thought absently to herself, passing by many other residents, travellers, and stall owners as she made her way down the cobblestone path.
A small tug on her hand directed her attention to the tiny figure next to her.
He was rather small and had white shoulder-length hair, two large clumps taking the same shape on either side of his face that curled at the tips and straight bangs that covered just above his large, sparkling, cool grey eyes. The most notable feature was the pair of fluffy, light grey, V-shaped puppy ears.
He was dressed in a large pale blue loose lantern sleeve sweater, a lavender scarf wrapped around his neck snuggly, and black leggings underneath a pair of dark chestnut boots.
"What is it, Yule?"
"Over there," Yule pointed towards a large crowd of women in the distance, "I detect malicious magic being used."
Irina looked in the direction of the crowd. Lips pursued as she contemplated whether or not to investigate. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out, right? With the tiniest quirk of her lips, Irina reached out a hand and gently patted Yule’s head, making sure not to mess up his hair too much. Yule welcomed this by nuzzling closer to her hand. "I guess it wouldn’t hurt to check it out."
Irina could see his tiny tail wagging happily from behind him.
For whatever reason, Yule seemed particularly eager as he dragged Irina towards the large crowd of women. As they got closer, Irina could make out the variant squeals of:
"Mr. Salamander!"
"He’s so charming!"
"Handsome, you mean!"
There stood a tall and slim man, surrounded by many young women. He had short, dark, spiky hair jutting outward, with a long fringe hanging over the left part of his forehead. Another tug at her hand made Irina look down at Yule. Yule was staring straight at this salamander, and Irina immediately caught on.
So this was the malicious magic user?
Sensing a hard stare directed at him, Bora turned around to lay his gaze on a beautiful young woman with neck-length pale blonde hair that hung on the right side of her face. Bora shook off the foreboding feeling before turning on the charm and sending a wink her way.
Nothing happened.
Bora raised a brow before flinching at the accusatory stare she was sending him. Why did he feel like he had done something wrong, like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar?
He continued to stare as the beauty turned her attention back to the child next to her. They seemed to be conversing, but before he could approach the young woman, there was a sudden commotion in the crowd.
"Igneel!" A slender, muscular young man of average height with lightly tanned skin and spiky salmon-pink hair stumbled out, pushing the women swarming about Bora to the side. "Igneel! It's me!"
There was a tense air as the two males stared at each other, everyone in the vicinity holding their breath as they watched to see what would happen next. "Who the heck are you?" He asked, stupefied.
Bora reeled back in shock as his complexion turned pale. Irina and Yule quietly snickered at each other.
"Who am I?" He inquired angrily. "I am Salamander, of course! Surely you've heard of me before?" smirking as he raised his hand, showing off his rings.
The boy simply turned around and began walking away; prompting Bora to yell at him to come back, but the pink haired man ignored him and kept on his way. Apparently, the surrounding women took great offense to this as they tackled the boy to the ground, all of them shouting abuse at him. "At ease, my lovelies, let the poor boy go! I'm sure he didn't mean anything malicious!"
This piqued their interest, and they all turned to Bora with hearty eyes, still on top of the boy. "Now," He began writing something on the placard before shoving it into the boy’s face. "Here's my autograph, kid; now you can brag to all your friends!"
"No thanks-" The salmon-haired male muttered, only to be beaten up again by the females, while a blue cat stood and smiled to the side.
Wait… Blue cat?
Irina did a double take as she examined the blue cat, which was wearing a light green bandana around its neck. Adorable!
Completely ignoring the ruckus going on behind her, Irina made her way towards the cat, with Yule hot on her heels. Once she was close enough, Irina crouched down next to the cat, with Yule mimicking her actions.
Her voice was soft as she spoke up, "Hello there."
This seemed to have startled the cat, as he shot his head in her direction. The cat looks at the young woman with his big black eyes widening in surprise, clearly surprised by the look in her eyes. During the five seconds that their eyes were connected, the creep took the opportunity to leave. What broke the connection was the unanimous sound of a pair of stomachs growling. The young blonde couldn't help the amused huff that escaped her, asking in a soft and enchanting voice. "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, but we're out of money."
"Aye…" Irina paused for a moment, glancing down at their both downcast expressions, before making up her mind.
Two sheets of pale beige paper were extracted from Irina's bag after she dragged it in front of her and dug around in it. With a little smile on her face, she held out two pieces of paper in front of them. "I only have 2000 Jewels on me right now. It might not be much, but it should help for a meal."
Natsu and Happy handled the two pieces of paper with care and then looked up at the blonde in astonishment, their eyes sparkling.
As she got to her feet and dusted her skirt, Irina smiled down at the two. The two males immediately got on their knees and started bowing and loudly thanking her for the money, startling both Irina and Yule.
Taking hold of Yule's hand, Irina waved at them as she began walking away. "It was lovely meeting the two of you. Enjoy our meal."
"Aye! We will!" Natsu watched as the two disappeared down the cobblestone path, a curious expression on his face, while Happy waved his tiny paw in the air.
Irina was having a problem. No, make that a very large and inconvenient problem. She should have been at the inn by now, getting ready for tomorrow. Instead, here she was, sitting on a very expensive-looking couch in a glittery black cami, draped Criss-Cross dress on some guy’s yacht—who just so happened to be the one and only Bora. The two of them were currently going back and forth between flirting and flattery. Okay, let's rewind back a bit and see how Irina found herself in this situation.
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Irina was simply trying to relax on a bench in front of a fountain, Yule to her left licking an ice cream. Irina relished the warm rays thrown their way by the midday sun.
Irina's head jerked to the right as a movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. The man himself, ‘Salamander’, was seated next to her without a care in the world. Yule appeared to be bothered by his presence and indicated as much by the scowl he was sending the pretender. When he sat so close to her and grinned seductively at her, Irina couldn't avoid feeling uncomfortable. She never really has the aptitude to interact with men like him.
Irina could also now see his more subtle traits, such as his acute rectangular facial structure, dark eyes, and thin dark brows, because he was closer. Just over his right eyebrow, she could make out a black tattoo that was stylised as a narrow pair of tongs set horizontally with the handles pointing in the direction of his right.
Although Irina might acknowledge that he was attractive, the arrogant atmosphere around him overshadowed it.
"Mr. Salamander, is there something you need assistance with?" She was concise and to the point.
"My gorgeous maiden, I've been hunting all over for them; I wanted to specifically invite you to attend my soiree this evening!" Bora posed, as though the response was already obvious.
"Honestly, I'm not much of a party person, so I'll have to decline. Sorry." She politely declined, but as the man settled himself next to her, she became uncomfortable and her stomach began to turn. When she refused, he initially appeared surprised but quickly recovered his composure.
"The opportunity to spend the night with yours truly would be eagerly accepted by a large number of ladies, who would be overjoyed to have the opportunity."
"How lovely to know you group every woman into the same box," She huffed. "Now, would you mind leaving? I want some privacy."
Bora gaped, unable to bear such rough treatment from a woman.
"Okay, OK. I must say, however," He leaned in very close, placing his arm behind her on the bench as a last-ditch effort. "The amount of magic power emanating from you is truly astonishing, if I may say so myself." The two stared at each other for a silent second-
"You're being quite strange, particularly when you approach me out of the blue and speak to me as if we are old friends. Are you a stalker?"
"Of course not!" His ego was greatly hurt by it for some reason. Being referred to as a ‘stalker’ felt like a stab to the heart. "J- Just think about it! I guarantee it will be a night you won't forget."
Irina paused for a second to mull it over. Why was he trying so hard to persuade her to go? What's his objective?
She glanced down at Yule; their eyes met, and a silent message passed through them. Irina hesitantly glanced back at the eager looking man beside her, avoiding direct eye contact.
"...I'll think about it."
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It wasn't long after that Irina and Yule arrive back at the inn to discuss whether or not she should go.
Irina rummaged through her handbag once more before drawing out a silver key the size of a teaspoon and holding it out in front of her.
"Open Gate of the Southern Cross. I invite you to my side: Crux."
A doorbell rang first, followed by a big blast of smoke that momentarily obscured the person before it was softly revealed by the clearing of the smoke.
An elderly man with a grey-haired moustache protruding from his nose could be seen hovering in front of Irina. He had closed eyelids, and his head was fashioned like a great metal cross with golden floral patterns all over it. He has thin, orange-looking tanned arms and legs with blue-coloured knobs on his wrists and elbows. His attire was otherwise medieval-inspired, complete with green leggings and pointed wooden shoes.
Irina addressed the old spirit as "Grandpa Crux," but received nothing but stillness in return. She persisted, undeterred. "Please try looking up any information on an individual who is identifying himself as ‘Salamander’."
The silence rang in the room for a moment before being broken by snoring, originating from Crux, with a silly look on his face as he ‘slept’. Irina and Yule patiently observed the levitating man, unperturbed by his actions.
After a little while of more snoring and waiting, his eyes shot open wide and he let out a loud "Yahoo!"
The other two flinched at the volume but didn’t say anything about it. Irina stepped a little closer as she addressed Crux again. "Did you find anything?"
"Hmmm…" Crux rubbed his chin between his thumb and index-finger, humming. "I couldn’t find much, but…"
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Irina ultimately made the decision to attend the party after consulting with Yule.
She arrived and boarded, and as soon as she did, Bora placed his arm around her waist and guided her to a 'private room' while he left the other girls to mingle.
"I must confess," Bora began, swirling his wine glass as he gazed at the blonde next to him. "I’m surprised you decided to come. What changed your mind?"
"There’s no harm in partaking in a party once in a while, right?" She inquired with a flirtatious smile on her lips. "It’s been a while since the last time I’ve been to one."
"Is that so?" Salamander purred, placing his palms on her thighs and leaning against them. "That’s all the more reason to make this night special. Wouldn't you agree?" Irina felt sick to her stomach as the man next to her spoke and touched her. "Before that," Bora grinned, holding his glass to her lips. "Irina, let me raise a glass to your beauty."
Having finally had enough, Irina abruptly stood up, catching Bora off guard and causing him to collapse onto the couch.
Bora raised an eyebrow at her, staring down the barrel of the tiny white calibre pistol.
"Bora of Prominence. Former Titan Nose Guild member," Irina spoke as panic shot across the man's face. "He now works as a female slave dealer and illicit magic user."
He scrambled to his feet, gritting his teeth while glaring at the blonde, who was still aiming the pistol at him. That instantly gave way to annoyance.
With a quick flick of his finger, the curtains behind him parted, exposing a group of burly men holding passed out women over their shoulders. "Before we reach the port of Bosco, sweetheart, you'd be wise to behave yourself." Bora remarked with a cruel grin. "If not, I'll have to punish you."
Bora raised his right palm to cast magic, but he was confusedly forced to turn around by the loud thuds and groans that he heard coming from behind. Bora stiffened when he fully turned, and in place of his bulky troops stood a lean young man with short, messy black hair, silver eyes, and a pair of feather-wings around his ears. He was dressed in a dark grey yukata, worn so that his arm only goes through the left sleeve and the right half droops down over his black obi. Underneath, he wears a black, skin tight jumpsuit and black pants. He also wears knee-high black heeled boots, which appear to make him a little taller than he actually is.
"Miss Irina, I took care of these dubious men." He spoke to Irina in a blunt, quiet tone.
"Corvus, will you kindly detain Mr. Salamander?" With a honeyed voice that gave the impression that her request was completely natural.
"As you wish, ma’am." Bora sensed himself descending before he could respond, the ground becoming increasingly closer. Before anything else, he got a short peek at the blonde before the light in his world entirely went dark.
"Well done, Corvus!" Irina grinned smugly at Bora as she praised the dark haired male. She returned the pistol to her night bag before clipping it shut. "As for now, we should find a way to get back to the dock-"
She was cut off by the sound of the ceiling collapsing; dust was flying everywhere and making her cough. Corvus had taken a station in front of her to shield Irina from any stray debris. When the smoke cleared, it revealed a familiar salmon-haired boy. He jumped to his feet quickly, not bothering to dust himself off.
Surprise took over her expression as she looked on when Natsu suddenly turned green in the face once he stood to his feet.
"Sea sickness?"
"Actually," A familiar voice sounded from above her, making Irina glance up curiously, and she was greeted by the sight of Happy floating above her with a pair of white wings on his back. "Natsu gets motion sickness from all types of vehicles."
"Is that so?" Irina muttered as she looked down at the groaning man.
Happy glanced around the room and took notice of the knocked out men. "Wow! Did you take down these big guys on your own?"
"Well, Corvus did most of the brunt work, so it’s mostly thanks to him." Irina gestured to the man next to her.
"You flatter me, ma’am." He bowed slightly in her direction before raising his head to look up at her; despite his blank expression, his tone was very eager. "If that’s all, may I take my leave now?"
"Of course," Irina said, lightly waving her hand at him. "Thank you again, Corvus." With a nod, a wave of ebony feathers surrounded him before erupting outwards, revealing he had vanished.
The young woman turned to Happy."I take it you don't know how to pilot a boat?"
"I am a cat," the small child replied, his tone bordering on condescending. "Do you really believe that I am capable of piloting a boat?"
Irina looked at the cat with exasperation. "That was a rhetorical question. Now if you don't mind, I'm bringing this boat back to port. I just hope I'm not interfering with his date."
"Who's date?" The young woman didn't bother answering and left the cabin where they were to go to the swimming pool of the yacht. Along the way, she had to step over several other passed out women and henchmen. When Irina arrived at the back of the Yacht where the swimming pool was, she took out a golden key from her pocket. Without wasting a moment, Irina plunged the key into the water.
"Open Gate of the Water Bearer Palace. I invite you to my side: Aquarius."
Once the incantation was said, a bright blue magic circle with gold flecks appeared on the waters' surface. The water in the pool sparkled with a thousand fires and rose into the air. The liquid coalesced to form a sphere that gave way to a magnificent silver urn. From the urn poured out a great quantity of water, which then took the form of a fish-tailed figure.
A bell rang in the air signalling the arrival of a Celestial Spirit. Irina looked up at the spirit she had summoned.
He was overall muscular, with his lower half being that of a cobalt fishtail and long watery hair that reached down to his waist, gently moving up and down like the waves of the ocean. A pair of dark blue eyes, like a raging ocean, accompanied with white pupils. On each arm, he wears golden armlets and bracelets, a golden belt around his waist, and light blue crystal earrings. His broad chest bare, with only a dark blue tattoo resembling the corresponding zodiac symbol resting under his collarbone. A silver-patterned urn rests between his hip and left arm, while his right is sternly situated on his other hip.
The spirit's voice had a sharp edge to it when he addressed his key-holder. The same tone used on children when being scolded by an adult."What on earth is that ridiculous outfit you're wearing?" A glare accompanied his stern lecturing.
"My wardrobe choice isn’t the pressing issue here. I really need your help getting this boat back to port. Long story short: this boat was being used for human smuggling; Corvus already took care of the crew."
"Of course it had to fall on me,” Aquarius' glare intensified at Irina's words, a vein appearing on his temple. A moment passed of irate mumbling of inaudible curses under his breath. "I'm bringing this stupid boat back to port and then you're going to have a long talk with Galatea about the importance of your personal safety. Are we clear?"
"Yes sir…" Irina slumped down sadly, not at all looking forward to that. “Could you try to not to be too rough, please. There are still people on board.”
"No promises.” Aquarius only looked on smugly as he made his way to the edge of the ship. “I suggest you all hold on to something." The spirit raised his urn which began to absorb a huge amount of water before throwing it violently while shouting.
"Oceanic Break!"
A huge tidal wave roared to life and surfed the yacht towards land at high speed. The wave crashed with a roar on the beach of Hargeon, rough enough to shake the nearby pier and bars.
It wasn’t long after that the Ruin Knights appeared at the scene.
The Rune Knights are the primary military force of the Magic Council, and are labelled as one of, if not the most powerful military organization within the magic world. Their influence spreads across the entirety of the continent, and their authority goes unquestioned among all Legal Guilds.
The Leader of this particular brigade made a bee-line and approached a shaken up Irina and a smirking Aquarius, who disappeared in a shower of golden stardust as soon as the leader made a move towards their direction.
"Are you alright ma’am?"
"I’m fine, Officer..."
"Captain Edwards.” He said curtly. “Chief of the Royal Brigade stationed at Hargeon Port. Who might you be?"
"I am Irina Evans. Independent Celestial Wizard.”
“Could please elaborate on what just transpired with that tidal wave?"
“The tidal wave was caused by one of my Celestial Spirits at my request when I discovered that I was on an illegal vessel. The boat belongs to Bora of Prominence; it not only used forbidden Charm spells and seemed to have also fabricated himself as a member from Fairy Tail."
"I see…” Irina took a moment to catch her breath before looking up at Captain Edwards.
He was reasonably tall and maybe around his late-twenties; it wasn’t hard to tell even with those robes on. He radiated masculinity, the sharp features only added to his allure. The young woman was immediately drawn to his beautiful vivid red eyes.
“Miss Evans,” Irina quickly snapped back to attention at the call for her name. “I'm going to have to ask you to follow me to fill out an incident form, as well as the bounty for stopping and obtaining Bora."
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Happy pick up a stunned Natsu and fly off into the sky away from the guards. The blonde let out a small sigh before giving an affirmative nod, following the captain to the guard station.
Irina carefully observed the man in front of her; he gave off a remarkable aura of charisma, but what was most intriguing was his magical aura. The captain seemed to have noticed her observing him, raising an eyebrow and letting a sly smile appear on his face.
"I see I'm not dealing with an incompetent Wizard. As you may have guessed, Miss Evans, I too am a Wizard. More specifically, a former general of the Runic Knights of the Magic Council. A fine bunch of incompetents that they are, as well as being corrupt. A council young lady never accepts work for the Council."
Irina knew very well what he meant. Her father, like many other nobles, had taken advantage of the ease with which the Council could be corrupted to get away with things. Of the entire population of Fiore only 10% were able to use magic and only 5% of the users work for the Council. At the same time, the horrible hours and lack of respect for labour rights do not help in getting people to agree to work for them.
After a good half hour of filling in the paperwork for Bora's capture, the young woman was able to leave with 100,000 Jewels.
No sooner had Irina left the guardhouse than she saw a tuft of salmon pink hair hidden behind a wall. "You two should learn to hide better. And try to not whisper so loudly."
The pink-haired young man turned to her with a big grin, showing off his sharp canines. Him and Happy came out of their ‘hiding’ space and approached her like they were old friends. "Just wanted to thank you for getting that stupid Salamander poser.”
“Aye!” Happy’s wings sprouted before hovering in front of Irina.
“We also wanted to invite you to join Fairy Tail,” Natsu continued.
Irina could only stare at the grinning male blankly. “I was actually planning on joining Fairy Tail on my own. That’s where I was planning on heading tomorrow."
Happy shook his head at Irina's words. "Unfortunately you won't be able to on your own.”
Irina was genuinely curious at this reveal. “Why would that be?”
“In order to join, you need a recommendation from a current or former guild member. It was put in place to prevent espionage by our current Master."
"That's understandable, but why offer me to join?”
“You stopped that punk from making a fool of us.” Natsu elaborated, hands on his hips. So, how about it?"
The blonde stared at the eager looking males, contemplating their offer. Well, she was planning on joining anyway, why look a gift horse in the mouth?
“I accept your offer,” Irina held out her hand. “I hope to get along with both you and the rest of the guild.”
