Come be my partner?

The guild was in complete chaos. On the first floor, tables and chairs were overturned everywhere. People were sprawled across the room in tangled heaps, most of them lying down, only a few still on their feet.

The second floor fared slightly better. Several members leaned lazily against the railing, watching the scene unfold with bored expressions. When they saw Master Makarov return, they quietly sat back down and resumed sipping their drinks, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Wendy had been trying to imagine how beautiful and magical Fairy Tail's guildhall must be on the inside, but now, seeing it with her own eyes, she could only comment awkwardly, "It hasn't changed at all…"

Carla nodded in agreement. "In a way, it's exactly the same."

Lucy gave a helpless sigh. "As much as I'd love to defend the guild's honor… this is just business as usual."

As soon as she stepped inside, Erza slipped into her disciplinarian mode.

"You're all causing trouble for the Master again! Get up and start cleaning! I want this first floor back to normal! Macao, Wakaba, Nab, handle that side! Vijeeter, Max, you take care of this side! Honestly, we're gone for just a few days and look at the mess!"

She barked orders with military precision, scolding and assigning tasks nonstop.

Wendy, a little overwhelmed, whispered, "Miss Erza is really strict…"

Mira gave a warm chuckle. "Don't worry. She loosens up eventually."

Just then, Juvia barreled toward Gray with tears brimming in her eyes.

"Gray-sama! Have you been up to no good while you were away? Did Lucy do anything suspicious to you?!"

"Wha—Don't come at me out of nowhere!" Gray dodged away in frustration.

Lucy blinked, bewildered. "Why am I being dragged into this?!"

Before Lucy could flee from the madness, Juvia's dramatic torrent of tears turned into an actual river, literally flooding everyone nearby and washing Lucy, Gray, Happy, and the recovering Natsu right out the front door.

"Waaaa—!"

Rhodes quickly grabbed Mira, Wendy, and Carla, pulling them safely aside.

"Master, maybe we should focus on the important thing first?"

Makarov blinked. "Huh? How'd you know I was about to write another apology to the Council?"

Carla muttered under her breath, "Normal people in this guild really are a rare breed."

"Carla, don't say things like that," Wendy whispered, flustered. "It's rude…"

Rhodes tilted his head. "Wait, you're writing another one?"

Considering the Magic Council had resumed operations, maybe they were finally addressing the countless complaints Fairy Tail's problem children had racked up in the past few months.

Makarov coughed loudly to change the subject and forced a smile. "Ahem! So, Wendy and Carla, are you two visiting again? Welcome back!"

"No, not visiting," Mira corrected gently. "Wendy and Carla would like to join the guild officially."

"Join?" Makarov raised his eyebrows. "You want to become members of Fairy Tail?"

"Yes!" Wendy nodded eagerly, though she still looked nervous. "Is… is that okay?"

"Of course it is," Makarov smiled warmly. "Come with me."

He pulled the magical guild emblem stamp from behind the counter and handed Rhodes the registry logbook.

"Alright, where would you like your emblems stamped? And what color do you want?" he asked kindly.

Carla blinked. "You're not even going to ask why?"

It was such a familiar question that Mira just looked at Rhodes with a knowing smile.

Rhodes smiled back. "That's how Fairy Tail is. You can explain later if you want to, but you don't have to. Not here."

Wendy chose the same blue emblem as before, stamping it proudly on her right arm. Carla picked the same light pink and stamped it neatly on her back.

Rhodes wrote down their names, Wendy Marvell and Carla, and recorded the date in the guild book.

And just like that, Wendy and Carla officially became members of Fairy Tail.

With everything done, Makarov raised his voice and shouted, "Let's give a big welcome to our new family members, Wendy and Carla!"

The once-rowdy guild fell silent for a brief moment… before erupting into warm, thunderous cheers.

Wendy waved shyly and greeted everyone with sweet politeness. Carla forced a smile, only to quickly mask it with a calm, aloof expression.

Whether it was Wendy's adorable demeanor or Carla's tsundere coolness, both quickly won the hearts of everyone around them.

Many of the guild members already knew about Wendy, and once it was confirmed that she wielded Sky Dragon Slayer Magic, the atmosphere in the guild exploded with excitement.

In Fairy Tail, Dragon Slayer Magic carried weight, after all, Natsu, Gajeel, and even Laxus were renowned for their overwhelming strength. So when they heard that this sweet, petite girl had mastered one of the legendary magics, everyone was thrilled. The guild had gained another powerful comrade.

Seeing how warmly she was welcomed, Wendy finally let go of the unease in her heart. It felt so good to be accepted so quickly. She smiled from the bottom of her heart.

"In that case, we're having a banquet tonight!" Makarov declared, mostly because he really didn't feel like writing another apology letter to the Council.

"Let's celebrate both the victory over the Oración Seis and Wendy and Carla joining our guild!"

"YEEAAAAHHH!!!"

A banquet proposal in Fairy Tail was never refused, especially when there were two reasons to celebrate. The guild, already rowdy, somehow grew even louder.

If there was anyone not in a celebratory mood, it was Gajeel, who stood leaning on the second-floor railing, glaring down at Natsu and Wendy.

Natsu, the Fire Dragon Slayer, had a blue flying cat.

Wendy, the Sky Dragon Slayer, had a white flying cat.

And Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer... had no cat.

This realization struck him like lightning on a clear day.

He glared at the two Dragon Slayers below, completely unable to enjoy the party. He even lost his mood for singing rock.

Of course, there was Laxus, but Gajeel had long learned that Laxus wasn't a true Dragon Slayer. The thunder magic coursing through his body came from a lacrima crystal, not from a dragon's teaching.

Which meant, of the real Dragon Slayers, he was the only one who didn't have a partner cat.

"Did Metalicana hide something from me?" Gajeel muttered under his breath, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

No matter what, he needed to find a flying, talking cat of his own. And fast.

The celebration stretched on well into the night.

Wendy met many guild members. While she couldn't remember all their names just yet, she quickly grew fond of their kindness, warmth, and chaotic energy.

Carla, meanwhile, came to a different conclusion, these people were exactly as strange as she expected.

Rhodes handed each of them a glass of juice and grinned. "A little too noisy?"

Wendy smiled and shook her head. Carla nodded emphatically.

"Carla~" Wendy said with mild reproach, but deep down, she knew Carla didn't truly dislike it here.

"These guys are always like this," Rhodes said with a chuckle. "And it'll only get crazier from here. Be careful of flying chairs, mugs, cards, fish… you get the idea."

Wendy giggled awkwardly. "For some reason, I can imagine that."

She looked around the lively hall, clutching her cup, then hesitated before asking, "Um… Myst… I mean, is Mister Jellal not here?"

Rhodes shook his head. "He rarely comes to the guild. When he does, he usually casts a hypnosis spell on everyone first, hides his face behind a scarf and mask, and plays the mysterious guest role."

He understood it, though. Looking like a wanted criminal and a councilman did present a unique challenge.

"I do hope he can one day open up to the guild," Rhodes added quietly.

"Did you want to see him?" he asked, noticing Wendy's faint look of disappointment. Then he smirked, "Because I've got a plan, you know. We throw a sack over him, give him a little beating. Want in?"

Wendy laughed nervously. "N-no, I don't think we need to go that far…"

"Oh, by the way," Rhodes said, switching topics. "In a little over a month, there'll be a special guild exam. Jellal—I mean, Mystogan should be one of the examiners. So you'll probably see him then."

Wendy perked up. "Really?"

Rhodes gave her a confident smile. "You might not be eligible to take the exam this time, but you can still participate, as a partner to one of the candidates. So…"

"How about being my partner?"

...

Bonus @1200

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