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photogirl894 · 5 months

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"IronStar"

Chapter 4

"Symbol of Acceptance"

A "Fairy Tail" fanfic!

Pairing: Gajeel x fem OC

A/N: It's been a bit since I updated this one, but I felt it was time to! Sadly, I finished rewatching Fairy Tail a little bit ago and so my motivation to keep writing this fic went down a little, but I'm not giving up on it! I still love this fic just as much as I do my other ones 😊 Hope y'all enjoy!!

Taglist: @l-lend , @rosechi , @the-bad-batch-baroness , @angrypaperearthquake-tbbb-main

《 Chapter 3

》 Coming soon!

All chapters

Explanation: Genna, Gajeel and Lily return to the guild and it is determined whether or not Genna is worthy to join Fairy Tail.

Very soon after waking up, Genna, Gajeel and Lily bade their farewells to the villagers and departed from the village to make their way back to Fairy Tail. For part of the walk, Genna remained quiet as her mind kept wandering back to her brother and his ultimatum: do the job her father had for her or M would take her back to her family's guild.

The job was to infiltrate Fairy Tail.

She felt so caught between a rock and a hard place. For a long time, she'd wanted to be a part of Fairy Tail and, considering how welcoming a lot of people had been to her already, she didn't want to hurt any of them...but she also never wanted to return to her old guild. That was the last thing she wanted. What was she going to do? Maybe if she told Fairy Tail the situation, they could help protect her from her father...but that would mean having to tell them who he was, which she knew wouldn't go over well.

"What am I gonna do?" she wondered.

Lily's voice beside her broke her from her thoughts as he asked, flying up next to her, "Is everything all right, Genna? You've been strangely quiet."

"Yeah, it's kinda weird," commented Gajeel.

She gave a shake of her head, snapping back to reality. "Sorry. Just was zoning out," she told them.

"Somethin' on your mind?" Gajeel inquired.

Thinking quickly of a cover answer, she just shrugged and answered him, "I'm just...feeling a bit anxious about going back to Fairy Tail. I've dreamt of being in the guild for a long time and...I guess I'm worried that maybe what I've done won't be enough to achieve that or the Master won't think I'm a good fit. I'm just trying to not get my hopes up."

"Trust me, Genny, you've got nothin' to worry about," he said. "The old man hardly turns anyone away. You've got a pretty easy shot at gettin' in."

"I just can't help but worry," she said. "What if I get in and the others don't actually like me?"

Lily chuckled in amusement. "I highly doubt that will happen. Natsu, Lucy and Happy love everyone. You'll have friends for certain. You've got us, too."

That brought a smile to her face. At least, they both seemed to buy her excuse. "Thanks, Lily," she replied.

A few more minutes passed and when they rounded a corner on the road, they saw a downed tree across the middle of the path, blocking their way. Genna wasn't sure how she was going to get over, at first, because of her injured arm, but then she figured Lily could fly her over. However, just as she thought to ask, she was shocked as Gajeel said to her, "Hold on," and suddenly swept her up into his arms. Then he leapt into the air and soared over the tree to the other side, landing with surprising grace. She had not expected that from him and was slightly flustered as he set her back down.

"Th--thank you, Gajeel," she told him, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"No problem. There was no way you were getting over that with that arm," he said back.

Lily came gliding over the tree and pointed out as he came up next to him, "You know I could've just flown her over, right?"

Gajeel gritted his teeth and his cheeks went pink with slight embarrassment. "Yeah, well...you weren’t movin' fast enough," he stated back, quickly walking away.

"Well, that was unexpected," said Genna to Lily.

With a hum of agreement, he replied, "Gajeel may appear rough on the outside, but he does have a softer side that he lets slip through the cracks every once in a while."

"That's good to know. I was afraid he didn't like me," she told him.

"I assure you, that isn't the case," he said.

She hung her head for a moment. Lily seemed to be a wise Exceed. She wondered if she could say something to him about her problem without jeopardizing her chances at getting into Fairy Tail. Perhaps he could think of something she could do.

"Lily, could I ask you something?" she asked.

"By all means," he replied, hovering a little closer to her.

Her hands fidgeted nervously. "I'm...afraid," she admitted. "I'm afraid of my father coming after me and potentially endangering Fairy Tail. I don't want that to happen and I don't know what to do."

"You have no need to fear," he said firmly. "All of our guild protects each other. Should your father come for you, we'll make sure to instill the fear of Fairy Tail in him."

"If only it were that easy...," she lamented in her mind.

The Exceed noticed her hesitancy and gently nudged her shoulder as they went along. "Everything will be okay, Genna. Once you're a part of Fairy Tail, you'll have plenty of people who will look out for you."

"I know, you're right," she responded.

Up ahead, they heard Gajeel call out, "Hey! Keep up, will ya?"

They hadn't realized they'd fallen a few feet behind as they were talking. After Gajeel got after them, Lily and Genna picked up the pace to catch up to him. Despite Lily's reassurances, Genna still couldn't help but still worry. He had no idea of the power her father held and the danger he would pose to Fairy Tail and to her if she didn’t do what he wanted. She didn't want to, but knew it would only bring chaos if she didn't.

"I'll figure this out," she thought to herself. For now, she supposed all she could do was just get back to Fairy Tail and see how things went from there.

"Hey, welcome back, Genna!"

The first person Genna saw upon entering the Fairy Tail guild hall was Lucy, accompanied by Natsu as well as a shorter, blue-haired girl wearing a headband and an orange dress.

"Glad you made it back," said Natsu with a smile.

"Hi Lucy, hi Natsu," Genna said as she walked in.

"Hey Gajeel," said the bluenette.

He smirked. "How's it goin', half-pint?"

She immediately scowled playfully at him. "Why do you always have to make fun of my height, you jerk?" she replied.

Gajeel simply snickered in return.

"This is Levy," Lucy said to Genna, gesturing to Levy.

Levy turned to Genna and said, "It's nice to meet you, Genna. Lucy was telling me you're looking to join the guild. It'll be fun having you here and I look forward to getting to know you."

"Thanks, Levy," said Genna.

It was then Lucy noticed Genna's arm in a sling and she gasped. "Genna, you're hurt! Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Genna said dismissively.

Gajeel looked around the room for a second and then yelled, "Hey Wendy! We could use some healing over here!"

"Oh, I'm coming!" replied a small, feminine voice. Then a small young girl with long, dark blue pigtails come running up, followed by a white Exceed in a tiny dress.

"This little girl is also a Dragonslayer?" Genna thought in surprise, seeing the Exceed.

Wendy immediately saw the problem and ran up to Genna. "Here, let me help you," she said, holding both her hands over Genna's arm.

Her hands began glowing a bright teal color and suddenly, Genna could feel her arm go cool and her bones started shifting inside. The throbbing from her fracture began to subside and fade. A few seconds later, Wendy's light went away and Genna's arm felt like normal. She pulled off the sling and slowly moved her arm around. It was perfectly fine!

"Oh wow! Thanks so much!" she said gratefully.

"Happy to help. I'm Wendy, by the way, and this is Carla," said the young girl, then pointing to the white cat with her.

"A pleasure," said Carla.

Genna then introduced herself by name in return.

"Where's the old man?" Gajeel asked, looking back to Levy, Natsu and Lucy.

Natsu pointed back towards the bar and answered, "Gramps is back there with Mira, Erza and Laxus."

Genna looked and saw Master Makarov sitting on top of the bar with a mug in his hand. Mira was behind the counter talking to him and on the Master's other side was Erza and a very tall, muscular young man with slicked back blonde hair and a lightning-shaped scar over his right eye. He wore a purple dress shirt, black pants and a dark, fur-lined coat draped over his shoulders like a cape. She assumed he must've been the one named Laxus. Gajeel motioned with his head to Genna for her to follow him to the back so they could talk to the Master. She followed Gajeel over to the bar with Lily flying behind them. Natsu, Lucy, Levy, Wendy and Carla all trailed after them.

Makarov saw them coming and declared, "Ah, welcome back, you three. I take it things went well with your job?"

With a nod, Genna replied, "Yes, sir. The Dark Wizard we faced was known as Darius, the Shadow Shepherd, and he's been taken care of. We left him to the villagers to hand him to the authorities."

"That's excellent to hear," said the Master.

"I've heard of the Shadow Shepherd. He is indeed quite a powerful force. Did he prove to be a good enough challenge for you, Genna?" inquired Erza, her tone low and almost authoritative while still friendly and curious.

"I took a few hits," Genna answered and then she looked at Gajeel as she went on, "but with Gajeel and Lily's help, I managed. I owe a lot to them."

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Ugh, cut the sappy crap, will ya?"

Erza smiled warmly. "I'm impressed."

Right then, Natsu came up beside Genna and draped his arm over her shoulders. "I knew you could do it the whole time!" he exclaimed.

Then Makarov turned his attention to Gajeel. "Well, Gajeel, what do you have to say?" he asked him. "What did you observe about Genna in your time with her?"

The Iron Dragon crossed his arms across his chest, a frown on his face. "Oh, I've got some things to say about Genny," he said almost condescendingly.

"Huh?" Genna voiced, confused at the tone he had when he said that.

He went on to say, "At the start, she thought she could take on the Shadow Wizard alone, which was pretty careless. Then she took as much of a beatin' as he did. If I hadn't been there, she would've lost. It was kinda embarrassing to watch."

Genna couldn't believe what she was hearing. After everything he'd said about her having what it takes to be in Fairy Tail, this was his report to the Master? What was his deal? What was he saying?

He kept going, "She's headstrong, reckless and she needs serious training if she's gonna take on other powerful Wizards like him."

Disappointed and hurt, she clenched her teeth together and turned her face away, fighting back tears. Had he been lying to her the whole time? She couldn't understand why he would say such things. She knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up about being enough for Fairy Tail. Guess it seemed her best efforts weren't good enough...and that Gajeel really didn't care about her at all.

Then she heard Gajeel state, "That bein' said...I think Fairy Tail is the best place for that."

Genna gasped softly in astonishment.

She noticed he was now grinning proudly as he told the Master, "No other guild's gonna be able to help her as well as us. She's already got pretty powerful magic that'd be even stronger if she trained some more. And while fightin' the Shadow Wizard by herself was reckless...it reminded me a bit of myself and even Salamander 'cause we also love jumpin' headfirst into fights."

"Ha ha! You got that right!" agreed Natsu with a wink.

Gajeel then looked at her and said to everyone who could hear while maintaining eye contact with her, "She's strong, determined and, like I said yesterday, she's got moxy. She'll fit right in."

Seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes, it was then Genna realized that, once again, he had been pulling her leg, giving his report in a negative way first to mess with her head only to spin it in a more positive way; the way he really meant it. How she wanted to just punch him right in the face at that moment, but she was too elated at his last words to really act on it. Maybe later, she'd hit him, but right now, she was too excited. His words were what could help convince Makarov to let her into the guild.

With a light chuckle, Makarov said in reply, "Very well, then. With that testimony from Gajeel, there is only one thing left to say." He focused intently on Genna with his kind gaze and asked, "Genna Whitesun, is it still your desire to be a Wizard of the Fairy Tail guild?"

At any other time, she would've shouted "yes" immediately, but now with the order from her father, she was hesitant. It was a no-win scenario. She'd either get her father or her brother coming after her if she didn't follow through or she'd end up betraying Fairy Tail if she did. Her eyes wandered and she realized that just about everyone in the guild hall had gathered around and was watching her, waiting for her answer. Something about the light and hope she could see in all their eyes instilled a calmness inside her. There was warmth and camaraderie here. She caught Natsu, Lucy and Levy smiling at her encouragingly. Even Gajeel had a small grin on his face looking at her. She'd felt more accepted at Fairy Tail in the brief moments she'd spent thus far than she ever had with her own family. She still couldn't help but worry about what would happen to them or to her if her father were to ever learn she didn't obey his orders...but now, she didn't care. She wasn't taking orders from him anymore. If somehow Fairy Tail were to learn who she really was and who her family was, it would be devastating, but that was a bridge she'd cross later. She would reveal the truth in time after gaining some trust first.

"This is what I want...Father and M be damned!" she thought.

With deep resolve, she then answered, "Absolutely!"

Natsu cheered and pumped his fist, Lucy and Levy both clapped and giggled excitedly. Lily and Gajeel exchanged pleased looks.

"Excellent. Mirajane, if you will," then said Makarov.

Behind the bar, Mira pulled out a large stamp with the Fairy Tail symbol on it. "What color would you like your emblem to be and where would you like it?" she asked.

Genna thought for a few seconds and then answered, "Purple and then right here." She pointed to her left forearm just below her elbow.

"A great choice," said Mira as she pulled out a pad of purple ink.

While she prepared the stamp tattoo, Makarov spoke up softly to Genna, "Now remember, my child: once this emblem is on your skin, you are a full-fledged member of our guild. Not only that, but you are a representative of Fairy Tail wherever you go, in all you do and say. Your actions are a reflection on our family, so be sure that the things you do are only for the good of the guild and the good of all people."

"Yes, sir," she promised, giving him a nod.

She looked at Mira, who was beaming with delight as she held up the stamp. Genna laid her arm out on the bar and Mira pressed the tattoo stamp firmly onto her forearm. Once the stamp peeled away from her skin, Genna had to keep from bursting into tears at seeing the new purple emblem of Fairy Tail now on her arm. It just seemed too good to be true.

"This is the symbol of Fairy Tail," she then heard Erza say to her. When Genna looked at her, Erza told her, "It is a symbol of truth, hope and second chances, but above all...it's a symbol of acceptance, home and family."

Both Genna and Erza shared happy smiles.

Throwing his arms out the sides, Makarov exclaimed, "On behalf of everyone in the guild...welcome to Fairy Tail!"

Everyone in the guild hall cheered loudly and vigorously, which only made the smile on Genna's face grow wider.

"Thank you...Master," said Genna with overwhelming gladness.

"Welcome to the family!" cried Natsu.

Then Makarov shouted, "Mira, rounds for everyone! It's time to celebrate our newest recruit!

"Coming right up!" Mira replied.

As Mira prepared drinks, Genna was bombarded by a lot of people coming up and welcoming her or congratulating her. It was exciting, but also a bit crazy at the same time. There were definitely a lot of faces and names she'd have to learn, but now that she was officially in the guild, she had all the time in the world to learn them.

In the midst of the crowd, Gray came up to her, having just gotten back from a quick outing himself, and he had a woman with him with long blue hair and wearing blue winter attire. He congratulated her and introduced his friend to her. Her name was Juvia.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Genna," said Juvia, her low pitch resonating with elegance. "Now that you've joined the guild, where will you be staying?"

"Um...I hadn't actually thought that far ahead," Genna shyly admitted, rubbing the back of her head.

"A lot of us girls live in apartments close by. There are a couple extra rooms; I'm sure you'd be welcome to claim one of them," Juvia told her.

"Thanks, I'll look into that," said Genna.

More people soon came up and congratulated her or introduced themselves. Other members named Elfman and Lisanna--who were Mira's siblings, it turned out--Cana, Jett, Droy, Freed, Bixslow and several others. However, Genna's attention was diverted when she spotted Gajeel sitting at a corner table by himself, sipping his drink from his mug. Even though he'd told her that he was a "lone wolf", she still felt bad seeing him alone. There was something about him that made her feel like he wasn’t as much of a loner as he tried to make himself out to be; that he wanted friends, but was too shy or embarrassed to do anything about it. So she decided she would. She ducked out of the crowd, excusing herself, and made her way over to his table. He saw her coming and, to her slight surprise, got a small smirk on his face at her approach.

"Well, Princess, looks like ya got whatcha wanted. Welcome to Fairy Tail," he said before taking another swig of his drink.

"It wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you," she replied. Although, her eyebrows then furrowed and she scolded him, "Though, the way you started your report to the Master was a real jerk move."

He chuckled in amusement. "Yeah, you should've seen the look on your face," he said.

Her teeth clenched and her fists tightened at her sides. "You shouldn't have done that," she said in a lower voice. "After all the things you said about how I had a good shot at joining Fairy Tail and then you started off your report to Makarov in a way that painted me in a negative light...I really thought you had lied to me the whole time and that almost upset me."

A small grunt mixed with a quiet gasp caught in his throat at her admission, noticing the hurt in her face. He'd only meant to tease her; he didn't expect what he'd done to actually hurt her feelings. An unfamiliar feeling of guilt grew within him, but his pride was keeping him from apologizing.

Trying to push aside the guilt, he stated, "Well...no need to make a big deal about it. I told the old man the real truth in the end and you got into the guild. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"I mean...yeah," she said.

Gajeel took one last drink, set down his empty mug, stood up from his seat and told Genna, "Look, Genny, it doesn't matter. I helped you get into Fairy Tail, the job is done and you can move on now."

Her head tilted, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Meaning you're done dealing with me," he clarified.

"What makes you think that's what I want?" she questioned.

He closed his eyes and he sighed loudly. "Trust me...no one wants to deal with the likes of me." After he said that, he moved around her and attempted to walk away.

Genna wasn’t about to let him just leave after saying that. "Gajeel, wait, hold on!" she cried.

Before she could say anything else, he stopped and whirled around to face her, saying, "Listen, kid--"

"Incoming!" they both heard someone shout.

Gajeel and Genna looked up to see Natsu flying through the air, screaming and hurtling in their direction.

"Look out!" exclaimed Gajeel as he grabbed Genna and moved her out of the way of the flying Natsu.

Just as she moved, Natsu crashed into the tables behind them, breaking them practically in half and sending splinters and chunks of wood everywhere. Gajeel shielded Genna from the wooden debris.

Natsu sat up from where he landed and then yelled, "All right, you wanna party, Gray?"

Gray yelled back from the other side of the room, slamming his fist into his other palm, "You bet, Natsu! Bring it on!"

"Then let's dance!" replied Natsu as he got to his feet, turning his fist into a ball of flame before leaping from where he landed towards Gray.

As another fight between Natsu and Gray commenced, Genna turned her head and found herself looking up right into Gajeel's crimson eyes. They both gasped quietly at their close proximity and Genna suddenly realized that she was right up against Gajeel, her hands on his chest, and he still held her in his arms from moving her out of the way. Time seemed to stand still as they found themselves locked in place, staring into each other's eyes for a moment in astonishment. They hadn't anticipated finding themselves in this situation and yet...it felt strangely...nice...and almost familiar somehow. Her hands on his chest sent a warm wave through him he'd never known before and being in his arms seemed like the safest place she could be.

However, the moment ended all too quickly as reality set back in and Gajeel let go of her and Genna took a small step back, the two of them awkwardly averting their gazes.

Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she tried saying, "Gajeel, I--"

"Look, Genna," he interrupted her, slightly stunning her when he used her actual name, "you'll be better off not hangin' around me. Let's just leave it at that."

"But why? I don't understand," she asked in return as he turned away. "I know you didn't want to go on the job with me at first, but I really thought things turned out okay."

He shook his head and just replied, "I gotta go. I'll see ya around." Then he briskly walked away, calling for Lily as he went out the door and his Exceed flew after him.

Dumbfounded, she watched him leave the guild hall, wondering why he was suddenly more closed off from her than before. She wanted to thank him again for helping her on the job and now the chance had come and gone. Then just now, there had been something small between them...or had she just imagined it? No...something within her told her it hadn't been imagined. It didn't seem like just a normal feeling, but somehow, something more magical, like her starlight magic inside her ignited in the moment. She'd never experienced that kind of sensation with her magic; it was very strange and foreign.

Then Genna saw Levy come up to her, looking perplexed. "Wow, what did you do to Gajeel?" she asked, looking to the guild hall entrance and then back to Genna.

Slack-jawed, Genna answered, "I have no idea. He's acting like, now that the job we went on is done, I won't need to be around him anymore and I don't know why he thinks that. I personally liked our time together on the job and I figured maybe he thought the same. Guess I was wrong."

"He might, but he's just too proud to admit it," Levy said. "Gajeel is a good guy, but he's a tough book to read sometimes. He had a bit of a...rough start with the guild when he joined and, even though a lot of us have warmed up to him, he still just keeps a lot to himself. The only one who really keeps him company is Lily."

Then Erza approached them, overhearing their conversation. "Gajeel can be obstinate, but he is good at heart despite his past and what he believes about himself. I had full faith when I sent him on that mission with you."

"I thought we worked well together," Genna told her with a shrug. "Or, at least, we did eventually."

"What do you mean?" asked Levy.

Genna hesitated slightly on telling them what she was about to say, but then she decided to go for it anyway. "At one point on the job, Gajeel and I got into an argument where he made it clear he didn't want to be there, so I told him to leave...and he did."

"He what?" said Erza, her voice raising.

"Yeah, he left at first, but then he came back...and lucky for me, he did, because I'd gone up against the Shadow Shepherd and he had me weakened and pinned down. He was about ready to put an end to me had Gajeel not come back and saved me. In the end, he still did the honorable thing. He acts like he doesn't care, but if he really didn't, he would have left me behind and never looked back."

"Exactly," Erza said.

"I was hoping to thank him again for his help before he left, but I feel like I need to do more to really thank him because he saved my life," Genna told them.

Levy put a finger to her chin in thought for a few seconds, humming contemplatively. "What if you make something for him?" she suggested. "Is there anything you're good at making?"

Genna liked that idea. "I'm not the best at crafts or anything, but I'm decent at baking."

A cry of seemingly euphoric elation suddenly rang out on her other side and Genna jumped, startled, as she turned to see Erza gaping at her with the brightest, most excited look in her eyes and on her face.

"You bake?!" she cried with sheer delight. She placed her hands on Genna's shoulders. "Do you bake cakes?"

"Uh, yeah, I've been known to make cakes every now and then," Genna answered.

Erza shrieked again with joy. "Oh Genna, my dear, you are heaven-sent!" she exclaimed, her normal low tone suddenly jumping up a couple octaves.

Then Genna heard Levy whisper into her ear, "Erza really loves cake. It's practically her weakness."

Erza didn't seem to notice as she then went on a very dramatic rant, "Cake is the most magical thing to exist in this world, even more than the magics we all possess. Taking even a single bite is like tasting happiness itself. Its delectable sweetness is enough to fill my soul with the most overwhelming joy that nearly causes me to burst!"

Through a laugh, Levy said to her, "All right, Erza, I think you've painted a pretty good picture of how you feel about cake."

Erza's cheeks went as red as her hair and she sheepishly replied, her attention mostly on Genna, "My apologies. I tend to get a little carried away when talking about my favorite sweet treat."

"It's okay. Now I know something interesting about you," Genna said back.

"Back to the subject at hand, why don't you make Gajeel a cake to express your thanks?" Erza suggested.

"Maybe, but I also want to thank Lily, as well. Is there anything they both like?" Genna asked the two ladies.

"I'm not sure," answered Levy as she looked down in thought again. A few seconds later, she snapped her fingers as an idea came to her. "I've got it! What if you made them cupcakes? Then you can make individualized ones for both of them that they'll like."

"An excellent idea, Levy," commented Erza.

Genna agreed, "I like that idea. What things does Lily like that I can use?"

She heard her answer come from a smaller voice above her: "Kiwis!"

Then she, Levy and Erza looked up and saw Happy, Natsu's Exceed, hovering above them with his wings, having overheard them below.

"Really?" Genna asked curiously.

Happy nodded. "Oh yeah, he loves kiwis. He drools over them as much as I drool over yummy fishies."

"Noted. Thank you, Happy," Genna said back.

"Aye, sir!" Happy cried before flying off.

"Gajeel eats iron, I know that much," Genna then said aloud.

Then Levy spoke up, "You could find some iron chunks to mix in, kind of like chocolate chips."

"Ooh, I like that!" said Genna excitedly.

Erza chuckled. "It sounds like Gajeel and Lily are in for quite the treat."

"Oh yeah," said Genna. "I can't wait to get started!"

After partying for a few more hours, things started to die down and Genna figured she'd better head back to her hotel. Though, as she was about to head out, Levy suggested that she go with her and Juvia to the girls' apartments to see if they could get a permanent room for her, now that she was an official member of the guild. The three women made their way to the apartments and sure enough, getting a room was easy. She even was able to get the room right next door to Levy. Then both Levy and Juvia helped Genna get all her stuff into her room and then left her alone so she could get settled.

Genna fell back onto her new comfy bed, taking in the new space and the fact that she was now actually in Fairy Tail like she always wanted! It felt so surreal like a dream, but every time she looked down at the emblem on her arm, she knew it was the real deal. She squealed like a little girl into her pillow. This was a dream come true!

Right away, she'd met a bunch of great people that she looked forward to getting to know more over time. They were so welcoming and beyond friendly; it honestly felt like coming home. Now that she was in the girls' apartments, she knew she definitely would be getting to know all the girls pretty quickly. Levy seemed like a sweet person that she thought would be a great neighbor.

As she stared at the ceiling, her mind wandered back to Gajeel and the image of his back to her as he exited the guild hall. What had happened that made him suddenly so dismissive of her? He was a mystery to her...and she had always been drawn to mysterious things. He came across as abrasive and cold and yet, he had saved her life when he very well could've left her alone. Then he'd opened up to her the previous night when neither of them could sleep. It had only been a little, but it was a start, at least. There was something about him that made her want to know more and befriend him. Though, given how the last couple days had gone, she knew it wasn't going to be easy, but she was determined to get to know the elusive Iron Dragon.

The idea then came to her of writing down all the days' events in her journal before she forgot, so she dug her journal and her pen out of her bag. She recorded everything from when they'd gotten back to the guild, being inducted into Fairy Tail and the celebration that followed as well as the myriad of feelings she'd felt in achieving her goal. Though, just as she finished, she set her book down on the bed and absent-mindedly put her hands in the pockets of her skirt where her fingers brushed up against something inside that she'd forgotten about. She gasped lightly, remembering what the object was as she withdrew it.

It was the piece of paper she'd received from her brother that said "Infiltrate Fairy Tail".

Her teeth clenched tightly together and her blood boiled, hating how both her father and her brother put her in such a compromising situation. She'd never dream of turning against anyone in Fairy Tail and yet...

"If you don't do this job...you know the kind of punishment I can inflict...the bargain is simple: do this or I'll take you back to the guild...and to Father."

Her brother's malicious voice rang through her head, recalling once again the ultimatum he'd given her. The frustration growing inside her was so intense, she knew she had to add that in her journal just to help vent and get all the feelings out. She picked up her journal again, holding the small piece of paper between her hand and the book, as she quickly scribbled in:

"One thing that terrifies me about all this, however, is the fact that M somehow visited me last night. He gave me orders from Father that I don't want to obey, but I'm scared to disobey. Father wants me to infiltrate Fairy Tail. I wanted to join this guild for so long and now, he's using my own dream against me. How twisted and cruel can he get? If I don't do what he wants, he'll send M to take me away and possibly hurt my new friends. If I do, then I'll betray the guild and my friends will still get hurt, anyway. There's no winning this. What's worse is I can't seek help from Fairy Tail either for this. They'd turn on me immediately if they were to find out my father is..."

There was a knock at Genna's door, making her jump. "Who is it?" she called out.

"It's me again," answered the voice of Levy on the other side.

Genna quickly slammed her journal shut, trapping the piece of paper inside its pages, and she slid it underneath her pillow before saying, "Come in!"

Levy's head peeked in through the now cracked open door and she smiled. "Hey, I know you might be tired or still getting settled in, but I was going to make a run into town. Would you like to come with me? I figured we could shop for the ingredients you need for your cupcakes while we're out."

Her offer touched Genna greatly. Despite only being a member of Fairy Tail for a couple hours, Levy was already including her and treating her like a real friend.

"I would love to!" she exclaimed. Then she had the thought to invite Levy to do something in return, so she added, "And hey, if you're not busy afterwards, maybe you can help me make the cupcakes?"

The bluenette's eyes lit up and her smile widened. "Oh my gosh, yes! That would be so fun!" she replied gladly.

Genna was really happy to hear Levy accept her offer and the two of them quickly took off from her room. She could see herself being great friends with this girl. This was only just the beginning.

The beginning of her new life in Fairy Tail.

#fairy tail #fairy tail fanfic #gajeel redfox #gajeel x oc fic #ironstar fanfic

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