This is the first chapter of MUSICAL CHAIRS, my first multi-chapter Fairy Tail fanfiction. Well, I won't talk your ear off here, so just read, enjoy and tell me what you think.

Author: Epicocity

Rating: T for language and innuendos

Pairings: Nalu, Rowen, Gruvia, Jerza, Gale and others

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. Those rights belong specifically to Hiro Mashima and Kodansha.

MUSICAL CHAIRS

A Fairy Tail Fanfiction

Chapter 1

Wendy Marvell-Dragneel was ecstatic.

In this case, ecstatic meant that she was ready to jump down the stairs and sing her happiness to the entire world, despite her typically shy nature. After all, the letter clasped in her hand made her excited! More excited than she'd been since her step-brother Natsu had received the same letter two years ago. She was literally prepared to go bouncing off walls, but managed to hold it in as she re-read the letter for what felt like the fiftieth time in five minutes. Then she gave a high-pitched squeal of joy and darted from her room, her door slamming open with just a little more restraint than Natsu's usually did.

The fourteen-year old flew down the stairs, her blue-haired pigtails trailing behind her, and landed perfectly at the foot of the stairs…until her foot caught on the rug and she fell with a mighty crash. It didn't hurt her, but it was certainly enough to draw the attention of her mother.

"Good heavens, Wendy, what are you doing?" she asked concernedly. Wendy rubbed her head, where a small bruise was forming, her left hand still clutching that oh-so-important missive.

"Sorry, mom, I tripped," Wendy confessed as she stood and straightened her shorts.

"I can tell that," Grandine commented dryly. "My question is why did you trip?"

Wendy glanced nervously up at her mother for a moment before shyly answering, "I was running." This made Grandine roll her eyes as Wendy uttered yet another, "Sorry…"

"I swear, you're becoming more like your brother every day," she said.

Wendy couldn't help but smile toothily at that, revealing the strangely pointed canines that were shared amongst her family members. It was true that Natsu wasn't her full brother, but she truly couldn't imagine him as anything but. After all, he had been her step-brother for seven years. After Wendy's father had left when she was only three years old (she barely even remembered what he looked like), Grandine Marvell had met Igneel Dragneel and his son Natsu. Somehow, they had fallen in love and since both Wendy and Natsu got along like they'd known each other their whole lives, it was like a match made in heaven.

In particular, Wendy admired Natsu like no other. Her brother served as an inspiration and source of encouragement that a person with her shy personality needed. So, when her mother told her she was becoming more like Natsu, she considered it to be the highest compliment she could receive. However, Grandine was already speaking again, so Wendy focused on her mother's words.

"I already have one of you destroying the house every other week," she said with a sigh, though the smile on her face told a different story. "What happened to my quiet daughter?"

"I'm still quiet, mom," Wendy pointed out, now bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. She was eager to tell her brother the great news.

"That's true," Grandine huffed out. Suddenly, her smile slipped off and her eyes turned eerily sharp. "Happy, if you set one paw in that kitchen for fish I will kick you out of this house faster than you can say 'aye'."

Wendy laughed as she noticed the blue cat (Natsu had a strange sense of humor) slink away from the kitchen and her mother subsequently take up her own post in said room. She also noticed the cat try to take another route to sneak into the kitchen. The fourteen-year old bluenette shook her head and made her way over to the living room.

"You agreed, Natsu!" said a decidedly feminine voice from the living room. Wendy's smile brightened; she knew who that voice belonged to.

"A year ago, Luce," argued the voice of her brother. "You can't hold me to that. Besides, Metal-head and I have worked out something really cool!"

"Yes, because a saxophone and drums combo is so unheard of," retorted the female voice.

"It makes more sense than flute and drums, and like I said, we've made something super different and awesome." Stony silence met him before her brother's female companion sighed loudly.

"You'll owe me for this."

"Fine, I'll take you to dinner, then." Natsu's concession caused numerous splutters to come from the girl in the room. This prompted Wendy to finally enter the room and save them from embarrassment.

Sitting on the couch with his legs propped on the coffee table was her brother, Natsu Dragneel. His unruly salmon (not pink, as he liked to remind everyone) hair sticking up and making him look like he had just woken up from a nap. In his fingers, he was twiddling a pair of drumsticks absentmindedly. With him in the room was Lucy Heartfilia, who was also sitting on the couch, her legs draped across Natsu's lap in a relaxed state. Seeing that sight, Wendy had no wonder as to how the rumors had started that the two were an item. Of course, they didn't see her, so she cleared her throat.

"Oh, hey, Wendy!" Natsu greeted with his familial grin. Lucy turned in her position to give a smile and a wave to the younger girl. "What's up?"

"I got in!" Wendy squeaked. Natsu raised an eyebrow, causing the smile on Wendy's face to slip a little. "The Magnolia Music Program."

"That's awesome!" Natsu exclaimed, his grin wider now that he understood.

"Congratulations, Wendy," said Lucy.

"I'm so excited!" Wendy said jubilantly. "I can't wait to join you guys for the music camp this year."

"It'll be so great to have you," Lucy agreed, finally moving from her position to stand. "I really hope you'll be put in Fairy Tail like the rest of us."

"Hell yeah, with Wendy in our band, we'll totally win!" Natsu said. "Now I'm really fired up!" Lucy rolled her eyes at Natsu's catchphrase before leaning over and catching Wendy in a hug. The younger girl reciprocated the action until both decided to pull away.

"I've got to call Chelia," Wendy told them before excusing herself with a bow. Lucy and Natsu let her go with a wave before slipping back into normal conversation.

As soon as Wendy closed the door to her room, she flopped onto her bed, causing her own white cat, Carla, to hiss momentarily. She then quickly reached over and grabbed her cell phone, speed-dialing her best friend, Chelia Blendy. It took only two rings for the perky fifteen-year old to answer the phone. "Wendy, perfect timing. I'm trying to figure out what clothes I should wear to get Lyon to notice me. I was thinking about my cousin's dresses but then I realized that they're way too slutty. Don't you think so? Wendy?"

"Uh…" was the only sound that Wendy could make. Sometimes, she just couldn't keep up with this girl. "I…don't really know."

"Come on, Wendy, I need your help! This is a matter of life and love!" Well, there was something Wendy recognized: Chelia's insistence on love. Her best friend believed there wasn't nearly enough of it. Wendy personally thought she had too much.

"Just be yourself…?" Wendy offered tentatively. Why was Chelia asking her for help? She had never even gone on a date a day in her life. "Anyway, I have something to tell you. I got into the program!"

"You did?" Chelia asked happily, the previous part of the conversation forgotten. "See? What did I tell you? You're the best clarinet player in your age group. There was no way they'd turn you down!"

"But Magnolia High's music program is the best in Fiore. There was no guarantee…"

"Stop doubting yourself!" Chelia said sternly. "You're in the Magnolia Music Program now, so be more confident. You'll never get a boyfriend that way."

"Chelia!" Wendy whined. "You know I'm not into that right now. I have to focus on my school and music studies."

"But Wendy," Chelia emulated, "it's all about love! You know, there're plenty of cute boys in the clarinet section."

"I'm ending this conversation now," Wendy warned in the hopes that her best friend would simply drop the subject.

"Okay! See you in two weeks at music camp. Be prepared…" she cautioned in a dark tone before the line went dead. Even so, the statement hadn't scared her.

It thrilled her. The Magnolia Music Program was the premier music program in all of Fiore. Anyone who wanted to make it in the world of music went through it during high school. Four years of intense musical performances and competitions and this program was at the top. For thirty years they had won the major contests and now Wendy was finally going to be a part of it.

It had been her dream since she was six when both she and Natsu had watched the Magnolia Marching Band weave their way through the streets during the Fantasia parade. The next day, Natsu had picked up a pair of drumsticks while Wendy cheered him on. When she was finally old enough, she joined him, though her musical inclination was more towards woodwinds, which made it no wonder that she got along so well with Lucy, who was a flutist. That dream had pushed her forward, and then two years ago Natsu and Lucy left for music camp with the others, returning with the brilliant stories.

In particular, there were the stories of Fairy Tail and the other groups that comprised the music program. Wendy didn't fully understand the group structure and Natsu didn't tell her anything, insisting that she'd experience it for herself. So, even not knowing, Wendy built up her anticipation of wanting to be in Fairy Tail. She was ready for this.

"I can't believe it, Carla," she whispered to her cat. "I'm actually going. I can't wait." Before she could stop herself, Wendy stood and strode over to her calendar, marking the date. She only hoped that two weeks wouldn't be that long of a wait.

As it turned out, two weeks wasn't that long of a wait, partially because of the ridiculous amount of practice and preparation that Wendy subjected herself to. If she wasn't out with her parents to buy water bottles or camp material, then she was sitting down everyday to practice the music that had arrived in the mail with the acceptance letter. Sometimes she'd join Natsu, but considering the exuberance with which he practiced, Wendy considered safer options. Those safer options usually included Lucy, who, Grandine joked, was over at their house more than her husband was.

"That's because my dad's in the middle of a huge business deal and I just knew that Natsu would find a way to screw it up," Lucy confided to Wendy the night before their departure.

"That's not true!" Wendy defended. "If Natsu knows it's important, he wouldn't mess it up."

"Then obviously he never told you about the Soloist Debacle from last year," Lucy muttered.

Rather than dampening her spirits, though, this story energized Wendy about what tomorrow would bring. She was so happy about this that when her alarm rang at five in the morning, she shot out of bed and got dressed in a flash. As expected, the house was practically devoid of life except for Happy who was stationed outside her room. Avoiding the inevitable accident with blue cat, Wendy walked to the middle of the hallway and decided to take a leaf from Natsu's book.

"Today's the day! Time to get up everyone!" she yelled loudly, the sound reverberating through the house.

"Go back to sleep, Wendy," muttered Natsu from behind his bedroom door. His words were reluctant, but Wendy realized with a wide grin that the percussionist was already more than awake. So she left and skipped down the stairs to begin making the family breakfast.

An hour later, the Dragneels were on their way to Crocus Fields, the campsite set just a few miles away from the capital, Crocus, that would play host to the music camp for the following two weeks. Joining them were their cats and plenty of luggage. The drive itself was a few hours, but Wendy was filled with such anticipation that like the weeks before, the hours flew by. It helped that, by nature, the Dragneels were a very social family, and they played numerous road games to pass the time.

The end result was that by three in the afternoon, they had pulled into the Crocus Fields parking lot and began unloading their car. Wendy was, naturally, the first one out of the car as she took in the surroundings with her moth agape. Close to two hundred cars were there with just as many students pouring out of them, their musical cases and suitcases clasped firmly to their sides. It was just as Wendy had dreamed.

"You better make sure to take care of Lily, dad," said a nearby voice. Wendy turned her head in its direction and recognized its owner. Frankly, he had his father weren't that hard to notice with the multiple piercings on their faces.

"Why the hell did you give your cat such a girly name, Gajeel?" asked the boy's father. Gajeel clearly didn't hear him because he was currently snuggling up against a black cat that looked completely uninterested.

"I'm gonna miss you, Lily!" Wendy giggled at that, which drew the attention of both her brother and Gajeel.

"You're way too into your cat, metal-head!" Natsu jeered. Gajeel snapped a look of annoyance to him, the action allowing his cat, Pantherlily, to leap back into the car.

"Shut up, Salamander!" he snapped before he caught sight of Wendy. "Hey, there! How's my favorite cousin?"

Before Wendy could answer, Natsu once again spouted his mouth off. "Why aren't I your favorite cousin?"

"'Cause we ain't related by blood," Gajeel snapped, suddenly getting into Natsu's face. Wendy sighed at the two as she saw her parents speaking with Gajeel's father, Metallicana, in the background. "Plus, you're annoying and stupid as hell."

"He's got a point, you know," said the voice of Gray Fullbuster as he walked over with his trumpet case slung over his body and his shirt missing.

"You wanna go, stripper?" Natsu bellowed, causing Gray to look down.

"Aw, crap, where did my shirt go?"

"Juvia has it Gray-sama!" squealed Juvia Lockser. Wendy looked at her fellow bluenette and clarinetist. Like always, she was staring at Gray adoringly and speaking just as strangely.

"Thanks, Juvia." Wendy could swear the girl had died of happiness.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're all here on time."

"H-hey, Erza…" stuttered Natsu as he, Gajeel and Gray turned to the red-haired beauty in horror. Attached to her side was a frightened Lucy who was waving meekly. "W-we were just catching up."

"Like best friends should," Gray supported, throwing his arm around the two cousins.

"Aye…" Erza seemed pleased with this because she soon focused her gaze on Wendy, the hard lines on her face softening.

"It's good to see you here, Wendy," she said, causing Wendy to once again smile. She was starting to feel like her face would split open from repeating that action too much. "Anyway, Director Makarov is preparing to make the opening announcements so I suggest you boys head over to the guild's section. Mira should already be there. Wendy, you'll have to check in and join the other freshmen on the field."

Wendy nodded in appreciation, but Natsu was far more mutinous. "I swear, she becomes drum major and she lets it go to her head."

"Tell me about it," Gray said, still shirtless.

"Did you two say something?"

"No," the two said simultaneously.

"Good, I expect you there in five minutes." Then she left, with Lucy still tagging along for the ride. Her departure signaled a sudden flurry of activity from her brother, cousin and Gray.

"Sorry, Wendy," apologized Natsu, "but Erza will skin us alive if we're not there in five minutes. I'll see you later. See you in two weeks, Happy." Wendy barely managed to say her goodbye (Happy had hardly meowed his) before the three had vanished, taking Juvia with them.

"That child needs to slow down sometimes. We didn't even get a chance to say goodbye," Grandine said to her daughter. Next to her, Igneel laughed.

"We Dragneel men aren't known for sentimental goodbyes," he boomed out. Grandine raised an eyebrow at his statement, prompting Igneel to shut his mouth. Then she turned to Wendy.

"Take care, Wendy," she cautioned. "Stay safe and try to keep your brother out of trouble."

"I always do," Wendy responded before hugging her mother and father. "I'll see you in two weeks. And look after Happy, Carla." She could swear her cat had made a "tch" sound. Then, just like her brother, Wendy quickly grasped her clarinet case and travel bag and set off in the direction Natsu and the others had gone.

Thankfully, it wasn't hard to find where she was supposed to go, since the students were splitting off into two. So, Wendy followed the smaller group. Her instinct proved to be right because it led her straight to the freshman registration desk. After a moment of processing, Wendy had received her cabin key and itinerary and began making her way to the field with the other freshmen. She was almost immediately waylaid, however.

"Wendy, you made it!" cried Chelia as Wendy felt herself smothered by the over-energetic pinkette. "I was almost worried because I hadn't seen you yet."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"I know that, but-"

"Chelia, we have to get to Lamia Scale's section!" called a white-haired boy from a small distance away. Chelia turned to him with a glowing face.

"Coming, Lyon! See you later, Wendy!" Then Chelia was gone, leaving Wendy to be swept away by the tide of students making their way to the field. She was all too quickly deposited in the freshman section and nearly tripped over her own feet until someone caught her.

"Thanks," she muttered as she turned to face her rescuer.

"Not a problem," the girl said. She had flowing pink hair and a tight tank top with the words "MUSIC LOVER" splayed across her ample cleavage. It almost made Wendy jealous, but the warm smile from the girl was enough to make her abandon that line of thought. "I'm Meredy."

"Wendy," she said back as the two shook hands. "You play oboe?"

"Yep!" Meredy said, holding her oboe case up proudly. "Looks like we can be woodwind buddies!"

"'Woodwind buddies'?" Wendy laughed out.

"Yeah. What cabin are you in? I'm in seven," Meredy said jubilantly. The girl's attitude practically matched Wendy's own and she was finding herself drawn to the magnetic girl's presence. She looked at her own information.

"Same," she said, noting she had the same cabin number as Meredy. The pinkette smiled and was about to say something when a voice boomed across the field.

"Welcome to another year, you brats!" Wendy and Meredy (along with the roughly fifty other freshmen) turned in the direction of the voice. Atop a high scaffold that towered over the field stood an old man, small in stature but brimming with energy. Wendy guessed that this man was Director Makarov.

"That's harsh, gramps!" called Natsu from far away.

"Shut it, Natsu, and let me speak!" A chorus of laughs sounded from other parts of the field. Wendy resisted the urge to facepalm. "Now, most of you already know this, so I'll just be saying this for the benefit of the freshmen here.

"Magnolia's Music Camp is an intense two weeks of musical training all in preparation for the upcoming competition season. To this extent, we don't believe in wasting time. During your weeks here you will be tested mentally, musically, and physically. Your first week will comprise of two portions: marching and concert. The marching portion will take place during the day and we will prepare and finalize our competition set. The evening will then be reserved to musical practice with your guildmates. The nighttime is when you should be in your cabin. No exceptions!

"Now, what is a guild you may ask? The answer is simple. Tomorrow evening, before your concert segments, you will be pre-sorted into the group that you will practice with. This guild will be like your family for the next four years and will serve as a means of encouragement in the future."

Makarov cleared his throat briefly before he continued on. "Now, I am pleased to announce yet another year of the Grand Music Games!" A loud cheer erupted from the field, though Wendy and her fellow freshmen simply looked nonplussed. "The Grand Music Games is a competition which will take place during the second week of this camp. In this you will compete along with your guild for victory in a series of five categories. The winning guild will then have the honor of representing our program at most of the contests in the future. That should be enough incentive for you to give us first rate performances. For now, though, you brats have the rest of the day off, so make sure you enjoy it, 'cause tomorrow we're going to work you ragged." He then gave a positively demonic grin before disappearing off the scaffold.

"Hey, Wendy," Meredy said from next to her, drawing the bluenette's attention, "let's put our bags in the cabin and grab a bite to eat."

"Sure." The two freshmen quickly grabbed their luggage and made their way out of the swirling cloud of their peers. Meredy quickly consulted her map and in no time at all, they had arrived at the rather spacious cabin. To their surprise, there were already occupants there.

"You're in here, too, Wendy?" called Lucy from one of the bunk beds. Wendy smiled brightly and nodded as Erza walked out from the bathroom.

"The cabin passes the cleanliness inspection this year," she said. Above Lucy, someone sighed. Wendy shifted her angle to see it was yet another blue-haired junior.

"We're not going through that again, are we?"

"Well, cleanliness does enhance your concentration, Levy," said a black haired girl that Wendy didn't recognize. Meredy seemed to, however, because she gave the girl a wave.

"Juvia agrees," said Juvia, before quietly mumbling, "But Juvia would rather be in a cabin with Gray-sama."

"Oh, Juvia…" Lucy laughed out. "Anyway, Wendy, why don't you and your friend just pick a bunk and unpack. Then we'll all head out to get some food."

"All right!" Wendy and Meredy quickly did as suggested. Within half an hour, the girls were filing out of the cabin. Wendy was the last out. Before she locked the door, she looked back to glance around the room and smiled.

Wendy didn't know what these next two weeks would hold, but for now, she could say she was happy.

Author's Note: As stated above this is the first chapter of this fanficiton. It's entirely different from my usual genre so I hope I can do it justice. Either way, I'd love to know what you think. For that matter, you don't need any knowledge of band or how those things work to enjoy this story because, well, that's simply the setting. Also, I fiddled with some ages to make most of the characters fit in high school and I used Meredy's timeskip personality because, well, it's better. Anyway, please review my story for me and, Dare to Be Silly.