Author's Note: Firstly; This fic is central on GaLe since it's the best pairing of all time.
Secondly; Flames will be ignored.
WARNING! Spoilers are assured if you haven't been reading the manga.
Enjoy!
xXx
( Magnolia - Fairy Tail Guild Hall )
They won.
Two years ago, the entire might of 730 Wizard Guilds which makes up the Alvarez Empire's army invaded Fiore in the hopes to attain Fairy Heart, the source of infinite Magic and Fairy Tail's most prized secret.
In response, all the Guilds in Fiore banded together to fight off the large threat just outside their doors. Even the former members of Oracien Seis helped out in the war, an action which has gotten them exonerated by the recently coronated Queen, Hisui.
For an entire month, battles raged across the continent of Fiore. Even with the Alvarez Empire's overwhelming numbers and the Spriggan 12, Fairy Tail and their allies were able to fight them to a standstill. A fine achievement since every member of the Spriggan 12 held the same power and skill as their most powerful Wizard Saint, God Serena who had defected to join the Alvarez Empire. Many perished from both sides and even more were left with critical injuries but in the end, the Spriggan 12, Zeref and Acnologia were all defeated.
The Alvarez Empire and what was left of the Spriggan 12 retreated to their homeland and have offered an alliance with Fiore, an offer which the recently crowned Hisui happily accepted. As well as that, the landscape which was warped by the Magic of Irene Belserion returned to normal after the death of the first Dragon Slayer.
Even now, Fairy Tail has returned to doing their usual mundane tasks after everything has slowly gotten back to normal.
Erza is happily munching away on some strawberry cheesecake, Natsu, Gray and Elfman are fighting in a brawl they started, Cana is sitting on the bar table, chugging down an entire barrel of wine with relative ease, Laxus is watching everything from upstairs with the Thunder God Tribe by his side, Macao and Wakaba are happily perving on the women in the Guild Hall, Mirajane and Kinana are happily serving alcohol and food to the Fairy Tail members and Happy is trying, and failing, to impress Carla.
And sitting at a table on her lonesome is none other than Levy Mcgarden, obviously with a book in her hands. However, she simply can't seem to get into the story of the book she's holding. In all honestly, she can't even remember what the story is about in the first place.
Looking around the hall, she can see that everything has returned back to normal. Normal being in the case of Fairy Tail type of normal. From the looks of everyone, it's almost like as if they didn't fight a life-changing battle with an overwhelming enemy just two years ago. She can even see Erza joining into the fight, destroying anyone who is stupid enough to get in her way. Natsu and Elfman are the first to go. The image of the Guild Hall just seems so perfect.
Yet, so different.
Levy frowns, sadly and turns to face the wide stage at the end of the Guild Hall, almost expecting a certain someone to appear. She can just imagine him now, sitting on stage in his classy white suit, white hat and sunglasses while playing an oddly catchy but off-tune song.
While the other Guilds have lost many of their own members during the war, Fairy Tail have been lucky enough to suffer minimum losses. In fact, they only had one casualty.
Gajeel Redfox.
Just the thought of the Iron Dragon Slayer is enough to bring tears to Levy's eyes. Even after two years, she just finds it too difficult to forget about him. There are just too many special traits about him that she can't forget. Even after two years without him, she can remember all the vivid details about him. His dangerous red, slitted eyes, the cocky smirk which shows off his sharp canines, the odd way that he laughs, his long but soft mane of black hair, his love for music even though he has no talent for it. Everything about him is just impossible to forget.
She guesses that her love for him is also at fault for that.
She isn't exactly sure when she has fallen for the gruff and powerful Dragon Slayer. It could have been when he saved her from Laxus's lightning or when he saved Magnolia after destroying the Dragonoid's core and even freed Natsu from its imprisonment. Her best guess is when he saved her from the two Dark Wizards of Grimoire's Heart on Tenrou Island.
She has spent so much time with the Dragon Slayer, yet she has failed to admit her feeling for him throughout their time together. She honestly blames herself and her insecurities, fearing what may happen if he said no. Not many would think that the proud and smart Mage like herself would have insecurites but it's the truth. How can she not when she has to compare against powerful and beautiful women like Erza, Mirajane and Lucy?
"You thought me what it means to love... and for that, I'll be eternally grateful."
Levy's grip around her book tightens enough to crumple up the pages but if she notices it, she doesn't seem to care. She is too busy trying to block out his words but is failing to do so. After all, they are the last words he ever spoke.
"I really did... want to walk with you... side by side... forever..."
*Drip*
Wet drops of moisture fall onto the crumpled pages as the tears Levy has tried so hard to hold back, breaks like a dam of a river.
"After everything I've faced... having a future with you snatched away from me... is definitely the most terrifying thing I've had to endure."
Small sobs escape Levy's lips and her petite body shakes just low enough for nobody to notice.
"I can't help but laugh... who would've thought that the great badass Gajeel of old... would actually consider acting like a respectable competent adult."
This time, Levy's body shakes harder to control her grief, catching the sharp eyes of a few in the Guild.
"My boy... you've really left her with a struck of grief" thought Makarov from his wheelchair, sighing in sadness to the lost of one of his children and the heartbreak of another. He looks over at Levy's shaking and crying form and sighs, feeling his age. It isn't the first time the she has broken out in a crying fit during the past two years and he can almost guarantee that it won't be the last. His tired and sad eyes look towards the stage where hanging over it is a framed picture of Fairy Tail's deceased member. Even with his lack of skills as a musician, Makarov knows that Gajeel would approve.
It shows an annoyed Gajeel, sitting at one of the tables and eating a mouthful of screws and nails. Sitting beside him on top of the table is Pantherlily who is happily chewing away on a kiwi. The picture was taken in time for Gajeel's left eye to turn towards the camera to show off his scary, red eye. From the angle, it only shows the side of his face but also his Fairy Tail mark, showing all of those disbelivers that he didn't die as a menace or a thug.
He died as a Fairy.
"Born a Human, trained as a Dragon, lived like a Phantom, died as a Fairy." Makarov raises his mug to the picture frame and allows a small smile to etch atop of his elderly lips. "Not a bad way to go, my boy. Not bad" he muttered to himself before taking a sip of his drink.
After breaking apart the fighting, Erza takes a seat by her table and orders another strawberry cheesecake to replace her old one which has fallen in the mist of battle. While waiting, she notices Levy's shaking form and can't help but frown. She always hates it when the bright bluenette is crying. While she may act like the same Levy everyone knows and loves, there are times where they will find Levy with a lost look in her eyes. Erza wants to blame someone for changing Levy and she honestly wants to blame Gajeel since it is, technically his fault.
That's unfair, she knows since it's only because of Gajeel that Levy is alive at the moment. Fighting a Demon who possesses all the Curses of the Nine Demon Gates would've killed Levy and many others to boot. Gajeel defeating the Demon not only saved Levy's life but the countless others who would have to fight him during the war. The entire Guild had enough trouble fighting the Nine Demon Gates so Gajeel actually defeating a Demon with all of their powers impressed many, Erza included.
However, Pantherlily spoke to the small group of them about everything that happened, including Gajeel's last words, during his funeral. What Gajeel did touched a lot of hearts that day with none more touched and saddened being Juvia.
Said Rain Woman stops her fawning over Gray to notice Levy's current state and can't help the need to go over and comfort the little bookworm. As a fellow woman in love, she feels that its her duty, only to appease the small bit of guilt she is feeling. While Gray has finally accepted her love, Levy will never know the feeling to truly love your soulmate. Levy may know that Gajeel had similar feelings for her but it will never be the same with him gone.
To love a man who is dead. Juvia can't even imagine the sort of hell she'd go through if Gray had died during the war.
After the war, several of the women, including Juvia tried to help the bookworm get over the death of Gajeel but Levy never fully accepted their help, stating how all she needs is some personal space and time to herself. Two years later and she's still a mess but she hides it better than most.
Gajeel's death was a loss to a few, especially Juvia as Gajeel was actually the first friend she ever made. As a child, she never did make many friends as her Magic would always make it rain, even if she doesn't want it to. Nobody ever wanted to hang out with the depressing girl who has similar weather patterns following her wherever she goes. That was until she was invited by Jose to join Phantom Lord.
At first, she didn't make any friends with anyone, not even the rest of the Element Four. They were more like forced acquaintances than anything else. The only one who even bothered to befriend her was Gajeel. He never did care about her uncontrollable Magic, hanging out with her whenever they weren't on missions. She confessed it all during Gajeel's funeral, seeing as someone had to say something nice about the Dragon Slayer. Even with everything he has done, there are till a few members of Fairy Tail who show nothing but disrespect to the fallen Dragon Slayer. They never did last long in the Guild.
Thinking about Levy's troubles has Juvia's thoughts drift to the little incident that took place one year ago, courtesy of Lucy. Lucy elected herself to help Levy forget Gajeel by doing the worst thing possible. She tricked Levy into going to a blind date with a handsome librarian, thinking that it was just Lucy she was going out to dinner with.
It didn't end well.
Levy left the restaurant in a fit of rage while Lucy tried persuade her to at least get to know the guy she set her up with. The night ended with Levy not speaking with Lucy for two weeks and even now, their friendship is clearly strained. Juvia can't blame her since she was angry over Lucy's plan as well.
Sighing, Juvia turns back to Gray, knowing that attempting to comfort her fellow bluenette will only end in failure since Levy is quite stubborn with how she feels. Much like Gajeel, now that she thinks of it.
"Levy?"
Levy jumps a bit in fright over the sudden voice in front of her. Placing her book flat on the tabletop, she sees Pantherlily looking up at her with an obvious expression of worry. Ever since Gajeel's death, the black Exceed has been staying with her in Fairy Hills and even helps her out on the rent. Gajeel's death had hit him pretty hard as well. After all, watching your best friend die in front of your very own eyes isn't something that anyone should witness.
All the worst, he died with the same cocky smirk that he is known for, like as if turning into Magical Barrier Particles is nothing to him and he just laughs at the face of death. He died strong and brave to the end, something that Pantherlily can at least respect him for. He died the way he lived, as a warrior.
"You alright?" he asked placing a comforting paw on her arm.
Levy sighs and picks up the Exceed into her arms and gives him a small squeeze that he permits. "I'm fine. Just thinking about... Gajeel" she answered, truthfully. If anyone was hurt as much as she was over Gajeel's death, its Pantherlily so there's no point trying to sugarcoat her words for him. He's good at picking out lies anyway.
"It's fine to remember him you know. There's nothing wrong with that" he said, smiling up at the bookworm.
"I know but it still hurts, knowing that he isn't here anymore."
"It hurts for me too but he wouldn't want us to be moping around here." The Exceed wriggles his way out of Levy's tight grip and jumps onto the table before facing her. "Let's remember him the way he'd be proud of. By taking a mission and beating something up" he said, smirking. Levy gazes down at the Exceed for a moment before she smiles and wipes away the tears from her eyes.
"You're right. Let's head off." she replied with new confidence in her voice. She stands up and walks towards the mission board with Pantherlily following her through the air.
Unfortunately, their decision to take a mission is quickly cut short when the double doors of the Guild opens and in walks a pair of Dragon Slayers, grabbing the attention of everyone in the Guild Hall.
Sting, the Guild Master for Sabertooth, limps into the building with the help of a right crutch. Bandage wrappings cover his forehead, as well as his torso which can be easily seen through his open jacket. The White Dragon Slayer winces every time he takes a step with his left leg which is in a cask.
Beside him, Rogue isn't faring any better than his friend. His right arm is hanging in a sling and inside a cask. His left eye is hidden underneath the bandages all over his face, leaving enough space for everyone to see the black and blue bruises hiding underneath them.
"What the hell happened to you guys?" asked Gray, walking up to the two S-Class Mages to help them.
Sting accepts the help and wraps his free arm over Gray's neck. Natsu follows his example and helps Rogue to a table with Sting. The pair of Dragon Slayers happily sit down, regretting their actions by wincing and sucking in breath over the pain.
Makarov wheels himself towards the pair and looks to Wendy. "Wendy, could you be a dear and help them with their injuries?"
"Of course, Master" replied the youngest Dragon Slayer as she walks over and begins healing Rogue with her Magic.
"Thank you" said Rogue, wincing as he tries to get into a more comfortable position which doesn't aggravate his injuries.
For everyone else, the curiosity over asking them where they got their injuries is almost too much for them to handle. Sting and Rogue earned their S-Class ranks for a reason and to see the pair so badly injured is too much of a mystery for them.
"Now then, could you boys please explain to us how you've ended up in such a bad shape?" asked Makarov, his aloof and grandfatherly personality switched to what is one of the Wizard Saints. He may be crippled and old but he still holds the power and knowledge of one of the most powerful Wizards in Fiore.
Sting and Rogue make brief eye contact with one another and to everyone watching, it's almost like they're communicating with each other. With a sigh, Sting slouches and for once, ignores the brief sting of pain in his abdomen. "During our last mission, we... met someone who wasn't suppose to be there. That's why we're here."
"When you say someone, do you mean the same guy who did that to you?" asked Droy, emphasizing the injuries all over the Dragon Slayers. Sting nods, surprising and even scaring a few over wondering what kind of monster could do such a thing. Not only are Sting and Rogue S-Class Mages but they're Dragon Slayers! They're losing streak is very low with the only person they've lost to at the same time being Natsu, but that's for obvious reasons. For another to do that and even go the extra mile is a bit unsettling for some who are listening.
"Do you know who he is?" askee Erza, folding her arms in front of her chest plate. Whoever gave those injuries to Sting and Rogue are strong and from what she can see through the bandages, they must be a bit of a sadist. "They're dangerous."
"We do know, but..."
"What's wrong?" Lucy asked in concern, noticing Sting and Rogue's troubled expressions.
"Spit it out! It's not manly to keep secrets!" exclaimed Elfman, earning himself a hit to the back of his head, courtesy of Evergreen.
"Shut up you big oaf and let the man speak!"
"But I was just-"
"BE QUIET!"
Makarov's roar quickly quietens down the entire Guild Hall, in fear of facing the wrath of Makarov. Makarov coughs to get back some oxygen into his lungs. Mirajane drops to her knees and pats the elder on his back to help him, if only a little. "Thank you, Mira. Now then, please continue. Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out."
Sting nods, sweat dripping off his brow as he relives the moment that Rogue and himself took the worse beating of their lives. "It all started when Rogue and I were coming back from a mission. We stopped off at a bar..."
( Flashback - 24 Hours Ago - Gallowstown )
"Come on, just one drink!" begged Sting as he tries to drag Rogue into a nearby pub but fails as Rogue puts his foot down. Frosch and Lector watch the scene take place on the sidelines with mixed feelings.
"No. We've already wasted enough time as it is with the mission, which might I say, you weren't even suppose to go on" told Rogue as he lightly glares at his Guild Master.
Sting chuckles in response. "Yea, but all that paperwork is just so~ boring" whined before wrapping an arm around Rogue's neck. "Besides, I'm Guild Master and I order you to come to the bar with me."
Rogue sighs in frustration and rubs the space between his eyes to help sooth the incoming migraine. They just finished off an A-Class mission which took a surprisingly longer time to complete than he expected. It was suppose to be a simple search and destroy mission of the local Dark Guild in town, nothing too hectic. It ended up as a wild goose chase since one of the Dark Mages turned out to know a thing or two of Rune Magic and covered the area surrounding the Guild Hall with plenty of Runes. They weren't too hard to handle but they were definitely time consuming.
"Come on, Sting. It's only one drink. What could go wrong?" beckoned Lector, walking over to his partner's side. "Right Fro?"
"Fro thinks so too."
"Fine" sighed Rogue, giving in to their demands. "But only one, then we head back to the Guild."
"Alright" Sting and Lector cheered as they run into the bar with Frosch and a reluctant Rogue following behind them.
As Rogue walks into the bar, he scans the interior design of the bar, recognizing the warm oak wood which makes up the floorboards and the warm wallpaper that cover the walls. Shelves full of all sort of knickknacks hang above everyone's heads, allowing everyone a good eye view of what is on display. To the right of the pub is a warm fireplace that the Shadow Dragon Slayer is personally enjoying, seeing as he has been in the pouring rain for the last few hours. To the left is the bar with a single bartender, washing a glass and looking bored doing so.
As Sting heads over to the bar to order his drink, Rogue takes his time to look at the other customers in the bar. Counting only six, he makes note of how they all seem to be keeping a good bit of distance from one person in particular who's sitting in the corner with his feet on the table and reading the newspaper. Usually, he wouldn't have any interest in such a trivial matter but from the way the bartender and other customers seem to be taking glances at the stranger, he must be bad news.
Ignoring it for now, he walks towards the bar where Sting is quite happily gulping down a mug of beer. "Watch yourself. I don't want to carry you back to the Guild drunk... again" deadpanned Rogue, his lone visible eye obviously twitching in annoyance.
"Fro thinks so too!" remarked Frosch with his constant grin on his face.
"Don't go agreeing with him if you don't even understand what's going on" Lector scolded his fellow Exceed, growing himself a tick mark when Frosch turns and tilts his head with the same annoying smile on his face.
Sting ignores the conversation between the two Exceeds and waves off his partner's concerns. "Don't you go worrying. I can control myself." The way he suddenly chugs down the rest of his drink in one go doesn't fill Rogue with confidence.
"Will you two shut it. I'm trying to read" said a deep, gruff voice from the corner of the bar.
The Dragon Slayers turn to look at the man who's hidden behind his newspaper. Neither notice the way the bartender and customers suddenly sober up and go tense, like as if they know something that they don't.
Sting opens his mouth to make a comment but the man lowers his newspaper enough to showcase his cold, red eyes. Over getting a good look of the not-so-happpy eyes, Sting closes his mouth. The man scoffs and dismisses the pair as he goes back into reading his newspaper.
"Jackass" muttered Sting as he turns back to the bartender to order another drink, only to find out that he has disappeared. "Where'd the bartender go?"
"Hmph! If only that punk knew who he was talking to. He wouldn't be acting so tough then" scoffed Lector, folding his arms in front of his small chest. "Does he not know that he's talking back to Sting, the Guild Master of Sabertooth?"
"Fro thinks so too."
"Where are you going?" asked Sting as he sees Rogue step away from the bar and walk towards the same man sitting in the corner.
Rogue narrows his eyes at the man as he makes his way towards him. It wasn't for long but Rogue is sure that he recognizes something from the man's eyes. Even his voice sounds familiar but he can't picture from where.
He stops in front of the table with the man not seemingly noticing or caring. Rogue's eye scans what he can see of the man, including the dark boots he has leaning on top of the table and the glass of whiskey beside them. His eye narrows when he sees something other than whiskey inside the glass.
Lying at the bottom of the glass of whiskey looks to be an iron nut which is used in any sort of manufacturing. An odd accessory in a drink for sure but not to someone Rogue use to look up to. Without a single word, Rogue snatches away the newspaper from the man's hands, not caring that it crumples in his fingers.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" growled the man who takes his feet off the table and places his finger-less gloved hands on the small piece of furniture to push himself to stand up. Angry red-slitted eyes glare into similar ones with the difference being that one is full of annoyance and anger while the other is stretched between shock, confusion and relief.
"Gajeel..."
"H-How?" stuttered Sting after standing up so fast that he knocks his stool to the floor.
Standing in the very same room as them is none other than Gajeel Redfox! The very same Black Steel Gajeel who had taken down the same Demon who easily defeated him and the rest of Sabertooth. Only problem is that Gajeel isn't suppose to be alive and breathing.
Gajeel's eyes narrow at the pair, not looking too impressed with either of them. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" From the tone of voice, he isn't asking from them but demanding.
"W-What did you say?" asked an unsure Rogue. The man he once looked up to as a child doesn't seem to recognize him or Sting.
"I said..." Gajeel grabs Rogue by his collar and with one hand, lifts him off his feet with ease. "...how do you know my name? I'm not gonna ask again" he threatened, clenching his free fist to show that he's serious on his threat.
Sting tries to get between the two and places a hand on the arm holding up his partner. "Wait a se-" That's as far as Sting gets before a fist collides with the side of his face and launches him across the pub and through a few tables and chairs before he hits the wall.
The moment Gajeel had gotten up, the rest of the customers wisely chose to leave.
"Sting!" cried Lector as he uses Aera to fly over to his partner who rubs his sore jaw from the crater in the wall.
"That's gonna leave a mark" hissed Sting as he rubs his jaw. The White Dragon Slayer glares up at a surprised Gajeel after he gets back to his feet. "What the hell is wrong with you!" he yelled, pointing at Gajeel in an almost comical manner.
Rogue narrows his eyes down at Gajeel. "It seems like he doesn't remember." To Gajeel's further surprise, he disperses into shadows and reappears beside Sting. "From what I can tell, it's possible that he may have some form of amnesia."
Sting looks at his partner, looking a bit perplexed over Rogue's statement. "You think? Maybe we just made a mistake and it's just someone who looks like him?"
"Stop talking like as if I'm not in the room!" yelled Gajeel, growing too impatient and annoyed over the talking pair. In his impatience and annoyance, he transforms his right arm into a pillar of iron and launches it towards the Dragon Slayer duo who split up to avoid the attack that destroys the weakened wall behind them.
"You still think we made a mistake?" Rogue asked Sting, raising an eyebrow like as if saying "prove me wrong".
Sting grumbles out something that neither men hear. "Fine. What do we do then?"
"Just immobilize him. We can get him help when he's unconscious." Rogue and Sting runs at Gajeel and attack with Rogue throwing a punch and Sting attempting an overhead kick. Neither hit as Gajeel grab the two offending limbs with ease, grinning from ear-to-ear.
"Immobilize? You two think you can actually beat me? You two obviously don't know who you're talking to" he said before he twists his body and throws the pair out of the pub, via through the window.
Even with them crashing through a window, the Sabertooth Wizards quickly slide to their feet with no care over the heavy rain and dark clouds looming over their heads. With the awful weather, nobody is outside to witness the two Dragon Slayers crash out of the pub, nor Gajeel stepping through the broken window with a wide grin on his face.
"We gotta make this quick or it'll only cause more unneeded damage" told Rogue before he charges at Gajeel again but this time, he covers his fists with his Shadow Dragon Slayer Magic to enhance his strength.
Rogue throws a shadow-enhanced punch, only for it to hit the side of Gajeel's Iron Sword arm. From behind his arm, Gajeel smirks. "You talk too much." Rogue retains a sense of déjà vu as Gajeel uses his sword arm to throw him into the air.
Sting runs in front of Gajeel and throws a punch into Gajeel's face which glows a bright light upon impact. The punch not only staggers the Iron Dragon Slayer but causes him to go temporarily blind from the light.
Sting uses this to his favour by throwing a barrage of punches. Gajeel crosses his arms in front of his body to lessen the damage of each of them but an elbow to the gut forces him to bend over and cough out what air he might have in his lungs. As he hunches over to regain his lost breath, Rogue appears beside him and kicks his side, launching him down the street and into a pile of crates that collapse and bury him in the heavy wood.
"Damn, he's still as hard to hit as last time" Sting said as he waves his hand around to cool down the throbbing pain from punching Gajeel hard skin.
"Don't relax. He isn't out of it yet" warned Rogue.
"Yea, yea, I know."
As Sting says this, a powerful burst of green Dragon Slayer Magic explodes upwards and eradicates the pile of crates into nothing but toothpicks, showing off a scowling Gajeel. "I was going to play with you two at first but now... now I'm mad."
"And here I thought that we were the ones going easy on you" Sting feels obliged to eg on his fellow Dragon Slayer. That doesn't mean that he will underestimate him. A bright light shines over Sting and Rogue drowns himself in shadows, indicating that they have just activated White Drive and Shadow Drive.
Growling, Gajeel dashes towards the pair at the same time Sting and Rogue does and they meet in the middle. Gajeel quickly finds out that whatever his opponents just did, it has made them faster and stronger as they start throwing better attacks, forcing him to run back while blocking and dodging. Not only that but they are using better teamwork than he would expect, making it difficult for him to land a hit in.
Gajeel grunts as the duo kick him in the chest which has him skid down the road. Gajeel uses his Magic to grow hooks through his boots which stick into the floor and stops him from skidding. When he stops himself, Gajeel stands up straight and glares at his annoying opponent who take up a similar fighting stance. Having enough going easy on them, he takes in a deep breath and pulls his head back.
Knowing what is to come, Rogue and Sting follow his example and prepare to use their own version of the Spell.
"White Dragon Roar!"
"Shadow Dragon Roar!"
They throw out their head and spit out their own elements. Sting spits out a laser of light while Rogue unleashes a twister of shadows from his mouth. The Spells twist around each other and quickly form together into a Unison Raid version of a Dragon Roar Spell. It takes the shape of a beam of white and black energy that cuts through the ground as it sails towards Gajeel.
"Iron Dragon Roar!"
The Twin Dragons widen their eyes when Gajeel spits out a much larger Roar Spell that topples theirs in both power and size. Even with theirs in a Unison Raid, Gajeel's twister of iron shards is double the size of their Spell! The Unison Raid of White and Shadow Dragon Magic clash against Gajeel's Iron Dragon Roar Spell and for a few moments, they fight each other for supremacy. Only for Gajeel's to come out the victor and crush through the Unison Raid before enveloping the White and Shadow Dragon Slayers.
The Twin Dragons cry out in pain as they spin in the twister of iron shards before it spits them out across the street and into a three-storey building.
Gajeel cancels his Spell and smirks, arrogantly. His Spell not only threw away the annoying pests but it has also upturned the ground and the sides of the buildings beside the road. A fine accomplishment if he says so himself. His arrogant smirk dies down when he senses a pair of Magical signatures increase in power. His sharp eyes look towards the hole in the building he threw them in and sees the pests standing in the hole with what looks to be... scales growing on their bodies?
"Gajeel has gotten stronger since the Grand Magic Games" remarked Rogue as he cracks his neck to ease the annoying twitch in it.
Sting smirks and punches on hand into the open palm of his other one. "Then let's show him that we've gotten better as well." Rogue nods before he vanishes into a shadow.
Gajeel sees the dark one turn into a shadow and charge at himself from his left. As Rogue appears and throws a punch, Gajeel smirks and raises an arm to block the attack. Only for the force in the attack to catch Gajeel off guard and throw him into the building by the side of the street. Ignoring the screaming woman on the couch, Gajeel stands back up and cracks his neck and fingers.
Rogue appears by the hole in the wall to look in, just in time as Gajeel runs out of it and dives at him before he can change into a shadow. The Iron Dragon Slayer runs into the wall of the building across the road and runs himself and Rogue into it with the Sabertooth Mage taking the brunt of the damage.
Gajeel throws a punch to his head but Rogue vanishes into his shadow, the fist making a hole where his head use to be. Rogue appears behind Gajeel before he twists him around and throws a quick and powerful barrage of punches across Gajeel's face and chest.
This annoys the Iron Dragon Slayer who raises a leg and spartan kicks him in the chest. Rogue skids across the floor before he vanishes as a shadow.
Sting runs at Gajeel who notices the incoming White Dragon Slayer and prepares to meet him head on. As Sting throws a glowing fist, Gajeel covers himself with his Iron Dragon Scales and meets the punch with one of his own. As their fists meet, white and green sparks bounce off them as they try to overcome the other with their strength. Overtime, Gajeel realizes that his opponent's punch is overpowering his own and soon finds himself flying in the air.
Sting clasps his palms together and concentrates his Dragon Slayer Magic into them. "Holy Ray!" he announced as he releases a heavy barrage of white arrows at Gajeel which causes him to cry out in pain.
While still in midair and after Sting finishes his Spell, Rogue appears overhead and sucks in his breath. "Shadow Dragon Roar!" The twister of shadows collide into Gajeel and slams him into the pavement while also drilling him into the ground.
"There's no way that's it" thought Sting, remembering from experience that it will take more than that to take down Gajeel.
Just as he thought, Gajeel gets back up with the most damage done to him being his torn up shirt. There are no scratches on his Iron dragon Scales, not like Sting thinks it would be that easy to cut through them. Gajeel throws an arm which changes into an iron pillar which Sting dodges by stepping to the side and then wraps his arms around it in a tight grip.
"You're not going an-Woah!" Sting is proven wrong when Gajeel reverts his arm back to normal, therefore, bringing Sting along for the ride since he's holding onto the arm. The next thing he knows is pain after Gajeel punches him across he face and with the Iron Dragon Scales, it hurts even more than usual. Sting would have flown back a few feet if it isn't for Rogue appearing behind him and pushing his back to keep him on his feet. "Thanks."
"Iron Dragon Sword!" yelled Gajeel as he pierces his sword into Rogue as Sting tilts to the side to avoid the very sharp and powerful weapon. Unfortunately, the Dragon Slayer disappears in a mass of shadows before appearing right in front of Gajeel with his mouth already puffed out.
"Shadow Dragon Roar!"
With Rogue being so close, Gajeel can't dodge so he crosses his arms to wear out as much of the Spell as he can. With it hitting him at point blank range, he finds his balance thrown off and spins from the twister of shadows which explode upon him hitting a fountain.
"He really is tough" muttered Sting as he wipes some blood off his smirking lips. Rogue smirks as well, enjoying the fight between Gajeel. He never really did get much of a fight with Gajeel during the Grand Magic Games. Not with Natsu disrupting their fight in the tag team battle and him being possessed by the Shadow during the final day.
"Iron Dragon Spears!"
From within the dust cloud of what remains of the fountain, dozens of green spears cut through the dust and fly towards the Sabertooth Wizards. Just like before, Rogue vanishes into a shadow and Rogue jumps off a wall into the air to avoid the mass of spears.
Rogue reappears behind Gajeel and throws a roundhouse kick at the back of his head, only for Gajeel to grab his leg without even looking back at him. "What?!"
"Got you."
Rogue gasps out in pain when a pillar of iron hits him in the chest and forces him to hit into a wall of a building. Gajeel doesn't take the chance and throws pillar after pillar at Rogue which pushes him deeper and deeper into the wall of rock. He would continue his assault if it isn't for the sound of rushing wind that his sharp ears pick up. Instead, he slams a pillar deep into the floor underneath him.
Overhead, Sting pulls back his fist and concentrates his Magic for a White Dragon Holy Nova Spell. It may cause some damage to the nearby buildings but he can always pay for everything lost. What he doesn't expect is for a massive pillar of iron to pop out of he ground and hit him, ruining his concentration, as well as throw him even higher into the air.
"Iron Dragon Spears!"
Now high in the air, Sting can only cross his arms to somewhat lessen the pain of the few dozen spears of Iron Dragon Slayer Magic hit him all over his body. He has nothing to stop his cries of pain, though.
Rogue manages to push himself out of the wall and attack Gajeel as he maniacally throws spear after spear at Sting. His attack never hits as Gajeel ducks underneath his fist and kicks his feet from under him before transforming his leg into a pillar of iron and kicks him in the stomach. Once again, Rogue finds himself pushed against he wall but his time, there's an iron pillar keeping him there. Not for long as Gajeel swings his leg and pushes Rogue against the walls of the nearby buildings, skidding him across the wood and rock before he runs out of wall and simply flicks him into the air.
"White Dragon Roar!" roared Sting as he spits out a laser beam at Gajeel. To his surprise, Gajeel spreads out his arms and takes the attack, causing him to grunt and skids back a few feet. When the Spell dies down, Sting sees that his powerful Spell did nothing to Gajeel chest of iron, other than burn it a little. Down the road from behind Gajeel, Rogue winces as he tries to push himself up to his feet, finding it quite difficult to do so.
Gajeel runs at Sting with a laugh and commences a hand-to-hand fight with his fellow Dragon Slayer and from how Gajeel is pushing Sting back, it's obvious to everyone who may be watching that Gajeel is winning. An iron knee meets Sting's stomach which causes him to cough out spittle and some blood before his face meets the pavement after Gajeel slams an elbow down on the back of his head. Gajeel pulls back his left leg and kicks Sting back to his partner as the pair ly on the floor in pain.
"Is that it?! I finally meet more Dragon Slayers and this is the best they can do? I'm disappointed!" exclaimed Gajeel with a laugh. His long dark hair shadow his eyes from the light, showing off his red eyes that are glowing from within the shadows.
Rogue pushes off his elbows to slowly get to his knees, careful to avoid hurting himself even more than he has. "I-I always k-knew that h-he was strong b-but not to t-this extent!"
Sting punches the ground and uses his fist as leverage to get onto his knees. "It's l-like fighting N-Natsu a-all over a-again."
Both Twin Dragons glance at each other and nod together in unison, seemingly agreeing with the same thought in mind. The pair slowly get back up to their feet and the fact that Gajeel let's them doesn't escape their notice. With Sting being to the right, he pulls back his right arm while Rogue does the same with his left.
Gajeel folds his arms and watch their action, curiously. His eyes widen, not in surprise but with glee as a white orb of Dragon Slayer Magic and a black one appears from behind the two and the orbs only seem to get larger and larger. From the amount of Magic they're draining into the orbs, he can tell that whatever Spell they are hoping to use, it's going to be powerful.
"That's it! Show me what you've got in one last stand!" yelled Gajeel in delight and excitement as he summons up his own Dragon Slayer Magic.
The two orbs of White and Shadow Dragon Slayer Magic shrink down from the size of a house to the size of golf balls before the pair mix them together to form one single ball of packed up Magic that looks to be threatening to blow. At the same time, Gajeel slams his palms over his head as his entire body glows a bright green, signifying his Iron Dragon Slayer Magic is at work.
"Holy Shadow Dragons Flash Fang!" In perfect synchronization, Rogue and Sting throw out their fists and unleashes the ball of Dragon Slayer Magic which explodes outwards in a powerful beam of shadows and light.
Even with the very powerful Spell on the verge of hitting him, Gajeel smirks with arrogance dripping off of every pour in his body.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Karma Demon Iron God Sword!" he roared with enough ferocity to cause the Twin Dragons to almost falter from how the powerful roar seems to shake the floor underneath their feet.
"A Dragon's..."
"...Roar."
"RRRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
( Flashback End )
"I'm sure you can guess the rest" said Sting while he waves his body around to address his injuries. When he finishes his story, whispers emerge from everyone listening.
"Gajeel's alive?"
"Did he seriously mess them up that badly?"
"Please tell me that you don't actually believe that crap."
"Enough!" The shout doesn't come from Makarov but from Pantherlily who has shifts into his humanoid form before he walks over to Rogue and picks him up by the collar, uncaring of the many injuries all over his person. "Do you seriously expect me to believe that you saw Gajeel? Alive!? After I saw him die with my very own two eyes!? Don't you dare insult me!"
Erza walks behind Pantherlily and puts a hand on his shoulder, not as a sign of compassion but as a wsrning. "Lily! Put him down, now!" She squeezes his shoulder to emphasize that she's serious.
Pantherlily looks over his shoulder and matches Erza's stern glare with one of his own. "I'm sorry but I can't follow your order, Erza. Not this time. He finds it funny to joke about a dead man and I intend to teach him a lesson." Ignoring Erza squeezing his shoulder even tighter, Pantherlily pulls back his fist to punch Rogue's already bruised face. Before he can do so, a soft and gentle hand grabs his arm, forcing him to stop. He glances to see who is foolish enough to stop him but all he sees is the blue hair and hopeful blue eyes of a certain bookworm.
"Levy..."
"W-Was it r-really him?" she asked, shakily but with a hint of hope in her voice that is obvious to everyone listening.
"Unless there's a Gajeel lookalike who can use Iron Dragon Slayer Magic like him" shrugged Sting who regrets doing so when he feels his ribs creak under the strain.
"Besides, we've got proof" Rogue commented while he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a black cloth.
'Whats that?" Lisanna asked.
"This is a piece of Gajeel's shirt. I got it from the battle sight before we left."
"And what are we suppose to do with that?" asked Wakaba as he takes a drag of his cigar.
"A Dragon never forgets a scent." Rogue looks at Natsu and Wendy and offers the piece of cloth to them.
"That's right! We can have Natsu and Wendy sniff it for Gajeel's scent" exclaimed Lucy in understand while hitting a fist into her open palm.
"Go on flamebrain, work your Magic" said Gray before he pushes Natsu forward to Rogue.
"Don't push me around, pervert!"
"What was that!? You wanna go?!"
Erza appears between the two with a cold and stern look in her eyes that tell them all they need to know but she does so anyway. "Stop fighting. Natsu, smell the cloth" she ordered.
"Aye, aye ma'am!" he saluted. Natsu may be Zeref's most powerful Demon and a Dragon Slayer to boot but it means nothing when in the presence of one, Erza Scarlet. He takes the cloth and takes a deep whiff of the material and gags. "Yuck! That's Gajeel alright."
"Are you sure?" asked Mirajane.
"Positive. Nobody smells of iron and rust more than iron head. Actually, I can smell something else off him..."
"What is it?" asked Lucy.
"I don't know. Smells like... lavender?"
"Maybe it's a girl" giggled Macao, copies him but both cry out in pain when Lisanna and Cana hit them at the back of their heads. "What was that for?!" Lisanna glares at the two old men and points at Levy. Macao and Wakaba's eyes widen in recognition upon seeing Levy's distraught expression.
"Am I too late?"
While Levy doesn't want to think of such a thing, it has been two years since they've seen each other and from what Sting and Rogue say, he is suffering from amnesia. If he doesn't remember the Twin Dragons then what are the odds that he won't recognize anyone from the Guild? He won't remember all the fun times in the Guild or their adventures in Fairy Tail.
He won't remember her.
She comes back to reality to the warm hand on her right shoulder. Following the arm, she sees Juvia, smiling. "Don't fret. Gajeel isn't someone to forget about anything he cares about . Even you."
"B-But..."
"No ifs, ands or buts. We will go out and find him and bring him back home. I'm sure Porylusica can help Gajeel's memory loss somehow" said Juvia, slightly comforting Levy from the friendly smile and positive words. Levy can't help herself but smile as well, only for the thought of Gajeel coming back home and alive.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's bring back metalhead!" roared Natsu, spewing out flames into the air. Everyone else cheers and raises their arms in the air to show their support.
Watching from his wheelchair, Makarov smiles as he gazes at the happy faces of his children. "Mira..."
By his side, Mira smiles and glances down at the former Wizard Saint. "Yes, Master?"
"Could you be a dear and take down the picture. I don't think it will be needed anymore."
Mirajane blinks two times before she smiles again and nods. "Of course, Master."
"Thank you."
xXx
"Kil... me..." groaned Natsu who is hanging himself outside of the open window in the train's carriage.
At the moment, the group has taken the train from Magnolia to Gallowstown, hoping that the Iron Dragon Slayer hasn't moved on yet. The group selected to find Gajeel is Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza, Wendy, Levy and of course, the three Exceeds, Happy, Pantherlily and Carla.
While sitting beside the window, Levy looks out to see the moving greenery blur past but she pays little attention to it all, preferring to use her smart brain to predict how the reunion with Gajeel will turn out. She knows that it won't be all hugs and kisses, even with his memory restored. Gajeel isn't that type of person. However, she fears that he has reverted back, not into the man he use to be after joining Fairy Tail but the monster he was when he was in Phantom Lord. His aggression towards Rogue and Sting indicates that he has and she fears for the possibility of it being true.
Gajeel wasn't exactly the kindest individual when he was apart of Phantom Lord. She can personally attest to that from experience.
"Calm down. We don't even know if Gajeel is still in Gallowstown. Save the bad thoughts for later."
"So, what's the plan?" asked Gray as he turns away from the window to look at Erza.
Erza folds her arms across her chest and closes her eyes in thought. "Once we arrive in Gallowstown, we'll split up into teams to find clues on Gajeel's whereabouts. Natsu and Wendy will try to use their keen sense of smell to see if he's still in the area."
"Sounds good" Pantherlilly agreed with a nod.
"What if he isn't too friendly to see us?" asked Lucy, feeling a shiver travel down her body. While she personally doesn't hate the Dragon Slayer, she hasn't exactly forgotten about her experience with him during the war with Phantom Lord. "It's not like he was any nicer to Sting and zrogue when he met them."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." The glint in Erza's eyes tells Lucy that the conversation is over and she best not try and bring it back.
"Ok..."
As they finish speaking, a voice talks from the speaker over everyone's heads.
"Last stop, Gallowstown."
"Hear that, Natsu? We're finally here" announced Happy with a smile.
"Yay-bleuh!"
( 20 Minutes Later - Gallowstown )
"Woah..."
"Holy..."
"Gajeel did this?!"
In the centre of the small town is a massive trench that looks to be twenty feet wide and stretches from the town square and looses itself into the think forest on the outskirts of Gallowstown. What's even more shocking is the darkness that fills the trench, making it hard for everyone to tell how deep it really is. Gray tests it by dropping a coin in it to see how deep it is. Seeing as he has dropped it ten minutes ago and he still hasn't heard it land, he can make a good guess on how deep it is.
Pantherlily folds his little arms together and smirks as he gazes down the trench. "Gajeel has gotten stronger." To a few ears, it's almost like he's boasting Gajeel's destruction.
"How in Earthland did Sting and Rogue survive this?!" Lucy basically yelled as she looks at the French in every angle, as if to find the reason on how the Twin Dragons simply left with bruises and a few broken bones. She's positive that whatever Gajeel used on them to make this, it would simply kill her. No questions asked.
"It's about time we split up. We'll cover more ground this way" told Erza with a clap, getting agreements from everyone one.
Everyone except for Natsu who snaps his head up and sniffs. "I smell him." Before anyone can ask, he bolts down the road, ignoring Lucy and Haopy's cries as he leaves them in his dust.
"Follow him! Don't lose sight of him!" pointed Erza before she runs after the Dragon Slayer with everyone else following. The chase over Natsu moves from the small town to the outskirts and near the countryside. Twenty minutes of nonstop running later and Natsu finally stops, allowing everyone to catch up and for Levy and Lucy to catch their breaths.
'This is it."
After getting her breath back, Levy pushes off of her knees to see where they are and blanches at the sight. She sees that she's standing right in front of a picked white fence, freshly painted from the looks of it. Leading from the fence to what looks to be a lovely bungalow is a small path that splits the large garden in half before it stops by the front door. From her angle and Natsu's drooling, she can see a pie that looks to be cooling on the windowsill. The garden looks perfect with the grass being a perfect shade of green and having been cut recently. There are even a few toys and dolls littering the garden, indicating that a little girl lives in the house. There's even a little children's slide for their entertainment. Beside the house is a large apple tree which seems to be filled to the brim with appetizing red apples. It's tilting on its side, giving the house a bit of shade from the sun over their heads. Hanging from one of the larger branches of the tree is a swing which Happy tries to fly to if it isn't for Carla and Pantherlily holding him back.
All in all, it looks like the perfect home to raise a family in.
Suddenly, the bad feeling in Levy's stomach comes back.
"This is where Gajeel lives?" Pantherlily thought, even blinking a few times to make sure he isn't seeing things.
"No~t what I was expecting" said Gray, looking around to see anything that could prove that Gajeel lives here. Yet, there isn't a single piece of half-eaten metal in sight.
Juvia blushes a deep shade of red when she pictures herself and Gray raising a family in the same house. "I-It's perfect!"
"There's only one way to find out" said Erza as she opens the picket gate and walks to the front door. Everyone else, reluctantly follows her lead, although some carefully watch their feet in case of a trap.
Erza knocks onto the door and takes a step back before folding her arms. Everyone waits for someone to answer and the wait almost kills Levy as she fiddles with the bottom of her sundress. Soon, they can hear footsteps from behind the door and a shadow through the small window in it.
"This is it" Levy thought while she tries to calm down her beating heart that threatens to pop out of her chest if it doesn't slow down soon.
The doorknob twists open almost too painfully slow for Levy's taste but she holds back the want to push it open herself, only to find out the truth faster. With it finally does open, everyone expects to see the gruff form of Gajeel Redfox.
Not a little girl who stares up at them with childlike curiosity. Levy guesses her to be around four years of age. The little girl is wearing a little blue sundress with frills on the bottom and a pair if dark blue sandals. Her hair is a dark shade of purple which stops by her shoulders and her curious brown eyes look up at the Fairy Tail Wizards.
"Who are you?" she asked, tilting her head at them, cutely.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"EH!" is everyone's smart response. Even Erza is at a lost of words and that doesn't happen often.
"Honey, who is it?" came a familiar voice from inside the bungalow. The speaker walks out to the hallway and stands behind the little girl, unknowingly emphasizing the massive difference in size between the two, seeing as the little girl only reaches to his knees.
Levy's eyes slowly enlarge as she takes in the appearance of the man in front of her. Long mane of black hair, red eyes with slit pupils, studs all across his face, ears and arms, familiar set of scars across his right arm and the same gloves that she has yet to see him be without. As plain as day itself, standing in front of her is none other than Gajeel Redfox, alive and well.
She almost charges at him for a cheerful hug if it isn't for the few 'accessories' that he is adorning. Said accessories being the hairband that pulls his hair back into a high ponytail which almost has him look like some form of royalty. Over his black, sleeveless shirt is a white apron with the words "Kiss the Cook" printed onto the front of it in red bold letters.
"Gajeel...?" Levy has to ask, blinking along with everyone else as none of them expect to see Gajeel look like a stay at home dad.
Gajeel looks down at Levy, making her involuntarily blush from his sudden attention. She's only now realizing that she's not mentally prepared for this. Gajeel frowns as he studies Levy's face.
"Who are you?"
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