First part of the Gajevy Medusa AU I have been working on over at Tumblr. You can see fanart people have drawn for me for it at my writing tumblr: tag/fanart 8) Please go and look at them and appreciate them they're all amazing and I'm so happy.

(c)Mashima

They were to be ugly, the gorgons or 'medusas' whatever name you heard when the monsters were talked about. So ugly that just a glimpse of them would turn you to stone or even if you avoided seeing them just having their eyes, huge and red, look onto you would cause you to turn into stones. So they were monsters to be avoided, scared of since even if weak and not much of a fighting powers (depending which you saw of course) they only depended on their ugliness and eyes to win and usually they did.

Hardly any solider or idiot came back alive who went out to seek fortune in killing one.

Gorgons were never kind enough to leave the statue where they fought, they were always smashed so only a finger or something audibly human and proved that the stones were the person were brought back to crying mother and fathers, or lovers.

Of course they were not, by any means, undefeatable, especially if you were lucky enough to find one that got the unlucky curse of being mortal; no one knew why such ones existed but no one wanted to question it, to think someone that humans could become one would be too frightening to think of. So it was never mentioned only celebrated when one was said to be dead and to celebrate the hero who was able to do such a thing gave hope to them.

So that was one reason Gajeel had set out that morning, to go where they lived on the other side of the small island country that spilt in half with a huge wall to separate the humans and monsters (which was a load of shit to him since it didn't seem to work at times) of course Gajeel wasn't an idiot and was prepared for what was to come, unlike the humans of his village he had the advantage of knowing how to deal with monsters, being one raised by a fearful dragon that once rampaged there (and was no gone to who knows where certainly not Gajeel) but it was an advantage he was thankful, able to use some kind of magic (no one knew he didn't feel like being burned at the stake or at least have that memory relieved in this village) that was able to turn his body into iron and the ability to even eat it as well. So hopefully it would be some kind of defense against one who could turn those into stone with just her eyes.

He heard the hissing first, her hair, even just the sound of multiple snakes hissing caused Gajeel's heart to pound, not much was known just why their hair was that of snakes or what they did. But nevertheless he stopped, looking through the bushes to see one, very small, gorgon sitting under a tree. Her 'hair' if it could be called that, was blue, seemingly over 20 snakes moved around on her head hissing and moving. One even pushed against her (scaled?) cheek and her very small (scaled?) hand reached up, touching it, petting it like a pet.

It was a strange sight to see.

Her body was even stranger; it was human but obviously scaled like a snake too. It wasn't the same color as her snakes but a green color, she wore something that covered only her chest and a long skirt, everything else exposed. It was then as his eyes studied her that she seemed to take notice of him having her head turned suddenly and before he could move out of the way, it was just a second in which he would lose his life or not he saw her face.

The stories were wrong.

It took him three visits for the monster to finally say something that she had actually noticed him, The Gorgon had known someone was watching her and it wasn't anything new that she would be 'stalked' and watched like a deer, it was amusing at times that they would give up the moment they saw her blindfold or some would get courageous but always left with an injury, but alive.

Levy always made sure they were alive; even if they were after her own life.

He was different though and it made her curious of the killing intent he obviously had was now gone but he still watched her. So, with the idiotic intention she spoke to him: "Aren't you hot?"

Silence.

He was gone.

Levy gave a sigh as her hand reaching back around her head and tearing the blindfold off. She smiled softly when the snakes nearer to her face pushed against her cheeks, comforting in their own way and soft hisses.

"You're not as ugly as the stories say." The deep, rough voice suddenly said. Levy's red eyes snapped open and then she shit them her hands covering her eyes in those seconds.

"W-what a way to talk to a girl you just met!" the monster said angrily her hand searching for her cloth to retie it, cursing at her taking her guard down and it was then she felt someone touched her hand, it was strange to feel contact that she almost pulled away and then the cloth was put into her hand.

"Ya need help?"

"Why are you helping me?" she said slowly then her heart pounding and everything hazy, maybe someone finally got the best of her. She was so stupid to think this human was different because he had no killing intent. How lonely was she after all these centuries? "Tell me" she hissed looking forward at where she heard him from, eyes still shut tightly.

"Forked tongue how interesting, Ghihi, you're like a walking snake but yer not ugly."

Levy glared at him, as much as someone who had her eyes shut could glare at him, "You're very cocky." She stood up then, clutching her bag and book she held, as well as her walking stick. "I won't stand to be treated like this by some human." She felt hot her heart pounding.

"Oi" he grabbed her hand then causing her to turn towards them their bodies close to each other. "Sorry." She felt her nose wrinkle up from that, but it had been a long time since she had heard that word, let alone said to her.

"What do you want?"

He shrugged, which she just sensed from how his hand that still held her wrist moved and she bet he was smirking too; "A way out, you?"

"To be left in peace"

"That can work." As he said that he let go and Levy cocked an eyebrow at him as she to face where she felt he was, moving her hands to put the cloth back around her eyes so she could safely open her eyes. She only saw shadowed images but it kept those around her safe so it was better than nothing.

"You say you want a way out but you were hunting me." She smiled, her forked tongue moving out between her lips, "I'm sure that's not you're only intention."

"I'm looking for someone and seeing ya made me realize I could get help."

"What made you think that?"

"Ya haven't killed me yet. And I haven't killed you yet?" Levy smiled at that amused and he caught this is voice irritated, "either way shrimpy snake." Her red eyes widen at that. "Let's make a deal"

She ignored the nickname, "deal?"

"What's your name?" she suddenly asked her head titled, he finally seemed to notice the snakes milling around on top of her head, staring at him. Gajeel felt a chill went down his spine, for a moment there he forgot who he was speaking too.

"Gajeel"

"Ga…jeel" she said slowly as if tasting his name, it even looked like she licked her lips, she smiled softly it was strange but Gajeel didn't dislike it. "Gajeel" she 'looked' up at him again smiling. "Nice to meet you my name is Levy." And she put out her hand and without second thought he grabbed it, shaking it.

"Levy eh? Didn't expect that" and Levy laughed then as she pulled away her hand reaching up and touching one of the snakes under its chin.

"What you think all of us are named 'Medusa'?" she laughed again, "No its Levy. So what is this deal? I don't think I'll get anything out of it." She mused.

"I need to find a dragon" Levy stiffened as he said that, her head tilting and a so much hissing came from her hair he couldn't help but step back from her.

"Dragon…huh? I see I knew it." She smiled, her cheeks hurt from how much she smiled but Levy didn't mind it. "I will, I feel that something will come from this in some way." She felt her chest tightened, there was something she wanted and felt ashamed that this human had gotten to her as he did, but it was different; Made life different for a moment.

"Gihi."

Maybe the stories were wrong; humans weren't so bad.