Books, Bolts, and Something Inbetween

By Tsuskasa Hirokumo

The sun was shining, the sky was clear and a soft blue color. All was well in the town of Magnolia. Well, not including Fairy Tail. There was always something wrong there. Today unfortunately was no different.

Levy was, as always, reading a book in the least rowdy corner of the guild. Jet and Droy usually stayed away from her while she was reading, as to not face her wrath if they disturbed her. They sighed, squinting to try and read the cover of her book. It, of course, was written in a whole other consisting of a bunch of circles and lines.

They shook their heads and admired the new guild for the millionth time. They couldn't wait for the others to return to show them this. They snickered at the faces they imagined them having.

"Sigh." Levy, for once, was not focusing on her book. Instead, she was trying to recall a certain chain of events that happened recently. She looked down at her bandages and scars to remind her. She shuddered.

In a rush of wind, a strange man appeared right in front of Levy as she was trying to read a book. She glared up at the intruder, immediately regretting it as she saw him. Glaring red eyes, piercings along his chin, nose, and eyebrows, complete with a mad, sadistic grin. Jet and Droy rushed in front of her; no way was he going to hurt her.

"Eh?" He spoke with a deep voice dripping with intent to kill. "Eh, a couple of brave fairy losers trying to face me?"

He started laughing, backing away for room to enjoy his show.

"Who are you? What are you here for?" Levy asked, a bit shaky as she stood up. He smiled once more. "Oh, I forget to tell you my name."

His grin got even wider, and Levy felt even smaller.

"I'm Gajeel! Now, stand still."

He launched a metal pole at Jet, sending him reeling backwards. He hit a brick wall as he landed, knocking him unconscious.

"Gihihi! That's all you guys got?!"

He easily dodged Droy's plants, and used them as a step, launching himself into Droy, pummeling him in the face with a metal club he made from his arm.

Droy landed in a heap alongside Jet. Only Levy was left to witness her two friend's pain. She shook with rage and fear.

"Why would you do that to them!? You're a monster!" She swore she could see his eyes flash with a tiny spark of mixed feelings as she said those words, but it was probably nothing as he grinned once more.

"Solid Script, fire!" She wrote the word in the air, turning it into a blue flare which she launched at Gajeel. He was a little bit interested in her ability, but he was under direct orders to shake up Fairy Tail, his enemy. This little annoyance was an enemy too. With that in mind, he easily dodged and ran straight for her.

"Solid Script, shield!" She cast an energy shield around her, trying to protect herself from Gajeel's onslaught. But he smiled all the same.

"You think that's going to keep me out?!" He laughed, opening his mouth to show all of his canine teeth. He really was a monster.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" He blasted her with his magic, shattering her shield and sending her flying, bruised and cut up, to join her two guildmates, not moving, on the ground. She couldn't remember anything else, only waking up in Fairy Tail's infirmary, covered by two banged up, crying guild members, Jet and Droy.

She was hoping that she would never have to go through that again. She hoped that she would never have to think of Gajeel again, or remember his name. But she knew that the memory was engraved in her past, and even with a spell she knew that could erase her own memory, she could never forget that man's cruelty, if he was a man. It seemed to her that he was more of a demon than anything.

She went on pretending to read her book, thinking about what he did to her, and hating and fearing him for it. Mostly feared.

Gajeel didn't see Makarov walk away. Instead, he was busy crazing over what he just did. He just fuckin' agreed to join Fairy Tail! Why in the hell would I do that?!

He thought as he paced around, not even noticing Makarov's giant smirk as he turned a corner to go back to Fairy Tail.

Gajeel sighed deeply.

I don't even deserve it. He recalled all of the things he did to Fairy Tail and its members. I am a monster, Gajeel thought, remembering what that blue-haired girl Levy called him.

"I'm nothing like a fairy." he muttered under his breath as he packed some metal into his bag; the only thing he had that he could actually call his own; and reluctantly started to walk towards Makarov, the one that would lead him to his own future.

"If I have one," The dragon slayer sighed.