"The Dragon"

. . .

Gajeel Redfox was no ordinary mage. From a young age he had shown both great power and great potential. As a child, his adopted father, Metalicana, a formidable mage himself, had gone to great lengths to nurture the boy in his skills, helping to develop both his offensive and defensive capabilities to their fullest.

Growing up, Gajeel tried not to think about the time of his life before Metalicana had taken him in. He'd grown up in a terribly underfunded orphanage outside Oak Town. The headmistress of the establishment used the money given by the city to line her own pockets at the expense of the children under her care.

Gajeel had no idea how he'd ended up at the orphanage, and when he tried to ask, he was given the same answer every other child was told, "'Cause you were a brat and your parents didn't love you. Now leave me alone!"

The headmistress didn't like to be bothered by the children so when Gajeel's magic started manifesting itself at a young age, it started causing problems. Around the age of five, the young boy's body would begin to transform, suddenly changing into large iron polls that would go smashing through walls unexpectedly. While asleep, if he had a particularly bad dream, he would wake up to find that he'd blown half the beds up against the other wall after "yawning."

So by the mere age of six, the child found himself homeless, out on the streets, trying to fend for himself. His senses were good and he often took himself out into the forest to hunt. He was often able to run down a rabbit or squirrel and after a few run ins with bad bouts of food poisoning, had pretty much figured out how to cook the animals correctly.

But life living in the forest, in a makeshift shelter, which barely kept out the elements, with no one to care for you or tell you that you were loved, can be a hard existence for a six-year-old boy.

It was in this state, that Metalicana Redfox found the young boy. Trekking through the forest one day on his way back to his home after doing some training of his own, he happened across a child that was far too young to be on his own. After asking a few questions of the boy and establishing that he was indeed orphaned, Metalicana told him that, if he pleased, he could come and stay with him.

The boy was hesitant at first. He trusted very little and he had every right to be skeptical of people. Between the orphanage and they way he was treated by people when he asked for assistance on the streets, he had little respect for "civilized society." But the man's offer of food and a warm bed was too tempting to resist and so Gajeel warily followed the man back into town.

Over the next several months, Gajeel spent increasing time at the man's residence, slowly allowing himself to develop trust. While at first he only showed up for dinner when he couldn't make a catch or when the weather was horrid, his visits became more frequent.

Metalicana lived modestly for how well off he was. Being a powerful mage, he took jobs throughout the city and abroad, using his skills and was paid heavily for it. Yet his home, while comfortable, was not extravagant. It was a small rowhouse in the Market District of the town. Two bedrooms upstairs, a kitchen and greatroom downstairs made up the floorplan.

The man himself, unmarried and (to the dismay of many hopeful women) happy with that choice, was well liked within the city. In his mid-forties, the use of his magic had turned his hair a magnificent shade of silver that caught the eyes of many while outside. His quick and often stinging sense of humor was always a hit at social events for those who didn't take themselves too seriously.

When Gajeel finally built up the courage to admit to—whom he was starting to see as a father figure—the fact that he had some sort of magic within him, the boy was nearly terrified. The last time such a fact had been discovered, he had lost what little home and friends he had, left to fend for himself on the streets.

But Metalicana did not respond as the boy had expected. Instead, the mage delighted in discovering Gajeel's magic and promised the boy that he could teach him how to control and even use his magic to provide himself a great living.

The two were a perfect fit. Since Metalicana used a form of metal magic himself, he was easily able to teach Gajeel how to control and wield his magic and within just a few years, Gajeel's strength had grown immensely.

While painful to remember, Gajeel knew that the moment Metalicana smiled proudly at the revelation he was a mage was the moment the man had finally torn down the last barrier the boy had erected against people. From that moment forward, Gajeel permanently stayed with Metalicana. The two trained hard when they could and bonded easily. By the age of eight, Gajeel's strength and magic had progressed so strongly that the mage even took the boy on some of his easier missions.

The day that Metalicana came home with official adoption papers had been one of the happiest days of Gajeel's life. He felt like he finally had someone that loved him—it was all he had every truly wanted.

And then one day—it was all gone. Gajeel was ten at the time. He remembered seeing his adopted father packing a few things into a bedroll for a job. "Can't I go with you, pops?" the young boy asked, bounding over to bounce on the bed.

"I'm afraid not, son. But don't worry, I'll be home soon," he said, affectionately ruffling Gajeel's thick black hair. Gajeel had taken to wearing it like his fathers, cropped about an inch long to his head and slicked back to keep out of his eyes. However, whereas Metlicana's always seemed to stay in place flawlessly, Gajeel's hair often sprouted wild ends that escaped his gel.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" the boy asked lazily. His father going on jobs he couldn't accompany was nothing new. He was strong but Metalicana took some serious jobs from time to time that he just wasn't old enough to handle.

"No more than a week, I promise," the man responded. Finishing packing his supplies, the man hoisted the bedroll onto his shoulder and headed downstairs to the front door. "Keep the place safe while I'm gone," he called out to Gajeel.

The boy ran down the stairs, latching onto his father and giving him a big hug before he left. "I will. I love you, dad," the boy said softly. The father leaned down to return the embrace. "I love you too, son."

Those were the last words Gajeel had ever heard his father say. The man never came home. The first week was easy-going. Gajeel worked on his training, went to the store to stock the fridge and enjoyed his time alone. Metalicana had never fussed about leaving him alone—even at such a small age, considering he had at one time lived in the forest by himself.

But as time ticked forward into the second week without any sign of Metalicana's return, Gajeel started to grow worried. He tried to go around to various businesses in town, asking whether his father had taken a job from them. Everyone gave him a resounding no.

By the third week, Gajeel was frantic and he would have gone out to look for his father but he had no idea where to go. He contacted the police and they said they would help but they didn't seem to do much.

A month passed and still no word of Metalicana. Gajeel started taking trips out to neighboring villages, trying to search for his father, but had no luck. Each time he returned home feeling more weary and broken.

After two months, the police contacted Gajeel, informing him that Metalicana was assumed to have died on his mission and handed the small boy his will. The man had left everything to him, his wealth, his home, everything. It was quite a small fortune that this ten-year-old boy inherited, and he made it last as well as he could.

Gajeel realized quickly that if he was to keep what his father had given him, he would need to start working. But who would hire a ten year old, despite his strength, as a mage? Gajeel returned to all the businesses in the area, asking if they had any jobs he could take. All refused him except one: Phantom Lord.

Phantom Lord was a mercenary business and operated somewhat on the edges of the law. The members had never outright caused problems and often lined the pockets of the local police force, so they were allowed to continue in their often-shady dealings.

Jose, the owner of Phantom Lord was somewhat lacking in terms of morals and was not opposed to allowing a ten-year-old boy to take on jobs if it meant more money for his business. The man figured if the boy got injured, well that just wasn't his fault. And if he proved himself a fighter, then it was someone he could shape and mold for his personal use in the future.

Jose had seen the hurt and despair in the boys eyes when he came asking for work. Something had clearly gone awry in the boy's few years to cause such pain in his eyes. But whereas others might seek to help the youth, Jose only sought to grow this pain. To him, pain was a way to control people, and after taking a few jobs and showing his true strength, Gajeel was someone Jose deeply wanted to control.

So at first, Gajeel visited the business very infrequently, only appearing to take and return job requests. But once the young boy started to eat a few meals there, Jose made an effort to talk with him on a regular basis. At first it was just simple hellos, then small conversations about how he was doing on jobs.

As Gajeel grew, Jose started deepening their conversations, delving into the boy's past. He found out about the orphanage and about his adopted father. Everyone in town was surprised to hear that Metalicana had disappeared. But Jose used these facts to feed the anger and hurt he saw lurking beneath Gajeel's surface.

"My father skipped town one day too, you know," Jose lied to Gajeel one day over breakfast. The then-twelve year old looked up at him with wide eyes. "Yep. Just up and left me and my siblings behind to fend for ourselves," the man said nodding. Jose could see he had Gajeel's attention now. Running his hand through his dark hair tied back tight in a ponytail, he continued. "Found out that the bastard had another family and I guess he liked them better than he liked us."

Gajeel's pained look at the owner nearly made the man giddy. "Metalicana wouldn't do that," the young boy said softly. "He loved me."

Jose patted the boy's back gently, rising to his feet. "Yeah, I thought that about my father, too. But you've got a new family, Gajeel. Phantom Lord is your family now. Forget about that man."

Conversations like these continued over the years and it worked. Master Jose was able to poison Gajeel's image of Metalicana to the point where the now sixteen year old didn't even want to speak his name anymore. Moving out of the house he inherited to rent a place closer to the business, Gajeel allowed the home to fall into disrepair. The boy stopped wearing his hair like his father's, opting instead to allow it to grow long and untamed down his back, more like Jose's.

Gajeel took increasingly dangerous jobs and the use of his magic had become increasingly violent. Metalicana had always taught him to use restraint and to always look for an alternative to physical altercations if he could help it. But the rage that Jose grew within Gajeel wiped all that away, producing one of the most ruthless mages in Oak Town.

And so it was that on one stormy evening, as the wind howled and the rain beat fiercely against the windows of Phantom Lord's headquarters, situated in the hills outside of Oak Town, that an old beggar woman came to the door.

It was Gajeel, then eighteen, who answered. Looking down at the women he scoffed. She was old and somewhat frail. Her bright pink hair was tied into a tight knot on the top of her head and she wore a long red cloak to keep out the weather. "I seek shelter from the storm," she asked of him.

Gajeel stood, barring her entrance from the warmth of the hall. The wind whipped around him, blowing his dark mane about, giving him a sinister air. "Yeah?" he taunted. "And what's in it for us? We don't just let old beggars crash here. It ain't a shelter lady," he sneered.

The woman reached into her cloak and pulled out a beautiful crystal orb. Inside it was a brilliant light that filled the area with a beautiful silver glow. "I offer you this in return for your hospitality," the woman said, holding the object up for Gajeel's inspection.

But the mage just jeered at her. "I don't want your stinking snow globe, lady. Get lost!" he said as he moved to slam the door in her face.

The woman reached out, stopping the door before it closed. "Outward appearance is not always a true reflection of inward significance," she said, giving Gajeel a knowing look. "I give you one more chance to allow me shelter."

The way she looked at him truly enraged him. It was if she could see all his insecurities and the violence Jose placed in his heart reared its ugly head. "Piss off, you old hag!" he shouted at her, moving to slam the door once more. But his movements were once again halted. He watched in awe as the woman in front of him transformed into the most magnificent creature he had ever seen.

The few coworkers that were hanging around this late at night that had previously been laughing at the woman's predicament moved to cower in the corners, trying to stay out of sight. Before them, the old beggar woman transformed into a magnificent creature. Easily the size of the entire building, she sported pure white feathers on her wings and lush fur down her neck and chest. Her head came to a graceful point and held the most intense blue eyes Gajeel had ever seen.

Fixing those eyes on him, Gajeel stood his ground, attempting not to appear weak, despite the fact that his knees felt as if they were about to give out. "Gajeel, son of Metalicana, you have lost your way," her voice echoed throughout the hall. "And the people who like to pretend they are your family have not helped you in your times of need." Her gaze cast out onto the other members cowering in corners.

Extending her wings out wide, the building around them began to glow and vibrate. Gajeel fell to his knees and he heard her voice in his own head. "You have used the power given to you to strike fear into the hearts of others. You have cast aside kindness for violence and closed your heart to love. Such cruel intentions shall be your manifestation and only through your trust of another and their trust in return will you finally be free of this curse." As Gajeel looked down, he watched his body transform. His entire being began to grow in size and the iron of his magic began to form thick scales upon his skin.

He turned his red gaze back on the building, only to see it transforming as well, into a mammoth cathedral, large enough to fit his ever-increasing size. The howls of his colleagues surrounded him and after what felt like an eternity, everything finally settled into the night. Looking around, the glowing white creature was gone and all that stood before him was the small orb she had offered and a mirror.

He attempted to grasp the mirror, only to realize he had massive talons. Looking down at his hands, he realized they no longer were hands but claws covered in metal scales. Grasping the mirror as best he could, he saw what this enchantress had done to him. He howled in rage, rampaging throughout the room he found himself in, destroying everything in sight.

The image that had stared back at Gajeel in that mirror was one of pure terror. Gleaming red eyes that glowed in the dark, huge canine teeth protruding from a pointed snout, a spiked tail and giant wings. There was only one way to describe what the woman had transformed him into—an iron dragon.

END CHAPTER 2

Hello lovely readers!

Oh my gosh you guys it damn near broke my heart to write this. Originally, I was thinking last night about how I wanted to write Gajeel's character and I hadn't really figured it out but then as I started writing, the back story just flowed and all this angst just landed on the page. I am SO sorry. I'm almost balling over here. Gosh darn myself!

I know I should really update Fairy Penalty Game right now but I'm having a lot of fun with the beginnings of this story so I'm a let my mind do what it wants! Hope you can handle it!

I love you guys for reading! Already seen some followers from Fairy Penalty Game on here and it just made my flipping day! Love you guys! Seriously do!

Off to go work on Fairy Penalty Game now. Hope you guys enjoy this sobby chapter. Hope I didn't drain all the tissues in your house!

Musicera