::Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and all its characters are property of Hiro Mashima::
Gajeels mind, sure took its time to process what exactly had happened. The dragonslayer had to retrace all of this. How mages had stormed the guild, mages no one knew, and had attacked the members.
How he had literally ordered Pantherlily to stay at Levys side, making sure she did not get hurt.
How he had stormed off, taking care of things at the entrance, with Juvia, Salamander and some others.
How he had not realized until moments ago, his partners scent had vanished.
Gritting his teeth, he listened to Master Makarovs words. The old man had taken steps to get back one of his guilds members immediately after he had heard from someone. The Master had walked over, quickly. Who would have thought those tiny legs were able to walk that fast?
Just moments after he stood beside Gajeel, looking up in worry. Everybody knew how much Lily meant to Gajeel. He had waited – and searched – a long time until he had found an Exceed partner for himself. And it had been combined with many painful scratches, not to mention an interesting fight with the black feline. And now said cat was gone.
Even though all of them knew how PantherLily was important to Gajeel, only few people knew, or could even relate to his feelings. Not even Salamander or the girlie.
And while anger piled up in the iron dragonslayer, Fairy Tails guild master, turned around, motioning Erza to his side. They started talking about putting a team together, to go, find and bring back the dark feline.
Gajeels whole body shook in anger and worry. And the realization that the guild was in crumbles because of him again, did not help to make him feel better one bit. Because, if someone took the risk to kidnap Lily it was obvious it was directed at him. Patherlily and Juvia were his best friends, the only deep bonds he had in the guild. Or at least the only deep bonds he allowed himself to admit.
To make it worse, Pantherlily was the easier catch, when he was out of magic. And the dragonslayer was sure, his partner had been out of magic. It was not easy to get a hold, or even defend oneself, when the Exceed was in his battle mode. Gajeel would know. And even in his small form he was still not as cuddly as he looked.
Red eyes flashed up, when anger and worry joined forces in his head. All of this took too long. He was not able to smell the black Exceed anymore for some time now. The scent had vanished, how should he be able to find him now, if not by scent?
After him gritting his teeth loudly, effectively gaining the attention of Makarov, he stomped his boot, to let out at least some steam. It did not work to his favour. And then it broke out of him.
People would not think of him having a good composture, in opposite of his partner. The iron dragonslayer had quite a temper. Usually it was his cat partner who cooled him down. Now, the ravenette threw his hands in the air in a fit of anger. His red eyes darkening in worry when he yelled, not at Levy, or Juvia, but at Master Makarov.
Gajeel Redfox respected Master Makarov. The old man had offered him a guild to join, even after destroying said one. Even after hurting Team Shadow Gear. And the mage had had no problems with doing some dirty work to repent for what he had done. But knowing somebody he held dear was in danger, threw him over the edge.
"Why the fuck do you take so long?" his anger was more than evident in his voice. The iron mage started to pace in front of the old man, gesturing violently, to restrain himself from punching something or someone.
"It's not like you don't know who to send. It's the same as always, ain't it? The damn Salamander, and Titania. Don't think I don't know that! I ain't as dumb as you think I am!" His heavy footsteps came to a halt, when a certain water mage placed herself in front of him.
Juvia Lockser. His former Pahntom Lord comrade, the rain woman. And one of the people he called friend. Her dark blue eyes looked at him, locking with his red ones. She did not touch him, she knew better than that. But she blocked Gajeels way and made him shut up, before he could say something he would regret.
Her voice, still calm like a flowing river and silent, rang in the back of his head.
"Juvia knows…" she started. "Juvia knows how Gajeel-kun has to feel right now."
Her voice was that silent, Gajeel was sure, not even Makarov heard it.
"She has seen how Gajeel-kun treasures Lily-san." and yes she did say 'treasures', because it meant much more, than 'hold dear'. He knew why she chose that word and not another phrase, she could have used.
"Juvia is aware, how much it has to hurt Gajeel to not be able to prohibit this from happening. But throwing a fit won't help Gajeel-kun. It will just make things proceed slower than he wants, because he needs to calm down first."
The dragonslayer stared at her, with wide eyes. Of course, she was able to calm him down, instantly. But in the past threats of violence had been part of it. She had never been calm like this.
"Ya had a teacher show you this?" he asked. His voice thick with all the emotions he could not contain or assign. But it seemed the rain woman somewhat understood that as well.
He could tell, by the knowing smile on her lips. Gajeel knew that kind of behaviour. And if he had not been that worried he would have advised her to not hang around his cat that much.
While Juvia had taken it upon her, to ground the iron dragonsalyer Master Makarov had finished in putting together a team. The sight of who was to come made him groan.
Gajeel himself would go. Of course, there was no way someone would have been able to force him to stay at the guild. It was about his partner after all.
Salamander, the ice princess and Titania would come. Great, that meant destruction was to be ensured. Makarov said something about them being the offensive side of the team.
"Lucy, will accompany you. She'll be the defence." That made Gajeel quirk an eyebrow at that, but did not say anything. "As support Wendy, Happy and Charle will accompany you."
"I get why we take the girlie." She was a healer after all. And if one of them was to be injured in any way she could help out. "But why the hell, do we take the cats with us? It's not like they're actually-" Juvie stopped his words when the hit him with her elbow in the guts.
"OI!"
"Gajeel-kun should be thankful for the people who accompany him, and not complain." She muttered, successfully shutting him up. He scoffed at her words and averted his eyes.
"How're we gonna find him anyway? I can't smell him for some time now." The iron dragonslayer said, making Natsu and Wendy nod. That said, they were not able to follow his trail. Maybe the dark mages had taken precautions to hinder their search like this. It was like they knew. It was a confusing feeling. Who knew about his senses like this? And who knew about Pantherlily? Master Ivan? They were not able to defeat Master Ivan with this team. Although he had waited for Ivan to come back at him, after he had betrayed the mages trust. Being a double agent tended to be that way. Ivan sure was a person to hold grudges. But would he go over another person to take revenge on Gajeel? Sure not. He'd come for Gajeel himself. So who?
He was brought back from his thoughts when a small woman with blue hair crossed his eyesight and walked over to Master Makarov. Levy.
Her eyes were still red and puffed from crying, but it seemed she had regained her composture, and had done something as well. The script mage held a map out for him to take. She did not look in his eyes, but her voice was stern.
"I calculated the distance they can have made since the moment they left the guild hall." She said, unfolding the map in front of him, so he could see the area she had narrowed down.
"From what I saw they headed to Mangolia, and not the lake behind the guild. So I would advice you going south first." Her voice was still shaken, and the iron mage was certain it was because his partner was taken in front of her eyes. He could not blame her. Pantherlily was a fighter, and he knew, the feline had put up a fight before being taken. Most likely trying to defend the bookworm from them.
With a sigh he took the map, quickly browsing over it. That was quite a way.
"If you get there, I suppose you can find him, or at least get the trail of his scent."
He did not say a word, only nodded, when he looked up at the group that was headed out to find his Exceed partner. And for once Gajeel counted on them, where he counted on nobody but Lily usually.
With a flick of his hand he shrunk the Musica Sword even more, until it had the size of a dagger, and put it between his belt and shirt. The feline would be mad at him if he lost it.
With this, many wishes of luck and farewell, the group left the guild.
They had walked a long way. South, how Levy had said they should. The iron dragonslayers face was buried in the map, the script mage had given them, while he walked. Gajeel led the group currently through a forest.
He was already annoyed and regretted counting on them. Well most of them.
Happy had started complaining a while ago, how this route could not be right, and why they had to keep walking through a forest, when there clearly was no sign of Fairy Tails oldest Exceed. That was until the white cat had scolded him, loudly, about how they had to trust Levy and her skills. With a deep sigh Gajeel had noticed how the blue cat had kept his mouth shut since that very moment. Bunny girl and Titania were babbling away silently, and he heard every word of it. It made him sick. He missed being out with his cat only already. Lily talked to him silently, or did not say anything at all. He knew about dragonslayer senses, and did not waste time with pointless communication. At least the girlie was silently listening. Although he had seen her nodding furiously.
But Salamander and the Ice Bastard were the worst. They bickered the whole way. Shoving the heads into one another calling each other names, petty names, over and over. It nagged on Gajeels patience. And Gajeel was known for having a short temper.
Of course, he had seen them like this in the guild more than once. And it was no different to how Gajeel and Salamander were at times, but he had thought, honestly, that both of them were capable of being professional when needed. He could not have been more wrong.
The moment his patience snapped, when he felt flames tingling and ice forming behind his back, he came to a stopping halt, turning around with none less than a growl. A sneer on his lips, but he was not able to say anything. A particular combination of scents hit his nose and made his whole body stiffen. Frozen in his spot he just stared at the group that was with him in confusion for a moment.
Then, again, his brows furrowed. It seemed Salamander and the girlie caught on what was happening and started sniffing the air.
It was something making Gajeel react as first one. Something he was used to smell, and what made his worry deepen instantly. There was the faint scent of fur, different than the other cats. The smell of a very familiar soap and a hint of iron. Lilys scent.
It was not what worried him, though. What worried him was smelling this scent mixed with blood.
Gajeel Redfox' whole body was pumped with adrenaline, the moment he had noticed. His face turned pale, and his pupils narrowed in fear.
"Gajeel, whats…?" was all bunny girl could say, before he turned around again.
"I can smell him!" rolled from the tip of his tongue, when he started running, following the trail of his partners scent.
They had been close to the marking the shrimp hat set on the map. She had been right, Gajeel thought. The smart little woman had been right. In the back of his head he decided to thank her later for making that accurate calculations. But now his mind was filled with only one thought, and only one desire. Getting back his partner.
Following the trail, the group crossed the forest until they came to a clearing. It was small and overshadowed with large trees. And of course, there was a building. Hidden in the forest, between large trees.
"This just screams 'trap'." Gajeel muttered, before he walked closer to the house with long strides. The scent of his cat got stronger by every step he took. Lily was here, he knew it. He also knew, he was held here, to lure Gajeel into a trap.
And the iron dragonslayer would gladly walk into said trap, if it was to free his partner and friend.
Little did he know about how right he was with the trap thing, and how hurtful its nature would be.
::Writing Juvia is a pain, honestly...
Reviews are welcome::
