Hello Everyone!

I have gone through and edited chapters 2-5. I have added scenes so you should check it out. The main plot is still the same so you shouldn't have to worry there.

Hope you all enjoy!


Calder woke with a jolt. As the sunlight hit his eyes he groaned and clutched his head. His ears were ringing and his head was fuzzy.

"You okay Kid?" Squinting Calder looked to his left and saw Gajeel sitting up with a hand rubbing his eyes. He was looking tired and sore. His voice was raspy, at though from overuse.

"I think so." Calder's throat felt raw and the words came out as a whisper. "What happened?" As his eyes adjusted he began to look around. They were on the beach where they would train together. Cordelia and Metalicana were nowhere to be seen.

Gajeel was shaking his head, "I don't know."

Standing Calder winced, his muscles were tense. Reaching out he tried to sense Cordelia through their bond but there was nothing. Now wide awake Calder started looking around more frantically, "Gajeel." His voice warbled as he looked at the older boy in terror.

Gajeel spun and looked over Calder, "What's wrong kid? You okay?" He came up to the shoreline, now within arms reach.

Calder grasped Gajeel's arm, "C-can you feel Metalicana?"

Freezing in Calder's grasp Gajeel reached out through the bond he shared with Metalicana. "There's nothing."

Calder felt the tears well up and his breath caught in his throat. Strong arms wrapped around his torso. "It's okay Calder, I've got you."

"I want Delia!"

Gajeel let out a low growl from the back of his throat, imitating what Metalicana would do to sooth him when he was younger. He continued to sooth Calder, ignoring his own tears. As Calder's sobs started to subside Gajeel took a breath and tried to grin down at the younger slayer. "We'll find them okay? You and me."

"What if they're hurt?" Calder looked up almost challengingly, "There's always been some sort of feeling through the bond."

Gajeel held back the words he believed, "Then we'll rescue them." He smirked and puffed out his chest, "Who could stop the best two dragon slayers there are?" At Calder's giggle Gajeel grinned, "First we're going to have the rest and find some food. I don't know about you but I'm sore."

Calder grimaced and nodded in agreement, "Fish?" He could easily pull some out of the water.

"Sounds good, I'll start up a fire."

After a couple weeks of healing the pair decided to head inland to begin their search. They started by heading to the cave Metalicana and Gajeel called home. The mountainside was overgrown, and the cave entrance buried under a landslide. Working together they managed to make their way inside the cave that was part of an old mine. There were no signs of life, or that anyone had lived there for years let alone a couple of months. Neither boy really understood what had happened. Their memories of what happened before they woke on the beach were blurry, both simply remembering a regular training day.

After resting for a short while they set out again. Making sure to stay on the outskirts of any towns or cities they came across. A few times they had been spotted from adults, but they always made a quick escape. Days of searching became weeks. Weeks became months. After finding no signs of the dragons on land they decided to search the ocean for signs of Cordelia. Calder offered to go out alone and meet up with Gajeel after a few months but Gajeel refused to let the younger go off on his own. So even with his own distaste for being away from the land he joined Calder in stealing a boat and setting sail.

Tensions were already high while traveling on land but being stuck on a small boat for months caused them to grow. The longer they searched the more determined Calder became, reasoning that the only reason Cordelia would be gone for so long was because she was in trouble. Gajeel however became more convinced that there were no dragons to find. The magic at work was far beyond what they could imagine, and he believed there was nothing they could do and needed to plan for what to do next.

Frustration began to poison the air between them with a lack of clues and a lack of progress.

Gajeel grimaced as the boat rocked with the waves. The sun baring down on them wasn't helping with the exhaustion both slayers felt. Though Calder was a bit uncomfortable on land there was still plenty of bodies of water that he was able to re-coup in. Water Slayer Magic worked just as well on land as it did in the sea. Gajeel on the other hand struggled with being out at sea for months. Iron Slayer Magic was meant for the land. They had long since ran out of iron and metal for him to eat to help boost his magic. He was basically useless with sea travel, unable to help carry the burden. Feeling more and more sick as their time away progressed Gajeel swallowed the feelings, pushing forward to stick with Calder.

Calder was completely exhausted. He had been pushing his magic to the limit every day for months trying to find any sign of Cordelia. The salt water no longer helping revitalize his magic. They had some food and were able to continue bringing fish and ocean plants to eat, but without proper rest he knew he wasn't going to heal. If Cordelia were here she'd scold him and tell him he'd get sick. Bighting back tears he pushed forward.

"We should head back to land." Glaring Calder looked towards Gajeel at the words.

"We didn't find anything on land." He bit back, clenching his jaw. Gajeel was scowling back, red eyes narrowing.

"It's time to face the truth Kid."

Green eyes flashed blue momentarily before Calder looked away, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Kid." Gajeel sighed, "I know I'm not much help here." It was the one thing Calder would throw in his face when Gajeel told him he needed to rest. "But we've been looking for over a year now and there are no signs of Metalicana or Cordelia."

Calder let out a growl, but Gajeel pressed on, "You have to accept that they're gone Calder."

"You want me to just give up on her?" Calder met his gaze angrily, "You've just given up on Metalicana? After everything they've done for us!"

"I'm not giving up on them!" Gajeel growled, "But we have to be realistic. There were no signs of life on the beach. No sign of a struggle. No signs of any dragons being there at all. Both our caves were overgrown!" Closing his eyes Gajeel forced himself to calm down before continuing. "This goes beyond our power right now and we're not going to e any help to anyone if we continue and die."

Minutes pass where Calder and Gajeel stare at each other. The sky was growing darker as clouds began to roll in. Calder's eyes flashed between green and blue, trying to reign in his magic in the moment.

"If you want to leave, I'll drop you off the next time we see land."

"I don't want to leave." Gajeel huffed, "I'm not going to leave you, but I'm not going to let you run yourself into an early grave either."

"If I stop looking for Cordelia, I'll forget her." Rain started falling, hiding Calder's tears.

"You're not going to forget her. You're not a five-year-old boy anymore." The words began to fall out of Gajeel's mouth without his control, "Still better to forget her than dying trying to find her. We can make a new home."

"I can't Gajeel." Calder shook his head, "I need to find her."

"You can't waste your life searching for someone who's gone!" Gajeel snapped, "What did it all matter if you die searching?"

"What if she dies and I did nothing?"

"She would rather you live your life than die looking for her!"

"How would you know?"

"She was my mother too!" Gajeel was breathing heavily as he looked down at Calder, thunder heard in the distance. "Let's face it, either the two of them are already dead or they abandoned us and severed the bond."

Lightning struck as angry blue eyes looked back him, "Take that back!"

"It's the truth!" The wind picked up around them as the storm grew overhead. "Little Brother, I'm not trying to hurt you but you're destroying yourself."

"You're a terrible big brother!" Gajeel reeled back as though slapped. "Obviously you never really cared about any of us." Calder was sobbing, losing control rapidly.

"How can you say that?" Gajeel's mouth was dry, staring at Calder in shock. After everything they've been through, "Why would I be here if I didn't care? I'm destroying myself trying to keep you grounded."

"If you cared then you wouldn't want to stop searching."

"I care more about you right in front of me than searching for someone who obviously doesn't want me!"

"Well maybe I don't want you here!" Blue eyes turned cold as Calder's hair turned white.

"Too bad you don't get a choice!"

"Leave Gajeel!" The boat rocked more as the storm seemed to intensify instantly. "Just leave!"

The ocean heaved around them. Before Gajeel could say anything, they were both tossed overboard. Lightning struck where the boat had been and Gajeel was blinded by the light. The screams of both dragon slayers lost in the sounds of thunder as the storm raged on.