Rated: T

GaLe

Witch AU

"Lucy is going to be thrilled!" Levy hummed excitedly. The pickaxe she'd recently used was placed back on her tool belt so she could inspect the geode she held. "Beautiful color. The clarity is gorgeous," the blue haired geologist continued about the stone, its purple hue seeming to pulse at the praise. Levy couldn't help but press the freshly cracked stone to her chest, right against her heart and 'listen'. The stone sung with such purity that she couldn't help but do a little happy wiggle and gently place it into the satchel that hung loosely from her body.

Levy was used to traveling all over the world looking for the perfect stones for her longtime friend to display and sell in her shop. The two had met during their education at a school for the magically gifted and had hit it off. Lucy allowed her the freedom of learning new surroundings in her pursuit of the perfect stone while also padding her pockets; truly a win-win for the knowledge hungry bluenette. While Levy wasn't exceptionally strong in the magic department, her body worked as a sort of tuning fork to mystical stones that could be used in the aid of spell casting and protection work, a skill she didn't really think was particularly useful, but Lucy had seen the value of it.

Lost in thought, Levy absentmindedly picked her way around the cavern. She spared few glances at the colorful clusters that littered the walls and winked across the ceiling; none of them caught her attention. The deeper she went the more her body began to vibrate and the more excited she began to get…something powerful was waiting up ahead. Her pace picked up, slowing only to quickly scoop up a citrine tower and toss it in her bag too; she'd look at it closer when she wasn't so preoccupied by the hunt. The short woman tripped over loose stones here and there, barely managing to right herself, before stumbling into a smaller cavern.

"Oh, my gods!" Levy breathed. Her brown eyes were wide and bouncing around the surface of the large red stone embedded in the rock wall. It was easily the size of Levy's head and shone like it was lit by an internal fire. "A garnet? No, the color is too light," the bluenette murmured to herself, her slender fingers quick to flick on the headlamp resting on her forehead while moving closer. She hesitated with her fingers poised over the glinting stone before finally giving in to her impulses and touching it. The second her flesh connected with the smooth surface a shiver raced its way through her body. This was even better than the amethyst she'd stored away earlier. "Ruby," Levy said around a smile. She couldn't help but continue to stroke the stone as she took stock of the rock that housed it. She was determined to pry it loose. It was a genetic expression of the stone she'd never seen before, which wasn't unheard of considering the gem varieties of ruby were rare to say the least.

oOo

Two excruciating hours later and Levy still wasn't any closer to figuring out a way to remove her prized ruby without possibly damaging it. The thought of fragmenting the stone was enough to make her antsy; she was going to do this just right. She couldn't risk fragmenting it.

"How deep is the ruby embedded into the wall?" crackled out of the walkie talkie that was hanging from Levy's utility belt. The bluenette was quick to unclip it and press the receiver before answering.

"I'm not sure, though from the size of it I'd say it could be anywhere from 3 feet to 5 feet deep."

"Th- a really b-g stone. Are you…there's no way….can get it?" The static was wearing through the sentence, eating up words and leaving a jumbled but still comprehensible question in its wake. Levy sighed before answering.

"Lucy, the connection is breaking up…you're using too much magic keeping it going, aren't you?"

"Sorry," was clearly sighed out, no static or interference. "This is the most distance I've ever attempted and its hard to regulate," Lucy answered lowly. She didn't have to admit it was taking a toll for Levy to hear it. "Regardless, if you can't get it no biggie! As much as I would love to see it, I would love to see you more." Her blonde friend hummed. "You've been gone for three weeks already and everything you've shipped back is gorgeous! I want to hear about your adventures."

"I can't leave this one Lulu," Levy muttered back to herself. She couldn't explain the pull to this ruby but it was impossible for her to leave without it. She also didn't want to drain Lucy while attempting to explain that feeling. After a deep breath she pressed the receiver, "I'll be back by the end of the week…with this ruby and a few other things I know you'll love Lulu. Trust me." For a heart stopping second there was nothing but static.

"You know I trust you. Please be careful. I can't do anything for you from here."

"You act like I can't take care of myself! I've been doing it for y-" Levy was cut off by a loud scraping noise and the clatter of a moving stone. She went still, forgetting her finger was still pressing the receiver. Without thinking she quickly clipped the walkie back to her belt and slipped a gently carved selenite rod from her back pocket. A gift from Lucy to help her channel her magic. Levy crouched low and waited.

"Levy?! What was that noise!?" Lucy's voice eventually boomed through the silence and made the short woman flinch. She still didn't move right away, listening to see if she heard anything else. Nothing but silence so she stood up and unclipped the walkie yet again.

"Nothing. I think one of the ceiling stones fell." She was lying and she hoped Lucy wouldn't pick up on it. She knew what a falling stone sounded like, and it wasn't that.

"C- back Lev. I d-t think t-" Lucy started but it ended in static.

"Looks like she ran out of juice," the bluenette griped, clipping the walkie talkie back and slipping the selenite rod into her back pocket. She was going to have to make it quick. Staying here wasn't an option.

Levy was sweating and paranoid. Scraping noises, low growls and clattering rocks teased her ears every few minutes but when she turned to inspect there was nothing there. She had the distinct feeling of being observed but wasn't physically bothered.

"Elemental magic would be useful right about now," she sighed. Her arms ached from chipping away the rock surrounding her prize and her sweat was stinging her eyes. If only she didn't have to do things the long, strenuous way. How much time she'd save. Levy shook her head and focused back on the map she'd spread on the rocky floor while she was taking a breather. She'd circled the spot on the Cambodian map she was currently in and on a blank sheet of paper she had started to draw out the cave complex she was in. Her detailed legend was brightly colored, and her symbols were nice and neat; this was a system she wanted to visit again. After a few more minutes of drawing and making notes of the stones here she fished out a mini paper clip from her front pocket and clipped everything together before folding the map back up and tucking it into her breast pocket. Taking a deep breath she stood up, stretching her arms above her head before removing the pickaxe from her belt and going back to hammering away at the rock surface.

Levy was so close she could almost taste it. The ruby could be wiggled but couldn't yet be pulled out and it was far larger than she had first thought. So focused on her end goal she didn't realize the danger she'd placed herself in; her inattentiveness lowering her guard. A rumbling snort behind her had the hair on the back of Levy's neck stand on end and she spun around, dropping her axe in the process. There was nothing. She shook her head bending over to pick it back up when it sounded again, louder this time.

"Persistent aren't ya? I expected you to give up by now." Echoed around the cave and Levy couldn't stop the squeak that left her lips. She scrambled behind the nearest stalagmite that could hide her and cursed herself when she realized she'd left her pick right where she dropped it…out of reach. "No use hidin', I smelled ya a mile away." Levy attempted to get her ragged breathing under control and stop her hands from shaking as she reached for her wand. She was racking her brain; she'd been sure there wasn't anything in this cave system. She hadn't found any reports on Basilisks or grumpy shapeshifters making this area home and she damn sure checked that there were no dragons. Not knowing what she was up against made her nervous. "Come out, come out wherever you are," was sang in an offkey manner. The following laugh was deep. Levy crouched lower and listened. Footsteps grew louder and the ground shook a bit, the scraping of nails along the wall grew louder and more grating, and…. humming?

"I wasn't aware this area was off limits," the short woman called out. It was a bold lie considering she'd ignored the 'do not enter' and 'protected property' signs at the hidden entrance. Never hurt to cover your bases though, she thought. The humming didn't stop but the movement did. "I don't want to cause any trouble. I'll leave with no resistance…" Levy continued.

"I would believe that if I didn't smell the determination and fear coming off you in waves. What's so important about this…rock?" Levy paled at the loud grinding sound. She couldn't stop her feet from pulling her from her hiding place.

"BE CAREFUL WITH THAT," she practically shrieked. She was shaking from the adrenaline and fear. Fear that the stone she'd been so hellbent on removing was about to be ruined beyond repair. Levy was aware of how hard she was breathing and the protective stance she'd taken but there was no going back to hiding; she'd stepped out in the open due to impulsive nerves and what she'd come face to face with made her blood run cold. A man easily twice her size stood before her and was holding the Ruby she had been struggling to remove.

"Tiny little thing," was growled out lowly. Levy had to stop herself from shaking as red eyes assessed her and a sneer spread across his mouth. She noted sharp incisors. "Ya think you can boss me around?"

"N-no!" Levy squeaked out, her grip on her wand tightening. Her eyes darted between him and the ruby he was so carelessly tossing between his hands. "That stone, it's important to me. I promise I won't take anything else from here if I can just leave with that stone."

"What's so special about this hunk of junk?" was asked seriously while the stone was brought closer to his face. Levy felt her mouth twitch in amusement when he sniffed it, his nose twitching lightly and a frown formed on his face. "Smells like a rock. Couldn't possibly be useful. What I care about is all that racket you were makin' tryin' to get it."

"I'm sorry, I'll leave if-"

"Don't you know how dangerous it can be to wake a dragon?" He cut her off. His irritation was apparent, and Levy felt like she was going to faint. A dragon of all things had decided to travel to this cave system around the same time as her…and it didn't seem like he was motivated by shiny objects. Levy could only watch in horror as the dragon tossed the rock away from himself carelessly. Her breath caught in her throat as she was moving again without regard to her own safety. One foot in front of the other, her eyes glued to the stone as it flew. Her heart was in her throat the second she dove for it, hand outstretched to prevent it from connecting with the hard floor. The second it connected with her palm Levy could feel the smile on her face and then she was skidding. The ruby was brought to her chest, and she twisted her body to prevent her holding bag from striking the floor. There was a light 'ding' and levy knew she'd smacked her wand with the ruby in an attempt to hold onto both.

"Fuck," Levy muttered while scrambling onto her knees and checking the giant stone in her grip. She hurt everywhere, especially the hand she'd used to cushion the stone's fall; she was pretty sure she'd sprained her wrist but the ruby in her grasp didn't have a single scratch on it. The low growl that was reverberating around the cavern reminded Levy that she wasn't alone. She went stiff and turned her attention back to the pissed off predator in her midst. Through blurry vision she could only watch as he stalked closer to her, irritation apparent in every step.

"You obviously must be stupid," he growled; his long hair almost appeared to bristle. Levy decided he was getting a little too close for comfort and readjusted her heavy burden to rest in the crook of her right arm and gripped her selenite in her opposite hand. She glanced at it briefly and noted a faint crack in it and mentally screamed. What a time to damage her focusing tool. Lucy was going to kill her if she survived this. "Ignoring me in favor of a shiny hunk of junk? Reminds me of someone and it rubs me the wrong way, shorty. Maybe I'm startin' to get hangry." Levy felt herself shiver at the brighter hue his eyes took on, they filled with a murderous intent she'd never had directed at her before; it was chilling. Quickly Levy raised her wand level with her line of sight, using it as a crude compass and took a deep breath in. She focused hard on the smaller point and shoved her intent there, her desire streaking fire through her veins to gather in a slow burn at her fingertips. The bluenette was quick to lock eyes onto her opponent and gave it everything she got.

"Stay BACK," Levy commended. The punch of power that always left her body during spells always made her feel kind of drunk. She could understand how people could get addicted to power; lucky for her she couldn't perform magic on this level constantly. Levy was quick to stand while her wand shattered and start running. She didn't need to see her magic connect to know it did; the tell-tale thud and loud grunt let her know it hit it's target, she just wasn't sure how effective it was going to be against him. She came up short with a harsh yank to her head. The scraping of sharp nails against her scalp involuntarily made the tiny witch scream as she was abruptly yanked back.

"I didn't much care for that trick of yours. I thought magicians were supposed to be…fun." His voice was pitched low with malice and Levy was running out of ideas but she wasn't going to just lay down and die either. "You should work on your act." A sneer.

"W-wait…I—I—I" Levy started to stutter, her free hand reaching back to grab his wrist; his death grip on her hair was excruciating. The instant her hand connected she started to vibrate, a pleasurable zing shooting through her. The realization was instant, he rang like a crystal! Levy's brain roared, it didn't make sense! Most dragons had an affinity with an element and there wasn't an element she could possibly think of that was easily expressed in crystal…."IRON!" She shrieked out suddenly, "a subset of earth!" She could have cried when he stopped yanking and went still.

"You say something about iron?" He breathed against her cheek. Cold points pressed into her cheek briefly and were gone. Piercings maybe? "Speak up, shrimp."

"Y-yes!" Levy stuttered, quick to swing a hand down to her satchel and right it. She unzipped it and quickly loaded the ruby in and then dug around; she was practically praying that she didn't ship out her first find yet. Her hand connected with something smooth and cold, and she was quick to yank it out and hold it up. "Hematite!"

"Hema-what now?" Was growled behind her. She felt him shift closer to her hand and sniff. The smooth rounded surface and the shiny glean to it was how she knew it contained what he wanted, she just needed HIM to notice it too. So she waited. "Smells familiar," the dragon muttered and then she felt her face go red as his mouth opened and his tongue ran over the pads of her fingers as it scooped up the stone. The familiar zing shot through her body and pooled in her stomach and she gasped out; that feeling was going to get addicting. He seemed to pause in his crunching at the sound.

"T-that was my apology for waking you up and annoying you earlier," Levy warbled out. Her legs felt tingly and she was having trouble breathing. She yelped out when he pressed his nose just below her ear and huffed at her. "I-I know where there's a bunch and would be h-happy to show you!" she continued to bargain.

"What are ya, an iron detector?" another bump of his nose against her skin and she braced for the shock. The ping had her arching her back this time. "Maybe we could work something else out with yer apology. I think it's missin' something physical."

"Uhm, M-mr Dragon i-" Levy started but was cut off when he pressed his body closer to hers and snorted.

"Gajeel."

"huh?"

"My name. I'm still hungry." Gajeel grunted and Levy blinked. She was going to have a little more to tell Lucy than she bargained for.