Chapter 2
Earlier that week
Monday
A whisper tickled his ear, so light and faint he almost missed it. Gajeel froze on the ball field, head turning in the direction of the main campus building. He barely registered the ball hitting his head, but Lily's bulky frame ramming into his side jarred him from his thoughts. He landed on the ground with a loud grunt and cursed at his best friend and roommate.
"Lily, ya big oaf! What was that for, eh?"
The tall man laughed and stretched out a hand. "That's what you get for staring off into space."
Gajeel ignored the helping hand. He jumped to his feet and glared at his laughing team for a moment before staring at the building once more. The whisper tickled his ear again and he scratched it furiously with his gloved fingers.
"What's gotten into you?" Natsu smirked, barely holding back his giggles as he nudged Grey in the arm.
"Pipe down, would ya?" Gajeel waved his hand and looked to Lily for help. "Don't ya hear that?"
"Hear what?"
The rest of the team grew silent and stared off in the distance. Gajeel craned his neck, waiting…listening.
Magical power could be calculated by the subatomic particles, but I would need to find the mass first.
"There's it again! You seriously don't hear that? Some girl is going on about magic formulas and stuff."
"Whoa!" Gray whistled. "The Kurogane's finally learned some big words! Either it's time for a celebration or the world's gonna end."
"Zip it, Ice Princess, unless ya want a metal fist to yer mouth!"
Gray held up his hands in surrender, but a white, swirling mist covered his fingers all the same.
Lily stepped between them. "Now, now…no fighting children. Unless you want coach to come over here and get you all."
After a final laugh at his expense, the rest of the team jogged back to center field to resume their practice. Gajeel glared at their retreating backs, brows furrowed as the voice rambled in his mind.
If I add just a little bit…wait, how much did I try last time again?
"My friend," Lily clapped him on the shoulder, "I think you're finally losing it."
"I swear, Lil, I'm hearin' this voice in my head and it's not mine."
"Well that's a given, I never thought there was much going on up there to begin with!"
Years of practice was the only thing that allowed Lily to block the iron bar directed at his head. His muscles bulged at the impact, drastically increasing in size as Lily activated his magic.
Ok, I think this is it. Just a teensy, tiny, little bit…
"You're the last person I would have expected to jump onto that Soulmate band wagon. You thinking about joining that club now?"
Gajeel retracted his arm, glaring at Lily's unrepented face. "The what?"
Lily snorted and crossed his arms. "Don't tell me you've never noticed that glittery, froofy, eyesore of a club booth that takes up half the quad? It's the most popular club on campus and they're always hosting 'Soulmate Finding Events' just about every weekend."
Gajeel grimaced and picked up a ball that rolled their way. "I ain't joining no stinkin' club. I'm just wonderin' why all of a sudden–"
TOO MUCH!
Gajeel yelped and dropped the ball, making Lily startle next to him.
Too much! That was too much! Ah, ok there's a fire…ok, blanket to smother, no that's for a grease fire, water, I need water! NO, BAD FIRE, WHY ARE YOU BIGGER!?
Gajeel stared at the building, hand against this thumping chest. "I have to find her before she gets herself killed…"