*I do NOT own Fairy Tail!*

A/N: For those interested in the last chapter, there's a bit more to the "tingle" Levy got from touching the book that'll be discovered later. Also, to help clear things up as there has been a bit of confusion, this is essentially an AU, however it's damn near on par with Earthland. There are a few differences, but not many, so keep an eye out! Anyways, on with the story!

Also, pleasepleasepleasePLEASE read and review! I want to make sure that I'm not completely screwing this up!

Chapter 3 A Fateful Adventure

The next day dawned brightly with a bit of a snap in the air as a reminder that fall would be embracing Magnolia soon enough. As natural light danced across the floor to tease the script mage awake, she shifted and stretched, blinking her eyes open. Rolling over, her eyes drifted to the clock on her nightstand, smiling when she let her eyes drift close once more.

Then she fell out of bed with a thud.

"I'm late!" Levy shrieked, scrambling to her feet as she darted for the bathroom for a quick shower. Just barely ten minutes later she shot back out of the bathroom to stumble into clothing before grabbing the pack she'd been smart enough to prepare the night before. Grabbing her keys, settling the pack on her shoulder, and hurrying out the door; Levy raced down the streets to meet Lucy at the train station.

A few minutes later she skidded to a halt in front of her smirking friend, bracing her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Casting a glance to the clock above the ticket box, she saw she had five minutes to spare.

"Hmmm sleep in did we?" Lucy asked with a chuckle.

"It's not like I meant to. Forgot to set the alarm last night." Levy wheezed with a slight shrug. "Woke up about forty-five minutes ago. I'm lucky I packed last night otherwise we would've had to catch the next train."

"Have you even eaten anything yet?" Lucy asked, already pulling her pack around to dig into it. She knew her friend, and she knew that there probably wasn't an abundance of food in her own pack, instead bringing along books and clothes.

Ducking her head at the knowing look she was being given, Levy shifted her gaze to the ground, fidgeting slightly. "No, no I haven't. When I realized I had woken up late, I came straight here."

Without another word, Lucy held out the apple she had managed to dig out of her bag before pulling Levy along with her to the train. It didn't take long before they found a compartment that they could talk quietly in while Levy munched on the apple, enjoying the sweetness of the fruit.

A couple of hours later they arrived in Cherry Town and quickly made their way to one of the local inns, deciding to stay for a night before going after this monster the townsfolk were worried about. After dropping their things off and getting settled in, they went back into the town to meet up with the Mayor to discuss the job.

It took about ten minutes to walk to the town hall, and another five before they were let in to see the Mayor. Sitting down in the chairs in front of him, they saw that he was an older gentleman who hadn't been getting much sleep.

"You're both mages from Fairy Tail, correct?" The Mayor asked, leaning against his desk heavily.

"Yes sir. We're here about the job that was posted." Lucy answered, exchanging a look with the script mage.

"It's simple enough really. What sounds like a wild animal has been heard throughout the town at night, almost as soon as it's completely dark. Sometimes it doesn't happen, but then most nights it does. Normally we wouldn't think too much about it, as every night that those sounds are heard, some form of crime has been stopped. However, because it always scares the town folk, and it also makes it so people don't want to come here to do business or trade, we need it to stop as well." The Mayor explained with a tired sigh. "If people don't want to come here then eventually the town will essentially die. But too many families are based here to have to happen, so…"

"We understand sir." Levy nodded. "Is there anything you can tell us that may lead us to where this monster might be? Or anything that can give us idea as to what it looks like?"

"We're lucky in that there is currently only one abandoned building remotely close to here, but it's about an hours walk outside of town. The old Redfox estate. It's been abandoned for going on….fifteen years I think. The family that used to live there died in a tragic accident and no other family has claimed it. There's a mansion and plenty of land that offers decent shelter for any kind of being I suppose. As for that it looks like, well, that's the interesting thing. The only thing we've been able to get out of anybody is that it has red eyes, scales, a long tall, and is about the height of a tall male. Other than that, we don't know because the attacks happen only at night."

"Is there anything else at all that you can tell us? No detail is too small." Lucy encourage softly. She could see the distress on the man's face and understood that this was eating away at him.

"Um, not that I can-wait! The creature has never killed anyone. It almost seems odd that it hasn't, but every time there's been an attack, there's been injuries, but no deaths." The Mayor explained with a small smile on his lips. While the attacks themselves were annoying, he was glad he hadn't had to deal with actual deaths.

"I think we have everything we need then. We're going to get a feel for the town and then get to work tomorrow is that alright? We're staying at an inn near here as well." Levy stated before shifting to her feet.

"That won't be an issue. Let the innkeeper know to pass the bill onto me and it'll be covered since paid stay was part of the payment for this."

"Will do. Thank you for your time, hopefully we'll be able to figure this out quickly for everyones well being." Lucy smiled before turning and following Levy out of the building.

"So what do you think?" Lucy asked as she kept pace with her friend, letting her eyes wander around the different stores, vendors, streets, and alleys that they passed.

"I'm not entirely sure. It could be any number of things really. A spell gone wrong, an actual creature, or whatever." Levy answered, nibbling her lower lip.

"But that's not what you think it is." Lucy said softly, noticing that her friend wasn't entirely focusing on where she was walking.

"No, I don't. I have my suspicions, but I want to gather some more information first."

"Ok…what are your suspicions pointing to?"

"Red eyes, scales, a tail, and the size of a man….makes me thing something lizard like, and while I know we've never actually seen one….it…well….it makes me think of a dragon." Levy answered, biting her lip, lost in thought.

"A dragon? Seriously? But they haven't been seen for years!" Lucy yelped. Knowing the history of dragons, she knew they weren't the easiest to get rid of, and were dangerous as well.

"Yes a dragon. Or at least, a dragon slayer if he's the size of a man. I mean, come on, we've got Laxus and Natsu back at Fairy Tail, so we know it's possible. My question is why is this one out here? Is he a loner? Does he not want to be part of a guild? And how can he have gotten to this stage of development when not even our own dragon slayers have gotten to the point of being able to have tails and the like?"

"That's a good question. Maybe we can find something out if we find whatever this thing is. If it is a dragon slayer, maybe he'll talk to us in a reasonable manner. Until then, why don't we get some food and then turn in for the night. We're going to need our sleep."

"That sounds like a plan to me." Levy agreed and without another word the friends walked back to their inn, stopping for food on the way.

Sleep claimed them easily later that evening after the friends curled into their individual beds. Because of this, neither of them were aware of the glowing eyes that peered in through a corner of the window. Even through the walls and the window, a tantalizing scent drifted on the wind to tease the creatures senses. The smell of warm spices mixed with the scent of ink and paper called to him, and he had no idea why.

She was dreaming again. She didn't know how or why, but it felt familiar, yet new. She was somewhere out in the country, reading a book in a field of tall golden grass, enjoying the slight breeze and gentle sun. It was so peaceful, so quiet, and yet oddly, so lonely too.

She was waiting for him. She didn't know who he was, or where, but she knew she was waiting. For now though, she would lose herself in the worlds created on paper by someones imagination.

More time passed, the quiet sighs of the wind teasing her hair and flicking at the pages in her hands. It had been quiet for so long that at first she didn't know what she was hearing. Until it got closer. Heavy footsteps. With a gasp, she spun around, dropping the book she held so dear, to look at the man kneeling before her in shock.

His long, black hair flowed over his shoulders and down his back, trailing down to pool on the ground at his sides as he bowed his head to her. A dark green cloaked spilled around him, even as it split open to reveal the black tunic, white pants, and black boots he wore. A gleam caught her eye, drawing it to the arm he had braced against his bent knee and she saw the studs that decorated his skin.

She knew then that he had finally come for her, come back to her, keeping his promise.

Raising her hands slowly, she cupped his face gently to lift it, even as he kept his eyes downcast, keeping her from seeing him completely. As one hand kept his face up, the other lifted further to trace the studs above his eyes, down over his nose, caressing his lips, to end on the studs on his strong chin.

'Please do not hide from me, my iron dragon.' She said softly, wishing to see the eyes that had kept her captivated from so long ago. His body tensed, and she waited patiently.

Finally, after what seemed like a further eternity, he lifted his gaze to meet her eyes.

Coffee colored eyes filled with warmth and affection met the glowing ruby eyes filled with trepidation. Smiling softly, smoothing her hands into his hair, she lifted herself up, pausing for a bare moment before fitting her mouth to his, reveling in the sharp inhale of the man before her.

Pulling back slightly, she met his gaze once more with a blinding smile at the surprise she saw. With a joyous laugh she threw her arms around him, nuzzling her face into his neck before whispering.

'Thank you Gajeel.'

Like any other night, the creature had been quiet coming into the town, keeping to the shadows but staying alert for any noises or smells that would need his help. He had just crossed into the outskirts of town when he lost his focus and nearly fell from the edge of the first roof that he had been balancing on.

Cinnamon. Cloves. Nutmeg. Paper. Ink. An odd yet addictive smell that seemed to call to him, tease him, wrap itself around him to yank him through the town. It wasn't until he found himself crouched down on part of an overhang, peering through a window, that he realized he had moved at all. Peering with curiosity through the window, he found two bodies buried under blankets in separate beds. He saw the blonde hair just above the covers and immediately dismissed it. As he focused more, sorting out the many smells, he picked up a hint of strawberry, vanilla, and….smoke?

Blinking, he shifted his gaze to the other bed and found himself licking his suddenly dry lips. A small shrimp of a woman was stretched out with the blankets strewn across her hips and her top bunched up to just under her breasts, exposing her stomach. He knew immediately that she was the one smelling of spices, paper, and ink, teasing his senses.

Running his gaze over her, he had to swallow the growl that was wanting to escape him. Instead he took his time, taking in the smooth curve of leg, hips, waist and shoulders. The graceful flow of the neck that supported the face currently turned away from him. The hair that looked a silvery blue in what little light was peering through the window. The small hands curled slightly, twitching occasionally.

He continued watching her, utterly enraptured by this small fairy like creature stretched out before him. He knew that he could get away quickly if she woke suddenly, and when she let out a loud sigh before shifting once more, he tensed, ready to dart away.

If he had thought he was frozen before, it was nothing compared to now. She had shifted, and now he could see her face, bathed in the moonlight coming through the window.

She was exquisite.

Her smooth features taunted him, beckoned him, teased him to stare for hours, to memorize after last detail of her face.

He didn't know how, but he knew her. Something on some deeper level was reaching from within him…for her. Something about her called to him and his inner dragon, soothing it even as it thrashed around wanting to feel her in his arms. He was barely able to keep from ripping the window from its place just so he could feel what he was certain was skin as smooth as silk under his fingers.

"Gajeel."

Hearing his whispered name coming from her lips had him jolting back in shock, flailing, arms windmilling to stay put….only to lose his balance and fall to the ground a couple of stories below with a solid bang and thud.

Grimacing at the sudden painful impact, he took a precious second to catch his breath before scrambling to his feet and racing away. He didn't dare look back at the inn or the what was now open window where he had seen what he was sure was a fairy. Nor did he see the rumpled and groggy look of said same fairy leaning out of the window to glance around the street after being woken from her slumber by a rather loud noise.

Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she shuffled back into the room to collapse back into her bed, curling up in hopes of catching the dream she had.

Not too far away, the creature ran, keeping to the shadows, and failing to ignore the growing ache he felt in his chest the further away he ran.