There was no time to waste; the dragon was nearing Magnolia at an alarming rate, and it was impossible for the villagers not to notice a giant, angry, ferocious beast heading their way! Panic had already begun to spread by the time Levy and Wendy arrived on the scene.
According to Master Makarov's plan, they had to get the villagers to the emergency shelter; it was a large building at the edge of town, designed to hold all of the villagers inside. A magic circle was created beneath it, which could be triggered as a transportation spell. It required plenty of magical power to activate it, so they needed as much help as they could get. The idea was to only use it if they were unable to fend off a coming invasion.
Some mages, such as Sir Fried Justine, had volunteered to use magic to create a barrier around the shelter to keep enemies out and attacks at bay. Others were prepared to share some magical energy to activate the magic circle. Everything had been set long ago, all according to Makarov's design.
Thus far, the emergency shelter had never been used…until today.
The young mages got to work herding the villagers to the shelter. As the protectors, they had to be careful not to let anyone get left behind. With the number of people in Magnolia's population, it was proving to be difficult for two mages alone. Thankfully, there were some mages able to step up and assist the non-magic users.
Throughout the panic, Levy's mind was racing. In her head, she knew that the best solution was to save Gajeel from the curse instead of abandoning him. There had to be some way to reverse the spell! She just had to analyze Jose's casting procedure. Somewhere, there had to be a key that locked the curse in place…
'I've got it! Jose renamed Gajeel, calling him "Black Steel"! That must be the key!'
But how to reverse it? If the key was the new name… maybe using his true name could undo the spell?
'It's worth a try!'
Levy left Wendy to usher the crowd and ran toward the dragon.
"Gajeel! You have to stop! GAJEEL!"
It was useless; the dragon did not show any signs of acknowledgment this time. Instead, it ignored her and continued the rampage. Levy cursed her stupidity. She had no idea what the dragon's name was! She only knew of his human alias, Gajeel Redfox!
Magnolia's fate was looking incredibly grim. Buildings were being crushed by the dragon's feet and tail, and its roars were still causing the earth to quake! Black flames were smoldering the rubble, and Levy was beginning to lose all hope.
"AHHHHH!"
Multiple screams sounded from the same location. Levy whirled to face the proper direction, and her eyes widened in absolute terror! There was Lucy Heartfilia, standing in front of a group of children; they were directly in the dragon's line of sight! No doubt an attack was coming, but what could she do? Levy had lost her magic pen back when Jose had kidnapped her. Besides, even if she had her pen with her, she was not sure she could fight with her magic.
Everything moved in slow motion as Levy's mind flashed to a conversation she had with her Master.
"Master, what if someone attacks us? How can I protect what is important to me if I cannot fight?"
"Levy, my child, sometimes the offensive is not the best course of action. Say an opponent attacked you directly. What would go through your head?"
"I would… want to stop them. I would want to fight back."
"Exactly! Offensive attacks can result in retaliation from the opponent, especially if you are facing a mage who gains power from rage."
"Then how can I protect anyone, Master?"
A small grin appeared on the old man's face as he eyed his apprentice. "Well, young miss, I believe you already know the answer."
Levy's brow furrowed; she realized what had to be done.
'I do. I do know the answer. If I cannot attack, then I should focus on what I can do. I can… DEFEND!
In a flash, Levy focused her magic into her hand and wrote the word 'WATER' with her fingers.
'Please work! Come on!'
There was no telling if the magic would work without her pen. All the same, she had to try! She held her breath…
The large blue letters appeared where her fingers had been, creating a wall of water! Her magic worked without the medium! Praying her timing was right, she watched as the water evaporated when the flames made contact; luckily, it was enough to stop that blast. The steam was enough to cover them as the dragon rampaged aimlessly. Levy sighed in relief before turning to the people behind her.
"Hurry! Get to the shelter as fast as your feet can carry you! GO!"
The terrified children did as they were told, but Lucy was opposed to the idea. She grabbed her best friend by the arm.
"You come, too! We have to get away!"
Levy shook her head. "I'm not leaving him, Lucy. I'm going to save Gajeel."
"Then I won't leave, either! Not without you!"
Normally, Levy loved Lucy's loyalty. But this time, her stubbornness was putting her in danger. She did not belong on the battlefield…
"Fine. If you want to help, there is something you can do for me."
"Huh?"
Levy continued her struggle against the dragon. In order to allow the villagers to escape to safety, she stayed behind to defend the stragglers. Her water shield, however, had not been enough. Apparently, the dragon had another ability she had been unaware of. Not only could it release flame from its mouth, but it also could release what appeared to be a gray whirlwind with bits and pieces of iron flying around. Levy had barely managed to dodge the first attack, since it cut right through her water. However, the swirling metal had still grazed her. There were cuts all over her body, and her dress was covered in rips and tears.
She needed a new tactic. When she saw the signs for the Iron Dragon Roar, she quickly countered with the word 'SHIELD.' A yellowish sphere covered her and the villagers she protected, though it was just barely enough to deflect the blow before vanishing.
'At least that's something. I can still buy more time.'
Levy gasped at the dragon was getting dangerously close to trampling some of the people! If she used the shield, the villagers would be trapped inside, and it would only be a matter of time before they were crushed! Levy had to think fast. She waved her fingers, writing the word "SHINE." Suddenly the word appeared in the dragon's face and glowed almost as bright as the sun! The dragon was blinded, giving Levy the opportunity to get the people away.
"Keep going! You're going to make it, I promise!"
"Sure you can keep that promise, brat?"
Levy looked over to see Laxus standing there, along with a small group of mages. It did not take a genius to figure out his intentions.
"You can't fight him, Laxus! It's too dangerous for all of you!"
The large man only laughed. "Maybe for you. Now think for a second, Levy. Just how much longer do you think you can keep this up?"
Levy had nothing to say; his words hit close to home. With all of the spells she had used, it would only be a matter of time before she reached her limit. At the same time, she could not allow Laxus to fight; if anyone got hurt, both sides would regret it. Sadly, the man failed to see that.
"Laxus, you—"
Levy was cut off as the dragon loomed above them! It flapped its wings, causing a violent wind that almost blew them away completely! Levy, having no time to brace herself, was knocked back along with a few of the mages in Laxus group; unfortunately, she hit her head just right, leaving her dazed. But the leader of the group stood firm.
"Do not back down now! We have to prove that Magnolia wizards are not a bunch of pansies!"
His speech seemed to lift the spirits of some of the men. They jumped to their feet, released a multitude of battle cries, and attacked the dragon with various blasts of magic. Some used elemental magic, like fire or plants, while others tried to stun or paralyze the creature. Laxus looked on, allowing the men to weaken the dragon before he jumped in.
'I'll let these lackeys tire that monster out. Then once everyone else is out of juice, I'll jump in and unleash the final blow, giving me the victory and the glory that comes with it!'
Laxus grinned to himself. Even Mirajane would be unable to resist a hero like him!
From her spot, Levy slowly regained her senses. She groaned at the pain that coursed through her limbs. The sight before her, however, was enough to motivate her to stand. With each attack those mages sent, the dragon only got more irritated and angry; the natural instinct was obviously to retaliate. It did not take long for the mages to be brought down; some fell at the swing of his tail and claws, while the dragon's wings blew others away.
Once all of the mages were down for the count, Laxus finally stepped forward. He stood tall as he faced the dragon, playing the part of the hero perfectly when he pointed to the dragon and loudly proclaimed, "You're going down, you monster! They'll proclaim me a hero after I've vanquished you!"
Laxus pulled out what appeared to be a glass sphere. Within it, there was a small lightning bolt. Levy recognized it as the medium for Laxus' lightning magic! Since the dragon survived on iron…
'Iron has a little capability to conduct electricity. If he gets hit with a lightning attack, it can't be good!'
Desperately, she darted to stand between Laxus and the dragon. She stretched her arms out as she faced Laxus down.
"Stop it, Laxus! You'll kill him!"
"Out of the way, brat! Why are you defending that thing?! Can't you see the damage it already caused?!"
"But he has no control of his actions!"
"That thing is a wild animal! It doesn't care what it destroys! NOW MOVE, OR I'LL HAVE TO FRY YOU, TOO!"
Levy sighed as she lowered her arms and shifted her position so the dragon and Laxus were on either side of her. "You leave me no choice, Laxus. I cannot allow you to do this," she said softly.
As Laxus released a battle cry, Levy stretched her hands out to both sides. At the same time, she wrote the word "RESTRAINTS" with both hands. The letters turned into glowing chains; one wrapped around Laxus' arms and chest, and the other extended enough to hold down the dragon by its legs, neck, and mouth. Out of pure shock from the little mage's move, Laxus had dropped his lightning orb, but once he snapped out of it, he began to struggle furiously to no avail.
"Damn brat! How did you do this without your pen?!"
Levy stood in the middle; despite the struggling from both sides, she remained calm, trusting in her magic. The spell would remain as long as the restraints were connected to her arms. It took a great deal of magical energy to do so, but she had to hold on until Lucy discovered the dragon's true name. Her grip on the chains tightened as she fought the exhaustion.
'Come on, Lulu! Hurry!'
'I'm coming, Levy!'
Lucy was currently at the library. The first thing she had done upon arrival was to locate every book about dragons she could find. With the use of Levy's magic glasses, she could read through those thick books in minutes. Still, she had to hurry with her task; Levy depended on it.
"Listen, Lucy. I think I know how to snap this dragon out of it. We need his real name, not the alias he's been using. Try to find the name of a dragon that relies on iron or metal as its source of strength! Hurry!"
'Come on! There has to be something about a metal-eating dragon!'
That's when she spotted it: the mythical dragon of iron magic.
Dropping everything, Lucy dashed out the door and ran as fast as she could until she reached Levy and the dragon. At first, she had been surprised at the situation Levy was controlling, but she still had a job to do. She took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"METALICANA!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am aware that Gajeel Redfox and Metalicana are not the same beings. For this story only, Gajeel inherited the name.