AN: Ok, pay attention and read this carefully. This chapter is the reason why this story is rated M. It WILL make some people unconfortable when reading, so if you can't handle torture and harsh emotional pain, I advise you to skip it.

#5) Past

"His past mistakes followed him everywhere,

like a parasite clinging to its host."

Saying that Gajeel deeply regretted his actions in the past was an understatement. But now wasn't the moment to think about it. That's what he told himself.

Seeing the terrible situation on the North brought a feeling of dread that made the iron dragon unsure of what to do. They had to help Sabertooth and Blue Pegasus, that was their priority.

Seeing how the enemy decided to humiliate them reminded him way too much of his dark days at Phantom Lord, when he was feared and took pleasure in making others suffer.

It was still a mystery to him how Fairy Tail had come to accept the same one who brought them lots of pain. But that was in the past, as even the shrimp had forgiven his wrongdoings against her.

His thoughts kept walking down that dark and dangerous lane, until his memories of times before Phantom Lord and after Metalicana resurfaced. His times as a problem child along with Mash… A sudden enemy attack brought his attention back to the battle and so it kept progressing.

Until that powerhouse stood there, blocking his way to victory. Along with his allies, Gajeel tried to surpass it, but they fell one after the other. The iron dragon was the last one standing. They had danced like marionettes on the hands of the spriggans on the North.

And as the favorite chosen puppet, they made Gajeel watch it all. The slow slaughter of the forces of Ishgar. The members of Blue Pegasus, the once prideful and fierce members of Sabertooth. Each know face and the despair grew and grew.

Then the kid who once really admired him as a hero and his counterpart. The fierce exceed who was once a commander in a parallel world. Finally, the girl who forgave her attacker.

He struggled. Not her. Not her. NOT HER PLEASE! The sorrow and despair slowly crawling and surrounding his heart full of past scars.

And just to laugh at him, her screams became one more shadow among the ones that haunted him.

And right there, in enemy's hands and surrounded by despair, the iron dragon's dream trigger broke.