A/N: So, now it's time to get to the real story! This is where all of our favorite characters make their first appearances! =) My favorite part~
So, just so you know, I'm going to try my best to make my OC as non-Mary-Sue-ish as possible. I know that's easier said than done, but hey, it's worth a shot. I'll do my best. I hope you guys can come to like her!
Oh, and maybe you could suggest possible future pairings? I'm still sticking with GerardxErza, but everything else is fair game. =D Let me know if you have any suggestions!
And thanks to my one, lone review! I'm happy that I even got a review. =3
Let's get ready to rumble!
Disclaimer: I still don't own Fairy Tail. Shame.
LISTEN TO THE DRAGONS
Chapter 2 – To Be Suspicious
"Jump off the cliff, he said. Trust me. Bah. I'm never going to listen to that damn dragon again."
Ayelin grumbled as she trekked slowly in no particular direction, hoping to find some sort of civilization. Her legs were beginning to drag behind her as she walked. Not a good sign.
Why didn't I think to ask how to get to Magnolia from here? She thought angrily. And why the hell did I just JUMP off that cliff without thinking?
It was true, Igneel had told her to jump off the cliff. It was also true that, in doing so, she fell into the chasm below, which somehow spat her back up and landed her in the middle of nowhere, standing next to a different chasm. Magic, of course. They said it wasn't easy to find. What she wasn't told was that the landing process was sort of…rough, to put it lightly. She would have bruises for days to come.
Ayelin stopped walking and stared wearily in front of her. All that could be seen was a long dirt path, lined with various trees and shrubs, which seemed to go on for miles. In fact, Ayelin was fairly sure that she had been walking for several miles already. The setting sun was definitely a concern as well; she had no intention of walking through this deserted stretch of land in the dark, and yet, she had no place to stay for the night. No water or food, either.
Great, she thought bitterly. My first day on Earth Land, and I'm going to die.
Sighing, Ayelin decided to take a small detour into the forest to find a possible shelter for the night, much as she hated sleeping outside. She quickly came across a large tree whose roots formed a perfect bed for her. She grabbed some leaves and splayed them across the small bed-sized clearing. Then, she bunched a bunch of leaves together to form a sort of pillow. Satisfied with her work, Ayelin set out to find food.
About ten minutes into her expedition, she came across a small stream, swarming with fish. With a quick, anxious look at the sun – it was setting much faster than she would have liked – she frantically jumped into the stream and grabbed at the fish. Her methods failed, of course, but she was too desperate to worry about practicalities. I must survive. This thought pushed her actions to the extreme.
Her efforts resulted in the catching of one medium-sized fish. Triumphantly, she marched back to her camp with the fish in hand, dropped it onto the ground next to her, and quickly grabbed two sticks. She proceeded to rubbing the two sticks together furiously in an effort to make fire.
The sun's rays were just barely peaking over the horizon. Ayelin knew that she only had a short amount of time before the forest would be completely engulfed in darkness, a prospect that scared her. She rubbed the sticks even more vigorously.
Wait, what am I doing? She asked herself. I'm an elemental mage, right? I can make fire!
Thus, the next ten minutes consisted of her failed attempts to create fire out of thin air, after which she sighed and fell onto her back, defeated.
Maybe I need to eat fire first, like Natsu does, Ayelin thought wearily. She glanced over at her catch of the day, the shiny, silver-scaled fish. The sight of the fish, so close to her, made her even hungrier than before. She sat up. Why am I giving up already?
Night had already fallen upon the forest, but she barely noticed that. Determinedly, she picked up the two sticks again and rubbed them together.
"I'm Ayelin frickin' Blue for crying out loud," she said through gritted teeth. "I should be able to figure out something as simple as this, right…?"
She saw sparks.
Her hope renewed, she rubbed even harder. So close…!
Suddenly, a string of fire flew from the darkness in front of her and lit the two sticks in a burst of flames. Ayelin yelped as she dropped the sticks and crawled backwards several feet from the flaming sticks. Her eyes widened.
Did I do this? She thought, bewildered.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, she saw a shadow move in the darkness in front of her. Her body froze in terror as the shadow moved closer and closer…closer…
"Hey, what are you doing out here?"
Ayelin didn't realize she had closed her eyes until the voice startled her eyes open. In front of her, a boy with unruly pink hair was staring at her curiously, his face only inches from hers. She nearly shrieked again; in fact, she would have, had she not recognized the pink-haired figure.
"N-Nat – " she began, but she quickly threw a hand over her mouth and looked down. I'm not supposed to know who he is, that's right, she reminded herself. She looked back up at the wide, curious eyes staring at her and spoke timidly. "Er, uh, I'm…" She put on a weak smile. "I'm Ayelin! Ayelin…Red. Nice to meet you!"
Natsu's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized her pale, sweating face. Then, as if deciding she wasn't an enemy, he stood back up and smiled at her. "Oh, hey! I'm Natsu. Natsu Dragneel." He grinned, a wide, toothy smile that Ayelin couldn't help but giggle at. She received a questioning glance from the pink-haired mage when she did this, causing her to stop quickly and look down.
"Anyway," Natsu said slowly, picking up the two flaming sticks, "why were you trying to start a fire by rubbing these two sticks together?" He held the sticks in front of him, looking from one to the other in confusion as if the idea of making fire by rubbing two sticks together was completely insane. But of course, he is a fire mage, Ayelin reminded herself. That didn't stop herself from pouting.
"Because that's how I've heard people do it…" Ayelin mumbled, crossing her arms indignantly. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What, you have any better suggestion?"
"Yeah," he replied, grinning toothily. "By using fire magic, of course!"
He says that like everyone uses fire magic, Ayelin complained to herself, wanting to point this out to the arrogant fire mage. Instead, she bit her lip – all part of the act – and said, "But I…" I don't know how to use it yet. "I, uh, can't use fire magic."
Natsu gave her a curious almost suspicious look. "Really? It looked like you were trying to use it earlier. I just figured that you were messing around when you were rubbing them together…"
Ayelin flushed, not from the guilt of having to lie, but from the embarrassment of her earlier display of a complete lack of magical skill. "No, I was just…just desperate. I can't really use fire magic," she lied, blushing. Though the desperate part was true…
Natsu nodded slowly, still staring at her suspiciously through narrowed eyes. Ayelin gulped and looked down. Oh no, she though, shaking her head. I have to look him in the eye! She wiped her face blank of all emotion and forced herself to meet Natsu's gaze.
Suddenly, he smiled. "Well, I can!" he stated proudly, holding the flaming sticks up in the air as if trying to show them off. "You're damn lucky I passed by when I did."
"I would've found a way to do it myself," Ayelin grumbled. She was growing increasingly annoyed at Natsu's excessive pride, which would be fine if it wasn't at her expense. On the other hand, she was secretly relieved and happy that she had managed to slip beneath the fire mage's radar.
Wait, I'm speaking as if I AM a criminal! She thought, almost angrily. Snap out of it, girl! You're doing this for the sake of the whole fucking world! Stop feeling ashamed!
She was startled out of her angry pep talk when Natsu suddenly sat down in front of her, legs crossed, eyes gazing at her with sincere curiosity. "So, seriously, why are you out here anyway? Traveling? Mission? Do you belong to a guild around here?"
Ayelin was surprise at the barrage of questions. She hesitated, wondering how she could answer without giving away her situation. "I, uh…" Suddenly, a brilliant thought came to her. She could feel the corners of lips trying to turn up into a sly smile, but she forced herself to keep a blank expression. "I'm not from a guild around here," she said, answering the last question. "In fact, I was trying to look for a guild to join. I heard Magnolia has a really good guild called Fairy Tail." She shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "I figured it was worth a shot."
By the look on Natsu's face, she could tell that he had taken the bait.
"Fairy Tail?" he repeated excitedly. "I belong to that guild, you know! It's the best of the best!" Ayelin nodded in agreement, though inwardly she shook her head at the fire mage's shameless boasting.
"Want me to take you there?" he asked sincerely.
She pretended to be surprised and squealed, "Really? You will?" However, she was inwardly smirking. Victory is mine! Whoever said I couldn't lie?
Natsu's confident answer – "Yes" – lifted her spirits. Suddenly, she wasn't so tired anymore. Suddenly, she wanted to head out right away to find this guild that she just might become a part of. Suddenly, that fish seemed extremely insignificant.
She jumped up. "Let's go!" she exclaimed excitedly, this time truly excited.
However, Natsu shook his head, his expression suddenly taking on a more worried look. "Er, well, it's probably better to go in the morning anyway." He plopped down next to the fire that he had hastily constructed next to the "bed" and motioned for her to join him. "You should sleep."
Ayelin scrutinized Natsu's seemingly anxious expression and slowly crawled into her makeshift bed. "Er…Natsu…are you alright?"
Natsu nodded slowly.
"Did something happen with the guild? Is that why you don't want to go back right away?"
"Something like that…" he replied, hesitantly. Suddenly, he banged his fists against the grounds. "Dammit, okay, I'll tell you. I can't go back 'cause Erza's gonna kill meeee!" He grabbed his head frantically.
Ayelin blinked. "Erza…oh, I'm not surprised, I guess."
Natsu glanced at her. "You know Erza?"
Oops. Busted! "Er, uh, I've definitely heard about her. She's pretty famous. Tends to destroy things. I guess, I sort of expected her to have a sort of violent personality." Gotta be careful what I say…
"Yeah, it's completely true!" Natsu whined. "She's, like, a monster!"
Ayelin laughed. "So, what did you do?"
"I went on an S-Rank mission without telling anyone." He grinned again. "I don't regret it at all, actually. It was awesome!"
"But she's still gonna kill you."
Natsu's smile fell. "Yeah…"
Ayelin giggled again. She could feel herself falling in and out of sleep as she rested her head upon the makeshift pillow. She closed her eyes, and then remembered something.
"Oh, Natsu?"
"Hm?"
"Thanks for finding me. I was kind of lost."
She could hear Natsu chuckle. "That's what I do. I save people in trouble!"
He's probably thinking about Lucy, Ayelin thought, but instead replied, "No, I'm serious!"
"And so am I," Natsu replied with a cheeky grin.
Ayelin turned to face him, her eyes round with mock wide-eyed realization. "You arrogant bastard."
Natsu burst out into laughter. Ayelin quickly fell into fits of laughter as well, though she could hardly tell why. She figured it was from the giddiness of having just met someone as famous in her world as Erza was in his; the only difference was, people in her world didn't think he was real. They never expected to meet him. They probably would never meet him.
But she did.
And just the thought of that, of being special for once, also made her giddy.
She laid back down on her makeshift bed, her back to Natsu, and closed her eyes again. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard him ask another question.
"So, what kind of mage are you, exactly?"
Ayelin was silent for a moment. She knew this question was going to come. But she couldn't reveal her full identity, so the half-truth would have to do. But what was the half-truth?
She held her hand out in front of her as if searching for an answer. She moved it side to side. She held it in different positions. She waved it back and forth. Suddenly, during one of her movements, she saw the tiniest sparkle of mist-like crystals, which landed on the ground below and melted immediately. Studying her hand, she finally found an answer. She spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Ice. I'm an ice mage."
"Just like Gray," she heard Natsu mumble quietly. She heard him chuckle. "Cool."
She hoped he would not ask any more questions; she was tired of lying. Thankfully, within a few minutes, she heard him snoring loudly next to him. Content, she herself fell into a peaceful slumber and dreamt about her future days with the Fairy Tail guild…
If only…
The next day, she was awakened by a loud, angry Natsu, who was yelling at some birds or something for taking away his food. At the sound of food, Ayelin's stomach rumbled. She quickly sat up, spotted her fish from the other day on the ground a few feet away, and reached for it eagerly, only for it to be snatched away quickly by the hungry fire mage.
Ayelin glared at him as he quickly cooked the fish to a crisp and gobbled it down in only a couple bites. He didn't seem to notice her glare, so she just sighed and sat there angrily in defeat. When he was done, he licked his fingers off with a satisfied grunt.
"Finished yet?" Ayelin grumbled, arms crossed.
"Mmm, yeah," Natsu replied, licking his lips. "That hit the spot! Lucky I found it there or else I would've gone hungry."
Yeah, lucky for you, Ayelin thought bitterly.
Natsu glanced at her. "Something wrong?"
"No, nothing," she snapped.
Natsu's eyes widened. "Whoa. Okay. Something's wrong. What happened?"
"…I'm hungry," she replied, avoiding the fire mage's eyes. And I want to strangle you right now. But it's hard to stay mad at you when you have absolutely no idea what you've done wrong. She sighed. Your eyes say it all.
"Okay…" Natsu said slowly. Suddenly, realization flickered in his wide eyes. "Oh! You wanted that fish, didn't you?"
Ayelin sighed in utter defeat. "No. Never mind. Let's just get going."
Natsu looked at her confusedly for a little longer, and then shrugged indifferently. "Okay. Sure." He picked up his stuff. He saw a piece of paper on the ground next to the makeshift bed and picked that up to. "Oh, hey, is this yours?"
Ayelin's eyes grew wide with horror for a second as she saw him clutching the note from Igneel. She lunged for the paper and yelled, "No!" snatching it from his grasp. He let go immediately, surprise coloring his expression. Ayelin immediately felt guilty.
"Er, uh," she stammered, trying to salvage the situation. "I meant yes. That is mine. It's…important to me. Sorry I yelled."
He was still giving her a confused look, but he replied, "It's okay."
Ayelin looked down, blushing out of embarrassment as she held the note to her chest and then slipped it into her pocket.
"Oh, by the way," Natsu began, acting as if nothing weird had happened, "what's your name again?"
"Ayelin," she replied. "Ayelin Bl – er, Red."
"Ayelin Blered?" he said, puzzlement evident on his face.
"Ayelin Red," she corrected quickly. "Sorry, my bad."
He shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry about." Then, he chuckled. "You're kinda weird, you know that, Aye?"
Ayelin gave him a quizzical look. "Aye?" she repeated.
Natsu grinned. "Much easier to remember than Ayelin. Besides, it's what my friend Happy always…" He trailed off suddenly, his eyes becoming more distant as if seeing something that wasn't there. Ayelin was about to ask what was wrong when she saw him shake his head and mumble, "Never mind. Let's get going."
Ayelin stared at his back as she watched him walk away, worry creased on her forehead. Come to think of it, she thought, I haven't seen Happy. I thought they were always together. She bit her lip worriedly. I wonder what's wrong…I wonder if it has something to do with whatever Acnologia is here for… This realization hit her like a brick, causing her heart to race. Oh no. Does that mean bad things are already happening? I need to find that damned dragon, and fast…!
"You coming?"
She snapped out of her frantic thoughts only to realize that Natsu had already disappeared behind the trees. "Er, yeah!" she shouted in reply, keeping her emotions out of her voice. "Give me a sec!"
Ayelin held her hand up again, waving it back and forth as she did the night before, and watched the misty shimmer of ice crystals flurry to the ground. With each wave of her hand, more ice crystals appeared. After a few moments, she gripped her hand into a fist and stared at it intently.
It worried her that everything was happening so quickly. How much time did she have before it was too late? Could she learn enough by then to earn the right to find Acnologia, as Metalicana had to aptly put it? She could feel her breath shortening as the feelings of stress and panic came upon her like waves on a beach, one after the other. Her fist was still clenched, as if she were afraid that letting go would mean giving into to these intense feelings.
But was it fear? Fear of what? She had to wonder exactly what she feared. This wasn't her world, after all, that was in danger. She had barely been there for twelve hours. So why was she so afraid?
The ice crystals that shimmered their goodbyes on the ground said it all. She was afraid of herself. What she possessed. What she could do. And, even more frightening, what she couldn't do. What she wouldn't be able to do when the world needed her most. That was frightening. Even so, she wanted to save this world with whatever power she could muster, even if the only power she had was a few, tiny ice crystals.
Acnologia, she thought, determinedly, I WILL find you! By my own power! She released her grip. Just like the dragons said I could…right?
"Aye?"
The leaves on the surrounding trees rustled in the wind, whispering reassurances. She could hear it. As if something was talking to her.
Listen to the dragons…
With a finally squeeze of her fist, Aye ran after Natsu.
"I told you, I'm coming!"
"Well, here we are. Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
Natsu entered the doors, spreading his arms wide as he gestured to the entirety of the guild, who were drinking, laughing, and fighting amongst each other. Ayelin stood outside the doorway, her limbs frozen as she realized what she was about to do.
I'm about to enter Fairy Tail. I'm about to join the Fairy Tail guild.
Oh.
My.
Fucking.
God.
Natsu suddenly grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the building impatiently. Ayelin yelped in response and quickly batted his hand away.
"Hey!" she said angrily. "I was trying to savor the moment!"
"Yeah, well, you were taking too long," the pink-haired mage replied.
"And what makes you think you can just drag me in here anyway, huh?" Ayelin retorted, hands on her hips as she took an offensive stance.
Natsu shrugged. "Like I said, you were taking too long."
Ayelin rolled her eyes. What a child. "You're just impatient."
"So?"
"…you arrogant bastard."
Natsu chuckled. "Now where've I heard that before?"
"I said it once, and I'll say it as many times as it takes for you to understand it," Ayelin stated, wagging a disapproving finger in Natsu's face. "AR-RO-GANT BA-STARD."
Natsu didn't respond. She did, however, realize that the loudness of her voice was garnering more and more attention from the guild members, many of whom were now staring at her quizzically, some even suspiciously.
Ayelin gulped, suddenly afraid. She was, after all, weak compared to these members. She didn't even know how to use her own magic. How would she fit in…?
"Hello! New friend of Natsu's?"
The sweet voice came out of nowhere, causing Ayelin to jump. She blushed as she realized that it was only Mirajane, who was smiling at her reassuringly. I need to stop spacing out, Ayelin thought bitterly. Of course, this was easier said than done; Ayelin watched in amazement as an angry half-naked boy (obviously Gray) threw a powerful punch at an unsuspecting, white-haired man who yelled something about Gray's nakedness not being appropriate in front of the ladies (obviously Elfman). She immediately forgot about Mirajane's question in favor of this scarily violent, yet humorous, scene.
"I just met her last night outside of the town," Natsu answered in her place, holding his hands behind his head, obviously relaxed and at home in this rowdy environment.
Ayelin was barely listening. Her eyes still wide with awe and excitement, she made a game of naming each character in the room.
That's obviously Juvia, she's clinging onto Gray so much. She smiled knowingly to herself. Oh, and that's Levy! With Jet and Droy behind her, cheering for her! Gosh, I wonder if they really know how to do anything useful…oh! Wendy! With Charle…! Ayelin's thoughts fleetingly wandered to Happy. I wonder what he's doing… She glanced at Charle again. I wonder if she knows. She's psychic after all…
"Aye, what are you looking at?"
"Oh, I was just – " Ayelin began as she turned to face who she thought was Natsu, only to come face-to-face with the ever-happy Mirajane, who was leaning against the counter resting her chin against her hands and looking at her with a knowing twinkle in her eyes.
Ayelin paused confusedly for a second. She looked around and spotted Natsu over at the table with Gray, yelling something at him in a very Natsu-like way. Then, she pointed to herself. "Were you talking to me?"
Mirajane nodded, still smiling. "Uh huh. Aye. That's a cute name."
Oh, I get it, Ayelin thought, sighing. She shook her head. "My name is actually Ayelin. Ayelin Red. That pink-haired bastard over there apparently likes to call me Aye."
"Probably because it reminds him of Happy," Mirajane said thoughtfully, giggling. "He's off on a mission in Edola with the Master right now, though."
Oh, I see... Ayelin thought, as she replied, "Yeah…"
"Do you know Happy?"
Ayelin's eyes grew wide as she realized her mistake. She quickly tried to salvage it. "Oh, uh, well, Natsu mentioned it briefly, actually," she replied quickly.
Mirajane gazed at her curiously, worry – and something else unrecognizable – evident in her eyes. "Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost or something."
Ayelin looked her in the eyes, forcing herself to keep calm. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she replied slowly. Then, she added, "Guess I'm just nervous. I've kinda always wanted to be in this guild."
Whatever Ayelin had seen in Mirajane's eyes before disappeared, replaced by the usual glittering playfulness with the added bright smile. "Oh!" she exclaimed, giggling. "That's what you're here for, huh?"
Ayelin nodded. "Yup. Pretty much."
"So you're a mage then? What kind of mage are you?"
"Ice," Ayelin replied quickly, smiling when she realized that she didn't hesitate this time. I'm an ice mage, she said to herself proudly.
"Oh, so you're like Gray, huh?" Mirajane said teasingly. "I wonder if you two would get along then."
Innocently, Ayelin asked, "Who's Gray?"
Mirajane nodded her head towards the place where Natsu was. Gray was standing up next to him, yelling something crude and unintelligible at the fire mage. "That's him," Mirajane said simply. "The one with no shirt."
"Or pants for that matter," Ayelin muttered.
Mirajane shrugged,a happy smile still plastered on her face. "It's worse than that, sometimes."
"No underwear?" Ayelin queried, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Ew. That's just wrong."
Mirajane nodded in agreement. "So, where would you like the mark?"
Ayelin blinked in surprise. "What?"
Mirajane giggled. "The Fairy Tail mark, of course! Natsu has it on his arm. Gray has it on his chest…"
"You mean it's that simple?" Ayelin asked, still surprised. "I don't have to…I dunno…fight anyone or something to get in?"
Mirajane shrugged. "Eh. Not really. We trust that our members can bring in competent mages, and since Natsu brought you in…" She smiled. "I guess you're hired!"
Ayelin should have felt happy, but somehow, she actually felt guilty, as if she didn't deserve to be there. "I-I…" she began shakily. "I don't think I'm very good. Not good at all, really…"
Mirajane titled her head in confusion. "But didn't you say you wanted to join this guild?"
"Yes, of course!" Ayelin replied quickly. "I just…I don't want to let anyone down…"
Mirajane laughed. "Come to think of it, Natsu brought another girl in here a while back. She wanted to be in Fairy Tail, too. Lucy. Maybe you've heard of her?"
"Er, I think so…" Ayelin responded carefully.
"Well," Mirajane continued, resting her chin on her hands again, "after a while, she started to feel like she was extremely weak. She felt like she always needed saving. But she's getting better and better every day. Even I can see it! She's determined to become the strongest Celestial Spirit Mage she can be!" Suddenly, she stared Ayelin straight in the eyes. "Are you willing to work to become the strongest mage you can be?"
Ayelin felt uncomfortable under Mirajane's gaze which seemed to look straight into her thoughts, as if she knew what Ayelin was really up to. Ayelin shifted her stance, but refused to break contact with woman's eyes.
"Of course."
Mirajane smiled again, the intensity leaving her eyes. "Then, take this opportunity. You have nothing to worry about."
Ayelin nodded slowly. Then, her gaze fell to the ground. "Mirajane…"
"Yes?"
Ayelin was silent for a moment. Then, she looked back up at the woman in front of her, her mouth open as if she was trying to say something but no words were coming out. She shut her mouth quickly, paused for another moment, and then gave a weak smile. "Can I have the mark here, please?" she asked, pointing to the top part of her wrist.
Before Mirajane could go through with the action, a flying chair crashed in between them, throwing them apart. Ayelin fell back onto the ground with a yell, her eyes widening as a tall man with long black hair and serious expression advanced in her direction. She scrambled to her feet, and, mustering all the courage she could, glared at the man.
"What was that for?" she yelled angrily. "You could have hurt someone!"
The man snorted indifferently, still glaring at her with those intense eyes. Gajeel, Ayelin thought with a gulp. This is most definitely Gajeel.
Ayelin swallowed, and then attempted to repeat her question, when suddenly Gajeel was up in her face, glaring her down.
"Who are you?" he hissed suspiciously. "You're not from around here."
"N-No, I'm not," Ayelin stammered in reply, keeping her gaze steady despite her shaking voice. "What does it matter to you?"
Gajeel's eyes narrowed as he moved closer to her face, much to Ayelin's surprise. When he was only an inch from her face, at most, his hiss came out as a quiet whisper.
"You smell like dragon."
Ayelin froze. Her mouth gaped open as she registered what this man had just said. You smell like dragon. Was that something that was easily recognized? How could he tell? More importantly, how could Natsu not tell?
By this point, everyone in the room was quietly witnessing this intense encounter. Ayelin's eyes darted around her as she took in the wary looks of the guild members. She gulped, readying herself to reply.
"I don't quite understand what you me – " Ayelin began with a steady, slightly annoyed tone.
"GOD DAMMIT, DON'T SHIT AROUND WITH ME, I CAN SMELL IT!" the metal dragonslayer exploded, grabbing Ayelin by the shoulders and pushing her violently away. She didn't have time to react; she fell back several feet from where she was originally standing, gasping as her head hit the wooden floor with a painful thud.
She sat up, wincing as her head throbbed. But she knew that she couldn't show weakness, especially in the face of this angry dragonslayer, who was once again advancing on her. He picked her up by the collar and spoke threateningly. "Tell me. Why do you smell like dragon. You been hiding them? Keeping them for yourself? Torturing them maybe…?" he trailed off, his eyes narrowing further as Ayelin's expression remained frustratingly blank, though fear was evident in her eyes.
"Why won't you answer me?" he murmured threatening, evil intent glistening in his eyes.
Ayelin felt torn between frustration, panic, and pity. Yes, she pitied him. Pitied him because she knew exactly why he was so angry. Unfortunately, she also knew that she had to protect the secret she held, even at the expense of her own life. If Gajeel knew where Metalicana was, he would surely go there and then…
And then what? Surely it couldn't be something good, if the dragons were so desperately trying to hide their location, even from their own foster children. As Ayelin realized this, her expression turned grim.
"Not feeling so confident now, are you?" she heard Gajeel hiss.
"Oh, will you stop it!" she yelled angrily, pushing the surprised dragonslayer away. "This is ridiculous! The dragons haven't been seen for years now and you think someone like me could be hiding them? You must be insane!"
Gajeel was frozen, his eyes wide in shock as he finally took in what she said. The onlookers began murmuring amongst themselves. Ayelin's eyes darted to Natsu, who was watching her with a confused expression.
Suddenly, Gajeel snapped out of the shock. His glare was suspicious as he looked at Ayelin and circled her like a shark. "Okay then. Tell me. Where are you from?"
The question caught her off-guard. "Er, uh, well…um…"
"Um?" the metal dragonslayer pressed.
"…I'd honestly rather not talk about that," Ayelin answered slowly, keeping her gaze steady and unreadable.
"And why not?"
"I'm allowed to have my own life, aren't I?" Ayelin replied, bristling with anger.
The suspicion only deepened in the mage's eyes as he continued to glare at her. "…okay. Then, why did you come here?"
Easy. "Because I wanted to join the guild. What's wrong with that?"
Gajeel glowered as he strode over to her and spat angrily in her face. "I'll tell you what's wrong. You're up to something, girl, I can tell. People don't just walk around smelling like dragons!"
Ayelin's anger boiled, but she was also feeling increasingly nervous. "Natsu, help me out here!" she nearly yelled, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.
When she received no reply, she looked at him. "N-Natsu?"
He stood next to Gray, an expression of hesitation and confusion on his face. "Aye," he said, his voice strained. "I don't know. You do smell an awful lot like dragon…"
Ayelin's eyes widened with shock. Is this…betrayal? She quickly turned her head away from the hesitant pink-haired mage and face Gajeel again, her eyes steely and determined. Natsu would be of no help here. He had his chance, she thought bitterly.
"What are you hiding?" Gajeel muttered, still glaring at her.
Ayelin glared at him as well. "Your sense of smell must be failing you, dragonslayer," she hissed. Then, she realized what she had said; she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.
Gajeel's eyes narrowed even further. "So you know who I am." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.
I can't back out of this one, Ayelin admitted to herself. She nodded, still keeping her expression blank. "I know that you're a dragonslayer. I've heard about you guys in this guild."
Gajeel's hardened eyes did not soften, indicating that he did not fall for her simple explanation. However, he said no more on this matter. "I see," was all he said in reply.
Then, he turned his back to her. "One more question."
No response.
"What kind of mage are you?"
Ayelin quickly began to respond, only to be cut off by Gajeel's curt statement. "And don't say Ice Mage. I know you're not an Ice Mage."
Ayelin had to smile slyly at this. Oh, if only he knew that, while he was essentially right, he wouldn't be able to prove otherwise. I can use ice magic after all, she thought smugly.
"I'm an Ice Mage," she told him proudly, standing up straight. "I don't understand what's so unbelievable about that."
Gajeel stared at her for a moment. Then, he spoke again, a smile forming on his face. "Well then, Ice Mage, if you're so sure…why don't we have a fight?"
Ayelin blinked, her previous confidence out the window. "W-What?"
"Just what I said," Gajeel said, smiling cruelly. "A fight. Between us. If you win, you can stay. But if you lose…"
"I have to leave," Ayelin finished for him, her voice barely a whisper.
"Precisely."
Her heart raced in her chest as she saw the evil intent in his eyes. He was serious. He knew something was up. In another part of her brain, Ayelin was boiling with anger. That part of brain was screaming bloody murder at him for not recognizing that she was sent here to watch over him by his own foster parent, the same parent who he was accusing her of having stolen and tortured. However, the fear and panic of having nearly been discovered had overtaken her body, paralyzing her with the horror of the realization.
The onlookers all looked at her with the same suspicion that was evident in Gajeel's eyes. She gave one last pleading glance at Natsu. His expression had changed; now, his eyes reflected a mixture of sadness and regret that pierced Ayelin straight through the heart. He was sad. And he regretted something…what? Having ever met me? Having ever taken me here? Ayelin's thoughts grew bitterer as the hurt of having been betrayed by someone she thought trusted her seeped into her consciousness. Of course, he's going to trust Gajeel more, she tried to reason with herself. He's only known me since last night! Still, she couldn't help but feel betrayed. Hurt. Alone.
She was alone.
She looked around her. Suspicious glares and wary looks surrounded her, like a nightmare that she could never wake up from. The horror on her face became more and more apparent as she forgot to control her emotions. What had she done wrong?
"Guys, stop it!" she heard Mirajane scold her comrades. "Can't you see that you're scaring her?"
Ayelin looked at Mirajane, who smiled at her reassuringly, and smiled back. No, she thought, touching the note in her pocket. I'm not alone. Why would I even think that? She suddenly grinned. I have dragons on my side after all.
"I accept your challenge!"
The shocked silence that followed made Ayelin's grin grow even wider out of satisfaction. Gajeel's blank eyes only stared into hers, searching for something that he apparently couldn't find, before he growled his own satisfaction and grinned as well. "I'll be looking forward to it."
Ayelin smirked. "Don't get your hopes up. You may be disappointed."
He scowled before stalking off towards the main door. Before he exited, he stopped and peered over his shoulder at Ayelin. "I know you're bluffing, kid. I'll give you one week to get your shit together. Then, we'll fight." With that, he left.
Ayelin blinked. A whole week? Why not tomorrow? She had no idea what was going on in that man's head, but inwardly, she thanked him for it. Somehow, with that small gesture, she felt as if he was trying to help her.
She smiled. Maybe he's not so bad after all…
"Er, Aye?"
Ayelin turned to face Mirajane, who was looking at her worriedly. "Yes?"
Mirajane pulled her closer and whispered into her ear. "You sure you're going to be alright? They aren't going to allow you back in here, it seems…"
Ayelin glanced wearily at the suspicious stares. "Eh. I don't think I wanna come back here just yet." She grinned. "It's okay. I'll find a place to stay, and I'll practice hard so I can come see you again, alright?"
Mirajane smiled warmly in return. "Alright, then. Good luck!"
"Thanks!" Ayelin said as she jogged to the door, which was opening to reveal an extremely happy blonde girl who leaped through the doors and ran straight to Natsu to tell him some exciting news or something. Ayelin grinned. That's Lucy, for sure. Then, with one last regretful glance at Natsu, she left.
"Where to now?" Ayelin murmured to herself, walking away from the guild with an odd pain in her chest. Sadly, she faced the guild again. Then, she pointed at the door. "Mark my words, Fairy Tail! I'll be back! MARK MY WORDS!"
Then, she ran off as fast as she could, a determined look on her face, until she reached a bridge. Panting, she leaned over the railing and looked at the water below, admiring the soft waves and gentle curves of the water below.
She saw a tear fall.
It's okay to be sad for a while, right, Igneel? She thought. It's okay to miss home. Right? But don't worry. It'll go away soon. I promised you I'd watch over those three, I'll keep that promise.
She grabbed the note in her pocket and pressed it to her forehead to cover her face, which was streaked with tears that refused to stop flowing.
Igneel's parting words rang in her head. We'll be watching over you.
She faced the sky, tears still streaking her face, and gave a sad smile. "Are you watching me now?" she murmured. "Because I'm going to change. This is me right now. But I'll be different tomorrow. I promise to be strong." I promised…
But is it okay to cry?
She knew the answer, even if the warm wind didn't whisper it in her ear.
Go ahead. We'll be watching over you.
So she cried.
A/N: Yes, chapter 2 officially done! So, what do you think so far? I worked hard on this chapter!
Anyway, review, please!
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A preview of what's to come..
Ayelin's rejection from the guild has hurt her, but she doesn't plan to let that stop her from defeating Gajeel. She immediately begins working to hone her ice magic skills, only to be interupted by a certain Fairy Tail mage who offers to help her...who could this be? Find out next time in Chapter 3: To Be Stronger.