Disclaimer: The man-child typing this does not own Fairy Tail. He owns only a laptop.
Smelted Metal
Happy stared at Warren's Magic Radar. The blue Exceed had a spot on the table right next to the telepath's device, laying on all fours and his chin rested on top of Natsu's folded scarf. He didn't blink, didn't think about water, or nature's calling or fish... well.
"Happy."
The magic cat murmured without turning his head.
"Aye."
"Could you please stop staring?"
Happy flicked his tail from side to side.
"I'm looking for Natsu."
"But that's what I'm doing."
"Aye," Happy said, raising a paw out of habit. "And I'm helping."
A beat.
"Er, no," Warren said. "You're actually kind of distracting me."
Happy's eyes darted once to Warren's face before returning to the radar.
"You should concentrate then," he said in a flat tone. "We'll find him faster."
"Argh! That's my point, I can't"
Happy's ear twitched.
"Warren," he said, ignoring the telepath's outburst. He pointed with a digit of his paw. "What's that dot there? The one near Mira and Cana?"
Happy turned to watch Warren's reaction. The mage looked at where the cat indicated on the radar. A hand slamming down near him shook the table.
"What's that about Cana-chan?"
Warren's face drained of color and he began sweating at Gildarts' sudden closeness. Happy didn't pay any mind to the crash mage's intensity- one of the perks of being a cat. Warren gulped.
"I-I'm not sure," he said, finger shaking as he gestured to the radar. "But it looks like something attacked Mira and Cana."
Happy made a preemptive leap away from the table with Natsu's scarf in tow.
"And it might have been Natsu."
The table creaked for a moment before it vanished into oblivion from Gildarts' magic. Happy watched Warren snatch the radar to tuck and roll out of destruction's path. The crash mage opened his mouth to speak, but the guildhall entrance slamming open interrupted him. Porlyusica began barking demands the second she stepped inside.
"Where is that old fool? Who's in charge here?"
Gildarts raised his prosthetic hand in greeting. Fairy Tail's medical advisor shouted at him.
"Take me to the infirmary!"
Even Fairy Tail's ace stumbled over words against the older woman.
"A-aye."
Happy tried sneaking to the open door unnoticed. He had a little bit of his magic back, and he wanted to find Natsu. The Exceed knew his foster father would come back if he could just see him. A hand gripped Happy by the scruff of his neck, though careful to avoid his injuries.
"And what are you doing wandering around with those burns," Porlyusica asked without really asking. "Bed rest for you- now!"
Happy held no power against the old mage. He resigned himself to his fate, hoping that Natsu would be okay for a while longer.
Zeref took a step back to absorb his progress. The second project required much more effort, but for good reason, he noted. The immortal wizard couldn't remember the last time he'd been bored, but he knew he wouldn't tolerate such a state with much grace. He almost chuckled at the thought- it reminded him of his brother's disposition. He turned from one self-appointed assignment to regard the other.
"No, no," he said, rearranging facial features with a flip of his wrist. The dark mage struggled with names, but faces remained implanted well in his memory. "You can't seduce the water girl without those sad eyes."
Juvia sneezed.
"Are you cold, Juvia?"
The rain woman smiled at Levy.
"No, Juvia's body regulates temperature very well," she said. "Someone must be talking about Juvia in Juvia's absence." Heat stung her cheeks and she wiggled her thighs. "Juvia hopes it was Gray-sama."
Before she could delve into one of her many fantasies about her dear ice mage, a large hand clamped on her shoulder.
"Oi," Gajeel whispered, red eyes narrowed at something she couldn't see. "You hear that?"
Juvia listened to the mid-morning scene. Other than Jet and Droy snoring, she heard nothing. She relayed as much to Gajeel. The pierced mage pushed past her, hunching down near the cliff edge.
"Gajeel," Levy said. The solid script mage paced up behind the dragon slayer. "What's"
"Lily," Gajeel said, not turning around. "With me."
The iron mage glanced over his shoulder at Juvia and Levy.
"Wake those two idiots up and wait here." He hissed.
Juvia nodded, more out of courtesy than actual necessity; Gajeel had already jumped over the cliff side. The water mage took no offense at his lack of delicacy; she'd known him too long.
Gajeel flipped and skid his way down the face of the cliff. He knew he'd heard something, but given the ominous silence that had taken over the town after the soldiers vanished, that didn't make sense. He told Lily to watch from overhead.
The dragon slayer ghosted into the town, following what sounded like someone chortling. A small, grinning figure dashed across his path and into an abandoned church.
"Oi!"
The iron mage gave chase. He didn't sense magic power from whatever had giggled at him, or at least not enough to cause him trouble. A sense of foreboding had been lurking over Gajeel's head for a while, and he couldn't place the source of it. Not knowing gnawed at his limited patience. Gajeel paused a moment at the sound of an outcry; recognizing Droy's voice, he ignored it in favor of tracking down the critter. He didn't feel like babysitting.
A draft came in through a stained glass window as the wind shifted. Two scents rode in on the breeze- a demon, and another that confused him.
"Salamander?"
He forgot whatever he'd been looking for. He broke through the glass of the window to get out. The origin of the smell came from where he'd left Levy and Juvia.
"Lily," he called, his partner swooping down from the air. "Take us up!"
The black Exceed whisked the iron mage into the sky with him, flying back toward the cliff side. From his position, Gajeel noticed the two idiots were up, though Droy looked like he'd been hit. Juvia and Levy were near the edge where he'd left them. Between the four mages a winged demon hovered just over the ground, flexing talons instead of feet. Gajeel only recognized Salamander from his hair and the red Fairy Tail mark on his shoulder.
Solid Script: Fire!
"No, you idiot!"
Before Levy could stop, the word 'Fire' materialized and flew toward the transformed dragon slayer. Salamander opened his mouth and devoured the flame. Gajeel grimaced, ordering Lily to drop him. Levy stammered an apology.
"I'm sorry! I just said the first thing that came to mind!"
Salamander shot forward to close the distance between him and the script mage before he could blink. A clawed hand caught Levy by her head. Jet and Droy both screamed.
"Levy-chan!"
Gajeel couldn't attack from midair without hitting Levy. He yelled at Juvia- ground would greet him in a few more seconds.
"Cut off his air!"
The rain woman muttered a hasty spell, and an orb of water engulfed Salamander's head. He gurgled and jerked his neck around, but he kept his grip on Levy. Gajeel's feet touched earth.
Iron Dragon's Club!
Gajeel changed his arm into an iron pole, bashing it into Salamander's face. He pushed forward to knock the fire wizard back.
"Piss off!"
Finally Levy was freed. Gajeel rushed up and caught her around the waist. He swore under his breath; he knew the symptoms of magic deficiency disease. He yelled at Lily, who'd taken on his battle form.
"Take her outta here," he said, tossing the blue-haired wizard to his partner. "Get back to the guild! Anywhere that ain't here!"
The dragon slayer didn't have time to strike again or field any complaints from Lily before Salamander barreled into him. Both slayers flew past Juvia and over the cliff edge. Gajeel wrestled in his opponent's grip, feeling magic power drain from his body.
Iron Shadow Dragon Mode!
His body encased by metallic armor and doused in black shadows, Gajeel brought his hands together and transformed them into a single blade.
Iron Shadow Dragon's Claw!
He dug the blade down into Salamander's back, eliciting a cry of pain. The arms around him slackened enough for him to push out of his grasp. Gajeel had no intention of restraining himself against the fire mage- Salamander hadn't just lost control; he was under somebody else's influence. Gajeel knew how difficult it could be to reach someone blind to anything except orders.
Though he'd never admit it to anyone, he owed Salamander for beating reason into him. The iron mage planned on returning the favor.
His opponent swerved, a flaming hand aiming to swipe at him.
Knuckle Plant!
From below, a vined plant shot upwards and separated Gajeel from Salamander. The black-haired dragon slayer landed on one of the rooftops, his shadowed armor lost due to weakened magic. Droy's plants moved to contain the snarling fire wizard.
"Gajeel-kun," Juvia said, morphing into shape out of her water form. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," he said, wincing when he moved. The landing had affected him more than it would have had his armor not left him. "Forget that. Salamander ain't gonna sit still in that thing. I got a plan. You make it rain and tell Jet to draw his attention. The other moron and you wait for my signal."
Gajeel appreciated that the water mage didn't ask any dumb questions. She pooled back into a puddle and flowed over the cobblestone streets. Clouds gathered out of nowhere and rain began to fall. The dragon slayer ducked inside one of the taller buildings as Salamander burned out of Droy's magic.
"Yo, Natsu!" He heard Jet yell outside. "I got a few words for you about L"
Salamander cut the speeding redhead short with a blast of white fire. The blaze seemed almost unaffected by the downpour that pelted the rooftops. Gajeel crouched in place and waited; he hoped the rain would mess with Salamander's nose and let the others catch him by surprise. He tracked Jet's movements as he avoided Salamander's flames, his muscles tense and ready to pounce. Jet flashed by a couple streets ahead.
"Now!" Gajeel shouted.
He leapt from the third story of the building, falling down where Juvia waited.
Water Geyser!
An eruption of high-pressure water came up at him like a cannon blast and sent him higher, arching toward his target.
Knuckle Plant!
Again, huge vines broke into the skyline. The iron mage latched onto them and hauled ass up. Gajeel heard Salamander swoop down.
"C'mon, you bastard," he said. "Come after me."
A bright flicker showed through the thick darkness of the rain. Salamander raked at the plant's base with a fiery talon. A loud crack and groan preceded the vine lurching forward. Gajeel cursed; he'd get one shot.
Marking Salamander's path, he ran along the collapsing plant. Once he had outpaced the flying fire mage, he vaulted off and fell down above him.
Iron Dragon's Roar!
Gajeel blasted Salamander's back and wings with a raging maelstrom of shrapnel. The iron bits embedded themselves in charcoal skin and the membrane of his wings. The fire mage shrieked, losing his balance and spiraled down into the cement. The iron dragon slayer landed near him. He had just enough time to breathe before Salamander emerged snarling from the crater he'd made. Blood leaked through his wings.
"Demon or not, that'll take a bit to heal," he said. He noticed that Salamander hadn't moved from his spot and he remembered his talons. "So yer grounded here wit' me."
Iron Dragon Scales!
A pattern of metallic scales covered Gajeel's body. The dragon slayer paced toward Salamander, cracking his knuckles.
"Now," he said, ignoring that the height advantage he had over the fire mage had been eliminated by his transformation. "Gonna tell me what the hell's going on, or"
Salamander growled and slammed a charcoal fist into Gajeel's face. The dragon slayer staggered back, but smirked.
"Gihi," he chuckled, swinging back at his opponent and catching his jaw. "Good."
Gajeel boxed back and forth with the pink-haired wizard, parrying punches with his iron forearms. Even with such brief contact exchanged, his proximity to the fire mage seemed to eat away his magic power. The lower his reserves sank, the quicker they drained; regardless, he persisted. The warrior in him took some sort of satisfaction from the rematch between the two of them.
Until both landed simultaneous blows to the jaw, thunderous crack resounding from the strength behind each of them. The fight had been about even up till Salamander swept his new tail at Gajeel's legs with his damning fire. The iron dragon slayer hissed and cringed, a high whine coming from the metal around his legs as the scales melted from the extreme heat. He felt the tension in the iron resist any movement in his legs. Reminded of the stakes and running out of magic, Gajeel wove his head to the side of another punch, using his shoulder to knock the arm aside.
Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!
He focused his magic into the metal of his right hand, smashing it into Salamander's chest. The altered mage went flying, skidding over the top of wooden fences and through street lamps. Gajeel sucked in a deep breath and bellowed.
"WAKE UP, SALAMANDER!"
Karma Demon: Iron God Sword!
Gajeel used the remainder of his power to transform his arm into a massive iron blade. He brought it crashing down on top of Salamander, destroying whatever buildings stood behind his target in the process. He huffed and panted. He winced in pain, the welded metal of his legs cracking before he relinquished his scales.
A roar from the wreckage called him out of any peace of mind he may have wanted. Salamander, despite sporting a large gash down his left shoulder, flew out of the rain toward the dragon slayer. White fire flared in his mouth. The iron mage swayed, trying to move. His knees buckled and hit pavement as reward for the effort.
"Dammit."
Right before the fireball reached him, a pair of hands hoisted him by his shoulders and yanked him out of harm's way. At the same time, an explosion of water swept up Salamander from his side. The fire mage disappeared, blasting through a few buildings before Gajeel lost sight of him. Weary, he glanced up to see Jet's brow furrowed in what, to his surprise and embarrassment, could only be worry.
"You okay?"
Gajeel found himself speechless for a moment before grunting.
"Yeah," he said, wrenching his arms free. He struggled to stand, but refused any help. He looked away and muttered. "Thanks."
Juvia came running out of the ruins of the apartment building she'd wrecked to hit Salamander. The water mage had Droy in her wake. Gajeel tuned out her voice, listening through his fatigue for Salamander. He grit his teeth at the sound of wings flapping away from them.
"You can let up the rain," he said. Juvia tilted her head even as the downpour ceased. "He ain't comin' back."
The dragon slayer would have smashed the nearest brick wall were he not so exhausted.
END- he knew his name again- flew out of the storm. The one who smelled of iron and hit hard had been strong. Not as strong as the other demon, but his power felt old. A tingling from his fresh wound told him that it was also familiar.
He growled and wavered in flight, clutching and shaking his head. The little woman, the prey that smelled of tomes and paper- her magic had made his headache much worse. The inflammation that wasn't of his design threatened to split his skull. He hovered in the air, covering his eyes until the discomfort ebbed.
He didn't ponder on the rain bringer. Just the thought of her called an image to mind that agitated him, even though he couldn't see it clearly.
It didn't matter. The familiar voice had given him new scents. One he recognized as steel, while the other he couldn't name; nonetheless, it made his hair bristle. Something about the second scent... unnerved him, because END didn't know fear, only caution.
But he would hunt the source down anyway, because Nii-san was asking.
A/N: Ah, SNAP! Getting a bit more intense!
This one was really fun to write, in large part because I love Gajeel as a character! He's got a lot of baggage and stuff going on that isn't delved into despite being one of the more popular characters. I digress!
If you enjoyed reading this, leave a review about it! If not, tell me what your ideal pet would be in the review box!
Reply to Reviews (Imagine a deep ominous movie trailer voice for this, because I know I am):
IndigoWolfie: Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I hope this one is also to your liking!
The Age of Awesomeness (I still like that one): Thank you very much for reading and reviewing! I hope I updated soon enough and that this is as good as the last one! I'll keep churning out all I can!