So this chapter is going to be a little different because the POV will not be coming from the main person in question. This is primarily to provide contrast to the other chapters (Natsu and Erza primarily) and to be more interesting. It is also going to be a little on the short side for that reason as well.
But I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 6: Gajeel
PANTHERLILY POV
I am grateful that Gajeel has kept his word regarding me. His desperation to have an Exceed for a partner enabled him to ultimately defeat me and reunite me with my prince, if only temporarily. However, since I have traveled to this new dimension of Earthland, I have been forced down into a tiny form, only able to maintain my battle form for short periods of time.
Even though Gajeel had been initially ecstatic at my agreement to become his partner, he has been going off a lot by himself lately. Claiming that he "needed to be alone", he disappears quickly, leaving little impression of his earlier presence. After about a day of this, I followed him, only to watch him from a distance kneeling down in a clearing.
The wind would blow gently through the trees, and I couldn't tell for certain, but it looked like he was trembling. As silently as I could, I circled the clearing without approaching him any closer. Now I was able to see his face instead of his back. He was looking directly down at his hands, unblinking. His mouth twitched, but other than that, he was silent and overall unmoving.
Finally he opened his mouth, and what came out of it was something I hadn't expected.
Shoo-Be-Do-Bop, Shoo-Be-Do-Dee
There once was a girl named Wendy
She could make souls and spirits fly
For she was the dragon of the sky
Verses such as these continued for a short period of time before eventually he fell silent again. I had heard from some other people that Gajeel sang from time to time, even though he wasn't the best at it. But now, it sounded as though something else was guiding his voice, guiding the melody, for the voice that sang wasn't that of the gruff man I had come to know. Instead, it was gentle, nostalgic, and weary. Even as he sang, the air itself seemed to respond to his words, or perhaps that was just my imagination.
While I had not met the girl in question before, based off of what others have told me, she was very close to my prince during the early parts of his time in Earthland. While he had taken care of her during that time, she provided him something consistent and safe for him, despite being in a strange place. When Jellal had heard of her demise, I watched as he wiped tears from his eyes and guilt swept through them.
I stayed for a while, silently watching Gajeel as the sun set through the trees. At some point, tears had begun to stream down his face and he was quietly sobbing. I could hear him mutter to himself, "You were like a little sister to me. Even though I barely knew you, it feels as though you've changed me somehow. For the better. I'm not the same asshole that originally joined Fairy Tail." He looked up at the pink and purple sky, "I just wish I could thank you for it." With that, Gajeel rose to his feet and slunk off, except this time, I didn't follow him.
Despite no one knowing her for very long, Wendy had touched the hearts of those around her and her death affected us all.
It's as Gajeel said, "She could make souls and spirits fly, for she was the dragon of the sky."
So I wasn't sure how to go about presenting Gajeel, and I apologize if he appears a little OOC. But I felt like the story couldn't continue if I didn't talk about Gajeel's reaction. Anyways, next chapter will be Happy, finally followed by Carla's chapter.