Chapter 9: Hearts damaged by fate

The next morning Gajeel's left hand flet numb, and he noticed the tiniest blue tuff of hair peaking out from the blanket. Although it pained him to let go of her hand, he still hand to get up. However, the moment he tried, Levy looked up at him, with those honey brown eyes, sparking like stars in the early morning light, her bed head causing her hair to swirl around her face.

His face went beet red, as did hers.

With more speed than either of them thought possible, the turned away from one another, legs on oppsite sides of the bed. With red still covering their faces, they looked down in time with one another, to realize that.

They were both in their underwear.

" Did we?" Gajeel questioned, unsure, turning around to see Levy's pink and white underwear. "I was hoping you'd know." Levy said with an unsure giggle.

Without another word the pair got dressed and headed back to the large manor to collect the reward of 50,000 jewel.

"How much do I owe ya, Shrimp?" Gajeel asked when they were headed back to town. "What! Nothing!"

"I can't just stay at yer place for free Shrimp.'

She opened her mouth to speak, but instead turned her head thoughtfully, and after a moment she turned back to him. "How about this, each time we go on a job together we'll tell eachother about someone we've lost. Me about Inuashya and you about metalicanna. When we run out of those we'll tell something that one else knows about us. OR we could chose to dance,. Sound good?"

Gajeel opened his mouth, "If your worrying about rent. Don't. I own that house." she stuck out her hand. " Whadda say?" he looked unsure, " Let's see if our to damaged hearts can mend in eachothers company!"

With that Gajeel took her outstretched hand.

And the start of their unbreakable bond was forged.

"I'll go First" Gajeel said, as they walked together toward Magnolia, hands still clasped.

Gajeel awoke in a strange land, he was lying on top of a fallen log. I'm alive, But how? Gajeel stood, wobbling for a moment before falling over. "Oww." He mumbled as he looked around the strange area. "Hello.." his voice trailed off, echoing into the brush of the forest, Gajeel stood again and this time he was able to retain his balance. "Hello!" Gajeel called the amount of worry growing in his voice, "Someone! Anyone!" Gajeel screamed, still hoping that the ones he loved would hear him. A harsh wind surprised him and he stumbled back a few steps, tripping over a log and landing onto his bad shoulder. Biting back a scream, he placed his small hand onto the injured shoulder, a red stain returned on the tips of his fingerless gloves. Not good. He thought. Gajeel as young as he was, did have a varied amount of medical training. His red eyes scanned the area for water. Spotting a river in the near distance, he ran off toward it.

After carefully cleansing and bangeding his sholder, Gajeel began his quest once again for his family the seven deadly sins. "Guys?" He trailed off, walking upstream in hopes of finding town. After walking till past dark Gajeel finally decide to call it a night. Laying his head against a rock and resting his aching feet upon the bare ground. He closed his eyes and quickly gave way to the heavy sleep enveloping him.

"Who are you? Boy?" A deep voice seethed angrily, Gajeel snapped his red eyes open. "M-my name is Gajeel." The raven whispered into the blackness of the night. "Sir." he added, going ridge. Slowly, a four legged creature came into view, it's skin either covered or made of iron. "Sir?" The creature questioned, "Do you not know what I am" he stepped closer to the frightened boy. "No, sir, I don't. But my friends told me to treat everyone and everything as if they were a normal person like me." Gajeel said relaxing a little. "Oh really?" Gajeel nodded his head into the darkness, "Tell me have you ever witnessed a dragon in person?" The creature stepped fully into the moonlight, revealing his iron clad skin."No, but like I said it doesn't matter to me." He said stepping closer to admire the dragon's scales. "Stay back!" Gajeel did as ordered and took a step back." Tch!" The dragon scoffed before he began to take off.

"Please wait Sir!" Surprised the dragon flicked his iron tail, sending the boy flying into the rocks behind. "Oww." the boy rubbed his aching head, "I told you to stay back! Boy!" The dragon seethed enraged once more. "I could kill you and not even think about it!' To prove his point the dragon sucked in the air and let out a earth shattering roar. The roar left a gaping hole in the mountain behind them, Gajeel started completely mesmerized, "Awesome! Can you teach me how to do that." Gajeel jumped from the pile of rubble he'd been slung into. "Did you not hear me boy?!" The dragon said dumfounded, "Yes I did. But I'd still like to know!" Gajeel smiled, "No." Gajeel's bright smile faltered, "Why not?" Gajeel moaned. "Because humans like you with that kind of power, are capable of only one thing." Gajeel looked up at him curiously, "What's that?' He asked, genuinely, the dragon came to Gajeel's face, "War." the dragon said and then he turned away from the boy. Gajeel noticed a trail of blood following behind the massive creature.

He followed the dragon's trail of blood up a steep cliff and into a cave. "I won't say this another time boy. Get back!" The iron dragon said from inside the cave. Gajeel struggled to find his voice, "N-No." He stuttered. "What did you say boy?" The dragon got close to Gajeel's face. "I said No. I'm not leaving, you're hurt." The dragon let out a frustrated sigh, becoming annoyed with the boy who stood before him, "And what do plan to do about that?" The dragon said looking down upon the boy. "Well, your scales are made of iron right?" The dragon cast a questioning look at the boy. "Yes, but how did you know that?" The dragon was becoming quiet curious of the boy. "My friend taught me, after he gave me these." He raised his hands to the dragons face showing him the finger less gloves. "And what do those do exactly?" The dragon asked. "I'll show you!" Gajeel cheered, slinging the bag he was carrying onto the ground.

Undoing the tie on the top of the bag, he pulled out a thick cylinder made of solid iron. Taking it in his gloved hands, he closed his red eyes and the metal began to shift and change, when Gajeel opened his eyes his hands held a scale. "May I sir," Gajeel stepped toward the large dragon, who silently bowed his head reluctantly allowing the boy to climb his head. The morphing of metal sounded from behind his head. A moment later the boy slid back down the dragon's back, "I'm going to get some water don't go anywhere okay?" The iron faced boy said as he ran out of the cave.

He returned a few moments later carrying a bucket of water made from a tree trunk, ascending the dragon's body once again, he began to clean the dragon's wound, after which he placed the scale onto the dragon's injury and began merging the to serfaces together. "It will be very difficult." The dragon said suddenly. "What?" Gajeel questioned. "I will teach you my magic." A smile crept up on to Gajeel's face, "Thank you sir!" Gajeel gripped the dragon in a hug. "Stop calling me sir! My name is Metalicana." The dragon said. "My name's Gajeel, Gajeel Redfox." The dragon turned his back to the red eyed boy.

"Nice to meet you Gajeel."

He finished, adding a smirk when he saw Levy's awestruck eyes, then she brusted out laughing "Sir! Oh My God! I can't beveileve that you used to call people Sir!"

"I'll tell who exactly i was talking about when we get through with Mel. You're up shrimp." Gajeel grumbled.

"Alright!" she said not looking detered in the least.

Her voice suddeenly grew soft as she wove him the tale of how she met Inyuasha: