Me Gajeel, You Levy

Hey all! The first story that I've ever finished :P I didn't post it until I was finished so I wouldn't leave you hanging! Enjoy and let me know if you like it!

Thunder rumbled as the last flash of light faded in the darkened sky. Rain pattered softly on the canopy of saturated leaves that hung heavy from dripping branches. Metalicana swung his tail closer to his metal girth, flinging a shower of water with distaste into the forest surrounding him. He wished that he were back at the nesting grounds in the warmth and dryness of his cave. The weather had caught him unaware as he soared through the sky during his rounds of the island. Angry clouds formed before his eyes and he decided it too much a hassle to try to fly through. It wasn't dangerous for him, even with his metal scales, only a nuisance. The others would be fine without him for one night.

Metalicana's heavy eyelids blinked lazily, sliding slowly past vivid crimson irises. He waited impatiently for sleep to claim him but it had been a long time since he had slept outside of the nesting grounds … and that infernal drizzle tickling his snout irritated him beyond reason. He grumbled and a thin tendril of metal scented smoke from his snout rose into the damp air.

Fatigue seeped through his body and the great dragon finally closed his eyes, expecting the next thing he saw to be the light of a new day. However, when he opened his eyes with a start, the only light was that of the pale moon now struggling to peak through the oppressive clouds. He lifted his heavy head into the air. The rain had all but stopped. The only dripping now was from the water-laden leaves hanging above his head and the soft pattering was all he heard. What had woken him?

Silence continued until Metalicana almost relented it had been a dream that woke him. He lowered his head back to the earth… and paused.

A sharp cry echoed, softened only by distance. Metalicana could just barely make it out, even with his superior hearing. It sounded like nothing he had ever heard before. Not a creature from this island. Not a bleating fawn, a shrieking owl, or even one of those damned wyrms.

Metalicana listened to the cry broken by a few weak coughs. His talons twitched in annoyance. Some shitty creature's offspring had woken him and they didn't even have the decency to shut it up? He hissed in vexation as the shrill crying continued. It was incredibly difficult to ignore now that he had heard it. No dragon could get any damn sleep with that… thing out there making noise.

Metalicana rose, spreading his sharp silver wings, and leapt into the air. The air pulsed as he beat his wings; a compression that felt like thunder with no sound. The trees swayed violently beneath him as he rose into the velvet navy sky.

The air was thinner now that the rain had stopped and Metalicana angled his flight in the direction he had last heard the cry. It did not take him long reach the edge of the forest where the line of trees abruptly ended and sand began. The silvered turf of the beach fairly glistened under the moon, full and clear, that hung between rain heavy clouds. Inky black water from the ocean stretched onto the sand, only to relent and retreat back in gentle lapping waves.

The iron dragon, whose scales flashed with every beat of his wings under the lunar light, swung his head and narrowed his red eyes. The cry was getting louder as he continued his flight along the waters edge. It seemed to be getting stronger, not just with the closure of distance, but also with what seemed a renewed agitation. It fairly echoed.

Metalicana dipped lower until his talons gripped the wet sand and he landed. Just ahead of him was a multitude of black, broken shadows scattered across the beach that, upon inspection, appeared to be splintered planks of wood. He could smell the faintest trace of pitch, tar, and smoke. Cracked barrels floated on waters edge, rolling onto the sand when the dark ocean receded only to be assaulted again by the next wave.

A ship completely destroyed from the storm was no strange sight. Metalicana had seen his share of broken human vessels. Few had ventured so far from their own land and the only ones to come close to this "deserted" island had been blown far off course… or shattered by storm and washed ashore in pieces. The sight that the great dragon did find strange, however, was that of a small creature lying still and wet across his path only a few paces away.

It had been a long time since he had seen a human and for that he was glad. Long, damp hair lay stretched over the face and wet cloth of a deep purple shrouded its' slight form. Metalicana could smell the sharp scent of iron and knew the stain on the sand must be from shed blood. The cry was definitely coming from it, though it did not move or even breathe. Metalicana stretched a talon till he flicked the corpse onto its' side, its' head lolling slowly. The movement resulted in one sharp shriek, which made the dragon's tail twitch in surprise.

Metalicana caught sight of a bundle of fabric squirming beneath the human's limp arm. He reached out and grabbed in gently, dragging it across the sand until it came to rest under his moonlit shadow. There was a weak cough then silence as the fabric shifted. With a great snort, the dragon blew the fabric away and stared in surprise at what lay under him. An even tinier human! This one was only a fraction of the size of the other. He reached towards it and realized it was smaller even than one of his talons. Realization dawned on him that the larger human must be female… and this one was doomed.

Pity was a rare emotion for Metalicana, but the feelings that resulted in this knowledge could only be termed as such. He glanced back at the dark form of what must be the newborn's mother, silent and cold. He snorted and shook his head. A baby without a mother would die quickly, overtaken by the elements, starved, or eaten by others. He would do it a favor and make sure its death was swift. He placed a sharp metal claw above its' tiny chest as it whimpered and slowly opened its' eyes.

A crimson gaze, vivid enough to rival his own, met the dragon's surprised eyes and the tiny human blinked, now strangely silent. The claw was removed gently without completing its intended purpose as Metalicana lowered his head. His snout pressed ever so gently across the newborn's cold skin. It smelled so, so faintly of iron. A small fist took him by surprise as the baby swung at his nostril. Cheeky little brat.

Metalicana slid a talon under the fabric and pulled it to rest over the infant. It could not be healthy for a newborn of any species to be that cold and the dragon was sure that the pale quivering lips were not supposed to be a shade of blue so distinctly different from the rest of it. In a rare moment of sentiment, he gently reached for the baby, aware that its' red eyes followed his every action, and pulled it close to his steel body. Looking down at the creature that barely took up a tenth of his whole paw, he watched as it silently stared. He stared back, narrowing his eyes at the challenge. The beach was silent for a moment, excepting the gentle crash of waves, until the human cracked a grin and giggled. The dragon could not help but chuckle, letting smoke escape from his snout, as he decided this shitty brat would be his own.

Metalicana was struck with the imprudence of his impulsive decision soon after it was made since Gajeel (as he was soon termed) would not stop crying. A foul odor emanating from the babe threatened his imminent banishment from the clan, father included. The child was not as happy with his new guardian as Metalicana thought he deserved, and the dragon was certainly not as pleased with the baby as he originally expected. However, the two learned to live with each other and, after having been helped by Grandine's mothering instinct, Metalicana's regret abated along with the shrill crying.

Metalicana had expected to create confusion as he soared closer to the serrated edges of the cliffs that marked the main nesting grounds. He was not a particularly well-liked dragon by many, but there was still pleasure with his return. Grandine's gentle nature allowed her to overlook his temper for the most part, but her no nonsense personality made sure to keep his lack of courtesy in check. The happiness was greatest, however, with Igneel, who had the delight of cackling at the thought of the great iron dragon hunkered down and hiding from the lightning. A well-placed swipe of his metal tail smacked the fire dragon, but before Igneel could retaliate, the babe's cry was heard.

Confusion was a mild term for what ensued. Questions were asked overlapped by exclamations of varying kinds. Wings were ruffled in agitation and many eyes glanced down at the bundle in surprise, curiosity, and anger. The story was told with as little detail and embellishment as possible since the baby had not yet stopped his whimpering. The danger of humans, the greed, and the pride warned them against the advisability of raising one. However, it was collectively agreed over time that one human, so small, could do no harm against all the dragons residing on the island… especially if he was raised right. The idea of Metalicana raising a child, a human one at that, raised a few eyebrows. But the iron dragon was firm and eventually the skepticism subsided.

Years passed, slowly at first as Metalicana waited impatiently for the human boy to walk and talk, but soon went by swiftly enough. Humans grew so much faster than dragon hatchlings, physically and mentally. Gajeel sprouted up from infant to young boy, and young boy to young man within two short decades. The small tuft of black hair that had graced his infant head now hung unruly down the length of his muscular back. Pale scars from wrestling with wyrms created vivid contrast to the tanned skin stretching over his biceps and forearms. Growing up among dragons left no room for weakness. Gajeel inherited his father's gruff nature and scales would do less to protect him than his own temper and personality. Not for lack of trying to get scales in his own way however. Gajeel had over time acquired a multitude of iron piercings along his body, trying to match his father and blend in during his self-conscious pre-pubescent years. However, his blood red eyes flashed with the exact same danger and power that his father's boasted.

Levy McGarden loved seagulls. Normally, she spent her days in a library, pouring over books that held poetic descriptions of such things as the cry of gulls, but hearing them in person was incredibly invigorating. Especially when accompanied by the crisp scent of seawater and the warmth of the bright sun that blessed their sail.

Levy could not but be in good spirits. She, along with her grandfather Makarov and a few friends and scholars, had been preparing for this quest for a long time. There had been countless months of studying maps and rereading texts before they even had the foundation of a plan in place. So long had they been planning that Levy was almost in a state of disbelief that they were finally on their way –on their way to see the dragons.

Dragons had not been sighted for hundreds of years, leading to the general belief of their extinction… or the skepticism of their ever having existed at all. Makarov had been firm in his belief that these magical creatures did indeed exist. Society had scorned him, scholars had mocked, but Makarov remained unwavering. Levy remembered fondly the stories her grandfather had told her when she was a little girl, perched on his lap and listening with wide, hazel eyes. He spoke of majestic creatures that soared through the sky with wings that stretched the length of houses. She remembered watching crackling flames lick the oak logs on the hearth and imagining that it was the warm breath of a dragon. Levy never doubted her grandfather, who she always believed so great and so smart. He had been the greatest inspiration for her to begin reading at an early age. She tended to read the same materials as he did, so she quickly adopted his knowledge and appreciation of dragon lore.

Finally, after much dreaming and planning, they were sailing. She believed the difficult part of their journey was over –finding the most probable location that dragons could exist without the knowledge or awareness of humanity. Levy and her grandfather had finally decided on an island known as Fiore. Widely ignored and brushed aside as an uninhabitable land, it had at first eluded their attention as well. One passage from a weathered and crumbling text buried deep within the dusty shelves of the library had given the first clue. From there, it had just been a matter of finding supporting evidence. Levy relented that those tidbits of information had been few and far between, but she was nothing if not persistent. Evidence accumulated and Fiore was decided upon at long last.

"Land ho!" a voice shouted, startling Levy from her reverie. She turned her gaze with excitement towards what appeared to her the most beautiful sight to behold. There was Fiore in its entire splendor. Boasting tall peaks that rose far above a lush forest, the jagged summits beckoned them as surely as the light from a lighthouse.

"Levy! Levy dear! Do you see? Can you see it?" her grandfather cried. A petite man with silver hair, he rushed up beside her and practically bounced on the balls of his feet. A tall man with close cropped dark hair and sharp eyes followed a few steps behind. Their hired guard José looked at the horizon with extreme satisfaction.

She laughed good-naturedly at her grandfather's enthusiasm.

"I do," she replied.

It did not take long for the ship to put in anchor, but with anticipation so heightened by watching the peaks inch closer, it seemed a long wait for Makarov and Levy. Finally the three were transferred to a small rowboat and escorted to shore. Levy picked up her full skirt with one hand while graciously accepting José 's hand with the other as she stepped down onto the sandy beach. Makarov had already sprung from the boat with a grace that belied his years and skipped a few paces. He turned back to his two companions with a look of complete bewilderment as they stepped forward.

"Good gracious! Now that we're here… I haven't the faintest idea where we should start!"

The sun was high when Gajeel first heard the noise –a loud crack that echoed through the trees and sent a flurry of birds to the sky. He frowned; leaning forward from the branch he was perched on to peer through the screen of leaves. From his vantage point, he could see across the top of the canopy to the bright blue of the ocean. Gajeel had a tendency to climb the tallest trees he could find. It brought him closer to the sky. The sound rang out again and Gajeel was hurtling through the branches before it had completely faded away.

If there were one thing to say about Gajeel's rough personality, it would be that curiosity balanced it out. An insatiable curiosity that once led him to stick his hand in a hornet's nest. An intense desire to test if he could fly the same way the members of his clan could. Metalicana had not been pleased with that particular experiment. It was this same curiosity that forced him to run towards the strange noise he had never heard before.

Gajeel did not hear the sound again, but after a few moments he heard something else that led his footsteps.

"What was it Mr. Porla? Did you see something?" an anxious voice asked.

Gajeel stopped abruptly, perched again on a tree branch with a clear view of… something extraordinary.

Two creatures stood in a clearing just ahead, one fairly tall and the other short. The tall one had dark hair atop his head, almost like Gajeel's, but it was much shorter. Sharp eyes surveyed the trees around him. The short creature had grey hair on his head, similar to the clouds that brought rain, and on his face just above his upper lip. Both were wearing dull fabrics that covered most of their bodies and the tall one held a long, shiny staff. He instinctively knew they were male by sensing the testosterone in the air.

Gajeel was not stupid. He had seen his reflection while bathing and knew he was a different breed of creature. He had never seen any living thing remotely close to what he looked like. Now, standing just before him, were two creatures very similar. His crimson eyes widened and his felt his pulse quicken. There was more of his kind! What's more, they were communicating with each other somehow!

"Grandfather?" a voice called. Gajeel's eyes snapped up at the sound and searched along the edge of the clearing. There was a slight swaying of some brush before a third creature moved forward.

This one… this one was different. She moved with a grace that the roots underfoot could little deter. Her slight form had more curves; she was softer and paler than the other two. What shocked Gajeel most though was the hue of her hair. Soft, forget-me-not blue locks tied at the nape of her neck. It matched the color of the sky. She was a petite little thing and Gajeel decided this one must be female. Females were generally smaller than males… at least female dragons were.

"Levy, my dear, there you are! Hush hush! I believe Mr. Porla has spotted something!"

Gajeel watched as she strode forward and placed her hands on her hips. A delicate pink color, which reminded Gajeel of a setting sun, rose in her cheeks.

"Mr. Porla, please remember that we are on an observatory expedition and your firing might be scaring creatures away… or alerting them to our presence. Secrecy and stealth are our best chance at seeing any dragons!"

The tall one turned his gaze to look down at the blue one. The chiseled lines of his face did not soften with the smile he directed her way and his dark eyes glinted.

"Of course! Quite right, Miss McGarden," he stated smoothly. Gajeel decided his smile reminded him of a snake.

The blue one nodded gratefully and glanced down. An exclamation almost made Gajeel loose his footing. He watched as the three knelt and observed something on the ground. Gajeel strained to see what they were looking at. A twig snapped under his weight and he froze as three sets of eyes looked up to where he hid. Thankfully, Gajeel was in the shadow of the leaves and after a moment of holding his breath, they looked away. Soon enough, the tall one and the short one stood.

"This way, I believe, yes, this way!" he heard the short one exclaim, pointing west. The two hurried and passed beneath Gajeel's perch before disappearing into the brush. Gajeel turned his gaze back towards the blue one.

Still kneeling, she had pulled a small notebook from her pocket and was etching something into it. A slight crease formed on her brow as she stared intently at her work. Gajeel heard the soft scritch-scritch as he ventured a branch closer. It looked like she was drawing… a wyrm footprint? Why would she…

With a start, Gajeel realized what the three creatures had been looking at. Tracks crisscrossed the clearing. A single wyrm was little danger to Gajeel, he could take care of one on his own, but a pack of them were enough to be avoided. Wyrms, not-so-affectionately termed as shitty lizards by his dragon family, were inferior creatures. Twice the size of Gajeel, they were much more stupid than dragons but equally as vicious, if not more so. They attacked without reason or restraint if they so chose. These tracks were fresh and it didn't look as if the small female was aware of the danger.

Gajeel glanced back in the direction the two creatures had disappeared. He was not sure if they knew how to fight a wyrm. The tall one might stand a chance but he wasn't sure how the short one would fare. The blue one looked so… small. Female dragons were equally as strong and capable as males, but what about other species? Would she be able to take on a wyrm thrice her size?

Splitting up was not smart. He wondered if these creatures were stupid or just unaware of their current position… which was equally stupid in its own way.

Gajeel turned back to the female. She still crouched low to the ground and continued to scritch-scritch in the book.

A heavy thud broke her concentration and he watched as she started. She fell back with a gasp and dropped her notebook. Just as he expected, a wyrm was not far off and it must have caught her scent. A branch snapped and he heard its low growl rumble as it broke through the line of brush. Gajeel watched the blue female. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open, but not a sound escaped her lips. She didn't move, scarcely chanced a breath.

The wyrm towered before her, its gray-green hide stretching over muscle as it hunched down. Yellow eyes narrowed to slits and a drop of saliva trailed down a bared fang. It advanced slowly at first, but upon seeing her still and silent, it quickened its prowl. A second growling creature pushed past the brush, and a third.

Gajeel watched with a growing panic, as the small blue creature did not move. Was she going to fight? At least run? He had just found a creature that looked like him; he didn't want to watch a shitty wyrm eat it!

He was just about to leap down when she bolted. Gajeel flinched in surprise as the wyrms roared. They leapt after her almost directly below his hiding spot. She was fast he'd give her that. He jumped down and sped after them.

Angry roars ripped through the forest and Gajeel followed close behind. He felt a crash shake the ground and a sharp scream split the air. He didn't hear the wyrms begin feeding however so he kept running.

The blue female must not have been aware of the direction her flight was taking her because Gajeel found himself following a path that angled towards the river. Not just a river that she could jump in and escape her predators (wyrms did not like water), but a river cutting through the earth and creating a sharp cliff. Gajeel cursed roughly and pushed forward.

Adrenaline coursed through the young man's veins as he burst past the last layer of forest. He spun and his eyes landed on exactly what he feared to see.

The blue female was cornered. Her feet at the very edge of the rocky outcrop, she held a thin stick in her hands and faced the creatures. Tears welled in her eyes. She panted desperately, trying in vain to catch her breath, as one of the giant lizards snapped its' jaw in anticipation. The growling of the three drowned out the whimper that escaped her lips.

Gajeel didn't think. He threw himself forward, grabbed the female, felt a reaching claw rip the skin on his back, and tumbled into open air.

The scream that escaped the blue female almost made Gajeel's ear bleed, especially since her face was pressed directly against it. The wind whipped by them, snapping the fabric of the female's clothes and stinging Gajeel's back. He tightened his grip and heard her screaming intensify only to be cut off abruptly when they hit the cold water.

Levy was not at all concerned as José and her grandfather wandered off to follow the strange tracks… more accurately, she did not even notice. She was too busy sketching the shape and attempting to accurately describe the width and depth of the print in front of her. It was not nearly large enough to be a dragon's, but it did leave long gouges in the dirt where sharp claws sunk in. So intent on her work, the dark shape of a man looming above her in the trees went unnoticed.

She had just about finished writing a short paragraph in careful cursive when a dull, heavy sound made her heart skip a beat. She tumbled back and watched as the brush rustled just before her. The creature that stalked into the clearing took her breath away and set her heart pounding.

So grossly hideous was its' hide and so dangerous the glint in its' flaxen eyes, Levy could hardly breathe. This creature was the epitome of what a predator should be. Only when its' pace quickened did she realize she was completely alone and utterly helpless. She was all at once the mouse before the snake and the hare before the hawk. A second one appeared and, much to her horror, a third.

With a sudden twist in the stomach, she bolted. Run, was the only word she now possessed in her vocabulary. Her gasping breaths almost drowned out the snarling behind her, but the hot breath practically tickling the hair on the back of her neck forced her to flee faster than she had ever dreamed possible.

Every root beneath her foot became a snare and every branch reached to snag at her clothing. She heard a crash behind her as one of the creatures lunged forward. She shrieked. If she had known how close the talon of the leading wyrm had been to tripping her heel, she would have fainted. But, refusing to look back, she ran on faster than ever.

Seconds seemed to last for years, until finally Levy saw a break in the trees. Bursting out into the light, her heart sank lower than the river at the bottom of the cliff in front of her. A small stone tumbled over the edge as she snatched a branch from the ground and whirled to meet her attackers.

The three things stood before her, stopping their fast pursuit as their prey was now so obviously cornered. One snapped its' jaw and Levy felt tears unwillingly spring to her eyes. Was this the way her journey ended?

A sudden motion to her left made Levy flinch. Something almost as equally terrifying hurtled towards her. A large figure with a mass of black hair and two brilliant red eyes slammed into her. Her throat was raw from panting but that couldn't stop her from screaming with renewed vigo. She didn't stop until the shock of cold water drowned out her voice.

Gajeel discovered that for such a little thing, she was incredibly heavy because as soon as they surfaced, she began to sink. He frantically grabbed a hold of the fabric at the base of her neck and heaved, pulling her blue head back above the rushing water. He grimaced as his back stung. It felt like a thousand bees were dancing across his skin. At least she wasn't screaming anymore. Now she was just staring wide eyed at him as they struggled to shore, glancing away occasionally to peer back up at the frustrated, snarling wyrms.

When they reached the shore, Gajeel released the fabric but was surprised when the female didn't retreat. She stood panting slightly as water dripped from her stringy hair and stared at him. Why was she staring so intently? Was he that different? He suddenly felt self-conscious and rolled his shoulders, hissing slightly when he felt his split skin stretch.

"Yaero hauet?" the female said. "Iaim seraou, aye deidonet nou hhare woius enion ahn hes eesonlend…"

Gajeel stared in confusion and wonder. Her lilting words flew with the grace of a song sparrow, but hell if he knew what she was trying to say. He stepped forward and placed a large hand over her lips, willing her to be silent. He watched her jump and a warm color filled her cheeks. Hazel eyes blinked up at him.

Slowly, so as not to spook her, he grabbed her shoulders and lowered his head. He felt her try to pull away but he frowned and tightened his grip. She started speaking again but Gajeel ignored her. Finally she stilled as he placed his ear on her chest.

Thump. Thump. He smiled.

His dragon father was not normally one for sentiment. So when he saw young Gajeel's struggle about being 'different', he simply stated, "You're a part of this clan even if you look like a little pink rodent. Get over it brat." Grandine had been the one to comfort him. Drawing him to her white-feathered chest, she asked him to listen. He buried his head in her soft down and her warm heartbeat shook his body like a drum echoing inside a cavern. She smiled down at him and said, "We're the same." That one short sentence had immediately soothed his distraught mind.

Gajeel looked up at the female standing stiff before him.

"We're the same," he told her. An indescribable feeling of wonder filled him. "We're the same!" He grasped her head, running his fingers in her blue locks, and pulled it to his chest.

"Ahhhh… haha… eies. Guid weal moin. Dahetes ah luuweil ee ahuretbiied," she said, looking up at him. She gently pushed away.

She stood for a moment observing him and flushing, until her eyes glanced at his arm. He looked down and saw a thin ribbon of blood snaking down across his skin. He had almost forgotten about his back but now he couldn't ignore the stinging pain. A ripping sound pulled his attention away.

The female tore some of the orange fabric around her legs revealing a layer of white beneath it. Gajeel vaguely wondered how many layers of the material she was wrapped in. He watched curiously as she advanced and began to wipe away the blood. He realized she must be trying to heal him somehow.

"Gajeel," he said. He wanted her to know his name.

Her hands paused as she glanced up at him.

"Wehaht?" she repeated, a slight crease appearing on her forehead.

Gajeel frowned. That didn't sound the same at all. He tried again, slower.

"Gaajeeeeel."

He watched as her eyes lit up.

"Gajeel," she said uncertainly.

He grinned. He liked the way she said his name. It was softer and crisper, not at all like the guttural rumble he used to pronounce it. He nodded and grunted in approval. The female smiled.

"Levy," she said, looking at him expectantly. She placed a hand on his arm and repeated his name before placing the same hand on her chest. "Levy."

Gajeel thought for a moment before attempting to copy her.

"Levy."

He watched as the same pink color he had seen before saturated her cheeks. She smiled, looked away, and began to ramble in her own language while wringing her hands. What a curious creature.

Levy gulped a mouthful of water before she felt a tug and her head broke free from the river's cold grasp. She sputtered briefly before staring in disbelief. A muscular arm, crisscrossed with pale scars, had a tight hold of her and dragged her through the water behind the dark form that had slammed into her. The dark form turned out to be a human man.

Levy's brain, still muddled with panic and icy water, barely comprehended the fact that this man saved her (in fact, was still in the process of saving her). She didn't even notice the red that swirled around the man's form as he dragged her along.

When they finally reached shore, Levy stumbled behind him and stood, staring in shock as water dripped a chill trail down the back of her neck. He stared back at her, his vivid crimson eyes flashing in the brilliant sunlight. Only a simple brown loincloth covered his form, leaving every taut muscle visible to Levy's blushing gaze. She opened her mouth with the intention of thanking him when he rolled his shoulders and hissed in pain. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"You're hurt! I'm sorry! I didn't know there was anyone else on this island. It was said to be deserted… but don't get me wrong, I'm extremely glad you're here… I mean that you saved me! Thank you… for saving me. I–"

Levy jumped as a rough and slightly damp hand landed on her lips, effectively silencing her and warming her cheeks. She stared at him in confusion.

Slowly, the man lowered his head. His long, inky black hair hung heavily over his shoulder as he bent down and his eyes watched hers. Levy's heart was now beating almost as fast as it had been when those… fanged creatures had been chasing her. She tried to step away but found herself held firmly in place. What was he –?

Levy froze as he laid his head on her chest. He was… he was listening to her heart!

"Reaun arunda," he said. He had straightened and was now looking expectantly at her. If Levy didn't know better, she would say he looked almost excited? He repeated himself, low words rolling off his tongue with an exotic rumble. Levy squeaked as her head was in turn grabbed and pressed to his chest. If her cheeks had been warm before, they were burning now. What little respect for personal boundaries, she thought as his heartbeat vibrated against her ear. She gently pulled away, hoping to not offend the large man.

"Ahhh…haha… yes. Good wild man. That's a lovely heartbeat," she stammered, smiling nervously. She observed him, trying to decipher what his intentions were, when she was reminded of his injuries by the sight of blood slowly dripping down his bicep.

Levy had never been bothered by blood so she didn't hesitate to bend down and rip a length of fabric from her sodden skirt. The poor man had been hurt when saving her, this was the least she could do… maybe if she brought him back to camp she could treat him properly. She knew her grandfather had brought first aid supplies.

"Gajeel."

The sharp word broke Levy's train of thought. She looked up, barely registering how close she had moved to him, and frowned slightly.

"What?" she asked. Was he speaking a different language or just making sounds to try to convey his thoughts?

She watched as he frowned, his gaze sharpening. His lips moved slower, forming around the sounds he made with a precision that led Levy to believe he was indeed speaking a different language. He was still staring expectantly and finally, it clicked.

"Gajeel," she said, fumbling around the strange pronunciation he had used. She saw his hard face soften and her heart skipped a beat when he grinned, sharp teeth glinting. He grunted and nodded in what she thought approval. She couldn't help but smile with him.

"Levy," she said. She laid a hand on his forearm and said his name before repeating her own. She watched as he glanced away, staring at the river in thought before slowly turning back to her. His red eyes traveled over her face, her neck, her arms before raising back up to stare into her eyes. She felt a tingle along her skin wherever his gaze landed and she gasped much needed air. His scrutiny was so focused and… intense.

"Levy."

Never before had she heard her name spoken with such an exotic, deep rumble. It tickled her ears and made her veins heat.

Levy barely remembered what she said afterwards, simply that she had had to tear her gaze away from his naked body before her blood cells burst or she had a heart attack. Only when she rambled on about something concerning her grandfather and José (maybe about how interested they would be in meeting him) did she remember that they could have faced those snarling creatures as well.

She began to desperately pantomime her concern.

"I need to find my companions," she said. She held up two fingers. "There are two of them." She raised a hand far above her head. "One is fairly tall." The hand lowered to shoulder level. "The other is short. Both are men, like you," she continued, pounding gently on her puffed out chest. She continued using animated gestures to attempt to convey what they looked like and how they walked.

Gajeel watched in amusement as the little female… Levy… made wide motions and spoke slowly. He had figured out a short while ago that she was talking about the two other creatures she had been with. It wasn't until he watched her strut around the water's edge (trying to walk like José) when he couldn't help himself and chuckled.

Levy froze in mid stride when she heard a snort of laughter. She looked up in surprise to see Gajeel's intense eyes glistening in mirth. His gleaming fangs were bared in a smile. Levy was mortified. He was laughing at her?! She wasn't even able to properly convey her concern or apprehension. She was about to reprimand him, whether he understood her or not, when he waved at her. He turned and took a few steps away before grunting and waving at her again. Levy sighed. It just wasn't fair. Pantomiming "follow me" was much easier than anything she had attempted to say.

It was slow going. Gajeel couldn't move quickly or the skin on his back split and sent a new wave of blood gushing out. Every time he stepped over a log or turned his torso to glance back at her, she saw him cringe. Levy felt a pang in her chest. They really needed to treat his wounds. Upon inspection, Levy had found they were not at all deep but the gashes were still long, stretching across the length of his back. She felt terrible but there was nothing she could do at the moment. She would help him just as soon as they were back at camp.

Levy wondered briefly how he knew where he was going, or if they were indeed headed towards the camp at all, but any attempt to ask him only resulted in more confused gestures.

Gajeel's focus was torn in multiple directions –making sure Levy was still behind him, giving a wide berth around wyrm tracks, fiercely trying to ignore the burning heat on his back, and following the shallow impressions of the footprints the two males had left behind. He could barely focus as Levy tried to speak with him so he ended up shaking his head and gesturing her to simply follow him. He needed to get her back to her species. She would most likely be safer there and then he could get treated back with his clan. The rest of their trek passed in a hazy blur as the edges of his vision slowly faded away.

Gajeel was dimly aware of Levy brushing past him in a hurry with a gasp of relief. He looked up. In front of him was a field specked with strange fabric pyramids held up by poles and rope. Large wooden squares covered with paper, books, and metal contraptions also filled the clearing. The two men stood, arguing something loudly, when Levy ran forward. Exclamations were yelled and hugs given, but Gajeel's knees decided to give. He heard his name shouted with concern before he pitched forward and darkness enveloped him.

When Gajeel's eyes opened, a muted glow of light showed him the inside of one of the fabric pyramids. It was filled with bedding; soft blankets and a fluffy square that his head rested on. He wondered idly if this was a nest. He stretched slightly and groaned when he felt his sore back. He gently pushed himself into a sitting position and looked down. His torso was wrapped tightly in strips of white fabric and he sighed in relief when he realized his back had stopped bleeding. It still hurt like hell, but he didn't think he was in any danger. He glanced around, noting a small burning stick propped up on a wooden square that provided the light. He reached out only to withdraw his hand and suck on a burned finger. It was the same fire Igneel breathed, but it was so small!

A soft sigh caught his attention and he tensed before his gaze fell on the blue female. She was sitting at the wooden square with an open book in front of her, but her head was snuggled in its' pages and her blue locks fanned out across the glossy surface of the wood. Her eyes were closed and she breathed softly, her chest rising and falling evenly with the peacefulness of a deep sleep. Gajeel pushed back the blankets covering him, crouched, and moved a bit closer. Her eyes danced under closed lids and she sighed again, a puff of air escaping from her parted, rosy pink lips.

Gajeel was fascinated. This was the first time he had observed her from such a close distance. She even smelled good, he realized as he caught a faint wisp of lavender. He sat watching her in the flickering candlelight as the night slowly crept by and the stars shifted. He wondered if she dreamed like he did, and if she did, what she saw when she closed her eyes.

A humming in the air finally drew away his attention. He would know that sound anywhere –his father's wings beating against the wind. He tore his gaze away from the female and quickly made his way outside into the crisp air of the night. His eyes had barely adjusted from candlelight to moonlight when he saw his father's shape descending on the forest's edge. He rushed forward to meet him.

For such a large dragon, Metalicana could be silent and stealthy when he wanted to be. He landed with a soft thud before tucking his silver wings away. His red eyes glinted in the pale silvery light as he watched Gajeel approach.

Gajeel saw his father begin to speak before his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed to slits. He realized he could smell the blood from his wounds, even if it was dried and mostly gone.

"You're hurt," he rumbled, his voice vibrating through the still night like a bumblebee buzzing.

Gajeel shrugged, and then grimaced when it stretched the tender muscles on his back.

"'It's nothin'. A little tumble with some wyrms," he said. "I've had worse."

Metalicana snorted softly, releasing smoke into the air, but he didn't comment. He knew very well that Gajeel had had worse.

"So," he continued, flicking his tail with annoyance. "You've found some interesting… creatures to befriend, did you?"

Gajeel was about to answer when a thought struck him.

"Wait, did you know there were more creatures like me?" he asked in disbelief. Metalicana rolled his giant eyes.

"What, did you think you were the only one in the entire world? Of course I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me then!?" Gajeel asked loudly. "All this time I thought I was alone –"

"Alone?" Metalicana interrupted. "Where you really alone all this time Gajeel?"

Gajeel frowned and crossed his arms in silence.

"No," he replied sullenly. "But you could have said something."

"What good would it have done? You would never have been satisfied until you saw them with your own eyes and then you would discover just how greedy and small minded they are. All humans are. These ones are not welcome on this island. None of those creatures are welcome here. It would be better to just… take care of them now."

Gajeel's eyes widened.

"You can't! I just found them. The blue one… Levy… she tried to heal me. She's kind, she has to be!"

Metalicana's hard stare made Gajeel flush before the sharp snap of a branch turned both their heads. Gajeel jumped. Levy stood just a few paces away, peering through the darkened bramble with squinted eyes.

"Gajeel?" she said softly. "Where are –"

She stopped suddenly as Gajeel saw awareness flash in her eyes. Her mouth dropped open and she clenched her torn skirt with white knuckles. Gajeel wondered if she had never seen a dragon before.

Metalicana's red eyes fixed on the small human girl before swinging his head to glance at Gajeel. He sighed and stretched his wings.

"Come home when you are ready, boy," he said, sitting back on his hind legs. With a gust of wind and a flurry of leaves, he was gone.

Gajeel turned back to Levy… the human. A human like him. His heart skipped a beat when he saw tears filling her hazel eyes and her lips quivering. She stood frozen in place. He stepped towards her until she looked up at him. Silence descended in the still night air, as both were lost in wonder. Finally, a slow smile stretched across Levy's face and she began to laugh.

"I'm serious! I saw a dragon!" Miss McGarden stated, her cheeks flushing in anger.

José Porla turned away and rolled his eyes.

"Miss McGarden, I do not doubt that you believe you saw a dragon. But you must face facts. Why would such an illusive creature appear in the middle of the night so conveniently close to our camp? Would it not avoid us? Or even attack us? Most likely it was just a dream."

"It was speaking with Gajeel! They were both communicating somehow… in some sort of different language."

A dragon communicating with a human? Absurd. They were wild animals, beasts. He scoffed.

"Just look at the tracks!" Miss McGarden continued, pointing her finger emphatically.

José frowned down at the ground where the slight gouges left scars in the dirt. He and the others, Gajeel included, had gathered around the marks early in the morning after Miss McGarden had breathlessly related her fantastic tale. José could not deny that the tracks were strange indeed. They reminded him of the tracks they had seen the day before, but these were much larger. Miss McGarden had told them the story of the snarling creatures attacking her and the wild man swooping in to save her. José turned his gaze to Gajeel, observing the bandages around his muscular torso with scrutiny. It was a tough tale to believe, but the wild man's presence (and injuries) had been proof enough to give some credit. José was reluctant to believe Miss McGarden's new story. His luck could not be so great.

"Gajeel," Miss McGarden stated, turning towards the wild man. José watched as the tall man, who had been observing them all with interest, turned his red gaze towards her. Jose could have sworn that the man's hard face softened slightly.

Hooo, what an interesting development, José thought as he watched Miss McGarden trying to breathlessly communicate. She pulled her sketchbook out and pointed towards one of her drawings of a dragon, elegantly copied from one of the many books she had studied. José and the others waited with baited breath as the wild man traced a rough finger over the page. He looked up.

"Draghkar," he rumbled.

The three explorers froze. Miss McGarden was the first to recover.

"Dragon?" she asked excitedly. She pointed to the picture again.

The wild man considered the new word before nodding.

"Dragon," he repeated. He nodded again. "Draghkar."

José held his breath. If this wild man knew dragons, then his luck was indeed greater than he expected. He smirked as Miss McGarden and Makarov danced in excitement around the confused wild man. He was one step closer to completing his plans.

"Perfect," he hissed quietly.

Gajeel went back to his clan for a few days to relay information to the dragons. Some had grown angry at Gajeel's interference, some were worried about the humans' agenda. The muttering silenced once Metalicana slammed his tail into the earth and shook the trees. Gajeel was grateful that the human's camp was far from their nesting grounds.

"There are only three humans on the island. They are no threat to us and with Gajeel watching them, they cannot act without us knowing." He turned his red eyes to stare hard at his adopted son. "I humor you because you are my son and I know your curiosity will not be satisfied until you grow tired of them. Stay with them for a while, learn from them what you wish… but you will not reveal our clan. You will not endanger this family. If they try anything, I will kill them."

Gajeel had nodded, but deep in his heart he was conflicted. The female, Levy, had obviously been excited when she learned there were dragons and Gajeel wanted so much to see her smile that way again. Her eyes had practically sparkled, but it was not enough for Gajeel to betray his father's stern wish.

Gajeel shook his head as his mind came back to the present. That had already been a few weeks ago, he mused, as he glanced around the camp. Makarov was sitting at a desk, snoring with a bubble expanding and contracting from his nose. José was sitting slightly farther away, polishing a knife with a clean rag. Gajeel didn't see Levy.

He stood, brushing off his pair of borrowed pants that hung low across his hips and stretched, pleased when his back didn't sting. The wounds stretching across his skin had healed quickly under the diligent care of the blue haired female. She had washed the gashes delicately each night, pressing a warm washcloth against his skin, and asking questions in her soft language. He watched her in fascination as she chatted at him, smiling when she smiled and humming in satisfaction when a pink flush rose in her cheeks.

Gajeel looked for Levy, sniffing the air for her fresh, floral scent. He found her perched on a fallen tree trunk, sketchbook in hand. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and the tip of her tongue stuck out ever so slightly. A small dot of ink blackened the end of her nose. A yellow bird perched not far from her in a patch of warm sunlight that seemed to set its' feathers on fire.

Treading softly, Gajeel came up behind her and glanced over her shoulder. His shadow loomed before her. He had not been there long before the small female jumped and gasped, whirling her head to look back at him. Her sky blue locks swished and Gajeel was tempted (not for the first time) to reach out and run his fingers through them.

"Gajeel!" she exclaimed, placing a hand over her chest. "You scared me."

He still had trouble understanding most of what the humans said to him but Levy had dedicated herself to teaching him. He was a very apt student… mostly due to the fact that he immensely enjoyed hearing her praise. He grunted in response.

"Sorry," he replied, sitting on the earth next to her. They sat in comfortable silence for a while as Levy continued sketching. Gajeel just enjoyed watching her. Her delicate fingers dancing across the page, her pale wrist flicking along with the scratching of the pencil… she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She had chosen a soft green dress today, much less… poofy… than her others. The color suited her.

"Ahh!"

Gajeel jerked out of his intense observation at the sound of Levy's disappointed exclamation. The little yellow bird had fluttered away, its' shrill chirping fading as it disappeared in the trees. He watched Levy's crestfallen face as she sighed and tucked the notebook away into the folds of her dress. Gajeel stood and grasped her hand. It was so small and soft.

"Come," he said, tugging gently. He could tell she was confused but she still followed. Urging her to wrap her delicate arms around his torso, he deftly swung them into the treetops. He could see a flush spread across her pale cheeks at the close contact.

Gajeel's heart had a strange swelling feeling, as if it were too full, when he saw Levy's expression brighten with awe. Hundreds of the little yellow birds fluttered around them, making the air hum with their song. The leaves looked like they were on fire as bright feathers flashed among them. He smiled as Levy laughed.

"This is beautiful, Gajeel!" Levy exclaimed. She turned hazel eyes to him and his heart did that weird squeeze thing again. "Thank you. I'll be able to finish my sketch before we have to leave…"

Gajeel frowned and plucked a leaf from beside his head. He offered it to her.

"Leaves," he said. "All around." He gestured to the forest surrounding them, enclosing them in a small, private bubble.

Levy shook her head gently and looked up at him with sad eyes.

"No, to leave. It means to go far away," she explained. Gajeel dropped the leaf and let it flutter down to the forest floor.

"Where?" Gajeel asked. A stabbing pain started in his chest and he rubbed a hand over it absently.

Levy's fingers fiddled with the fabric of her skirt as she spoke.

"Home. We have to leave to go back to our home," she said. "We we're only planning on staying here for a few weeks. A ship will come tomorrow to take us."

Gajeel wondered what a ship was as Levy turned to look at him.

"You could come with us Gajeel! You belong with people, others like you, like us. Come with me," she continued desperately.

Gajeel sat in silence as he pieced the words together and considered their importance.

"Go see 'home' tomorrow, come back after?" he asked.

Levy shifted and placed a hand on his arm.

"I'm afraid not Gajeel. You see it would be very difficult to come back… at all. You would stay with us."

"Not come back?" Gajeel asked incredulously. He thought of all the pictures Levy had shown him in her books, of tall buildings and hundreds of humans that looked like him. It would be a wonderful thing to see and Gajeel's curiosity burned… but the thought of never seeing his family of dragons again was painful.

"Think about it Gajeel," Levy pleaded, tightening her grip on his arm. "Please."

Gajeel nodded absently. He swung them down from the trees and hardly noticed Levy's concerned gaze following him as he rushed away. A voice stopped him before he reached the other side of camp.

"Oh dear, what a pity. Ms. McGarden looks absolutely crushed. Well, it's no wonder. She didn't get to see any of the dragons she wished to so now we have to leave this lovely island."

It was José, sitting a little ways away and still casually polishing his knife. Gajeel had tried to avoid him the past few weeks. He didn't like the way the man's dark eyes looked at him. José had tried to strike up a conversation with him multiple times, but Gajeel had usually been able to escape.

"Levy leaving… because of dragons," Gajeel repeated. He glanced back at the petite female who was trying to wake up her grandfather. He heard José hum in agreement.

"Of course. The whole reason she came here was to see the dragons, but it seems like it is a pointless endeavor. There's no reason for her to stay any longer… I suppose," he said.

Gajeel stood in silence as José finally slid his knife back into its' sheath and stood, stretching his arms above his head.

"If… if Levy see dragons… she stay?" Gajeel asked. What he was considering was extremely stupid and dangerous, but if it meant she would stay…

"I suppose she would now wouldn't she!" José exclaimed, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Gajeel made his decision.

"Gajeel?" Levy asked, gathering up her skirts to step over a fallen tree. "Where are you taking us?"

Gajeel pushed aside familiar brush covering the hidden path, careful to hold it until the small female passed by. He let it whip back to hit José and chuckled when he heard a muffled curse.

"Surprise," he answered. His smile widened at the small frown that creased Levy's forehead. "Come."

Gajeel was aware that what he was doing was directly opposing his father's stern wishes, but there was just something about Levy that he couldn't let go of. Her blue hair that reminded him of the sky he so wished to soar through, her softness where his life was hard, her calming voice, her bright eyes, her puffed out cheeks when she was angry… Gajeel's chest started hurting whenever he thought of her, but it hurt worse when he tried to avoid her. If seeing his dragon family would make her smile… would make her stay… he would do it no matter the consequences.

The human's campsite had been quite a distance away from the dragons. Gajeel only saw his father when Metalicana soared so high above that he looked like a crow, but he knew that silhouette. Gajeel knew he was keeping tabs on the humans and checking on his wayward son.

It was a hot and sunny day. Even Gajeel was sweating by the time they reached the edge of the nesting grounds. He could hear the three humans behind him huffing. He stopped, letting them catch their breath. Gajeel did not expect to get away with this without the dragons figuring out, but he didn't exactly need them to announce their presence either.

The nesting grounds stretched wide, rough earth and rock outcroppings covering the high grounds. This was Gajeel's home. So familiar he was with it, he could point to each cave and tell you which one belonged to which dragon (and how clean it was). However, the land was empty and quiet.

"Gajeel?" Levy's questioning voice drifted on the wind over his shoulder. He glanced back and shook his head. He had never seen the grounds so still before. There was always someone breathing fire to entertain hatchlings or curled sleeping in the sun. Silence fell and it unsettled Gajeel.

"Boy."

A deep rumble split the air followed by gasps from the humans. Gajeel spun to face his father. How he had appeared behind them without a sound was a mystery Gajeel had no time to consider.

"Metali-"

"Do you think you can fool me? DO YOU?!" the iron dragon roared. The shining dragon stood tall behind the humans, digging his talons into the earth. His silver tail rose and crashed into the ground, knocking Levy off her feet with a startled shriek. José had fallen to his knees and Makarov stood pale and shaking with the earth. Gajeel rushed forward to place himself between his father and his friends.

"Please-"

"I told you not to get involved with them but you did. I told you not to betray your family but you did," the dragon growled.

"She… they just wanted to see you! They-"

"She?" Metalicana repeated. He brought his heavy head down and pierced the female with his blood red eyes burning with anger. Gajeel shifted between them to cut off his gaze. He heard Levy whimper.

"Well now she has seen me," he hissed. "WHAT DO YOU THINK HUMAN GIRL? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHAT YOU SEE?!"

The tail was slammed into the earth again and Levy screamed. Gajeel stood frozen. Metalicana… had just spoken Levy's tongue. He had used words Gajeel spent weeks trying to decipher. He spoke to her so easily when Gajeel had struggled so hard. Levy began breathlessly apologizing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Metalicana pulled back his head and silence fell. Not a bird chirped, not a squirrel chittered, nothing moved under the wrath of the dragon. First it shook the forest then made it hold its' breath.

"Humans… so full of greed. A greed that led you to desire the riches of my kind and hunt my clan in the days of old. A greed that led you to believe your reward justified your actions. A greed that led you to call us "beasts" and hunt us. A greed that KILLED MY MATE AND MY OFFSPRING! A GREED THAT CORRUPTED THE LAND AND FORCED US INTO EXILE ON THIS FORSAKEN SPIT OF LAND!"

Silence.

"Your stories… they tell tales of the 'barbaric' nature of my kind. But we… we are not the 'beasts.' Leave. Keep your silence. For the sake of my son, you will live. But if you breathe a word of our existence, I will lay waste to your home, to your land, to the entire earth. I will rip your flesh and drink the blood of your family. No human will live. I will burn. your. life," he continued in English, softly and calmly.

Slowly, Metalicana turned to face Gajeel. He had never heard his father mention his mother, or his family. He stood in shocked silence, torn in a way he had never experienced before.

"The day I found you, pale and tiny on that beach, I saw the man you would grow into. I saw a man that represented everything I hated. Yet, I did not kill you. I saw in you something more than the greed of your kind. You must choose now. Them, or us?"

Metalicana spread his heavy, silver wings and beat them down as he leapt into the sky. The concussion of air whipped Gajeel's raven black hair around his disbelieving face. He did not know how much time passed before a hand on his arm startled him and he turned. Levy's pale face and red-rimmed eyes made his heart leap uncomfortably into his throat and he gasped, trying to clear the tightness.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice small and quavering. She turned and went to her grandfather, holding out her hand to take his. The three humans made their way back the way they came, eager to be away.

Gajeel stood staring after them, then turned to look the other way, the way his father had flown. His heart hurt. It burned in a way that made his chest tight and his breathing became ragged. This island was his home. It was all he knew. The disappointment in his father's voice, the anger in his red eyes. The pure terror in Levy's face, the fear of his father… and of him. He shook his head, trying to dispel the images.

Them, or us?

Gajeel sunk into a squat, pressing his hands into the packed earth in front of him. His head was spinning.

Them, or us?

Levy's face.

"Come with us… think about it… please…"

Them, or us?

Levy was very tired. After finishing her sketch of the birds Gajeel had taken her to see, she had spent the majority of her time packing. As she stood, hands on her hips and staring at the array of skirts and books, she wondered how she had fit everything into her bags before. Packing drained her. She hadn't even gotten half way before Gajeel came rushing back from wherever he had disappeared to. He grabbed her hand in a way that made anything but following him impossible. Now they were walking through brush and bramble under a very bright sun. She pulled her damp hair back and tied it with the worn strip of ribbon she pulled from her pocket. She gathered up her heavy skirts and stepped over a fallen branch, huffing when she let the fabric fall.

"Gajeel, where are you taking us?" she asked.

She glanced back at José behind her, and her grandfather bringing up the rear. Jose's dark eyes glinted with annoyance and his brow glistened with sweat. Makarov's red face would have been comical in any other situation where Levy was not so exhausted.

She passed by the branch that the tall man held aside for her. He smiled down at her with his sharp teeth in a mischievous grin and her heart skipped a beat.

"Surprise," he answered. "Come." She frowned at the vague answer, and almost growled when his smile widened. Infuriating man.

Levy let her mind wander as she followed Gajeel's muscular form. The way he moved through the forest was so graceful. He really did look like a predator, something inhuman. His dark hair hung heavy down the length of his back, hiding the scars that the wyrms had left from their first meeting. Guilt stabbed her heart before she shook her head to dispel the feeling. Those scars came from protecting her. She remembered the night when she had tried to apologize. They had sat beside a small, flickering fire after José and Makarov had gone off to sleep. She watched his face in the glow of the warm flames and shifted closer to him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Gajeel looked at her in confusion. Of course, it took a long time for her to explain what "sorry" meant in her language, but when Gajeel finally showed that he understood, he frowned and grew angry.

"No 'sorry.' Means you want I did not save you. Means you want you did not meet me. I have scars," he continued, moving closer to her and showing the pale lines crisscrossing his forearms. "I have many scars. These scars," he continued, turning his back to her, "these scars are more. I like these scars."

Levy blushed. She wasn't sure if he knew exactly how important the words he said were, but she was glad he said them regardless. She smiled softly at him and thanked him instead of apologizing.

"I am glad that I met you," she murmured, looking up through her eyelashes, hesitant to see his reaction. His face remained still as they regarded each other. Finally, he had smiled softly and hummed. He brushed her hair from her face.

"You are my sky," he said.

She was just about to breathlessly ask him what he meant when Makarov had woken to take care of nature's call. Flustered at being caught, Levy had bid Gajeel a hasty goodnight and escaped to her tent.

Levy was so deep in remembrance that she almost ran into Gajeel when he stopped. Startled, she looked up and around.

They had broken free of the tree line and were now on the edge of what looked like a plateau of broken stones and caves. There was nothing remarkable about the scenery.

Levy looked to Gajeel.

"Gajeel," she asked. Why had he brought them here? She saw him shake his head slightly.

A guttural sound rumbled behind her, vibrating the earth beneath her feet and making her jump in surprise. She turned.

Before her was a dragon… the same dragon she had seen that night. Before her was everything she had ever hoped of seeing in her life, everything she had dreamed of as a little girl. A creature so large and majestic, the sun glinting off of shining silver scales. A creature… that was very, very angry.

"ASI GRADGKA TAH EHNVARL AGRATE DRAHG! ASI GRADGKA TAH GRAUHN INGORTH AGRATE DRAGH!"

Never before had Levy felt a fear that rivaled the fear she felt now. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, her throat closed as her stomach turned sour with bile fighting to make her vomit. A ringing started in her ears and she barely heard Gajeel conversing with the dragon. Her eyes were locked onto the creature and only when Gajeel stepped in front of her was she able to wake from her fear induced trance. She panted heavily through her dry lips as she tried to catch her breath.

"-HUMAN GIRL!"

Levy whimpered.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHAT YOU SEE?!"

The earth shook and she screeched as she fell. She screamed in fear and in awe. She was not just facing a creature anymore. She was facing a predator. A predator that was sentient, intelligent, and able to communicate. A creature that was speaking directly to her with an anger that shook the ground beneath her feet.

"I'm sorry," were the only words she found. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

She repeated it like a mantra. Only when she ran out of oxygen did she stop and realize that silence had descended around her. She raised her head and tried to look through the watery haze of tears. She could barely make out Gajeel's scarred back.

"Humans… so full of greed. A greed that led you to desire the riches of my kind and hunt my clan in the days of old. A greed that led you to believe your reward justified your actions. A greed that led you to call us "beasts" and hunt us. A greed that KILLED MY MATE AND MY OFFSPRING! A GREED THAT CORRUPTED THE LAND AND FORCED US INTO EXILE ON THIS FORSAKEN SPIT OF LAND!"

Silence. For all the books she had studied and read, Levy had never heard these words before. Never had she considered the other side, how the dragons became "extinct" in the first place. How the victors wrote the story.

"Your stories… they tell tales of the 'barbaric' nature of my kind. But we… we are not the 'beasts.' Leave. Keep your silence. For the sake of my son, you will live. But if you breathe a word of our existence, I will lay waste to your home, to your land, to your world. I will rip your limbs and drink the blood of your family. No human will live. I will burn. Your. life," the dragon continued in a soft, dangerous rumble.

Levy's world ended. Her dreams and her hopes came to nothing. Her whole life she had imagined this moment, of seeing the glory of the dragons. But now, she did not see the glory of the dragons; she saw the destruction the human race had caused. What hideous offences had humans committed to cause such anger and hatred from these magnificent beings? Bile rose and she gagged. She hardly registered the dragon flying away. The dust that blew into her face with the pulse of air stuck to her tear streaked cheeks.

The humans sat in silence as the sun slowly crept across the sky. Levy looked up. José had stood up and was now watching the horizon with a calculating look. He gripped the knife at his waist with pale knuckles. Makarov looked impassive. She felt a flash of sadness. If she had been excited to see the dragons, her grandfather must have been a thousand times more so. She could only imagine the shock he must be feeling. She stood on shaking legs.

Gajeel had not stirred. She moved towards him slowly and softly placed her hand on his arm. She flinched when he jumped. His red eyes were wide with disbelief and he looked so torn, almost as if he were afraid. In the past weeks, Levy had never seen him afraid. Not when facing the wyrms for her when they met, not when he had defended their camp in the middle of the night from a pack of wolves, not when lightning struck dangerously close to the tree he was sitting in during a storm. Her heart twisted.

"I'm sorry," she gasped out. For everything, she thought. It was her people's fault that the dragons were hiding. It was her fault that they were so angry with Gajeel. It was her fault that he looked so sad and scared. She turned to her grandfather who was now standing and watching her calmly. He held out his worn, frail hand and she reached out to the comfort he offered. Together, they started back the way they came. They had come, they had seen their dreams, and now they had nothing but each other.

The sun sank and filled the sky with a fiery red that matched the anger of the dragons. The land remained quiet during the dark of night. Animals crept warily under the softly glowing moon and huddled together away from the tension that permeated the air of the island. The sun rose in silence.

Gajeel had not moved though the night had been cold. He felt the stinging on his skin was a penance of sorts. It also helped to clear his head and think. He looked up at the rising sun, soft pinks painting the clouds, and he never felt so small. So alone and insignificant. He made his decision.

Levy stood on the beach, her back to the warm waves of the ocean and staring determinedly towards the island. She ignored the crew working quickly around her as they loaded their equipment and luggage into the cargo. The shallow water lapped at her ankles and the bottom of her skirt grew sodden. She clutched her fists tighter. She had gotten little sleep after yesterday. They all had sat in silence around the fire. The satisfaction of finding the dragons turned sour at the realization that they were the reason they were hard to find in the first place.

She didn't notice José stroll over to her side, whistling a happy tune, until he cleared his throat. She glanced at him. His dark eyes were also fixed on the island laid out before them.

"You know, perhaps it is a good thing that he did not show up. He never would have been able to really fit in anyways," he stated.

Levy's pulse pounded but she remained silent. Gajeel was one of the most intelligent people she had met. He had an uncanny ability to learn quickly and learn the first time. She could not stand insults from that devious, conniving man.

"You have to admit, being raised by animals, he was at a definite disadvantage. For heavens sake, he can't even speak English properly! He would have been ridiculed –"

"I would have been there for him," Levy cut in angrily. "I would have helped him and he would have done perfectly fine, thank you for your concern."

A moment later Levy registered what she had said. She would have been there for him. If he had come. If he had chosen her. She bit down on her bottom lip and blinked quickly. She couldn't blame him though. He couldn't leave his home, his family, all he had ever known, especially not after yesterday. She brought her tight fist to her chest and closed her eyes, wishing she could stop time. Disappointment tasted bitter.

"Ho there chap! You finally came! So good to see you. See, I knew you would show up, I told Ms. McGarden not to worry!"

Levy's eyes snapped open in disbelief at José's voice and the implications of what he said. Gajeel was walking towards her from across the beach, his vivid red eyes glancing occasionally at the strange sight of the ship and his fists clenching, causing the muscles of his forearms to tense and relax. His unruly hair blew in the wind around his hard face. He looked like a pacing black panther, unsettled at the presence of something unfamiliar but determined to move forward. He was here.

Levy's throat tightened as he approached. She forced a weak smile.

"You came," she choked out.

Gajeel stared down at her, the tightness around his eyes softening ever so slightly. He nodded. The pure elation that filled Levy made her start laughing. She held out her hand to him. Gajeel looked down at it in surprise before smiling and reaching towards her.

"So sorry to break up this touching reunion but I fear we are running a bit behind schedule. We are making these poor lads wait," José interrupted, smoothly stepping between the two and grabbing the proffered hands in his own. He towed the couple behind him through chuckling shipmates as Levy blushed. She had forgotten José was still there, not to mention everyone else. Her blush deepened when she caught sight of her grandfather's gentle, knowing smile.

Gajeel reluctantly followed the group as the climbed aboard the ship. The wood rails beneath his feet felt strange as he climbed towards the deck. He looked back towards the island, his home, and swallowed thickly. He turned and forced himself to climb another step.

With ease, he jumped over the rail and glanced around, looking for where Levy and Makarov had gone. His heart leapt when he saw them being bound and gagged by the crewmen. Levy kicked fiercely but a burly sailor grabbed her legs.

"Gajeel, run!" she screamed.

Gajeel hesitated for a moment as the crew surrounded him. What was going on? Suddenly, José stepped forward, twirling a long silver staff nonchalantly.

"My good fellow, there's no reason to be anxious. This is simply the result of your assistance. Without you, we never would have been able to find the dragons and therefore, we never would have had the chance to capture them. Thank you," he said, smirking. His dark eyes glinted.

A sharp pain erupted above Gajeel's right ear and the world went black.

Levy's heart stopped. She saw Gajeel crumple on the deck as the sailor behind him lowered the bloody steel in his hand with a chuckle. José nodded in satisfaction.

"Take them below deck, gentleman. We have some dragons to hunt," he shouted. The cheering roused Levy from her trance.

"José Porla, you coward!" she spit. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" She kicked at the man holding her, but he simply gripped her tighter and laughed.

José turned towards her and smiled. His eyes remained cold and dark as the depths of a deep well.

"Ms. McGarden, you are a clever woman," he began. He hefted the strange silver staff over his shoulder. "The world rejects the existence of magical creatures such as dragons. How many times did you and your grandfather face ridicule and disbelief? No one truly believes that these animals exist. Well… a few do. You, Makarov, the foolish scholars you associated yourselves with… But the ones of whom I speak are a little more…" he paused, thinking. "Well off, I guess you could say. And very invested in this endeavor."

Levy gaped.

"You're being paid to… what, capture a dragon? To show as proof?"

José laugh cut her off.

"Maybe you are not as clever as I thought if you seriously believed we could capture one alive. No, I suppose I should explain it in simpler terms for you. Our clients happen to be from a very old and wealthy family with possession of artifacts and resources referencing the beasts. Passed down generation to generation, they kept records of the dragon extermination and the tools they used to accomplish such a feat."

Again, he twirled the staff.

"However, since these magical creatures are now so elusive, their value has increased exponentially as I am sure you can imagine. So, dragon scales, talons, what have you… all of these things will sell for a very pretty price and my clients are very well aware of this."

The man holding Levy began dragging her, as it seemed José's speech had come to a conclusion. She yelled out again.

"If you are seriously considering killing those creatures, you must be a fool! You saw what one could do yesterday! How do you plan to face it again, much less a whole clan of them?"

José sauntered towards her and, suddenly, jabbed the staff towards her neck. It paused an inch from her skin and she could feel the cold emanating from the metal. She froze.

"This pretty little thing has enough power to shatter dragon scale, boil its' blood, and stop its' heart with one. little. poke," he said, inching it closer with each accentuated word. Her mouth went dry.

"And now, thanks to your wild gentleman friend, we know exactly where to find them," he finished softly.

With very unladylike courage, Levy spit as hard as she could right in his face. The sense of satisfaction was fleeting as his face twisted in anger and he kicked her in the stomach. She doubled over. The edges of her vision blurred and she didn't see the second kick coming.

When Gajeel came to, the darkness made him wonder if he had even opened his eyes. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain at his temple caused him to see stars and sway. He leaned heavily against something soft yet unyielding. He smelled lavender.

"Are you alright, Gajeel?" Levy's voice came from the dark. He realized he must be leaning against the small female. He grunted an affirmative before taking a deep breath and hissing a curse.

"José."

"Yes, José. He tricked us, betrayed us all. He means to… to hurt the dragons Gajeel," Levy said, pausing slightly.

Gajeel's stomach tightened.

"What do you mean?" he asked warily. "Why?"

He waited impatiently as Levy remained silent for a moment. He felt her shift beside him.

"He said that some people paid him to find where the dragons lived. That is why he came on this expedition in the first place. He is going to… Gajeel, he is going to kill them!"

Gajeel frowned into the dark.

"Can he do that? Is he strong as my father?" he asked.

Levy hesitated. "Your father?"

He nodded, but stopped quickly when his head throbbed again.

"The dragon of iron yesterday," he said.

He heard Levy's sharp intake of breath and wondered what happened.

"That… that dragon… he was your father?" she asked faintly.

Gajeel's frown deepened.

"Yes. He was angry for revealing them; he said I betray dragons. He told me… told me choose. Humans or dragons."

Silence descended. Gajeel could now make out shadowy forms, black figures that blended together within the darkness. He saw Levy beside him. There was just enough light to show her gleaming eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"NO!" Gajeel said emphatically. Worry and anger grew in the pit of his stomach. "I no like that word. Sorry means you want it not happen. If you want that, then you want I stay on island. I didn't. I came to ship with you. I chose you. Do not say sorry that I come back to you, do not say that now. I make my choice."

Levy tried to interrupt but he continued.

"I make my choice. You are my sky. I want you."

He felt Levy shaking. He reached out, wrapping his arms around her small form, drawing warmth from her. He buried his head into her hair, imagining the sky blue color he knew it was even though it was too dark to see. He inhaled as she hugged him back, pressing close.

"Then… I have made my choice," he heard her say. She pushed away gently and Gajeel felt a flash of panic. What did she mean?

"I choose you Gajeel. I choose you and all that is important to you, including your home and your family. I do not want you to have to choose so I will to stay. I don't want you to live with regret. I have everything here that I have ever wanted. Now, José has the power to hunt the dragons. Let's go and save your family together."

Elation rushed through his veins at her words. He had chosen her and now she had chosen him. He gripped her tightly and buried his nose in the crook of her neck, feeling her racing pulse and smelling that intoxicating floral scent.

"Ehem," a voice coughed from the dark.

The couple jumped. Gajeel could have hit himself for forgetting that Makarov was with them. He could practically feel Levy's blush.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but there is the whole matter of saving the dragons to attend to and I believe that time is of the essence," the old man continued.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Levy asked.

The little man chuckled.

"Well my dear, José might overlook a frail old man but that was his downfall."

A jingling sounded in the dark.

"I swiped his keys," he chuckled.

"Why didn't you say that from the beginning?" Levy exclaimed. "Especially if 'time was of the essence'?"

"Who am I to get in the way of young love and dramatic confessions in the midst of a perilous adventure?"

José Porla stood at the edge of the nesting grounds. The crew of dragonslayers stood silently behind him, waiting for his command. Each held a silver disk that had enough magic power to trap a single dragon within a cage of red lightning. Dusk had fallen as they watched the beasts return to their caves. The beating of wings sent the trees groaning as they twisted and bent. The roaring echoed.

José smiled slightly. He was so close he could almost taste his fortune. After weeks of enduring the cursed company of that damn fool Makarov, that insipid McGarden girl, and that infuriating wild man, he was ready to be done with this whole endeavor. He hefted the staff. A spark of crimson light arched threateningly. What power! What possibilities! He looked forward to seeing the death of that great iron dragon… and maybe later that wild man as well.

Gajeel swung through the trees, soaring in a way that he never had before. Behind him lagged Levy and Makarov, running as fast as they could but still falling back. He angled his path towards the nesting grounds, his home.

He knew his father and his friends could take care of themselves. They were top predators. Once he had seen Metalicana attacked by at least a dozen wyrms. He had simply swung his tail with disdain and pulverized them all. But now he was worried. According to Levy, José had a weapon given to him that was used in the old war. A weapon that had been responsible for the death of countless dragons, his mother and his siblings included. Feeling a flash of fear, he pushed himself faster, breaking through the line of trees and into chaos.

Levy's lungs felt as if they were on fire. She had been running for a while now, not to mention her path was all-uphill towards the nesting grounds. She had long lost sight of Gajeel in front of her and Makarov had fallen behind.

A root snagged her foot and she crashed into the ground, scuffing her palms into the dirt. She growled in disgust as she stood and bent to tear off her skirt. The offending clothes ripped and Levy ran trailing strips of fabric.

She felt surreal as she ran. She couldn't believe everything that had happened to her recently; meeting Gajeel, falling in love with him, and offering to live on an island inhabited with his hostile dragon family. Now she was on her way to help save said dragons. It sounded insane, but she didn't regret anything. She had meant everything she said. Now, she was only worried about getting on the good side of Gajeel's father… after they saved them of course. She gulped.

"FORWARD!" José commanded, jumping from the brush and brandishing his silver staff, sending a shower of red sparks over the men that followed.

Only moments earlier, they had separated into groups, intent on trapping each dragon in its cave with the silver disc cages. It would be easier to deal with them separately. José led the largest group, heading towards the sole dragon visible lounging on a rock outcropping –the one with scales of metal. José drew his lips back in a feral smile. He was intent on seeing this one dead personally.

At the sound of the men's battle cries, the silver dragon slowly raised its' head and eyed them as they closed the distance. José could fell the dragonslayers balk slightly from the immense size and majesty of the creature, but he pushed forward with renewed intent and a loud cry. Only when the ground began to shake slightly did his cry trail off into a confused grunt. The men slowed behind him as he came to a halt directly in front of the dragon.

Metalicana couldn't help the chuckle that erupted from him as the horde of humans approached. The dragons had seen them lurking on the edge of the nesting grounds as soon as they arrived, not to mention smelled their intense perfume of sweat and treachery. All of the dragons had gone off into his or her own cave, snorting in distaste and refusing to even raise a talon against such puny creatures. Metalicana was both amused and angered. He lounged on the stone waiting for them to make their move.

When the tall human with dangerous eyes stepped forward waving his thin stick, Metalicana simply watched. Even though they were running as fast as their legs could carry their tiny bodies, it was as if the giant dragon were watching the humans fumble through mud. He pursed his iron lips but couldn't prevent the chuckle that erupted. He laughed harder when he saw the men slow their approach and fight to keep their footing as the ground shook.

José watched in amazement as the iron dragon threw back his great head and laughed. He saw a silver claw rise up and pound into the stone multiple times with amusement and heard half his men behind him fall from the shaking. José sneered and gripped the silver rod tighter as he struggled to remain upright. The other dragons were still holed up in their caves and he could see the groups of dragonslayers stationed at the mouth of each cavern. They waited and watched.

"What are you laughing at, you foul beast?" José screamed. The chuckling only grew louder. "Speak! You did before, you-"

José swallowed the rest of his words as the dragon lowered his head. The blood red iris in front of him reflected his tiny frame like a mirror. He watched as the pupil narrowed into a slit.

"Humans," the dragon began. "Your stupidity astounds me. How your species has survived all these long years is truly amazing."

The deep rumbling of the dragon's voice sent shivers down José's spine. He took an involuntary step back as the dragon spoke deep English words. How the beasts were able to communicate was beyond him. It was unnatural. Its' arrogance was revolting. José twirled his staff slowly as the dragon continued.

"Where is my son? I do not see the boy nor his little blue mate."

José paused.

"Your son? You consider that wild man…"

"If you have harmed him…" the dragon interrupted. It drew its' head back like a viper and spread its' wings. The sinking sun disappeared behind its' girth and blackened the earth beneath his feet. It loomed like a mountain before the dragonslayers.

"I will crush you."

José heard someone behind him whimper and smelt the urine of another wetting his pants. He stood still and quiet, waiting for his chance. The cool metal dug into his tight palms as the dragon slowly sank back to all fours.

"Look," it continued.

He watched as it slowly slid its' silver tail beside him and his rag-tag army, like a snake coiling around a mouse. Steady, he thought. Almost.

"Look," it repeated, flicking the tip of its' iron tail. "With one swipe of my tail, I could hurl you all back to the ocean from which you came. How could you possibly hope-"

José lunged and rammed the end of the silver spear into the dragon tail. Red lightning arced and it roared.

Pain. Immense, burning pain. Metalicana screamed and felt his back bending. His body fell to the hard earth and contorted as his talons scraped uselessly along the ground. The edges of his vision grew dark.

Gajeel.

"NOOO!" Gajeel screamed as he burst into the clearing to see his father fall. Red lightning bars sprung up around the nesting grounds as the humans hurled the silver disks into the caves. Dragons roared with fury when they realized they were trapped. Gajeel saw Igneel lash out at the cage around him only to fall back snarling in pain. He pushed forward towards Metalicana and José.

His legs and lungs were burning from running across the island, but he didn't even register the pain as he collided with a wall of men. He kicked, punched, and threw bodies aside with a fervor that made the uninjured men back off. Red eyes glistened with bloodlust and he roared like a wild animal. He broke through the crowd and José had no time for defense before Gajeel crashed into him.

Though Levy and Makarov had fallen behind, they broke into the nesting ground clearing in time to see Gajeel tackle José. Levy screamed when she saw José reaching for the silver staff that had been thrown a few feet away with the collision.

"Gajeel, watch out!"

The wild man ducked right in time. The staff, shooting sparks, whistled through the air where his head had been not a moment before. She watched José bare his teeth, blood trickling down from a split lip. She ran forward, knowing there was little she could to help.

Some of the dragons had managed to reach a long talon or two between the bars and drag a screaming human into the dark depths of their cave. She watched in amazement as one dragon, vivid black and blue, rammed into the lightning bars surrounding him and shatter them. It roared in pain and fury as the electricity skittered across its' scales, but it was free. Men began to flee its' snapping jaws and swooping tail. She ducked behind a stone outcropping and crawled forward into the shadow of the great metal dragon with Makarov following closely behind.

He lay still and motionless on the ground as Levy approached amidst the mayhem. She followed the curve of his jaw, passing my fangs as long as she was tall, before stopping near his giant closed eye. Shaking, she placed a pale hand on his cheek, her palm and fingers barely covering a single, cool scale.

"Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please…" she whispered. She couldn't stop tears from clouding her vision as she begged the giant creature in front of her. She felt her grandfather's consoling hand on her shoulder.

"…hell…" she heard a murmur. Her palm vibrated slightly and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes with her torn sleeve. She looked up to see a sliver of crimson iris staring down at her.

"W-what?" she asked, her elation at the dragon's survival tempered by her own fear.

"Like hell that would kill me," he growled again, louder this time.

Metalicana slowly lifted his head, grimacing at the heat still coursing through his veins. Whatever that silver staff was, it hurt like fucking hell. He glanced around, noticing that Acnologia had broken free and was stomping humans like ants. Metalicana snorted. The crazy bastard hated humans, besides Gajeel, the most of any dragon he knew. He turned, looking for his son amongst the fleeing bodies, and caught sight of his wild black mane. The boy was grappling with the snake that had stabbed him before.

Levy watched in horror as the iron dragon lifted his massive tail high into the sky, pointed like a glistening metal dagger. It cast a long shadow across the earth and the men fighting nearby. She gasped as it slowly started descending.

"Gajeel!" she screamed.

She saw his vivid red eyes glance towards her and the dragon for a second before landing a solid punch in José's gut. Quickly grabbing the silver staff from the ground, he stabbed it through José's foot and deep into the earth before rolling away. José's scream of pain was abruptly cut off as the heavy tail slammed into the ground. Silence fell with finality as Levy panted.

Gajeel heard Levy scream his name as he held José reaching fist inches from his face. He glanced and saw a familiar shadow descending. He had seen it before when wrestling with wyrms. He knew what fate was in store for José… his father simply expected him to get out of the way in time, which he always did. Stabbing the staff into place, he rolled across the rough stone before the nesting grounds shook and fell silent.

He lay panting in the dirt for a while as sweat rolled off his forehead. He sat up as Levy and Makarov approached. In the background, his father flicked his bloody tail with distaste towards the clearing's edge.

Acnologia had taken care of the rest of the humans, as other dragons slowly broke free. Gajeel was not sad to see a single human go, and neither were Levy or Makarov for that matter.

Levy grabbed Gajeel's scarred forearm as he stepped towards his father. He pulled her close to his side under the crimson-eyed scrutiny. He could feel the little man hiding behind him.

Dragon and human stared in silence at one another, ruby eyes meeting garnet gaze. The rest of the dragons approached slowly with curiosity. Igneel licked his forearm ruefully and Grandine ruffled her dirty feathers. Finally, Metalicana snorted gently.

"I know you wished for a happy ending to this," he began.

Gajeel lowered his eyes to the ground. He fixed his gaze on a small, withered weed beside his foot and felt his chest tighten uncomfortably. Metalicana continued.

"But you're my little pink rodent of a son and we dragons are 'selfish creatures' after all. I will not let you go to a land where you must face those humans alone."

Gajeel looked up to meet his father's gaze and slowly smiled.

"I don't need to go to see those humans, Metalicana," he answered. He ushered Levy and Makarov to stand in front of him, nodding when they looked at him in fear and confusion. After all, they had been speaking their own language for a while now.

"All I want is my family. These are the only humans I need in my life."

Metalicana frowned before he continued.

"They offered to stay," he said quickly. He rushed to explain as his father lifted an iron eyebrow. "I didn't choose humans, father. I chose her. I chose them. She is my sky. And they chose me! They say they will stay here with us!"

Gajeel rounded on Levy excitedly, gesturing for her to explain.

"Tell," he said breathlessly. "Levy. Tell you stay!"

He saw understanding in her bright eyes and she nodded slightly.

"I am deeply sorry for what humans have done to your kind… both in the past and today. But, if you will have us, my father and I wish to live here… with you and Gajeel. All we need is our family," she said as Makarov nodded. "And… and I love your son. I'm sorry if that impudent of me and I'm sorry if I am being presumptuous but-" she trailed off.

Gajeel didn't know what 'love' meant. But it appeared his father understood and that he was not exactly displeased to hear it. He saw the corner of his jaw turn up into a slight smile and his red eyes rolled in amusement.

"Little one," he heard his father say in English. "You took care of my son and you have shown concern for my kind. Perhaps you and your kin," he glanced to Makarov, "are the exception."

Gajeel couldn't understand most of what he had said, but by the light and excitement in Levy's eyes, it had to be good. He started to smile.

"But," the dragon continued. "There are a few things that must be finished."

It took a lot of explaining to convince the rest of the dragons that Levy and Makarov were good humans and that they had not been a part of the dragonslayers. Acnologia snorted in distaste but he was an ornery fuck anyways in Gajeel's mind so he hardly counted. Finally, it was decided that the humans could live on the island permanently. Not many were happy with the decision but over time Levy and her grandfather would persuade them.

Igneel was given orders to burn the human's ship to dust. It had been a part of the agreement that Levy and Makarov could stay only if they stayed forever. Their research party would simply be another ship lost at sea.

Metalicana took particular pleasure in gathering the dragonslayer relics into a bundle of fabric Levy provided. The silver rod and discs were carefully wrapped with heavy stones before he flew leagues out to sea and fiercely threw it down.

Any human remains were removed from the grounds and, at Levy's request, laid into a large hole dug from Metalicana's claws. They were buried, though in anger, at least with honor.

Gajeel, Levy, and Makarov walked slowly back to the human camp to gather up their items and move them to their new home – a freshly carved cave on the edge of the nesting grounds. Gajeel slowly lead the way with Levy as Makarov followed a few yards back. They were all exhausted, physically and mentally, so most of the trip passed in silence. Suddenly, Gajeel remembered something.

"Levy?"

The little woman looked up at him and smiled.

"Yes?"

"What does 'love' mean?"

Makarov laughed.

Years later.

Metalicana's heavy eyelids blinked lazily, sliding slowly past vivid crimson irises. He waited impatiently for sleep to claim him. He grumbled and a thin tendril of metal scented smoke from his snout rose into the crisp night air.

Fatigue seeped through his body and the great dragon finally closed his eyes, expecting the next thing he saw to be the light of a new day. However, when he opened his eyes with a start, the only light was that of the pale moon and stars. He lifted his heavy head into the air. What had woken him?

Silence continued until Metalicana almost relented it had been a dream that woke him. He lowered his head back to the earth… and paused.

A sharp cry echoed in the distance and he jumped as a figure hurled into his cave.

"Metalicana! Metalicana!"

"What is it you noisy brat?! It's the middle of the night!"

Gajeel skid to a stop and smiled.

"I'm a father!"

Metalicana hardly noticed Gajeel gleefully run back the way he came.

Flashbacks of the crying, the odor, and the threatened banishment from the clan danced through his memory. Another rodent that wrestled wyrms, stuck his hand in bee hives, and tried to fly off the edge of cliffs.

"Fuck."