Beauty of Fairy Tail (Gale/Gajevy AU)

Chapter 1

I have finally moved into my new apartment and am sorting out all my junk. I guess it's not too bad. I'm the only one, besides my cat, Pantherlily, that's living here and it's kinda big. I have everything I could need, though. A kitchen, bedroom, tv, hot shower, and my personal scrap metal pile. I won't be here at all tomorrow, though.

Today, I join Fiore's top guild and I hear they have the best parties around. They are based right here in Magnolia. I hear that they have a couple of dragon slayers, but the more the merrier, I guess. I hope that they have some girls there, too.

"Hey, Gajeel," Pantherlily says. "You ready to head over to Fairy Tail?"
"Yeah, give me a sec." I throw the last of my stuff in my room for the time being. I have a lot of old crap. I barely even cared for most of it.

***

Pantherlily and I stand outside the doors to Fairy Tail for only a second before walking in. The people inside seem to be occupied with drinking and talking. The elderly master sits on the bar.

"How may we help you, young man?" the master asks cheerfully. I carefully kneel down on one knee and bow my head a little.

"My exceed I want to join the guild, sir. I am the iron dragon slayer, Gajeel Redfox, son of Metalicana. I know you already have two dragon slayers, but would you be willing to accept me as well?" I wait a moment as the whole guild falls silent. Then, whispers start around the room.

Then, a boy with pink hair shouts, "I say he's in. We haven't gotten a new member since Wendy lost her guild, four months ago." I scan the room a bit and see a familiar face.

"Huh? Juvia?" I think to myself. Juvia and I used to be part of the same guild, but it was broken apart, because it was a dark guild.

The master speaks again as a fight seems to be breaking out. "Natsu! Grey! Listen up, you brats. It is my job, as master, to decide this guild's members. I say we have a vote to decide. How many want Gajeel to become a part of Fairy Tail?" Slowly, people start to raise their hands.

First, the pink haired boy, Natsu. Then, the bar waitress, a large man, and a girl, all with white hair, raise their hands. Juvia raises hers. Then, a whole managery of people. A blonde, red head, and a blue cat, who sit with Natsu, raise hands.

Then, there is the short girl with pretty, blue hair, which is pushed back with an orange headband and holds a flower behind her ear. She smiles and raises her hand. As do the two boys behind her.

"Alright then. I guess it's settled. Gajeel is now an official member of Fairy Tail," Master Makarov announces. The crowd fills the hall wih cheers and welcome. They immediately start drinking, fighting, and celebrating. Natsu and a dark haired, ice wizard begin a brawl. The red haired girl in armor enters it and beats the snot out of them.

I sit at the bar and talk to the woman tending it after she stamps me and Lily with the guild's insignia; mine in black, his in white. She introduces herself as Mirajane Strous and tells me about everyone here. Thier names, types of magic, teams.

"What's with that shrimp over there? The one with blue hair and nose in the book," I ask.

"Huh? You mean Levy McGarden? She's a solid script mage. She is on team Shadow Gear. Those boys with her are Jet and Droy. They practically worship her," Mirajane says.

"Hm." I turn back to the girl and she's looking at me. She smiles and walks over.

"Hi. Mira probably introduced me, but my name's Levy McGarden. Welcome to the guild." She smiles and rocks on her feet.

"Yeah, thanks," I tell her. She extendsher hand to me and we shake.

"So, what's your story? You seem kinda distant and didn't even jump in the fight with Natsu, Grey, and Erza."

I tell her, "When I was a kid, I lost my parents. I was taken in by the dragon, Metalicana and taught dragon slayer magic. Then, they just disappeared one day in the year 777. I've been traveling around Fiore since then. I used to be part of a guild with Juvia, over there, but it was broken up. It was a dark guild."

"You were part of a dark guild?" She's a bit surprised and scared of the fact.

"Yeah. It was only, because I got tricked into it. And I was planning on leaving, but it was ended before that," I explain.

"What happened that made you leave?" Levy asks as she sits down.

"I was still a teenager when they wanted me to kill a girl and cut the guild insignia into her stomach as a message to her guild. I took one look at the girl I had harmed and stopped. Being alone, I dropped the knife and painted it, before I had cut her. When I returned to the guild, it was gone." My story leaves her mortified. She puts her hand on my arm. She tells me how something similar happened to her when she was a young girl, but she was the one attacked.

* * *

I wake up the next morning after being asleep at the bar. I turn to see the rest of the guild all passed out across the floor. Pantherlily is sleeping with Happy and Carla, the other exceeds. The family of white haired Stouss' are in a cuddling heap near a table. Natsu and his team are spralled out and the blonde, Lucy Heartfillia, is wrapped around Natsu's arm, the alcohol-induced blush still present on here face. There's Juvia cuddling with shirtless Grey.

Then, I see Levy still sitting with me at the bar, asleep. I decide to leave her a note:

Thanks for the talk. Nice meeting you. ~Gajeel
P.S. If you ever want to come on a job with me, you're welcome to.

I set it on the bar next to her, grab Lily, and go home. I make breakfast for us and chill at home for a while. Then, I snack on a piece of iron and go back to the guild. Most people have cleared out on jobs or have gone home. Team Natsu is just leaving and I head over to the request board.

There isn't anything that interests me. I decide on a job that includes beating a cave monster. It pays twelve thousand jewl so why not. Walking out, Pantherlily says that I should invite Shadow Gear to join us. I huff a bit, but agree.

I turn and walk back to a table where the team is sitting. They agree to join me and we set off, on the train, to a town called Rubystacia. It's a mining town in the mountains.

We talk to the miners and enter the tunnels. Apparently, they have been seeing shadows and hearing laughter in the east tunnel. This is where we're going first.