Beauty and the Iron Dragon (A GaLe Fairy Tail Fanfic)

Chapter 2

Levy sighed after she could no longer see her father and their horse, Zefer. Even though Gramps would only be gone two days, she'd still miss him. After an hour or two of more sleep since Gramps woke her up at the crack of sunrise, Levy went on through her daily routine. Feed the few animals they had, collect the eggs from the chicken coop, cook and eat breakfast, which was usually bacon and eggs, then read until she finishes her book. Usually when she finished a book, Levy would go to town like she did almost every day. But today Levy decided to read one of her own books instead of buying a new one. Halfway through her newest book, Snow White, there was a loud knock at the door. After marking her page and setting her book down, Levy got up from her chair and walked over to the door. When she opened the door, she went wide eyed by what she saw. "Laxus! What are you doing here!" Levy yelled at the man in front of her. "I came to see you, what else" he said before walking into the little house. Oh sure, just waltz in here. I don't mind one bit!, Levy sarcastically thought to herself as Laxus sat down in her chair. Once Levy mentally calmed herself down, she put a fake smile on and walked over to Laxus. "Hey, what are doing over here?" She asked, her face kind, but voice filled with venom. "Well, I came here to ask you to marry me" Laxus replied as if he was saying you need air to breath. "WHAT!" Levy scream in surprise. "I can see it now, ten boys. All strong and handsome like me, giving hell to the beasts they catch," Laxus continued ignoring Levy's scream. "TEN!" Levy screamed a second time. Being married to Laxus sounded like a nightmare, having ten more just like him was her own personal hell. "Ooooookaaay, you're obviously just got back from the bar. Time for you to go now!" Levy said as she directed Laxus out of her chair and towards the door. "I didn't even go to the bar yet!" Laxus told Levy as she shoved Laxus out of her house. "Exactly, yet!" were her last words as she closed the door in his face. The blond haired man just stood there for a moment, taking everything that just happened in. For the very first time in his life, Laxus was turned down. As the thought rang in his head, his hands turned into fists. "Levy will be my wife whether she wants to or not when this is all over" Laxus grumbled angrily as he walked away from the house. 

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Makarov was riding Zefer deeper into the woods, becoming more lost by the minuet. It started when he held the map upside down by accident, and continued that way for half the day. It wasn't until he passed a stream that was on the other side of the map, that he knew was lost. Now, as he tried to find a way home, he was just confused. "At least it can't get any worse Zefer" Makarov told his horse seconds before it poured rain. "Oh come on!" Makarov yelled at the sky. Then, as if the sky was angry, there was thunder louder than anything Makarov ever heard before in his life. The thunder caused Zefer to buck up, which somehow made the cart become loose and undone. When another thunder came, with lightning shoot across the sky, Zefer ran leaving the cart behind. With the horse running at top speed, Makarov had a hard time controlling the horse. Then without warning, Zefer stood on two legs. Not having long legs and no firm hold on the reins, the old man fell off the horse's back, who ran off in the opposite direction. Once Makarov lifted himself off the ground, he gasped at what stood before him. It was an iron gate and a huge stone castle. Cautiously, he opened the iron gate and walked to the huge wooden doors and stepped inside. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Makarov asked, his voice echoing through the castle, reaching the ears of a doll. She gasped and ran off into another part of the castle. Meanwhile in the kitchen, a golden candle was fighting with a black clock. "Get back over here and fight me ice princess!" the candle, named Natsu, yelled at the clock, whose name was Gray. "I will if you turn down your flames! I'm made of wood flame brain!" Gray yelled while trying to avoid Natsu's flaming candle arms. "KNOCK IT OFF YOU TWO!" a woman's voice ordered from behind them. "Whatever you say Erza!" Gray and Natsu said while standing up straight and giving a salute. "Good, I'm glad" a sword, who was known as Erza, said. A giggle could be heard from a little wooden doll with dark blue hair in high pigtails, and a knee high white dress with matching boots. "Wendy, what are you doing here?" Erza asked the doll turning to look at her. "There's a man in the castle!" Wendy said, her excitement showing. They all went wide eyed before, they all ran to the entrance hall. And sure enough, there was an old man, soaking wet walking cautiously in the entrance hall. "Excuse me, sire" Erza said standing a few feet away. Makarov looked around for the source of the voice, but couldn't find it until the same voice called, "down here". Since Makarov wasn't that tall, he didn't have to lower his head that much. "What are you?" He asked in amazement, his eyes widening. "We're servants of this castle. Come with us, you must be freezing" Erza said heading toward a nearby room. "Come on, sit in this" Wendy said pointing to one of two chairs, both on the opposite side of a little table. One was red with gold, while the other was a bit bigger and gray with silver. Wendy guided him to the red and gold one, which was soft as a cloud. Natsu started a fire while Erza whispered something to Gray, who then quickly left, closing the door quietly. "Are you comfy mister?" Wendy asked the old man in the chair. "Why yes I am. And please, call me Makarov" he said with a smile. Pretty soon, Makarov started to warm up. The calm atmosphere was gone when the black clock burst into the room panting and closing the door. "Erza, he's coming" Gray told Erza as a fearful face came across her and the whole room. "Makarov, come with me please!" the little doll exclaimed a moment before the door blast open, blowing out the fire. "Oi, who the hell is this!" a man's gruff voice yelled sending a chill down everyone's spine. "Who the hell is this!" the voice asked again, only angrier. "Ummmmm, well... h-he needed help, and-" Wendy said quietly and obviously quite nervous. "The old man's trespassing. And what do we do with trespassers?" he asked as he headed towards the frightened old man. "Please, I didn't mean any harm. I just need a place to stay until the storm passes" Makarov said worried, now out of the chair. "I got a place where you can stay, only it's permanent" the voice said before grabbing the back of Makarov's collar before dragging him off to a dungeon and throwing him in. "Cold and damp just for you, old man" was the last thing the figure said as he shut the door to the dungeon.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

"It's raining cats and dogs, Gramps must have yelled at the sky again" Levy mumbled to herself. She couldn't get Laxus's visit out of her mind. What even made him think I'd say yes! We're not even courting!, She thought to herself. Before she could do anything else, Levy heard a horse whining outside. Levy went eyes widened as she saw her horse, Zefer, without anyone in the saddle. He didn't even have the cart attached to him. Grabbing her cloak, Levy ran out and calmed her horse. "Zefer! Where's Gramps!" Levy yelled through the pouring rain. Zefer whined before nudging his head towards the woods. "Oh no, he held the map upside down again!" Levy exclaimed as she climbed into her horses back before she yelled, "take me to Gramps!". In what seemed like minutes, Levy stared in wonder, in front of the iron gate of a castle. When a bang by of thunder went by, Zefer once again stood on his two legs causing levy to fall off her horse and on the cold, wet ground. Our horse has a problem, Levy thought to herself as Zefer ran back the way they came. Levy walked up to the massive doors and opened them, stepping inside. It was magnificent, she's give it that. "Um, h-hello? Is anyone there?" Levy said hoping for an answer. When none came, she decided to look for some help, and walked slowly down a hallway. In another room, Natsu and Gray were fighting, only this time Erza was no where near the two. "My fault! You were the lookout ice cube!" Natsu yelled at Gray. "I can't run fast with these dang clock legs fire flame!" Gray yelled back. "Fire flame! That doesn't make any sense!" Natsu yelled, his flames growing. Before Gray could argue any more, a small voice cut straight through the fight, silencing them both. "Is someone there?" the young women said looking in the room. She was soaking wet from head to toe and shivering. "I'm looking for my Father, his name is Makarov" Levy said as she stepped inside the room, searching for the voices she swore she heard. Walking out of the room behind Levy, Natsu and Gray communicated using rather confusing hand movements. Once they set up a plan, Gray knocked on the door, catching Levy's attention. "Hello?" she asked hopefully. As she walked out of the room Levy heard footsteps and followed, speed walking to keep up. When she finally came to an open door, she felt eyes watching her.