{Bunch of time skips, just a warning}
His first day in Crocus, Gajeel spent it searching the city though he made sure not to be spotted by the others. As night fell he met up with Juvia, who had about as much luck as he did. They were making their way back to their inn, when a commotion drew their attention. They could just make out Natsu, who was shouting at what appeared to be two younger mages. As they got closer, Gajeel could make them out and he froze on the spot. He was here, and he was harshly reminded that there wasn't just one child he had abandoned. Juvia gently grabbed his arm, pulling him away as he was pulled into his memories.
×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
"Daddy!" Gajeel looked up from where he was helping Juvia repair the fence around her house, his three year old toddling over to him. "What is it little bird?" He asked as he wiped the sweat from his hands. He frowned slightly at the worried look on the girls face. "Daddy there's a boy in the ally!" She said, almost panicked. He walked over to where his daughter has been playing on the other side of the yard. "Stay with Aunt Juvia." He called as she started to follow him. Gajeel saw a dark shape at the mouth of the near by ally and hopped the fence to investigate.
At the mouth of the ally the black shape moved slightly, he could hear a soft sniffling sound and smell the salt of tears. "Oi," He called, and the shape jolted. A small face peered up through black hair, red eyes wide and wet with tears. Several small scratches covered his face along with a good sized bruise on his cheek. Gajeel slowly crouched down, not wanting to frighten the poor boy. "What's your name?" He asked quietly. The boy shrunk back against the dumpster, pulling what was a black cloak tighter around himself.
Gajeel frowned slightly, he couldn't leave the boy alone here in this filthy ally. He was trying to think of a way to get the boy to talk when he felt a small presence beside him. He turned to see Avery holding onto his shirt, smiling at the small boy. "Don't worry, he's not as scary as he looks!" She said brightly, walking over to the boy. "Hey pipsqueek,"Gajeel grumbled. Avery ignored him as she stopped in front of the boy. "Let's get you cleaned up, yeah?" She asked, holding out her tiny hand to him. The boy looked at her, his eyes flicking back to Gajeel who tried to smile at him. After a moment he took Averys hand and she pulled him up. He stood a bit taller than her, he had to be about three years older than her.
As Gajeel followed the two children out of the ally, Avry spoke to him. "My name is Avery Redfox! What's your name?" "Rayos... Rayos Rouge Chenny."
×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
Gajeel was pulled from his thoughts, back in their inn. Juvia was still sitting beside him but the ground had started to shake. They moved to the balcony to see a floating labyrinth above Crocus. "An entrance round?" Laxus asked as they watched the different guilds race to the start. "Slim down the numbers. We best not waste any time." Mirajane said with a soft smile. "Juvia agrees." The woman said with a smile, gently gripping Gajeels arm. The dragon slayer nodded, and Fairy Tail B raced for the labyrinth.
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
Gajeel was tired, and he hurt. He wasn't sure what happened to Rayos, but the shadow was gone. He now laid on the ground, his exceed clinging to him as she cried. Gajeel forced himself to his feet, hissing slightly at the pain that coursed though him. "Gajeel..." He turned to Rouge as the boy forced himself into a sitting position. "I meant to ask you... When you went missing. What happened to-" "Rayos." Gajeel suddenly said. Rouge frowned slightly. "When everything is over, I need to talk to you." He said quietly before making his way towards the Sabertooth emblem that now blazed in the sky.
×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
The ball was loud, filled with mages celebrating the defeat of the dragons, and the end of the Grand Magic Games. Gajeel scanned the ball room, catching sight of a head of blue hair leaving to a side hallway. He smiled softly, moving to follow when someone caught his arm. He turned to see Rouge. "You wanted to talk to me?" Gajeel nodded and the two went somewhere quiet to talk.
The two were quiet for a moment before Rouge spoke. "Did Avery go with you guys when you disappeared? How is she? " He asked simply, sitting on an old sofa. Gajeel was quiet, his chest tightening in pain. "I havnt seen Avery in nearly eight years now." Rouge stared at him in a surprised silence. "Jose kidnapped her before the war with Fairy Tail. He gave her to a dark guild, payment for something he owed." Gajeel was clenching his fists so tight that his knuckles were white.
"Gajeel I... I didn't know." Rouge grasped for words. "Don't worry about it Rayos... I wanted to know if you had heard anything, but it doesn't sound like it." Gajeel said quietly. Rouge stood and gently gripped Gajeels shoulder. "I will do anything I can to look for her. She was like my sister,"Gajeel nodded slightly, patting the boys back. "Thank you Rayos. Just... Don't tell anyone she's my daughter." Rouge frowned. "I did a lot of bad things to lots of people. If those people knew I had a daughter, who knows what they would do to her." Rayos nodded before Gajeel turned back for the door. Tomorrow, he would search for his girl, tonight he would dance with a script mage.
{Sorry if it's all crammed together, but I can finally get started with the main story! Also, a note. You can not convince me otherwise, Rouge and Sting are maybe 15, Sting probably older.}
