In Secret (Sequel to Behind the Scenes)

Testing Shadows

Gajeel's P.O.V.

I felt eyes on me about four blocks from the warehouse. Bags of food in my hands prevented me from being able to block any attacks very well, so I looked around for somewhere to set it down. I'd rather not waste this stuff if I could help it. There wasn't anywhere handy, so I kept walking. I refused to pick up my pace, feeling like that would make me seem afraid, which I wasn't.

I rounded a corner that led away from the warehouse and the feeling faded. At the next cross street I started working my way back. When it felt as if I was being watched again this time I stopped. I made a shelf out of a piece of iron I had in my pocket and attached it to a wall to place the bags on. I took a deep breath as I did, and couldn't smell anyone nearby. That's strange. Why wouldn't there be a scent? Unless... I glanced around and saw what I was looking for, and turned back to the food with a grin.

I only had to wait a moment before I heard the scuff of a foot and caught his scent. I spun at the last second, grabbing hold of his upraised fist, and swinging my attacker into the wall. His breath escaped him in a gasp, and he gaped up at me with such surprise on his face that I struggled not to laugh. I squatted in front of him and raised an eyebrow, "Well, Ryos, what did ya learn?"

"Make sure I'm not where the wind can bring you my scent." He panted out, pushing himself upright. I nodded at his response. "And?" The small boy looked up at me, and I noticed the nasty glare he used to have whenever he saw me was gone. Replaced by something, was that respect? "I don't know?"

I offered him a hand and stood, pulling him up with me. "Well, fer starters, ya need to work on walkin' silently. Yer shadow was smack in the middle of a square of sunlight, with nothin' around that could have made it. Someone less aware than me mighta missed it, but prolly not. Reminds me, 'nother lesson, know yer opponent." Ryos looked thoughtful as I mentioned all these things, and glanced at me sharply. "Well, I did plan on hiding my scent from you."

I chuckled at the pride in his voice. "Ya did. And it woulda worked if not fer the wind. One more point, keep in mind yer shadows can work as an attack too. Coulda pulled me into a shadow from below an' left me stuck in the ground." I handed him one of the bags of food and made the shelf pocket sized again. As we began walking, Ryos sank into thought, and I left him to it, my own thoughts wandering back to a tiny woman and the book in my bag. How am I gonna give this to her?

We continued in silence until we reached the warehouse, and Ryos ran inside to round up the others. I clunked to the table and had started spreading out the food when I felt little arms wrap around my waist. "Gajeel!" Sam squealed as she hugged me. "Hey, girlie." I glanced at the boy lurking across the table from me. "James? What is it?" He jumped a little and stepped forward.

"Um, nothing. Just... Where's Levy?" The boy had a connection with the tiny woman, loving to read almost as much as she did. He'd actually decided to learn script magic, as well. I shook my head, "Not going to be here today, kid." Sam stepped around me to grab some grapes off the table. "She okay?" She asked, popping one in her mouth.

Sam seemed to be unconcerned, but I could see her watching James, and I could smell his anxiety. "Yeah, she's fine. Just not here." The small, navy haired boy took a deep breath and smiled. "That's okay. I just learned a new word and wanted to show her. Now I just have more time to perfect it!" I nodded and held up a hand so the other brats filtering into the room wouldn't get to the food.

"No eatin' before trainin'. Ya know the drill." With a groan, they all went to the training corner of the big room and began stretching. I worked them through their exercises, not really in the mood to teach them anything new. Without the shrimp here, I found my attention wandering. "Umm, Gajeel?" I forced my attention back to the kids in front of me and found Steven, a little slip of a boy, staring at me. "Yeah? Whatdya want?"

He flushed and looked down, "Well... I was wonderin' if we're gonna pratice magic at all? I think... I think I wanna pick mine finally." This kid had been waffling between a solar magic Levy had found, card magic, and painting, like the big guy back in Fairy Tail. I raised an eyebrow and just watched him, waiting for his decision. "Uh, I... Uhm... I wanna learnt solar magic!" I nodded at him and looked around at the other kids.

"We'll work magic tomorrow, when Shrimp is here ta work out some of yer finer points. Yer all gettin' strong enough, I don't want ya workin' magic without us both here." I grinned at the groans that pulled from several of them. I remember being excited to work my magic when I was first learning it. I glanced down at my arm, easily finding a few scars. Holding my arm out so they could see it, I told them, "Look here. See this scar? And this one? These happened when I tried to use my Iron Dragon Roar by myself before I was ready. I snuck away from my dad, which was hard enough, tryin' to impress him. I roared, and caught myself off guard. Several blades caught themselves here," I pointed to the scars again, "and I'd have died if he hadn't been a dragon and heard me." I chuckled at the memory. "I'd thought I was so clever..."

Shaking my head I looked back at them. "So, no magic unless we're here. Even if you don't have a dangerous magic. Understood?" I leveled my best glare at them until they all nodded. "Good. Stretch out and go eat." I glanced at the clock and decided I wasn't going to stick around today. I flagged down Fitz and gestured at the door with my head, giving him a half wave. He nodded at me and went back to making sure the kids were splitting the food evenly. I snatched my bag and left, almost running in my excitement. I'll leave the book on her bed. Then, I don't have to come up with a reason to be giving it to her.

I reached Fairy Hills and climbed the building carefully with spikes from my hands and feet. Her room was dark, so I slid her window open and listened carefully. No breathing. Must still be out with Bunny girl. I slipped inside and dug the book out, placing it in the middle of her bed. I listened again, and realized I could hear her in the building, and it sounded like she was getting closer. I took a deep breath, inhaling her scent, and leapt through the window, landing outside with a thump.

Finding a tree nearby, I scaled it quickly, and glanced at her window just as the light came on. I saw her, tiny little woman, standing with a bat in her hand, looking around the room. Gihihi, good. She noticed something off. Even from my vantage point, I could see her hesitate by the book, wanting to pick it up. Finally, she shook her head and grabbed a different book, leaving her bat against the wall, and left the room. I grinned to myself and dropped out of the tree, heading for home.

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The struggle is real, coming up with chapter titles. Anyway, if you have a better idea of what to call this one, let me know. As usual, please give me thoughts on the chapter!