Like Swallowing Swords (Fairy Tail FanFic)

Chapter One

Things started to go wrong before they’d even really started.  

    As Wendy Marvell walked into the ring followed by her Siberian tiger, Carla, to start the show on opening night, Levy McGarden spotted the blue kitten perched on the tiger’s back.  Natsu Dragneel ran out after them yelling for his cat.

    “Happy!  Happy, get back here!”

    The cat hadn’t always been  blue, but if a defenseless animal with rather dyeable, white fur sticks around Erza Scarlet, who’s in charge of costuming and takes her job way too seriously, for too long, that fur won’t stay very white.

    Levy had to try very hard not to reach out and slap Natsu as he turned to face the audience saying things like “Sorry.  My cat thinks he’s part of the circus.” with that irritatingly cute, naïve smile.  Makarov Dreyar, the ring master, tapped Natsu on the shoulder, telling him firmly to grab his cat and get his butt out of the ring.  Dragneel ran a hand through his pink hair and gave another smile before turning to obey Master Makarov, as the staff had come to call him.  

        Looking confused, Wendy turned back toward the audience and waved a flag with the Fairy Tail emblem decorating it.  She held a microphone to her lips.  “I’d like to thank everyone that came her tonight,” she said softly.  “I give you the ring master of Fairy Tail Circus, the amazing Makarov Dreyar!”

        Applause tore through the tent as Master took the mic.  He didn’t need it.  

        “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!  Welcome to the circus!  Hold onto those seats because you won’t want to leave during this spectacular show of wonder and daring.  I give you our opening act—”

        A drum beat rolled in the background, growing louder as a two silhouettes stepped forward.

        “GILDARTS CLIVE AND THE LOVELY CANA ALBERONA!”

        Spotlights circled the ring until they fell on Gildarts and his daughter, both dressed in black accented with silver to catch the light.  The tall man raised a metal left arm—the real one lost in a stunt nearly a year earlier—and waved to the crowd of screaming fans.  Cana brushed the strands of long, dark hair out of her face to address the crowd.  

        “Are you ready to see a man risk life and limb—”

        Gildarts revealed his false leg to further her point.  

        “Strictly for your entertainment?!”  

        Roars from the audience answered her.

        “What was that?!”

        The cheers were loud enough that Levy had to cover her ears.  

        Cana smirked.  “I give you Gildarts Clive, escape artist extraordinaire!”  She proceeded to assist her father in his routine and do card tricks between acts.  When it was time for their performance to end, Cana made a quick announcement that she’d be outside for fortune telling after tonight’s show.  

        Levy breathed a sigh of relief as they walked away without a single flaw in their act.  Unfortunately, the next performance gave her chills just thinking about it, but that’s what she loved about it.  It was Levy’s job to keep the circus in order, and she liked to watch when she had the time.  And this particular act was her favorite.  

        Makarov and Wendy announced him from the side as he made his way out into the middle of the ring.

        "And now,” Makarov started, “we give you—”

        “The amazing—” Wendy described.

        “The incredible—”

        “The extraordinary—”

        “BLACK STEEL GAJEEL!”

        The tall, muscular form of the performer stepped into the spotlight, his devilish grin visible even in the back row where Levy sat anxiously fiddling with the sleeve of her sweater.

        Gajeel Redfox’s stage name was nothing if not fitting.  Metal glinted all over him.  There were the studs lining his nose, traveling up his forearms, in place of his eyebrows, along the edge of his ears, and dotting his chin, the two swords strapped to his back, partially covered by his unruly mane of long, black hair, the dagger at his waist, the sickle at his side.  He gave a dark sort of chuckle as he pulled out a sword.  

        Gajeel’s act was swallowing swords.  Levy couldn’t take her eyes off of him when he performed; the whole concept seemed so risky, so dangerous, so impossible.        

        Dramatic music rang through the tent, audible even with all of the oohs and ahhs.  People were fascinated with Gajeel, the show he put on, exaggerating every movement, throwing and catching the sickle with ease as he pulled a sword from his throat.  

        Levy practically had the routine memorized.  

        Gajeel hadn’t been a performer for Fairy Tail for long, but when he’d first joined, the others loved to watch him.  Gajeel was so carefree and walked around so confidently, not stopping to care about the looks he got for his aggressive appearance.  Levy admired that about him.

        The crowd roared as Gajeel bowed, swords in hand, and made his way out of the tent.  

        “Up next is the talented Lucy Heartfilia and her charming lion, Loke!” Wendy announced as Lucy, a close friend to Levy, stepped into the ring, whip in hand.  Lucy and Loke put on quite the show, and if Levy didn’t know any better, she’d say Loke was giving flirtatious looks to the girls in the front row as he jumped through rings and gave ferocious roars.  But to Levy’s disappointment, the lion was too busy gawking at audience members to do everything Lucy instructed him to, earning disapproving murmurs from the masses of viewers around her.  

        Levy had hoped the show would run flawlessly to make up for the mistake in the introduction, but she wasn’t so lucky.  Lucy had to end her performance early due to Loke’s inability to cooperate.  What will the reviewers think? Levy worried.  Fairy Tail’s success for the season relied heavily on whatever the critics would say.

        The next act was Natsu “Salamander” Dragneel, who ate flames and breathed fire to much applause, but since Natsu was constantly a show-off, Master had to practically drag him out of the ring.  The acrobats, Vijeeter Ecor and Evergreen, took the ring next, followed by Elfman Strauss, who wowed the audience by lifting cars and yelling about “being a real man.”

        Levy left halfway through Bisca and Alzack’s performance, deciding she needed some fresh air.  The show wasn’t going horribly.  It just wasn’t necessarily as spectacular as other circuses’.  There was no way she could sit through another one of Bixlow’s puppet shows without ripping the blue hair right out of her own head.  Levy was so preoccupied with thoughts of what the papers would say about Fairy Tail’s flop opening night that she nearly walked into Gajeel, who stood outside the tent, away from the crowds of people that loved him.

        “G-Gajeel,” she stammered.  “What are you doing out here?”  She didn’t find it strange that he wasn’t inside the tent; she found it strange that he wasn’t further away.  Normally, he’d wander off after his act and disappear until the show was over—or later.  

        “What’s it to you, shorty?” he replied in the rough voice she didn’t get to hear often. Gajeel wasn’t what you’d call chatty.

        “Never mind,” Levy answered, turning to leave.  She was far too frustrated to deal with the shady sword-swallower.  “Good night.”

        Gajeel didn’t say anything in return; he just looked annoyed as he walked off in the opposite direction.  Levy tried not to care.  She’d likely have a stressful day tomorrow and worrying about a rude performer was pointless as long as he got his job done.  Reading to take her mind off of the show and getting some sleep were all that really seemed practical at the moment.  Something told her she’d be needing the rest.