~Gajeel Redfox~
"This is humiliating." Gajeel griped, yanking on the shackles holding his wrists above his head. "I'm being confined in an iron cage with iron handcuffs and I can't do anything!" He yelled. The bars on either side of him separated him from Levy and Lily who were both chained in the same fashion as Gajeel.
"Can you be quiet?" Levy said, her knees up to her chest as she pulled on her wrist restraints. Gajeel looked at her and she sighed, blowing her hair out of her face. When she had been chained up, her headband had been yanked from her hair and it kept falling in her face.
Lily was in his cell, marveling over his dark skin and his feet, randomly wiggling his toes periodically.
"In a way," Levy said, looking over at him. "This is your fault." Gajeel stiffened.
"Excuse me? How's it-"
"You didn't put up a fight!" She snapped.
"You could have!" Gajeel snapped back.
"My magic isn't that strong! It wouldn't have done much!" Levy snapped again and he glared at her.
"It's strong enough to protect me it should have been enough-"
"I couldn't have guessed that they were mages from Lost Dreams! I wasn't going to fight police and get us thrown out before we could help Yuri and the others." Levy said, looking at her knees. Gajeel was quiet as he watched hers.
"Excuse me..." A small voice said from Levy's side. The two teens turned their heads towards the left and spotted a small, black haired girl sitting on the ground of her cell, blue eyes wide. "Are you two wizards?"
"Yeah...?" Levy asked. "Who are you?" The girl smiled widely, revealing sharp canines as she leaned forward.
"Rin! I'm Rin Lee! You got our request!" She cried.
"You mean....Yuri's friend?" Levy asked and Rin giggled, nodding. "Aren't you a wizard too?"
"Yeah. But....you met Yu-chan? Are there more of you? How is she? Oh my goodness! I can't believe you met Yu-chan!" Rin was squealing as Gajeel sweat dropped.
"Yeah and Diachi and Arashi." He said and Rin gasped.
"Really?!" She asked and Gajeel nodded.
"Yeah. Don't explode." He said and she giggled again.
A large clang rang through the cell block and Rin went still as Edward walked in, dragging his fingers over the bars of different cages.
Until he stopped in front of Levy's.
"I heard you three talking." He said with a smile as two men fell to his side. "Decided I'd join you."
***
Gajeel scuffed the heel of his boot against the ground, swallowing. Levy had been taken a while ago-he hoped she was okay. Rin was also silent as was Lily. He thought back to their conversation with Edward.
'"Do you have something to do with Lu-chan's condition?" Levy had asked and Edward raised his eyebrow inquisitively.
"'Lu-chan' you mean Lucy Heartfilia?" He asked and smiled. "No dear, that wasn't my handiwork. That was our Masters. Terrific right?"
Gajeel glared at him as Edward unlocked Levy's cells and stepped inside.
"What has Lu-chan ever done to you?" Levy asked and Edward smiled.
"Oh it's not just her. The others as well will be used but Miss, Heartfilia...she's..." Edward shrugged. "She's special to our master. She is the holder of ten of the golden Zodiac Keys."
"What is your purpose! Lu-chan is seriously ill and so are her spirits-"
"You seem to be a smart girl...Levy was it? I think you should be able to wrap your head around this." Edward crouched in front of her and Gajeel yanked slightly on the restraints. "It isn't about Lucy at all. Her spirits will continue to attack until she either dies or ends her contracts."
"Lucy would never-" Lily started and Edward smiled evilly, shushing him.
"Lucy Heartfilia will fall, Lily." Edward said, standing. "She is the key. You are all just pawns."
"The key to what?" Gajeel asked, eyeing him. Edwards grin grew.
"To destroying the world and ending all magic."'
"What did he mean by that?" Gajeel thought out loud.
"I don't know but," Lily started, rotating his wrists in their restraints. "Lucy's condition will only worsen while we're trapped in here." Gajeel's jaw tightened as he stiffly brought his knees up. "What are you doing, Gajeel?" Lily asked.
"I ain't standing around while Levy and the others get hurt." He said, pushing his knees beneath him. He was now at the level he needed to be to stretch his neck enough to lock his teeth around one of the wrist restraints.
"What is he doing?" Rin asked as Gajeel bit down, growling as his teeth sliced through. He spat that piece out and smiled.
"Geehee. This is baby metal. These aren't even magic restraining." Gajeel said and bit down again.
"Is he....eating the handcuffs?" Rin asked and Lily sighed.
"Yeah...metals his favorite snack." Lily said in a bored tone.
"Is there a reason?"
"Are you familiar with Dragon Slayers?"
"Yeah."
"Gajeel here is a metal dragon slayer."
Rin gasped. "So he can eat- Oh goodness why didn't I think of that!" She hauled herself up to her knees and pulled her self up onto her feet slightly, seeing as she was rather short and locked her teeth around the restraint.
"What are you doing kid?" Gajeel asked, watching and his eyes widened as she yanked off a piece of metal with her teeth, smiling as spat the piece out.
"I'm the mimic dragon slayer! I'll explain more later first, let's get-"
The large door at the end of the cell block caused Gajeel and Rin to both to quickly scuttle back to their previous positions and Gajeel watched as Levy was dragged back by two men in cloaks and practically thrown back into her restraints. They were locked around her wrists and she groaned, looking up as the two men left her cell.
"These guys really don't like our guild marks." Gajeel noted, looking at the burn over Levy's mark. Tear tracks traced her cheeks and Gajeel watched her as the large door slammed shut. "You alright, Shrimp?" He asked.
"The only time..." She murmured. "I was in this much pain...was when you attacked me, Jet and Droy..." Gajeel's eyes widened as her shoulders heaved weakly and her chin fell to her chest.
"Hang in there, Shrimp." Gajeel murmured. "Rin-"
"Yes sir! Already on it!" Rin said, climbing back up.
"Lily, did you see where they put your sword?" Gajeel asked, stretching his neck towards the restraint. Lily nodded. "Once I get us free, you run like hell to get it. You got that?" He asked, the screech of Rin's restraint making him wince slightly. Lily nodded again and Gajeel smiled, latching his teeth on the cuff. With a growl, he yanked his head back, tearing a large part of the cuff off with it and he spat it out. "This isn't even good metal!" Gajeel complained.
"I got one off!" Rin called.
"I don't need a status report idiot! Keep going!"
"Right! Got it!"
Gajeel smirked as he freed his hand and quickly reached up, gripping the other cuff and yanking it off with ease. He stood up quickly and made his way to the bars, tearing through them and quickly freeing Lily.
"They had to have heard us by now. I feel so stupid." Gajeel snapped, opening Lily's cell door. Lily ran down the hall and Gajeel made his way to Levy's cell. "We need to get out of here quickly, Kid." Gajeel said to Rin, pulling Levy's restraints off the wall. He pulled her up to his chest, holding her tightly and Rin nodded as Lily came back, his large sword in hand.
"Guards heard us. I blocked the door but I don't know how long that'll last." He said, unlocking their cells. Rin clambered out of hers quickly and looked up at Lily. She was short, no doubt about that, barely reaching Lily's upper arm which placed her around the size of Levy but still shorter than Yuri and her long black hair hung to her knees.
"Is there another way out of here?" Lily asked and Rin bit her lip. The other prisoners in the block began yelling at them to free them and Lily swallowed, tossing the keys to a nearby man. "Rin!"
"Only the back door but...we're underground! Their gonna catch us!" Rin cried and Lily quickly took her hand.
"Lead the way!" Gajeel yelled and Rin nodded, blushing slightly. She took off and Gajeel followed her, Levy sleeping in his arms. As Rin pushed the door open, Gajeel heard the main door burst open and Lily slammed the back door shut, shoving a stone nearby into the gap between the ground and the bottom of the door.
"Go!" Lily yelled, yanking Rin up into his arms. Gajeel and Lily took off into a sprint and Gajeel glanced back as they rounded a corner.
Where the hell did they go from here?!
"The exit is gonna be hard to get to! I'm sure the guards notified the others that someone escaped!" Rin called.
"Then we'll give them hell!" Gajeel snapped.
***
~Natsu Dragneel~
"Ah this is better." Happy said, pulling the blue and black striped shirt that Natsu had bought for him over his head. He wiggled his toes in the small boots he had received from the lady at the shoe maker shop and adjusted the belt of his trousers tightly around his waist. Natsu looked down at him and ruffled his hair, smiling.
"This is still weird." He sighed, handing the boy a hot cup of hot chocolate that the lady at a nearby cafe had given him. Happy took a sip and smiled.
"I know! I have eyebrows!" He gushed. "I have a butt too!" He said and Natsu raised an eyebrow.
"You had a butt before."
"But this is different!" Happy insisted, grabbing Natsu's sleeve. "I have a bare butt now!"
"I don't see how that's any different." Natsu said and Happy waved his hand dismissively.
"You'll never understand the troubles of having a furry butt." He said and Natsu rolled his eyes.
"Natsu-sama?" A voice said and Natsu turned his head.
"Oh? Yuri?" He asked and the blonde haired girl looked at him. Her outfit had changed, now she was in a blue pair of leggings with a blue skirt over it and a long sleeved blue shirt.
"Is that-"
"Happy?" Natsu finished. "Yeah. Long story." He said and Yuri blinked at him. "So what did you guys find?" Yuri bit her lip and held the basket full of food in her hand tighter.
"We didn't...um....something happened and now Juvia-sama and Gray-kun won't come out of the rooms." She said, looking down at the basket. "I went shopping and was gonna make dinner."
"Eh? What happened?" Natsu asked and Yuri swallowed.
"Long story." She said and looked up at him. "Can you get him out of his room? Diachi-Kun and I weren't able to." She said.
"What about Gajeel or Levy?"
"They haven't returned."
"Huh... Ok. I was gonna check on Lucy-" Natsu started.
"Oh. Yes. Of course." Yuri said. "I'll um...see you back at the hotel."
"Y-yeah b-" he started but before he could finished, she was strutting down the street towards the hotel quickly.
"Yuri's acting weird." Happy said simply and Natsu nodded.
"Should we go check on Luce?"
"Aye sir!"
-------------
>:3
I'll just leave this here.
See you next chapter :3 we're almost to twenty!
Chapter Seventeen: Two accidental humans and a purposeful attack.
-Dylan