What the three Exceed were unaware of was the man pounding across the grasslands about a mile away. Gajeel growled as he pounded his way through a boulder rather than take the time to hop over the top or go around it, his feet smashing into the ground like giant iron pistons to push himself across the turf.
"I knew it," he muttered to himself with a savage grin. "I know that smell. I'm hardly going to forget the smell of my own cat! And that's the Salamander's and the little girl's cats too, no question about it."
Dodging boulders and leaping down hills, transforming his hands into iron spikes to help him scramble up over a sheer rock face that stood in his path and sprinting off once he reached the top, his nose was held high and twitching while his hair flayed out from side to side like a giant bullwhip. He was only pulled up short when he reached the coastline but the smell was coming from a short way to the east so he dashed along the clifftops, narrowing eyes fixed on the sky until, sure enough, he spotted three airborne shapes up ahead which could have been birds, but which looked rather too bulky to be birds.
He could also see what looked like a small, long blond-haired girl flying alongside them and for a moment he wondered whether he was seeing things, but he quickly shook that from his mind and roared, "OI! LILY! BLUE CAT! WHITE CAT! IT'S ME! HOOOIIII!"
He kept running as he ran but the wind was still blowing into his face and it quickly whipped his voice away with it, so the Exceed continued flying, unaware that they were being hailed. Gajeel growled in irritation, but then smirked and he drew to a stop, knowing a surefire way to get their attention as he sucked in one deep breath. Then…
"TETSURYUU NO… HOOUUUUKOOUUUUUU!"
...
Kingsley brushed his hands together as he strode over to where Rufus Scrimgeour was waiting for him.
"Good news?" Scrimgeour asked.
"Yes sir. We've managed to round up anyone that saw exactly what was going on and modify their memories, including the four Muggles who were actually trying to rob the place. Our story that this was some kind of gas explosion should hold firm in everyone's minds now."
"Good," Rufus nodded. "But there was no sign of the man who did this?"
"None. Most likely he's far away by now."
"This is an almost frightening situation, Shacklebolt. I've been at this job for many years and never once have I encountered any kind of attack like the one in that bank. We need to find the man who did this and bring him in for some serious questioning. Most notably, and what the heck he is."
"Sir, I do feel the need to point out that this man appeared to be actually trying to help by stopping the robbers."
"That may be, but he destroyed half the bank in the process, while there were still people inside. Quite clearly he is dangerous, not to mention a serious threat to the Statute of Secrecy - we were lucky that this time it was such a small town that he was in. If he'd done something like that in London it would probably have taken hundreds of us to keep it covered up. Not to mention from the look of that footage, this man looked rather unbalanced to say the least."
"Of course," Kingsley nodded. "Any plans on where to start looking?"
"He's most likely on the other side of the country by now. As soon as we're done here we'll head back to the Ministry. Then we'll…"
He broke off just as a round of gasps suddenly filled the street and dozens of people started pointed to the south and towards the large grey tornado-like surge that whipped up into the air on the horizon. It looked only like a thin, diagonal pillar from this distance and it was only there for a few seconds before it petered out into nothingness but to both Kingsley and Scrimgeour, it was instantly recognisable.
"Looks like he might not be as far away as thought," Kingsley observed.
"Damn it," Scrimgeour growled. "Now we have to start Obliviating people again. Shacklebolt, you're in charge here. Aurors Tonks and Savage with me! We need to find that man now!"
...
All three Exceed almost fell out of the sky as the Iron Dragon's breath attack whooshed up a short distance from actually hitting them, but all of them instantly recognised who it belonged to. And when they spotted the distant figure of Gajeel waving at them, grins immediately appeared on all three faces, particularly Lily's, as they reversed trajectory and whooshed down towards him, Mavis following a little slower.
"Gajeel!" Lily cried as he landed in front of him. "I cannot tell you how glad I am to see ACK!"
"THANK HEAVEN YOU'RE ALRIGHT, LILY!" Gajeel had immediately seized the small, black Exceed in his strong arms and practically slammed him into a tight hug, almost sobbing hysterically as he rubbed his face against that of his cat's.
"OW! OW! OW!" Lily yelled as Gajeel pressed down on the his burnt back, an action which immediately made Gajeel release him and finally notice his injuries.
"What the… the heck happened to you, Lily?"
"Had a run in with a dragon that didn't end well," Lily muttered.
"A dragon?" Gajeel's eyes widened. "You mean that Acnologia did…"
"No, not him. A different one," Lily shook his head. "It was a black one, but this one breathed fire. Hence the burning. I was trying to protect Wendy and the others from it and ended up getting a little cooked."
"Wendy? The little girl? Where is she? And who's this?" the Iron Dragon Slayer frowned when Mavis pulled to a hovering stop in front of him.
"Good afternoon," Mavis smiled, performing a little curtsy in mid-air. "Pleasure to meet you in person at last, Gajeel Redfox."
"Look, there's a lot to talk about here," Charla interjected before Gajeel's line of questioning could go much further. "And while I'm grateful at last to find a friendly face in this world, Gajeel, I have to insist that we keep moving. We got separated from Wendy yesterday and we've been trying to find her ever since."
"Charla's right," Happy nodded. "Do you think you could help us look for her Gajeel? You've got the nose of a Dragon Slayer just like Natsu so you should be able to right?"
"Course I can. It was by smell that I found you lot otherwise you probably would have flown right past me and been none the wiser. But I can't smell the little girl anywhere right now. She definitely ain't nearby."
"All the more reason for us to keep moving," Charla insisted. "We can answer your questions on the move but please… please Gajeel…" she practically fell to her knees as fresh tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. "Please help us find her. She's all alone now and for all we know she could be dead and I just… I just can't…" she placed her paws over her mouth to try and stop the hiccoughing that shortly followed.
"Charla," Happy held her lightly, and the white cat didn't attempt to stop him.
"Whoa, whoa, alright, alright, don't go crying on me," Gajeel murmured, though he sounded more awkward that annoyed. "I'm sure she's fine. That girl's a lot tougher than she looks… and sounds… and acts. She's a damn Dragon Slayer and we don't go down easy. Trust me, that I definitely know."
"Yeah… yeah, I know… but can we please go. I'm so worried…"
"Fine, but you aren't flying anywhere Lily. Gajeel immediately picked up his Exceed partner and tucked him under one arm. "You need to rest."
"What? But I can…"
"No buts about it, Lily. You're resting and that's that. Now, who wants to carry me?"
"I'll do it," Happy volunteered. "I carry Lucy all the time and she's heavier than Gajeel."
"It is almost a good thing she is not here to hear you say that," Gajeel chuckled dryly before Happy swung around behind him to grip him and hoist him up into the air, straining a little at first since Gajeel weighed more than Natsu but quickly adjusting. "But I want a full explanation as to what the heck's been happening, alright? And especially who she is," he glanced across to Mavis.
"I'm the founding Master of the Fairy Tail guild, Mavis Vermilion," the ghostly girl replied immediately.
"I see. Wait… WHAT!?"
"Believe me, Gajeel," Lily murmured as they flew off down the coastline again. "It's not even been two days, but it is a very long story."
And as the group winged away, beginning to give Gajeel their explanations of what exactly had happened after Acnologia fired at them, three distinct pops indicated the presence of three people Apparating close to the spot where they had been standing not long ago. Scrimgeour, Tonks and Savage remained unnoticed by the departing Exceeds and their companions, but all three witches and wizards definitely saw them, soaring off into the distance.
"Curses," muttered Scrimgeour. "That must be him. We missed him!"
"Wait, has he got wings?" Tonks squinted. "He's definitely not flying a broom. Who the heck is this guy?"
"I do not know but we need to inform the Minister of what we know. And then we need to find this guy."
...
if you want to support me or just to read ahead of the public release, you can join my p@treon :
p atreon/Moonhorse