I don't know what I'm thinking trying to write two stories at the same time. But I've really wanted to do a Gajeel and Levy centric story and I couldn't wait until I finish 'A Winter Fairy Tail.'
Also, while you don't have to have read my other story, 'Stuck on You' in my mind this takes place after the events in that story (so Natsu and Lucy are together here).
Levy was walking home with her team mates Droy and Jet.
"How long do you think it will take to repair the guild?" Jet asked.
"I hope we can repair it soon, I don't like being couched up in the basement." Droy said folding his arms.
Levy nodded in agreement. "I'm just hoping that Phantom will stop now."
"Eh, Phantom is no problem. We'll get them back." Droy said eagerly.
"Yeah, they'll be sorry for messing with Fairy Tail." Jet said. He and Droy laughed together. Levy allowed herself a small smile but that was when she heard it. The sudden rush of air. She turned around just as Droy and Jet were knocked back. She only had a second to register the figure looming over when she lifted off her feet and thrown into a wall. She slumped to the ground, her vision blurring.
She watched as someone approached her. She could only make out the red gleam in their eyes. Suddenly Droy tackled the person from behind.
"We won't let you hurt Levy!" He yelled. Jet ran forward, but the person grabbed Droy off his back and threw him into Jet.
"If you two want to go first that's fine with me." A gruff voice said. A metal pillar pinned the boys to the ground. Jet gasped and spat blood out his mouth. Droy grunted but didn't move.
"Leave them alone!" Levy yelled struggling to her feet. The person turned towards her and grinned. A toothy grin that made her blood run cold. He walked towards her and gripped her around the neck, lifting her off her feet and slamming her against the wall. He made a metal bar and bent it around her arms pinning her to the wall. He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear "Don't worry, I'll get to you in a moment."
She tried to lash out but it didn't have any effect. He just laughed and returned to Jet and Droy. They were both getting to their feet again. He knocked them over like he was brushing away a fly. He stepped on Jet's chest causing him to cry out. Droy pulled out seeds and threw them on the ground. Vines grew quickly but were just as quickly cut down by a metal sword. Droy was blasted backwards by a wave of metal shot at him.
"No! Stop it!" Levy cried tears coming to her eyes. Jet just managed to push the leg off his chest and disappeared in a blur. He appeared next to Levy pulled at the metal bar that held her arms to the wall.
"Don't worry Levy. I'll get you out of here." He said.
"Jet look out!"
He didn't have time to move before a metal pillar smashed him through the wall. Levy cried out and tried to see through the hole next to her, looking for any sign that he was alright.
"That was too easy. Isn't Fairy Tail supposed to be full of strong mages?"
Levy pulled harder at the metal but it wouldn't budge. Her heart pounded as he got closer to her. Her feet kicked in the air uselessly. He stopped a few feet from her, for the first time she got a clear view of him. The dark unruly hair, the metal studs running along his nose, brows and ears. He grinned and her blood ran cold. She realised she was shaking, unable to stop. She flinched, closing her eyes and turning her head away as he closed the distance between them.
"Don't worry I won't be as rough on you as I was on those two." He said in a low voice. Her eyes flew open, his words caught her by surprise. He gripped her chin forcing her to look at him, his nails digging into her skin. He grinned at her. "I'll be much rougher on you."
Levy gasped and sat up. Her hand ripped her blanket off and lifted her edge of her t-shirt. She sighed when she saw the pale unmarked skin of her stomach. She slipped out of bed and stumbled into her bathroom, gripping the wall and sink for support. She opened the tap and splashed water against her face. She just stayed there letting the water drip off her face as she took long deep breaths.
Looking at her reflection she saw she was shaking. She gripped the sink tighter, forcing herself to stop. When she had and her heart stopped racing she make her way back to her room sitting on the edge of the bed.
"It was just a dream." She told herself. Only it wasn't just a dream. It was memory. A memory that she tried to push to the farthest corner of her mind. She hadn't had that dream in months…years if you counted the seven years she had lost on Tenrou. Why did it have to resurface now? Just after Shadow Gear had been attacked it had plagued her nightly. Then he had joined and it had gotten worst, until Laxus had ambushed the guild. After seeing him fight to protect everyone she didn't have the nightmare anymore…until just now.
She sighed and buried her face in her hands. Why? Why now? She didn't hate Gajeel anymore…just the opposite. She got up and walked over to the window pulling back the curtain. Outside rain was pouring, it had been raining for days but that was usual for typhoon season. She sighed again leaning against the glass letting the cold seep into her. Thoughts were flying around her mind at a thousand miles per hour. In a matter of seconds she was sure she had mentally gone through every moment she had shared with Gajeel. How could one dream throw her into such turmoil?
Thunder sounded making the air quiver. Levy retreated to the warmth of her blankets but sleep didn't come. She lay tossing and turning until the sky began to brighten (but not by much because the sun was still blocked by a layer of gray clouds). She forced herself to get dressed and with umbrella in hand made her way to the guild. She flopped down by the bar asking Mira for something warm to drink. The barmaid place a cup of tea in front of her.
"Levy, are you okay?" Mira asked sensing the sour mood around the solid script mage.
"I'm fine Mira." She said lifting her lips to the cup. The tea warmed her from the inside and it did make her feel a bit better.
"You sure? You look like you didn't sleep last night."
Levy just nodded and placed her head on her hands. Mira gave her an uncertain look before moving down the bar to attend to Cana. Levy was thankful that Lucy wasn't in the guild. Levy knew the girl would be able to tell something was bothering her in a second, and Levy didn't want to talk about the dream yet. She wasn't sure if would be able to talk about it.
Lucy and Natsu had gone a mission four days ago. Although why anyone would want to go on a mission out of town when the weather was like this was beyond Levy. They had probably just wanted some time away from the guild. Levy couldn't blame them. Since the two had gotten together they had become the centre of attention for the entire guild. Cana had at least six bets running, ranging from whether or not they had slept together yet to when will they move into together.
"Oie, shrimp you look sick."
Levy jumped a foot in the air when she heard the very reason of her inner turmoil. Gajeel plopped down in the seat next to her, Lily on his shoulder.
"G-Gajeel!"
"That's my name."
"Uh…uh. What are you doing here?"
"It is my guild too, ya'know." He shot her a grin and her stomach twisted.
"I…uh-mean, what you doing sitting here? You normally sit at that table there." She pointed to his usual table in the corner.
"I felt like changing it up."
"That's what he claims." Lily said jumping off Gajeel's shoulder. Levy and Gajeel looked at the cat.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Gajeel asked.
"I just think you might that some ulterior motive to sit here, other than just change."
Levy tilted her head as she looked at Lily. "What ulterior motive?"
Before Lily could answer Gajeel knocked him off the bar. He landed lightly on his feet on the ground.
"Lily! Are you okay?" Levy asked worry creeping into her voice.
"Of course," He nodded at her, "Was that necessary?" He asked looking up at Gajeel.
"We don't need to hear whatever crazy idea you have about me and where I sit." Gajeel glared at him. Lily opened his wings and flew back onto the bar.
"If you say so," He said winking at Gajeel. The male's nostrils flared and the tip of his ears became red. Levy lifted Lily into her lap rubbing him behind the ears.
"Do you always have to be so rough…it's like you aren't capable of being…" She cut herself short, her words remind her of her dream.
"Aren't capable of being what?" Gajeel asked leaning closer to her. She froze and tired to think of something. Her mind was drawing a blank. Thankfully at that moment the guild doors burst open and a joyous cry filled the room.
"We're home!" Natsu announced. He walked in happily. Behind him Lucy and Happy walked in dripping wet.
"How did the mission go?" Levy asked jumping at the chance to change the topic.
"I-it w-w-was o-okay." Lucy stuttered.
"It was way too easy." Natsu said jumping on to a table and started to recount the story, starting by telling how he had single handily destroyed the church in the town they had been.
"Just the church?" Gajeel asked getting up and moving over to the table Natsu was standing on.
"It was a big church!"
Lucy sat in the seat Gajeel had just vacated. Mira handed her a blanket and a mug of tea.
"Thanks Mira." She said with a smile.
"Other than destroying the church did anything interesting happen?" Levy asked desperate to get Gajeel out of her mind."
"N-not much really." Lucy said. "We had to deepen a river next to the town to prevent it from overflowing, Virgo and Aquarius had it done in almost no time." Lucy looked at Levy, "What wrong?"
"Who said anything was wrong?" Levy said quickly. Lucy just raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm fine I swear." She waved her hands in a dismissive manner. Luckily she was saved from further explanation by Romeo's head peeking over the edge of the bar.
"Romeo?" Levy looked at the boy confused, "What's wrong?"
"Dad isn't here is he?" He asked, his eyes darting from side to side. Lucy and Levy scanned the room.
"I don't see him." Lucy said.
"He and Wakaba went on a mission on the other side of town," Mira said, "But he should be back later today."
"Oh good," Romeo sighed, "That gives me time. Dad's been getting suspicious where I go everyday." He explained to the girls. They giggled.
"Still haven't told him you're studying with Totomaru, huh?" Lucy asked. Romeo shook his head.
"Are you crazy? Can you imagine how he'd react if he found out I was taking magic lessons from a ex-phantom lord member?"
"Oh I don't know, maybe he'd be alright with it…we do have two ex-phantoms here right now." Mira said smiling and looked over to where Gajeel and Juvia were listening to Natsu's story (although Juvia wasn't listening to Natsu's story so much as watching Gray listen to it).
"I'd rather be safe than sorry," Romeo said vaulting over the bar, "I've got to go or I'll be late for class. I'll see you later." Romeo waved and ran out the doors. The three of them laughed.
"You'd think Macao would be wondering where his son was learning new spells from." Levy observed.
"I'm sure he'd figure it out soon enough, or someone will tell him…" Mira said.
Lucy and Levy sat sipping their tea listening as Natsu finished telling his story.
"Did anything interesting happen while we were gone?" Lucy asked. Levy's first thought was about the dream, but she pushed it down.
"Nah, it was really boring around here, with the rain and everything." She said quickly. "What about you? Four days was a little long for that mission, don't you think?" Levy winked at Lucy. She blushed.
"Well we might have decided to stay an extra day, just to escape the guild for a little bit…" She said in small voice.
"I'm telling ya' I cleared away all the trash in the river by myself!" Natsu yelled.
"I don't believe that. You telling me that your flames were strong enough to work underwater." Gajeel replied.
"How about I show you just how strong my flames are?"
Gajeel was standing, one foot on the bench, gripping Natsu by the scarf. Natsu's hand was aflame. The two girls sighed and started the count down until the fight broke out, "3…2…"
"Gajeel! Juvia!" The guild doors burst open, a dripping wet Romeo ran in looking distraught. Natsu and Gajeel forgot about each other and turned towards the young fire mage as he caught his breath.
"Romeo, what's wrong?" Natsu asked.
"You have to come, Gajeel, and you Juvia." He said still struggling for breath.
"Us? You need us?" Gajeel said indicating to Juvia and himself.
"Yes, it's Totomaru sensei." He cried out.
"What?" Gajeel said.
"Totomaru? Did something happen to him?" Juvia asked.
"Come on, it's be quicker to show you," Romeo turned and ran back outside. Gajeel and Juvia were right behind him. The others followed as well.
"Romeo could you at least tell us what happened?" Natsu asked.
"I went to class and Sensei wasn't there yet, that was the first weird thing. I was waiting with a few of the others in the class when one boy ran in saying Totomaru was in the park. We didn't know what to make of that so we all went…there we found Totomaru…"
"What? What happened?" Gajeel demanded.
"I think someone attacked him," Romeo said with a grim expression on his face.
"Oh no," Juvia gasped.
"And that's not all…I think Phantom Lord has something to do with it." Romeo continued. Gajeel and Juvia looked at each other.
"That's…it can't be. Phantom disbanded after we defeated them." Gray said.
"Romeo how do you know Phantom was involved?" Erza asked.
"Well he had the…" Romeo trailed off as they come upon the crowd in the park. They pushed through the crowd making their way to the front. Levy was the first, being small enough to slip through the crowd easily.
She recoiled when she saw Totomaru. Her jaw dropped and her knees suddenly felt weak. The others had made it thought the crowd now. Lucy and Wendy gasped. Erza and Gray swore under their breaths. Natsu's fist tighten.
"Who would do this?" Juvia asked, her voice sounding fragile. Gajeel let out an animistic growl.
Totomaru was hanging by his wrist from the branch of a tree. He was badly beaten and bleeding from several wounds. His clothes were ripped to shreds and on his stomach painted in black paint was the Phantom Lord symbol.
"Hey, hey is it just me or does this remind you of…" Gray didn't finish his sentence, but everyone glanced at Levy and Gajeel.
"We have to get him down." Gajeel said ignoring Gray's comment. His hand morphed into a sword and he cut through the branch. Natsu and Gray caught him before he hit the ground. Juvia placed her hand against his brow.
"He's feverish." She said.
"Wendy, can you help him?" Gajeel asked. She nodded and knelt next to Juvia, placing her hands on Totomaru's chest. The white-blue aura of her magic cast a halo over the unconscious mage. Totomaru grunted and his eyes flickered open for a moment. He looked around and locked on Juvia and Gajeel.
"Juvia, Gajeel – " He coughed, spitting up blood.
"Don't try and talk yet idiot," Gajeel said.
"No, you have to know…they're after you,"
"They? Who's they?" Juvia asked.
He opened his mouth to speak but instead coughed again, unable to continue.
"We should get him inside," Lucy said.
"We'll take him back to the guild," Erza said.
On the way back he passed out again. They placed him in the guild's infirmary waiting for him wake up.
"Gajeel, do you have any idea who could have done this?" Pantherlily asked. Gajeel looked troubled as he shook his head.
"Phantom had no shortage of enemies. Fairy Tail was just one name on a long list," He said.
"Totomaru had phantom's mark painted on his stomach," Natsu said in a grim voice. "We know that's a calling card of Phantom Lord."
Levy felt several eyes in the room turn towards her. She looked at Gajeel and saw that he wasn't one of them. He was looking at the ground. She noticed his fist was shaking slightly.
"It doesn't matter who it is," Lucy said.
"She's right. Juvia and Gajeel are part of Fairy Tail now. We'll protect them from any threat," Gray said.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia cried, tears forming in her eyes.
"Everyone, Totomaru woke up." Wendy called, sticking her head out of the infirmary door. There was a small stamped to the room, Gajeel leading the pack. Totomaru was still looking pale and he was almost entirely covered on bandages. The moment Gajeel and Juvia entired the room he became more alert.
"Gajeel, Juvia, you two have to get somewhere safe as soon as possible." He said.
"Who did this to you?"
"I didn't see them, but there were at least three. They crushed me."
"You? But you're so strong." Natsu said. Totomaru flinched hearing his voice.
"Thank you Natsu," He said the words like they left a bitter taste in his mouth, "But whoever they were, they were strong, strong enough to take me out with almost no effort. They ambushed me with a magical fog then…" He placed his hands on his temples, as thought trying to remember.
"It's okay, you're safe now." Juvia said.
"I'm not so sure about that…but I do know I wasn't the one they want. They only attacked me to send you a message. I don't know who they were exactly but they were in the guild, before. They said they want revenge, revenge against Fairy Tail and those who betrayed the guild…namely you two." He said looking at Juvia and Gajeel.
"Well whoever they are, let them come. We'll teach them that happens to those who oppose Fairy Tail." Romeo said lighting his hand on fire.
"Yeah," Natsu said fist bumping with Romeo.
"I know from experience that you are not a guild to trifle with, but you shouldn't underestimate these guys." Totomaru suddenly doubled over gasping in pain.
"What's wrong?" Wendy asked. He didn't answer, instead ripping his blanket off and revealing his bandaged stomack. Over his abs the Phantom Lord mark had soaked thought the bandages.
"But that's not possible; the paint was dry when I put on the bandages." Wendy said jumping to her feet.
"It burns…" He gasped. Gajeel and Juvia both gasped in union. The others turned their attention to them. Gajeel was gripping his right shoulder while Juvia was holding her right calf. She fell to her knees crying out.
"What's wrong?" Gray said grabbing Juvia.
"Gajeel!" Levy cried. She saw threw his fingers the blood red mark burning on the skin. The Phantom mark.
"Get away!" Totomaru yelled. There was a second delay as they tried to figure out what happened. But then a few of them understood what was about to happen. Erza grabbed Wendy pulled her away from Totomaru, Gajeel and Juvia.
"Happy, get Lucy out!" Natsu cried.
"Aye sir!" The blue cat grabbed Lucy dragging her out the room.
"Everyone out!" Gray yelled. Most listened to him and charged out the door. Natsu, Grey, Erza Pantherlily and Levy stayed behind.
"Are you crazy? Get away." Gajeel gave a strangled cry.
"We can help. Let me see the marks, made I can burn them off." Natsu said.
"We're not just going to leave here alone." Erza said.
"You have to leave now!" Juvia cried.
"We won't." Levy cried.
"You will. Juvia!" Gajeel yelled. Juvia made a torrent that pushed them towards the door. Natsu and Grey were swept into the hall. Lily grew into his large form and he and Erza both stabbed their swords into the floor fighting the current. Levy had grabbed Lily's hand and was holding on tight.
"Like hell I'd allow myself to hurt you again!" Gajeel cried and tackled Erza and Lily at once, dislodging their swords. They were sweep out with the water. As soon as they were out the water stopped at the door closed.
"No!" Levy cried. Lily jumping to his feet and charging at the door. He slammed against the door but it wouldn't budge. Natsu rammed into it next.
"Dam it Gajeel! We can help!" He cried banging on the door.
That was when the explosion shook the floor, but it wasn't a fire explosion, it was wind. The blast from the cruse marks make blades of air that cut through the door, blasted out into the hall, and hit Fairy Tail.
Wow, the first chapter and I'm already expanding out of just a GajeelxLevy story. I wasn't planning on that, but while writing this I remembered, 'hey Juvia was in Phantom Lord too, if someone wants revenge on Gajeel for joining Fairy Tail they'll probably want to hurt her too.' Plus I felt like rewatching the X791 arch (because Master, Erza and Mira beating on twilight ogre is one of my favioute moments in Fairy Tail) and was reminded that Totomaru was around too and the story just grew from there. So in there will probably be other stuff too but the core of the story will be about Gajeel and Levy.
Nardragon~ until the next page.
