A/N: So I was inspired when I was re watching a game play of The Last of Us by Chris Smoove on YouTube and couldn't help think about how perfect Gajevy could fit in this story line. (Also Gajeel being all badass and fighting zombies would be hot but anyway). This is my first fan fiction so please be gentle with me. With that being said enjoy!
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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. I also do not own The Last of Us, either.
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I. The Quarantine Zone
There wasn't anything particular about this morning that could make Levy distinguish it from the rest; there wasn't a sudden outburst of violence or an explosion and from the sounds of it the ration lines have been running smoothly- a rarity around this time of year. The air was chilled and the sunlight that peered through the dirty, rattled windows did little justice in warming her hands which were stiffening from the cold. It took great efforts to get out of bed, even from one as old and worn out as the cot that was shoved into the corner of the small room.
As she pressed the back of her hand against her forehead, her iced knuckles in contrast with her heated skin, Levy knew something was coming over her. Her skin burned and she felt flushed with a clammy sweat, and instantly her mind calculated the expenses for a decent medicine that could at least stop the symptoms while they were a playful cold rather than a bed ridding flu. She felt so weak that she hadn't even the energy to lift her soaked bangs out of her face and into her usual hair style; they stuck pitifully against her slick forehead. She observed herself from the begrimed mirror in front of her, and she strained her eyes to block out the dirt that hardened and caked over the years. Past the smudges and the large crack that split across her reflection, she could see pale skin and shallow cheeks, followed by tired eyes. If she kept this up she'd be mistaken for the dead and shot on the spot.
Food was running low these days. There were rumors going around that at this rate we might as well kill one another's before we do it over food for the next couple months. Spring promised better crops but as of now it looked as if the quarantine zone wouldn't even see the first budding days of May. Although she knew she had slept in far too long to get anything good from the lines, Levy crouched to her knees and elbows and extended her arm to the very far side underneath her bed, her fingertips brushed against cobwebs and the paint chipped wall before landing on a small silver box- or at least what used to be a silver box.
Rusted and beaten like everything else surrounding her, inside held a few small coupons, dark red tickets with faded stamped letters that spelled out Ration. Even if it wasn't much and there was no use going now, Levy knew she needed something in her system even if her nausea told her otherwise. It was nice to have routine and something to busy herself with, she enjoyed being productive, so with that given she fastened the buttons of her jacket and tucked the hood over her unruly hair before locking the door behind her. Even if her tired limbs protested her every move, she knew lying in bed sick all day would only make her feel worse. She promised Lucy she'd meet up with her today before she hit the lines, and with it being three hours passed their meeting point she wondered if the blonde would even be up for it still.
Not that there could be anything that Lucy was particularly busy with. When she was actively taking missions there were times when Levy couldn't even throw a word to her before the large gates were closed between them and stayed that way for the days or weeks that she remained on the outside. By the time Lucy returned Levy's nails would already be gnawed into disgusting nubs, but the sound of sirens blaring as they always did when the gates opened couldn't have sounded more melodic. Levy chuckled to herself at the thought, Lucy of all people. Her father had been one of the last government officials who'd tried to tape together a shattered picture of society, and from their slightly better living establishment than the rest of them, Lucy seemed to be the only fattened frame that walked the ghostly alley ways. She had a good spot from what it had looked like, but after her father had passed away she turned to the master like the rest of the orphans had. The rest is history.
It didn't take long for her to fit in, but until her face shriveled some and she lost that innocent glow she shun, she had a rather difficult time being taken seriously. Levy remembered it clear as day the way ration cards and jewelry had been thrown down on the bar in place of bets, most said she wouldn't even last a week- that is if she didn't die the first damn day. The fact that the princess herself was placing the security gates behind her had been the talk of the century, all the way up until the two weeks that she came back home from the mission. She was so privileged she didn't even wait in the lines, a maid of hers and a butler always stood place for her. The maid always gave Levy the creeps, her soft pink hair made her stand out in the crowd and her sharp eyes all the less. The butler always hid behind distinct shades and always managed to seem out of it yet alert all at once. With that being said, the thought that someone who hadn't even scrapped their way through the alleys or even tussle their turn in line- let alone hold a damn gun - was being thrown out there sounded a lot like suicide. A heavy burden on the idiots that had accepted her to come along, and although she had been with the high ranks like Erza and Fullbuster, there was no guarantee for her safety. There was only so much they could sacrifice before it came down to their own lives. If she died, she died, fair and simple.
But she hadn't. A large scratch had scarred right under her eye but nothing more than that. That's when her innocent glow had vanished, and now she was like the rest of them, broken down and dull and waiting for whatever else they had to survive through. Levy respected that Lucy's father tried his best to protect her from the harsh reality of their new world, but she also couldn't help but pity how sheltered the blonde had been until that mission. Now the tables were turned and Levy was the one asking her questions about the outside, and she felt a pain in her chest as she handed over the label of "too weak" to ever step foot out there herself. She hated thinking of things this way, but if someone as spoiled and innocent as Lucy could handle it then surely she could too, right?
A painful mission left Lucy cramped in her room. She hadn't felt comfortable yet to give information or even talk the slightest bit about it, but Levy didn't have to prod. A team of ten came back as a group of seven, and she wondered just what Lucy must have saw for her to be as quiet as she had been. Levy saw her out the day of; Lucy had glanced behind her shoulder and gave her a warm grin just as the gate had screeched shut. She planted that memory in her mind just in case it would be the last she'd seen. Missions were unpredictable and catastrophic but times were desperate and food was scarce. There wasn't much to scavenge through in the nit picked city that surrounded their camp, meaning teams had to surface the spider web like map of the suburbs. God knew what had become of those after a decade or so.
Lucy had turned to writing. In one of the houses they busted open she had found notebooks, she nearly cried as she explained it. Since then she's been cooped up in her corridor, and despite telling Levy it was a story of a girl on an adventure, she knew one of the notebooks had been put aside as a diary, revealing all sorts of horrific stories she had witnessed. A coping mechanism as the master had called it, and Levy left it at that without further word. All she could offer now was her presence and hope that it was enough consolidation. Now that she was in front of said room, she wrapped her knuckles against the burgundy front door and waited patiently for her energetic friend.
"Took you long enough," Lucy's voice seeped from the crack underneath the door. It was a five minute walk and a skip down a couple flights to reach Lucy's apartment. If the conditions weren't the way they were, the building would have been flattering. The floor plan said that much, and the large, cracked pool in the back that now housed various species and weeds must have been a treat back in its prime. Levy's attention went back to her friend who was wrapping herself up in layers of clothing before turning back to her. Lucy caught her stare and took this moment to give Levy a quick look over. "You okay? You don't look too good."
Levy smiled in reassurance. "I'm fine; it's just the cold getting to me."
"I hope that's all it is. You never sleep in this late. Surprised your guard dogs didn't come barking at you to wake up!" Lucy winked as she referred to Jet and Droy who've been especially on edge now that she was coming down with a cold. They'd starve for days if it meant she could get extra rations and regain her strength; just thinking about it aided to her growing head ache, she had to get better fast.
"Oh trust me, they will eventually..." Levy practically sighed at the thought of the two of them now, tearing down her door and lecturing her on the importance of her health. Times were different, doctors were scarce and all of the new ones were being fed second hand knowledge, not that it wasn't good but their confidence was questionable at times. Lucy sent her an apologetic smile before wrapping her scarf around her neck.
"Don't worry too much about them, it's out of love." She replaced her worried eyes with a radiant smile. "Let's hurry to the lines, I'm starving!" She had pep to her step that Levy hadn't seen in months, and with Lu in such a good mood she felt as if her optimistic shine had rubbed off on her a bit. Her headache had soothed some and now she was joining Lucy in what turned into a fun skip down the hall, saying hello to the other Fairy Tail members who lived in this side of town. There wasn't much for conversation now that Lucy had holed herself up, and Levy couldn't have felt more boring now that the sake of talking relied on what she'd been up to.
"Since I'm probably gonna be in bed for a few days, I was going to see if Master Makarov fished any books out for me." She sighed in relief when Lucy didn't look like she wanted to gauge her eyes out; Levy felt as if her passion for reading made people secretly roll their eyes whenever she wasn't looking. Lucy always promised to try to bring a few novels back with her during any of their house raids, but she knew the more luggage the worse for the journey. Unfortunately, Levy had already reread the stories Lu managed to scrap up for her three times each. She hated to sound ungrateful knowing everything Lucy must have risked to obtain the novels for her, especially considering how Lucy had never told the tales behind the objective itself. Every time Levy cried with gratitude Lucy would cock her head to the side and shrug simply. 'S noting, really, she'd say whole heartedly, but the look in her eyes always gave her away. It gives me the strength I need to get back to the guild; it's always easier when you have someone waiting for your return.
This still made Levy feel as though she was incredulously in her debt. She made a pledge that if she ever made it outside the walls and returned she'd bring back with her all the journals she could fit for Lucy, but as for now that was a pipe dream. By the time they made it to the lobby of the building, with its shambled and gaping hole from where a grand chandelier had once made its fall, she was exhausted. A little more under weather than her chirping had made her to be and the bristling cold was the last thing she wanted to deal with. Her shoulders hunched up instinctively and she pushed herself against the dry, freezing air. Lucy noticed her wavering behind and immediately interjected, only for Levy to shake her head stubbornly. The lines for the rations were narrowed down compared to what Levy had seen winding near her window earlier. Around this time of day not much was left for grabs, and with rations being the heaviest currency, not much was flowing around. From the looks of it, Levy wasn't the only one feeling sick, and jobs were left hanging on the request boards all across town.
"Sheesh," Lucy said with a detached tch. It masked the absolute despair in her voice pretty well, but Levy knew her long enough to catch the blonde's true meaning. Behind a cruddy stand was a shaking girl passing out stale pieces of bread and rubbery smoked meat. Levy's teeth hurt just from seeing it, but it's the luxury that had been keeping them alive all winter. She'd hoped that they'd be offering soup today, and maybe they had been if she hadn't been so weak to get out of bed. With a trembling hand she retrieved the crimson slip from her satchel, and as distasteful as the food came to be her mouth watered considerably.
"I'm sorry it's not much," the shy girl said from behind her stand. With her were two guards armed and ready for anyone who had some kind of idea, even someone as small and ill as Levy. The guards who stood this position a few weeks before used to immediately lower their weapons whenever it was Levy or Lucy's turn, but those gentlemen weren't here anymore. Whether they were dead or just too damn old for the job, she didn't know. The new guards looked mean, beaten into monsters to protect the city, but something about them was sleazy. The longer the distance between the past and present grew, the less experienced the security became. People stopped venturing out the walls, with fear of what to come and the absolute waste land those eleven years had made the place to be. It was the main reason Fairy Tail had become such a booming archive.
"Thank you," Levy smiled warmly in reassurance. She held the small bread and scraps of meat small enough to fit the palm of her when. It wasn't nearly enough to fill her but if everyone else could get through the day with this alone than surely she could too. She hadn't even realized how damn hungry she was until the spices from the jerky had met her senses, and the thought of chewing for ten minutes straight didn't hurt her jaw anymore, it made her nearly cry from joy. It would make the meal last way longer that way, but as much as she wanted to dig in she knew to make her distance first with Lucy. There was something about stuffing their faces like savages that hurt their pride, it hurt everyone's pride. No one could stand the fact that they were all slowly starving to death, and so they quickly made way to the alleys where the shadows welcomed them like a warm blanket.
"Bon appetit." Lucy smirked wryly, earning her a giggle from the bluenette beside her. They were only a few yards away from the stand and turning the next corner where Lucy was already greedily ripping her bread apart in an attempt at a makeshift sandwich. Levy calculated the rations in her hands and wondered if she'd have the self-control to be able to save some for later that night, but her thoughts were ceased short when the two girls heard a loud wail from in front of them. The two girls stopped at the mouth of the alley to see a child wrapped poorly in blankets and a large hat falling sloppily down her head. Her hands were balled into fists and her cheeks burned from both the cold and her agitated crying.
"Sweetheart, please listen to me..." her mother trying cooing, but the child's tantrum only intensified. "There isn't anymore, I'm sorry, mommy promises that the moment the lines reopen in the morning she'll get more food, okay?"
"I don't want to wait til morning!" The young girl sobbed. From the looks of it she couldn't have been more than five years old, and with her mother kneeling in front of her, the woman was young herself and couldn't have been much older than the two girls who were watching her. The little girl's lip trembled and she hunched her shoulders upward defiantly. "I'm cold... I'm hungry. I'm so hungry... I'm..." and it was then that Levy learned it wasn't a tantrum, but desperate tears pouring out from a child who was too young to understand anything. They hadn't had a winter this harsh in years, meaning it must have been the young girl's first time going hungry. Levy remembered her first taste of hunger, the burning in her stomach and the nagging dull ache in her mind that taunted her every second of the day about it. She remembered drinking water until she could collapse- anything to give her the allusion of a full stomach. It wasn't easy, and when she took a quick glance at Lucy she couldn't tell what was going on in her mind, only that her friend looked gravely devastated at the scene.
Before Levy had even realized what she was doing, she had already held her rations out to the sobbing child in front of her. Innocent eyes glossed up at her in hesitation, before widening in realization at the offer. A small hand eagerly reached out, only for her mother to snatch her small wrist roughly with a slap. Her mother's face turned cold with a stern look before slightly softening that glare when she meets eyes with Levy.
"It's alright," the mother bit out behind threatening tears. "Days are harsh and cold; you must eat as well unless you wish to end up like the others." There was a heavy silence in the air as the little girl stared at her mother curiously, but it didn't take a genius to know she was talking about those falling dead from hunger. Please don't risk yourself on us, we'll manage. We always do."
Her small speech sounded as if it was more towards herself and her own sake rather than to Levy for explanation. The woman was trembling then and the tears in her eyes fell silently from her face.
Levy crouched down so she could be eye level with the two strangers. "Please, I don't mind one bit. I'll be okay; I've already had my fill for today. Only extras as a treat, but treats are meant for children after all." She pressed the food towards the mother now, and with desperation pleading eyes shook her head eagerly. "Please accept this."
The mother's eyes narrowed as she tried to clear the tears from her eyes. She accepted the food slowly as if taking the offer from the palms of a maniac; you couldn't trust anyone nowadays, but despite the apprehension in the woman's actions a wide smile finished their transaction. "Bless you child, bless you!"
Levy smiled brightly as she watched the young girl tear ravenously into the bread presented to her. The mother's eyebrows narrowed worriedly but relief glazed over her. "Let's save the meat for later, shall we? And eat slower or you won't feel full." The mother scolded. "Heaven's sake, sweetheart, what do you say to the kind woman?"
"Thank you!" The child chirped with a full mouth. Levy grinned warmly before rising back to her feet with a nod. She looked behind her shoulder at Lucy who held a grim expression; they parted ways with the mother and child, and when the two girls left the alley way the question hung in the air like a rancid smell. Even if it's a question both of them knew was coming, Levy felt it was too rude to spit out. The scene back there wasn't unusual, but given Lucy's action it was a rarity. Lucy was always first in line when it came to helping others, but this time she had stayed to the side with her eyes averted during Levy's act of kindness. Perhaps she was too hungry today to spare even half of her meal.
"Lucy?" Levy asked in regards to her friend's heavy silence. Levy's train of thought was stopped short when Lucy shoved half of her sandwich towards her. The smell alone made her whole body quiver with a rattling hunger, but Levy shook her head in protest, "If I was hungry I wouldn't have given away my food, Lu. I'm fine-"
"Sorrow got the best of you back there, you're starving and you know it." Lucy confronted with darkened eyes. "You're sick Levy, please... please just eat something?"
The serious tone in her friend's voice made her mouth drop slightly, and with a short nod she accepted what little there was to share. Lucy was only serious when she needed to be, and the dark shadows lining her under eyes made her look older than she truly was. She knew whenever Lucy held that tone there was no room for arguments, and with a soft smile Levy thanked her. The two of them ate silently as they made their way to the guild, which hopefully would offer them a meal if there was anything to share. Only the highest ranking members ever went on ration raids, which took weeks considering the load they'd bring back with them. Sneaking out of the city was a punishable act, and many were shot on the spot, but there were cracks in the system. Only few knew the ways of smuggling in and out of the city, and they carried the knowledge that it risked everyone's lives right on their shoulders with each trip. It was illegal for a reason, clearly, but they had only so many years left until the food expired or wasn't used up for good. They could only walk so far, raid so many neighborhoods as they could. What would the next decade bring them, and the generation after that? What if there wasn't ever a cure? Could Levy keep living like this?
"You're overthinking again," Lucy smiled as the two of them reached the grand doors of Fairy Tail. "Like to share what's bothering you this time?"
"Just the kid," Levy half lied. Her mind always wandered to the almost seemingly impossible future. If times were hard now, they'd only grow worse. It was her logical, pessimistic way of thinking, and never had she wanted a drink to dull her worries more. All everyone did nowadays was drink, it's the only thing that didn't go bad if left untouched for years, and with empty stomachs it didn't take much for people to get wasted. Inside Fairy Tail was bustling, despite the famine that blanketed the small, section off portion of the city. It felt nice, the shared denial of their suffering as a whole. It was as if nothing was wrong.
Levy felt Lucy stiffen up beside her as her face turned to the missions board. Death wishes with rewards, like ration cards or weapons. Ammo was popular bribery and any reason for someone to throw themselves in the sewers and escape risk their lives outside the safety of the walls. It's been weeks if not months since Lucy's shown her face in the guild, and that alone sent a riot screeching through the crowds. With her friend being swallowed up by a mob, Levy side stepped towards the bar where her fingers itched to wrap around a glass of something strong.
"Doll face," the brunette chimed in from behind her spot in the bar. Cana grinned at the sights of her, even when she let out a snide remark. "Don't look so good; don't tell me you're ready to kick the bucket on us."
"Let's hope not, at this rate I'd have nothing to reflect on. It's a pitiful life." She looked up at Cana shyly, feeling horribly rude to even ask for a drink. Luckily, the bartender had kept some aside for her just in case she came in. She poured a small drink, conservative, Levy noted, and pushed it towards her cold hands. She braced herself as she downed some, and she relished in the liquid fire that ran down her throat, and the heat that exploded in her chest slowly warmed the rest of her from her iced fingers to the tips of her toes.
"Just lackin' adventure is all. Always wondered what kinda gal you'd be if times were changed." Cana sighed reflecting on the past. It was a common topic that flowed around the guild, especially with the old timers. Cana being the oldest of the youth had more experience and therefore more stories of a time where living seemed enjoyable. When the outbreak had happened Levy was only seven, life had barely started for her; Cana on the other hand had just turned twelve. Having been in older, many of the younger girls in the guild would circle Cana in hopes of hearing stories about life they had not yet lived before the outbreak. Many of those requests included questions regarding adolescence in a non-apocalyptic world. Even Cana had missed out, only being in seventh grade when everything came crashing down to an end. She knew so much more than Levy did, but only from knowledge and not experience.
"Probably the same old, boring book worm." Levy chimed from behind her glass. "But I'm sure that doesn't surprise you."
"Never know… might have been brought up different. Hmph. Probably some preppy gal that wouldn't have been of my liking." Cana cocked an eyebrow at her almost challengingly, as if this alternate universe Levy was the real deal and sitting across from her now.
Levy smiled bashfully, "I hope not. I couldn't imagine a world where I couldn't run to you whenever."
"Neither could I," Cana returned the rough grin. She refilled the empty glass that had been rolled around nervously between Levy's hands. She looked up immediately to deny the kind offer but was silenced with a look that meant Cana had no room for arguments. "Sure this won't make you feel any better, but it's the thought that counts."
"Thank you, Cana." Levy thanked gratefully as she knew fully well how important Cana's stash was to her. There was a story long ago that Cana had gotten into a full blown fist fight with a lanky man who'd tried to snatch it for himself, and if it weren't for the fact that Levy had seen the bloody outcome of the street quarrel it would have remained just a story in her eyes. "I'm already feeling better."
The lie didn't settle well with Cana, but she didn't confront Levy on the matter either. She only gave her a comforting smile before turning away to respond to the gentlemen that were hollering over at her. She sighed with a drag and leaned her angular face in the palm of her hand. "It isn't just you feeling out of it, baby blue. It's Mira's third day out, must be something in the air."
"I hope she gets better soon," Levy's voice didn't surface louder than a whisper; her own thoughts had drowned her words. A rescue mission that was labeled as another suicide mission had been on the board only a few hours. One of the missions had left a senior ranked member behind during a break gone horrendously wrong. It was certain that he young woman was left for dead, given the circumstances and the information Levy could pick at during her eavesdropping on multiple conversations. Perhaps if it had been a newbie or someone with an older attitude the team wouldn't have had risked their lives to go back for someone left in a horrifyingly impossible circumstance, but it was Lisanna they were talking about.
It was Erza who had brought the silver hair girl back, being the only one qualified for such a mission. She'd only brought with her Gray, the complications of the mission being so deadly that Master hadn't wanted to risk anymore lives. Mira was on the lines to join in on the rescue attempt, only to be declined due to her state of mind. The shadows that had followed with Lisanna since that day left a heavy silence palpable in the air for everyone to feel with her, and something about watching comrades get torn to shreds wasn't something she could easily wipe off like a easy stain- not the way Erza had every time she left the safety of the walls with new recruits. It had only been Lisanna's second mission, and from the looks of how she was handling it, it definitely would be her last.
It started off with Lisanna coughing up blood into the palm of her hand not long after reuniting with her sister. God knows what it was, but with her bed ridden and Mira taking care of her, the illness must have penetrated the older girl's system by now. Even though healthy in comparison to his sisters, Elfman had already quarantined himself up in their room, a luxury flat only seconds away from the guild. Levy twisted her fingers until they could no longer crack, a nervous habit that had her fidgeting at the thought that it could be something fatal. Medicine was hard to come by and the harsh living conditions made diseases thrive, and the thought that she was coming down with something all too coincidentally soon made her stomach turn sour.
"Lucy's right, you can tell when something's eating you alive." Cana smiled almost pitifully at the young girl panicking in front of her. "Just have a drink and relax. The bar maid's got a soft spot for the guild but it doesn't change the fact that she's still a demon. Her reputation isn't long forgotten, you know. She can tough out something like this with the bat of those prissy lashes of hers."
"You're right," Levy grinned in a replacement of her belittled I hope so that she wanted to respond with instead. She finished the last of her drink before changing the conversation, anything to get her mind off the inevitable topic of death and it's endless possibilities. "What's the story behind this one?"
"Fullbuster found it locked away in some cellar. Most of the wine cellars in the magnolia area have already been raided in the past decade, but the outskirt areas still have a few hidden gems. It's really cool when you think about it, the extensive house raids go as much as pulling up floor boards and breaking through drywall, and though most of the time you get a bad run through, there's always the special moments where you find a small treasure like this." She held the bottle up and swished it around, and Levy watched in fascination as the liquid fire swirled around in its captivity.
House raids were bread and butter in this time of need; it was one of the only stable good paying jobs that supplied not only ration cards but whatever they person found got to keep a good fraction of it. It was so important for the sake of the economy that even the government knew of Fairy Tail's betrayal to the walls and the secret pathways that lead like spider webs into the outskirts of magnolia. The bodies piled outside of the walls and cleanup crews had to dispose of the nauseating smell, but beyond the barricades and military posts those said bodies roamed around more lively, and all who survived their first mission went in grueling detail about what the dead were like a decade after the outbreak that had changed all of their lives forever.
Levy felt grueling fascination as well as a pinch of jealousy when it came to the tall tales that everyone passed around during dinner. She relished in the idea of venture and a world that was far past Magnolia and its residents - what little there were left of them. She craved the fresh air that was out of the alleyways, caked up with dirt and suffering and human waste. She longed to go to the woods, or the mountains, or the vast land marks that although were unkempt still remained as the historical points she read hungrily in text books from her childhood and the rare finds stacked up on a book shelf in Makarov's office. Anything, anything but this damn fenced up city and its explosives and sleazy guards that signed up to defend their pride rather than those who resided in the city. As exciting as the tales came to be, it didn't change the fact that with such adventure came a crippling price: ones state of mind if not one's life alone.
Lisanna hadn't talked for weeks, and everyone knew of Lucy's mourning as she spent countless days in bed with no motivation or will. Juvia had awoken many restless nights to the sound of the girl in the room next to her screaming and crying all the same, begging whatever nightmare that had woken her to be gone and leave her to her own crumpling depression. It was a loud shrill that even made it through the cracks and cobwebs of the room two floors above her room. It was a terrifying cry out that had left a chilled reminder burned into the back of her mind, engraved in her very soul. The only man from Fairy tail- and all of Magnolia for a matter of fact -who'd traveled roughly all the way to Extalia, had given Levy a long stare the day she admitted bravely that she wanted to see the world outside. His words came out sullen with a drag to them like he hadn't slept in days, and he truly hadn't, not when he stayed awake to nightmares that haunted him from his past. He was lucky enough to be reunited with Cana after being separated from her during the outbreak; her mother hadn't made it back then.
"Whenever you venture past the walls," Gildarts began, and the low grumble to his voice made all the chatter from the nearby table die down into a respectable silence. "You leave a piece of yourself out there, wandering- hopeless. It never comes back to you." He clenched his hands tightly around the cup and his eyes darkened with something regretful, but he did own the ghostly expression that Lisanna and Lucy had worn around for what felt like ages. It had taken him nearly nine months to make his journey back home, it nearly killed him, and when he came back he wasn't the charming and handsome man that wrapped his arms around the ladies and got his way. He was cold, unapproachable, unless it was Cana or the master himself.
Levy wondered what part of Lucy was still out there and if it were the side of her that never failed to find a reason to smile. She had such a beautiful grin, and the game of what if she always played in her mind almost always landed on Lucy. If times were different she knew Lucy would pursue her writing and become a beloved author, or maybe she'd land a modeling career given how everything about her was borderline perfect. From her long golden hair, round brown eyes and curves crafted by the Gods themselves, Lucy's charm stood out compared to the other beauties in Fairy Tail. There was just something classic about her looks, even when she was caked in dirt and tears left her eyes swollen and dark. What would she have been? What would she have been if she hadn't left the walls? What about herself? What would Levy leave out there that everyone always seemed to remind her about.
Lucy caught her stare in the crowd and gave her a soft smile. She was swallowed up by friendly faces asking how she felt, and it was an abundant amount of support that Levy knew she deeply needed and appreciated. It was a mutual smile when their eyes locked from opposite sides of the room, but Lucy's mouth dropped open when the grand doors opened behind Levy, and the cold air had rushed in, greedily taking up the space around them. Levy bristled from the cold and turned her back to the door, and when the crowd practically exploded in an uproar she knew someone had returned home, but who? As of now the only people she could place on the top of her tongue were Laxus and the usual group that hung around him, as well as Loki and whoever he had allowed to tag along.
Everyone else was considered dead unless they miraculously showed up, which would a time like this. Levy didn't know who to expect, but from the reaction she could only be a fraction surprised of what she anticipated she'd be. Lucy's eyes watered and her trembling hands covered her mouth, and when she practically fell to her knees after seeing him Levy knew who it was the moment she looked behind her shoulder. Standing out the door and dressed for the elements poorly, Natsu held his trademark grin that was prominently sharp. His eyebrows furrowed with determination and he basked in the glory of the impossible: after an entire year Natsu had finally come home. A year was a long time and most were considered dead after a month and a half, but he had ventured far no doubt, though no one knew exactly where.
"Missed me?" He asked the explosive crowd, and he jumped up and down as he raised a fist into the air. "Now I'm all fired up, let's get this party started!"
Levy laughed joyously in response, after all this time he hadn't forgotten the celebration that Master promised if he returned home safely. News hadn't gotten to the hot headed boy about the famine they were experiencing, but from the overwhelming happiness and relief that flooded the guild he probably couldn't pick out the severity of their suffering. A small shape broke out from between the crowd and jumped into his arms.
"Naaaatsu!" The high pitched voice squeaked and buried his face into the crook of the man's neck. Nasty boomed with laughter and ruffled cerulean strands between his fingers.
"Happy, long time no see, pal! Look how big you've gotten, one day you might even be as tall as me!" And although he was in his casual sense of mind and hardly took anything seriously, Levy noted the way his arms tightened strongly around Happy's back. He dug his face into his hair and his eyes narrowed, and she knew at that moment from the look on his face that there were hardships along the way that made this surreal moment right her look like an out of reach dream. Happy was placed back on his feet, and only being halfway to twelve years old he was still small and childlike. He balled his hands up tightly to his sides and kept his chin up just like he was instructed to, but the fat tears that welled in his eyes didn't give up despite how strong he wanted to be.
"I... I thought I'd never see you again!" Happy sobbed, and that earned him a stern look that somehow managed to throw a smile in as well.
"I never go back on my word," Natsu grinned. "No matter how long it takes." He stopped short when his attention turned to Lucy, who had showed up behind Happy. Her face was drained as if she'd seen a ghost, and her eyes traced the new scars that Natsu brought back with him like souvenirs from a world the rest of them wouldn't dare travel. Her eyes roamed over his long locks of hair, he had left the guild with his signature spikes up do and had returned with the pink brushing against his shoulders, but it still managed to be untamed. As if in trance she passed Happy and closed the distance between them; her hand pressed against his cheek hesitantly, and dainty fingertips smoothed out the large rigid mark that reached across his lower face and near his jaw. He had tensed and turned into stone, and the only thing that moved was his darting irises that watched her every move.
"Nastu..." Lucy whispered, and even with an audience as big as theirs she spoke to him as if they were the only two there. "Oh My God, you're actually here. Y-You're... Thank God..." she wept with gratitude, and when she folded into herself and cried heavily it was then that he was snapped out of his own trance. He smiled softly at her with a lucky Levy's never seen him muster, and she watched in awe the way his strong arms pulled Lucy into a strong embrace. They held one another and the crowd went wild, only in hopes of giving a change in tone to the reunion that felt so dreadful. Everything felt dreadful in this harsh time.
Levy shared a smile with Cana, but the brunette's eyebrow quirked as her attention turned to the slithering figures that crept into the door behind Natsu. They gave a brief look around and check behind their backs twice before keeping to the shadows and heading towards the Master's main office. Levy immediately worried, but with Cana indifferent to the intruders she felt herself relax some. No one was stupid enough to face the most powerful man in the city, and those who have tried perished and were taken care of long ago. Levy had gotten enough rumors from Cana and Mira combined to know Natsu went on a mission to retrieve an important agent, and it was common for messengers of all sort to cross the country for underground establishments like the guild. Still, she wishes she could have gotten a better look of the two men, but they vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
"Don't worry too hard about them; one of them was a regular." Cana huffed and thought nothing of it. "Probably met him before if you were unlucky. Damn moody bastard, that guy."
"Um... what guy?" Levy asked mostly to herself as she tried to scan her memory. The alcohol had made her mind fuzzy and she felt it was straining to even rack the far into the filing cabinets in her brain. She was a naturally curious person and she craned her neck to try to follow any path the mysterious men left behind, but their trace was swallowed by the roaring crowd happy of the reunion in front of them. Perhaps she was just overthinking things, but that would gratefully be put aside once Natsu lifted two large bottles of liquor from his weighed down satchel. That caused the crowd to come to life even further, and Levy smiled along cheerfully to the sidelines as she watched Natsu toss the bottles aside and turn his attention back to Lucy. Levy hadn't seen her friend smile like that in almost a year, and it was then that Levy thought things were going to be okay.
Hopefully.
...
A/N: So what did you guys think? I'm not the best author so please be gentle with me! Please consider reviewing, feedback only encourages me to write more. Until then, thank you for reading!