First, let's go back to the beginning, not the very beginning, but the beginning of how it all started...
xXx
It was a beautiful day in Magnolia. The sky was a peaceful blue colour with the warm sun shining down on them. The birds were singing happily as they flew all over Magnolia. The trees were full of green leaves while the ground was full of beautiful flowers. Levy smiled as she walked peacefully through the city to her beloved guild.
However, her peace ended as soon as she stepped through the doors of the guild halls. Her guild was never known to be quiet and peaceful though... As soon as Levy entered the guild she was met with chaos. Normally one would be afraid of the chaos that ensued inside the guild, but not fairy tail members. They revelled in the chaos. And luckily for Levy, she was a fairy tail member, so the chaos didn't bother her all that much.
It was a normal day at fairy tail as Levy went to a table that was relatively out of the fighting and sat down and read her book. Mira was smiling at the bar while drying a glass with her younger sister sitting in front of her. Laxus was on the second level leaning on the railing as he overlooked the fight. Making sure nobody destroyed anything. The Thunder Legion stood in a corner while Bickslow got on Evergreen's nerves.
Juvia was standing next to the group of fighting mages holding Gray's clothes for him while he fought with Natsu. Elfman somehow got involved with the fight as well and so did a lot of other guild members. Levy was surprised when she didn't see Gajeel in the midst of the fight.
Cana sat on a table drinking her barrel of alcohol while Lucy was talking with Wendy. Jet and drew sat across Levy as they talked to each other, but she didn't really participate in the conversation because she was too into her book.
Erza walked into the guild and watched the fighting in front of her with a displeased look. Erza walked calmly over to the fighting then stood in front of the fighting mages.
"Cease this fighting at once!" Erza exclaimed angrily making the mages stop immediately and apologise.
The group of fighters broke up and went their separate ways in fear of Erza. Natsu and Erza walked over to Lucy and Wendy and joined the conversation while Juvia handed Gray's clothes back to him, much to his surprise. Elfman sat next to Lisanna at the bar his big sister tended.
Only after the fight dissipated did levy notice where Gajeel was. He was standing at the job board with Panther Lily as they decided which job they wanted to go on while Nab stood next to them.
Everyone was so happy...
It's felt like just a year since Gajeel and Juvia joined the guild. But in reality, more than 7 years had already passed, but Levy blamed the whole Tenrou incident where they vanished for 7 years. However, since they joined so much has happened to the guild. Fairy tail turned into a giant lacrima and Gajeel has even found his very own flying kitty cat; Panther Lily. But that was not nearly all that happened.
They competed in the grand magic games and was once again crowned number one in Fiore. Levy even got to see the dragons that raised fairy tail's own dragon slayer.
Wendy and Panther Lily were fitting in just fine with the rest of the guild members, Wendy was even so unlucky that she joined the guilds strongest team. Levy also grew used to Gajeel's intimidating presence, she actually didn't mind his presence at all anymore. She enjoyed being in his company now.
However, she failed to notice when he walked towards her with a grin that always meant trouble to her.
"Hey shrimp, ya wanna go on a job with me and Lily?" Gajeel asked with a grin, walking up to her with Panther Lily by his side.
"What?" Jet and Droy asked simultaneously as they started sulking.
"Do I have to?" Levy sighed putting her book down while Jet and Droy stopped sulking, they saw hope that maybe levy wouldn't go.
"I'm not taking no for an answer." Gajeel said towering over her while Panther Lily sighed and with that Jet and Droy's hope shattered.
"What kind of job is it?" Levy asked with a sweat drop, already knowing the answer.
She was no good at the sort of jobs Gajeel liked to take so why he kept asking her to go on a job with him was beyond her. She wasn't as strong as Gajeel or even Panther Lily. She just felt like a burden to them, except if the job actually required her to solve or research something. Which happens almost never...
"A good one with a big reward." Gajeel smirked slyly.
"In other words one which involves fighting." Panther Lily added just in case she didn't know.
"I know what it means." Levy said with a sigh.
"So which is it shrimp? You coming or not?" Gajeel asked with a raised eyebrow.
"If it's a fighting job why are you asking someone like me to tag along? I'm not that strong." Levy said looking away disheartening.
"Not this again." Gajeel sighed rolling his eyes while Levy glared at him.
"We all know how this is going to end." Panther Lily sighed shaking his head as he turned around and walked towards the exit with Levy's confused eyes on him.
"Wha..." Levy started but got cut off thanks to Gajeel.
"...at are you doing?!" Levy exclaimed alarmed with a blush on her face, Gajeel had bent down to her level and wrapped his arms around her waist scooping her up and slinging her over his shoulder while she was detracted by Lily.
Jet and Droy were now laying on the floor in their own puddle of tears. Gajeel laughed in amusement as he walked towards the exit with an amused grin while Panther Lily was in the lead of their little group.
Levy kicked and struggled against his grip, but she couldn't prevail. They earned the attention of everyone in the guild, but the guild members only smirked and went on with what they were doing. This was a normal thing for them. Levy sighed, she should've seen this coming.
"I never agreed to join you!" Levy exclaimed continuing to struggle.
"Too bad." Gajeel laughed as he kept walking.
"Mira! Help me!" Levy exclaimed as she caught sight of Mirajane at the bar.
"Have fun!" Mira called back to levy as she waved and smiled sweetly at her.
"This is betrayal, Mira!" Levy yelled to Mira who just laughed at her.
Gajeel carried her like that across town while she gave up in fighting him. After they made their way halfway through the city Gajeel finally allowed Levy to walk on her own again because it was too late for her to turn back now and she didn't like the people staring at them. She stood in front of him with crossed arms, not in a happy mood.
"I need to get stuff from my dorm first before we leave for the job." Levy said looking up at Gajeel.
"You're kidding, right?" Gajeel said with an exaggerated sigh.
"I'm serious, I need essential stuff." Levy said.
"You mean your books?" Gajeel asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes~ I mean no. I need other things as well." Levy said as she turned around and walked towards fairy hills.
"Alright, alright." Gajeel said with a sigh as he walked after her.
They walked all the way to fairy hills so levy could gather her things and books. Levy was busy inside fairy hills while Gajeel leant on the tree outside with Panther Lily next to him since they weren't allowed inside.
"How long do you think she's going to take?" Gajeel asked with crossed arms as he looked down at Lily.
"Be patient Gajeel. You're the one who dragged her on this mission so the least you can do is wait." Lily said making Gajeel scoff and look the other direction.
"Gajeel, what are you doing here?" A female voice asked on his right side.
"I'm waiting for Levy, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be stalking Gray." Gajeel said turning his head to Juvia.
"Juvia finally convinced her beloved to go on a job with her." Juvia squealed as she had hearts in her eyes.
"Juvia must pack so she won't keep her dear Gray waiting." Juvia said as she rushed into fairy hills leaving Gajeel outside and sweat dropping.
That woman is crazy.
Gajeel saw levy exit. She turned around and watched Juvia as she rushed passed Levy.
"What's up with her?" Levy asked as she turned back to Gajeel, walking to him as he continued leaning against the tree.
"She got Gray to go on a job with her." Gajeel said as he pushed himself off the tree.
"Figures." Levy said bluntly.
"Alright if we head that way we'd be there in like a week." Gajeel said as he pointed to the south.
"No." Levy said bluntly as she walked in the direction of the train station.
"What?" Gajeel asked taken aback as he watched Levy walk in the direction of his nightmares.
"We're taking the train." Levy said as Gajeel walked behind her followed by Lily.
"Wait, can't we talk about this first?" Gajeel asked trying to talk some sense into the shrimp in front of him.
"No, we're taking the train." Levy said still walking towards the train station.
"Just accept it Gajeel." His exceed said as he walked next to him.
"Do we have to take the train." Gajeel whined as he caught up to levy and walked next to her.
"Yes! I'm not walking to a job I didn't agree to. Where taking the train or you're going alone!" Levy said sternly as she slightly glared at Gajeel.
"That's cold shrimp." Gajeel replied with a depressed look on his face.
"You're one to talk." Levy said rolling her eyes as Gajeel smirked.
"Behave now children were at the train station." Panther Lily said making both of them roll their eyes.
"Joy." Gajeel said sarcastically.
"Sounds like Carla is rubbing off on you Lily." Levy giggled as Lily rolled his eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous." Lily scoffed but was slightly amused.
Levy bought the tickets for them as Gajeel followed her with crossed arms. Now he was the one in an unhappy mood. Gajeel told levy the name of the town they were going to so she could births tickets because he didn't want to. Revona, the name of the town, sounded like a happy town. She wondered what could make someone from Revona hire wizards.
They boarded the train with Levy sitting next to the window and Gajeel sitting next to her while Panther Lily sat in front of them since the train was relatively empty.
Guess nobody wanted to go to the town they were headed for... But why?
"This is going to be a long ride." Gajeel sighed with crossed arms as his face displayed that he did not want to be on this train.
"At least we don't have to walk the whole way." Levy smiled up at him.
"I'd rather walk." Gajeel scoffed back.
Levy laughed at him as she took out a book from her bag, the train would start moving any minute now. Gajeel was sitting next to levy sighing every few minutes from boredom until Levy couldn't take it anymore.
"Can I help you?" Levy asked annoyed as she put her book down and looked at him.
"This was a bad idea, we should've walked." Gajeel sighed again as he looked like he was about to stand up to leave the train.
However just as Gajeel said that the train started moving which made Gajeel as pale as a ghost as he shivered.
"Well, it's too late now." Levy said with a smile.
"Sometimes I think you enjoy my misery." Gajeel said softly as the blood drained from his face, it was the last thing he managed to say before his motion sickness kicked in.
Gajeel started swaying slightly in his seat and his face was turning green from nausea.
"You should have tried to fall asleep while the train wasn't moving instead of annoying me, now you're going to be motion sick the whole way." Levy sighed at Gajeel who didn't seem to care or listen anymore.
"I hate trains." Gajeel said through his nauseating state as he fell to the side and onto levy's lap now using her as his pillow.
"Just don't throw up on me." Levy said as she rested her small arms on his head and started reading her book again.
It was a two day trip on the train to their job and Gajeel looked absolutely miserable every second of the way but luckily he managed to actually fall asleep for a while. However, he woke up again, nausea rushing back to him.
"Are we there yet?" Gajeel groaned from her lap.
"You sound like Natsu and no we're not there yet, go back to sleep Gajeel." Levy chuckled stroking Gajeel's hair slightly with her one hand to make him feel better while she put her book away.
"Lily, please kill me." Gajeel groaned still feeling like he's dying.
"No can do Gajeel." Lily replied lying on the seat only he occupied.
Levy watched the outside world wiz past them from the window. It was already dark. Levy lifted up her legs and rested it on the seat in front of her, but she had to slouch slightly in her seat since her legs weren't long enough to reach the chair. She placed her elbow in the window and rested her head on her hand. It wasn't long before her eyelids begun to get heavy and before she knew it she was fast asleep.
xXx
The next morning levy woke up from the sun shining in her eyes and from something stirring in her lap. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled slightly. He was such a big baby. In the process of Gajeel sleeping, he somehow managed to turn on his stomach without falling off the train seat and wrap his arms around her waist like a hug while Panther Lily found a spot on her leg which Gajeel wasn't draped over. She was like the boy's personal pillow. It was kind of cute.
Levy knew Gajeel would be embarrassed, but in this moment he was too sick to care. Levy played with Gajeel's hair while he slept, she still didn't know what job she got herself into.
"You're awake." Panther Lily said rubbing his eyes as he woke up.
"Yeah, hey Lily..." Levy said looking down at Gajeel's sleeping form.
"What's wrong Levy?" Panther Lily asked worried, sitting upright on levy's leg.
"What did I get myself into?" Levy asked lifting her eyes to him.
"Don't worry levy, we'll never let anything happen to you." Panther Lily answered reassuringly with a smile.
"I know Lily, but that wasn't my question. My question was what job did the two of you take?" Levy asked looking at Panther Lily.
"A man requested that we protect his precious village." Panther Lily answered looking out the window.
"From what?" Levy asked, her eyes not moving from Lily.
"Nobody knows for sure. Women from their village disappear every few nights and after his wife and child disappeared he grew sick of it and asked for our help." Panther Lily answered looking back at Levy.
"So you decided to ask a woman to come along. Perfect." Levy said bluntly as she sighed.
"We won't let them take you. I promise." Panther Lily said with a smile.
Levy sighed as she stared out the window. Something about this job made her nervous but she didn't know why.
Maybe Gajeel only asked her to join him on this job to use her as bait, but somehow levy doubt he thought that far into the future and she also didn't think Gajeel would do something like that.
"Dammit, I'm awake." Gajeel groaned, pulling levy out her thoughts as his face turned green again while he tightened his hold on levy's waist.
"Don't worry, just a few more hours until we're there." Levy laughed, rubbing his back as Gajeel groaned in depression.
"I won't survive that long." Gajeel said absolutely miserable.
"You say that every time you're on any mode of transportation." Lily said bluntly.
"That's true." Levy agreed as she laughed.
"Gajeel do you realise you're hugging levy like she's your teddy." Lily smiled slyly making levy blush.
"I don't care." Gajeel groaned like Levy said...
He was too motion sick to care about anything right now.
"Just saying..." Lily shrugged amused.
"Shut up Lily." Levy mumbled looking away.
After a while, Levy smiled then brushed Gajeel's hair off his back so she could run her fingers over his back so he could feel a little better.
"I swear if he was a cat he would've purred." Lily said laughing which made levy laugh as well.
"Shut up cat." Gajeel growled, his tone slightly less miserable than before.
The train continued down a winding mountain pass which made Gajeel even sicker. He groaned as his cheeks began to swell.
"No! Don't throw up on me!" Levy squealed as she flailed her arms around.
"Calm down shrimp! I won't throw up on you. Now keep going." Gajeel said irritated making levy sigh in relieve and continue to scratch his back.
Gajeel fell asleep again as they were heading to a small town in the mountains. After another few hours, they finally reached the train station at Revona, the town that hired them.
"Gajeel were here, pull yourself together." Levy said as she shook him slightly, but he only groaned from his still lingering motion sickness.
"I don't think shaking will help Levy, I'm sure it'll make it worse." Lily said as Gajeel groaned in agreement.
"My bad... Come on Gajeel." Levy said as she abandoned her shaking method and switched to poking him instead.
She would've left him there if it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't stand up until Gajeel stood up because he was still draped over her lap and holding into her waist, holding her down, but Gajeel didn't move.
"He usually doesn't take that long to recover. I don't think he wants to get up." Lily smirked amused making levy blush.
"Shut up cat! Let's go." Gajeel exclaimed as he jumped up and glared at Lily before he turned around quickly and stomped away.
"That was fast." Lily said with a devilish smirk as levy and Lily followed Gajeel.
They grabbed their stuff and walked out the train station. The town looked peaceful and chipper on the outside, but between the cheerful singing birds and the lovely warm sun, there was a sad uneasy aura that came from the town. Levy stopped at the train stations exit and watched the townspeople.
"What's wrong?" Gajeel asked as he turned back to her.
"I have a bad feeling about this town." Levy answered looking slightly nervous.
"Come on, you're just being paranoid." Gajeel said trying to comfort her.
"Am I?" Levy asked looking into Gajeel's piercing red eyes.
Most of this town's people had only sadness in their eyes. Will they solve their sadness or just get dragged in it with the rest of them?
Levy sighed and picked up Lily as she continued to walk with Gajeel into town. It was too late to turn back now...
A/N: Yaay another chapter! I don't have much to say today so tell me what you think in the comment section :)
