The train station was as busy as ever, you've never seen so many business-like looking people in one place before. Everywhere you looked, men in suits and ties carrying briefcases, women in silky dresses, and animals in carrying cages, were making their way into lines and boarding the trains. Then, there were Gajeel, Levy, and Pantherlily, who seemed to stand out more than ever. Gajeel, with his mean struck face and his giant-like height made people want to move around him faster, not wanting to make eye contact. Levy made herself well known with her blue hair and her orange dress, but she was always getting pushed by the busy people walking. Lily was the lucky one, who used his wings to hover over the crowds.
The three wizards made their way onto the train, and sat in the far back. Levy sat down next to a window and looked out on all the people scurrying around like ants. Gajeel was thinking about sitting in front of her, but Lily quickly nudged him to take a seat next to the girl. It was known by Lily that Gajeel didn't know an opportunity to make a move even if it was covered in lights and iron. The Dragon Slayer had no choice but to sit next to Levy or he would hear it for the rest of his life from the exceed.
After a while, the train sped off, leaving behind Magnolia and all the busy people in it. Levy stared out the window, smiling, it seemed to be something of a habit for her. The silence was a little much for Lily, so he decided to bring up a conversation.
"So, Levy," Her attention turned away from the window, "What is this job you picked?"
Levy held the paper up, "All we have to do is decipher some ancient text!" Her smile grew a little wider, "And if you think that's easy enough, check out the pay!"
The two read over the reward price, 600,000 jewels? That seemed a little overpriced, but they weren't complaining.
Gajeel scratched his head, "It seems an awful lot just to read some words."
Levy bowed her head slightly. "Yeah, I know, but it seemed so easy. I'm sure the text is either really difficult, or the person who sent the request it really rich and snobby." She giggled a little, "For our sake, I hope it's the first one." She knew how Gajeel acted around people who thought they were better, she did not want that to happen this time.
Gajeel didn't reply, he just watched her smile. It was strange how someone like her can laugh around someone like him. Usually when people see him, they run away or don't even talk at all, but with her, it was different. He smirked, "Alright then, we're counting on you." Suddenly, a feeling of nausea took over, making his stomach feel like it was spiraling out of control. He felt his face turn from red, to green, this can not be happening! There's no way, he thought, how am I supposed to look cool with my stomach in knots?! Damn it!
Lily studied Gajeel's face and made a quick diagnostic: motion sickness. It was weird, he heard from the other guild members that Gajeel was fine riding vehicles and other forms of transportation, so why did it start taking place so far into his life? Since Wendy wasn't around to help, the only thing the Exceed could do was wait, and watch how this was going to turn out. Soon, a devilish smirk was put on Lily's face, wondering how the Dragon Slayer was going to keep his cool this time.
Levy looked at Gajeel worryingly. "Are you okay, Gajeel, you don't look well." She placed her hand on his hand calmly.
"Y-Yeah, everything's f-f-fine." His face starting getting greener with every passing moment, and this made Levy worry even more.
"Do you have a fever?" Levy moved a little so she was sitting on her knees, facing him. When she was about to eye level with him, she placed her forehead on his. Closing her eyes, she began to feel the difference in temperature, unaware of Gajeel's current, panicking, state. Levy's eyes began to open slowly, and soon, hazel met red. His eyes were wide and his cheeks were a mix of red and green. The girl soon realized what she was doing and her face began to glow red as well. She quickly pulled away frantically and looked away. "Y-You don't seem to have a fever." Her cheeks started to get hot as she felt the blood rush through them quickly. "M-Maybe your motion sickness is acting up. I-I'm not so sure what to do about that!"
Lily just stared in awe of the scene that just happened before his very eyes. He was in a daze, did that really just happen?! His hands covered his mouth quietly, to not disturb them, but he was so shocked he couldn't say anything. Everything seemed to be going smoothly (except for the motion sickness part), so he just need Gajeel to man up and make a move as well. Why was it that Dragon Slayers were the toughest of the tough, the bravest of the brave, but were unable to get a girl? That is probably a mystery that will never be solved.
"Oh, wait!" Levy exclaimed, "Erza told me this one time where she stopped Natsu's motion sickness by knocking him out." She glanced over at Gajeel again, noticing, yet again, their height difference. "Um, well, I don't think I have that sort of strength, but I can put you to sleep for a while. Is that alright?"
Gajeel's hand covered his mouth. "If you're going to then you better make it fast," He growled.
This was not part of the plan! In order for Gajeel to win Levy over, he needed to be awake. Although, Lily couldn't think of anything else, and it seemed as though Gajeel wasn't going to make a move anyways, so he just watched.
Levy made the word, "SLEEP", appear. It was a sandy color word, with a texture much like dust, it was light, because it floated down softly, and disappeared into sparkling dust. The dust fell onto Gajeel, but he didn't feel any different.
"Nice try, Shrimp." He consulted her, his hand still on his mouth.
Levy slumped, she was sure that would work, how could it not? "How did it not work? Are you sure you-" she stopped when Gajeel started blinking rapidly. "Ah, there it goes!" She smiled in victory.
Gajeel's eyes closed and his hand fell from his mouth. His expression was now mostly relaxed, his mouth hung open a little, letting out a light snore. This was way better than being sick. Although he stirred from time to time; the sleep magic didn't get rid of all the motion sickness.
Levy giggled, she had never seen the way Gajeel slept before. "He seems a lot less rude now, doesn't he?"
Lily chuckled as well. "As a matter of fact, I could get used to this." He looked around at the scenery outside the window, watching the trees pass one by one. Lily didn't know much about ancient text, but what he did know was that it would've been way easier if the text was on the job form. Then, whoever deciphered it, would contact the one who sent the job; it seemed easy enough. "So why isn't the text on the job form?" Lily asked out loud. Why think it, when he can get an actual answer.
Levy giggled again. "There was an incident with that. It was actually before we even met Gajeel." Levy continued to explain the concept of when Natsu read the wording out loud and ended up switching bodies with Loke, not leaving out any detail.
Lily looked a little surprised when Levy mentioned Loke's name. "Wait, the Celestial Spirit?"
"Well we didn't know he was a Celestial Spirit at the time." The two had a good laugh, along with the sleeping Gajeel in their presence. Along the way, something must've been on the train tracks, because the whole train shook. "Whoa!" Levy gasped as she was thrown around. Then something heavy landed on her.
She looked down to see that Gajeel's head was on her lap. This made her face glow a bright pink. His head was facing away from her, and thank goodness he didn't wake up. Levy didn't know what she would do if he found himself in that awkward position. She glanced to Lily for help, but only received some advice.
"I wouldn't move, you could wake him up and he'd have to suffer his sickness all over again." Damn, he used the only method that Levy wouldn't go against, and that's having to make someone else suffer.
The bluenette sighed in defeat, knowing she couldn't do anything without moving him. Her eyes moved from Lily to Gajeel's hair. It was so sleek and shiny, she had no idea he took such well care of his hair. Her right hand cautiously wavered through the long black locks. It was even neatly brushed, maybe he was more hygienic than she thought. Levy's hand soon started stroking his hair unconsciously, as if it were a bad habit of hers. She had no where else to look but the window, where she saw a clear sky and warm sun. This made her feel a little calmer about the current situation.
Lily smiled in victory, even if Gajeel was unconscious for the moment, things were going well. It was a shame that he couldn't see the reaction on Gajeel's face when he realized where he was laying. Then, something caught Lily's eye, a toothy grin. With Levy looking away, Gajeel's eyes were wide open, a smirk on his face. Lily stared, wide eyed, trying to understand what had just happened. Did Gajeel actually come up with a plan that actually worked behind his back?
Bravo. Lily thought, even he wouldn't think to fake motion sickness to make a move. That thought soon went south when Gajeel's face started turning a light green, sweat droplets were already rolling down the side of his face. The Dragon Slayer's eyes weren't open anymore, they were now shut tight with pain. Okay, so Gajeel didn't have enough willpower to stop his sickness, but he still made it his advantage. Kudos to him!
After about another hour train ride, the steaming locomotive finally made its finally stop: a large, rich city named, "Okane". Even before the train stopped, tall buildings were already in sight. Not only buildings, but houses (or at least seemed like houses) the size of guilds were scattered everywhere. People dressed in fancy clothes roamed the streets, even if it meant their feet would get dirty, but that's the thing, there was no dirt. All the roads seemed to be made from polished marble, and diamonds. Okay, maybe the material wasn't exactly the genuine mineral, but they did sparkle like diamonds.
Levy stared in awe, she had never seen a town quite like this. Her eyes glanced at everything that sparkled, catching her interest. She smiled brightly, maybe this job wasn't going to be so bad after all. Her hands carefully shook Gajeel, who stood up slowly and smirked.
His smirk quickly changed into a frown when he remembered the hell he just went through. "Stupid ass train." He grumbled. "Stupid ass motion sickness." He began to walk away when he remembered the one's he journeyed with. Turning around, he saw both of them (Lily and Levy) gawking at something outside the window. He shook his head, smirking again. "You know, you both can get a better look if you get off the train." That sure got their attention because they turned around quickly and rushed out.
Walking along the shining street, the three looked around their surroundings. They sure weren't in Magnolia anymore. It seemed like you couldn't turn in anyway without seeing someone with their nose in the air, or someone paying money for something they obviously didn't need. Levy and Lily seemed to be having a better time than Gajeel did, because they were the only ones smiling.
"I wonder what kind of bookstores they have here!" Levy asked out loud. "They probably have books you can't buy anywhere else!" Just the thought gave her a smile. Not only did she like books, but she like the kind of books that were rare. It made her feel special knowing certain knowledge that was only supposed to be known by a few people.
"Do you think the kiwi juice here tastes any different?" Lily also wondered. It was times like this he didn't have to worry about being tough, and actually spent time to relax. The environment around him actually reminded him of Edolas. The way the Lacrima would light up the town so everyone had magic power, it gave the people a sense of protection, peace. Gajeel's fowl mood went unnoticed by Lily. "What's with the long face? We got off the train, didn't we?"
Gajeel's scowl didn't move. "This place is a little too prissy and shiny for me." Actually, he was right. The way he dressed with his loose beige pants in his black studded boots, not to mention the studs around his dark tunic and black gloves (which were also studded if you couldn't guess). It made him seem like the pauper was taking a stroll around the prince's kingdom (at least, in Levy's eyes). "Where the hell is this place again?"
Levy looked at the job request again. "It says on the street name, 'Kyogi'." She squinted. "That's just about it." Levy shrugged her shoulders, the address was so vague, was all this a prank after all? "Maybe we should ask someone."
"Tch, I'm not going near one of these pampered babies." Gajeel refused before even being asked to do something.
"Um, okay." Levy was unsure of herself, but she had to do something, or they were going home empty handed. She walked up to an older looking woman, wearing a fur coat and underneath a shiny silver sequined dress, along with white high heels. "E-Excuse me." Levy spoke softly.
The woman looked her way, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, what is it?" She spoke harshly.
"Um, we were wondering if you knew where Kyogi Road was?"
The woman scoffed. "Puh-lease, anyone who's anyone knows that Kyogi is straight this way." She pointed her long finger down a street that led into the outside of town. "Just head that way, and, if you have any kind of brain, you should find your way there." The woman shuffled away quickly, not wanting to be seen talking to them.
Levy slumped a little. "That was better than I thought it was going to be." She smiled slightly then led the way.
Gajeel just watched in horror, did that really just happen? Did someone just really treat them as if they were trash? They were Fairy Tail wizards, damn it! Not some circus on the side of the road. If that was just one resident of the town, Gajeel couldn't bare to think of who sent the request.
When they finally made it at the end of the road, they realized why there was only a street name for the address. This giant mansion was the only house on the road. It was a white building, three stories high, with elegant stairs that made their way up to the front door. Walking up to the door, the three mages seemed a little nervous. Who knows what could be behind that door. Gajeel pounded with his fists and gave a loud knock. The door soon opened to reveal a tall man with dark brown hair; it was combed back very neatly, revealing his bright blue eyes. He wore a fashionable black suit and a dark blue tie.
"Yes, what do I owe the pleasure of such guests as yourself?" He asked politely.
Levy let a sigh of relief, thank goodness this man wasn't anything like the woman they had met earlier. "We're here to answer about the job you requested." She held up the flyer.
The man's eyes widened. "Ah, yes, please come in." He opened the tall white doors and stepped aside. "Please, pardon the confusion, I had no idea you'd be here so soon."
"Well when did ya think we'd get here?" Gajeel said coldly. He didn't know who this guy was, but he was already getting on Gajeel's nerves.
"Right this way." He motioned the group to follow him. Together, they all walked down an extravagant hall. It was dressed with paintings on every wall and a long red carpet made its way from one end of the hall to the other. "May I ask what the name of the ones who have answered my request?"
Levy was shocked, never has she heard such polite language. "My name is Levy," she placed a hand on Gajeel's shoulder, "This is Gajeel," she looked down at the exceed, "And this is Pantherlily."
"I suppose it would be polite to announce my name, wouldn't it?" The man asked. He stopped walking and spun around, bowing with his right hand over his heart. "My name is Nisemono Takara, but please call me, 'Nise'. He looked up and took Levy by the hand. "I am truly honored to have a smart young girl come forth to a challenge."
Gajeel pulled Levy towards him before this "Nise" guy could try something funny. "Enough with the introductions, just show us what we came to see."
Nise turned back around and kept walking, having to be followed by three others. Lily nudged Gajeel. "You better keep a close eye on this guy." He whispered. "He's rich, polite and charming, some things that you're missing."
Gajeel growled, but didn't argue.
After a while of walking, they came among a pair of large white wooden doors. Nise opened them and stepped into the room. Inside, sunlight poured through the windows that occupied each wall. From the floor up, there were bookshelves on top of bookshelves, just holding up thousands of books. Levy gasped and covered her mouth with her hands to keep her from being overwhelmed. She's never seen this many books in one place before, it was like a dream.
Nise caught sight of her amazement and smiled. "It seems the books have caught the lady's attention?" He asked, already knowing the answer. "Here, let me get this for you." he pulled out a chair that was stationed at a polished marble table. As Levy sat down, Nise pushed the chair back in.
Gajeel crossed his arms, there was no way he was going to lose to some pretty boy with a library in his house.
"Now," Nise began as he walked to a glass tank and picked up a stone fragment, "This is what was found at an excavation site near the ends of Fiore." He carried the stone towards the table Levy was sitting at. "No one quite knows what it says, not even skilled archaeologists." He placed the stone on the table. "Do you think you can do something about it, Miss Levy?"
Levy studied the form of rock. It was rough on one end and smooth where the text was, indicating that it was a part of something, or the piece has been eroded greatly over time. The text didn't seem like any words at all, it was just a bunch of scribbles, dots, and the repetition of a sun. "I can sure try." Levy answered.
Nise made his way towards Gajeel and Lily. "I hope I can rely on you two gentlemen as well to help solve this as well." The polite blonde man walked out the doors, but not before saying, "I'll be by in a moment to check on your progress. Help yourself to the books!" With a wave of the hand, he was gone, and Gajeel was free to breathe.
Levy took out a magnifying glass out of her small red bag. She began to identify what characters the scribbles could mean on a notepad she had also packed. Gajeel took a seat next to her side. "What do you think?" He found his question to be a little vague. "About the wordings."
Levy sighed. "I'm not even sure if they're really words, for all I know, it could be some chicken scratch."
Lily climbed onto the table to get a better look at the stone writing. "There's got to be something you can do. After all, you have a wide variety of books to look at." He gestured her attention on the books on every wall.
As Levy began to look closer at the patterns, there wasn't anything she could relate to in that wide knowledge of hers. "To be honest, I'm still not sure. I wouldn't even know where to start, or where to look in any of those books."
Gajeel decided this was his chance. "Don't go bailing on me now." It seemed as though she was already giving up, and there was no way he was going to let her do that. "You're the smartest person I know." He said, looking into her eyes sternly so she knew he meant it. "If anyone can read this, it's you."
Levy felt a sly blush creeping on her cheeks. "Okay then!" Her small hands formed fists. "I guess I better get to it!" She stood up and made her way to the large bookshelf.
Lily smirked when she walked away. "Since when are you so sincere?"
Gajeel narrowed his eyes, and scowled. "Since I realized I have to step up my game if I'm gonna win."
"Win what?" Lily asked.
"This war." Gajeel replied, his hands also forming fists. Not only did he have to deal with the losers at the guild coming onto Levy, but now he had to worry about this Prince Charming? There was no way in hell was he going to lose her to this guy; not this guy or any guy.
Here it is, chapter four! This actually took a long time to type, but, as always, I manage. What did you think about the train ride or their experience in town? What do you think of Nisemono Takara? Anyways, this story now has over 2,000 views! Wow, that's a lot, especially over a short period of time from the last chapter update! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm sorry for the wait! I was busy with a few things. One of them being the new one shot I just posted called, "Return to Sender", and editing another one-shot called, "The Outfit", if you get a chance, stop by and read them (if you want). Please remember to FAVORITE, FOLLOW, and REVIEW (it always puts a smile on my face)! I guess I'll be getting started on chapter five. See ya!
-Ninja