"Do you really think this will work?" I asked. I had woken up Silas, and Darrick had told me his plan. Apparently, there were two Shadow Dwellers guarding the exit of the cellar. From what he could see when they took him away before, the cellar was built into the ground in the middle of the forest. That explained how they had been able to disappear so quickly after kidnapping Silas.

He said there were several more Shadow Dwellers throughout the forest, acting as guards to prevent anyone from getting near this place. And this place, he told me, was the clearing I had fought and nearly killed Astaroth. They were planning something, and soon, but Darrick wasn't sure what it was. So, he advised it would be best to escape before finding out.

"I think it could, if we act fast," Darrick nodded. "Ready?"

"Yeah." I looked at Silas, putting my hands on his shoulders as I met his eyes. "Silas, when I say run, I want you to run as fast as you can, alright? Try to pick up the scent of the guildhall, and head straight towards it. If you can't find the scent, just keep running anyways. I'll be right behind you."

"I want to help," Silas protested.

I hugged him. "You can help by getting out of here, away from the demons. Find Gajeel and tell him I'm at Astaroth's clearing. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," Silas nodded.

"Repeat it back to me," I said.

"Find daddy and tell him you're at Astaroth's clearing."

"Good," I smiled, kissing him in the forehead. "I love you, Silas."

"I love you too," he told me, hugging me tightly.

"Guards!" Darrick shouted. In a few moments, the two Shadow Dwellers that Darrick claimed to be stationed at the cellar's entrance came into view.

"What?" One asked in a deep voice.

"I'm ready to take my place as Astaroth's heir, and to assist you in resurrecting him," Darrick announced. "I can see now that I was foolish for choosing mortals over my demon lineage. My father's vision is becoming clear to me, and I wish to see that he returns to make it happen."

Darrick was incredibly convincing as he spoke. Even I believed him a little bit. He stood tall, staring at the Shadow Dwellers confidently as he waited for them to respond.

When it seemed as though his planned hadn't worked, one of the demons came forward and unlocked the cell. As soon as it opened, Darrick shot from the cell with incredible speed, stabbing the Shadow Dweller that had opened the cell with my dagger. The other one barely had time to react before Darrick's hand plunged into his chest.

I noticed the clawed fingers as he pulled his hand from the Shadow Dweller's chest and wiped it on the demon's robe. He's a half-demon, so being able to transform like that shouldn't surprise me.

"We need to move," he told us. "We don't want to get trapped down here if more come. It would be better to face them out in the open."

I nodded, pulling my dagger from the Shadow's Dwellers head and holding it tightly. "Stay close," I whispered to Silas, following Darrick above ground.

We were spotted immediately by three Shadow Dwellers who rushed towards us. "It's now or never," Darrick grinned, his other hand transforming to match the claws on his already transformed hand.

"Silas, get ready to run," I said.

"I—I think I can smell the guildhall."

"Good," I smiled. "As soon as I tell you, run straight towards it. Don't look back until you get there."

"And then tell daddy you're in Astaroth's clearing," he nodded, a determined look on his face.

He looked so much like Gajeel in that instant that my chest swelled with emotion. Silas is the son of a Dragon Slayer. He'll make it out of here.

Darrick took on two of the Shadow Dwellers, keeping them occupied while I dealt with the third one. "Silas, now!" I shouted. As I finished off the demon, I heard Silas scream. I turned, freezing when I saw a Shadow Dweller holding onto Silas. He was struggling helplessly against the demon's grip.

"Silas," I called, "your breath!"

His terrified eyes met mine, and I saw understanding cross them. He gave me a small nod, calming down. He turned his small body to face the Shadow Dweller, then took a deep breath. "Iron Dragon's Roar!" The demon dropped Silas as shards of iron sliced into its face and chest. I smiled proudly, watching him disappear into the trees as he made his way back to Fairy Tail.

"Levy!" Darrick shouted, getting my attention. I ducked as a clawed hand swiped at me, jumping out of the way. "Stay on guard. I can sense at least four more coming this way."

"We can take them," I said, confidently. Darrick didn't look as confident. I noticed he was clutching the gash across his stomach, and there was quite a lot of blood dripping from it onto the ground. "Wendy will heal you as soon as we get to Fairy Tail," I told him, hoping he would make it that long.

"And then I can tell you everything," he added.

"No more secrets," I smiled, repeating what he had told me earlier.

He nodded, jumping back into battle with three more Shadow Dwellers. Damn, I thought as two came after me, I wish I had my gun! I could have taken out all five of the demons easily if I had still had it. It had been a long time since I fought like this, so a gun would have been easier than a dagger—and faster. I hope Silas is alright.

Darrick's plan had been to draw the attention of all the Shadow Dwellers to the clearing, allowing Silas to slip away into the forest undetected. By the time any of them noticed he was missing, he would be nearly to Fairy Tail, and out of their grasp.

"Darrick!" I shouted when a Shadow Dweller knocked him to the ground.

"I'm alright," he wheezed, struggling to his feet. "Keep fighting."

"You're chest wound is open now as well," I said, frowning worriedly at him. He was covered in blood—both his and the Shadow Dwellers'—and he looked extremely pale.

"Never mind me," he snapped. "Focus on the demons!"

"You'd better not die before you can tell me everything!" I warned.

He smirked. "I wouldn't dream of it."

~Gajeel~

"Over here!" I shouted to Natsu and the others. I had arrived back from the capital a few hours before, and had immediately joined back up with the search party. Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to find anything while I was away. As we were getting ready to move to a different part of the forest to search, I had picked up a familiar scent. That's Silas.

I ran towards the scent, praying it wasn't my mind playing some sick joke on me. A rustle from the bushes ahead brought me to a halt. I prepared to fight, noticing Natsu and Lucy do the same.

As soon as I saw the head of black hair, I nearly collapsed from relief. "Daddy!" Silas shrieked, spotting me once he was out of the bushes. He threw himself into my arms, and I held onto him tightly.

"Thank God," I breathed. "Where's your mother?" I asked, looking at him. "Where's Levy?"

Tears filled his eyes, but I could tell he was trying to put on a brave face. "She's with Darrick, fighting the Shadow Dwellers. There were so many of them, but she made me promise not to look back until I found you."

"Where is she?" I asked again.

"In—In Astaroth's clearing."

"Lucy, take Silas back to Fairy Tail. Have Wendy check him out to make sure he isn't hurt."

"Right," Lucy nodded, picking up Silas.

"I'll be right back with your mother," I promised before taking off, Natsu on my heels.

We reached the clearing in no time, and I thanked God that it hadn't been far from where we had already been looking. "Shrimp!" I shouted, transforming my arm into a club and smashing it into the head of the Shadow Dweller currently attacking her.

"Gajeel!" She gasped. She was covered in small cuts, but she didn't appear to have any major injuries. Darrick, on the other hand, didn't look as well off. He was bleeding heavily from two large gashes in his chest and stomach, and he was struggling against the group of four Shadow Dwellers he was facing.

"Natsu—"

"On it!" He grinned, rushing to help Darrick while I went to Levy.

"Are you alright?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her.

"Yeah," she sighed, "but Darrick—"

"Natsu's helping him," I said. I shoved her behind me when another Shadow Dweller attacked. I blocked its clawed hand with my Iron Dragon's Sword, and used it to cut the damned thing in half. Three more demons met the same fate when they were foolish enough to attack as well.

"How many more of these things are there?" I growled, watching as Levy took down another one. Was that ten, or eleven? I had lost count of how many I had killed, and I hadn't even been paying attention to how many Natsu and Darrick had taken out.

"I don't know," Levy answered, shaking her head. She was breathing heavily, and I remembered that it had been six years since she had been in any sort of battle.

"You okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "Don't worry about me. We need to take care of the remaining Shadow Dwellers and get Darrick back to Fairy Tail."

"How the hell did he even get here, anyways?"

"I'll explain later," she said. Another group of Shadow Dwellers attacked before I could reply. Natsu joined in to help out, and we soon finished them off.

"Darrick!" Levy exclaimed.

Another group of Shadow Dwellers had appeared while we were distracted, and had captured Darrick. When Levy ran towards them, one of the demons lifted its clawed hand and held it to Darrick's throat. "Don't come any closer," it warned in a low growl.

"Gajeel, take Levy and get out of here!" Darrick shouted.

"If she leaves, I will kill this man," the Shadow Dweller growled. "The dragon slayers will leave and send back the child—alone. We will then leave with all three of them, and you will not follow."

"No," Gajeel said, hatred radiating off him in waves. "I'm not doing a damned thing you bastards say."

"Take me," Levy said, stepping forward. "Leave Silas out of this, and let Darrick go."

The Shadow Dweller let out a blood-curdling chuckle. "Foolish woman. We need all three of you in order to resurrect lord Astaroth. Now," he pressed the tip of one of his claws into Darrick's skin at the base of his neck, "do as I say, and get the child. Or watch this man die."

"He's bluffing," Darrick shouted, looking directly at me. "Take Levy and get out of here. They need me, so they won't kill me."

"Why are you so willing to die for Levy and Silas?" I frowned, not impressed with his hero act. Even if the Shadow Dwellers wouldn't kill him, that didn't mean he wouldn't die anyways from the injuries he already had. If we left here without him, he would most certainly die. Since he had just met Levy, I wanted to know why he was so determined to protect her—and how he always seemed to know what was going on before anyone else did.

He glanced at Levy, but before he could answer, the Shadow Dweller holding him growled. "Enough! Woman, drop your weapon and come with us. We will obtain the child in a different way."

"You aren't laying another finger on my son," Levy snapped. "Let go of Darrick, and we might just make your deaths less painful."

This time, all of the demons laughed. "Foolish woman. This man is expendable. If he dies, we will find another to take his place. Don't test my patience any longer."

"You're not getting my son," Levy said. She gave Darrick an apologetic look, and he smiled in return. Even if it meant his life, Levy wasn't going to hand over our son—and neither would I.

In one swift movement, Darrick ripped off the arm of the demon holding him, and used its own arm to stab it in the chest. "Run!" He shouted.

I picked up Levy, doing as he said. He may be a bastard, but I can't hate him. Especially not now that he's sacrificing himself so we can get away.

"Wait!" Levy shouted, struggling against me. "We have to help him! In that condition, he'll die!"

"Don't you think he knows that?" I asked. "He wanted us to go, so we're going to honor that wish and get the hell out of here."

She managed to break free just as a cry rang through the air. I turned just in time to see one of the Shadow Dwellers plunge their clawed hand into Darrick's stomach.

~Levy~

"NO!" I screamed, taking off towards Darrick and the group of Shadow Dwellers.

"Levy!" Natsu and Gajeel called, chasing after me.

I tore my way through three demons to get to Darrick, and I heard Natsu and Gajeel begin fighting the remaining ones as I crouched down next to Darrick.

"Darrick, hang in there," I said, pressing my hands to the hole in his gut to try and stop the bleeding.

"Listen," he said, placing a hand over mine. "I need to…tell you the truth…before I—"

"Wait until we get back to Fairy Tail," I whispered, knowing he wouldn't make it that long. "Tell me once you're better."

He let out a short laugh, followed immediately by a wince. "Sorry. I don't think I'll be going back there again."

"You have to," I told him, feeling tears prick my eyes, "you promised Silas."

"Levy, the reason…the reason I came to Fairy Tail wasn't just because of the Shadow Dwellers' and the cult who worships Astaroth. I came so I could finally get to meet you."

"Why?" I asked.

"You know I'm a half-demon," he paused to cough, and blood covered his hand when he drew it away, "and you know that Astaroth is my father. But my mother…was Lillian…McGarden." I gasped. My eyes felt like saucers as they met his.

"M-My mother was…"

He nodded. "It was seven years before you were born. That's why she and Phillip left Fairy Tail. They wanted to protect me from Astaroth, but he still got to me. I was raised by a demon family in his service, and was trained as his second-in-command. When he found out your parents had given birth to another child, he was furious, and killed them out of anger. But, he let you live because he wanted to fight you when you were stronger, and make you suffer knowing he had taken your parents from you."

"They never said anything," I whispered, stunned.

"You were too young," he sighed.

"That's why you've been protecting me since you got to Fairy Tail," I said, more tears filling my eyes.

He nodded. "I've failed as a big brother up until now, so I hoped I could make it up to you."

"You have," I told him. "But you have to stay alive, alright? You can't die right after you tell me something like that!" I winced as my wrist suddenly erupted in pain.

You can't escape your fate that easily, boy, a voice rang inside my head. I gasped when I recognized it as Astaroth's voice. As if moving on its own, my arm with the moon tattoo lifted.

"Levy, what are you doing?" Gajeel asked, and the forest suddenly went quiet as he and Natsu defeated the last group of Shadow Dwellers.

I was too panicked too respond. I didn't know how, but Astaroth was controlling my body. I met Darrick's eyes, and he understood immediately. "Levy, he's going to—" Before he could finish, I brought my arm down, plunging it into the hole in his stomach.

"Levy!" Gajeel and Natsu both gasped.

"Darrick!" I cried, trying to pull my arm free. My tattoo was on fire now, and I felt dizzy.

He cried out in pain, and I watched as his eyes turned red. With a wicked laugh, he suddenly grabbed me around the throat with a surprising amount of strength. "Good girl," he smirked, but his voice was no longer his own.

"Astaroth," I breathed, staring at him in wide-eyed terror.

He yanked my arm from his body, and the wounds began healing almost instantly. He tossed me away like a doll, and I cursed as the last of my strength left me. "I will be back for you and my little vessel. It appears this body is a stronger host than I hoped. Thank you for delivering part of my soul to him."

He disappeared as Gajeel lunged forward to attack him, his laugh echoing off the trees around the clearing. Once he was gone, Gajeel ran to me, scooping me up.

"Levy?" He asked. "Are you alright?"

I was too weak to answer. I could feel consciousness slowly slipping away from me. I felt totally defeated. It all made sense now. The Shadow Dwellers had needed me because I still had a part of Astaroth's soul inside of me—just as Darrick had guessed. And Darrick had been the perfect body for the soul, since he was Astaroth's son—and my brother.

I felt tears leaking from my eyes as I slipped into unconsciousness. Darrick was my brother…and I killed him.