"The essential truth of life, he was coming to realize, wasn't romantic and took only two words to label: Shit. Happens. But the thing was, you kept going. You kept your friends and your family and your mate as safe as you were able. And you kept fighting even after you were knocked down." ― J.R. Ward, Lover Mine

Levy and Lucy had been hard at work since Gajeel had rushed away. Levy's brow creased in worry, her lips set in a grim line as she tried to keep her mind on the task at hand. She'd never seen him so shaken before. He was always so stoic unless teasing her with that mischievous smirk that would often lit up those red eyes with electricity. The only other emotion she'd ever seen him have was a grim determination when he'd saved Lucy, or that obvious look of annoyance that would turn the corners of his lips down whenever Natsu or Grey were around.

But the look in his eyes when he suddenly left…

"Levy, I think I found something," Lucy suddenly piped, bringing the bluenette out of her progressively negative thoughts and calling her brown eyes to the page Lucy had opened to. They'd been looking through any books about myths and folklores that they could find since Lucy was kept in the mansion and so never exposed to the conspiracies of the townsfolk in the area. But the passage they'd found was chilling.

"It is said that the Ankou is a death omen that collects the souls of the deceased. The Ankou is thought to be the last person to die in a parish during a year and will assume the duty of calling for the dead. They describe the Ankou as a tall, haggard figure with long white hair and a wide brimmed hat pulled down to cover his face. The Ankou is said to drive a cart and carry a large scythe and stops at the house of someone who is about to die. It knocks on the door, a sound that is sometimes heard by the living, or it could give out a mournful wail like the Banshee. The Ankou has also been reported as an apparition entering the house, it takes away the dead who are then placed in the cart with the help of two ghostly companions."

"You think that's who he was talking about?" Lucy murmured, her eyes studying the aged paper as if it would give her more answers.

"I don't know…" Levy let out a tight sigh, leaning back against the chair she'd taken post in and twiddling her fingers nervously, "You… you don't think I should have followed him, do you?"

Lucy shot her a sly look, "You're worried about him?"

"I-I mean…" Levy blushed and looked away, taking refuge behind her blue curls, "He seemed really worried…"

"You liiiiiike him…"

"Lu! I do not!"

"That's not what it looked like when you were on top of him earlier,"

"That was an accident!"

"Then why are you turning red?"

A knock at the window suddenly jolted the two out of their conversation. Lucy peered through the window cautiously before letting out a surprised yelp when someone jumped into view.

"Natsu!" Lucy hissed, sliding the window open quietly, "What are you doing here?!"

"Hey, Luce," he smiled widely, that look alone brightening the entire room as he climbed in, "I, uh, well…"

"Move over, lame brain!" Grey shoved him over as he tried to make purchase on the windowsill, "I gotta get in too, ya know!"

"Grey? Juvia? What are you guys doing here?" Levy asked curiously as Juvia wafted in after, not bothering with climbing and choosing instead to just ghost through the wall as Gajeel had only hours before. Levy's brow furrowed as she took in the reapers look, her eyes red from fresh tears and numb horror in her gaze. Levy felt her stomach twist uneasily, "Juvia, what's wrong?"

For a moment the reaper tried to hold back her tears before falling to her knees in harsh sobs. Levy rushed to her side and put her arm around her, her stomach sinking as she thought of what could have caused Juvia to break down like this. She looked up to Grey and Natsu, eyes imploring for answers but the two only replied with shock on their faces.

"Juvia… what happened?" Levy tried to be calm, but her voice seemed to be wavering despite her efforts.

"Juvia doesn't know…" she spoke between sobs, her voice so full of grief it made Levy's heart ache, "They… they're all…"

"Who's they?" Grey said, coming to her side – albeit awkwardly – and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"M-my district… the people I watch over…"

"What happened to them?" Levy met her icy blue eyes, searching for answers amidst the hopeless sorrow.

"They all got sick… it was awful. No one knows a cure… so many of them," her voice stopped and Levy watched as her face contorted in horror as she remember something, "And then, a man in a cart came. He screamed and they all… they…"

"They what Juvia,"

"They all died!" she wailed, throwing her arms around Levy and burying her face into her shoulder, "Juvia couldn't do anything! Their souls were stolen away by… by…"

She lost herself in delirious sobs and Levy wrapped her arms around her shoulders, trying her best to comfort her. She did everything she could think of, warming her, trying to make her feel calm, and consoled her as best she could. After a time, her weeping started to quiet and she released Levy from her embrace.

"Where's Gajeel?" Natsu suddenly voiced, causing Juvia to stiffen in alarm.

"Juvia left him," she said quietly, her eyes once again filling with horror, "Gajeel told Juvia she had to run, she had to get Natsu and Grey and go to the mansion. But Gajeel didn't run after her…"

Levy felt like she was going to get sick. She could only imagine what a threat this strange reaper had to be if he had Gajeel worried enough to tell Juvia to run. Had he stayed to try and free the souls? But if he had, why wouldn't he ask for help? Especially when he didn't even know what he was up against?

Her heart stopped.

What if he was hurt?

Or worse…

"I'm going to look for him," Levy suddenly concluded, standing up and heading for the door.

"What? Are you crazy?" Lucy grabbed her arm, "You heard what Juvia said. What if this thing is seriously dangerous?"

"So Gajeel should be left out there to fight it alone?" Levy turned around on her, eyes uncharacteristically frenzied, "What if he gets hurt?"

"Gajeel's a strong reaper, he'll be fine," Lucy protested, though she didn't meet Levy's gaze directly, showing her doubt.

"Whatever it is, he was wary of it. Why else would he come here and try and figure out what it was?" Levy protested, snatching her arm away and turning again, "I have to do something,"

"Like what? You're not a fighter, Levy!"

Suddenly, a sound like thunder shook the building and caused them all to freeze. Levy doubled over, pain suddenly making her heart ache. This was a feeling she'd known before. She'd felt it before once when Lucy had broken her arm and then against when later in her life she'd broken her ankle. She'd felt something similar the night when Lucy had been attacked. This feeling meant someone was seriously hurt, but when her eyes when first from Lucy and then to the rest of them in the room she bit her lip as confusion made her head spin. If they weren't hurt, then who…?

"Gajeel!" Juvia gasped and fazed through the wall. Levy scrambled for the window, her eyes widening at the sight.

There were scorch marks in the grass around where a hunched figure stood, what looked to be green energy snapped around him. He suddenly fell to his knees and then over to his side as Juvia rushed towards him. Levy felt her heart seize, a feeling like her world was smashing around her. Was he… did he just…?

She rushed up to the window, throwing it open and jumping to the wet grass. She almost tripped over her own feet in her haste as she rushed to where the two were. Juvia was yelling his name, trying to get him to respond.

No.

Nononononono.

"For Mavis's sakes, get off me Rain Woman!" his voice was gruff, trying to hide the fact that he was in pain. He tried to push himself up, his arm wrapped around his side protectively as Juvia tried to help him.

Rain suddenly started to pour.

"Juvia's so sorry!" Juvia wailed, tears flowing again, "She shouldn't have left, she should have stayed and helped…"

"Shut the fuck up," he snapped, making her fall into a shocked silence, "There wasn't shit you could do,"

"Gajeel…" Levy's voice wavered as she looked at him, pain evident on his face as he once again tried to stand. She moved quickly, unclipping his cape and pushing it away from whatever wound he was hiding.

"O-oi…" he protested, trying to keep her away despite the sluggishness in his limbs. She shoved his arm away, exposing a deep gash that ran from his hip all the way across his naval. Blood was soaking his shirt and saturating the ground.

"Juvia," Levy spoke numbly, dread making her voice shiver, "go get some bandages,"

When she looked into his gleaming red eyes, her breath hitched. Pain was evident, writhing and angry and making his face grimace despite him trying to stave it off. But lying underneath the pain a fury shuffled against his soul, so powerful and incensed it make his ruby eyes look like dark, swirling pools of blood. For a moment, he grabbed Levy by the collar and pulled her close enough for his breath to whisper hot and tattered across her face.

"I ain't gonna die," he growled, fangs flashing, "I'm gonna kill him first."

Someone asked for the authors of the quotes I had listed before, so here they are if you were interested :) And I'll go ahead and start posting the authors and books the quotes are from from now on. Thanks for reviews! I really appreciate them :)

Chapter 1: Jean Cocteau
Chapter 2: Urr (From Fairy Tail)
Chapter 3: (I don't own this quote but can't find who wrote it, sorry D: )
Chapter 4: Isobelle Carmody (The Farseekers (The Obernewtyn Chronicles, #2))
Chapter 5: Jessica Darling (my sister)
Chapter 6: Carrie Underwood
Chapter 7: Alain de Botton
Chapter 8: George R.R. Martin (A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2))
Chapter 9: Lisa Kleypas (Sugar Daddy (Travises, #1))
Chapter 10: David Sedaris (Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls)
Chapter 11: Edgar Allen Poe (The Mask of the Red Death)
Chapter 12: G.G. Renee Hill (The Beautiful Disruption)
Chapter 13: Robert G. Ingersoll (Humboldt From 'The Gods and Other Lectures')