Author's note: I'm frigging exhausted. Cannot express how insane these past two weeks have literally been. Prepared for a con, job interviews, went to a con, saw a lot of my friends, appointments, met up with very long time friend, emergency vet visit, how I'm still in one piece is beyond me. Time to get back to the story!

Chapter 21: The Couple in the Crystal

Gajeel made it in first to the ship and soon pulled Levy through the window, once her feet hit the ground, the lovers looked around the ship and studied it's interior. The ship was made from some of the finest wood out there, it was old and creaky but nothing too serious. There was a scent of wood but also a thin trace of salt. There were cobwebs in small areas of the ship and gold coins and gems scattered all over the place. But what caught their attention the most, was when they noticed tiny crystal shards embedded into the floor and walls.

"If that ain't a big hint I don't know what is." Gajeel muttered out loud.

"That has to lead to where Mavis and Zeref are!" Levy exclaimed "I think if we keep following the crystallized walls we can find Mavis and Zeref."

"Yeah, quicker we get there, better off they are."

"I hope we can get them out soon. I feel pretty bad for them Gajeel, they've been under this spell for so long." Gajeel then put a reassuring hand on Levy's shoulder as if to comfort her.

"We'll get'em out." Gajeel assured "We'll end this nightmare once and fer all. I swear it." Levy smiled at Gajeel's words before they moved forward. As they moved forward, they noticed the crystals growing in size and a light coming from a nearby room. Gajeel and Levy exchanged glances and soon began to run down the hall until they reached a door hat was crystallized shut.

Gajeel placed his hand against the door and felt the cool stone against his palm.

"Looks like a sword won't open it." Levy realized as she stared at it.

"Good thing I stole some dynamite off of Porla, gihihihihi." Gajeel smirked in an evil manner as he pulled out two sticks of dynamite and a match.

"Wait- Gajeel, what're you doing?"

"What's it look like? I'm gonna blow the shit outta this bilge rat of a door!" he flicked the match till it lit up and put the tiny flame to the dynamite causing it to light and begin to give off a tsssssssssssss noise.

"RUN!" he hollered. Gajeel grabbed Levy and ran down the hall until they heard a KA-BOOOM! and felt the ship shake. They fell to the ground, covering their heads from any debris, once the quakes had ended, the pirates got up from where they landed and raced back to the explosion where they found the door completely blasted off and damage to the rest of the ship.

"I can't believe that worked." admitted Levy "That seemed to me like it wouldn't-"

"Get in." interrupted Gajeel.

"I'm sorry?"

"Get in, the fucking ship is repairing itself!"

She looked with wide eyes as the ship began to repair itself. Gajeel grabbed Levy, flung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and rushed into the room, right when the door and ship completely repaired itself, only this time, there was no crystal on the door.

"That must be the ship's magic." Levy realized "The ship must repair itself when it's damaged."

"A ship that can repair itself?" Gajeel pondered "That could save a hell of alotta gold."

He let Levy down from his grip and as they looked around the room, they noticed the room was decorated in large crystals and soon, they found a very large crystal in the room. That large crystal, had two people in it. A man and a woman, both cradling in each others arms in what appeared to be their last moments: Captain Mavis Vermillion and Captain Zeref Dragneel.

"That has to be them." Levy said out loud "We have to get them out!" she went to grab a nearby chair or something to help break the crystal and began to bang against he hard rock. As she continued her assault, she stopped when she suddenly heard a simple c-click.

Levy suddenly felt her blood run cold and felt her heart race, this wasn't good.

Please don't be who I think that was. she silently prayed to God. As she turned her head, she found Gajeel with his hands up and Jose standing in front of them with a gun in hand.

"Step away from that crystal girl." he ordered, Jose looked disheveled and a look in his eye told her he was mentally unstable. Levy obliged in a calm manner and made her way closer to Gajeel "I've had enough with ye two and yer crew! This ship belongs to me and me alone and I won't let ye and some dead couple get in my way!"

"What about yer crew?" Gajeel pointed out.

"Fuck them! They're a bunch of useless idiots!" Jose barked "Can't do anything right and even when things go right they screw up! Better off alone at this point! Now, I'm going to count to three and when I do, I will kill yeh both. Ye caused me enough trouble! I will get my ship even if it kills me! One...Two...Thr-" he was cut off when a bright light omitted from the crystal both Mavis and Zeref were trapped in. The light was blinding and caused all three to cover their eyes.

Once the light had diminished, they witnessed the couple that was trapped for over 100 years fall onto the ground, unable to use their bodies due to lack of movement all these years and then finally, both finally opened their eyes.

"Ma...Mavis..." Zeref croaked out as he tried to get his arm to pull Mavis in closer.

"W-what happened?" Mavis hoarsely asked.

"I think yer spell was broken. We're free."