==[o0o]==
Natsu waved as Gajeel and Lily slowly walked up into the train station, he could smell Wendy and Carla nearby, walking up behind him as they chatted happily to each other about meeting Grandeeney again.
Natsu wore his usual backpack with Happy sitting on his head, waving happily as Happy munched on a fish.
Wendy had tied her hair up into a long pony tail and wearing a purple dress with two lilac stripes down the front. White sleeves covering her neck and arms with little purple and lilac decorations on the sleeves. Her black tights and purple sandals finishing the look. Carla looked unimpressed as she stood next to her wearing a small pink dress.
Before Wendy could greet the boys Natsu quipped at Gajeel.
"You look a little over dressed Metalhead!"
Natsu smirked looking at Gajeel's green shirt with beige trousers with black coat. An orange bandana sat on his forehead covering a few shards along with keeping his hair out of his face.
"Yah look stupid Flamebrain!"
Gajeel narrowed his eyes looking at Natsu's own ensemble, maroon jacket with one long sleeve, the right side cut off at the shoulder revealing his guild mark. Wearing his classic white knee high trousers with the belt holding the rest of his lower maroon material in place. His scarf sitting happily on around his neck.
"What did you say?!"
"Yah heard me! Flamebrain!" Natsu and Gajeel's faces were flat against each others.
"I said Metalhead!"
"Flamebrain!"
Natsu's flame began swirling around his body as Gajeel's fangs grew in anger.
"Oi! Shouldn't you be worrying about the train departing rather than fighting?" Lily stood transformed beside the raging pair,
"Tsk" Gajeel pulled off Natsu's face and stood leaning against the station platform wall.
"Ahh! Get back here!" Natsu waved furiously as the train departed, chasing after it down the platform.
"This is your fault we missed our train!" Natsu spat irritably
"My fault? You started on me first!" Gajeel growled angrily before Lily interrupted the pair once again.
"Enough! How are you going to take down these "Dragons" if you can't even act civil to one another?"
"I ain't gonna fight them, one of them might be Igneel!"
"Maybe Grandeeney will be there" Wendy clasped her hands together hoping that she could see her foster mother again.
"I highly doubt there are going to be any dragon's, did you actually see them?" Carla folded her arms standing next to Wendy's side.
"We didn't see them, but they could only of been dragons from the size of them!" Happy chirped as he hovered in the air, still munching on his fish.
"What yah mean you didn't see them? Yah told me they were dragons!" Gajeel moved away from the wall in disbelief he felt conned into joining Natsu and Wendy.
"Ahaha You got me! I didn't think you'd believe me if I told you otherwise!" Natsu rubbed his head laughing as his tongue flicked out his mouth.
"Tsk – I'm going home, I aint got time for this bullshit" Gajeel began to walk off, heading down the station steps before a small hand grabbed his coat.
Wendy's.
"Um.. Gajeel-san... What if its Metalicana?" she timidly spoke as she clung onto his coat, preventing him from walking.
He sighed as he turned around and bent down looking straight into Wendy's brown eyes,
"He ain't gonna be there squirt."
Wendy tilted her head at the nickname, "I'd really like it if you could join... I've never been on a job with you and.."
She began to get more nervous fumbling with her own dress as she wanted Gajeel to join desperately.
He watched her playing with her dress nervously, patting her head he stood up. Her very expressions reminded him of his hallucinations of Weevy.
The amalgamation of Levy and Wendy, two of the most important people in his life. He only discovered that he had been hallucinating when he mentioned her existence to Porlyusica who beat him over the head with a broom for believing she was real. She explained to Gajeel that she represented his need to survive, his subconscious had taken on a physical form, showing him the way and encouraging him even when he couldn't face it any more, Levy showing his love and Wendy his protective nature.
"Alright." Removing his hand from the top of her head he looked down at Wendy, a huge grin covered her small face before he grinned back.
"Gihi!"
Natsu and Gajeel watched Wendy drink a small potion before she stepped onto the newly arrived train, puzzled they asked her about it, she promptly explained it away, saying it helped with her motion sickness.
Natsu begged for her Troia, she gave a weak smile and apologised stating that she had used it too frequently in the last few months any more and it will become useless. The pink haired man sobbed as he stepped onto the train, slumping onto the seat as Happy sat beside him, waiting to lurch forward with motion sickness.
Gajeel laughed at how easily Natsu succumbed to the ailment before he too buckled forward as the train staggered forward out of the station. Neither had the strength to argue.
Lily, Carla, Happy and Wendy sat for a majority of the ride in silence before Lily pipped up, "This doesn't seem like a sensible idea to bring such a young lady on a potentially dangerous lead."
"I agree but she won't listen to reason, she's too stubborn" Carla responded bitterly as her white arms were folded against her pink dress.
"But Natsu really wanted Gajeel and Wendy to join him!" Happy smiled happily as he held a small fish in his paws. Sitting next to him his little green bag was open with a large quantity of fish hanging out as he offered them out during the ride.
The exceeds face softened looking at Natsu's fat motion sick face.
"ergh..." he managed to get out before a small bit of drool hung out a corner of his mouth.
Gajeel was in no better condition, he hung his head over his lap, using his arms trying to cover his motion sick face, trying to sleep it off until the train stopped. Every now and then Lily gave him a reassuring pat on his side.
==[o0o]==
Levy looked at Porlyusica as she read the book she was handed, Lost Vita. Turning around she stared hard at the young bluenette. "This had the potential to save the boy. But it will not work if your heart isn't pure."
The room she was stuck in with Porlyusica looked like a normal room filled with hundreds of books, a desk and a chair sat in the middle of the room. A small bed in the far corner alongside a small stove. Otherwise no other furniture. Just books upon books filled it from floor to ceiling almost.
Levy looked perplexed, surely she was pure enough, her love was strong enough she thought, before doubt settled on her eyebrows.
"You cannot have any feelings of doubt when using this magic. Every single part of this text is that of the very existence. Any faltering and it will not work." She looked concerned at Levy,
"If you truly believe you can achieve this then, take this book and study it. It is your only key to success. My potions will no longer work and his days are numbered. He will die."
Levy's heart ached as she heard the words, trying to block them out of her head, she didn't want to hear how the only man she loved was going to perish before he was even old enough. She looked at her feet before eyeing Porlyusica.
"I will do it!" she furrowed her eyebrows , holding up her tiny fist.
"I know I can!"
Porlyusica gave a small smirk before covering it up. "You must understand that this will come at a great cost. Your life for his."
It hit Levy like a tonne of bricks. Her life for Gajeel's. The ultimate sacrifice.
"Did you still want to proceed?"
She was terrified she didn't want to die, but equally she didn't want Gajeel to die either. With this spell she could prove to everyone how strong she was. She wasn't just some bookworm. She was powerful. A true Fairy Tail wizard.
Levy nodded through hot tears she didn't know were falling.
"Then lets get started. You don't have much time. This is suppose to take years to learn, you will learn it in a few days I truly hope you are ready."
==[o0o]==
The trio of Dragon slayers and Exceeds walked up the mountain range, nothing but orange rocks and dusty mountains stood ahead of them, following the barely worn foot path, a few dead bushes sat next to the pathway.
"Where did yah get the information from then?" Gajeel walked behind Wendy, keeping her in the middle of the line, even if he couldn't use magic his reputation and his physical skill was still powerful enough to threaten any would be bandits they might encounter.
"Uh.. some traveller, he said they were huge! Plus he said there were three, so I wanted you to come see them with me, apparently they are destroying small settlements and they want them to leave." Natsu grinned happily as he gave Gajeel a thumbs up, hoping to get a better reaction than a shrug and a "Tsk" from the man.
Natsu scowled at Gajeel, "Don't Tsk me!"
"I can Tsk anyone I want!" Gajeel shouted back, stomping his feet.
"I don't wanna be Tsk'd at!" Natsu waded through the exceeds and Wendy before throwing his face against Gajeel's.
"I don't care, I'll Tsk yah all I want!" Gajeel pressed his face up against Natsu's once again, small sparks flew out between them as they growled at each other.
Lily had just about enough of their childish bickering, "Enough! You are both here, now deal with each other like adults!"
Gajeel and Natsu grumbled before Natsu wondered back up to the front of the line, hoisting up his backpack, storming off ahead. Eventually they arrived at a clearing on top of a mountain.
"Get down!" Gajeel called as he pushed Wendy to the ground, covering her as a large object flew above them, narrowly missing them. Causing small rocks and dust to billow into a cloud around them before settling on their clothing.
"Happy! The guy was right!" Natsu shouted with fervour , as he held onto Happy under one arm.
"Is Igneel down there?" Happy called out, trying to move Natsu's rolling scarf out of his face to get a better look.
"They're enormous..." Lily gasped as he held onto Carla sheltering behind a small rock.
"So what's yah plan then aye salamander?" Gajeel dusted himself down, hoping that they hadn't been able to smell them with the wind direction still blowing towards them.
Natsu looked down onto the mountain crater, trying to identify if Igneel was down there.
"I can't see Grandeeney..." Wendy gave a small cry, she had built her hopes up too high.
Natsu shook his fists, "I aint gonna wait around, they might know where Igneel is! Grandeeney and Metalicana too!"
Hopping over the ledge he slid down on his feet using his hand as leverage, causing a large ball of dust to follow him down into the crater.
"OI! Where is Igneel!" He roared standing between the three large dragon looking creatures.
Gajeel looked closer at the creatures, he realised they were not dragons, the black beady eyes glared at the flaming cherry blossomed man. Leaving Wendy where she was Gajeel skidded down the side of the crater, watching as a large claw was raised pulling back it swiped at Natsu.
"Get out the way!" Gajeel shouted, as the claw began thundering towards Natsu's spot. Natsu turned around to look at Gajeel as the claw hit him square on the side, hurling him across the ground.
Gajeel spat as he caused Natsu to get hit, "Oi! What the fuck yah think yah doing attacking him like that!"
Each dragon like creature had only two legs, all decorated a different colour. A deep red shade, another a deep yellow and the third was a dirty brown to beige. They bore dark black eyes, snorting in annoyance that someone had found their nest.
Carla whispered to Wendy "Can you talk to them?"
Wendy nodded "I'll try..."
She dusted herself down standing at the top of the crater "Do you know where Grandeeney is? Or even Igneel and Metalicana?"
She shouted holding her hands to either side of her mouth, projecting her voice into the crater.
The wyvern's tilted their heads towards Wendy as they heard her speak, The yellow scaled one held its head back and unleashed a loud roar into the sky. All three Dragon Slayers and Exceeds held their hands and paws to their ears to stop them from being deafened.
Wendy tried again to communicate when the roar ceased, "You need to leave! You cannot harm any more people!" she held her arms out wide, commanding them to leave their nest.
This time the beige wyvern spread its wings and began to take flight as if abandoning the nest, flying high up into the sky before dive bombing Gajeel who narrowly dodged the attack. He crouched on the floor his legs splayed apart using his hand for balance. The beige wyvern gave a snort in amusement watching him closely.
Wendy kept a watchful eye on the two other wyvern's as Natsu stood up, pulling his back.
"Haha! I'm all fired up!"
"Let's do this, salamander"
Wendy nodded in agreement as she stood between the two other slayers, each choosing a different one to attack.
At the back of his mind Gajeel knew he couldn't use magic, he had to try and do it without.
"Lily!" Gajeel shouted up, instinctively Lily flew down and held onto him, Carla and Happy did the same, holding the three Dragon slayers in the air.
Natsu roared as his whole body caught alight, as he threw his fist into the face of the red wyvern "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
The red wyvern cries out as it flaps its large wingspan, heading up into the sky.
"Happy!"
"Aye Sir!" Happy launches off after the wyvern carrying a stern looking Natsu.
Wendy yelled out at the yellow wyvern "Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!"
The yellow wyvern pulled its wing across its face to protect itself from the attack, roaring up above its wing as the attack subsided, charging towards Wendy hovering above the ground.
The beige wyvern cocked its head as it pulled its claw back, swiping at Gajeel and Lily, each attack kept getting faster for Lily to try and dodge before the claw stopped. Gajeel held onto the claw with his bare hands, growling with fury, using all his strength to hold it. His fangs lengthening as the passion of the fight began to take hold. The wyvern pushed his snout close to Gajeel's face blowing hot air into his face.
Natsu and Happy darted high in the air above the other two, "Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang, Fire Dragon's Grip Strike!" he grinned like a mad man as Happy gracefully spun around the various snapping jaw and swiping of claw's, enabling Natsu to get a firm hold in the sky, matching the wyvern's counter attacks.
"That the best ya got!" he shouted, spitting out flames, almost regretting it as the wyvern changed tactics, flying straight towards Happy before he could fly out of the way, causing him to drop Natsu as he was hit by a wing.
"Natsuuu!" Happy yelled as he dove to catch the falling Natsu before he crashed into the ground.
Gajeel winced as the claw began digging into his stomach, screaming in rage he gripped harder onto the claw before a flash of Levy's blue hair and face shone in his face, he closed his eyes as he silently whispered,
Sorry shrimp
Before unleashing "Iron Dragon's Roar!" at point blank range to the beige dragon, releasing its grip on Gajeel allowing Lily to drop Gajeel onto the ground, breathing heavily, parts of his shirt came of in the wyvern's talons.
Wendy took her eyes off the yellow wyvern shouting to the Iron Dragon Slayer "Gajeel! Are you alright?" sounded concerned.
"Don't take yah eyes off the target squirt!" he roared before he had time to breathe another breath he watched the claw of the yellow wyvern.
"WENDY!" he and Lily screamed loudly as the claw hit both of them from behind, smashing them into the ground before another pounded into the bodies.
Lily transformed into his battle mode, running along side Gajeel "Iron Dragon's Club - Iron Dragon's Sword " crushing the jaw of the wyvern, pushing its way into the skull of the yellow beast, his arm turned into the razor sharp sword slicing up inside the skull killing it instantly.
The yellow wyvern fell to the ground causing it to shake as Lily picked up Wendy and Carla, flying them to a safe spot.
Gajeel turned back to face his own wyvern, before he could focus he felt the air being drawn out of his body, looking down he saw the beige claw burying deep into his sides. He could feel them digging into his body. He tried to shout out, mustering up as much magic as possible he forced his Iron Dragon Scales to surface, his whole body covered with scales, tearing off more parts of his clothing from the sheer force of magic.
Natsu looked down watching the green glow of Gajeel's body, unable to get a good glimpse, he smirked as he too was enjoying letting loose against the wyvern's.
Gajeel's scales flared violently outwards, causing the nails of the wyvern to snap off inside his body.
"Gi hi hi" He fell to the floor holding his head at an awkward angle before charging towards the roaring wyvern who was in pain.
His heart stopped.
Mid-running he faulted.
It restarted.
He watched the world slow down.
Slowly the wyvern's snapping jaw opened and closed as it neared Gajeel's slowing body.
Turning his head he caught a glimpse of Lily holding back Wendy and Carla. They were crying.
Why?
His body felt numb.
Turning back he saw the black eyes so close to his own.
His heart beat pounded slowly in his ears.
Each beat took minutes to sound.
Blood was slowly falling onto the ground from his waist.
He tried to move his arms.
Nothing.
Was this it?
He blinked.
Darkness?
A slow heart beat resounded in his ears.
Thud.
Thud.
Silence.
"GAJEEL!"
Natsu looked down and saw Gajeel on the floor a large pool of blood surrounding him as Wendy knelt beside his body, trying to use her sky magic on him. Lily used his fists to attack viciously, growling in distress trying to keep the beast at bay.
"Dragon' Slayers Secret Art Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade" He roared violently, as he swiped his arms in a circular fashion, creating the burning flames, destroying the red wyvern, causing it to crash into the ground, making a massive crater as it rolled down the mountain side.
Happy turned and used high speed enabling Natsu to use "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn" having a direct impact on the body of the beige wyvern, as it began to get the upper hand on Lily, the remaining wyvern collapsed onto the floor. Dead.
"Gajeel!" Natsu ran beside Wendy. She was sobbing.
"Oi! Gajeel! Say something!" He knelt down and punched Gajeel's white face
"Wake up Metalface!" He punched again and again, his cries ending up as roars trying to get Gajeel to come back to him.
"GAJEEL!" he screamed, sitting on the back of his heels, tears falling down his cheeks. Happy clung onto Natsu's jacket, sobbing as he looked at Gajeel.
Gajeel's bruised and beaten body lay covered in black scales. Wendy lay her head and hands against his chest, sobbing uncontrollably as Carla cried next to her, placing a paw on her side.
"If only I was stronger.. then I could of saved him..." she sobbed into his soft scales, hoping to hear a heart beat.
"Wendy..." Carla looked at her friend in distress.
Lily still in his battle mode stood at the foot of Gajeel, his face not showing any emotion.
"Nothing was going to save him." he said as he closed his eyes. Saying his silent farewells to his best friend.
Natsu looked up into the sky, his black eyes full of hatred still. He angrily slammed his fists into the ground trying to rid some of his emotion, shouting nonsense, spouting flames into the sky.
"All that we can do now is return to Fairy Tail" Lily reopened his eyes solemnly.
==[o0o]==
"I'm impressed Levy, you've certainly made great progress in understanding the magic of this book." Porlyusica watched Levy as she studied furiously over the several days.
"I'm afraid this is all the time you have Levy."
Porlyusica stood up from the wooden chair looking at a worn out Levy. She wiped her forehead with her wrist, she had discovered something within the text that Porlyusica wasn't aware of. Sighing she hoped it was enough as she headed back to Fairy Tail whilst Porlyusica diverted back to her tree house.
Opening up the doors to the guild she was warmly welcomed back, she smiled as Lucy ran up and hugged her.
"Levy!"
"Lu-chan! I haven't been able to chat to you in what seems like forever!" she beamed.
Lucy released Levy and pulled her to the table she was sitting at, "Natsu and Wendy went out with Gajeel on a job so its been a bit dull around here!" she giggled,
"At least I don't have to walk miles I can lounge out by the pool for a little bit! I managed to get enough jewel to cover my months rent three times over on our last job!" she clapped her hands, feeling excited about the spare jewel she had left over.
"Say Lu-chan, did you have any more of your novel ready for me to proof read?" Levy was dying to read the rest of it, she was already enjoying the first part and wanted to get her mitts on the rest of it.
Lucy rubbed the back of her head "No No I haven't had much time lately, with you know... Natsu" she blushed a little.
Levy bowed her head before springing it back up, beaming as both girls laughed. Each one were becoming wrapped up in their men.
The guild door blew open. Natsu's face was covered by his hair. Half of his face was covered by a dark line. Happy slowly walked beside Natsu who was looking rough around the edges. A large hole in his trousers by his knee, part of his jacket was missing.
"Oi Natsu! What's up with you?" someone in the back shouted.
Natsu ignored the shout, he walked slowly towards the table the girls sat at. His fists shaking. His face in a comatose like state. He stood behind Levy and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Le-vy..." He uttered.
Levy's world ended right there and then. She turned and looked up at the cherry blossomed man, he couldn't even look in her eyes. His face was red from tear stains.
"No..." she uttered holding fingers to her lips.
"NOOO!" she screamed.
Her lungs almost exploding as she unleashed it. Pushing his hand off her shoulder she pulled away from the table, stumbling onto the floor. She fumbled along the ground trying to find her feet.
"Levy... you don't wanna see him" he slowly turns around and grabs her by the scruff pulling her into a deep embrace. She burst into tears in Natsu's arms.
Lucy stood up pulling Levy and Natsu into her arms. Natsu pulled his arm away and brought Lucy in close too, burying his face into the crook of each girls necks. Utterly distraught.
Levy tried to fight to get out of the hug, she pushed and pulled before the pair let her go, her wild eyes scared Lucy slightly, she fled the guild hall.
And ran.
Levy... Forgive me.
She ran as fast as her little legs could go, her throat hurt as her tears fell hard, she choked slightly as she ran through the city. All she had on her mind was Gajeel. She had to see him.
Up the path she went, her breath becoming unsteady.
Pushing open the already ajar door to Gajeel's house she stopped instantly. Lily stood in front of her.
"Levy..." he whispered before being scooped up into her arms. His little arms outstretched, clutching hold of her chest as he silently cried with Levy burying her face into his fur.
"W-where i-s he..." she managed to get out.
"His bed..." Lily wiped his eyes as Levy slowly walked towards the closed bedroom door.
She opened the door and stood in the doorway, looking at a fraught Wendy. Carla sat on the other side of Gajeel at the top of his head, she was equally upset.
"Gajeel..." Levy's hazel eyes couldn't cry any more, but yet tears still fell. Her heart was broken.
Wendy looked up as Levy walked in slowly, she fumbled with something in her hands. Standing up she moved away from the bed allowing Levy to come closer.
"Levy-san.. Um.. Gajeel... He wanted me to give you something..." she held out a very small black pouch with something metal jingling inside of it.
"He. He also had a message" as Levy took the pouch and opened it up as Lily was still held in her arms.
Levy pulled out two beautiful decorated rings. Both with intricate dragon's adorning them. The eye of the dragon's were cast with a red ruby. Matching that of Gajeel's own. They were incredible. One to fit Levy the other to fit Gajeel.
"Gajeel wished to tell you this himself but..." Wendy started, trying to hold herself together
"Thank you for bringing light into my world. Please keep shining bright for the whole world to see. I Love you, Levy Redfox"
Wendy and Carla excused themselves from the room, closing the door behind them as they waited in the cold feeling living room, crying into each others arms.
Dropping Lily gently onto the bed Levy walked up to the side of Gajeel's body. She could barely recognise him, his metal shards were covering his entire body. His lush long hair was blooded and stuck to his face.
She pushed away the strands of hair, she tried to smile as she looked down at him. Levy sat down on the edge of the bed, holding his hand on her lap. His palms were still soft, the bluenette held onto it for as long as she could, trying to memorise his face without shards.
It hurt.
"Gajeel.." Lily held his paw on his nakama's boot. Not wanting to let go.
Levy hadn't reacted to the words Gajeel had spoken to Wendy in his final moments. She didn't want to believe he was truly gone.
Clutching the rings in her hand she looks at them one more time, pulling them up to her heart before throwing herself over Gajeel's lifeless body. Screaming for him to come back to her.
==[o0o]==
AN: Please leave your thoughts.