AN: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima!
Hey! If you're wondering why this is four hours early, thank the people of Tumblr. I made a jokey post that I honestly didn't think would get so many notes! This is me keeping my promise to update early. How early was determined by the number of notes! XD So, thank you so much for favouriting/following/liking/reading/reblogging/reviewing! I'll let you down off the cliff now! XD Thank you so much to MakeItHale for doing such a wonderful job of BETAing this and dealing with my half-asleep mumblings! XD
Please enjoy this latest chapter! ^_^ (Rovr u nerrna viparketh et rka nuthouha ik Gajiru has of course been updated again! ^_^ )
Chapter Twenty-Five
"There he is!"
"The guards have realised I have broken loose." The male grunted, looking down a corridor at the men running towards them. "Leave her here – we must leave, now!"
"Vkrepr, I-"
"I am coming with you! I told you that I would always help you, so let me!" She argued, yelping in surprise as he grabbed her wrist, pulling her after him.
"I told you to leave her! Will you never do as you are told!?" The male snapped, glaring back at Gajeel as they dashed along corridors, seemingly at random. "Leave her or pick her up! She is slowing us down!"
"Vkrepr, sorry!" He mumbled, hauling on her wrist hard enough to pull her off of the ground, causing her to cry out in pain. "The pain will pass, but I am sorry, Vkrepr." He grumbled, not sounding particularly apologetic as she landed against his back, his hair making a surprisingly soft landing. "Hold on." He grunted, letting go of her wrist.
She held on desperately as the two males suddenly picked up speed, using their long legs to their full advantage as they raced through the corridors, almost instantly reaching the doors that lead into the main palace. She braced herself as the larger male forced his way through the two guards that had positioned themselves in front of the doors to stop them. The men were knocked out the way, imitating loose paper caught in a draught. She heard the doors splinter as the giant male forced his way through them, releasing himself into the main palace.
Levy glanced up over Gajeel's shoulder. Suddenly, Gajeel's hands reached back and clutched at her sides roughly, making her call out as she felt him threaten to snap her ribs like the neck of a chicken. She unscrewed her eyes as the pain slowly faded, just as a blur of yellow, green, and silver rushed past them. Why had Gajeel suddenly decided to hurt her? It did not make sense! Perhaps she had been right to question if the Gajeel she knew was the real Gajeel, or if he was just a facade made to catch her off guard? This definitely was not her Gajeel. Her Gajeel would never try to hurt her as this one did.
"Which way?" Gajeel growled, coming to a complete standstill, his head snapping from street to street as Levy suddenly became aware that they were outside.
"This way." The larger male nodded, the two suddenly taking off again, Levy's world becoming a blur once more.
She felt herself being lowered gently; her sandaled feet brushing against something soft. She sleepily opened her eyes, yawning, as she released whatever she had been clinging to. She tried to flex her fingers, crying out in pain as her left wrist screamed at her. What had she done to it?! Her fingers ached, but that did not even matter! What had happened to her wrist?! A large, tanned and scarred hand encircled her wrist carefully, turning her arm gently. She followed the studded arm, her memories of that evening flooding her mind as her gaze met Gajeel's concerned face. She pulled back, stumbling on the surprisingly pliable surface. She glanced down, realising she was standing on a bed that had been covered by a dust sheet.
"Vkrepr...I had to...It had to be believable...I really am sorry." Gajeel frowned, trying to take hold of her wrist again gently. Levy snapped her arm out of his reach and held it close against her chest, trying to ignore the throbbing pain.
"You say she is family and yet she looks back at you with terror." The larger male mused, collapsing onto a covered chair, making himself comfortable. "She should be the one on the floor for the night, not the one on the bed."
"He surprised me...He has never hurt me before...I knew he could, but I let myself believe that he never would." She replied quietly, unsure if the strange male could even hear her.
"I assume you are referring to physical pain, or was that suffering you were showing caused by someone else?" He challenged, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Who hurt you, Vkrepr?! I will make them pay dearly for it!" Gajeel snarled, reaching for her again.
"'Vkrepr'? I thought you said her name was 'Levy'? If 'Vkrepr' is your name for her...I do not know what to say." The male scoffed, turning his attention to Gajeel. "And it was you who hurt her, you fool of a boy!"
"I am not a boy." Gajeel huffed, searching Levy's eyes for something, gently taking her wrist from her clutches. "I did not want to hurt you, Vkrepr."
"You truly named her after a tiny creature of the water? I suppose that is fitting. Is she also only of use to us in summer?" The older male smirked, watching them closely.
"She is small and her hair is like the ripples in the river while we watch for Vkrepr...I also met her in summer and I did catch her." He explained, a note of amusement entering his voice as he finished. "She fell when she was trying to get a 'book' and I caught her, gihe!" He grinned as her cheeks began to heat. "Does this hurt?" He continued, gently flexing her wrist, earning a grimace from her.
"Definitely very fitting." The older male snorted, closing his eyes. "You know that you cannot keep her?"
"I know, but I do not want to leave her yet..." Gajeel sighed, his gaze burning into her bruising wrist. "I came here to find you...and tell you what the Fiorian King has done."
"He will not live long, so whatever he has done now will be of no consequence. You did not need to come – I have claimed my revenge." The larger male grunted, his fists clenching on the arms of the chair.
"Father?" Gajeel replied questioningly, turning his attention to the older, silver-haired male.
"Do you remember why I left last summer?" The male asked, not returning Gajeel's gaze.
"You did not leave last summer...you left four summers ago...I was still a boy, but you left us." Gajeel muttered bitterly, rubbing his rough thumb gently over the purpling skin. "Mother granted me leave when I survived my eighteenth winter and she promised me my final stud if I returned successful from my lone hunt for you."
"I am sorry, but you must understand why I left? I had to find out if the rumours your Princess told me were true. You know I did not want to believe them." The male sighed heavily, suddenly looking very tired.
"The Princess of Fiore mentioned something about a male with dragon-scale tattoos...Was he an important member of your royal family?" Levy asked quietly, instantly regretting her words as an angry snarl escaped Gajeel's father.
"How much have you told her?! You should not have even taught her our language! You fool! I should cut your hair right here with my own hands!" He roared, suddenly on his feet, a deadly glare directed at Gajeel.
"She knows almost nothing, so do not complain. She knows that you are my father and that we are of the Ragkiz family. She knows the meaning of our studs and our hair, and she knows the meaning of the dragon-scale tattoos – she knows nothing else!" Gajeel snapped back, baring his own teeth.
"You have betrayed us! Why should I believe you?!" The older male snarled, the white of his teeth flickering between his lips as they twitched.
"We are kupeno." He grunted, all the fight leaving his body as he turned back to Levy. "I am sorry about my father...He is angry with me, not you. Had you been a passerby, he wourd not have given you a second grance. It is my faurt he threatens you."
"It is okay, Gajeel...If he is like you, then I shall have to trust him too." She smiled brightly, earning a snort of amusement from Gajeel. "If he is your kupeno, I shall treat him as my kupeno."
"Are you sure you can trust this beast with your rife?" Gajeel joked, jabbing the thumb of his free hand towards his father.
"What are you saying?" The male grumbled, frowning at them while the ring piercing of his bottom lip twitched.
"He prays with the ring with his tongue when he is surking." Gajeel explained, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice. "Vkrepr...wirr-"
"Hello, father of Gajeel. My name is Levy McGarden." Levy began, stepping down from the bed, positioning herself between Gajeel and his father.
"...Father of Gajeel...? My name is Metalicana, child." The male snorted, falling back into his seat.
"That means he rikes you." Gajeel whispered quietly in her ear, making her giggle.
"You said 'McGarden'...How much do you know of the events ten winters ago?" Metalicana sighed heavily, watching her closely.
"I do not know what you mean? I was four winters old...almost five springs?" Levy explained, sitting back down on the side of the bed, feeling the bed move as Gajeel joined her. "What happened?"
"Born in the spring...? My eldest sister was captured and her mate went in search of her. A rumour reached me that ten years ago, he found the place where his son was being held – my sister had been heavily pregnant when she was taken. She should not have left her home, but she was never one to sit still...They would have managed to take her with very little effort." He grumbled, rubbing his forehead wearily. "The rumours say that her mate was executed by your people, but I had no reason to believe that. His son is rumoured to have gone missing, so I came here to Fiore to find out if the rumours were true. The rumours took six summers to reach our people. I did not make it past the Border, but I realised that the men attempting to capture me were high ranking. I figured I could find out about our missing King by listening in on their conversations."
"Your King?!" Levy gasped in horror, feeling Gajeel gently wrap his arm around her waist.
"Yes, our King. I have heard rumours identical here and I find myself believing that the family of my sister is no longer with us." Metalicana sighed, pain etched across his sharp features.
"I have seen the son of our King."
"Gajeel?" His father mumbled questioningly.
"Sorry...I have seen the son of our King. He looks just like his father, but has the spirit of his mother. You can tell he is one of our people in just one glance." Gajeel explained, watching as his father straightened up in his seat.
"You are sure he is the next true King of our people?" Metalicana demanded, narrowing his eyes at Gajeel.
"I do not know if he would make a good King, and he cannot speak our language, but he is definitely the son of King Igneel." Gajeel replied, holding the older male's gaze. "He has the eyes of our people, the hair and eye colours of his father and, as I said, he has the spirit of his mother. He is their son. He is even the right age. If you saw him, Father, you would recognise him as your nephew, as I did a cousin."
"If that is true, we must take him back with us. Will he come willingly?" Metalicana asked, frowning slightly as he tried to read his son.
"He will not be sure of what is happening. He has been raised by a Fiorian family since he was five summers. He would be leaving behind his family and the one he wishes to become his mate, for the sake of following two strangers who are telling him that they are taking him to his people." Gajeel explained, not bothering to hold back his doubtful tone.
"Gajeel...Who are you talking about...?" Levy inquired nervously, looking up at him as she bit her lip.
"Prince Natzu of the Gruhtaan famiry."