I heard Gajeel stand up, heard the growled words as he spoke to Juvia, although my brain couldn't connect what he was saying. I knew that I should be with the other kids, they'd be out of their minds with worry. I should let them know what happened, tell them... I couldn't finish the thought as I started crying again, clinging to the child in my arms. He could have been my brother. There had been this incredible thirst for knowledge in him that I connected with so greatly, because I remembered being there. I knew that feeling. I started humming a song I knew from my own youth, but couldn't remember the words to. I wanted to believe I had learned it from my parents, but I didn't know. It was in another language, from another country, and had been part of the reason I wanted to learn every language I could. I'd always wanted to know what it was I was singing, but then I'd forgotten everything but the tune. I felt a hand on my shoulder, but I couldn't stop the song. I had to finish it, had to sing it for the little brother I'd never had, who didn't have parents to sing him lullabies. Gajeel was gone, my other kids were gone, there was only me and James.

After a time, Juvia stood up and walked to the edge of what used to be my second home. I heard soft words exchanged between her and Natsu, and then silence fell again. A small part of my mind was marveling at how long Natsu had been standing guard so quietly. I don't think I'd ever seen him stay quiet for so long in his life, even when he was sleeping. There were voices behind me again as I ended my song, and I opened my eyes to realize darkness had fallen already. Had it really been a day? Just last night we were having a party and welcoming Lisanna home... and now I had to say goodbye to another family member. Footsteps were approaching me and I brushed a hand over my face, struggling to not begin crying again as I looked up, barely seeing him in the darkness. The moon was hidden behind clouds and there was nothing to illuminate the area, as if the world was mourning as much as I was.

"Shrimp, I need ya. Let me take him." I think if it had been anyone else I would have screamed, but I just nodded. Gajeel knelt in front of me, placing one hand over mine when it refused to let go. I tried, but I couldn't make my fingers do what I needed them to. He gently pulled at my hands, easing my grip until he could pull the boy into his own arms. James was gently cradled against him, in the darkness almost mistakable for a child merely sleeping. I followed him towards where the door to the warehouse used to be, pausing to hug Juvia tightly.

"Thank you." I whispered, feeling her squeeze me gently in response before she let go, turning to Natsu. "Juvia does not think there is any danger of rekindling at this point, but if Natsu-san thinks it necessary she can douse the area again?" The Dragon Slayer shook his head, glancing at the building. "I don't smell anything, I think we should get headed back to the guild. I don't want to leave that kid alone too long." I glanced at him in alarm, thinking immediately of defending Kasai. Surprising me again, Natsu pulled me into a hug. "Shh, it's okay Levy. I'm not saying this is his fault. But I know how he's feeling right now, and I might be able to help."

I hugged him tightly, trying to hold back more tears. I had a feeling I was going to be tired of crying pretty soon. The Fire Dragon Slayer stepped back, patting me on the head and smiling. "Go deal with what you need to, we've got the rest of this under control." I nodded and turned to see where Gajeel was. He'd stopped at the end of the street, waiting blankly for me to catch up with him. Just as I was about to run after him, something in the rubble caught my eye. I stumbled to it, picking the item up and cradling it against my chest as tears spilled over my cheeks again. As I caught up with him, the Dragon Slayer saw what I was holding and closed his eyes a moment before nodding and turning to walk towards the woods again.

We walked for only a short time before coming to the foot of a mountain. There was a narrow trail leading up, and I started up it when Gajeel paused at the entrance. It was an easy incline, for the most part, although there were a few times I stumbled in the darkness or had to almost crawl to clear a ridge. Somehow Gajeel didn't seem hindered at all, even with his added burden. As we neared the end of the trail, I stopped, breathing deeply to catch my breath. Ahead of me was a darkness that somehow trumped the lack of light we'd already been dealing with and I glanced over my shoulder at the Dragon Slayer behind me. He nodded and slipped past me, walking into the mouth of the cave. I flicked two fingers in the air, writing a word that only glowed faintly, light feeling too profane at this moment.

It glinted off something metal and I poured a little more power into it so I could see what it was, gasping as I took it in. Even though he'd only been gone a short time, Gajeel had wrought an intricate frame of polished steel. I didn't know where he'd gotten the metal, and would probably never ask, but it was beautiful and perfect. Sam laid serenely inside this frame that Gajeel had shaped like the trees in the winter, just trunks and branches. I couldn't focus on what he was doing on the other side of the cave, I was so captivated by the work he'd already done. As I studied it, words started forming in my head, and I began to run my fingers along the smooth metal base. My eyes took in the tiny birds that he'd formed, and the detail in the trees, feeling rough spots where he'd even etched bark into the trees. I don't know where I was getting the magic that I was pouring into the runes I was writing, and would have had to read them to even know WHAT I was writing, but I couldn't stop. All I knew was that it would protect her. There was a moment of finality and I lifted my fingers, watching the shimmer of magic fill the spaces between the branches, runes and words I'd written pulsing for a minute before sinking into the metal, where it would hopefully remain long after I was gone.

I turned to see what Gajeel was doing behind me as I heard a strange scraping sound and saw him shaping another frame around James. I had to cover my mouth to hide a gasp as I took it in, it couldn't have been more perfect. For my wonderful little boy, he'd made the outline of a library. All around the boy were tiny shelves of steel, made see through so the silhouette of the books was visible. There were sections he'd even gone so far as to give the books some detail, adding words on a few of the spines. There was one that caught my eye and filled it with tears. Centered above James' head, miniscule with cramped writing, it was perfect. Set so the "front cover" was showing, this tiny declaration of who James had been held the name of the children's storybook that I'd read that very first day. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.

I laid my fingers against the part of the frame that Gajeel had already finished as he worked his way around to complete the shaping on the back side, beginning to write again. I assumed I was writing the same things, but since I didn't really know the first time, I didn't put too much thought into it. I just opened myself to the magic that was begging to be used, and let it out. At one point I closed my eyes, feeling the tears that were pouring down my face again, and when I finally opened them, I was alone with these two children who had become so much of my world. There was a glimmer in the reflected light and the magic strung around them, and I looked around for Gajeel. Time had flown by again, and I found myself exhausted beyond anything I'd ever felt before. There was a soft light entering the mouth of the cave, and I dispelled the word I'd been using, sighing with relief as that constant drain was lifted. Stumbling towards the outline of a man leaning on the wall at the entrance, I made it outside, blinking quickly in the rising sun's light and let myself drop to the ground, leaning against his legs.

"She was so young, Shrimp. My little bird..." His words were broken, and I could feel his grief that matched my own. I nodded, sliding forward a little and patting the ground next to me. My Dragon Slayer sank to sit behind me, pulling me backwards into his lap and burying his face in my hair. "That's true, she was just learning to fly. This was a wonderful choice of a resting place, Gajeel. The sky will never be far away from her now." His arms tightened around me, and I could feel the shuddering breath that he took before his next words. "She shouldn't have tried to fly with dragons. Birds can't keep up with dragons, they just end up burned." I turned in his arms, wrapping my own around him as best as I could.

"Gajeel, you need to listen to me, and I need you to hear this fully. This was not in any way your fault. Not even a little bit of it. We still don't know what set Kasai off. It could have been a dream, it could have been a fluke. It could have been someone else completely. You cannot shoulder the blame for this, do you hear me?" His face remained buried in my hair as his shoulders shook, quiet sobs wracking his body. I started running my fingers through his hair, murmuring over and over that it wasn't his fault, that it would be okay, that I loved him.

As he finally calmed he whispered again, making me strain to hear him. "I shoulda trusted the guild. I shoulda brought the brats in after that first day. I shoulda..." I shook my head, pulling back and placing a hand under his chin to direct him to look at me. "I could have fought you harder. I could have told them anyway. I'm as much to blame as you in that respect, and we both did the best that we could for those kids. Who still need us, actually." Glancing at the sky again I considered the time. The other children were most likely asleep, at least I hoped, but we needed to get back to them. We needed to tell Fitz- "Oh no, Gajeel... Fitz..." The Dragon Slayer stilled a little before tightening his arms around me and standing to his feet, settling me in front of him.

"Ya did a good thing, writin' protections for them, Shrimp." I looked back into the cave, blushing a little. "Thank you, Gajeel. I want to write a few more here at the entrance, to keep wildlife out..." I stopped talking when I reached into my pocket, rummaging for a pen. As drained as I was I would need a little support in that respect. As my hand slipped into my pocket though, it brushed against the item I'd picked up from the warehouse before we left, the soft blue fur somehow untouched in the midst of all of the other ruin. Pulling it out, I smiled sadly up at the raven haired man standing next to me and handed it to him. He took it solemnly, turning to say goodbye one last time as he nestled the bear in the little girl's arms. I knew James still held the light pen I'd given him, and had nothing else to leave with him anyway. Quickly pulling my own pen out, I wrote protective runes across the mouth of the cave, waiting to complete them until Gajeel had left. I'd have to come back every year to renew these, but I had a feeling we'd have been back anyway. My Dragon Slayer paused at the head of the trail, turning back slightly to offer me his hand. I took it firmly and we went back, in search of our family so we could grieve together.