The next full moon
Night Terrors screeched around the room, their eerie, echoing screams filling every hole in Levy's fuzz. She huddled under the unused Base for Entering Dreamland, curled up on her bagel chair. Her fuzz hung in tatters and her glow sputtered and sparked no matter how hard she tried to get it back under control. A Terror flew past the base of the BED and Levy bit back a scream, tucking herself deeper within the sea of forgotten socks.
She held her head in her appendages, emotion filling her eyes and trailing down her face. Her breath hitched and she bit back a sob as yet another group of Terrors cackled above her.
Some protector I have turned out to be...
What had started off as simple Nightmares when Wendy was first brought home had quickly turned into Terrors and the poor child could hardly pass by the Bed-room room-portal without bursting into tears. The wandering Nightmares had quickly infiltrated the room, their numbers overwhelming a simple MUB like her and her weak, time-changing magic. They clung to the shadows where she could not reach and seemed to multiply whenever she managed to destroy even just one of the monsters. They completely overtook the room, only stopping to rest when the bright sunlight filled the room or the parentals worked on reinforcing the wall-portal.
Another Terror streaked past the floor and the emotion burned away from her eyes. She glared at the blanket dangling over the bed, wishing her glare was even remotely like Gajeel's and could terrify the creatures away.
But Gajeel had not returned. Not even after four quarter cycles of the moon. Not even after she begged Boogeyman Makarov to search for him just one more time. She was the sole protector of the sacred BED-room. If she failed now, then Wendy would never feel safe sleeping in her own BED, forced to always stay in the large room with her parentals. The girl was only just beginning to become brave enough to spend time alone, to finally venture from the safety next to her parentals sides.
Now was the time to bring the child back to her proper room.
Levy jumped to her feet, heart pounding. Her appendages tingled, but she didn't care. She took great, heaving breaths, forcing her static to cling to what little fuzz surrounded her. She pushed her magic to the maximum, blazing her glow as bright and pure as she could manage. She would cleanse the room for her child! She would eliminate Wendy's fears or die trying!
Grabbing a small bouncing ball as a weapon, she hopped on her toes and with a warrior's scream she hoped would make Gajeel proud, she rushed past the blanket and into the main section of the room.
The Night Terrors screeched and flew toward her. She cried out, scrunching her eyes shut, and threw the ball in their direction. Their screams grew larger and Levy huddled into a ball, covering her head with her appendages.
A rush of wind blew past her, blowing away the remaining fuzz on her body. Night Terrors shrieked and thudded against the walls. Something wet hit her arm and she shuddered, waiting for the torrent to end. A heartbeat later, the wind ceased, leaving the room as clear and calm as before the Dreaded Night.
"Who in blazes put these here? Blasted locks made it near impossible for me to find an opening."
Levy jumped to her feet, heart thundering in her chest. "Gajeel?"
The large shape of a shadow dragon morphed into a persons-shape. Gajeel shook his arms, wiping stray bits of Terror dust from his shadows.
"Tch, stinkin' terrors thinkin' they could take over the place when I'm not here."
"Gajeel!" she sobbed, rushing toward her monster.
With a cry she launched herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. She peppered his face and lips with kisses, not caring that he smelled of smoke and ash and dirt.
"Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere? Let me see!"
She grabbed his head and jerked it to the side. She yanked his arms above his head, checking for any hidden injury she could find.
"Oi, careful..hey, wait Shrimp, I'm still super weak...Oi, take it easy!"
She dropped his arm and wiped her sleeve across her eyes, her body burning. She beat her fists against his shoulder with all the frustration and fear she felt over the last full moon.
"You big dummy! Did you not know how worried I was for you? Where have you been? You were supposed to follow right behind us, you...you impulsive! Thoughtless! Reckless dragon! You n-negligent...you brash...foolhardy...of all the harebrained ideas, careless…" she stumped over her words and felt Gajeel's strong arms wrap around her.
"Sorry, Shrimp...must have put ya through a lot if you studied yer book to memorize that many words."
She sobbed into his chest, gripping his shadows tightly. "You are never to leave me again, you hear? Lily missed you! A full moon cycle, Gajeel...a full moon cycle!" She pushed his chest and glared at him. "Do you not know how sick with worry I was? You...you dummy, you imbecile...you...you dummy..."
"I know, Shorty...I know. But it takes a crud ton amount of time to replenish shadows after you blast them all away."
Levy sniffed, tears clogging her throat and making it ache. "Is that what you did to the bad guys?"
"Gihee, yep! Scared them right out of their pants! They couldn't even move and the black clothes persons had to practically drag them out of the house. They were muttering like crazy. Wouldn't be surprised if they had Terrors for weeks!"
"Then why did it take you so long to come back?" She sobbed, leaning against his chest. Her aching heart just needed to feel his warmth.
His arms wrapped around her loosely and between her sniffles she could feel how they shook against her. "Levs, now's not the time to be dense. My strength comes from the shadows, ya know. If I have no shadows, I can't move. I was stuck in that blasted house longer than I wanted, but it takes time and energy to form the shadows to my will. I barely had enough to get home, let alone scare away these Terrors."
She huddled into his chest, hiding her face. "I am sorry, I tried so hard-"
"Don't you dare apologize, ya hear me!" He yanked her away and trapped her shoulders under his hands. His red eyes bored into hers. "You are the bravest MUB I have ever met! Ya kept this room going, Levy! Do you even know how many Terrors were in here?"
She ducked her head and shrugged one shoulder, body shivering. "I do not know...perhaps 20 or more?"
"Levy," Gajeel groaned, bringing her back into his warm embrace. "There were only three."
"What!?"
His chuckle vibrated through her every trembling limb. "Yep, that's right...just three. Oh there were more hoverin' around the wall-portal, but the sorry saps were too scared to come in here. 'Cause you were protectin' our home."
She tightened her hold around his waist, burying her hands in his shadows. Only three Terrors. She really only let three Terrors enter the BED-room. She could never have imagined such a thing.
"Now enough arguin'. Just admit that I'm right and you're wrong and let's get some rest."
Levy laughed against his chest, her breaths finally flowing with ease through her chest. "I think I heard the parentals turn on a child's movie on the television. Would you like to watch it with me? The BED-room should be safe for a while now. "
"Eh, sounds really nice but I dunno...the female parental likes to keep all the lights on constantly."
Levy shook her head. "They have been turning them off lately to try and help Wendy sleep, so there will be plenty of shadows."
"Hmm, there's just one thing missin'..." he tilted her chin up and gently caressed her lips with his.
"Much better," he grinned, flicking her on the forehead.
She rubbed the sore spot and weakly smacked his arm. Laughter filled the room, a wonderful sound that filled it to the brim with happiness. Gajeel grabbed her hand and together the Monster Under the Bed and the Monster in the Closet slinked into the dark hallway, eager to watch over and guard their precious child from every terrifying and fearsome BED-time monster.