Chapter 16

Dream

"Come on, Lev!" The dark-haired woman said to Levy.

"Where are we going, mommy?"

"We are going to the park! Would you like that?"

"Yay!" A small Levy bounced up and down, excited to go play on the swings with her mom.

Growing up, it was just Levy and her mother, Lydia. Her mother would have done anything for Levy to make ends meet. Lydia raised Levy for a short amount of time, by herself, Levy's father getting taken and killed while she was pregnant with Levy. But Levy didn't really notice the fact that she didn't have two parents. Lydia was a supermom to her. Levy never went without.

Levy didn't have very memories with her mom, but those she did remember, she cherished. Her favorite memory was the day her mom picked her up from school early to go to the park. She looked so pretty that day, Levy thought.

"How about some ice cream afterward?" Lydia said to the little girl.

"I want chocolate!"

Lydia smiled warmly at Levy, holding her hand and walking down the sidewalk toward the park.

They got to the park and Levy chose her favorite swing.

"Mommy! Mommy! Come push me!"

Lydia walked over to the swings and gently pushed Levy.

"Higher!"

"Sorry, Levy," Lydia genuinely sounded remorseful. "That's dangerous, you could hurt yourself."

Levy puffed her cheeks out in anger, but that anger quickly subsided as she continued swinging.

They enjoyed themselves at the park for a little bit, until Lydia decided it was getting late.

"Come on, Little Blue," she called warmly. "Time for ice cream!"

Levy came running toward her mother with so much excitement as Lydia's heart warmed. She had given birth to the most beautiful, energetic girl. Lydia bent down so that she was eye level with Levy.

"You're going to grow up to be amazing," she said, pinching Levy's nose. "Got your nose!"

"Hey! No fair!" Levy called speeding after her mother, who was jogging away playfully.

At the ice cream shop, Levy got a scoop of chocolate with sprinkles on a waffle cone, while Lydia got her usual pistachio. They sat at their usual patio table and gabbed and giggled.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, darling?"

"What was daddy like?"

Lydia's face fell, not wanting to relive the memories of her late husband. Levy was young, she didn't understand cryptic facial expressions yet, so she swung her feet back and forth in her chair, in anticipation of her mother's answer.

"Well," Lydia started. "He was a lot like you."

"What do you mean?"

"He had a head full of wild blue hair, and honey eyes just like yours." Lydia had to fight back tears. She wanted to be strong for her daughter, but it was so hard when she was the spitting image of the man she was asking about.

"Was he a good guy?"

Lydia smiled. "Yes….. You look just like him, you know."

Levy beamed, Lydia seeing more of her father in her every day.

"He was very smart, too."

"So that means I'm smart?"

"Very."

"Levy!" Lydia called from downstairs. "Let's go!"

Levy came barreling down the steps, her shoes on the wrong feet.

"Come here," Lydia chuckled, switching the shoes. "Alright. Let's go."

Levy and he mother were off to the grocery store, which was probably Levy's favorite thing to do with her mom. She always got at least one toy and a candy bar and got to see all the amazing things a grocer had to offer. The dreams of a seven year old, huh?

They walked everywhere they went, Lydia carrying a basket to hold the groceries when they were done. They crossed a pretty lengthy bridge that hovered over a junction where a large river met the sea. A fence on either sides so one could look at the waves below them. Levy remembered the waves being particularly aggressive that day.

They got to the store and got the things they needed, heading back home, Lydia stops on the bridge and looks at the waves off in the distance.

"You see that beautiful sun?" She asked the small girl.

"It's pretty, mommy."

"It is, isn't it?"

Lydia stared out at the sea for a while, taking in all its beauty, leaving Levy to play in a puddle not too far away. She suddenly felt a presence behind her. A presence that was not her daughter's.

"You thought you could escape, but no, you can't escape me," a deep voice rumbled in her ear. Lydia knew who it was and what he was here for.

"Please," she pleaded. "You can take me but please leave my daughter!" She looked at Levy, playing in the puddle, minding her own business.

"Heh, why should I?"

"Please, she has nothing to do with this! She's just a child!"

"You should have thought about that before you had a baby with that fucking thing!" The unknown man spat at her.

"Please, I'm begging you, just take me," Lydia was now sobbing, hoping, -no praying, Levy wouldn't look over and see this frightening scene.

The enemy smirked. "Fine," he leans in closer to the woman. "But later, I will come for the girl." He swiftly shoved a small knife in Lydia's lower back, and pushed her over the edge, vanishing into thin air. Lydia's screams pulling Levy out of her own world, and bringing her back to reality.

Levy's eyes widened as she saw her mother's body splash into the harsh waters below her.

"MOMMY!" Levy cried, the sound of the crashing waves drowning out her voice. Levy called again, but to no avail. She watched her mother be swept away by the current, her body hitting jagged rocks as she was brought out to the ocean.

Levy collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, begging and crying for her mother to come back. She clutched the basket that had fallen before Lydia fell. She didn't know what to do.

Gajeel was still by Levy's side, waiting for her to show any sign of movement. He suddenly felt like something was wrong. He studied her face, brushing a few strands of blue hair from her face. He noticed small buds of water forming at the corner of her closed lids.

"She's…. crying?" Gjaeel asked incredulously. He panicked, not knowing what to do. She was in this deep sleep that she may or may not come out of… but she was crying. That was a good thing…. that meant she was somewhere in there, right?

"Oi! Cat!" Gajeel called for Lily urgently.

Lily was outside with Kaomi, helping her tidy the area up.

"It's the least I could do," The cat says in his battle form, clearing large branches from the pathway. "I wanted to extend my thanks for letting us stay here until Levy becomes well again."

"No need for thanks, exceed. It's nice to have company again."

Gajeel was annoyed that Lily clearly didn't hear him, but what did it matter? It's not like he could magically wake Levy up.

The tears had finally fallen from her eyes, Gajeel wiping them away with his thumb.

"Shrimp? Can ya hear me?" Gajeel wanted to comfort her, she was clearly distraught over something.

"Levy? I-I don't know what's happening in there…" he was at a loss for words. "But please…. Please wake up. You're not alone."

Levy was in a room… or space, maybe? It was hard to tell what space was. She was surrounded by white, as if she were trapped inside a piece of white construction paper. She stood up on what she assumed was… floor? Ground? Walking any direction, she passes a mirror. She stopped and examined herself. She was no longer a seven-year-old girl, but an adult. 'What is this?'

She didn't remember anything, just having the memory of waking up in area she had no idea why she was in. 'Am I even alive?' She thought to herself. She left the mirror and continued walking. She should find something right? She felt frustration in the near future. Huffing at the thought, Levy saw something far in the distance.

She ran, happy to have found anything, wondering what it was. Maybe it was a clue on how to get out of here. As she neared, the thing started moving. Levy stopped in her tracks, realizing it was a person.

"Hello!" She called, hoping they could hear.

The person started running, or waddling it seemed, toward her. As the person approached, she realized it was a little boy. He had black locks surrounding his face, and hazel eyes. Words couldn't even describe the sheer confusion Levy experienced. The little boy looked like…

"Wake up!" The boy said, cheerfully.

"Eh?"

"Come on! You can do it! Wake up!" The bubbly boy, who looked to be about 3 years old, jumped up and down, as if he were cheering. He grabbed her hand with excitement, still jumping around.

"Wakey, wakey!" The kid sang.

"LEVY!"

Levy jerked awake, gasping as if she couldn't breathe.

"Levy!" Gajeel had her in his arms before she could even comprehend what was going on.

"W-Where am I?" She asked, rubbing her head, her mind foggy.

Gajeel didn't speak, he only held her closely. He inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. That scent he'd missed so much. It had only been a little over a day, but he couldn't handle it without her.

"Gajeel," Levy said quietly, melting into his embrace.

"Are you ok?" He asks finally, staring into her honey eyes, searching for distress.

"I'm ok, I think." Levy looked around, taking in her surroundings. Her brain recuperating, she put two and two together. "This is Kaomi's home?" She looked at Gajeel for confirmation.

He nodded, more focused on how she was feeling. "Levy," he grabbed her arm. "You were crying not too long ago. What's wrong?"

Levy couldn't remember anything between blacking out and waking up, though she felt like she was supposed to.

"Nothing…." Her words trailed as she heard Lily and Kaomi make their way back into the cottage.

Gajeel studied his mate. He was definitely going to get her to talk…. Eventually. She seemed like she needed time.

"How's Levy?" Lily asked from the other side of the door.

"I'm awake," she replied, causing Lily to burst in the room landing on her lap. She welcomed his presence, snuggling the cat.

"Levy! I'm glad you're alright!" Lily exclaimed, enjoying the affection from the blue-haired mage.

"What happened?" Levy asked, pulling away.

Just as Lily opened his mouth to explain, Kaomi walked in the room.

"Ah. You're awake. A bit earlier than I projected," the older woman says, motioning for Gajeel to move. She took his seat next to Levy, her hands hovering over the mage's chest.

"You made a speedy recovery, which is remarkable given how much magic power you lost."

Levy had so many questions, she didn't know where to begin.

"Here," Kaomi handed her a mug. "It's a special potion. It'll help you get back on your feet in no time."

Levy looked at the drink. It smelled fruity, and it looked decent. She took a sip and felt a small amount of energy surge through her body. It had a nasty aftertaste, unfortunately.

"Don't worry, it gets better as you drink it," Kaomi smiled as she sat up straight. "Let's get down to business."

Kaomi led them to the living room, where the trio sat on a couch across from the older woman. Levy looked around. The cottage seemed a lot homier than the one they stayed in the other night. It was small, but quaint.

"My name is Kaomi Rin. I am purchasing the tablets from my dear friend Clair," Kaomi explained.

"These tablets are dear to me as they originated from my ancestors. Clair's late husband was translating them for me, as he was the only one who could do it at the time. At some point, word got out about how powerful these tablets were and what they could do. They were wanted nationwide. He vowed to get them translated and back to me before things got too dangerous, but he died before he could finish." Kaomi took a sip of her tea.

"Why did your ancestors make such powerful spells?" Levy queried.

"I come from a long line of powerful spatial mages whose power knows no bounds, including myself. They created the spells in case someone would get drunk with power, and they needed to permanently nullify their magic. The spells have only been used a few times, under dire circumstances."

Levy thought back to the nullifying spell she used on Remo earlier.

"The one you used was only a temporary spell," Kaomi said, surprising Levy. "Your family here filled me what happened." She motioned toward Gajeel and Lily.

"Oh, yeah. What happened to that guy?" Levy asked.

"I felt a disturbance in the area and decided to investigate, where I came across your mate and his partner."

It was coming back to Levy now. "That's right, he'd transported me to his other universe. The last thing I remember was him walking toward me. Then everything went black."

"Once I realized what was going on, I simply scanned the area and figured out where he'd taken you and transported your mate there. He did the rest." Kaomi further explained.

"What was he doing to me?"

"He was draining your magical power along with your energy at an accelerated rate. Thankfully, the slayer made it to you in time before things got detrimental."

"I wonder why he wanted the tablets so bad," levy more or less thought out loud.

"My brother was very unstable," Kaomi said, shocking everyone in the room. She smiled softly. "Remo had great potential, we recognized it when he was young. He never liked to fight. He was somewhat of a pacifist, but when he didn't get his way, something in that mind of his would break, losing all sanity and common sense. He knew the tablets, or the charm were the only things that could stop him. He had gotten mixed up in a bad guild and they corrupted his mind, becoming drunk with power. He started on a mission to destroy the tablets and anyone who knew the spells so he could become unstoppable. I had Clair and her husband hold on to them as long as they could, which is why I'm paying her a hefty amount of Jewel."

"What made you decide to suddenly want them now?" Lily asked, taking in all the information.

"Clair contacted me and told me she couldn't handle the burden anymore, so I offered to take it off her hands and pay her for all the trouble."

"Won't they come after you now?" Gajeel asked.

"Don't worry about me, the main problem is taken care of." Kaomi held in her hand the charm Remo had in his hair, keeping all of his powers in order.

Levy noticed the charm, and was relieved that he was gone for good, but it was saddening to have a member of your family go dark side like that.

"I'm sorry for the stressful events you had to go through to get these tablets translated and in my possession," the lavender-haired woman said to Levy.

"It's no big deal! Just a learning experience!"

Gajeel smirked at her comment.

"Besides, I'm a more powerful script mage now," Levy said, beaming.

"Well, be careful. The knowledge you now hold is very dangerous. Use it wisely." Kaomi stood from her chair, yawning. She handed the trio each a sack made of what felt like cotton. "Here is your payment." She handed Gajeel a bigger cotton sack. "This is for Clair. I entrust you to get it to her safely."

The trio gave their thanks simultaneously.

"You are welcome to stay here until morning. Traveling at night is dangerous," Kaomi said.

They graciously took her up on her offer to stay one more night. Gajeel was especially tired after not getting much sleep, but he would sleep better now, knowing his Shrimp is alright.

"Good night," the older woman said, making her way into her bedroom.

Levy was still taking in all the information she'd just gotten dumped into her lap. 'Remo was her brother? She's a spatial mage too? How did she get the charm?' Gajeel saw Levy's face, realizing she was over analyzing things.

"Don't think about it too much," he says, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

Levy nodded, leaning into his chest.

"Well, I'll leave you two be," Lily says, going into his designated bedroom. "I know you guys would like to talk." He smiled at the pair before shutting the door behind him.

Honestly, they didn't want to talk. They just wanted to enjoy the peace they both had been craving for the past few days. Gajeel stood up, reaching his hand out to his mate. "Lay with me?" He asked.

Levy smiled, taking his hand and following him to their room. Gajeel laid flat on his back, allowing her to lay on his chest. They sat awake for a few minutes, enjoying the way each other's bodies felt, until sleep overtook them.