AN: Chapter 2
So managed to get through chapter 2 edits and rewriting… still probably have some mistakes, I am sorry in advance! I will try to go back and fix the mistakes later!
Nyma: lol I was at work, well right before I started work and I decided to post the first chapter. I was going to wait until this one was done but I said screw it. just post it. lol and thank you so much! I didn't have to change a whole lot so far, I mean in some parts I did, and other parts were still fairly good. This chapter I had to completely redo the first part of because it was so bad and didn't make any sense XD haha and that's so good to hear that you are already enjoying this new story! for so long I've been wanting to get this story back up and I've been going back here and there making changes, reading it over, trying to catch mistakes, etc, and then the other day it hit me what I wanted to have happen and I was like omg… I need to work on this now! O.O I still am trying to figure out the one shot I'm going to write for you but I think I came up with something for that too! :) but now I'm also kicking myself in the ass saying.. why did I start another story?! I already have 2 ½ other ones I'm working on XD ah! My brain just wouldn't stop so as you can see… another story has been posted haha and yes! I wanted to do something different with these two in this story because everything I've done so far they have been strangers and their relationship was rocky. In this one I wanted them to have been childhood friends and then deal with being apart and now back together so this is going to be fun because they are going to hopefully have a lot of interactions in this story. and you are always welcome for the treat! :D you of all people deserve all of the love and treats!
The man to the woman's left was tall and wore a mask over his face. He had his long tongue sticking out and was mocking Rogue playfully. Five little totem dolls floated around him, repeating the last two words the man would say. "We're gonna have some fun!"
"Some fun! Some fun!" The toys echoed.
"I won't let any of you harm her!" Rogue barked back at them.
"The fact that you think you shall prevail, is one of a laughing matter." The man to the woman's right said. He was slightly shorter than the other man, with long green hair and a sword in his hand.
"I'm stronger than I look, Rogue! Let me help you!" Levy pleaded.
Rogue glanced back and smiled. "What kind of Captain of the Royal guard would I be if I let you fight and you got hurt?"
"You know you really shouldn't look away from a fight!" The light brown haired woman said as she pushed off from the ground, her body now moving to the sky. Her green dress had moveable wings in the back, allowing her to fly. She held her feathered fan over her mouth, smirking behind it.
The man with the mask started to laugh manically. "You're about to see how Evergreen takes care of weaklings like you!"
The toys chant, "Weaklings!" "Like you!"
Evergreen waves her arms, releasing a torrent of energy needles. "Fairy Machine Gun!"
Rogue turned his body around completely and covered Levy from the attack, crying out in pain as the needles pierced through his armor and right into his back. The man with the mask and strange toys floating around him, laughed loudly.
"Bickslow, really, can you contain yourself for even a moment? You make the Thunder Legion out to be a bunch of fools." The green haired man said as he places a finger to his forehead.
"Oh come on Freed! You can't tell me that you don't want to join in on the fun!" He said almost cheerfully as he stuck out his tongue and put his hands out at his sides.
"Come on!" "The fun! The fun!" The toys chanted.
"I can honestly say that I don't. I'm only doing this for Laxus." He glanced over at Rogue and Levy. "Be careful Evergreen... Laxus wanted the girl alive."
Evergreen came down and laughed as she once again put her fan up to her lips. "My little attack didn't kill them. You're fretting over nothing Freed."
Rogue was kneeling and panting heavily, bracing himself up with his sword, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his back. Levy put her hands on his shoulders lightly. "You can't beat them on your own!"
"I can try... My duty is to keep you safe." He rose slowly, lifting his sword once more. Rogue turns to face the three. Determination was giving him energy to stand up to the foes before them. He had to protect Levy at all costs. Even if it meant his life, he would stand there before her sword in hand.
"The fact that you are still able to stand after my attack is surprising..." Evergreen said. "Perhaps I should try something else..." She puts a hand to her glasses, about to lift them up.
"Water Slicer!" A woman calls from the distance, sending blades of water towards the three standing before Rogue and Levy. The Thunder Legion jumped back and looked at the one approaching them.
"How dare you! Do you have any idea who we are?!" Evergreen called out.
The woman was slender with pale skin and solid dark blue eyes. Her hair was long and blue as the ocean. She was a wearing knee-high dark dress coat with four, light-colored buttons on the chest with fur trimmings around her sleeve cuffs and neck.
"I know of your names, and who you work for. I myself was told to help the Princess. I trust my friends' judgement and his word. Now leave if you do not want to feel the wrath of the Rain woman." The woman said as she made her way beside Rogue and Levy.
Freed thrust his sword forward. "I do not wish to fight you, but for Laxus, I must."
Rogue mustered up his energy and rushed towards Freed who dodged his attack easily. He tried desperately to land any form of an attack on the man with the sword, but Freed was too fast and blocked every single blow. Levy stood there not knowing what to do. 'I have to do something... I have to help him.' Levy reached down for her magic pen. She gasped when she realized that she had dropped it back in the castle when Rogue pulled her away. 'Damn it! I don't have as much magic power without that pen!'
Bickslow stood opposite of the new woman who just appeared. "Come on, babies! Let's start her off with a Line position!" The dolls that floated freely around him, lined up together in a straight line, a green glow in the shape of a long line forms in front of them. The dolls sent the blast straight to the woman. The blue haired woman stood there unnerved as the attack passes right through her body. Her body looked like it was entirely made of water as it formed back together on its own.
"What?! That's impossible! How could my babies miss?!" Bixlow cried out in disbelief.
"Yeah!" "How?" They chanted.
"I told you, if you did not leave, you would feel my wrath. For I am the Rain woman. I am made entirely out of water so your attacks are useless." The pale woman crossed her brows as anger began to fill her. "Now you shall feel the power that I possess." The woman raised her hand towards Bixlow and his dolls, swiping her hand back, she created a wall of water that spiraled towards them. The attack pushed them away with a great force, sending them flying away from Levy and herself. They could hear Bickslow cry out as the water was heated beyond what a normal human could stand.
Evergreen walked over to Levy while the two girls were distracted by the attack that sent the masked man away. Her fan graced her lips as her other hand gently rested on her glasses. "Game over for you little Princess." She said coldly with a piercing gaze.
Before Evergreen could lift up her glasses, she was quickly becoming engulfed by the same hot water that took care of her comrade. Her eyes widened as she struggled to free her body from the growing water around her. "What is this?!"
Solid blue eyes looked stoically at the light brown haired intruder. "I warned you all to leave. And because you did not listen to my warning… I have no choice but to send you away by force." With a flick of the rain woman's wrist, sharp water blades crashed into Evergreen while she was incased in water from every direction. She cried out as each blade cut into her, but her cries that escaped her mouth were nothing but bubbles.
Levy looked to the other blue haired woman standing next to her, her own hazel eyes wide. 'Who is this? And was it Gajeel who sent her here to help protect me?'
Freed's sword made contact with Rogues' arm causing him to drop his sword and grip his new injury. Warm blood began to flow over his hand and down the rest his arm. Freed sheathed his sword and walked away silently. Bixlow gathered up his toys and ran to Freeds side.
"Whoever this is, they can take us all on no problem! Maybe we should combine out powers and—" Bickslow was quickly cut off by Freed.
"No. We must return back to Laxus and rethink everything. There are new challengers in the equation that we did not account for…. "
The masked man gritted his teeth as he looked in Levy's direction. "Damn it!" He watched Evergreen stagger to her own feet after the water mage released her from her water lock attack. She cursed the Rain woman under her breath as she turned and made her way to Freed, quickly retreating back to find Laxus. Bickslow growled as he ran after his teammates, his head turning slightly as he ran, calling back to Levy and the Rain woman. "Next time we'll have you!" The three intruders quickly disappeared in the distance. Levy gasped as her eyes went over to her captain who had fallen to the ground. She made her way to him with haste.
"Rogue! You're hurt!" She said as she lifted him up slightly. He was weak from Evergreens' attack and now from the wound he had gotten from Freed. He smiled weakly at her, playing everything off and trying not to cause Levy to worry.
"This is nothing Princess. Don't worry about me."
The woman who had come to their aid walked over to them slowly. Levy picked up Rogues' heavy sword and attempted to keep it pointed at her. "Tell me who you are! And who are you working for!"
The blue eyed woman stared stoically at Levy. "I am the Rain woman, named Juvia. I work with Black Steel."
Levy's arm began to shake, the weight of the sword was too much for her tiny arm. "Who is this Black Steel!? I've never heard of him!"
"That would be me, Shorty."
Levy's eyes widen as she saw the man in the tan coat walking up from behind Juvia. His coat was torn to shreds from Laxus's lightning attack. Levy could see him fully now. He was built, with metal studs all over his body. He had piercings in his ears, his nose, and in his chin. His eye brows were gone and replaced by three metal studs each, his arms dawned larger metal studs as well. Levy could see large scars on his right arm, old scars from the looks of it.
The tanned skin, crimson red eyes, and dark hair were the only things recognizable to the shorter girl as she looked the man over. Levy's eyes widened as she noticed those crimson orbs were piercing into her hazel eyes. If this was the young boy from her childhood from long ago, he was different now. His smile was one that could put terror and fear into someone's heart. His hair was longer and wild than she could remember. Her whole body was shook as her heart was raced in her chest. She wanted to jump at him and embrace him in that moment. Rogue glanced up at the tall man as he became weaker by the minute.
Something was wrong. He clenched his arm tighter and groaned, falling back to the ground. Levy's attention went back to Rogue as he fell. She looked at the blood that was coming out from the cut. It was slightly discolored and had started to turn a black.
"Hold on Rogue, please don't die because of me." Levy ripped off the sleeve of his shirt and saw that his arm had been pierced with a poisoned blade. She turned her head to the large man and Juvia. "I need your help! Please help me get him back to the castle! We have healers there."
Levy looked at the long, dark haired man. He seemed to be injured as well, but nothing too serious. "Please..." Her eyes pleaded with his. He smirked and walked over the two of them. He lifted up Rogue and threw him over his shoulder with ease.
"I guess this is payback from all those years you took care of me... brother."
Rogue's vision was fading fast. "Brother?" Was all he could say before he lost all consciousness.
Levy sat in place with her eyes wide in disbelief. 'So it is Gajeel... he finally came back.' She thought as she smiled slightly to herself as her face softened. The script mage stood up and followed Gajeel and Juvia back to the castle.
Levy took the four of them straight to the infirmary of the castle, grateful there still were servants inside and the large room was untouched during the battle. Levy wiped her head towards Gajeel and Juvia as they reached the room, urging him to follow her inside, a second later, she shouted for some help. Gajeel followed her into the infirmary, setting Rogue down carefully onto one of the beds. One of the servants rushed into the room, carrying medical equipment and setting them down beside the bed.
Juvia waited outside of the room quietly, her arms crossed over her chest as she listened to what was going on inside the large room. She had no business being in that room at the time and decided it was best to stay out of anyone's way. As the servant used her magic to extract the poison from Rogue's arm, Levy stood beside him and watched with a saddened expression over her face. "I'm so sorry Rogue... it was my fault you got hurt." She looked down at her feet with doubt finding its way inside of her. Was she really ready for these trials when she couldn't even help protect her guard?
After getting Rogue to the bed, Gajeel leaned up against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He kept a crimson eye on Levy and Rogue, not saying a word. Once Levy realized he was watching her silently, she gasped and walked over to the large man. She grabbed one of his large arms, and pulled him to one of the beds nearby. He was taken by surprise at this and didn't have time to refuse her. She had him sit down on the bed opposite Rogue's.
She pealed back his tan coat and saw that his black shirt was just as torn. She gripped the collar and ripped apart what was left of the shirt. He grabbed her wrist, gripping it tightly as his studded brows narrowed. "What do you think you're doing there Shrimp?" Levy just stared into his red eyes. Her own eyebrows crossed.
"You know I have a name, Gajeel. If you don't want to call me by my own name, you can call me Princess. And I'm going to tend to your wounds. I don't want your burns to turn out like Rogues'."
Gajeel glanced over to his brother who was panting slightly in his unconsciousness. 'He was burned too? When?' He thought to himself. He scoffed and looked away from Rogue. "Like I care if the burns heal right or not. Just another battle wound I can add to my list."
Levy stood there watching him. How could this be the boy she was friends with so long ago? His warm smile looked mean and his kindness turned cold. Levy finally spoke after a few minutes. "What happened to you Gajeel?"
His eyes looked into hers. She was searching for the Gajeel she knew long ago… but he wasn't there. "I ran away. I found out how the world truly is." Crimson eyes looked away from the girl beside him as they closed lightly. "You wouldn't know of the real world if it bit you in the ass, Shrimp."
Levy's face turned hot in anger. Her hand came up and slapped him across the face. Gajeel's head snapped back to Levy, his glare went right to her as the sting on his cheek grew. Levy was shaking in anger. "How can you say that to me? It's been eleven years Gajeel... you didn't have to leave, but since I knew it was what you wanted to do, I didn't stop you. And for your information! I do know what it's like outside these walls! You weren't the only one who was training! I had to undergo so much training, travel to different places to achieve greater power..." She clenches her fists at her side. "You know nothing about me!" Levy turned on her heels and stormed out of the room, rushing past Juvia.
Gajeel sighed as Juvia walked in. "It seems you have upset her." Juvia picked up the bandages Levy had left beside him, applying them to his burns. Gajeel winced slightly but looked away from his only friend.
"It's better this way. I don't want to get too close to her right now. My transformation will be happening soon… I don't ever want her to find out about me. Besides… I knew coming here she wasn't going to like the new me. It's been too long since we've spoken to each other." Gajeel said softly as he closed his eyes once more.
"You'd save her by being distant? What about your brother? Would you be distant with him as well?" Juvia asked emotionlessly.
Gajeel looked over at his brother. He couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He hadn't seen Rogue in eleven years. The only family he ever had. Until now, Gajeel had been training with a dragon named Metalicana. Over the past eleven years, Gajeel had grown attached to him and had even admitted that Metalicana was like a father to him. He wanted to stay by Metalicana's side, but now he was back here. He had to face his past and he would have to eventually talk to his real family.
He really did want to talk to Levy about everything, but thought it was best to tell her in time. It was after all, her birthday today. 'I should at least go… apologize… to her… I really didn't want to be this cold towards her my first day back here….' As soon as Juvia was finished bandaging up his new burns, he walked out of the room, in search of his old friend.
Levy was in her room, removing what was left of her ceremonial robes and slipped into a night gown. 'This has to be the worst birthday ever...' She sighed as her thoughts raced. Everything that had happened this night, made her think it was all because of her. Laxus's personal legion said that he wanted her alive. But why? Why did they just want her? There wasn't anything special about her.
Jet and Droy interrupted her thoughts as they rushed into her room. "Levy! We totally forgot it was your birthday today! Can you forgive us?" They said together.
Levy looked at her friends and put on a smile. "Its fine you guys... I'm just upset about everything that just happened. I still can't wrap anything around my brain right now."
"Well everything was interrupted so rudely, and you were attacked by some crazy followers, and some random guy came and saved your life! I bet that brute is long gone by now Levy." Jet said.
Droy chimed in. "Yeah now nothing will get in the way of us protecting you!"
"If you wanted to protect her, you should have done a better job when Laxus showed up."
There it was again. That deep voice. Levy looked past the two friends before her and saw Gajeel standing in the doorframe. Jet and Droy turned and put their fists up as if they were going to fight with Gajeel. Levy rolled her eyes and sighed. "You two can leave. I'll be fine." The two hesitantly looked at Levy who nodded to the door. They gave her an uneasy look as they walked out and eyed Gajeel as they passed him in the doorway.
Levy sat in her chair, staring at Gajeel as he looked back at her in silence. Without a word, Levy turned in her seat and began to brush out her hair, ignoring him completely. Gajeel was silent as he walked up behind her. He sat down in the chair next to her and rested his arms on his legs. After minutes of silence, he finally spoke. "Levy."
She stopped brushing her blue hair and turned to face him. Hazel eyes met crimson red. Gajeel could tell she was still mad about what he had said. He looked away to avoid her angry gaze. "Look... I don't know what you've done over these years, but I've been through a lot. I've only told one person on this earth that I wanted to become a dragon slayer. That was you. Do you remember?"
Levy looked from him down to her desk she was sitting next to. She reaches out and picks up the small ring with the flower on it, holding it up in front of her. Gajeel looked at it in shock, somewhat surprised that it still looked the same from eleven years ago. "How has that not wilted?"
Levy turned the ring in her hand before setting back down. "I had my mother put a preservation spell on it after you left. Something a stupid girl did when she had a boy to call her best friend."
Gajeel could feel the knife in her voice. He knew it was directed right to him and how he had left her. He shook his head, he wanted to explain things to her, without getting too close. "Look, I found a dragon. I started training with him and after a few years, I got into a fight with Laxus. I've been in hiding, tracking him for years and trying to figure out what he was going to plan next. That's why I stopped contacting Rogue and why I couldn't ever write to you. I wanted to keep you safe and out of harm's way and I want to-"
Levy stood up, clenching her fist. "I get it Gajeel. You explained yourself, and now you can leave." Gajeel looked up angrily at her, growling as he stood too. He had grown so much over these years. He towered over the tiny girl now, and his new muscle mass all across his body didn't help either. Levy met his gaze before turning her back to him and headed to her bed. She didn't want to deal with him right now, she was still too angry with it all. Him leaving, not contacting her while he was away, the way he talked to her in the infirmary… she didn't want to talk to him at all. "Just leave Gajeel."
Gajeel growled once more and stormed over to her. He grabbed one of her arms and turned her around to face him, pushing her down onto the bed with one quick motion. He pinned her down by her wrists, holding her in place as he stared at her hard with crimson orbs. Her eyes widen as her cheeks turned red. "What are you doing?!"
"Levy, I'm trying to apologize to you!" Gajeel said loudly.
Her heart started to pound in her chest. "They why couldn't you just say that! Idiot!" She said just as loud in return, turning her face away from him after her words left her. He stayed there, taking in her scent silently for a moment. He often thought of her while he was away. He never really realized how good she smelled until now. His dragon slayer powers gave him a whole new experience for all of his senses. Her scent filled his nose fully. He wanted nothing more than to stay there a bit longer to talk, to just breathe her in, but the dark haired man knew he couldn't. He had to stay away from her right now.
"You of all people should know, it's hard for me to say something like that." He let her wrists go as he climbed off of her. 'But only to you, can I actually say those words.' Gajeel stood up straight and turned, leaving her bed and walked towards the door, "I'm sorry for leaving you, Levy. I never meant to be away this long. Oh and… happy birthday…" He said softly as he walked out of her room.
Levy sat up as he walked away, her eyes softening as she spoke. She brought hand to her chest, smiling softly as she felt her beating heart thump hard in her chest. "You remembered by birthday... even after all these years." She looked to the flower on her desk. 'Maybe there still is some of that small boy left in you Gajeel.'
AN: thank you all for reading and please don't forget to review! I love all thoughts and comments and will always respond in the next chapter. I'm not sure when I will have time to edit chapter 3 because I would like to get my other story updated as well. :)