The Beginning
Her eyes fluttered open the next morning, her hand lazily hovering over her face to keep the sun from blinding her and exacerbating her headache. With that said, she surprisingly had a clear mind considering how much she drank the night before. Her hangover wasn't too rough, and she wasn't feeling very sluggish, 'today's gonna be a great day!' She had food to look forward to, the company of her good friends, and best of all, no work.
'Ugh, work.'
She rolled over in her bed, her eyes drawn to the haphazard stack of books and papers from her previous job that were lying on her nightstand in desperate need of sorting. It was then that she was reminded of the flyer she found in the Crocus Library. They were only in Crocus because she suggested a detour on their way home, and when she passed by that huge, beautiful building, she couldn't resist. She sat up, reaching for the flyer she just happened to grab and didn't get a chance to read.
She was a person of appreciation. She knew how to appreciate well-written books and different writing styles from other regions. She appreciated important historical documents and types of old paper, which she found odd about herself, but she considered it one of her quirks. It was for that reason, she noticed that the grade of this specific piece of paper was really high. With paper of this quality, there was no way this ad was printed on several pieces.
Only Levy McGarden would inspect a piece of paper before reading it.
She looked it over, curious as to why there was no pay listed. It was as she suspected, a teaching job for a different language. It was made clear that the student needed to be able to read, write, speak and understand Dragonic fluently. And it just so happened that it was one of the handful of languages she understood thoroughly and considered her favorite, at that.
She found dragons extremely interesting, and felt it was good to do extensive research on them considering the land of Fiore was ruled by a group of them. She scanned the paper again, thinking perhaps the pay was listed in the fine print. What type of person needed to learn an almost extinct language? Were they as interested in dragons as she was? She read the last line again:
'If you feel you are qualified for this job, please send your response to the Crocus post. You may include the attention to Lily. Please be sure to also include a date and time when you are able to meet me at the post to discuss the position more. I will be available on whatever day you select.'
So, she'd be teaching someone named Lily? Was it a girl? Should she even take the job? There was no pay listed and that was kind of weird, and she definitely didn't want to waste her time going all the way back to Crocus just to be paid some pocket change! This was a huge, time-consuming job; she wouldn't accept anything lower than one hundred thousand Jewel.
She took the time to take everything into consideration. Assuming the job would be in Crocus, her commute every day would be tedious, not to mention the long hours she'd have to spend outside of her comfort zone… which usually wouldn't be a problem since most of her jobs were solved in a week or so, maybe a month tops. But this? Teaching someone another language? She didn't know at what pace they learned. What if they didn't catch on to things as quickly as she did? Hell, it took her at least a year to even consider herself comfortable with Dragonic. And that was with long hours, day and night of studying, reading, and writing. This was a serious task.
What type of person were they for her to consider spending a chunk of her life with?
She was having second thoughts about this job. She wasn't really fond of strangers, but this could be the job of a lifetime! Perhaps Lily knows that this is something to not take lightly. Maybe the pay was negotiable. If she could get a hundred thousand Jewel, she could move away and buy a tiny house somewhere for her and her books. It wasn't like she was going to date anyone, ever.
But spending so much time with someone she didn't know… what if they didn't get along? What if their personalities clash and nothing got done? By then, she'd have already taken the job and would be stuck with someone insufferable for an unforeseen amount of time.
She'd ask Lucy for advice, but she was the last person she should ask. She'd tell her 'no' before she could even finish her question. 'Come on, Levy! Think about it! This is an amazing opportunity!' She guessed she could go and talk to them and get the details of the job, and if she didn't like it, she could use that as an excuse to go shopping in the city and turn it into a day trip. 'Being able to shop alone? That sounds peaceful.'
So, she decided she'd reply.
"Levy~!" Lucy burst into her friend's bedroom and fell onto her bed, annoyed that she was still sleeping on a twin. "You need to buy a bigger bed!"
Levy put the flyer back on her nightstand, face down, of course. She didn't need Lucy being nosy and poking through her stuff. Exasperated, she rubbed her temples while glaring at the blonde. "What for? It's not like I'm sharing it with anyone."
"You never know," Lucy rolled onto her back, her legs hanging off the bed. "You might have a one-night stand one of these days!"
"Luce, come on, it's me," Levy scoffed, gesturing at herself. "When would I ever do that?"
"Didn't you say that guy at the library has the hots for you?" Lucy questioned.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna go screw him! I made it very clear that I wasn't looking to date, and he said he was just fine with being my friend." Why was she defending herself, anyway?
"I'm just saying," she sat up and faced a hungover Levy. "Things might change one day. Someday, you'll meet the man of your dreams and throw out that crazy idea of celibacy or abstinence or whatever you wanna call it!"
"I just don't think there's anyone worth my time," Levy sighed. "Besides, I like being alone."
"Sure," Lucy decided it was a lost cause, as she'd been barking up that tree for years. She never understood how Levy could be fine without intimacy or normal human contact, and wondered if she was secretly depressed. She stood and made her way to her closet, rooting around for an outfit for the day. "I'm finding you an outfit, so get dressed. We have to head over to Cana's."
Lucy tossed a pair of jean shorts and a black tank top on the bed, knowing Levy liked it simple. If it were up to Lucy, they'd be matching in miniskirts all the time, but that was definitely not her friend's style.
"Alright, I'll get dressed," Levy scooted to the edge of the bed, pulling her notebook off the nightstand. "Just give me five minutes to get something written up really quick, okay?"
"Fine, just hurry up! I told her we'd be there by ten thirty," Lucy said before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her. 'Lev and her books and stuff.'
As skeptical as she was earlier, Levy had a good feeling about this job.
'Let's just hope the feeling stays this way.'
"Oi! Damn cat! Ya go ta the post yet?"
Lily was successful in finding an old, abandoned house out in the country that was just sitting in the middle of nowhere. Though it was a bit run down, he knew Gajeel was handy and always liked projects that involved fixing or building something, so he'd have something to keep him distracted while he was in the grips of mating season. The only downside about it was the fact that it was just out in open, not shrouded by the safety of trees or mountains, so Gajeel couldn't really leave as much as he wanted to. Well, it was kind of covered, but not much. It sat right at the edge of the woods, exposed to anyone passing through.
Lily posted that job almost three months ago and had been going to the post every weekday to see if he'd gotten a response, but there was no luck so far. Though, whoever responded would be qualified due to where he left the ad.
He was currently in his smaller form enjoying a kiwi when Gajeel burst through the front door in a huff. He'd been outside in the wooden shed he built making weapons out of his own iron. As it turned out, he was well-versed in weaponry. "You know, it's a good thing you're doing, making weapons for the members of the Council that can't use magic."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't ignore the question," Gajeel sat on the couch next to Lily, stealing one of his kiwis from the bowl on the table. "Why the fuck's it takin' so long ta find a damn teacher? Ya posted the job months ago!"
"You don't want just anyone, Gajeel," Lily explained. "You need someone who knows what they're talking about. Which is why I only printed one ad."
Gajeel couldn't believe his ears! This prick only printed one?! No wonder it was taking fucking forever! "Why the hell would ya go an' do that?! Yer never gonna get a response! What the hell, Lil! It ain't just my role as King, but people's livelihoods are at stake!"
"Calm down." Lily ignored his comrade's anger as usual. "While you're out of commission, your father is going to take over. There's no need to worry."
"Like that bastard knows what the people need," Gajeel snorted, eating the kiwi whole. He fully intended to continue running his land from wherever he happened to be. No way was he leaving it up to him just so he could screw shit up! "Where'd ya leave the ad?"
"I posted it in the Crocus Library, in the Lost Languages section."
"I guess that was smart," he said with his mouth full. "That way, whoever notices it at least has an interest in the shit."
"Correct!" Lily stood, pulling his bag down from one of the hooks on the wall.
"Well, I hope ya get a response soon, or I'm gonna have ya post it in every library in Fiore," Gajeel kicked his feet up on the coffee table he built, letting his head fall back.
"I'm going to head there now to see if there's been a response. In the meantime, you should clean yourself up. You reek." Lily walked through the front door and shut it behind him, taking to the skies. It took him about twenty minutes to get there, and it was tedious to go every day, but he used the outing as an excuse to purchase kiwis and look at new armor. 'So, it's not so bad.'
Gajeel hated this! He was doing just fine as he was until his control freak of a father came out of the damn shadows! Why the hell did he need to learn a language that nobody spoke?! And who the hell in Fiore knew the language? There couldn't have been many! And even if there were a few, who's to say they're just going to waltz into the Crocus Library and find it?
He literally could be waiting years for this shit.
It was at least to his advantage that he had an extremely long lifespan, but fuck! What the hell was he supposed to do in his free time? There were only so many weapons to make, only so many things to build, only so many times he could beat the snot out of Lily during their sparring sessions. He already fixed up most of the house they were stationed in, building more furniture and painting the only thing left to do, and that would only take a few days. He still needed to gather more wood and send Lily for paint… 'which I shoulda told him ta do before he left! Fuck!' That cat sure loved to shop.
After he finished his shed, Lily requested a new sword, so Gajeel decided to make a special one specifically designed for him to use. He wished he had enchantment powers so he could link it to his own abilities as an Exceed, but all he could do was put all of his energy into making it the strongest, a nearly unbreakable sword that could slice through anything like butter. He even engraved his name in a cool design along the blade so nobody could claim it as theirs.
It was then that Gajeel discovered he had an interest in weaponry, and decided to use his time to make blades and knives and such for ordinary officers across all of Fiore.
As many people would find hard to believe, the king was a kind being. He had his own personal reasons for disliking humans, but he didn't let that get in the way of the well-being of his public. It was because of this that he often made decisions that impacted his people in a positive way, letting them believe it was the town leaders making those decisions. He was humble and didn't care to take credit for his virtuousness. So long as his land was healthy and the people were content, so was he.
Though, there were a few leaders that were troublemakers. He didn't very well care for the way they ran their towns, and he had a plan to get to the bottom of it, but he couldn't implement it… yet. There were questions raised about why the king would let such nasty dragons rule specific chunks of land, but if he confronted them how he wanted to, there would surely be another Dragon War.
Dragons were vicious creatures during war, showing no remorse to those who stood in the way of their goals. Gajeel cared too much about his people to put them through that. There were specific ways he had to do things.
Which meant sacrifices had to be made.
Would he rather temporarily leave tens of thousands of people in the hands of cruel leaders, where they had limited free will, or would he rather rush in to save those people at the risk of killing everyone in Fiore?
These were the tough choices of a king.
He only considered himself to be friends with one of the Dukes, the leader of Crocus, Natsu Dragneel, also known as Salamander. He was a genuinely good guy, perhaps a little too upbeat for his liking, but he was pure. There was a Duchess too, the leader of Clover, Wendy Marvell. She and her mother Grandeeney were the only female dragons left, and they were purer than Natsu, but she was a younger, more naïve dragon. She still had a lot to learn as a leader, but her mother was behind her every step of the way.
Then, there were the troublemakers, Sting Eucliffe and his cousin Rogue Cheney who wanted to stick together and become the leaders of Hargeon. They ran that town almost as a dictatorship, only allowing people to come and go under very strict qualifications. Gajeel stayed as far away from them as possible, only communicating with them on a 'need-to' basis. He had one of his informants posing as an officer there and keeping an eye out on things to make sure he didn't need to intervene, but he hadn't heard from her in a while and was beginning to worry.
Then there was the Duke of Magnolia, Laxus Dreyar. Gajeel couldn't stand him. Laxus was a human that somehow got his hands on a dragon lacrima a little over a hundred years ago and ingested it. Apparently, his body was strong enough to handle the new energy that coursed through it and turned him into a man-made dragon, giving him super strength and lightning abilities. He was a big guy with a lot of power to him.
But that was only half of why Gajeel didn't like him.
The other half was because Laxus tried so hard to be mysterious and aloof, not showing his face to the public, barely sending out communication. He wanted the townsfolk of Magnolia to believe they didn't have a leader, but oh, they did. Laxus was there. He was always watching. He had a loyal crew planted in random places in Magnolia to keep an eye on things, but the people didn't know who they were. They hadn't the slightest idea they were being watched.
"Just be a good fuckin' leader an' present yerself ta the people. They'll respect ya a lot more," Gajeel mumbled to himself. Even he didn't know who his crew was. He only knew the names, because that was all Laxus would share with him.
Freed.
Evergreen.
Bickslow.
He said if he gave him any more information, it could blow their cover, but Gajeel knew that was just a crock of shit. He was so annoyed with how secretive Laxus was, but he was running Magnolia well, so he couldn't complain. Though, it was because of how tight-lipped he was that he was Gajeel's biggest concern. He had to have schemes up his sleeve. How self-righteous does one have to be to implant a lacrima into their body and decide they want to rule alongside dragons? A human of that caliber had to want more.
"Tch." Over his dead body would anyone claim his throne. "I need a drink."
Before he could will himself off the couch, an excited Lily flew through the open window in the living room and landed on the coffee table. "Gajeel!"
"Shit, was I thinkin' fer that long?" Gajeel asked, sitting up and rubbing his chin. He had a tendency to get lost in his thoughts, unaware that time was passing him by. "What'cha so happy fer? Ya get a response?"
"Yes!" Lily hopped from the table to the couch, eagerly opening the envelope. He was going to read it at the post, but he decided to share the excitement with his… still very smelly best friend. He craned his neck up and looked at him in disgust. "I see you still haven't bathed."
"Get off my damn back! I was 'bout ta get up when ya came back!" He typically spent several hours in his shed making weapons, and he tended to sweat a bit while he was in there. He should have built better ventilation, but it still served its purpose. It was only a small price to pay for his men to be well-equipped. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, his nose twitching when Lily unfolded the paper. He got a whiff of something sweet with a hint of… something herbal? But it was faint. He chalked it up to the cat having gotten something to eat while he was out. He watched him scan the paper, reading it to himself. "Well, what does it say?!"
"It looks like a script mage by the name of 'Levy McGarden' has applied…" Lily went over the letter, impressed with the way she worded things. He also noticed that she'd written this letter the day before, so she must have sent this via express. "She goes on to say she studied Dragonic for the better half of her life and is fluent in other languages as well. She even offered to demonstrate her skills, both language, and magic."
"Tch. Sounds like a human," Gajeel grunted, finally standing from his spot on the couch. "Ya know how I feel 'bout 'em."
"Don't tell me you've complained all this time just to turn down a response," Lily sighed. Who knew how long it would take to find someone else?
"I don't hafta like 'em! I care about their well-being! Ain't that enough?"
"It's not about liking them, Gajeel. It's about finding a teacher good enough to teach you Dragonic. That's all that matters," Lily rebutted. "At least let me meet with her. You're at the end of mating season, so you should have a clearer head by now. Perhaps she'll rid you of your prejudice toward humans. Besides, you know it's going to take a long time to get another response, so you might as well give this a chance."
Gajeel groaned loudly. The damn cat was right. "Fine. When does she wanna meet ya?"
"In a week," Lily mumbled. "She wants to meet next Sunday morning."
"Great," Gajeel began walking off, headed to the shower.
"Wait, before you go," Lily stopped him briefly. "If she happens to be a good fit, when would you like her to start?"
"Fuck if I know!" He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Hell, she can start that same day, I don't care! Leave it up to her if ya want."
"Great!" Lily beamed. "I have a good feeling about this!"
"Yeah, whatever." Gajeel went upstairs, headed to the bathroom to shower. He knew that cat had some good intuition, so he was probably right about this Levy person. Still, it sucked that she was human, though. He didn't like associating with them, but communicating with them was inevitable, so he had to bite the bullet. If it were an ideal world, the land would still be plentiful with dragons, all living together in harmony. But his dad and the other aggressive dragons clearly preferred drama. That's why he was working hard to create a peaceful land.
He stepped into the shower letting his hair absorb as much water as it could before starting his routine. He just wanted to get this learning shit over with. He was smart enough to know that this was no simple task and that this would take a good amount of time, at least a year. Who was this woman, and how was she qualified to teach him the language of his kind?
He let his mind get the best of him as he showered, already assuming that she would be some awful old hag who'd be relentless and stoic. How in the world was he supposed to get along with that?! Lily said she was a script mage, and he had nothing in common with that kind of magic. This was someone he'd be spending a large amount of time with, who was she? Would they get along? 'I don't like humans, so probably not.' But that was only a speck of time compared to how long he'd already lived, so he figured he could deal with her for a year or two.
It shouldn't take that long for him to learn the language; he was a dragon after all.
"Cana, can I get some advice?"
It was Saturday evening and Levy had Cana over for a movie night. It wouldn't be a movie night without snacks, and they were definitely gorging themselves and having a good time. Cana, of course, brought over gallons of beer and Levy opted for staying sober that night so she could be at the top of her game if she decided to go meet Lily in the morning.
They were sitting on the couch in her living room, facing Levy's large lacrima-vision she'd paid quite a bit for. Seriously. It cost her nearly two full job's pay! But she had to admit it was very worth it! As much as she loved reading, sometimes she needed to focus on something else.
She was having third thoughts about taking this mysterious job, and she was feeling particularly lazy and just wanted to lie around all weekend. She only had four people she could truly call her friend, and three of them would harass her if she told them about this job.
Which left Cana.
"What's up, Blue?" Cana responded, taking a large swig of beer.
"Well, lately, I've been feeling a little smothered," she began, hugging her knees and resting her chin on them. "Jet and Droy treat me like I'm made of glass and feel like they should go everywhere with me, and Lucy's no better. She doesn't really feel like I should go with them, per se, but with someone. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself!"
"Heh, ya got that right!" Cana said, throwing an arm around her. "I remember when ya went crazy on Bacchus years ago for insultin' me! And I also remember that one job we went on and ran into those thieves. You really put the moves on 'em, short stuff!"
"Yeah, you remember," Levy sulked. "Why can't they?"
"Look, Levs. You're small. And I know that's not an excuse so don't get your panties all twisted! But that's the first thing people notice when they see you. I know you, and you know you, isn't it fun to have a little trick up your sleeve? No one but you knows what you're capable of, so don't let them get to you, and just do your thing, girl!"
Levy smiled. Cana always knew what to say in times like these. "Okay, then… there's this job."
It was one thing for Levy to say she wanted to take a job on her own, but for her to actually take the step and do it? Cana immediately faced her with her legs crossed, excited that her little Levy was growing up and stepping outside of her comfort zone! "Take it!"
"You don't even know what it is yet!" Levy exclaimed in a fit of giggles.
"I don't care, take it!" Cana put her hands on Levy's shoulders. "It was interesting enough for you to grab the flyer, so take it!"
"Well, it's nothing too crazy, just a teaching job."
"A teaching job? Teaching what?" She took a few gulps of beer.
"Dragonic, so it'll be a lengthy job."
"Didn't you spend like, a decade learning that?"
"Well, yes, but I wanted to know everything. I highly doubt whoever I'm teaching will need to learn as much as I did. Probably just the basics," Levy hoped.
"And how long did it take you to learn 'the basics'?"
"Maybe a little over a year, I guess?"
"You gotta remember, that's you. Whoever the student is probably isn't anywhere near as smart as you, so you might as well go ahead and double that time. Are you sure you wanna do this?"
"I mean, that's not what's putting me off," Levy sprang to her feet and vanished into the bedroom, only to come back out a few seconds later with the flyer. "There's no pay listed, see?"
Cana reached for the paper being handed to her, reading it a few times. "You're right. But it sounds like it's right up your alley!"
"It is, there's just a lot of pros and cons to factor in. Like one of the cons being the fact that it's probably located in Crocus! That's so far! My commute would suck!"
"Yeah, but what if you don't have to go every day? Maybe this is like a part-time job or something," Cana suggested. "Did you respond?"
"Yes, I'm supposed to meet up with a 'Lily' tomorrow at nine AM, but I'm not sure…"
"Just do it," Cana put a reassuring hand on her arm. "You already responded, it'd be kinda shitty if you left them hangin'. Besides, if you don't like it, you can always say no, and just turn it into a small day trip. Lord knows you need the time to yourself."
"You're right," Levy felt a lot better about her decision to respond. Maybe she just needed to hear someone tell her 'yes' for once. "Hey, do me a favor, and please don't tell the others. You can tell Bacchus, but that's it!"
"You got it, doll!"
Her head was in the clouds as she walked through Crocus. It was a beautiful morning, even if it was overcast. It was the type of day where she just wanted to snuggle up in the bed with a nice book, window adjacent, of course. She strolled through the streets, her green bag slung over her shoulder and across her body. She traveled light, with only a few of her notebooks so she could save space for her mini shopping trip. She just hoped it didn't rain.
Levy was a punctual person, always being the first to arrive to things. She believed in being on time, all the time; it was a sign of respect and maturity. So, she had it all planned out to get to the post fifteen minutes early so she could show her commitment to the job… if it paid well. 'There's a small part of me that hopes this doesn't pay well.'
Only so she could find an easy out.
She got to the post, quickly scanning the area for someone who looked like they could be named 'Lily'. There weren't too many people there since it was a Sunday, so to make things faster, she decided to just find the nearest person and ask around. She was bad at putting names to faces, anyway.
"Excuse me," she said, approaching what looked to be an Exceed, and a huge one! "Sorry to bother you, but I am looking for someone named Lily, and I was wondering if that name sounded familiar to you?"
The Exceed turned to face her, a much gentler look on his face than she would have expected. He was clearly a guard or officer of some sort, given his stature, but his demeanor told her he was friendly.
"Ah, you must be Levy," Lily greeted, extending a hand. "It's nice to meet you!"
"You're Lily?" She asked incredulously, returning the handshake.
"Panther Lily to be technical, but you can call me 'Lily' for short," he chuckled. "I take it I wasn't what you were expecting?"
Levy immediately relaxed in his presence, as he had a sort of calm energy to him. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled. "Honestly, I was expecting some girl my age, or something."
"And not an old and wise Exceed?" He stroked his whiskers, poking fun at her.
"Definitely not!" She laughed. "You know, I was honestly having my doubts about this job, but now that I know who I'm going to be teaching, I don't think it'll be so bad!"
Oh, right. Even with how short their conversation was so far, he'd gotten comfortable and nearly forgotten that he had to tell her it wasn't him she'd be teaching, but his more brash friend. "Well, I am glad you decided to at least speak with me. While it may be challenging, I am certain this job will fit your standards."
"And how do you know that?"
Lily tapped his temple with a smile. "Just intuition. Now, how about we walk and talk? Unless there's somewhere you'd like to go?"
"We can walk and talk, that's fine with me!" Levy followed him outside, wondering where he was planning to go. "Nice day, huh?"
"I must agree with you, Levy. This would be the perfect day to spar." Perhaps when he got home, Gajeel would be willing to humor him.
Spar? Who was he sparring with? Did he do it professionally? There were all things she was eager to find out as time progressed. But… why did an Exceed need to learn Dragonic?
"By the way," Lily stopped and looked over at the short girl next to him. "I noticed you sent your response from Magnolia. That must have been a pretty lengthy journey. What would you have done if you made this trip for nothing?"
That was a peculiar question, but she liked it. There weren't too many who picked brains like she did. What was she so worried about? They'd get along swimmingly! "Oh, well if I didn't like the job, I was just going to turn this into a day trip and shop a bit before I went back home. You know, so it isn't a complete waste of time!"
Lily shared in her laughter. He was really glad she was the one who responded. "You know, I happen to take an interest in shopping as well. I could always use new armor since it tends to get destroyed in sparring matches."
"Okay, you've mentioned it twice now, and I have to know!" Levy gripped the strap of her bag excitedly as they walked through the town. "Who are you sparring, why are you sparring them, and can I watch sometime? I've always liked a bit of action."
Lily chuckled, wanting to tell her everything, yet nothing at all. "Is action your favorite genre?"
"It comes second to romance, though!" She unintentionally pulled on his wrist, dragging him to a store she remembered seeing some armor in. "Follow me! I have a few ideas on where to get you some new armor!"
He paid no mind to the exuberant human girl that was pulling him through the streets of Crocus. It was a really refreshing energy and a nice change of pace to what he was used to dealing with. She'd be an excellent addition to their duo. Lily only hoped Gajeel could look past the fact that she was human.
