The blood in my vein's chills to ice as Lucy and I burst into the next clearing, following the frantically fleeing Mira. My mind struggles to process what I am looking at, before I can do anything, Lucy has flung me against the nearest tree, caging me in with a force I've never witnessed from the Celestial Wizard. My fingers scrabble at her furiously, I can just about see over her shoulder, the blur of heated movements making me frown as I tried desperately to understand what I was actually looking at.
A tangle of bodies threw themselves at each other, intense flames shooting through the thicket, the colour changing from brightest orange to deepest black in the blink of an eye. As an arc of fire spiralled through the air, a dark shadow curled around it and the impact shook the very ground we stood on. Sparks and loud crackles of lightning rose from the where the fire had landed, and a hideous laughing could be heard rumbling through the surrounding trees until it was quickly cut off.
A strange calmness descends, my breathing is laboured as I fight against Lucy, the blonde an unyielding wall that manages to contain me with seemingly no effort. As the air clears three figures can now be seen, Gajeel is down on one knee, panting heavily, his skin singed along his right side. His vest has been partially burnt away from his body, revealing scorch marks down his chest and stomach. My own stomach heaves, the contents roiling inside as an intense rage clouds me, Lucy's head snaps to the side, "be still Levy, it's going to be fine," her voice is unwavering. I can only gawk at her, the anger wrapping itself around me like a vice, I wanted revenge and I wanted it now.
My eyes had sprung instantly to Gajeel, however, as the silence continued, my head moved to the towering oak tree. The large body of Laxus was pinned against it, his feet off the ground as someone held him aloft by the throat. Gasping in realisation, the person holding him restrained was Natsu, but not as I had never seen him before.
The Fire Dragon Slayer towered over the blonde mage, his arms were covered in black scales that gave the appearance of obsidian, deep cracks ran along their length with what looked like scalding lava below the surface. Natsu's unruly pink hair whipped around his head by an invisible wind, a crown of ghostly flames set atop, clearly marking him as royalty.
I could no longer stand; my trembling legs gave out as I crashed to the ground. "Was this the full power of the Dragon?" Laxus struggled in the grip of the Fire Dragon Slayer, his large hands clawing futilely at the one that held him immobile. His face reddened with every second that slipped by and desperate gasping noises filled the air, until a pleading began from somewhere, I could not see.
"Don't do this! Please, I'm begging you, don't hurt him further!" Mira begged through wracked sobbing, "Natsu! I forbid it!" she yelled, her voice quavering, the tone lowering to that our Mira's Satan Soul form.
~.~
"Holy fuck, Natsu's power is insane! Is this all cause he fully bonded with his Dragon, and marked his mate?" My brain struggles to keep up with what is going on, tearing my eyes from the terrifying sight of Natsu restraining Laxus, I look towards where I know Levy is. Her body has crumpled to the ground, her eyes filled with a mixture of pure terror and anger. Lucy and I lock gazes, she gives me a quick nod, and I instantly understand her plan. Moving with as much speed as I can muster after that short but intense fight, I take her place guarding Levy, as Lucy moves towards her mate with determination.
Glancing to my left as I allow Levy to crawl into my crouched embrace, her tears now slipping down her cheeks like a waterfall, I watch with concern as Lily struggles valiantly to contain the now transformed Mirajane. She bursts free from the Exceed's grip and flies towards Laxus and Natsu, her wings beating furiously.
A determined looking Lucy blocks her path, a key appears in her outstretched hand, "Open, gate of the white ram!" she yells as a blinding light appears in the clearing, forcing me to shield my eyes. Levy clutches at me, and I pull her closer, kissing the top of her head before I look back at the fighting females.
"Wool bomb!" a squeaky voice cries out. Mira, having been momentarily blinded by the appearance of Aries, is unable to dodge the attack and becomes trapped in heavy restraining wool. Her raged shrieks rip through the forest, Levy winces from the harshness of the sound, her eyes tipping up as she finally takes in what is happening to her friends.
Lucy strides quickly to the continually struggling Satan Soul Mira, her mouth dips to her ear and Mira takes one deep gasping breath. As Lucy retreats, a reassuring smile on her face, Mira's transformation dissipates and the white-haired female sags in her bindings, cries of pure anguish replacing the shrieks of rage. The sound makes my heart hurt, I'm not used to feeling sympathetic towards anyone, but the raw emotions that are flooding this clearing are too much for me to handle without being swept up with them.
This has all happened so quickly, it almost feels unreal as I continue to follow Lucy's hurried movements as she runs towards the enraged Natsu. The Salamander's transformation had been shocking to say the least; when we first found Laxus, he was clearly deranged, and we simply didn't know why.
Laxus had been kneeling on the scorched ground, roaring with laughter, his face taut with the emotion as he held the ripped material of Mira's dress in his clenched fist. The veins on his entire frame were stark, popping from his skin as he continued to howl as we slowly approached. His gaze finally levelled on us, the madness in his eyes so very evident, "Fucking Dragons!" he had yelled before getting to his feet to charge us.
Our magic had remained defensive, attempting to merely deflect his attacks until we could restrain the Lightning Dragon Slayer, and we had successfully cornered him, that was until he spat out, "I am going to destroy all of you, and your precious little mates!" It was safe to say, that both Natsu and I lost it at the point, the threat to our mates too great to be ignored.
It wasn't until our last combined attack landed on Laxus that I finally took in Natsu's own appearance. The surging power from the male was crushing, and my own Dragon had cowered back in fear of his presence, a low whimpering resonating in my head. "The Dragon King…" he had whispered in hushed awe, the beating of my own heart accelerating as that realisation hit me at full force.
As Lucy finally approached Natsu's side, my mind was forced back to the present as I took in the scene before me. The Celestial Wizard twisted her body around Natsu's, her head only reaching his shoulders in his new form. The only sounds in the clearing were that of hushed murmurs, the continued gasps from Laxus and the now gentle sobbing of Mira, who was being comforted by Aries and Lily.
With a deafening crack, Natsu bashed Laxus's head back against the thick twisted trunk of the tree, his body slumped forward, and the Fire Dragon Slayer released him as he fell to the ground, unmoving. Mira's scream was heart wrenching, Levy started to crawl towards her, but I pulled her back. She fought against me desperately, her own face twisted with the shared pain of Mira, I held on tightly and took the blows she dealt me.
"He is not dead, though it is only through the mercy of my mate that he continues to live. If he ever threatens me, my mate, or my friends again, I will END him!" Natsu roared, his fierce eyes swinging towards Mira. As Mira nodded, her face twisted into a mixture of agony and awe, Natsu's power seemingly imploded back into him, and he sagged against Lucy.
With all remaining threats now eliminated, I push to my feet, scooping up my still fighting warrior kitten and strode towards Lily. Aries disappeared taking her wool with her, Lily catching Mirajane before she hit the ground and gently placed her on her feet. "Lily help Mira get Laxus to the Fairy Tail dungeon. Use the Anti Magic restraints on his hands and his feet, do not take any chances with him. If he seems to be stirring, knock him the hell out using any means necessary." I start to direct the wide eyed Exceed, "once he is fully restrained and locked up, then and only then do you go find Porlyuscia and tell her what has happened here."
Lily gives a short nod before moving towards the prone Lightning Dragon Slayer, lifting him with the assistance of Mira. "Put me down Gajeel," Levy states calmly, looking down at her I can see the fire of her will burning in her eyes and for once I do as I'm instructed.
As soon as her feet hit the dirt, she swings back her hand and a deafening slap lands hard on my cheek, the lancing pain burning immediately from the impact. My hand lifts to the slapped cheek in shock, watching as Levy trembles before me, her face wet from her tears. Without warning, her eyes flutter shut, and she faints. Luckily my reflexes are still intact, and I manage to catch her falling body before she hits the ground.
~.~
A gentle buzzing fills my ears, stirring me. I can feel a light breeze on my face, and I want to turn over and burrow my face in Gajeel's chest and go back to sleep. As my semi-conscious mind drifts on the image of Gajeel, a flash of memory races through me. Laxus lying prone on the ground. Mira's scream of despair. Natsu's terrifying display of power. "I'm not in bed at home…"
My eyes spring open and a quick gasp sounds in the room, somewhere near my legs. Lucy's worried face appears before me, her deep chocolate eyes full of concern. "Oh, thank goodness! You gave us all quite a scare."
Despite the grogginess I can still feel heavily in both my head and limbs, I swiftly sit up in the bed, my anger rising like a tidal wave, "I scared you? Are you serious? What the fuck did I just witness?" I yell, not caring who could be listening, my eyes never leaving Lucy's anguished face.
"Is that the true power of the Dragon? Natsu was terrifying, how do we know this won't come back to bite us on the ass? He -," my angry tirade is cut short as Lucy stands abruptly.
"Levy, don't you dare speak about Natsu like that to me. How would you feel I were to voice my concerns about Gajeel to you?" she hisses through her teeth, her eyes alight with annoyance. She's right, a blush creeps up my neck, as I concede shakily.
My voice quivers, tears pricking my eyes, "I'm s-sorry." I don't know where to look, wringing my hands in my lap, Lucy's deep sigh makes me flinch until she sits again and takes my hands in hers.
"It's scary, I know." Lucy whispers, "but it only happens when someone he loves is threatened. His Dragon appears to be a bit different to others, he seems to find it easier to overpower Natsu's own will, which in itself sounds like a miracle," she chuckles at that. "But Natsu is getting better at keeping him contained when he wants to take over, this is only the second time it has happened, and we wont talk about the first time right now, 'kay?"
I want to question her further, but something tells me I will only be met with silence. A gentle knocking forces me out of my own thoughts as I look towards the door on the left. It is only now that I have even realised that I am in the light filled room of the Fairy Tail infirmary. A sheepish looking pink head appears in the gap of the door, even to my eyes Natsu looks nervous. "Hey Levy, just wanted to come check you were ok? Lucy told me you were finally awake," he mumbles, his eyes refusing to meet my own as he stares fixedly past my head.
Frowning, I turn to Lucy, "how could you have told him? You haven't left my side since I woke up…" I trail off, understanding dawning on me suddenly, "its another part of the mate's thing isn't it?"
The blonde smiles at me apologetically, "yep, just another layer of weirdness to all this huh? It does come in handy in times like these, although normally Natsu uses it to pester me whilst I'm in the shower," she grumbles, throwing the Dragon Slayer a nasty look.
"You love it," he chuckles, strolling into the room and plopping heavily beside Lucy on the bed, making us both bounce on the mattress.
"How is Laxus?" I ask timidly, I'm not sure if I want to know the answer. Natsu stiffens at the mention of Laxus, his gaze filled with a strange mixture of anger and regret. Lucy sighs, clutching at his hand, her thumb rubbing circles on the skin.
Natsu clears his throat, he smiles shyly at me as he seems to search for the right thing to say, "Porlyuscia and Master Makarov are with him now. I've given my version of what unfolded, Gajeel is giving his now." I don't want to think about Gajeel right now, I'm still mad at him, although if I poke that thought too hard, I struggle to reason out a logical explanation for my anger.
As if summoned by my anger alone, Gajeel throws the door open and glares at Natsu and Lucy, "out!" he yells, pointing behind him. A faint red handprint stains his cheek, and I bite the inside of my own cheek enough to draw blood, the tangy metallic liquid pooling on my tongue.
"Levy?" Lucy asks quietly, all I can do is nod in response. The pair leave the room, I note the way that Natsu claps Gajeel on the back in passing, an almost brotherly gesture, and the tightness crushing my heart loosens as I take in the look of bafflement and pride on Gajeel's face before he masks it with a twist of his lips.
Drawing my knees to my chest, I await his explosion. The wait isn't long as he thunders into the room, his eyes wild with unrestrained fury, "what the fuck Levy?" His anger laps at me, the all too familiar pull of his power reaching out to me, daring me to come closer and get swept into his current. My own anger dissipates, leaving behind only a hollow sadness and a deep twisting worry, I would rather have the anger back, but its long gone now.
Hot tears slip down my cheeks, turning my head away from the man I love so desperately that my very soul aches with it, hoping he doesn't see them, but who am I kidding? Of course, he sees them. The bed dips, Gajeel pulls me into his warm lap, his calloused hands tucking me tightly into him as I allow myself to cry unashamedly.
Minutes pass in silence, only the sound of my sniffles fills the quiet room as I attempt to work through my confused emotions. "Why am I so upset? Is it simply from compassion, seeing Mira so distressed? Is it concern over if Natsu and Gajeel were ever to go head-to-head?"
"Talk to me kitten, please?" Gajeel pleads, his voice quiet and so unsure of himself. I don't know what to say, my head willing tilts up as he grips my chin and lifts my face up towards him. I press a quick kiss to his lips, the answering purr is like music to my ears, I let his warmth fill my achingly cold insides.
My voice is no more than a faint whisper, "I don't know what to say, can you talk to me? Tell me anything, I just don't want to think anymore." My head buries into the warmth of Gajeel's chest, he hasn't yet replaced his mostly burnt top, the light dusting of hair on his bare chest tickles at my cheek pleasantly.
"Hmm," he murmurs lowly, "I assume that Lucy and that damn idiot told you that Laxus is now contained in the dungeon, and is being monitored by Porlyuscia and the Master?" I nod, Gajeel hums appreciatively as I rub against his skin. "Mirajane is also being looked after, Lisanna and Elfman are refusing to let anyone near her," he laughs and my own lips tilt into a small smile at the thought of the two overprotective siblings.
Gajeel gently moves me away from him, holding me at arm's length as he watches my face intently, "and have I told you how much I love you?" he asks, his eyes burning with intensity. He places his finger on my parted lips, stopping me from speaking, "before you guys got there, Laxus threatened to kill me and Natsu. That kind of threat I'm more than used to, hear them on a daily basis," he states matter-of-factly, his shoulders shrugging with indifference.
"But then he threatened to kill you and Lucy. I'm not proud of it Levy, but I completely snapped. The idea of someone hurting you, it flipped a switch in me that caused me to see nothing but red. I'll be honest, I don't know if I would have been able to stop myself from killing him, and that scares me. It scares me real bad. Natsu showed more restraint than I think I would have.
I want to mark you Levy, the bond between that pink dumbass and the damn bunny girl is making my insides squirm with jealousy. I want that bond with you, on show for everyone to see, I want you to be proud to be my mate. You make me a better person, I don't want to slip into old habits, this newfound empathy and compassion is draining, but I don't want to lose it. I have more I want to say, but this isn't the time or place…"
Kneeling before the Dragon Slayer that has so openly shown me his heart, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him soundly on the mouth. As we break apart for air, I cup his cheek gently, whispering, "I love you too, my Stupid Gajeel."
