Part III
Marigold
(Despair; Grief; Jealousy)
From where she stands, her head tipped back to look up at the beautiful building with its stained windows and ancient architecture, Levy can't help but remember a time when she'd wanted nothing more than to walk through its massive wooden doors. For so very long, she'd wanted nothing more than to be allowed in to this beautiful building, the archives with its ancient words and languages. Now…she feels fear. She brushes her fingers over her scars and remembers that one is because of the people who occupy this very building she's walking into.
At least, she thinks, glancing to her right, she has company – and powerful company, who will make anyone think twice before acting. As he'd promised, Gajeel is there. Lucy, however, had chosen to reluctantly remain in Magnolia at Makarov's request. Natsu would be coming with Sting, they'd been told as Levy was leaving, and Makarov didn't have the time to deal with the tantrum that would undoubtedly occur if Lucy wasn't there.
Reluctant to enter and trying to delay the inevitable trouble this summons would bring, Levy says, eyes darting back to the archives, "I used to stand out here for hours and look at this place." She smiles fondly as she points to an alleyway entrance behind them. "I'd stand right there, avoiding women using the alley for work and the men who would pay them for it."
Gajeel wrinkles his nose at that thought of what kinds of things she must have seen, but only says, "Didn't ya get bored?"
"There was nothing else to do. Besides." Levy bites her lip. "It was the best place to beg for money. Rich folk would come and go from the Fioran Archives and sometimes, if I was very lucky, they would give me a few coins here and there so I could eat. When we're done, I can take you past the place I used to live in. Magnolia's a much nicer town than Crocus is a city; there are no slums. Everyone helps everyone else. Here…" She shakes her head. "You fend for yourself, regardless of age."
"Humans," Gajeel mutters in disgust, and she knows precisely why he's so irritated. Despite their secretiveness about their dens and hoards, the dragons of Tenrou Island are very close with one another. If one begins to struggle, there are a multitude of dragons who will come to help, regardless of the reasons for why the dragon is having so many issues.
Levy takes a deep breath – and then forces herself forward. Gajeel moves with her, not more than a few steps away, and Levy finds his presence incredibly reassuring. She wishes that Jet and Droy could have come, too, but…they had been avoiding her a little. She wonders if they're upset with the fact that she's made other friends.
She approaches the front desk with much less enthusiasm than she had the last time she'd been here, with Natsu. "Hello," she says to the woman sitting there, and the woman calmly looks up from her paperwork. Her eyes flicker with recognition, and Levy feels a stab of pain at the disgust that crosses through her gaze. So very different, Levy thinks mournfully. "I was summoned by a member of the Council to speak with them?"
The woman slowly rises to her feet, as if intent on taking her time. "Of course. I'll inform them that you're here, Miss McGarden." She mutters something under her breath, gaze flashing between the pair, that Levy doesn't catch.
But Gajeel does.
And his glare freezes the woman in her tracks, like a rabbit that finds itself staring unexpectedly at a fox. "Wanna try that again?" he challenges, and Levy blinks, wondering what she'd said.
The woman clears her throat anxiously. "M-my apologies," she says hastily and then races off to inform those that want to speak with them that they're there. Levy frowns after her before looking to Gajeel for an explanation. She can't say she expects what she sees.
He is livid – angrier than Levy can ever recall seeing him. Angry enough that it makes her flinch when the look suddenly turns on her for the briefest of moments. It vanishes just as abruptly. "What'd she say?" Levy says faintly.
Gajeel looks as if he's debating whether or not he should tell her, which warns Levy right away that it's particularly bad. Finally, the iron dragon clears his throat, looks her in the eye, and says with a wince, "Basically said that all you're good for is keeping dragons…busy, and that you're a glorified–"
She cuts him off. "I get it." She understands what the woman has accused her of almost immediately despite Gajeel's rare moment of tactfulness, and she feels a flicker of hurt that must show on her face, because she's surprised when Gajeel gives her a grin that is all sharp dragon teeth and pats her on the head.
"Don't worry so much, shrimp," he tells her, mussing her blue hair until she hisses at him. "Like to see that lady deal with Zirconis like you did, or impress Igneel like you did with your weird languages."
Levy's lips twitch and she smiles faintly at him, shoving her gratitude into her eyes before she turns as her name is called. The woman is back, and this time, she keeps her eyes on the floor. Gajeel gently pushes her forward, and Levy trips but quickly catches her balance with a scowl over her shoulder. He ignores her, and she returns the favor, although she sticks close, truly grateful that he is with her. She's not have preferred anyone else.
They're taken to the same room that Levy had spoken with Mest and Lahar in with Natsu so long ago, and she stills upon ducking through the open door. Five Council members reside within, all older men, and she feels nervous. She doesn't let it show on her face, taking comfort in the uncertainty that appears on their faces when they see Gajeel step in behind her.
"If you'd wait outside, sir," tries one of the Councilmen, but Gjaeel silences them with a growl so deep it rattles Levy's bones. It gives her a boost of confidence, and Levy lifts her chin proudly as she sinks into a chair across from them. Gajeel doesn't sit; he positions himself near her shoulder and instead leans his hip on the table, arms folded.
As if they'd not just tried to isolate her, Levy smiles in an attempt to be friendly and says, "What can I do for you? It's not often Fairy Tail mages are summoned to speak with the Council for things outside of destructive tendencies – and I most certainly have not been around enough to cause any of that." She dares them to try and say otherwise. She knows better, and Gajeel's been particularly careful to avoid damaging anything – outside of a one time incident in which a daily brawl had broken out in the guild. It had been started by a rare visit from Natsu and a comment from Gray, of course. Somehow, Gajeel had gotten dragged into it and it had all come to an end when, eager to challenge a full-blooded dragon, some idiots had approached with playful grins – and had failed miserably, resulting in several broken tables.
He could say otherwise all he wanted, but Levy knows that he had fun in that moment.
All five of the Councilmen exchanged grim looks and Levy knows this is going to be anything but fun. Sensing the same, Gajeel shifts behind her.
Finally, the one at the head of them all says firmly, "We would like you to reconsider what you've been doing with the dragons, Miss McGarden. You're creating unnecessary panic in the public with all of this talk of a war that has nothing to do with the rest of us – if it really is even happening. We believe it would be best to withdraw your company from the dragons entirely and suggest it may be best to go back to what you were doing before Lahar implemented this ridiculous plan to encourage relationships between humans and dragons."
A braver one levels Gajeel with a rather nasty look. "Monsters like him have no reason to interfere or so much as be a part of human lives when we have only recently convinced the public that we are not evil creatures who should be burned at the stake."
Levy knows that several Council members have been thinking about this for some time, but most certainly isn't expecting it to be stated so obviously to her face. Expression stricken, she says, "Unnecessary panic? Have you…have you not seen what happened to Clover Town? To the surrounding villages? They've been destroyed by demons that are slipping through the cracks of another realm, intending to bring the war here if they somehow win against the stars and the dragons–"
"Those are isolated events," denies another member. "And they are not demons."
Levy barks out an angry laugh, remembering their trip to Clover Town. "I beg to differ."
She's so angry, she realizes, she's shaking. Her hands, placed so carefully in her lap, shake as she says with a carefully handled voice, "Right now, in a realm we cannot touch because we are fragile, pathetic little humans, other beings are fighting for their lives to ensure that creatures who dwell within death and destruction do not come to this realm and kill us all. You think that there is panic now? What will you do when a war appears on your doorstep and you are unprepared for it because you are too blind to admit that it's coming – because you are too scared to?"
Rage flickers across more than one face, and Levy rises to her feet again, refusing to stay if it means listening to such nonsense. Gajeel shifts aside to let her. Levy looks at each of them, one after the other. "You are the worst of our kind. Greedy, and blind, and hateful. You are why other species like him," she points at Gajeel, "hate us. You are why I have come to hate myself for being what I am." She presses a hand over her heart, her hazel eyes blazing. "You sit in here, claiming that I am a harlot, that dragons like Gajeel are monsters, when there are children starving in your city streets. When you look at us with that type of hatred, stop and look at yourself in the mirror."
One particularly mean looking man's face twists with fury and disgust as Levy waves for Gajeel to leave, indicating that she'll be a step behind. "You should watch your words, girl. Was one warning not enough for you?"
Levy stops, and even one of the five Councilmen stops to frown at the man beside him. "Warning?" says the man. "What kind of warning? What have you done?"
Levy is so surprised by the man's alarm that she doesn't think to keep an eye on the response of the one in front or her. Between one blink and the next, Gajeel is easily perched on the table, crouched with perfect balance on the very edge with his face only inches away from the man who'd threatened Levy. Levy cannot see his face from where she stands, frozen in horror, but she has the feeling that it resembles the one that had scared her not too long ago. "Gajeel–"
"Just because," says Gajeel, and the man who had threatened Levy is pale, his body trembling in his seat. He is frozen, unable to move. "We are at war with the bastards you're too scared to fight against doesn't mean we'll forget a threat against our own. Levy," Gajeel says, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at the wide-eyed woman, "has a bunch of big, nasty friends who wouldn't mind crushing a bug like you for that assassination attempt."
"What have you done?" demands the Councilman again, but Gajeel ignores him.
"Don't forget that it's not just her you're dealing with," Gajeel says darkly. "Igneel's been pretty lenient with you bastards 'cause of what he's dealing with. But the second we win that war – and we will win it, 'cause we don't want to deal with the aftermath – he's gonna come looking to settle all those little things that popped up when he couldn't deal with 'em. Next time you think about sending someone to stab someone who's trying to save your pathetic lives, think about that."
He doesn't move for a few more seconds, letting his warning sink in. And then he straightens, walking over the creaking table. He jumps down with ease, snapping his jaws angrily. "C'mon, shrimp," he says firmly. "We're goin'."
Levy's too stunned to do anything more than follow him.
She says nothing until they've left the Fioran Archives far behind, and she blinks when she realizes where she's led them to, because Gajeel is now trailing behind, keeping a close eye out for danger. She stops dead in her tracks, and he grunts when he bumps into her. Finally, she takes a deep, shaken breath. Suspicious, Gajeel ducks around her to peer at her face. "You ain't cryin' again are you?"
"A little," she admits, wiping at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm just…angry." She looks at all of the people that surround them, and feels a deep gratitude towards him. Gajeel so very clearly hates Crocus and all of the humans that press in on them, but he came with her anyways, knowing that she had so desperately craved some form of safety when facing down such people.
She starts walking again, leading him away from the more crowded parts of Crocus. Before long, they're in the broken parts. And, as promised, she stops in front of a crumbling building, long since abandoned. It's smaller – so much smaller – than she remembers. It had seemed so much bigger when she'd been little. She thinks she can hear her mother's harsh voice berating her for some reason or another for a moment.
Gajeel, sensing that she's not in the mood to discuss the event with the Councilmen, studies the building before them. "This the place?"
"Yes," she murmurs, pushing the door open. It's barely hanging on by a hinge and rattles horribly against the wall. She winces, but ducks inside anyways, taking in the old, half-rotten furniture. The kitchen is dirty and she winces at a mouse she sees, scampering to safety. "It's not much, but it was home for the first thirteen years of my life." She points to a half-broken bed frame in the corner of the kitchen. One of the legs had broken, the corner resting on the ground. Someone must have stolen the blankets she'd left there. "That's the bed my mother died in. It took me days to figure out what to do – to knock on the neighbor's door." She smiles wryly. "He charged me for the help. I didn't eat more than an apple here and there for a week afterwards."
"Bastard," mutters Gajeel, peering around with interest. He ducks around a corner and vanishes down the tiny hallway that holds a single closet and a small, horrid bathroom. Levy watches him closely, thoughtfully. Her stomach twists with warmth as he carefully nudges the closet door open, his movements cautious as to not break anything.
It strikes her in that moment that Gajeel's become a very, very good friend, and she can't properly say how happy she is that he decided to accompany her to this horrid city.
Clearing her throat, Levy steps forward and squeezes her way psat him. He stills, frowning at her when she ducks into the little closet, expertly shoving a nasty sheet aside to let some light in through a hole. "This," she says, sneezing as her nose is filled with dust, "was my room." She points to a threadbare blanket. "That's what I slept with. And here," she ducks to push aside some bricks that have been so very carefully placed to hide the hole away, "is where I kept my treasure."
She pulls the book free, straightening, and fondly brushes dust away. It's old and ragged, barely staying together. Pages threaten to flutter to the ground. But she smiles at it as if it's a newborn child, and then hands it to him, trusting him with it.
He takes it carefully, peering at the cover. Amusement flickers across Gajeel's face. "Dragons, eh?"
"Fairy tales," she corrects, "with my favorite being about a dragon. Not that I could ever read it. I didn't learn how to read until I joined Fairy Tail. I'll read it on the train back." She waves him out of the way, squeezing past him again. She leads the way back into the main part of the small home, putting her hands on her hips and looking around. She remembers what it was like to live here with her parents, and then her mother, and then alone. She remembers how frightening it was to stop at the front door every evening and realize that there was no one waiting for her, no one to cook her warm meals or offer her a very rare smile.
Her mother had been a lot of things, Levy admits, but she'd been her mother.
Gajeel is carefully flipping through the pages of the book, not bothering to rejoin her just yet. When he's done, he closes it, neatly ensuring that all of the pages are tucked securely between the covers, and hands it over. She takes it lightly, grateful for his care with it. "Do you have anything like this?" she suddenly asks, curious.
He glances at her, studying her closely. "Yeah," he says finally, searching her gaze. "I'll show ya next time we go to Tenrou."
She smiles as if he's given her the world.
The world has shattered before her very eyes.
Levy stares at the scene presented to her, her face white with shock and her hands trembling at her sides. This can't be happening, she thinks, her knees nearly buckling when she stumbles forward a few steps. A hand snags her elbow, stopping her. Gajeel rumbles a low growl in the back of his throat. "Don't. Could be demons around." And it isn't a "could," she realizes, staring at the massive shapes that slink through the rubble.
Levy doesn't know how they knew where to strike, but they'd done a very good job of it.
The town she had called home after Crocus – the beautiful warm and welcoming town of Magnolia, who prided itself on its guild and old buildings – is gone.
A sob builds in the back of her throat. She had known it was coming – the conductor on the train had realized where they were heading upon seeing the emblem on Levy's shoulder and had warned them. But to actually see it as it was…full of wreckage and ash, destruction and death…
She hits the ground on her knees, not caring when she bruises and scrapes them, and screams.
The sound is ragged and agonized, the vicious pain that encompasses her, drowns her, evident in it. She buries her face in her lap, not caring what the dragon standing over her thinks anymore. What point is there when her family and their home are gone?
Gajeel lets her cry for once. He slowly drops into a crouch beside her, keeping an eye out for danger. "Levy," he mutters, not sure what he intends to say, because he doesn't know what it's like to find his entire home has been annihilated in one fell swoop. She shudders beneath his touch when he briefly rests his calloused fingertips on her back. He finds that he doesn't like this at all, much preferring her to smile or laugh.
Levy lingers like this for some time, drowning in her misery. She can't bring herself to sit up, to start pushing ahead. So Gajeel makes her. "C'mon, Levy," he says gruffly after nearly an hour of this. He finds he doesn't want to interrupt her mourning when she blinks at him from dazed hazel eyes. "We gotta get to Tenrou and let someone know."
She knows he's right. Sting and Natsu had been in the town, as had Lucy, she realizes. Uncertain of what that means for them, Levy lets him pull her to her feet. His fingers grip her arm gently, and when they turn to leave, she doesn't bother to try and stop the tears that roll down her cheeks.
"The worst part," she whispers as he guides her away from what is left of Magnolia, not wanting to take on a larger form so close to a dangerous area, "isn't even that it's gone." She lifts her silver-lined eyes to his, a hiccup escaping her. He fights the urge that bubbles out of nowhere to push the blue strands of hair that stick to her tear-stained cheeks away. "The worst part is what they said. They said what we were doing is unnecessary. So why," she stresses, throwing an arm out in the direction of what is left of a town and guild that she loves so much, "is it all gone now? How can what we're doing be unnecessary when so many people are–"
She cuts herself off, voice breaking, and this time, Gajeel doesn't fight the urge. Instead, he brushes her hair away in silence, expression murderous.
Gajeel hits the ground a little more gently than he normally would, Levy notices, and she runs her fingers fondly over a heavy metal plate of armor that protects his hide. She doubts he notices – doubts he even cares. He probably just wants her off of him. She slides down a little less gracefully than she normally would have, stumbling numbly in the sand. She feels light-headed – exhausted. She's not slept since before they'd gotten off the train to go to the Fioran Archives over a day previously.
She blankly watches as Gajeel's form shoves itself into something smaller. It's uncomfortable looking, and she can immediately see that he's just as tired as she is – mostly from what he's just done. It takes a lot of energy to go between bodies, he had once told her. She can tell he wants to go straight to Grandeeney. His body is tensed, his fingers twitching with impatience, so she just tells him quietly, "You can go ahead. I'm just going to go and sleep."
Gajeel ignores her, shortening his stride to walk beside her as they head in the direction of Levy's small den. Grandeeney's den lies in the same direction, so at least, she supposes, he's going that direction anyhow.
It's as they're crossing a small creek that takes no more than a single step to get over that Gajeel suddenly pauses. He looks over in the direction of Grandeeney's lands – and then simply grabs Levy's wrist and starts dragging her towards them. "Gajeel," she protests tiredly, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep and never wake up. "What are you…"
He ignores her, as if she's not speaking, and Levy falters when they reach Grandeeney's den. The dragoness is settled half-in, half-out of her den, her massive form comfortably lying in the warm patch of sun that strikes her beautiful white feathers. Wendy is darting this way and that in front of her, rambling on about something, and Levy feels something in her buckle at the peaceful sight.
She makes a low, broken sound that they catch immediately. Both pause to look over and Wendy lights up at the sight of them. "Gajeel!" she laughs. "Levy!"
Wendy's laughter shatters what little is left of her sanity.
Levy stumbles forward a few steps, sobbing, and Wendy's smile vanishes. Grandeeney rises to her feet, body shifting and stretching, shrinking and twisting until she is striding forward, her face sincere and serious and gentle. She extends her arms and Levy slams into them, crying harder when they curl gently around her small form. "Oh, my dear," whispers Grandeeney, furrowing her brow. "What's happened?"
Levy can only cry against her as Gajeel quietly explains. Grandeeney's confusion quickly turns to sympathy and grief. "I was wondering why we'd not heard from Natsu and Sting yet," she admits, running her fingers comfortingly through Levy's hair as she tucks the stricken Wendy against her as well. "They should have been back yesterday, but…thank you for telling me, Gajeel, you may go."
He hesitates, and despite the sadness Grandeeney feels, she smiles warmly at him. There is a knowing look in her gaze as she says kindly, "You both need rest. I will fetch you first and foremost should anything happen, Gajeel."
So, Gajeel inclines his head, and Levy watches him leave with distress in her gaze, worried that she will turn around and find that another of her friends is unexpectedly dead.
She doesn't know how word gets back to him, but a matter of days later finds Levy standing numbly before Igneel in the light of the dawn. He looks as tired and miserable as she feels as he peers down at her from ancient green eyes. She takes a shaken breath as she meets his gaze and whispers, voice cracking from exhaustion and lack of use, "I'm sorry."
Igneel's gaze flickers with grief. "You have nothing to apologize for," he rumbles, lowering his head until the very tip of his nose brushes her head. Hot smokey breath washes over her, and she finds that it gives her more comfort than anything else has. For the first time in a while, she can breathe despite the haze of smoke around her, simply because she knows that someone hurts as much as she does.
"I will speak with the Spirit King and inform him of what has happened," rumbles Igneel. "Nothing changes with regards to you, although I will retract Rogue from Crocus and the guild he has joined there if what you tell me about the humans threatening you is true. Dragons do not take kindly to threats against their own."
Levy's lips twitch into a ghost of a smile. Gajeel had told the Councilman something similar. "Thank you," she murmurs, and then jumps when a voice interrupts their quiet conversation.
"Igneel, Lucy's not dead," the spirit that accompanies Igneel says, looking puzzled. Leo, Levy believes, for there is something about his fierce expression that reminds her of a lion. His shaded green eyes are sharp with intelligence and knowledge, and not for the first time, Levy craves knowledge as if it is what will sustain her forever. To know what the spirits of the stars know…
But she focuses on what he's said instead of that craving. "What?" she breathes, stunned.
Leo's gaze slides to her, softening. He seems to understand her grief just as well as Igneel. "I have known Lucy for a long time," he gently tells her. "All of the spirits have. She once held our keys, tying us to her. We can feel her very life force as if it is our own." He presses a hand gently over his heart. "And Lucy is not dead, Levy McGarden. She lives. I don't know why she would not have come home, but she is alive."
Levy's lips tremble. "But where could she have…where could she have gone? Magnolia is gone. I saw it myself. All that remained were demons and destruction." Her eyes mist at the thought once again. "I saw death."
She will not give herself hope, she tells herself firmly.
Cannot give herself that hope only to lose it just as quickly.
But he has planted that thought in her mind and that evening, when Igneel and Leo have returned to another realm to fight in a war that Levy has not seen but has felt the effects of, Levy finds herself wandering across the island. The sun is very nearly gone when she reaches the other side, a part of the island she has not yet gone to despite her constant interactions with its owner.
"Gajeel?" she calls hoarsely, her throat still sore. She doesn't know where his nest resides within his small section of the island, but she doesn't want to stumble into it by accident. She knows that doing so will only make him angry with her, and she doesn't think she can truly handle an argument with the generally cranky iron dragon at the moment. When she receives no answer, she tries again. "Gajeel!"
She is only met by silence, so Levy decides to simply stand there, finding she feels like an idiot. She isn't standing there long before she hears a click of irritated jaws. Levy turns and finds Gajeel emerging from a particularly thick cluster of foliage, scowling. "Are you an idiot? Why the hell are you out here this late? You're gonna get lost going back."
She can't help the hint of a smile that crosses her face. "Worried?" she teases faintly, and he pauses, studying her closely.
She blinks when a flicker of relief crosses his face. He was! She nearly gapes at him before hastily moving on, not wanting to admit just how happy it makes her to know that he likes her enough to worry about her safety to such a degree. Instead, she says, "Will you take me to the mainland?"
Gajeel slowly tilts his head to the side, as if debating how to answer. "No," he says finally, and her stomach plummets.
Just as quickly as she's decided she likes his concern, she decides she hates it with passion. "Please," she begs, stepping up to him. She knows from experience that people are less likely to say know if you're staring them down. She meets his gaze head on, shoving as much emotion as she can into the look. She needs to go look, to make sure that at least someone survived.
Gajeel leans in so that his face is only inches from her own and grins, his sharp teeth rather lethal-looking in the light of the dimming night sky. "No."
She puffs her cheeks up angrily. "Why not?"
He promptly jabs her beneath the eye, making her swear quietly and yank back. "You ain't been sleeping, and there's no way in hell I'm takin' you back there just so you can get attacked by a cranky old human or a demon."
Levy stares at him, admitted startled that he'd noticed. She has been having some trouble sleeping, mostly because she feels rather lonely despite being on an island she's called a second home for some time. "Leo said," she says, voice quivering, "that Lucy is alive." Gajeel's gaze sharpens with interest, and she tentatively circles his wrist with a hand, squeezing gently. His narrowed eyes watch the movement suspiciously. "Please, Gajeel," she begs, voice soft. "Please."
Gajeel studies her for a few moments before letting out a huge breath, rolling his eyes. "Fine," he mutters before repeating in a louder voice, throwing his free hand in the air, "Fine! I'll take you to the mainland. But you do what I say when I say it, ya hear me? Especially if we go to Magnolia."
"Yes!" she agrees immediately, a small laugh escaping her. "Thank you, Gajeel!" She smiles at him, and she doesn't miss the way his face softens a little. Gruffly, he responds by ruffling her hair. She doesn't bother to scold him for it. Instead, she smiles more.
They don't tell Grandeeney or even Rogue, who has returned from Crocus at Igneel's demand almost immediately with a furious and mourning expression on his face, where they go or even that they're leaving; mostly because they both agree that she'll likely demand they remain on the island. So when they leave at dawn the next morning, they leave in silence with no one to send them off. The trip is more relaxed than the one that had brought them back to the island, and Levy finds herself perfectly at home in the sky, her eyes curiously scanning the never-ending oceans around them.
Briefly, she wonders what traveling across them would be like.
When they reach the mainland, they strike off for Magnolia first and foremost. Reluctant as he is to go there, Gajeel admits that it's their best starting point. Levy's determined. If they can just search the guildhall, she tells him, then maybe they can understand where any survivors might have gone. He asks her if she really thinks she'll be able to handle going near the ruined building, and though her voice shakes, she promises that she can.
Which is how they find themselves back in that same spot they'd been in not too long ago. Levy's heart aches as she stares down at the destruction, but she feels a flicker of determination. She will not cry, she tells herself, even as those tears fill her eyes against her will. "I'm fine," she tells herself, and Gajeel glances at her out of the corner of his eye, clearly not believing her. "
I'm fine," she repeats as she presses her mouth together as they start down towards the town. Gajeel is on high alert. He can't seem to stop the growl that rumbles in his chest, though it's a rather quiet one that Levy can feel more than hear. She knows to keep silent, and she knows to stay close. She stays both, quiet as a mouse and close enough that her arm regularly brushes his.
The town is empty. At least, it appears to be. No shapes lurk in the devastation, as if they've moved on since Levy and Gajeel had seen it from a distance. When they enter it, Levy looks past the bodies that she can see, past the ruined buildings and the flooded canals that make them have to detour through the nastiest parts of Magnolia's ruin.
It takes them much longer than it should have to reach the guildhall, and even then, they've not yet seen anything dangerous. But Levy knows better than to trust the peace of it all, and so does Gajeel, and they pause at the broken doors, taking in the sight of the once lively guildhall. Half of the roof has crumbled in where something struck it, there are many holes in its walls, and the doors are barely holding onto the hinges.
"Structural damage," mutters Gajeel so quietly she can barely hear him. "Not safe to go in."
"But I'm still going to," she breathes back. She doesn't know where else someone could hide in this town if they're still alive. She glances at him anxiously and he rolls his eyes, indicating that yes, he will join her in her suicidal decision to enter the ruined building.
The inside of the Fairy Tail guildhall is just as ruined as the outside. Tables lay in splinters, the bar seems to have been ripped apart, and the location of the stairs has been buried by the collapsed ceiling. Levy carefully investigates each nook and cranny with Gajeel, who remains wary of any demons that may come out of hiding.
She checks Makarov's office with care when she realizes that it still stands and hasn't been touched. Her throat clogs with emotion when she sees that it looks just as it should. His desk and books and paperwork are still there, just waiting for him to never come back for it, because everyone in the guild knows that Makarov detests the paperwork the Council demands of him. He'd much rather spend his time with his children.
Levy gently closes the door behind her, stroking the wood. Tears roll freely down her cheeks, but she makes no sound as she slides down a hallway, Gajeel a step behind. She checks a few other spots – storage closets that have been ripped to shreds, mostly – before she stops before the final door. She takes a deep breath and pushes it open, wincing at the dark she is met with.
Gajeel stops her immediately. "Bad idea. The demons love the dark; s'what all the stories say."
"I know, but it's the last of it," she whispers back. "The door was untouched. Every other door they've come through is broken."
"Could be a trap," he points out, and she shrugs.
"I know, but…this place," she gestures to the basement, "is protected against magic. It's the safest part of the guildhall." She squares her shoulders, scribbles a word in the air to give them light, and then ignoring his irritable snarl, descends into the basement below the guildhall. She peers around with care when she reaches the bottom of the stairs, willingly let Gajeel sweep ahead, looking for any danger. The meek light her magic offers casts scary shadows that she doesn't dare look past as she makes her way deeper into the storage place that had once been shockingly bright and cheery for a storage area.
She's checking behind some shelves when something curls around her ankle and yanks.
Levy goes down with a gasp, and Gajeel whirls around with a nasty snarl on his face, prepared for what's coming. He's instead met with a flash of light so bright that he's temporarily blinded, and Levy's ankle burns with the force of leather striking the flesh. She throws her hands up to protect her eyes, breathless from hitting the ground, and hastily scribbles a word in retaliation.
There's a startled yelp, and then the light is gone, and Levy finds herself staring at complete and total darkness until she retrieves her own light, heaving for air. Gajeel is quickly working himself into a frenzy behind her, she realizes as the ground trembles beneath them, his body threatening to hurl itself into something much, much bigger.
But Levy sees a flash of gold – a familiar, pale and frightened face – and gasps. "Lucy!" she can't help but cry. Ignoring the bite of the whip curled around her ankle, Levy shoots to her feet. "Gajeel! Gajeel, stop!" she gasps when the ground shakes again. "It's Lucy!"
The ground stops, and Levy finds herself worried about what that might bring to their "safe" basement.
"L-Levy?" stammers Lucy, her dark eyes filling with tears. She hurls herself at Levy with a cry of relief, and Levy tightens her arms around her comfortingly, remembering how she'd done the same only days before. Lucy shudders at the friendly touch. Levy pulls back after a moment, horrified when she realizes that blood slicks her front, and her body trembles with the effort of remaining upright.
"Lucy, you're hurt," she breathes when Gajeel joins them, growling irritably at the blonde.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he thunders in a whisper, his furious red eyes nearly glowing in the darkness. Lucy ignores his temper in favor of hugging him, too, and he swears unhappily, making Levy laugh softly.
"It's not bad," Lucy says after a few moments, wiping at her eyes. "It looks worse than it truly is…it's safe! They're safe." She calls this over her shoulder, and something in Levy sinks when she sees two shapes duck out from behind a wall, hand in hand. She recognizes Sting immediately and can tell that he's in rough shape. His body trembles with the effort it takes to move, his wary blue eyes dull and full of agony. And clutching his hand in terror is none other than Asuka, one of the few children that were born into the guild.
"Oh, Asuka," Levy breathes, and Asuka sobs, lunging for her. She catches the girl, hugging her tightly. She understands then, noting the way Sting's knees suddenly very nearly buckle and he leans heavily on a shelf, his fingers curling around his side. She understands why Lucy has not returned to her realm.
"How bad?" Gajeel demands, staring at Sting.
Sting blinks blankly back at him for a moment. Finally, he croaks, "Bad."
Lucy explains, "He was protecting us. It got bad very quickly. One moment, everything was fine, and the next…there was fighting everywhere. I grabbed Asuka when something came after her. Sting got between us and killed the demon, I think, but the wound…it won't stop bleeding. I know it takes a lot to kill a dragon, but he could really use help," she tells Gajeel hastily.
Gajeel nods curtly, eyes searching the air as he debates what to do. "No way in hell we can fly with him like that," he tells Levy, and she nods her agreement. "And I ain't going to be able to convince Grandeeney to send Wendy to the mainland or get Grandeeney herself to come."
Levy bites her lip, thinking, and then gasps, "Chelia!" They glance at her. "Lamia Scale," she explains quickly, "has a girl who uses sky magic. It's rather like Grandeeney and Wendy, actually." She looks to Gajeel with wide eyes. "It's not far, either. Hargeon's the port town that we went to when we took the train here the first time we came out to speak with the guild. She can't do as much as they can, but maybe they can fix him up enough that we can get him back to Tenrou, where they can do the rest."
"Yes," says Gajeel dryly, "but there's another problem, shrimp. We gotta get him to Hargeon."
Sting snaps his teeth in frustration. "I'm not completely helpless, jackass." Lucy reaches over and covers Asuka's ears delicately with a frown. Asuka merely giggles nervously, clutching Lucy's hands over her ears with trembling fingers.
"I don't think we have much of a choice," Lucy says quietly. "I've not sensed anything particularly bad in Magnolia for the last few hours, but we need to leave before they come back to look and see if anything's come back, and Sting won't make it without help."
"Again, not helpless!"
"I could knock you over with a pinky," Levy sighs, rolling her eyes. She still feels miserable about the losses her guild has taken, she realizes, but…there is a smile that won't leave her face, because Leo had been right and someone had survived. She gathers Asuka up into her arms and looks to Gajeel. "There's a few villages on the way to Hargeon," she says. "We can get a cart. It'll let us travel quicker."
Sting makes a face of horror. "I can't ride in a cart."
"I'm walking," Gajeel adds, scowling.
"Then walk, and like hell you're not doing what I tell you if you want to survive," snaps Levy to Gajeel and then to Sting, able to smell the blood on the air even as a human. Her voice is sharp, determined. "I'm not letting anyone else die, so let's go."
No one bothers to deny her.
By some miracle, they get out of Magnolia without any further incident. Levy doesn't dare put Asuka down, even when she gets heavy, and is startled when Gajeel willingly takes the child from her, muttering under his breath. Levy finds herself thinking that he actually likes the girl, who gasps and whispers how much she likes his pretty earrings, because he carries her far longer than necessary.
The trek is a very, very long one when trains no longer run from Magnolia to Hargeon, and it's only made longer by the complaints of two cranky dragons. Sting, for all he complains, is clearly not doing well. When they acquire a cart from a traveling merchant, he doesn't bother to complain about being told to climb into the back. He sinks down gratefully and doesn't move again, even as Levy and Lucy work together to clean and bandage the wound in his belly that is deep enough to show what Levy really doesn't want to see.
One night, when they stop later than normal and prepare to sleep beneath the flickering stars, Levy finds herself wandering a short distance away to simply give herself a chance to breathe. She curls into a ball with her back to a tree and rests her chin on her knees. She's long since lost her usual headband, and her hair is a tangled mess, but she doesn't care as it is whisked around her cheeks.
"Levy," a voice says almost an hour later, and Levy glances over when she finds Lucy standing there. Lucy looks tired. So, so tired. Levy remembers feeling the same upon first discovering the destruction that is now Magnolia.
"Join me?" suggests Levy, and Lucy gratefully sinks down beside her. She leans into Levy, who lets her with a warm smile. Lucy rests her head against Levy's in a friendly manner, her body shuddering as she holds back tears. "What's wrong?" Levy asks softly, and it's all it takes for Lucy's expression to crumple.
A sob escapes her. "Natsu," is all she can say, and Levy slides an arm around her, holding her as she begins to cry.
They stay like that for a short while. Eventually, Lucy can cry no longer, and she says hoarsely, "I don't know where he was when it started. He said he was going to get something out in town. And then it started, and I…I tried to find him, but I saw Asuka, and…"
Levy hugs her tighter, unsure of what to say.
They sit there for some time, and then, eventually, Asuka's nervous voice calls Lucy back. Levy can't make herself smile like Lucy can when she retreats back to comfort the young child. Instead, she remains where she is and returns her gaze to the stars. She's barely been there a few moments like this when she's interrupted – this time by someone she can't really say sheminds, but doesn't really want the company of at the moment after a long day of bickering and arguing over travel.
Gajeel doesn't seem to care that she doesn't want him around for the moment, instead, pointedly nudging at her with a foot from where he stands over her, arms folded. "Hey. Shrimp. You gonna come over or are you gonna stay here and keep being bait for something that wants to eat ya?"
"I think," she says grouchily, glaring up at him as he nudges her again. "I'm going to let myself be eaten and spared the annoyance of dealing with you any longer."
A spark of mischief and delight appears in his eyes, as if he's found something enjoyable that he wants to play with. She nearly groans. She doesn't want to deal with this, she nearly wails. She rests her cheek on her knees, ignoring him, and she's sure that she briefly notes a pout that crosses his face, as if he'd wanted to mess with her.
But sensing she doesn't want that at the moment, he nonetheless gives up and instead shifts his weight. "Bunny girl good?"
"No. She doesn't know what happened to Natsu. I don't know what we're going to tell Igneel." Levy bites her lip, thinking of that. She'd not missed the hope that the Fire Dragon King had shown when Leo had said Lucy was alive, for where Lucy went…Natsu was there, too.
Gajeel makes a face at the thought. "The truth," he says finally. "He ain't gonna want anything but the truth."
"I suppose, but…how much trouble are we going to be in?" Levy responds. He grimaces, expression twisting at the thought of what Grandeeney is going to say when she hears of what they did and she can't help the small laugh that escapes her. She can't regret what they've done though. Not when they managed to find not only Lucy and Sting, but Asuka. They've saved a child, and she will not let them make her regret that.
"I'm more worried about what my old man's gonna say," admits Gajeel. She glances at him questioningly and he wrinkles his nose, not bothering to explain, although he clearly knows why he's worried about what Metalicana will say. A comfortable silence falls for a few minutes before he roughly drops his hand to her head so he can lightly tug on her hair. "C'mon, shrimp. Bad idea for you to sit out here by yourself and we gotta travel more tomorrow."
"Right," she sighs, reluctantly getting to her feet. She clasps her hands behind her back and glances at Gajeel. She opens her mouth to speak, but realizes she doesn't know what she wants to tell him, so she simply closes her mouth and heads back, ignoring the semi-curious look he gives her.
They reach Hargeon a few days later, and from where she drives the horse-drawn cart, Levy lets out a cry of joy. "We're here!" she cheers, and Asuka claps. Lucy and Gajeel exchange grim looks of relief. Gajeel has been walking beside the cart while Lucy kneels in the back with the barely conscious Sting, who's been very quickly going downhill. Lucy has been doing her best, but there's only so much she can do when the dragon won't heal.
Levy encourages the horse to pick up the pace and it slips into a brisk trot. She's not sure how Gajeel easily keeps up, but says nothing, instead focusing on steering as they clatter onto cobbled streets. The smell of salt and fish is heavy in her nose. Grateful that she's come to this town many times before, Levy guides them towards the Lamia Scale guildhall, trusting full-heartedly that the guild will help them.
When they reach it, Levy says, "Gajeel, stay with them. I'll be right back." She doesn't bother to make sure he does as she says, she simply hurls herself from the cart and for the doors. She nearly slams through them and is caught off guard by how empty the guildhall is. She blinks, but pays it no mind as a voice calls, "Levy?"
"Jura," Levy says in relief, grateful that he's there. He strides over without hesitation, his face kind, and Levy finds herself feeling like a child before him. He's a powerful mage who is very capable of puzzling his way through complicated situations – a skill that she knows they'll need. "Jura, we need help – and Chelia! We need Chelia–"
Jura furrows his brow, and then blinks, as if recalling something. But he says nothing about it, instead studying her soundlessly as realization crosses his features. "Of course," he says gently, smiling warmly at her. He makes a small gesture and someone nods, running to fetch Chelia. They bolt from the guildhall. "Who needs help?"
"Sting," Levy supplies immediately. "He's a dragon who was with Sabertooth, remember?"
Jura's gaze flickers, and he stares at Levy for a long moment before he says, "Levy, where have you been until now? Are you aware of what happened in Magnolia?"
"Yes," says Levy irritably, impatient in her desperation to get Sting – and Lucy, who is still hurt no matter what she says – help. "I was in Crocus with Gajeel – another dragon – and when we got back, Magnolia was gone. So we went to Tenrou, and then we went back to Magnolia, where we found some survivors, so for the love of everything your guild holds dear, will you please help us?"
Jura blinks and then laughs softly. "You've certainly grown more confident during your time with the dragons, Levy," he tells her. "We will help you, just as I said. Chelia's merely across town helping some friends. Come, show me Sting."
Levy leads him outside, relieved, and hurries over to where Gajeel is prowling in circles around the cart, looking crankier the longer people in the street stare at them in interest. Lucy has climbed out of the back of the cart and is speaking quietly to him, urging him to calm down. They leave when they see Jura approaching out of respect for Jura, and Levy scowls after them before introducing, "Gajeel, Lucy, this is Jura. Jura, these are Lucy and Gajeel. Sting's in the back of the cart, and Asuka Connell – you remember Bisca and Alzack, don't you?" Her voice trembles a little as she recalls the pair.
"I remember them," Jura says calmly.
"A pleasure to meet you," says Lucy, very aware that her clothes are covered in dried blood, both hers and not. She's exhausted, Levy realizes, and she reaches over to take her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. They are safe here in Hargeon – for now at least, unless the demons decide to overtake the port as well.
Gajeel's not nearly as polite and merely glares at Jura. "You gonna help this idiot or not?" he snaps, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at Sting.
"I can hear you," Sting says hoarsely, voice cracking in pain.
Jura frowns, peeking at the dragon lying half-dead in the back of the cart. "Chelia will be here within the hour," he promises. "Come, let's get Sting inside. And when Chelia gets here…" He looks at Levy with a warm smile. "I believe, Levy, that I have something that you and Asuka need to see."
The next hour seems to go by so slowly that Levy wants to scream. She finds herself at a complete and total loss as to what he has to show her. Gajeel is suspicious about it, no matter how much Levy reassures him it'll be fine. After what seems like forever, Chelia arrives, and Levy feels as if she can breathe as she watches the young girl's sky magic work on Sting. No one says a word as she hums, her face full of exhaustion, and puts all her effort into mending the injury.
Levy beams in pride when she finishes and Gajeel, upon having investigated and finding that Chelia has left nothing but a scar that will let Sting rest peacefully, roughly ruffles her hair to show his gratitude. Levy bounces on the balls of her feet as Chelia kindly tells Lucy that her injuries will heal on their own if she's careful. When Chelia is done entirely, she turns to Jura. "What do you have to show us?" she says immediately, gathering Asuka in her arms.
Jura merely grins and says, "Follow me."
So they do.
Levy tells Lucy and Gajeel to stay with Sting, but neither are willing to. Both accompany Jura, Asuka, and Levy through the busy port town, and it doesn't take long for Levy to realize that something is amiss in the generally calm Hargeon. She frowns as she looks around, seeing people bustling this way and that – and that there are more people out than normal. "What's going on?" she murmurs more to herself than to anyone else.
"You'll see," answers Jura anyways.
"Come on, Jura," she complains, and they are nearing a town square when she hears it, smells it, even feels it – everything so familiar that she can't help freeze.
"Levy?" mutters Gajeel, but she's already shoving forward.
Within moments, she's burst into that town square and she stares numbly at the sight before her.
It is full of countless people who are laughing and talking and eating. The square is lined with crudely made tables and benches. People weave among one another, laughing and chatting, coming and going from small shelters and the buildings that line the square. Magic dances in the air like a living being, and Levy makes a strangled sound when she realizes that each and every one of the people before her possess something that she, too, wears proudly: an emblem, in the shape of a dancing fairy.
At the center of the chaos, Levy can see Gildarts speaking calmly with Makarov. Various children of the guild, some of which bear scrapes but seem content and happy nonetheless, dart this way and that as they play, as their wary parents watching over them from nearby with the help of a few other mages. She claps a hand over her mouth, choking on a sob when she sees a tired looking Droy speaking with Jet at one of the tables, Lisanna and Elfman leaning over to talk with them as Mirajane whisks past with plates of food. Gray and Erza speak peacefully with one another, laughing at something another guild member has said. Even Laxus's team is there, all four looking uncomfortable as they eye an amused dragon watching them nearby. Levy barely notices when Gajeel and Lucy stop dead beside her, their own shock evident on their faces.
And then, Lucy is running.
"Natsu!" she sobs, and the pink-haired half-dragon snaps his head around, hearing her cry over the commotion. His agonized, grief-filled expression vanishes, replaced by a stunned look that almost makes Levy laugh. He supports some serious amounts of bandages around his torso, but Lucy barely seems to notice for the time being.
"Lucy," he breathes, and he barely catches her when she trips, her face streaked with tears. He laughs breathlessly as he winds his fingers gently in her golden hair, pressing his forehead to hers with an expression that is so full of love and relief that Levy quickly averts her gaze.
"Momma!" screams Asuka suddenly, and Levy hastily puts the small girl down. She takes off at a dead run, scampering between people's legs until she reaches her parents. She, too, sobs as she slams into Bisca's legs, and Bisca takes one look before collapsing with a small scream that drags over the attention of several others. In a flash, Alzack is there, and Levy finds herself smiling through tears as they clutch their child to them.
Gently, Jura tells Levy, "Not everyone made it, but Fairy Tail was able to get at least some of the town and themselves to safety. We offered them shelter, of course. If you are staying with your guild, you're more than welcome to stay as well. Simply let us know what you need."
Levy makes another strangled sound, and Gajeel shocks her by outright laughing, mussing her hair into a wild blue mess. "And you thought," he tells her with a broad grin, "about giving up on other humans."
She only pushes his hand away from her head, takes it into her own, and squeezes it tightly. She smiles broadly at him, not minding the tears that flow down her face without end. "Thank you," she breathes, searching his gaze. "Thank you for bringing me to the mainland."
He studies their hands for a moment, furrowing his brow, and then mutters, "Whatever. S'not like I care about the rest of them."
Levy knows it's a lie, knows that the grin he wears isn't entirely out of amusement, but she says nothing, only smiles at him with so much warmth that she thinks she sees a tinge of red on his face.
In traditional Fairy Tail style, night finds them partying in celebration. Upon realizing that Levy and Asuka are alive, the guild is beyond ecstatic. Levy's so full of joy over the fact that her family is alive that she finds herself nearly delirious. Maybe it's the alcohol, or the warmth, but when she finally withdraws, she's stumbling and giggling. Her gaze searches the streets and people that are slowly dwindling. They head home, eager to sleep after a long day of putting up with such a rowdy group, although from the way Natsu's playfully spinning Lucy 'round and 'round and 'round, Levy doubts the party's going to end anytime soon.
But she has other responsibilities, and she wants to check on Sting – even if she is a little drunk. She knows that come morning, she and Gajeel will likely return to Tenrou with news of what they've discovered. She believes that Natsu and Lucy will accompany them, if only to help with Sting, who Chelia has said will take some time to recover entirely.
She finds Gajeel watching the chaos from the shadows of an alley, his eyes reflecting light like those of a nighttime predator. She smiles fearlessly at him. Where she once would have been anxious or wary, even angry if she was in the middle of bickering with him, she now finds herself exceptionally pleased to see him. "Gajeel," she says, and she winces. Her voice is a little slurred. Time to cut off the alcohol.
He seems to realize the same, because she thinks there might be a hint of amusement in his voice when he drawls, "Havin' fun out there, shrimp?"
"Yes," she says, not at all ashamed of it, "and you should be having fun, too." She offers him the plate of food she's brought with her. "Here. I know you don't like to be around so many people, so I brought you something. I'm sorry. I know you probably want to leave, but…" She looks back at the chaos, feels her heart twist at the memory of how much it had hurt to think she'd never see any of these people again.
He takes the plate with only a grunt to show his gratitude. She doesn't expect anything more; that is plenty, coming from Gajele. "S'fine." She wonders if he's had some alcohol as well when he suddenly adds unexpectedly, "They're not so bad, I guess. They're leavin' me alone, but won't stop tryin' to pull me in at the same time." He wrinkles his nose. "You humans are weird."
Levy laughs at the way he says this and takes a seat on one of the many storage crates that line the alley. She has to hoist herself up a little and grimaces at how her legs kick without touching the ground. Gajeel seems to take notice of her annoyance and snickers, but says nothing about it, much to her relief. They sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes as Gajeel scarfs down the food that she's brought him. When he's finished, he rocks back, propping a foot on the crate and an elbow on his knee. His sharp, jagged teeth flash as he grins. "You're gonna have to tell Igneel."
"What?" she says, glancing at him in confusion.
"You told Igneel his brat was dead," Gajeel tells her, and she briefly thinks he sounds rather like his father. "So now you get to tell him he's not."
Levy stares at him for a heartbeat and then looks horrified. "Oh, no!" she cries, throwing her hands in the air and earning a laugh from him. "I…oh, no, I feel so bad." She buries her face in her hands, shaking her head. "I really did think…oh, dear. Oh, this is really, really not good. He'll be annoyed with me…and after all of those nice things he said…"
Gajeel reaches carefully over and ruffles her hair. "He ain't gonna care. You thought they were actually dead, didn't ya? He'll know that. He's just gonna be happy that idiot," he jerks his chin in the direction of the alleyway entrance, which seems to have somehow perfectly outlined a view of Natsu bellowing flames into the sky for the entertainment of those around him, "is alive. And Lucy, too."
"I suppose," she sighs, and he pats her head again before withdrawing. She furrows her brow. He's been doing that a lot lately, she can't help but think. She doesn't mind, but it's…rather odd, she supposes, for someone who "hates humans."
Then again, he's a friend, and seems to be okay with the human that she is.
Out of curiosity, Levy decides to risk the peaceful air between them. "Hey, Gajeel?" she asks, and he grunts to show he's listening, though his eyes are locked on the entrance of the alley. "Do…do you still hate humans? Like Metalicana said you do?"
Gajeel's gaze snaps back to her for a moment, studying her very closely. And then he looks back to the alley's entrance, making a face that almost makes her giggle nervously. "Dunno," he finally admits, much to her surprise. "Most of 'em, yeah. Definitely the ones like the guys in that city you went to."
"Crocus," she supplies, "and those were the Councilmen."
"Yeah, ones like that," he says with a small wave of his hand. "But I guess the ones like these morons," he gestures to the group outside the alley – the guilds, the residents of Hargeon – aren't so bad for the most part. There's a couple of bastards in there that could be weeded out, but…the idiots in your guild didn't care all that much that there was a dragon. Didn't think they could take advantage of me or anything, or how they could profit other than how much I could help in a war. Can't fault 'em for that though, the dragons do it." He shifts, rocking back again. "And since the bunny girl was a human once and likes 'em even after Zeref, they can't be all that bad."
When he glances at Levy, her eyes practically glow with the warmth she feels at hearing him say all of this. She smiles brightly at him. "There are still bad people," she hums softly, caressing the scar on her ribs, and he scowls lightly at the reminder. "But most of us try to do the right thing on a daily basis, try to live happy lives. I'm happy that you get to see that part."
He rolls his eyes – mostly for show – and scoffs. She merely giggles softly and then jumps down from the crate. "You should come out and join the party," she says. "I know a few people have been asking if you'd join a drinking contest. Natsu's pretty hard to beat, but he's only half-dragon and Cana can out drink him. She wants to see if she can out-do a full dragon."
Gajeel stares blankly at her for a moment. "You serious? She can out drink someone who's half-dragon?"
Levy's lips tug into a grin. "Yep," she confirms. She offers a hand playfully, wiggling her fingers. "I bet her a couple thousand that you could outdo her. Care to make a profit for me?"
Gajeel studies her hand for a few moments, looking as if he wants to be suspicious but is failing miserably. Finally, he sighs heavily and clambers off the crate, grumbling under his breath. Instead of taking the hand she offers, he grabs her wrist and starts tugging her out of the alley. "C'mon, then," he growls as she laughs again, the sound bright – so bright after the days of misery and grief he'd felt coming from her.
"Alright?" Levy asks as Sting hits the ground with a groan, grimacing. His face is pinched with pain, but his blue eyes are bright as he looks around, searching for something – no, Levy realizes when he nods curtly. He's looking for someone – for Rogue, more than likely, who is the closest to a brother he can get without blood tying them together.
Gajeel's body forces itself down with some effort into a humanoid form, and Levy pauses to watch, frowning even as Natsu bounces in the sand nearby with Lucy, their hands wound tightly together. Lucy murmurs soothingly to him, trying to calm him. It does little good; Natsu has been impatient to get home and correct what Levy had told him she'd told Igneel.
"Gajeel," she says when he rejoins them. "Going back and forth like you've been between different bodies…is it bad for you? You're having more trouble than you used to."
He looks shocked that she's noticed, and Sting suddenly narrows his eyes at Gajeel. Gajeel levels him with a glare when he opens his mouth to say something, clearly knowing what was up, but Sting falls silent, shrugging. Levy looks between them expectantly and frowns in disapproval when Gajeel says gruffly, "S'nothing."
"Liar," mutters Sting, just loudly enough that Levy glowers at the iron dragon. Gajeel ignores them both and pushes past, heading towards Grandeeney's portion of the island, just as he normally does after he returns. Natsu sets off after him at a swift pace, tugging Lucy along, and Levy ensures that she stays close to Sting in case he collapses, which he does look rather prone to doing.
They take their time to get to Grandeeney's lands, and when they do, Natsu pushes ahead, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Wendy!" he bellows, and Levy's gaze softens. The young dragoness had been especially distraught by the news of Natsu's death, and Levy fully expects that she'll be relieved to see him home.
Wendy curiously emerges from her own little den just outside of Grandeeney's, looking rather sleepy. But when she sees the group that has come, she stops dead and stares before screaming, "Natsu!" She lunges, slamming into him so hard he stumbles, and Natsu bursts out laughing, hugging her tightly. Wendy wails, sobbing hysterically, and it is enough to draw a rather irritable sky dragon from the main den. Grandeeney's anger vanishes when she sees who stands there.
"Natsu! Lucy! Sting!" says Grandeeney with shock, her lips parting. She snaps her gaze to Levy. "What is…I thought you had said–"
Levy smiles broadly, her eyes glimmering with happy tears as she watches Wendy turn and launch herself at Sting, a little more gentle when she realizes that Sting is hurt. "Fairy Tail surprised even me," she says simply, and Grandeeney nods in understanding.
"I'll contact Igneel immediately. He has had a rather rough time recently. They've lost ground in the war," Grandeeney tells them grimly before vanishing into her den.
Levy exchanges a wide-eyed look with Gajeel, worried, and then smiles when it's her turn for a tight hug, this one of gratitude. Only this time, her smile is semi-forced. "Hi, Wendy," she says quietly, wincing a little at the force with which Wendy hugs her.
"Thank you," she says softly, arms tightening until Levy has to gently nudge her away, rubbing her side where she thinks Wendy might have bruised her. "For bringing our nestmates home, Levy." She whirls on Gajeel, giving him a big toothy smile that is all sharp white teeth – a smile that he returns crookedly. "And you, too, Gajeel!"
He merely grunts in response, losing the smile the second she looks away. It's clear that he's about as happy as Levy is about the news that Grandeeney has given them.
Levy can't help but think that even though she's gained her family back in Fiore, she may very well be losing some of the family she's found on Tenrou Island.
A couple of days later finds Levy thoughtfully curled up in the sand on the eastern coast of the island, watching the sun rise. She knows that it's a risky beach to be sitting on; part of the beach only a few miles away belongs to Zirconis, who she has no wish to visit with again. Luckily, she doesn't have to worry about him. He's in the other realm, fighting demons with others of his kind.
She knows that she'll need to get going soon. Sting, recovered, had promised to take her back to Hargeon after a tear-inspiring reunion with the beyond relieved Rogue, and had told her to be ready to go around mid-day. It would take her until then to get back to their meeting point if she was to leave immediately.
But she finds herself reluctant. Something twists in her gut, making her feel sick to her stomach. She finds herself thinking that if she even thinks of leaving Tenrou Island, something bad will happen. She can't find it in herself to draw herself to her feet and leave, knowing that.
So Levy finds herself feeling a little guilty when the sun has fully risen and is lifting further and further until she's sitting there in the boiling heat of noon on a beach with no shade. She's thirsty and her body hurts from the sun burn that she knows she has. Levy ignores it.
At least, she does until she hears low, angry muttering. Levy can't help the quirk of her lips when a very cranky Gajeel snaps from behind her, "The fuck are you doing out here, shrimp?" He's growling low in his throat, the sound so loud it threatens to shake the world beneath her. Where she might have once gotten an attitude in return, Levy merely hums softly in response.
"Watching," she says softly, her stomach churning again.
He comes to stand in front of her, blocking her view. Gajeel puffs up like a viciously angry cat and it only makes her cover her mouth with a hand to stifle her giggle. She knows he's trying to look intimidating and scary. He looks anything but to her. She knows that he won't harm her, no matter what he does. Not after everything that they've done thus far. "Watching," he snarls, teeth bared, "what? I've been hunting the entire goddamn island for you."
This time, Levy laughs. She thinks it might be partially the stress that accompanies the bad feeling she's been having all day. He glowers, clearly not finding the situation as funny as she does. After a moment, she pushes her blue bangs from her face, reaching into a pocket to see if she can find a sash to use for a headband. She's pleased when she does and carefully does just that, casually tying her hair out of her face as she looks past him to the water and says, "I have a bad feeling. Not a normal bad feeling, but a bad feeling. If I leave, something's going to happen and...I don't want to risk it."
He wrinkles his nose at her, reluctantly settling into the sand a few inches to her right. He can sense that something is most certainly off, even if she clearly doesn't know what it is. He believes her, and that's all Levy cares about, if she's being honest. "Well, ya can't sit out here forever. You already look like some kind of lobster."
"Thank you," she sighs, amused. "I love being compared to sea life." Something that he seems to do regularly. She bites her lip, her fingers trembling a little as she tucks her arms around herself. "I've never been scared like this. Never. Even when I heard that Magnolia was gone." She takes a breath and then adds honestly, refusing to be embarrassed by her thoughts, "I wonder if it's you."
"Me?" Gajeel echoes, cocking a pierced brow.
She fights the urge to flush at the look that suddenly appears on his face. It's a self-satisfied smirk, and a spark of mischief enters his eyes, but she ignores it. "You," she confirms. "I mean, we've been hanging out with one another for months now. It'll be the first time I don't have to look at your annoying face." Gajeel snickers at her attempt to diffuse the smugness he's practically exuding. "Just...you'll be careful, right? And you won't sneak yourself off to another realm to fight in the war?" She twists her fingers anxiously. "You're my friend, Gajeel, and I don't want to find out that you've been killed by a demon."
Gajeel's smugness vanishes. Instead, it's replaced by that look of reluctant fondness - as if he can't help but like what she's saying, even if he doesn't want to like it. He reaches over and roughly ruffles her hair, knocking her headband askew despite the fact that she's just fixed it. She squawks, drawing a grin to his face, although it disappears a moment later. "I'll be fine, Levy," he tells her. "And I won't sneak off, but if I get called in by Igneel, I can't say no."
"I know that." She takes a shuddering breath. Igneel will be coming by that evening, from what she's heard, to visit with his son and Lucy. Levy wonders what news Igneel will bring. If they're winning the war or if they're losing it. If the humans will have to actually participate more than they already do. Her fingers curl into fists at the thought. She is a mage - her entire family is full of mages. And if war comes...they will fight, to defend all of those who stand around them, helpless as can be.
She glances at him again. "But you promise you'll be careful, regardless of if you get called in or not?"
Gajeel watches her for a few moments, and when she glances at him, she sees a flicker of warmth in his face. A warmth he hides as quickly as he can, but one that is still seen nonetheless. Levy's not ever seen something like that on him, and finds that it pushes the breath from her lungs. "Yeah. Promise. You be careful, too, got it?"
It looks good on him, that kind of warmth. Whether he likes it or not.
"Where's Gajeel?"
Levy's surprised by the bitterness in Droy's voice as he picks at the food in front of him, and she pauses halfway into sitting across from he and Jet. Jet won't look at her, but says nothing. He won't even look at her. She furrows her brow, faltering. "He's...back on the island." She bites her lip, instinctively looking over her shoulder for the one she speaks of despite knowing and admitting that he's not there, and wonders just how much time she's spent with Gajeel if she's doing such a thing. "He won't be coming here. Not this time."
Jet lifts a glass to his lips. "You sure? Because it seems like everywhere you go nowadays, he's there, too."
Levy's jaw drops. Her hazel eyes flicker between each of them. "What's your problem?" she finally snaps, rising to her feet entirely once more. She feels her voice tremble a little, but forces that tremble away. She won't allow her confusion and hurt to show. Ignoring the fact that most of the guild is looking at her and her two friends. "We've been working together. To stop a war. That you've been caught in!"
"And great job you've done," Droy grumbles. "If he was any good at what you two were trying to do, then the guildhall would still be here."
Levy stiffens, her face filling with rage. "Are you blaming us for Magnolia?" she snarls. She clenches her hands into fists. "How dare you. How dare you! Magnolia...the guildhall... They are my home, and you dare to accuse us of-"
Jet levels her with a nasty look. "He never said anything about both of you. He said Gajeel." Silence rings out, and Levy can't believe what she's hearing - can't believe that no one is jumping to the dragons' defense with her as Jet says casually, "For all we know, the dragons are actually siding with the demons. How else would they know where the one guild that's helping the supposed celestial beings be? I don't think they actually exist either. There's no such thing as beings who live in the stars."
Levy stares at him, unable to believe what she's hearing. How can he think that way? When she looks around, she finds others looking away, too, as if they agree. There are very few who don't. Lisanna and Mirajane both glower at Jet, while Makarov looks on in disapproval. Gray and Erza - who have both become fairly good friends with Lucy - frown as well, not at all pleased with what they are hearing.
"And what about Natsu?" Levy challenges after a moment. "What about him, Jet? Droy?" Her gaze darts between them. "Do you think he'd side with the demons? After all that time he's spent with us?"
"How else would they know where to find us?" mutters Jet, refusing to look her in the eye.
Levy slams her fist down on the table so hard her knuckles split open. Hissing in pain and ignoring the blood that trickles down her fingers, she storms away from the table, beyond furious. How dare they think such things of creatures who are trying to save their lives?
Levy is so angry, she finds herself crying as she meanders her way through the town of Hargeon. She eventually finds herself at the port, where the many merchant ships dock, and she stands upon one made of wooden planks to look out at the sea, the roaring of the waves helping her to focus. She ignores the hot sun, finds it not even close to the heat of Tenrou, and looks at her crimson-stained fingers. Blood has dried, but more is pooling, the action splitting the skin again. She wonders tiredly if she's broken anything.
For the first time since she's come back to Hargeon - a place she's really only been in for a matter of hours - Levy misses her dragon friends and Lucy. She misses Gajeel, who she can guess would have reacted violently and angrily to the accusations of those around her, who would have defended his kind. Carefully, dropping into a crouch, Levy wraps her arms around her legs and rests her chin upon her knees.
"Hey, Igneel," she breathes to the skies above. "I don't know if you can hear me, but…" Her lips tremble. "I want to go home." Her voice cracks on that word. Fairy Tail should be her home, but clearly, they don't feel the same as she does. "I want to go back to Tenrou. Please. Send someone to bring me back. Please." She buries her face in her knees, listening to the comforting ocean waves.
Much to her despair, she is still sitting there when the sun begins to sink beyond the horizon, leaving her alone in a land of people who think her an oddity among them.
Ey, an update! And a whirlwind of one at that. ;)
Thank you to the reivewers (BrixyWB, Kinaseptiana, CrazyZaika, Meow Orbit, stranger1999, Lodemai04, FlameDragonHime, living-the-future, piranha pk, and trienniagala!) as well as those who favorited and followed! It really means the world. :)