Part V
Bittersweet
(Truth)
"Does the guild know we're coming?" asks Levy hesitantly as she slides from Rogue's back, requiring a little help from Yukino and Gajeel as she does so. Her dark eyes scan the area for danger, though she's been told that it's unlikely that there will be any so far into the "safe zone." Leo has returned to his own realm for the time being, having promised to reappear when they find Lucy.
"I doubt it," says Yukino with a soft sigh, brushing herself off. She looks exhausted, with heavy shadows resting solidly beneath her eyes, and Levy knows that she will need somewhere quiet and safe to rest once she and Rogue have given the news to Sting. Levy wonders if she'll be able to get the information out; Yukino's gaze is wild with grief this day. Now that they are out of danger, the loss of her guildmates is rampant in her soul. Rogue is clearly worried about her, and Levy wonders how Sting will react. She'd heard how the white dragon had prided himself on his guild and even after Igneel had ordered the withdrawal of the dragons from the guilds, he'd proudly worn his emblem.
Levy nods thoughtfully, and then turns to catch children as Gajeel slides them down one after the other. She sends them over to Yukino as Gajeel hops down, and they all patiently watch Rogue shove his body into a smaller form with little effort. He rolls his shoulders as he counts people, ensuring that all are there.
Levy frowns suddenly, a question drawn back to her mind. As Rogue and Yukino usher the children in the direction of Hargeon - a good two and a half hour hike from where Rogue had landed to avoid dragging attention to the port town - she turns to Gajeel and says rather bluntly, "Gajeel, why do you have more trouble going back and forth between forms than the rest of the dragons? Even the older dragons don't struggle like you do."
Gajeel's face flashes with shock, and Rogue hisses in surprise, having overheard. Gajeel wrinkles his nose in distaste after a moment. "S'not a polite thing to ask, shrimp." Levy merely waits, downright refusing to budge until he agrees to answer her rather nosey question. With a roll of his eyes, Gajeel glares at Rogue, and Rogue shrugs. He ushers Yukino and the three children away, ignoring Yukino's curious protest.
When they're a decent distance away, Gajeel runs a hand through his hair and scowls at her. "Not really any of your business, Levy." She says nothing, still waiting, and he sighs heavily before admitting, "I'm not a pure-blooded dragon." Levy's eyes widen in surprise, startled as he continues. "My old man's a full dragon, but my mother's mother was half-dragon. I've got some human and it makes it hard."
Levy's lips part as she leans in, fascinated by this discovery. "But if you have human blood, you shouldn't be capable of changing bodies like that, right? Natsu can't."
"Half-dragons can't. My mother only did it a handful of times before she decided to stick to her bigger body 'cause it got to be too much." He pauses. "Wouldn't have ever found out it was a problem if it hadn't been for the war. Switching back and forth...I ain't like Metalicana. I've got a finite amount of times I can do that."
Levy stares before reeling back, horrified as she realizes that it's partially her fault he's even had to do such a thing. Had she not needed his help...he'd not have had to transform time and time again, countless times over the last year or two that they've known each other. "You...you're going to have to pick one then, right?"
He cocks a pierced brow and says, "Yeah, but ya don't need to get so freaked out, shrimp. I like this one better."
Her cheeks flush, and she clears her throat, embarrassed by the fact that he thinks that's the reason she's so worried. "I...I just….I'm sorry. You wouldn't have to worry about it at all if it weren't for me."
Gajeel just shrugs and mindlessly ruffles her hair, shooing her forwards. "C'mon, they're gonna ditch us back here if we don't start movin'." They set off after the others, walking side by side. As Levy walks, she tugs nervously at a lock of blue hair. "What's your problem?" he demands after a few minutes of silence, as worry appears on her face, and she's surprised by how quickly he realizes that her thoughts are still troubled.
"The guild...they were blaming Natsu and myself before I left with Natsu and Lucy to go to Crocus." She bites her lip. "Some of them even accused Natsu of bringing the demons to Magnolia…it wasn't everyone, mind you, but…"
"Doubt they're gonna blame ya now," mutters Gajeel. He poked her bony shoulder sharply in a telling manner, making her stumble. "You're all skin and bones and covered in dirt and blood."
"Thank you," she says drily. "I tried to clean myself up, but good to know I didn't do very well." She rolls her eyes, sighing heavily. She worries most about her friends, she realizes - about what Droy and Jet are thinking, if they actually grieved for her when they heard she was dead. They'd been on exceptionally bad terms the last time she'd seen them.
They catch up rather quickly with the others, and when they finally reach Hargeon, they find that the port town is bustling just as it had been the last time Levy had seen it. There are even more people now, and Levy wonders what will happen to Hargeon if they actually win this war. Will the new residents stay? Will they go home to the towns and cities they came from?
Levy takes the hand of the youngest child as they squeeze through busy streets. Rogue clears the path with ease, though Levy doesn't know how, and Gajeel follows behind them, ensuring none of them are left behind. They head for the Fairy Tail section of Hargeon, figuring they may as well start there. Levy's heart races as they close in on it, her hazel eyes nervous as she peers over the heads of the people surrounding them. Well, she tries. There's far too many people who are taller than her to see well.
Finally, they reach the square Fairy Tail had claimed, and Levy doesn't hesitate to shove the young child at Gajeel when she spots someone she recognizes. She lurches away with a joyful cry of "Cana!"
Cana whirls around and her jaw drops, her dark eyes shining with shock as Levy slams into her with a joyous laugh. "L-Levy?!" she stammers, unable to believe the sight before her. But then she hugs her fellow guildmate tightly, laughing. Levy's reminded of the time in which she had thought her guild was lost to the demons. "You're...but Natsu said-"
"Natsu and Lucy were lied to," Levy tells her as she draws away, her eyes blazing at the reminder of the old Councilman. She casually drops her dirtied hands away from Cana, not wanting to taint her with the stain of blood no one can see. Cana's eyes shift to lock on those who are hurrying over, ushering children along. "Hey, that's Rogue and Yukino...what are they doing here?"
"Long story short," Levy tells her, "Crocus is lost. Where's Makarov?"
Cana shakes her head, sorrow briefly crossing her expression. "He's not here. He and the other guildmasters were summoned by Mest to meet regarding something important...I guess it's about whatever happened to Crocus," she murmurs, looking sad about the idea. She tucks Levy beneath her arm. "But Mirajane's taken over until Makarov gets back. I'll take you to her. And we might get hunted down by Sting or Natsu when they realize you're here."
"I'm okay with that." Levy smiles at Cana, relieved to be back with her guild. Cana hadn't been one of the ones to be rather rude the last time she'd been there. She wants to hear what Natsu has to say anyways - wants to hear his point of view over what had happened, and know if they'd been harmed at all during the entire process. She wants to make sure Lucy's doing alright, wants to hear what Sting and those present have been up to in ensuring that Hargeon is a safe location for those present.
She wants to know everything.
Levy makes sure to ensure the others are following as Cana guides them through the masses of people. The population of Hargeon has increased to incredible amounts since the last time Levy had been there. It feels busier than Crocus had once been, though Levy contributes that to the small spaces within the town.
Cana eventually manages to get them to Mirajane, who is rather tired looking and speaking urgently with a guild member who looks to be making a report. But when she sees Cana approaching with Levy, she completely abandons them to yelp, "Levy?!" and hurl herself forward. Levy laughs at the hug that she receives, the breath squashed right out of her. "Mira," she murmurs, her arms wrapping around Mirajane in return.
"But...but you're dead!" cries Mirajane, earning an eye roll from Gajeel as he and the others usher the children over.
"She look dead to you, lady?" mutters Gajeel. Levy elbows him when she pulls away, her eyes sparkling with joy. This reminds her so much of when she and Gajeel had believed Fairy Tail to be lost.
Mirajane merely beams at them all, pleased to see them, though that smile fades slightly when she sees the exhaustion on Yukino's face, the wild grief that is increasing with each moment. Rogue notices it, too, and asks politely, "Where's Sting?"
"He's currently doing a patrol around the borders of Hargeon," says Mirajane firmly. "I had him take Natsu and Lucy with him. Natsu's been...well, I don't know how to explain it outside of we send him out a lot to keep him from driving everyone else up the wall."
Gajeel snorts loudly and Rogue sighs with a grimace. Neither are surprised to hear as such - nor is Levy, or even Yukino. Despite her increasing misery and grief, Yukino lets out a raspy chuckle.
Mirajane sends Cana off with the three children to ensure that they're cared for and taken to another part of Hargeon, where orphans are gathering and being cared for until further improvements, and then explains where they should go to get the best chance at crossing paths with the trio of people they're looking for. Mirajane does quietly mention just before they leave, "You should find Droy and Jet, too, Levy. They were...well, they were hit very hard by the news that Natsu brought us. I mean, we all were, but they took it more to heart than anyone else."
Levy's gaze softens when she hears that and she promises that as soon as they've delivered Yukino and Rogue to Sting and have had a quick word with Lucy and Natsu about what's happening that she'll track them down.
The search for Sting, Lucy, and Natsu begins, and Levy is surprised by how few of her guildmates she comes across as they start searching. They briefly cross paths with Gray, who greets her with a wide, relieved grin, and Lisanna, who hugs Levy so tightly she can't breathe. They even briefly come across Gildarts, who Levy cannot believe is in town for once. She suggests to Gajeel that they should request Gildarts be allowed to join Igneel himself on the front lines. When Gajeel frowns, confused as to how a human could be useful on the front lines of a war against demons even after spending months with the guild, she explains that he's their strongest mage, perhaps one of the strongest in Fiore, and that they'd had to shut Magnolia down whenever he came home. Months away from Cana, his daughter, had meant he was too excited to think straight and had resulted in chaos and destruction more than once.
Eventually, they finally find who they're looking for, on the very far reaches of the outskirts of Hargeon. Ironically, they find themselves on the beach. Levy finds that the soft sounds of the waves are soothing and makes a mental note to come back out later, after she's found Droy and Jet.
"Stay here," says Rogue suddenly, already stepping into Yukino's shadow. "I'll fetch them. They're not too far." He vanishes without further ado and Yukino gives a shaken sigh, a hand lifting to her mouth.
"Sting loved the guild," she whispers, chewing on her nails. "We were a team, the three of us, but...there was just something about the entirety of the guild that he adored. I don't know how I'm going to tell him."
"Just tell him," says Levy simply. "He'll know that you're hurting, too." She just hopes that Sting won't go after Yukino like some in Fairy Tail had come after her. As if reading her mind, Gajeel's heavy hand ruffles her hair, and Levy sighs in annoyance, waving his hand away.
They stand there for a few moments, listening to the ocean waves, before someone comes sprinting down the beach. Yukino opens her mouth, recognizing Sting, but is nearly side-swiped by the white dragon as he tackles her in a tight hug, face buried in her shoulder. A sob wracks through Yukino, and she clutches him in return, and from the grief-stricken look on the dragon's face, Levy gets the feeling that Rogue's already told him - and that Sting would have enveloped Yukino entirely to protect her from the pain if he could have.
Gajeel suddenly shifts, grunting as if he's realized something, but says nothing further, instead prodding her bony shoulder sharply and muttering, "Here comes the idiot."
Levy looks over and sure enough, Natsu's jogging down the beach, not nearly as rushed as Sting. Walking swiftly a short distance behind the half-dragon are Lucy and Rogue, who are speaking to one another amiably. Levy lets a smile creep over her face despite her sadness for the Sabertooth members. "Natsu," she greets cheerfully, only to squawk when her old friend drags her in for a hug as well.
"I'm sorry!" rasps Natsu, horrified. "I should have looked better than I did. We should have come sooner, and we shouldn't have let them arrest you like that-"
Levy's gaze softens and she hugs him back for a moment before pushing back, patting his shoulder comfortingly. Onyx eyes are full of guilt and self-hatred, and she hastily says, "Natsu, there's really nothing you could have done...the man was intent on screwing us over, and Lucy could have been put in danger."
"You're human," he insists. "Lucy's not. She would have been fine."
Levy gets the feeling that Lucy's drilled this into his head with the way he glances over his shoulder at her for confirmation. Lucy's not looking at him though; her eyes are locked on where Rogue and Sting are murmuring to one another in hushed tones, Sting still rocking the sobbing Yukino. There's grief in her eyes, too, and when she finally turns to Levy, she smiles faintly and says, "What matters is that you're alive. Now, tell us. What happened to Crocus?" She pauses, then corrects, "Start from where we left you."
So, Levy does. By the end of it, a few hours have passed due to interruptions and questions from those around them. Natsu, Lucy, and Sting are anything but pleased to learn what has happened, and Levy knows that Gajeel, Yukino, and Rogue don't miss the fact that Levy says absolutely nothing about the fate of the Councilman she's murdered.
Eventually, the group agrees it's a bad idea to linger much longer on the beach and start to head back for Hargeon. Levy finds herself quietly walking beside Gajeel, the trio of Sabertooth members a solid distance ahead and Natsu and Lucy behind them, hands clasped. Levy can't help but smile to herself, happy for them.
Gajeel, eyeing her in silence, suddenly snorts, and she throws him an impatient look, rolling her eyes. She knows what he's thinking; he still believes that it was a terrible idea to let Natsu and Lucy meet as they are, continue on as if they have eternity to spend together. Levy merely sighs, deciding she's not going to bother telling him otherwise. She doesn't feel like arguing her point, not today.
"I've been staying with Fairy Tail in their portion of Hargeon," Sting tells his friends as they reenter the port town. His voice is almost overpowered by the evening commotion, and though there is pain, he looks a little better, as if merely being in a crowded space makes him feel at home. Remembering Tenrou Island, Levy supposes it probably does feel like home. While Gajeel hated places like this and had kept to his own corner of Tenrou, most of the dragons had happily spent all of their time around one another. And, to top it off, Sting and Rogue had been in a city for the better part of their time on the continent.
When they reach the Fairy Tail quarter, Levy realizes that news must have spread about what had happened, about her being alive, because she is nearly bombarded by people that want to greet her. She finds herself swarmed by several, who even go so far as to shove Gajeel away.
Levy doesn't care. Instead, she gives a cry of relief when she's crushed in a tight hug between Jet and Droy, her arms winding around each of them. She can hear their sobs of relief in her ears, can hear them uttering apologies, but she can care less. Her grip is crushing on their shoulders as she pulls back, tears streaming down her face as the trio smile at one another in relief and delight. She's missed them immensely, and is even more pleased when they hesitantly turn to Gajeel and offer apologies to him, too.
It takes quite some time for the chaos to die down, and by the end of it, she finds herself growing impatient and irritable. As much as she's missed Jet and Droy, she finds that she's getting rather overwhelmed. She hates how so many people require touching, as if it's the only way to ensure she's really there. So many people have tainted their hands by touching their own to hers, and there's so much noise after the silence of dark, silent dungeons…
When Laxus and his team surprise her by coming over to welcome her back, Levy has to hide her shaking hands behind her back, has to force a wide, warm smile to her face. She wants to shout at them to leave her alone, but seeing as Laxus rarely ever welcomes someone back, she forces herself to remain quiet and still as she thanks them. She chats with he and his team for a short while, barely hearing what they say.
When they leave, Levy feels as if she can't remember any of what they've just said, feels as if the world is closing in on her. She feels dizzy as she stops listening for more calls of her name, instead glancing at her wet-feeling hands, as if she'll see more blood staining her skin. Her stomach roils, a sweat breaking out on her forehead-
"Levy?" a voice says near her ear, and she jumps, nearly pulling a muscle in her neck when she snaps it around. Natsu's there, sans Lucy for once. There's a furrow in his brow as he gives her a quick once-over. Realization flickers in her friend's eyes and he grabs her arm without a word, hauling her away. Bisca, about to approach, looks annoyed, but shrugs and turns back to her husband.
Natsu pulls her free of the crowds that have surrounded her since she'd returned to the Fairy Tail quarters and into the nearest alleyway. It's only when they break free of the commotion that Levy realizes she's gasping for air, barely able to breathe. Natsu is shockingly calm and patient when he steers her into a second alleyway that breaks off from the first. Only when is the commotion a dull roar does he stop, his face set in a deep frown as he studies her. "Better?"
"Yes," she gasps, sinking down to sit on the ground with her back to the building behind her. She tucks her arms around herself. "Thank you. I...I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Nothing," he says firmly. "Nothing's wrong with you. You were just overwhelmed, s'all."
It's a rare moment, Levy can't help but think, that Natsu takes notice of such things. He's usually in the thrall of the chaos, at its heart as he creates it and enjoys it. Something's changed about her friend, she can't help but think, in the time she's been gone. He's older looking, calmer. There's something angry hidden beneath the facade, however. She can see how he wants nothing more to burn something, though she can't say what it is.
Levy thinks she's always been too nosy for her own good as she pats the ground beside her and asks, "What's wrong?"
Natsu blinks, onyx eyes flickering nervously. But he sits beside her, stretching his legs out in front of him. He makes himself comfortable, and Levy tries to do the same, even as she struggles to catch her breath. She hopes whatever he's struggling with can sufficiently distract her from the thickness in her chest. It seems like ages before he says, "I think...I think Zeref's here for me. I think this entire war that he's started, bringing demons forth to this world...I think it's all because he wants me for some reason I don't know about."
Levy's unprepared to hear such a thing, but she asks nonetheless, "Why do you think that?" It's not an insulting question, not one of judgement or ridicule. She merely wants to understand why.
Natsu takes a few moments to think it over, unhappy and unnerved by whatever it is that he's thinking. Finally, he says slowly, "I just...have this gut feeling I can't explain. And I remembered something he told me, back on Tenrou when he was there visiting, just after Lucy and I...after we started getting close." His face flushes briefly, and Levy finds herself having to fight the urge to tease him, getting a good idea as to how close he had been getting with his favored star maiden. "He told me that when the end came, I'd be at the center of it, where I was supposed to be."
Levy puzzles over this information. "Is that how he said it, precisely?" she asks.
Natsu nods. "'When the master of demons and end comes, you'll be at the center of it, where you're supposed to be,'" he recites with ease, and she stares at him in startled shock. "I guess he's gotta be the master of demons, right? And….and here I am." He spreads his arms out in frustration. "At the center of it all."
"But you're really not," says Levy pointedly. "Look, we're on the outskirts of it. You're staying out of the fighting. So he's wrong."
"I don't think so." Natsu looks so very upset by this idea that Levy pats his shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze. "I just...what if I went and found him? What if I confronted him directly? Would the war stop? I don't...I haven't seen the front lines, but I remember Magnolia. I remember seeing the bodies in the streets, Levy. I watched a demon rip into the body of a child. I can't...I can't get the image out of my head. What if I went to him like he wanted and it stopped?"
"Then you'd only encourage him." Levy lifts her chin, glancing at the darkening sky with a heavy sigh. "Natsu...none of this is your fault, just as none of what happened with the Councilman is my fault." She knows this, even if it still feels wrong that she killed him. "Zeref is a bad person, through and through. He would have found something else to create a war for. What you need to focus on is protecting the living - and Lucy. He wanted to kill her for some reason, too, remember? Just...focus on the present. Forget the past. And we'll keep hoping for the future."
Natsu thinks this over with a slow nod. Finally, he murmurs, "Thanks, Levy." He rocks forward a little, bracing his elbows on his knees. He throws her an amused look, eyes suddenly twinkling with mischief. "By the way," he drawls, and Levy doesn't know if one, she's going to like this subject, or two, he's just changing the subject to get away from his personal thoughts, which she knows he so rarely shares with others. "When are you and Gajeel going to admit that you're together?"
Every thought Levy might have had flees from her head in a single second. "...excuse me?"
Natsu's shark-like grin suddenly widens, and Levy's reminded distantly of the looks Mirajane gives when she's latched onto someone she fully intends to try and matchmake with. Levy's cheeks flush a brilliant red at the look, but it suddenly fades away into a soft, amused one. "Seriously," he says firmly, "you don't think Gajeel likes you like that?"
"Why are you the one who's having this conversation with me?" protests Levy, but he merely stares at her until she sighs heavily. She remembers various flickers of moments over the time she's known the iron dragon. She remembers how he teases her so gently, how he'd defended her against the Councilman, had warned Natsu fiercely about what the man would do. She remembers how when she'd come back from the Council's prison, he'd greeted her with a tight hug, can easily recall that soft ragged sound that had filled her ear, only for her. He'd hunted down that Councilman for her, and when they'd talked that night, he'd taken the cuff from her wrist, and that look he'd given her afterwards…
Levy's cheeks flush again, turning nearly as crimson as the flame that puffs from Natsu's lips in his cackling delight. Irritably, Levy swats at him, scowling even as her face burns hotter. "You-" she hisses, and then jolts when they're interrupted.
"The hell are you two doing hiding in an alley?"
Levy doesn't think she's ever been as red as she is then. Gajeel squints suspiciously at them, balanced on the roof above their heads, and when she glances up, she can't meet his gaze, because damn it, she knows Natsu is right. She likes the iron dragon, more than she'd thought possible. Especially given how they'd started their odd relationship, with him being an arrogant jerk to her the majority of the time.
Natsu could be a cheshire cat with how widely he's grinning, she thinks, glaring at him furiously. He'd known Gajeel was up there! The question remains: how long? She certainly hopes not more than a handful of seconds.
Natsu tips his head back to smirk at the iron dragon, earning a cranky look in turn, and Levy immediately wonders if Gajeel's been overwhelmed like she has. "Levy freaked out, so I brought her where it was quiet. Simple."
Levy frowns at him, annoyed. "I wasn't freaked out - Gajeel!" she yelps when he suddenly drops from the roof, landed with ease a few feet away. "Don't do that!" she snaps, scrambling to her feet. She feels more flustered than she should around him, she can't help but think, her stomach doing flip-flops.
"Lucy's lookin' for ya," Gajeel says, ignoring Levy's glower. Natsu blinks, and is immediately trotting for the entrance of the alleyway, waving at the agitated Levy over his shoulder. When he's gone, Gajeel rolls his eyes. "Bastard's like a lost puppy," he grumbles, and despite her frantic emotional turmoil, Levy snorts her agreement, amused with the comparison.
He's not wrong. She runs her fingers through her still tangled blue hair and says, "Sorry if I disappeared, I just...I couldn't breathe, and Natsu helped me get out of there. I've not really been around so many people in a while, and it got to be a bit too much." She's babbling a little, she knows, unsure of what to do with the new realization that Natsu's thrown at her like one of Laxus's lightning bolts.
They are at war, she tells herself, and that is not the time for romantic ideals that she doubts Gajeel returns at all.
Of course, that all goes out the door when Gajeel muses, looking just as sharky as Natsu had moments before, "What you all red about, shrimp?" She chokes on her own saliva, waving him off with a flustered look, and the grin widens just as Natsu's had. There's a mocking, playful gleam in his crimson eyes when Levy dares to meet them for just a moment. But at the same time, she swears there's a hint of softness to them that she doubts anyone else would have noticed, and it only makes everything that much worse in her current situation.
"You," she splutters, barely able to speak, "shush."
He snickers and then ruffles her hair playfully, earning a squawk for his efforts. When he speaks again, he's serious. "Don't worry about what Natsu was talkin' about," he tells her, and the embarrassment vanishes, replaced with hurt. "Ain't any of his business."
She can't meet his eyes again, though this time it's for a different reason. "Right," she murmurs, trying to shove that hurt back. She clears her throat, and then says, echoing her own thoughts, "We're at war, and it's not the time for stuff like that."
He's quiet, and when she dares to look at him after a couple of uncomfortable seconds, he's frowning at her. He looks more concerned than amused now, and it only makes the hurt so much worse. Because Natsu was right; she does really like him. He's become someone she can't imagine not seeing almost every day, finds it nearly painful when he's gone for months on end.
Hastily, she spins away, not wanting to confront what a horrible situation this could so very quickly become. "Come on," she murmurs, "I'm sure the others are going to start looking for me soon. Especially Jet and Droy."
"Hold on a fuckin' second," demands Gajeel, snagging her wrist and yanking her back a step. She winces, but doesn't say anything about the flicker of pain that races up her arm. She's still bruised, after all. "You really think that now? After all the stuff you said about enjoying the present or whatever? And what you told the idiot and Lucy?"
Levy falters, thinking it over. She does, she realizes. "Yes," she admits, trying to figure out how to explain her thoughts aloud. "Because every second I was in that prison cell, I couldn't help but think that it might not have been so bad if I hadn't enjoyed the moments outside of it so much. If everyone wouldn't have suffered so much if they hadn't cared so much." She doesn't know when she's started thinking like this. Remembers how relieved she'd been to see everyone outside. How excited she'd been to come home.
But maybe what had occurred wouldn't have been so deadly for everyone involved if she'd not been so attached to them all - if they'd not been so attached to her.
"You were right about Natsu and Lucy," she says hoarsely. "They'll be right back where they were before this all started, and so will everyone else. And that's if we survive, which after seeing what I did, is looking rather unlikely, Gajeel."
Because in what world would a dragon want to live among her kind after seeing their response to war and potential war? Nor would they want her to live among them. She had no doubts that after this war ended, she'd either be dead or never see Gajeel and the other dragons ever again.
Levy finds that she cares too much about Gajeel to think she could live with that, and wishes she could erase all of it. Wishes she could go back in time and never have agreed to go to Tenrou, so that she wouldn't feel all of the sudden suffocating pain that's replaced her embarrassment at the realization that she likes Gajeel so much more than she'd thought.
His grip on her wrist suddenly tightens until it's near painful and he yanks her back a step, shocking her when he gets in her face. "You're an idiot," he rumbles in a near snarl, and she jolts back a little, nervous. "A goddamn idiot, you know that?"
"Yes," she says blankly, not at all surprised to hear him say such a thing. "I'm fully aware. So can we go back to the others now?"
He ignores her and says, nearly snarling the words in her face, "I said I'd join your ridiculous guild, didn't I?" She doesn't answer, so he continues, tugging pointedly at her wrist until she hisses and he releases the pressure a little. "That means we're gonna win this war. Things are not gonna go back to what they were before everything happened, and we ain't gonna die. I'll make sure of it."
She swallows thickly. "You can't promise that, Gajeel," she says quietly. "Look what happened with the Councilman-" She chokes on the sentence, hating the way the guilt spills back over. He'd been intending to kill her, and she still feels horrified by what she'd done, still feels the blood that sticks to her hands.
"S'cause I wasn't there," he says sharply, eyes flashing as he forcefully captures her chin in his fingers and holds her still. "I won't let it happen again."
They stare at one another for a moment before Levy sighs heavily. "I believe you," she murmurs, and he releases her entirely, satisfied with her answer. He goes to tussle her hair again, but stills, instead fondly running his hand through the soft, tangled blue strands. She winces when his fingers catch on the tangles, and blinks when he begins to work his fingers gently through them.
"This," he rumbles, "is why dragons don't like war. Not 'cause people die. But because of what it does to the living. It breaks 'em until they wish they were dead, too."
Her body trembles, and she fights the urge to cry, though she doesn't know why she wants to. "I don't want to die," she protests, and he pauses to snort at her.
"Clearly, or you'd have died a while ago. You're worse than Lucy, ya know that?" Gajeel rolls his eyes. "I thought she was bad about attracting trouble. You're worse." He goes back to untangling her hair, and when he's satisfied with his work, he calmly runs his finger through the strands a few times to brush them out.
Levy feels the red coming back to her face when he ducks his head to peer into her face. "You good now?"
"Yes," she whispers, flushing more. "I'm...I'm sorry. Thank you." Gajeel smirks in response, though the smile fades away after a moment, his gaze searching hers. It's the rather serious look on his face that encourages her to reluctantly voice what she's been trying to push back. She lets the hurt surface as she says, "What Natsu said...and what you said...you really think he doesn't know what he's talking about?"
His expression is unreadable as he straightens to his full height. "Nah," he mutters, and something in her stomach flips. "Guess he does. He's got Lucy. Wouldn't have gotten her if he didn't." Slowly, he lets his gaze slide over hers, a flicker of interest there in his eyes. "Why? He sayin' something important I should know about?"
She knows what he means, knows what he's hinting at. She swallows thickly and forces herself to look him in the eye as she says, "Maybe."
Gajeel cocks his head, and Levy fights back the blush that starts to heat her cheeks once more. She merely lifts her chin defiantly, nervous about what his response will be. Finally he takes on a look of disbelief. "The hell would you like about me?" He seems to be at a complete and total loss, unable to comprehend how someone could even consider him in such a way, and Levy finds herself fighting back a smile, too.
She averts her gaze again, hating that she's been doing as much so often. She feels as if she's some shy child, who doesn't know how to act around new people. Actually, Levy finds she feels much like she did whenever her mother would walk in angry, except not from fear of physical pain. She wants to hide herself from the fear of rejection.
He says nothing more, and when she finally finds the bravery to look again, she's stunned to find that there's a hint of red creeping up his neck, his jaw set in a stubborn manner. Her lips part in shock and before she can help it, she's slapping a hand over her mouth to hide the giggle that threatens to escape when the flush floods his face, too.
He glares half-heartedly at her as she teases, "What's wrong, Gajeel?" Her eyes twinkle with nervous mirth. "Something important I should know about?"
Gajeel tries to glower at her, but the effect is ruined rather effectively by his flustered behavior. "Shut up," he finally grumbles, and relief flickers through her when he fondly touches her hair again, as if he can't stop himself from stroking the soft blue strands.
Because she knows that though he won't say it, he likes her, too.
Levy knows that things can't stay as quiet as they've been for the last week, but it still upsets her when one week after her return to Magnolia, she's approached by a gentle, but grim-looking Lucy while relaxing on an empty beach. "Levy," says Lucy, catching her off guard, and Levy looks back over her shoulder to find the star fidgeting with her hands a few feet behind her. "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure," says Levy with a good-natured smile. She pats the sand beside her. "What's up?"
Lucy sinks gracefully down beside her and fidgets a few moments longer before she says, "When Makarov returns, Leo and I will be leaving."
Levy's smile vanishes. "Leaving?" she echoes. "How so?"
"The Spirit King," she says quietly, her voice catching, "is summoning me to where he alone stands guard in our realm. It is the one place that the demons cannot go, for the starlight there burns their bodies. He is...he's not surrendering to the demons, but he's...oh, Levy." Lucy bursts into tears, burying her face in her hands, and Levy is quick to pull her into a comforting hug, soothingly rubbing her back until Lucy can choke out, "He is pulling out of the war. He demands that we all retreat to wait until it has ended."
Levy feels like the rug has been yanked out from under her. "But he can't," she insists, a numb feeling creeping through her body. "The war started in your realm. It's...how can you pull out if it started with them coming after you?"
Someone new sinks into the sand beside Lucy, an arm curving around her shoulders, and Lucy cries harder. Leo. He looks horrified, exhausted, as he tucks Lucy to his side and rests his chin atop her head with a crooked, tired smile. "You must remember," he tells Levy, and she wonders when he arrived. "That we are not like you or even the dragons. We are immortal, Levy. We feel much differently than you do. Lucy is different, of course, given her status as a star who was once human, but the rest of us...we feel differently than you. Sure, it started with our realm, but it's no longer our problem. It's here now."
"You can't possibly-"
"No, I don't think I feel the same as many other stars feel," says Leo. He smiles fondly at Lucy, sorrowful as he tucks some hair behind her ear. "I've spent much time around Lucy. Too much time, in the eyes of many stars. I fully believe this is a wrong decision."
Lucy can only moan past her tears, "Natsu."
Levy understands then why her friend is so heartbroken, so frantic.
Natsu.
"He's going to be broken by this," whispers Levy, heart breaking for Lucy, for Natsu, for everyone. A cold feeling fills her chest. "Your people, Leo...they've sentenced us to death with this decision. Even the dragons cannot hold up for very long against the demons without your help."
"I know." He looks angry at the mention of this. "I don't know what the Spirit King is thinking." His green gaze slides to hers, sorrowful again. "And I am sorry for it, Levy. We cannot go against him. He's our king. But I am truly sorry for what will happen."
Lucy sobs again. "Natsu," she whispers again. "He will die because of this."
Leo's jaw tightens and he says nothing to even try and comfort her. So Levy says softly, "I don't think he will." Lucy's swollen, broken eyes shift to her quickly, confused, and Levy reluctantly spills the information that she's kept to herself, entrusted to her by Natsu. When she's finished, Leo's horrified, and he nearly leaps on her, slamming her back into the sand with his hands on her shoulders. Levy gasps, caught off guard.
"You're sure?" he snaps, eyes blazing. "You're sure that's what Natsu said?"
"Y-yes?" stammers Levy, a little frightened by the spirit's reaction. "He...he said that Zeref once told him, 'When the master of demons and end comes, you'll be at the center of it, where you're supposed to be.'"
"The master of demons…" breathes Leo. "That was supposed to be a myth. We heard rumors, but if the master of demons truly exists-"
"What are you talking about?" croaked Lucy, swiping at her eyes and clearing her throat.
"Once, just before you were attacked initially by Zeref, we heard rumors of a master of demons who'd escaped the grasp of their leader during the last series of wars," explains Leo, raking his hands through his hair. "We didn't...we never thought much of it, but the demons were easier to defeat after that. They were less powerful, less confident. We could never figure out what they were doing…"
"What does any of this have to do with Natsu?" demands Levy, concerned for her old friend, who'd been so desperate to understand he'd blamed himself for the war that was taking place.
"Go to Natsu, stay close to him," says Leo hoarsely, "I need to speak with Igneel - I needed to anyways - but now even more so. He's been keeping secrets, I believe. Secrets he has no business keeping from the stars during a war such as this." And then he was gone, not giving them much of a choice but to do what he's instructed. Levy exchanges a confused look with Lucy before she shrugs, wiping at her eyes. Levy pulls her into a tight hug again.
"Does Natsu know yet?" she asks, and Lucy shakes her head, breaking down once more. Levy's arms tighten further, her face pressed into the miserable girl's hair. "Well," says Levy softly, "let's break it to him. He'd rather hear sooner rather than later, I think."
They find Natsu prowling around the outskirts of Hargeon, hunting for any signs of danger. Levy guesses that Rogue and Sting, maybe even Gajeel, are doing the same on the other sides of the port town, protecting the innocent lives that live within it. Levy's stomach knots when she sees the way Natsu, serious one moment, lights up the next, every inch of him as bright as the sun as he beams with love at Lucy.
It sends the poor woman spiraling back into tears. That smile is pushed back, replaced with alarm as Lucy hurls herself at him, burying her face in his throat. He hugs her tightly in turn, murmuring hushed words into her ear. Levy hangs back, concerned. She knows Natsu has a hard time when hearing bad news. There's something about the way he reacts, they've all seen, that concerns even Makarov. It almost makes her wish she brought Gajeel with them, though she immediately rejects the idea.
Despite their newly declared fondness for one another, things have become somewhat awkward with him. Neither she nor Gajeel know how to interact now, and it drives Levy up the wall and makes her wish she'd simply let herself suffocate from being overwhelmed rather than go with Natsu.
"Lucy?" she hears Natsu demand finally, losing his patience with whatever's making her so upset. Flames are flickering to life at the corners of his mouth, which are tugged into a frown. "Luce, what's wrong?" He pulls back slightly, pressing his forehead to hers.
Levy doesn't hear what Lucy tells him, but she knows what it is.
And she's still unprepared for the explosion of magic that suddenly explodes from Natsu as his gaze steels, his face losing any hint of warmth and replaced by such a cold look, it contrasts sharply with the heat that floods the area. Lucy, even through her tears, murmurs to him, urging him to calm himself as flames dance to life, turning sand to glass in an instant. Natsu doesn't seem to hear her, however, and Levy remembers what she'd been told when Natsu had heard of a guildmate's death. She remembers hearing how it had taken Lucy two days to calm him as he burned the Fioran Archives to the ground. Well, half of them.
But this involves his Lucy, and Levy isn't sure that Lucy can do anything to help him.
Just as suddenly as they'd appeared, however, the flames are gone.
The brutal look Levy can see on Natsu's face as he and Lucy stand in a sea of glass sends chills down her spine. He suddenly pushes his forehead to hers, and Levy thinks she sees Lucy flinch a little as he takes a tight grip on her, his hands cupping her cheeks. He says something quietly, that Levy can't hear, but the worried look on Lucy's tear-stricken face tells her it's nothing good.
His gaze suddenly shifts to the faltering solid-script mage nearby and narrows a fraction before he says, "I'm not gonna let them."
Levy takes that as permission and hurries over, reluctant to get so close after the somewhat frightening display she's seen. "What do you mean?" she demands, concerned about whatever plan he's cooking up. Natsu's quite clever - more so than many people seem to think. They constantly underestimate him, though he hides that cleverness beneath layers of playful childish behavior. But the plans he's created in the past…
Levy can't say she's ever heard of one failing.
"I'm not," he repeats, his face pressing into Lucy's golden hair, "gonna let the stars retreat from this war. Even if I have to rip the walls between their realm and this one apart, they can't just ditch us to fix their issues. And I'm not gonna let them take Lucy away again. The dragons have bent to their will on everything else. We were good about the rules they put in place with Zeref before. We made no effort to contact them or re-establish everything. We willingly entered this war. We have given up everything to help the stars. They have no right to just...pull back because it's no longer in their realm. If they really do try and take themselves out of this, I don't give a damn what I have to do, I'll make sure the demons rip apart their realm."
"Natsu," murmurs Lucy in disapproval, her fingers sliding up to cup his face between her hands. She pulls back to search his gaze, shaking her head gently. "I don't care how much you hate it, that's my home."
He bares his teeth in fury, and Levy doesn't know how Lucy doesn't flinch at the rage that outlines every motion he makes at the mere concept of being denied what he wants. It's a side of the usually happy-go-lucky, friendly half-dragon she's known for years that she's never seen before, and it unnerves her more than anything else. More than the Councilman's hatred, even.
Lucy stares him down as she says firmly, "You will not bring harm to my home, Natsu Dragneel. We will figure something else out. But you cannot threaten the stars. They are older and far stronger than the dragons."
Natsu settles reluctantly, as if there's something in that warning Levy doesn't know about, but she doesn't question it. Instead, she offers hesitantly, "Perhaps we can offer the stars something? In return for their continuous aide?"
"The stars don't bargain lightly," Lucy murmurs, shifting so that she can look at Levy, too. Natsu doesn't take his hands from her, one arm hooking around her shoulders heavily. He's growling under his breath, smoke pooling from his nostrils. Lucy pays his rage no mind. Levy wonders how she does so when Levy herself wants to run far from it. "But...if something that was truly valuable was offered...it could work. It will do nothing for what'll happen after the war," she adds to Natsu, whose nostrils flare furiously, "but it could work for now."
And that, Levy thinks, will give Natsu and Lucy time to think about how to handle their situation after the war. It gives them time that they don't have at this very moment. As Natsu sucks in panicked, ragged breaths, burying his face in Lucy's neck...as Lucy gently runs her fingers up along his jaw in a comforting motion...Levy makes a decision.
"I will do the bargaining," says Levy, knowing she should probably clear such a decision with Makarov and Igneel before she does so. She turns to Lucy. "How do I get into contact with the Spirit King?"
"They'd be more prone to listening to you...the Spirit King's heard of Igneel's trust in you…" She takes a deep breath, making a decision herself. "You use a proxy," says Lucy, uncertain. "And I would be more than willing to represent you. But Levy...the price of bargaining with the stars...it's not usually pleasant. You should consider this more, talk with Igneel and the guildmaster of Fairy Tail." It's as if Levy's mind is being read and put out for everyone to see. "At the very least, Gajeel's fairly knowledgeable about what happens in such bargains. Discuss it with him."
"He'll tell me not to." In that, Levy is confident. Her friend and maybe something more's immediate answer will be a very clear, confident no, and she won't accept that. "I'll ask him for his opinion, but I've already decided what I'm going to do, regardless. You cannot look me in the eye, Natsu Dragneel, and tell me that Igneel will turn down this offer."
"He won't," admits Natsu faintly. "He likes you, but...we need the help in this war."
"And Makarov supports every independent decision we make, so long as it's done with a good heart and for the greater good," adds Levy. "So I'll go find Gajeel and ask what he says. Don't worry so much, you two, I will ensure the stars stay in this war at least until its end." Her eyes flash with determination. "If we're going to lose, we deserve to go down fighting. We don't deserve to be lambs set out for slaughter because the stars don't think it's their problem."
"Thank you," whispers Lucy, reaching out to take her hand and give it a tight squeeze.
"You'd do the same for me." Levy smiles and squeezes back, but Lucy shakes her head.
"No," she tells Levy grimly, and something in Levy shifts nervously. "I really don't think I would have. Not where the stars are involved."
Tracking Gajeel down is easier said than done when he's purposefully avoiding her, unwilling to confront an uncomfortable situation. Levy has no patience for it now that she's found she has something to do, and when she can't find him, she turns to drastic measures. She tracks down Yukino with ease; the silver-haired Sabertooth mage tends to find herself often hanging with Fairy Tail now, who have welcomed her into their ranks with open arms. She's even considered joining the guild, though she's reluctant to take on the emblem, for she's sure it would erase her Sabertooth emblem despite Mirajane promising otherwise.
"Yukino," calls Levy, and she glances back with surprise.
"Levy," greets Yukino with a small smile. There's more life to her now. The grief lingers, tearing her apart, but it looks as if its talons have dulled with the time that has passed. "What can I do for you?"
"Have you seen Gajeel?"
Yukino shakes her head. "Not since this morning. I think he's with Sting though...why?"
"I need to talk with him. Is Rogue around?"
"Yes," she says immediately and kicks a foot back, tapping the shadow behind her with her toe. Levy blinks, realizing that Yukino has two shadows instead of one, and within moments, Rogue is emerging from the one she tapped. Levy wonders just how long Rogue has been doing such a thing - wonders if, for some reason, he's spied on some of her conversations with others.
"Do you know where he is?" she asks without hesitation, and Rogue blinks at her before vanishing into the shadows again. Levy watches as it darts off, not batting an eye. He's off to find the iron dragon and bring him back for her. Likely in any way he needs to.
"Is everything okay?" asks Yukino and Levy debates how to answer. No, nothing's okay. But she isn't sure it's a good idea to freely advertise what's happening to everyone. So she smiles, forcing herself to do so, and says that everything's fine.
She and Yukino fall into a simple conversation about what Yukino's spent her time doing as they wait, and after what must be half an hour or so, Rogue returns, emerging just enough from Yukino's shadow to inform her, "He's on his way," before vanishing again. When Levy gives the shadow an odd look, Yukino grins and says, "He's been like this since we got here. Worried, I think."
"Don't talk about me as if I'm not here," comes the voice from the shadows, and Yukino's grin widens, earning a snort from Levy in turn.
They pick their conversation back up again and have been talking for a few minutes when an elbow suddenly plants itself on Levy's head. Her knees buckle when Gajeel puts all of his weight on her, a smug sound to his voice as he says, "What do ya need, shrimp?"
"For you to not crush me, first of all," she snaps, although she can't be too annoyed. A thrill goes through her, even, at his mere presence after his determination to avoid her for much of the day. She's missed his company, although she doesn't say as much. Instead, she frowns at him severely and shoos him off. "Rude."
He cackles, and then lets her haul him away from the interested Yukino and what Levy assumes to be a nosy Rogue. He grows more serious as she tugs him away from people in general, until they're in a quiet place, where no one will bother them.
"What's up?" he demands, clearly wary over the fact that they're in an isolated location.
"The stars are trying to pull out of the war," she tells him without hesitation, staring him down. She forgets their awkwardness, the admission she'd made not too long ago. She needs Gajeel, her friend, right now, regardless of everything else. "Lucy and Natsu know." Gajeel winces. "Leo knows. He's going to inform Igneel, as well as talk with Igneel about something else he didn't really explain to Lucy and I."
"Shit," mutters Gajeel, raking a hand through his thick hair. A dark look encompasses her face. "We're fucked. We're going to lose if they pull back, and everyone's going to die. And Natsu's gonna lose it. He was a nightmare after she left the first time-"
"You didn't let me finish." Levy takes a deep breath. "I'm going to bargain with the stars to keep them in the war. Lucy's agreed to represent me, which I think will give me a good standing with their king-"
Gajeel cuts her off immediately, body locking in sheer anger as he glowers at her. "Like hell you are," he growls, towering over her and making her feel smaller than he normally would. "Do you know what kind of things those guys demand in bargains like that, Levy?"
"No," says Levy honestly. "It's...why I came to you. I thought you'd be the only one I could trust to be honest about it." She searches his gaze hopefully, and some of the edge of his anger falls away.
"They're gonna demand you sacrifice someone else, or somethin' like that. Knowing the stars, they'll use you to get revenge on someone that wronged them before your ancestor was even born." Gajeel pushes a hand through his dark hair, eyes flickering. "Or they might demand your own life, especially with how big a favor you're gonna be askin' 'em, shorty."
Levy bites her lip, playing with her fingers anxiously. After a few moments, she says quietly, "I know...it's not a good idea, but what other choice do we have?" Her voice cracks a little as she searches his gaze in despair. "You said it yourself. We will die."
His jaw tightens. "Let someone else do it," he says sharply. "Let Natsu do it."
Levy shakes her head. "They'll demand his death if what you say is true. They don't like him very much, I don't think." She hesitates, and then reaches out to take his hand in her own, holding it just lightly enough that he can pull away if he truly wants to. She's relieved when he merely tightens his hand around hers, his calloused fingers scraping over soft, scarred skin. "Besides," she continues. "Lucy said that she thought the Spirit King might be more inclined to hear what I had to say, seeing as Igneel trusts me."
Gajeel studies their hands for a few moments - and then very nearly crushes hers when his grip tightens immensely. "Let someone else do it," he repeats. "Not you. I'll do it. Just...not you."
She attempts to tease him with a forced, playful smile. "Not too attached, are you?" she says lightly, and is a little concerned when he doesn't snort or playfully deny her. Instead, his grip is bruising as he rumbles a small growl.
"Let me talk to Metalicana," he says, and Levy can't say that she's been expecting that particular demand. "He knows more about the stars and the bargains they make. And you'll have to clear it with Igneel, anyways. So you have the time."
"Alright, so long as I get to talk with Metalicana right along with you," decides Levy aloud. She studies him with worry, more concerned than before when she realizes there's a semi-frantic look on his face, as if he thinks she's going to disappear and make the bargain immediately. She wonders if he and Natsu are more alike than he likes to think, and finds herself lifting his fingers to her lips fondly.
"Gajeel," she says quietly, "I didn't intend to do anything now. I just wanted your opinion on the matter. Seeing as you know more about the stars than I do."
Gajeel has an odd look on his face when she lifts her gaze to meet his. She offers a gentle smile, hoping it'll help to soothe away the concerns that he'd never admit aloud. It only makes his gaze sharpen, though she can't say she understands what he's thinking in that moment. At least, until he easily shakes free of her hand. Levy blinks and barely has a moment to consider what's happening before he's taking her chin and tipping her head back so he can kiss her.
Levy squeaks against his lips, shocked, but finds herself happily kissing him back, her fingers sliding up his jaw to sink into his hair. A rumble spills from his chest, one of his own hands sliding down to rest on her waist. When she pulls back to gasp for air, her cheeks are hot, her eyes wide with surprise, even as she finds she's quite alright with what's just happened.
Gajeel glares down at her, much to her surprise, and says fiercely, "We'll talk with Metalicana," he repeats, "and you can decide after that whether or not you're actually gonna do it. Are we clear?"
"Yes," she breathes, a little stunned.
He nods curtly and pulls away entirely, as if he's not just blown her mind with his sudden, quick action, and Levy's left wondering what the hell had just happened.
It turns out that making a bargain with the stars means a lot more talking to other people than Levy had intended upon making the offer to Lucy. For one, she finds herself explaining things to Makarov when he returns a few days later. He's pleased to see her alive and greets her with a tight, warm hug that draws tears to her eyes, but is less than pleased about her decision. Still, he agrees to help her where he can as soon as they know what the stars will ask of her.
Next is Leo, who returns with a grim, haunted look that no one can understand. When Lucy tells him of what their current plan is, he is anything but pleased by what he hears. He points to Lucy, indicating that her situation is what happens to those who perform similar things with the stars, and it makes Gajeel unhappy enough that Levy shushes the star, frowning at him.
When it comes time to speak with Metalicana, who's come to do just that on behalf of Igneel at a quiet request on Leo's and Gajeel's behalf, Levy finds herself torn with whether or not she should actually go through with it.
Standing alone before the massive dragon, whose scarred cheek is turned towards her, she steels herself. Metalicana already wears disapproval in his eyes, and she can tell he's trying to influence her decision simply from the way he refuses to shift into a smaller form. At least they're on the beaches, away from Hargeon, where the conversation would be decidedly less private.
As it is, she's glad that no one else is there with her. This is a conversation she wants to have alone. Though she's confident Gajeel will come sniffing Metalicana out before long; he likes to ensure that his father is alright, though she knows he'd never say anything aloud.
A bright, crimson eye peers at her as Metalicana rumbles, "You are a reckless child to offer things to the stars, Levy."
Her lips quirk tiredly. "Perhaps. But do you see any other way of keeping the stars in the war, when they owe the dragons decidedly nothing in their eyes?"
Metalicana's quiet for quite a long time, simply studying her. Finally, he says, "Putting aside the war, little one, I do not wish to see my brat hurt. Perhaps he presents himself as he does, as someone who cannot feel such injuries. He puts on a mask that shows the world one thing. But they were not there when I informed him of his mother's death. The world was not there to watch when he mourned her death and cried for weeks, just as I did. A dragon does not feel like you do. Humans feel so…"
He fights for the best word to describe it before nodding curtly. "Humans do not feel as deeply as we do, little one, they feel with half of their heart. Your lives are a mere flicker of brief light in ours. But dragons and other such creatures...we live for so long that we cannot feel in such a way. Many might think we lose the ability to feel; we merely understand how to hide it. We feel more deeply than you will ever understand, and we must take that into consideration when we find ourselves interacting with humans."
Levy furrows her brow in confusion, not sure where this conversation is going. "What are you saying then? You want me to not be…" She paused, not sure exactly what she was to Gajeel. She could still imagine the touch of his lips to hers, the feeling of his fingers on the skin of her jaw. Clearing her throat, she makes a small gesture. "To Gajeel?"
"I cannot say I approve of his decision to select a human, no," admits Metalicana. "Not because I don't find myself fond of you, but because you're human."
Levy finds that she understands his mentality. It makes sense. Why would one encourage a creature who lives for centuries to love a mere human, who lives ninety years at most? When she is old, with wrinkled skin and snow white hair, Gajeel will still look as he does now? Just the idea makes her stomach twist and heart ache.
Metalicana breathes out a large sigh that ruffles her hair, and she blinks rapidly to clear her gaze of it. "But love does not work that way," he murmurs, and she fights the urge to blush. "Your heart selects who it does. I only hope that it will not destroy either of you in the end." The dragon lifts his head a little, cocking his head. "As for your situation regarding the stars, I suggest you wait to accept the bargain until they inform you on what your end will be. That is, if they accept your request to barter with them. You could get denied."
"I know. But Lucy's offered to represent me, so…" Levy offers him a faint, nervous smile. "And thank you, Metalicana," she adds, not hesitating to reach out and touch his metallic snout with her hand. "It means a lot to me. Your opinion."
Metalicana chuckles softly and touches his nose to her head with a softened look in his bright eyes. "Well, regardless of my opinion, Igneel has chosen to support you in this endeavor, which means that should the stars agree, you will have to go through with the bargain, depending on what they demand of you." He says no more, however, shifting as he says, "Now, where is my brat? I would have thought he'd be here by now."
"Good question." Levy glances over her shoulder. She's puzzled. "I wonder-"
The words die in her throat as out of nowhere, Metalicana's ear-splitting roar shatters the peace, the dragon side-swiped by a creature nearly as massive as he is. Levy finds herself screaming in surprise, backtracking as quickly as she can when she's nearly crushed in the process. Metalicana's large body hits the ground, very nearly crushing her as he fights viciously to right himself before the danger can grow worse. Levy flees for the water, splashing right up to her hips before whipping around, eyes round with fear and horror.
Metalicana's roaring, the sound so loud the ground trembles and upsets the water. Blood spills from a wound that is slashed open on his flank, but his massive head lunges forward. Jaws catch on the arm of the demon that has attacked him, teeth shredding through flesh until the arm is removed. Metalicana roars in triumph and rights himself at last.
Levy's too distracted by what's happening to realize that she needs to be more careful herself, so the way that she's suddenly yanked beneath the surface of the water draws a choked cry from her mouth. Her eyes burn from the salt as she finds herself yanked further into the depths by a blurry creature that dwarfs her.
Frantic, Levy lashes out with her magic. A wall of iron slams into her attacker, and when her ankle is freed, Levy lurches for the surface. She breaks through with a sputtering gasp, coughing and spitting water, swimming as quickly as she can for the beach. She stumbles onto the sand and spins on her heel in time to see the demon that's come after her rise from the water. Metalicana clashes with his opponent as she stares in horror.
The creature that rises from the water is massive and demonic in every fashion, clearly built for water with lavender skin and fins jutting out of his head and cheeks. His eyes burn with hatred as he bellows wordlessly at her.
Levy swallows thickly as she curls her fingers into fists and shifts into a fighting stance, ready to defend herself. She winces when Metalicana's opponent is hurled past them, the iron dragon thunderously storming after it. And then the demon's on her, and she's retreating to safer sands, eyes calculating as she takes in every detail she can while hurling "light" at him. The demon shouts in pain when it clashes with him.
And then she coughs.
It's just a small cough, but the look on the demon's face is one of glee. A chill runs down Levy's spine, something telling her that he's done something bad, but she can't say she knows what.
But then Metalicana lurches overhead, and Levy gawks when the demon is plucked up as if he is nothing more than a piece of meat. She flinches as blood and flesh and limbs rain down, Metalicana shredding the creature between his teeth with too much ease. Levy shudders at the sight - pretends she doesn't see the shredded mass of a body nearby.
Lowering his bloody maw to her level, Metalicana sweeps an eye down her battered body. She'll have bruises, and her body is wracked with shivers from the cold water, but she's unharmed otherwise. "The demons are here," he rumbles. "We must return to the port."
Levy's face pales and she's running.
She's met by chaos in the streets, blood and death and screaming flooding her ears, nose, mouth. She pushes through the crowd that panics and flees for the forest, screaming at them to hide in buildings instead when she realizes they're being chased right into the waiting talons and teeth of the demons hiding among the trees. No one listens and she bites back the sobs that threaten to escape. Not now! she screams at herself, not sure if she's said it aloud or not. She doesn't have the time to cry and mope about what's happening around her. She has to help.
So when a demon comes flying out of nowhere, intending to create more chaos in a fairly steady stream of people who are trying to escape to safety, Levy meets it with a blast of magic that hurls it right back in the direction it came from. It screams in outrage, crashing back towards her. Levy's face is white with fear as its jaws part, revealing massive amounts of razor sharp teeth.
A heartbeat later, however, something catches it across the eyes and the demon recoils with another scream, scrubbing at the injury. Levy beams when Lucy settles into a defensive position beside her, a whip curling around her with smooth, silky movements. Lucy's eyes burn with fury as she says, "Are you alright, Levy?"
"Just fine," says Levy, hurtling stone at the demon when it lunges. It grows frantically angry with each passing moment, more and more furious that it can't get past two small humans. Well, in Lucy's case, a former human.
Step-by-step, Levy and Lucy push the demon further and further back, working together seamlessly until it finally just howls in rage and flees. When it's gone, they pant for breath, exchanging triumphant grins. It's not easy, fighting off demons, but they've managed to succeed with at least the one.
They begin to divert the people once the demon's gone. It doesn't take much. One word from a Fairy Tail mage and a girl seen often enough among them sends them fleeing for abandoned buildings, hiding their children away as quickly as possible and barring themselves in. Levy heaves a sigh of relief, coughing softly as she does so. Demons can break into such places, but they have to find those within first.
"Come on," Lucy urges, bolting towards commotion that has erupted in the center of Hargeon. Blasts fill the air and rock the ground as Metalicana's screams and rage flood their ears. Levy shivers as a massive blast of metallic shrapnel tunnels through an empty street a few ahead of them, destroying everything in its path. Not for the first time, Levy is pleased that the dragons are on their side.
When something hits the buildings above their heads, Lucy doesn't so much as flinch. Instead, she dives in, hauling Levy along with her as they burst into a massive fight between mages and demons. Magic, once lovely and full of life, swirls around, thick in the air as it's used to fight and destroy. Levy can barely tell which side's which as a viciously angry Mirajane barrels through, transformed, alongside her monstrous-looking brother. A few Lamia Scale members are there, too, fighting just as hard to free their people from the danger.
And she dives in herself, launching into a fight alongside Evergreen and Bickslow, who are flagging. They flash her looks of gratitude as she joins in, throwing lash after lash of magic at the demon in a vicious flurry. The demon is finished minutes later when Laxus realizes his teammates are struggling and joins in, and then they're off to another.
Levy finds herself fighting alongside various people the longer she's standing. Gray, Jet, Droy, Erza, Freed, Lisanna, Bisca, even Laxus once more. For a few heartbeats, she and the lightning mage work in unison to drive back a particularly nasty demon that leaves her with blood spilling from a nasty wound in her shoulder.
She doesn't think about the fact that she's not seen either Natsu or Gajeel until the world around them explodes with smoke and flame. Levy throws her hands up in front of her face as if it'll protect her from the blinding heat as a familiar voice cries Natsu's name. She catches a glimpse of gold as Lucy darts by, seeking him. But she certainly notices when a furious scream that grates on her ears fills them from nearby.
She's never heard Gajeel make such a sound. Never. But she knows it's him for sure.
She bolts in the direction of it, so frantic to find him that she nearly trips over him and the demon he's fighting in the process. The pair are a thrashing, writhing mess on the ground, shredding and tearing where each can reach. She doesn't hesitate to dive into the fight herself, blinding them both with light in time to hurl a wall of steel into the demon and throw him off of Gajeel.
"I had it," spits Gajeel, even as blood drips from the corner of his mouth and various wounds on his body. "Why'd you-"
"Not now," Levy retorts with a roll of her eyes as the demon, nearly three times Gajeel's size, screeches and barrels into them with the intent of tearing them to pieces. Levy falls into step with ease beside Gajeel, and he unleashes an attack of shredding iron that rips at the demon's flesh. It barely notices, only seems to laugh as it tackles Gajeel once more. Gajeel retaliates with an attack at point blank range to the face.
It takes some work, but finally, the demon lays prone at their feet. Gajeel wipes blood from his chin, baring his teeth in agitation as a triumphant cry fills the air, echoed by others who have called Hargeon home. The guilds have pushed back the demons and won a victory in Hargeon.
Metalicana's piercing scream rises above them all, shuddering the earth beneath their feet, and the cheers ring louder as the residents of Hargeon echo them, screaming their victory to the heavens above.
Levy hopes the Spirit King can hear them wherever he sits.
"We did it," Levy breathes, beaming. She grabs Gajeel's arm with a bright smile, bouncing on the balls of her feet, and he grins tiredly back at her, roughly patting her head. When she cranes her head, she can see Natsu sprinting out of an alleyway, eyes black with an emotion she can't read at first. But then...she recognizes it. Levy's smile falters when she sees that he's scared - more scared than she's ever seen him. He barrels right into Lucy, burying his face in her shoulder, and Lucy curls her arms around him in surprise.
Levy's smile falters, vanishing even, when Natsu sinks to his knees before her, dragging Lucy with him, as if he can't support his own weight. Abandoning Gajeel, who's staring and has lost his own grin, Levy carefully makes her way over. "Lucy?" she calls, making sure the highly defensive Natsu is aware she's coming. "Natsu?"
Her heart is cleaved in half by the hysterical, choked sounds that leave Natsu. She jogs over when she hears them, not hesitating to sink to her knees beside them. Lucy's face is white with confused fear as she winds her fingers in his hair and slides her other hand along his back, comforting him as best as she can.
"What the fuck happened?" demands Gajeel as he joins them, standing over them. He looks shockingly unnerved by Natsu's sobbing hysteria.
"I - I don't know," stammers Lucy in response, her face white. She rests her head against her lover's, whispering, "Natsu, what's wrong?"
He only clutches his Lucy tighter, his fear evident in the wild look on his face.
It takes a worrying amount of time for Natsu to calm down, and by the time he does, Hargeon is well on its way to recovery with the help of tired mages from several guilds. Rogue limps by, checking on the dragons and Natsu, who Levy helps divert his attention from. Lucy has taken Natsu to a nearby hiding spot to allow him peace while he calms, and she doesn't want anyone bothering them, so Levy leans in the entrance to the alleyway casually, as if exhausted and hurt. She clutches her shoulder with a little exaggeration. Gajeel stands beside her, ready to chase them off with a crabby snarl.
When Rogue leaves, Levy glances over her shoulder. "Lucy? Is he okay now?" She's worried - scared by Natsu's behavior. She's never seen him react in such a way to anything, and she's known Natsu for almost twenty years. Gajeel hadn't even seen such behavior from him, and he'd known Natsu for centuries.
"I'm fine," snarls Natsu with a hoarse voice, crankily. "I can answer for myself."
Levy turns to face them, frowning with her hands on her hips. "Well, then, Natsu, are you okay? Because you don't look it."
And he doesn't. He's still cradled in Lucy's arms, his head on her shoulder. The only sign that he's lost the hint of hysteria is the glare he's shooting at Levy and Gajeel. But even then, after a long moment of glaring at them, he gently pushes free of Lucy. She keeps a hand on his arm, worried. He scowls at them, falters in his pretend anger, and then decides to answer the unsaid question hoarsely.
"Zeref was here."
It drains the energy right out of Levy and something cold gathers in her chest. Lucy's eyes pop wide open, and she turns ashen, touching the scar that lingers from her last encounter with the man. "What did he want?" Lucy chokes out.
"Me." Natsu laughs bitterly, adding to Levy, "I told you. I told you it was all because of me. He was surprised. Said that the blood that had been spilled should have activated me by now."
Something tells Levy that she isn't going to like what she hears, and she's immensely comforted when Gajeel casually rests a hand against the small of her back, offering her silent support as he narrows his eyes at Natsu, fascinated.
"Remember when Leo went running for Igneel? It's 'cause he knew. Zeref was more than happy to tell me that I'm a demon, too." Natsu's fingers suddenly took hold of his scarf, twisting in the material until his knuckles were white. "All that time, and I didn't know. Igneel never told me." He laughs again, disgusted with himself. "What the hell am I supposed to tell anyone? I'm the thing they're trying to kill. It was me who brought the demons to Magnolia, who brought them here."
Levy shakes her head in disagreement. "No," she says firmly as Lucy stares at him in shock and clutches him tighter to her, her face grim. "No, that's not...maybe what he says about what you are is true, Natsu, but you never…" She makes a face quite suddenly, smacking her lips thoughtfully. A cough bubbles up, and this time, she realizes that maybe that little tickle that's been in the back of her throat isn't normal, for she tastes copper on her tongue.
But she pushes past it. She'll worry about it later. "But you'd never purposefully bring that kind of pain to us, no matter where we are," she says confidently. "Maybe Zeref and his demons follow you, but you fought against him today. That's enough to tell us what you really are, and it's certainly not a demon. It's Natsu Dragneel, the half-dragon who became the dragons' ambassador in Fairy Tail."
Natsu stares blankly at Levy for a few seconds, and then looks to Lucy when she hums her agreement. "Thanks, Levy," he mumbles after a few heartbeats, and Levy offers him a smile.
The smile is distorted when she finds herself coughing again, this time harshly. She doubles over with the force of it, hastily covering her mouth as something comes with it. When she lowers her hands, she's startled to find her fingers stained with blood. Crimson drips from her fingertips and hits the scuffed stone beneath her feet.
No one says a word, all of them equally surprised even as Lucy hesitantly rises to her feet, Gajeel hovering with a hint of fury flickering across his features.
"Oh," says Levy, startled. The demon's face flickers through her memories, full of glee. The mere reminder of the water that had washed down her throat as she was dragged beneath the ocean waves has her coughing again, slapping a hand over her mouth. With each cough, she finds herself rasping for breath until she can't breathe at all.
"Levy," Natsu rasps, horrified, shooting to his feet as Levy buckles to the ground, Gajeel barely managing to grab her so she awkwardly, painfully slides down without hurting herself too much. "Luce, get Chelia."
"On it." Lucy throws her friend one final, frantic look, and then sprints away at a dead run, as fast as she can.
Levy heaves for air, struggling to shove it down her lungs.
And as the black sets in, Levy wonders if Metalicana, who'd touched the same demon, will be okay, because she doesn't want Gajeel to suffer if both of them are going to die.
Finally updating with some drama! Hope you enjoyed!
Thanks to reviewers (stranger1999, piranha pk, trienniagala, Knext22, Daisies1005118, Dragonfly2311, Guest #1, naluobsessed, and avcos!) as well as those who favorited and followed!