This one is a prompt from FOREVER ago, that I finally got around to. Not especially shippy, and kind of angsty. Oh well.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.


Title: While The World Crumbles

Pairing: Gajeel x Lucy

Requester: Anonymous

Prompt: "Hold me tight when the whole world is falling apart."


He could hear her.

Feet pounding against the stones, the Iron Dragon Slayer ran for all he was worth, all while cursing the slowness of his gait. Desperately, he reached inside of himself for the shard of shadows that remained from his fight with Rogue.

He couldn't move. Couldn't think. But he could hear.

Cloaking himself in the power he'd stolen from his former protégée, Gajeel Redfox became one with the shadows and raced towards his destination.

The world around him was sludge. His thoughts tried to move through the thick molasses that encased them. But her screams… THOSE reached him uninhibited.

There was no way he could leave her stranded. She wasn't screaming any longer. But even from this far away, he could smell her tears and they guided him to her.

He didn't even want to consider what had reduced her to this state, when not even his own torture had come close to breaking her.

When he reemerged from his shadows, he leapt out in front of the blonde laying upon the ground. Blocking the lizard demon's strike, Gajeel threw him away.

"Gajeel…" Lucy whispered, cracking a small smile at his timely arrival.

It warmed his iron heart to hear.

This time, he would protect her, not hurt her. She would remain safe so long as he was there. He would ensure it.

Gajeel would make sure Lucy would be alright.

Even while the world crumbled, all around.


What is a proper ending, even.