To say Levy felt crappy was an understatement. She down-right felt like shit, and this did not go unnoticed by Gajeel.
"Bookworm, go back to the hotel and sleep" he grumbled, nudging her in the designated direction. She only shoved him away and said "Absolutely not. If we both don't do this mission, I won't be able to accept my share of the reward. It wouldn't be fair."
He just had to roll his eyes.
"You're no good to me tired and bitchy, runt. Go back and sleep. It's only been two days." Gajeel wasn't normally the reasonable type, but in this case, he felt that it was either that, or deal with this irritable version of Levy. He'd rather not continue with the second option for much longer.
Gajeel eyed Levy warily, hoping she'd be her usual smart self and do as he said. He nearly smirked with triumph when he heard her sigh of defeat.
"Alright. I'll go to bed. Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"I'll be more than okay. Now beat it runt."
Giggling, Levy jumped up to give him a quick kiss before dashing off to get some desperately needed rest. Hopefully there won't be any weird dreams this time she thought, her happy expression going as quickly as it came. I'll read up on it as soon as I get back home. There has to be some clues about what's happening. . .
Alright. Now how the Hell do I find an animal who's number one talent is hiding? Gajeel thought, standing in the middle of the woods with a serious expression. It was obvious he was concentrating too damn hard.
"HA! It's scent! That's how" he announced to no one in particular, his face matted with sweat for no reason other than over-working his brain. Take that ice freak! I do have a brain when the bookworm's not around. He snickered all the way to their clients house.
"Eh? Cl-Clara-beth's things?" the old man inquired, staring at Gajeel as if he were going to attack him.
He just might if this guy asks the same question a fourth time.
Deciding that talking to their client was a waste of his time, Gajeel simply pushed past him and went in search of a room that looked like an animal lived in it.
Sure he found it, but who the Hell puts their pet in a neon pink room with normal pink furniture to decorate it.
"Old man, you've got some serious issues" Gajeel muttered, carefully walking into the room. No wonder it ran away. I'd run too if I was stuffed into this creepy room he thought, sniffing about till he caught the scent he was looking for. Gajeel couldn't have walked out any faster. "See ya! I'm going to find your cat-thing now!"
He was running at that point.
The old man just stood there dumbfounded. "What a terrifying man. That kind of person is in Fairy Tail?" he murmured, closing his pretty kitty's room and limping to the living room. "I need a hot cup of tea."
No more she pleaded even if no one could hear her, crying as she continued to dance. Please, my body's aching!
The familiar face of her friend appeared from the flames, stepping out and toward her.
Lucy, we need to get out of here! Something's not right! Her friend just joined her in the dance, crying as miserably as she was.
They moved for what seemed like hours, the power curling around them both and pulling them flush against each other, squeezing till they were forced to dance together.
Then the music stopped, leaving the pair to stand in the middle of the ominous silence with tear-streaked faces and dazed expressions. Not even the flames could be heard.
"L-levy. . ." She wasn't sure if she was hearing things, but she looked toward her friend. "F-fight it" her friend whimpered, looking as though she were struggling against herself.
"Now now, Mate of Passion. Don't go giving her ideas" someone purred. Both their heads snapped in the voice's direction, their eyes landing on the same man that had been appearing after every dance.
His smile was meant to be pleasant, but it was truly sinister, accompanied by the glow of malice in the violet pools of his eyes. "It won't be long now. Just sit back and enjoy yourselves. It'll all be alright" he soothed.
It felt as though snakes were stroking them.
She decided to ignore him though, and heeded the advice of her friend. The pain that came with fighting was nearly unbearable.
What is this darkness in my mind? she wondered, struggling against the invisible binds within her.
Her struggling ceased, the feel of frozen terror washing over her and icing her bones to numbness. "Doooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnn't mmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" a voice whispered, so faint that it could've just been carried in by the breeze.
But she knew better. This chilling and foreign voice was in her own head.
She knew it didn't belong there.
Levy shot up from bed screaming, tears coming in thick trails down her face. "O-oh God. Wh-what's happening?" Her voice was hoarse, throat choked up with mucus as she continued to sob.
Glancing around the room, she noticed that Gajeel had yet to return. "N-no. . . I can't be alone. . . got to find Gajeel. . . " she whimpered, stumbling out of bed and gathering her clothes. "H-have to find him. . . "
Once dressed, Levy ran out of the cozy room in search of her mate, trying to forget her dream. This isn't good. I'll have to tell-
She stopped in her tracks. Lu-chan. . . could it be she's having the same dreams too? It seems weird that she's appeared in mine. . . With a new sense of urgency, Levy put all her adrenaline into her feet and raced off. Oh Gajeel, we need to finish this mission fast!
"FINALLY CAUGHT YOU YA STUPID CAT!"
Something so small should not have been so much trouble to wrestle. The thing was fucking strong for its size. Hn, kinda reminds me of the bookworm. With his thoughts drifting toward his cute lover, he couldn't help but feel a little worried. Maybe I should go to the hotel before I give this back. She hasn't been doing so- "GAJEEL!" He nearly lost his grip on Clara-Beth when a small bundle of blue tackled him straight to the ground. What the-? "Bookworm?"
"Oh thank goodness I found you! We need to finish this mission as soon as possible and get to Fairy tail fast!" Her words went in one ear and out the other, Gajeel too focused on Levy's bloodshot eyes, filled with fear, and tear-stained cheeks.
Gajeel tightened his grip on the carbunkles tail, causing it to hiss and scratch his hand. He didn't care. "What's wrong, Levy? Was it another dream? Why do we need to get to the guild so soon?" he rumbled, rubbing her back to help soothe her trembling.
It wasn't helping at all.
Burying her face in Gajeel's chest, Levy began to sob loudly. "It was different again, Gajeel. Lucy and I. . . there's something after us. . . the man called her a Mate of Passion for some reason and when I tried to fight the magic, there was a voice inside my head! It didn't belong to me Gajeel! Nothing in this dream is right!"
Levy seemed hysterical at this point and Gajeel became incredibly serious. "Alright. We'll go give this to the old man, collect our money and go, alright? We'll figure this out bookworm. It'll be fine" he stated, pulling her to her feet and stomping off to the mansion with an angry jeweled cat in one hand and a freaked-out Levy in the other.
I don't know what the Hell is going on, but if it's making her this crazy, I need to beat the shit out of whatever's causing it he thought resolutely.
If looks could kill, everyone that stood in Lucy's path as she made her way to Fairy Tail would've been stabbed repeatedly, drowned, burned, and buried within seconds. Taking her usual seat at the bar, Lucy slammed her head against the counter.
"Lucy? What's wrong?" asked a worried Mirajane, setting a glass of water in front of the girl. The blonde could only groan.
"Just a bad night's rest, Mira. Don't worry."
"Eh? There's medicine for that you know, even magic."
Smiling softly, Lucy shook her head. "It's fine, Mira. It's probably because this is the longest Natsu and I have been separated."
The barmaid accepted this excuse and resumed her duties, leaving the stellar mage to her own thoughts.
Wish I believed that myself, but if I were missing Natsu so much, my dream would be about him, not Levy. Now I've got to wait two weeks for her to come back with the meat-head she thought, giggling at the last part. That's an accurate definition for him. Poor guy doesn't even realize how in love with him she is.
If only she knew.
The doors to the guild slammed open and Lucy's heart leaped when she heard a very familiar voice roar "I'M BACK EVERYONE! IT WAS ANOTHER STUPID RUMOR!"
"WELCOME BACK NATSU!"
Turning around, Lucy's smile could have lit the entire world as she walked over to her precious person. He's back.
Natsu turned his attention to the blonde beauty making her way toward him and grinned so wide, it was a wonder his face hadn't split.
"Hey Luce! Miss me?"
Lucy was already in his arms at this point, her face hidden in his scarf with her arms gripping his shoulders.
"Yeah," she whispered. "I missed you a whole lot, idiot."
Natsu smirked and tilted her head so they would be eye to eye.
"I missed you too."
And so they engaged each other in a heated lip-lock, her fingers buried in his spiky pink hair while his arms held her closer than possible. They couldn't even hear the guild cheering in the background, too lost in each other.
Cheering turned into shocked yells as Lucy collapsed, the color visibly fading from her skin.
Natsu's hold kept her from falling to the groud, but he was shaking her lightly while screaming "LUCE! WHAT'S WRONG? ARE YOU OKAY? LUCE? LUCY!"
After returning Clara-Beth and collecting their money, Gajeel and Levy were seated on the train, well on their way home.
"Are you okay, Levy?"
The person in question snapped out of her daze and looked up at Gajeel, smiling weakly.
"Yeah. Just tired."
"Then maybe you should nap a-"
"NO!"
Gajeel's brow furrowed while Levy turned a bright shade of red, turning her face away in shame.
"S-sorry. Didn't mean to yell. . . "
Sighing, Gajeel pulled the girl into his lap and kissed the top of her head, whispering "It's gonna be alright, runt. Don't stress yourself out about it all." It infuriated him to see his mate in such a state. Levy's eyes didn't look as bright as they normally would, and her smile wasn't right no matter how you looked at it. Her face in general, though, looked exhausted.
Levy cast her eyes downward. "But-"
"No but's. Take a little nap, alright? I'll wake you up as soon as something goes wrong. I promise" Gajeel interrupted. He wasn't going to give her any other choice in the matter. If she didn't go to sleep till their stop, he'd knock her out himself.
Luckily, the second option would not have to be carried out.
"Alright Gajeel. You win" she murmured, closing her eyes and snuggling into his chest. She fell asleep in no time, and Gajeel couldn't stop the sigh of relief that pushed passed his lips.
What the Hell's going to happen when we get to the guild? Should we tell the master? Flame-brain will probably want to know. Is bunny-girl going through the same thing as the bookworm? So many questions left unanswered, but he knew it wouldn't be long before they were all unraveled.
The question is, when the puzzle pieces come together, will it be too late?
Despite his rough shaking, Gajeel couldn't seem to wake Levy up. Shortie must have been really tired. Doesn't look like she's having a nightmare, so I'll leave her that way for now.
Gajeel picked her up in his arms and left the station, making a bee-line for the guild. The sooner I get there, the faster we figure this out he thought, a scowl that seemed permanently etched on his face resembling the one from his Phantom Lord days.
With the way people reacted to it, you'd think he was Moses parting the Red Sea. You know, without the terrified anxiety written all over their faces. And the lack of red too.
The locals scurried into their homes and businesses as if the hounds of Hell were nipping at their feet, allowing Gajeel to reach the guild in record time.
"Alright! Where's bunny-girl and gramps? We've got a serious situation here" he roared, kicking the doors clean off their hinges.
He wasn't at all comforted by the disheveled appearance of his guild mates, or the depressed Titania.
A depressed Erza was never a good sign.
"It would seem that Lucy is in a coma right now" Mirajane explained, walking up to Gajeel with a sad smile. "And the master is off on business with Lamia Scale."
He froze.
"We don't know what happened to her. One minute she's kissing Natsu happily- ah, he's back, by the way-, and the next, she's out cold and barely breathing."
The barmaid squeaked when Gajeel shoved her out of the way and laid Levy on the nearest table, shaking her violently. "WAKE UP BOOKWORM! WAKE THE FUCK UP! BUNNY-GIRL'S OUT LIKE A FUCKING LIGHT AND ISN'T WAKING UP" he screamed at Levy, the petite woman not even twitching from his harsh treatment.
Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! This can't be happening! "Gajeel? What's wrong? Why isn't Levy waking up?" Erza questioned, giving him a hard look. "Is there something we need to know, Gajeel?"
Despite her attempt at intimidating him, he really didn't give a flying fuck. His damn mate wasn't waking up and he was the one that told her to take a short nap. If you're guilty and you know it, punch a wall!
Slamming his fist hard into the closest beam, it shattered with the force of his rage.
"I don't need you treating me like a fucking criminal right now, Titania! My woman ain't waking up and bunny-girl's in the same shit" he growled, giving her his best glare. You know, the one that struck fear into many of his previous guild mates? Yeah, that one.
Mirajane blinked curiously. "Your woman? I thought you two were just friends?"
"Yeah! There's no way our Levy-chan would ever date you!" Note to self: beat the snot out of mate's idiot teammates.
Flexing his fingers, Gajeel faced the whole guild. "We've been together for three months now. We were going to announce it when we returned from our mission, but as you can see, it ain't the both of us announcing it."
If only he had a camera. Jet and Droy's faces were priceless.
While the pair fainted, Erza looked ready to slaughter him. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? This is wonderful news!"
"Because bookworm didn't want her idiot teammates giving me grief."
The look was directed at aforementioned "idiot teammates", but they were too busy being knocked out from heartbreak.
Gajeel turned back to Levy and balled up his fists. I bet this has something to do with those damned dreams of hers.
"Oi! Who here knows a dream interpreter?"
"What do you need one for? I think the two mates of dragon slayers take precedence over your late-night fantasies" he heard Cana snap in the background.
"Not for me. For bookworm. She's been having some crazy nightmares for a while and it recently changed to her and bunny-girl. She said something was after them, so we finished the mission early." he ground his teeth. "So that she could decipher it herself."
He could feel his magic surging. "But I told her to take a nap on the way here. Now she's stuck like this."
That's when he felt little hands on his left fist. "It's not your fault. I'm sure she needed the rest. You wouldn't have made her sleep otherwise. Don't worry Gajeel" Mirajane soothed. "We'll fix this. For now, let's put Levy with Lucy, then you and Natsu can get to work on figuring out what's going on, alright?"
With a nod, he picked Levy up from the table and followed Mirajane to the back area.
He was met with the sight of a trembling Natsu clutching a not-so-good-looking-Lucy's hand with so much force, he wondered if maybe Salamander might have even broken it.
"Hey" he grumbled, laying Levy on the bed next to Lucy's.
Natsu looked up at him, his expression filled with a flurry of emotions. "Hey."
"You up for helping me figure out what's happening to our girls? We'll get to relieve our stress on people."
Now, the interesting thing about this offer was that Natsu was not at all surprised when Gajeel hinted at his relationship with Levy.
The reason: he had already known a long ass time ago. The beauty of having a ridiculously sensitive nose.
Think about it. You'll get what I mean.
Getting up from his seat and giving Lucy a chaste kiss, Natsu turned to Gajeel, fire curling around his fists.
"I'm all fired up. Let's go roast the bastard responsible for this."
The Iron Dragonslayer smirked.
"I couldn't agree more."
It's short, but I can't write anything else without ruining the first surprise that will be rearing its ugly head.
Feel free to review and the like. I promise it'll be longer next chapter! ^_^
Oh, and I'll be holding a contest. If you're interested, PM me for details. All shall remain a secret. ;)