Second chapter time! Anyways I figured I'd do a little more work on this one since I've been focusing on my other series so much. I don't know if you've noticed but I'm aiming to make this series have longer chapters than the other one since I don't update this one as much. Have to say, this was almost a welcome break, I've got so many ideas for my other series but I'm stuck on how to incorporate those ideas and it's like having a really bad case of writer's block. Anyways, if you enjoyed please leave a review and tell me what your favorite part was!

Enjoy!

I am not worthy of claiming that I own Fairy Tail of any of it's beautiful characters, Hiro Mashima holds that great honor.

Levy could still remember the day, no matter how many years ago it was, when they'd decided on their shop.

When she, Jet, and Droy had been little faes they would fly all around Magnolia as fast as their once tiny wings could take them. Looking at the small shops and stands and admiring the merchandise until the shop owners would have to shoo them away when they didn't purchase anything. Once and a while they would even play a game where they would collect flowers and "sell" them to each other using pebbles as currency in place of the tiny jewels that served as legitimate payment.

They would always dream about their own shops and would spend most of the time imagining what they would sell and how they would become rich off of their income. The problem was none of them could figure out what it was they were going to become rich off of. Droy wanted to sell different kinds of seeds but Jet hated the idea and stated that he wanted do more than sit and watch weeds shoot out of dirt. Besides the only fairies who bought seeds on a regular basis were gardening fairies and most of them lived in a small village of humans far outside of Magnolia's forest. And Levy only wanted to run a bookstore. The thought of having hundreds of books surrounding her every day was enough to make her young mind float like the paper boats the human children sometimes sailed along the rivers.

When Levy and Jet had been on their way home after a long day of painful brainstorming, an elderly woman standing outside of her home, who Jet later explained to be a friend of his mother, had called the pair over. She was a frail looking old fairy, with silver wings that were beginning to dull and wrinkle with age. And her pure white hair was adorned with a wreath of forget-me-nots. She explained in a quiet kind voice that she had a gift she had to deliver to her son but he lived in an abandoned beavers den that rested on the shore of a lake on the other side of Magnolia, and her wings were too frail to make the journey. Jet had immediately agreed and Levy soon followed. She gestured towards a large parcel leaning against the side of the house and carefully wrapped in oak leaves. Jet nearly keeled over from the weight when he tried to pick it up, but finally managed to do so after the third attempt. She then handed a letter to Levy to deliver with the package.

Before they left the old woman said if they could manage to deliver the present and return before the sun had set, she would give them a small amount of jewel as payment. To children that age any amount of money only held one possibility: candy. And with that in mind, the two sped off so fast they left a cloud of dust in their wake and blew the flower wreath right off the woman's head.

Levy was worried she wouldn't be able to keep up with Jet, but with the parcel's heavy weight slowing him down a considerable amount, she managed to keep up with his powerful dragonfly-like wings. They weaved between trees and flowers, laughing as they imagined the taste of sweet, hardened honey on their tongues. Levy considered asking Jet if they should go back and get Droy, after all, he shouldn't miss out on this. But she thought better of it, seeing as the sun was getting closer to the horizon. It was too bad; he was missing out on such a fun time. She silently decided as soon they were paid she would go find Droy and they would all enjoy the candy together.

The other side of Magnolia had been farther than their young minds had assumed, and the sun was just starting to greet the horizon, casting gorgeous vibrant shades of pink and yellow far across the sky when they finally found the old beaver's den. Normally such a sight would have Levy dazing off and unashamedly drooling from the mouth without a care as to who was watching, but Levy couldn't think about pretty sunsets! There was candy at stake! She and Jet practically shoved the deliveries into the surprised man's arms before taking off once again, squealing at each other to go faster, although none of encouragement did anything to actually make them go faster. The sun was just about to disappear when they found they old woman, who smiled and handed them a small purse filled with glistening jewels, enough for several bags of candy!

They'd managed to push aside their maddening craving and wait until the morning before getting Droy, who was slightly angry that they'd left without him but after seeing the purse made lumpy with the money they'd been paid in Jet's hands immediately forgave them and practically shoved them out his door. They dined on enough candy to make them sick, gobbling up every piece until their stomachs moaned in pain and there eyes glazed over, creating a glassy illusion similar to the transparent sweet.

They'd made a promise with each other that day. That if there ever actually came a time, when they would finally be able to afford it, they would buy shop their own shop made just for delivering.

Levy smiled at the old memory, it had been a long time ago but there wasn't a day that went by after that where they didn't talk about buying that shop, and on Levy's fifteenth birthday they'd finally saved up enough by doing odd jobs like cleaning out bird nests that had been long abandoned and helping out in other shops by sweeping and organizing products.

She could see it now, a little ways off in the distance, an old log that had been meant for a human's fire place, now blanketed over with thick green moss. She lowered herself down to step daintily on one of the perfectly flat stones that were scattered around it, and hoisted her satchel higher onto her shoulder. Shadowgear Deliveries was painted in bright, bold yellow letters over the thick wood chip they'd hung over the door. Even from the outside, she could hear Droy's panicked murmuring before she slipped through the door.

The large fairy was huddled in the corner of the store, kept bright by the windows carved into the side, sitting at an old, rickety desk and scribbling furiously into a incredibly thick book they had acquired so they could keep record on all of their deliveries made over the years. His tiny wings fluttered furiously against his broad back as he worked, and she might have laughed at the sight if he didn't look so downright exhausted.

Levy immediately noticed the giant pile of packages and letters that encircled the entire area around the desk, practically trapping Droy inside. More packages were stacked on the other side, reaching as high as the ceiling with their numbers. All in wrappings that ranged from the plain leaves found around Magnolia, to the elegant and priceless silks found only in the elven city of Crocus. Levy gulped nervously at the thought of the amount of work it could take before they could come close to delivering half of these.

Droy immediately looked up at the tiny noise, and Levy was instantaneous joy practically radiate off his face in waves of happiness and relief.

"Thank Mavis!" he cried. "I was starting to worry that you couldn't come! I've had Jet doing runs since dawn. I know we get busy in spring and all that, but this is incredible. We've even gotten deliveries from those foreigners at Tenroujima this time round!" he shot her what could have passed for a grin, but with the droopiness of his eyes from lack of sleep caused it to lose most of its affect on her.

"It's nice to see that we're getting more popular, but still, I don't think we can last for much longer if we don't catch a break." He murmured and stretched his arms over his head as he leaned back in the chair so it propped against the wall, creaking dangerously under his weight.

"So, what've you got for me?" she asked, leaning over the giant book. Each address looked like it had been written by a blind bird, or an exhausted and rushed fairy who'd been deprived of sleep one too many nights. She could hardly make out any of the words, which were smudged by careless fingers.

Droy opened one eye and examined the pages. "Well, Jet's got the west side of Magnolia, there's a lot of deliveries for the east side but since he's got the cart there's no way you could manage that," he held his chin in his fingers. "The north side only has five though, and those are small enough for you to carry in one trip; just some letters and a package for His Majesty from Crocus." He waved his hand over at a much smaller pile, consisting of the listed letters and package.

Levy felt her heart flutter in her chest. She hadn't seen her great-uncle in such a long time, perhaps the very end of last fall. She could remember the scarlet ivy clinging to the stone walls of the palace and the cool breeze rushing through their hair as they laughed and talked. She hadn't known her real father and grandfather for long so the uncle had almost filled their places in her heart. He was her great-uncle, grandfather, father, and friend all wrapped up in a tiny, and slightly lecherous on some occasions, package.

Droy noticed the smile on her face and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Don't be too long, I know you want to visit him but it's important we get this done. I'd like to get more than two hours of sleep tonight."

Levy nodded and moved to gather up the letters before carefully placing them inside the satchel. She lifted the package, it was exceptionally light, and wrapped in beautiful evergreen silk. She revelled in the feeling of the soft fabric on her fingers before she gently settled it inside. She walked over to Droy once more, who held up a list with addresses hastily scribbled onto it.

She gently took the list and prepared to fly off, waving a final goodbye over her shoulder, which Droy returned, but it looked much more like a shooing motion as he went back to work.

Levy was ready to pass out after she handed the final letter to the fae woman, who exchanged it for a handful of jewels that Levy quickly added to her satchel, said a quick thank you and floated away.

The sound of the paid jewels from the other customers clinked annoyingly in her satchel as she fluttered along. She rubbed her eyes as she stared blurrily at the sky overhead, it was going to be dark if she didn't hurry. Her wings were incredibly tired though, and the thought of flying fast seemed impossible when she could barely keep herself off the ground. She groaned as she made her way down the path towards the castle, she knew it would only take a few minutes to get there but it still seemed so far away. She shuddered at the thought of how horribly sore her wings would be in the morning.

She considered asking the boys if they should spend some of their savings on delivery birds so they could pick up the pace without exhausting themselves everyday, but ended up dismissing the idea. They wouldn't have the time to train the birds to listen to them and birds who had been previously trained were way out of their budget.

The north side of Magnolia was one of the wealthiest areas of the small kingdom; since it was so close to the palace. Levy didn't come here often unless it was to pay her uncle a visit or for work reasons. It was nothing like the hustle and bustle of the town square, with its scenery always bright and colorful, the bell-like laughter of fairies floating through the aromatic breeze. Here, only a few fairies ever occupied the lonely dirt path. The air only filled with the superior tones the fairies here carried. She knew that the rest of them were all inside their beautiful homes that had been carved into the trees, enjoying tea and honey cakes while the women knit with spider's web.

She glanced down at the several wealthy fairies who occupied the streets, the grandiloquent gentlemen rubbing their pudgy hands together as they engrossed themselves in conversation amongst their peers, occasionally releasing a deep, throaty chuckle when they heard something that amused them. And the ladies flounced about in their excessively large dresses with especially large and excessive skirts, made up of more flower petals than she could hope to count. Some were so bright and overly ornate she thought she'd permanently blind herself if she stared at them for too long a time.

She smiled and glanced down at her dress: a short, plain thing that barely reached halfway down her pale thighs and made up of light green leaves she had stitched together. It was strange to think she could have lived a life among those kinds of fairies. She had been offered that kind of lifestyle by her uncle on several occasions, but she was glad she'd politely declined each offer. She was happy where she was; living with Lucy and being close to her friends. The bond they shared was more precious than any fancy flower dress. After all, come autumn and those dresses would be wilted, and friendship was a year round thing.

The trees were beginning to dwindle, and Levy knew she was getting closer. Soon she came upon a large meadow that stood the near the edge of Magnolia. Long and gentle hills dotted with willow trees rolled over the green landscape.

On the largest of the hills stood a grand palace; beautifully carved and constructed by the most talented dwarfs out of polished stone and marble that dazzled like diamonds in the sun's light. It's tallest towers reached high into the heavens and Levy could feel her small wings starting to quiver as they beat against her back in exhilaration at just the thought of being so high. The hill it rested on sloped down to a shallow river that snaked along the mounds, glistening with a fantastic brilliance.

Its construction had begun only days after the rescue of Magnolia's fairies. It had once stood as a towering, sinister dark lair for the goblins that would strike fear into even the bravest fae's heart, but after the cleansing that Mavis delivered it had been rebuilt over a period of twenty years to stand as a glorious monument that stood for the freedom of fairies and the light that urged them to hold onto that freedom.

She waved to the guards as she passed through the main gate, they waved back with a fondness that was probably not appropriate to use when they held such a serious occupation, but Levy was the exception. After all, some of them had known her since she was a tiny fae.

A row of tall marble pillars stood out in the great hall, thick slabs of stone at the base of the pillars were chiseled with the emblem that each royal family member carried on the tips of their tails. No, she shouldn't say that. After all, she was a member of the royal family and she hadn't been born with a tail, neither had her grandfather; it was only the ruler and heirs to the throne who had tails with the strange mark. Which meant her great-uncle Makarov, second cousin Laxus, and even Ivan had once carried it before his exile.

That thought pained her heart a little bit. She didn't have many fond memories with Ivan included in them; he was always such a distant man, who clearly thought himself above all others, the exact opposite of Makarov. She had been very young when he was exiled by his own father; charged with high treason for attempted assassination of the king, not to mention recklessly endangering the lives of countless fairies in his failed coup. He had even gotten Laxus wrapped into the plot, manipulating his mind into going against the man who had played the largest role in raising him. The result was not only banishment but the removal of his tail so he was no longer an heir to Makarov's throne.

His anger and hatred increased towards his grandfather tenfold when his father had been exiled, to the point where he nearly attempted a coup of his own, however that had been years ago, and Laxus had grown into a man that made Makarov swell with pride.

She sighed inwardly as she delicately removed the soft package and held it out in front of her. It was a rectangular shape, and slightly on the heavy side; like a thick book. What if it was a book?! She shook it slightly; trying to pick up any familiar sounds.

"Ah, Miss Levy, always a pleasure to see you here, my dear." A familiar honeyed voice edged with venom sent shivers down Levy's wings.

She spun around, "Jose, it's nice to see you." She spoke with all the politeness she could muster. The troll stood a short ways behind her, partially concealing himself in the shadow of a pillar.

'Nice' wasn't really the term she wished she could use when interacting with him; trolls in general made her uneasy, hiding in the shadows, speaking with tones as cold as ice. Jose in particular gave her this feeling; he spoke sickeningly sweet words that sugarcoated a sinister core. She got along wonderfully with all of the other servants, right down to the young boy who took care of the king's birds, but the dungeon warden in front of her had always made her feel so uncomfortable.

"Um, I'm sorry but I'm just trying to find my uncle. Do you know where I could find him?" She painted a fake smile across her face.

"Hmm," Jose stroked his chin with long, bony fingers, making Levy slightly shudder. "His Majesty is in his study if I'm correct. Why? Is there something the matter?"

"Oh! No, of course not." She held out the package, which she'd unconsciously hidden behind her back. "I've just got some things to give him, and then I've got to get back to work! Busiest time of year! Goodbye!" She spun around and sped off as quickly as she could, trying to ignore the gooseflesh that wouldn't leave her arms.

It would be easy for any stranger to get lost in the castle's seemingly endless hallways, but Levy knew right where to go. Fly down the left hallway, take a sharp turn at the first right, open the door to the courtyard, go through the door closest to the violet azaleas, fly down to the end of the hallway, and go into the room next to the portrait of Yury Dreyar and Mavis Vermillion.

"Uncle Makarov! Are you in here?" she called, entering the study. She immediately spotted her vertically challenged uncle at a table near the corner, standing on a stool so he could examine some old documents next to his much larger grandson. His golden wings beat excitedly against the oak leaves he wore.

"Levy, come here, let me take a look at you!" he lept off of the table to flutter over to her. She accepted the warm embrace around her middle before holding out the package.

"Uncle, it's wonderful to see you! I have something for yo-"

"Oh! Never mind that!" her uncle grabbed one of her wrists, pulling her towards the table. "Come, my girl, see if you can talk some sense into this foolish boy!" She slipped the item back into her satchel as he dragged her over to the table. She grinned sheepishly at her cousin, who lifted his hand in greeting.

She stared down at the papers, noting that they mainly consisted of information on the current Crocus goods that were up for trade.

"Now, my dear, as you can see there's been an increased production of silks in Crocus; more than they know what to do with! If we can manage to get a steady trade going we'll have more than enough for my plans!"

"I'm telling you, old man, it's a complete waste of Magnolia's resources." Laxus grumbled, holding the bridge of his nose.

"Nonsense! This is the perfect idea! I can think of no better use for our goods!"

"Um," Levy piped up. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Laxus groaned, turning towards her fully. "This old geezer wants to silk to make dresses for every fae woman in Magnolia."

"Of course not," Makarov interjected, a perverted smile overtaking his face. "Only the lovely young ladies!"

Levy groaned inwardly, her eyes finding the floor; she'd learned at a young age her uncle had a lecherous side, but that never made it any less awkward when he behaved that way. She loved her uncle more than anything but she wished he could get that perverted part he kept inside of him. She looked back up towards her family, who'd gotten into a thoroughly detailed debate about the lengths of the skirts.

"Look, I really hate to interrupt, but," she pulled out the package, "I need to get back to work, but this is for you."

He accepted the gift happily with a smile. "Thank you, my dear, it's nice to see being so responsible."

"Now, pay me."

"What!"

"You heard me," she pouted. "I've been carrying that thing for hours and I'm expecting some jewels for it." She stated, tapping her foot.

"Y-You can't be serious," her uncle sputtered. "You'd charge your own family!"

"Yes."

"I've got it, Levy." Laxus made his way over to a desk in the center of the room, pulling a sack out of one of the drawers. He tossed it up, testing its weight. "Is this enough?" he asked her. He nodded and he tossed it to her.

"Okay then, I've got to go but I'll stopped by later!" she waved happily to them as she pumped her wings and flew through the door.

She saw several servants on her way out, and she greeted them all happily as she made her way back to the front gates. She got out just in time to see the sunset. The gorgeous yellow orb was turning a breathtaking shade of fiery orange; casting vibrant shades of violet across the sky like a paintbrush. She inhaled the sweet air as wind blew the cerulean locks away from her eyes. Soon, the sun would disappear over the horizon, casting the whole forest into sleep before the new day akoke them. The creamy white stars would appear, forming pictures and telling stories that dated back longer than any fairy could remember.

She began to drift towards home, the dimming sky and fatigue of flying around for hours making her impossibly tired. She didn't think she'd even be able to read that night she was so tired, and that was truly saying something.

It was raining the next day; large, fat drops that could knock a fae to the ground it she wasn't careful. Levy usually didn't like gloomy days such as this; where the sky became gray and sad, but she wouldn't complain now. She'd woken up with a horrible soreness in her wings and was determined to rest them all day so she didn't they were better by tomorrow.

She pulled the petals of the quilt up to her chin, whining when it uncovered her trembling feet. It was impossible to stay warm on days like this. It was on days like this she wished she was around Natsu; who was never anything but warm and toasty.

A rapid knock on the door had her groaning inwardly. Who could that be?

She slumped out of her bed and made her ways towards the door, grasping the handle and opening it slightly, as to not let any rain in. The person standing there was one of the last people she could have ever expected at her door: Jose.

"Jose," she straightened up immediately; ignoring the new shivers that had been born on her back that were definitely not from the cold.

"Is there something I can help you with."

"I'm afraid not, my dear." He removed his hat and clasped it to his chest sorrowfully.

"You see, the king is dead."