What's Yours is Mine
Levy's dress was absolutely gorgeous! But holy cow, it was super expensive! Or, at least, Lucy thought so! While she took her to different bridal shops in Crocus, she had to have tried on close to fifty dresses! And for a woman pregnant with a dragon's baby, she was energetic and determined! Heavens knew Lucy wouldn't try on that many dresses!
And when they got to their last store, Levy was starting to get discouraged. They'd already gone to a handful of stores, and she still hadn't found the dress! But just as luck seemed to be against them, she came out of the back dressing room wearing the most magnificent piece of clothing with tears in her eyes. She'd finally found the one.
It was a sight to behold for sure! Although the dress was advertised as a mermaid dress, it was more of a ball gown dress with the way the skirt of it flared out just above the hips and jutted out widely at the sides and back of it. With a sweetheart neckline, the entire dress was bedazzled with high-quality, shiny gems that caught the light at every angle. It was accompanied by white lace sleeves that extended up to her mid-forearms, and she had the option of choosing a flowery headband, but she opted not to since she'd be wearing a crown.
All in all, it was definitely a dress fit for royalty, and the price tag was equivalent to a year's worth of rent in Lucy's old place! And Levy just shoved a boatload of Jewel at the shop owner, who'd even closed down the store at Lily's request! Goodness! Riding with the queen was lavish! With her height, the dress dragged the ground quite a bit, which she added to her list of a million and one modifications, big and small, that she wanted the tailor to make to it. She spent at least thirty minutes going over it and taking notes!
Lucy even offered to use her recorder to save time, but she couldn't find it in her bag! It wasn't really an issue since all the important notes had already been transferred to her notepad, plus, she was planning on getting a new one anyway since she had access to a little more money being with the Duke. Though, not quite at much as Levy!
Anyway, it was Lucy's duty to take the dress back to the castle and make sure the adjustments were made and were completely perfect. If there was any question in the slightest, she was to call her using Cana's card so she could see what was going on. Honestly, Lucy felt like this was the biggest task she could have! She was in charge of the queen's wedding dress! What would happen if she screwed up? She couldn't let her down!
So, Lucy did exactly what she was assigned and took off work to make sure each detail was perfect. And it was crazy, she didn't know how Levy saw these modifications in her head, but she created a masterpiece! Maybe there was a secret talent hidden somewhere in that brain of hers.
For starters, she had the dress shortened perfectly for her height, to where it still dragged the floor, just not as much. Then, she replaced all the hemming with satin, which wasn't noticeable from afar, but a really nice touch when you got up close. She then added a thin bedazzled lace train that was draped over the skirt and trailing behind a few feet, and that lace matched the lace sleeves she had extended into their own mini trains at the wrists. It really was a perfect blend of details. Not to mention the bedazzled veil! And those were just a few of the major changes!
There were a few times when she had to give Levy a call, but thankfully everything turned out okay and the altering went smoothly. Which left her with her final task of dropping it off at the venue in Kunugi. She was told to have the dress there, ready and waiting for the wedding on Friday, so it was one less thing for them to worry about once the time came. It was a little further from Crocus than Magnolia, maybe a little over two hours by train, and since it wasn't a major city, there were no nonstop rides.
That dreary Wednesday afternoon, Lucy took that ride to the super cute venue Levy surprisingly got her hands on last minute. She didn't really care for the name, 'The Promenade', but only because it didn't do the area justice! It was beautiful, but Lucy felt it would be better in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloomed. Nevertheless, the venue was still decorated gorgeously. The color scheme they chose was oddly complementary, with a deep, wine-red base color and dark, eggplant purple accents, and she wondered, where did Lev get those colors?
As Lucy walked through the big wooden doors with the dress in tow, she couldn't help but stroll down the dark purple carpet that she had to admit was a nice touch. The event was small, only exclusive to extremely close friends and family, and it was organized as such. The space was already filled with pretty flowers and statues, which paired well with the dazzling chandelier that was layered with hanging crystals.
She got to Levy's dressing room and carefully took the dress out of its silk bag, dressing the mannequin in the room with it. She was excited to have completed such a sensitive task for her, she pulled out Cana's card and gave her a call so she could see it in its place. Levy was happy, near tears as she praised Lucy for her hard work. She even told her she'd owe her a favor after this was all said and done, and Lucy almost rejected it, but she realized that a favor from the queen would bode nicely! She'd have to keep the favor a secret from Natsu though, or he'd try to use it himself or convince her to use it for him!
After she dropped the dress off, she took a final lap around the venue, making sure everything was in order when she remembered to check the reception room. She rounded the corner that led her there and saw Cana setting up her bar. She hadn't seen her in a while! "Cana! You're here, too?"
"Yeah, you know how Blue is," Cana finished putting the bottles on the shelves behind the bar, thankful this was a small event. "She wanted the bar set up by end of day today, so here I am."
"Fancy digs!" Lucy saw the new, high-end equipment she had, wondering what prompted the upgrade. She'd been so caught up in this planning, she didn't have time to even stop by the bar and say hi and catch up! Besides, all that was on her mind was the planning, and everyone knew Cana wasn't the type to partake in such trivial things! If she stopped by, all she'd talk about is the wedding!
"I'll say!" Cana said with a gentle laugh. She was still getting used to her new life, but… it was a better one.
Lucy sat on one of the stools at the small counter. "I can't believe you guys are closing the bar for this! Must be doing well, huh? Can't say you didn't need the break!"
"A much-needed break," Cana sighed, answering vaguely. Close to two months ago, their bar was struck with lightning and Bacchus was seriously injured. When they went to Levy and the king, they were adamant about offering their assistance, and even told her to put the money her dad gave her into savings. Unable to reject their offer—mostly because they wouldn't let her—she reluctantly agreed, and even talked to Bacchus about their many options when he woke up.
They both refused to go back to Magnolia, which surprised Cana since that town was all he knew. He left his hometown at the young age of three, choosing to continue learning his first language while also learning the language most spoken in Fiore, and that helped him, well, helped her dad, vouch even harder for him at the Clover Council.
Which also surprised her.
When she told him they could get set up in Clover, where whichever business they decided on would get more traffic, and that her dad could get him an interview with the Council, his attitude changed entirely. He told her that almost losing his life put it into perspective and that he felt like he'd been floating around aimlessly, living day by day and not contributing anything useful. This opportunity would help people, and it would help the king who was gracious enough to extend a hand to them when he didn't even have to.
So, to give everyone the privacy they needed, Levy put them up in Clover's fanciest inn while Bacchus prepped and participated in the interview, which he aced about a week ago! It was shocking to those who knew him because aside from the test of physical strength, one of the important parts of the process was to demonstrate his problem-solving abilities, which entailed paperwork. He was given fake forms to go over, fill out, approve or deny, and was to provide explanations as to why he made the decisions he did. He was even given some older issues that were already solved to look at to see if he could figure things out before looking at the answer. There were a few times he'd gotten flustered, but it was a natural response and he held himself well.
It was safe to say they all underestimated him, and he even underestimated himself.
With honor, he accepted the title of Chief of the Council of Clover and became the fourth and final Council head. And while he'd been prepping, Cana was going around town, looking for a suitable place they could call home while at the same time calling it her psychic shop, which had yet to be named. He was nothing but supportive of her endeavors as he welcomed this new chapter of their life. And even better, she had a carefree side gig of making liquor for a few leaders, which paid more than what the bar used to make them!
With the overly generous amount of startup money Levy had given them, she picked out a place a little bigger than their old one because, why not? It was fully paid for, and the space attached to the front of it was bigger and brighter than the other place, too. She'd have so much fun getting it ready! But for now, they were just getting their lives situated and settled, buying new things and turning their house into a home. Thankfully, Bacchus didn't have to start until the following Monday, but he had onboarding paperwork to do, so he went off to get that done while she set up the bar for the wedding.
With everything going on, Levy and the king wanted to kind of keep things under wraps until the… problem… was solved, to which Cana and Bacchus both agreed. The only people who knew about the incident were the people who were there that night. The Council did a good job of cleaning it up quickly and keeping it silent as well, so only gossip and rumors from the neighbors were heard. And since Blondie was so occupied with the wedding, she hadn't heard about it, thank Gods! She'd ask questions nonstop!
When the time was right and the dust settled, she'd tell her.
"Well, I'm finally done with everything! Wanna grab a drink? I haven't been by in so long~" Lucy whined, letting her head fall onto the countertop. "How is everything?"
"Oh, I'm actually headed back to Clover," Cana answered without thinking. Crap! Maybe she could just gloss over it. "And things are actually pretty good! A lot of things in the works, so stay tuned, Blondie!"
"Clover? What for? It's rare you two travel outside of your house, let alone Magnolia!" Lucy really wanted to know what was so interesting to pull her out of the house!
Quickly, Cana came up with a believable lie while she gathered her things to head out. "I have to drop some wine off to the Duchess."
"Wendy? You guys are close now?" Lucy slid off the stool and followed her out. "When did that happen?"
"Y'know, I think it kinda happened at the party," come to think of it, Blondie didn't even know that Bacchus sent one of Laxus' guys down the mountain. Geez. What crappy friends they were, keeping things from her! But there was no malicious reasoning behind it, she swore! She definitely owed her a proper conversation.
"Makes sense," Lucy was bored! She'd taken a lot of time off since the articles she produced basically kept the entire agency afloat, and was making bank! She could really take as much time as she wanted, but she missed her colleagues and told them she'd be back by Monday.
It was kind of hard to keep her close proximity to the leaders secret since it was a little suspicious how she always had all this information. Because of that, she had a feeling this job would not be permanent, and as time passed, she was coming to terms with it. She liked being with the Duke and helping him handle the more internal stuff that didn't require her to make any statements or show her face. She still didn't know about assuming the role of Duchess, but if he wanted to… get married, or something like that… she'd be open to it.
But those were thoughts for another time!
Anyway, she needed something to do until Friday, and hanging out with Cana sounded fun! "Need someone to tag along?"
Ah, Cana really didn't want to deny her, especially when she had no real reason to, but what excuse could she make? Was she just going to have to come clean? Maybe she could work her way around it. "Well—"
Lucy's card started buzzing and she answered hurriedly, not missing a beat. "Levy! Guess who I ran into?"
Cana silently thanked Blue for distracting her and hopefully assigning her another task so she could weasel her way out of an awkward situation! She waved, hoping her pregnancy brain wasn't switched on and making her forget to keep silent about her situation. And speaking of the pregnancy, when she found out, she was so conflicted! She was so happy for her best friend, but she also felt horrible for intruding at a time like that! But as expected, they still insisted they weren't intruding at all, so… what could she do? But what she did know was she had the role of godmother secured once she made her decision! "Blue! I just got done setting up, so we're all good to go!"
"Cana! Good to hear! Luce, I need you to stop by the bakery and make sure the cake is on schedule," Levy said, in go mode. "I know that wasn't your task, but Lily got caught up with something else. Can you do it?"
"I was just looking for something to do!" Lucy bounced with excitement as she dug around her bag for her new recorder. Seriously, where did her old one vanish off to? She pulled it out and pressed play. "Give me the details."
"I can't wait ta have ya all ta myself again. It's like I can barely get my hands on ya fer more than five minutes!" Gajeel complained, coming out of the bathroom with a jar of moisturizer.
Ever since mating season ended, he'd been swamped with requests and escalations and dealing with tricky situations his subordinates couldn't solve, and to make things a bit more hectic, Lev had stolen Lily and had him running around for her and helping with the wedding, which he was sure that cat was happy to do. Anything not involving work, Lil would much rather be doing, always. But even still, he was one loyal and reliable knight.
He wasn't going to lie, it's been shitty that they were both so busy. Mainly because his dragon just wanted to cater to her and make sure she was happy and comfortable, but he couldn't very well cater to her if they were always busy! At the end of the day, he'd always ask her how she was feeling, and if there was anything he could do for her, and she'd always tell him she was fine and to just cuddle with her, well, tonight, he was going to be useful!
He'd been feeling bad that he chose to leave all the planning to her, but really, he wouldn't have been able to find the time! He didn't think he was needed so badly, but apparently, even though his dad said he was stepping in for the time being, he never did. So, Gajeel had pretty much just been vacationing in that house outside of Crocus for a year and a half, completely oblivious that his people had no fucking ruler.
And if that was the case, why the fuck did he make him step down? Aside from needing to know Dragonic, he was a damn good leader and his people respected him. Why did he wait so long to leave him a note if he was just going to vanish the moment after they spoke? Why was he such a piece of shit? He had to be better. After all, he was bringing a child into this world and he couldn't set a bad example. He was going to be the complete opposite of his father—no, he was already the complete opposite. He already had more love for his growing family than his dad had in one talon.
Hell. His mom, too. She walked out on them. At least he stayed. Albeit begrudgingly, but he stayed nonetheless. Which was better than nothing, he guessed.
To that, he told himself he'd try to be a little more sensitive to her needs and stuff, and had been getting advice from Juvia and Wendy whenever he had the time to call or stop by. On his way home today, he stopped by a store in Magnolia Juvia that told him about, in search of a moisturizer that was supposed to help prevent stretch marks or something? It was supposedly soothing and should be applied at nighttime, before bed. In terms of stretch marks, he couldn't care less if she had them, and when he thought about it, they would only be proof of the life she created. In his eyes, there was no need for a cream like this.
But he knew his mate and how finicky she could get about her appearance, and with her elevated hormones, any blemish that appeared on her body right now would make her freak out. Gods, he loved her.
"I know, me too," Levy whined. She missed her man. She pat the bed next to her, spotting the small white jar in his hand. "What's this?"
"I got some cream ta rub on ya," he walked around to her side of the bed and pulled the covers off her, feigning innocence at her protests of being cold. He ogled her, his mouth falling open. Did she… grow? Well, of course, she did, but he meant noticeably! He felt like he was missing her blossom! He saw her every day, he held her every night, how could he have missed such a small, but visible change?!
He was conflicted. She was so beautiful, and only glowing more and more by the day, but he was missing it! They hadn't even gotten a chance to be intimate since the season was over! And with how tired they both were by the end of the night, they wouldn't even think twice about it!
He replaced his sullenness with determination. Tonight, he'd make it all about her!
She saw him going through the motions and smiled. He was probably flipping out about how much she'd grown, and how he probably felt like he was missing it, but honestly? She kind of just sprouted overnight! If it weren't for the magic their tailor mage put in all her new attire, she'd be worried she wouldn't fit in her dress!
He was so handsome, even with those awful worry lines. He'd been a little emotional lately, and she wondered if it was because of all the weird dragon hormones. Wendy did tell her that sometimes, the father would experience symptoms, too. Of course, she wasn't going to tell him he was extra soft nowadays!
She only had on a tank top and panties, so she was a little chilly. Though that didn't matter since she was about to take whatever warmth he had to offer! She slipped the steel bands off her wrists and ankles and held her arms open sweetly. "C'mere. I wanna hold you."
She'd been extra busy with all the last-minute, rush planning she had to do for her wedding. This was going to be the best day of her life, and every detail had to be perfect! That was… until she gave birth. Nothing would top that. But she couldn't even think about their poor child with her mind so occupied with various tasks! And Lily, he'd just been running around and following orders without complaints, she definitely owed him one!
She'd been at this since a little bit after she found out, and Gajeel eventually told her that his dragon was the one who knew first. It made her wonder if that beast knew from the moment of conception. If so, it would explain the energy thing and the dire desire to murder Laxus. Which… she was slightly leaning toward. Coming after her and Gajeel was one thing, but targeting people who had nothing to do with it was crossing the line.
Gajeel told her how Gil hurt him pretty badly, and actually almost ended him. He told her that seeing him being put in his place pleased him to the point where he watched for a few seconds before stopping him. He shared with her his doubts about having made the right choice in keeping the Chief from finishing him off, and asked her if he should have just let him. She was proud that the good overtook the need for revenge and made him stop Gil, but…
At any rate, what's done was done, and he'd attack again eventually. Because of that, Levy was super careful about not revealing any details to the public about the location or the date of the wedding, so she was very confident that things would go smoothly and that they could handle him accordingly after she accepted the crown.
Thank Gods the planning was done! And the wedding was really in less than two days! A year and a half ago, she wouldn't have imagined she'd be a wife, a queen, a dragon's mate. And now, she was bringing life into this world, with the love of her own… and he'd soon be replaced! Once their baby was in her arms, Gajeel would come in second for her love!
He sat next to her on the bed before positioning himself so that he was laying on his stomach between her legs. He held her, pressing the side of his face against her tummy to listen to any movement. He'd lay like this all day if he could. He heard flutters, and it left a warm feeling in his center. He knew she couldn't feel anything yet, but he could, and it made it all the more special! He put a hand on her stomach to calm the flutters, satisfied when they settled. "Kid's gonna be an energetic one."
"Is there a lot of movement?" She put a hand on his, wishing she could feel what he felt.
"Yeah, but he listened ta his dad and calmed down fer me," he nuzzled her stomach, humming against her. "Ya better be good fer yer mom!"
"Who do you think is gonna be the fun one?" Levy looked curiously at the jar of moisturizer he was unscrewing. It smelled really good!
"Obviously that's gonna be me," he replied casually, digging his fingers into the cream and spreading it on his hands. "Yer too strict."
"What do you mean~?" She asked before his hands connected to her midsection. Her head fell against the headboard as he rubbed whatever that was into her skin. He had magical hands. "Gods, that feels amazing."
"Glad I can make ya feel good, Shorty." He applied a second coating to his hands and smoothed it all along exposed skin, slightly annoyed that his body was choosing this situation to react to! "An' just trust me. I know I'm gonna be the fun one!"
She rolled her eyes as he winked at her, that smirk of his doing something to her overly sensitive body. With them both being tied up with their own affairs, it'd been a while since they were intimate, and she missed his touch! She didn't realize how much their physical interactions would die down after mating season, and she didn't like it! They needed a schedule!
He was enjoying laying on her like this, but… he could smell her. She wanted something more, and he was happy to provide. He slid down a few inches, his arms locking her thighs in place and his cheek against a soft leg. He purred as dainty fingers ran through his thick hair. "Yer panties… they're in the way."
She bit her bottom lip in anticipation of what was to come, lidded honey eyes staring down at him in a haze. "Take them off me, then."
He acted instantly, his nails converting to claws and shredding them to pieces without leaving a scratch on her. Inhaling deeply, he sighed. He couldn't wait to taste her. "I'll buy ya new ones."
She didn't care! She just wanted him to do what he did so well with his tongue! She had both hands gripped in his hair, thrusting her hips at him. What was he waiting for?!
"Someone's impatient," he chuckled darkly, kissing the inside of her leg with his fangs out. She was so wet, so eager, he just couldn't help himself.
A sharp cry escaped her lips as he pierced skin and flooded her veins with his energy, and she wasn't sure when, but he had a couple of fingers inside her, rubbing at that spot so tenderly. She was about to unravel already! She writhed in his hold, she didn't want to cum so fast! She choked out his name, trying to catch her breath. "G-Gaj…! I'm gonna…!"
Damn, she was sensitive! Normally, she wouldn't have been this close so soon! He unhinged his jaw and connected his lips to her core, he wasn't going to let this go to waste! He pushed with his fingers, in and out while his tongue did its thing, circling around her pearl. She was pulling his hair, shoving his face into her and grinding against him, it only got him going!
She couldn't avoid the intense orgasm that took over her, not with him hitting all the right spots like that! Suddenly, he slowed to a stop, holding her in place so he could stand upright on his knees. She whined from the loss, but with the way he looked at her only told her she was going to get it! She saw the solidness in his boxers that she quietly begged for, and she pouted until he freed himself, giving her a wicked grin that made her ache. Her mouth watered at how tall and hard he stood for her. She wanted him badly.
"On yer knees."
"Of course, she'd choose a place practically out in the middle of nowhere!" Ever complained, zipping up her jacket. It was cold!
"Yeah, well… it was to be expected," Freed didn't really know how to feel about having the knowledge that the woman he'd been in love with for the better half of his adult life was about to marry the king. What was so good about that brash dragon that trumped all of his qualities? He was certain he could have made Levy just as happy, if not happier! If he hadn't screwed up and ratted himself out, how different would things be?
Anyway, it was the middle of Wednesday night, and Laxus dragged the three of them out to Kunugi to scout the venue before the wedding. The location was so Levy, and it made Freed kind of sad to know it wasn't him that was going to be standing at the altar waiting for her. He knew her way better than the king did!
"Quit sulking and scan the area for runes!" Laxus barked, pinching the bridge of his nose. This building was small, surrounded by trees and shrubs. It had the potential to be something great during the warmer months, but he understood why this was able to be rented last minute. Everything outdoors was bare and unwelcoming, anyone passing by wouldn't even think that a royal wedding would be happening here. It was a good choice.
He hated having them out in the cold like this, but he couldn't do this part alone. He needed their eyes. Well, Freed's specifically. Though, with how desolate this area was, he was becoming more and more positive that she truly hadn't the slightest idea of what was about to happen. He looked over at Bickslow, who was investigating the surrounding area for traps of any kind. "Bix. You know how to pick a lock, right?"
"Yep!" He said with his tongue out. So far, everything was clear outside, but what he didn't get was why there weren't any traps in place if this was a setup.
"Everything's all clear over here," Freed did his inspection of the building, not finding any runes or spells, which he found a little strange. "It's weird they don't have any security measures in place, right?"
"Not really, since he's doing this in secret," Laxus explained. "She doesn't know he set this up, so adding security when she's already being discreet about it would only raise red flags. He's probably trying to handle this before the ceremony."
Laxus studied his surroundings. Dragons liked to have the high ground, and if this shithead was really trying to get a head start on him, that meant there had to be some vantage point that gave him visuals on the venue from afar. It was dark, so it was harder to pinpoint, but eventually, Laxus found a tall hill in the distance. No one would pay any attention to it, which was why he chose it. "Bix, get us in there."
"You have a plan?" Ever asked, wondering why she was even there in the first place.
"I do." Laxus crossed his arms and nodded as Bix did his skillful lock-picking work. "Just have to be two steps ahead of his one."
"Good! I can't wait to get some action!" Bickslow got the door open with ease and took a step back. "I wanna use my babies!"
"Sorry, but this is a one-man operation," Laxus said coolly as he took a step inside. Opting to leave the lights off, he lit his finger up in small currents of electricity, serving at their torch. "Use my light to see, I don't wanna risk anything by turning lights on."
"What do you mean, 'one-man operation'?" Bix complained. All this work and planning for nothing? "We're in this for the long haul!"
"Ugh!" Ever was annoyed, now! "Why am I even here if you're doing this by yourself?"
Freed, on the other hand, was relieved he didn't have to participate in the plan to ruin the king's wedding. But Ever had a point. Why were they there?
"I needed you guys to help scope out the place, and Freed, I need you to write some invisible runes. With rules. But that's it," Laxus ran a hand through his short hair with a sigh.
"What? We can help you!" Bix was heated! How could he do something so dangerous on his own?! When he had friends ready to help?!
"I'm not too sure you can," Laxus replied honestly. "After the incident at their party, I'm almost one hundred percent positive Wendy made something to deter hypnotism. Obviously, that means she shared it with them."
"Then we can help with the others," Ever offered. "I can stone 'em temporarily while you do your thing."
"That may be an option…" Laxus just needed a way to snatch the girl and get her to his destination and out of the way, so he could have at that bastard once and for all. He might even rough her up too, if he was feeling frisky enough. "But this isn't your fight. It's mine. If you're even caught near here on Friday… you'll be killed."
"Aw, Laxus has a heart," Freed snickered, poking fun at him. It was nice, seeing him act human for once!
"And you won't be?" Ever asked sternly. She cared about Laxus, or she wouldn't even bother. But to know he was going into a high-stakes match, so willingly…?
"Who's to say?" Laxus shrugged. If he died fighting the king, then so be it. He'd die fighting for what's right. He gave a bitter scoff. It would suck, though.
"I can't believe you're just walking into a life-or-death match with a dragon," Freed let the worries get to him. "You know, you could easily just live your life if you went home, and went about your own business. You know? Just let them be!"
"I'm in too deep, by now." Laxus still hadn't told Bix or Ever about the lightning storm, and he didn't plan to. It was embarrassing. It was bad enough Freed saw the entire thing! But it was because of that, he was the only one who understood. "Anyway, I'll let you know if I need you after tonight. For now, we need to find their dressing rooms."
"Why the dressing rooms?" Bickslow asked begrudgingly. He understood his reasoning behind wanting to do it alone but… what were they going to do without him? Who would then replace him as leader?
"Freed, I need you to write those runes around the doors," Laxus said, walking through the well-decorated venue. It was a good thing their energy was covered, that way no trace of them would be left behind.
As much as he didn't want to participate, he too, was in too deep. "Okay. What are the rules?"
"Do not let anyone out of the room until I have her, but!" He paused at an open door. This must have been her room. Just look at that dress. "The rule has stipulations. They both must be in their own rooms at the same time, and their doors must be shut for the rune to activate. Easy?"
"Sounds simple enough," Freed went over it in his head. The rune activates while they're both getting dressed, or something, and anyone in those rooms can't leave until Laxus has her. "You planning on trying to grab her while she's getting dressed?"
"Yeah, I'm hoping they'll both be in their room at the same time, I mean, it's highly possible," Laxus was more or less thinking aloud at that point.
"I think they would," Freed nodded, writing the rune around Levy's door. He really hoped Laxus didn't hurt her. And he really hoped this didn't come back to bite him in the butt! He noticed the window in the room, thinking he should write up that one, too. "I'll get the window."
"No, leave her window alone. That's how I'm gonna get her." Laxus was also sort of banking on her opening her window, but he wouldn't get his hopes up. If he needed to, he could just go in and snatch her by force since she'd be unsuspecting. Just the thought of it was getting him excited. "But we will put one around his window."
They walked down the hallway and found his room easily, scanning it for access points. There was no window, but there was a tiny vent on the ceiling with several thin holes no larger or thicker than an envelope. There was no way he was getting through that! Laxus sighed. "That makes things easier."
"But you want him to find you, though?" Freed asked while he had him writing up runes around all the exits and main windows with their own rules.
"Yeah, but not so fast, ya know? I wanna get her out of the way first. I'll leave a trail for him to follow once your runes deactivate," which brought Laxus to another thought. "By the way… they can't be broken through with force or anything like that, right?"
"The runes will only fall once the task has been completed or if they're rewritten," Freed confirmed, slightly worried about Levy. She was a script mage, and as far as he knew, she did have the ability to rewrite runes, just not as well as he could since it wasn't her specialty. But as long as she couldn't see them or feel them… He'd been working hard on mastering his runes ever since Laxus had him write some invisible ones a while back, and he had to say, he was darn proud of his work! He wasn't the Duke of Magnolia's right-hand man for no reason!
"Can she rewrite them?" Laxus asked, remembering something about her being a script mage. If she could, it may pose an issue.
"If she sees them," Freed said, double-checking his work. "She won't, though. They pretty much won't even exist until they activate, so there won't be any traces of them."
"Eh, she'll be too occupied making sure everything's perfect," Ever chimed in. She sort of hoped she'd be able to help, but the larger part of her didn't want to risk her already short life over something that may not benefit her in the end. If Laxus thought this may end in death, maybe it was best for her to stay back. She looked around at how everything was so put together so well last minute. "It's a bit of a shame, ruining the poor girl's wedding."
"She knew what she was getting into!" Bix declared boldly. "Especially with everything happening, and she still chooses to marry him! I say she deserves it!"
It was along the lines of what Laxus thought, too. She had several chances to back out, so whatever she gets, she gets. "Sucks for Freed though. He's still in love with her."
"Still?!" Bix looked at him incredulously. After she rejected him multiple times then proceeded to get with the king? "Pfft! What an idiot!"
"Once you truly begin to love someone," Freed began, a hand to his heart. "You never stop loving them. If you do, it was never true love to begin with."
"Quit it with the theatrics!" Ever chided. "Get over it! You lost, now move on! There are plenty of fish in the sea. Better looking ones, at that."
"You got that right," Laxus snorted.
"I'll have to disagree with you there," Freed said firmly. Even though luck was not on his side whenever it came to Levy, he still thought she was the most beautiful woman in Fiore. He wished it was him seeing her in that dress. "She's stunning, and the king doesn't deserve her!"
"Please," Ever guffawed. "With that awkward blue hair, Lucy looks better than her!"
"I have to agree on that one," Laxus nodded. If Salamander hadn't snatched her up… and if he wasn't with Mira, he probably would have approached her once he saw her.
"Blonde doesn't suit my tastes," Freed turned his nose up at the conversation, not liking where it was heading at all!
"Oh, really? 'Cause ya seem to have your head up Laxus' ass all the damn time!" Bickslow had to throw his two cents in, mainly because it was at the expense of Freed. He was fun to pick on.
Laxus actually laughed, he had a point there! "What? You like short, blond hair instead of long?"
"I don't have to listen to this!" Freed turned, walking off toward the exit. "Are we done he—"
He paused when his eyes caught a glimpse of some recording equipment in one of the far corners of the room. He hoped that wasn't what he thought it was! "Uh…"
"Don't tell me your feelings are hurt," Ever rolled her eyes walking up to him. "What is it?"
"I think… this is going to be broadcasted," Freed muttered. This plan was going to go down the drain!
Laxus walked up to them and followed his line of sight, cold blue eyes landing on the equipment in the corner. Fuck! It made sense that it was going to be broadcasted, but it didn't even cross his mind! That was the one thing he didn't take into consideration. Thank Gods he found out now instead of Friday. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Looks that way. They also failed to mention that in the article. Guess they want it to be a surprise."
In all reality, it didn't hinder his plans too much since he planned to get this taken care of hopefully before the broadcast started. And since the people didn't even know if or when it was going to be broadcasted, if it never happened, they would be none the wiser. But… if for some reason he had to attempt during the broadcast, that would definitely cause a ruckus. How could he rise as king if he'd gotten branded as the one who kidnapped the queen? By then, the king would've fallen and he'd unfortunately have to assume the blame for it if that happened.
Of course, he'd slay them both.
He'd incapacitate him and kill her first, right before his very eyes, then he'd deal the final blow that ended his reign.
Then Laxus would rise.
He figured he could deal with the aftermath coming from the people after the fact. He'd feed them some bullshit about how the king had gone crazy, so he had to take him out. He'd sympathize with them as a human, and since they were so hell-bent on having a strong leader, he'd boast that he, a human, slayed a dragon. He'd win them over in no time and become a fine ruler, with Mira by his side.
"It surprised me," Freed said under his breath. "Does this ruin things in any way?"
"Not at all," Even though his plan to snatch her up was still fuzzy, he was confident that things would work. "A lot of this wouldn't be possible without your help. Once I rise, I'll treat you well."
"Ooo~ someone's sounding confident," Ever liked the positivity. It only meant good things. He never did well when he was in a bad headspace. Though, there was something else to worry about. "What about the others? They invited a few people, and I can guarantee you the Duke of Crocus and the Duchess will be here."
"This is Gajeel's fight," if Laxus knew one thing about dragons, it was that they fought their own battles. "He'll take me on by himself."
"And his knight?" Bickslow knew the stories about how he never traveled without that Exceed and how he was strong enough to train against him daily.
"If anything, he'll have him fly him to my little spot," Ever since Laxus came up with the plan to snatch Levy, he'd been working on a secret spot all the way out in the middle of nowhere to take her to. It was ready and waiting and just as unwelcoming. "But he probably won't let him fight either."
"I hate to be the one to bring this up," Freed raised a timid finger. "But… he's a dragon. An angry dragon."
"But he's in human form," Laxus thought this out. In all the hundred-plus years he'd been around, not once had he shown his true form. And he was really beginning to think he already was in his true form. Sure, he had a dormant dragon lying within, but that was all. Just a little extra juice. All he had to do was catch him at the right moment, and he'd have this in the bag. "All he's got is his iron. That fucker's just about as human as me!"
The first thought that popped into Ever's head was how delusional he was… or was it denial? "If you think so."
"I know so." But now, with the knowledge that this was being broadcasted, he had to have Freed take down the exterior runes, just in case. The runes around their rooms were the ones that were important, and Gajeel was probably the only one who would know to follow his lightning.
"Alright, if we're done here," Laxus said, heading toward the door. "I wanna get a good look at things from that vantage point I found."
It was the day of his wedding, and he should have been the happiest man alive, but the fact that this whole thing was a secret setup and his dragon was amped up to kill kind of ruined that mood. Not to mention that he had to keep this from Levy this entire time, and lying to her or omitting the truth was eating him up inside. He hoped once he put that bitch down, she'd understand and not be mad at him, but… he'd just cross that bridge when he got there. Laxus needed to be eliminated.
To his immediate reluctance, she'd suggested they spend the night before apart, only to see each other again at the altar. Obviously, that sounded shitty, but when he realized he could then stake out the venue for the entire morning until it was time to get dressed, he agreed. That way, he could make his moves comfortably, without her being suspicious of him and asking questions.
Which was what he was currently doing.
When Levy picked out the venue, he did a little bit of scouting work, checking out the surrounding areas. He already knew by then that he was going to use the wedding as bait, which… sounded worse and worse as time progressed. Why did he think this was a good idea? There was no way she'd let him live this down! But that's why it had to work!
He found a nice little hill off in the distance that had a really good aerial view of the small building for those who had perfect vision. He had sight of all access points, including the windows and vents. He wondered if it was an issue that his room didn't have a window, but if everything went according to plan, it shouldn't be.
The night before, he took advantage of the fact that Levy was staying at the castle with Lucy and had Lily fly him to their venue and check things out. He was certain Laxus and his gang had come by to also check things out, but the weird thing about it was, there was no sign of them. No lingering energy, no trace of any spells or magic used, no traps in any of the rooms or even outside. It made him just a little nervous only because he had nothing to base his next move on. At this point, the ball was in his court, and all Gajeel could do was wait.
And wait, he and Lily had been doing all morning long.
He again had to silently thank Levy for choosing to separate for the day, and as much as it killed him to leave her in the hands of Salamander, he knew she'd be safe while he handled his business. His assumption was with Laxus only having the knowledge of the day and location, he'd show up early in the morning and try to stop the wedding. In that case, Gajeel and Lily would sniff him out before he did something and put an end to him right then and there.
But… they'd been camping out on their unnoticeable hill for hours, and the fucker still hadn't shown his face! If he thought it was weird that there was no trace of them in the building, it was even weirder that he hadn't shown! He wasn't stupid enough to do this shit in front of a bunch of people, was he? Was he waiting for the rest of the guests to show up? He would have assumed he was waiting for Lev to show up, but by now, she was already there with Lucy and Salamander and had been for at least an hour!
What the fuck was he up to?
Lily was dying on the inside. Betraying Levy on the most important day of her life to date? It was nearly making him physically sick! He was sworn to secrecy, so he couldn't say anything to her even remotely hinting at it, and with the way things were starting to go, a really bad feeling was beginning to sit in his gut.
Their plan to watch the area all morning was pointless, as Laxus never showed his face. It was the last thing either of them expected, as they thought he'd be all over the area once he found out where it was. Though when they did their walkthrough last night, there was no trace of anything. It was very strange, and unfortunately, time was beginning to run out. As much as he wanted to think Laxus decided not to attack after all, Lily was no fool.
"Fuck!" Gajeel spat, jumping off his branch in the tree they were perched in. "It's almost time! But I really wanna catch this asshole!"
Lily fluttered down next to him, transforming into his battle form. "I get that, but we can't waste any more time. You still need to get ready."
"I know…" Gajeel stared down at the building, feeling around for her energy. She was nervous. Ever since the pregnancy, her energy intensified, he guessed only to him, so he could pick her out miles away. Even though he wouldn't have to. Since his shadow was with her, a piece of him was with her, and if he ever needed to, he could use his shadow to find her. The energy was just a bonus. "Ya take yer eye drops?"
"Right before we left," Lily confirmed. He reminded himself to extend an extra thanks to Wendy for such precautions, knowing at least Laxus' minions were defenseless with the use of them.
"I'm beginnin' ta wonder if he's gonna even show," Gajeel muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Lily knew better than to think that. Laxus was a lot smarter than Gajeel sometimes gave him credit for, and with the way things were currently going… "I think… he knows it's a trap, so he's acting accordingly."
Gajeel twisted his head over toward Lily, maybe that cat was right. If so, this could be bad! This couldn't backfire! Fuck! "What's yer reasonin' behind that? What's settin' ya off?"
"Now, this is just an assumption," Lily held a paw up in defense. "But, he may have an idea that you're waiting for him, and if his first goal is to get to Levy, then he might just be waiting for everyone's guard to be let down."
"Fuck, but when?" Gajeel paced back and forth, trying to come up with an idea of when they wouldn't be on their toes. "A couple of dragons an' some of Fiore's strongest mages are gonna be in there. He's not dumb! Plus, it's gonna be broadcasted. If he scoped out the place, he should know that!"
"Of course, he checked the place out, but he was also smart enough to not leave any evidence," Lily explained his train of thought to both Gajeel and himself. "No need to set anyone off if he's trying to be discreet."
"An' if he's tryin' ta be discreet… he won't show up. This is the least discreet event!" Gajeel tried his hardest to be positive and hope that his wedding would go off without a hitch, but whenever Lily had a hunch, nine times out of ten, it was right.
"I wouldn't go that far. You let him know a week ago, so he's had time to come up with something," Lily put a reassuring paw on his shoulder. "We just need to keep our eyes and ears open to find out what. We've been in stickier situations before."
"Have we?" Gajeel grunted. He'd been on the brink of death before, but nothing quite compared to a human trying to take his place while threatening his pregnant mate.
"Regardless of if we have or not, we've got this." In the end, Lily knew once it came down to it, Gajeel would win. After all, he was a dragon and Laxus was just a human who wanted to be one. There might be physical and emotional damage afterward—no, there would be, but once it was all said and done, they could safely move on and deal with their consequences.
He just hoped they were able to go through with today's wedding before she caught wind of what was going on! He didn't put it past her to call off the wedding and run off somewhere!
"As much as I hate to say this," Lily said calmly. "But we've spent as much time as we can out here. You have to go get dressed and become a married man!"
"Yeah," although he said yes, he shook his head in disgust that his plan fell through. Now, he was going to have to improvise, but Laxus had to start first. "Let's get in there. I need ya ta help me with my tux."
"Sure, Gajeel." And as they checked their surroundings one final time before leaving their post, Lily was suddenly weighed down with the overbearing feeling that this wedding wasn't going to happen.
Levy was quite possibly the happiest woman in Fiore! Aside from the background drama, her life was pretty great! She was about to marry the love of her life and become Queen of a nation she loved so much. She was creating a family with her king that would be filled with love and openness. There was absolutely nothing that could bring down her day!
She told Gajeel that she wanted to spend the night before their wedding apart so they could meet up again to become husband and wife. He was so reluctant, but she guessed he eventually thought it was a good idea since he took less convincing than she thought. But it also worked out in her favor. Lucy suggested a girl's night before the big day, plus, she found this amazing stylist and had her follow them to the venue to do hair and makeup.
But as happy as she was, the closer it was time for her to walk down the aisle, the more nervous she got! Really! She was fine up until they all got there! Now, her stomach wouldn't stop doing somersaults! She wondered how Gajeel was doing. She missed him dearly, and spending a night away from him was terrible! She had fun with her girls, but she wasn't at home. He wasn't just in the other room. He wasn't there to hold her to sleep. She slept with all four braces on. How did she survive before him?
Was he just as nervous as she was? How was he handling it? She wished she could just hug him and kiss him, she wished he could just come and hold her tummy and shower her with affection. She needed to be put at ease! She was nauseous. She hadn't gotten morning sickness yet, and now was a really awful time for it to happen!
"Ugh," Levy sat in her chair as the stylist put the finishing touches on her hair before leaving the room. She went for a simple updo with a loose lock or two and natural makeup that accentuated her eyes. She fanned herself with her hand, the nerves making her sweat a little. "I'm so nervous, and I don't know why!"
"It's only natural to be nervous," Lucy said, walking over to the window. She noticed her fanning herself and she didn't want her to ruin her makeup. "Want me to crack the window?"
"Yes, please," Levy sighed when the rush of cold air hit her, cooling her in an instant. "Much better, thank you. I don't know why, but I was feeling fine earlier! What if my nerves are trying to tell me I shouldn't be doing this? What if something is going to happen?"
"Lev," Lucy turned her chair around, facing her. "You're freaking out. Don't do that! Getting butterflies at a time like this is normal. And do you really think you're doing the wrong thing?"
Levy glanced over at her dress, she couldn't wait to step into it. She couldn't wait to be Levy Redfox. She gave a tiny smile and a voice to match. "No…"
"Didn't think so," Lucy said confidently.
"I am nauseous, though!" Levy held her stomach, wishing it were him holding her. "I pray to Gods I'm not getting morning sickness!"
"I think it's just nerves," Lucy pulled her out of her chair and gave her hair and makeup a once over. "Once you stop thinking so hard, the nausea will go away. You're totally gorgeous, by the way!"
"You think so?" Levy said shyly, looking at her feet. She only had on a satin slip that she was going to take off once it was time to step into her dress.
"Duh! He's gonna wanna jump you the moment he sees you!" Lucy gushed, plopping on the couch and swinging her legs happily.
Levy went over to the mannequin, feeling up the fabric of the dress. Thank goodness for their tailor mage! The adjustments she requested came out perfectly. "Just wait 'til you guys see me in this!"
Just as she said that, a stronger wave of nausea and nerves hit her. In mere hours, her life would be completely different! Was she ready for this? She paled, and Lucy took notice, springing up and walking her over to the couch. "I'll be okay, I'm just so nervous!"
"This is what I'm here for," Lucy held her, rocking her gently. "It's okay to be nervous. This is something huge happening."
"I know! And what if I'm not the right fit? What if I let the people down? What if I let Gajeel down? Our child down?" She was trying her hardest not to cry, but she needed him!
"Levy, look at me," Lucy turned her so that they faced each other. "There's no one more perfect than you, I promise. You know this. The king knows this. That's why he chose you. You're gonna walk down that aisle, and you're gonna marry your man!"
Levy couldn't help but smile. She was right. She shouldn't let herself get all worked up! She'd read so many romance novels, she should know this feeling was normal! But the somersaults refused to go away!
"Hey, guys," Natsu peeked through the cracked door, letting the girls know it was time to get ready. "Bolt head is in his room getting dressed."
"Okay, thanks Natsu," Lucy said as he walked off. Ugh! He didn't shut the door! She looked over at Levy, who was holding her stomach as if she were about to throw up. "Hey, I guess it's time to get ready, huh?"
Levy actually felt dizzy! This was really happening. She was about to be Queen! And the baby wasn't letting up! "Yeah, uh… I might actually have to go throw up first."
"Crap, okay," Lucy helped her stand and nudged her toward the bathroom. "Try not to mess up your makeup!"
"Yeah," Levy said with a wave of her hand. "I'll try."
"Maybe you'll feel better after?" Lucy offered awkwardly. "Want me to go get you some water?"
"Yeah, that sounds great actually," Levy shuffled into the bathroom as Lucy eagerly scurried off to get water. She waited until she heard the door to the room shut before closing the bathroom door; she didn't want anyone to hear her puke up her guts!
She kneeled at the toilet, letting out everything she had for a few seconds, completely missing the soft surge of the lacrima lights. She groaned, she did feel a little better, but all the heaving kind of tired her out. She wiped her mouth and flushed the toilet before a soft knock on the bathroom door sounded a few seconds later. "Luce? That was fast."
"The runes have been activated."
Laxus really thought things through, down to what he hoped was the final detail. He was smart and chose to stay in Kunugi, only about two minutes away in the opposite direction in an old inn. He knew once the runes were active, he had to act fast, and he didn't want to use his lightning to get there. It would give him away in a heartbeat! But he would use his lightning as bait to get out of there.
He did this perfectly. He knew that iron bastard would waste his time all morning waiting for him, but he was going to do things his way. Quickly and quietly. He told Ever and Bix to stay back, only needing Freed with him to shroud his energy and tell him when his runes were in place. But once it was go time, he was going to have him either stay there in hiding for a few days, or stealthily get back home to Magnolia. Either way, there couldn't be any evidence of him being in Kunugi or he'd get caught in the crossfire.
And now, after several hours of waiting patiently, he was telling him the runes were activated. He cracked his knuckles. It was time. He looked over at a nervous Freed. "You know the drill."
"Even better, Levy is alone and the king is with his knight." Freed knew that information would be helpful, but he couldn't help but succumb to the feeling of despair. Laxus instructed him to either stay in disguise for a while or get out quickly, and he hadn't made up his mind yet! Never mind that, what if this was the last time he'd see him?!
"If I don't make it outta this… live well." Laxus stood and dropped a hand on his shoulder. His information was helpful! He expected her to have that hot blonde with her, but maybe she left the room or something. "If you don't hear from me in a week, stop by my place, I left a note just in case."
Freed didn't have time to react as Laxus quickly left without another word, on his deadly mission. And when he disappeared, he realized he was already caught in the crossfire. There was a limit to how invisible his runes were once activated. Though he put his all into making them as nonexistent as possible, he was still worried he faced a grim future.
Laxus had to be quick and smart about this. It was broad daylight, but thankfully this town was almost desolate. Not that it mattered if anyone saw him. While he made his way to his own vantage point, he thought about the best way to get Gajeel's attention. He was probably on his toes since his original plan fell through so he'd be watching for anything suspicious. She, on the other hand, was so unsuspecting, it was almost like taking candy from a big baby! Maybe a slightly dangerous baby, but a baby nonetheless!
"Give it your best shot," Laxus muttered to himself, approaching his spot and seeing that her window was slightly open. Wow, everything was really working out in his favor! This couldn't have gone more perfectly. But he had to work fast. Creating a little bit of electricity in the air, he sent a wave of it toward the building, surging the lights just enough to get his attention.
The rune around his door and the lack of exits in his room allowed him time to simply creep up the side of the building and peer into her room, and with even better luck, she'd gone into the bathroom and closed the door! He snorted. Guess the nerves were getting to her.
He opened her window and crawled inside, he may have been big, but he was agile and stealthy, and people didn't expect that from him. He was at least nice enough to let her finish up before knocking on the door. He'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.
"Luce? That was fast."
The grin that spread on his face was a wicked one, twisted and cruel as she opened the door, surprise and fear overcoming her. He didn't even let her finish her gasp before he shocked her, the sensation similar to a very strong taser… he hoped. He never really shocked people. But it did the trick, making her go limp and fall toward him. She went to say something, but she was too out of it, which was exactly what he wanted. He wanted her conscious, but vulnerable.
Levy was in danger, and she instinctively tried to protect her baby, but she… was caught by Laxus. She couldn't process anything else that was going on. Her body stung painfully all over, seizing up, and it felt as if static was making her brain all fuzzy. He'd zapped her, or something of that nature, that much she knew.
Her baby, her baby! Gods, no! She was pregnant! He hit her with something electric and painful and she could only think about her baby! She wanted to hold her stomach, so badly, but she was still unable to stop the convulsions. It felt like she was being charred alive and she had no strength left. She'd fallen into him, her body crapping out on her. This was… this was fucked!
"M-My ba…" she could barely speak, as he hauled her through the window as if she were a sack of potatoes, and she couldn't have felt more helpless.
Laxus was feeling pretty confident in his endeavors, and the fact that everything went according to plan was only the icing on the sweet, sweet cake. His victory was near. He could taste it. Unexpectedly, there was a loud thud, followed by flying debris that came from inside her room. There was barely any time to comprehend what just happened before he locked eyes with the king for a millisecond. He smirked, disappearing with Levy with a loud and bright strike of lightning.
Gajeel was in the mirror, smoothing out his crisp white shirt, feeling more uneasy than ever! Laxus still hadn't made a move, and it was almost time for the ceremony! Was he really planning on doing this in front of everyone? How would Levy even react? But maybe things would surprisingly be okay. Maybe he finally came to his senses and decided to back off and stay in his lane. Either way, he had to be prepared for anything.
"Looking good over there, Gajeel," Lily approved from the couch. He didn't get to see his friend dress up much, but he always cleaned up nicely when he did. He too, was feeling antsy, but nothing left to do but to go with the flow.
"Wish I felt as good as I looked," Gajeel said, smoothing his hair back. He had it tied back neatly and he hated it! It pulled at his scalp! But he did look good, and he couldn't wait to see his beautiful bride in her dress.
He adjusted the collar of his shirt and tucked it into his pants before the lights in their room surged just enough for he and Lily to notice it. His blood ran cold, he couldn't have been making a move now! This was the most inopportune time! How did he even know to attack at this moment? There was a brief second where he wanted to think it was just a problem with the lighting, but he knew better. He looked around at the lights, making sure he wasn't just seeing shit. He was worried about Levy! "Check on Lev."
Lily knew this was Laxus' sign. He was here, and Levy was in danger! He got to the door and pulled on the knob, adding a little force when it wouldn't budge. "The door won't open, Gajeel!"
"The fuck?!" Gajeel barreled into the door with his shoulder, trying with a considerable amount of his might to get it open. As he was crushing the knob in his hand, he felt faint traces of energy that belonged to none other than that skinny fucker! "Goddamnit! That green-haired librarian fuck was here! He sealed the door! I'm gonna fuckin' kill him! Right after I take out his leader!"
Gajeel moved around frantically, pissed he'd chosen the room without a window! When Levy asked him about it, he told her he didn't care either way, which was clearly a mistake! Oh, Gods, Levy. The baby. Please let her be safe! He had to protect her!
"Gajeel there's a vent we can get through up here in the corner," Lily scanned the room, and that was his only option if he didn't want to destroy the building and cause a scene. "These vents should connect with Levy's room."
Ventilation wasn't really that common, but the more upscale buildings had them for fireplaces. The warmth from the fireplace would travel through the vents and into the rooms, but they were so small, no living being could fit through them. Though for Gajeel, that was no issue. Salamander and the kid may have judged him for eating Rogue's shadow, but times like now, it was extremely useful!
At that moment, weird, almost painful chills went through his body, and the only thing Gajeel could think about was Levy and their baby! Did she… just get hurt?! Enraged, his eyes began glowing red and he looked over at Lily, who'd transformed into his smaller form and landed on his shoulder. And by the time Lily had gotten to him, he was already going into his shadow and slithering up the wall as fast as he could, seeping into the vent. That fucker was really trying to use her to get to him! And she was unsuspecting, so she likely wasn't prepared to fight!
He found her room quickly, unable to see much through the small vent, but he definitely could feel her discomfort and pain! He didn't wait another second, his rage taking over him as he punched a considerable hole into the ceiling, jumping down and landing on his feet in full iron. It was then that he found her, having just been pulled through the window by the very human he wanted to kill. He growled, and before he could even lunge at her, the bastard in question just smirked at them and disappeared with a lightning strike.
It all happened so fast.
"Lily! Sky!" Gajeel shouted, being picked up and lifted high up into the air. He looked around desperately, for any lightning that would lead him to her. He fucked up. He shouldn't have baited their wedding. He shouldn't have put her at risk. This wasn't how things were supposed to go! And now, if anything happened to her, he would probably lose his mind and go insane!
As Gajeel scanned one direction, Lily scanned the other, seeing frequent flashes of lightning in the distance. He was leading them somewhere! So, he wanted to handle this in an isolated place? That was smart. "It looks like he's heading in the direction of the Waas Forest."
The forest?! What was that bitch doing with her in the forest?! He was going to have to apologize to Lily for making him fly him such a far distance while he was in his full iron form. But for now, "follow 'em!"
I hope you don't hate me too much, but I HAD to leave you on the mother of all cliffhangers one final time :P