We spent the rest of the day in the village, waiting for night to come. Sonya introduced us to a man named Karl who provided us with a change of clothes and led us to a hot-spring to wash off. He left after showing us to the spring, telling Levy we could find him after we were finished. I frowned, staring at the small pool of water. It was large enough to fit at least five people comfortably, but that wasn't the problem. There's only one hot-spring. Are we supposed to-

I looked up when I heard a splash, and saw that Levy had already gotten into the water.

"Hey!" I shouted, feeling my face heat up for some ungodly reason. "Don't tell me you just-"

"Just what?" She asked, standing. She was fully dressed, and frowning at me. "Did you honestly think I'd just get naked and dive in right in front of you?"

"No," I snapped. That was what I thought she had done. I was relieved to see her dressed, but part of me was also disappointed. What the hell, Gajeel? I shook those thoughts from my mind, cursing myself and this damned bond for making me think so strangely.

With a sigh, I followed Lily into the water, sighing happily as I sank down to my shoulders and sat on the bottom of the spring.

"This feels great, doesn't it," Levy grinned as she washed salt from her hair. "I haven't been to a hot-spring in forever!"

"We aren't here to take a bath," I frowned, untying the shirt from my head and throwing it near a tree.

"I know that," she said, "but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it. Besides, we aren't doing anything until later, anyways."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I admitted, sinking lower into the water.

"Let me wash your hair," Levy chuckled. I shot upright, startled, before I realized she had been talking to Lily. She scrubbed the fur on his head as she spoke cheerfully to him. I sank back down into the water as I watched her. I just couldn't figure her out. She took her job so seriously, yet she enjoyed such a simple thing as a hot-spring bath.

Her attitude towards me was even more confusing. One minute she hated my guts, and the next she was saving my life. Ever since we were bonded, she had been much friendlier to me, although I could tell she was still a little mad at me for what I had done to her and her team mates. Not as much as she should be, though. I knew that even if she was able forgive me, I probably wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I had been so foolish such a short time ago. Looking at the small hunter now, I couldn't imagine ever harming her. The only thing I wanted to do was protect her, which, of course, I knew was completely idiotic. Other than the bond, I had no reason to want to protect her. Well, the bond and the fact that I owe it to her after what I did.

"You're so cute!" Levy squealed, hugging Lily to her chest. He blushed slightly as his head was pressed against her, and I laughed. Even that cat gets embarrassed, huh? "If you ever get fed up with that big jerk, I'd be glad to have you join Shadow Gear," she said as she finally released him.

"Hey," I growled, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're a big jerk," she said, snidely.

I smirked, slowly swimming towards her. "So I'm a jerk, am I?"

"What are you-AH!" She shrieked as I lifted her out of the water, then released her. She crashed into the water, and came back up with a curse as she gasped for air.

I laughed as she splashed me, throwing insults with every wave. "You know, you're actually kind of cute when you're all pissed off like that," I chuckled.

She froze, staring at me with wide eyes. When I realized what I had just said, I froze, too. Shit! What the hell am I saying?! "Don't give me that look. I said kind of," I frowned, recovering. She gave me a final splash before getting out of the hot-spring.

"It's going to be getting dark soon, we should head back to the village," she said.

"Yeah," I nodded, trying hard not to notice how her wet dress clung to her pale skin.

"You should turn around so I can get dressed," she told me, going to the tree on which she had hung the clothes we had received from Karl.

I did as she said, ignoring the smirk Lily shot in my direction as he also turned around. What's his problem? I thought, frowning down at the water. My breath caught in my throat when I noticed the Shrimp's reflection against its surface. I told myself to look anywhere but at it as she untied the top off her dress and dropped it around her ankles, but I found myself staring instead.

Even through the distorted image from the moving water, I could tell she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her porcelain skin was absolutely perfect-as was everything else about her. The only flaw I could see was the small scratch still on her chest, though I barely noticed it. I was too distracted by everything else to pay much attention to something so small. She turned her back to me as she took off her soaked bra and underwear, and put on the dry ones. She slid on the green dress she had been given, and I watched as she slowly slid the material over her hips before slipping her arms into the sleeves.

"Gajeel," she said, and my back went rigid as if I had been caught doing something wrong. You were doing something wrong, you damned pervert! I scolded myself. "I'm done now. I'll head back to the village while you change."

"S-sure," I nodded, finally turning to face her. She rushed off, following the dirt path leading back to the village from the hot-spring.

"I saw that," Lily smirked, already out of the water and nearly changed.

"Saw what?" I challenged.

"Nothing at all," he shrugged. Still smirking, he followed after Levy, leaving me alone, still in the water.

I put my head on the ground at the edge of the water, groaning. "That damned girl's gonna be the death of me. I can just feel it."

~Levy~

After Gajeel threw me into the water, I splashed him, cursing. He laughed as water hit him, completely unaffected by my flurry of insults. "You know, you're actually kind of cute when you're all pissed off like that," he chuckled.

I froze, staring at him with wide eyes. W-what did he just say?! Did call me c-cute?! "Don't give me that look. I said kind of," he frowned.

Embarrassed, I gave him one final splash before retreating out of the spring. I wanted to put distance between us so he wouldn't see the awful scarlet color my face was beginning to turn. "It's going to be getting dark soon, we should head back to the village," I said, using that as an excuse to leave.

"Yeah," He nodded.

"You should turn around so I can get dressed," I told him, going to the tree on which I had hung the clothes we had received from Karl.

I waited until Gajeel and Lily had turned around before I began changing. I sighed happily as my wet dress fell to the ground around my ankles. I had been walking around in it all day, so it felt good to finally be putting on dry clothes. I slipped out of my bra and underwear, then put on the ones Karl had found for me. The villagers made clothes to sell, so they had plenty of spares in all different sizes. I was surprised that they had clothes small enough to fit me. They're probably clothes made for a little kid, I thought with a depressed sigh.

I stepped into the beautiful green dress I had been given, and marveled at the material. It was a combination of cotton and silk, and had been embroidered with blue and silver thread which made intricate swirling designs on the fabric. The chest was decorated with gems the color of my hair. The separate sleeves were tight at the top where they tied with blue ribbon, and flowed open towards my hands, hanging down several inches like a waterfall of blue and green silk.

"Gajeel," I finally said, "I'm done now. I'll head back to the village while you change."

"S-sure," he agreed. I rushed off without even turning to look at him, following the dirt path leading back to the village from the hot-spring. Although he played it off as not a big deal, he still called me cute-out loud! What even brought that on?!

"Miss Levy," Karl greeted me in his language once I reached the village, "did you enjoy the hot spring?"

"I did, thank you," I smiled.

"Where are your companions?" He asked.

"They were getting dressed. They shouldn't be too far behind," I answered.

He nodded. "We will have a feast in your honor tonight, to celebrate your challenge to the demon and to wish you luck."

"What are these nightmares like that the demon gives a person?" I asked.

"They are different for every person. I have yet to experience the demon's wrath, but I have heard the others detailing the horrors of being under its control. They spoke of their worst fears being brought to life in the nightmares, and that they felt so real. At the time, they believed the horrors they saw were really happening, and experienced true terror because of it."

"Sounds terrifying," I shuddered, a little afraid of what my nightmares would hold.

"Do not let the demon fool you while you sleep," he warned. "You must remember that, no matter what you see, it is only an illusion, that you will wake up and everything will be alright."

"Right," I nodded, not feeling any more confident about it. Before he could give me any more advice, Gajeel and Lily caught up to us. I told them everything Karl had told me, and Gajeel's face noticeably paled.

"You still want to go through with this? Even after what he said?" Gajeel asked.

I could sense his worry for me, so I tried to reassure him. "As long as I remember it's only a dream, I'll be fine. I'm a hunter, so I deal with scary demons all the time. This one won't be any different."

"Guests, it is time for the feast," Karl said. I told the others, and we followed him. I went through the entire celebration in a daze, focusing on things I was afraid of, and thinking of ways to conquer those fears. If I have a plan going in, it will be easier. The only problem was, I had no idea which fear the demon would use against me.

After a long time, I could feel myself growing tired. When I yawned, Sonya approached where I sat on the ground near a tree. "Are you ready for sleep, child?" She asked, looking almost envious. If anything, I wanted to kill this demon so the poor old woman could get some rest. Going so long without sleep would be hard on anyone.

"I have to eventually, I suppose," I smiled, standing.

"The festivities will be ending soon, so I will have Karl show you and your friends to your chambers where you may prepare for bed." She left me alone again to go find Karl. I assumed he was somewhat of her head guard, because he seemed to stay pretty close to her most of the time.

"Miss Levy," he said, greeting me, with Gajeel and Lily in tow. "Chief Sonya said you were growing tired."

"Sorry to leave before the party ends," I told him.

"You are fighting for our village, so do not apologize," he smiled, leading us away from the still rowdy villagers. "You three shall sleep here." He stopped in front of a small hut-like structure, and opened the wooden door. "Chief Sonya would like to apologize that there isn't anything more suitable-"

"This is great," I said, smiling. "Thank you very much for everything. See you in the morning."

"Good luck," he told me, bowing before he left us alone in front of the hut.

"So?" Gajeel asked, and I remembered he couldn't understand the villagers.

"I was a little tired, so Chief Sonya had Karl bring us here. We'll be staying here until we finish this. Hopefully that's only tonight."

"You're alright with sharing a room?" He smirked, raising an eyebrow as we entered the small one-room hut.

"Why shouldn't I be?" I frowned, picking up Lily. "Besides, Lily here will beat you senseless if you try anything while I'm sleeping."

Lily laughed as Gajeel cursed, turning his back to me and sitting down. "Might as well go to sleep then," he told me. "We can't sleep until we kill this thing, so let's get it over with."

"You're going to watch me while I sleep?" I asked.

"You make it sound creepy," he frowned. "This is your plan, remember?"

"I know. Just, stay over there until I'm asleep." I curled up on one of the mats Karl had placed in the room for us. Wrapping the blanket around myself, I shut my eyes and pretended I was sleeping at home-and that Gajeel wasn't a mere four feet away from me. Sleep came surprisingly easy, though I was a bit nervous about allowing it to take me. Once I'm asleep, I'll be wide open to the demon's games.

My eyes snapped open, and I sat upright in my bed. "Levy, dear, come with mommy." My mother was standing over me, still in her pajamas, with a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong, mommy?" I asked, wondering why she would be waking me in the middle of the night.

"Nothing, my precious child," she smiled, picking me up and carrying me towards her bedroom. "Mommy and Daddy just want you to stay with us."

"Why?"

"Don't worry about it right now," she said, stroking my long blue hair. It fell down my back in wild waves, and my bangs fell in my eyes. I brushed them away, yawning sleepily as I laid my head on my mother's shoulder.

"Lillian, it's coming," my father said as soon as we had reached their bedroom.

My mother made a choked sound, holding me more tightly against her. "Phillip, what about Levy?"

"She'll be fine," he told her.

My mother sat me on the bed, and knelt down so our eyes were level. "Levy, baby, listen to mommy. I need you to be a big girl for me, alright?"

"Yes, mommy," I smiled at her.

She smiled back, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "You know that mommy and daddy love you very much."

"I love you too, mommy," I said. Since she was crying, I gave her a hug. That always made me feel better when I cried, but it only seemed to make her cry harder.

"We love you so, so very much." She pulled away, making me meet her eyes as she brushed blue hair out of her face. "I need you to hide under mommy and daddy's bed for a little while, and I don't want you to come out no matter what. If you get scared, promise mommy you won't scream, and you won't come out from under this bed. Instead, put your hands over your ears, clamp your mouth tightly closed, shut your eyes, and sing a song in your head."

"Which song?" I asked.

"Any song. Something happy," she smiled, more tears wetting her cheeks. "Promise me. No matter what happens...no matter what happens to mommy and daddy, you'll stay hidden under the bed."

"But why? Where are you going?" I asked, starting to feel afraid. I didn't want mommy and daddy to leave me.

"Lillian," my father said, urgently.

"Promise me, Levy," she told me, grabbing my shoulders.

"I promise," I nodded.

"I love you so much," she whispered, pulling me into a hug. My father did the same, kissing me on the forehead. They then shoved me under the bed with a pillow, instructing me to press it over my face if I felt afraid. They had just stood up and turned towards the door when it flew open, shards of wood flying in every direction.

"I've been looking for you," a low voice growled. I began to shake as I watched the boots come farther into the room. I had no idea what was going on. Why had someone broken into our house? Why was I hiding underneath a bed?

"Damn you, filthy creature!" My father shouted, running towards the figure that belonged to the boots I could see. My mother screamed, and then everything turned red and purple. The blue carpet, now soaked in blood, was a sickening purple color. I pressed my face into the pillow as tears ran down my face. Where did all of this blood come from?

My mother ran at the creature, and the boots stumbled back. I heard some sort of ripping noise, then my father fell to the ground. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the gore in front of me. My father's head had been ripped from his body. The creature dropped it when my mother attacked him, causing it to roll towards my hiding spot underneath the bed. It came to a stop mere inches from me, and I could still clearly see the agonizing pain and fear in my father's otherwise blank eyes.

I pressed my face into the pillow and covered my ears as my mother screamed again, this time in pain. Why is this happening? What did mommy and daddy do to that creature? Why has it come here? When everything grew silent again, I lifted my head. "Mommy," I mouthed, wordlessly, not breaking my promise to remain silent. Her arms were laying on opposite sides of the room, and her stomach was ripped open.

I watched as the boots turned to leave, still shocked at what had just happened. Just as the boots reached the doorway, they paused. I scooted back when they turned, heading towards the bed once more. When the entire bed was thrown through the wall, I screamed. Knowing it had seen me, I dropped the pillow and bolted for the door. If I can get outside, maybe someone can-

A hand painfully grabbed my arm as I reached the living room. I was thrown back, and hit the wall hard. When I looked up, I found myself staring into cold white eyes. They belonged to a large demon that had what looked like iron scales for skin. His black hair hung down his back in spikes that were nearly as unruly as my curls.

He outstretched a clawed hand, gripping the front of my nightgown and pulling me roughly off the ground. My struggles were met with an amused smirk that exposed his fangs. "Silly little girl," he growled, shaking me. "If you stop struggling, I might kill you quickly, like your mother and father."

My shoulders shook as I sobbed, though I tried to stop them. I was so afraid, but I had no idea what to do. I was only a little girl. How could I do anything against a monster?

He drew his arm back, putting the tips of his fingers together so that his claws formed almost a point. I knew he was going to put that hand through my body. As his hand shot forward, I screamed. "Gajeel, stop!" I cried, closing my eyes. Wait a minute. Gajeel? That name sounded so familiar.

He paused, the tips of his claws just breaking my skin. He pulled away, staring at me in shock.

Suddenly, I wasn't a four-year-old child. I was myself. Gajeel held me in the air as we stared at each other. "P-please," I whispered, "stop this, Gajeel."

He dropped me, looking almost afraid. I got to my feet and stepped closer to him, holding out my hand. Although I had just witnessed him massacre my parents, I was no longer afraid of him. There's something I need to remember. It's important. What could it be?

"Levy, I-" he began, lowering his arms, "-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

I wrapped my arms around him. For some reason, I wanted to comfort this demon. I should have hated him, but instead, I felt bad for him, and didn't want to see him upset. "It's alright," I said as he leaned down, placing his head on my shoulder. "I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"Yes, I did," he chuckled darkly.

"Wha-AH!" There was suddenly a blinding pain in my stomach. When I looked down, I saw Gajeel's forearm sticking out of it. The rest of his arm was through me, his hand sticking out my back. He ripped it mercilessly from my stomach, laughing as I fell to the ground.

"Pathetic human," he growled, bringing his booted foot down on my wound. He laughed when I screamed in agony. "I killed your parents, and now I've come to finish the job. You were all sorry excuses for hunters, so the council is better off with out."

"G-Gajeel...w-why?" I gasped, beginning to choke on my own blood.

"Why?" He sneered, crouching down to glare into my eyes. "Because I hate all of you. I'm going to enjoy watching you bleed to death, human."

I coughed, spitting blood out of my mouth. Although I was dying, something continued tugging on the back of my mind. I needed to remember something important. Why are you worried about that right now, Levy? You're dying! I closed my eyes, wishing I could wake up from the nightmare I was in.

I gasped, opening my eyes. That's it! "This isn't real," I said, aloud.

"You can tell yourself that all you want, girl, you're still going to die," Gajeel growled.

I sat up, ignoring the pain. "None of this is real. My parents died a long time ago. I'm just in a nightmare created by a demon."

"Yeah, me," he scoffed, pushing me back down.

"No." I shook my head, forcing myself to my feet. He stood up as well, glaring down at me. "You made a mistake when you created this nightmare, demon," I smiled. I could feel the demon's hold on me weakening as I pulled myself out of the nightmare.

"And what was that?" Gajeel frowned.

"You didn't have all of your information straight. See, I know that Gajeel would never hurt me, no matter what. He especially wouldn't kill me, because that would mean the end of his life as well. You never thought that we might be bonded, so that was your downfall, demon."

"NO!" Gajeel shouted, wrapping his hands around my throat. Even as he choked me, I didn't fight him. With a smile, I put my hands on his face.

"This is all a dream, so you can't really hurt me."

"AHHH!" I was pulled from my dream with a jolt, almost as if I had been thrown out of it.

"It's alright," Gajeel said, stroking my hair. I hadn't realized it, but both of his arms were around me, and I was shaking violently. I could feel my heart beating against my chest as I took deep, shaky breaths.

"It's dead," Lily said. I couldn't see anything because my face was pressed into Gajeel's chest, but I could hear the sound of Lily's sword as he put it away.

"You did a great job," Gajeel told me, still holding onto me tightly.

"Is Levy alright?" Lily asked.

I pulled away from Gajeel as my heart returned to a normal pace and my breathing slowed. "I'm alright," I nodded.

"What the hell happened in there?" Gajeel asked. His red eyes were bright with fear, and he looked pale. I had never seen him like that, and it caught me off guard.

"I'd rather not talk about it," I said, remembering the nightmare. I had had flashbacks of that night in the form of nightmares before, but never had they been so vivid. For that short time, I was my four-year-old self again, witnessing for a second time the murder of my parents.

"I don't know what you did, but you managed to beat it," Lily smiled, patting me on the leg as he returned to his smaller form.

"Thanks," I smiled back.

"I'd say that woke up the whole village, so we should probably go see that old woman," Gajeel said.

"Yeah." I allowed him to help me up, and I led us out of the hut. When he got outside, I came to a halt, gasping in horror. The villagers' bodies were strewn across the the land like leaves. Blood soaked the dirt below my feet, and the air smelled of death. "What? But how?" I gasped, horrified.

"You failed, Levy," Gajeel spat, pushing me onto the hard ground. As I turned to look at him, I saw him pull a bloody hand out of Lily's chest and throw him to the ground.

"Lily!" I cried. "Gajeel, what's going on?" I asked, looking up at him as tears made warm tracks down my cheeks. "What happened here?"

"I may not be able to kill you, but that doesn't stop me from hurting all of these other fools," he smirked, lifting me off the ground by my hair. "While you were wrapped up in fighting that nightmare demon, I took care of them."

"Why?" I asked.

"Did you honestly think I'd become a hunter for the council? Your dumber than I thought, then," he scoffed. "I only did that to buy some time. I hadn't anticipated your little move with getting us bonded, so that was a minor setback."

"You can't-" I whispered, refusing to believe it. He was so kind to me before. I thought he was finally warming up to being a hunter again.

"I can," he smirked, bring our faces within inches of each other, "and I did. Next is that annoying organization you care so much about it. Since I can't hurt you, I'll destroy everything you love. That should teach you not to fuck with me again." He threw me to the ground before walking away, carelessly stepping on the bodies of the murdered villagers.

"Stop!" I shouted, chasing after him. He took off at a sprint, and it was all I could do to keep up with him. We ran for what felt like hours, and soon we reached Magnolia. No! I have to stop him! I reached for my gun, but realized I had left it back in the village. "Damn it!" I cursed, urging my legs to move faster. Gajeel was still several yards in front of me, and I couldn't catch up to him.

"Iron Dragon Roar!" He shouted, blasting a hole through the side of headquarters. I heard guns being fired and several screams when he ran inside. By the time I reached the building, it was too late. I arrived just in time to see him throw Lucy's lifeless body to the ground where it joined the bodies of my other friends.

"Lucy!" I screamed, running towards her.

Gajeel wrapped his hand around my neck before I could reach her, and lifted me into the air. "Take a good look around you, Shrimp," he smirked, "because all of this is your fault."

"No," I whispered, tears once again soaking my cheeks.

"This all happened because you were too weak to save any of them."

"Shut up."

"Even when giving it your all, you still weren't able to save even one of your friends!" He laughed, dropping me onto the blood-soaked tiles. I felt cold, despite the hot blood staining my skin. They're all dead. "If you hadn't been so weak, maybe you could have saved them."

"I'm not weak," I said, trying to get to my feet. My legs, however, had a different plan. I couldn't get them to support me, no matter how many times I tried. Eventually, I gave up. What does it matter, anyway? Even if I stand up, what can I do?

"This is what happens when you're weak," he sneered, grabbing my hair and dragging me across the floor. He left the horror that used to be my organization's headquarters, and walked towards Magnolia. "I'm going to kill every last one of them while you watch," he told me, "just to show you how weak you are."

"Please, no," I begged. I couldn't take it anymore. I felt hollow on the inside, and I couldn't even cry. I wanted to die, but I knew he would never grant me that luxury. Because if I were to die, he'd die too. As he dropped me and charged towards the unknowing citizens of Magnolia, the answer suddenly hit me.

"Gajeel!" He stopped in his tracks, turning to face me. I picked up a stray shard of iron that was left behind from his spell, and pressed it against my neck. "You leave those people alone!" I commanded.

"You wouldn't do it," he smirked. His confidence faltered when I pressed the sharp metal into my skin slightly, wincing as blood ran down my chest from the wound.

"I have nothing left to live for, so I would and I will if you don't back down."

He was standing in front of me within the blink of an eye. He grabbed the iron from me, throwing it far out of my reach. "You would turn to suicide?" He snickered.

"If that's what it took to stop you."

"You can't stop me," he smiled, sadly. "You're too weak."

"Levy!" I suddenly heard Lucy's voice, causing me to gasp.

"Lu-chan?" I asked, looking back towards Fairy Tail. She was leaning against the broken wall of the headquarters building, staring at Gajeel and I with wide eyes as tears ran down her face.

"Levy, everyone-they're all," a sob cut her off. "It all happened so fast."

"Why are you still alive?" Gajeel growled, storming towards her. My fear motivated my legs to move, and I ran after him.

"Lu-chan, run!" I called to her. Again, I was too late. Gajeel's strong hand wrapped around her throat. I could only watch, frozen in fear, as she fought for air. What can I do? If I don't do something now, Lu-chan is going to die! Spotting another shard of iron, I picked it up and stabbed myself in the leg without thinking. If I could at least hurt him, Lucy would be able to run away. Unfortunately, he was completely unaffected, even as I screamed in pain and fell to the ground.

How was he not bothered by that?! He has to be in pain! The only possible way that wouldn't hurt him would be if he was invincible. I gasped, suddenly feeling so foolish. He was invincible. "Because he isn't real." I got to my feet again, and threw a piece of stone at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" He growled, throwing Lucy to the ground and turning on me.

"This is a nightmare," I said, "I'm still asleep."

"You're really going to tell yourself that?" He scoffed.

"Now I'm sure," I sighed, feeling relieved. I had been so consumed in my own fear and grief that I hadn't realized it, but I wasn't sensing anything from Gajeel. Through our bond, I should have felt his anger, or his satisfaction-something, but I felt nothing at all.

I shut my eyes, ignoring everything happening around me. "This is a dream," I said, "just a nightmare caused by a demon. My friends are alive and well in Magnolia, and Gajeel is sitting by my side back in the village, waiting for me to defeat this demon."

"What are you doing, girl?" Gajeel snarled, though it was no longer his voice. A fist met my face hard, and I fell to the ground.

Cupping my face, I continued. "I cannot be hurt because this is a dream. I have to wake up, and help Gajeel and Lily. I have to defeat this demon, because the villagers are depending on me."

"Shut up, you filthy human!" He shouted. "I will kill everyone you love! You will wish you were dead by the time I'm through with you!"

I opened my eyes, staring straight into Gajeel's slowly deforming face. "Get out of my head," I demanded. "I am not your toy!"

"-vy! Levy!" Gajeel's worried voice made me open my eyes.

"Gajeel?"I asked, unsure of whether or not I was still dreaming.

"Thank god," he sighed, crushing me to his chest. I could feel relief flooding into me through our bond, and I knew I had finally woken up.

"The demon is dead," Lily said, returning to his normal size and putting his sword away. He had a bruise on his chest, but looked fine otherwise. "The villagers are all outside celebrating our victory. I asked them to excuse us from the festivities until tomorrow."

"I'm impressed, Shrimp," Gajeel grinned, patting me on the head. "That thing was nearly dead when you kicked it out of your head."

"It nearly got me," I admitted. Involuntarily, I shivered, thinking about the nightmares the demon had given me. I took a deep breath, and winced slightly. "What the-?" I gasped, looking down to see my bruised chest. When I looked at Gajeel, a hand shot to my mouth as I stared at him. The bruises covering his chest were three times worse than mine. "What happened?" I asked, gently touching his bruised skin.

"Nothin'," he shrugged, exchanging a look with Lily.

"I did that, didn't I?" I asked, knowing immediately I had been correct. "Gajeel, I'm so sor-"

"This'll be gone by tomorrow," he said, waving me off. "You took care of that demon, and that's all that matters. I think we should all get some rest. It was a long night for all of us."

Lily was way ahead of us. He had already curled up on the mat beside mine and was sleeping soundly. I smiled, laying down on my own mat with Gajeel to my right. "You know, it was this bond that defeated that demon in the end," I told him.

"How so?" He frowned.

"It just did," I said, not wanting to tell him the part he played in my nightmares. Watching him fall asleep, I couldn't imagine him ever hurting me. My eyes fell on the bruises covering his chest, and my heart ached. It seemed I had been the one to hurt him in the end.

He said he would heal, so I shouldn't be so worried about it. Hunters get hurt on assignments all the time! But the thought of Gajeel getting hurt made my chest ache in a way that it never had before.

Confused, I rolled over and closed my eyes. I had no idea why I should feel that way. It was just a bruise after all. "Good night, Gajeel," I whispered, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.