"Five more minutes" Levy mumbled, as she snuggled closer into her pillow, only it wasn't a pillow as pillows didn't breath. Levy quickly opened her eyes to find that she had been snuggling onto a very topless Gajeel. She quickly sat up and rubbed at her eyes to make sure that she wasn't dreaming she gasped at the fact that she didn't mind sharing a bed or snuggling with the Iron Dragon Slayer. No bad Levy, stop thinking inappropriate thoughts! While Levy had her inner monologue the sound of Gajeel stirring startled the script mage, causing her to fall off the edge of the bed with small scream and hit her head on the wall.
"Shrimp, what are you doing down there?" Gajeel asked.
"I just fell" Levy sighed as she rubbed her head.
"Well, keep it down, I'm sleeping" He said as he turned around and the soft sound of snoring was heard once again. Levy took that as her cue to get up, walking past the small desk she spotted the Heavens light pearl, still in its container and smiled at the adventure it caused.
"Impressive, shrimp" Said Gajeel, causing the script mage to blush slightly.
"Uh, thanks Gajeel" She smiled. The solid script spell she used, managed to buy them enough time to escape, the explosion startling the large mob and the smoke covering their quick exit with no casualties...unless you count the side of a building.
"I think, it's safe to stop now" Lily sighed as is wings disappeared and the exceed was grounded once more.
"Finally!" Levy gasped, as she collapsed onto a park bench.
"Tired, shrimp?" Gajeel asked.
"Well yeah, have you seen how short my legs are? Gees I feel like I've just ran a marathon!" She panted.
After some much needed respite the trio of mages headed to an inn just outside Lavender to spend the night, due to the limited number of rooms Gajeel and Levy were forced to share a bed, the ongoing thunder storms, causing the exceed to hide under the bed.
"It isn't that bad" Said Levy smiling.
"Glad you like the idea of sleeping with me" Gajeel laughed, causing Levy to turn red. Gajeel climbed into bed grabbing Levy by the waist and pulling her next to him in the bed.
"Gajeel!" levy gasped, blushing madly as she realised that the Dragon Slayer still had his arm wrapped around her waist.
"Shush, Shrimp" Gajeel whispered.
"Ga-"she started but the Dragon Slayer shushed her once more.
"Sleep..." He said through a yawn as he closed his eyes. Levy sighed, closed her eyes and let the steady beating of Gajeel's heart lull her to sleep.
Levy smiled as she picked up the pearl in its glass container and smiled, you brought us here and got us closer, you know...and I'm crazy, talking to a pearl... The script mage placed the pearl down on the small table and rummaged through her bag for her communication lacrima. The lacrima glowed blue, meaning that someone was trying to contact her; most likely it was Lu-Chan.
"Levy-Chan!" Lucy shouted, her face appearing on the lacrima "How are you?"
"Great, Lu-Chan, we've found the pearl" Levy said excitedly, as she lifted up the glass container for the celestial mage to see.
"Great Levy-Chan!" Said Lucy excitedly "Master sent us out on the first train this morning, so we should be in Lavender soon"
"Lucy, everything is spinning" Natsu moaned, Lucy turned her lacrima so Levy could see Natsu lying on the table, his eyes spirals.
"Poor Natsu" Levy sighed.
"Yeah, and to make it worse, Wendy's troia, isn't working" Said Lucy, sighing sadly.
"He should be fine, once you arrive" Levy pointed out.
"Yeah, and when we arrive I want to hear all about what you and Gajeel got up to" Said Lucy smiling mischievously.
"Lu-Chan!" Levy shouted blushing madly
"Bye Levy-Chan, see you soon!" Said Lucy and then the lacrima went blank
"It's not my fault that the train is late" Shrimp moaned, her arms folded over her chest.
"We've been here for hours..." Gajeel moaned, slouching on the bench.
"It has been only twenty seven minutes" Lily pointed out.
"See, Gajeel, you're just being impatient" Shrimp smiled.
"Whose side are you on, you're meant to be my cat" Gajeel growled
"I'm an exceed" Lily stated, hating being referred to as the wrong species. After having a heated argument with his cat the train finally pulled into the station, many passengers running out including Team Natsu, with the Salamander happily hugging the ground like an idiot.
"Natsu get off the floor!" Titania shouted as she kicked Natsu upright.
"Levy-Chan!" Bunny girl shouted as she grabbed Shrimp into a tight hug.
"Lu-Chan!" Shrimp gasped, struggling to breath due to the strength of bunny girl's hug.
"Levy!" Wendy said excitedly, as she turned to hug Shrimp.
"Hey, Wendy, Charle" Shrimp smiled, receiving a nod from the exceed.
"I think that's enough hugging, we need to discuss what we'll do with that" Said Titania, gesturing to the pearl that Shrimp held in her hands. The group nodded their heads as they moved out.
"Can't you lot just sniff him out?" Bunny girl asked.
The group had sat in the park for over an hour, trying to find out ways, to find Payne and defeat him with the pearl; however it wasn't easy especially with the Salamander suggesting every two minutes that they should just confront him head on, only to be shot down by Titania for his ignorant ideas.
"Gajeel tried before, after the infirmary incident, but his sent is impossible to trace" Shrimp said sadly.
"That's too bad" Wendy sighed "But good try, Lucy"
"Then that means that we get him to come to us" The ice stripper stated.
"How do you suppose we do that you, ice stripping pervert?" Salamander shouted
"How am I a pervert you hot headed idiot, I don't see you come up with any ideas!" Gray shouted. Their arguments stopped once Titania backhanded both mages, resulting in two large bruises on their faces.
"Idiots" She growled "But you have a point, Gray, we have to draw Payne to us"
"Erza, how do we do that, we don't even know where he is" Said Bunny girl confused. Titania turned to face Shrimp who had averted her gaze and was twiddling her thumbs.
"Levy..." Said Titania
"Payne and I have a connection, through that he can sense my emotions" Shrimp stated.
"..."
"Well, whenever I'm in a place that is close to me, my emotions sort of go into overdrive, it was how he knew I was at the guild, since I see that as my home" Shrimp explained
"So you're saying that if you go to a place that's close to you, in theory you could draw Payne to you?" Bunny girl asked, causing everyone to nod at the sound of the plan.
"You're not being bait" Gajeel growled.
"Then how else do we get to Payne?" Shrimp asked "We don't really have any other options"
"Levy's right, Gajeel, even though it's dangerous this may be our only shot" Said Titania
"Levy, did you have a place in mind?" Wendy asked Levy nodded.
"The tree" She whispered, causing everyone to freeze.
"Levy-Chan...are you sure about this?" Bunny girl asked.
"Yes, Lu-Chan" Shrimp said, her gaze once again on the floor. "Besides the guild, it's the only place where I truly feel something; it will be easier for Payne to find me there"
Everyone nodded, except Gajeel, who kept his eyes on shrimp. How could she be so calm about this? Since he joined Fairy Tail, Gajeel had always avoided that tree, it brought up too many memories, he couldn't even imagine what the Shrimp went through whenever she passed it. Gajeel inwardly sighed as he came to realise that his Shrimp was the bravest person he ever knew.
The plan was simple; hang around that tree, feel some emotions, face Payne and defeat him with the pearl. Only it wasn't simple. Erza had split the mages into three groups; Gray, Wendy, Charle and Erza, Lucy, Happy and Natsu and Gajeel, Lily and herself. It was simple Gajeel and Lily would stay with her but hidden in the forest, not too far away from Levy, and offer support when needed. Natsu, Happy and Lucy would wear him down, whilst Erza, Wendy and Gray would immobilise him allowing Levy to take the opportunity to use the pearl on him.
"You've been quiet for some time" Said Gajeel as he sat up in the tree.
"You have been quiet, is something wrong?" Lily asked.
"Just, going over the plan" Levy sighed as she rolled the small pearl around her hand.
"It'll be fine, Shrimp" Gajeel said.
"But-" She started.
"No buts, Shrimp, trust me" He said, His eyes staring into hers, she nodded her head, stood up but suddenly froze as she felt a familiar cold sensation:
He was here.
Sorry, keep ending on cliffhangers. I think I'm addicted.
JustAnotherFairy