Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or any of it's characters, sadly. All rights belong to Hiro Mashima. I do own my OC, Troy, however.

As soon as Gajeel left their camp thing he had headed straight towards the smell of sweaty men. It actually worked since not ten minutes after he left Levy, which he still had a bad feeling about, he arrived at a fairly large but shabby and extremely unguarded encampment. Instead of sneaking in he made a more Gajeel like entrance.

"Oi! Where are all you twerps hiding? Come out here and fight me ya damn cowards! Don't make me come find you, I can get pretty fucking scary." He shouted out, sniffing about for the nearest, largest group of men. When he finally caught wind of them he had to stop and laugh. Every single person from this camp was waiting in the centre. Like they knew he was coming. He wanted to turn back and get to Levy, to make sure she was okay. But he didn't, he knew she could hold her ground and that these guys would follow him and make things difficult. So, instead of going back or yelling out again he merely started running forwards. Then, extending his legs to the fullest, he jumped over 200 feet into the centre of the group of men. Immediately forming his dragon scales and transforming both of his arms into iron poles Gajeel spun around, killing almost ten of the men. Swinging randomly and dodging the attacks he saw or heard coming Gajeel managed to kill all but five of the men. They were now facing each other, panting like they had rabies, and waiting for the opposition to make a move. Gajeel grunted.

"Why are you guys raiding innocent people?" He questioned gruffly, taking the opportunity to look at the mages, noticing that they all seemed fine but one of them had a large gash in his thigh and another had a broken arm. Gajeel himself was sporting some lovely bruises and a deep yet not wide cut on his left forearm and a deep gash in his hip the stretched from his right hip bone around to roughly halfway along his lower back. Both cuts were bleeding profusely, his black clothing saturated in blood, both his and not his.

"Why wouldn't we?" One of the men asked back, trying to shuffle around so he got behind Gajeel. Snorting at his failed attempt, Gajeel took a step forwards, watching the men flinch in fear.

"Cuz it's a fucking horrible thing to die for. You guys are extreme bastards, just so you know. Let's finish this so I can get back to my partner." One of the men snickered.

"You have a partner? Ahahaha!" Gajeel transformed his arm into a sword and jabbed the man three times, once in the heart and once in each of his lungs, effectively cutting off all sounds aside from a slight gurgling. The remaining four men stopped sniggering.

"Well... at least some of them can die laughing." Gajeel said, chuckling slightly himself. Just then, two of the men ran forwards, attempting to trip Gajeel. Gajeel laughed at their pitiful attempts and quickly hacked at both of them, sending them tumbling towards the ground. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and dropped onto his back, crushing his attacker in the process. Now there was just one attacker left.

"Think you can beat us? No way in hell! Prepare to die for your stupidity! We Black Moons do not give up! Here I come you filthy bas-" The last one said, his words cut off as the breath whooshed out of him and he slammed into a tree with an iron pole to the gut, cleanly snapping his spine.

"I win." Gajeel stated gruffly, walking over to the one slumped at the bottom of the tree. "Thanks for your guilds name. Also... Levy would kill me if she found out I left you here to die so consider this a favour." He concluded, smashing the guy in the ribcage and knocking him unconscious. He would probably die in an hour or so. Then Gajeel made an iron net and picked everyone up, dead or alive, and shoved them in the net. When everyone was off the ground he took the net and hung it from a tree near the centre of the camp.

"Well gentlemen..." Gajeel started sarcastically. "I'll be off now. For those of you who are still alive... good job. The council should be with you shortly." With an over exaggerated bow Gajeel turned crisply on his heel and ran off, heading towards Levy. Just then he heard a bloodcurdling scream and he froze in his tracks.

NO! His mind screamed, urging him on. Then there was another scream. Only this time it had meaning to it. It was his name.

"Fuck Shorty, god no!" He panted, pushing himself to his limit. Then the camp came into view and he breathed a slight sigh of relief. Levy would be fine and he could pound that goddamn bastards face in. He burst through the clearing, eyes shining with murderous intent. Only thing was... nobody was there. It was silent and he could only make out three distinct smells. Blood, himself and, oh so faintly, her.

"FUCK!" He shouted, punching a random tree and sinking down to his knees. He started sniffing around, only stopping to see the damage his punch did as the trees trunk cracked and split in two, much like the titanic did. Silently praising his comparison Gajeel caught her scent and followed it, deep into the forest.

(^.^) (^.^)

After a few hours Gajeel decided to stop and gather his bearings. As he stood there and looked around he memorized every part. It was probably the middle of the night now and was oddly cold out, despite being so hot on the road on their trip to the forest. The coolness was, naturally, the only logical reason for the tremors that ran over his body. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was scared shitless that Levy could be already dead. It was also oddly quiet and probably would've seemed calm and peaceful on any other night. From some of the trees you could hear leaves rustling though, and the crackling of plants and stones sounded from under his feet. The moonlight shone down into the little clearing he was resting in, filtering through the branches of the trees and making deep pools of shadows where one could see oddly deformed and muddled shapes. It caught the water from a nearby pond, turning the water into a large, liquid moonstone. The light also caught Gajeels eyes, giving them a more dangerous and mysterious appeal. Gajeel then noticed an oddly shaped tree. It kind of looked like a doorway to something.

Possibly a fairy house...Gajeel said to himself, thinking about how much Levy would enjoy it. With an anxious and angry growl Gajeel spurred himself into movement, heading further along. As the minutes ticked by, so did Gajeels sanity. He was worried sick and every little thing reminded him of that headstrong, stubborn little fairy he had come to love. He knew that if he couldn't find her, everyone would blame him, including himself. He would become an outcast once more, he would fade into the nothingness that would surround him. He wouldn't be able to sleep and if he did it would be riddled with ceaseless nightmares.

"Oof!" He muttered, tripping over a root in his daydream and knocking the wind right out of himself. Shaking his head, he sat up, evaluating his surroundings. There weren't many discernible features about them though.

Wait... what about that tree? He wondered, standing up and taking a few steps over to a tree that looked almost exactly the same as the 'fairy door' tree from the first clearing. Only difference? They seemed to be opposites to each other. Plus, the clearing was different too. There were a lot of fiddle head ferns in this one whereas the other one had trillium flowers spotting the ground around it. Plus there was a large oak tree at the other and a medium sized maple tree beside it whereas this one had multiple willows ranging in size from seedling to elder. Thinking about the mysterious trees and Levy, Gajeel stepped forwards and pressed his hand flat where the 'handle' of the tree 'door' would be. Suddenly he was surrounded by runes.

"What the fuck?" He questioned, floating two or three degrees into the air. The runes gave him instructions.

Go to the first fairy door through this one. You must enter here or stay away from these doors forever, never to return. Should you choose to enter this door you shall enter a long and dark tunnel. You will have thirty seconds to turn around. If you don't, the doors will close and you will have no option but to continue into the darkness. If you continue you will eventually come to a door. That is the first fairy door. These doors are a means of transportation for those who believe. Do you believe? Gajeel read out.

"What the fuck is this shit?" He asked himself, staring at the runes. Then an image of Levy appeared. It was extremely dark and hard to see but Gajeel could see she was hurt, especially so since her breathing was very laboured. Gajeel pounded on the runes.

"Give me Levy!" He shouted hysterically. She was alive but just barely. She couldn't take much more, strong as she was and Gajeel knew it. The runes fluttered.

Stop that incessant pounding, it hurts. Also, we know where your girl is at. We could help you if you choose it to be so. Gajeel stopped smacking the walls and cocked his head. The longer he stayed here the longer she was at Troys mercy.

"I don't need help." He mumbled stubbornly.

Suuure you don't. But either way accept it or don't. We could shorten your searching time. It doesn't seem like she can hold out much longer. It's up to you but make your decision now. You are wasting precious time. Gajeel groaned. These runes sure were giving him a run for his money. Sassy little things... but they were right. He admitted that much.

"Okay... I'll do it. Take me to Levy." He whispered with his head down. He was quickly lowered and the runes shimmered once more.

Good choice. When you enter the tunnel just walk forwards, no hesitation. Even with your advanced senses you won't be able to see. You will eventually come upon a door. It will be the first one you saw. Then, knock on the door three times and it will open for you once more. Enter it and turn left. There is a tunnel that will take you to a door right before their camp. Destroy everyone or don't, it's up to you, but get that girl. Get her or it's all over for both of you. She won't be with you anymore and you will no longer see a need to live. Good luck. Then the runes disappeared and the door swung open smoothly. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Gajeel stepped forwards into the darkness and didn't look back.

(^.^) (^.^)

"You awake yet my dear?" A voice whispered in her ear, sending convulsive shivers down her back. Her eyes quickly shooting open she sat up, fast as a rocket.

"W-who's t-there?" She stuttered, looking around frantically. Her thoughts were muddled, her eyesight was hazy and her throat was dry. She wasn't very hungry or thirsty though and it was still dark out so she assumed that not much time had passed. She was in a decently sized room, sitting on one of three pieces of furniture. She was on the bed and a table and chair were beside her, unoccupied aside from a thin blanket on the back of the chair.

"Why it's me, your love. Don't you remember earlier tonight? Your old Dragon Slayer friend tried to kill you but don't worry, I saved you." The voice said, a hand caressing her head.

"I... I am Levy, aren't I?" She asked confusedly. The voice chuckled.

"Of course you are, just as I am Troy. You remember when Gajeel tried killing you, right?" He asked her slowly, as if trying to burn that thought into her brain. Levy flinched.

"I... he... no. I don't remember. Especially since he would never. He has risked his life for me before. Now is no different than any other time. He would not try to kill me. It was you. I know this fact like the back of my hand so don't bother lying to me." Levy said, as defiantly as she could in her beat up state. Shakily standing up she turned to face him. An unmoving glare was plastered on her face and headed straight to him. Troy chuckled at her fierce facade and strolled up to her, running his thumb over her lower lip. Just as Levy was about to bite his thumb however, he leaned forwards and captured her lips, making her gag in the process. Elbowing him in the ribs with her left arm, since the right was still severely damaged, she took advantage of his brief lapse of attention to bite his lower lip as hard as she could. Letting out a holler of pain Troy staggered backwards, clutching his lip. Levy smiled sweetly at him and spat the blood from his lip right onto his shoes. Growling in annoyance and anger Troy stepped forwards and smashed his fist into Levy's jaw. Levy gasped and stumbled backwards, spots clouding her already hazy vision. But Troy wasn't done yet.

"I want you so I can't kill you and I want you awake so you respond so I don't want to have to knock you out. You're injured, come and lay down with me." He cooed, motioning towards the bed.

"Never." Levy snarled, not moving an inch.

"Later then, you will be mine!" Troy screamed, punctuating his 'mine' with a punch to her gut, knocking the wind out of her and sending her reeling towards the table. With a quick jab of his right leg Troy knocked the backs of her knees and laughed as she collapsed, face first into the table. There was a light cracking noise and then Levy slid down, eyes closing in pain. This time, her last thoughts before she blacked out were, That bastard just broke my goddamn cheekbone!

(^.^) (^.^)

Uncaring as he was, Troy watched Levy's fall with a smirk. He knew he'd be able to have his way with her eventually. There wasn't anything anyone could do. He was almost positive that his men had killed her male partner. Troy would just send out some men tomorrow to double check the camp. Levy's last hope was no more. Laughing at the pitiful girl in front of him he stalked forwards. When he arrived in front of her he gave out multiple kicks to the ribs. He couldn't care less when he started to hear the cracks of her bones either. The only thing that made him stop was when he noticed that she was bleeding and now his shoes were all bloody. Uttering a curse he kicked her one more time before pulling out the chair and sitting down.

"Why is it always my shoes?" Troy muttered, wiping off the blood.

"Sir!" Someone panted, bursting through the door.

"What is it now? I'm having fun." Troy said, emphasizing his point by kicking Levy in the head, worsening the swelling on her cheek. The man smirked but it was quickly replaced by a worried frown.

"Well we sent out the men early and they reported back that all were dead and the man you described with black clothing, metal studs and long, spiky black hair wasn't there. Then we got a message saying that one of our squads in the trees noticed a man with your description heading right towards us. I'd say we have five minutes before he breaks down this door right here and goes on an all out killing spree." The man told Troy in a panicked dither, motioning frantically towards the door leading to the exact room they were in. Troy smiled, not seeming to be worried in the slightest.

"Let him come. The fun has apparently just begun. Now shoo, go find something to do. Tell the men to brace themselves or whatever." Troy told him with an expression of excitement. The man nodded and swiftly exited, careful not to step on Levy on his way out. Cruel as his boss may be he didn't fancy beating up a girl normally, let alone a bloody, broken, unconscious one. He shuddered slightly at the thought and closed the door firmly with a sharp click. Inside the room, Troy smiled at Levy.

"This could be a lot of fun. I'll go wait for your little... friend for you. Don't worry, I won't let him near you. You're all mine my lovely." Troy told Levy, sauntering out the door and letting it slam behind him.

(^.^) (^.^)

Gajeel was starting to panic, he had done as the runes said and was supposedly walking towards the camp that contained Levy. However, he had been walking along for nearly ten minutes now and he hadn't spotted hide nor hair of the encampment. Growling a frustrated curse, Gajeel punched his second tree of the evening. This one happened to be right in front of him and he watched it crumble, his eyebrows raising when the gap the fallen tree provided was only obstructed by some wooden planks.

Wait a moment... this is the camp! His thoughts screamed in ecstasy while he fought the random urge to jump up and down or spin in circles. Gathering his wits, he surged forwards, breaking through the wall without hesitation. The bricks crumbled into dust and his fists were no worse for wear. When the air settled Gajeel noticed he was in a poorly lit hallway with multiple doors lining it on both sides. Taking a tentative sniff Gajeel moaned. He could not smell Levy right now. However, he did pick up a faintly familiar smell. It was Troy. Muttering incoherent curse Gajeel sprinted towards the source of the smell, an open courtyard with at least fifty men, Troy standing right in the centre.

"Why hello there, long time no see. I hope you have enjoyed your trip. Please, let my men give you a personal lesson in pain. It won't hurt." Troy smirked, motioning for his men to attack. Gajeel growled and plowed forwards through the seething mass of men, smashing every single one into unconsciousness with one swing of his arms which were currently in iron pole mode.

"Don't you fuck with me now!" Gajeel screamed, finishing off the last of the men in under ten seconds. "I came here to kill you and get back MY Levy. You wanna play? I'm not in the mood." Gajeel growled at him. Troy was standing there watching Gajeel. He almost seemed shell shocked at how fast Gajeel had killed his men. They were the strongest in his guild. When Gajeels words penetrated into his worried thoughts Troy acted instantaneously.

"Your Levy? As if, she's mine now. Would you like to see her?" He asked venomously pulling out a lacrima screen and dropping it onto the floor in front of them. A projection of Levy and her room showed up in the air before them and Gajeel stifled a gasp. Levy was in a heap on the floor, more bloodied and bruised than he remembered from when he last saw her. But the scariest part was that he knew she was alive but could not see her breathing. It was that shallow and and quick that he couldn't tell. Smashing his foot down onto the lacrima screen he ended the projection and hurled the broken object at Troys head. Troy easily dodged and laughed at Gajeel.

"That all you got? Wow you're pathetic... how on earth did my strongest men die fighting you?" Troy smirked at Gajeel.

"Cuz I'm fighting fer something that's mine. Also, if I were you, I wouldn't have shown me that. Now I have more incense and drive to kill you. Prepare to die." Gajeel hissed, running forwards and ramming an iron fist into Troys gut, sending him flying. Troy landed thirty feet away with a thud and a crack.

Good, at least something broke. Gajeel thought, waiting for Troy to limp back to him so they could finish this off. Just then, Troy raised his arms and sent a snake right for Gajeel.

"Snake magic? Is that all? Lame." Gajeel stated, dodging the snake and then turning to stomp on it and snap its spine before turning back to Troy and punching him in the jaw, effectively knocking him out.

"That was way too easy." Gajeel muttered, tying Troy up so he couldn't escape. Deciding to leave the rest of the men till later, they were pretty beat up and unconscious so he wasn't worried, Gajeel sniffed around until he caught Levy's scent. It was very faint and almost completely masked by the smell of blood. Following the scent Gajeel took turn after turn, minutes feeling like hours, until he finally arrived at a small, almost unnoticeable door. Cautiously gripping the handle, he turned his hand slightly until he heard the click of the door opening. Giving it a firm shove he took two steps forwards and looked around.

"Levy?" He whispered, scanning the bed. There was a small movement to the right and suddenly there was a sharp pain in his forehead.

"I said never! Gajeel will save me!" Levy cried weakly, utterly spent from standing up and hitting him. Then, almost in slow motion, Levy started tumbling forwards and her eyes slid shut.

"Shorty!" He shouted, diving for her. As soon as he felt her in his arms he twisted his body so that she wouldn't be harmed. Sitting up quickly he scanned her face. She was so bruised, bloody and broken that he was sure Troy had had his way with her.

"Oi... wake up Munchkin." He whispered, running his thumb over her cheeks. He stopped when she winced. Looking closely he noticed that the bone was broken.

"Shit Levy... how did this happen?" Levy's eyes suddenly fluttered open and she panicked, clawing at his chest and trying to scramble away.

"No! Get away from me! I'm not yours! Let me go!" She sobbed hysterically. Gajeel grabbed her chin and forced her head up so that she could look him in the eye.

"Shorty, it's me. It's alright, just calm down now. We're gonna go back." He told her softly, the words catching in his throat. He wanted to throw up right now. It hurt him to see her in this state.

"G-Ga-Gajeel?" She questioned, gulping air. Gajeel nodded at her and she started sobbing again and cuddled up to his chest, shivering from cold, fright, pain and relief all at once.

"It's you... it's really you." She choked out, clinging to him for dear life.

"Of course it is Shorty. Hold on now, okay? Let's find something to wrap you up in." Gajeel murmured with a halfhearted chuckle. Heaving himself up from the ground Gajeel let out a grunt and held onto Levy tightly who was too busy trying to stay awake and not cry out to hold on. Looking around the sparsely decorated room Gajeel noticed the blanket on the back of the chair and set Levy down on the table gently.

"Here, just sit down and give me a second, kay? We'll be leaving in a minute. Don't fall asleep now. You might not wake up." He warned her, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it tightly around her slight frame. Careful so as not to jostle her Gajeel picked her up and settled her into his arms, bridal style.

"Gajeel..." Levy whispered suddenly, curling up into his chest. Gajeel looked down at her and started running, making sure he moved quickly but smoothly at the same time.

"Yeah?" He asked her, lifting her up slightly so he could see her better.

"I'm sorry I'm such a burden... I really didn't mean for this to happen. Things were going so well and then... I really am so-" She cried but was cut off abruptly when Gajeel kissed her, cutting off all noise.

"Don't say that. You aren't a burden. Don't worry about pointless stuff like that. It'll just stress you out and then you'll end up falling asleep. Focus on staying awake. Count how many trees we pass or something." Gajeel told her gruffly, pulling away and avoiding eye contact. Levy smiled then and leaned into him.

"Thank you..." She murmured, watching the sky as the night turned to day. Gajeel grunted and sped up. She was sounding sleepy so he had to hurry up and get back to the guild as soon ad he could.

Munchkin won't die. I won't let her. Munchkin won't die. I won't let her. He chanted in his head, running for dear life, literally, into the rising sun.

A/N:

So thanks for reading~! Please review. I hope you enjoyed it and aren't ready to kill me for this cliffhanger. I'll update soon so stay tuned. Love y'all!