The next day Levy sat at her dressing table looking blankly at her reflection in the tall gold mirror, her eyes focusing on her hair which now fell in a wavy mess around her shoulders. Slowly she ran her fingers through the tips and smiled slightly, she actually liked her new hair style more then her long old one. She thought about the people who attacked her last night, each face showing clearly in her minds eye. They were looking for a book. This book had to be special but the only unique book Levy could think of was her mothers Solid Script Basics book that she had found. Were they looking for that book? If so, why? A million questions spun in her head until a harsh knock at her bedroom door tore her away from her hypnotic state. "Come in" she rose from her seat to see her brother, Jellal, walk into the room.

"You've been in here all day, Father and I missed you at the family meals" He looked worryingly at his little sister, his concern for her was clear.

"I've just been tired, rough night you know" She smiled weakly, he didn't seem convinced "How are Droy and Jet?" she asked after a few moments of hesitation on his side.

"The nurse said they'll be fine after a few days rest, that guy beat them bad though. You'll have to be extra careful"

"Heh, two of my only friends were beaten half to death by a Goliath of a man and you're telling me to be careful?" Levy huffed

"Yes Levy! This isn't one of your stories where nothing bad can happen to the so-called main character! Be careful!" Jellal sighed and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

A now angry Levy flopped onto her large bed. How dare he treat her like child?! She clasped her hands on her lap. She wore a yellow eloquent halterneck dress that reached the floor and with her bangs gripped back a golden tiara sat on her head. She didn't want to dress like this in her bedroom but her father had insisted she started wearing her royal crown. Taking a hair tie Levy quickly attempted to put her hair up, surprisingly it worked and was a lot neater then she thought it would be. Taking her mothers book Levy settled down to read, hours passed and it had become dark outside. She noticed a shadow sped past her window, hiding her book under her bed Levy stood up and walked towards the window looking around outside. Darkness. She couldn't see anything other then the moon and stars shining in the night sky. Assuming she imagined it Levy turned around to come face to face with the tall dark man from the night before, Gajeel. He was just as intimidating this time as when she first met him, All his body was shrouded in dark material. Standing straight he glared down at Levy as she remembered his sheer size. A dark smirk twisted his face as one of his large hands gripped her arm and the other covered her mouth.

"Don't say a word, shrimp!" He sneered. Levy could see the others behind him tearing her room apart. She had done some research on these people, they were members of the rebellion lead by the Phantom Lord, an evil man who wishes to destroy the royal family, create chaos, bring back magic and take out everyone who opposes him. Panic surged through her body as the woman pushed her bed over, fortunately the pillows fell onto the book. Once her room was unrecognizable Gajeel turned and glared at her.

"Listen, I'm gunna release ya and then you're gunna answer a few questions. Got it?" He hissed at her, she quickly nodded which cause the intruders laugh at her.

"We're looking for a book, it's an important big book" Gajeel said as he let Levy go

Levy's small fingers traced the handle of the small knife strapped to her thigh "That isn't a question" she pointed out, even though she was terrified of this man she wasn't going to show it. Gajeel held up his hand as if to hit her but as she flinched he laughed and lowered it again.

"Okay girl, where can we find the book?" He grinned

"Have you tried the library?" Levy questioned, cursing her tounge for sounding more sarcastic then she had planned

"What do you fucken think we were doing yesterday?! Idiot" His grin became a frown

"What's so important about my mothers book anyway?" Levy couldn't stop herself the words just fell out. Quickly she covered her mouth as a scary looking grin spread across all the strangers faces. She was in trouble now.

"Your mothers book, eh?" Gajeel lent close to Levy, so close she could feel his breath on her cheek and it sent a cold shiver up her spine. Frozen with fear Levy stood there mouth agape.

"Juvia would like to know where this book is" The woman spoke up. It's strange how she refers to herself like that but Levy was in no place to start commenting on such things.
She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Not going to talk?" Gajeel shot back upright and tilted his head, glaring at Levy evilly "There are ways of making you talk"

Levy looked down, closing her eyes tight she wished someone, anyone would help her right now. She wanted to fight back but she knew her limited knowledge of solid script and the small knife would have been no match for these thugs. Before she could react Gajeel had picked her up and threw her over his shoulder to carry her.

"We'll take her back, the boss might want to know about her. Also I bet I could have more fun in the dungeons with her" he said with a sadistic grin. Levy started kicking and screaming, trying with all her might to get out of his steel grip. She felt something hard hit her on the head and everything went dark.

Levy woke up a while later to find herself in a horse and carriage her legs and hands bound with a gag in her mouth. Confused at first she began to remember what had happened to her. The rebels! Bolting upright Levy looked around finding that she was sat across from her attacker himself. He was sat with his feet apart, arms folded and eyes closed.
She assumed he was sleeping, twisting she looked out the window to see the Juvia woman and the guy with a line tattoo walking next to the carriage She began trying to break free from the rope around her wrists which soon started cutting into her skin yet she continued, after a while blood stained her hands.

"It's not going to work. You're pointlessly hurting yourself." Gajeel sighed causing Levy to look up. So he wasn't sleeping for now his bright eyes were locked onto her hands.

Levy frowned with confusion, why would he care if she hurt herself?

"The boss better not think I roughed you up cause I ain't in the mood to get shit yelled at me" He sighed, answering Levy's thoughts. She frowned at him, of course he didn't care about her, he just didn't want to get into get into trouble with the boss. Just to annoy him Levy continued to pull at the ropes around her wrists causing them to bleed more, he stood up took a hold of her bound wrists, gripping tightly causing her wince, he pulled her to feet and snarled in her face. "When I say stop, you stop. Got it little girl?" Levy nodded just as the carriage came to a stop, Juvia and Aria opened the doors, Gajeel pushed Levy out and she fell to the floor at the entrance to a cave. Aria helped Levy to stand, not forcefully but softly. Levy nodded a thanks to him as he burst into tears, she was shocked at his out burst.

Levy looked at him worried, was this man a prisoner too?

"It's sad to see a pretty young woman trapped horribly yet she still stays polite to her captures, even worries herself!" Aria bawled, Levy frowned confused at the strange man.

"She's a stupid princess, Aria, what do you expect? She gotta keep up appearances ya know?" Gajeel smirked as he took hold of Levys arm tightly and dragged her inside the cave,
closely followed by her other four kidnappers. She was pushed further into the cave until they came to large black wooden doors with a silver symbol of what appeared to be some sort of spirit like figure engraved into it, an old man sat on a stool beside them, he wore a purple cloak. He slowly lifted his head and Levy noticed he was blind.

"Ah hmmm" His voice sounded tired "Gajeel, Juvia, Totomaru, Aria, Sol" He paused and confusion formed on his face. Levy was stunned that he had just listed them all without them having to say a single word! She forgot all about her fear as it became replaced with curiosity as the old man spoke again "This aura is unknown to me, who have you brought here?"

"A spoilt little princess withholding important information" Gajeel hissed, glaring down at the bound girl beside him "We thought the boss would like to try to convince her"

"Is that so?" The man questioned, stroking his beard "Her aura says she's a little spit-fire, you're sure of her royal blood?" He asked. Levy didn't know whether to be insulted or complimented by what he'd called her.

"A spit-fire?!" Gajeel laughed "No offence old man but your all seeing eye might have some sand in it. This pipsqueak is nothing more then a lily-livered coxcomb!"

Levy turned to glare at him. He doesn't know anything about her so why does he judge her?! That was the least of her worries now though.

"Even the smallest fire can give great heat to help mend or mold the coldest iron" The old man chuckled in a way that suggested he knew something they didn't. With a flick of his wrist the door slowly began to open on it's own. Magic?! Levy was now consumed with curiosity if these people were rebels then of course they'd have magic! She began to wonder about all the different types. It interred her. Gajeel elbowed her inside a huge underground city, bigger then any rooms at her castle, filled with little stone houses and people acting out day-to-day actives As the six of them walked down the stone streets, barely lit with fire torches in various locations, the people stopped to stare at the spectral of the tied and gagged Levy, none of them seemed to recognized who she was probably because they'd never left the cave city before. Some children ran across the path ahead of them, laughing and using magic to spar. An old woman was entertaining a small child with some sort of sand magic while a young man made roses grow for a young lady. Levy couldn't help but wonder why her father had banned such an amazing thing. She was too busy watching everything around her that she didn't see the rock before her which caused her to trip. She had scraped her knee on the rough ground but the thing that caused her to wince was that now everyone was looking at her, including her kidnappers. Juvia held out her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Juvia think's it's a beautiful place too" She stated

"I don't think she was marveling at our lovely home, Juvia. More like disgusted at it" Gajeel growled, not even turning to look at them both

"Oui, oui" Sol agreed, so he was french Levy thought to herself. She didn't expect that he'd speak at all since he had been so quiet before. He glided behind her and began pushing her forward with every push he would chant "oui."

"Juvia did not see disgust or hate in the eyes of the young princess. Do not be so quick to judge her Gajeel" Juvia walked towards Gajeel with a straight back. This woman didn't seem to fear anyone, she held her head high and didn't dismiss people before getting to know them. Levy respected that and wished that she was as strong as Juvia.

"Don't defend her, Juvia!" Gajeel yelled, clearly becoming enraged. Juvia shook her head but didn't reply.

The group came to more large black doors with the same symbol on. These door opened seemingly on their own again and inside was a long corridor flame touches along each side of a purple carpet in the center of the room, leading all the way to a golden thrown at the end. Levy saw a man sat on the thrown, his face hiden with a dark hood, to his left was a young woman, with long red hair plaited in two. She wore a revealing red dress that would be shameful for a woman to wear in public normally with another woman wearing a revealing outfit but this one seemed to favor the colour white. On the right of the thrown was two young men, one with short blonde hair the other with long black hair, not as long as Gajeels but still longer then average for a man. As the approached the man stood up and held out his arms.

"If it isn't her royal highness, Levy McGarden!" He bellowed

"Oui! The mademoiselle Levy is hiding the book from us" Sol bowed to the man in the hood. Levy strained to try and see his face.

"She knows about the book?" The hooded man motioned to Juvia "Remove the gag and ties"

As soon as the gag was finally out of her mouth Levy couldn't control the words that followed "How dare you treat me this way?! When my father finds out I'm gone he'll look for me!"

"Is that so? I don't think Akio will even notice your disappearance As for who you are" He laughed darkly "Titles have no meaning here, girl. Nether does your fancy clothes. So,
how about we bring you of that high horse of yours. Remove your clothes"

"What?!" Levy took a step back in shock

"You can remove them yourself or I can have one of my boys remove them and I don't think they'd stop at your underwear" Although his face was still covered Levy could hear the smirk in his voice as she began to take her dress off. The hooded man walked towards where she stood, now in her underwear, a fierce blush erupted on her cheeks for she could feel everyone's eyes on her as she tired to protect her modesty by doing her best to cover herself with her arms. The hooded man snatched her crown and threw it across the room, allowing Levys bangs to fall over her face. He circled her, like a shark would circle it's prey. He eyed the knife attached to her thigh, and slowly removed it.

"You seem perfectly healthy. Strange. I had hoped that you'd be left with more then a scar on your shoulder blade" he sighed. Levy glared at him as the thoughts of her scar filled her head, she had no idea where it was from because she got it when she was very little and every time she asked about no one would give her a straight answer.

"What are you talking about?" She hissed at him.

"You don't know who I am? Oh come on, Levy. Even an idiot would have figured it out" he chuckled pulling back his hood to reveal his scared face, and green eyes. Posing dramatically he awaited Levys reaction. She stared at him for a while before shrugging.

"Sorry. Not a clue" She stated

"What?!" Shock splat across his face. "I am Takeshi!" He posed again.

"Still have no idea" Levy shock her head, she thought she heard laughter coming from behind her.

"Seriously?! Akio never spoke of me?!" He arms fell to his sides, he looked hurt. "I am the one who gave you that scar, who killed your mother. I am your uncle" he sighed

"What?!" Now it was Levys turn to be shocked "My mother died of illness and both my parents had no siblings!" Levy forgot that she stood almost naked in a room of stranger as she shouted at this villagio, hands shaking in fists by her side.

"It seems I've struck a cord with my little niece" He chuckled "So, the book?" he asked

"I'll never tell you where my mothers book is!" Levy shouted, her voice sounded squeaky, showing her fear.

"Your mothers book? Hitomi knew nothing about this book." Takeshi frowned "The only book Hitomi owned was a Solid Script Basics"

"I-is that not the book in question?" Levy shrunk back a bit

"Of course not! That book only teachers a simple weak magic!" He mocked "I'm talking about the book of acnologia. Know of it?"

Levy had heard of acnologia, the dragon of the Apocalypse. The most dangerous dragon to ever roam the skies. What would they want with a book about him?

"So, you used the dragon attack as a distraction to lure guards out of my father castle to look for this book?" She asked

"Why wait when we have our very own dragon?" Takeshi pointed at Gajeel. Levy turned to look at him, she knew there was something odd about him and she knew that dragons could take human form to hide themselves but she never assumed she'd meet one of these creatures herself. A curiousness burned within her.

"Sorry about wasting your time, thought the brat knew something important" Gajeel huffed, folding his arms and glaring at Levy.

"Never mind, she can be useful in another way" Takeshi picked up Levys dress and held up Levys knife, walking slowly towards her. Fear exploded into her eyes as she tried to back away but her caught her arm. Turning her around he brought the knife straight into the scar on her shoulder blade causing her to scream with pain. Quickly Takeshi pulled out the knife and rubbed Levys dress in the blood that poured out. Once he had enough blood on the dress he walked over to her crown and wrapped it into her dress.

"Tell the king that he will bring us that book" Takeshi said handing the dress to Totomaru "And if you still have not returned in 3 days with the book, we kill her" Levy had fallen to her knees from the burning pain in her back.

"Gajeel, take her out of my sight" Takeshi turned his back on her and she tried not to cry in front of all these horrible people.

'Lily-livered' = cowardly

'Coxcomb' = foolishly vain or conceited person

'villagio' = scoundrel or villain