Author's Note: I've been keeping up with the news about the Fairy Tail anime returning and I can't wait! I'm getting close to finishing the English dubs with mom (really wish the newer dubs would come out soon!) And I just realized that the newest chapters come out on Fridays as well. So I guess this is a Double Fairy Tail Friday!
(Please Note: I do not own any of the Fairy Tail Characters or The Story Beauty and the Beast)
Chapter 6: Promise
Levy traveled for hours on the horse until they came across the dark castle Makarov was being held prisoner in. Levy climbed off the horse and grabbed it by the reins when suddenly; the horse began to struggle and buck. Levy did her best to calm the horse but it just knocked her onto her butt and ran off in the other direction.
"Oh yeah leave me with the big scary castle! Thanks!" she screamed at the horse. She got up and began to dust herself off "Well, here goes nothing." she murmured. She fixed up the hood on her cape and walked up to the door of the castle.
Inside, some of the servants of the castle were discussing about the events of earlier today.
"I really do feel bad for that old man." Juvia told the others "He just needed help."
"Aye." Happy sighed.
"At least he's not outside." Natsu said uneasily.
"He's locked up in a prison cell, where there is no heat; food is all scraps and the only toilet in that place is the corner." Gray said "How the hell is THAT any better than being outside!?"
"Guys!" screamed Carla while she ran in the room "There's a girl outside! I think she's related to the old man!"
"Wait, a girl?!" the others said in unison.
"If there really is a girl outside, she could be our chance!" screamed Gray with excitement. At that moment, there was a knock on the door and the sound of the door opening could be heard throughout the castle.
"Hello? Is anyone home?" asked a voice, it was Levy. The Servants of the castle ran over to the railing on the second floor to watch whoever it was coming in. They were shocked to see that it actually was a girl.
"She's beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuuuutttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiifffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuullllllll!" Happy exclaimed.
"She could be the one!" whispered Juvia.
Levy began to explore the old castle. It's so lifeless. She thought to herself. Levy made her way up the staircase and began to call for her father. "Father?" she called out "Father, are you here?"
"Levy!" screamed a voice. She immediately ran down the stairs and ran to a door where the voice came from. She opened the door and went down a flight of stairs and entered a dungeon. In one of the cells sat her father.
"Father!" she screamed. Levy ran over to the cell and tried to hug her father.
"Dad!" she screamed with joy.
"Levy!" Makarov screamed in shock "What the hell are you doing here?! You need to get out! If The Master of this castle finds you; you're screwed."
"Nonsense!" Levy replied "I won't leave you behind Father; I'll speak to The Master of this castle and get you out!"
"Levy," he said sternly "there is no point in talking to him. He'll lock you up here just like me." He raised his arms to show the handcuffs holding him. "These are magic sealing cuffs. I can't use my own magic while these are on me. Levy, you need to save yourself and forget about me!"
"No!" Levy screamed "I won't leave you! I want to see The Master of this castle!"
"Geez, if you wanted to see me, all you had to do is ask." Said a very gruff voice. Levy turned her head and was horrified at what she was looking at. It was The Beast. His piecing red eyes stared down at Levy and he gave her a toothy grin.
"Well well well." Said The Beast "Looks like the squirt is trying to be a hero."
"So you're The Master of this castle?" Levy asked. The Beast stared down at Levy and smiled an evil smile at her. He them picked her up by the scruff of her neck with just one arm, showing his immense strength.
"Let me go!" she screamed while trying to get away from his grip. The Beast looked at Levy and risen her up to his eye level. He gave Levy a cold stare which she returned.
"Sorry squirt." He growled "Your old man is my prisoner. So visiting hours are over! Time for you to go!" He proceeded to the door while he dragged her on the ground by the scruff of her neck. Levy did her best to prevent herself from being choked.
"W-wait!" she choked "W-what if I took my father's place?" There was a moment of silence. The Beast stopped dragging Levy across the floor when he heard those words.
"What do you have to offer me?" he asked.
"I'm a pretty good cook." She squealed "I-I'm also known to keep my promises." Hearing those words, The Beast picked Levy up by the back of her neck and brought her to his eye level again.
"Do you promise me if you stay, you will never leave this castle or make contact with anyone on the outside?" he asked with a menacing growl. Levy swallowed hard. IF she made this agreement, she would lose everything in one day. Her freedom; her dreams, her friends. But this was to spare her father of a terrible fate. Then the thought of being rid of Laxus hit her and right at that moment, she nodded her head and said "I promise." The Beast smiled a menacing smile and then dropped her on the ground, hard. He walked over to her Father's cell and opened it. He picked the old man up and took him upstairs.
"Time to go." He growled. He took Makarov to a nearby carriage and removed his cuffs.
"Take him to his town and make sure he never returns here again!" he hollered at the carriage. He slapped the carriage in the back and it rode off into the foggy night. The Beast walked back downstairs into the dungeon where Levy was still sitting on the ground.
"Y-you didn't even let me say goodbye!" she screamed. She then ran over to him and began to beat him on his chest although it was ineffective. "You're a Beast you know that?! Nothing but a horrible monster!" tears were beginning to roll down Levy's eyes.
"Ok, first off, my name is not Beast, Monster or any of that crap. The name is Gajeel." Gajeel began "Come with me, I'll show you to your bedroom." Levy froze when she heard that. A room? She thought to herself.
"Wait, don't I have to stay in here?" she asked.
"Why? You really want to stay in this hellhole?"
"No! No, a room is nice." Levy walked out of the dungeon with Gajeel and he took her upstairs.
"This is my castle." He began "You're allowed anywhere in the castle except The West Corridor."
"What's in the West Corridor?" Levy asked.
"I play with myself there!" Gajeel snapped in a sarcastic tone. Levy dared not to touch that one with a ten-foot pole. He then proceeded to a door and opened it up.
"This is your room." Gajeel told her. Levy walked into the room and was surprised at the beauty of it. It had white walls with a flowery design, and to what Levy believed; was diamonds on the inside the flowers. A crystal chandler was in the center of the room. The bed was Victorian in style; it had drapes coming from the top and a rope to give her the decision on having the drapes closed or open. In one corner, was a beautiful vanity filled with makeup of all types and hair brushes. Near the bed was not only a chest of draws but a large cabinet where Levy could put her dresses.
"T-thank you." Levy said stunned. She walked around the room checking out the beauty of the walls in the room.
"And," Gajeel began "I expect you to join me for dinner!" at that moment he slammed the door on Levy and she ran to her new bed, beginning to cry.
An hour later downstairs, The Servants were beginning to prepare dinner when they spoke about the bravery of the young blue haired girl.
"That had to be the first person to ever stand up to The Master." Juvia told the others while getting the two plates set up at the table.
"Now that you mention it, yeah, that was the first person to ever stand up to him." Natsu replied while lighting the candles on the table.
"Especially that it's a girl. I give her credit, she's got guts." Gray replied while getting the salad bowl onto the table. Gajeel then entered the room, wearing a very fancy suit. It had a black coat, a white shirt with many ruffles appearing from the shirt. Although he didn't want to admit it, he looked uncomfortable in the get-up.
"You look handsome sir!" squealed Happy.
"Gi hi hi thanks!" Gajeel replied "Now all I have to do is wait for her." He sat at the chair opposite to the door and began to wait. Hoping she'll appear through that door. Five minutes have passed and still no sign of the blue haired girl.
"Where is she?!" he screamed. "She should have been here by now!"
"Master, you know how women are when it comes to preparing for a fancy dinner like this." Natsu said uneasily "She probably just wants to look nice and lost track of time. I'll go check on her." Natsu then hopped out of the room and the clunking of the metal could still be heard until it died down.
"Just remember, be nice to her." Gray told Gajeel "Girls like it when you're nice to them, give her a little compliment about her appearance and don't forget to smile!" Gajeel then let out a big smile which made him look more insane than happy.
"Maybe you're better off with a small smile." Juvia pointed out. At that comment, Gajeel stopped smiling and went back to his usual frown. At that moment the door open up a crack. Gajeel looked on with a ray of hope that it would be her. But it wasn't. Instead, it was Natsu.
"Where is she?" asked the impatient beast.
"Well, Master, it's just that- well you see…" Natsu who was trying to find the right words said before blankly saying to get his point across. "She's not coming." Those words couldn't have shocked Gajeel even more. He was used to getting his way. But this girl was more unruly than he imagined.
"WHAT?!" he screamed. He left the dinner table and perused to her bedroom door. He began to bang his fist on her door, close to breaking it.
"I told you that you were to join me for dinner!" he screamed.
"Well I'm not hungry!" she screamed back without opening her door.
"When you moved in here, you made a promise to follow my orders!" he screamed.
"I only agreed to never leave or contact anyone. Nowhere in the agreement did you mention that!"
"Sir," whispered Juvia "trying being nice to her. Maybe she will come out if you ask her politely."
Gajeel sighed and then said begrudgingly "I'm sorry I yelled. It would be an honor if you joined me for dinner… please."
"No thank you." Levy replied coldly.
"FINE!" he screamed back "You can starve to death for all I care! If she doesn't eat downstairs with me, from now on, she doesn't eat period!" he then stormed out of the hallway and into The West Corridor.
"That went well." Gray muttered sarcastically.
Inside the West Corridor, Gajeel began to pace back and forth due to his uptightness from the events that occurred moments ago.
"She's so stubborn!" he growled to himself. He then walked over to a table where a magical lacrima laid. He picked it up and angrily ordered it "Show me her. Show me the girl!" The Lacrima began to glow and soon, a picture of Levy in her room; crying appeared on the lacrima.
"He's such a jerk!" she said to herself through the tears "I-I don't want anything to do with him, nothing! Not even the tiniest bit!" Those words went through Gajeel like a dagger.
"She'll never love me." He whispered to himself. He then looked over to where the magical rose The Enchantress gave him was and noticed one of the petals fell off the rose and died as soon as it hit the table "It's hopeless…" he muttered.
Hours have passed and Levy left her room for the first time since her arrival. She made the decision that when he wasn't looking, she'll look for the kitchen herself and cook up something to eat. But the problem was she lost inside the big castle! She walked around the castle and still couldn't find the kitchen. When she noticed the stair case opposite of hers, she decided to venture up there. Completely forgetting the warning Gajeel gave her last night. She walked up the staircase and was stunned by the sight of the hallway. It was completely in shambles. Unlike Levy's hallway it was a complete train wreck. As she walked around she came across an old portrait of a young tanned prince with many piercings on his face and long, untamable black hair. What caught Levy's attention the most was a rose. She stared at the rose for a long time. The way it sparkled, how it just levitated in the air and lived without the need of water. This had to be some form of magic she thought. Just when she was about to touch the rose, a hand grabbed her tightly on the wrist. She looked and was horrified to see it was Gajeel.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled.
"I-I got lost and-a-" Levy stuttered.
"You know you're not supposed to be up here!" he screamed at her while covering the rose from her sight.
"I-I forgot!" she replied "I didn't know this was-"
"GET OUT!" he screamed. Levy took The Beast's orders immediately, only this time; she was leaving. On her way down the stairs she bumped into The Servants who were going to sneak a bowl of Oatmeal up to her room. When they saw Levy coming down the stairs of the West Corridor, they were stunned.
"H-Hey!" Grey bellowed "Where are you going?"
"Promise or no promise I'm getting the hell out of here!" Levy screamed "Screw this place!"
"Wait!" Happy screamed. But it was too late; she had already left and had no plans to ever come back.