"Full sails!"Lily shouted as Gajeel and Levy rushed to the back of the ship, seeing the large Navy vessel slowly, yet surely, gaining on them. It was little more than a speck on the horizon but it was headed straight for them. " Think we can fight them?" Levy asked quietly. " Not a chance. All of our supplies and ammo got left behind." Natsu said as he approached the two, his face on a hard mask. " When Happy told us the Navy were coming we didn't stop to go back to our rooms, we came straight here." He continued, sending an apologetic look to his captain who just waved it off.
Levy hurried to the charts that sat beside Grey at the helm and looked over them. "There isn't any other port even remotely close, I already check." He grumbled to the fairy, but she wasn't listening. "How new is this chart?" She asked, staring wide eyed at the map. " Uh fairly, why?" He asked as she traced an invisible line across the page. " Take us here." She pointed to the center of the ocean only a few miles from them. " There's nothing there!" He shouted at her but the burning gaze she shot him had him snapping his mouth shut. " Do it Fullbuster." She snapped and he nodded. " A-aye ma'am!" He stuttered and followed her direction. She turned to find a slightly stunned Gajeel and Natsu staring at her with wide eyes, before Gajeel grinned and barked a laugh. Levy grinned but it slid away as she saw the ship still growing closer.
She hurried down to the deck and to the small blue haired boy who was trying to stay out of everyone's way. " Happy, I need you to do me a favor." She said as she knelt in front of him, his large dark eyes wide as he nodded. She pointed up to the crows nest, "Go up and look out for land, we should be heading straight for it." He nodded and quickly scurried up the mast before disappearing into the nest. " I hope you know what your getting us into." Gajeel grumbled at her and she turned to him with a smile. " I'm actually getting us out, trust me captain." She said quietly and his eyes widened slightly but he nodded.
In no time at all Happy was calling from the nest, "Land ho!" Levy ran up to the helm just as a small island came into view, standing beside Grey. " How did y-""No time." She barked and he tensed. " Go around the east side of the island, it curls in on itself and the trees can mostly shield us from anything passing in the water." She said as Grey started to turn. " Mostly ain't gonna save us." Natsu snapped, obviously frustrated. She glared at the pink haired weapons master and went to snap, but a gruff voice stopped her. " Do it Grey, " their captain comanded and Natsu looked at him in shock. " I trust her, now do as she says." He glared at Natsu, daring him to speak again but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
As Grey rounded the island, the little fae stood on the railing and whistled, grabbed the crews attention. " This is how it's gonna go," she called. " Grey is going to pull into a small gulf that is hidden in the bend of this island. When he pulls her in, hoist the sails, and once she's beached, everyone is to stay still and silent." She comanded, her voice strong and loud for such a tiny figure there were murmurs, but with their scowling captain behind her none spoke up. She turned her gaze to the crows nest. " Happy, you should be able to watch them from up there. Once they have left I want you to give the all clear." She called, and it was followed by the young boy shouting, "Aye sir!"
Men scrambled about the deck to hoist the sails as Grey steered the beast of a ship into the hidden gulf, nearly beaching her before they were hidden. Once the ship was in the Gulf and safely beached, all was silent as the little fae ran for the edge of the ship, tugging off her boots as she went. She ignored all the strange looks from her shipmates as she lept over the edge of the ship, using her wings to glide to the knee high water. She ran as fast as she could up the sandy bank and, once she was on brown earth, she spun towards the ship. The crew watched in amazement as she lifted her hands to them and her chocolate brown eyes began to glow a golden amber. The air around them began to shimmer, as it does when the heat is too intense but the men felt cold not hot, and even the wind around them ceased.
They had all heard the tales of a fairys extraordinary magic. Metalicanna had even told Gajeel about them and, his head already aching from his first sight of the island, was now pounding at the small girls show of magic and he knew exactly what she was doing.
She was cloaking them.
Out in the open ocean the wooden creak of the Navy ship and the rush of waves it creaked were heard but none of the men moved, they barely breathed. The ship cruised close to the gulf but continued on when it only saw woods and empty water. Still none of them moved and an hour later, when the little fae was breathing heavily and her legs quaked with the strain, did the boy in the nest shout. " They're leaving! They're heading back to port!" The men cheered and hollered, only the captain seeing Levy finally collapse, her legs giving out and laying still on the ground.
He was over the edge and half way down his ship before the others had notice and a few followed him. Once his feet hit the water he ran, not minding or not noticing the water that filled his boots and weighed him down, his mind only on the still girl. He was by her side in seconds and he carefully rolled her over, gently touching her pale face. " She over exerted herself." Lily said from beside him before kneeling down to the girl, her breathing was short and rapid like she had just run for miles. Gajeel carefully scooped her into his arms making sure his piercings didn't touch her before looking at Lily. " We will hide out here for a day or two, just to make sure the Navy is gone." He muttered and Lily nodded before heading to the ship and barking out orders.
Gajeel carefully carried the small fae to the ship, readjusting his hold on her so he could climb. Once he was on deck he headed straight for his cabin, setting Levy in the bed he never used. He wanted to stay by her side, but he was still captain and had duties to attend to first. He reluctantly left her side, ignoring the ache in his chest, and returned to the deck. He made sure everyone was settled for their two day stay, double checked with Happy that the Navy were out of sight and checked to make sure they had enough food to last them. " It's gonna be a stretch," the chief, a large man with white hair, said. "But I think we can make it. Any longer though and were gonna have to eat each other." He said with a laugh.
Gajeel grinned up at the man and clapped him on the shoulder. " Well Elfman if it comes to that there's plenty of you to go around." The men laughed as they arrived back on deck. Once he was sure everything was settled Gajeel returned to his cabin and the sleeping girl. He changed out his iron piercings in favor of some steel ones, to keep from accidentally hurting her in the future. He pulled up his large desk chair and set it beside the bed before plopping himself in the plush material. His head throbbed as he watched Levy sleep and he sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose. There was something about her that Gajeel couldn't place his finger on, something that tugged at his heart and knocked around in his brain. He sighed again and propped his feet up on the nearby table before deciding to get some well deserved rest.
"...eight, nine, ten. Ready or not here I come!" The small boy shouted, stepping away from the tree he was counting against and scouting the garden. He ran around searching in birdhouses, the fountain and the bushes along the outside of the garden. He grinned as he pushed aside some roses by the manor and saw the small shimmer of air."Found you Levyanna!" He shouted, gently cupping his small hands around the invisible fairy. She let out a peal of laughter as she became visible again and hugged his thumb. The boy grinned and kissed the fairys head before setting her on his shoulder. " Gajeel, dinner!" A voice called from inside and he pouted. The little fairy lifted of his shoulder and smiled a little sadly before patting his cheek. " I'll be back tomorrow, I promise!" He said with a grin and she nodded with a smile before going back to her nest.
Gajeel walked with his hand holding onto the small girl beside him, she barely reached the seven year olds waist. Her short wavy blue hair had leafs tangled in it and she wore little more than an old table cloth. He led the girl into the manor and lead her through the long hallways, her bare feet slapping the stone floor. " Mother!" The boy called. " In here Gajeel." A voice responded and he followed it into a side room where his mother, a woman with long black hair and bright green eyes, was cleaning. She smiled at the two children and walked over to them, kneeling in front of them. " Who is this little flower? " she said sweetly as the girl hid behind him.
The boy grinned and gently tugged on her hand to stand beside him. " This is the fairy I told you about. I gave her the name Levyanna." His mother's smile was bright. " Hello sweetling. Son, why is she in a table cloth?" His mother found slightly and he chuckled a little. " Well she got too big for her other clothes, so I brought her in hoping you could help her." He said and his mother nodded. " Of course I can!"
Gajeel was running through the manor hallways, pirates had invaded their home and were stealing everything from gold to people. His own mother he had seen dragged away and he was trying not to sob as he searched for the only other person he cared for. " Levy!" He called as he reached the garden, his gaze swept the garden until he saw the tiny head of blue hair across from the house. He stared wide eyed as a pirate grabbed her and she screamed, struggling to get away. He ran for her as she got free, but a sharp pain made light burst in his eyes and he fell, his skull cracking on the stone beneath.
The pirate that struck him grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him. His vision was swimming and as darkness closed in he could see Levy running for him. " Gajeel!" She cried and his heart swelled, her first word and it was his name, screaming in terror. He screamed for her weakly as the pirate that had a hold of her ran at her and swung his sword. The last thing he saw was Levy crumple to the ground, red staining her new white dress.
Gajeel sat up from his slumped position, gasping for air as he emerged from his dreams and back into his cabin. He ran a hand over his sweat covered face as all his memories came crashing into him. He could see it all, finding the fairy in the bushes behind the manor, gifting her name, watching her grow, watching her nearly die. As all these things came to him he looked at the beautiful and strong woman she had become. The ache in his head was gone, but the ache in his chest was stronger than before and he realized, I love her. He loved her as a boy, and as a man, in the few short days she had been there, the love that was in his locked away mind still grew.
As all these things swirled in his head he was barely aware of said woman stirring. " Gajeel?..." she murmured quietly. He looked to her as she carefully sat up, rubbing her head with a slight pout. " How long was I out?" She asked, but he ignored her question. He stood quickly, nearly knocking over his chair, and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. She stiffened slightly in surprise. "G-Gajeel?" She asked, carefully wrapping an arm around him. " How... How are you alive?" He nearly choked out. She tensed at his strangled tone, he wasn't the strong pirate from earlier that day, but the small boy from twenty years ago. " What are you talking about? I just wore myself out a bit." He shove his head and his grip tightened on her.
" No... At the manor... You..." He choked again and she tried not to gasp. She pushed him away just enough to see his face. His face was strained and his eyes were bright with unshed tears that he refused to let fall. " You remember?" She asked and he nodded. " All of it." He murmured, gently cupping her face with his large hand and she turned her face into his palm. " Oh Gajeel." She whispered, her own tears welling and spilling over. Her best friend, who she was afraid she had lost forever, had returned and was now a man who, in the few days she had spent there, she had fallen in love with. He gently grabbed her chin and pulled her gaze to his face, now only inches apart. " Gajeel?" Her voice was little more than a whisper and a small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. With a gentle tug he pulled her forward, his lips gently pressing into hers.