Fairytale of Doom

By CrimsonStarbird

Chapter Fourteen – And For Once It Might Be Grand

"…and then Ariel and Eric got married on board a ship with King Triton's blessing, and they all lived happily ever after," Levy finished.

"I see," remarked Jellal, and not much else.

"Yeah, that's all there is to that one," Levy shrugged. "The Little Mermaid is wonderful, but it's not the deepest story out there. The mermaid princess falls in love at first sight with the human prince and leaves behind the life she knew in order to be with him on land, defeating Ursula in the process. I'm not entirely sure what the moral is supposed to be."

"True love conquers all?" Jellal asked wryly.

"Either that, or if you gain unlimited power, don't immediately use it to turn yourself massive, because you're just making yourself into a bigger target."

Her travelling companion snorted with mirth. "Still probably a better life lesson than sixteen-year-olds always know better than their fathers."

"Tell me about it. I swear at least two-thirds of my guild are Ariels. I've always felt closer to Sebastian, myself, struggling to keep the unruly protagonists on the straight and narrow. No wonder I get left out of quite a lot of adventures…"

"Oh, I don't know. At that age, I was leading an evil cult in a vain attempt to resurrect Zeref, while simultaneously being well on my way to membership of the Magic Council in order to bring them down from within. I dare say I could have done with a Sebastian myself."

It always threw her, how lightly he brought up a topic that she knew wasn't light for him at all. Still, she was getting used to following his lead in such matters; she laughed because she knew it was what he wanted, and would make him feel more at ease. "Not any more, though, right?"

"I like to think I have a better grasp of responsibility these days, yes," he agreed. "Whether other people believe it or not. Anyway, enough about me. Do you have any other fairytales to share?"

"Uh… I can't say that I do, actually. I've told you all the ones I can remember."

"Thank you, Levy," said he, with that ever-present sincerity. "If those are the most common stories, I am sure they will cover the situations that we and our allies have been thrown into. Now that I understand the rhythm of fairytales, and the details of my own story Beauty and the Beast, I feel a little more prepared to take on the challenge of this world."

"It's not just your story," Levy corrected, smiling bashfully. "It's Erza's, too. And though I still can't fathom why she was cast as Belle, there are certainly some elements that fit…"

"Oh?" Jellal prompted, when she tailed off. He sounded genuinely interested, just as he'd listened patiently to her stumbling her way through stories she'd read countless times but never before had to tell.

She opened her mouth, and then hesitated. "You… won't tell Erza, right?"

Curiosity sparkled golden in his eyes, softening them even as the growing dusk tried to close them off. "It will stay between us. Believe me, I would not risk her ire any more than you would."

"There's a song at the start of Beauty and the Beast, setting the scene and introducing the heroine. The townsfolk sing about her: now it's no wonder that her name means beauty; her looks have got no parallel. But behind that fair façade, I'm afraid she's rather odd…"

Jellal's lips twitched in amusement. "I must admit, that describes Erza rather well. Though I pity the townsperson who says it to her face…"

"You and me both," she grinned back. "Erza is very beautiful, and certainly… unique. Not in the same way as Belle, but I think the point still stands. Her bravery and adventurous spirit fit Belle's character, too."

She managed to stop herself from saying, unlike me. It would only sound like whining.

She had admired Belle, when she was young. You didn't admire a person like yourself. You admired the kind of person you wanted to become.

Being cast as a different princess only went to show how much she'd failed to become like Belle as she had grown up. She was even dating the Beast who had once kidnapped her, and it still wasn't enough.

She was grateful when the quiet voice of her companion cut cleanly through her thoughts. "Have you had any further insights into your own role as Mulan?"

"No," Levy sighed; if she wasn't brave enough for Belle, she definitely wasn't brave enough for Mulan.

"Hmm," Jellal said. And then, unexpectedly: "If you have no more fairytales to tell as we travel, why not tell me your story?"

"You… want to hear about me?" Levy asked incredulously.

"Is that so strange?"

"My life before Fairy Tail wasn't exactly interesting. That's why I don't talk about it – not because it's bad, but because it's dull. I haven't overcome great hardship or faced down terrible foes. I didn't have a dragon as a parent or lose my family to demons or, I don't know, become a Wizard Saint at eighteen."

"Seventeen," he corrected idly.

She rolled her eyes. "You know you're only proving my point."

He gave a non-committal hum. "May I not be the judge of whether it is interesting?"

"Maybe I don't want to be judged," she shot back.

Because maybe that was the reason; maybe being surrounded by those who had earnt their magic through tragedy and loss had made her feel ashamed of her comfortable childhood, her encouraging parents, her lifelong friendships. Maybe that was why she always hid behind 'It's not interesting'. Maybe 'I'm not special' wasn't modesty, but armour against that guilt.

Maybe that was why she'd let one horrid night on the eve of Phantom Lord's attack define her from that moment on: at last she had a backstory worthy of a Fairy Tail mage; at last she had something that gave her permission to stand amongst them as an equal.

"I apologize," Jellal said quietly, and she jumped, having almost forgotten he was there, given how easily he flowed through the lengthening shadows he had learnt to call home. "I did not intend to make you uncomfortable, nor do I wish to make you reveal parts of yourself you would prefer to stay hidden."

There was a pause, and perhaps it was stubbornness that held her tongue, or perhaps it was a curiosity to know what he would do next. Some part of her didn't think he'd give up so easily.

"I only ask," he continued, after a brief hesitation, "because it seems to me that knowledge is the only weapon we have in this world. If there is some clue in your past that might explain why you are Mulan, it can surely only help us reach the end of your story."

Levy's mouth was already half-open to concede when she paused. And thought, really thought, the way she would about the symbolism within her favourite books; about every double meaning in the secret villain's words before the big reveal.

Oh, but he was good. The simple emotion and clearly stated reason; the comradeship implied by the us and the generosity and obligation woven throughout him helping with her story; the watertight logic sewing it all together like a steel thread. He'd tried to push her earlier, when they'd spoken about Gajeel, and she'd got defensive – so this time, carefully, subtly, he was pulling her instead.

She should have been annoyed that he was trying to manipulate her, not impressed.

Instead, she inquired, "Will you tell me, honestly, why you want to know that much?"

After a moment, he turned to look at her, holding her gaze even as they traversed that unsteady trail. His eyes were the colour of the setting sun, and flickering with more fire than the sky had left, nakedly appraising now that he knew she knew what he was trying to do.

"The reasons I gave you were honest, but perhaps arranged to downplay the role of my own ignoble curiosity," he answered, at last. "I feel that I am constantly at a disadvantage, meeting those who know all about me from Erza, and knowing very little about them in return."

She didn't ask what kind of person only felt comfortable talking to someone whose history they knew intimately. If everyone she met judged her solely on actions she had undertaken eight years ago, irrespective of how hard she had tried to redeem herself since, she would no doubt feel the same.

"Alright, but after all this build-up, you're going to be very disappointed," she surrendered, with a sigh. "Unlike most people in my guild, I'm lucky enough to have two living parents. My dad's a teacher, my mum's an accountant. I visit them at least once a month. They still live in Lilia, where I grew up – it's a small village, but only half an hour from the nearest city by train, so it's the best of both worlds, really. I've always loved reading. Used to go to the library every day after school. I was certain – as was everyone else in the village – that I would grow up to be a librarian.

"Then, one day, in an unexpected yet entirely undramatic manner – don't give me that look; it's true – I manifested magic. I was the first person in my family to do so. My parents were so proud. They immediately paid for me to attend an expensive school of magic in the city. So, you see, not only were my parents emotionally and financially supportive of me becoming a mage, but ironically, by giving me the best education they could afford, they had unintentionally prevented me from learning unique magic from a legendary travelling mage…"

Then she shook herself. "Please don't think that I'm complaining, though. I know how lucky I am to have a boring story."

Jellal gave a minute shrug. "Do not apologize to me. I do not believe it is so easy to compare two lives. Please, carry on."

"There's… really not much more to say," she responded, bemused. Not that she'd even really said anything in the first place.

"How did you come to join Fairy Tail?"

"Oh… well, at the school, I became best friends with two other students, Jet and Droy. They dragged me out of the school's library from time to time, to be part of their mage team. We took a few low-level, informal jobs in the evenings. It worked really well; we made a great team and I had a lot of fun with them. So, when we graduated, it was only natural for us to make it official.

"All we needed to do mage work legally was to join a guild. Jet had his heart set on Fairy Tail. I'd never even heard of it… and to be honest, when I looked it up, I wasn't convinced. It seemed a little too wild for me. But it was Jet's dream, so I thought I might as well give it a go – and I'm so glad that I did. Team Shadow Gear was born, and the rest, as they say, is history."

"I see. Thank you for sharing that, Levy."

"Thank you for staying awake," she teased. "So, what do you think? Any great insights into how a bookworm for whom Fairy Tail wasn't even her first choice of guild got cast as the mighty female warrior Mulan?"

He grimaced. "Honestly? None at all." Then, considering: "Perhaps our roles are something we will each have to figure out for ourselves."

"You've already figured out yours," she reminded him, a little put out. She usually liked riddles, but this one was unfair. Nothing made sense and no one would give her any clues.

She'd thought he might smile a little at her complaint, but his expression remained so serious that she wondered if she'd imagined ever seeing him laugh.

"In my line of work," Jellal said softly, "self-reflection is unavoidable. Every time there is a setback, every time I am reminded of the harshness of the unending path I am on, I am forced to reconsider why I am doing this, why I am still alive, whether my actions continue to warrant my freedom from jail. I know myself very well, Levy – far better than most people know themselves, for I have had to fully accept the flaws in my soul."

How was she supposed to respond to that? Pity? Sympathy? Irritation, at the implication that she couldn't solve her own puzzle because she didn't understand herself well enough? He had already accused her once of lying to herself about her relationship…

She was still a confused tangle of feelings when he spoke again. "As it happens, there was one such… setback… in my first real battle against Alvarez, and it has not left my mind since. I suspect that the reason why I already know the answer to my own riddle – why I am the Beast – is because the magic chose the question to match the answer I already had. In other words, the inner doubts that the fairytale spell locked onto were already front and centre in my mind because of the events of that battle. That made it easy for me to work out. Whatever reason the magic had for casting you as Mulan is simply one you have not yet discovered within yourself."

That was a slightly nicer way of putting it, she admitted begrudgingly, although it still made her uncomfortable. "Well, I can worry about that later. If there's one thing I've learnt from reciting fairytales all afternoon, it's that the voyages of self-discovery usually come as part of the hero's literal journey to save the day. Therefore, may I suggest that we put these deep and unnerving conversations aside for a while and focus on our actual quest of rescuing Lucy?"

"Of course," he said, that familiar, faint smile touching his lips like a gentle moonflower unfolding. "And we may have almost reached our destination. Is that what I think it is?"

At first, Levy couldn't make it out. The evening was growing later, the sun fainter, and only as they drew closer could Levy tell that the silhouette in the distance was a building made of spires and tall, tall towers rising from the middle of a settlement.

But it looked wrong, somehow. Fuzzy in a way the shadows couldn't fully account for; ill-defined even in the night. There was a lingering sense of familiarity obfuscated by a far greater sense of doom.

And as they approached, it fell into place.

It was the Fairy Tail guildhall.

But it also wasn't. It was too extravagant, too sturdy, covered in towers and battlements that were far too elaborate to bother with on a building that fell down as often as their guildhall did.

And to top it all off, the guildhall-castle hybrid was ensnared by thorny vines, blacker than the night and wickeder than any demon's heart. It was a curse born from the mind of the queen of all fantasy villains, a witch with no redeeming characteristics, a woman who was evil because being evil was what made her happy. Maleficent.

There, wrapped around the tower at the very top of the false guildhall, was scales and wings and glowing yellow eyes. The dragon guarding her kidnapped princess.

"Levy?" Jellal asked softly, and she realized he had been waiting for a response.

"Yes." Her voice was just as soft, though nowhere near as steady. "That's a strange fantasy version of our guildhall, cursed just like Sleeping Beauty's castle. And… that's Maleficent. Waiting for someone foolish enough to try and steal her princess."

They had stopped walking by unspoken consent, gazing at the dragon in the distance, neither wanting to get any closer.

"Remind me," Jellal said. "In the fairytale, how did the prince slay the dragon?"

"With the Sword of Truth and the Shield of Virtue, bestowed upon him by the Good Fairies," she answered at once.

"Neither of which we have, because we've come from a different story," Jellal finished. The grim expression seemed far more at home upon his face than the flashes of mirth she'd glimpsed before. "I dare say that, without any magic to speak of, we are at something of a disadvantage against a fire-breathing dragon."

Levy's mouth felt dry at the thought of facing down Maleficent without the deontological protection of a fairytale prince. Then again, maybe trying to throw themselves into yet another story role that wasn't theirs was where they were going wrong…

"True, but…" When she hesitated, the golden crescents of his eyes in the sunset sliced to her at once, intense, expectant, wanting to hear her thoughts. "We don't necessarily have to defeat Maleficent, do we? Prince Phillip was on his own in the story, but we're not. One of us can distract the dragon while the other climbs to the highest room of the tallest tower and rescues Lucy. Then all three of us can get the hell out of here and find some way to throw Maleficent off our tail."

After a moment, he nodded. "It does have better odds than fighting a dragon head-on. Even without my magic, I am sure I can stay one step ahead of her, although I do wish that taking on the Beast's role had also given me his physical strength-"

"No," Levy interrupted. Her heart was hammering even more than it had when they'd first beheld the dragon, but she met that fierce, dangerous gaze and held it. "Let me distract Maleficent. It's my guildhall. I'll have a better chance of giving her the runaround inside than you will. And… if we find Lucy, and she's under an enchanted sleep like in the story, I'm not sure I'll be able to carry her. She's bigger than me, and physical strength isn't my forte. You won't have that problem."

Jellal said nothing, considering. She wondered what he'd say. Most of her friends were so predictable. Gajeel would do everything in his power to keep her away from the danger, no matter how sensible it might be to swap their jobs, and her other friends would be no different. They didn't consider her a fighter – not like Erza, not like Mulan. They didn't trust her to take on that role.

Even her S-Class nomination hadn't changed that, with Gajeel's heroics accidentally overshadowing her own actions during the Trials. Dating one of the most fearsome members of the guild hadn't overcome it either – instead, paradoxically, reinforcing it. It didn't make sense for both people in a relationship to be leaders; to be bold, fearless, powerful mages. One was the protector, and one was to be protected. There was never any doubt as to which she was.

"You make a compelling point," Jellal admitted. "I would be lying if I said I liked it, but I believe it is the strategy that gives us the highest chance of rescuing Lucy."

"Thanks," she said, even as her stomach made its strongest attempt yet to leap to safety.

Did he know why she was thanking him? The right to fight a dragon alone was hardly something worthy of gratitude, but he did not comment on it.

"You certainly have Belle's bravery," he told her sincerely. "Be careful. Or at least, as careful as one can be while distracting a dragon."

It was with some difficulty that she tore her gaze away – from rippling golden concern to the blazing yellow eyes of the dragon who watched them from her arrogant perch. "I will."

Cold.

So cold.

He didn't know when he first became aware of it, as by the time he had, he could think of nothing else. Even his dreams were frozen: lightning locked in place upon a splintered grey sky; an arc of blinding light from an inch of unsheathed sword ascending no further heavenward.

In search of some last warmth, he curled in on himself, but the cold was inside him. Though he did not breathe, his lungs were already full to bursting with frigid air. He was empty, he was cold, and if he couldn't remember how to move soon, he knew with detached fascination that he never would again-

Laxus came awake with a gasp.

The shock of icy air stung his throat, but the pain helped to wake him. He sucked in more and more of it as he forced himself into a sitting position.

He seemed to be in some sort of cave. Any light that made it inside was swallowed by the dark walls before it got far – though there wasn't much, for the mouth of the cave was mostly blocked off by snow. A chill wind whistled through the small gap, moonlight crushed and reshaped into curved blades, seeking out what little warmth he had left. Which wasn't much, despite the pounding of his now-awoken heart.

He wasn't dressed for extended periods of unconsciousness in the snow, sheltered by a cave or otherwise. Alvarez had invaded in the summer. And then, in this world, their new army had marched straight into a frozen valley without any proper equipment all because Erza said they had to follow the story…

Right. Where was Erza?

Other than himself, the dark cave looked empty. He didn't even know where he was. Erza had released some uncontrollable magic from the sword, his sword, and brought down an avalanche upon the pass – and that was all he could remember.

The cave explained how he had survived, but there was nothing to explain how he'd got into the cave in the first place. And unless he could get back to civilisation soon, he might be wishing he'd died a quick death beneath the avalanche.

Not that he'd dare say it out loud. Even as a joke, that kind of thing wasn't acceptable in Fairy Tail.

A scuffling sound from outside caught his attention. A predator? He found it hard to believe that anything still lived in the valley after the devastation Erza had wrought.

Clumsily, he forced himself to stand on stiff legs. Just in case, he cast a quick glance around for that sword – the useless thing he had carried since his arrival in this world, only for Erza to unleash its power on her first attempt – but it was nowhere to be seen.

Something squeezed in through the gap. It momentarily blocked out the light, but when it cleared, he recognized that scarlet colour at once, just like anyone else in his guild would have done. "Erza? Is that you?"

"Ah. You are awake. That is a relief."

Her words were a brisk contrast to the stumbling way she moved through the gloom.

"What were you doing out there?" he wondered.

"Looking for Shan Yu. When the avalanche hit, I spotted this cave and dragged you inside, although I did not see what happened to our opponent. Once the danger had passed, I attempted to discover if he had also found shelter, but…"

She slumped against the cave wall. The snow muffled all the sounds from outside, leaving only her ragged breathing untouched, the little puffs of white from her lips.

"Erza, are you okay?"

"It is but a bruise."

It wasn't, though. Even in the snow-filtered light he could see the odd angle at which her right hand was hanging, caught the wince she tried to hide whenever she moved it. In her struggle with the magical sword, the forces unleashed had bent her arm back far enough to snap it. If it was anyone but Erza Scarlet, he'd have wondered how she was functioning so normally with a clearly broken arm, but he'd stopped questioning the inhuman things she did long ago.

"Your arm looks broken," he pointed out neutrally. "Do you want me to look at it, or set it in a splint for you?"

"I can do it on my own."

"…I'm sure you can, but letting someone else do it would undoubtedly be quicker and easier."

"While I appreciate the concern, I can look after myself, thank you."

And she did so, with the efficiency of one who had done this before. She fashioned a makeshift splint from a scabbard and her belt and more of her skirt than she could really afford to lose in this weather, all held together by her stubborn refusal to bow to anything life threw at her. It took her a lot longer than it would have taken Laxus with his two working hands, but it was an impressive feat, as was everything Erza did.

At least she wasn't ignoring the issue now, even if she was still pretending it was more readily solvable than it was.

Still, she clearly knew what she was doing, so who was he to argue?

She must have caught him staring, because she said, "Do not think about it too much. It is a trifling matter compared to losing sight of Shan Yu in the avalanche."

"I feel that was pretty inevitable, given the circumstances," he pointed out. "We're lucky just to be alive."

The look in her eye could have cut through the Hun forces faster than the avalanche. "I had a responsibility to defeat him, and I failed. Not that I would expect you to understand that."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It matters not. We must press on before the temperature drops further."

He could have argued with that, too, but the cold was still in him, and he didn't have that much energy to spare. He wanted to get out of here, too. The cave, the snow, this mission with Erza rather than one of his actual friends, this whole goddamn world.

"Right," he agreed out loud. "We'll head back through the pass to base camp. It'll be safe to rest there, and we can get a medic to put your arm in a proper cast-"

"We are not heading back to camp," she cut across him. "We must go straight to the Imperial Capital."

"Why…?"

"It is the next step in the story. The final step. According to Levy, with his army defeated, Shan Yu will go straight to the Capital to try and assassinate the emperor. I had hoped we would be able to follow him to ensure that we arrived in the right place at the right time, but I am sure that we can track him-"

"There is no way Shan Yu survived the avalanche. It's impossible."

"We survived it."

"Only thanks to you." In other words, to a woman who did impossible things so frequently that the word had ceased to hold meaning for her. "Besides, he was right in the middle of it."

"He survived," she repeated. "We must go to the Capital and face him."

"Erza, it is not a good idea to forsake proper medical treatment in order to chase after a probably-dead warlord with only one working arm!"

"As I believe I have told you, if we wish to return to Fairy Tail, we must complete the story."

"Right," he snapped, impatience getting the better of him, "because fighting Shan Yu in the pass like your half-remembered story said worked out so well for us."

"You are the one who charged recklessly at him with no care for our strategy!" she retorted. "What were you thinking?"

Just like that, the spark was gone from him, as quickly as it had ignited in Erza.

He knew full well why he had done it, and it wasn't something he was prepared to share with her, or with anyone. They saw the ends and didn't question the means, and that's how he wanted it to stay.

Moodily, he glanced away, even though he knew silence would lose him the argument by default. He couldn't work out for the life of him what had prompted him to argue in the first place. He should've just gone along with it, as usual.

"…I apologize." Erza's words were stiff, shoved sideways into a silence that wasn't hers to fill. "I know you were trying to do the right thing by defeating Shan Yu. That is but another reason why we must press on."

"And your arm?" he reminded her, almost sulkily.

"It can wait until the enemy is beaten. I can fight perfectly well left-handed."

A thought occurred to Erza, then, in the silence of Laxus having learned better than to contradict her. With her one good hand, she unbuckled the other sword belt she had looped around her waist – the one that had originally belonged to Laxus. "Take this. I cannot draw it one-handed."

Laxus didn't see the point of mentioning that he couldn't draw it at all, no matter how many hands he used. Numbly, he fastened it around his waist. It sat there with a mix of familiarity and strangeness, as if it belonged there but he didn't.

"To the Imperial Capital, then," he said, with all the enthusiasm that a pointless quest to some strange city deserved.

A/N: I love Levy and Jellal, but it does take them forever to get to the point of a scene. They're having too much fun just chatting and playing games. But at least they've got a cheerful dynamic going, in contrast to the two people who cannot communicate at all. Forcing some power out of that mysterious sword came with consequences for Erza, but she's not going to let a little thing like that stop her on her quest. Or indeed change her approach at all. Not that Laxus is going about trying to convince her in the right way. Oh dear. ~CS