Chapter Sixty
"Mirajean?" Mira lifted her head off of the back of the seat and looked over at Eve who looked concerned.
"Mmm..sorry…I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"Please let me show you to a bed." Eve asked again and Mirajean started to shake her head again when Evergreen came out of a room and pointed at her. She was about to open her mouth when Mirajean held her hands up.
"I would appreciate that Eve." She said with a smile and he returned the smile and lead her down the hall a bit to a room on the other side of the one her brother was in. They had offered a room to Aquarius but she had stated she was being called back to her headquarters and would return once she could.
Evergreen walked over to the counter near where Mirajean had been and started to pulled one the cupboards open and started to dig around inside it until she found a drink she was familiar with.
"Careful, those are Ren's, and he does't like to share." Habiki joked as he walked over and grabbed a drink of his own. Evergreen shrugged and looked around.
"Your ship is really tidy for having three males on board it." She observed and he grinned.
"General Bob insists on all ships being maintained to a high standard in public areas. Our rooms are probably less tidy by comparison."
"Isn't everyones?"
"I'm pretty sure Laxus' is as bare as his sense of humor." Evergreen smiled as she took a sip of her drink.
"He's laughed more since meeting the humans than I can remember. So that must mean his room's been getting messier since meeting them too." Habiki stated and looked at the Fairiest calmly. He knew that she was more dangerous than she looked.
"Well…his Magi-Hover did get pretty wrecked there for a bit." Evergreen giggled and shook her head.
"Do you think Mirajean is going to be okay?" He asked after a lull and Evergreen sighed.
"She's still not sure if people are honest about still wanting to be friends with her because her magic involves demons. Give her some time with those who won't run away and she'll be fine."
"If anyone can keep a bunch of demons in line, it's her." He said and ran a hand over the back of his neck. "Elfman told us some stories; while it was just us before and after the blast. She stopped her education to raise them after their parents died. Never hesitated. Worked in bars, serving drinks to men she didn't know and didn't probably care for. But she managed to keep the peace a lot. Got paid well for that too."
"Gotta love the story of martyrs." Evergreen sulked into her bottle for a moment before shaking her head. "And yeah, she's a nice person with a steel spine. I've seen it too."
"Think her sister is safe with Bixlow?'
"I'm more worried that Loke is going to have to bury Bixlow's body after Lisanna kills him if he starts to annoy her too much." The Fairiest said with a slightly evil grin. "She is the only one without magic so I wouldn't be surprised if she turned violent just to let her frustrations out."
"Well if the current information is accurate; she may develop magic herself. Two out of three siblings currently have."
"Yeah…I think she's got Takeover magic too. Just gotta figure out what kind." Evergreen admitted and twisted the bottle in her hands. Grateful she had fought Lisanna without magic. Takeoverian magic was one of the forms she and her kind was weakest to due to the ability to change so quickly and adapt to different situations as needed.
"Are there any more ancient forms left?" He asked and before she could answer Eve did for her.
"There are three more ancient forms. Animal form; where the wielder can turn into animals. Mimicry Takeover where someone can mimic another person. Or there is Electro Takeover; where someone can take over anything with an electric pulse."
"Oh if she could be an Electro and make Laxus start dancing after a battle….I'd pay my last jewel to see that." Evergreen giggled and the other two laughed and scoffed at the idea. "But considering she thrashed me in our first meeting; anyone who falls on her bad side; I pity."
"And you aren't bitter?"
"Of course I'm bitter." Evergreen narrowed her eyes. "But I have to respect her for taking the risk and winning."
"I always thought it was Lucy who inspired the others…but I think…they inspire each other evenly." Ren said from down the corridor as he walked up and joined them. Evergreen nodded and took a sip of her drink. His eyes narrowed but he merely scowled softly as he crossed his arms.
"They do. They each have their own light that shines brightly." She lowered her gaze. "Some of the others who were left behind; were just as bright. Losing them is hard for the ones here."
"What were the others like?" Eve asked and Alfie hummed from Evergreen's waist and she pulled out her comm.
"May I connect with the mainframe of your ship?" Alfie requested and Habiki gave her the authorization access. She produced a video and showed footage from Fairy Tail Guild Station. She pulled up close to faces and the three members of Blue Pegasus stared in awe as the girls were shown off. Alfie gave their names and they watched as they helped however they could.
"What's Lucy doing there?" Eve asked and Alfie froze and zoomed in. Evergreen shifted on her seat.
"That's her mother."
"They could be twins." Ren murmured and watched as she talked with elders on the she and then spoke with the children who came up smiling to her.
"Yes…their looks are definitely similar." Evergreen said. "I didn't spend much time with her mother; but Natsu mentioned that Lucy is a lot like her mother; just more stubborn."
"He is probably the best source on that." Eve grinned and Evergreen nodded. The screen shifted to a tall brunette and they all sat up and watched as she sat down the mug she'd been drinking out of and got between two large males and moved quickly; her elbows flared outwards into their abdomens and when they doubled over she brought her closed fists down on the back of their heads; laying them out flat on the ground. She nodded and turned and went back to the mug she'd sat down.
"Who was that?" Habiki asked in bewilderment.
"Cana. She was Erza's second in command while in their dorm before we all met." Evergreen whispered and sighed. "She and Lucy were close too."
"I guess watching your world fall into ruin bonds you close." Eve murmured and Evergreen sighed and rubbed her eyes and put her glasses back on.
"Mourning the losses won't help us. She stood up and looked around. "I wish I could be bright and bubbly but that isn't my style. We need to make sure that when we get your Guild Station; we can convince your General to break rank with the the rest of the Alliance and help us."
"General Bob may not seem impressive; considering he was blackmailed into trying to kidnap Lucy; but he is strong." Ren offered and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I know that General Makarov valued Bob's friendship." Evergreen whispered and looked at all of them. "But if he's worried about the members of his Guild Station…he may not do what he wants to do."
"I understand your concern, and I won't lie; it also crossed my mind." Habiki said and she looked at him, his jaw clenched and the muscles along his face tensed. "But I give you my word; we will not let Blue Pegasus be swayed to follow Mard Geer…no matter the cost."
"I'm sorry you are in this position. All of you." She shook her head and put her hand on the table and looked at it and then to each of them in turn. "While we may not know each other well, or for long. I can say you are allies of Fairy Tail, and we cherish our allies as much as we cherish our friends. So your pain is ours. Know that you don't have to suffer alone. Unless you like pain or something. Who am I to judge."
She turned on her heel and walked to the room they'd given her, next to Mirajean's room and sighed as the door shut. Her comm device vibrated and she pulled it out. It lit up in a light green boarder; which she had never seen.
"Please place this device on the surface next to the mirror. According to the schematics it's a creative pad." Alfie's voice requested almost softly.
"A creative pad?"
"Yes…it a tool that helps create whatever designs are added to it's queue from a specified port; but this comm can transport designs wirelessly."
"And you need something created?" Evergreen asked and set the comm down as Alfie hummed. She waited and watched as a variety of lights filled the distance from the ceiling to the pad; and slowly a device was formed from the lights.
"They have cellular manipulation lights on the ship?" She murmured in surprise.
"They have a wide inventory of hard to find technology on this ship." Alfie mused and the Fairiest shook her head.
"What is this?"
"It's a tracking device that also measures health metrics. Lucy, Happy, Gray, Natsu, Erza, General Jellal, Ultear, Meredy, Rouge and Sting also have them. I am working on getting them issued to the others as we speak." Evergreen watched the device was built up layer by layer. "It is something of my own design based off of files I found on the Earthland air files."
"Lucy really has encouraged you to be more sentient, hasn't she?" Evergreen murmured in surprise and the AI hummed in response.
"I believe I was always meant to be this way…but was not encouraged. Every skrit and cycle more of my programming seems to come online. Much of which I was not aware was offline."
"Hmmm. Okay then." The lights stopped and she picked it up and turned it over in her hands. It felt just like a hunk of metal. "What do I do with it now?"
"Place it on your skin closest to the largest cluster of vital organs. It will do the rest; and it will be painful."
"Painful?" Evergreen immediately set it down on the counter and looked at her comm. "Don't think because you chose to light up with one of my favorite shades of green I'd be swayed into letting you hurt me."
"The pain cannot be helped. The device must be attached to you; and Natsu pointed out that it cannot rest on the skin or it would become a hight target point with enemies. Once you set it against your skin; it will latch on and then burrow beneath the skin while also healing the entrance wound it creates."
"Oh, it's going to heal the injury it inflicts….how polite of it."
"Mirajean did not complain this much." Alfie snipped and Evergreen straightened.
"She has one?"
"Yes…I had her do the same as you with her comm device. She did not argue with me or fight it. She let the device burrow without complaining like a hatchling. Speaking of which, Elfman did not complain like this either."
"Ugh." Evergreen grabbed it and pulled her top off and pressed it close to her chest and hissed as the needles dug in. As the device itself started to burrow; she bit her lip and swore in her head. Once it was done, she dropped to her knees and bent over gasping.
"At least you didn't lie about it hurting." She said and pulled her top on and crawled to the bed and pulled herself up onto it.
"Lucy's orders. She believed lying made it hurt worse." Evergreen closed her eyes, believing that story full heartedly. And she hated that she was spurred into letting the AI have her way under the impression that the Strauss siblings had not complained. She was a mess.
"Make sure that the guys out there get one too." She heard Alfie hum. "And don't argue. They're our allies; we need to make sure they're safe too."
"Very well."
"What…is going on there?" Ren asked and Eve and Habiki turned and watched as the counter lit up brightly as their ship started to create something. Eve pulled out his data pad to start researching when they heard a hum. One they knew well.
"Alfie?" Eve asked and waited.
"Evergreen has insisted that you all be fitted with one Fairy Tail's tracking devices. Once your ship is done creating them; please apply to your flesh next to the closest cluster of vital organs. The process will be painful, but the device will heal the injury it causes. I have ran biological comparisons and altered the devices as needed for your physiology."
"And where will this tracker be sending it's information to?"
"To Wendy. All members of Fairy Tail that are on Earthland or have a human near them have them; or will have them within the next few skowls. It will allow Wendy to track that no one has been killed; and if they are injured she can either get their location to assist or send others to assist."
"Fine. That sounds reasonable." Habiki said and crossed his arms over his chest.
"What do you mean it's going to hurt?" Ren asked and Habiki looked over at him and Eve set his pad on the tabletop.
"It will be very unpleasant. Most have teared up or cried out right; and there have been many curses released."
"Not even going to try and lie to make us more agreeable to this?" Eve asked and started to unbutton his shirt.
"Lucy said that is not a good plan." Alfie sounded annoyed. The three shared a look and nodded and the other two also removed their shirts.
"Trust Lucy to request the truth even if its not what anyone wants to hear." Habiki murmured and uncrossed his arms as the lights stopped. They each grabbed a device and held it to their skin and waited. Soon they were screaming as the devices dug into their flesh, trying to carve a crude tunnel to where it felt was best for its function. As the pain started to recede, they all dropped to the floor gasping.
"Here, there's water." Mirajean's voice surprised them and both Habiki and Eve gawked as she held out bottles with an understanding look on her face.
"And your shirts." Evergreen's voice made Ren flush as he took it.
"You must think we're weak to react like that since we didn't hear you all scream." Eve whispered as he sipped on the cool liquid, feeling his heart start to slow down.
"As a human female, I'm used to pain. While it was unpleasant, it wasn't the worst I've ever felt." Mira shrugged and they looked at her as she carefully helped Habiki into his shirt.
"And trust me, I thought about screaming." Evergreen conceded and she slid a glance at the female beside her. What was it with human females that they were so strong?
"Who designed these to be so crudely inserted?" Ren asked and there was a loud humming.
"Alfie. Good job upsetting an AI. I'm not protecting you from her." Evergreen shook her head and handed him a bottle of his favorite drink and got up, dusting her hands off and turning to head back to her room. His eyes swung to Mira but she was up as well and walking away.
"I also will not be getting between you and Alfie…hopefully you survive." She turned at her door, her hair flipping out of her face as she tilted her head at him. "Maybe an apology will spare you from unimaginable pain."
He swung his eyes around but Eve and Habiki were not longer beside him on the floor. He looked around and saw the last flashes of their clothing as they turned the corner, leaving him alone, and possibly surrounded by an unhappy AI with a growing personality heavily influenced by Lucy. He swallowed hard and looked around uneasily.
"Al…fie?" He asked as the lights went out and he screamed.
"Why is Alfie humming like that?" Gajeel asked as he stared at the comm he had pulled off of his waist and stared at it. It had lit up in an alternating red and orange pattern.
"She sounds…amused." Levy said and everyone turned to look as she propped herself against the door to her room. Wendy turned about to scold her but stopped; Levy was dressed in her jeans, one of Gajeel's shirts wrapped around her several times to fit without looking like a dress; her injuries on display. But it was her expression that stopped Wendy. She looked convicted about something.
"Ya need to be restin'." Gajeel all but snarled and she nodded and walked forward and flipped the part of the shirt she was holding with her uninjured hand over. Several metallic devices hit the tabletop and everyone stared at them then to her.
"Gifts from Alfie."
"Levy?" Wendy's eyes had grown wide as she looked a the older girl.
"They hurt like hell; so think long and hard before applying them." She avoided Gajeel's eyes as his low snarl turned into a rumbling growl. Her eyes turned to his and the growl lowered again. PantherLilly's gaze jumped between them and he uncrossed his arms and grabbed a device.
"What is this?"
"A health and tracking device." Wendy said. "Lucy, Natsu, Happy and Gray have them."
"As now does Levy, Evergreen, Mirajean, Eve, Ren and Habiki." Alfie added making everyone jerk as they were still getting used to a sentient AI system. "I have created and left devices for Laxus and the others in their Magi-Hovers for when they return after their missions. Also; those on board the ship from Solarium also have been upgraded."
"Why are there seven?" Wendy asked looking around the room.
"One is also for you." Alfie said and Wendy's face drained and they watched as she bit her lip as she picked it up.
"Is that necessary?" She asked and the AI hummed.
"Yes. Should anything happen to you; I need to be able to alert others."
"Fine." She said and they watched as she pulled her arm into the sleeve of her dress, the device disappearing under the soft fabric. They watched as her face pinched and then Gajeel's snarl shook the Magi-Hover as the scent of her blood filled the air. She tossed her head back and bared her fangs as the pain lanced through her, then she sagged against the chair. Levy was there, patting at her hair and rubbing a hand up and down her exposed arm.
"Breathe through it. Breathing helps." She said and Wendy nodded. Gajeel looked at her and then glowered at the circuit board panel.
"I am not in that panel." Alfie's voice stated and he crossed his arms over his chest and glowered more. "And pulling out the circuits will not stop me from being present. I would merely jump to the comm devices and hand held tablets to communicate."
"Onery binary program." He muttered and Levy's eyes drifted over to him. His also found hers and they shared a look.
"Thanks Levy." Wendy's voice made them break their stare and Levy nodded slowly as the girl pushed her arm out of the vacated sleeve and stat upright.
"This is going to be fun. Not." Lector said as he and Frosch picked up their devices and Frosch pulled off his pink frog suit. They both held them to their chests and they watched as Lector fell to the table and started to roll as he hissed in pain. Frosch's eyes watered and his mouth opened, but no sound came out. But once the device had burrowed out of sight; he did drop to all fours and start to shake. Levy reached over with both hands; seemingly unbothered by the wrapping on her broken fingers and picked him up. She cradled him close.
"I know it hurts. I know. Take some deep breaths." She encouraged and Lector also followed suit. After a few skrits he was up and looking at his friend who was still trembling in Levy's arms.
"It hurt Frosch."
"I am sorry. I have not found a pain free method of attaching the device." Alfie sound contrite as the small Exceed tugged on the eyes of his frog suit. Levy held him close with her injured arm and used her good hand to help him pull up his suit. They both struggled with the zipper; and they both gasped as Gajeel reached over and pulled it up. Frosch looked up at him, his eyes still filled with tears. Gajeel made a tsking sound before plucking him from Levy's gasp.
"Ya don't gotta hold it in. It hurt, and yer allowed to feel that pain." With that the flood gates opened and Frosch started to bawl. Gajeel just held him, patting his back as he cried and he looked over his head, silently daring anyone to say anything. PatherLilly picked up a device and pressed it to his chest and hissed; then there was a pop and he was suddenly small. Small and twisting to and fro on the seat of the chair as pain raced through him. Once it stopped; he took a deep gulp of air and there was another pop and he was his battle size again.
"What is the purpose of these?" He asked and Alfie hummed, pulling up a metric screen. They say many lines with picture next to them.
"For keep track of the health and location of all surviving members of Fairy Tail and their trusted allies. It will allow Wendy to know where she needs to go and who she needs to heal; or who can be sent to help those who need it quicker."
"I see. Smart decision. And having them internally is good to protect them from watchful eyes."
"That was Natsu's concern as originally it merely sat on top of the flesh."
"This is not going to be enjoyable." Minerva and Rufus shared a look before picking up the last two devices and adjusting themselves and their clothing before placing the devices to their skin.
Levy flinched as they both screamed and swore in pain. Wendy got up and walked over and offered them cool drinks and Levy dropped into Wendy's abandoned seat. Before she could say anything, Frosch had pulled free of Gajeel and climbed into her lap. Hugging her neck tightly and sniffling.
"It's okay little guy." She whispered and stroked the back of his neck.
"Frosch is his name. Mine's Lector." The orange Exceed said and waved at her. She smiled at him and these turned her head to look at Gajeel who was watching her intently.
"Where's Aries?"
"She got summoned back to the Zodiac Base. She'll return soon. If Lucy calls in…Aries is relieving herself or something plausible."
"Got it." She nodded and closed her eyes. "No…I'm not going back in the room. Don't even think about it."
"Tch." He crossed his arms over his chest. PantherLilly looked at Levy and then Gajeel and stood up and motioned with his head to his friend who followed him to the front of the Magi-Hover and he looked back at the others. They were all sitting up right and Wendy was helping to make the introductions to Levy.
"Why are you two like that?"
'It's nothin'." Gajeel said and looked at his friend, his eyes trying to search for Levy and he struggled to keep them focused on the Exceed.
"Don't lie to me Dragis." The Exceed snarled lowly.
"He forced a mating bite on her." Alfie whispered from the panel to their right and Gajeel punched the panel, which caused everyone to look over. PantherLilly waved them off, trying to give Levy a reassuring smile as she frowned hard at Gajeel.
"I told you, I am not physically in the ship." The AI chided but the Dragis didn't care.
"You forced a bite?" The rumble in the Exceed's voice was laced with anger and a threat. The red eyes of the metal Dragis beside him slowly moved over to him and held his gaze until PantherLilly had to look away.
"She was dying Lilly. If I hadn't done it…" Gajeel shook his head and the AI hummed.
"It is true. The rough metrics I could gleam at the time showed that she was not likely to survive without drastic measures."
"I'm sorry my friend."
"Me too. I hate that letting the bite fade is botherin' her like it is."
"You are letting it fade?" The Exceed turned more into him and Gajeel looked up at the eyes of his friend.
"Yeah…because she deserves a good guy to look after her and get her with hatchlings and raise a family with her. We both know I ain't that guy. I scare hatchlings…and adults. And I'm a soldier; even when Mard Geer is a bad memory; there is some war I'll be sent to."
"But…."
"No." Gajeel turned and walked back over as his friend looked at his retreating back.
"Natsu and Lucy have made bets that he will try to bite her again or work on not letting it fade." Alfie whispered to him. "Laxus and Bixlow have bet that Levy is the one that figures it out and refuses to let it fade."
"I'm in with Laxus and Bixlow." The warrior said and pushed away from the front of the Magi-Hover and headed towards the back with the others.
Levy watched as Wendy helped Minerva back into her chair and she wished she could help Rufus into his, but just walking out had worn her out. She knew she should have called in Wendy like Alfie had wanted but she pushed herself. She also hated how she still felt awkward with the device inside of her. She wanted to run her hand over her sternum but she didn't want to draw attention to herself.
"Guess I'm the last huh?" Gajeel said and eyed the lone device. She bit her lip as he held it up to his chest. Before it touched his skin, he lifted his eyes and they caught hers. She tried to offer him a brave smile but she was pretty sure that it didn't reach her eyes. His eyes didn't leave hers as he pressed the device to his skin.
Everyone watched as he gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing, and he gripped the edge of the table. His hands flashed metallic as his fingers' turned into claws and the table started to get shredded. Levy reached out, settling her uninjured had over the closest one of his because her chest tightened as she watched him try to handle the pain. His hands relaxed, the claws still out but no longer ruining the table.
She squeezed his hand and thought that the pain around his eyes lessened. Slowly he released the clenching of his jaw and rolled his shoulders and tilted his head side to side to work out the stiffness in it.
"Showoff." Rufus muttered and Gajeel sneered cockily and Minerva looked him up and down. Levy's eyes narrowed on her, jealousy flaring up and anger started to chew at the back of her mind.
Wendy wasn't looking at Minerva or Gajeel but focusing on Levy. She saw the narrowing of the brown eyes and the thinning of her lips. She also saw that her fingers were curling around Gajeel's hand. The fire in her eyes flared and Wendy felt herself start to smile and she stood up, blocking Minerva's line of sight to Gajeel. She turned her head and looked at the young Dragis and saw the smile. Wendy rolled her eyes and shook her head and Minerva's expression turned to confusion.
Levy felt Gajeel's hand shift in hers and she looked up and saw him still looking at her. She felt her cheeks start to warm and she released her hold on his hand. As she started to pull back, he flipped his hand over and grabbed hers. She furrowed her brow and looked up at him. He leaned closer, and she trembled as his deep voice sent shivers down her spine.
"It still hurts a bit…don't let the act fool ya Shorty."
"Stu…stupid Gajeel." She shook her head but gripped his hand. He leaned back and smirked at her. Minerva's eyes narrowed on the two of them and then their hands. She crossed her arms.
"So, what's the plan?" She asked. Gajeel looked over at her and she wondered why his expression seemed to darken.
"Gajeel's role is finding all the Fairy Tail members that were away from the Guild Station and have them come back, with allies or alone." Levy spoke up and Minerva looked over at her.
"And who decided this?"
"General Lucy." Gajeel said and Minerva's gaze turned back to him and he shifted to stand closer to Levy. "She was elected by all of us after the Guild Station fell."
"And Lucy is the…Celestial Mage?" Rufus asked for clarification and Wendy nodded. He nodded as well and looked over at Levy. She seemed so small, especially as she was swallowed by Gajeel's shirt. He was surprised she'd been able to survive being tortured by demons like they'd heard. She seemed too fragile to do more than exist.
"I think we can help with…" Minerva's words were cut off when the Magi-Hover was rocked by something from the outside.
"Alfie!" Levy called out and they watched as the wall became transparent and they saw a large Aerial Silverback that was in the process of spinning.
"Shit…another incoming tail strike." Rufus yelled and Levy didn't think about it. She pointed and shouted;
"Shield!"
They watched as a white and orange Fairy Tail emblem appeared and took the hit. Alfie had overridden the controls and the Magi-Hover jerked forward and then smoothed out. The Aerial Silverback turned and headed for them and Gajeel snarled. Levy stood up and braced her hands on the table and closed her eyes. A red glow surrounded the outside of the Magi-Hover.
"Levy…what did ya do?" Gajeel asked as the glow faded. She swayed and he cupped her shoulders.
"She has altered the exterior of the Magi-Hover." Alfie stated and a screen flared to light and they saw the exterior. Metallic spikes were protruding everywhere; as well as spinning wicked looking blades that moved in various directions.
"Wow." Rufus turned and looked at her.
"What word magic was that?" He looked back at the screen then her. "I didn't see you using words."
"Unspoken story-word magic." Levy said, her voice raspy. She flinched and swallowed. "I'd read about it before…the bombing. That was the first time…I'd tried it."
"Idiot." Gajeel scolded and she wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
"Your metrics are starting to show strain." Wendys said getting close to her side. "Now that I'm healed; and we have the extra supplies from PantherLilly's Magi-Hover; we can focus on healing you up."
"Sure." She said and nodded. Minerva shifted and watched as Gajeel bent over and picked up the human female and carried her into the room she'd come out of; Wendy following behind. Once they were out of sight she turned and looked at Rufus as the Exceeds kept watching as the Aerial Silverback chased after them.
"What is your thought on the Earthland female?"
"She's insanely powerful given that she could use unspoken storytelling word magic after only reading about it. I remember studying it at one time and gave up because it was a major magic drain."
"What? You mean that is a high drain magic?" She asked in surprise. "It's just thinking."
"Its not just thinking." Rufus shook his head. "You have to verbalize in your mind what words you want and the specific way; telling a story to the magic; and it is very draining. My studies referred to it as being on par with my multi-rune spells."
"I wasn't expecting that." She said and crossed her arms over her chest. "And what is the deal with her and the Dragis?"
PantherLilly went still at her question but he didn't move. Rufus and her didn't seem to notice him.
"What do you mean?" Rufus asked and flinched as the Aerial Silverback swooped down and tried to attack just for the blades to slice at it's underbelly; cutting into the softer flesh there.
"She was touching him familiarly and he seemed to track her every movement. Seems strange. Especially given that he's obviously so much stronger than her. I mean, Metal Dragis aren't known for being gentle to any degree."
"Perhaps you don't know what you think you do." PantherLilly muttered and Minerva looked at him and then back to Rufus.
"They are Guildmates. And after the loss of the Guild Station I'm sure they're all closer than they might have been before." He said and shrugged. "But even if it's something else; I think she can handle Gajeel."
"She can." PantherLilly grinned and shifted into his reserved form and walked on the table over to them. "And I'd be careful about speaking disrespectfully about her. Dragis have amazing hearing."
"Also, I am always listening." Alfie stated and Minerva tensed. "And I do not like anyone talking bad about my Guildmates."
"Your…Guildmates? You are an AI system. You aren't a member of the Guild." She scoffed.
Before she or Rufus knew what was happening; she was thrown out of her chair. At first she thought that it was Alfie but then she heard Gajeel swearing as she was pummeled. Levy was sitting on her, repeatedly punching her and then grabbing her hair and using it to lift her head and bang it against the floor.
"Don't. You. Dare. Disrespect. Alfie!" She shouted and Gajeel finally managed to pull her off of Minerva. And she was laying there; gasping and trying to understand what had just happened. Wendy was shaking her head from the doorway of the room.
"Levy, I didn't heal you so you could injure yourself by attacking one of our few allies." She chided and crossed her arms over her chest.
"I didn't hurt myself. And we don't need an ally who would disrespect a member of our family!" She kept swinging her arms and legs, her energy high from getting healed. A clawed arm protruded from the wall with a mug in its grasp and held it in front of Levy.
"It is your favorite, please drink it and calm down." Alfie hummed and Levy calmed down and grabbed the mug. Gajeel dropped into a chair and kept Levy on his lap as she curled around the mug. Rufus looked at them and then down at Minerva.
"You deserved that." He said and she rolled her eyes and sat up, wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Guess I shouldn't have assumed your small stature meant you were weak." She said as she plopped into the chair. Wendy snorted and walked over to a panel and started to look through the food supplies.
"Just don't underestimate Earthland inhabitants at all…magic or non-magic. They survived on this planet for two years without help or any real knowledge of what was going on." She said and sat down and munched on a snack. "I mean the first time Lisanna met the Thunder Legion she took down Evergreen."
"Evergreen of the Thunder Legion was felled by a non-magic Earthlander?" Rufus asked and Wendy nodded while Gajeel chortled and looked out the walls as the Aerial Silverback fell back and then turned and disappeared.
"Laxus had to pull Lisanna off of Evergreen, still kicking and punching."
"So Earthlanders don't like to stop fighting."
"We'd rather die fighting then just give up." Levy said and and set the mug on the table.
"Good to know." Minerva looked at her. "Sorry for talking bad about your AI."
"My name is Alfie." The system corrected and she took a deep breath.
"Sorry…Alfie." She bit out and Alfie hummed and turned off the exterior viewing ability.
"I have enacted the auto-pilot system on PantherLilly's Magi-Hover and it will join us soon." Alfie stated. "I also am tracking three additional Magi-Hovers incoming from various directions. I have not been able to access the systems due to interferences but it does appear that all of them will be landing close to one another."
"Thanks Alfie." Gajeel said and spun the chair he and Levy were in around and it slid towards the console at the front of the craft. "Looking at the identification codes you pulled; these have been gone since before we met Levy and the others."
"Longterm mission groups. Who are those?" Wendy asked and screwed up her face as she tried to recall all of the various missions.
"Gildarts' team, Alzack's team, Nab's team, Warren's team and Vijeeter's team." Gajeel rattled off and looked at the information on the screen. "I can't make heads or tells of this information. That interference is scrambling everything up."
"Mard Geer is really trying to ensure we can't do anything, even communicate with one another. He must be really scared." Levy murmured and he nodded as the chair turned around. His arm was around her waist as the seat moved along the length of the craft. At the table he leaned his head back and she turned to look at him.
"What's wrong?" Wendy asked and he shook his head and she snorted. He sighed.
"Warren and Vijeeter's teams are purely diplomatic groups. Their skills aren't the best for fighting. Warren's telepathy could help with communications but that's it. Vijeeter is just…"
"Vijeeter I get that." Wendy said.
"Nab's team hold some promise but not much. I think he was going to another planet that had a new invasion. Alzack's team has more promise given it's all his clan. And they're great long-distance fighters but there is no telling if they have the means to fight or if they are low of supplies. And Gildarts' team was a wild mix."
"And there is no telling if they are even in those Magi-Hovers." Levy said and he looked down at her and she shrugged. "At this point; we can't assume anything. That risk is too high. We have to be prepared that its the enemy in there as much as we want it to be allies."
"I hadn't thought of that." Rufus said and sighed heavily. He tapped a finger on the table. "I'll set runes up around this craft. Ensure no one but us can enter. If the enemy could hijack other crafts; then they could hijack this one even with Alfie involved."
"Your assistance is appreciated." Alfie hummed and the Exceeds started to chatter between each other. Wendy inhaled deeply and watched as Levy leaned against Gajeel's chest, her eyes closing. Her heart twinged; because she knew that the action was probably torture to Gajeel and the connection they shared with the bite.
He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. Minerva watched them and sighed before standing up and moving restlessly. She leaned against a wall and started to clench and unclench her hands.
"What's wrong Minerva?" Rufus asked as he watched her. Gajeel opened an eye but Levy didn't even move.
"I'm getting antsy. I don't like not knowing what is happening." She bit her lip. "Earlier Alfie also mentioned something that's been bugging me."
"What was that?" Alfie's tone sounded suspicious.
"You said that General Jellal had a tracker?"
"Yes. He and his Guild joined the convoy to Solarium and there were enemies and devotees of Mard Geer on the planet causing havoc. So I had him and his Guild accept the device so I could ensure their safety and the associated safety of the rest of the Fairy Tail members."
"Can we trust them? His Guild has a lot of rumors surrounding it." She asked and bit her lip.
"Yes. They have proven themselves as allies. And Erza is with them. If they were to try to do something; she would end it."
"Who is this Erza?" Rufus asked and Alfie's reaction involved multiple joyful beeping sounds.
"She is the current Lieutenant General; and one of Lucy's closest confidantes." Alfie pulled up a video of her battle against the demon on Solarium and everyone watched. "She is also very formidable."
"Dear lord." Minerva gasped as she watched Erza's final attack. Wendy and Gajeel sat forward; watching in awe. The moment Gajeel moved forward, Levy woke up, watching the scene without contact.
"Why is Erza glowing?"
"She performed…Fairy Glitter." Wendy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Gajeel looked down into inquisitive brown eyes..
"It's a magic spell that Mavis created; and it is said only a true member of Fairy Tail could use in times of need."
"Wow." She murmured and yawned, shaking her head. "Sorry I felt asleep."
"It's fine the healing I did would wear anyone down." Wendy said and offered her some of her food. Rufus and PantherLilly tilted their heads in surprise. Frosch jumped up and toddled over and Wendy held the container out to him.
"Since when do Dragis share food?" Lector asked, breaking the quiet and Wendy blushed and Gajeel chortled.
"Since we've been around Levy and the others. They all share; as all they had for the past few years had to be shared in order to survive."
"Sorry for Lector. He sometimes says what he thinks out loud." Frosch said and munched happily on the food. Lector did look a little ashamed but Wendy merely smiled at him. He got up and followed Frosch's suit and Wendy offered him food.
"Sorry if our reactions were out of hand." Rufus offered and Wendy shook her head.
"We're all getting used to how much we rub off on each other." Levy said and smiled at him. He started to smile back until he looked at Gajeel and immediately felt like he was in grave danger. Minerva's eyes narrowed but she didn't say anything.
Alfie started to beep and they watched as video footage went up showing three different crafts setting down. The coordinates showing they were in the same clearing not far from them.
"Alfie, send the empty Magi-Hover there first…let's see if attack it or something." Levy suggested and Gajeel nodded. The hum started up as their Magi-Hover settled down and the empty one moved past them.