Magnetism, chapter 3
Title: Magnetism
Chapter: 3
Pairing: Gajeel/Levy
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima's characters and setting, my story.
"Hmm," Master Makarov stroke his beard thoughtfully. "So he was gone by the time you got around to check his body."
"Yes."
The Shadow Gear and Gajeel stood in front of the Master, telling him about the mission in Sakura. Most of the talking was done by Levy, since Jet and Droy had been knocked out by a potion fed to them by the sect members and they hadn't witnessed much of the fight. Gajeel was standing a little bit to the side, throwing in a comment now and then, mostly to the effect of how useless the enemy mages had been.
The journey back to the guild had been uneventful. No fight, either verbal or physical had broken out between the three males. Levy had been safe and unhurt in the morning and had chastised Droy for even daring to ask about it. Gajeel had kept throwing little glances her way but since he had taken no other action, a peace had been kept.
"Are you sure he was dead, Gajeel?" Master asked.
"As sure as I can be," the Iron Dragon Slayer replied, crossing his arms. "I've got a good aim and even if I missed the heart, it should have gone through his lungs. And I've caught no trace of him leaving in any direction. It's like he disappeared into a thin air."
"He most likely did," the tiny mage sighed. "It's a long-distance teleportation magic. You need a lot of power but then again, Jebel never lacked in that. He disappears in one place and appears in another, as far as one thousand miles away. It was one of his specialties."
"Surviving being impaled was another, I guess," Gajeel murmured sarcastically.
"No need to grumble about that, Gajeel," the guild master told him. "You did a good job, saving Levy, Jet and Droy and busting up Jebel's organization. He has no followers left. It's only a matter of time before he is finally caught. We sent the information to the Council and they distributed it among all the guilds. He's the most sought after man on the continent now. He cannot escape."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Master. Can I go now?"
"Yes."
The four of them stared after Gajeel as he picked his way through the bustling crowd in the guild building and left the guild. Makarov turned to the Shadow Gear.
"Has anything happened? Gajeel seems a bit..." he paused, searching for the right word, "...out of balance," he finished. His look was a knowing one and clearly said that the Master was aware of the underlying tension between the team and the guild's newest recruit.
"Nothing happened," Levy spoke firmly before Jet and Droy could so much as open their mouths. "There was a bit of a misunderstanding but it has been cleared by now."
"That's good, then," Master nodded. "It's important that there are no misunderstandings between fellow mages. It could lead to a tragedy, should it get out of hand."
The Shadow Gear nodded as one, Jet and Droy more guiltily than Levy.
"Take a rest now," Makarov said as he hopped off the bar counter, his staff clattering when it hit the floor. "You deserve it."
"That's right," a cheerful voice spoke up. Mirajane had made a way down the bar to them, unnoticed. "What will you have? Or should I pick for you?"
"No, thanks, Mira," Jet said, looking at Droy. "We'll be going now."
"Going?" Levy asked. "Already? But I'd like to stay for a bit longer."
"Erm," Droy started, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "You can stay, Levy. Only Jet and I are going."
"What do you mean by that? Can't I go with you?"
"No, it's not that, it's just that..." Droy trailed off.
"It's a surprise," Jet blurted out, wincing when Mirajane and Levy both looked at him expectantly. "I can't really say more," he finished lamely. Levy sighed.
"Okay, I won't ask. But you'd better not be picking any fights with anyone," she said warningly.
"We won't. We promise."
Mirajane smiled fondly at Jet and Droy's retreating backs before turning to the smaller girl.
"They're nice, just a bit-"
"-overwhelming sometimes?" Levy finished for her.
"Yeah. But it's endearing in its own way," the white-haired barmaid smiled. "So, what would you like to drink?"
"The usual. Black currant-"
"-juice with two lemon slices," Mirajane finished together with her and the girls laughed. "Coming right up."
"Thank you," the blue-haired girl said when the full glass was set in front of her.
"You're welcome. And now you can tell me all about that cleared misunderstanding you have mentioned earlier to Master."
Levy groaned. Mirajane was like a shark when it came to a potential gossip. It went with the territorry and the job, she supposed, but it was rather embarrassing.
"It was nothing, Mira-chan," she tried to throw her off the scent but it was useless.
"Nuh-uh, Levy-chan. There is an interesting story behind it and I want to hear it. Now, spill it."
Trying to argue with Mirajane would only delay the inevitable and Levy gave in.
"Gajeel and I had to share a hotel room in Sakura and Jet and Droy burst in because they thought he was trying to do something to me," she spoke rapidly, giving only a couple of details, hoping it would suffice to satisfy Mirajane's curiousity. She wasn't that lucky.
"And was he trying to do something to you?"
"No!"
"You're blushing," Mirajane noted and Levy barely hold off the flow of words that would shock everyone if they heard them from her.
"It's not like that."
"Oh?"
The single word was loaded with a lot of hidden meanings. Explaining was the only self-defense Levy had left, or else Mirajane would draw her own conclusions. And that would be a disaster.
"The guys hid on the balcony to keep an eye on me. Gajeel had been provoking them quite a lot before and they had taken him seriously. But he noticed them being there and made a scene for their benefit. He waited for me as I came out of the bathroom and he made it look like he was going to kiss me. Of course, Jet and Droy ran in immediately but he only laughed at them and left me to deal with them."
"I see," Mirajane seemed as if she was barely holding back laughter. "That explains the misunderstanding part but not why you're still blushing."
Levy dropped her head on the counter. She remembered wishing for Lucy or Mirajane to be there to talk to back in the hotel room. Now, she was no longer sure it was such a good idea.
"It's just... how would you feel if you thought someone was going to kiss you and then it turned out it was a joke?"
"Ah. Your pride was wounded," the barmaid nodded knowingly.
"No, it wasn't," Levy protested. "I was angry. And confused. And that's it."
"Okay, I'll accept that for now. But I know there's something you're not telling me," Mirajane leaned over the counter, wagging a finger in Levy's face. "That's not nice, Levy-chan."
"Just drop it, Mira-chan."
"For now," the former S-class mage agreed. "I'm making no promises for when Lucy's back."
The reminder of the dangerous mission their friends had undertaken sobered them both.
"You think they'll be alright?" Levy asked.
"Of course. They are our strongest team, aren't they?" was Mirajane's comforting reply and Levy smiled. Lucy would be just fine.
Magnolia had several parks scattered all throughout the town. They were perfect for when a person wanted to be undisturbed or to contact someone in secrecy, for example a master of a notorious Dark Guild.
Gajeel was crouching near the top of the largest oak tree in Magnolia's Eastern Park. A small shikigami was fluttering in a breeze as he made his report to Ivan Dreyar.
"It's going well, so far. They are trusting me more when it comes to the guild business."
"And on the personal level?"
Gajeel grimaced. Both of his masters had a knack for asking uncomfortable questions he would rather not answer.
"That's not so good. Some are still wary of me."
"You need to work more on your people skills, Gajeel-chan," the small paper doll lectured.
"So you keep saying."
"No need to be so grumpy, Gajeel-chan. I think you are progressing rather well. And things are moving along on this side, as well. You know about the alliance of the legal guilds, don't you?"
"Yeah, I heard about it."
It was a popular topic in the guild. There were even bets made about who of the four mages sent would contribute more to the success. Gajeel would put his money on Titania, if he was inclined to join in on the betting. Salamander was strong, too, but his power level fluctuated too much.
"Have you thought about the consequences should they succeed or fail?" Ivan asked him.
"Not really. Would it even make a difference for us?"
"But of course it would. Think, Gajeel-chan. Four guilds joined forces against one guild of the Balam Alliance. What would happen if they destroyed it?"
"One Dark Guild less?"
Ivan chuckled.
"Succinctly put. Their target is Oracion Seis. It consists of six people only but each of them is unbelievably strong. Their destruction would create a power vacuum that would need to be filled. And who better to fill it than the only Dark Guild that was able to keep independent?"
"You aim to become part of the Balam Alliance?"
Now, that was something new. Makarov would be very interested in hearing it. Ivan's ambitions were rather grand.
"Exactly. The 'forces of evil' need order just as much, if not more so than the good guys. I doubt Hades-kun and Medea-kun would protest our joining much."
"Hades and Medea?" Gajeel asked. The names were unfamiliar to him.
"Leaders of Grimoire Heart and Tartaros, the other two Balam Alliance's guilds. Very few people know their names. You should feel privileged."
"I'm flattered," came a dry reply. Another tidbit of interesting info. "And what if the good guys fail?"
"Four guilds lose some of their trump cards. Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail would be hit the hardest, I believe. Jura of the Rock, Titania Erza, even Salamander. The losses would criple the legal guilds. And we can't forget that Oracion Seis wouldn't escape unscathed, either. I don't believe for a moment that a woman like Titania would go down without taking out her opponent as well."
"You seem to consider her the strongest in that alliance, Master Ivan."
"You have seen her fighting, Gajeel-chan. Surely you recognize her power. I believe my father is slowly grooming her to take over the guild after him. Too bad it will never happen."
Gajeel didn't need to ask what Ivan had meant by that. The complete destruction of Fairy Tail was Ivan's ultimate goal and he made no secret of that. Still, there were several factors in the play and Ivan might yet get an unpleasant surprise.
"There was another thing," the Iron Dragon Slayer began hesitantly.
"What is it?"
"You heard about Kain Jebel?"
"Yes, I even thought of recruiting him but he was a loose cannon. The gain wouldn't be worth the risk. Why do you ask?"
"I ran into him during my latest mission and the fucker's disappeared on me before we could fight for real. It pissed me off."
"You should control your violent tendencies better, Gajeel-chan," Ivan commented.
"I control them just fine," Gajeel grumbled. "But I don't like it when someone pulls something like that on me. I want to take him down, just for that stunt alone."
"A matter of pride for you, eh?" Ivan said amusedly. "I take it you want me to give you some info on him?"
"Yeah, that would do."
"I don't know that much but he can use long-distance teleportation."
"I know that."
"Patience is a virtue, Gajeel-chan, you have surely heard that before?" when no answer came, Ivan chuckled again. "He's supposedly impossible to kill because he used an ancient dark ritual on himself to gain immortality. What kind of ritual or the exact consequences of it are not known. And there is the whole slew of minor spells he is capable of, mostly of elemental nature, though he seems to prefer wind-based ones. Was that helpful at all?"
"Actually, yeah," Gajeel grinned. "I now know what to expect."
"Good, just don't get caught up in your little revenge and forget about the bigger picture."
"Don't worry, Master Ivan. I'm always thinking of the bigger picture."
The sinister words made Ivan laugh. The little shikigami fluttered away, carrying the laughter with it. Gajeel stared after it and once he was sure he couldn't be heard by the Raven Tail's master, he allowed himself a chuckle, as well.
"I just think you won't like the bigger picture at all."
He jumped down from the tree and set out for the guild. There was a little favour he wanted to ask from Levy. He doubted she would refuse, once he explained it to her.
Levy was reading a new novel she had preordered and that had arrived while she had been in Sakura. As usual, she got so engrossed in the story that she stopped paying attention to her surroundings and so it was no surprise that when someone pulled the book away from her, she was rather startled by it.
"Hey!" she cried out. "I was reading that."
"Vessels of gods, written by Carrie Hayes," the book-snatcher read aloud. "Is that any good?"
"I would tell you if you let me read it, Gajeel," Levy snapped. He was the last person she wanted to talk to right now, her talk with Mirajane still fresh on her mind.
"Sorry," his grin made the apology void. "I called out your name several times but you just didn't listen."
"I get like that when reading. Ask anyone and they'll tell you that."
"No time for that. I need a favour from you."
"A favour?" that made her interested. Gajeel handed her the book back and then sat down across from her, propping his elbows on the table.
"A favour," he confirmed. He then looked around. "Your watchdogs aren't here?"
"Don't call them that."
"It fits them," he argued.
"The favour," Levy prompted him, not wishing to get caught in the name-calling game.
"I need you to do some research for me. On ancient rituals of immortality."
Levy stared at him.
"Why would you be interested in that?"
"'Cause that's how Jebel survived. I figured if I found out what spell he had used, I could break it down or something and then get rid of him for good."
"Aren't you getting a little obsessed with it?"
"Everyone needs a hobby," the Iron Dragon Slayer deadpanned. Levy giggled at that.
"Okay. I'll take a look at it. Now, shoo, I want to finish this book."
"Fine. Just don't take too long. I'm not a patient guy."
"Don't I know it," she muttered, once again forgetting about his sensitive hearing.
"You know nothing yet, little bookworm," Gajeel leaned across the table, dropping his voice into a whisper. "And you better hope you'll never find out."
A week ago, she would back out. Not out of fear but because she wouldn't know what to say or do. Fortunately, that was no longer the case.
"Oh, I'm so scared," she said unconvincingly, opening her eyes in a rather good impression of fear. "Whatever shall I do? Plead for my life?"
She opened her eyes even more, getting ready to pull out the puppy look-
"You fight dirty," Gajeel accused her as he sat back.
"Just using my abilities to their best effect," Levy returned easily. He smirked at that.
"You are learning."
"Thank you," Levy nodded and turned to her book when-
"Oh, if you are done with your flirting, I would like to wipe the table."
Levy jumped up in her seat, turning around to see smiling Mirajane. The barmaid held a rag in one hand and a tray in another. She started to stack up the empty glasses upon the tray, humming to herself with that infuriating smile on her face. Levy felt her face heating up.
"We weren't flirting," she murmured defiantly.
"Really? My mistake, then."
Mirajane might have said that but her face spoke differently. Her smirk seemed to be too much for Gajeel as well, because he stood up.
"Don't forget about the favour, Levy. I'll see you later about that."
Mirajane watched him as he hurriedly left the guild building again and then she turned to crimson-faced Levy.
"My, my. You have been keeping a lot to yourself, Levy-chan. I didn't know the two of you got along that well."
Levy felt ready to bang her head on the table. How could she explain what she herself didn't understand.
"He just asked me to look up something for him," she tried to clear up things a bit.
"It didn't look like that from where I stood."
"But it's true!"
"Hmm," Mirajane put a finger to her lips before clapping her hands once. "I know. When Lucy and Erza come back, we'll have a sleepover, let Cana get you drunk and learn the truth."
Levy stared. And stared.
"That's... Mira-chan... I can't... ugh, it won't work."
"Maybe, maybe not," Mirajane said cheerfully. "We'll see, won't we?"
Levy gave into her urge from earlier and let her head fall down on the table. Why her?
Twenty miles north of Magnolia, in Oak, the former hometown of the Phantom guild, a man made his way through the evening crowd. He listened to the human sea around him, the noises of the doomed ones and those who could still be saved mingling together.
He was pushed back in his goal but that didn't matter. He would prevail again because he was a chosen one. He was stopped but he would take revenge. He would save the innocent and punish the guilty. He-
"Have you seen the latest special of Gravure? They had an article on Miss Fairy Tail contest and boy, those girls are really something. Erza, Mirajane, Lucy, all of them. And that Levy girl is sooo cute, like a real fairy."
Levy? He knew that name. It had been shouted in the battle and it had belonged to the little blue-haired girl he had wanted to save. The man walked purposely down to the cornershop. He knew the importance of not standing out and if the shop assistant was hard pressed, he might have recalled an average man in late thirties who bought a magazine.
The pages rustled until they opened up on the shot of the contestants. And standing in the middle, wearing number five on a ribbon, was her. Levy McGarden, acoording to the legend under the picture. The same blue hair, the same large brown eyes, the same innocence.
He had found her and this time, she wouldn't escape.
"Levy McGarden," he spoke the name reverently. "You'll become an angel soon. I promise."
And he caressed the glossed face gently. She would be saved. He would make sure of it.
Chapter: 3
Pairing: Gajeel/Levy
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Hiro Mashima's characters and setting, my story.
"Hmm," Master Makarov stroke his beard thoughtfully. "So he was gone by the time you got around to check his body."
"Yes."
The Shadow Gear and Gajeel stood in front of the Master, telling him about the mission in Sakura. Most of the talking was done by Levy, since Jet and Droy had been knocked out by a potion fed to them by the sect members and they hadn't witnessed much of the fight. Gajeel was standing a little bit to the side, throwing in a comment now and then, mostly to the effect of how useless the enemy mages had been.
The journey back to the guild had been uneventful. No fight, either verbal or physical had broken out between the three males. Levy had been safe and unhurt in the morning and had chastised Droy for even daring to ask about it. Gajeel had kept throwing little glances her way but since he had taken no other action, a peace had been kept.
"Are you sure he was dead, Gajeel?" Master asked.
"As sure as I can be," the Iron Dragon Slayer replied, crossing his arms. "I've got a good aim and even if I missed the heart, it should have gone through his lungs. And I've caught no trace of him leaving in any direction. It's like he disappeared into a thin air."
"He most likely did," the tiny mage sighed. "It's a long-distance teleportation magic. You need a lot of power but then again, Jebel never lacked in that. He disappears in one place and appears in another, as far as one thousand miles away. It was one of his specialties."
"Surviving being impaled was another, I guess," Gajeel murmured sarcastically.
"No need to grumble about that, Gajeel," the guild master told him. "You did a good job, saving Levy, Jet and Droy and busting up Jebel's organization. He has no followers left. It's only a matter of time before he is finally caught. We sent the information to the Council and they distributed it among all the guilds. He's the most sought after man on the continent now. He cannot escape."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Master. Can I go now?"
"Yes."
The four of them stared after Gajeel as he picked his way through the bustling crowd in the guild building and left the guild. Makarov turned to the Shadow Gear.
"Has anything happened? Gajeel seems a bit..." he paused, searching for the right word, "...out of balance," he finished. His look was a knowing one and clearly said that the Master was aware of the underlying tension between the team and the guild's newest recruit.
"Nothing happened," Levy spoke firmly before Jet and Droy could so much as open their mouths. "There was a bit of a misunderstanding but it has been cleared by now."
"That's good, then," Master nodded. "It's important that there are no misunderstandings between fellow mages. It could lead to a tragedy, should it get out of hand."
The Shadow Gear nodded as one, Jet and Droy more guiltily than Levy.
"Take a rest now," Makarov said as he hopped off the bar counter, his staff clattering when it hit the floor. "You deserve it."
"That's right," a cheerful voice spoke up. Mirajane had made a way down the bar to them, unnoticed. "What will you have? Or should I pick for you?"
"No, thanks, Mira," Jet said, looking at Droy. "We'll be going now."
"Going?" Levy asked. "Already? But I'd like to stay for a bit longer."
"Erm," Droy started, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "You can stay, Levy. Only Jet and I are going."
"What do you mean by that? Can't I go with you?"
"No, it's not that, it's just that..." Droy trailed off.
"It's a surprise," Jet blurted out, wincing when Mirajane and Levy both looked at him expectantly. "I can't really say more," he finished lamely. Levy sighed.
"Okay, I won't ask. But you'd better not be picking any fights with anyone," she said warningly.
"We won't. We promise."
Mirajane smiled fondly at Jet and Droy's retreating backs before turning to the smaller girl.
"They're nice, just a bit-"
"-overwhelming sometimes?" Levy finished for her.
"Yeah. But it's endearing in its own way," the white-haired barmaid smiled. "So, what would you like to drink?"
"The usual. Black currant-"
"-juice with two lemon slices," Mirajane finished together with her and the girls laughed. "Coming right up."
"Thank you," the blue-haired girl said when the full glass was set in front of her.
"You're welcome. And now you can tell me all about that cleared misunderstanding you have mentioned earlier to Master."
Levy groaned. Mirajane was like a shark when it came to a potential gossip. It went with the territorry and the job, she supposed, but it was rather embarrassing.
"It was nothing, Mira-chan," she tried to throw her off the scent but it was useless.
"Nuh-uh, Levy-chan. There is an interesting story behind it and I want to hear it. Now, spill it."
Trying to argue with Mirajane would only delay the inevitable and Levy gave in.
"Gajeel and I had to share a hotel room in Sakura and Jet and Droy burst in because they thought he was trying to do something to me," she spoke rapidly, giving only a couple of details, hoping it would suffice to satisfy Mirajane's curiousity. She wasn't that lucky.
"And was he trying to do something to you?"
"No!"
"You're blushing," Mirajane noted and Levy barely hold off the flow of words that would shock everyone if they heard them from her.
"It's not like that."
"Oh?"
The single word was loaded with a lot of hidden meanings. Explaining was the only self-defense Levy had left, or else Mirajane would draw her own conclusions. And that would be a disaster.
"The guys hid on the balcony to keep an eye on me. Gajeel had been provoking them quite a lot before and they had taken him seriously. But he noticed them being there and made a scene for their benefit. He waited for me as I came out of the bathroom and he made it look like he was going to kiss me. Of course, Jet and Droy ran in immediately but he only laughed at them and left me to deal with them."
"I see," Mirajane seemed as if she was barely holding back laughter. "That explains the misunderstanding part but not why you're still blushing."
Levy dropped her head on the counter. She remembered wishing for Lucy or Mirajane to be there to talk to back in the hotel room. Now, she was no longer sure it was such a good idea.
"It's just... how would you feel if you thought someone was going to kiss you and then it turned out it was a joke?"
"Ah. Your pride was wounded," the barmaid nodded knowingly.
"No, it wasn't," Levy protested. "I was angry. And confused. And that's it."
"Okay, I'll accept that for now. But I know there's something you're not telling me," Mirajane leaned over the counter, wagging a finger in Levy's face. "That's not nice, Levy-chan."
"Just drop it, Mira-chan."
"For now," the former S-class mage agreed. "I'm making no promises for when Lucy's back."
The reminder of the dangerous mission their friends had undertaken sobered them both.
"You think they'll be alright?" Levy asked.
"Of course. They are our strongest team, aren't they?" was Mirajane's comforting reply and Levy smiled. Lucy would be just fine.
Magnolia had several parks scattered all throughout the town. They were perfect for when a person wanted to be undisturbed or to contact someone in secrecy, for example a master of a notorious Dark Guild.
Gajeel was crouching near the top of the largest oak tree in Magnolia's Eastern Park. A small shikigami was fluttering in a breeze as he made his report to Ivan Dreyar.
"It's going well, so far. They are trusting me more when it comes to the guild business."
"And on the personal level?"
Gajeel grimaced. Both of his masters had a knack for asking uncomfortable questions he would rather not answer.
"That's not so good. Some are still wary of me."
"You need to work more on your people skills, Gajeel-chan," the small paper doll lectured.
"So you keep saying."
"No need to be so grumpy, Gajeel-chan. I think you are progressing rather well. And things are moving along on this side, as well. You know about the alliance of the legal guilds, don't you?"
"Yeah, I heard about it."
It was a popular topic in the guild. There were even bets made about who of the four mages sent would contribute more to the success. Gajeel would put his money on Titania, if he was inclined to join in on the betting. Salamander was strong, too, but his power level fluctuated too much.
"Have you thought about the consequences should they succeed or fail?" Ivan asked him.
"Not really. Would it even make a difference for us?"
"But of course it would. Think, Gajeel-chan. Four guilds joined forces against one guild of the Balam Alliance. What would happen if they destroyed it?"
"One Dark Guild less?"
Ivan chuckled.
"Succinctly put. Their target is Oracion Seis. It consists of six people only but each of them is unbelievably strong. Their destruction would create a power vacuum that would need to be filled. And who better to fill it than the only Dark Guild that was able to keep independent?"
"You aim to become part of the Balam Alliance?"
Now, that was something new. Makarov would be very interested in hearing it. Ivan's ambitions were rather grand.
"Exactly. The 'forces of evil' need order just as much, if not more so than the good guys. I doubt Hades-kun and Medea-kun would protest our joining much."
"Hades and Medea?" Gajeel asked. The names were unfamiliar to him.
"Leaders of Grimoire Heart and Tartaros, the other two Balam Alliance's guilds. Very few people know their names. You should feel privileged."
"I'm flattered," came a dry reply. Another tidbit of interesting info. "And what if the good guys fail?"
"Four guilds lose some of their trump cards. Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail would be hit the hardest, I believe. Jura of the Rock, Titania Erza, even Salamander. The losses would criple the legal guilds. And we can't forget that Oracion Seis wouldn't escape unscathed, either. I don't believe for a moment that a woman like Titania would go down without taking out her opponent as well."
"You seem to consider her the strongest in that alliance, Master Ivan."
"You have seen her fighting, Gajeel-chan. Surely you recognize her power. I believe my father is slowly grooming her to take over the guild after him. Too bad it will never happen."
Gajeel didn't need to ask what Ivan had meant by that. The complete destruction of Fairy Tail was Ivan's ultimate goal and he made no secret of that. Still, there were several factors in the play and Ivan might yet get an unpleasant surprise.
"There was another thing," the Iron Dragon Slayer began hesitantly.
"What is it?"
"You heard about Kain Jebel?"
"Yes, I even thought of recruiting him but he was a loose cannon. The gain wouldn't be worth the risk. Why do you ask?"
"I ran into him during my latest mission and the fucker's disappeared on me before we could fight for real. It pissed me off."
"You should control your violent tendencies better, Gajeel-chan," Ivan commented.
"I control them just fine," Gajeel grumbled. "But I don't like it when someone pulls something like that on me. I want to take him down, just for that stunt alone."
"A matter of pride for you, eh?" Ivan said amusedly. "I take it you want me to give you some info on him?"
"Yeah, that would do."
"I don't know that much but he can use long-distance teleportation."
"I know that."
"Patience is a virtue, Gajeel-chan, you have surely heard that before?" when no answer came, Ivan chuckled again. "He's supposedly impossible to kill because he used an ancient dark ritual on himself to gain immortality. What kind of ritual or the exact consequences of it are not known. And there is the whole slew of minor spells he is capable of, mostly of elemental nature, though he seems to prefer wind-based ones. Was that helpful at all?"
"Actually, yeah," Gajeel grinned. "I now know what to expect."
"Good, just don't get caught up in your little revenge and forget about the bigger picture."
"Don't worry, Master Ivan. I'm always thinking of the bigger picture."
The sinister words made Ivan laugh. The little shikigami fluttered away, carrying the laughter with it. Gajeel stared after it and once he was sure he couldn't be heard by the Raven Tail's master, he allowed himself a chuckle, as well.
"I just think you won't like the bigger picture at all."
He jumped down from the tree and set out for the guild. There was a little favour he wanted to ask from Levy. He doubted she would refuse, once he explained it to her.
Levy was reading a new novel she had preordered and that had arrived while she had been in Sakura. As usual, she got so engrossed in the story that she stopped paying attention to her surroundings and so it was no surprise that when someone pulled the book away from her, she was rather startled by it.
"Hey!" she cried out. "I was reading that."
"Vessels of gods, written by Carrie Hayes," the book-snatcher read aloud. "Is that any good?"
"I would tell you if you let me read it, Gajeel," Levy snapped. He was the last person she wanted to talk to right now, her talk with Mirajane still fresh on her mind.
"Sorry," his grin made the apology void. "I called out your name several times but you just didn't listen."
"I get like that when reading. Ask anyone and they'll tell you that."
"No time for that. I need a favour from you."
"A favour?" that made her interested. Gajeel handed her the book back and then sat down across from her, propping his elbows on the table.
"A favour," he confirmed. He then looked around. "Your watchdogs aren't here?"
"Don't call them that."
"It fits them," he argued.
"The favour," Levy prompted him, not wishing to get caught in the name-calling game.
"I need you to do some research for me. On ancient rituals of immortality."
Levy stared at him.
"Why would you be interested in that?"
"'Cause that's how Jebel survived. I figured if I found out what spell he had used, I could break it down or something and then get rid of him for good."
"Aren't you getting a little obsessed with it?"
"Everyone needs a hobby," the Iron Dragon Slayer deadpanned. Levy giggled at that.
"Okay. I'll take a look at it. Now, shoo, I want to finish this book."
"Fine. Just don't take too long. I'm not a patient guy."
"Don't I know it," she muttered, once again forgetting about his sensitive hearing.
"You know nothing yet, little bookworm," Gajeel leaned across the table, dropping his voice into a whisper. "And you better hope you'll never find out."
A week ago, she would back out. Not out of fear but because she wouldn't know what to say or do. Fortunately, that was no longer the case.
"Oh, I'm so scared," she said unconvincingly, opening her eyes in a rather good impression of fear. "Whatever shall I do? Plead for my life?"
She opened her eyes even more, getting ready to pull out the puppy look-
"You fight dirty," Gajeel accused her as he sat back.
"Just using my abilities to their best effect," Levy returned easily. He smirked at that.
"You are learning."
"Thank you," Levy nodded and turned to her book when-
"Oh, if you are done with your flirting, I would like to wipe the table."
Levy jumped up in her seat, turning around to see smiling Mirajane. The barmaid held a rag in one hand and a tray in another. She started to stack up the empty glasses upon the tray, humming to herself with that infuriating smile on her face. Levy felt her face heating up.
"We weren't flirting," she murmured defiantly.
"Really? My mistake, then."
Mirajane might have said that but her face spoke differently. Her smirk seemed to be too much for Gajeel as well, because he stood up.
"Don't forget about the favour, Levy. I'll see you later about that."
Mirajane watched him as he hurriedly left the guild building again and then she turned to crimson-faced Levy.
"My, my. You have been keeping a lot to yourself, Levy-chan. I didn't know the two of you got along that well."
Levy felt ready to bang her head on the table. How could she explain what she herself didn't understand.
"He just asked me to look up something for him," she tried to clear up things a bit.
"It didn't look like that from where I stood."
"But it's true!"
"Hmm," Mirajane put a finger to her lips before clapping her hands once. "I know. When Lucy and Erza come back, we'll have a sleepover, let Cana get you drunk and learn the truth."
Levy stared. And stared.
"That's... Mira-chan... I can't... ugh, it won't work."
"Maybe, maybe not," Mirajane said cheerfully. "We'll see, won't we?"
Levy gave into her urge from earlier and let her head fall down on the table. Why her?
Twenty miles north of Magnolia, in Oak, the former hometown of the Phantom guild, a man made his way through the evening crowd. He listened to the human sea around him, the noises of the doomed ones and those who could still be saved mingling together.
He was pushed back in his goal but that didn't matter. He would prevail again because he was a chosen one. He was stopped but he would take revenge. He would save the innocent and punish the guilty. He-
"Have you seen the latest special of Gravure? They had an article on Miss Fairy Tail contest and boy, those girls are really something. Erza, Mirajane, Lucy, all of them. And that Levy girl is sooo cute, like a real fairy."
Levy? He knew that name. It had been shouted in the battle and it had belonged to the little blue-haired girl he had wanted to save. The man walked purposely down to the cornershop. He knew the importance of not standing out and if the shop assistant was hard pressed, he might have recalled an average man in late thirties who bought a magazine.
The pages rustled until they opened up on the shot of the contestants. And standing in the middle, wearing number five on a ribbon, was her. Levy McGarden, acoording to the legend under the picture. The same blue hair, the same large brown eyes, the same innocence.
He had found her and this time, she wouldn't escape.
"Levy McGarden," he spoke the name reverently. "You'll become an angel soon. I promise."
And he caressed the glossed face gently. She would be saved. He would make sure of it.