Fairy Tail Tuesdays

By OblivionRose

Author's note: Sorry for the really late update! It takes a while for me to plan out these chapters since I have to research/rewatch/reread the fairy tale stories and then figure out how to make it into a Fairy Tail version. Basically I'll update whenever I update. As long as people keep showing an interest for this and I get inspired to write about Fairy Tail couples/friends in different fairy tales then I'll continue to make new chapters. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and gave their opinions to me on here and tumblr! You really helped me plan this out. Please enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: No I don't own Fairy Tail or its characters, and this story is loosely based off of the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. (So any quotes taken from the movie don't belong to me)

Story note: Instead of using the story's names (like Belle and Beast, etc.) I'm going to use the character's names (Levy and Gajeel, etc.)

Pairings: Gajeel x Levy, Freed fanboying over Laxus, various other pairings hinted

Beauty and the Beast

Setting: Fairy Tail guild, a few days before Natsu, Lucy, and Happy go to participate in the first Fairy Tale Tuesday.

It was another typical day in the Fairy Tail guild for the Iron Dragon Slayer. Once he walked through the guild's doors he was greeted by the rambunctiousness of its members. Mira Jane was serving people at the counter, the idiot flame brain was starting an argument with the perverted popsicle, who already was only in his shorts, while bunny girl just sighed and shook her head and Juvia was there cheering for her "Gray-sama!" Of course many shouts proclaiming them to "Be a man!" from Elfman were heard as the argument progressed. Not wanting to get involved with the pointless fight at the moment, Gajeel headed towards his regular spot where he saw his cat sitting and talking with the other two cats. Still observing the guild he noticed the Raijunshuu were talking about nonsensical things with their lightning leader and the younger version of Mira Jane. He heard giggling coming from the small sky dragon slayer as she sat and talked with the young mage who dressed like Natsu. Just as he arrived where Pantherlily was he unconsciously glanced at the curly blue-haired girl that would normally be sitting reading a book or surrounded by the two drooling idiots; however, he noticed she was sitting at a table alone sighing as she took a drink of her glass. He stopped suddenly and crossed his arms, frowning.

"Good morning, Gajeel. Finished your special morning training?" Pantherlily greeted him until he noticed the man's displeased look. "What's wrong, Gajeel?"

"What's up with Shorty?" He stated bluntly as he moved his eyes back to his black exceed friend so as to not get caught staring at her for too long.

"Levy?" Soon all three exceeds glanced over at the girl in question. "I'm not sure; I just got here a little while before you." Pantherlily answered.

Carla decided to speak up since she had seen what caused the girl to be down this morning. "I suppose it has to do with her not having anyone to do that story telling mission with." She then proceeded to take a sip of her tea as Happy next to her nodded his head.

"Aye! Lucy is already going with me and Natsu, and Jet and Droy are still away on their mission." Happy added as he chewed on his fish.

Before Gajeel realized what he was doing, he was already heading over to the sad book lover.

"Told you he liiiiiiikes her." Happy said with a grin towards Pantherlily.

Pantherlily nodded his head and watched his partner gallantly go over to cheer up Levy.

Levy let out a sigh as she sat at the table with her drink. Even one of her favorite books couldn't cheer her up at the moment as she tried to read it. She really wanted to sign up for that mission since it had to deal with books and storytelling. If it was one thing she loved to do, it was to talk about a good book. She would've normally done such a mission as Team Shadow Gear, but lately Jet and Droy had been taking missions on their own without her. She had a slight suspicion it had to do with them saving up money to buy her a birthday gift, but she still had hoped she could've gone with them. She did check with Lucy, but she already signed up with Natsu. Levy had to admit she was a little jealous her friend was going to be the first to do the mission, but she couldn't hold a grudge. She just made Lucy promise her that they would sign up again and do one in the future. However, she wasn't sure how long that would be since she was going to be busy with future events. This week would've been ideal for her, but now it seemed like she didn't have anyone to go with. She thought about asking Gajeel, but she figured he wouldn't be interested in that sort of thing as she heard him call it "stupid" when the master talked to the guild about it. As Levy was carried away with her thoughts and rested her head on the table she didn't notice the large shadow looming over her.

"Get up, Shrimp. We're going to sign up for that story telling mission." A rough husky voice demanded, startling her suddenly.

"Wha-Gajeel! How many times have I told you not to call me, Shrimp?" As she processed what he had said her eyes widened but then she frowned at his tone. "What makes you think you can just demand me to go with you? And I thought you said it was stupid." She crossed her arms and looked away from the man, stubbornly not wanting to give in right away.

"I think a lot of things are stupid. It doesn't mean I won't do it. Besides…" At this Gajeel looked away from her and struggled with his words. "I heard… you needed someone to go with. And… I'm tired of seeing you moping over here." A very faint shade of pink touched his cheeks as he admitted that he had been watching the girl earlier.

"I wasn't moping!" Levy said as she looked at him and suddenly noticed his expression and softened her look a bit.

"Whatever. It's not like I wanted to go with you on that mission. If you're fine then-" Gajeel was about to walk away when a soft dainty hand grabbed his wrist. He looked down at the bluenette who was smiling at him.

"No. Let's sign up." She said cheerfully with a faint blush on her face. The two then proceeded to see Mira Jane to get the information and schedule an appointment for the event.

Elouise, the Enchanted Books' owner, was busy fussing with her special story telling lacryma when she heard the entrance bells ring implying her Fairy Tail members were here for the job. "I'll be out in a moment!" She called to her guests as she inserted another piece and some magic to start making the special orb glow. "Perfect!" She said as she picked it up and teleported towards the front where her guests were waiting.

Levy looked at all of the book shelves lined up on the first and second floor. The atmosphere of the building was great and Levy wondered how she hadn't discovered this book store before. 'I wonder if it was put up during the seven years we were gone.' She thought as she looked over at Gajeel who stood there looking bored with his arms crossed, but she noticed that he was silently observing the book shop as well. Pantherlily, who also decided to join them on this mission, hovered in the air and grinned at her. "Like what you see?" He asked her as Levy nodded her head.

Just then the store's owner appeared right before them, catching them a little off guard, though Lucy had warned Levy ahead of time about the owner's teleportation ability. Levy walked back over to Gajeel and Pantherlily and smiled at the elderly woman. "Hello Miss Elouise!" she greeted.

"I'm so happy to have another set of young mages with me today! Did your friends inform you of the story you three will be reading today?" The elderly woman inquired.

Levy nodded her head and responded, "Yes, Mam! I've read the book multiple times this week. It's one of my favorite fairy tales. Gajeel and Pantherlily reviewed the story as well." She answered for the other two who nodded their heads.

"Excellent! Now time for costumes…" She thought as she looked at them while holding the strange orb protectively.

Gajeel and Levy both eyed the strange orb. "Oi, Granny. What's that thing you got there?" Gajeel bluntly pointed it out.

"Oh this?" Elouise responded as she snapped her fingers causing Gajeel to now wear a pair of horns, an ominous flowing black cape, and wearing a body suit of fur. "I was hoping I could ask you three to test it out. It's a special Story Telling Lacryma." She grinned widely as she lifted it up to show them it better. She then looked back at Gajeel, who was scowling and scratching himself due to the uncomfortable fur, and frowned. "Fur doesn't really suit you." She took off the fur suit, to Gajeel's relief, and pondered. Gajeel had an idea of what she might like and decided to sport his iron scales for the time being. Elouise let out a gasp of delight showing her approval and then proceeded to observe Levy, who was thinking about what the woman had described the orb as. A snap of the fingers and Levy now changed into a simple blue dress with a white apron.

Levy looked herself over and loved the dress. She then decided to ask about the device they are supposed to test. "A 'Story Telling Lacryma?' What does it do?" Levy watched as the elderly woman proceeded to dress Pantherlily in various inanimate objects until she settled on a clock. The exceed questioned the attire for a moment until he noticed Elouise observe Gajeel and Levy again.

The small woman set the lacryma on a table, looked at the two and snapped both of her fingers. Gajeel and Levy were simultaneously changed into new outfits. Still dawning his scales and fake horns, Gajeel was now dressed in a prince's outfit. The iron dragon slayer scowled at the sissy outfit with too many cuffs and poofs. Levy giggled and Pantherlily said it wasn't that bad. But when he looked up at Levy he quit complaining and stared in silent awe. She was dressed in a beautiful golden ball gown with long white gloves. The way she blushed when he looked at her made her even more adorable- 'Wait… Did I just think she was adorable? Shit. Focus on something else…' Gajeel thought as he angrily looked at the elderly woman and barked, "Well? What's so special about the damn ball?"

After admiring her own work the woman was woken from her thoughts as Gajeel spoke to her. "O-Oh, yes! Sorry, dears. Sometimes I get carried away with my outfits. Hahaha… Now the Story Telling Lacryma will project your thoughts out to the audience as you tell your story." She smiled as she looked at the sphere she had worked hard to recover. She saw the three's confused expressions and continued to explain. "Now you three are already characters in this story for the children. They can see who you are by these costumes I put on you, but they can't see the other characters!" Gajeel and Pantherlily still seemed to be confused but Levy now nodded her head.

"So it creates a movie of the story we tell?" Levy inquired, seeing if she fully understood now.

"Yes!" She then looked at a clock on her wall and noticed the time. "Oh my, look at what time it is! The children will be here soon!" Elouise snapped her fingers and the three of them were back to their original clothes. "Hurry on into the back where the story telling stage is. You'll be able to see the orb in action when we start." Elouise grinned at the three and soon prepared to open her shop and let the families come in. She knew today was going to be another great show.

As the children gathered around the stage some of them pointed to the weird glowing orb in the middle of it. The lights began to dim in the book store and the audience saw a large panther walking on two legs towards the orb. Pantherlily cleared his throat and grinned at the children. "I'm Pantherlily and my comrades are Gajeel and Levy. We will recite the tale of 'Beauty and the Beast' for you children. Enjoy."

Pantherlily then touched the Story Telling Lachryma and began to read the book on the podium in front of them. The insertion of Pantherlily's magic into the orb allows it to read his thoughts and it began to project an image of a forest with a large castle in the distance. The picture seemed to zoom in closer and closer as Pantherlily spoke and soon illustrated the words he read from the story book.

Once upon a time in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then one winter's night an old begger woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in turn for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances for beauty is found within and when he dismissed her again the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize but it was too late for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form the beast concealed himself inside his castle the magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell then the spell would be broken. If not he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?

By this time Levy was out on stage sitting in her chair with a currently smaller Pantherlily. Gajeel would join them later when it was time for him to be revealed. Once all three were out there they would touch the orb as they read and the projection would entertain the youthful audience in front of them. They wore their starting outfits to portray their characters, while the image projected for the audience showed a setting and characters based on familiar faces: their guild members.

It was the start of a new day as Levy walked around town greeting people while she hurried to the library to get a new book. The one she currently held had been about a man climbing a giant bean stock and encountering a giant. She couldn't wait to see if the owner had any new books come in. She smiled at everyone around her, but she could also hear their whispers as they talked about how "odd" she was as she always seemed to be in a distant dream world within her books. At least she could relate with the librarian, who smiled at the blunette as she walked into her store.

"Levy! How are you doing today?" The librarian's owner was Lucy Heartfilia; she had inherited the great book store from her father once he passed away. "Don't tell me, you finished that book already?"

Levy nodded her head, "Yep! It was great, Lucy! I couldn't put it down. Thanks for suggesting it to me. Have you received any new books lately?" Levy asked as she handed the book back to Lucy for her to put away.

Lucy shook her head as she climbed the ladder to put the book back. "No, sorry. I'm not due for another shipment for another few weeks." She turned to her friend to let her know she was sincerely sorry.

Levy just waved her hand and smiled, "It's okay, Lucy. I'll just take… this one!" Levy went to a familiar spot and picked up her favorite book.

"That one? But you've read it three times already!" Lucy said, a little surprised at her friend's selection.

"Well it's my favorite! Far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!"

As Lucy saw Levy begin to drift into her dream world she couldn't help but giggle.

"Alright, then it's yours. Just keep it." Lucy said to a now shocked Levy.

"Oh, but I couldn't!"

"I insist. It makes you happy and you're my best customer! Plus, consider it a gift from me for your birthday." Lucy winked at her friend as she went behind her counter to start looking over paperwork.

Levy just giggled, she knew Lucy was aware her birthday wasn't for another three months. But she did love this book very much, "Oh, thank you, Lucy! I really owe you! Do you want me to get some of the baker's special roasted breads? Or perhaps you already saw the pink haired baker this morning?" Levy teased and laughed as she saw her friend's face flush red.

"That pyromaniac obsessed with the oven and nearly burns have the stuff he bakes? Why would I go to him for bread? Though, I did greet him this morning… Speaking of food, shouldn't you go see what your grandfather's up to? With his obsession of creating the perfect dish you better go see he hasn't burnt down your home yet." Lucy added to quickly change the subject.

"I'm sure he's fine, he's always inventing new types of meals each week, why else do you think people call him the 'inventor?'" Levy said with a smile as she left the shop.

Meanwhile, the resident hunk was bringing in his haul from his most recent hunting trip with the help of his most loyal companion. The popular blonde man who made women swoon and men wish they were him was called "Lighting Laxus" because he could shoot down any beast lighting fast. The green haired man currently carrying his gun and majority of his catch was known as Freed, his number one fan.

"Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Laxus! You're the greatest hunter in the whole world!" Freed cheered for his friend as they walked together in the streets.

"I know." Laxus replied curtly with a cocky smirk on his face. He nodded at some local women they passed who giggled and waved at him happily, thankful to have been acknowledged by him.

"No beast alive stands a chance against you." Freed stated as he looked at his friend and chuckled. He then noticed a girl faint when Laxus looked in her direction. "And no girl for that matter."

Laxus grinned at that statement and nodded his head, "It's true, Freed, and I've got my sight set on that one." The local beauty had just walked out of the weird book shop and he could see her coming closer now.

"The food inventor's granddaughter?" Freed asked, stunned that Laxus had chosen a girl so suddenly.

Laxus nodded his head and proclaimed, "She's the one! The lucky girl I'm going to marry."

Marry? Freed was quite shocked to hear that his dear friend had already decided to settle down so soon. And Levy was beautiful but Freed thought he could do better so he decided to try and interject, "But she's-"

"The most beautiful girl in town." Laxus finished for him as he eyed the petite woman's figure as she came closer, her nose stuck in the book she held in her hands.

This wasn't working, Freed knew he had to keep trying to convince him to wait a little while longer until he settle down. "I know but-"

Laxus turned his focus on Freed, who stopped mid-sentence, and continued explaining why he deserved her. "That makes her the best and don't I deserve the best?"

"Well of course! I mean you do but I-" It was futile for Freed to try and convince his friend otherwise as he walked up to the blue haired beauty now, leaving him behind. Freed couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the attention Levy received from Laxus, 'If only he would look at me that way… Well then, I better continue to support him so that he's happy…' Freed thought to himself as he walked up to the two, currently Laxus was holding Levy's book and turning it around.

"Why would you bother with this stupid fictitious stuff when there are much better things for you in real life? Particularly, me." Laxus stated as he threw the book over his shoulder and smirked at the woman in front of him. He had to admit the way she got flustered when he appeared out of nowhere was pretty cute.

"Well, some people like to use their imagination to take a break from reality every once in a while." Levy said as she quickly worked her way around Laxus to pick up her book. She began dusting it off and looked it over to make sure it was okay.

"Levy, I think it's about time you start focusing on the reality in front of you." At this he smirked and pointed to himself, posing a bit for the bystanders who watched him on the sidelines. "Why don't we take a walk to the tavern and I can tell you about my latest hunt." At this Laxus puts his arm around her shoulders and tries leading Levy away, however, she resists slightly.

"Maybe… Another time." Levy says politely, not wanting to flat out reject him.

Freed had gone to stand with some of the bystanders who watched Laxus and were rooting for him. He sighed as he watched the two of them converse, Laxus insisting they hang out and Levy trying to make up excuses. "She should feel honored Laxus wants to spend time with her."

"Gyahaha! Yeah! Laxus is cool. My babies would love to meet him." A strange blue haired man, name Bickslow said. He was a local toy maker and believed that every toy he made had a soul of its own, so the "babies" he was speaking of were his toys.

"She doesn't deserve his attention the way she's acting. She's so weird anyways the way she's always reading. You'd think she doesn't want to be here." The glasses wearing woman said as she flipped her hair. Evergreen was also part of the Laxus fanclub even if she was married to her strong husband who stood beside her. However, he was just as much a fan as he added: "He's a real man!" Even his two sisters who were visiting them today agreed and thought the petite bluenette was crazy to refuse the famous hunter's offer.

Freed decided to walk back up towards their conversation as he caught the end of what Levy was saying.

"Please, Laxus, I can't. I have to get home to help my grandfather. Goodbye."

Already angry that she had been insulting his precious Laxus, Freed couldn't help but guffaw at her statement. "That crazy old loon? He needs all the help he can get!" Freed felt a bit of satisfaction as he heard Laxus chuckle beside him.

Levy was furious now. "Don't talk about my grandfather that way!"

Laxus, trying to recover himself, pushed Freed as punishment and mimicked, "Yeah, don't talk about her grandfather that way! Even if he's as loony as my gramps…" He added with a smirk, thinking about how his old geezer was just as crazy as hers.

"My grandfather is not crazy, he's a genius!" As if on cue, a loud boom was heard in the distance from a little house on the hill which now had smoke drifting out of it. Worried about her grandfather she ran up the hill ignoring the others' laughter, and went to see what was wrong.

Once Levy opened the doors a billow of smoke came flowing out. She heard coughing and tried fanning the smoke out of her way with her hand until she reached her grandpa. "Grandpa!" She exclaimed as she saw the man with his large chef hat askew and his face and apron covered in soot from the smoke as the food bubbled on the stove. The room had finally cleared up and she could see him cleaning his face as he went over to his recipe book to review what went wrong. "Are you okay?" Levy said, to make sure he noticed her.

"Oh, Levy! Sorry, I was caught up in the moment. I thought I was so close and then BOOM. Up in my face it went." The town's nicknamed inventor, Yajima, sighed as he scratched his head and looked at the book. "I've been trying every type of delicious combination. I'm so close to creating it, but there's something missing." He went over to the stew and tasted it, still not satisfied with the taste. "What's missing?" He mumbled to himself as he looked through the book and checked out different ingredients. "So, did you have a good day in town today?" He asked as he continued to work on his creation.

"I got a new book." Levy replied and smiled as she watched her granddad cook. Yajima was very passionate at making the best meal, and hoped to release his new concoction at the local food competition coming up soon. She never understood why people thought he was crazy because he wanted to follow his dream. Even she was considered weird because she usually preferred the company of a book rather than a human being. Feeling slightly doubtful now she decided to ask her grandpa what he thought. "Grandpa? Do you think I'm… odd?"

Yajima had put his large reading glasses on that had a light attached to them so he could observe the notes and ingredients completely. "My granddaughter, odd? Where would you get an idea like that?" He picked up a few different peppers and chose one to chop up and put in the stew.

"Oh, I don't know… It's just… I don't think I really fit in well here. And there aren't too many people to talk to. I mean, Lucy's nice, but she's preoccupied with running the store." Levy said as she watched her grandfather work.

"Could you hand me that special three pronged knife?" Yajima asked as Levy got up to give it to him. He then continued. "What about Makarov's grandson? Laxus. He's a handsome fellow." He responded, thinking of someone Levy could try to talk to.

"Yeah, he's handsome all right… and arrogant, and egotistical, and inconsiderate, and condescending…" She let out a frustrated groan when she thought about all of his traits that annoyed her. And she hated how everyone else seemed to not notice it. They were all under his spell in thinking he was such a wonderful person. Even with today he still laughed about her grandfather, and she knows he doesn't even respect his own grandfather no matter how nice that old man is. Why would she want to associate with someone like that? "He's definitely not for me." She finished as she sat down and rested her chin on her hand.

"Well, don't you worry. Because this new concoction is going to be the start of a new life for us." At this he finished putting in a few more ingredients and began to stir it all together. "Let's see…" After letting the food simmer for a little longer he picked up a spoon and tested the new food. He stood there frozen for a moment, savoring the flavors, testing the texture, and then realizing… he did it. "Levy! Levy! Quick try this, how does this taste?" He asked excitedly as he handed her a spoon and making her come over to the dish and try it out.

Levy took a spoonful of the unique creation; it was soupy, yet still solid and seemed to have lots of various ingredients mixed together. After putting the sample in her mouth she was amazed. Out of all of the other taste testings she's done this combination had a unique kick that left you begging for more. "It's delicious!" She said. The two of them looked at each other momentarily and began to cheer.

"It's delicious! It's delicious! Whoo hoo!" They cheered as Yajima began to write down what the final ingredients and directions were in his recipe. The two of them had some more for dinner, it was a nice filling treat. After they were done eating, Yajima packed up the food and prepared to bring the ingredients for the competition tomorrow. "I think I'm ready to go win this competition! Then we'll have enough money to start up a restaurant!" Yajima proclaimed as Levy helped him pack up. Once he was all set and ready and the supplies were loaded on the horse drawn carriage, Yajima was off to go to the competition.

Thus, Yajima was off to the competition. However, while he was traveling through the woods he became lost. As the sun began to set, it became harder to read the map with what little light the lamp provided and his horse was easily beginning to become spooked from the night time noises. The old man came to a small bridge leading across a narrow river. There was a weird sign in the distance he could barely read so he got off his horse and brought the lamp over so he may view it better. However, once he was able to see it, he realized the words that used to be there were crossed out with what appeared to be claw marks, and a picture of a rose remained on the bottom. "How peculiar." He said to himself as he scratched his head. Suddenly he began to hear something, "Drip. Drip. Drop. Drip. Drip. Drop." Confused by the weird sound, almost like a human's voice, he prepared to get on his horse and turn around. Unfortunately, within that time the fog had begun to settle in and he could see his horse become more uneasy. "It's alright fella." He said, as he got back on the horse. But once he was on the wolves came out and began to chase them across the bridge and into the unknown land. As he tried to escape the wolves, he could see a large castle in the distance. Just as the rain began to fall, he decided to take the horse there so he could take shelter; however, just then the old man was knocked off his horse and fell into the river. As the horse ran away he was carried by the current to an unknown location. He struggled against the water current until it began to slow down and deposit him on the river bank. Recovering from his wet travels, Levy's grandfather gazed in wonder at the large castle in front of him. He didn't have much time to marvel at it as he heard the wolves coming in closer again. He ran towards the gates and locked himself into the building. Little did the elderly man know, this was the castle of the cursed Beast. He soon discovered some of its enchanted members and was temporarily treated as a guest. But once their master found him, he was thrown into the brig as an intruder.

Levy walked to the market to restock on food since her grandfather had taken most of their food supply with him. As she walked into town she noticed everyone seemed to be busy chatting about something. It always amused her how gossip spread like wild fire in the village. While she would normally ignore the petty conversations about who's with who or who got in a fight recently, this time she caught her name being spoken by a few people. Thinking someone had greeted her, she smiled and waved only to catch them awkwardly looking at her. 'So they weren't greeting me? Then what gossip was going on today?' She hurried on quicker into the depths of the marketplace heading towards where the food was sold when she caught sight of a familiar blonde smiling and waving at her. "Levy! Come here!"

Walking over to her blonde friend, who was also accompanied by the town flirt and messenger, Levy greeted the two. "Hello, Lucy. Hello, Loke. Lucy, do you know what everyone's talking about?" She asked her friend quietly as she noticed some other villagers walk by and seemingly pointing at her while talking about something.

"They're talking about you!" Lucy's face was beaming as she proclaimed this.

"M-Me?" Levy asked perplexed. Levy was confused by the blonde's reaction. Did they hear about her grandfather's success? No, he left yesterday there's no way people would know about that right now.

"Why didn't you tell me you were engaged? Oh, I can't wait to go dress shopping with you!" Lucy was giddy with happiness about this news.

"E-Engaged?!" She never remembered agreeing to marry anyone.

Lucy gasped at Levy's reaction. "You mean you don't know? OH! Loke! I thought you said she already said 'yes'!" The blonde poked her ginger friend who shook his head.

"Well, I assumed because the girls I got the information from were crying and upset about the most eligible bachelor being taken away. Of course, I did my best to cheer them up, but they were distraught about it." Loke stated as he thought about the night before at the tavern talking to the ladies. "AH! Of course, Lucy, you're still my number one girl no matter how many women I talk to! I just happen to deliver messages to a lot of women so that's why I'm friendly with them. You'll always be my princess." He added as he held one of Lucy's hands making her blush.

"You idiot playboy." Lucy took her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. "Quit joking around. Anyways, I understand why you assumed. But considering whom it is I can't imagine Levy saying no!" She looked at Levy, grabbing her hands, and smiled brightly. "You're soooo lucky! To think that the mayor's son would be asking you to marry him! Oops!" She put her hands over her mouth as she realized she said too much.

"WHAT?! LAXUS IS GOING TO ASK ME TO MARRY HIM?!" Levy exclaimed loudly out of shock as everyone in the vicinity stopped to stare at her. There was an awkward silence until a booming laugh was heard in the distance. The surrounding villagers made way for a well-dressed Laxus carrying a single flower.

"Is the news so exciting that you must exclaim it to the heavens? Yes, Levy, this is the day your dreams come true!" He took the rose and pinned it to his vest as he stood proudly before her.

Lucy pulled Loke back with her as she let the two of them have their space. She couldn't believe she was witnessing her friend's proposal right in front of her book store!

"Oh, Laxus. I was more surprised than excited. Wh-Who's dreams did you say were going to come true?" She said, trying to process the information given to her. She couldn't possibly marry him! But how could she reject him nicely in front of all of these townspeople?

"Your dreams! I know all about them. You like using your imagination right, well imagine this: a rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting on the fire, my little wife massaging my feet" Someone in the crowd shouted, "I'D MASSAGE YOUR FEET LAXUS! Omf!" but they were quickly silenced by another bystander, "SHHH!"

"After a night filled with passion," At this Lucy couldn't help but blush and mutter a quiet "Oh my!" Laxus continued his speech ignoring the side comments, "I'll wake up to the smell of breakfast being made by my pretty little wife. Of course, later she'll compliment me as we stroll through the town; after all, I'm going to be the next mayor. We'll have many strong children like me who will make me proud." At this Levy had the horrible vision of them having 33 babies for some reason. She had to hide her disgust as she nodded her head and continued to listen. "My little wife will be there supporting me with a smile and showing her devotion to me as she cooks and cleans. And that little wife is going to be you." Laxus smirked as he leaned in closer towards Levy.

Levy inched back, trying to keep her distance from him. "My, Laxus, I don't know what to say. I'm speechless!"

"Say you'll marry me." He put his hand against the wall that she now had her back against.

"Well, this was a very nice proposal, but-" She was caught off as a mysterious figure from the shadows shouted; "The Shrimp doesn't have to marry you if she doesn't want to!"

"What was that?" Both story Laxus and real life Fairy Tail Levy said as they looked to the side.

There stood Gajeel dressed as the Beast who prematurely came on stage. Some of the children gasped in shock as they saw him. Levy and Pantherlily were surprised to see him out there early. Levy glared at Gajeel who scratched his head and repeated.

"Well it's true. I uhh..." Shit. He had to fix the situation his impulsiveness got him into. "I thought I should let the kids know that you shouldn't ever let anyone force you to do anything you don't want to." Truthfully, Gajeel had gotten caught up watching the magical Lacrima showing story Levy being cornered by Laxus and he didn't like it one bit. He accidentally shouted that out of impulse but now he realized he had come at the wrong cue.

"That's nice Gajeel, but the moral of the story comes at the end." She tried to go back and find her spot in the book but thankfully Pantherlily quickly thought of something to continue the story. He spoke as the narrator, "As the words 'say you'll marry me' echoed throughout Beauty's mind, her imagination got the best of her and she imagined the prince of her story books swooping down to save her from the situation." As Pantherlily recovered the situation, Gajeel swiftly withdrew back into the shadows to wait for his true cue to come out.

"However," Pantherlily continued, "she was woken up from her imagination when she noticed him starting to lean down to kiss her. Conveniently, the dense baker came up to the book shop with his cart of bread..."

"Hey, Lucy! What's with this crowd today? Huh, is that Laxus and Levy? What are they doing? OW!" He was immediately hit on the head and dragged to the side by Lucy "Shhh! You idiot! You're ruining the proposal!"

However, Levy saw the bread within distance and began inching towards the cart. "Well, this was a very nice proposal, but-" She quickly grabbed a loaf of bread as Laxus's face began to get closer to her. "I'm sorry." She shoved the spicy bread into his mouth as she shouted, "I just don't deserve you!" And ran away from the crowd back towards her home.

Laxus began to choke on the bread due to its spicy flavor (what the hell type of bread was this?) and the shock of the rejection. Pandemonium arose from the crowd as the towns people chattered and scattered with confusion, surprise, and a little bit relief as the most beautiful people in town were still single. Freed quickly ran to Laxus with a glass of water and tried to save his friend from choking by giving him the Heimlich. However, Laxus was fine, and just shoved Freed away as he chugged the glass of water. He glared at the baker who scratched his head apologetically. "Ehe... That's on the house. No need to pay." Natsu muttered. He would've laughed at his rival's failure, however, his blonde best friend had a death grip on his arm and a look that said 'don't you dare laugh.'

"Levy must have been overwhelmed with shock, Laxus. D-Don't be too offended. After all she said she didn't deserve you not 'no.' Maybe just give her time to think it over!" Lucy was confused; she would've thought her friend would be ecstatic about the proposal. So why did she outright deny him like that? However, she knew it would be bad business for her book shop if people began to associate it as the place where people like the great Laxus get rejected. She couldn't stand to see other couples standing out front rejecting each other or break up! She had to try to comfort him.

Laxus ignored Lucy's words and stared at the home on the hill where Levy had retreated to. "I'll have Levy for my wife. Make no mistake about that." He growled as he accepted the challenge. No one had ever said 'no' to him before and he wasn't going to let this be an exception.

Levy ran to the back of her house and let out a frustrated scream. "MARRY ME!? He thinks that he can just order me to marry him? That arrogant, no good-ugh!" She picked up a rock and threw it at a bucket making it fall over. She needed to vent somehow. When she noticed she startled the animals she calmed down and apologized right away. She got some food to feed them and thought about what just happened in the square. "I would've thought Lucy would understand me. But even she doesn't understand." After Levy finished feeding the animals she walked up the hill behind her home and felt the cool breeze blow her hair and make her dress billow in the wind. "I wish I could go on an adventure like in my story books. Just go out there somewhere and meet new people. Maybe I'll find someone who understands me better and realizes I want so much more than the town has planned."

Just then Levy heard a neighing in the distance. 'Is grandpa back so soon?' She thought wondering if something happened. Maybe he had gotten the time of the competition wrong? No, he definitely had it marked on the calendar. It was definitely today. Then why was he-however, he wasn't returning. Instead it was just their horse frantically running up the hill to her. "What's wrong? Where's Grandpa Yaji?" Levy asked the spooked horse. She tried to calm him down and look him in the eyes. Knowing that something was definitely wrong she patted her friend and jumped on his back after freeing him from the cart. "Come on, let's go find Grandpa." She said determinedly as she rushed into the same direction her father left the day before.

Soon, Levy found herself in a foggy area of the woods and could feel her horse begin to tense up. "There, there. It's alright." She said in a calming voice as they headed towards a bridge.

"Drip. Drip. Drop." A distant voice resounded.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Levy called. She noticed the area began to get darker and foggier and could feel rain droplets starting to fall. She pulled her coat's hood over her head as she called out once more. "I'm searching for my grandfather. Have you seen anyone come through here?" As Levy looked around she noticed a silhouette of a person in the fog.

"Drip. Drip. Drop. Juvia carried an old man to the master's castle yesterday." The mysterious voice replied.

"Ah! That might be Grandpa Yajima! Could you show me directions to where he's at?" Levy asked the mysterious figure. She noticed it start to move down towards the edge of the stream and then walk into the water, to her surprise.

"Follow Juvia. The river will lead you to the castle. It is the only way to find it." The figure soon disappeared into the water and Levy wondered if the figure was swimming.

However, heeding their advice she began to follow the path of the stream on her horse until she came upon a towering castle in the distance. "Oh my." She gasped once she drew near. She looked around for the mysterious person but they still didn't show themselves. "Thank you for the help!" Levy called out. She wasn't sure if the person heard her until she heard a distant "Drip. Drip. Drop." Once more that let her know she had heard. Entering the gates, Levy dismounted from her horse and stared up at the looming castle. 'The architecture is amazing! I hope Grandpa is okay. I better hurry and get him and thank the Master for taking care of him for me.' She thought hopefully as she walked into the mysterious building.

Outside of the gates the figure of a woman watched the girl enter the building. "Thank you for coming here to save Gajeel-sama," she said quietly to herself before melting away and becoming one with the river once more.

Click. Clack. Click. The teapot hopped over to find a sleepy candelabra about to accidently set the curtains on fire. Again. "Wake up this instant, Happy!"

"A-Aye, sir!" The candelabra woke with a start until he fully regained consciousness. "Ah, Charle~ How are you doing today?" The blue set of candles asked the snowy white tea pot.

"Honestly, no discipline. I'm the same as always, Tomcandals." She let out a sigh as the candle made a stupid grin and asked her if he could get her anything. It was always like this, day after day, they would go about their business as inaminate objects and completing the Master's orders when it was needed. What Carla would give to be able to drink tea again rather than have it be her insides.

"By the way, Charle, have you visited our guest lately. I saw him earlier to try and cheer him up, but Master scolded me and so I ran away and became tired. Do you think he has a daughter?" Happy asked the porcelain tea pot.

"I haven't seen him since Master had his tantrum. As for his daughter that's too much hopeful thinking. Besides, what type of girl would travel all the way out here in the wilderness?" She replied.

It was then they heard a clunking noise echoing through the hallways. The sound grew louder and became closer until a black clock appeared before the other two objects. "There you two are. I need your help with something. Make haste." He stated pointing in the opposite direction.

The blue and white objects looked at each other and back at their normally composed companion. "What's wrong?" "Aye!" The two said simultaneously.

"..." The clock was silent for a moment and grinned. "There's a girl in the castle. Maybe this is our chance..." He stated not needing to finish the sentence because they knew what it meant. Maybe they had a chance to break the spell.

"Pantherlily! Are you serious!?" Carla asked in surprise.

"Very. I think she's related to the elderly man we have in the tower." Pantherlily responded as they began to make their way towards the castle.

"Hello?" They could hear her voice in the distance. "Is anyone here? I'm looking for my grandfather."

"It's her! It's her! I'll lead her to her grandpa!" Happy exclaimed as he rushed ahead of the other two objects. Not wanting to startle the girl he lit up his candles in the dark hallway leading to the tower her Grandfather was in. Tapping his metal tail lightly against the wall to get her attention he began hopping ahead, successfully getting her to follow him.

"There he goes making rash decisions again. What will we do if the Master finds out?" The tea pot let out a worried sigh.

"I think that this will be good for the Master. Let's hope she's the one." The clock responded as the other two quickly followed behind the girl in case their Master swooped in and tried to lock her away as well.

Levy followed the light source guessing it was leading him somewhere. Expecting to find the holder of the light source around the corner she found no one to be there: only a lone blue candelabra resembling a cat burning brightly on the wall. "Hello?"

"Levy?" The voice was hoarse and weak but Levy recognized it to be her father's. She grabbed the light source and ran to where she heard the voice.

"Grandpa?" She called to receive coughs in return. Soon she saw him locked in a cell looking frail and tired. "Grandpa Yaji! What's happened to you? Why are you in there! Oh you're hands are so cold." Levy said as she grabbed his hands trying to comfort him.

"Levy. Listen to me. You must leave this place now. There's no time to explain." Yajima said as he coughed once more.

"No. I won't leave you!" Levy yelled at her stubborn grandfather. She came all the way out here to find him there was no way she would abandon him now.

Suddenly, a low growl could be heard and a thunderous voice boomed behind them. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? HOW MANY TRESPASSERS MUST COME HERE TODAY!?"

Startled, but not backing down Levy spoke to the darkness, "Who's there? Who are you?"

"The master of this castle." The deep voice responded.

"I've come for my grandfather. Please let him out he's getting sick!" Levy cried as she held his hand firmly.

"Then he shouldn't have trespassed here!" The voice snarled.

"But he could die! Please I'll do anything!" Levy begged the mysterious shadow.

"There's nothing you can do, shorty. He's my prisoner." The tone was final and Levy could tell he was getting annoyed with her.

"But there must be some way I can..." Levy thought for a moment and realized he only wanted one prisoner so maybe, "Wait! Take me instead."

"You! You would take his place? Huh, you're braver than you look." The voice said with a bit of smugness. Levy imagined the person to be smirking.

Yajima shook his head and squeezed Levy's hand. "No, Levy. It's not worth it."

"If I take his place, will you let him go?" Levy asked once more, ignoring her grandfather's pleas.

"Yes. But you must promise to stay here forever." The mysterious man demanded.

That was quite the order. But if she could give up her life so her grandfather could get back home and pursue his cooking dream, it was worth it. She had to see who she would spend the rest of her life with though. "Step closer, so I can see you better." The figure hesitated, but he did ask was asked and Levy felt all of the air rush out of her lungs. There standing before her was a terrifying beast! He had silver scales, long black horns, sharp claws and teeth and a long mane of jet black hair. He resembled some sort of dragon she had read about in her fairy tale stories. Knowing she had to do this to save her grandfather she spoke firmly, "You have my word."

"DONE!" The Beast went off to make some orders to his servants for the elderly man to be removed from the castle at once.

"No, Levy! You shouldn't do this. I'm old and have lived my life. You still have your own dreams!" Before Yajima could convince Levy to leave instead, he was dragged away from the Beast and thrown into an automatic carriage that carried him away and out of the castle.

"Wait! Grandpa!" Levy cried as she heard her grandfather ask the Beast to spare her.

"She's no longer your concern. Take him to the village." The Beast ordered as the old man was whisked away.

Levy felt distraught not even being able to give her grandfather a proper goodbye. Didn't this guy know how the stories worked? You always let the two people say their goodbyes before they're forced to never see each other again. Tears began to flow from her face as she collapsed on the tower's cement floor. This would be her new home. Her eternity. Maybe she could escape somehow. She felt a mixture of anguish and fury when she heard heavy foot steps behind her. "You didn't... even... let me say goodbye! I'll... never see him again." She sobbed.

The figure hesitated for a moment, not used to a female, and a crying female nevertheless. He had been accosted by some of his trusted servants about treating her nicer because she could be "the one." Of course he knew that, but he really screwed up big time now. There's no way she would ever forgive him. "I'll... show you to your room." He grumbled as he opened the gate wider.

Levy was confused, wasn't she his prisoner. "My room? But I thought..."

"You wanna stay in this tower, shorty?" He countered.

"No." She quickly said. If he was going to offer her an actual room then she would take it over this dark and damp dungeon any day.

"Follow me." He curtly responded as he led her to her room.

That night was rough. The Beast tried to make small conversation but the girl stayed silent. He told her the rules of the castle and warned her to never enter the West Wing. He tried ordering her to join him for dinner but she flat out refused, which led to him losing his temper and telling her she can just stay locked up in her room and starve for all he cared. The two had parted ways and were left alone to think about how they would handle living together in the same castle.

Back in town many of the villagers were at the local tavern drinking and socializing as usual. The news of Laxus's proposal rejection was known throughout the entire village and the said blonde brooded in his favorite chair by the tavern's fire. This was a common place for the blonde to show up. Much of his prey was proudly displayed up on the walls of the joint. Normally, he would drink with everyone to celebrate a great day of hunting but today he sat there alone; he was dragged along by his green-haired companion.

Freed looked at the silent man with concern. He'd never seen his best friend so upset; it was all because of that wretched girl. Who did she think she was anyways? Laxus was one of the best people in town! He was courageous, strong, not to mention handsome and everyone loved him. So why didn't she? She should have been honored to have been chosen by him! Freed decided he should try to get his friend out of his slump, so he gently nudged his shoulder and smiled at him only to receive a frown.

"Who does she think she is?" Laxus grumbled, deciding to vent to his friend. "That girl has tangled with the wrong man."

"Darn right!" Freed agreed. He was happy that Laxus was finally talking about today's events.

"No one says 'no' to Laxus!" It's true, Laxus has always gotten whatever he wanted, so this was new to him. "Dismissed! Rejected! Publicly humiliated!" Laxus winced when he thought about the spicy bread shoved into his mouth once more. He would make sure the baker paid for that during one of their regular brawls. "Why, it's more than I can bear." He admitted as he glared at the fire.

"More beer?" Freed suggested, normally alcohol could lighten anyone's mood.

"What for?" Laxus groused. "Nothing helps. I'm disgraced." He knew all the townsfolk had been talking about him all day, about his failure instead of his accomplishments.

That was the last straw. Freed knew he had to get Laxus to cheer up somehow. He needed a reminder why everyone else loved him so much. "Who, you? Never! Laxus, you've got to pull yourself together!"

Laxus knew his friend could be theatrical at times, but he never expected him to break out into a musical number right there. The rowdy tavern quieted down as Freed began his solo and the music began to play...

Gosh it disturbs me to see you, Laxus
Looking so down in the dumps

Laxus couldn't believe his friend and tried moving his chair away from him. He didn't want to talk about this right now.

Ev'ry guy here'd love to be you, Laxus
Even when taking your lumps
There's no man in town as admired as you
You're ev'ryone's favorite guy
Ev'ryone's awed and inspired by you
And it's not very hard to see why

Laxus turned toward his friend and decided to listen. He was singing the truth after all.

No one's slick as Laxus
No one's quick as Laxus
No one's neck's as incredibly thick as Laxus's
For there's no man in town half as manly

The local macho man could be heard agreeing with this statement by saying his catch phrase, "He's a man!"

Fearless, forever flawless!

Freed pranced over to one of the tables where a group of guys were drinking.

You can ask any Jet, Droy, or Loke
And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to enlist.

Freed signaled for them to respond in which they said, "Laxus." "Yeah." "Definitely, Laxus," respectively. At this everyone else decided to join in on this song to cheer Laxus up. It was unusual for him to be so down.

No one's been like Laxus
A king pin like Laxus

Freed then dramatically pointed at Laxus's face as he sang the next lyric on his own.

No one's got a scar on his face like Laxus!

Finally giving in to his friend's theatrical performance Laxus joined the tavern's song praising his own prowess.

As a specimen, yes, I'm intimidating!

Everyone joined in once more to agree with mugs of beer toasting to their blonde idol.

My what a guy, that Laxus!

Freed continued to rally the crowd as he called for some cheers.

Give five "hurrahs!"
Give twelve "hip-hips!"

Freed starting to get carried away jumped up on a table and raised his mug of beer high.

Laxus is the best
And the rest is all drips!

At the end of that line he accidentally threw his mug full of beer which doused one of the regular bar goers. Thinking someone had hit them, they threw their mug at the person next to them but missed and started a chain reaction of rowdy fighting. Laxus, deciding to join in on the brawl jumped in and pounded some guys with his special moves. The other people cheered as the fight went on.

No one fights like Laxus
Douses lights like Laxus

Laxus was wrestling with a certain pink-haired baker who he needed to pay back for his previous embarrassment. Freed watched excitedly as he sang his commentary.

In a wrestling match nobody bites like Laxus!

Some of the local girls, Mirajane, Lisanna, and Evergreen sang their admiration for Laxus's strength as he came over and lifted up their bench with one arm.

For there's no one as burly and brawny

In which Laxus responded:

As you see I've got biceps to spare

Freed jumped in on the complementing the hunter's strength by adding:

Not a bit of him's scraggly or scrawny

Laxus grinned and agreed.

That's right!

And I'm also the size of a large grizzly bear

Rowdier than ever, everyone chimed in once more as some stopped fighting to drink some more and others began to sing and dance.

No one hits like Laxus
Matches wits like Laxus

Freed proudly proclaimed another one of Laxus's many talents as everyone cheered.

In a spitting match nobody spits like Laxus!

Laxus proudly broadcasted this talent by spitting into a pot ten feet away, no matter what he shoots he always hits his mark like lightning.

I'm espcially good at expectorating!
Ptoooie!

Everyone cheered and some held up make shift score cards proclaiming:

Ten points for Laxus!

Finally feeling more cheerful and proud, Laxus began to juggle some eggs he saw nearby.

When I was a lad I ate four dozen eggs
Ev'ry morning to help me get large
And now that I'm grown I eat five dozen eggs
So I'm roughly the size of a barge!

Laxus threw the three eggs into the air and threw the fourth one like a shot and broke them all in mid-air. The broken eggs landed on a pink-haired baker who was ready for another round with the blonde man.

"Wow!" "Did you see that?" "Laxus you're the greatest!" Multiple people cheered for his talent as the blonde man smirked at the man with egg on his face.

"What's wrong? Don't you use eggs in your bread?" Laxus goaded as the other man smirked in return.

"All right, Laxus! Fight me! I'm all fired up!" The baker named Natsu wiped off as much egg as he could and threw up his fists.

Both parties began to brawl, Laxus clearly having the upper hand. The crowd of people cheered for both men and drank merrily. "Go Laxus! Whooo!" The resident drunk cheered as she had another mug of beer. Other villagers joined in as they cheered.

"Laxus is surely the strongest!"

"Of course he's the strongest!" Freed replied while cheering his favorite friend on.

"Heh, is that all you've got?" Laxus laughed as he dodged one of Natsu's punches.

Though the pink-haired man had held out well for a while, the blond-haired man came up from behind and delivered a powerful blow to his face. Natsu went flying and landed in a pile of chairs and tables. His busty blonde-haired companion rushed over to him in concern. "Stop, Natsu. You know you can't defeat him."

Annoyed but admitting defeat the pink-haired man sighed. "You win, Laxus."

The blonde-haired man let out a booming laugh as everyone around cheered.

"That's my Laxus! I knew he would win!"

Continuing their accolades for Laxus the crowd cheered:

No one shoots like Laxus
Makes those beauts like Laxus

Freed gave Laxus his fur coat as the blonde proudly walked around the bar.

Then swaggers around wearing fur coats like Laxus!

Laxus had sat back down in his favorite chair and gestured to the wall decorated with all of his kills.

I use antlers in all of my decorating!

Joining together for the grand finale everyone sang their praise to their favorite hunter.

My what a guuuuuuuyyyyyyy...

Laxus!

Laxus was surrounded by everyone at this point who were talking about how much they admired him and Freed realized he needed to call his friend. "Laxus!"

Just as Laxus turned to his friend with a huge grin on his face, the doors of the tavern burst open to reveal the mayor of their town with a worn out Yajima.

"Gramps! What are you doing here?" Laxus stated as the tavern became silent once more.

"What, can't the mayor enjoy a drink with his favorite Towns People?" Makarov grinned and asked the bar tender for a pint. It was true that Makarov also frequented the bar. But Laxus saw the look on his grandfather's face and knew something was up. Those two avoided each other as much as possible. He came here knowing Laxus was there.

"Maki, we probably should just tell him now. For all we know-" Yajima spoke up, he looked weary and frightened like he'd seen some sort of monster.

"The Inventor's here? What? Come to poison us with more of your failures?" Laxus grumbled out, he was still bitter about the old man's granddaughter's rejection. He took a swig of his beer and looked at his grandfather who coughed to get his attention.

"I've got a hunting job for you, Laxus. It appears that a beast has kidnapped Yaji's granddaughter." Makarov informed him as he proceeded to take another swig of his beer.

Multiple gasps could be heard throughout the tavern who had been eavesdropping on the conversation. "Levy?" "No! Not Levy!" Levy's number one fans, Jet and Droy, cried over this news.

"Oh no, is she okay?" Lucy exclaimed, concerned for her number one customer and friend.

"She took my place as prisoner in his castle. I tried my best to fight back, but the monster's strength was tremendous." Yajima replied, still shaken from the incident. How was his bell doing right now? He imagined her locked in that cold tower cell and crying. Just the thought of not knowing how she was doing upset him.

"Tch. And now you need someone to go save her, huh?" Laxus responded understanding what was being asked of him. "A beast you say? What type of beast?" The way the old man looked frightened and his grandfather had a serious look on his face, it had to be serious. And it owned a castle so there's no way it was just a regular animal.

"Well... It was huge! Jet black mane, and silver scales all over its body. Huge twisted horns, sharp claws and teeth... fierce red eyes. And a low evil voice that sounded like a man's but belonged to a demon!" Yajima explained as he sat down and coughed. The cold was starting to get to him and he was becoming weaker.

"I'm sure Laxus should be able to take down that beast!" Freed chimed in after its description was given. Although he had to admit he'd never heard of any such creature before. If Makarov wasn't there they wouldn't have believed the old man at all.

"Of course." Laxus agreed, confident in his skills. There hadn't been a beast yet too difficult to kill. "Although, I expect to be paid well, old man." Laxus already had a payment in mind. "In exchange for saving your granddaughter, allow me to have her as my wife."

"..." Yajima was silent for a moment. He always allowed Levy to make her own choices to be happy and he wouldn't like the idea of her being forced to marry someone. But this was Laxus, the most admired man in town. And if he were able to save his granddaughter from that monster surely she would appreciate it and want to marry him, right? Thus, Yajima came to his decision, "Alright. But only if she allows it."

"Of course she would love Laxus after being saved by him!" Freed defended his friend. He couldn't imagine a damsel in distress not being thankful to her savior. Other words of agreement were heard throughout the tavern and people began to talk about how Laxus would be wed to the most beautiful girl in town after he saved her. Laxus smirked, enjoying the praise he continued to receive.

"Ahem." Makarov interrupted. "Before you leave for your journey I want you to prepare and take a team with you. I don't know what type of monster you're going to face and it's best you scout the area first before you go and rescue her."

Understanding, Laxus began planning things out with Freed and some of the other locals ready to take on this job. The blonde man couldn't help but feel a proud feeling swell in his chest in knowing that he would get his way once more and marry the woman he deserved to have.

Levy found herself alone in a large dusty bedroom. Once the door had slammed shut behind her she collapsed on the bed and started crying properly. She had always dreamed of being in one of her books' stories but she never expected this. That calloused monster! What had she gotten herself into?

Knock. Knock. "Excuse me dear, may I come in? I have some tea to calm the nerves."

Relieved to hear a kind voice and figuring she should get to know the servants better in the castle, she said a soft, "Coming," and opened the door. Only to find a white feline designed tea pot roll in with a tray of tea, milk, and sugar. Surely, this was all a dream?

The girl didn't realize that she was truly in a fairy tale.

Once Pantherlily said his last line as narrator for this part of the story the lacryma shut off and Elouise teleported on stage startling the readers and making the children clap.

"Intermission is now in session! I have prepared some milk and cookies for my lovely guests. Please enjoy children as I prepare my readers for the second act~" The elder woman chimed as the children and their parents stretched and went to the snack area.

The book store's owner smiled at the three Fairy Tail members on stage and smiled. "Great job, Dearies! Before we can continue with the second part of the story, I need to recharge the lacryma with some of my magic so it can continue working its projection. If enough isn't put in it shuts off automatically." She informed the three.

Levy nodded her head and smiled, "Thank you, Miss Elouise." Standing up from her chair along with the other three as they followed the elder woman's suggestion to rest a bit back stage until the second reading began.

"I never realized this mission would be so exciting!" Levy exclaimed when they were in the back of the book store. She spun around in her simple dress and looked back up at Gajeel's intimidating attire. "Hmmm..."

Gajeel snorted, "S'not so bad, I guess. Weird we have to wear these outfits." Noticing her gaze he raised a brow. "Sup, Shrimp?"

"Nothing, just looking at your outfit. You really do look scary, but for some reason I don't feel frightened." Levy stated.

"Perhaps it's because you know he's a big teddy bear deep down." Pantherlily quipped.

"I ain't a teddy bear, Lily. You know that." Gajeel grumbled as Levy giggled and Pantherlily chuckled knowingly.

After a short break Elouise was calling them back to complete the second part of the reading. The three of them walked back out onstage and acknowledged their audience with a smile/nod/grin as they took their seats preparing to start the second part.

End Notes: This ended up being a LOT longer than I intended and it's taking me a long time to finish. I've decided to post the first half for you guys and I'll keep working on the second half.

For the fun of it, I (crappilly sang) a recording of the "Laxus" song based off of Disney's "Gaston" song. If you want to hear it and see the fanart go here: [Link will be here shortly]

Next time we'll have a LOT more GajeelxLevy antics as they begin to fall in love~ Also some more Laxus being an egotistical lovable jerk and his best green-haired companion, Freed.

Thank you for reading! Please review and let me know what you think and if you have suggestions for other fairy tales in the future. Have a great day! :D