Levy walked into the guild late the next morning, having accidentally slept in. He searched the guild hall as she entered, eyes seeking out a particular dragon slayer that she wanted to talk to again. She was still confused why he had walked her home the night before and wanted to ask him directly. When she didn't see him anywhere she sighed and walked up to the bar. She sat down and put her satchel on the bar with a thump, the books inside all rather heavy.

Mira walked over, smiling at the down-cast girl. "Good Morning, Levy? Sleep well?"

"Good Morning Mira. I did once I actually remembered to go to bed... I was up reading again..." She said, smiling sheepishly. Mira just smiled, before putting out some breakfast food for the younger girl.

"Jet and Droy were looking for you earlier, something about a translating job they thought you would like. I'm not sure where they got to though..."

"Ah... I'll find them in a little while... I really do need to do some kind of job to get enough money for rent... I spent a bit too much on books this month." Mira laughed.

"You always spend too much on books."

"And I still don't have all the ones I want... Oh Well... maybe next month I'll be able to budget better! Thanks for the meal, Mira. I should probably go find those two and see what kind of trouble they have gotten themselves into now. "

Mira picked up the empty plate as Levy hopped off the stool and went off in search of her teammates. The white-haired mage watched the blunette rush off with a smile.

Gajeel blocked an attack with his steel covered arm, grunting as the attack pushed him back a few feet even with the defense. He was getting his ass handed to him, though he wasn't sure how. The two mages he was facing off against were both rather weak by themselves, but they were combining their abilities in ways he didn't expect and they were beating him down rather easily. He growled in frustration, turning his skin to scales before the next attack hit. He held his ground against that one, the shear force of his anger keeping him in place.

"You two punks are in for it now." He growled out, swinging a bladed arm wide to keep them at a distance until he could figure out how to beat them. The two mages dodged away from his attack before changing positions. He had seen them do this attack before, so he knew what was coming. He prepared to block the attack but as they started the attack, everything around him froze. He stood straighter, confused. The two mages were preparing an attack, but their movements stopped. So did all of the sound around him. In an instant, his entire surroundings changed.

It went from the scenery of a sunlit forest to a dark cavern in less than a second, causing Gajeel to drop into a defensive stance, eyes searching for what had caused the change. He knew he hadn't been transported anywhere, but he still wasn't sure what had changed.

Footsteps echoed off the walls around him, and he could tell someone was coming towards him, a sense of foreboding coming over him as he waited for this new person to become visible. An older man came around the bend in the cavern, hands clasped behind his back as he walked. His face was thin, a beard covering the lower part of it. A cloak flowed out behind him, fluttering quietly as he walked. The man was sneering at the dragon slayer, though his eyes held curiosity as well.

"Black Steel Gajeel... I'm surprised that you are the one I caught in my net. I was hoping for that damned Salamander, or at least Beast arm Elfman. Last I heard, you were guildless, so how did you end up on a job I planted in Fairy Tail?" Gajeel just shrugged with a roll of his shoulders, the fairy tail mark dark against his skin. "Don't tell me you joined them?"

"What difference does it make to you?" Gajeel was eyeing the man up, trying to determine if he was who he thought he was or not.

"And here I was hoping I would be the one to recruit you in the effort to take down that rotten guild."

"Raven Tail..." Gajeel growled out, barely keeping his anger at the man in front of him in check. This was the man who had hired out thugs to attack Levy. This was the one he needed to get his revenge on.

"You've heard of us then? I'm not surprised, considering Phantom Lord was as close to a dark guild as one could get while still having the counsels approval. I am Ivan Dreyar, the master of Raven Tail. And I was hoping to perhaps come to an agreement with you." Gajeel grunted, clenching his fists at his sides, but keeping his face rather calm. He forced himself to relax, needing to keep himself in check. This might be the way for them to get the info on Raven Tail that they so desperately needed.

Levy found her partners in the guild library, looking through books that they thought she might need to do the job they picked out. She sighed, running her hand through her hair. They tried to do this for her every time but they always grabbed all the wrong books. "Guys... Put those ones back, I'll find my own research material once I have a good look at the job posting." They both turned to her with smiles.

"Okay, Levy!" They said in unison, putting the stack of books they had gathered on a random shelf. She sighed again in frustration, making a note to come back later and fix the books. She picked up the paper laying on the table. It was a job to translate an old scroll for someone in town. They had purchased it from a collector's son and were wondering what was on it. They had placed a small section of the script on the posting, to make sure whoever took it would be able to translate it before accepting the job. Levy looked at the books on the shelves in front of her, trying to remember which books she needed.

"I need to go to the library for this one, could you two go pick up the actual scroll for the job and meet me there?" She asked, not seeing the books she needed on the shelves. They nodded, and left together. She left a few moments later, waving to Mira as she passed the bar on her way out of the building.

The walk to the library was quiet, even with the crowds of people she still felt rather alone. She forced herself to smile away the dark thoughts plaguing her. She was done being afraid of walking by herself. She didn't want to burden anyone with her own problems. She made it to the library just fine, walking through the double doors and into the smell of old books. The inside of the library was rather dim in comparison to the sunlight outside, but her eyes adjusted quickly to the change.

She waved at the older librarian who was sitting at the front desk, before she headed past the shelves in the main room and towards her usual wing. The Library had been kind enough to place all of the reference material she used into a smaller wing, off of the main room. It had become her own private collection, a place for her to go where no one really bothered her. She opened the door to the smaller room, taking in the rows of shelves that stretched away from her down the long room. All of the shelves were shorter, another consideration from the library staff, though they never really said anything about it and neither did she.

She set her bag down at the table closest to the door, and took the flyer with her as she walked the rows. Pulling a few books at a time she made a small stack on the table, surrounding herself with her books.

"You see... I'm at a bit of a stand still with information about Fairy Tail. I was a member a long time ago, but the mages I knew then have all grown and left. And now the strongest mages there are ones that I have never met in person. I wish to know more about them, and their weaknesses so that I can destroy them so completely that there won't be a single mage with that blasted mark still alive. So, here is my proposition. I would like you, Gajeel, to remain a member of that guild, but to provide me information on all of the members and on the movements of the guild as a whole. In return, you will be assisting in the final battle with them. You will assist in their demise, as revenge for the battles you've lost to them."

Gajeel could tell that agreeing to the plan that Ivan was providing was the only way for him to escape alive. He could tell just by the look in Ivan's eyes that if he didn't play this right, all hell was going to fall on him and his guildmates. "Gihihi Sounds kind of fun. Though one thing has to be said now."

"Hmm?"

"I get to be the one to pound that Salamander's head into dust." Ivan smirked, and nodded.

"Go back to Fairy Tail, for now. I will contact you later to gather any information you might have gleaned from them. But be warned, Redfox. Should I hear of double crossing, you will be the first on my list to destroy."

Without another word, the world shifted in front of his eyes yet again, leaving him back in the forest he had been fighting in previously, though the mages he had been fighting were gone from sight. Gajeel left the area quickly, deep in thought. He had to get back to Magnolia and tell Makarov what had happened.

Levy didn't even hear Jet and Droy come into the room, her thoughts too clouded by the books spread out in front of her. She was part way through translating what had been put on the flyer, though some of it was a bit hard to translate without more context from the rest of the script. She was mumbling under her breath when Jet cleared his throat behind her. She jumped with a squeak and turned to see them both smiling at her, trying hard not to laugh. Her face puffed up in anger, but Jet waved the scroll in front of her, and she grabbed it, smiling at them before placing it down on the table over top of her notes. The parchment was old, and she didn't want to do more damage than necessary. She unrolled it carefully, using lighter books to hold the corners. Her eyes scanned the parchment, finding the middle section that had been on the flyer before going back to the top.

"Thanks guys... I'll probably be at this a while, so you guys are off the hook for the night, I'll see you tomorrow. " She didn't even look at them as she spoke, her eyes trained on the symbols covering the paper. Jet and Droy watched her for a few moments before leaving, both a little worried about her, but they knew that if they stayed she would yell at them for being too loud.

She laid the parchment to one side, opening several other books around her. She had been wrong in the initial translation from the flyer, the language was slightly older than she had expected, but the language she had been using to translate was just based off the language that was actually used so it wouldn't be that much harder to trace the root words back and start from the beginning.

The sun was setting as the train Gajeel was riding pulled into the station in Magnolia. He was glad to be back home, but that wasn't going to ease his worry. He made his way quickly through the streets, back to the guild. It was starting to get quiet as evening drew in, the sun dipping low on the horizon. Gajeel's thoughts drifted to a blue-haired shrimp as he walked, wondering if she had left for home or not. He shook his head, pushing thoughts of her out of his mind. He had so much more to worry about.

He walked through the doors of the guild, eyes scanning the room automatically. He spotted Mira by the bar, talking to the blonde and salamander. He also spotted the shrimp's guard dogs, but he didn't see her. That confused him slightly, but he wasn't going to question them yet. He made his way to the bar, ignoring any attention he drew as he crossed the room.

"Is the Master here?" he asked, the barmaid, ignoring Natsu's attempt to get in a fight with him.

"He is at a council meeting until tomorrow. Did something happen?"

"Nothing to worry yourself about, just needed to talk to him about something. I'll just see him tomorrow then." Gajeel walked away from the bar and over to Jet and Droy, who were talking between themselves about something. "Oi... where's the shrimp?" He asked them, louder than necessary.

"Why would we tell you where Levy is?" Jet asked, turning to face Gajeel.

"Because I asked nicely. Don't make me ask again." He growled back as he stalked towards them.

"Its none of your business where she is." Droy said this time, hand going to one of the pouches on his belt.

"Where. Is. Levy?" He growled at them again, one fist turning to a rod and slamming to the floor as he waited for a response.

"I think she was headed to the library the last time I saw her... She was doing a translation job for someone in town." Mira's voice called across the silent room. Everyone in the guild hall had fallen silent, watching Gajeel and team shadow gear, afraid a fight would break out. Gajeel's hand shifted back and he glared at the two men before turning to Mira. He waved at her in thanks then walked out of the building. Jet and Droy both turned to glare at the barmaid.

"Why did you tell him where she is?" Jet was visibly angry. Droy was standing, ready to follow the iron dragon slayer out the door.

"I told him because he is trying to keep her safe. He isn't going to hurt her. And if someone hadn't told him, you both would be in the infirmary. Levy has already accepted him at part of our guild, so why haven't you?"

Neither of them had anything to say to that, and they didn't want to make Mira any more upset than she already was.

Heavy boots stomped in through the front doors of the Library just as the older librarian was getting ready to lock up for the night. Gajeel fixed the old man with a look before turning and closing his eye for a moment. It took him longer than necessary to pick out her scent from the others in the building though once he found it he was headed straight back through the rows, following her path. The old man called after him. "Remind her to lock up when she is done for the night." Gajeel ignored him, heading deeper into the building. He came to a door, and opened it quietly, suddenly wondering if he should even be there. His instincts told him that he needed to be, that he needed to be close to her, to make sure she was safe.

She didn't even look up when he walked in, which surprised him. He watched her from the doorway for a moment, wondering at her movements. Her face was covered partially by her red reading frames, as her eyes flicked across the pages faster than he realized was possible. She would read and then make a few notes with her other hand, fingers flipping through the pages rapidly. Her hair was pushed back by her hairband, though it looked like a few strands had managed to get loose and she would push them out of her face every few minutes, though they would fall right back.

He stepped deeper into the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. The only sounds in the room were her quill, their breathing, and pages fluttering quietly as she flipped them. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, afraid that if he made a sound it would interrupt her. Her expressions were so different than he was used to seeing. Gone was the fear and anxiety at his presence. Her eyes only showed determination and focus. He stood near the door watching her for what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes. As he watched she finished the last of her notes. She read them over a few times before smiling.

"Finished!" She said to herself excitedly, getting up to start putting the books away. That's when she finally noticed the feeling of being watched. She stopped her motions and turned towards the door. Her only light had been a small lantern set near her on the table, so his face was still mostly in shadows, though the light did glint off of the piercings on his arms. "Gajeel..." She said quietly, surprise filled her tone, though he could not detect any fear. She stepped towards him and he took a step back, farther into the shadows.

He didn't deserve the look of forgiveness that shone from her eyes as she looked at him. He truly didn't, though he had not way of telling her that. He had betrayed her trust in him before they had even met, and he didn't deserve the emotions shining in her eyes as she faced him.

"I'm not scared of you, Gajeel..."

"Maybe you should be." He said, his voice low. She watched him carefully as she approached. He didn't move any farther away, but he didn't move any closer to her either. She took his wrist in her small hand, her fingers not even able to wrap completely around it. She pulled him gently towards the table she had been working at. He let her pull him, her touch on his wrist still his thoughts.

"You will never hurt me again. I know that for sure now."

"How?" His voice was soft. He watched her as they walked back to the table. She gently pulled the glove off his hand, and put her own wrist next to his.

"This is how." She said, equally soft, as they both looked down. Their clocks, both displaying zeros were next to each other. That clock was the bane of his existence, and her last hope. He pulled his wrist away from hers, held it against his chest like it was wounded. His eyes met hers and she saw a deep sadness in them, one that even she couldn't completely understand. He turned away, and moved to leave. "Wait... Gajeel... Please." Her voice begging him to stay with more than just her words. She sounded on the edge of tears, though he had not seen evidence of them on her face a moment before. He stopped, but didn't turn to face her, not sure if he could.

"I hurt you. That is something I can't even forgive myself for. And yet there you stand, forgiveness in your eyes. I don't deserve you." His voice broke at the last word, and before she could say anything to stop him, he was gone. She slammed the desk with her fist, taking a deep breath. She had promised herself no more tears, and she wasn't about to cry now. She picked up all of the papers scattered around and put them in her satchel. She looked around the room once and sighed, promising herself to come back in the morning and put the books away. The doors locked quietly behind her as she left, and made her way home. As she walked she clutched his glove in her hands, fingers rubbing over the leather. Though she couldn't see him, she knew he was still there, watching her, making sure she got home safe. Before she walked into the dorm building she turned to face the night around her.

"Goodnight Gajeel..." She called quietly into the dark before turning and entering the brightly lit dorm-entrance hall.

So I lied... I'm probably going to be updating on either saturdays or sundays from now on, cause those are really the only times I get to write right now without feeling utter exhaustion. This new job is great, but also really tiring...

Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you liked this latest installment. Next comes Fantasia!