Hey Heyyyy. Aika-chan here! This is my first fanfic and I'm hoping you all support me! Feel free to give me criticism. Flames will be ignored. This is an AU and the characters might be a bit OOC. I apologize! I'll try my best to portray them as similarly to their true self!

Levy tucked a lock of her silky blue hair behind her ear. She fixed the spectacles on the bridge of her nose and peered at the parchment before her.

"Levy, dear." The door creaked open. Another blue headed woman peeked into the room. She placed her hands on her hips. Levy looked up from her work.

"Yes, Mama?" Levy set the quill down and wiped her ink stained hands onto the wrinkled brown gown she was wearing. The older woman sighed and looked disapprovedly at her 10 year old daughter.

"Go wash up, Levy." Her mother sighed. "It is time to cook dinner. Your father will yell at you if he sees your hands like that, you know."

"Yes, Mama." Levy rose from her seat and dunked her hands into the basin of cold water. She scrubbed her hands until the ink was gone. She grabbed her apron and covered the ink stains our her gown. Levy's mother reached over to remove Levy's specs and braid her hair.

"You must remember to look respectful, Levy."

"Yes, Mama."

"Put on your shoes and I will meet you in the kitchen." Levy nodded and scurried to get her shoes. Her mother left the room and walked into the kitchen. Levy struggled to pull on her too tight shoes and buckle them. As she struggled, there was a loud bang on the door that shook the entire shanty. She could hear the door open, probably her father.

"PAY YOUR DEBT." A bellowing voice commanded.

"But sir, I have no debt-"

"SUCH INSOLENCE. PAY YOUR DEBT, PEASANT."

"Sir, I have nothing to give."

"Gather you family in the front room, NOW!" There was shuffling in the front room. There was the thud of heavy boots on the floor.

"Heather!" Levy heard her father call. "Levy! Jellal!" Levy hurried out into the front room. Her eyes bulged at the sight of the three tall intimidating men in the front room. They wore official suits and stood straight. Gold swords hung from their belts and one held a scroll. Levy filed in beside her mother and gripped onto her skirt. Her twin brother, Jellal, clung onto their mother's skirt on the other side. Their mother, Heather, put her arms around them and held them close.

"Since you have nothing to pay us with." The official man hissed. "We will take your family." Levy's father's eyes widened.

"Sir-"

"It is your fault for having nothing to give." The man said with a shrug. "You will be handing your wife and children over to us. If you do so, we will relieve you of your debt." Levy's father looked from his family to the man nervously.

"Marcus-" Levy's mother said worriedly.

"Heather, I-" Levy's father looked down, ashamed. "Take them away." He muttered.

"Papa!" Levy and Jellal exclaimed. Levy pulled herself from her mother's arms and ran to her father.

"Please, Papa. Don't leave us." She tugged on his shirt. "Papa!" The officer pried Levy from her father. Levy wailed loudly. "Papa, Papa!" Levy's mother walked submissively, hand in hand with Jellal. She took Levy from the man's arms and held her close. She cast a betrayed look at her husband and followed the officials out of the house.

"Levy, stop crying." She whispered. Levy reached out her hand toward the house and cried,

"Papa…"

"Good day, Miss Levy." The newsboy nodded at the blue haired girl. Levy brushed the flour from her hands and went over to greet the little boy.

"Hello, Romeo, thank you for bringing the newspaper." She said, reaching into the pocket of her apron.

"It ain't a problem, Miss. 'Tis my job." He piped up happily.

"It isn't a problem and it is my job." Levy corrected gently. She took the paper and pressed a coin into the palm of his hand. "Use this and buy Lady Wendy something sweet." Romeo blushed a bright red.

"Miss Levy!" he protested. "You know Lady Wendy is nothing more than my most appreciated lady." Levy patted the blushing boy on the head.

"If you say so," she giggled. "Continue with your runs now, Romeo."

"Bye, Miss Levy!" Romeo ran off. Levy smiled warmly.

"WENCH!" Levy jumped at the sudden screech. She turned around quickly.

"Yes, Miss Minerva?" she asked.

"Stop talking to the newsboy and GET BACK TO WORK!" Minerva screamed, slapping Levy's back with the back of a spatula. Levy hurried back to her station and continued to knead the dough. Minerva walked away muttering, "Gave you the job that required the least strength and you take more breaks than everyone else."

At the end of the day, Levy's entire body was sore. She had made bread, run around doing errands, and had gotten beaten by Minerva countless times. She limped to her room and collapsed onto the hay bale that served as her bed. She laid there, staring at the overgrown ceiling. A few hours later, the door opened again, Levy's mother walked in.

"Mama." Levy stood and embraced her mother.

"Hello, dear." Levy's mother said tiredly. She sat down onto her bed. Levy gasped at the sight of her mother's bloody fingers. She quickly tore a strip of cloth from the already torn blanket. She carefully wrapped strips of cloth around her mother's fingers after cleaning it in water.

"They really do work too hard, Mama." Levy whispered. Levy's mother reached up to stroke her daughter's cheek.

"It's the only way they'll let you work in the bakery out in the sunshine and fresh air." She smiled. Levy gripped her mother's hand gently. Levy's mother worked in the cellar weaving cloth for selling. She and many other women worked in the darkness for hours, only let up at the end of the work day.

"You don't have to do this for me, Mama. I'm strong." Levy protested. Levy's mother shook her head.

"I needed to do something for you. Jellal is too far out of my reach." Jellal had been recruited by the army as soon as the three had arrived. As the only male, it was expected. They had allowed him three days to prepare and stay with his family. It was tearful farewell as Jellal was sent out to the army training camp. Since his departure 5 years prior, he had returned to visit his mother and twin once. When Levy saw him, she could barely recognize him. He was way taller than she was and looked older than she remembered. He had given her a beautiful lily clip for her hair to remember him by. He looked tired and worked to the bone. Yet, he smiled as brightly as ever and spent every moment he could with them.

"You did a lot for us, Mama." Levy said. "You should let us do something for you." She missed Jellal greatly and hadn't seen him in 3 years. Levy's mother smiled softly at her daughter, and caressed her cheek.

"I am your mother. I can never stop doing things for you." She closed her eyes and her hand fell limply onto the bed.

"Mama?" Levy pressed her hand to her mother's forehead. The warmth in her mother's body was leaving quickly. "Mama, please stay awake. You must fight it. Don't leave me!" Levy shook her mother slightly. "Mama!" The other servants found Levy weeping at the side of her lifeless mother. They pried her from the body.

"You must let go." The head maid, Mirajane whispered into Levy's ear, holding the younger girl close. Levy sobbed openly into Mira's chest and did not watch the servants take her mother away for burning.

"Can't I… Can't I bury her?" Levy whispered. Mira stroked her hair.

"You know how it is, Levy." The older woman murmured. Levy wiped away her tears. She bit her lip as she gazed at her mother's empty bed.

"Might I… send a letter to my brother?" She pleaded. "To tell him of our mother's passing?"

"You may." Mira said, giving her a sad look. "But I can't guarantee that he will get it." Levy gave her a determined look.

"It wouldn't hurt to try."

Mira and Levy walked down to the library to retrieve parchment and a quill for Levy to pen her letter to Jellal. As they approached the door, a tall, burly man walked out. He sneered at the two women.

"What are you little ladies doing in the West Wing?" He barked. Mira curtsied. Levy followed suit.

"We needed to get some parchment and a quill in the library, Lord Gajeel." Mira said politely. Levy examined the man. He dressed like a noble but it appeared that he didn't act like one. He had the nature of a slobbish man. A woman walked out of the library.

"Gajeel." Her voice was smooth and elegant. She had long blue hair like Levy's, except it curled at the ends. She looked at Mira and Levy in a disinterested fashion. "What is holding you up?" Mira curtsied again and Levy quickly did the same.

"I apologize for holding you and Lord Gajeel up, Lady Juvia." Mira said. Juvia nodded at them.

"Your apology is accepted." She turned to Gajeel. "We must hurry to the dining hall, they are expecting us." Juvia hooked her arm in Gajeel's. "Good day." She told the peasant girls.

"Good day, Lady Juvia, Lord Gajeel." Levy and Mira said. Levy watched Gajeel curiously. He stiffened at Juvia's touch and walked away with her just as stiffly. When Levy looked away, Gajeel turned to survey the little servant girl. When the couple turned the corner, he looked away reluctantly. Levy relaxed when she felt the lord's gaze leave her.

"Mira," she spoke to the older woman. "What exactly is Lady Juvia's relationship to Lord Gajeel?"

"They are betrothed." Mira replied, absentmindedly flipping through a book.

"They didn't act so." Levy observed, picking up a stack of parchment. A picture caught her eye. She leaned to look at it. It was a picture of her family. A very accurate artist had drawn it. The details were exact down to the dimple in her mother's cheek and the scar on the side of her father's neck. She gasped. An X was drawn on the faces of her mother, father, and Jellal. What could that mean? Mira laughed.

"You are observant, Levy. Lady Juvia and Lord Gajeel had an arranged marriage. Have you found what you needed?" Levy lifted up the picture and turned to face Mira.

"Mira… Do you know what this is?" Mira walked over to look at the picture. Her eyes widened.

"This…"

"Mira, do you know what it is?" Levy could tell that Mira did know something about it from her reaction. When Mira didn't say anything, Levy shook her. "Please tell me! What does this mean?" Mira's breath caught in her throat.

"I'm sorry, Levy dear." She whispered. She pressed a hand to Levy's cheek and muttered something under her breath. Levy felt herself losing consciousness.

"Mira? What-" Her world faded to black.