That Was Then, This Is Now

"I'm telling you, this seems like a bad idea." Her friend's voice sounded in her head yet again. Team Shadow Gear consisted of the script mage Levy Mcgarden, and her two companions Jet and Droy. However heading to this job Levy was alone, insisting that she could handle it herself. Being only in the outerskirts of Magnolia, the job at the castle in the forest seemed more than capable of being only a one-person job.

However when she arrived it appeared more to be a citadel. Despite its description being downplayed, the job's criteria did not escape the ordinary of what she usually came across.

We've done jobs in castles before. Besides, the owners' probably exaggerated abit because they didn't want to scare anyone away! Levy reasoned to herself.

The client greeted her upon the drawbridge being lowered and beckoned for her to enter. They took her on a tour of the entire property, creating a form of restlessness in her as the desire to complete the job and to return home before dark had grown.

"Oh, my apologies. Here, this way," Upon opening a creaking door that lead to a dark corridor, he added, "our library is so vast that we had the entire basement renovated for its exclusive use. You see why we requested only the most capable of script mages." Levy's eyes widened by imagining the countless books that she was soon to discover.

Ignoring her gut's efforts to protest, the fairy followed the client into the passageway, small pockets of sunlight filtering through windows. After several moments upon stepping around the corner there was an eerie quietness to everything around them. Levy immediately felt the presence of whatever spell that plagued the residence.

The client opened what appeared to be the entrance to the library. The old wood creaking and far past due in being repaired. Having an unmeasurable anticipation of wonder, the fairy walked in. She couldn't help but be excited despite the serious undertone to being on the job.

Before she could respond a loud clang smashed behind her. Except when Levy turned around it was not of a wooden door, but of hard, metal bars. The illusion around her dissipated as if on cue. The draft of air turned into a musty dampness and vacant hallways transformed into a maze of the dungeons.

Eerie silence became a cacophony of yelling from prisoners littered all over; their vain shrieks of warnings and pleads coming too late.

"What kind of trick is this?!" Levy's voice had a rising waver, panic kicking in from the dawning betrayal. The cries of others trapped growing only louder.

"Ha! It was too easy to trick you! So gullible and naive!" The client now captor sneered.

"Why are you doing this?!" She cried, hands wrapping around the cold metal that trapped them.

"With you now finally I'll have enough wizards with enough power to go through with my plan!" The excitement in his response racking the mages' nerves. The true evil being exposed. Not a cursed text or encrypted secret, but a villain with the goal of nothing but ill will.

"What do you plan to do with us?" Anger now filled Levy's voice. Deception never taken lightly. She wanted to reach out to grab him, though knew it would be in vain.

"That, Ms. McGarden, you'll know soon enough." Walking away a laughter was heard out of all the yelling, a mad man with a scheme. Meanwhile the other prisoners began to lose their composure, hysteria setting in. It was accompanied by a wave of voices added by the others as its news travelled.

The script mage sat down to think. Choosing not to participate in the belief of inevitable doom. As they worried and ruminated, the sun eventually set putting them all into the darkness of night, spare for the moonlight that spilled through panes near the ceiling. Perhaps if they stood atop each other's shoulders they might reach it, but the drop down to the other side would be far too dangerous.

Her eyes gazed at the bars that caged them like animals. The other mages clung to them, as though if they pushed hard enough they could squeeze through.

THAT'S IT!

Levy stood and went to the front. Holding one in each hand she examined the bars. They don't seem to have a magic spell on them. Here goes nothing… Taking a breath of confidence she braced herself.

And slowly, cautiously, put one leg through. And then her arm, followed by the tight passing of her chest and backside. It was almost too small, causing a grimace as she forced herself through. She turned her head as far to the side as she could, her ears scraping against the bars whilst being squished against her temple.

It was dead silent. Countless pairs of eyes stared as the fairy just escaped in the most effortless way imaginable. Levy turned around once, then twice; still not believing that her attempt actually worked.

A single hand reached out of the bars that held the rest of them and pointed in the direction of the exit. Putting a finger to her lips she signaled to keep the silence. It was very likely this was the only chance any of them had of escape, blowing her cover was something none could afford.

With soft soles her footsteps were light as her feet treaded through the dungeon. She only stopped when the shadow of a guard flickered in the light of a torch. Bracing herself against the wall Levy peered out to see. Their captor must have thought quite low of them, for only one person stood guard over the entire dungeon.

Hand closing with index and middle finger straight, the script mage whispered an incantation, "Solid Script: Sleep!"

Appearing out of thin air was the word SLEEP in giant letters. It immediately wrapped around the man like a blanket and before he could respond he had drifted into a slumber. Coming out from behind the wall she went to the now subdued guard. Patting him down only two keys were around a ring. Not much of a variety…

Wasting no time, she frantically dashed back to where her comrades waited for her.

Upon her return there were unavoidable shouts and ruckus despite her pleas to remain silent. The larger key had been the one to open the cages, and by the time she had unlocked all of them it had become chaos. Inevitably a brawl began upon the arrival of reinforcements.

Not a single one of freed wizards wasted any time in taking part of the frenzy that was trying to escape. In the confusion, the script mage knew she had taken a wrong turn somewhere, becoming swept away by the flood of people and as a result lost the way.

Regaining her whereabouts, she was about to run towards the commotion that signified the exit when something stopped her in her tracks. It was another cell, however this one was kept isolated from all the rest.

There was a darkness to it that screamed danger, that whatever was inside was better kept there rather than set it free. Levy's head snapped to the sound of shifting chains. Whatever was inside was watching, its eyes burning her skin. She glanced at the key still in her hand, then back to the dark nothingness.

Taking a step away only to grab a torch, the key clunked into its socket. The turning of the tumblers echoing more louder than any of the others, amplified by the scarce beat of her heart. The outcries of her comrades became more distant as they battled their way through, leaving the creaking of the door to eerily fill everything.

Nothing moved.

Forcing herself not to tremble, Levy swallowed and walked inside. With a few steps distance the light of the torch illuminated the man inside.

It was him.

If she hadn't been frozen on the spot, the part of her that screamed to run away would have taken flight. The man from Phantom Lord that had attacked her and her friends. What did they say his name was? Gajeel. Gajeel something. It didn't matter. What did was that he was the one now who was beaten and chained. How that happened she could never imagine, nor would she truly care.

And yet, she did.

Levy stood above him. The flicker of the torchlight putting a glow on his tanned skin, revealing the glint of blood that sputtered across his entire body. It had made his hair cling to his face, the matted locks such a dark pitch they camouflaged into the shadows.

He had been gagged with a mask harnessed on his face. Despite her resentment she couldn't help but feeling remorseful with the position he now was in. Compared to how he was bound she had been given the luxury suite in being captured. The man had been stripped of his humanity, reducing him to nothing but a worthless animal.

The eyes that glared at her sent a shiver up and down her spine and into her core with their anger. As clear as day she remembered the first time she saw those piercing, crimson eyes. They had looked exactly the same now as they did then. Not full of evil or hatred.

But of anger.

Levy took the extra step forward that made them but a moment away from each other. In the better light she saw on the restraint mask on Gajeel's face held a socket for a small key. There were only two on the ring. Looking at the smaller key now in her fingers, her gaze flicked back to the mask.

She was unable to ask herself just what exactly was she doing, for she knew there would be no answer because her mind decided to go for a coffee break. A clicking sound came from the dryness of Gajeel's mouth upon the heinous thing shedding off him. His gaze went back up to the fairy.

Until she slapped him.

"That's for hurting me and my friends, and chaining us up to that tree." Was that truly her voice speaking? Her heart drummed in her ears. The heat of the moment tingling her skin pink. This time his gaze went to the floor. She took a step further.

And placed the keys in his hand.

"And this is for the right to be free." Her whisper into Gajeel's ear was barely audible, for she herself couldn't truly believe what was happening. Leaving before she changed her mind Levy turned away and began to run back to her escaping comrades. Forcing herself not to look back at the dungeons and their shadows.

The script mage's lungs rejoiced upon inhaling pure, fresh air. The fortress had still been in chaos, however she had been late in the plan to escape. Reaching the wall there was but one last mage to climb over and out to freedom of whatever devious plan was being hatched here. The drawbridge had been raised, the only other method of getting to the other side being a rope.

However it was very high up.

The fairy jumped, trying to reach its end but to no avail. Fear began to creep into her heart at the sound of guards multiplying and coming closer. With more desperation she jumped again without any luck. Her height would be the death of her.

"Hey!" Levy called. "I can't reach the rope! Lower it a little or help me up!" Her lip began to quiver with the closing in enemy. The top was silent. Hitting the stone in some vain effort to get attention she cried again, "Come on!"

In the forest, the canopies of trees provided more cover in the darkness; the light of the moon now a spotlight of those now needing to hide. The last of the mages had scattered about in a game of every man for themselves. Not a single one of them had looked back.

Gajeel had escaped in the opposite way of the commotion, ensuring that nobody would have spotted him. Trusting no one, he ducked behind a tree with a scowl as two of the other prisoners ran by.

"Did everyone escape? That's amazing!"

"I think so yeah. Except for some lady I saw running as I jumped over. I left the rope though so she should be fine." A pant began in both their voices.

"Pfft! If you can call it that! It barely went down half of the wall!" The other retorted.

"Then she shouldn't have wasted time! For her sake I hope she's tall enough!"

Fuckers. Just like the assholes who sold me out… Gajeel's frown twitched at seeing them run free. He then looked back at the castle.

Levy's heart thrummed from her chest as adrenaline and fear surged through her. She had been cornered. Far too many guards for her to handle and the cold stone that stood hard against her back. It was too late to try and find a different route; the rope dangling just an inch out of reach betraying her.

Despite the light of the moon it was turn for shadows to swallow everything whole in darkness, light being pushed back by the reign of night. The script mage's eyes widened from panic and the lack of photons.

She wasn't quite sure what to believe when at first glance when something most visibly moved inside the dark. She shook her head, pushing any thoughts aside to concentrate on the barrier she had created, fruitlessly holding the enemies at bay.

That was until something came out behind the shadow and began to take out a number of the guards at an alarming rate. It had been just but a moment and yet that was all it had took for her to lose focus on the barrier, causing it to instantly come down. Almost as if it had been a cue the deftness of whatever it was came from the enemy and to her side.

Too close.

It was so close in fact, that her feet began to lift from the air and caused the fairy to now levitate. Ascending higher and higher it took the bewildered look of the remaining guards to realize she was going over the wall and that she was, in fact, moving without the use of her body.

Not knowing what else to do she stared blankly as the fortress grew farther away until there was nothing but forest. Moonlight flickered through the canopies, the only real assurement she had that whichever mage that had came back to rescue her was still there. It caused her to ponder who it was. No one she knew could have done such a thing. Had they sent someone to help while they waited somewhere safe?

Levy's question was answered when finally they came to an abrupt stop. Her fall to the ground uncertain if caused by the sudden end of movement or if she had been dropped. Wherever the mystery mage had brought them it was at a road, a main one it looked like. Her eyes scanned for others, however there were none. When she turned around her pupils grew once more at the sight she never thought she would ever see ever again.

It was him.

Again.

"You.." She was at a loss of words. Explains the harsh fall… At the sound of her voice Gajeel froze, however his back remained towards the script mage. "Thank you."

He wasn't sure what it was in her voice. Appreciation? Gratitude? Both? But it was something that he had never experienced before. Her breath hitched a little when his body jerked around, suspicion and mistrust dripping in his voice when he spoke.

"Why did you do it?"

"... Do what?" The fairy couldn't help but show intimidation of the man. Regardless of being twice her size the edge in his eyes were sharp enough to make her bleed on their own.

"Don't play stupid with me, girl! "The right to be free"? What kind of stupid bullshit is that?!" Despite the anger (that was more or less his natural demeanor) in his voice, she was able to see the confusion he was faced with. She knew she had to choose her words carefully.

"Y-you were hurt badly. And nobody should ever be chained up and treated that way. It's inhumane." Her response elicited a scoff.

"I did the same damn thing to you and your precious little friends. Most people wouldn't give two shits about the person that hurt them!"

"Well…" Levy grasped for words. One wrong step and the ignite could go to this ticking time bomb. "That was then, this is now."

Gajeel opened his mouth then closed it. His head jerked to the side, eyes going elsewhere. Anywhere but on the woman. Silence.

"Because you wasted time on me you almost didn't make it." Was said after a long moment. The entirety of his tone changed then. Almost as if he were grasping at straws. Yellow began to seep into the sky as the first rays of the sun peeked out of the horizon. Seeing that (fortunately) her side of the road was facing east, with luck it would take her back to the Guild.

"Even if I hadn't, I wouldn't have worried because I know my friends at Fairy Tail will always come to my aid!" The sure reliability of her comrades created confidence in her voice. She knew the next words would have been sticking her hand in fire, but she had already been playing in it. "Can you say the same thing about your Guild?"

Silence.

Levy wasn't sure what reaction was to come, so when he turned his back to leave a wave of relief washed over her. She looked at the ever encroaching sun, then began the path it lead to home.

She never noticed that he in fact had turned around to say something. However seeing her going her seperate way he closed his mouth to continue on his own -whichever way that may have been. Fairy Tail huh? That's where Juvia said she was goin'...