Hello! Yes I am alive! Thank you so much to everyone who messaged me throughout my dry spell. It really gave me a lot of motivation to finish this chapter, which was particularly difficult to write. Well, I hope you enjoy as I begin to set the stage for the main event, though thats still a bit off. In any case, to thank you for the (very long) wait, I made this chapter an extra thousand words long!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Gravity, though I kinda own this story idea so don't steal it.


"...But you're on to me,

and all over me…"

Something wasn't right. No, that wasn't it. Different. Something was different. Levy was very warm. A development that in itself wasn't strange usually, but it was a rare occurrence in the morning. Usually, she didn't retain much heat as she slept, but this morning, Levy was toasty warm and very happy about it. So happy, that for once her curious mind didn't question it. She was content to let the mystery be as long as she could stay comfortable and warm.

But the odd thing about mysteries is that they demand to be solved. So when Levy McGarden ignored her mystery, fate decided she needed a little shove in the form of a loud, obnoxious snore. Tawny eyes popped open. She didn't snore herself, and there shouldn't be anyone else…Oh. Oh but there was someone else there. And she had been the one to ask him to stay.

Turning ever so slightly in hopes that her companion wouldn't wake, surprised eyes widened even further when they saw just how close Gajeel was to her; too close. His arm was just centimeters away from her waist. 'Well, that explains why I was so warm.' Mystery solved. But a bigger problem arose out of the ashes. How to get up without waking the sleeping dragon? The last thing Levy wanted was to be in the tent, never mind right in front of him when he woke up. She might just die of embarrassment! To other people, it might be understandable to ask for company after a frightening nightmare. But Levy knew deep in her heart that Gajeel would only see it as weakness. And she too saw it as pathetic. She wasn't a baby! She was a grown woman, a mage of Fairy Tail to boot! But last night she whimpered and begged for comfort from the last person who would willingly give it. Maybe if it had been Lucy, or Jet, or Droy, it would have been different. But for Gajeel to see her like that? Already the thought of his reaction when he woke made her cheeks flush in mortification.

Although, there was a small, very quiet part of Levy's mind that reminded her that Gajeel agreed to stay. He could have said no, but he didn't. But that little voice was quickly silenced. Levy had an idea as to where those thoughts could lead, but it wasn't possible. Not yet at least. And even if it were, she couldn't focus on it now. First, she had to conquer her fears.

Ever so carefully, Levy moved her body away from his, each motion the picture of grace and stealth. 'Another advantage of being small, I guess.' Once she was far enough, the petite mage stood and with the same care, stepped over Gajeel's sleeping form, snatching a few items from her bag, and then eased the tent open just enough for her to squeeze through. Outside was when she was able to release the deep breath that had been stuck painfully in her lungs. She took in the pleasant morning, the blue sky, the slight chill in the air, letting the stillness and beauty calm her. It was always important to stop and appreciate where she was. That was one thing Levy looked forward to about becoming stronger; the tougher missions in far off places that she hadn't seen before.

Figuring Lily to still be sleeping like his partner, Levy walked a little deeper into the woods so that the trees would cover her as she changed. As her stiff muscles stretched, the petite mage found herself longing for a nice hot shower and giggling when she remembered Lu complaining about that particular drawback of long missions. With a sudden burst of inspiration, Levy stopped dressing and smirked. She might not have a shower, but she did have magic. Writing the little word 'heat', she spread the warmth all over her body and coaxed her muscles into relaxing. She could have purred at how good it felt. After a bit, she concluded that she shouldn't dawdle any longer and finished changing. Now sporting white shorts and a blue vest with her pajamas tucked under her arm, Levy trekked back to the campsite. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of smoke coming from that direction, but as she broke through the foliage she could see it was only Lily starting up their fire.

"Welcome back." He greeted politely.

"Thanks, and good morning. What're you making?" she asked while trying to figure out how to get her pajamas back into her bag. Not wanting to face embarrassment just yet, Levy resolved herself to having to wait until Gajeel woke up.

"Just some porridge. It might not taste the best, but it's filling and trust me, that's what's important when travelling with our present company."

Levy laughed at the face Lily made, the scowl so out of place on his smaller form but she guessed it was deserved. She couldn't imagine how stressful it would be to travel with a hungry and short-tempered dragon slayer.

"Well, I'm starved, so anything is good for me." The bookworm said, looking forward to eating. In the meantime, she busied herself with taking down Lily's tent and packing it up, despite his gentle protests. It only made sense she would help out since he was making breakfast.

"It's just about ready. Would you mind waking Gajeel? We should get moving shortly after we eat if we wish to make good time." Lily called to her, a very suspicious smile on his face.

Well, there goes the hope that he'd wake up on his own… For all her gusto and guts, Levy always froze when it came to dealing with Gajeel. At first it was because she was afraid of him, and later because she could not predict his reactions. Now, it was the fear he'd think less of her and sheer embarrassment over what she did that made her hesitate before opening the flap of the tent. But it's not like he's very talkative. He might not even mention it at all. She thought hopefully.

She gently pulled the corner of the tent back, just enough so that she could stick her head through.

"Gajeel?" Levy called before clearing her throat and calling again, louder. "Gajeel, it's time to wake up. Lily made breakfast." Receiving a grunt in response, the small mage figured that would suffice and let the nylon tent flap fall back into place. She sat next to the exceed and took the food he handed to her. This has to stop. Levy decided as she chewed her food thoughtfully. Last night was…well, embarrassing, true, but she needed help and he helped. There was nothing to be ashamed of, especially not to the point of avoiding her partner. It would be rather difficult to finish the mission if she kept acting this way. I'll just put it aside and move on for now.

Happy with her decision, Levy chatted happily with Lily for a while before Gajeel stumbled out of his tent. Despite her previous resolution, Levy's heart still sped up with a little bit of anxiety at the sight of him.

With a heavy thud, Gajeel sat down next to her, one hand trying in vain to tame his bed-mussed hair while the other reached out to Lily. "Grub."

The warrior cat smiled and handed over a bowl to the dragon slayer. "Gajeel's vocabulary seems restricted to one word responses in the morning." He explained to Levy.

"Fuck off."

"Ah, my mistake. He's capable of two word responses."

Gajeel only grumbled at that before literally digging into his breakfast. Lily let the teasing die there, casting the group into silence broken only by the sound of spoons scraping against bowls. Maybe it was just her imagination, but Levy could swear there was a tense vibe in the air. An elephant in the room that none acknowledged. Then again, it could very well have just been because she was so certain that once Gajeel made his morning appearance there would be tension.

"I'll finish packing up camp." Levy announced when she finished her breakfast. Both Gajeel and Lily made to get up, but she stopped them with a wave of her hand, insisting that she could handle it. Making her way to her tent, the petite mage packed her things neatly into her pack before taking down the tent the same way as she had with the other.


Damn it all to hell. Gajeel's mood steadily grew more sour as the day went on. He could practically smell Levy's anxiety and worry and he knew exactly what the cause was.

With a growl, he grit his teeth to bite back the outburst that was simmering under the surface, since for the first time in a while, he was equally pissed at her as well as himself. He shouldn't have stayed in that tent, but what the hell else was he supposed to do? The shrimp looked scared to death and she asked him like that…fuck and who was he kidding, he wanted to stay. The tent was warm and full of her scent and inviting as shit. The dragon slayer may be dense about a lot, but even he recognized the effect her scent had on him. He slept like that damn flame brain idiot after a knockout punch from Titania.

No, this time it was definitely not his fault. He never even got a chance to open his mouth to make this his fault. It was all on her. She was the one avoiding him all morning and making shit awkward. She was the one stinking up the air with anxiety and making walking harder with her skittishness. The trail through the mountains had narrowed, forcing them to walk closely together. Should have been no problem, except for the fact that the shrimp seemed to be trying to walk as far away from Gajeel as possible. A brief look from Lily, perched like a plush prince on Levy's shoulder, told him that he wasn't the only one to notice her strange behavior. For a moment, Gajeel entertained the notion that it had nothing to do with him. Maybe her nightmare scared her worse than he thought. But all he had to do was watch her talk and joke with Lily happy as you please to be reminded that it most definitely was about him. And he didn't like it one bit.

"Oye-"

"Look! There's a village!" Levy exclaimed, cutting him off.

"Yes, it must be Scillia, the village that sent the request." Lily added.

Distracted from his original intent, Gajeel looked ahead to the large stone columns that marked the entrance of the village. Just behind it was what he assumed to be the main street, lined with shops and stores. Beyond that he could see a few rooftops of the houses and such further into the village, a decent sized church, and a large building he assumed to be some sort of town center. Nothing smelled off, which was a good sign, but from what he could see the place was dead. There were a few people out and about, but they hurried to their destinations, scurrying like mice in a tavern afraid to get caught and killed. Whatever they were about to face must be pretty strong, and Gajeel hoped a pretty good fight, if it was able to make the villagers scared to be in their own town.

"It said on our request flyer that we are supposed to meet with the mayor. He's the one who hired us." Lily announced, already looking towards the town center.

"Alright. Let's go meet the stiff, then." Gajeel grumbled, his mood only slightly improved by the hope of a decent challenge. Levy was still walking ten feet away from him, and despite chatting with Lily about what he thought the problem could be, she hadn't even looked in his direction.

Fuck, I'm worse than the damn water woman now! Gajeel cursed in his mind, comparing his anger to Juvia's pouting when denied Grey's attention. Not that he felt entitled to Levy's attention, but this whole ignoring stunt was wearing thin. He helped her, held her, and she was just going to forget it? Did…did she regret asking him? No, she smelled like…like her nerves were on overdrive, like an animal who was being hunted but not yet cornered. She swore she wasn't afraid of him anymore, but Gajeel could tell that was a lie. If it weren't, she wouldn't be acting like this. He should have known, and he did know. That's why he stayed away, and he never should have gotten close again. After Tenrou he thought there was a chance…but that's all got to hell now. A night was all he'd ever get, and no matter how bitter that reality was, Gajeel knew it was more than he should have expected. She wanted space? It would be all she'd ever get.

Resolved, Gajeel picked up the pace, striding in front of his partners to lead the way to the building he assumed was where they needed to be, the one at the center of the village. He walked in the dead center of the street, though his eyes would glance to the sides every so often to catch the fearful and awed gazes of the locals cowering under the shadows of overhangs and doorways. There was shock in their eyes at the sight of him, but that just made him smirk. They weren't scared cause he was Kurogane-they just hadn't seen anyone with the balls to walk around as if they owned the place. Well, now that he was here, he did own this town, and he'd make sure he really earned his reward for this mission and beat the living daylights out of whomever he needed to.

The lack of traffic in the streets made it easy for the team to get to the town hall. The impressive stone building looked a lot bigger now that he stood at the base. Two marble columns marked the entrance and towered over them, mirroring the columns that marked the entrance of the village. They perfectly framed the rich wood door that was outlined by gold plated leaves. Gajeel could hear the Shrimp gasping and fawning over the façade, but it took all he had not to grimace. The entire thing made him thing whoever was in charge definitely was trying to compensate for something. So with a small smirk, Gajeel threw open both doors so that they clashed into the walls on the other side.

"Pardon me! No one is allowed inside without an appointment. If you three wish to speak to the mayor, you will have to return at another time."

Throwing his darkest glare, the dragon slayer turned to the snooty voice, the source of which being a very thin man in a fitted dark suit. The man barely registered the look, and rather than experiencing the intimidation that Gajeel had expected, he gave a minute nod and began to turn around. Anger quickly filled Gajeel; he was not used to being ignored, and his tolerance for it was already gone from Shorty's behavior this morning.

"As it is, we do have an appointment." Lily spoke up, stopping the man in his tracks, and stopping Gajeel from using him as a punching bag. "We're the mages from Fairy Tail that you called for."

Despite being a bit put off at not having his chance to teach the man some manners, Gajeel really did appreciate his partner at times like these. Lily was nothing if not diplomatic.

"We would really like to meet with the mayor as soon as possible so that we can get the information we need to start helping." Levy added, giving the man a rather sweet smile. Gajeel wasn't dumb; he knew she was just trying to butter him up. But still, it rubbed him the wrong way.

"Ah, of course. Please follow me."

Their guide turned on his heel and lead them through a large open hallway every bit as ornate as the outside of the building.

"This is amazing!" Levy whispered excitedly, her head darting from left to right quickly so as not to miss a single piece of the decoration.

"The only thing "amazing" is how little they're reward is if they can afford all this." Gajeel grumbled. He could see out of the corner of his eye Levy deflate at his comment. Guilt settled in his stomach, and in his usual fashion he tried to ignore it. She didn't want special treatment and she wasn't gonna get any, so he wasn't gonna hold his tongue.

"900,000 jewels is not a small payoff." The little mage hissed back, very conscious of how loud she was seeing as how this argument would sound to their host. Gajeel however did not share the same concerns.

"No, but it looks like they could afford a lot more, Shorty."

"So you want to rob the town in order to fulfill a mission?" she challenged, puffing up and stretching her legs to match his stride.

"Che, that's not what I'm sayin' at all. Just strange that people are gettin' hurt and they got all this money that they ain't willin' to spend on helping those people." He threw a look sideways at her, almost daring her to argue that, and he was almost disappointed when she didn't. Levy just kept her eyes forward, but the look of determination never left her face. Lily stood between the two and just shook his head.

"You got somethin' to say?"

"Nothing at all, Gajeel."

They continued to follow their guide in silence until they reached a large, open, oval room. In the center was a light wood desk with an intricate pattern of leaves along the edges and legs. Sitting behind the desk was a rotund man hunched over a pile of papers. His face was chubby and red, but dark circled eyes ruined the illusion of jolliness he might have had.

"Sir, the mages you requested have arrived."

The large man looked up from the papers at the announcement, looking from the butler to each of the mages.

"Ah, good! I was getting nervous that you wouldn't show." He said with a chuckle. Standing, the man waddled out from behind the desk. "Thank you, Max. You may return to your post now." With a bow, the dismissed butler turned sharply and left.

"Well, before business I believe introductions are in order. My name is Horace Bloom, and I am the mayor of this fine village." The man stuck out his hand towards Gajeel, who answered by raising a studded eyebrow at him. With a huff and a not so subtle shove against his arm, Levy pushed forward and shook the mayor's still extended hand.

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Bloom. I'm Levy McGarden, and these are my partners, Gajeel Redfox and Pantherlily. We're members of the Fairy Tail guild from Magnolia." She gestured to both partners in turn, far more polite than Gajeel felt like being at the moment. Like the building himself, the mayor seemed to be putting on a show just for them, and Gajeel didn't trust him.

"Your request said something about a mysterious magic plaguing different people?" Levy inquired.

"Straight to business then, huh?" The mayor asked, and Gajeel swore the man sounded disappointed about that. "Yes. Starting about three months ago, a pattern emerged. Citizens would be fine one day, then the next fall victim to a series of misfortunes. At first everyone brushed it off as bad luck. You of course know the saying 'bad luck comes in threes'? Well, the reports seemed to follow this and after a day or two those afflicted would be able to return to their normal lives.

"But a few weeks back, things took a more sinister turn. The misfortunes became much more serious, almost life threatening in some cases. Last Tuesday, a wooden rafter fell from the roof of a home, almost killing the woman who lived there, and another reported having everything in his home stolen. Most recently, those affected have been almost ghoulish, just going through the motions of living for a day or two before disappearing. We cannot find evidence of anything, but this cannot be natural. It simply must be the product of vile magic!"

The heavyset mayor worked himself up during the explanation, his face turning almost a sick purple color as he finished.

"Please, we are desperate for your assistance." As he pleaded, the mayor stepped closer and closer to Levy, who was his main audience, and grasped her hands in his chubby fingers. "I've tried keeping the situation as discreet as possible to avoid panic, but people are starting to grow suspicious, especially after the disappearance of the latest victim, who was a very public figure. Some folks are even threatening to move away. Scillia cannot survive if this continues."

"Don't worry, Mr. Bloom. We'll get to the bottom of this." Levy assured, gently prying her hands free of the mayor's grasp, making Gajeel smirk. "To start with, can you make a list of all the victims and the specific accidents each one experienced?"

"Yes, of course. I'll have my secretary write that up by tomorrow morning as she's already retired for the evening. I can however give you the name and address of the most recent victim. The report just came in today, so I have all the information here."

Making the most of his stubby legs, the mayor made his way back over to his desk and rummaged around for the paper they needed.

"Ya think the guy would keep his stuff more organized." Gajeel mumbled critically. The Shrimp didn't respond, but he could see based on her tightly pursed lips that she heard him and definitely had something to say. But Lily nodded in agreement, clearly finding the mayor as unimpressive as Gajeel did. He didn't get why Levy didn't, but then again it was her. The bookworm gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. It was just her style. He should know.

"Also, if you wouldn't mind providing us with a map of the village, as well as the location of an inn or hotel where we can stay for the duration of our visit." Lily requested while the large man was still searching.

"Aha! There you are you rascal." Enclosed in a thick fist raised victoriously in the air was the police report. "Here you are, Miss Levy. And no need to worry about your accommodations, Mr. Pantherlily. I have a guesthouse that should be suitable. It is close to the center of town on my property, but far enough to allow you your privacy."

The man handed Levy the report, a map from his desk, and a small silver key from his breast pocket.

"The list of victims will be delivered to that house in the morning. If you do not require anything else, then I shall return to my work. Thank you once again for taking this job, and please keep me updated should you find any leads."

The mayor reached out and shook the Shrimp's hand again then Lily's paw. When he reached Gajeel, the dragon slayer just turned and headed back up the hallway they came down before. He could hear the tiny mage apologize for him, using the excuse that he was just eager to start the job. Che. Sure Shorty.

He could hear the patter of her brisk steps behind him, trying to catch up.

"Gajeel!"

With a shake of his head, Gajeel determinedly kept on walking until she caught up to him, Lily flying just over her shoulder before landing and walking beside them.

"Did you have to be so rude? He is the mayor, and he could be a big help to us!"

"Shrimp, the only thing that man can help us with is eatin' our way through the village."

"Eating habits aside, he does not seem like a very competent leader. If he realized something was wrong and affecting people, he should have asked for help long before things got this far out of hand. Now instead of teaching a prankster a lesson, our mission must be focused on locating those people before anything worse can happen." Lily spoke up before Levy could answer back.

"Still though, we're not going to get anywhere making enemies of people in power. Having him as a friend is still better than not."

"That is a valid point." Lily nodded with agreement, giving Gajeel a pointed look.

"I ain't gonna go outta my way to be nice to the guy." The dragon slayer pointed out.

"Then don't go out of your way to be rude, either. Can you live with that?" Levy challenged, raising an eyebrow at him in a way that looked too similar to his own style.

"Che, fine. But don't expect me to be the one to deal with him then."

"I think we can all agree on that one."

"Oi! Now wait just a-"

But the Shrimp turned away from him before he could vent his indignation. Damn it, he had to get her to stop doing that. It made it feel like he lost every argument when she did. Though he had to admit, he'd rather her nagging and teasing over being ignored.

"Why don't we drop our bags off at the mayor's guest house and then head over to the house of the latest victim? Since not a lot of time has passed, maybe we can pick up a few clues." Shorty suggested, already opening the map.

"Kinda creepy that he offered us a place to stay like that." The tall mage said, finding the mayor's openness strange.

"Actually, it is a big help." Levy countered as she lead the team down a side street. "According to this map, the inn is all the way on the edge of the village and in the opposite direction of the latest crime scene."

"Still creepy." Gajeel grumbled under his breath, much too low for the Shrimp to hear. Her optimism was great and all, but it didn't make the situation any less odd.

Noticing a questioning look from his exceed partner, Gajeel just shook his head. It wasn't worth bringing up again, though he knew he wasn't gonna be able to relax in that house.

After a few minutes walking down a relatively straight path, the three made it to the mayor's main house, where another thin man in a dark suit waited for them at the front gate. Without wasting a moment, he took them around the large house and through the extensive grounds to a second house.

"This is a guesthouse?" Levy asked, shock filling her voice.

"Yes, miss. Master Bloom hopes everything is to your liking. If there is anything you need, there is a communication lacrima inside the kitchen. I'll take my leave now."

The man left, leaving the three in front of a building that looked a lot like the town hall. Same over the top marble and gold, same rich wood door, and same uneasy feeling that settled inside Gajeel.

"A definite upgrade from the place we stayed at during out previous missions." Lily commented approvingly as he stepped through the entranceway and into the mini-mansion.

"I can't believe we get to live here for a bit! This is amazing! Lu and the others will never believe this." The little Shrimp bounced up and down excitedly, running all over, trying to look at everything at once.

But as Gajeel went from room to room, his grimace deepened. This wasn't even the guy's house! It was the spare, and he shuddered to think what the main place looked like. He always disliked people who showboated, gloating over their own success, and shoving their wealth into other people's faces. He had always been one to go on the bare minimum, and it was what he was used to. Even after he joined his first guild and jobs came in regularly, he never changed his style. Mostly because he never wanted anyone to think he became soft and cushy, but part of it was he never wanted to be associated with the useless rich people who do nothing on their own but still think they're better than everyone else. Bunny Girl was ok enough, and she even went out to live on her own. But people like this mayor just didn't get it, couldn't understand real life, and Gajeel resented him for it.

"A roof and four walls is all ya really need. All this is just showin' off." He said out loud.

"Maybe, but I bet the beds are super comfy!" Levy said, brushing past him and into one of the bedrooms. She didn't seem to mind the frills of the place, and for a moment Gajeel started wondering about her upbringing. She lived in Fairy Hills, which wasn't cheep, and she wasn't put off by the house like he was. But then again she always seemed to like things simple. Of course, even something as small as this would be complicated about her, as if every little thing needed to be a challenge for him to solve. It ain't my place to find out, though. Gajeel reminded himself.

"Looks like Levy has claimed that one, leaving this room for us." Lily said as he walked into the second bedroom.

"Yeah." Was the halfhearted response from the dragon. He just wanted to get outta that stupid house and get his mind on the mission. He dropped his bag, taking out his wallet and nothing else before stomping back towards the front door.

"Alright, lets get going already! I wanna get to that house before any scents wash away!" he called. Lily was at the door first, and the two boys waited a while longer for Levy.

"Jeez, Shrimp, what the hell is takin' so long?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Her voice echoed through the house. Soon after, her footsteps did the same and she made her way to the front door. "Sorry, I wanted to get everything unpacked now so I wouldn't have to do it later."

"Unpack? What for?" Gajeel asked, genuinely confused as he began walking out the door.

"Not everyone enjoys living like a cave man out of their bag, Gajeel. I also appreciate being able to put my things away. It gives a temporary room a more homey feel." Lily retorted, the slight jab riling Gajeel. Even more irritating was Shorty's laugh at his expense.

"Alright, alright that's enough." The iron dragon slayer growled, putting his foot down. "Let's just get there before it get's dark."


Okay, so not as much action and mystery as I promised, but it is coming. I need to plant the seeds before I reap my harvest, ya know? The ending wouldn't be as satisfying if I didn't leave clues for you guys! So here are some things to keep in mind...

1) Levy's dreams and the dream magic

2) Gajeel's dislike of the mayor (and people like him)

3) The distance those two idiots keep insisting on

4) the M.O. of whoever is attacking the village

Have fun trying to figure my plan out! Until next time!