Countdown to the End (Gale) {Fairy Tail FF}

And it Ends at 0

Here it is, Fairies. <3 Before you read this, please know that I love you all.

And I am so...so...not sorry.

~~~

"Damn it," I grumbled, my head throbbing as the effects of Eli's damned sleeping spell began to wear off. The rest of my body was just as sore, no thanks to the way I had been strung from the ceiling by chains attached to my wrists.

Looking around, I noted that we were no longer in the forest, but in a building somewhere.

"Finally awake, I see," Eli said, coming down a set of stairs which led up into darkness.

"Where's Levy," I snapped, immediately.

"She'll be here soon, don't you worry," he answered.

"And Dee?"

"Safe. I sent her away for now. One day she'll understand that I'm doing this for her, to make her happy."

"You're full of shit," I scoffed. "You're doing this for yourself. Don't even try to use Dee as an excuse for your own selfishness."

"Don't pretend to be better than me, Gajeel," he snapped, crossing the room to stand directly in front of me. "You have used that bluenette of yours for your own selfishness, so don't belittle my actions. You lied to her in a selfish attempt to keep her by your side. You knew that she would hate you as soon as she learned the truth, so you kept it from her, pretending to be something you most certainly are not."

"You're wrong."

"Say whatever you wish," he sighed, turning and heading towards the stairs. "This will all be over soon. I'll have my Lorelei back, and you will know my suffering."

"Please," I said, willing to try anything at this point, "leave Levy out of this. I'm the one who killed Lorelei, so use me to bring her back. Don't involve Levy."

"I never thought I'd see the day where Gajeel Redfox asks for something," Eli said, sounding almost surprised. "Unfortunately, that has only made my decision here more absolute. If this girl means that much to you, then it can only be her soul used to bring back Lorelei's."

He continued up the stairs, and I pulled uselessly against my restraints. "Eli!" I shouted, attempting to draw him back to the basement. It didn't work.

He was gone for what felt like hours before returning to the basement. My blood boiled when I spotted a small form laying limply in his arms. "Levy!"

"Shouting is pointless," Eli sighed. "She can't hear you. I hit her with a less powerful sleeping spell, so she should be waking up within the next few minutes." He attached her wrists to chains similar to mine and raised them until her feet were dangling above the ground.

"Eli, you have to stop this!" I attempted once more. "Let Levy go!"

"Shut up!" He snapped, pulling out a small knife and pressing it against Levy's throat. "I don't have to use her for the ceremony, you know. I could just kill her now, and use your soul to bring back Lorelei. Either way, this girl dies here today. You should thank me—I'm going to put her soul to good use. Or would you rather I just spill her blood and waste that precious soul?" He pressed the knife into her skin just enough to cause blood to trickle down the front of her neck and chest.

I couldn't say anything. My voice seemed trapped in my throat as all I could do was stare helplessly at Levy.

Never in my life had I felt helpless. Nor had I ever felt fear so great as I did in that instant. Sure, I had been afraid when Levy had been stabbed before and wound up in the hospital, but that didn't even compare to this.