The Contract

Chapter 25

The children continue to sing, until one of them points back at the river, there eyes wide. He turns his head to see Levy's body being lifted up, her clothes dissolving. One of the marks on her body bursted with crystal energy. Blinded for a moment, they froze seeing that crystal partially took form of a women with long hair. She smiles looking down at Levy then up at the sky. A crystal beam covered them, surrounding them with warmth. The women starts to whisper, but the words were intelligible, except one word; Daughter. The women moved around Levy touching her. They all witness Levy's body reform; her body healing and materializing new limbs. More whispers joined hers, sounding like a conversation or chant.

"Look, her marks." Lucy said.

Gajeel watches the marks on her body, stripping off of her, flying up to the sky. Right as he looked up, the whispering stopped and the women looks at Gajeel. He felt his heart pound as they made eye contact. It was like she was trying to tell him something.

"I will protect her with my life. I won't hurt her, I will treasure her. I love her." The words just escaped him, like he had no control over it. Her expression changed from serious to a bright smile. Kissing Levy's forehead, her form changes once again. Her crystal body turns into smoke, seeping into Levy's mouth, and her chest starts to move. A second later, her body is lowered back into the water and the light disappears. Gajeel quickly walks into the river, picking her up.

Hmm, she thought, nuzzling something warm and hard. It smells like... Huh? Levy opens her eyes to see Gajeel looking at her.

"Gajeel?" Levy asks baffled. She looks at her body, her brown eyes widen. Her body starts to shake, looking between her and him.

"Take deep breathes, you are okay. I will explain later okay? Right now, you need clothes."

Lucy approached them, holding new clothes for Levy.

Everyone surrounds them after she got dressed.

"LEVY!"

"I am so glad you are okay."

"How do you feel," Larcade asks, looking sad.

"Larcade-"

"Thank you," Gajeel said intervening, "I am glad you are apart of this family. I know what you had to do was hard. We will have a proper burial for your brother."

Larcade cries for a moment, before Elfman pats his back, "Men don't cry." Larcade nods, sniffling everything back in. He smiles with tears in his eyes.

After everyone hugged her in relief, she looks at Gajeel who was staring at her. She felt her cheeks turn red.

Laxus say, "Okay, everyone. I know everyone is hyped about what happened, but I think we should get the children to bed. Larcade, you are with me."

The children complain, but comply when told to follow Lisanna. Levy smiles watching the scene until she feels a hand slide across her stomach and wrap around her. Gajeel pulls her to his body, the heat of her skin made him sigh.

"g-Gajeel?"

"Hang on. I just need to feel you right now."

Levy looks worriedly at him, her brown eyes searching his face. She faces him, putting her hands to his cheeks. He blinks his eyes at her.

"I don't know what happened after I reversed time, but I told you I wouldn't leave you."

He looks at her seriously, asking, "You don't remember after that?"

Levy's eyes move back and forth, trying to remember. "No. I just remember, you getting hurt. A lot of pain...And then warmth."

His eyes look at the mark on her back thinking back to what happened.