The Gods of Fairy Tail

Chapter 20

Meanwhile up on Mount Olympus, poor Levy was just crying her heart out. Ever since Juvia had vanished she cried nearly everyday. Gajeel and Mirajane tried to comfort her but only the safe return of her beloved younger sister could stop her tears.

"It'll be alright Levy." Mirajane said handing the goddess of harvest a handkerchief to dry her tears with. "Natsu is having his best men search the entire earth for her. They're bound to find her sooner or later."

"I just wish I knew how this happened." Levy sobbed. "How could she just disappear into thin air like that? And I've searched every place on earth but there's no trace of her. It just doesn't make any sense."

Many of the gods felt terrible for Levy but none more so than Gajeel the God of blacksmiths. He hated seeing her like this, so broken and hurt. No longer the warm and magnificent goddess she was before. He would do anything to make her smile again.

"Maybe she's not on earth." Gajeel said.

"What?"

"I've been doing some thinking and maybe the reason why no one can find her is because we're not looking in the right place."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you said that on the day she vanished there was an earthquake. Is it possible that she could've fallen through? If so then maybe she's underground."

"Underground? Oh dear! It's so dark under there and she's so very afraid of the dark. I pray that she's not down there."

"Only one way to find out." He stood up. "I do most of my work underground because it gives me access to the extreme heat held in the earth's crust. I'll search for your sister and ask anyone who dwells underground if they've seen her."

"Would you really do that? For me?"

"Of course. Anything to ease your pain. I'll search the depths of Tartarus if I have to."

"Oh thank you Gajeel. I promise you your efforts will not go unrewarded."

"My only reward will be your smiling face."

He took hold of her hand and kissed it respectfully which made her blush and briefly smile.

"I will go now." He told her.

"Be careful." She said.

He left after that. Levy felt lucky to have someone like Gajeel in her life. He was much more special than what the other gods gave him credit for. To many of them he was just some accidental hunk of iron that should have never been made in the first place. That he was just good for building weapons and nothing else. But he had so much more potential, he was strong, honest, loyal, and kind. She remembered when they first met.

It was many, many years ago. She was a teenager and Juvia was just a little girl and they were attending a meeting with the other gods to discuss something. A cyclops had turned against the gods and was causing mayhem on earth, Gajeel was able to capture him by constructing a grand yet rigged throne that would trap anyone who sat in it for all eternity. With flattery, he tricked the cyclops into sitting on the throne and being captured. The gods were grateful and decided to reward him which was what the meeting was for. To discuss if what Gajeel wanted was agreeable.

Levy saw him standing before the other gods, he was a teenager like her not as handsome as the other gods but he definitely had a certain charm and attractive nature. It was something unique. Something she had never seen in any of the other gods who had courted her. When asked what he would like as a reward he was humble and spoke respectfully, he said that he was lonely and wanted a wife to keep him company. He requested that his wife be Evergreen the goddess of beauty.

All the gods save for herself laughed at him.

"The beautiful Evergreen married to an ugly lump of flesh like you?!" They said.

"I would rather rot in Tartarus than marry him!" Evergreen said cruelly.

Gajeel laughed it off as if he realized how foolish it was and that their reaction didn't bother him. He then changed his request to being allowed to live on Mount Olympus instead of underground which was granted. But as Levy was going home she found him alone in the shadows looking greatly ashamed and embarrassed. With compassion in her heart, she sat next to him and told him that she didn't think his request was so stupid and that she thought it was very bold of him to make such a request.

"If you ask me." She had said. "You do not deserve to marry Evergreen. She is beautiful but that is all she is. She is not gentle nor humble like you. She'd never appreciate you."

"Do you mean that?" He asked her.

"Yes."

"Do you think I'm ugly?"

"Absolutely not."

"You're not just saying that are you?"

"No. I've made it habit to never lie and if you need someone to keep you company my sister and I would gladly visit you whenever you wish."

"Really?"

"Yes...Well provided that it's not harvest time because that's when I have to work but I'm free at any other time."

"I'd like that. Thank you."

From that moment on whenever they weren't working they were visiting each other. They would talk and read together. Take walks together over the fields. Gajeel would craft the most beautiful jewelry for Levy and he would make the finest toys for Juvia to play with. In fact some days he would serve as Juvia's babysitter during her childhood. Now one would not think that such a hard and rough God would such an an affinity for children but Gajeel adored little Juvia and she adored him.

"Levy I want you to marry Gajeel." The six year old goddess said to her older sister one day.

"What? Why?" Levy had said while blushing.

"Because then I'll finally have a big brother and he can live with us and play with me everyday."

"Juvia now is the not time for me to be thinking of marriage." Levy giggled. "But I'm glad you're fond of Gajeel."

He had also become very protective of the girls. She remembered how one night she and Juvia, who was in the early stages of teen hood were bathing in the river. Laxus and Bickslow had attempted to spy on them but Gajeel caught them and beat them to a pulp. No male human or god would dare ever try to peek on the sisters again. He truly was a wonderful man and it hurt her that only a few could see that.

"Gajeel sure does care about you." Mirajane said.

"He is kind so it is only natural that he care for my well being." Levy said.

"I think it goes further than just kindness." She said with a smile.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think you know."

Levy finally understood what Mirajane meant when she saw the playful gleam in her eye.

"Oh don't be silly Mirajane." Levy chuckled. "We don't see each other that way."

"Funny and I thought you didn't lie."

"I'm not lying...At least I think I'm not."

"Don't worry I won't tell." The goddess of hearth assured her.

"There's nothing to tell."

"Whatever you say."