AN: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima!

Hey! Sorry, been really busy this week! Not with work, weirdly... Just everything else. Including a new fic, which probably has you groaning going "but you can't even finish updating your current ones?"... We're getting there? I need to rewrite a bit for On The Hunt and I need to write the last couple of chapters for this... But we're getting there? Since this is so close to the end of the week, I might update one of the others next week instead? Then less chance of you accidentally missing a chapter? (Don't worry, haven't gotten to spend much time on the new fic, but inspiration hit and I had to at least get the basics down... I even went so far as to print it out).

Anyway, enjoy! I believe you've waited years for this chapter...

(Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! They keep me going when things get tough!)

Chapter Thirty-Six

"My Vkrepr..." Gajeel began, stepping out into the open air, "I have missed you."

He stood with open arms, welcoming her home. She ran across the grassy clearing, stumbling over the side of the gigantic stack of firewood as she took the shortest path to the man she loved so dearly. She felt his arms wrap around her, bringing her crashing into his strong embrace. His heart thundered in his chest. His studded nose burrowed deep into her blue waves. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer. He kissed her neck gently, trying to hide his act of love from the others around them. Levy kissed his muscular neck in return, feeling his body close tighter around her.

"Gajiru, let the girl go." Metalicana's voice smirked from behind Gajeel.

"I wirl never let her go again." Gajeel murmured into her hair, moving his right hand to stroke the lengthened waves. "Never leave me again." He demanded desperately into her ear, pleading with her.

"You must let her go." Metalicana sighed and Levy could see him shaking his head in her mind. "The ceremony shall be tonight, if you wish, but you must let her go so she may sleep," He continued, his left hand clasping Gajeel's shoulder firmly, "and I too wish to be able to welcome her back."

"After tomorrow night, I shall never have to release you again." Gajeel smirked as he pulled back slightly to look down into her hazel eyes.

"Gajiru, tomorrow is too early." Metalicana grumbled, finally separating them. "Now then, where is my 'hug'?" He grinned, holding his left arm out to her. She stepped forward gladly, hugging him back carefully as she avoided his bound right arm. "Welcome home, my child." He smiled, holding her gently against him. "This must be your family." He continued, partially releasing her but leaving his large hand upon her shoulder. "Where is your uncle?"

"My father could not make it, courtesy of the injury you gave him, but I have come in his place." Gray answered, a touch of bitterness to his tone. "Your Fiorian seems to be very impressive, especially for a ba-"

"Yes, my Pura and my son have been helping me to practise for your arrival. My son's has improved greatly too, do you not think?" Metalicana interrupted, saving her cousin from himself.

"It has indeed, but I do not know how much it has improved during my cousin's absence from his side." Gray returned, stepping forward. Every Ragkiz male stood instantly, ready to defend their injured Head. "I did not see her for many months, but have not seen any scars although her clothes are so 'small', so my father must have been wrong about your intent to harm her."

"I would nev-"

"Gajiru, hold your tongue. You would be speaking a lie if you said such words. Did you not harm her in the palace of the Fiorian King while we made our escape?" He countered, turning to face his son. Gajeel looked away from his father's gaze, his expression bitter. "Had you not already hurt her by trying to leave her the first chance you got?" He pressed, earning a quiet growl from Gajeel. "Did you not hurt her again when we abandoned her to begin our journey home?" Gajeel rounded on Metalicana with a snarl, but the Head remained unfazed. "Did you not break her heart when you told her that you loved her, only to leave her once more?" Metalicana paused, a smirk forming as his icy blue eyes softened. "Do you not plan to make her carry and birth your children?"

Gajeel froze where he was, a pink line forming across his tanned cheeks as his ears began to burn red. He looked away bashfully, grumbling something under his breath and his father chuckled quietly before turning back to Gray with a broad, welcoming smile. Levy could not meet Gray's gaze as he looked at her in disbelief, her own face burning bright in embarrassment. Gajeel wanted her to have his children. She mentally cursed herself for her stupidity; of course he wanted her to have his children! He was planning to marry her! He was going to take her as his Pura! By definition, she would have to carry his children!

"Welcome home, my child." A soft, familiar voice called and Levy looked up to find Ithunzi standing by Metalicana's side. "It has been almost two moons, your hair is longer and your skin darker, but you are still our Levy."

"Of course, Pirkar." Levy smiled happily, hugging the giant female.

"Enough with this nonsense." Ivan growled, interrupting the happy reunion. "How can you touch that thing so willingly, my sister?" He sneered, stepping into the open. "Now that she has brought us back our Prince, we do not need her," he continued, casually crossing the Ragkiz camp towards them, "nor the Prince for that matter. Why should we not just rid ourselves of the Fiorian dirt now?"

"Hold your tongue!" Metalicana snarled, his body seemingly doubling in size. Ithunzi pulled Levy closer, bringing her into the mouth of the tent.

"What do you plan to do, krerrna?" Ivan returned mockingly. "Our people have no need for a King who cannot speak their language, nor a girl who brings threats of war. In fact," he continued smugly, "we do not need such a weak family as the Ragkiz!" He finished, his claws suddenly flashing through the air towards Metalicana.

A scream escaped Levy as she tried to free herself from Ithunzi's grasp, watching the claws of the Rkerakiz Head moving as if in slow motion towards Metalicana's throat. Levy's world vanished in silver light as something suddenly pressed against her, silencing her scream as the thick, heavy mass tried to smother her. She heard distant snarling before the world returned to normal. Metalicana now stood to one side, watching wide-eyed as his son stood between him and the current fight. Levy looked past Gajeel, pushing away her embarrassment at not having realised that it had been Metalicana's gigantic mane that had distorted her senses.

The Ragkiz males had almost doubled in number, forming a circle around the two snarling males. Who could be fighting in that circle? Metalicana had been the one attacked, but he stood seemingly unharmed as his only son shielded them. A wounded snarl erupted from inside the circle as blood splattered across the earth, reaching the feet of the nearest Ragkiz. The white tip of a fox's tail flashed past a narrow gap and Levy stepped forward, suddenly free of Ithunzi's hands. She began to walk faster, a memory of her journey to the castle haunting her. Gajeel grabbed her and pulled her against him as a terrifying howl cut through the air, sending a chill down her spine as she recognised the pain in it.

"Do not look, my Vkrepr, you must not look." Gajeel murmured pleadingly, the intense desperation in his voice startling her.

Another howl sliced through the air, only to be cut short as the sound of blood splattering against the earth once more echoed through the trees. She tried to pull back as the forest became enveloped in silence, only to have Gajeel hold her tighter. His heart pounded in his chest as his claws began to dig into her skin. What had just happened? Why was he so desperate for her not to see what was happening in the circle?

"Ga- Gaji-"

"Hush, my Pura, I will fix you." Ithunzi's voice soothed. Levy began to shake as terror began to take over. What had just happened? Metalicana had seemed fine only moments before! "Our son knows what he must do as the current Head in your place." Levy wrapped her arms around Gajeel, wishing so desperately to comfort him. How had it come time for him to become the Head in her absence? How much had she missed during her time away?

"Kinev, take Revy into the tent – do not let her see what has become of the Rkerakiz Head or Heir." Gajeel ordered, his voice strong and bold. Levy tried to struggle free of his grasp, suddenly remembering why she had wanted to see what was happening. Kinev's strong arms pinned her against him as he lifted her up off the ground, keeping her face pressed against him. "Let me in." Gajeel's voice demanded from behind Kinev. "There has been yet another loss in a Ragkiz camp, but it has once more stemmed from the twisted mind of Ivan. No-one here can say that I did not warn them of his treachery," he continued, his voice carrying clearly in the air like she had never heard it do before, "he lead Fiorians to our land and gave them our Queen. He sent our King after her. He warped the mind of my uncle when my father left to discover the truth. Now, you heard him say he would have us kill the only child of our late King! Our King, Igniru of the Grutaan! He was kind and only wished for peace, but Ivan destroyed our peace in his attempt to rule over us."

He paused for a moment as sounds of shuffling began.

"The Great Dragon would never have chosen a fool such as him, instead," Gajeel continued, a slight strain now in his voice, "they allowed a new Head to rise today, purifying the evil that has been seeping into our families for an entire generation. The Great Dragon, on this very day, has granted Raxuz the right to lead the Rkerakiz! May he hold strong in the harshest storm!" The Ragkiz erupted into barks and howls as Kinev continued to hold Levy against him. Why could she not look?! Gajeel had just announced that Laxus had won the fight, so why? "Pirkar, tend to Kurkar and Raxuz. Elder Makarov," Gajeel began again as the howls died down, a touch of sadness to his voice, "I am sorry for your loss, but not the loss of Ivan." Levy's body went limp as she realised what she had just been protected from.

Laxus had just killed his own father.

"I understand." Makarov's familiar voice answered, a kind note to it alongside a shadow of sadness or, perhaps, regret.

"It was not your fault, Hruprv." Gajeel replied quietly. "Do you wish to take th- your son back with you?"

"You know our ceremony is simple," Makarov answered, "I will take him into the forest myself...We cannot have your future Pura see such a sight on a day which should be so cheerful. Do not argue with me, boy – we both know that you still have your cousin hiding her just inside the tent. Did you not think to shield her family too?"

"Hrixzroh and the others would realise what was happening and shield them...All I could do was have my family keep the fight confined. My cousin did well to win that fight. I knew he had no love for his father but I did not think he would go so far as to kill him...I suppose he had no choice." Gajeel sighed and Levy awkwardly tapped Kinev's chest. He loosened his grip on her head, but refused to let her down. "Akigit is a fool, but at least I could banish him...Ivan would just have kept returning."

"I tried to banish my fool of a son once...Turned out he had just hit his prime." Makarov mused. "My grandson must be feeling very confused right now. He may have hated his father, but his father was still his father and the only parent he had."

"He had you." Gajeel stated. Levy continued to look pleadingly up at Kinev, but Kinev just looked away. "You may put her down now." Gajeel's voice growled inches away from Levy, making her jump. "Now." Levy giggled as Kinev quickly lowered her to the ground before rushing out of the tent. "My Vkrepr," he sighed as he wrapped his arms around her, relieving her feet of their brief chance to be in contact with the earth, "I am sorry you had to be put through that...You have been away for so long, only to return to such violence."

"I am fine, truly." She smiled down into his hardened rubies, wondering what had happened to make him seem so much more mature. "I am more concerned about you and your cousin."

"My cousin?" He frowned, searching her hazel eyes.

"He has just fought and killed his father." Levy explained, pursing her lips. How could he have already forgotten?!

"Do you wish to go see him?" He asked quietly, turning his face away from her.

"If I could, yes." She replied, watching him as sadness flickered through his beautiful eyes.

"Then go to him." He stated, lowering her back down without looking back at her as he did so.

She frowned up at him before making her way towards the tent door, watching him over her shoulder. Surely he wished to see his cousin too? Why did he seem so sad at her concern? She left the tent and looked around her. Her stomach churned at the sight of the blood staining the soil in front of the unlit campfire. A movement caught her eye and she looked in the direction of a nearby tent. Bixslow was waving her over and she smiled back at him with sympathy. That had to have been a terrible fight for the young male to watch since her travelling companions had all seemed so close.

"I am surprised Gajiru let you leave his side so quickly." Bixslow teased and Levy just rolled her eyes, knowing he was likely just trying to lighten the mood.

"Laxus just had to kill his father, so I wished to come see him." Levy explained as she moved to enter the tent.

"You left the male you wish to be the Pura of...to come see his cousin?" Bixslow gaped, his tongue flopping by his chin.