"What exactly is this?" Lucy asked as she stared up at the huge image in front of her. 

    "It was me that drew it." Reedus sheepishly raised his hand.

    "Why's that, then?"

    "We've come up with an organisation chart of the dark guilds." Mira informed the blonde. "They seem to be awfully active recently, so I think we need to work on strengthening inter-guild relations." 

    "Well, if you want to do that, you have to get all the guilds right." Gabbey joined in the conversation, pushing her way to stand next to Mira and Lucy. In her left hand was a glass of booze.

    "What do you mean?" Lucy asked, shifting a bit. 

    "Well," Gabbey started off, turning towards Reedus. The big man seem to get what she wanted, and quickly handed over a light pen. She turned back to the chart. "Snakes' Head? It's gone. It was destroyed a while back, because it turned on us."

    "'Us' as in Phantom Lord?" Mira stated grimly. 

    "Exactly." 

    "Wonder how you would know that?" At Grey's sarcastic remark, Gabbey turned towards the ice mage with a toothy grin. 

    "I mean, I was the one who single-handily took the shitty place down." Her red eyes flashed with mirth before she turned back to the chart. "Titan Nose, gone. There's a new dark guild called The Titans, though. It's not much of a threat. Uh," She tensed, hands tightening on her cup. "Serpents." The Iron Dragon Slayer spat the name out. "They are still active. But they aren't a threat. Not while I'm around." Her hands clenched up, the cup of booze splintering and flying everywhere as she closed her eyes. 

    "Gabbriel. . ." Juvia murmured softly, walking towards her friend and putting a hand on her shoulder. 

    "What does that mean?" Lucy whispered, slightly shock at the display of emotions from the usually controlled woman. 

    "It's nothing." Gabbriel snarled, eyes hard. 

    "Gabbey. . .You haven't told anyone what happened, not even Gajeel." Juvia whispered softly - making sure the Iron Dragon Slayer was the only one to hear her. Juvia squeezed her shoulder in comfort. "Juvia thinks you have to talk about it. Some time soon." 

Gabbey gritted her teeth, breathing heavily through her nose and turning to Juvia. "I will. Soon." Is all she breathed out, grabbing Juvia's hand and closed her eyes. With a deep breathe, Gabbey gently tossed the light pen back to Reedus, turned sharply, and threw a kunai at the chart. It sunk deep into the board behind the chart - right were the Serpents' guild name was - and stiffly walked out. 

Juvia watched with sad eyes as Gabbey marched out of the guild hall, hand resting on her chest. 

    "What was that about?" It snapped Juvia out of her thoughts, and she dropped her head slightly.

    "Juvia shouldn't really be talking about it, Gabbey will tell when she is ready but. . ." Her blue eyes glanced around the hall, eyes full of sadness. "Gabbey has lost a lot more than most of us have. She lost her world."  

Gabbey marched down the streets of Magnolia, a deep frown settled on her face as she walked aimlessly. Her fists were clenched at her sides and her eyes were staring holes at the ground beneath her. Even though she wasn't looking directly at anyone in Magnolia; everyone knew better to get in her way. They parted around her, not wanting the feel 'Fairy Tail's Rose' wrath.
    "Gabbriel!"

    Her steps faltered slightly before she continued on. 

    "Gabbriel!" The voice was closer this time, and someone's hand landed on her upper arm. Gabbey tensed up, grabbing the small hand in a vice grip and turning to see who it was. "Gabbriel. . ."

The red eyed girl narrowed her eyes as Levy murmured her name, mostly confused on what the woman wanted. "What?!" She gritted out, harsher than she meant to. Levy flinched slightly, making Gabbey take a deep breath and let go of Levy's dainty hand. "What?"

    "I - I. . ." Levy stammered out. "I was. . .I was making sure you were okay."

    "Why would you want to do that?" 

    "W-Well, you're in Fairy tail now," The bluenette started, confidence gaining as she went on. "Everyone in Fairy tail is family, that means you too. Nakama, no matter what."  

Levy watched as Gabbey furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and her brilliant red eyes flash with different emotions. "I'm fine." She grunted out. "Is that all?"

    "Uh," Levy started off slowly. "Uh, no actually. L-Lucy was going to go on a spa trip with me, but Master sent her and the rest of Team Natsu on a job of sorts. S-so, I was going to ask you if you wanted to. . .Go on a spa trip with me?"

Gabbriel watched as Levy slowly broke down - losing the confidence she had when explaining Fairy Tail's weird 'nakama' thing. The only family she has is Gajeel, and that's all she'll need. 

    "Does going on this 'Spa trip' include getting our nails done?" Gabbey drawled out. "Because I got my nails done once and I ended up breaking them when I punched some guy in the face."

    "You don't have to get your nails done if you don't want too." Levy blinked in surprise, though she probably shouldn't be. ". . .So is that a yes?"

    ". . .I guess." Gabbriel conceded, not sure if she really wanted to do this.

    "Really?!" Levy grinned. 

    "Yeah, now hurry up and lead the way before I change my mind."

  🌹🌹🌹 

Gabbriel wouldn't admit. She didn't want to admit it. But - it was the truth. Doesn't mean she could hate the truth with every fiber of her being. But, it was bound to come out. 

Gabbriel Redfox was having a good time at the spa, with Levy McGarden.

She hated it.

It started out as a small feeling, a lightness in her chest that caused her to reply to Levy's questions with blunt, one worded answers. But it soon turned into longer replies, and before the two women knew it, Gabbriel was asking Levy herself some questions. 

Simple questions, like - favorite color, favorite foods, favorite memory. Levy actually got to know Gabbriel more - which is something she'd never imagine.

Gabbriel actually liked the color yellow, blue was a close second. Her favorite metal was zinc, and she had to explain how each metal had a different taste. Her favorite thing about Fairy tail at the moment was Mira's food - but Levy was sworn to never tell the bartender. All of Gabbriel's favorite memories that she told Levy had Gajeel in them and sometimes, even Juvia. 

They had gotten their nails done - Levy's orange and Gabbey's black - had their hair trimmed and styled, and had been given a foot massage. Gabbey was getting her eyebrows plucked when Levy spoke up. 

    "Thank you for coming with me today. You didn't have too, but I enjoyed it." 

It was silent, Gabbriel trying to figure out what to say. Then;
    "You don't have to say anything. I understand, I do." Levy sighed and pushed herself off the chair as the woman walked away from Gabbey's chair and she also pushed herself up. "Lets go get food, a Spa Day does make you pretty hungry."

Then it was back to short answers. Though, they were as cut off as before. Gabbriel actually seem to be relaxed. Stories were shared (and memories were made) but as the end of the day, Gabbey decided to walk Levy home. 

    "You don't have too." Levy tried to deny. 

    "Of course I do. I can't just have a lady walk home by herself." Gabbey shot back. 

    "I know magic."

    "And I know you. Come on, lets go."

The walk back to Fairy tail's own apartments was pretty long, but the two of them never had an awkward silence. There was a few silent moments, but never awkward. 

    "Thank you." Gabbey blurted out once they got closer to Levy's place. "I, uh. . .I had fun today. I wouldn't mind hanging out with you again."

Levy stared at her in shock, not fully registering that Gabbriel actually had fun. "I - It's no problem!" She stammered out. "Uh, Jet, Droy and I are going on a job in the morning, but we could have dinner when I get back. . ." She trailed off.

    "Okay, sounds fun." Gabbey agreed, stopping just short of the stairs to the building. "Thanks again, Levy." Trying for once, ever since that horrible day, Gabbriel sent Levy a half-smile before turning. "See ya tomorrow!"

    "S-See ya tomorrow!" 

  🌹🌹🌹 

Gabbriel let out a sigh as she walked towards hers and Gajeel's place. Her hands were swinging freely at her sides and she whistled slightly as she walked. It was dark out, the sun had finally gone down, and Gabbey had taken the long way home. 

When the lights to her house were visible, she stopped short. Her head rolled as she made a sharp right and headed straight into an alley way. Her red eyes glowed eerily in the dim lighting as she stopped somewhere in between the alley. 

    "Are you gonna come out now? You've been following me since I had dinner with Levy." Gabbriel called out, fixing the gloves on her hands. "I thought you were after Levy, but it's clearly me if you've been following me this long."

Silence. 

A breeze passed by, shifting the air around them. Pursing her lips, the Metal Maker twisted around. "Come on out, Jellal. Or should I say Mystogan?"

    "Mystogan would be fine. Going around with my counterparts name wouldn't help my situation." The silkly smooth voice rang out to her left. 

    "I bet." Gabbriel scoffed, turning over her left shoulder and sending a punch towards Mystogan's figure. He blocked the attack - already knowing she was bound to attack him - and blocked the next punch. 

He grabbed her wrists with one hand and spun her around, shoving her figure away from his. But Gabbriel dropped half way through her spin away and kicked his legs out from under him. Mystogan fell to the ground, but Gabbey was quick to pick him up and slam him into the wall of the alley way. 

    "Why didn't you tell me you were in Fairy tail?" She narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on his jacket. 

    "I didn't think it was important information at the time," Mystogan replied smartly. "I mean - you were on the brick of death after all. It doesn't help you were so depressed, you couldn't even stand."

    "Don't be a smart ass! That's my thing!" Gabbey hissed, shoving him into the wall but letting go of his jacket. "You still could have told me. I remember every detail about that day and the weeks after."

    "So, I would tell you I'm in Fairy tail, and you would run or push me away - inevitably dying from blood loss, starvation, or an animal from the wilderness." Mystogan leaned against the wall, kicking a foot up. "That's just the short list. Sounds pretty smart, right?"

    "Whatever." Gabbriel snapped, rolling her eyes. 

    "'Whatever', you're in Fairy tail now. I don't see why it matters so much to you." Mystogan mocked Gabbey, making the younger girl sneer. 

    "I don't care. You just have information that anyone in Fairy tail could use against me!"

    "I highly, highly, doubt that Fairy tail would do that. But, it's your past." Mystogan raised his hands in surrender. "I'll keep quiet until you share your story."

Gabbriel snorted at the thought of spilling her guts out to someone - much less people in Fairy tail. But, she let it slid. "You're back in town. I know for a fact that it wasn't because of the Battle Royale. Is it your problem?" 

    "Yes, actually." Mystogan pushed himself off the wall. "I've been tracking this thing for a while now - it's next target is most likely Magnolia."

    "Whattya gonna do about it, if it is?" Gabbey asked. 

    "I'm going to try and save as much people as I can. But I can't be a hundred percent sure that it's next target is Magnolia, so I don't want to whole town to be evacuated in case nothing happens."

    "Alright." Gabbriel nodded at his words. "I'll keep an eye out for anything that isn't the norm around here. As of right now though, I'm going to bed." 

The black-haired girl didn't wait for a reply as she spun around and started to walk out of the alley way, yawning the whole time. She paused before leaving, glancing at Mystogan as she did.  "What's this supposed thing called, anyways?"

Mystogan seem to debate with himself wheather or not he wanted the Dragon Slayer to know. She could clearly keep a secret - with the many, many untold stories and sins that hung off her shoulders like a cape - but letting someone from this world to know anything more they're suppose to know? That wouldn't help anyone in the end. But. . .

Gabbriel shrugged, the decision not bothering her. "Whatever, I'll keep an eye out for anything." She turned the corner, the last thing she heard from Mystogan were these words;

    "It's called an Anima."