Melancholy Pianos

"Please stop calling me." Levy sighed. "I already told you no."

Lector screamed and yelled. "Why can't you ever support this family!? You think that just because you work for Redfox you're special?!"

"I will hang up this phone," Levy threatened. She tried to keep her voice a whisper. It was what... 5 in the morning?

"I just don't see why you're like this! You have me as a father, so you've got nothing to lose!" Lector smirked. "Just take a chance,"

"No, and that's final." Levy sighed. "If that's all you want, I'll be hanging up now."

"Levy," Lector snarled. "Don't disrespect me. You don't know who you're playing with—"

"Actually, I do. You're my father," Levy scoffed. "Goodbye."

"Don't you da—" The line went dead. Levy sighed softly, walking into the kitchen. She turned on the light, making a bowl of cereal.

She ate it in silence, staring at the little games on the box. Word searches, decoding... she grabbed a pen. Why not do them? Then she started to finish up some papers and documents that needed to be reviewed.

By the time she finished, the sun was already coming up. She glanced at the window, there was no point in going to back to bed.

Dolores was back, seeing Levy working at the computer. Levy looked really stressed and tired as she found random things to work on.

Dolores frowned before glaring harshly. "Hey you. Whatever your name was, you think that overworking yourself is gonna make me believe you're not using my son? Stop trying. Go to sleep, don't waste your time."

"I'm not tired," Levy didn't look up from the computer.

"You think I'm stupid?" Dolores snarled. "I said go to sleep."

"And I said I'm not tired—"

"Levy? Are you okay, how long have you been awake? You weren't in bed this morning when I got up," Gajeel stood in the doorway, frowning at Levy. "Why don't you go take a nap, you look exhausted."

"I'm not! I'm fine, alright!?" Levy slammed her folder shut. She was tired as hell but didn't want to let anyone down, so that made her easily irritable. It also didn't help that she drunk an energy drink, but that didn't do anything except give her a headache, make her heart race, and made body shake.

Gajeel frowned deeply. "You don't need to overwork yourself, Shrimp. You work enough."

"Drop it already! I'm fine!" Levy growled. Gajeel sighed.

"Okay," He nodded. "If you really want me to."

Dolores rolled her eyes. "Fine! Since you're not sleepy, go and make me a coffee! Decaf with two creams! Hurry on, now!"

Levy nodded, stumbling as she went to go. She felt so sluggish... she gripped the handrail tightly as she walked down, vision blurring and fading constantly.

"I've seen enough," Dolores walked down the stairs. "You better walk your tiny ass back up those stairs and get in the bed or else I'll have you fired."

"I'm okay! I really am," Levy exclaimed.

"Come on Levy," Erza carries her bridal style up the stairs and places her in the bed.

"I can work... I really can..." Levy fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed. She didn't want to sleep, afraid of the dreams she would have. Afraid of her father taking her. She felt herself slip away from reality.

~

The sound of a piano played as she woke up. Levy woke up and walked to the bedroom door, looking at the walls. There was a clock on the wall that looked like Pantherlily. It stared into her soul...

Levy shivered, and as she opened the door, the clock chimed loudly and Levy felt herself falling. She shrieked loudly, falling into an abyss.

Suddenly, there was paper, scripts and words surrounding her. Birds chirped as she fell through the paper, glancing around. Where was she? This didn't feel like a dream!

Tumbling through the canopy and hitting a lake, Levy shut her eyes tightly. The water was cool and comforting, but she couldn't stay in it forever!

Fish swam around her, Levy swimming up quickly. She took in all the air she could, shaking her head and sighing in relief. Okay, she wasn't dead, but now she had to figure out a way to get out.

The piano was still playing, but this time the song was pleasant and smooth. Levy was in a lush garden, didn't she just fall through trees?

She started to run, dandelions and magnolias floating up as she did so. She didn't feel tired or anything, and it felt like she'd only been running for 5 minutes even though she knew it was much longer than that.

She saw a mirror, going to it. There she was, in a white dress with a white bow in her head. She had no shoes on.

She stared in the mirror, reaching to touch it. Her reflection grabbed her and yanked her inside, Levy falling as her reflection watched with a sad look.

Levy screamed loudly, falling into someone's arms. She felt them touch her roughly, immediately knowing who it was. It made her wriggle around.

"Stop moving, damnit!" Her fathers voice rang through her ears.

"LET GO OF ME!" Levy flailed in her fathers arms, trying to fight him off.

He laughed sinisterly, grabbing the back of her head roughly. Levy cried out in fear as they hit yet another floor, he landed on his feet.

He made her look. "Look, Levy. It's your darling Gajeel."

Erza and Jellal stood behind him, dressed in tuxedos.

"Gajeel, help me!" Levy screamed.

Gajeel walked straight past her, Erza and Jellal taking a quick glance before continuing to watch.

Levy fell to her knees, sobbing on the hard floor. Parts of her body started to dissolve as the piano played a soft, melancholy tune.

Flowers blew in the wind and the last remains of her were the tears on the ground with a single red rose.

The Rose started to shake before it turned to dust and everything disappeared.

~

"Levy!" Gajeel shook her. "Wake up!" She was screaming and crying in her sleep.

"Levy! Lucy is making a new Fairy Tail book and it's on preorder! Wake up so you can buy it!" Jellal yelled. No response.

"Get up! Come on!" Erza shook her roughly.

Levy woke up covered in sweat and tears, breathing heavily. She started to sob loudly.

Dolores was playing the piano a couple minutes ago, but everything got silent as Levy woke up.

"Are you okay? You were yelling and screaming," Gajeel hugged her. Levy sobbed into his chest.

Dolores walked into the room with a cup of hot tea. "I don't want this stupid commoner tea. I'll give it to a stupid commoner so it doesn't go to waste,"

She placed it on the bedside table. "Drink it before I throw it out. I wish Gajeel would do the same to you,"

That made Levy cry even louder, Dolores' eyes widening. Oh... she walked out of the room slowly, giving them one last glance as Levy cried.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Gajeel said softly, Erza and Jellal leaving the two alone.

Levy shook her head, drinking the tea gratefully. She'd calmed down.

"I hope you're okay," Gajeel kissed her forehead.

"I'm fine—" Levy started but Gajeel snarled loudly.

"You always say you're okay, even when you're not! It's so... urgh!" Gajeel yelled. "I want to know if you're happy or not! I want to know if you feel good! I want to know these things, Levy!"

Levy flinched, looking at her hands.

"I'm sorry," Gajeel sighed. "I just..."

"It's fine," Levy sniffled. "I guess I've been a bit... reclusive. Sorry,"

"No! Don't apologize! I'm too demanding of you!" Gajeel exclaimed.

The two went back and forth about it.

"OH MY GOD!" Dolores yelled from the room across the hall. "Would you two hush!? I'm trying to work!"

"Haha, sorry mom!" Gajeel chuckled. Levy smiled softly. The two spent the rest of the day chatting and reading in the bed.