Beams of light forced their way past the dull pink curtains, entering the room unannounced and uninvited. The sole occupant did his best to ignore the intruders, but the relentless way in which they pummeled his eyelids left him little choice but to greet them.

Opening his eyes, Luke groaned as he sat up, stretching his arms above his head and letting out a tired yawn. Looking around the room with bleary eyes, the first thing he noticed was that he didn't recognize anything.

"Where am I?" he asked himself, as the cobwebs slowly left his brain. Once they were well and clear, the events of the previous day slammed into him. His eyes widened like saucers, staring at the room around him with a new sense of awe.

"So that wasn't a dream?" he asked himself quietly, staring at his hands. And then the rest of him. He swallowed the spit in his mouth, his mouth suddenly feeling dry and parched.

"Guess that means I really kicked the bucket, huh?" he said quietly, eyes turning to look at the window. Suddenly feeling claustrophobic, he shot out of bed and ran towards them, flinging the curtains open with a near panic. What he saw confirmed his belief.

It was the small, rustic town he walked to the day before, with people busting about getting ready for the day. They were up way too early in his opinion, but then again, he was also awake so he didn't have much room to talk.

As he stared at the people wandering about, his mind went back to last night and the dinner he had with the beautiful blue haired girl. He couldn't prevent the dopey smile that lit up his face, thinking about the meal he shared with her.

Levy was a nice girl, one he hoped to get to know more. Just thinking about the way her face lit up as she spoke about her passions was enough to make him grin. The only real problem was those friends of hers. Jealous twats.

But still, getting closer to her was worth the headache of having to deal with them, no question. He was a bit worried about it coming to blows, considering how little experience he has with such things. He wasn't too worried about it, as his chosen guild was known to start a brawl from time to time, so he should get plenty of experience.

That could wait, as right now, his stomach was telling him it was time for breakfast. But first, pants. He was not risking getting arrested for indecent exposure on his second day in this world.

Hang on, how did Gray avoid that? Maybe he should ask him when the time comes, just in case.

Luke quickly put his clothes on, thankful that he had a spare set, before heading outside. He shut the door behind him, heading down the stairs towards the bar, his rucksack over his shoulder. When he reached the bottom, he heard a familiar voice chastising someone.

"Geez, I can't believe you two! How could you drink so much when you know we're on a job," the female voice berated. Luke turned the corner and saw none other than Levy, wearing a pair of tan cargo shorts tied off at the calves with a pair of basic shoes on her feet. She was also wearing a sleeveless yellow shirt with a blue vest over it.

"Hey, good morning," Luke called out as he approached. Levy turned to see who it was, and her face lit up with a smile, a small touch of pink entering her cheeks.

"Good morning Luke. Sleep well?" she asked, holding her hands behind her back. He gave her a nod, opening his mouth to say something before a yawn escaped his lips, making her giggle a bit.

"Not great I take it?" she asked with a wry grin. Luke gave her a hapless shrug with a sardonic smile, "Not the worst, but that damn sun just burst into my room and wouldn't leave me alone. I had no choice but to get up really. Anyway, what's up with them?" Luke asked, gesturing to Jet and Droy, who were moaning on the floor, covered in each other's vomit.

It was rather disgusting.

"Ugh, don't get me started. These two idiots decided to go on a bender last night and got completely wasted. They're in no position to work today," she said with a huff, hands on her hip, giving the two of them a glare.

"Sorry Levy…" moaned Jet, face looking pale and green.

"Yeah, real-hurk," moaned Droy, his cheeks puffing up with what could only be assumed was bile. He swallowed it, letting out a pitiful groan afterward.

"Looks like a hell of a hangover," Luke mentioned. Levy let out a sigh, more than a little disappointed with her teammates. "That's one way of putting it. And I was really looking forward to exploring those ruins too…" she muttered with a downcast look on her face, making the two on the floor feel even worse.

"You can't go by yourself?" Luke asked, confused. Levy shook her head. "I could, but I tend to get so wrapped up in my work that I ignore everything around me. So I kind of rely on these knuckleheads to watch out for me," she explained, looking even more downcast.

Luke didn't like the sad look she had on her face, brainstorming on a way to turn that frown upside down. The only way to do that was to somehow make these two bozos fit for duty so they could take her to the ruins and help her should anything go awry.

"But wait… Does it have to be them?" he thought to himself. Staring at her for a bit, lost in thought, he decided to voice his idea.

"What if I went with you?" he asked. Levy turned to look at him, surprised. Surprised and a little touched that he wanted to help her out, but there was just one problem with that..

"I don't know… You're not part of the guild, and the three of us already accepted the request," Levy said, giving Luke an apologetic look. Which was very different from the looks he was getting from Jet and Droy, who were trying to commit an act of murder with their eyes

"True, but I do plan on joining the guild. What if we get permission from the client? Would that work?" he asked. Levy seemed to think about it, placing her index finger on her bottom lip.

"Maybe… I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask. Otherwise, I'll have to wait until tomorrow. Hmm…" she said, thinking about his proposal.

"Wait, Levy! We can-urk, oh god-we can do it!" shouted Jet, trying his best to hold his previous night's dinner down. That seemed to be what settled it for her. "Come on," she said, grabbing Luke's hand and dragging him out of the tavern/inn.

"Levy! Blugh!" shouted Droy, unable to keep his food down this time. When he looked up, Levy and Luke were gone, and in their place was an angry tavern owner, holding a mop and bucket.

"These are for you. I expect this place to be spick and span before the lunch rush. Understand?" They responded by making a bigger mess.

Luke was dragged through town until they reached the town hall, but he wasn't exactly complaining about it. After all, why would he complain about holding hands with a beautiful woman? She pulled him inside and asked for a quick meeting with the mayor, who was apparently up at this ungodly hour.

Once they were let in, she explained who Luke was and if she had permission to bring him along. She also, much to his disappointment, released her grip on his hand. He wasn't even sure if she was aware she did it.

The mayor had no qualms about Luke joining in on the job, laughing merrily when he made a comment about the hangover the other two were currently suffering through, which got him an elbow to the ribs from an embarrassed blue-haired girl.

The two left the town hall feeling rather good about themselves, especially Luke, who was about to have his first mission. Sure it wasn't official and he wasn't part of the guild yet, but still!

"Alright, let's go! The ruins await!" cheered the excitable girl. However, as cute as he found to be, there was one issue with her plan.

"Um, do you mind if we get some breakfast first?" he asked, a loud rumble from his stomach seemed to agree with him. Levy turned to him to answer, when her own stomach started singing in harmony with his.

"Ah, well, I guess we can get something to eat," she said sheepishly, her face tinged red. The two began searching for a spot to get breakfast, when they eventually found a nice little cafe called Echoes of Elysium.

The two entered, eyes wondering over the tasteful decor inspired by the ruins. Levy was particularly excited about this. "Oh wow, look at this! It's an exact replica of the vase they found when the ruins were first discovered. Oh, and this…"

Luke watched this with a fond smile as Levy seemingly teleported between the objects in the cafe, excitedly shatting a million miles an hour about each one. "My, my, your girlfriend there sure knows her stuff," said a voice to Luke's left. He turned and saw a young woman with long purple hair tied back in a ponytail, dressed like an archaeologist weaning an apron.

"Yeah she's a smart one alright. Though I'm sorry to say she isn't my girlfriend," Luke said, facing the woman, who raised an eyebrow at the way he corrected her mistake.

"Oh, you're sorry huh? Why not just ask that little cutie out, huh?" she asked, giving Luke a coy smile. He coughed into his hand, looking away from the smirking woman with a bit of red on his cheeks.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Well, we just met each other yesterday, and, well… Argh, none of your business!" he shouted, embarrassed. The purple haired woman giggled, raising her hands in surrender, backing away slightly.

"My my, so sensitive," she cooed. Before Luke could say anything else, Levy interrupted him.

"Luke, everything ok?" she asked with a curious look, saddling up next to him. She heard him yell, bringing her out of her little trance over the decor of the cafe, and wondered what it was about.

"Yup! Everything's good on my end. How are you?" he responded rapid fire, making Levy raise a curious eyebrow.

"Reeeeally?" she questioned, leaning forward to look at his embarrassed face with suspicion.

"Yup. Now, how about that breakfast huh? Boy am I starving! Hungry, hungry, hungry," Luke said. The whole thing was highly amusing to the owner, who was trying her best not to burst out laughing.

"Alright, why don't you two sit right over there," she said, pointing to a table near the window.

"Sounds good to me," Luke said, speed walking towards it. Levy appeared even more confused at his behavior.

"Hey, a little advice," said the purple haired owner, getting Levy's attention. "You should totally make a move on him."

Levy's face turned scarlet at that. "What? Why would you-I mean, me and him, I don't," she stuttered out.

"Oh you two are just adorable. But trust me, you won't regret it," she said, giving the smaller girl a wink before making her way behind the counter. Levy, face still burning red, made her way over to Luke. He was sitting down at the table, looking over the menu, with the early morning sun illuminating his chiseled form.

The sight distracted her enough that she tripped. Over what, she had no idea. Probably her own feet. "Ah!" she screamed out, thrusting her arms in front of her to blunt the impact. She shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable pain.

But it never came. Instead, she heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor before her entire form was engulfed in a pleasant heat. Confused, she opened her eyes to see what was happening, only to come face to face with the concerned silvery eyes of Luke.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked. "You're not hurt are you?"

Unfortunately for Levy, her brain seemed to shut down when she realized the warmth she was feeling came from the strong arms of the man in front of her, wrapped around her petite frame protectively.

"Uh huh," she responded intelligently, hands clutching onto his jacket.

"Wow. You know, when I told you to make a move, I didn't expect it to happen this fast. Gotta say, I'm impressed," said a voice from behind her. Looking back, the two teenagers saw the grinning face of the proprietress staring down at them.

That's of course when the two fully realized the position they were in. Levy tried to force herself away, but this time, he held on tightly. Confused, she looked at him, only to see a kind smile. He stood up, bringing her with him, before separating.

"That was a close one. I'm glad you're alright," he said, trying to sound as confident as he could. He didn't want to be a blushing beta male the whole time, and from what the internet told him, confidence was key when it came to women.

Well, that and money. Too bad he didn't have much of either at the moment. But he could at least work on one of them right now.

"Yeah, um… thanks," Levy said, suddenly finding her feet very interesting. Luke smiled, turning back to the table and pulling out the chair for her. Levy's face went even redder as she meekly went to sit down.

"Well, aren't you the gentleman," stated the owner, giving them a salacious grin, something Luke pointedly ignored, even if the tips of his ears felt warm.

"Thanks, I try," he said, sitting down across from Levy. "So, anything you recommend miss… uh?" he asked, opening up the menu, before realizing he never got her name.

"You can call me Penelope, stud. And as for food, I make a mean pancake," she said with a smirk.

"Sounds good to me. What about you Levy?" he asked, looking at her. But it seemed like her mind was elsewhere, as she jumped up, startled at his voice.

"Huh? What?" she asked confused, face once more turning red from embarrassment.

"Pancakes. Does that sound good to you?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh, pancakes. Yes, pancakes sound fine," she responded quickly.

Luke nodded and turned to Penelope, "Well, you heard the lady. Pancakes it is. Oh, and a coffee, if you have it," he ordered.

"Tea for me, thank you," Levy said quietly.

"Alright, coming right up," Penelope said, making her way towards the kitchen to fulfill their order.

Now that she was gone, a somewhat awkward silence filled the room. Luke wasn't entirely sure what to say, having never really been alone with a girl like this before. Well, except for last night, but that felt different somehow.

As for Levy, her mind was in a blur. "Is this a date!? I mean, it feels like a date. Two people, eating out in what could be considered a romantic little cafe. Well, romantic if you like old stuff I guess. Does he like old stuff? Should I ask him? But what if he thinks I sound stupid!? Ah, why is this so hard!"

"So… you mentioned last night you use Solid Script Magic right? Mind telling me a little more about it?" he asked, trying to ease the tension permeating the room. He figured asking a bunch of personal questions would only increase her anxiety, so he chose something a bit more neutral.

Luke's voice interrupted her spiraling thoughts. "Huh? My magic?" she asked, unsure of what he said. He gave her a nod, and an excited look appeared on his face. How could it not when magic was actually real now!

"Yeah. You said you can turn words into magical effects, right? Like writing the word fire makes fire. Or am I wrong?" he asked. Levy seemed to relax a bit in her seat, and her eyes gained a bit of a sparkle to them.

"Pretty much, yeah. Hang on, let me show you," she said. Using her finger, which glowed a dim, golden color as she channeled magic into it, she traced the word Breeze in the air. The letters seemed to come alive, turning into a light blue color before Luke felt a soft gust of air hitting his face.

"Woah, neat. Does it always take the form of letters, or can you make it be something else?" he asked, once the breeze died down.

"It doesn't have to be letters, that's just because it's easier for me to visualize," she said with a smile.

"I see. What about multiple words? Like, can you write out a descriptive paragraph and make that come to life?" he asked his next question.

Levy gained a thoughtful look at that. "Theoretically yes, but it would take a tremendous amount of magical power. The more basic the word is, the less magic it takes," she informed.

Luke nodded at that, his own face adopting a contemplative look. "I suppose there's also power in that simplicity. Like writing the word cut. Short, sweet and to the point. But writing a detailed description of a sword, sharp enough to cut anything might pull the magic in multiple directions."

"There's some nuance to it, but yeah. Why bother with something like that when one word would get the job done?" she questioned, leaning towards Luke, fully immersed in the conversation.

"But what about words that have similar meanings? Like, cut vs slice? Or, heat vs warmth?" he asked.

"For the most part it doesn't matter, it depends on my visualization. What matters more than the exact word is its importance to me and how well I can imagine it taking form," she said, thinking it over. "Maybe I should try some synonymous words? I haven't really experimented with that much," she thought to herself. Though, any experimentation would have to wait until they returned to Fairy Tail.

"I see. And what about the language it's in? Does that have an effect?"

Levy nodded, "That's a good question. There's actually two distinct types of Solid Script Magic, eastern and western. I use the western style. I can't say for certain if one is stronger than the other, as I've never experimented with the eastern style," she said, once more taking on a contemplative look.

"What about ancient languages that nobody uses anymore, or does the power increase with the commonality of the language used? What about using your own made up language, that way no one would know what you were saying until it was too late. Or…"

The two of them continued to converse like this for several minutes, the earlier tension completely gone between the two, both of them speaking like they were old friends. They barely even noticed when Penelope brought them their drinks.

However, they did notice the food when it was brought out. "Here you go, enjoy!" she said, leaving them with a plate of delicious looking pancakes. Each of them had a square of butter on them and they were practically drenched in syrup.

Luke took a big whiff of the tantalizing aroma, feeling his mouth start to water. "Man, these look great. Thanks Penelope," he said, picking up his fork, an eager look in his eyes.

"You're welcome. If you need anything else, let me know," she said before making her way back towards the counter.

The first bite nearly sent him to nirvana, as he let out an appreciative moan. Levy giggled at the euphoric look on his face. "Looks like somebody is enjoying themselves," she said with a smirk, seeing his cheeks covered in syrup.

"What, they're tasty. Take a bite, you'll see what I'm talking about," Luke said, gesturing towards her own plate. Levy rolled her eyes, but acquiesced all the same. Once the fluffy goodness reached her tongue, she too let out a happy moan.

"See, it's not just me," Luke said with a laugh. Levy blushed a bit, but refused to dignify him with an answer, which only amused him more. The two ate in silence for a bit, savoring their meal, when Levy decided to ask a question of her own.

"So, we talked about my magic, but what about yours?" she asked. Luke looked at her with cheeks filled with pancake, looking like a chubby faced chipmunk. She did her best to hold in the laughter, but some of it slipped out.

"What about it?" he asked, somewhat confused. After all, it was just basic Light Magic, nothing overly special about it.

"Well, what can you do with it?" she questioned, taking a drink of tea. She found the dark, bitter liquid paired rather well with the sweetness of the pancakes.

"Um… blow things up?" he said, getting a blank look from her.

"Boys…" she huffed in an annoyed tone. But that response basically made him a shoo-in for the guild. That's mostly what they did with their magic, even the ones that you wouldn't think could cause explosions, they somehow found a way.

Like ice. How in the world did Gray cause so many fires? It didn't make any sense!

Luke chuckled at her annoyed face. "Honestly, I only just started using it, so I've only really got the basics down," he answered truthfully, getting a curious look from Levy.

"Really? Most people learn about their magic from a fairly early age, but you're…"

"Old?" he finished with a smirk.

"I didn't say that," she returned quickly.

"But you were thinking it."

"I was not."

"You so were."

"Prove it."

Luke grinned before he adopted a pained look, throwing his arm across his forehead and crying in an overly dramatic voice, "Oh woe is me! To think such a beautiful maiden would cast such malicious aspersions on me! How will I ever recover from this unbearable torment?"

"Oh, shut up!" Levy returned with a blush.

Luke chuckled at her pouty look, finding it completely adorable. "Sorry Gajeel, but I'm not letting you have Levy. You'll have to look elsewhere," he thought to himself. Hard to believe it was only day one and he was already planning to steal someone's girl.

Maybe Barbara was right and he really was a ladies man.

"But to sate your curiosity, the reason is actually tied to my second magic. Or first, in this case," he said with a minor fib. Hopefully his explanation would be a good one.

"Second magic," Levy asked, eyes brimming with a curious desire.

"Mm-hm. It's called Take Over: Seraph Soul. It allows me to use the power of angelic beings as my own. Once I got that, I found I could use Light Magic as well," he said.

Levy's mouth was wide open at that. Take Over Magic on its own was pretty rare and powerful, she had Mira and her siblings as proof of that, but she knew some were stronger than others. Mirajane's Satan Soul was stronger than Elfman's Beast Soul, for example. And given the name of his, it was likely to be in the upper tier.

"Wow, I've never heard of Seraph Soul. How did you get that," she asked.

"Ah, about that…" he said, rubbing the back of his head. Levy was confused by the reticence he showed in answering, but she didn't want to push his buttons.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," she said. Luke closed his eyes, contemplating what he should do. He didn't want to lie to her, but he wasn't sure he could tell her the whole truth either. So he needed to stick with something that was mostly true, just without all the details.

"No, it's fine. It's just, I'm not sure you'll believe me," he said.

"Huh? Why?" Levy asked, now more curious than ever.

"Well you see… I kinda died."

"...What!?"