The time spent inside the cave went by much faster than either Luke or Levy expected. They'd spent the last few hours talking and getting to know each other better, sharing experiences and having an all around good time, which made the time fly by.

  Luke nearly bust a gut listening to one of her adventures. Normally, Team Shadow Gear, as they were called, tended to do Quests that involved ruins or translating, things of that nature. But occasionally they would partake in an extermination type Quest as well.

  Mostly because Levy felt guilty about all the jobs they did where the other two were practically useless. Besides, it was nice to switch things up once in a while. This particular Quest had them travelling to a farming community in eastern Fiore, where a monster had been destroying their crops.

  The monster in question was a Bunnicorn, a rabbit with a spiraling horn on its head, capable of shooting lightning out of it. It wasn't as dangerous as it sounded, at least to a wizard, as the attack didn't have all that much power behind it. But to a regular person, it was a different story.

  After tracking the beast for some time, they decided to take a break. Droy needed to use the bathroom and apparently, the Bunnicorn must have thought a certain appendage of his looked like a juicy carrot, and well…

  Long story short, Droy is now circumcised. Mazel tov.

  Luke found the story hilarious, and even Levy giggled at the reminder. Droy wasn't seriously hurt, and apparently the taste was so bad it knocked out the monster right then and there. Hopefully that story didn't get around, or he would never be able to get a woman to go down on him.

  Probably didn't help his already rock bottom chances with Levy either.

  Luke shared a story of when he went camping with his family only to end up lost in the woods. Or abandoned, it was hard to say, but they were packing up the vehicle when he was returned, so…

  Anyway, as he was wandering through the woods he stumbled upon a rickety old house. Against his better judgement, he decided to venture inside, hoping to find some long lost secret treasure.

  He mostly found rusty nails and graffiti. But as he continued through the house, a rotten board snapped beneath him, and he found himself plummeting into the basement. Surprisingly, the basement itself was rather pristine, like no one had ever been inside before.

  He explored the hidden room with excitement, feeling like he was Indiana Jones. (Luke promised to tell Levy more about him later) Of course, that excitement soon dwindled to horror he realized he had no way out.

  He called for help but naturally, no one came. It was up to Luke to save himself. Eventually, he managed to discover the boards leading to the stairs were behind a secret bookshelf. Why the exit was hidden, Luke had no idea.

  But it made him curious to find if anything else was hidden, and lo and behold, there was. It was behind an old and tarnished painting of some angry dude who looked like he was beaten with an ugly stick every day during his life.

  But what was behind it was far from ugly. It was money, and lot's of it. Not only that, but precious metals and jewelry. Luke felt like he had hit the jackpot.

  That is, until he found out it was a drug dealer's safe house. Apparently they liked to keep a few million hidden away in case they ever needed it.

  Well, they needed it. They sure as hell weren't expecting to run into a kid, especially not when fleeing the cops after a deal gone bad. But unlike the movies, they were surprisingly chill with Luke finding them out. He was only 8 at the time, so that might have helped.

  Had he been a pimply faced teenager, well… the story might have ended up differently. But instead they merely tied him up and left him. But they did let him keep a silver coin for the inconvenience.

  He was just glad they weren't Nazis, because Indiana Jones always seemed to be running into Nazis.

  It would be nearly midnight when the dogs found him.

  The police naturally rescued him and returned him to his parents, who were, of course, overjoyed at his safe return. Well, they were happy they wouldn't have to file a missing person's report at any rate.

  Them piling up the truck, or the Magic Mobile, and getting ready to leave was conveniently believed to be them heading for the police station. Luke, however, had his doubts.

  Levy shook her head, wondering if the person next to her was lucky or unlucky. Probably an unhealthy mix of both. But that just made him pretty much like everyone else in the guild.

  As the last light of the Heat Lacrima started to flicker that seemed to be the signal both of them were looking for. As much as they enjoyed swapping stories and just talking with each other in general, both were eager to escape the cave.

  Besides, nothing was stopping them from talking later.

  Levy used her Requip Magic to bring out a flashlight, or as they call it, a Light Lacrima. But it was conveniently shaped the same, so… he was going to call it a flashlight. She then placed the Heat Lacrima back inside her Requip space.

  "Alright, I think it's time to head out!" Levy said, standing up and stretching her body. Luke did the same, sighing with relief as his back popped. That had been bugging him for ages.

  "Sounds good to me. How's your magic doing?" Luke asked. Levy hummed and concentrated for a moment, feeling for the mana, or Ethernano as it was called, inside of her.

  "I should be alright. I'm back to about 30%, give or take. What about you? How are your wounds feeling?" she asked, giving him a concerned look. Made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

  "Wounds are fine, that cream of yours worked wonders. I can barely feel any pain and it doesn't hurt to stand. My magic's about the same level as yours, I think," he said, getting a nod from the girl.

  "Good, then let's get going, shall we?" she said.

  "Ladies first," Luke said, bowing like the man of high society he was, all the while indicating she should take the lead with a hand gesture. Levy rolled her eyes, but had a playful smile on her face nonetheless.

  "My, what a gentleman you are. Sending a girl into the dark ahead of you," she commented. But Luke only smirked back at her.

  "Of course. I know what a strong and capable, not to mention beautiful, woman you are," he said, making her blush. She knew he was just basically throwing her words from earlier back at her, but she still liked the compliment.

  "All those things are true, yes, but are you certain it's not just because you're afraid?" she teased back.

  "With you at my side, I have nothing to fear," Luke said, giving her his most charming smile. But by the dull expression she gave him in return, it may not have had the intended effect.

  "Too much?"

  "A little, yeah," she responded. The two stared at each other for a moment before breaking out into giggles. Or in Luke's case, manly chuckles.

  "I can go first, if you want," Luke suggested, once the two of them calmed down. Levy smiled, but shook her head.

  "That's ok, I don't mind taking the lead. Just make sure to watch my back, ok?" she said.

  "I can do that, no problem," Luke said, giving her a salute. Levy rolled her eyes but turned to face the cave, shining her light into the unknown.

  "Then let's get going, shall we?"

  The two then started to head deeper into the cave, with Luke making sure to keep a close eye on her backside. What? She never said which part of her back to keep an eye on. It was just too bad that damn coat of his kept getting on the way.

  As they continued on, they came across several pitfalls. Sometimes literally. But with Levy's frankly absurdly versatile magic, it was almost childs play to overcome most obstacles.

  Like when they came across a chasm. It seemed clear that there used to be a rope bridge or some equivalent at one point, but time and the elements had rotted it away.

  But don't worry! With magical girl Levy-tan here to save the day, they managed to cross with no problem. All she had to do was write the word Bridge in the air and viola! Problem solved!

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  It was somewhat disconcerting to cross a bridge made up of letters, but Luke trusted that Levy knew what she was doing. The two of them safely crossed the gap without issue.

  Then there was the part where the path sloped down at a steep angle. It looked like there used to be stairs there, but like the rope bridge, it had been screwed over by things outside of its control.

  To continue traversing the cave of many dangers, Levy called upon the wellspring of power dwelling deep within her to create… stairs. Seriously, her magic was too useful. Luke would, hopefully, be able to do something similar in the future by converting his normal Light Magic into hard light, but that was still a ways off.

  Even then, he still wouldn't come close to all the things Levy could do.

  Levy herself was fascinated by the discovery of the rope bridge and the stairs, constantly searching for some indication of the previous civilization as they traveled through the cave. But much to her chagrin, they have yet to find anything. No carvings, no stonework; nothing. Just circumstantial evidence at best.

  So they continued forth, with Levy pouting the whole way, determined to find some proof of the past. If it was here, he was sure she would find it.

  Making it past those two obstacles took a decent toll on her magic, but thankfully, she did have time to rest inbetween, since they were about an hour apart. But even so, Luke was doing far better in that department.

  However, after nearly four hours of traversing the cave, they came across something that her magic wouldn't be good for. Right in front of them was another chasm, but unlike the previous one, they couldn't see the other end.

  Luke even tried sending out a ball of light to determine how far it went, only for the ball to disappear into the darkness, revealing nothing. If there was another side, it was too far for even his magic to reach. Which also meant him transforming and flying them across was also a bad idea.

  It sure would suck to run out of magic before they could reach the other side and plummet to their deaths. That was the last thing either of them wanted.

  Luckily, there was an old, worn and weathered path connected to the side of the cave wall. Though, calling it a path was being rather generous with the term. It reminded Luke of a video game, where the protagonist had to shimmy across a stupidly thin ledge.

  So basically, the path was only about 16 inches wide. It was enough to cross, sure, but it had the word precarious written all over it. The two of them share a nervous look.

  "I don't suppose you see another way forward, do you?" Luke asked.

  "Nope," she answered simply.

  "I was afraid you'd say that," he sighed.

  "No use overthinking it. Just, try not to look down," she suggested, making her way towards the start of their new "path".

  "Don't know why that matters. Can't see the bottom anyway," Luke snarked, following right behind. Levy carefully maneuvered herself with her back against the wall. Thankfully, due to still having Luke's jacket, the chill of the rock surface never touched her.

  Once she was safely in position, she scooted her right foot to the side, partially stepping onto the dangerous platform. She gulped, gathering her courage, before moving her left foot and stepping fully onto the narrow ledge.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't collapse on her. She glanced over at Luke, who was too nervous to speak, opting instead for a shaky thumbs up. She snorted at that, some of the tension leaving her as she slowly and carefully continued on her way.

  Seeing this, Luke had no choice but to follow. Levy made the whale thing look easy, and he admired her for her bravery. However, things weren't quite as simple for him. You see, Levy is very small, easily a foot shorter than Luke, and petite in the best way. It made balancing on the ledge far simpler for her as opposed to him.

  But that wouldn't stop him. He was tasked with watching her backside and as Barbara as his witness, he would not fail in his task. So he too maneuvered onto the ledge, one foot after the other. Levy stopped a bit ahead, waiting for him to advance.

  Luke did have one advantage over the dainty girl to his right and that was Take Over Magic. If he fell, he could simply transform and fly back up to the ledge. Might be kind of hard to get back on with wings coming out of his back, but hey, at least the threat of falling to his death was minimized.

  Although, if Levy did fall, he would certainly dive after her.

  With the Light Mage now fully onto the path, the two began the agonizingly slow journey across. Luke had conjured up a ball of light to help them see, because the flashlight in Levy's hand could only do so much.

  It made things both easier and harder at the same time, at least for Luke. Easier, because he could see the narrow ledge better, yet harder because he had to concentrate on keeping the ball of light floating where he wanted it.

  It was damn good training, if nothing else. Nothing beats experience when it comes to learning. It was just such a shame it charged so much for tuition.

  Things went fairly well for the first hour or so, but both were getting fatigued. Not only was it difficult from a physical sense, but it was mentally taxing as well. Not knowing how far you had to go, or even if there was an end, all the while the abyss of death looms right below your feet really dulled the sharpness of one's mind.

  And that's when it happened. Levy, as she was making another step, grew somewhat careless. She didn't see the small rock that was resting in her path. So when her foot came down on top of it, she slipped.

  "Ah!" she screamed, tumbling towards the endless dark beneath her. Luke however, reacted, pardon the pun, at the speed of light, his arm darting out to hold her up and keep her from falling into the great unknown.

  "Levy, are you alright!?" he yelled, using all his strength to keep her in place. Levy grabbed hold of his arm, holding it against her like a lifeline as she slammed herself back against the wall, her heart beating a mile a minute.

  "I'm… yeah, thanks," she said back, breathing rapidly. She rested her head against the cool stone behind her. She still clutched onto his arm, the warmth and the muscles she could feel rippling beneath the skin making her feel safe and secure.

  Which she most definitely was not at the moment.

  However, as she held onto his arm she noticed a peculiar sensation, and a rather pleasant one at that, centered around her chest. Right where she was holding his arm in fact…

  "Um, Levy?" she heard him ask cautiously. No, nervously is more like it. She opened her eyes to look at him and saw he looked… embarrassed? What was he embarrassed about? He just saved her life for crying out loud! He had nothing to be embarrassed about.

  "What's wrong?" she asked. He refused to look her in the eye, focusing instead on the gently bobbing ball of light.

  "Nothing's wrong, per say, it's just, well… my arm," he said, getting an even more confused look from her. Was he upset about her clinging onto him? That didn't make much sense, given the way he flirted with her earlier.

  Deciding that she wouldn't be able to solve this mystery with logic alone, she cast her eyes downward to see what had him so freaked out. It took her a moment to realize what it was and even when she did her brain had to work overtime to comprehend what she saw.

  It wasn't that he was mad about her clutching onto him, it was where he was clutching onto her that was the problem. When he thrust his arm out to prevent her from falling to her death, his hand went straight to her chest to do so.

  A hand that was currently squeezing her right boob.

  Face turning bright red, Levy had to control her every impulse to thrust his arm away from her in embarrassment. She knew he didn't mean to grope her, or was extremely doubtful about it, so she wasn't angry. Not to mention that she was the one holding onto him and preventing him from moving it in the first place.

  It did at least explain the pleasure she was feeling.

  Slowly she released her hold on his arm, feeling him unfurl his fingers that were gently squeezing her boob. His arm moved away from her body at a snail's pace, almost like he was afraid he would be attacked if she saw it move.

  It was kind of funny.

  "Sorry about that," he apologized as his arm returned to his side, still refusing to look at her.

  "It's… it's fine," she muttered, looking away herself.

  "Yeah it was…" he mumbled to himself, almost too quietly to hear. But Levy could, and while it didn't do anything to relieve the situation of its awkwardness, it did make her feel somewhat… proud.

  Here was an admittedly attractive guy claiming to enjoy the feeling of her chest. It shouldn't have made her happy, but it did. As a woman who was on the small side when it came to cup size, she had always felt insecure about it. Especially with women like Erza, Mira and Cana around.

  Hell, even Laki and Bisca were pretty darn stacked.

  Speaking of Cana, this was another thing she must never know about. Levy didn't think she would be able to survive the teasing that followed.

  Back at the Fairy Tail Guildhall

  A beautiful woman with luscious brown curls wearing a pair of tight pants and what amounted to a bikini top that barely held her breasts at bay, sat by the bar with a literal barrel of booze placed to her lips. Say what you want about her drinking habit, you couldn't deny the strength she had to drink from a full barrel like it was a regular pint.

  Her skin was bronzed like she spent all day in the sun and her stomach was flat and toned. Above the left side of her waist rested her Guild Mark, proudly displayed for all to see.

  But suddenly, she moved the enormous container of alcohol away from her lips right before letting out a loud sneeze.

  "You alright Cana? Not getting sick are you?" asked a kind voice to her left. Turning to look at the girl, who just so happened to be the guild's poster girl, Mirajane, giving her a look of concern, Cana sent her a reassuring look.

  "I'm just fine. Probably someone thinking about me. I do tend to have that effect on people," Cana responded with a grin. Mira giggled in response, the action causing a chain reaction in her chest, making her breasts jiggle like a bowl full of Jello.

  "But you know… I'd be even better if you let me have a little squeeze," Cana stated, staring directly at the She-Devil's rack. Mira rolled her eyes, but still had a pleasant smile on her face.

  "Cana, you're drunk," she stated simply.

  "I know. But I'm suddenly in the mood for some Jello, if you catch my drift," she said, giving the other woman a grin while waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

  "So am I Mira!"

  "Me too!"

  "Get in line!"

  "I'm the Master, so I get first dibs!"

  "Like hell you do old man!"

  "That's it, it's go time!"

  "Rahhhh!"

  Mira gave Cana a blank look as the other girl nervously chuckled, watching the guild devolve into another fight.

  "Um, oops?"

  Back in the cave…

  After getting over the embarrassment of being inadvertently fondled, Levy and Luke continued their journey. Both of their thoughts were a bit of a mess, with the blue haired girl trying, and failing, to not think about how warm his hand felt. And Luke, well…

  "Boobies!"

  Luke was just excited to have touched boob for the first time.

  The journey to the other side would take another three hours, and the two of them would be thoroughly exhausted when they reached the end. Both of them collapsed when they made it back onto safe ground, happy to have survived the ordeal.

  It was also more than enough time to forget all about their earlier mishap. Both of them were far too tired to worry about Luke reaching second base.

  After regaining some energy, Luke looked over towards the far end of the cave, to the road yet traveled. But what caught his eye was a dull blue light he could see coming from a crack.

  "Hey, what's that?" he asked, getting the petite girl's attention. She cast her tired gaze in that direction, the sight removing some of the fatigue, replacing it with curiosity.

  "I don't know. Only one way to find out," she said. Luke sighed, but forced himself to stand. He then held out his hand to Levy, who happily took it, letting him pull her to her feet.

  "Alright then. Ladies first."