Live For The One Who Loves You
By: juvia0613 (aka FayeValentine00)
After Juvia reunited with Team Natsu on the train, she spent the entire trip chatting with her non-Dragon Slayer friends until they reached their destination. Wendy and Natsu weren't in any condition to hold a conversation.
Gray, once he got over his initial shock, looked happier than Erza and Lucy could ever recall seeing. Erza couldn't help thinking that falling in love looked good on the Ice Make Wizard. It gave him a sense of peace he'd always been missing and Erza knew that feeling well. It was the same feeling she had when she was with Jellal.
Everything felt happy and normal. That night when they stopped for the night, the Team Natsu ladies welcomed Juvia into their room with open arms. It had been a while since they'd been together, so laughter and drinks filled the room until the early morning hours. Gray, Natsu and Happy had snuck away before things got out of hand and finally everyone turned in for the night.
Before the first morning rays of light, Juvia's eyes glowed with a white light that would have alerted her friends that something was up. The White Mage, Touka, had taken over the Water Wizard just before they'd made landfall. It was the fastest and easiest way she would be able to get close to Natsu. If she could torture the irritating Jinxed Girl and the Slovenly Man in the process, all the better. But first, the blonde-haired woman stood in her way and that needed to be addressed.
Juvia, possessed by Touka, moved quietly through the room towards the bed where Lucy slept. The Celestial Spirit mage was curled on her side, hugging her pillow and looking far too innocent.
"Water Lock," Juvia muttered the words softly, holding her hand out towards Lucy. Almost instantly, a circular mass of water encased the blonde-haired woman. She could have just encased her head but, by surrounding her entire body, she could keep the sounds of struggle contained.
Lucy flew into consciousness almost immediately. Her hands flew to her throat, and it took a moment to realize she was drowning. Her eyes turned to her attacker and her stomach lurched. Something was wrong. Just looking into the Water Mages' face, Lucy knew that Juvia wasn't Juvia anymore. Everyone was in danger, yet Lucy couldn't do anything. Without Aquarius, she was at a huge disadvantage.
The Celestial Spirit mage struggled in the Water Lock, trying to break free but she could feel her consciousness fading. All the while, her blue-haired friend watched expressionlessly as she slowly killed her.
"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!"
Wendy's attack completely blindsided the unsuspecting mage and, just for a second, Juvia lost concentration releasing Lucy from the spell.
*cough, cough, cough*
"Lucy-san!" Wendy bolted across the room, gathering the Celestial Spirit mage in her arms and accessing her condition. "Are you okay?!"
The blonde-woman gagged and choked but kept one eye on Juvia who's expression hadn't changed. When the Water Mage spoke again her voice differed from the Juvia they knew and loved. It chilled both women to the bone. "Oh? That's too bad. This could have been quick and easy but now?… Well, now you've made me angry."
"That's our line!" A deep, angry feminine voice rang out from behind Juvia, causing her to whirl around. The blue-haired woman found herself face to face with a furious Erza Scarlet already clad in her Sea Empress Armor, and with her Sea Empress Sword at the ready. Just as she was poised for attack, Gray, Natsu and Happy burst through the door.
As though a light switch was hit, Juvia's entire demeanor changed in a flash. "Gray-sama! Help me!" Very real, very large tears flowed down her face as Juvia ran to his side.
"What happened?!" Natsu looked panicked. His gaze flicked between Erza and Juvia several times before he finally noticed the slightly ill looking and soaking wet Lucy being cradled by Wendy. None of it made sense. Panicked Wendy, gasping Lucy, angry Erza and sobbing Juvia. This wasn't just some drunken party aftermath. Something was seriously wrong.
Not sure where to begin, Natsu turned to his oldest friend feeling as serious as she looked while she glared at Juvia. "Erza… What happened?" The dangerous edge to his voice was crystal clear.
"Juvia just tried to kill Lucy," the scarlet-haired woman practically spat out.
Gray and Natsu both spun around to stare at the accused woman.
"No! That's — That's not what happened! Juvia—" The Water Mages' sobs made her words nearly incomprehensible. She was hyperventilating, true hysterics setting in.
Gray didn't know what to do. He'd spent the last 48 hours doing almost nothing but thinking of Juvia. Then, she'd just appeared out of the blue and it was great. They were all happy. Now the woman he loved was in hysterics, his friends were angry, and one was clearly injured. Nothing added up.
"Juvia." The growl that came from Natsu's throat made even Happy shiver. "What did you do?"
"N-No! J-Juvia... J-Juv—" The sobs tearing through the Water Mage choked her and the ensuing coughing fit brought her to her knees.
"Gray." The same growl emanated from Natsu as he turned his eyes from the sobbing woman to the horrified Lucy and Wendy. "Get her out of here now before I change my mind."
Gray's eyes flicked between Juvia, each of his friends and then back again. Feeling completely helpless would have put it too mildly. He didn't want to leave his friends. He wanted to try to work it all out. It had to be a misunderstanding... Somehow; it had to be despite the overwhelming evidence. Juvia would never... They all knew that Juvia wouldn't…
However, it was clear that Erza and Natsu were not in the talking mood. Gray had to decide, and in his heart, he knew that there was only one choice he could make. Without a word, the Ice Make Mage tossed the still sobbing, coughing Water Mage over his shoulder and left the room to figure this shit out.
Juvia was still crying as he took her out of the inn and down the road to an empty park where they wouldn't be overheard. It was dark outside, but the skyline was just barely beginning to lighten.
"Juvia," he spoke her name quietly, putting her down against a large tree. "What happened?!" Only now was Gray beginning to feel his own anger take over. Despite his feeling for the Water Mage, he needed answers. "Juvia! Talk to me!"
"G-Gray-sama!" Juvia jumped forward and threw herself into his arms. "Juvia is sorry. Juvia d-didn't—"
It was a natural reaction when Gray wrapped his arms around her back and held her tightly. He had no idea what to even do at this point. "Just breathe and tell me what's going on." He was exasperated but even that couldn't take all the tenderness out of his voice. Something was wrong, and he just needed to figure out what it was... for all their sakes.
When Juvia finally looked up at him, Gray thought she would finally open up, but he noticed something off in her expression. Something he didn't recognize or understand. It took far too long for the Ice Mage to realize that she was about to kiss him. Shock kept him from resisting but just as their lips were about to touch, an ear-splitting scream ripped from Juvia's chest and he was hit by a wall of water that threw him halfway across the park.
He used his ice magic to skid to a halt, turning back to his attacker unhurt but very confused. Juvia's eyes were different. Her eyes no longer shone with her usual sweet, sometimes obsessive innocence. Those eyes were now cold and blank as they glared at him. This was his answer, and he felt sick.
This couldn't be happening... not again. Every nightmare he'd had since the fight with Invel involved this very sitsuation, but it wasn't the same. Immediately, Gray told himself that this would be different. It had to be different. He would not lose Juvia. This time he would be the one to save her!
"Water Slicer!" The Water Mage flung her attacks with deadly accuracy. Gray only barely escaped, one of the blades ripping open her left sleeve.
"Juvia, stop!" He yelled firmly, looking into her eyes pleadingly but only finding emptiness in return.
"Water Beam!" The attack came so fast and hard that the Ice Make Mage barely had time to brace himself. When the attack hit, it flung Gray back, shredding his clothes. As soon as his feet hit the ground, the damaged clothes were discarded.
The Juvia he was fighting was different. She was playing for keeps. If he didn't get serious, she would kill him. Even though he hated it, Gray tapped into his Ice Devil Slayer Magic and saw the right half of his body turn the same color black as his boxers. He had to find a way out of this. He racked his brain as he dodged, parried and froze the relentless stream of attacks headed his way.
Juvia wasn't stopping to rest or breathe and quickly Gray began to worry that whoever was controlling her intent on running her magic dry, killing Juvia in the process. Just that thought made Gray's run cold. They didn't have time to play. He had to end this... now.
"Water Cyclone!" By sheer luck, he evaded the right direction, avoided the attack and gave himself a chance to counter.
Gray put his hand to the ground and used Instantaneous Freeze. The ground around Juvia froze, growing around her and cocooning her in a shell that left only her face uncovered, allowing Gray to look her in the eye.
"Juvia. Wake up!" His frantic scream could probably be heard by half the town, but he didn't care. He only needed one person to hear, and she was right in front of him.
"K-Kill me…" Her voice was weak and broke, and she was stuck in the ice but when he eyes met his, Gray knew that this was his Juvia.
"What?!" The Ice Make mage let his Devil Slayer powers slip away, returning his skin to normal. He put his hand on the ice near her face.
Tears filled her eyes and flowed silently down her cheeks. "Juvia... Juvia can't control her. ... Touka won't—" Another soul shattering scream rang out. It sounded like Juvia was being tortured and Gray could feel his own hot tears stain his cheeks. He tried to think of any other possible solution because the one she'd given him was impossible.
"Juvia…" He whispered her name and could tell she was fighting to maintain control. Like always Gray felt helpless to save her. This was just reinforcing his feeling that he wasn't good enough for her. How could he claim that he'd protect her when he failed every single time?
"Gray-sama. You have to do it now!" she commanded desperately.
"No," he whispered, his own emotion thickening his voice.
"There's no other way." Juvia's voice cracked, the pleading making everything worse.
"No!" He screamed the word, pounding his fist against the ice. "I won't do it! I won't lose you!"
Juvia's eyes flashed white and ice encasing her body exploded in every direction. Her frame was trembling. The Water Mage was clearly fighting with everything she had.
"You have to beat this, Juvia," he said, wanting to go to her but staying on guard.
"GRAY! KILL ME!" Juvia's scream rang across the early morning sky and even Dragon Slayer across town could hear it. "Juvia can't stop her!"
"I won't do it!" He shouted back at her, barely aware of how his voice cracked with emotion.
"Don't make me do this anymore!" At that point, Gray didn't know if she was screaming at him or her controller.
"I LOVE YOU!"
Gray's words hung in the air and Juvia froze. Everything in the park went silent. The dark-haired man used that as his chance to bare his soul. It was the only thing he could think of that might help Juvia now.
"I-I can't kill you. ... I love you. … Juvia, I want to be with you."
Her body was shaking again but there was renewed fight in her eyes. She looked up and met his gaze evenly despite fresh tears. "Gray, please…" Her expression changed to pleading as she doubled over, fighting to retain her tenuous control. "I attacked Lucy. I can't control her. If... If you love me, you have to kill me!"
That was the final straw. Not worrying about the danger any longer, Gray threw caution to the wind and crossed the distance between them in a flash, throwing Juvia to the ground. He pinned down, holding her wrists to the dirt above her head. Their noses were only inches apart.
"You are going to fight, and you are going to win!" He spoke the words fiercely. moving his head to force her into eye contract when she tried to look away. "You are going to live and you're going to marry me, and we'll be a family. So…" His voice broke and his tears fell from his cheeks landing on Juvia's shocked face. "So... you have to fight this, Juvia. You... You have to win." By the end his voice was barely a whisper, but the Water Mage felt his full meaning loud and clear.
She couldn't give up here. Juvia had too much to live for. She'd always known she had to live for the ones she loved but now she knew she also had to live for the one who loved her. It took all Juvia's concentration, but she spoke firmly. "Gray-sama, let me go."
After a short hesitation, Gray did as he was asked. Once he was out of the way, Juvia gathered all her emotions. Her love of Gray. Her joy at his words. Her anger at Touka. The pain of hurting her friends and so many others. She focused all those emotions into a single point in the center of her chest and then ignited it.
Gray jumped back just a second before one last scream tore through Juvia. She sounded like a wild animal. Then a white light explosion surrounded the Water Mage and, for just a second, he lost sight of her. When the light cleared, Juvia lay on the ground at the foot of a tree, clothes shredded, breathing labored but clearly alive.
He was at her side in a second, scooping Juvia into his arms and cradling her like he had just a year before. "Juvia, wake up. ... Please wake up."
When her eyes opened, Gray's relief was tangible. "Gray-sama?"
"I'm right here." He hugged her tightly.
"Juvia won." She smiled and then sighed, melting into his chest to regain her bearings.
The sun was just cresting the horizon when Gray spoke again, still holding her in his arms. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes."
That one word was all he needed. Gray pulled Juvia up, helping her to her feet and looking her over from head to toe. Aside from scrapes, bruises and clothing that now left little to the imagination, she was okay.
"Gray-sama, Thank you. Juvia—"
Her words were cut off when Gray grabbed her by the forearms and pulled her in, crashing his mouth into hers. There was nothing sweet about the kiss. It was desperate and hungry and Juvia responded in kind.
They stayed intertwined until the Water Mage finally had to come up for air, but Gray didn't let her go far. He couldn't let her go far. The thought of letting her out of his arms just yet was terrifying. Instead, he pressed his forehead to hers, meeting Juvia's eyes.
"Say you'll marry me."
Her eyes flashed, reflecting her undeniable love for the Ice Make Mage. "Yes, Gray-sama. Juvia would love to."
They stayed together like that just a little long, but much too soon, it was time for the couple to return to their friends. They needed to explain what had happened and who their new enemy was, but least this time, Gray and Juvia would be able to face it together.