The Dream

A Fairy Tail One-Shot Fanfiction

By: Dragonll237

Hello my lovelies, for Valintinesday, I thought to post a little story I "found in my closet". It had been sitting in my notes for far too long, so here it is. It's just a little something something; nothing huge. Enjoy!

"Gray-sama?" Juvia called to her beloved. Lost in a black world, a solid space in time where there is no sound, there is no light, and there is no hope for escape.

"Is this a dream?" she questioned herself as she wandered around in the pitch darkness.

"Juvia, Juvia," a voice whispered as she turned to find its source. There was nothing but void, however the voice continued to chant her name.

"G-gray-sama?!" Juvia cried, running in a random direction, hoping to reach some sign of life.

Running, jogging off the edge of nothing. Falling deeper into the black void, the dark tunnel leading nowhere. The clip-clop of her heals on the tile floor announced the only presence in the space of shadows, it was only her. Heart racing at the exercise, she painted. Praying that this nightmare would end soon, she looked around once again but nothing else in this place full of loneliness came into view.

This was her Hell, being alone in darkness. Fairy Tail gave her a home, she would never be alone there like she always was as a little girl. Her Gray took away her rain, and Hell would give it back to her. It wasn't raining liquid water particles here, but darkness and hopelessness. This was Hell, through and through.

"Juvia, Juvia" the voice taunted her, it challenged her to accept defeat from the invisible foe.

'No, Juvia will not give up! Juvia will find a way!' she chanted.

Something restricted her and she tried to kick free from the darkness. The cuffs only tightened around her and engulfed her farther as she struggled to break free. Magic was out of the picture and her water form was unusable. She was contained, only her head and part of her left leg and right arm were free as she was frozen still in icy darkness.

The voice wasn't gone, but changed into an even creepier voice that sounded higher pitched and scratchy that tortured her farther. It screeched, "Juvia... Just give up... Gray... Is... Gone... Just listen to me... Save... Your... Hope... For another day."

Juvia was outraged at the new voice and tried even harder than before to break free, but it was no use as she was stuck in the icy black prison. The coldness crept up her spine, it was much more intense than it was before. She was going to freeze, she knew it.

There was a warmth, it started from her face, her lips, then traveled down slowly. Freeing her from the ice of Hell and she blinked as she could begin to see light again. She saw Gray's face, inches from hers, retreating in success.

"Was Juvia, asleep?" she questioned and tried to sit up, though her whole body ached at the motion.

"Thank Mavis, you're awake!" Lucy called and embraced the dazed bluenett.

Erza stepped up to her next and said, "We thought you were a goner. That sleeping spell did a number on you. Glad you're finally awake, Juvia, thanks to Gray."

"Yeah, you were flailing like you were fightin' some super strong invisible thing! What happened to ya?" Natsu asked.

"Darkness," Juvia replied. "All Juvia saw was darkness. Like Juvia's rain came back..."

"It won't come back, not with Fairy Tail it won't," Gray promised.

"Juvia knows," she said with a small but certain nod. Her body curled up into a ball as she held her knees up to her chest.

Erza, Wendie, Carla, Happy, Lily, and Gajeel exited the makeshift tent leaving four mages left. The water mage, ice mage, celestial spirit mage, and fire dragon slayer mage. Juvia was half thankful and half frustrated at the presence of the blonde and pinkett whom moved to sit next to her on the makeshift bed.

She could only shutter at the thought of the dream, the Hell-ish nightmare. The tears began streaming as she began to cry at the horrible experience. She pricked to attention as a cold hand moved over her back then leaned into her Gray's chest.

His shirt was off, what else was new?, but it wasn't far as she now noticed that she was wearing it. It was no wonder why she felt a bit colder than usual as his shirt was large and thin. Plus the fact that she was now pressed against the only thing colder than the fall air outside the 'tent'. But this cold felt different, his cold felt different. It was comfortable, and compared to the blazing heat coming from the other side of the 'bed', it was amazingly comfortable. She was in his arms and for once he didn't resist, and boy did it feel good, better than Heaven itself.

It was as if everything was better now. She just had to go through Hell to get to Heaven. She just hoped that it would last, almost regretting the stop of her tears as she figured they were the only thing that kept her in his embrace.

She seemed to be right as he drew her away lightly. Her light smile fell once again as she sat normally. Lucy put her hand on Juvia's lightly with a reassuring smile on her face. Juvia's attempt at returning failed and Lucy's face contorted with pity.

"I have an idea," Natsu announced lightly, for him anyway.

"An idea, hua? Let's hear it," Lucy encouraged, willing to try anything to cheer up her depressed friend.

"Let's play a game. Truth or Dare?"

"Worth a shot, how about it, Gray, Juvia?"

"Okay," Juvia whispered in a raspy voice after her crying fit in Gray's chest earlier.

"Alright!" Natsu celebrated. "Kay Luce, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth, please," Lucy replied.

Natsu grinned after a quick second of thinking, then said, "If you could choose anyone in the world to be with forever, who would it be?"

"Wow, that's a really hard one. I guess, one of you three, really," Lucy answered.

"No, you have to choose one," Natsu taunted.

"That's stupid," Lucy sighed then said, "Fine then, I'd choose Juvia."

"Why?" Natsu asked.

"Hey, only one question per turn!" Lucy shouted.

Gray interrupted with, "It's your turn, Lucy."

"Right, let's see," Lucy said then thought for a second. "Juvia, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," Juvia squeaked, the effort was working at least.

"Would you rather go out on a fancy date with Layon or to some coffee shop with Gray?" Lucy asked, almost already knowing the answer.

"Juvia would choose Gray-sama. It doesn't matter the place, though a nice dinner would be nice she would choose a coffee shop any day," Juvia replied.

Gray chuckled and said, "Your turn, Juvia."

"Juvia chooses... Love rival. Truth or Dare?" Juvia asked.

"Truth," Lucy replied, rolling off the 'Love rival' title.

"Would you prefer kissing Natsu-san or Gray-sama?" Juvia questioned.

"Do I really need to answer?" Lucy groaned in complaint.

"Yes!" Natsu roared in unison with Gray's encouraging plead.

"Well, I'd prefer neither, but I guess Natsu to prove to you that I am NOT a love rival!"

Natsu shined in success and chipped, "Yes! Take that Ice-Princess!"

"Whatever, she said she's prefer neither Fried-for-Brains. It's your turn again, Lucy," Gray said.

"Oh, okay, Natsu?" Lucy challenged the flaming mage.

"Truth I guess, your dares aren't ever as fun as your truth questions," Natsu replied.

Lucy sighed at the comment then asked, "Who would you claim to be the scariest in the guild when they're mad?"

"Really? That's an easy tie between Erza and you, Luce!" Natsu beamed.

"I am not scary!" Lucy shouted, proving Natsu's point unintentionally.

Natsu chuckled and said, "Okay, okay. It's my turn again. Gray, truth or dare?"

"I'll take your dare challenge," Gray said confidently.

Natsu grinned evilly at his idea and said, "Alright then, I dare you to kiss Juvia three times! On the lips!"

Gray shrugged at the challenge and leaned over Juvia whom wasn't exactly expecting that kind of reaction as she leaned back surprised at his sudden closeness. He caught her before she could fall over and lifted her back up straight with a small questioning face. He expected her to freak and spring at him, not inch away nearly falling over.

"You gonna help me complete this dare or what?" he asked.

She was frozen in place, even if she wanted to move she could not have. She was a deer caught in head lights, good as dead. This was it, he would finally kiss her! But then thoughts about her rain being returned to her in the future dwelled on her mind. She tried to shake them away and only think about how Gray took her rain but the nightmare kept creeping in. Her face lowered into a sadistic frown from the memory.

Gray was oblivious, or pretended to be. The moment their lips touched her icy warmth came back from before when she woke up. She double guessed it, but it came again as he kissed her the second time. He kept the darkness away, he was the cold warmth that saved her from that nightmare. He was the one that took away her rain.

When he went for the third, he was tackled over by the bluenett as she madly tried to get more than just lip. He knew he got her back to her original self and gently pushed her off. He held her constrained for a few seconds before he let go of her to make sure she didn't tackle him again.

"Alright Natsu, back at you, Truth or Dare?" Gray asked.

Natsu shook off the surprise instantly and declared, "Dare!"

"Alright, then I dare you to kiss Lucy three times," Gray ordered.

"Why?!" Lucy screamed when Natsu chuckled then pounced on top of her. She groaned at the wet slobber from the salamander and the other three laughed.