Juvia POV

Release. That's what it felt like. Complete release. No more worrying about what he thinks. No more wondering if he feels the same way towards me. No more pushing myself to my limits only to be thrown away back where I had come from. I'm not even sure how it happened. I had noticed that I had been slowly but surely easing away from him. Gray was no longer a large portion of my heart. I now only cared for him with the undifferentiated love I had for all my fellow Fairy Tale members. At first Gray had kept up his usual routine of ignoring me, or suddenly deciding to battle Natsu when I got too close. Then slowly, he began dealing with me, talked a little with me, and didn't always run away. I didn't think it was fair. Once I got over him, he began being friendly with me. Why does fate simply not want me and Gray to be together? I suppose it shouldn't irk me as much now as it would have before, but it's still an uncomfortable thought. Lucy noticed me in my thoughtful mood and came to sit next to me.

"Hey Juvia. What's going on?"

"Hey Lucy. Umm, I have a question."

"Oh, ok, sure."

I fidgeted slightly.

"Umm, it's about Gray and me."

I saw Lucy's eyes fill with pity. A look I knew all too well. She knew I was about to ask for romantic advice. However what she didn't know was that my question was not for me to attract Grays' attention, but was about why I no longer wanted it.

"Lucy, why don't I like Gray anymore?"

Lucy's eyes widened a little.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't understand why I used to love Gray so much, and he used to be so wary around me. But now, I'm more casual around him and now he's not ashamed to be seen with me."

I looked sideways at Lucy.

"What changed in me?"

She looked puzzled. Almost as puzzled as I was. She looked at the floor between us for a moment, lost in thought. I was a little worried, maybe she knew the reason, and it was so horrible she didn't know how to tell me. Maybe she just didn't know, and the only way to find out was to face Gray head-on; something I wanted to avoid as long as possible, if not forever. But soon, Lucy just shrugged and said,

"Maybe it's just a Tidal Change."

"A Tidal Change?"

I was aware of all manner of movement of water. I simply didn't know what an oceans' gravitational troubles had to do with me and Gray and our relationship.

"Yah, a Tidal Change. Much like Natsu and Gray, you and Gray are opposites in your own way. A solid and a liquid," Lucy explained. "Don't take this the wrong way, but because you two are opposite, maybe your natural compatibility is keeping you apart."

Normally I would have been upset over someone telling me that Gray and I would never be together. But that was before all of this upset. The news now, just kept me puzzled. Lucy must have seen my lost face because she went on to say,

"In other words, if one of you is nonchalant and distant; in this case Gray, and the other is forward and close; you, then in order for the balance to be kept, if one changed, so does the other."

I took a moment then said,

"So, now that I'm the nonchalant one, does that mean Gray is the forward one?"

Lucy shrugged.

"I guess so."

She stood and stretched.

"But then again, I'm not the most reliable source on this stuff. You could always ask Levy. She might know more about it."

"Okay, thanks," I called after her as she jogged away to meet Natsu. I watched Natsu pick her up around the waist to bring her closer to him. He kissed her with so much love I felt jealous of their connection.

"Ugh, why can't I just be happy too!?"

I slammed my closed fist down on the table. I felt a shock of cold travel from somewhere in the center of my chest run down my arm resulting in an ice chunk forming under my hand. I froze, quite literally on the spot. I tentatively lifted my hand away from the tabletop. What had just happened? I had never done anything remotely like this before. I touched the tip of the mini iceburg with my finger. It was real. Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe my emotions messed with my water. Normally frustration and anger just cause my water to boil. But I guess there's a first time for everything. I took a couple deep breaths to calm myself. I brought my hands together and looked at them. After a moment they became clear, turned to water. I sighed in relief. A fluke after all, my water was still here. No sooner had I thought this then my hands took on a silvery sheen and began to harden. My eyes widened as my hands went from a liquid to a solid. I closed my eyes and brought my flesh hands back.

"There's no way this is happening."

I told myself as I placed my hands in front of me on the tabletop. I shivered slightly, as goose bumps rise along my arms. I opened my eyes again. I nearly fell backwards after I saw a cool, white, ice sheet spreading in front of me, its origin; my fingers. I got up, folding my arms to my chest. I glanced around frantically. Mirajane was at the bar chatting with Levy, and Gray and Natsu were arguing once more. I figured my best bet would be Levy. Lucy said she would know more about tidal changes. So that must mean she was smart. I believed it, she was always reading. I moved to go to her when Gray yelled,

"What the hell?!"

I turned and faced him and Natsu, my eyes growing wide with shock.