What doesn't kill you
A/N: Oneshot set in chapter 474 of the manga!
The battle for Hargeon was raging as Gray, Juvia and Lyon fought the never-ending soldiers.
"Gray" Lyon shouted to the other icemage as he cast icemake eagles.
"I'm on it!" Gray shouted back as he cast an icemake geyser
"Water slicer!" Juvia shouted from somewhere behind them throwing vicious blades of water at the enemies. Gray turned around to the watermage wide eyed as two soldiers had snuck up on her. Panic shot through his core.
"Juvia, behind you!" He roared completely unable to do anything to help her, he couldn't get to her in time. Screw it. He thought as he broke his spell and turned to watermage whose eyes were now wide in fear as she turned around to see two soldiers above her, she had no time to counter their attack. This is the end. Juvia thought. Bright beams of light shot in front of Juvia as the soldiers were sent crashing to the ground. The three wizards turned to the direction the beams had come from. Meredy was there.
"Meredy!" Juvia chimed happy to see the pink haired crime-sorciere mage again.
"You're… What the hell are you doing here…?" Gray asked the Meredy, stunned but feeling relieved that Juvia was safe.
"Crime-sorciere is here to join the battle!" she smiled at them a small blush lining her cheeks matching her hair.
"Sh-…she's adorable…" Gray and Juvia looked to Lyon smiling; Gray had never seen Lyon such a stuttering mess. He was normally the cool one. He smirked as he glanced at Juvia just to check she actually was still in one piece. Juvia smiled smugly, she'd had to get those two together.
"Right well lets clean up these last few soldiers." Gray said to the three others. "Lyon." he nodded to his old friend.
"Right." Lyon nodded back. "Ice-make snow dragon! Ice-make snow leopard!" He sent out two ice-make creatures into the battle.
"Wow…" Meredy muttered amazed at his beautiful creations. "Maguilty Sodom!" She shouted striking at the soldiers pain sensors.
"Water Nebula!" Juvia shouted taking out a fair few of the soldiers with her columns of swirling water.
"Way to go Juvia!" Meredy smiled at the watermage. To think they were once enemies on two different sides, but now they were good friends. Juvia had saved Meredy from herself. The soldiers had all been defeated.
"Hey! Look over there!" Lyon pointed to the shore. A fleet of ships was docked there, that must have been how the soldiers arrived at Hargeon. "That must've been how they got here. Do you think they had a leader with them?" Gray looked around the battlefield. There was no sign of anyone else here.
"You must be looking for me." A sharp voice spoke as an ice-make spell slammed into Meredy sending her to the ground, freezing her legs together.
"Meredy!" Lyon and Juvia shouted in unison as they stared at the fallen Maguilty mage.
"Show yourself!" Gray shouted as the three of them looked frantically around, there was some movement off to the left and Gray spun around to face it. Sure enough someone was emerging from the shadows of one of the ships. How did he manage to cast such a long range ice-make spell? Gray eyed the figure as it loomed closer making out white hair.
"Ice-make eagles!" Lyon shouted sending his eagles at the figure, he was pissed. Gray turned to face the older icemage.
"Lyon you don't even know what or who we're up-" He was cut short as some ice-make spears struck Lyon to the floor, blood pooling out his wounds. "LYON!" Gray shouted at his friend.
"Water!" Juvia shouted as she fired hot water at the spears melting them. Gray looked at her gratefully as Lyon froze his wounds to stop the bleeding. "This might burn a little Meredy." Juvia said as she thawed her legs.
The figure was now standing in front of the four of them, the icemage was tall about 6'3" with white hair like Lyons and he wore a pair of specs in front of his narrow eyes.
"Allow me to introduce myself before I annihilate you all. My name is Winter General Invel. The most powerful icemage in existence." Gray stared up at the man, the most powerful eh? We'll see about that.
"That's a pretty hefty title you're claiming there. We've never heard of you this side of the continent. You can't be that powerful." Lyon smirked as he held his stomach
"That's quite a smart mouth you have there." Invel said as he pushed his specs up the bridge of his nose. "Ice-make bull." A bull made of ice charged at Lyon boring its horns into him as it threw him up in the air. Gray could only stare on in shock, this is strong, his power… it feels stronger than masters… and he only used one hand to make his ice-make spell.
"Maguilty Sodom!" Meredy shouted once again sending her blades of pain into action.
"Freeze!" He shouted halting the blades in mid air before they hit the floor shattering.
"Wh…what how did you manage to do that…?" Meredy had never known anyone to stop her blades, they couldn't. That was what was so special about them, they could go through anything, even Juvias waterbody. Meredy heard a thump behind her as Lyons body had finally hit the floor.
"Ice-make freeze lance!" Gray shouted as he shot powerful lances at the opposing mage. "You must be pretty confident to only use one hand! That's your weakness!" He shouted smirking as his lances neared there mark.
"Ice-make sheild!" Invel cast a massive shield in front of him, Gray had never seen a shield like it. It was almost 12ft tall "happy now? I used both hands." He smirked at Gray who stared at the shield speechless. As his lances hit the shield they were bounced right off past him. He spun around as they hit Meredy. The Maguilty mage screamed as she flew backwards onto the floor near Lyon. Where did this guy learn his magic? Gray gritted his teeth.
"Meredy!" Juvia shouted feeling angry. She turned to General Invel eyes blazing fists at her side. "Water Nebula!" Juvia shouted firing two jets of twisting water at the icemages shield.
"Ha! You really think your cute little attack will even scratch my shield?" He mocked Juvia.
"No. Juvia thinks it will go straight through." She smirked back as she turned up the power walking towards Invel. Gray stared at her. Has she always been this beautiful when she fights? he thought as her blue waves blew around in the wind, he knew the answer, he had never seen her fight seriously. They were always separated. How does she expect her water to go through his shield? Grays question was answered almost immediately as the water connected with the shield. "Ahhhh!" She shouted combining the two columns of water into one. Of course. Gray thought. Her water, she can make it scalding. So hot it could melt anything. A cracking sound could be heard and General Invel looked shocked as the shield started to split at different angles the cracks growing larger and spreading.
"H…How?" He asked eyes wide.
"Easy. Gray-samas lances hit one spot. They are strong, so Juiva knew that if she concentrated her power on that one spot combined with heat Juvia could break through your shield." She's amazing. Gray thought. He'd never have thought of that, and that quickly to.
"Way to go Juvia!" Gray smiled at the watermage as the shield gave way scalding General Invel. "Ice-make bazooka!" Gray shot a bazooka at General Invel hitting him in the stomach. He smirked. This guy was nothing that they couldn't handle together. Invel was on the floor head bowed.
"Very impressive." He chuckled as his white hair dripped with water. "Strong and beautiful." He looked up at her as Gray glowered at him. What is it with Juvia and icemages? "No-one has ever broken my shield. Ever." He continued eye her. "It's a shame we're on different sides! Ice-make spears!"
"Waterlock!" Juvia shouted engulfing Invel in a sphere of shimmering water as some of the spears hit her before she managed to shift into waterbody.
"Gah!" Invel struggled to breathe as Juvias water lock tried to drag him into unconsciousness. Juvia pursed her lips as she melted a spear from her body. "Freeze!" Invel shouted as he froze Juvias water lock sending shards of it her way but they just went straight through her.
"Ice-make crescent blades!" Gray shouted as he ran towards the falling General. "Ice-make cold Excalibur!" he ran at Invel who too had made an ice-make Excalibur.
"This should be interesting." Invel smirked as the two mages ice swords clashed and clashed, I should have overpowered this runt by now. Invel thought as Gray matched him hit for hit. Juvia stood and watched the fight not wanting to get in the way of the sword fight unless Gray-sama needed her help. The watermage glanced behind her at Meredy and Lyon who were both still lying on the ground although closer together now watching the fight.
"Juvia." Lyon mumbled, catching her attention she met his gaze. "Watch Grays back. That General is strong, Gray might look like he's matching Invel but I think he has some nasty tricks up his sleeve yet." Juvia looked at Lyon nodding.
"Juvia would never let anyone hurt Gray-sama." She said determinedly casting her big blue orbs back on the man in question.
"Look out for yourself to Juvia." Meredy smiled at her. "Although I'm sure Gray will do that." She winked at the watermage making her blush crimson.
"Ice-make knuckles!" Gray shouted sending Invel flying as knuckles came out from beneath him punching and launching him into the air. Gray was panting from the intensity of their sword battle as he wiped some blood from his mouth as he turned to Juvia. "He wasn't so tough." He smiled as Juvia walked towards him smiling. She always has the most beautiful smile. He was one step closer to defeating E.N.D and giving her his answer. That thought made him nervous.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia shouted in a high pitched tone, her eyes wide. The next thing Gray felt was pain as a spear of ice struck through his core, blood covering his shirt. Juvia was now sprinting towards him as she fired hot water at him to melt the ice as she ran past him. "Water cyclone!" A powerful cyclone of water shooting at Invel who dodged the attack.
"You'll need to be faster than Juvia of the deep" Those words froze Juvias attack. No-one had called her that since Phantom. "Juvia doesn't go by that name anymore!" She gritted her teeth. Gray clutching his injury as he froze it turned to watch Juvia fight Invel. She ran at him again dodging and melting any ice-make attacks he could throw at her. "Water claw!" Juvia leapt forwards towards Invel, getting in close as she made her attack but she missed as he dodged; spinning around Juvia put both of her hands together now that she was in close range. "Water cyclone!" She shouted knowing Invel would have to be very lucky to dodge such a powerful attack at close quarters.
"Rahhh!" Juvia had hit him head on with her scalding water cyclone. "You're going to regret that!" He grumbled as he tried to freeze her cyclone. Juvia put even more force behind her attack as her blue waves whipped around in the wind. "Ice-make shackles!" he whispered at he held off her water cyclone with one hand and used the other to make the shackles, holding her wrists above her head in thin air causing the cyclone to dissipate as they lifted her off the floor. "Look how the tables have turned. Now what will you do?" He chuckled as Juvia struggled to break them off. "You really are a remarkable water user." He eyed her up and down. "What should I do with you? I really can't decide." He scratched his chin in thought.
"Nothing." Juvia spoke confidently, "waterbody!" the watermage said changing her body so it was completely liquid as she slipped out of the shackles back to the floor. "Water cane!" A strong lash of water whipped at General Invel.
"Time for you to learn some manners little girl!" He shouted "Freeze!"
"Juvia!" Gray shouted as he raced towards her as Invel froze her solid. "Leave her alone! Ice geyser!" Gray threw in his hands to the floor encasing Invel in ice but not before he had sent a froze Juvia spinning towards the ocean. Crap! He thought. He wasn't going to get to her in time. He had to try.
"And where do you think you're off to!" Invel roared as he broke free of the geyser. Geez, doesn't this guy ever give up? Gray thought as he kept on running to the spinning watermage. "Ice-make wrecking ball!" Invel said as a wrecking ball appeared out of nowhere smacking Gray and crushing him hard into a nearby cliff-face not giving him any time think or react. Gray fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. "You were saying I wasn't so tough?" He mocked the ice devil slayer as the ocean erupted a huge swell if water rising up spinning around and around as the sky went a deep black and rain began to fall. Gray peered up, he'd recognise the feel of this rain anywhere. Juvia, she feels stronger than ever. He could feel all her emotions in the rain, she was angry. Invel turned to the large volume of water that whipped around turning his ships over.
"No-one hurts my Gray-sama like that!" A murderous voice spoke from its epicentre. It was Juvia, she had risen up in the water. Gray remembered she was stronger in the rain. "Sierra!" She shouted as she and the swell of water became one rushed towards Invel, no shield or ice-make spell could stop her wrath. Gray watched overwhelmed by her beauty and power combined, her eyes shining a deep blue like the ocean. She knew this attack couldn't be stopped, she was the ocean itself. As he watched the water crash down into Invel he was sure he felt Ur in the water alongside Juvia helping her. She was magnificent. When she fought she fought with her very essence putting her whole heart into her attacks. She made Grays heart squeeze and flutter, she had a smile that resembled the sun, she was his light.
When Juvias attack had washed over the General Invel, she stood before him panting, exhausted from the amount of magic energy she had exerted. She hoped that was the end of him. Gray smiled. She had done it. That must be the end. No-one could withstand that attack.
"Damn." Invel was struggling to his feet, shaking, his glasses crumpled and broken as he spat blood on the sand. "No-one had tested my powers this much for a long time." He wiped his brow as he glared at Juvia as the wind began to howl. Was he powering up? Gray didn't think that was possible. He tried to move out the rubble but his body screamed at him. "Ring magic." Invel said, Juvias eyes going wide as she shifted into her waterbody. "I have my back-up plan to deal with pesky watermages like yourself." He smirked at her. "Thunder cane!" He shouted as Juvia was struck with an electric whip crying out in pain.
"Juvia!" The icemage picked himself up off the rubble from the cliff-face as he made his way over to her every step was agonising. I have to help her!
"Ring magic, lightning vortex!" Juvia was enveloped in a spinning vortex of thunder which continuously shocked her as Invel laughed. "How does it feel to be shocked by the lightning whilst in waterbody." He licked his lips. "It must hurt like hell." He answered for her "So that Gray-sama must be your boyfriend." Juvia didn't answer. "No?" Invels smiled turned wicked. "But you love him do you not? And he doesn't love you back? That must hurt to, knowing he could be taken from you at any moment." Juvia still didn't answer Invel not wanting to give him any more reason to mock her. Gray-sama Juvia thought Juvia can't hold on much longer. The watermage remembered a promise they had made to each other before they had taken on Tartaros, that they would keep keep on living for their friends, they would conquer anything together, that they would be their for each other. Juvia is sorry… The watermage felt her body giving in as the lightning continued to strike every cell in her body as it shifted back into its normal state. A hand snaked around her waist to her stomach making her feel warm and safe as the lightning stopped. Juvia exhaled as she looked up to Gray-sama as he held her against him, his eyes hard and focused, he had cast an icemake wall blocking the path of magic from his ring to Juvia.
"You don't know shit about how I feel about Juvia. Or our relationship." He growled his grip on her tightening making Juvias heart jump. "Being 'in a relationship' is just a title! At the end of the day its your feelings and emotions for each other that really count!" He shouted keeping up the ice-make wall as Invel tried to break it. He looked down into Juvias blue eyes as she looked up into his through her thick lashes seeing them start to soften, their faces merely inches apart as he was still positioned behind her. "You ready?" Juvia nodded a year ago she would've fangirled at that sentence, but she had changed, she had matured.
"Yes Gray-sama." Juvia replied her eyes dancing as he turned his body to face hers completely as they both stripped in unison.
"Wh-What's going on here?!" Lyon and Invel shrieked as Meredy giggled. They really have grown together. Their bond is a clear as the sun on a cloudless day.
Gray took Juvias hand in his own as he pulled her body closer to his looking into her eyes drowning in them as he felt their magic powers mix and meld together like salt and fresh water. He smiled down at her as a warmth spread through the both of them lighting up all their nerves, quickening their hearts beat into one.
"Second origin!" They both shouted smiling at each other before turning to Invel
"Wings of Love!" Juvia shouted sending brilliant blue waves and pink hearts out towards Invel
"Ice Geyser!" Gray shouted at the same time mixing in his ice devil slayer magic to amp up the power even more as his and Juvias magic combined in front of them directly hitting Invel as he tried but failed to block their second origin unison raid. Panting the two mages smiled at each other hand in hand. They had defeated Invel.
"Gray-sama!" Juvia chimed her eyes gleaming, her smile making his heart melt, as she faced him hands on his chest.
"We did it." He ran a hand through his wet hair as he looked back down into her eyes moving his hand from hers to the small of his back as he leaned in and met her smooth lips pulling her closer to him, his body feeling hot against hers. The kiss reassuring him that she was still here with him, he thought he was going to lose her on more than one occasion in this battle, that had scared him to death. They broke apart foreheads still touching as the rain cleared up and the sun began to break through the dark clouds, Grays other hand laced through Juvias as they stared into each others eyes speaking unspoken words between them as the suns rays lit up both their faces with a warm glow adding to the magical moment amidst all the chaos.
A/N: This fic was a bit out of the blue and definitely didn't end how I planned it to… Please see the next chapter for the other ending and the feel train!
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CrookedMoonlight