Fairy Tail

Read At Your Own Discretion

(Possible Spoilers)

It was a fairly normal day in the Fairy Tail Guild Hall when Juvia Lockser noticed it. While everyone else appeared to be either going about some innocuous chore around the guild or setting off for a mission they picked from the Request Board, there was one in particular that had an almost palpable aura of discontent about them.

"Lucy-san?" Juvia inquired as her dark blue eyes focused on one of her best friends. "What's wrong?"

The blonde looked up from the novel she was writing to regard her guildmate. She looked at her with distant brown eyes for a moment before shaking her head.

Refocusing her eyes on the Water Mage, she painted a smile on her face.

"Nothing's wrong Juvia." She responded as she closed her work in progress. "Nothing at all to worry about."

Unconvinced, Juvia stared at her with greater intensity behind her eyes.

The two females engage in a staring contest until one of them relented. With a sigh, Lucy Heartfilia glanced around the guild hall. "Okay, I'll tell you, but," She lowered her voice as she turned her gaze back to her friend. "Can we talk somewhere more private?"

Juvia nodded as the two stood up and left the guild hall with one destination in mind.

"Thank you for the hot chocolate Lucy-san." Juvia said earnestly as she sat down in the flaxen mage's living room. She rested comfortably in the chair as she drank some of the beverage.

A part of her wondered, as she tasted it, if the Celestial Spirit Mage ever served a certain Ice-Make Mage such a delicious drink.

She shook her head as she squashed down such thoughts. Now was hardly the time.

Lucy smiled as she took a seat next to her friend, a mug of the hot beverage in her hands. "I'm glad you like it."

Juvia took another sip, adding credence to the statement before speaking. Her features turned serious as she looked at her friend.

"Lucy-san," She started, setting the mug down on a coaster on the coffee table in front of them. "what's troubling you?"

Lucy took a deep breath and exhaled it before she replied. "I miss them."

And with those three simple words, Juvia understood. Partially anyway.

The blue-haired mage knows that the only two people she could be referring to are Natsu Dragneel and Happy.

Juvia smiled sympathetically at her friend. She doesn't (nor would she want to) know what she would do if Gray Fullbuster disappeared from her life. Even though she knows they would only be gone for a year, she knows that that must take its toll.

"Natsu-san and Happy-san will be back." Juvia stated hopefully.

Lucy smiled faintly. "Yeah."

The Water Mage frowned as she knows that nothing she, or anyone else, could say or do to assuage her friend's feelings of doubt or brighten her outlook.

(Except for Natsu and Happy returning, but that is neither here nor there).

"Surely there must be something Juvia can do for you Lucy-san." Juvia persisted.

Lucy shook her head as she chuckled humorlessly. "Unless you want to track them down," She sighed, seeming to be deep in thought before continuing. "Actually, there is something you can do."

Juvia stared at her friend questioningly, waiting for her response as she seemed mesmerized with the mug of steaming liquid in her hands.

Lucy smiled before turning her eyes to her guild mate. "You can be my friend."

Juvia returned the smile. "Juvia believes she can do that."

The two women proceeded to drink the rest of their hot chocolate before they hugged and bid each other their farewells.

As Juvia was walking home, she couldn't shake her feelings of uneasiness; as if she could do something more to help her guildmate.

And as she was walking into her dormitory at Fairy Hills, she smiled as an idea took form. One that needed a needle and thread and a button or two.

"I'm coming!" Lucy shouted irritably in a sleep-induced haze. She stretched while walking, wondering who was knocking on her door so early.

Opening her door, she was surprised to see Juvia standing there.

"Juvia?" Lucy questioned as she rubbed her left eye. "What are you doing here?"

"Juvia came to present Lucy-san with a gift." The blue-haired woman answered as the flaxen mage allowed her into her apartment.

"A gift?" Lucy repeated.

Juvia nodded as she held a box in her hands. "Juvia hopes it makes Lucy-san feel happier."

Lucy smiled at her friend's kind intentions. "Thank you."

Taking the box, Lucy was unsure of what could be inside it. Not taking a moment longer, she began to open it. At first, all she saw was what looked to be tufts of pink and blue. However, as she took them out, surprise and recognition dawned on her face.

A hot, prickling sensation was behind her eyes while she looked at her friend.

"Juvia…?"

"Juvia knows how much Lucy-san misses Natsu-san and Happy-san." The blue-haired female explained. She gestured to the two figures in the flaxen mage's hands. "Juvia hopes it will help."

Lucy looked from her friend to the dolls in her hands. She marvelled at Juvia's remarkable attention to detail. From the Fairy Tail guild mark on Happy's back to the scar on Natsu's neck, they looked almost like the real thing. Albeit in a more condensed, felt-based form.

"Thank you." Lucy said as tears began falling from her eyes at her friend's compassion. She hugged the dolls close, the box falling to the floor. "Thank you!"

The Stellar Mage gave the Water Mage a hug.

"You're welcome Lucy-san." Juvia said as she patted her friend's back.

When the two were finished, they promised to meet at the guild hall later before saying goodbye. After she left, Lucy turned to the dolls in her hands with a tender smile.

"One day," She began as she hugged the dolls close. "we'll meet again."

Natsu...Happy...