All characters belong to Fairy Tail's owner and creator. This is only my second Fan Fic hope you all like it. Now updated!

Personal Demons

Revenge? Chapter Three

Gray and Juvia got off the train in Brookfield. The station was simple red bricks like the one back home. It looked the same. This was a town they had passed many times on their previous adventures. It always seemed so docile and safe. Somehow it wasn't.

They both walked towards the café where Natsu and Lucy had gone. Juvia hung onto Gray's arm and he let her. He was unnerved and they were both anxious as they walked through the town. It looked like any other town. It was full of people living their lives. None seemed to know what had happened. They just went about their business. As they drew closer to the café they felt more and more eyes on them. They were being watched. Juvia looked around looking a few people in the eyes. She saw a mixture of anger, and sadness.

"Gray," she said nervously. She could feel the change in the atmosphere. They were nearing something dangerous. They had no idea what. Gray just walked her inside. He wanted to release them from the eyes on them. He was feeling the same way. They had to meet the person who put up the request. Whoever it was most likely who led to their friends suffering.

They looked at the small café. It had tables and chairs scattered and there was a large counter where the bartender looked at them. The bartender seemed to be surveying them. The café was empty. Gray thought it looked alright and it smelled like they made good coffee. He could at least order a cup and strike a conversation.

"Can I get a cup of coffee?" he asked walking to the counter. Juvia released him and wandered the café keeping Gray in sight the whole time. Gray was wary of the change in her. She wasn't being as clingy to him. She was instead wandering around aimlessly like she was lost. The events were taking their toll on her as well.

"Fairy Tail?" the bartender asked looking at the emblem on his chest. He was sure he had seen the emblem before when they walked in. A closer inspection confirmed it. They were another misguided pair that would up in the same fate as the others. He looked at them. They seemed like a gentle couple. They reminded him of the blonde and pink haired pair months ago. He hoped they were alright somewhere.

"Yes," Gray said not sure what the man wanted or knew.

"You friends of that blonde and pinked haired boy?" the bartender asked.

"We are," Gray responded.

"I'm sorry about them. I wish we could've done something. I never thought things would've turned out that way but what choice did we have?" He was saddened by the thought. He was stuck. He couldn't do anything. The town wasn't under their control. They had to abide or die. It was hard to watch their own home turn against them. Somehow though he knew he couldn't watch it happen again. He would have to warn this couple. He had to help them where he couldn't help the par before. He felt responsible in a way. He should've done more. He should've done so much more but he didn't. This was a second chance to make it right.

"What happened?"

"They said they were here to meet a man I never heard of. I told them that. I try to tell them it was best to go back. They sat down to eat something when everyone in the café besides my workers stood. We didn't realize they were mages. I had never heard of Fairy Tail before. We are secluded here. We weren't expecting mages to come here. They never do. We're simple folk. Those who walked in were a part of a dark guild. They had those two pinned before anyone knew what happened. We were outnumbered but we tried to help. Half my staff is still in the hospital." Gray's stomach dropped and he began to sweat. Juvia walked over next to Gray. She was just as somber.

She didn't like Lucy really but it sounded bad. She knew Natsu. Natsu would've fought like crazy. He wouldn't have gone down easily. The thought sickened her. She could almost see them pinned on the ground they now stood. It was nauseating to think months ago everything started here. Everything wrong started here. A dark guild. She had her own experiences with them and could only imagine what they would do to two captured enemies. She covered her mouth to try and force her emotions back. She had to be strong. Gray was more distressed. She was happy he didn't know as much about dark guilds as she. The Phantom Lords had their own share of run-ins before she joined Fairy Tail.

Gray was busy with another thought. They were tricked. The request had to be a fake. It was the only way Natsu could lose. The element of surprise. That was it. He became oddly aware of how much danger they were in then. They were tracing the steps of a pair stronger than them and the lost. They were shattered and he knew they could end up the same if they were not careful.

"Do you know where they took them?" Juvia asked noticing Gray was speechless. Her hand drifted from her mouth to grab her elbow. She needed to comfort herself a little. She needed to find hope.

"Towards the mountains, I don't know any more. I wish I did." The bartender said sadly. "You should leave. It's not safe."

"Thank you for trying." Gray managed to get out. He looked the bartender square in the eyes and nodded his head.

"I know. I wish they didn't take them. We tried to tell the Council or tell you guys but every time we sent someone out they came back dead. This guild moved on a few weeks ago."

"The whole guild picked up and left?" Gray asked. That was dangerous in itself. A dark guild popped up captured Natsu and Lucy, hurt them and just disappeared? What were they planning? It meant whatever it was wasn't good. They were moving onto another stage and Fairy Tail wasn't prepared for anything.

The bartender nodded his head unable to speak. It had been so strange and so cruel but the darkness lingered in the town. He knew it would for a long time after their departure.

"They left this saying one of Fairy Tail would come for it." The bartender handed them a brown wrapped book with a letter on top. Gray stared at it. They were playing into their hands. Nothing could prepare him for what it was. He stared at the innocent wrapped book. He could smell the despair on it. He took it and walked to a booth. He was internally shaking. He was scared to know what lay behind the pages.

Juvia sat next to him worried about how he was acting. He was always telling her to pipe down but not now. He was silent. She grabbed onto his arm but he didn't seem to notice his attention was on this mysterious book.

He grabbed the envelope and looked at it. It was light with what he guessed was a single page of writing. He opened the letter and looked down at it adjusting to read it. Juvia was reading it over his shoulder.

'Fairy Tail,

So you finally showed up. I would've thought you would've come after your friends after the first month but five? I can't believe we consider you a threat. What where you doing while we filled this book with what we did to them? Every detail carefully crafted into this masterpiece. It's shameful to think you left them to suffer. Give this to your Master. Let them all know. We have our eyes set on Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail will die.

Letum Mars'

Gray balled his fist and slammed it on the table. Juvia jumped back from the sudden outburst.

"Why didn't we go? Why didn't we save them? How long were we going to wait?" Gray said tears falling down his cheeks. He had cracked. It was beginning to make sense. He felt the weight of the responsibility he didn't know he had. He didn't know they needed to be save but he felt he should've. "We left them to suffer," Gray said in despair.

"Gray-sama," Juvia said gently grabbing Gray's hand. Gray released his fist as Juvia moved her fingers between his. Gray grabbed her hand and Juvia wiped his tears away. "Gray-sama didn't know. No one knew. Let's go back to Fairy Tail. They'll need us there." She was distressed seeing him like this. She felt the same but she couldn't say it. Her only concern was Gray. She wanted him to feel better. It was a bitter thought. She was alright feeling like this. She had felt despair before but she had never seen Gray feel it. It was worrying. People react badly when under this kind of stress. People crack and sometimes aren't able to be put back together again.

"What about the book?" he asked looking down at it.

"Please don't do that to Gray-sama." She said placing her hand on it to stop him from opening it. "You hurt enough as is. Don't make it worse for Juvia to have to watch. Gray-sama is always strong. Always loud. Always fighting. Don't destroy Gray-sama by reading this wretched book." She pleaded and felt ashamed for it. She looked away. She was pleading for something more than his affection. His affection wouldn't matter if he wasn't himself. She loved who he was.

"Juvia," Gray said. She turned slowly to look at him. He looked her in the eyes and Juvia's heart rate rose. He had never given her the time of day and now he was. She could see the searching in his eyes transfixed on her. A part of her wanted to thank Lucy for this opportunity. Gray was finally seeing Juvia as a person and not a nuisance but it wouldn't be right. Lucy was hurt and Juvia was profiting from it. She hung her head thinking about it. She didn't want to profit from this. She just wanted things to go back to how they were. At least then she could still be happy pinning for his affection. Now she felt herself dangerously close to actually getting it. She felt faint at the thought. She had never felt the affection returned. She didn't know how to handle it. She didn't want this to come out of the horrible events surrounding them. She shook her head. She just had to stop thinking about it. Focus on the task at hand.

"You're affected too aren't you?" He asked gently. Juvia's head shot up. He knew? She was trying so hard not to show it. She thought she was acting normal. She didn't even expect Gray to notice her really on this level. She had to admit it was. She was trying so hard to find a reason for this. She didn't know. All she knew was she never wanted Natsu hurt or Lucy. Lucy wasn't to be hurt in this way. Not ever. Tears started falling down her cheeks. She looked away from Gray pulling her hand free to cover her face. She didn't want him to see her like this. She was strong. She had to be strong.

"Juvia doesn't want to be," she said finally between sobs. "They didn't deserve this." Gray smiled and hugged Juvia pulling her into him as she melted into tears. She was crying against his shoulder as he sat staring at the book. He was glad that he wasn't the only one to feel this way. She was doing so well at keeping herself together he thought it was just him but she was distraught too. His growing thought for vengeance began to take over. These people had to pay for this. Juvia was right. Lucy and Natsu didn't deserve this.

Back at the guild Levy got back from spending the night with Lucy. She was now solemnly aware of why Erza had been so spent. It had been a long night and every distressed look on Lucy's face tore at her heart. She had thought she could help more but her presence didn't stop the nightmares. They were relentlessly torturing her. Gajeel saw Levy walk in and walked over to her. He noticed right away she was tired. He sat down next to her to hopefully comfort her.

"Are you okay bookworm?" Gajeel asked surveying her. She noticed the tears in her eyes immediately. She had bags under her eyes. Her hair was a mess and not neatly laid. Her face was stuck in an exasperated look. Her eyes looked dead almost staring into the wall searching for something she couldn't seem to grasp.

"She doesn't talk. She won't go near water. She barley drinks and eats and she screams all the time Gajeel. What do we do?" she asked through a fit of tears. Gajeel sighed. It was as he expected. Both the Salamander and Lucy were in trouble.

Lucy heard them from the end of the bar. She looked at the wooden groves of the bar top trying to think. What could she say? What could she do? She felt horrible for what she's was doing to everyone but she couldn't help it. She couldn't help herself. It was to protect them… or maybe it was to protect the little sanity she had left? Her mouth felt dry as she sat there. She felt the hopelessness surround her. There was nothing to be done.

Gajeel wrapped Levy in a hug trying to comfort her.

"I don't know but they'll pay." Gajeel said as Gray and Juvia walked in. Juvia held onto Gray's arms and he didn't seem to mind. The guild watched them as they saw Levy and Gajeel. Mirajane looked up from drying a glass. She could see the growing affection Juvia and Gray had for one another. That was good at least. She noticed the book in Gray's hands. She had a bad feeling about it.

"You mean Letum Mars will pay." Gray said overhearing and slamming the book down on the bar next to Lucy. Lucy heard the name and screamed bolting up but Erza caught her.

"Easy Luce, Easy," she said sending Gray an annoyed glare. "Easy saying things around her," Erza growled.

"I'm sorry but once you look at this." Gray said ice in his hands. Natsu saw ice from his booth across the room and started bolting but Elfman had him. Natsu was screaming and Lucy was shaking the key glowing again. Juvia held Gray tighter and he managed a smile at her. She had been there with him, crying with him as they read the first page on the train together. They decided they had to know. They had to know their role in all of this. It made them sick. There were many more like the one they read and it would get worse farther in. What they managed to read had been despicable enough. It was detailed and horrifying. They couldn't understand how anyone could do all that to another human being.

"What is it?" Erza asked.

"The synapses of what they did to them. Every detail recorded. Every one of their cries written there." Gray growled.

"Even Juvia thinks it's despicable." Juvia remarked.

"Where's the Master?" Gray asked. "He needs to see this."

"In his office," Erza said. Just then in flew Happy, Carla and Lily. Happy was carrying a large fish.

"Natsu!" he said seeing him. He flew at him tears in his eyes. Natsu cringed trying to pull away as Happy held onto him. "I missed you. You should've came back sooner." He said childishly. Natsu shrugged him off him.

Happy. He hated the word now. He wasn't Happy. He couldn't be Happy. Happy couldn't understand this. He didn't want him to know. He looked away from Happy.

"It might have been better if we never came back at all." He said walking away from Happy. Happy stared at Natsu.

"What do you mean Natsu?" he asked.

"Just leave me alone." He growled. He loved Happy but he couldn't look at him. He couldn't face him. Happy was well Happy. He couldn't smile like that. He pained him to see Happy smile like that when he knew he couldn't join him. All he could think about was that damp dungeon. Happy had been far from his mind then. It was surreal to see him. Happy would've been better off never see him again. At least then Happy could remember his best friend the way he was supposed to be and not this coward. He clenched his fists at the thought.

"Take those two with you to Markarov." Mirajane said. "I'll talk with Happy." She said before calling Happy over.

"Maybe we can get through to them if we know." Erza said. She pulled Lucy along as Gajeel grabbed Natsu. Gray, Juvia, Erza, Gajeel, Levy, Natsu and Lucy all walked up the stairs in a slow almost funeral procession into Markarov's office. It was crowded in the small space. Markarov looked at the group and new it was bad news. He would soon have to utter the dreaded word. Gray explained the events that had unfolded to get the book. Both Natsu and Lucy had to be held down at the name of the dark guild. They were frantic trying to escape. They didn't want to hear anymore.

Markarov took the book and placed it on his desk. He looked it over and sighed. It wasn't going to be good. He mentally prepared before he read the front page aloud for everyone. He bite his tongue to keep from saying anything. He had to stay in control of his emotions because he knew everyone else wasn't going to. He at least had to think about things. He couldn't call them monsters like he thought they were. He just continued reading.

"Stop!" Lucy yelled breaking his concentration. The page had talked all about her. She didn't want to hear about any of it. She didn't want to remember. She was near tears again. She held her head trying to rein in the mixture of emotions and the memories of pain flashing in front of her face.

Something broke in Natsu when he heard Lucy yell 'Stop'. She had yelled it many times before back there.

"She said stop," Natsu said breaking through a small wall fire around him glaring at Markarov. He was getting angry. Lucy would have thanked him but the fire freaked her out more. She ran for the door but Erza caught her. She was trying to get far away from it.

"Natsu the fire," Levy said gently. Natsu stopped and Lucy was screaming trying to get free. She could still smell it. She could still feel it on her skin. She could still feel the endless pain and the endless torment. Below the guild fell silent aware that events were playing out. Whatever happened to Natsu and Lucy was being revealed, and they felt it. The curtain was being raised and the darkness was appearing.

Natsu sat down. He felt worse now. He tried to help Lucy but it only made things worse. She was scared of him too. He shuddered at the thought.

"Don't make us remember," he said in a small voice. He could hear her screams in his ear again now knowing why she had been screaming then. They had been just as cruel to her as they had been to him when the other wasn't watching. Lucy was crying in Erza's arms and Natsu wanted to soothe her but he couldn't. He hurt her too. He was responsible. They hurt her because of him. He was the cause. He didn't have the right comfort her.

"You need to come to terms with it." Markarov said gently. He knew they couldn't hide from it. "Torture isn't easy to overcome but you must face it." He said. He finally called it what it was. Torture. They had been tortured mentally and physically for five months. It was a miracle they survived in the first place.

"Not like this," Natsu said tears sliding down his cheeks. "You weren't there. You don't know. You can't know. They'll come."

"They're coming anyways," Gray said reading the letter aloud. The room was silent as the words sunk in. What the pair was trying to do to protect the guild didn't matter. They were going to come anyways.

"You're safe here." Erza said. "Both of you," she said trying to understand how they felt.

"Right no one gets to beat you up by me." Gray said trying to poke a little fun into the situation. The air had grown so heavy it was hard to breath.

"No one should hurt Lucy even Juvia thinks that." Juvia said. "I'll protect you. You're Fairy Tail." Gray smiled at that. Juvia really had become a member of Fairy Tail. She had grown to be part of the culture and they stuck up for their own.

"Fairy Tail is behind you. We won't let them touch you again." Markarov said.

"It won't matter," Natsu said. "They're too strong,"

"That's insulting Natsu." Gajeel said. "So what they beat you. I've never seen it stop either of you before."

"Gajeel's right. Fairy Tail doesn't quit. We've survived everything up until now and we're not starting to lose now." Levy said. They were waiting for a response. They hoped to be getting through even if it was a little. It would be something. A step in right direction.

They knew their friends were right. They'd have to prepare to face them now. There wasn't a way to prevent it. They were coming. They had to fight them. Natsu turned to Lucy. He wanted her to agree. He wanted to be sure she thought the same.

"Lucy?" he asked. "We have to prepare," he said softly his work shaking. Lucy bite her lip. He was right. She knew it. She felt it.

"Nat...su" Lucy said. Natsu. Fire. Pain. She pushed the scream back. He was her friend. She shouldn't be afraid of him. Everyone stared. They had expected her to scream like every other time. She didn't. She just looked at the demon key. She'd have to face Him. Make Him understand he had a new master and a new contract had to be made. She'd do it for Fairy Tail. She had to be strong now but the pain was still too much. Baby steps. That was all she could do. Natsu was trying. She had to do the same. "For Fairy Tail," she managed to say. Natsu nodded. They'd find a way to fix themselves. However long it took they would keep trying.

Just then the door opened and Wendy, Happy and Carla walked in. Lucy saw Wendy in blue. Blue. Always blue. Damn blue. Lucy shuddered and Wendy walked towards her.

"Lu-chan is everything alright?" she asked touching her. Lucy shied away.

"Don't touch me." Lucy said.

"Are you okay?" Happy asked. He hadn't seen Lucy earlier. He wasn't sure if he should speak to Natsu but he wanted to see him at least. He wanted to help. Tears were in his eyes as he looked at him.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," she said shutting down again. Wendy turned to Markarov.

"I'm not listening to this and neither is Lucy. Come on Lucy," Natsu said going towards the door. Lucy walked out of Erza's embrace wrapping her arms around herself walking out. Natsu walked into the infirmary and sat on his bed. Lucy walked down to the bar and sat at her new spot at the end. She closed her eyes laying her head down saying she was fine one more time as if trying to convince herself. She fell asleep there a new nightmare in front of her.

Wendy, and Carla were informed of what had happened. They had only left two months ago to help Porlyusica on a mission. They had left to help collect herbs and things for Wendy's training, traveling all over the place. Now all three of them had tears in their eyes. Happy was crying and Levy wrapped him in a hug. Carla didn't cry like the others. She held it in for Wendy's sake. She'd cry alone latter.

"Poor Lu-chan. Poor Natsu." Wendy cried.

"Do we read on?" Markarov asked.

"We should let the guild decide. They should know. They're their family too." Erza said straightening up.

"Then after Lucy leaves we'll vote." Markarov said.

"Should we leave her alone?" Levy asked.

"I'll stay with Lu-chan. She can't be alone and I don't need to hear it. I see the pain too easily." Wendy said. She was the Sky Dragonslayer. She was a healer and she was sensitive to pain. She'd piece it together too easily. She hoped maybe some magic would help Lucy. She could help soothe her with it. Porlyusica had taught her more things on their travels. She would put it to good use.

"Then it's settled. Tonight we'll find out what happened to them." Markarov said. Natsu walked to the window and looked out of it. Somehow he'd overcome the fears they gave him. He'd find a way to get over his guilt. He'd deal with his demons and make them pay. The old Natsu was starting to make a comeback however small a move it was it would still take time. He still had nightmares to face and so did Lucy.