Hello, people. Sorry I'm posting this later than I promised, but since I was writing a One-shot, I Love You, haven't had the time to work on Connections.
I'll warn you beforehand that this is the saddest chapter I've ever written. Seriously, if you thought chapter 7 was heartbreaking, this is worse.
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Ultear because she's amazing and I adore her. This is the first and last time she will appear in the story, so I made sure to give her the spotlight. The repercussions of her sacrifice will be explored with Gruvia, Meredy and Jellal. It won't have been in vain, just like it wasn't in the anime.
Now, for the shoutouts:
light is in the dark: Thanks so much for your review and for pointing out me error with the dialogues. Already fixed it in this chapter. I'm not usually the type to go on complaining about reviews, but this story has gotten so little it's concerning. I guess it's because I've gotten used to 5 reviews per chapters with my other ones, so it's upsetting not reaching that goal.
My problem is that, with no reviews, I can't know if people are reading the story or enjoying it. Being a writer means finding opportunities to improve my stories, but with no comments I can't improve anything. So that's why reviews are appreciated.
Your comment has made me realize that there might be many people like you, who forget to comment or don't have the time. So I will try to complain less as the chapters go by. I was just upset thinking no one was bothering to read this.
Martygruvialover: It's ok, I was a bit upset not getting your review, they always make my day. But I understand, completely, so no worries. :) Gray's confession is coming soon, don't worry. Only about 2 more chapters. Even if I lose inspiration, I have it all planned out, so I can always come back.
Guest: That's ok, I was really upset about the lack of reviews, but I've accepted it. I just am used to more comments than I've been getting and I think this story deserves more than it's getting. I've put a lot of hard work into the chapters and for there to be no comments, it's upsetting.
You don't have to worry much about updates, I try my best not to take too long with the chapters. I've settled for two per week so far. Even if it's just a "good work", I appreciate any comment. Glad you enjoy angst, this chapter's all about it.
Once again, warning you: angst, sadness, heartbreak. Good luck!
Bring Me To Life-Evanescence
Frozen inside without your touch, without your love
Darling, only you are the life amongst the death
I've been sleeping for a thousand years
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought without a soul
Bring me to life
Juvia was quiet. She didn't move. All she could do was stare at the body, his body. He was gone. It was so unbelievable, so surreal and yet so true. She was broken. Too broken to do anything except stare in horror.
"I can't believe this." Lyon mumbled, he had moved closer to where she was sitting, but made no movement to comfort her. He was still in shock, staring at Gray's dead body in disbelief.
"I am so sorry." Meredy said, unsure what else she could say. The weight of Gray's death hit her hard as she was reminded that not too long ago she had attempted to kill him. Fate sure had a cruel sense of humor.
"He's gone." Lyon said as the tears finally fell down his cheeks and the pink haired girl moved closer to him and touched his arm comfortingly.
The rain started falling even harder after Lyon said it and both stared at the silent woman by Gray's side. Her heartbreak was as clear as day and the image of her suffering because of Gray's death made Lyon's own suffering hurt less. He realized then just how deep Juvia's feelings went and understood why she had rejected him. There was no place for anyone else in her heart. Only Gray. And he was gone.
"Juvia." He said gently. She didn't look at him, instead remaining frozen in place.
"I think she needs a little time."Meredy warned him while she grabbed the arm he had extended to touch the bluenette's shoulder. Lyon stared at her unsurely, but the determined look in her eyes was enough for him to hold back.
"This is horrible. I never…. I would have never guessed it would happen." His voice was shaky and Meredy cast him a sympathetic look. Then, without a second thought, she wrapped her arms around him and brought his head close to her chest. He was surprised for a moment, but soon relaxed into her embrace.
He let the tears fall as Meredy comforted him, her hand running through his hair in a soothing manner. They might have only known each other for 2 days, but at the moment he was hurting for so many reasons and Meredy's comfort was exactly what he needed.
They were both so preoccupied with each other that they missed when Juvia finally moved from her spot. She eyed them with a mixture of sorrow and despair before she slowly walked towards Gray. Her mind was blank and she felt numb. She didn't think, she didn't feel. Except for the overwhelming pain that was consuming her whole.
She sat down before laying on top of Gray's body, her head against his bloodied chest and her arms hugging him tightly. He was cold, too cold. And pale too. He was dead. The words finally sank in and she could't stop the tears. She cried with anguish and despair as she thought how she would never see the sun again.
Ultear walked along the ruins of Crocus, heart heavy with sorrow and regret. She had been so close. So close to letting go of all that she had acquired, all the changes she had gone through. Or at least she had thought that things had changed. That she had become a better person, one that might deserve Meredy's affections or Gray's forgiveness. But it wasn't true.
"I stopped just short of murder." She whispered after her knees gave in and she fell down. She felt so disgusted with herself, terrified to learn that nothing had changed. "I didn't go through with it, but that isn't the problem." She sighed deeply before looking around at the deserted town. No one was near her, no one would see her breaking down.
"The fact is, I would have done it. Without a second thought, I would have killed an innocent man." She wasn't thinking of the fact that the only reason she would have done so is because it might save this world. That she would be sacrificing one life to save so many others. Ultear knew better than to fill her mind with false truths, she knew better than to focus on the good things when the bad always outweighed them.
"Daddy, look! I made a snowman." Silver smiled as he followed his son through their house and outside. It was snowing like it usually did in Antartica.
"Would you look at that. Good work, my boy!" The black haired man praised the child, who smiled brightly while showing off his work.
"Thanks, daddy!" Gray replied while showing his toothless smile. "Can you use your magic to build one too?" The little boy requested and Silver chuckled.
"Of course. But let's call your mother first, she doesn't like to be left out of the fun." Gray nodded excitedly before running away, back to their house. Silver followed him until they reached the kitchen, where his lovely wife was just finished with preparing their dinner.
"Mamma, daddy and I are going to build snowmen." Mika smiled proudly at her son.
"Is that so? Sounds fun." She looked between her two boys with adoration.
"You should join us, it's not too cold out there." Silver told her and she shook her head while laughing.
"You always say that, darling, but I know better. How you can be so resistant to the cold I'll never understand." She told him and he shrugged.
"I'm an ice mage. We don't feel cold." She rolled her eyes, that was always his excuse.
"You always say that. Now come on, Gray. I'm sure you and I can build a much better snowmen than your silly daddy!" She turned to their excited son and he started jumping up and down before running towards her and grabbing her hand.
"Come, mamma! We need to hurry so daddy can't catch up to us." He started dragging her outside and Silver watched them while rolling his eyes. It was just another happy day in the life of the Fullbusters. Barely did they know, their happiness would soon be stolen forever.
Silver silently cried while he thought of his son, this special young man who lay on the cold, hard ground. Unmoving. Dead. It shouldn't affect him so much to see Gray dead after 10 years believing he was, but it hurt. Like hell.
"No. Please no." He prayed he was just hallucinating, like it usually happened. But he knew it wasn't a mirage, Gray was really gone. After Silver had seen him alive for only a few hours. Why couldn't he ever have some measure of peace?
"Now this is unexpected. At least the girl remains unharmed." He had completely forgotten that Keyes was there.
"This is your fault." Silver muttered in anger and despair, the pain still overwhelming him. If Keyes hadn't showed up and started threatening him, he would have been able to help. He could have stopped that first laser from firing. He could have saved Gray. This realization made his anger overwhelm the heartbreak of losing his son once again and Silver was able to think straight. The course of action was clear now.
"Now don't be delusional. I wasn't the one who killed your son, though I did plan to do it." The demon replied calmly, unaffected by the horrible scene in front of them. He seemed unaware of what Silver planned to do and didn't move even with the burning glare the ice mage gave him.
"You are going to pay for this!" Silver launched himself at Keyes and threw the other man back. They fell to the ground and before Keyes could comprehend what was happening, the broken man had already conjured up a spear with his ice demon-slaying magic. "For what you did to my son and to that poor girl, all of you will pay." He vowed before he lowered the spear, right into Keyes' heart. If he even had one, that is. There was no regret, no remorse. All Silver could think about was avenging his son.
"Who am I fooling?" Ultear could no longer stop the tears that had threatened to fall. The realization was too much for her to bare. "I haven't changed one bit. Crime Sorciére, what a joke. I could never atone for the sins of my past."
She had tried, so hard. She had helped Jellal escape prison since he didn't deserve it, she had given Meredy all the love she could, had kept raising the young girl who somehow loved her even if she didn't deserve it. They had grown closer, had become like family. Their guild, the one they created in an attempt to fix their mistakes, had brought them happiness and they had helped so many people. Dark guilds had been eliminated, anyone who had a connection with Zeref they had destroyed, but it wasn't enough. Nothing would be enough.
Ultear had fooled herself, had convinced the others that they could find their way to redemption, that it was possible. Meredy hadn't made as many mistakes as her and Jellal, so the young girl had accepted her words wholeheartedly. But the blue haired man knew that there was no way for the two of them to move on.
He had made it clear to her one night, 6 years before. It was right after Erza had been pronounced dead along with the rest of Fairy Tail. She had attempted to comfort him, knowing of his feelings towards the red head, but Jellal had rejected her attempts. He had told her that it was karma, the weigh of his mistakes coming back to him.
He had said that he deserved to lose Erza, the one person he loved so desperately. He had warned Ultear that she should keep herself from falling in love because it would only bring her pain. It were the words of a broken man, but Ultear found truth in them. She had promised herself long ago never to fall in love and she had kept it. Aside from Meredy, there was no love in her life. And she had been happy that way.
"Is there no end to these monsters?" Erza was panting hard, her injuries had taken their toll on her a few minutes before and she was now sitting while still using her magic to wipe out the little dragons. Her power was nearly gone, so she was lucky Jellal was there to aid her. He was standing by her side, fighting harder than she had ever seen. She always loved when he was serious about a fight, he got this determined look that made him even more handsome.
"Doesn't seem like it." Jellal replied while eliminating 3 at the same time. He too was panting, getting more tired as the minutes went by. However, there was no way he would give up, not while she was there and unable to fight seriously. He would protect her.
"I hope Natsu can fix this and soon. I don't know how much longer I can take." Erza commented and he took a good look at her. Her injuries from the Games hadn't healed properly and there was blood pouring out some of her bandages. Her foot looked the worse of all, he was sure that it was broken.
"Your injuries look more severe and you're bleeding." He stated before turning his attention to more dragons coming their way. "You need medical help and soon." He added after defeating them.
"You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine." She tried to reassure him, but he always knew when she was lying. He could read her better than anyone else, perhaps because she allowed herself to be more vulnerable when it came to him. Only him.
"I know you will, Erza. But you need to be treated, so I'll take you to where I was informed Miss. Porlyusica is located." She stared at him with determined eyes, unwilling to give in. If there was one thing Erza Scarlet never did, it was to accept defeat.
"No. The others need our help with the dragons, so I'll stay and fight. I might not be able to stand up, but I can do enough damage from here." As if to prove her point, she sent a few swords towards a few dragons that had come up from behind him while he was focused on her. Jellal watched her actions in apparent amusement before shaking his head.
"You never know when to quit, do you?" He asked and she couldn't help but to smile.
"I never quit, but you know that." She replied and he walked her way before sitting next to her.
"You're incredible, Erza. Your never-ending strength is something I don't think I'll ever understand." Both chuckled and she moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder before sighing.
"I guess I feel like I have to be strong so no one will think I have any weaknesses." She admitted quietly and he wrapped an arm around her to bring her closer. For once in a long time, there were no dragons in sight.
"You don't have to always be strong, you know. You can allow yourself to be more vulnerable sometimes." He told her and she sighed in content. Being in his arms was so comforting and calming. She felt like nothing bad could happen as long as they were there.
"I know. But it's difficult. I think you're the only person who makes me comfortable enough to be vulnerable." She admitted and hated the small blush that appeared on her cheeks. She buried her head on his shoulder to hide it, missing the sad look that crossed his face with her words.
"Erza, I…" He swallowed hard and she pulled away to stare into his dark green eyes. She was surprised to see fear in them.
"What's wrong?" She asked worriedly while looking around only to see there were no enemies.
"What you said…You can't feel that way." She was surprised by his firm tone.
"What do you…" He interrupted her.
"I don't want you to think of me as someone who makes you comfortable, it's wrong. After everything I've done to you…" It was her turn to interrupt.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I forgive you? You have to let it go, Jellal, or else you'll never move on from your mistakes." She firmly told him and he shook his head.
"I can't let it go, not when it haunts me all the time. The times that I hurt you, threatened to kill the people you love. I can't forgive myself." Her expression softened and she touched his cheek gently.
"Look at me." She commanded when he avoided her eyes. "You are not that person anymore. You've changed, I can see it clearly. You've become kind and loyal and I'm not the only one who thinks so. You need to focus on the person you've become instead of who you were before." He couldn't help it but to smile.
"You always know what to say, don't you?" He repeated the words he had said to her less than two weeks before, when they had encountered each other after 7 years of him believing her to be dead. Their conversation that day wasn't much different from this one. The difference was that they were both aware of their feelings now.
"That's still not true. I just see you for who you are and I'd like it if you did as well." She replied and he sighed. Her hand was still on his cheek and as she stared into his eyes, she knew what she wanted. She wanted to tell him. She needed to. The enemies weren't there, it was just the two of them. Now was the right time. "Jellal…" She saw many emotions cross his eyes. Fear. Pain. Regret.
"I know." She was stunned.
"What?" She asked and he smiled sadly.
"I can see it in your eyes, Erza. But I can't hear you say it." He tried to pull away from her, but she put both arms on his shoulders, holding him in place.
"Why? Why do you insist on pushing me away?" She asked in frustration and he looked broken.
"I'm sorry." He said simply and Erza sighed. She was tired. Tired of fighting. Of being strong when she felt so weak she wanted nothing more than lay down and sleep. Tired of being conflicted about her feelings. She had finally made a decision, but it seemed as if his mind was also made up. And he didn't want them to be together. She could see it.
"I can't believe you would rather make us both suffer instead of letting go of the past." She said rather harshly and he looked taken aback.
"The last thing I want is for you to suffer, Erza. But I can't. Not now." He told her sincerely and her reply was cut off as they suddenly felt a strong wave of power and everything went chaotic.
More tears fell as Ultear thought of Meredy, the little girl she had once rescued and who became such a constant part of her life Ultear didn't even realize it. She didn't realize that she had been giving Meredy false hope, making her believe in things that weren't true. "Meredy. Sweet, pure Meredy. Words cannot express how much you mean to me or how I wish we could have been happy. We could have had a life, a real one, if I wasn't so…rotten at the core. I wanted to change, for you. But I couldn't and I am so sorry."
"I've lived my entire life in the shadows, ruled by darkness. I thrived on deception, contempt, anger and death." Admitting those words was harder than she had expected. It was the simple truth that she had shielded her mind from, had shielded from Meredy. "But still, I received forgiveness and compassion. Gray allowed me a second chance in life." She smiled at the memory of the ice mage who had trained under Ur, her mother. He had showed her so much kindness even though she didn't deserve it. He had forgiven her and that was why she had decided to move on instead of killing herself like she had planned 7 years ago.
"But in the end, it didn't really matter. I know now that I will never find salvation, for I am still the same in the core. A witch crumbling under the weight of her crimes, one who would take the life of an innocent." Ultear lowered her head in shame before she swallowed hard. She knew the next words she would mutter were the ones that would change everything.
"I am unfit for this world. I don't deserve to live." She concluded as she came to a decision she should have come to long ago. The decision to use a spell that would help the people she cared about, that would keep them safe. That was all she wanted.
"Last Ages Spell. I absolutely forbid it's use." Master Hades had told her firmly after she had confided in him about her desire to learn Arc Of Time Magic.
"But why? This is exactly the spell that I was hoping to discover!" Ultear had complained, she had been just a child then. An innocent, clueless child. "This magic allows you to turn back time and do things over again. I will do whatever it takes of me to master it." Master Hades had looked concerned while also proud of her determination.
"The price of mastering Last Ages Spell is quite a heavy one indeed. It does in fact turn back time, but the caster must forfeit their time in return." Ultear hadn't understood exactly what he meant.
"Their time?"Hades had sighed before responding.
"In other words, their life."She had been disappointed to learn that, it meant the spell was of no use to her. She would never be reunited with her mother.
"Oh. I see. Thank you." Later she had cried tears of anger, of sorrow. She had thought of Ur, of her mother and how much she wished to be reunited with her some day.
"It will never happen. Not when I have committed so many sins, we won't be meeting in heaven."She took a deep breath. "But at least I can give up this life of sin and sorrow to attempt to set the world as it was. I can save them." She thought of all the people she owed so much to and her decision was set.
"Arc Of Time: Last Ages."She said clearly and firmly. It hurt so much, she felt like every piece of her existence was being torn to shreds. But she endured it. She knew this pain was nothing compared to the one she had caused, to the suffering she had brought to this world.
"Gray, Jellal and Sweet Meredy."She focused on the people she loved in order to distract herself from the pain. "I never deserved their forgiveness. Their warmth was wasted on me. So obsessed with my past that I could never live in the present, much less the future. But now I can find redemption, I can give the time I would have wasted in this world so that the ones I love can live and be a part of it."
"I ask the hands of time to reverse and return the world to what it was before that stupid gate plunged it into chaos. Let my life be enough!" She was screaming by then, looking at the sky with pleading eyes, hoping whatever gods were watching would listen to her prayer.
"You always know what to say, don't you?" Jellal repeated the words he had said to her less than two weeks before.
"That's still not true. I just see you for who you are and I'd like it if you did as well." Erza replied before her eyes widened. "Wait. I've said that before." She pulled away from him while looking around wildly.
"So strange."He muttered before looking at her.
"What's happening?" She asked no one in particular. "It's as if we had a vision, a glimpse into the future." His eyes widened at her words.
"Ultear." He said the name, voice shaking. Something was wrong, very wrong. He could feel it clearly. "What have you done?" He muttered under his breath and Erza watched him curiously before attempting to stand up.
"Ultear? You think she's related to what happened?" She asked him and his response was cut off by the sudden appearance of 3 dragons. Before they could do anything, the creatures suddenly shot their lasers, all in Erza's direction. She was paralyzed by fear, but Jellal acted fast. He ran to her while using his magic to hit the dragons. They were eliminated quite easily, but the damage was already done.
"Erza?" He asked before his eyes followed hers to where a laser had hit her right shoulder. The bandages on it were ripped and blood was pouring out. So much blood. So many injuries.
Erza could feel herself falling, but he caught her before she could hit the ground. As she stared into his dark green eyes, a sudden thought occurred to her. She could die that night. It wasn't unlikely, she could feel herself slipping away as breathing got harder and she lost so much blood. And she knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn't tell him the truth before it happened. He deserved to know, even if he didn't want to.
"I… I love you." She finally confessed while her pale hand-much too pale for her liking or his- cupped his cheek gently and she attempted a reassuring smile, but found herself to weak for it. Jellal stared at her so brokenly, so painfully, she could see how much it hurt him to see her in that state. So she tried her best to keep herself conscious, though it was getting harder by the minutes.
The blue haired man scanned her injuries, his hands were shaking and his eyes were carefully avoiding hers. She knew he was trying to distract himself from her confession and Erza felt hurt when he didn't reply to it. But there were more important matters at the moment, she understood.
"You're going to be okay." Jellal whispered after he finished scanning her. She couldn't hear him by then, having fallen unconscious due to the pain and blood loss. He picked her up and carried her all the way to the palace, where Porlyusica was staying, as he had been informed by Agent Doranbolt. The large place now served as an infirmary that hosted many injured wizards. Once he arrived with Erza, some of them stared at him in surprise and fear.
"This looks bad. Put her on that bed."Porlyusica told him while pointing towards the only vacant bed in the large room. As Jellal set Erza on the bed, he wished nothing more than to stay with her, but he couldn't. Not when he was a wanted criminal and was sure many of the people there would feel uncomfortable with his presence. So he gave her a longing look before kissing her forehead and then he was gone.
"Juvia, I have to tell you something." Gray looked deeply into her eyes and she was surprised by the intensity of his gaze.
"Okay." She slowly stood up and stared at him with those big blue eyes. He could see that she wasn't entirely focused on their conversation, for once. Her attention darted between him and Lyon as the older ice mage was holding off the mini dragons while they talked. Meredy had joined him and Juvia could see that they were whispering to each other. She was curious to what they might be talking about.
"It's important, so can you please focus?" He called her attention before their eyes widened. Flashes of Gray's death left the four wizards beyond confused.
"What just happened here?" Lyon whispered from his spot by Meredy's side.
"I died?" Gray asked, it was so surreal. He never thought that he would see himself die. But then it hit him. The reason why he had died.
"Was it a dream?" Meredy asked, but he ignored her. His eyes were focused on the blue haired woman he had sacrificed himself for. She had taken a few steps away from the rest of them as her widened eyes stared at him in disbelief. A hand was over her mouth as she kept shaking her head.
"No. You were gone. Gone." She repeated, voice shaking and tears falling. Gray's heart was shattered by the pain in her eyes, but at least she was alive. He had managed to save her.
"Juvia…."He swallowed hard, but she only stared at him brokenly before falling to her knees.
"Look, some of the little ones were climbing over there! " Meredy tore her concerned gaze from Juvia and towards where the dragons had attacked. As if her words had power, 5 dragons showed up all of sudden. Gray was frozen in place, so Lyon took action immediately.
"Meredy." The pink haired girl nodded before she used her magic to defeat the dragons. Lyon watched Gray and Juvia for a moment before going towards the broken girl crying on the floor. He cast Gray a glare for his lack of action, but understood the other ice mage must still be in shock. After all, seeing yourself dying must really affect someone.
"Juvia." Lyon said her name gently after he approached her and she only cried harder. He could see she was gasping for breath as she muttered things he couldn't hear. Seeing her pain, her sorrow, made the hole in his broken heart even bigger. He couldn't bare to see her suffering, even if the reason for it was her love another man.
"Gone. My fault. No." He kneeled by her side and he could hear her whispers now. She was clearly blaming herself for Gray's death.
"Juvia." He tried to get her attention while touching her shoulder softly and she froze before stepping away from him. He tried not to show how it hurt when she pushed him away. "It's okay. Gray's alright, he's right there." He pointed towards where the ice mage stood still, black eyes widened in shock.
"No, he's gone. He left me." Juvia kept sobbing as she attempted to catch her breath. Lyon was confused, she has looked right at Gray, but it was if she couldn't see him. That's when he realized she was having a panic attack and he started panicking as well.
"Gray, snap out of it." Lyon yelled at the black haired man who didn't move. He didn't even hear Lyon's words, didn't see how desperate the other man was or how much Juvia was suffering. His mind was currently plagued by dark thoughts that he couldn't suppress anymore.
Juvia had almost died. He had come so close to losing her, only his quick thinking had been able to save her. What if he had failed? What would he have done? That was way too painful to even consider, but it had almost happened.
And the worse was, it wasn't the first time he would lose someone he loved. That's exactly why Gray had kept his heart closed for so long, for fear of losing anyone who became close to him. Until Juvia. After he had realized that he loved her, he had let himself hope for once. Hope that things might be alright between them, that they might be happy together. How foolish he had been!
It was almost like a curse, how it happened every single time. First with his parents, then Ur. Erza had come close too and Juvia was only alive by a miracle. Why did he have to be subjected to so much pain? Why couldn't he let people close to his heart without losing them? His mind kept replaying the moment she had been almost hit by that laser bean, so close. So close to losing her.
He couldn't let it happen again. And he knew that it would happen, he would cause her death. That terrified him, angered him, but he knew it was true. As long as Juvia was kept close to him, she would be in danger. He had to stay away, even if that would hurt him, the pain would be nothing compared to that of losing her.
His attention was caught by her voice, she was no longer whispering. Her words cut him like knives and his resolve began to waver.
"Why? Why him? It should have been me. He didn't deserve to die. " Juvia's broken voice could be heard clearly now. Gray flinched at her words, but still didn't move. Meredy glanced worriedly at the water mage while attempting to keep the monsters at bay.
"Juvia, listen to me. Gray is alive. He's fine. It's not real, what you're seeing." Lyon tried to approach her once again, but she shook her head and crawled back further. Her back hit the ruins of a house and she stared in fear at the man who kept approaching her.
"Stay away. I can't…." He stopped immediately upon noticing the fear in her eyes and lifted his hands in surrender.
"Alright, I'll stay right here. See? Not moving." He tried to calm her down, but his words had the opposite effect.
"Not moving. He wasn't moving. Or breathing. He's dead because of me." She weeped and Gray couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't watch her suffer when he was right there, so close. He couldn't stay away now.
So he finally moved from his spot and marched towards her while she was looking at the ground, knees held close to her chest as she went back to mumbling incoherently.
She needed him, so he would keep his promise to stay away later. Right now, he would reassure her that he was alive and well, he would take away her pain. Too bad he didn't know that pain had always been a constant in her life and her suffering was far from over.
So, thoughts?
Did you like the scenes with everyone suffering from Gray's death? I hope you thought all the characters reacted accordingly.
What did you think of SilverXGray flashbacks and Silver pretty much killing Keyes? Too bad time will be reversed, so it won't truly happen.
And Ultear, isn't she just amazing? Too bad she's gone now. :( I hope you liked my portrayal of her.
Jerza fans, are you happy? I tried my best to do something good for these two. We even got a confession, Jellal's will take a while, though. But you know he loves her. For me it's always been clear that these two have been in love with each other since the beginning.
What did you think of that last scene with Juvia, Gray and Lyon? I'm sure you're frustrated with Gray's decision to once again back away, but hope you understood his reasons for it. Don't worry, it won't last for long. The time for Gruvia to get together is coming very soon.
I'm sorry if I came off too intensely with my complaints regarding the lack of reviews in this story. It's just that I'm used to getting at least 4 per chapter from my other stories, so it upset me when this one got so little.
Reviews are the main reason why I post the story here, to get the opinions of others and find a way to improve my writing. So without the comments, I feel as if no one's interesting and I can't know what I'm doing wrong so I could fix it. In no way did I wish to force you to give me reviews, I was just pointing out how important your responses are for the story and how the lack of it can affect my writing.
You won't hear any complaints from me again, I've already accepted that this story won't be getting as many comments as I hoped. I just think it deserved a bit more, that's all. Being author yourselves, I'm sure many of you understand what it's like to work hard for something and feel as if it didn't get what it deserved.
But don't worry, I will keep posting the chapters on a weekly basis, perhaps even twice per week.
Next chapter: Keep You Safe. More Gruvia, MeredyXLyon flashbacks and the truth behind Juvia and Silver's connection.
Think we can make it to 3 reviews by Saturday so I can post it then?
