AN: Yeah, uh, I'm bad at writing fights... So thank you for bearing with this. Also, sad things come towards the end. Very sad things. You might hate me, but they're essential to the plot, I swear!
(AND OMG I DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF GAJEEL EATING JOSE'S SHADOWS THAT'S SO COOL)
JOSE'S THRONE ROOM
"Jose." Juvia got into a fighting stance, balancing her arms, spreading her legs slightly, lowering herself close to the ground. "It's been a while."
"It has, it has, my darling girl." He stepped towards her, impressively calm. Jose wore nice black pants, a purple button-up, and was removing his hat and tossing it to the side, away from them. "I've been waiting so long."
"Why, Jose?" Juvia took a step back, unfortunately intimidated. "Why end the world? Juvia doesn't think Jose knows how horrible Tempest really is, she-"
"I've studied your friend my whole life!" Jose smiled. "Since I was a little boy, I've studied her and waited for the right time to come along. And why? Well, for the simple reason that I hate this world." He shrugged. "I hate this world and how it favors the weak over the strong, the Fairies over the Phantoms."
Juvia grit her teeth, shifting her feet, going away from him again. His shadow was flickering towards her. "J-Jose… Destroying the world simply because it doesn't go your way? That's ridiculous."
"Is it? Tell me, beloved one, wouldn't you rip apart the world for your precious Gray Fullbuster." Well, that caught her attention. "I'm simply ripping apart the world so I can see fire and blood and suffering. Like you want love, that is what I want."
"Jose is insane."
"Don't you want to see it, Juvia?" he asked, reaching out a withering hand to her. "Don't you want to see what you, what your family, could be capable of?"
That was it. "The Locksers aren't meant to destroy the world, we're meant to keep this thing hidden away, protect everyone from it!" The ice around Jose rose up as she lifted her arms. "That's why Juvia will stop you, or die trying!"
The columns of ice shot towards him, aiming right for his throat. However, they crumbled with merely a disinterested look from Jose. Surprise overcame her features, then her face contorted in rage.
No.
She kicked out as he approached her, sent a current of boiling water. His aura evaporated it.
It won't end like this.
He tilted slightly to the side and avoided a Water Cane.
Juvia won't let it!
The entire icy ground rose up as she put all her concentration into the spell. It contorted and twisted and wrapped around Jose, spikes forming on the inside. Water flooded into the icy cage, drowning Jose. However, he looked calm, too calm, as the water went to his chest, his throat, his chin, then his eyes-
Why wasn't he yelling?
Suddenly, too suddenly for such a powerful spell, it all exploded outwards, shards of ice scratching up her skin, water sloshing everywhere. The force sent Juvia flying back into a pillar of ice. She coughed and slid to the ground, but got up immediately.
Everyone in the world is depending on Juvia.
Her heart sank as Jose's minions, the dark ghosts that had always made her so afraid, charged her.
That's too many people to depend on one person.
JOSE'S CASTLE
"Juvia!" Gajeel ran down another hall. "Where is she, I can't feel her!"
Totomaru pressed his hand against the wall, leaning over and breathing. "Calm down, bro. If Jose had completed the spell, there'd be lots more magic coming from somewhere."
"Time's running out, though!"
JOSE'S THRONE ROOM
"That's as close as you get to Juvia!" Steam began to rise off her skin. She'd make herself so hot that he couldn't touch her. "Water Jigsaw!"
Her body became swirling cyclone of boiling, lava-hot water and she charged him, slicing up his arm as she passed by. Reverting to solid form, she slid across the ground, clutching it with her hands to stop. She breathed deeply, watching as he wiped away the minimal amount of blood on his arm, amused.
"Juvia, this is pointless. My love, why not just give up?"
"Shut up!" Juvia shouted. "Juvia won't give up, she absolutely won't! She won't give up, she won't let go, because those are the words that Gajeel-kun and Gray-sama said to her!"
She remembered vividly. Gajeel gripping her hand as she tended to him. "Can't ever give up, again, okay? Doesn't solve anything."
Falling down down down into the water, having Gray grab her hand and nearly dropping her, but hanging on. "Don't let go, okay? I promise I won't ever let you fall!"
Those words. Those words gave her strength untold.
Meredy. "Live for the ones you love! If you have love in your life, keep on living!"
Like hell was she going to go back on what she told precious, precious Meredy. Juvia would try to live, try with all her might.
Unfortunately, there were no guarantees, not in such a dangerous and high-risk situation.
The ghosts came again and bowled her over, slamming her head into a nearby ice column. Blood dripped down and she shrieked. Such was her passion that she had not kept Water Body up and going.
Jose laughed. "Lovely Juvia, never give up? Don't let go? Those words have no meaning in this world where everyone gives up, where everyone cheats and lets go. The sooner you accept that, the sooner this will be over. All of it. The lying in this world, the infidelity, the suffering, the joy, everything. No one will hurt anyone anymore."
"But pain and lying are an essential part of human life!" Juvia gasped, boiling away the phantoms. "If we did not lie, did not experience pain, then what would make us human? What would life be? Nothing! We can't learn without those things, and we certainly can't learn if we are dead!"
He clicked his tongue patronizingly. "Foolish one." He took a step forward-
-and appeared right next to Juvia.
Her eyes widened, her heartbeat stopped as he put his hand on her shoulder as he walked past. "Do you know why this room is made of ice, girl?"
Juvia's eyes flicked around. Now that she thought about it, it likely wasn't an interior design choice.
"This ice"-Jose grabbed her shoulder harder-"is designed to absorb you."
The Tower of Heaven.
Juvia remembered Gran's words from long, long ago (well, at least for her. It had only seemed like months): "That sounds suspiciously like a ritual that has been attempted on us many times. How disturbing…"
"The ice will absorb you into it, absorbing your magic and putting it under my control. I'll rip Tempest out of you. She'll be completely under my control, Juvia dearest." Jose's lips twisted into a mad,mad smile. "Wonderful, isn't it?"
And then she was being pulled back, pushed back by his hand on her shoulder, she was screaming as the cold of the ice pressed against her back and it shot out, wrapping around her hands and feet, leaving her hanging out.
Everything was silent.
Everything was pain.
Juvia screamed, struggling in the grip of the ice as it pulled on her skin, cut her flesh. Jose laughed as he watched her. He leaned forward and took a lock of stray hair and smelled it. "Ah, same lovely smell as always, Juvia."
"Jose, there's still time-"
"I'm so sorry, my lovely one." Jose shook his head, letting go of her hair. "This isn't the happiness you wished for is it?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
Gray-sama. I want a wedding where Gajeel-kun walks me down the aisle, I want to be loved. I want to have kids, I want to have a real house, a modest-sized one with a garden… I want to see Gajeel-kun get married.
"JOSE!"
She sobbed more and more, screaming and pulling as it sucked her in. Now it was almost covering her face, almost swallowing her screams-
I'll never teach Gajeel-kun's kids how to swim.
"Woah!" Strong arms, studded with metal that dug into her waist, wrapped around her, pulling until she was out of the ice and in his arms.
"Gajeel?" Jose lifted an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled. "The staircase… I ruined it! There's no other way up-"
"Dude, I have a cat who can fly." Gajeel snickered, swinging Juvia over his shoulder. "Left Totomaru down there, though. Lily was too tired for more than one trip. Oh well, I'll have to be enough to rip you to shreds."
Juvia pressed her hands against his back, pushing herself up enough to look back over his shoulder. "Gajeel-kun, he's really strong, so be-"
"Ah, quite yappin'!" He dropped her on the ground, then bent down next to her.
"Gajeel-kun, wh- HEY, HEY, STOP, NO!" She giggled madly as he poked her stomach repeatedly, then under her arms. "J-J-Juvia is so ti-icklish, you have to sto-op! No, no, I'm crying, I'm crying!"
He pulled back and she curled up, sniveling and crying with laughter. "Now, sit there while I take care of this."
Juvia looked back up at him, hair all over, ponytail almost completely undone. "Shut up! Gajeel-kun can't beat Jo-"
She fainted. Gajeel lifted an metal-stud eyebrow, nudging her.
"Oi, I didn't poke you that hard."
"She's exhausted, my boy. You shouldn't wake a lady while she's resting." Jose frowned and shook his head. "Terrible manners. After using all that magic and nearly getting absorbed… It's so much for such a small person to take."
Gajeel moved Juvia away from any ice columns, stroking her hair briefly. "You know what, Jose?" He turned around, eyes cold and feelingless. "A long time ago, I kind of took it on myself to be Juvia's protector."
Jose lifted an eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue.
"I decided I would always be by her, and it would be okay. I'd make all the bad and scary things go away, since she's seen so much of it." He kicked a lump of ice. "Her brother. Her dad. Acnologia, you, heartbreak, having that thing inside her. She thinks she can't have kids, because she'll burden them.. Shame, really." Gajeel smirked a bit. "Juvia's A+ mom material."
"Your point, my boy?" Jose said, infinitely patient.
"The point? I guess the point is, Jose, that I make all the bad and scary things go away." His eyes flashed into fire and anger and fight. "And you are a bad and scary thing!"
In a second, Gajeel was in front of Jose, stabbing at him with an iron sword. Jose looked surprised and jumped back with amazing agility for someone his age. Gajeel kept going though, swiping and catching Jose's chest, leaving behind a bright red cut.
"No." Jose growled, agitated for the first time in his fight. "I won't be beat! I've waited so long for this! The dragon will be mine!"
"Over my dead body!" He stabbed again, catching Jose's side.
"Die!"
Phantoms overcame Gajeel, throwing him all the way across the icy throne room. He grunted as he hit the ground, gravity catching up with him. He rolled and tumbled until he hit a pillar that pressed uncomfortably into his back.
Jose was going for Juvia again, grabbing her by the hair and picking her up. Gajeel stumbled up, crazy-eyed. If Natsu could see him now, he would either be amazed at his determination, or laughing that Gajeel had a conscience, a heart that wanted to protect, though he acted cold.
"Drop her!"
An iron rod knocked into Jose's side, throwing him away, giving Gajeel enough time to get back to Juvia's side.
Jose looked beyond infuriated now, enraged that so many attacks had hit him. "That's it!"
And he began to cast a spell.
"Mmmnnnh…" Juvia sat up, blue hair curtaining her face. "What?"
Ice ripping at her skin. Gajeel poking her until she cried. Sudden exhaustion hitting in waves. That's what she recalled from moments earlier. Surely she hadn't been out so long?
Now she felt dread pricking her soul, its source likely Jose's spell that he was casting, aiming right for Gajeel
No.
No, she'd seen that spell once.
The man he'd used it on? Dead the moment it was done with him.
And it. Was. Aiming
right
for
Gajeel
"Gajeel-kun!" she screamed, finding strength in fear and adrenaline. "Don't hurt him!"
Gajeel looked paralyzed, staring at the spinning orb of darkness, of fear and anger and pain that Jose was gathering between his hands. It was so small, but it let off so much despair… Juvia kept screaming, stumbling on her hands and feet to get to him.
The spell was making so much noise, something like screaming and crying, that no one heard her.
No one took notice until her curls were flying in the violent breeze it was giving off, until she was standing in front of Gajeel and screaming for Jose to stop.
Five seconds
He let go of the spell accidentally, screaming as it spiraled towards Juvia.
Four seconds
"Juvia, MOVE!"
"This way Gajeel-kun lives and Tempest dies!"
Three seconds
I'm so scared to die.
Two seconds
Darkness barreling towards her, ripping up everything in its path.
One second
It collided with a figure in front of Juvia, some shape that had emerged at the last second, something tall and brawny, something with black and white hair, something brave and kind and funny.
He fell backwards, nose bleeding, blood streaming from even his eyes. Gajeel and Juvia watched in horror as he hit the ground.
She screamed. He choked on nothing.
"TOTO!"
AN: Ugh, I'm so super sorry about this. Here, have some sad lyrics to go along with the chapter.
No light, no light in your bright blue eyes…
-Florence and the Machine, No Light, No Light