"What would happen to Juvia and Jellal if Gray x Erza became canon?"
This is Juvia and Jellal's story...
Juvia sat patiently as she waited for Aphrodite and Persephone to finish. Two hours before the ceremony, Aphrodite had assigned her Godly brothers to place the final details in the ballroom with Hades supervising, to avoid any unnecessary problems. Mirajane and Erza were off in a separate room, so Mira could stitch the last features into place on Erza's dress. The Love Goddess had Persephone and herself on styling duty. She had the brilliant idea of styling Juvia and the other bridesmaids' hair in style from their period of time. Which Juvia will have to admit, the French style headband was quite elegant, and the iron-pressed curls were a nice touch. With a sun-filled smile, Aphrodite hummed softly as she braided Levy's hair together. Juvia doesn't believe she has seen Aphrodite this happy before. The Goddess was practically radiating rainbows and sunshine with how cheerful she appears to be. Oh, what a wedding can do one's mood...
"Aphro seems excited," Juvia smiled as she caught the Goddess's attention.
"How can I not be?! Love is in the air!" Aphro squealed, accidentally yanking Levy by the hair. Sheeply, Aphrodite blushed. "Sorry Levy, I just so happy."
"It's fine..." Levy sweatdropped as Aphro continued with her task. "Hey, where's Hera? I haven't seen her all day. You would think the Goddess of Marriage would be present for a wedding."
"Oh her? I think she went with Jellal and the others." Persephone paused for a moment to think about the answer before resuming curling Evergreen's fluffy hair. "She said something about checking on Zeus as well."
"Counting Jellal, Erik, and Kyushu, that would be five people missing the wedding." Aphrodite pondered on the thought. "I guess I have Apollo and Hermes move a table out the ballroom later, then."
"I still can't believe we got to have the wedding in Kardia Cathedral," Lucy scratched her cheek as we all recalled the damage we caused in here last time. "You would think they would forbid us from doing it with how often we destroyed this building."
"A little sweet talk never hurt anyone, Lucy," Aphro winked with a muted groan from Persephone, accompanied by an eye roll. "Oh, there's so much Eros in the air!"
"Eros? I don't think I'm familiar with that word," Evergreen crossed her arms.
"It's one of the six ways we used to describe love," Aphro answered. "Eros is the usual idea people have when they think of love between two people. If I had to give an example, I guess Levy and Gajeel would have to do."
"E-Eh?! Aphrodite!" Levy choked on air while Aphro continued her lecture.
"There's philia, or commonly known as brotherly love. Apollo and Hermes is the perfect example. To be honest, I waiting for them to hook up." Aphro shrugged indifferently.
"I don't need that image in my head," Persephone groaned. "Please just keep going."
"Alright! Ludus is playful love which should never be confused with Eros. Ludus is more commonly found in one-night stands or casual flirting." She heavily noted. "So, it's important to avoid anyone who acts like Zeus."
"That's fair," Athena shrugged.
"Philautia is basically loving yourself and knowing your own self-worth, so like self-esteem and that kind of stuff." She switched from braiding to curling Levy's short blue hair. "Agape is the love you have everyone, from family to strangers. I guess Fairy Tail does a good job at that already. I'm almost jealous."
"Why? We consider the Gods and Goddess as our own." Lucy smiled as she brushed her hand against her guild mark. "Whatever you need, we'll be here for you!"
"You're so sweet Lucy; I almost feel guilty for slipping that aphrodisiac into your's and Natsu's dinner a couple nigh-ops." Aphro realized she snitched on herself, and to think Aphro was fully absorbed in planning the wedding. So, we're spiking people's food with aphrodisiacs now? Although...Juvia is surprised Mira never resorted to the method. With how desperate she sounds sometimes, Juvia would have thought Mira would have been spiking all of our food. Then again, that's unethical for the head of the kitchen.
"Aphro, you dID WHAT?!" Lucy screams with a scarlet red face, whether from rage or embarrassment Juvia couldn't exactly tell. Both were reasonable.
"In my defense, the Eros between you and Natsu was so obvious, so I thought I would give y'all a tiny push. I didn't throw in enough make Natsu blind with years pent up sexual rage. I just sprinkle through in enough for one round of fun. Had Natsu gotten out of control, Virgo and I would have stopped him."
"What? Did you watch?!" Lucy screamed in a louder pitch.
"Oh, so something did happen?" Levy smirked as Evergreen nudged the Celestial wizard. "How was i-"
"Hey Athena, are there any more versions of loves?" Lucy abruptly stood up and walked over the Wisdom Goddess.
"...I do believe there's Pragma which is love slowly built throughout a longstanding relationship." Athena eyed Lucy for a moment almost as if she debated throwing her back to wolves known as Levy and Evergreen.
"If you want a realistic example of this. Persephone and Hades are your go-to couple!" Aphro proudly announced which slightly startled Juvia and Persephone because this was perhaps the first compliment Aphro gave the Vegetation Goddess.
"Wait, what?" Persephone raised an eyebrow. She knew that was the truth, but she never expected Aphro to admit it.
"Oh come on Persephone, I can sense all forms of love between all forms of life," The Love Goddess explained as she smiled down as Levy's hair. "I'm well aware of love better you and Hades. It's something we all should strive for. I know...you would think the Goddess of Love would be the one experiencing all forms of love, but I can't because of Zeus..."
"Aphrodite...what did Zeus do to you?" Athena asked softly as she eyed her with confusion.
"He forced me to marriage Heps which I know sounds horrible on the surface. I have nothing against his appearance. The thing was that I never could experience Eros with Heps, or even Ludus. I tried, in the beginning, to make amends with Heps and make things work. However, you can't force someone to love you. I should have known that better than anyone else..." A moment of silence passed as we waited patiently for Aphrodite to herself. "Yes, I know I'm wrong for cheating on Heps with Aries, no less, but I had a reason. Not a good one, but a reason was there nonetheless. There was a sense of rebellion I felt whenever we hooked up. It was as if I able to defy Zeus's will by sleeping with his most hated son. I was cheating to defy Zeus's orders. I wasn't cheating to purposely hurt Heps. I know that I hurt Heps more than any wife has hurt her husband before, but he was never meant to get caught in the crossfire. Heps is nothing more than a victim in my battle against Zeus."
"Aphro..." Persephone whispered as the guilt slowly consumed her. After years of harassing Aphrodite about the subject, Persephone learned the reason behind the girl's madness.
"I know it doesn't excuse everything I've done, but it's nice to get that off my chest. I feel lighter than a pair of wings." Aphro cheered without realizing how low the energy in the room was. After all, she did drop a rather heavy revelation onto us and unannounced none the less. "Why do y'all acting so weird? It's a wedding, not a funeral geez."
"Ye-Yeah, Aphrodite is right. Today's a day to celebrate love." Levy was the first to recover. "We should be happy that Erza and Gray are getting married."
"It's was certainly unexpected," Evergreen stated. "To think Gray would be bold enough to marry Erza."
"Then again Ever, you and I don't interact with Gray as much as Lucy, so it would make sense that we wouldn't notice." Levy sweatdropped.
"Um, Levy...I didn't think it would end like this either." Lucy admitted with a bashful expression. "Yeah, I knew they went on a mission alone, but he did the same with Juvia. I didn't really think anything of it. What about you, Juvia?"
"Huh? Oh, Juvia was blindsided as well, but Juvia believes Gray wished for some sense of privacy." Juvia was aware of the irony. "Gray didn't want Juvia to interfere, so that might be the reason."
"You liked Gray? Huh, I would have never guessed. I didn't sense anything more than the normal family love between those two." Aphro shrugged. "The Eros between you and Jellal is strong, just saying."
"Now, that I think about it," Levy paused to collect her thoughts. "Juvia and Jellal have been spending a lot of time together ever since he joined."
"Oh, y'all didn't know!" Aphro gasped and twisted her face into devious one. With a devilish smile, Aphrodite smirked. "You know their relationship has been growing long before the Gods entered the picture."
"Aphro, hush!" Juvia glared at the Goddess with a maddening blush on her face. She will summon her God Dress: Hades. This is not something Aphro should be gossiping about.
"Oh come on Juvia, it's just girl talk." The goddess waved me off with a smile. "If it makes you happy, I'll spill some gossip about Levy and Ever."
"I-I don't think we need to go that far," Levy sweatdropped as she tried backing away from the Love Goddess. "I think Mira is calling us."
"Aphrodite please, not everyone enjoys having their secrets unwillingly exposed," Athena sighed. Where was your voice when Aphrodite was talking about Juvia?
"...Fine," She dropped the subject. "I'm done styling anyways, so ONTO THE WEDDING!"
It was only moments before entering the hall of the church Aphro explained the procedures from this point on. We were to become pairs and lock our arms together with our partners. Heads were to be level and straight. Eyes were be locked on center stage. If we trip, Aphrodite would have our heads, and no one was willing to test her now.
With Lucy as the Maid of Honor and Loke as the Best Man, they were automatically paired together. Juvia wasn't too worried about those two getting along. They have a long history with each other. Then, there was the remaining four groomsmen, Natsu, Freed, Lyon, and Laxus. The men Erza managed to 'convinced' to partake in the ceremony. What Juvia would do to have Jellal by her side. Then, she would have a reliable partner. That's not to say Lyon and the guys weren't reliable in their own way. It's that Juvia wasn't entirely comfortable around them all that well, and Juvia was pretty sure the ten of us will be in these pairs again for a long period of time.
Freed demonstrating his usual gentlemen manners kissed Ever's hand when he offered to her partner. Laxus offered his arm to Mirajane while he looked away from the model. Knowing her choices, Juvia sucked it up and walked up to Lyon. He might have had a crush on Juvia, but the water mage was certain he got over her right? There's no way he had lingering feelings for Juvia.
"Will Lyon be Juvia's partner?" She smiled softly with her hand extended out in the most platonic way imaginable.
"Certainly," He accepted Juvia's offer which left Levy and Natsu together...which is interesting, to say the least. Gajeel's rival is escorting his girlfriend, Levy, down the aisle.
Aphrodite lined us up with the Maiden of Honor and Best Man in the front and Natsu and Levy in the back. Which is understandable, Natsu might antagonize Gray throughout the ceremony, and no one wants to coin the term 'A Fairy Tail Wedding'. Our guild might joke about having ruined wedding, but that does not mean we want to experience one. Juvia and Lyon were placed third with Mira and Laxus standing before them. When we approach the stage, Aphrodite told us to break from our partner stand on our respective sides. The Bridesmaids were to the left; the Groomsmen were to the left. Supposedly, there were Xs on the ground to signal where we were supposed to stand. After Natsu and Levy made it to their spots, Aphrodite was going to bring Gray out followed by the Flower Girl, Wendy. Once Wendy took her seat in the front row alongside Carla and Happy, Erza would finally walk down the aisle with Aphrodite towing the end o her gown and Master guiding her down the aisle.
"How are you holding up?" Lyon whispered into Juvia's ear as Lucy and Loke stepped into the hall.
"Hm? What is Lyon talking about?" Juvia raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you hung up on my lil brother, Gray?" He answered back.
"Juvia has moved on...She had no other choice," She held back the desire to sigh while Mira and Laxus slowly walked out. "Juvia found her happiness in her friends."
"And, here I thought you chose me in hopes of stirring up some kind of dormant jealousy in Gray." He chuckled to himself. Now that Lyon mentioned it, it does look purposeful, so does that mean others perceived it like that? Oh well, as long as Juvia doesn't stand out during the ceremony, she has nothing to worry about. After all, the reception was the only thing left before Juvia could leave.
"Oh Juvia has no desire to ruin Erza's day," Juvia smiled to herself as they entered the halls, arms locked together. "After all, Juvia couldn't face her guildmates if she pulled such a stunt."
Out of the corner of her eyes, Juvia noticed that the Gods sat on the left while Fairy Tail sat on the right. With Zeus and Hera absent, Hades, Persephone, and Poseidon sat in the front row. Apollo, Artemis, and Hermes sat in the second row with Athena and Heps in the third row.
Parting ways, Juvia took her spot behind the Beauty as last two pairs brought in the rear. With a rune written across the back of left hand, Gray made his long-awaited entrance. Dressed in a slim tuxedo with a scarlet dress shirt underneath, Gray made his way to the center stage. Juvia couldn't help but notice the old expression on Gray's face.
He wasn't smiling.
Rather Gray was showing a range of expressions that left him with a painful frown. Why would he be frowning- no Juvia that is none of your concern anymore. Gray's wellbeing falls on Erza's shoulder. As the wedding bells began to chime, Erza entered the hall with a bouquet in hand. She was beyond words yet so elegant with how she walked. It was heartwarming. Master had to wipe a tear his eye. Our guild left out a cheer in Erza's arrival. It brought a smile to Juvia when she saw unified Fairy Tail could be for one of their family members. With a cough from the minister, the ceremony finally began.
JELLAL'S POV
"Geez Jellal, what crawl up your ass?" Erik bluntly asked as the five of us were making our way back to the guild. "What? You're worried about our resident stalker?"
"You should know what I'm thinking about, Erik." I sighed. I couldn't shake the idea that Juvia was in some sort of danger. But, I couldn't place why. "That mission was too easy. You could've easily beat them by yourself, so why did Master send the three of us? And, there's this feeling I have about Gray, ugh."
"Well, you should. He's been working with Ivan and Jose long before the proposal." Erik admitted.
"Wait, who's Ivan and Jose, and why are they important?" Hera asked.
"Past enemies of Fairy Tail," I answered. Then, that would mean a lot of pieces will fit into place. "That would explain the death magic scent on Gray, the lack of fight between him and Natsu, and why he tried to kill you. All of this has been to protect his secret. But, what does Juvia have to do with all this? What role does she have to play in this?"
"A moment of doubt will bring about the end of their relationship," Erik answered. This isn't the time for riddles. "In other words, that dumbass had a moment of doubt when came to Juvia and tried to cover his tracks as much as possible. The guilts been eating away at him since the beginning, and the fucker's in too deep. The wedding is the final stage of his plan, and he's about royal fuck Juvia over."
"Oh shit... Apollo's prophecy..." Hera gasped. Did he see into the future? "As the bells chime above...She will be forced to hear the unbearable truth...An outcast will be cast out the world...It's referring to Juvia!"
"Hold on, Erik if you knew this was going to happen, why didn't you say something beforehand?" Kyushu raised a good point. "We could have gotten Juvia out of that situation or better yet exposed Gray!"
"Think about the position I'm in," Erik tapped his head. "I'm a former criminal who just fucking joined the guild, and the first major thing I want to say is that one of their golden boys is playing two girls! The only people who believe me would be Meredy, Jellal, and Kinana, dumbass. I'll get kicked out before I get the chance to explain myself."
"That's the cold reality of the weight of someone's past," Hera sighed while rubbing her arm.
"So, what's going to happen to Juvia?" Kyushu asked in a worried tone.
"Oh, our stalker? She'll take the fall for Gray," Erik let out a deep sigh. "It's shitty I know, but that's how Gray has it playing out in his heart."
"And that's it?! What happens next?"
"Like hell as if I know! Ivan and Jose never told Gray the next phase in their fucking plan!"
"So Juvia is getting played by Gray while Ivan and Jose manipulate Gray," Hera shook her head. "How high does this hierarchy go?"
"There's another level," I widened my eyes. "Kronos is manipulating Ivan and Jose into opening his gate. They were ones behind Artemis and Poseidon's brainwashing."
"If they can brainwash two Gods," Hera gasped. "They can brainwash Juvia and the other Gods. Oh shit, Hades and Poseidon are in trouble."
"As well as Persephone, Apollo, Hermes, and Artemis," I added on. "It took five Gods and four of Fairy Tail's best mages just to take out Poseidon."
"Yeah, we're fucked if they get Juvia," Erik frowned.
"Nah, I'm the best, and no one can beat me," Zeus said confidently while sneaking a peek at Kyushu. "Although, I low on energy. How about giving me a piece of that ass, Kyushu?"
"Really Zeus," Hera sweatdropped. "I'm standing two feet from you."
Ignoring his wife, Zeus threw his hand down the Absorbing Wizard's shirt too much of our surprise. "He-Hey get off me!" Kyushu struggled as the three of us stood in shock to Zeus's assault on Kyushu in broad daylight. With a moment of heightened sensitivity, Kyushu mistakenly allowed her magic to flow. The entangled duo screamed as a bright white light developed. As the longest moment passed, Kyushu was left kneeling on the ground with smoke coming off her shoulder. It was clear her mind was everywhere else besides the present.
Something important was missing from the scene.
"...Hey Erik...what do you think happens when Kyushu uses her powers on a spirit?" I asked the dreaded question. There were only two answers it, and I pray it wasn't the worst of the two. "You...don't think Zeus is gone...as in forever...right?"
"Forever...?" Hera's voice cracked as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Shit, I don't know." Erik shrugged. "Probably, I don't see his key anywhere."
"Zeus...is gone?" Something inside of Hera cracked as she absently made her way over to Kyushu who was still out of it. Gripping Kyushu by the helms of her shirt, Hera lifted the girl into the air. "Give...him...back. Give him back. Give him back! Give hIM BACK! GIVE HIM BACK! GIVE HIM BACK NOW!"
"Hera, calm down," My plead landed on deaf ears.
"...Why?" Kyushu said barely above a whisper.
"WHY? That's my husband, you insolent child!" She screamed.
"Then, you're nothing more than a fool, Hera." Kyushu glared at the Queen of Gods and grasped Hera's wrist. With a second scream, Erik and I watched in paralyzed horror as our teammate absorbed her second God. With no trace to this incident besides our own testimonies, I was left speechless. " Come on, we gotta save Juvia from Gray!"
"Hold the hell, are we not going to talk about what the fuck just happened?" Erik screamed.
"We can deal with that later. For now, we gotta stop that prophecy from happening." She urged us. Kyushu was right was had to save Juvia. We can search for a way to return Zeus and Hera later. Including this goal in our minds, the three of us raced back to Magnolia.
JUVIA'S POV
Surprisingly, the ceremony went on without a hitch. Gray didn't strip in the midst of the vows. Natsu didn't instigate. Aphro didn't even need to threaten anyone with a sword. Today might end on a good note. We were entering the reception hall just as Apollo and Hermes were bringing out the seven-tier cake. Erza and Gray were sitting in the center of a long white table that was placed near the back wall. The guest tables each had an ice sculpture centerpiece of either the groom or bride. The Gods were given their own table and sat in there usual teams and pairs with a sense of normality. Juvia looked around the hall and took note to the amount of detail Aphrodite put into the atmosphere. The month of work was well spent in Juvia's opinion.
"Over here Juvia!" Mira waved the water mage down. The other bridesmaids had already made their way to the left of Erza's chair. It brought a simple smile to Juvia. "It's finally official! They're married."
"Yes...To think Erza would be the first out of all of us," Lucy chuckled softly.
"Well, Gray is the most direct male Fairy Tail has to offer...after Natsu that is," Juvia sweatdropped as she took her spot between Levy and Mirajane.
"Seriously, it's like living with a bunch of tsunderes." Levy groaned.
"You're more than welcome to propose to Gajeel," Mira slyly smirked.
"Knowing Gajeel, he'll probably say no and propose the next day for the sake of his pride," Levy sighed heavily.
"Hey, that's a win in my book," Ever patted the smaller girl on the back. "In the end, you're getting a ring, aren't you?"
"For a good measure, we make sure Levy catches the bouquet," Juvia lightly chuckled. "After all, Gajeel can be dense at times."
"Y'all get one girl married, and already you're plotting the next one," Laxus grunted from across the table. "Damn vixens..."
"Don't be like that Laxus," Mira sweetly said. "We might just bump up your wedding date."
"What wedding? I ain't marrying anyone anytime soon." He scoffed.
"As far as you know," She giggled. "Who knows...Your wife might just be in this very room."
With a visible blush, Laxus said nothing and turned his back to Mira.
Juvia looked around the room once more. There was still no sign of Jellal and the others. Perhaps Juvia should excuse herself and find a lacrima... Jellal would normally carry one while out on a mission, or that is what he told Juvia. She doesn't want to believe a B rank mission could give them any trouble, but they haven't returned yet. Maybe Juvia should check on them...Yes, it is her duty after all. Juvia could never forgive herself if she blissfully ignored her team. Jellal, Erik, and Kyushu were important to her. Juvia will have to make it quick though to avoid anyone noticing she is missing. Juvia will have to be aware of the amount of time she takes to avoid that... no more than five minutes.
"Um excuse Juvia for a moment," Juvia stood up from her chair. "Juvia will right back."
"Are you going to the bathroom? If that's the case, I'll come with you." Mira volunteered. "I could use some freshening up."
"Oh no, Juvia will be fine alone. This will only take a moment." Juvia answered as she made her exit before another girl could ask a question.
The Water Mage entered the pastor's office in hopes of finding a functioning communication device. It was a standard office with a confession box against the left wall. There was a wooden desk with a window behind it. Whispering a soft apology, Juvia began to search through the drawers.
"You know it's wrong to go through other people's stuff. I thought you knew that?" An all to familiar voice rang through the closed room.
"Gray?! Don't give Juvia a heart attack!" Juvia jumped back a foot. "What is Gray even doing here? Gray should be enjoying the reception."
As the bells chime above...
"Like any other sinner, I came to confess," Gray smirked with his hand in his pocket. "That's what you're supposed to do in that box over there, right?"
"Well yes, but Gray would need a priest for that," Juvia thought for a moment.
"Mind playing the priest for me," He suddenly asked. "There's some stuff I gotta get off my chest."
"Master Makarov would be a better option," Juvia leaned against the window sill. "Juvia isn't really-"
"Please Juvia, grant me this one last wish," Gray pleaded as the guilt became more apparent on his face. "Think of it as a memoir to our friendship."
Memoir? That's an odd way of phrasing it, but this is Gray's wedding. And, Juvia didn't exactly bring a gift...It's the least Juvia could do.
"...Very well, what is it Gray wishes to confess?" Juvia sighed.
"I...I actually have a question first; then, I promise I'll confess."
"Yes, Gray?"
"How is your body? Does it...you know...work properly."
Gray Fullbuster, you are a married man! Do not ask Juvia that kind of question and in a church no less!
"How could Gray ask Juvia such a question?!" Juvia nearly screamed. "Juvia's bodily functions are none of Gray's business."
"Shit, not like that woman!" He shot back before becoming a tad bit more reserve. "I meant... If you were to have a baby, would it...you known... drown while you're pregnant?"
What?
"What?" The anger inside of Juvia ceased as she drowned in confusion. Where was this coming from? Never once has Gray ever mention let alone touched upon this subject.
"Are you able to have a kid? Do you know?" His eyes pleaded for an answer.
"...Of course, Juvia would be able to. Gray, what kind of question is that?" Juvia took a defensive stance. "Where is this coming from?"
Erupting into a laughing fit, Gray clutched his stomach which startled Juvia. What was wrong with him? Gray's laughing soon turned into a quiet sob.
"Is...Is Gray alright?" Juvia dared to ask.
"Oh Mavis, I'm an idiot. I never should have doubted you, Juvia."
"What?"
"I guess I should explain," Gray sighed as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I owe you that much."
"Go on..." Juvia offered the floor to him.
She will be forced to hear the unbearable truth...
"After a completing mission alone a few months ago, I ran into Master Makarov's son Ivan. Whether it was accidental or he purposefully sought me out, he started bugging me about how things were going in Fairy Tail and crap like that." Gray paused to sigh. "I tried to brush him off, but he mentioned you, Juvia. He planted these seeds of doubt in my head about your capabilities. I wanted to tell myself that he was wrong, but I was never certain about the subject. So, I went to ask you directly, but as usual, you went into your usual 'dreamland' the moment I approached you."
Okay, that's fair. Juvia couldn't exactly say he was wrong.
"When I contacted him again so we could talk it, he secretly videotaped our conversation. And, he's been blackmailing me ever since." He groaned. "If I failed to complete any one of my tasks, Ivan threatened to release the tape to Sorcerer Magazine, and we both know that Jason dude would have a field day with that kind of news. I never should've listened to Ivan."
"What were Gray's tasks?" Why was Gray telling Juvia all of this again?
"It started out with simple things like extortion, but then it escalated to direct orders...Beginning with marrying Erza." He let out a heavy sigh. "While Erza and I kept our relationship a secret, I fell for the woman. I honestly did which makes what I'm doing that much worse. I met with Phantom Tail regular for updates on my progress. Underneath the assumption that I was forcing myself to grow up, I was able to avoid people questioning me on why I stopped fighting Natsu. That flamebrain might be an idiot, but I was still afraid he might get a good whiff of the death magic constantly on me. Then, all it would take is Natsu telling Happy or Lucy, and it all would be over for me."
"Which is why Gray played dumb when Persephone and Hermes pressed the question back then." Juvia pieced together.
"Yeah, Gajeel's smarter than what I give him credit for. He was onto me for a minute." He chuckled for a moment before the grim expression returned to his face. "I didn't know what the hell I was going to do if Cobra ever snitched on me. I almost became a murderer for the sake of saving my own ass. How pathetic can I get? I'm just glad Erza and Lucy believed that lie I told. They were none the wiser. If Natsu and I fought, Erza would turn a blind eye, and I even got you brownie points with Erza."
So, Erik was correct. Gray is willing to do whatever it takes to save himself and cover his tracks. By covering his fight with Erik with a lie, Gray prevented Erza from asking why the two of them were fighting in the first place.
"When Erza told me that Athena believed there was a traitor amongst our guild, I nearly had a heart attack. You wouldn't believe it. Having Erik and Gajeel on my scent, I could manage, but the Goddess of Wisdom was a whole another case. I didn't think Ivan would attack their train. I figured he just would be more prepared and organized when Erza and others arrived." Gray shooked his head in shame. "I never wanted any of them to get hurt, and now I'm on Athena's suspect list. There's no amount of arguing Erza can do to get me off that either."
"Dear Mavis, Gray how far does this go?" Juvia gasped. This was entirely too fucked for Juvia's liking. Gray, how far are you willing to go?
"As far as Ivan wants it to go," Gray sighed. " Ever since the proposal, I could look you in eyes. The guilt was too much. I would take back everything if I could, but I'm not Ultear. I can't turn back time, not even a minute."
"Gray...what does Juvia have to do with all of this? Gray hasn't mentioned what his first question has to do with all of this."
"Ever since the war with Zeref, I have been aware of my own mortality. I almost gave up my life twice in the span of a single day. I-I didn't want my bloodline to end with me. It was only a few months ago that I was going to propose to you and finally settle down. I wanted to have a family with you Juvia, but just as I raised enough money to buy a ring... I ran into Ivan that same day. I don't know what kind of fucked up coincidence is that. He planted those seeds of doubt into my head. I started questioning if you could truly have a child. My dreams came crashing down as I desperately tried to find an answer that could piece together my broken dream."
"...Which is why Gray sought out Ivan once again," Juvia realized. Oh, dear Mavis, everything was beginning to fall into place. Oh, dear Mavis, what is Juvia suppose to do? Is she supposed to rat out Gray and ruin Erza's wedding, or does this secret die once Gray and Juvia take their final breath? What is Juvia to do? She will need a third maybe a fourth opinion on this. What would Persephone and others say?
"Now, you know everything which is what Ivan wanted..."
"Wait, what?"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
While it was muffled, Juvia swore she heard Erza's voice on the side of that closed door. Mouthing a silent apology, Gray, in one whole motion, wrapped his arm around Juvia's waist and lead back on the pastor's desk. With inertia against Juvia, the Rain Woman fell on top of Gray with their faces mere inches apart.
Why...Why would Gray do that?
Before Juvia or Gray could react, Erza Fullbuster slammed her body against the door with Lucy and Aphro by her side. Their jaws dropped to the ground as realization struck Juvia. Gray Fullbuster was going to frame Juvia for this. This what Erik meant by Gray was still plotting against Juvia.
"Juvia..." Lucy gasped as her shoulders slumped in betrayal.
"Juvia can explain!" Juvia jumped away from Gray's person.
"How can you even begin to explain this?! You're on top of my husband!" Erza screamed at the top of his lungs. This is why Ivan wanted Gray to marry Erza. Once the scarlet warrior is pissed, there's no reasoning with her. That explosive nature of Erza could only be brought out in the most extreme cases...such as her husband's former stalker being found on top of said husband. "A man who didn't love you!"
...That's a low blow Erza, but Juvia will overlook it because of it's not your fault.
"Just listen to Juvi-" Juvia pleaded but Erza swiftly cut me off.
"I don't want to hear your lies or your excuse." She wiped the flowing tears from her right eye.
"This doesn't make any sense," Aphro whispered as she gripped her head. "There's no Eros. There's no Eros. There's no Eros. Why did this happen?"
"Juvia didn't do anything wrong!" Juvia shot back at Erza. "Gray pulled Juvia on top of him."
"Right," Erza snapped with a snarl in her voice. "Why would I believe you over Gray? Tch, I was a fool to believe you of all people could get over Gray so quickly."
"Erza, you're hitting below the belt." Juvia narrowed her eyes. Juvia has lost count the number of time people used that kind of comment against her. It was becoming tiring. "Juvia's world doesn't revolve around Gray anymore. Juvia has her own friends to call her own. Gray isn't important to Juvia anymore!"
"Did you ask me where Gray was at one point? When I gave you an answer, you were out the door before I could ask why." Erza recalled the night Jellal almost commit manslaughter. "What? Were you going to beg Gray to call off the wedding?"
"She did," Gray sighed with his head hanging low.
Gray, you motherfucking liar! That didn't happen.
"So, the lies continue, Gray?" Juvia scowled in his direction as she contemplated drown the both of them. "Juvia asked because of the fact that Jellal was going kill Gray for what the two of you were doing in that bathroom."
"Why would Jellal care? He's been nothing but happy about my marriage," Erza questioned Juvia as she didn't believe a word Juvia had said. "My brother ha-"
"He's not your fucking brother, Master fucking Mavis!" Juvia's voice boomed throughout the room. Juvia was about to rip her hair out of her head with how infuriating this conversation was. Juvia hasn't done one thing wrong this entire day. Juvia has been nothing except supportive for both the bride and groom. She quietly stepped aside when the engagement was announced. Never once did she beg for her 'beloved Gray' to reconsider. Juvia could tolerate every insult that has been said about herself and her former action, but Juvia crosses the line when Erza disregard's Jellal's feelings. "How dense is Erza, truly? Does Erza truly believe for one moment that everything Jellal has done on your behalf was because Jellal saw Erza as 'a sister'? Jellal loved Erza more than life itself, and Erza is insulting Jellal by sibling-zoning him! Do Erza know how often Juvia had to counsel and med Jellal's heart since Erik, Meredy, and Jellal joined because of Ezra's inconsiderate shit!"
With her mouth wide open, Aphro quickly composed herself, "Hold on, I think Juvia might be right. This isn't adding up to me."
"As if I'll take anything you say seriously even your family disregards you,"
Oh, Erza...
The room fell quiet as we allowed Erza's words to sink into our very soul. In a single destructive sentence, Erza had crossed the line. She had her anger to take control of her mind, and now she was willing to verbally strike down anyone who sided with Juvia. As the tears swelled in Aphro's eyes, the goddess rushed out of the room.
"Aphrodite, please wait," Lucy who had remained silent for the majority of the conversation ran after the weeping goddess. It was becoming clear what Juvia had to do now.
"Juvia is done with this nonsense," Juvia scoffed as she shot Gray another glare. "Juvia quits."
"Quit? Quit what?" Erza narrowed her eyes.
"Juvia is quitting the guild," Juvia answered as she made her way to the door. "If Erza wants to believe Gray and cut down everyone who believes Juvia, then Juvia doesn't want to stick around Fairy Tail any longer. Juvia is done."
If Erza said something, Juvia didn't bother to stick around long enough to hear her. No, Juvia had to begin making arrangements. She needed to locate Master Makarov and Laxus, and she had a decent guess to where they would be.
Swiftly making her way to the groomsmen side of the table, Juvia avoided making eye contact with Mira and the other bridesmaids as she motioned for Laxus to follow her. Even though Juvia could feel the curious eyes on her, Juvia continued to push forward with her agenda. With a light tap on his shoulder, Juvia asked her Master to follow her to a more private area in the church...preferably one far away from Erza and Gray. In a room off to the side of the front entrance, Master Makarov cleared his thought.
"What is it, my child? Have you heard something from Jellal and your team?" He rested his hands onto his lap.
"Yeah, you kinda didn't explain anything which is weird for you," Laxus folded his arms together.
Taking a deep breath, Juvia calmed her nerves. This was something Juvia had to do in order to keep the peace amongst the guild. "Juvia wishes to leave Fairy Tail."
An outcast will be cast out the world...
"Wh-What?" They choked on their words in disbelief. "Why would you want to leave?"
"Juvia has come to realize that no matter how much she distances herself from her past with Gray it will continue to brought up, and Juvia is honestly tired out of." Juvia sighed as she dug her nails into her wrist. Dear Mavis, why was this so had for Juvia to do? "In order to prevent future strife, Juvia wishes to leave it all behind, and Juvia can only do that by leaving Fairy Tail."
With a heavy sigh, Master lowered his head a tad. "If that is the decision you have come to, then, I will not interfere with the path you have chosen."
"Gramps, you can't be serious," Laxus said with disbelief. "You're not going to stop her from walking out."
"Laxus, Juvia's future is for her to decide and for her alone." Master shook his head. "I can not walk her path, nor will I force my child to stay in a place she no longer believes if for her. As the next guild master, that is an important lesson for you to learn."
Obviously displeased, Laxus said nothing more and leaned against the back wall.
"Now Juvia, you are aware of the next step correct?" Master asked. Nodding once, Juvia confirmed as she took a shaky step closer to her handicapped master. "Very well. If a member of Fairy Tail wishes to leave, they must swear to abide by three rules."
With his hand hovering over Juvia's guild mark, Master Makarov began once again.
"One, you should never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail or its members with anyone as long as you live." Master wiped a tear.
"Two, you must never contact past clients you may have worked for while in the guild, for your own personal gain." Laxus recited.
"Three, although our paths must stray, promise to live the rest of your life. That means you must treat every day like it was your last day in this world. Never forget your Fairy Tail friends you loved, you must treasure them for as long as you live." The Dreyar family finished as Juvia could feel the guild mark fade off her skin. With a sad smile, Juvia gave them one last hug. "Please pay us a visit when you can Juvia. You're always welcome, remember that."
"And write us every once in a while," Laxus let out a light grunt. "Just because Natsu's illiteral doesn't mean we all are,"
That got a little chuckle out of Juvia. She will admit that. With her Fairy Tail sign in the air, Juvia walked out the door.
With the rain pouring across, Juvia found this situation almost ironic. The very person who forced the rain out of Juvia's world brought it back without a second thought. Oh well, Juvia doesn't care anymore. Juvia doesn't care about whether or not the rain pours. Juvia doesn't care what happens from this point on. Juvia was tired of pleasing everyone except herself and getting reminded of the mistakes she made in the past. She didn't want to fight for love anymore. She didn't want someone who can stand the rain. She doesn't want to feel anything anymore.
But...
What is Juvia to do now? Fairy Tail was her life, and she left all of them behind without much of a second opinion. Is Juvia return to her dorm and collect her items? Or should she redesign her image and change certain aspects of herself? Or, should Juvia just become another raindrop in the storm? Her life had no direction, so what was the point of continuing?
"Aye yo Juvia," An all too familiar voice appears from Juvia with several splashes in the puddle accompanying them. "Where are you going all alone?"
"Ah Apollo, what can Juvia do for the God?" Juvia asked whilst avoiding his curious eyes.
"Well for one, you can tell us where you wandered off," Hermes folded his arms as the rest of her keys stared at Juvia with curiosity. "You left with saying a word to us or anyone."
Juvia should have seen this coming. Juvia might as well deal with this before leaving.
"Juvia is releasing the Gods and Goddesses from our contract," Juvia announced before turning away from them. "Juvia no longer wishes to have any contact with Fairy Tail, so Juvia is leaving the rest of this mission in their hands."
"Yeah no,"
"Ha! You're funny."
"Declined."
"I respectfully decline as well,"
"Ha, you think can get rid of us that easily."
"We don't even have a contract, and I'm saying no,"
"What?" Juvia turned back around in disbelief. "But, there's no reason for you all to stay with Juvia. What about Kronos?"
"The seven of us can kick his ass," Apollo said with his hands laced together behind his head. "It will be a breeze."
"If we keep Zeus out of the loop, then he can't take credit for anything," Hermes noted. "It's genius."
With a smile on Persephone's face, she hugged Juvia. "Even if you say you don't want us around, we're gonna stay because the six of us care about you."
"Persephone..." Juvia whispered.
"Juvia!" Another familiar voice called out on the other end of the street. Running down the brick street, Jellal, Kyushu, and Erik came rushing to Juvia.
With one good look at Juvia, Erik snarled for a moment before rushing to the church. "Imma kick his frosty ass. Don't try to stop me!"
"Juvia, are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Jellal asked her grabbed Juvia's hands.
"Who was supposed to hurt Juvia? She was with the entire guild? There was no way an enemy could have slipped in," Artemis noted.
"It wasn't an outsider who wanted to hurt Juvia," Jellal frowned. "Its was Gray,"
"Well, Gray succeeded," Juvia showed off a sad smile. "Gray framed Juvia. Erza believed Gray over Juvia. Erza yelled at Aphrodite for siding with Juvia. Aphro cried. Juvia had to leave before the guild began divided on the matter."
"Welp," Re-equipping his bow, Apollo began walking back the church. "I'm off to snipe Gray's balls off."
"I'll aid you in your quest, brother." Artemis followed suit. Persephone and Hades exchanged a look before Hades placed his helm on top his head. Without saying a word, Persephone, Hades, and Poseidon followed behind the archers.
"I'll be right back," Jellal pecked Juvia's cheek right before he stormed off towards the wedding hall. "Hermes, please stay with Juvia."
"Don't worry Juvia," Kyushu nodded her head once before taking a left which was odd since the cathedral was right behind Juvia. Where could she be going? Also, why was there a thunderbolt and two intertwined ring tattoos on her wrist now? "I'll make all of this right."
"I know Bro and the others will clear all this up for you," Hermes patted Juvia on back.
In the darkest moment, a deal will be struck...
"Ah, the lovely Juvia," What was it about today that made all of Juvia's past reappear. What does Jose need from Juvia? "How have things going for you?"
"Juvia has had better days," She sighed. "Did Jose need something from Juvia?"
"Juvia, how do you know this creep?" Hermes raised an eyebrow. "Fucking came out the shadows..."
"Hermes, this is Juvia's former guild master from her time Phantom Lord," Juvia introduced the two. "Jose, this is Juvia's friend Hermes."
"A pleasure to meet you, Hermes,"
"...Likewise,"
"So Juvia, how is Fairy Tail treating you? I would hope the answer is well with how you avoid my letters," Jose chuckled to himself as Juvia tightened her grip on her own wrist.
"Juvia...Juvia quit. Things became too complicated for Juvia's liking." She answered.
"Oh, so you're in a new guild after all," He assumed, but Juvia simply shook her head. "Really, you're a rogue wizard?"
"Juvia...doesn't know where to go next," She admitted sadly.
"Well, you're more than welcome to join my new guild while you decided," He offered. "It's a new guild I made with a friend a made recently. We're calling it Phantom Tail."
"Juvia sees Jose is still lingering on the Fairy Tail matter," Juvia dryly chuckled, but she did pause for a moment. Juvia had nowhere else to go. Yes, she had Jellal and others fighting for her, but the guild might not accept Juvia back. Surely people will think she brainwashed Jellal, Erik, Kyushu, and the Gods into fighting on her behalf, and that will only further depress Juvia. She didn't want to be label as a manipulator as well. Perhaps, this was for the best. For the moment, Juvia should go with Jose and see where that takes her. "Juvia...Juvia will go for the moment until she can decide the next to take."
"Juvia, are you sure?" Hermes said warily. "Bro and the guys will be back any minute. How will they know where we went?"
"Juvia will have to write a note to them in her house as she packs," Juvia assumed. "Don't worry Hermes, Juvia will be fine."
"Excellent, shall we be going, my Rain Woman?" Jose offered his hand to Juvia.
Without sparing Hermes a comforting smile, Juvia looked her new master in the eyes. "Certainly, Master Jose."
Juvia's Gods: Apollo (obtained). Persephone (obtained), Hermes (obtained), Hades (obtained), Artemis (obtained)
Lucy's Gods: Aphrodite (obtained)
Jellal's Gods: Aries (obtained)
Levy's Gods: Athena (obtained)
Gajeel's Gods: Hephaestus (obtained)
Zeus (Absorbed?)
Hera (Absorbed?)
Poseidon (Awakened)
A/N: So, who got it right? This is the truth that was desperately sought out but was it worth? With Juvia in Jose's grasp, what will become of our protagonist? I'm happy with how this chapter turned out, but I will understand why someone who will hate the direction I took with Erza. I curious. How would y'all react if you found your significant other's ex on top your significant other?