Author's Note: An anon on tumblr requested the Hurt prompt for the 100 Gruvia challenge, in which Juvia was left in the naval battle to fight Minerva with Gray watching. I'm not very good with rewriting manga scenes, so I'm a little eh with this one, but nevertheless, hope you like it!

My absence is attributed to classes and work really laying it on me this quarter -_- Thank you for being patient!

title: black water
second genre: drama
rating: T
summary: She refused to lose for him, and Sabertooth took advantage of that.

"Would you believe it?! Juvia has knocked out three at once!"

The roaring water swirl came to a gradual fade as Juvia extended her arms, concluding her magical performance.

Did you feel something while watching Juvia, Gray-sama?

She glanced over her shoulder, searching the crowd for Gray's face, but before her eyes found his, she noticed movement from her peripheral vision. Turning her head, she swiftly dodged the surge of magical energy rushing towards her, eliciting gasps from the crowd as she moved away from the arena border.

"That was a close one!" shouted the announcer. "Juvia better pay attention! You can't let your guard down around Sabertooth's powerful Minerva!"

"Juvia!" Lucy called, but the water mage had already summoned a counter attack, sending a stream of water towards Minerva.

The woman simply dismissed it with a wave of her hand, a smug smile gracing her features. "Hm."

"Water is Juvia's element, she cannot be so easily defeated!" Juvia exclaimed, gathering her magic to her hands. "She will not let Gray-sama see her shameful in battle!"

Erza glanced to Gray, who adamantly avoided her gaze.

"Persistent girl," Minerva murmured, shifting her attention to the water mage. "Very well. I'll start… with getting rid of the useless one."

She shot a magic blast towards Lucy, making the girl's eyes widen at the sudden assault. She rushed to summon a celestial spirit, but she felt herself pushed to the side by the water, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Minerva simply chuckled, her lips curling in a snide smirk. "Protecting your comrades, even in the midst of competition?"

"Lucy may be Juvia's love rival," Juvia replied, "but Juvia won't let you cheat! Every attack must be fair!"

"Fairness?" Minerva scoffed, sneering as she raised her hand and prepared another attack. "Pathetic fool."

Juvia stared her down. "Physical attacks will not work on Juvia—aah!"

"Juvia!" Lucy cried.

Heat?! Juvia winced, glancing to the searing burn scorching her thigh. But how? Juvia's water body—

"You naïve fairies," Minerva jeered. "You think your feelings will save you?" She inflicted another painful blow, making Juvia cry out as the magic crashed into her side.

"Juvia!"

What's going on? Gray thought, his body turning gravely rigid.

"Juvia's body is made of water. No matter how you try, the result is the same."

He'd seen it himself, when they first fought. His own attacks hadn't worked against her, so why—

"P-Pain…" Juvia whispered, skimming her fingers over her burned flesh. "Juvia's… body…" She screamed when a rapid whirlpool engulfed her in a blazing temperature, burns ripping across her body and tearing her skin.

"Rufus memorized your magic," Minerva said. "Every defense can be broken. Yours was hardly difficult."

"That's cheating!" Gray roared, slamming his hands on the balcony railing. "She can't—"

"It's strategy," Erza muttered, but he could hear the livid anger trembling in her voice.

He snarled dangerously, sending a murderous glare to Rufus who simply tipped his hat in return.

"Juvia!" Lucy shouted. "I'll save you!" She felt along her back for her keys, only to whip her gaze to her hip when she felt nothing. "What—my keys—"

"You," Minerva said, raising her other hand to the blonde, "should not overestimate yourself."

Lucy watched the attack shoot towards her, moving to dodge until she felt herself shoved out of the way.

"Aah!"

Another ear-splitting scream tore through the arena, bringing the audience to a stunned silence.

"Juvia!" Lucy gasped as steam rose from the girl's shoulder. Juvia panted heavily, one eye closed in a wince while her hand held her injured arm.

"Juvia… won't let you… hurt Lucy…" she breathed, struggling to summon water to her hands. "Return her keys… to fight fair—"

"Fool!" Minerva shouted, barking a laugh. "You think you can order me? A pitiful fairy?!"

"Don't—!" Lucy yelled, but Juvia was sent back in another blast, flying towards the edge of the border.

Minerva recovered her before she fell out, bringing her to her side as her magic slashed across Juvia's body, over her arms, stomach and legs.

"I'll teach you," she said between every attack, "to dare"—slash—"lecture me"—slash—"on what's fair!"

"Stop it!" Lucy screeched. "Juvia!"

The girl took the brunt of every assault, her body jerking with every hit as cuts and bruises littered her body.

"Juvia… will not… lose…" she whispered, gritting her teeth when Minerva slapped her across the face with the back of her hand.

It hurts, she recoiled, fighting the tears stinging the corner of her eyes as she felt her hair yanked back. But—

"Gray-sama… is watching… so Juvia must not—agh!"

An electrical current suddenly surged through her body, striking her nerves with excruciating pain. Her eyes shut tight as she cried out, her body convulsing and jerking under the attack.

"Juvia!" Gray yelled, his body lunging forward to enter the field until he felt a firm grip on his shoulder. "Let go of me!" he shouted, glaring to Erza who strained to keep her composure. "Erza! She's water, electricity is—"

"I know," she said quietly, "but we cannot interfere—"

Juvia's scream resonated in his ears, making him struggle violently under Erza's grasp. "Let me go!"

"It will disqualify you," the woman said sternly, forcing him back down. "You, Juvia, and Lucy as well. Juvia is strong, we must have faith she will endure—"

"Fuck that!" he roared. "She's never felt physical pain before! It's multipliedfor her!"

Erza's hand suddenly fell from his shoulder, and Gray flinched before following her line of sight. Juvia was outside of the bubble—Lucy had pushed her out, her arms still extended in front of her before she turned to face Minerva. Her brown eyes shone with angry tears, grinding her teeth as her burned hands curled into tight fists.

"Your only opponent is me now!"

Gray found himself rushing into the field, sprinting down the arena and catching the water mage in his arms.

"Juvia!" Gray shouted, pushing her wet hair from her face as his clothes grew damp from the water drops sliding off her body. "Hey! Look at me! Juvia!"

Her eyebrows knitted together, and he eased his grip on her when she whimpered in pain.

"Gray… sama…"

"Wendy!" Gray shouted over his shoulder, the small dragon slayer running towards him as he cradled Juvia's head to his chest.

"Juvia's… sorry…" she sobbed, closing her eyes while tears streamed down her face. "She… lost—"

"Don't," he cut off quickly, "just—don't close your eyes. Stay with me—"

"It hurts…" she whispered, a choked sob escaping her lips as she curled her fingers into his shirt. "Everywhere… Juvia…"

"You weren't used to it," he said quietly, holding her closer when Wendy drew nearer. "You froze. It's okay."

Tournament officials approached him, bringing a stretcher behind him. "Place her here," they said, and Gray quickly complied, gently lifting her and lowering her against the gurney. Juvia whimpered, tears flowing down her cheeks as her lower lip trembled.

"G—Gray-sama—"

"I'm right here," he said, squeezing the hand desperately clinging to his.

"Juvia-san!" Wendy's soft voice came, scurrying to her side as her soothing magic swiftly washed over her. "Please hang on."

"We have to clean your burns," said one of the medics. "This will hurt—"

Visible fear flashed across her eyes, her hand alarmingly tightening its grip on his.

"Hey," Gray said, turning her face to his. "Look at me. Keep your eyes only on me."

Trembling, she barely managed a nod.

She kept her eyes on his as her tears streamed down her face. She'd hiss and cry when the pain struck but he held her hand in both of his and returned her squeezes, which seemed to calm her. The sight of her so injured made him sick to his stomach, but his anger escalated when she spoke broken whispers of his name.

She had let herself get so injured… all because she refused to lose for him. And Sabertooth took advantage of that.

He grit his teeth at the thought, staying with her as the medics moved her to an infirmary bed. Her hand never left his, only clinging tighter until she drifted to sleep. But even then, he didn't leave, keeping her injured hand in his while the tears dried on her tear-streaked face.

He'd remember this, the sound of her screams, her tears, her injuries. He'd keep it all in head the next time he faced that damned guild. Sabertooth had made themselves an enemy of Fairy Tail, and he was going to make damn sure they paid for what they did.