New chapter! :D
Thank you all for all the support lately, I really appreciate it and I'm glad you're enjoying this story!
Thank you Chrissy for proofreading!
Hopefully my stories can help you all kill the time a little during these weird times, stay safe everyone!
With the Southern wind in their sails, the Fairy Heart and the Mermaid Tail made their way towards Tenrou island. It was as if the further they were separated from the shore, the worse the weather got. The ship's crews had a hard time navigating, as the wind made it harder and harder to stay on deck.
''You know,'' Natsu said as he desperately grabbed the nearest mast to not fall over, ''I start to believe more and more into that sea monster story now.''
''I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Natsu,'' Gajeel yelled through the wall of rain, ''it can't be a coincidence that the weather turned on us this quickly!''
''It can't be much further!'' Gray let out in an attempt to encourage his crew. ''Hold on a little longer, everyone!''
As much as he tried to motivate his crew, he was losing sight of the goal as well. The island couldn't be far away, he knew it, but navigating in this weather made him feel like they were just endlessly circling. His eyes drifted off to the other ship. Despite the rough weather, it was still going strong, bravely crashing through the waves. He wondered, Could Juvia tame the ocean? She certainly was capable of stirring it to a deadly weapon at will, but did she have the skill to do it the other way around too?
''Captain!'' Gray was suddenly awakened from his thoughts. ''Come over here, quick!''
The voice came from the lower deck. He ran down the stairs of his platform, only to see some of his crewmembers standing over someone on the floor.
His face was as white as a sheet, and his eyes were staring into nothingness.
''What happened to Mest?'' Gray asked as he looked around.
Max took a step forward. ''We don't know, we just found him here like this!''
''I- I saw... it,'' Mest suddenly muttered. Everyone turned towards him.
Gray kneeled down next to him, trying to make eye-contact. ''What did you see?''
He turned his face towards Gray, looking straight through him. ''Acnologia.'' He barely managed to bring out.
Everyone fell silent. The only sounds surrounding them were the howling winds that blew the rain over the deck.
Gray could feel the tension the crew now had. He swallowed his stuck breath. ''Are you absolutely sure you saw it?''
He nodded. ''I-it was...'' He took a sharp breath. ''It was just a shadow below the water, but for a split second, I could see a part of its tail break the surface.''
Anxiously, Gray looked over to the other ship and back at his crewmember. ''I understand you're in shock now, but you have to tell the others. We're gonna speed things up with magic. Are you able to teleport?''
''Yeah, I think so,'' Mest replied.
Gray turned around to face the rest of his crew. ''All of you, to the back of the ship! Everyone who's capable of elemental magic, use it to push the ship!''
He turned back to Mest and lowered his voice.''Please tell Erza to let her crew do the same, but don't mention... you know what.''
Exhausted, the wizards dragged themselves on the sandy beach. The moment their ships hit the shore, the sun crept away from under its blanket of clouds.
Erza stomped her way up to Gray. ''And just why did we exactly have to drain our magic power to move faster?'' she lashed out on him.
From behind her, Juvia walked up to them and stood in their midst, facing her captain.
''If Gray thought it was the right decision, then who are we to question him?''
Erza stuck up her nose. ''Well, if we end up in a den full of enemy pirates while being out of magic power, we know who to blame.''
The air between them was fraught with tension. Gray couldn't bring himself to tell the member of the other ships that their way back home could be troublesome. They were lucky the monster somehow left them alone this time.
''Are you done bickering?''
Everyone turned around at the sudden voice they all heard. A girl with long, pale pink hair walked up to them. She seemed to be alone, but everyone was wary of her sudden presence.
''Stay right there!'' Gray yelled, drawing his sword.
''You're here, Gray'' she ignored him and kept walking forward, ''all according to plan.''
The way she said his name made Juvia's blood boil. She clenched her fists in an attempt to contain herself. The water behind her kept crawling further up the shore, already kissing the sand beneath her feet.
''Who are you, and how do you know who I am?''
''I am Meredy Milkovich,'' she said. ''My last name should ring a bell, right?''
''That was master Ur's last name,'' he whispered to himself. His mind turned blank, just what was going on here?
She shrugged her shoulders. ''Such a shame I have to kill you.''
Suddenly the already restless sea started to rumble and rose up, forming a wall of water. The pirates looked at the wave in awe.
''Just one more word, and you're the one who's gonna die here!'' Juvia let out, roaring with rage.
''Juvia, don't!'' Erza yelled.
Meredy smirked as she snapped her fingers. Instantly the sky above the water mage was littered with swords. Not the ones Erza could summon, but ones glowing with magic power. Two swords were hanging in a crossed position just below Juvia's chin. The water she had summoned crashed down behind her. Powerless, she let her arms hang down.
''If anyone of you tries something funny, she's gonna pay.'' she let out, followed by a bone-chilling laugh.
Gray grew desperate. Freezing all the swords, including the enemy, would take at least a few seconds. There was nothing he or the others could possibly do. He put down his sword and held his hands up.
He took a few steps forwards. ''I'll go with you if you let her go.''
''Is she yours?'' she teased.
He was thrown off guard for a moment when his eyes met Juvia's, he thought about what happened yesterday, but he didn't answer. ''Just let her go!''
''I'll take that as a yes,'' she ran forward towards Juvia, grabbed her by her waist, and slowly backed up, still having the swords aimed at her throat.
''You'll have to come and get her. Master Hades will be pleased to meet you.'' Were her last words before she vanished into thin air.
Gray sat down, his hands gripping his hair in frustration. A girl with the same last name as his former master? The mention of Hades, Juvia being taken as a hostage, it was all just too much to process.
''Just who the heck is Hades?'' Natsu said, breaking the silence.
Erza looked down. "Hades used to be the captain of the Fairy Heart, but he turned back to the dark side.''
The crew fell silent, not knowing what to do.
Gray let his forehead rest on his arms, staring down at the sand beneath him.''This has everything to do with me. Please take the ships with you and leave.''
''What nonsense,'' Erza said. Gray looked up at her. ''Juvia is one of us, we're gonna take her back no matter what.''
