so, uh... this chapter kinda got out of control and gained a mind of its own lol. all I know was this scene was only supposed to take half a chapter... then I kinda ran away with it and it's nearing 6000 words lol. oops. please enjoy some filler then, I guess XD
(RAO HYUGA 18) sometimes I feel like I'm not even the one telling the story, ya know. also, in chapter 25, Bacchus talked about a girl with blue hair that kept lingering around their shop, so I figured now was a good time to bring her on in here lol
Chapter Thirty-Five
"Tell me again why we had to bring this annoying jerk along?" Salamander complained, referring to the green-haired angel walking alongside them. He was used to going everywhere with Gray, and sometimes Leo tagged along- like this time, but never Freed! How awkward and mood-killing!
"I'm right here," Freed said, exasperated. It wasn't as if he wanted to ride along with these stuck-up people!
"We had to bring him for our plan to work completely," Gray replied coolly, trying to pinpoint the large mass of energy that was somewhere around them. "The only way for our energy to be shrouded entirely is to be next to or within a certain range of the being who applied it."
"You know, it's actually pretty draining shielding three of you as well as myself," Freed complained, hoping to get out of this sometime soon.
"Hey," Leo said, putting a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "I appreciate it, man!"
"Shut up and stop kissing ass," Salamander berated, glancing around. "This is annoying! They've gotta be around here somewhere!"
"Well, the downside to being able to blend with humans is not being able to seek out energy," Freed explained. "It's the only way it would work."
"You win some, you lose some," Gray shrugged, staring off at a park in the distance. "At least we know what part of the world they're in."
"So, run this plan by me again," Leo said, catching up to Gray. "I'm supposed to approach the angel, right? Not the goblin?"
"You approach them both…" Gray trailed off, finding his group of wanted individuals in the distance sitting on a bench in the park, just… talking. What were they talking about? He had no doubts that Laxus was trying to get the talisman from them, but… what did he even want it for? Last time he checked, Laxus wasn't too pressed about getting home like the rest of them were.
"Hey guys," he said, turning to the other three. "I found them."
The four men stood several yards away on the other side of the park watching and waiting for the right moment to implement their plan, conversing amongst one another while trying to read the situation that was unpacking before them. They were so close! They were so close to having the talisman and getting back to Heaven, they could almost feel their victory. There was no turning back, now.
They observed, each of them going through their own thought process as time passed. Salamander was still pissed off that Laxus challenged him and ran off with Lucy, who looked to be a little too comfortable for his liking. Did he not provide a place for her to eat and sleep? Did he not pay her? Even though she sucked at getting the angels close to the spirit girl, she was still useful in getting information; Leo was proof of that. And yet, there she was, happier than she'd ever looked than when she lived at the bunker. 'How could anyone without a place to call home be happy? Especially with that douche?'
Gray was also a bit on the bitter side. Just seeing that ugly goblin, that same goblin that rusted through his chains somehow was enough to make him want to hurl. How did he get past Freed's magic-canceling spell? Would he be able to see through this one since it was Freed's work as well? That thought left a sour taste in his mouth and all he could do was hope that the goblin was as dumb as he looked. Also, why was he all over the spirit girl like that? What kind of business did he have with an angel? Another thought that left him feeling gross and unsettled.
Freed was… well, Freed. He was in love with Levy when they dated, and if he was honest with himself, he was still in love with her. Now that she was an angel, she was even more beautiful, and being able to see her again was really enough to make the sun come out on a bad day. She was magnificent, glowing, even. In this dreary atmosphere, she was the sun. But… was that… the goblin? Why on Earth was he touching her as he was? And she didn't seem to be bothered by it, either! There was no way he hadn't done anything to trick her! She hated goblins! …At least that's what he remembered her telling him. Maybe things changed? 'He's no me. He could never be me. He could never stimulate Levy's mind as I could. She's an intellectual.'
Leo felt bad. He felt bad for betraying Lucy the way he was, but… he wanted to go home. He loved her, but when Salamander cast him out a while ago, they grew apart. Things changed. And apparently, she'd picked Laxus over him, someone who was actually a friend to her when she was at the bunker. It angered him. Laxus never did anything to make her feel better when she was down. All he did was 'watch quietly from afar', and she had the nerve to choose him?! 'Wow!' And judging by the look of her, she even went as far as letting him mark her as his, which was only the icing on the cake! His Luce was walking around with the stench of Laxus on her, and it was enough to drive him mad. 'Is that the goblin that's supposed to kill him for me?'
"What a… situation," Gray said, keeping his attention on the four on the bench. "We've got an angel and a goblin who look like they've paired up and hate all fallen angels, we've got a human and a Fallen trying to stop us from ascending, and the talisman is among the four of them somewhere."
"But if that angel hates us, why hasn't she killed Laxus yet?" Salamander inquired, asking the question they all wanted the answer to.
"Don't know," Gray shrugged.
"He's gotta be coming up with some lie or something," Leo said, shaking his head. "He tricked Luce into turning against us and running around with him for no reason!"
"Laxus isn't the type to trick anybody." Freed had no issue coming to his best buddy's rescue, as always. "He learns the facts and passes on his knowledge. What they choose to do with that knowledge is of their own will."
"So, are you saying that traitor had a good reason for turning against us?" Salamander turned on his heel, quick to stand in Freed's face. "You wanna follow in his footsteps?"
"No," the slender angel replied, placing a hand on his hip. "I'm just saying, Laxus isn't one to be conniving or deceiving. It's something I've always admired about him."
"Geez, just suck him off, already!" Gray never understood his obsession with Laxus. It wasn't like he was anything special. 'How was he even able to date Levy?'
"Nah, that damn girl's already doing that," Salamander spat, a combination of bitterness and sarcasm in his tone.
"Ugh!" Leo threw his hands up in disgust. The last thing he wanted to think about was the woman who was supposed to be his being with someone else! "Shut up!"
"Aww, did that make you mad?" The pink-haired angel taunted, trying to start a fight as usual. "Don't worry, Laxus is probably better than you, anyway!"
"Why you—" Leo had Salamander by his scarf, ready to battle before Gray interjected, stepping between the two and shoving them both back a few feet.
"Knock it off! We don't have time for distractions!" He glanced back at the group on the bench, the goblin stood up and was pacing back and forth for whatever reason. "Look at them. They might separate soon! We need to act fast."
"Who do you think has it among them?" Freed asked curiously.
"I don't think Laxus got it from them yet," Gray sighed. "The goblin probably still has it, unless he gave it to the angel… but I'm not sure why he would."
"Why are they hugging like that?" Freed asked aloud, his voice encumbered with jealousy. Was she really wasting her time with the likes of that?
They directed their attention to the scene ahead of them, all confused as to what was happening. Why was the goblin so… sad? Angry? What was Laxus telling him? And why was that angel comforting him like she was? It truly was a head-scratcher, but they couldn't let that distract them.
"Okay, I get that I approach them, but I can't go anywhere near Laxus or Lucy," Leo said, his voice a little on the nervous side. "If he sees me, he'll probably kill me, and if I show my face to her, she'll most likely tell him."
"Yeah, and Levy let me live, remember?" Freed chimed in, adding his two cents. "If she sees me again she won't hesitate to kill me, too."
"What a bunch of pussies," Salamander said, making fun of the two. "What are you so scared for? If it comes down to it, just fight!"
"Shut the hell up!" Gray was absolutely fed up by then. It was like he was babysitting three toddlers! He turned around and faced them angrily, ready to freeze them all in place. Unfortunately, doing so would cancel the warding and uncover his energy.
"All you idiots need to do is listen to me and trust me! I'm not incompetent to the point where I can't even come up with a decent plan!" He fumed, wondering why he didn't just do this on his own somehow.
"Like capturing that goblin went so well," Salamander just couldn't help himself. Gray always acted like he was some perfect princess and nothing ever went wrong when he planned it. He was sick of his bullshit.
It was now the ice angel's turn to grab him by the scarf. Why did he have to be such a troublemaker? It was like he was born to fight, or something! "Watch it, Salamander! I'm not in the mood right now!"
"Then do something about it," he shrugged, rolling his eyes. What was the harm in another fight with Gray?
"Guys? The goblin left," Leo said, immediately gaining their attention.
"What?" Gray released the pink-haired bastard and focused back on the now three on the bench. "He left alone? Where did he go? Did anyone see the direction he went in?"
He face-palmed when they shook their heads no. What good were these idiots?! Whatever. Maybe he'd come back soon. 'It doesn't matter. As long as the angel doesn't disappear we'll be fine.' His plan couldn't go wrong, it just couldn't. Salamander would never let him live it down and he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with a snooty attitude for an extended period of time.
"Maybe he'll come back," he turned toward his comrades, trying to convince them and himself that this was working. "You guys don't know that he left for good."
"Look!" Freed said, pointing in that direction. "Levy's leaving, too!"
"Ah, shit!" Gray whipped back around, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. Without the goblin or the angel there, their plan wouldn't work! They waited too damn long! 'Fuck!' Of course, a plan would go to shit with the idiots present! 'Just another thing for them to lord over my head.' But… that's why he had a backup plan.
"I can't say this doesn't put a damper on our plans," Gray said, turning around and shoving his hands in his pockets. "But that just means we have to move on to plan B."
"Should we follow those two in the meantime?" Leo asked, a thumb in the direction of Laxus and Lucy. "It looks like they're about to leave."
"Well, just remember guys," Freed reminded the small group of angels. "You can't get too far from me, or the warding won't work properly… in case anyone forgot."
"Yeah, yeah, we know," Gray turned, facing Laxus and the girl again when he paused, and it felt like everything around him paused, too. Who… were they talking to?
"Wait a minute, who's that?" Salamander asked, noticing the new girl Laxus and Lucy were speaking with.
"I don't know," Leo shrugged. He'd never seen her before. "Luce didn't mention anyone new in the times I talked to her."
"She appears to be human," Freed said, observing the short interaction. "They're walking away."
"We should follow them," Leo suggested, glancing in Gray's direction. "What do you think? Gray?"
A certain dark-haired angel was silent as he watched the mysterious woman walk off with the two. She stood out in a good way and had this aura about her that was… so radiant. Who was she? Why was he so…
"What's the matter, droopy eyes?" Salamander elbowed Gray in the arm. "Cat got your tongue?"
From what he could tell from a distance, she was slim and had long dark-blue hair. But there was something about her he couldn't put his finger on. "…yeah, let's follow them."
Gray wasn't sure what happened, but it was as if time sped up. He remembered seeing her and trying to figure out who and what she was, why he was so distracted by her. The next thing he knew, they all stopped somewhere a few blocks from where they were claiming she was. When did they get here?
"You said she's a human?" He finally asked, snapping out of his daze.
"That's why you were all quiet?" Salamander asked, clutching his stomach in a laugh. "You were thinking about her this whole time? You don't even know her!"
"Shut your trap," Gray spat before turning his attention to the green-haired angel. "Freed?"
"I didn't really get a good enough look at her to be able to tell," he said, shielding himself from the droplets of rain that were starting to fall. "But at first glance, she did appear to be human."
"Wow, Gray," Leo teased. "You're into her, aren't you?"
"How the hell could I possibly be into her when I don't even know her?!" God they were so frustrating! Always talking nonsense! All he wanted to do was focus on what was going on and these assholes made it impossible! He looked up at the grey skies. 'Great.' Now it was raining! Just another annoying thing to happen at an annoying time.
"But hey," Freed said, ignoring the stupidity happening around him. "We now have another source we could possibly use. Maybe she could get us information on what just happened since she's able to talk to them."
"That rules out her being a Fallen," Salamander said, resting his hands behind his head.
"What if she's trying to get the talisman, too?" Leo asked, a reasonable question given everything that's happened.
"No…" Gray didn't think that was on her agenda, at least he didn't sense anything like that from her. He did think it was a good idea to talk to her, though. But who was going to do it? "Which one of you idiots are gonna talk to her, then?"
The other three angels glanced at each other, smirking amongst themselves. Was he really asking that question?
"Obviously you are," Leo laughed. "You've been staring at her since we noticed her!"
"I'm only just trying to figure out who and what she is, ass!" Gray shouted. "Is it a crime to figure shit out?!"
"Gray," Salamander said, putting an arm around his comrade's shoulder. "Come on. We know you. This is how it starts."
"Get the hell off me!" Gray shoved the fire angel a few feet away from him, actually ready to throw punches. Why were they being so annoying? "And if you guys are really that incapable of talking to someone, then I guess I have no choice but to talk to her myself!"
"That's more like it!" Leo cheered, patting him on the back. "Who knows, maybe you'll get some good info!"
"What's with this rain, though?" Salamander asked, finding a tree to take cover under. "It's raining harder and harder by the second."
"Yes, this is a bit unusual," Freed said, taking note of the area they were in. "This area typically gets more snow than it does rain."
"Well, you guys aren't the ones who have to go and talk to someone in the damn rain," Gray complained. This whole thing had gone to shit, and he was over it.
"But it looks like you're the only one unaffected by it," the green-haired angel noticed the rain was falling around him haphazardly, but still not touching him. He got closer to to the ice angel, observing the phenomenon. "It's almost as if the rain is… avoiding you."
"Hey! I thought you couldn't use your energy or it would cancel the warding!" Salamander bounced around, mostly in Gray's face just to annoy him.
"It's not me, idiot!" He said, pushing him out of the way again. "I don't control the weather!"
"Then how the hell is that happening?!" Leo was beyond astounded. The weather? That was a hefty power to carry.
"If I knew, I'd tell you," Gray shrugged, his attention focusing back ahead. It was a weird situation, but the rain and how it was falling was the least of his worries. Who was she? Why did she get his attention the way she did? It was already to the point where the douchebags next to him started noticing!
"She's coming out!" Leo nudged Gray. "Go talk to her before she disappears!"
"Ah…" Was he ready to do this? Was he ready to talk to her? 'Ready to talk to her?' What kind of nonsense was that? He never had a problem talking to anyone, so why was it a problem now? But they were right, he had to go before she left, and that didn't give him any time to figure out what he was going to say to her.
Now that they were a bit closer, he could see her a little clearer. She was kind of cute, and they seemed to have a similar style in dress. She'd stopped and pulled out her phone, staring intensely at something on the screen. He supposed if he had to go and talk to her, now would be the time to do so.
He made his way toward her, making sure not to get her attention just yet; he wanted to get a little closer. He wanted to see if she really was human, or a being really good at hiding her energy. The more near he drew to her, the thinner the rain started to become. 'This weather is really unpredictable.' Fortunately for him, it was never affecting him in the first place. 'I wonder what that was all about.'
He stopped a few feet behind her, not really sure why he stopped to begin with. For some reason, he was nervous and the time around them seemed to slow down. Why? She looked up at the sky and he mimicked her actions; what was with this weather? The rain was stopping completely and the clouds were separating, showing the beauty of the blue atmosphere between grey cracks. Weird.
She turned around and if he thought he had a hard time speaking to her beforehand, it was even harder now! 'Kind of cute?' She was stunning! She had big, navy blue eyes and full lips, and under that coat she had on he could tell she had some serious curves. Who in the world was she? He still couldn't tell if she was human or not, but there was definitely something about her that intrigued him.
They stared at each other for what felt like forever, but the silence wasn't weird. It felt… natural, as if they were trying to read one another. What do they say? Who speaks first? And when did she get so close to him? Sometime during the lull, she'd stepped closer to him like she were getting a closer look.
"Who… are you?"
Her voice brought him out of his daze and back to reality. What was he there for again? Suddenly, he'd forgotten the whole point of approaching her! "Sorry… I…"
He didn't know what to say; she looked so expectant of him! So, the only thing he could do was rub the back of his neck in a nervous tick and sputter something stupid about the weather.
"The sun's finally out, right?" He asked, looking up at the sky again. The grey clouds had almost vanished completely and the temperature had gone up a few degrees. It was like a whole new day.
"Oh, yeah," the woman said, taking a step back. She hadn't realized she'd gotten so close to him! "This is actually the first time I've seen the sun in a while."
"Yeah, well you're in the wrong part of the world for sun," he replied, conversation coming easily between them.
"It's like that everywhere I go," she smiled softly.
Everywhere she went? Since the Fallout, it became extremely hard for humans to travel long distances, let alone to other continents… which meant there was a high possibility that she wasn't one.
"Well, it's out now, so enjoy it," Gray said, fighting the urge to take his jacket off. He wasn't wearing a shirt beneath and he didn't want to make things weird and scare her off.
She didn't want to sound crazy, but there was a small part of her that wondered if he was the reason the sun came out. Just looking at him and being near him made her feel a happiness in her heart that she didn't think she'd ever felt. She laughed to herself; she'd always been a helpless romantic who believed in love at first sight. But what could she say? She just thought she'd be alive when she found him.
"Would it be weird if I told you I think it's you?" She twirled the ends of her hair flirtatiously; what did she have to lose? Besides, he didn't seem to be repelled by this… odd situation.
"Me?" Gray asked with wide eyes. "You're saying I'm the reason the sun's out? That doesn't even make any sense."
"Well, how else can I explain it?" She realized she might have to tell him who she was for him to understand, but he looked like he was a human! Wouldn't he freak out if she told him something like that? "You probably wouldn't understand, anyway."
"Try me," he said with a shrug. He made the sun come out? What a weird way to declare her love for a stranger. He was no fool. He knew she was flirting, but did he really want to feed into all that? 'I mean, she's hot, but…'
"Could you at least tell me your name, first?" She asked shyly.
"Gray."
How beautifully ironic that his name was the very opposite of what she saw when he was around. She'd remember that name for eternity. "Juvia."
He had to admit, he liked her name; it suited her well. He also liked how straightforward she was. He knew her name, now, but who was she? He wanted to know more. "So, tell me, Juvia. What brings you to this part of the world?"
"I'm looking for my brother," she replied simply, not giving too much or too little information. "What about you?"
"I'm here looking for…" Wait. He was supposed to be getting information from her, he remembered now! He'd gotten caught up in trying to figure her out, it slipped his mind to even think about it! Oddly enough, he didn't really care to even think about the talisman in that moment. He only wanted to figure her out. "…something."
"Maybe I could help you find it," she offered, taking a step closer. She honestly didn't care what it was, she just knew if he was the one bringing the sun, she wanted to keep him around.
"Aren't you looking for your brother?" He asked, wondering why she was offering her assistance when she didn't even know what he was there for.
"Yeah, but," she looked at her feet sheepishly. "He'll be around. I already know where he lives."
Was it crazy that he wanted to talk to her more? He wanted to get to know her, and for no reason in particular. What was that all about? He found it easy to be near her and even easier to talk to her. He wanted to tell her who he was, despite how she may react. Maybe in return, he'd find out who she was.
"Fine, but…" he watched her eyes light up with joy when he agreed and he thought it wasn't too bad to look at. Her eyes got all wide and she fidgeted with excitement, 'not bad at all.'
"I don't want to talk here," he said, not wanting to risk exposing himself while Laxus was still around. The only thing about that was he would have to take her somewhere and he was unsure how he'd do that without alarming her. 'Whatever. I'll just explain myself later.'
He saw her deep in thought and took that opportunity to pull out his phone and send a quick text to Leo. 'Catch… you guys… later.' After he hit send and shoved his phone back into his pocket, she grabbed his wrist. "What…?"
"I have somewhere we can go," she said, a mixture of hopefulness and nervousness in her eyes. She wasn't sure how he'd react to her taking him somewhere, but she figured she could just explain herself later. "Don't be scared!"
"Why would I be…"
Seconds later, they were surrounded by nothing but trees, with a small house sitting on a lake in what looked like the middle of nowhere. It clicked in his head that they were thinking the same thing. She was an angel… and he didn't think she was a Fallen, either!
It wasn't until after they were isolated that Juvia realized what he was. 'He's a fallen angel…' He must have been near someone who was shrouding his energy when they ran into each other, but now that he was away from them, his energy became noticeable. Was he one of the good ones?
"Oh, sorry," she said, releasing his wrist and taking a step back. "I didn't realize you were an angel…"
"Same goes for you," he said, taking in his surroundings. "You're really good at hiding it."
"Thanks, it took a lot of practice," she smiled, grateful for the compliment. "I've only been here a bit over a year, so I'm still learning the ropes."
Gray looked around; he didn't think he'd been to this part of the world before. It had to have been the most peaceful place on Earth he'd ever been to. "This place yours?"
"Yeah," she beamed, happy that he wasn't thrown off by her being an angel. "I paid someone to build it for me a while back."
He looked up; there were grey clouds that were dispersing and revealing some of the evening sun that was in that area. Could it be? "Let me guess, you don't get any sun over here either?"
"No, never."
See?! She knew she wasn't crazy! It was him! He brought the sun! 'Who's laughing now?' Her siblings would pick on her for being such a softie, claiming love at first sight didn't exist, then what was this? All she could do was hope it didn't turn out to be one-sided. 'Even if it does, everything will be alright as long as I get to stay by his side.'
"I'm really happy you decided to let me help you!" Juvia couldn't help but lunge in and squeeze him in a hug while he stood there stoically. "Sorry if I get too excited. If it gets to be too much, just tell me."
Honestly? He didn't mind in the slightest, but it was best to not say it aloud and give her any false hope. She did feel pretty nice against him, though. Moreover, there was one question that burned in the back of his mind. He wanted to know why she was on Earth when all of the Fallen were trying to get back home. What could possibly be better about this world? "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything!" She grabbed his hand this time, leading him to the porch. There was a swing that she liked to sit and contemplate life on and she wondered if he'd feel the same solace as she did when he gazed out at the water ahead of them.
She motioned for him to sit on the swing and he sat, appreciating the view while she sat pretty close next to him. Had she ever heard of personal space? "The view is nice."
"I know, right," she gushed, leaning on his shoulder and hugging his arm. How was she able to be so comfortable with him? "It's better with you here, because now I can see the sun."
"Speaking of being here," he said, completely disregarding her second attempt at flirting shamelessly. Why was she acting like they were close friends? Better yet, why was he okay with it? "Why are you here instead of Heaven?"
"Aside from looking for my brother," she sighed, trying to figure out how to phrase her answer. She never really put any thought into why she picked Earth over Heaven. "I guess, because I wanted authenticity."
Authenticity? Why would anyone be willing to be okay with living among humans at half their power when they could be in paradise living how they want? They could make their heaven into anything they wanted it to be, why choose this awful place? But he supposed it was different for her; she hadn't fallen, so she was able to use her full power. "I want to go back."
"Why? Earth is beautiful," she said, motioning at the scenery in front of them. "Look at this!"
"You can make this in Heaven," he scoffed.
"Yeah, but this is real," she urged, lightly pulling on his arm. "Isn't this so much better?"
"I've honestly been here too long to remember what it was like," he said, trying to dig deep in his mind and coming up short. He didn't really live an eventful enough of a life before or after he died to have any memories that stood out.
"Then why do you want to go back so bad?"
Was it because he was surrounded by people that wanted to go back themselves? He didn't really like being at half energy, but… when did he ever really use it? When he was away from Salamander and the rest of those idiots, it was like a weight lifted from his shoulders, and being alone for once actually wasn't half bad. Well, not really alone, but being next to her was nice.
"I guess I just hate not being me one hundred percent," he explained, finding it easy to open up. "I don't even remember why, but I revolted hundreds of years ago and I fell. I lived here on Earth trying to get along with humans, but they looked down on us. Who wouldn't? We were less than angels who could only use half their power. Ten years ago, me and some others revolted again, causing the Fallout. We took over, those same humans that laughed at us, we were in control. But in reality, we just wanted to go home."
"Are you speaking for you, or for them?"
That question took him for a loop, not understanding how she could see through him so easily. "I never tried being away from other Fallen. Maybe I've let their choices and actions influence my own."
"Just think about it," she said, lifting her head and gaining his attention. She loved those low eyes of his. "You fell for a reason, right? There was something there that you couldn't stand to the point where you went against Him. Why would you want to go back there when you have complete and real freedom here?"
God, he'd tell her anything as long as she looked at him with those big blue eyes like she was. "Once you've had something in your head for so long, it's hard to change your thought process."
"True, but you have to start somewhere," she smiled, leaning on his shoulder again.
"You're right."
This was a totally new situation for Gray. He'd never met anyone he could be so open with, especially immediately upon meeting them. She clearly liked him, like, a lot, and it didn't really bother him. He was away from the bunker, and for the first time, he felt comfortable with that.
"That's actually why I'm here," he continued. "Me and the others were kind of in the middle of a plan that would get us back to Heaven."
Juvia sat up straight and faced him. Were they really trying to go back? They knew once they fell, there was no going back, right? She was trying to get him to stay on his own free will, because what fallen angel wanted to be told they were never going back to Heaven? "What do you mean?"
"Well, there's this… thing we've been trying to get for the past year, now," he said, getting tense just thinking about it. "It's supposed to get us to Heaven, or at least the Spirit World."
"What exactly is this… thing?" Oh, no. This is what she'd been hearing about! Maybe she'd be able to save everything before it went to hell!
"Well, you've probably heard of it. It's called a talisman, and we're super close to getting it." He wondered if the idiots were still going through with plan B, or if they were just as useless without him as they were with him. "If we use it correctly, it's supposed to take us home."
Juvia's eyes widened in disbelief! Who fed these angels that nonsense? What they were really doing was signing Earth's death warrant! She took his hand in hers, staring intently into his dark eyes. "Oh, Gray… That's not how that works…"