Chapter
Here is another chapter of my lovely fanfiction, I know these chapters are kind of the same, but then again so is every episode of Fairy Tail; battle, fluff, comedy, plot moving forward. Please let me know how you guys are liking the story so far, again I do not own Fairy Tail, its characters, etc. Also warning there is some more vivid violence in this chapter. Enjoy!
*The next morning*
Gray felt his eyes slowly open as he started to wake up; a light coming from outside the tent which led him to assume that it was already morning. He sat up and looked over towards Juvia, she was facing him, her face very peaceful and rested. He was surprised at how she looked. Gray could also see Natsu laying behind her almost like they were spooning, and suddenly a large amount of heat rose in his cheeks, and he jumped out of bed. Suddenly standing over Natsu, he bent down towards him "Hey, rise and shine dragon breath." Natsu shook and looked up tiredly. "Mhhmm, yes I will take more dumplings thank you…" Gray raised his eyebrows, he was still asleep. So, Gray got closer to his ear "GET THE HELL UP NATSU!" He jumped up in shock and awe suddenly wide awake, looking around very disoriented. "What did you do that for! I'm up!" He barked at Gray.
"Oh yeah, how were those dumplings?" Gray rolled his eyes.
"Gray-Sama?" He looked down and saw Juvia hiding under the covers, her eyes barely peeping up. "Is Gray-Sama mad at Juvia and Natsu-San? She is very sorry! But she swears it was only to help each other!" She looked like she wanted to cry, and Gray felt like an idiot for making her sad. Then Lucy, also awake, gave a nasty look to Natsu "OH? AND HOW DID SHE HELP YOU NATSU?" Natsu gave a shaky laugh "You guys are taking this way out of context." Lucy rolled her eyes and started getting dressed.
Gray smiled at Juvia "I promise it's fine. Do you feel any better?" She got up slowly, feeling lightheaded. "Juvia's body still aches to move, but she isn't shivering as much and can breathe a bit better." It wasn't the news Gray wanted, but he couldn't show that he was disappointed, so he squeezed her shoulder and nodded "Let's get going then?" BAM! BAM!
Out of nowhere the cave shook violently, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Natsu shouted. Gray looked at Juvia "It's time to move, hurry!"
Outside the tent, the rest of the group was awake staring at the entrance of the large cavern. "Something is out there, and it's big." Cana stated. BAM! BAM! Again, the walls shook, and a giant shadow swept past the cave. BAM! SQUUUAAAWWWKKKK! With a flash of green and a large screech a giant pterodactyl looking creature entered the cave, it's eyes yellow and red with hunger.
"Holy shit." Natsu stated.
Juvia locked eyes with the creature, its pupils grew large, and it charged right after her. "JUVIA MOVE!" Erza raced towards the creature and punctured it with one of her magical swords. The creature screamed, flapping its wings in anger and the wind was so powerful everyone flew into the wall. Juvia felt her head spinning, those creatures' eyes look familiar, and it made her want to throw up. "Juvia!" Wendy reached down to help her up.
The creature quickly flew outside and that's when the group took the opportunity to try and run out. When they did, however, they were almost hit by another one, there were three in total outside of the cave, slamming their clawed feet into the mountain. Swooping around and diving for attacks. Erza cursed under her lips; they couldn't do this. Just like Gajeel had said the day before they needed to keep going. "EVERYONE, I'LL DISTRACT THEM GET OUT OF HERE!" They stared in shock. "ARE YOU INSANE YOU CAN'T TAKE ON THREE OF THESE THINGS BY YOURSELF!" Natsu screamed in frustration. They blocked another attack.
"We have to keep moving, no matter what, we all promised we would get Juvia there, you know that we can't fight, survive this weather, and stay alive at the same time, the elements will get worse. The map is in Lucy's bag, I will be right behind you, maybe Gajeel and Levy will show too." Natsu stared.
"You still can't take this on alone, no matter how powerful you are, don't be an idiot!" Gray yelled, holding Juvia up for support.
"Gray is right, but so are you, which is why I'm staying." Cana approached Erza and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Then so am I" Wendy chimed in.
"You can't!" Lucy shouted. Erza and Cana looked down at Wendy, but she didn't budge, she turned to Natsu and Gray "They need my healing magic, and then it will be three on three, and unfortunately there isn't any more I can do for Juvia, Yura is fighting against me, so you see, you have to go." Erza looked up at her friends, all with tears in their eyes. Suddenly Juvia leapt into Erza's arms ``NO, PLEASE, DON'T DO THIS BECAUSE OF JUVIA, JUVIA WILL NEVER FORGIVE HERSELF IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HER FAMILY!" She wailed in tears and Erza had to lift her off. "It will be alright, we need you Juvia, if you die then a part of each of us dies too, we will meet up with you soon, I promise, be strong."
"No, please…" Gray came up behind and dragged Juvia away, Natsu and Lucy gave a nod of encouragement and ran quickly away from the creatures. "ALRIGHT LET'S GO!" Erza shouted and prepared for battle
"Please we should go back!" Juvia was protesting, and Gray wouldn't put her down.
"Juvia, sweetie we have to keep going, it is three on three, and they have fought bigger and tougher creatures, I'm sure they will be fine." Lucy's voice was shaky and not confident, she wanted to believe her words, but she also couldn't be sure.
Juvia didn't argue anymore but she slowly whimpered into Gray's chest, and he held her tight, whispering in her ear while Lucy and Natsu led the path. "I'm sorry Juvia, I promise we will be with our friends again, it's alright, just breathe, shhh, shh" His soft voice did calm her down, the crying had made her pain worse, and she felt overcome with fatigue. "You can close your eyes for a bit, it's okay."
After quite a few hours, the four members were freezing and exhausted, the snow had stopped, but the temperature had dropped. "Luce, how much farther?" Natsu asked and for the first time Gray saw him shaking. "Natsu, are you cold?" Gray asked in shock, and Natsu gave him a sneer "NO! I'm just tired Ice pick, this is the longest we've walked, we have to be close."
"We are. Look" Lucy stopped and pointed upwards, and when the boys squeezed their eyes and looked way up, they could see a large outline, that looked like another mountain, but it wasn't, it was Yura Palace. You couldn't see the details, it was still about a day's journey, but they could see it and to Gray it was a sign of relief.
"ALRIGHT! LET'S GO WE CAN TOTALLY MAKE IT IF WE-" Natsu was getting fired up when Lucy cut him off.
"No, look at the sun. We have to camp here Natsu, if we can't see where we are going then we can't see any signs of attack either." She was right, but Natsu turned to look at Juvia, her breathing was short and heavy again.
"Luce." she looked down with a painful expression "I know, but we don't have a choice, it would be stupid to run into danger like that."
Gray felt himself holding back tears, he knew what Natsu meant. "Juvia may not make it another day." But he couldn't afford to think that right now. "I'll set up the tent and get Juvia situated, you guys can handle fire and food. He didn't look at them and walked past to a secluded tree area. "Gray we didn't mean-" Lucy tried to reach out, but Natsu grabbed her hand "Let them go, come on."
After a few minutes everyone had finished their tasks, Natsu and Gray were eating, and Lucy swapped to watch Juvia and help her eat. "Cough-cough-cough!" Juvia started coughing after she woke up, and it seemed painful. "What can I do?" Juvia took a sip of water and gave a small smile. "It's alright Lucy-San, it's nothing, if I get some tea that should make me feel better." Lucy quickly walked to the fire and got some stuff for the tea. Gray tried to speak, but Lucy said not to come in for a bit. "Here you go, Juvia." She placed the warm cup in her hands and Juvia sipped it slowly. "Juvia is very sorry, for all of this, maybe it would have been better if she never came back to Fairy Tail."
"Don't say that ever again! You hear me?" Lucy shouted. Her hands forming into fists.
"Do you know how awful it was, not seeing you every day! I know we didn't get along at first, because you thought I was some love rival (Juvia gave a look of confusion) but, but I really like you. Y- you're my best friend Juvia, I want to continue growing our friendship, so don-t ever- s-say that you never should have come back." The tears were waterfalling out of Lucy's eyes, her anger turning into anguish.
Juvia felt her heart ache watching this, Lucy said Juvia was her best friend. In her soul she could feel that before the war she always wanted a best friend. She cried, not as hard, not as loud, just small silent tears while Lucy fell to her knees and embraced her in a hug. "Juvia is sorry Lucy-San, and she-e doesn't mean it, as much as she knows if she wouldn't have come her friends would have been safe, she didn't want to be without them either."
Lucy took a few deep breaths and settled down, giving Juvia an understanding smile, and tried to get her to eat more, as Juvia took her fourth of fifth bite, she felt a pain in her stomach "ack!" she was going to be sick. "Juvia what's wrong?!" Juvia sprang up, which in her condition took almost all her strength and ran outside puking in the snow "COUGH-COUGH-COUGH!"
"Oh no!" Lucy quickly grabbed her hair and held it back.
"What's happening!" Gray yelled rushing over.
"Her stomach won't take the food; she is throwing it back up." Lucy was frightened by this, she needed food, especially now. After a few deep breaths Juvia stood up straight. "She is sorry you had to- cough-cough ek.!" Juvia went to bend down again, but this time it wasn't vomit it was blood. "See this." Juvia finished her sentence and held her palm to her mouth.
Gray's eyes grew wide in terror, this wasn't good, what should he do, she was dying, she was dying, she was- He was going into a shock like state when he heard a menacing laughter behind him.
"My how unfortunate…for you that is." They turned around slowly, seeing a tall figure standing on the other side of the fire.
"Kurayami?" Lucy whispered.
"Ah the celestial mage, did you miss me?" He smiled wickedly in their direction.
"I'M GONNA DESTROY YOU, YOU BASTARD!" Natsu ran towards Yura "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Natsu lit his entire body ablaze and charged Yura at full speed.
"I wouldn't do that, isn't that right Juvia." She had been hiding behind Gray, but now she finally locked eyes with him, they were red, soulless, like the monsters from that morning. Suddenly his eyes flashed, and Juvia's entire insides burned "AAAAAAAGGHGHHHHHHHH!" Juvia grabbed her body and fell to the ground screaming, Natsu quickly halted his attack. "JUVIA!" Gray shielded himself in front of her and Yura laughed "Bahahaha, you think that will help? how pathetic. I am the only one who can start and stop this, for however long I want"
Gray wanted to attack, he wanted to kill him, but he was killing her faster "STOP! PLEASE STOP! We made a deal remember! We still have time!"
Kurayami pondered this and his eyes glossed over once more, and the screaming stopped. "I suppose you are right. You have one day left."
"No way! You said we had three weeks!" Lucy shouted and Kurayami smiled.
"Three weeks of time on this mountain, which is controlled by me and my magic. Here for every one day passed it's actually two and so on and so forth. I use it as a way to trick those who dare climb this mountain." He snickered
"That's not fair you jerk! You never told us that!" Natsu clenched his teeth.
"You never asked, that little blue-haired one told you the elements are unpredictable on this mountain." He was talking about Levy and Gray's blood boiling.
"WHERE ARE OUR FRIENDS?" Gray knew that if anyone would know it was Yura.
Again, he began to laugh "I would be more concerned about the mage if I were you, you see, if she doesn't reach the castle by sunset by tomorrow, she will die. Which means you would still lose, and I for one can't wait to watch you fail hahahahahahahahahaha!" With a swift gust of wind, he vanished into thin air leaving the two couples alone, and frightened.
"Juvia." He was holding her; she was in shock from the blast of pain she experienced.
Natsu bent next to her "Juvia, it's alright, he's gone okay, you are going to get to that castle tomorrow and then we are all going home." He squeezed her hand.
"Natsu is right, we will all go home together, just like before." Lucy was leaning against Natsu. Juvia looked up and started to cry "home…I want to go home, please…" Gray picked her up and went inside the tent. He didn't say anything, put her in a mat and slid in beside her holding her close and tight.
Lucy and Natsu watched but stayed outside the tent a little longer. Natsu looked down and saw Lucy holding back tears. "Luce…" Suddenly she threw herself into him and sobbed quietly, Natsu stroked her hair and returned the hug. "I-don't want to lose her again." Lucy whispered. "I know, but you have to stop crying okay, you gotta be positive." He stood her up away from him and she still kept crying "I-I can't." Natsu felt heat rise to his cheeks, maybe now was as good a time as any. If something were to happen, then he wouldn't have any regrets. "Let me help." Natsu gently lifted Lucy's chin and placed his lips on hers quickly before she could react.
Lucy indeed stopped crying, she was shocked, she had thought about this moment for a long time, but she never thought it would happen. They never talked about- but it was happening, and it felt good. She didn't hesitate and she kissed him back. Natsu held her closer, caressing her face and deepening his kiss, Lucy's lips were soft and gentle, and he never knew just how amazing kissing her would be. After a moment they parted and stared at one another.
"You never said-" Natsu cut her off.
"I know, but I am now. I love you Lucy, you are so special to me and I'm sorry it took so long to tell you. I'm also sorry that we may not live to enjoy it." Lucy knew what he meant.
They had one day, if something else were to happen Natsu would sacrifice himself just as the others had. We hoped they were safe, but there was always the chance that they weren't. She knew there was nothing she could say or do to stop him, so she would do the next best thing. "I'm staying with you then, and don't even try to tell me no. I'll push you right off this mountain." She gave a small giggle and Natsu nodded "I wouldn't want it any other way Luce, come on let's go to sleep."
"But uh, since this may be one of our last days alive, we should take the opportunity- smack!" Lucy's hand whipped right across his face, and she rolled her eyes. "Way to ruin a perfect moment." She headed towards the tent. "So, is that a, no?" Natsu stayed far away just in case she hit him again, but she just sighed and turned to him. "We can share a mat, but .it" He smiled and followed her inside.
Meanwhile Gray was still holding Juvia close, praying, and shedding tears into the locks of her long light blue hair. "Please don't give up."