When Juvia returned to her bedroom she put on the cloak she found in her wardrobe. It was fairly simple, nothing eye catching but suitable for the season of Autumn. Once she had buttoned it properly, she apologized to Gajeel for getting him involved and then urged him to leave the castle while she was gone. After that she went to join Gray in a carriage he had procured and it took them into the forest.
For the longest time, neither one of them spoke a word during the ride and the carriage only stopped when Gray wanted to search the area for Natsu but he was no where to be seen and no one he talked to knew where he was. Juvia secretly hoped that Gray wouldn't be able to find him and eventually give up but she underestimated his stubborness.
"You know." She said after deciding to break the silence. "Maybe we should return home."
"And let the thief escape?" He asked. "What would people think if I spared the life of someone who stole from me?"
"That there's actually a man hiding behind the beast."
"Well there isn't. I've never been a man. I've been a beast since day one so stop trying to find some nonexistent humanity in me."
"Even so you didn't kill me when I let him go. I thought for sure you would do that."
"Well I would have but good help these days is very hard to find. Besides you're pretty much the only human being who can understand fairy language and how that's possible I don't know but I need a translator for some fairy letters I've swiped."
"That's why you let me come work for you? Why do you need to understand fairy writing?"
"None of your business. The point is you can tell me what all that scribbling of theirs means so I need you alive. At least until I no longer have any use for you."
Juvia went pasty for a moment as she tried not to picture how if he would kill her if he ever decided to do so.
"I see...Look we've been searching these woods for hours and we're having no luck finding him. I think he's probably gone for good and we're wasting our time. So maybe e should give up?"
"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you?"
"Yes I would especially since you want to kill him over stealing a book. You have millions of books and other valuable things. Do you really need it back?"
"Considering what he's going to use it for, yes."
"But you don't know what he's going to use it for."
"Yes I do. The book he stole is one that can reveal the aliments, weaknesses, and injuries of someone. He's going to use it to discover my weak areas so he can kill me."
"What gives you that idea?"
"Because when it comes to me, people only have two view points. They either want something from me or they want to destroy me. He and I have been rivals for years and he would like nothing more than to end my existence."
"Why must you always look for the worst in people?"
"Why must you always look for the best in people?"
"Because expecting the worst in people would make me very lonely and sad."
"Well expecting the best in people would make me very stupid and easy to take advantage of."
"Will you stop calling me stupid? Because I'm not."
"You called me stupid earlier."
"Yes but you called me stupid first." She then thought for a moment. "But I see your point. Maybe I was a little out of line earlier and if I'm going to work for you we should probably try to be more open minded. Apologizing to each other would be a good start."
"Apologize?"
"Yes. We were both wrong to be so insulting toward each other so an apology is obviously in order."
Gray burst out laughing like a mad man which she didn't find very amusing.
"What's so funny?" She asked.
"You. You actually think I'd apologize?"
"Yes because surely by now you've recognized how rude and hurtful it is to say things like that. Especially to a lady. Right?"
"Of course not!" He laughed again. "That's wacky nonsense! You can apologize but me? No, no, no, I don't apologize."
"But how are we supposed to make things right between us if we don't at least acknowledge that we made a mistake?*
"I made no mistake. You were being stupid by letting him go and assuming he was innocent. So I have no reason to apologize. You on the other hand have every reason to do that."
"You're right I should apologize." She admitted which seemed to please him at first. "Just as soon as you do it first."
"Um I think we just established that I never apologize."
"Fine. If that's the case then I'll never apologize. Not to you that is." She said. "I'm a kind person but I have my limits."
"You know if you push me I can make your life a living hell."
"Do your worst but you'll find that I'm just as stubborn as you are." She said with a willful gaze. "And by the way you wouldn't be the first person who's tried to ruin my life."
Gray was just about to ask what she meant by that when the carriage stopped. Looking out the window, they saw they had been stopped by several horse men led by an older man dressed in a rich and refined manner. Gray stepped out of the coach and then helped Juvia out much to her surprise, and then the two approached the group. They all recognized Gray when they saw him and all but their leader stepped back in fear of him.
"The shadow beast I presume?" He asked.
"My reputation proceeds me. Excellent." Gray grinned.
"I am Jiemma and I own these lands here. Why have you come?"
"Pardon the intrusion but I am seeking a knight called Natsu. By any chance does that name ring any bells?"
"As a matter of fact it does. I happen to know someone who's recently working with him."
"Could you tell me where I could find this recent partner of his?"
"Perhaps. But I've heard of your hobby of making deals. I'd like to be compensated for my cooperation."
"Of course you do." Gray huffed. "Alright what do you want?"
Jiemma turned his stare from him to something else. Gray followed the older man's look and found that it's target was Juvia. Jiemma's gaze was a lecherous one, one that made the maiden very uncomfortable and want to go back into the carriage.
"Ahem!" Gray coughed not pleased with his maid being oogled at.
"I'd like a night with your wench." Jiemma declared.
Juvia was immediately disgusted as was Gray.
"She's not for sale." He told him sternly.
"You can't part with her for an hour?" Jiemma chuckled. "Twenty minutes? I mean you're a man. You understand that we have certain needs."
"Hmm...Let me think."
Gray snapped his finger and Jiemma's tongue appeared in his hand much to the man's horror.
"I propose a new deal. I give you this back and you tell me where I can find this person seen with Natsu." Gray said waving the tongue around. "You oughta be careful with what you say. You know in some lands they'll castrate you for saying such lewd things."
"Bleh...Bleh...Bleh..." Jiemma blubbered.
"So do we have a deal?"
"Bleh...Bleh..."
"I'll take that as a yes."
He returned his tongue to him in an instant.
"Start talking." Gray ordered as he was beginning to lose his patience.
"The man you're looking for is called Sting. He ruined me!" Jiemma said bitterly. "He teamed up with that knight, stole the woman I was going to marry, and made the laughing stock of this entire side of the forest! I don't know exactly where he is but last I heard he was living in a shack by some brook."
"Thank you for your cooperation." Gray said. "Now do me a favor and get out of my sight before I decide to take other parts of your body."
He, his men, and their horses were running scared with their tails between their legs. Gray laughed to himself at their cowardice before escorting Juvia back to the carriage.
"Ah that never gets old." He said.
"Um...Quick question." She said.
"What?"
"Why didn't you just let him...You know...I mean you...Uh-"
"I don't believe in prostitution."
"Really?" She said genuinely surprised. "Huh...I guess you do have a gentleman side."
"No I just have some standards that's all. Now let's going before it becomes dark."
...
Yuki Vastia thought that he would be safe hiding at the apartment of one of his co workers but he was proven wrong when he heard a knock at the door and answered it which led to him get knocked out by a nasty punch. When he woke up he found himself handcuffed to a pipe in a basement and standing across from him was Gren who was wearing that same sadistic grin and trying be calm but looked unable to hold his growing rage back any longer.
"Hello Mr. Vastia." He said. "Frightened? You should be considering that you were idiotic enough to steal from me and even more idiotic to think that I wouldn't find you."
"Gren please." He said. "I can explain. I know what I did was rash but I-"
"Save your excuses. I know why you took it and I don't care."
He pressed his hand roughly to Yuki's throat which briefly cut off the oxygen to his brain.
"I'm gonna let you breathe in a second and you're going to say two sentences. The first is gonna tell me where it is, the second is gonna tell me who told you to take it because I know that you weren't smart enough to find without some help. Now do you understand the rules?"
Yuki nodded.
"Good. Let's begin."
He released Yuki's throat. The white haired man coughed a few times and had to catch his breath before speaking again.
"I...I needed that van." He panted.
"That is not a good first sentence." He punched Yuki in the face really hard. Hard enough to make his nose start bleeding.
"Please! I have a mortgage! I was desperate!"
He punched him again.
"I don't want to hear it! Now where is it?!"
"I can't say!"
He punched him a third time.
"Tell me where it is!"
"No!"
Another punch came, the another, and another, and another. Each time Yuki refused to tell Gren what he wanted to know the detective would punch him ruthlessly.
"It wasn't my fault!" Yuki cried.
"Not your fault?" His grin finally faltered and a hatred unlike any other became noticeable in his eyes. "Not your fault? Not your fault?! What are you talking about not your fault?! After what you did to me, how can you even say that?!"
"Huh?"
"You said that you were okay with it. You said you were willing to accept that she didn't want you. You said you were willing to let us be happy! But you lied! You lied! You're a liar! You're all liars!" The next punch he threw and the others that followed would be more painful than ever before. "I should have killed you when I had the chance all those years ago! But she begged me not to! You were scum! You deserved to die but she still saw goodness in you! She saved your life and how did you reapy her?!"
He lost control after that and proceeded to beat Yuki within an inch of his life. Tears were in his eyes and his face was distorted with long repressed anger and pain.
"She's gone! She's gone forever! She's not coming back and it's your fault!"
He was so loud and because of that Elkis was able to hear him when she arrived at his house. She got in by breaking one of the windows and followed the shouting into the basement where she found them. What she saw made her very afraid. It looked as if Gren had lost his mind. He was brutalizing Yuki to the point of where he had lost consciousness and was bleeding on the floor, In all the years she could recall knowing Gren she had never once known him to be this violent with someone. It was as if he had become a completely different person. For a moment she thought that she was looking at a monster instead of a man.
"She was my life! She was the only beautiful thing in my hideous world and you took her away!" He wailed. "You made me a monster again! It's your fault that I couldn't be a good man! Not mine! Yours! It's your fault! It's your fault!"
"She?" Elkis thought. What her? Who was he talking about? And what did he mean by it was Mr. Vastia's fault he couldn't be a good man and became a monster again? His words confused her but she could ponder on that later. Right now she had to save another man from possibly being killed. She quickly grabbed his arm and pulled it back before he could do any further damage with his fists.
"Stop!" She told him. "You're gonna kill him!"
He stopped and looked at her suddenly which allowed her to see the tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. He was in great emotional pain, she could tell right away and that shocked her more than seeing him beat a man half to death. He wasn't even grinning. He just stood there looking pained and trying his damndest not to cry. I made her completely speechless and for seemed like hours, not single sound was made until police sirens were heard coming from a distance.
