Chapter 21: The Battle of Water and Ice

Phantom Lord guild

"Non, non, non! With three nons, you misunderstand me! I monsieur, gave you such a harsh trial for you to finally overcome your difficult past, bonsoir! You are indeed a Man among men, Elfman! I, Monsieur, believed you could overcome it! Right?" Sol asks as he tilts his head as Elfman follows the same action. "Well then, if you'll be excusing me…"

Before Sol could walk away, Elfman swings his fist at him causing Sol to fly but fix himself in mid-air.

"How dare you! Platre… Sonate!" He yells as he summons a massive stone from his magic circle and sends it at Elfman. The fist impacts into him and explodes sending dust and debris flying making hard to see. "Non, non, non… Don't let your guard down now." However, instead of seeing Elfman defeated, he is above him readying his fist at Sol. "Non! Non! Non!" With each punch is delivered.

Mirajane watches this as Takeru continues to find some way to free her.

"Elfman…" She calls.

Eventually, Elfman stops as Sol is beaten up, heavily bruised and bumps all over his face as his body fall to the ground.

"Ooh… Oui… Je t'aime…" Sol whimpers as his pink soul begins to fly out from his body. However, Elfman grabs the soul and shoves it back into his body as Elfman picks Sol up in its hand with Sol now crying out in tears as streams of tear fly from his eyes and he has his hands pushing against his cheeks. "No~n, at least let me fall unconscious!" He cries out before Elfman begins slamming him against the ground again.

"Elfman!" Mirajane calls out and Elfman stops as he turns to the hole in the wall.

"Au revoir…" Sol says as his soul flies out from his body once more. Then the scar on his face revert as his conscious is coming back.

Outside, Mirajane and Takeru watch when Elfman comes out with incredible speed.

"So… Can you… hear my voice?" Mirajane asks when Elfman reaches to both of them as Takeru guards her. "Could you have lost your reason again? Elfman!"

When Elfman puts his and on one of the fingers as Mirajane and Takeru thought he is going to attack her, but instead of that Elfman pushes the finger away with his strength and grabs Mirajane in his other arm in a protective manner.

"I'm sorry, Nee-chan…" Elfman speaks. "You must never have wanted to see me like this again. Because I wasn't able to control it, Lisanna…"

"You still have your reason!" Mirajane points out.

"But I didn't know what else to do." When Elfman lifts his head, his scar and eyes are back to normal. "I have to get stronger to protect you and Fairy Tail!"

Mirajane looks at him for a second and smiles.

"Lisanna's death wasn't your fault. You were trying your best to protect us both back then." Mirajane tells her younger brother as he turns back to his normal self as he is half naked.

"But I failed. Lisanna died." He says as he steps back. Then Mirajane moves in closer and leans on his chest.

"I'm still here."

"Nee-chan…"

"We decided together, remember? To live on in her stead. To work as hard as we could…"

Elfman's face scrunches up and tears falls and cries aloud. "Nee-chan! I'm so glad you're all right!"

"And how is crying going to help anything?" Mirajane questions.

"But!"

"Thank you, Elfman." She says and notice something at the corner of her eye as well Takeru did.

"What is it, Nee-chan?" Elfman asks as he stops crying and looks at what the two are looking.

"The giant isn't writing as quickly…" Mirajane points out. "The forbidden magic of the four elements… Abyss Break… The four elements. Fire, water, wind, and earth…" She says in deep thought about what she was saying and then gasps upon realizing it as she turns to Elfman. "Elfman, how many of the Element 4 are left?"

"huh? Hmm, um…" Elfman says with a sweatdrop, turning his head away to think about it. "First it was the fire opponent that Natsu was fighting and that Sol guy… That'd make two left, I guess?" He says holding up two fingers and still looking away with a confused look on his face.

"As I thought! Each time we get one of them, the giant's movements slow down!"

"Why is that?"

"In other words, this giant is powered by the four elements. If we can defeat all of the Element 4, we can stop the magic!"

"Really?"

"Hurry! The remaining two should be somewhere inside the giant!"

"R-right!" Elfman replies as Takeru nods before the three of them rush to the next Element 4 member.

At Fairy Tail

Cana looks up as she has her hand above her eye looking at Mirajane.

"Thank goodness… It looks like Mira's safe." Cana says before she collapses.

"Cana!" Macao calls out.

"I'm fine. Focus on the enemy in front of you and protect Fairy Tail!" Cana yells back.

"You don't know when to quit…" Macao says before he dodges one of the Shades and attacks it with his fire magic as Cana throws her cards at the other shades.

"Everyone, don't clump together! Spread out and fight!"

"Right!"

"It's the woman in our guild who are the strong ones…" Macao thought.

Inside

Natsu and Sakura are running through the halls of the Phantom Lord guild with Happy and Latias between them.

"I just thought of something good, Happy! Sakura!" Natsu says as he continues to run.

"What?" Happy and Sakura ask as they look at him.

"If we beat up Jose, then that'd end the fight, right?" Natsu asks, suddenly Happy falters and falls from the sky while Sakura trips and nearly falls but Latias stops her, both due to the shock of Natsu saying something like that.

"Are you crazy, Natsu?!" Sakura questions while Happy appears back between them with an anger look on his face.

"What are you saying? Jose's just as powerful as our own master! Someone like you could never beat him, Natsu!" Happy retorts.

"But Gramps isn't here so who else is gonna?" Natsu pouts in annoyance at Happy looking down on him.

"Natsu you idiot! I was trying to not think about it but you made me remember!" Happy yells out making the other three stop in their track and look at him confused.

"Wha?" Natsu questions.

"Eh?" Sakura says as Latias tilts her head.

"That's right… Master's gone… No matter what happens in this war, in the end Jose will…" Happy begins to say with a sadden look on his face as his arms limp down and he has his eyes closed. Just then Natsu puts a hand on his head making Happy look at him to see a grin on his face.

"I'm here, aren't I? Right?" Natsu asks, suddenly turning Happy's sadden face happy again.

"Aye!" Happy cheers out and the two continues going down the hallway. Sakura and Latias look after them and giggle before they follow them.

Eventually, the four finds themselves in a massive room with pillars holding green crystal balls at the top of them on either side of a very wide carpet. Suddenly, a translucent-looking blast of air flies towards the four knocking Natsu and Sakura into the air as they fall back onto the ground. Natsu landing on the back of his head while Sakura lands on Latias' back. The translucent air flies around them and in front of the staircase ahead of them into a twister.

"The sorrow!" A voice says as Natsu pushes himself back up as he and Sakura look at the twister. The twister disperses and reveals Aria who is looking at the ground. "The wings of flame, clipped… falling to the ground… Ah, and all that's left is the corpse of a dragon!" Aria says.

"Huh?!" Natsu questions angrily with blank eyes and a raised left fist.

"Natsu, Sakura, he's one of the Element 4!" Happy says.

Aria finally looks up at them revealing tears going down his face. "My name is Aria! I am at the top of the Element 4! And I have come to hunt me a dragon!"

"Why is he crying?" Sakura questions with a sweatdrop.

"A wind wizard? I'm already used to you guys." Natsu says clenching his right fist and narrowing his eyes at him.

"Erigor's nothing compare to him!" Happy says.

Elsewhere in the giant

Rain clouds appear over the giant from out of nowhere as it begins to rain. Gray climbs through a broken glass window as he finds himself on top of the giant's shoulders. He looks up and notice something strange.

"Was it raining before?" Gray questions.

"Drip, drip, drop…" A female voice from behind him says as Gray turns to see the Water wizard and a member of the Element 4, Juvia walking towards him with a pink umbrella in her left hand as she has it opened to protect herself from the rain. "Yes, Juvia is the rain woman, one of the Element 4. Drip, drip, drop…"

"You're one of the Element 4?" Gray questions.

"I never would have thought that two elements would have been defeated. But do not underestimate Juvia and Aria." Juvia says.

"Sorry to break it to you, but I don't go easy on people who hurt my friends. Even if they're women or children…" Gray says.

Then intense standoff between the two sides as Gray and Juvia stare at each other. Complete in silence except for the dripping of the rain until Juvia suddenly blushes and turns around.

"R-Really? Juvia give up then! Goodbye!" Juvia calls back as she begins to walk away.

"Whoa there! What the heck?" Gray yells surprised at what just happened as his eyes bulging out.

As Juvia walks away, her right hand is over her heart as she feels it beating intensely while the blush still on her cheek and her eyes are wide.

"Wh is wrong with Juvia? Why is my heart beating like this?" She questions herself.

"Wait, you! Stop the giant!" Gray yells as he runs after her.

Juvia stops and looks back at Gray. "Juvia wants to make him her's! Juvia can no longer hold back! Water Lock!" Juvia yells as she turns around, holding her right arm out as she summons up water that traps Gray in a massive bubble. Consequently, Gray is unable to breathe and gasps creating bubbles. "Oh no! He's injured! Whatever should I do?!" Juvia questions in panic whit sweat flying from her face, noticing the bandages wrapped around his stomach. "I must release him quick or…"

Gray then cries out as he freezes the water solid, destroying the ice and freeing from it. "He escaped from Juvia's water lock using his own power?" Juvia says in awe while blushing. "This is the power of an ice wizard… Exquisite!"

"Water and ice… It's like we're bound by fate!" Juvia thought as she imagines her and Gray together with Gray looking loving down at her. "I've finally found you, Juvia's Prince!"

Gray has his knees down while his left hand holding his chest in pain.

"Try for a surprise attack, you bastard!" Gray says in anger as he stands back up.

"Kyu~~!" Juvia cries out in her head feeling like her heard has been struck by a cupid arrow.

"Ouch." Gray says as he begins taking off his shirt.

"Why is he stripping? I-I-I think we should take things more slowly…" Juvia says in shock at this and Gray toss his shirt aside.

"I don't want to frighten a woman, but you'd better surrender immediately. Otherwise you're gonna get hurt!" He says as Gray prepares to use his magic. "Ice Make Lance!" Gray yells as he summons a magic circle and sends lances of ice at her. The lances go through her, but not in the way he expected to as he gasps in shock at what he sees.

"Juvia's body is made of water. Yes… Drip, drip, drop…" Juvia says as the parts of her body are torn up, showering water. "That's right… He's an enemy. Torn apart by strife, that is their tearful fate! But Juvia will not lose her heart! Farewell, my small blossom of love! Water Slicer!" She says creating a blue magic circle in front of her and sending multiple blades of water from it. Gray manages to dodge the blades as a few fly up towards one of the giant's horns, impacting into and completely slicing it to bits shocking him. "High powered water jets can even cut through steel. Underestimate water, and you will regret it."

"Ice Make Battle Axe!" Gray yells as he sends his attack at Juvia, but it has no effect as it just goes right through her body made of water.

"Try again and again, but nothing will change. Against Juvia, physical attacks are ineffective. Yes… drip, drip, drop…"

"She's a tough one…" Gray says.

"You cannot defeat Juvia. You still have a chance to save yourself. Bring me Lucy Heartfillia, please. If you do, I will ask my master to withdraw."

"Hey, don't give me that crap. We're both already way past the point of retreating. And Lucy is our ally! I'll give up our lives before handing her over to you!" Gray says.

Juvia drops her umbrella to the ground as she has a shocked look on her face with her mouth hangs open.

"Give up his life? Give up his life? Give up his life? A love rival! A love rival! A love rival! A love rival! A love rival!" Juvia thought.

Suddenly, Juvia cries out in pain while holding her head surprising Gray.

"What pain! What harsh fate! My heart… My heart feels it's going to rend asunder! It hurts!" She cries out while holding her head down and swinging it left and right.

"What's the matter? Are you ill?" Gray asks.

Juvia then lifts her head showing her eyes are wide and her pupils are small as she has a dark look on her face.

"Juvia will not forgive. Lucy shall not be forgiven!" Juvia cries out in anger as water explodes behind her back and her eyes widen and go blank.

Gray looks at Juvia as he slouches forward sweatdropping and mutters "Eh?"

Suddenly, Juvia sends a blast of water at Gray who unable to react fast enough, only jumping aside to dodge it while the water barely hits him. When a puddle is made from Juvia's water, it is sizzling.

"Ouch! Boiling water?" Gray questions due to the heat mark on his side from the water that hit him. "And what are you made at Lucy?" He questions but Juvia sends another blast of hot water at him.

"Ice Make-" Gray cuts off noticing the water travels at him faster than before and quickly ducks under it as it travels to fast for him to use his magic. However, the water turns around in the air and comes at his back as Gray notices it and jumps up to avoid it. "It's fast! My Creation Magic can't keep up!"

Juvia turns the water around her and sends it back at him, this time slamming it into where he stood as Gray jumps to his right. Gray then accidentally lands on a puddle of water causing him to slide across the roof towards the ledge as he is now hanging over it on one foot causing him to wave his arms frantically upside down. Gray manages to regain his balance and plants his other foot firmly on the ground as he looks over the edge.

"That was close…" Gray says and notices Juvia walking towards him.

"Ever since Juvia was born, she's lived within the rain. In the rain, there is no one who can defeat Juvia! Be boiled inside of Juvia's jealousy!" Juvia yells summoning a magic circle above her and a twister of water, an evil face seeming to be staring back to dodge them.

"What? Ice Make Shield!" Gray yells as he puts up and ice shield to block the water which is now pouring onto it, consequently, his shield slowly begins to shrink in size from the intense heat of the water. "What incredible heat! I can't stand it!"

"I told you already! Inside the rain is Juvia's world! No one can defeat Juvia!" Juvia states while continuing to blast him with her boiling water. Just then, a blast of steam kicks up making her stop as she now unable to see Gray. As the steam clears, she sees the window next to where he was, is broken. "He used the steam as a smoke screen? He's not just a pretty face, he's start too. So amazing…" She says with a light blush and watery, dreamy eyes.

"I don't have time to take a break! I've got to stop that magic quick!" Gray says as he runs down the hallway. Before he could run any further, a waterfall crashes through the window above in front of him, forcing Gray to stop in his track as the water then shots outwards and floods the entire hallway catching him with it.

"That's hot! My skin is burning!" Gray yells and he is short back up through a window back onto the roof.

"This is the end for you!" Juvia yells sending another blast of water towards the two.

"Why you…" Gray says as he turns around and puts his hands in front of him, somehow stop and block the blast of water.

"He flew straight into the boiling water?!" Juvia questions in shock.

"Freeze!" Gray yells out as he slides his hands down the water and uses his magic to frees it solid.

"I-Impossible! Juvia's boiling water was frozen?" Juvia says in shock until she finds herself frozen and encased in the ice as Gray still in front of her with his left hand in the ice. "And…" When Gray looks at where his hand is and finds it groping Juvia's right breast as she has a tint of blush on her face with her eyes closed.

Gray cries out in panic and embarrassment as he slightly blushes with his jaw dropped open and his eyes bulging out. "That's not! It's not!"

"Juvia is so embarrassed! Like this, forever, inside your ice…" Juvia thought.

"Sorry!" Gray exclaims as he pulls his hand out and unfreezes Juvia who falls onto her knees and hands. Juvia looks up at Gray with curiosity in her eyes and suddenly blushes.

"He released me from the ice? Why? He's too kind!"

"Let's start over again!" He says throwing his right arm out.

"No, I can't. Juvia cannot bring herself to harm you…" Juvia says.

"Huh? So you're admitting you can't win against me?" Gray asks.

"Juvia is stronger than Lucy. Juvia will able to protect you." She says while looking at the ground.

"Protect? Me?" Gray questions wondering what she is talking about.

"B-Because…" Juvia begins to say when suddenly the rain begins to increase in intensity. "I-I… L-lo…"

"Sheesh, now the rain's gotten stronger." Gray says as he looks up noticing this.

"Juvia is frustrated!" Juvia cries out in embarrassment.

"Man, this rain is so gloomy…" Gray says. All of the sudden, he hears someone fall and turns to see Juvia on her knees. "What's the matter?"

"He's no different than all the others! You're all the same!" Juvia cries out in anger standing back up with steam once again exploding from her body.

"What?"

Juvia then sends a very strong and hot blast of water at him, pushing Gray back through it.

"I'll freeze it again!" Gray thought as he struggles but manages to push his hands out to as he attempts to freeze Juvia's water again. However, his ice doesn't appear from his hands. "It won't freeze? Is it even hotter than before?"

"Love… Who needs love?! Juvia is nothing but a gloomy rain woman! And yet Phantom Lord accepts Juvia for who she is! Juvia is one of the Element 4! A Phantom Wizard!" Juvia yells in anger, blasting Gray far back until he finally blasts out of the water. Juvia then transforms her whole body into water and launches herself at them.

"I'm not gonna lose!" Gray yells out in anger as he stands back up. "Not to Phantom!" He shouts putting up his ice shield and slams his left fist into Juvia's water, freezing it solid instantly while Juvia manages to jump out to avoid being frozen again. From Gray's magic, all of the raindrops become frozen in ice as well.

"He even froze the rain? What incredible magical power!" Juvia says.

"Ice Geyser!" Gray yells, slamming his hands onto the floor and creating a big magic circle from which a geyser of ice shoots out from it into Juvia, freezing her solid again as she cries out and the Ice Geyser breaks apart as Juvia falls off the giant. "Shit!" He yells as he quickly rushes towards her.

Gray slides down the tiled rooftop towards the ledge, leaning from it towards Juvia as he extends his right hand out and manages to grab Juvia's hand. Juvia looks back up with a shocked look on her face as Gray manages to keep his grip on her.

"Don't let go of my hand! I'm not letting you fall!" He shouts at her.

"Why did you save Juvia?" Juvia asks as she lies on the rooftop as Gray sits next to her.

"Beats me. Anyways, get some sleep. So, you finally cooled down?" Gray asks looking at her.

Tears begins to form on her eyes, when suddenly, the rain clouds finally break apart allowing the sun shines down right onto the two as Juvia closes her eyes from the sudden brightness.

"Huh?" Juvia mutters as she opens her eyes again and looks up as Gray also looks up. "The rain has stopped…"

"Oh, it's finally clearing up." Gray says.

"These are… clear skies… I've never seen them before…" Juvia says with an awed look on her face, hearing this makes Gray look back down at her.

"Really?" Gray says surprised, letting out a small chuckle before looking back up. "Nice, huh? Clear skies are great."

"Yes… they're beautiful, truly…"

"So, up for round 2?" Gray asks looking down at her with a small grin.

Unexpectedly, Juvia's eyes turn into hearts, her heart shoots out from her chest and a heart also shoots out from her mouth before the latter of the two disappear and her eyes turn very small and go blank, blush appearing on her face again as she suddenly passes out and a love struck look on her face.

"Hey! What's the matter? Hang in there! Hey! Hey!" Gray calls, panicking again as he stands up and looks down at her.

At Fairy Tail

The Fairy Tail wizards and Sakura's Pokémons are looking up at the magic circle as the hand slowly writes the magic circle.

"A lot of time has passed, but the magic hasn't activated yet!" Wakaba says.

"This is bad for my heart. How long until it's over?" Macao questions.

"Wait, isn't that giant moving turtlish?" Laki says.

"Huh? Turtl-what?" Wakaba questions.

"She means it's moving more slowly, I think. Try speaking so we can understand you!" Macao complains at her.

"I like talking this way!" Laki exclaims.

"Natsu and the others inside are doing their best to hold it back, I bet." Cana says as she walks and stands where Macao and Wakaba are. "All we can do is…" She then throws a card at one of the Shades. "…hold these guys back so they don't get in the way of Natsu and the others!"

"I guess we should clean them up then. Let's go!" Macao shouts.

"YEAH!" The rest of the Fairy Tail wizards shout as they all charge at the Shades.

Phantom Lord guild

"Gray!" Mirajane and Elfman yell out as they and Takeru rush towards him. Gray, who is kneeling besides Juvia, turns to see the three of them coming towards him.

"Elfman! And Mira-chan too with one of Sakura's friends?" Gray says.

"So this is the third Element 4? Why does she look so happy?" Elfman questions.

"Beats me. Maybe she's having a nice dream." Gray says.

"Only one left!" Mirajane says causing Gray to look at her. "If we can defeat one more, we can stop Abyss Break!"

"The Magic Giant moves using the power of the Element 4." Elfman explains.

"We can still make it! We can do it!" Mirajane says with determination, Gray, Elfman, and Takeru nod their heads in agreement.

Where Natsu's group is

Both Natsu and Sakura breathe heavily as the two are beaten up as Natsu has scratches all over her body, Sakura holding her left arm, and Latias barely floats beside her. On the other hand, Aria has noting on him having not even been touched once. Happy stands behind them with a shocked look on his face.

"You do well to remain standing. Impressive." Aria says.

Just then, Natsu rushes past Sakura. "Natsu!" She yells out trying to stop him.

"Damn you!" Natsu yells out in anger as he rushes towards him with a flaming fist.

"What's with this guy? I've never seen Natsu in such a one-sided fight! Even with Sakura and Latias here, it's three against one and they're still losing!" Happy thought worriedly.

"But in the face of my 'Airspace' magic, you three are powerless!" Aria says putting his hands forward.

"What the hell is Airspace magic?!" Natsu questions when he runs into a barrier in front of Aria and flies back a few feet to the ground.

"It seems that this Airspace magic is invisible. We can't even see anything." Sakura says, running up besides Natsu with Latias.

"Sakura's right, it's Invisible magic! What should we do?" Happy yells out.

"You three can still stand, Salamander, tamer?" Aria questions.

"None of us are being defeated here. Because we're Fairy Tail wizards! Now I'm fired up, you bastard!" Natsu yells out in defiance.