It's Monday!
We're heading into the last section of this story. We've got ten more chapters (for a total of thirty four) to wrap everything up. That includes resolving plot points and addressing the relationship fallout (both romantic and platonic). Because, as much as this is a fairy tale, I wanted to keep some sense of realism, and there's a lot of apologies and introspection that needs to happen before I'm comfortable calling it done. I think some of these internal issues are as important to resolve as the external conflict (Juvia slowly running out of time with this impending wedding, Lucy learning to stand up for herself, Jude, Jose and all of that). So what does that mean for us? :) I drag out the Gruvia reconciliation until they are good and ready to put all their issues behind them. It felt a little irresponsible just letting them get together without resolving a few things first.
Guest: Thanks so much; that's exactly how I hoped you'd feel about it! Natsu's a fun one to write, though I do struggle with getting him down. I always enjoy getting to hear your thoughts. I appreciate it!
Guest: Gajeel's always a good time! This chapter's for you. ;) Thanks for reading!
darling spider: welcome back! :) I'm glad you like it! Thanks again!
- K. Chandler
Juvia looked out across the back of Gray's new ship. The last time she was saw a ship like this, she was trying to obliterate it. What a fitting place to spend her last day.
Today.
The day it all ended.
She was out of time.
Disappointment welled in Juvia's chest. How foolish she'd been, gambling her soul for a chance, at what? Proving some silly notion that humans weren't all that bad? Was any of this worth it?
But part of Juvia couldn't bring herself to regret what she'd done. This had been her choice to make, and choices had consequences. With her freedom waning away, Juvia wasn't about to regret any of the choices she made.
If she hadn't decided to explore the world above, Juvia could never have known the wonders of the surface. She would never have imagined the wonders she would experience. And she had met so many amazing people, her new friends. The clever Royal Scholar, Levy. Sharp-tongued Prince Lyon. Audacious Lieutenant Cana. Natsu, the exuberant Gunnery Master. And, of course, dear, dear Gray.
And as much as it still hurt, Juvia had come to terms with Gray's decision. The ache in her heart had faded to a dull throb and the churning fire in her stomach had settled like lead. Acceptance was a strange thing.
Even stranger was the fact that Juvia didn't blame him for it. Gray had such a strong sense of responsibility and a devotion to what he considered his duty. It was one of the reasons she loved him so much. That was probably part of the reason why he had spent so much of his time helping her when she first washed up on shore.
And thanks to him, things had gotten better. She could walk around on her own now. She had even danced with these new legs of hers! She had made friends and she could communicate with them well enough, even without her voice. She didn't need Gray by her side constantly any more.
That's probably what he thought, at least. Juvia guessed that Gray probably thought that she was okay now. That his work was done.
That he could turn his attention to another problem.
So he found himself a new princess to rescue.
And for as much as Juvia resented this Lucy, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Gray's fiancée. Juvia had noticed what a hard time the other girl was having and how unhappy she seemed. It couldn't have been easy to live with a father like that.
No matter how kind most humans were, there'd always be a slimy fish in the barrel. And Jude Heartfilia was one of them.
Juvia still didn't know how that girl had gotten her hands on Juvia's magic, but it didn't matter. After today, she'd belong to Jose.
Juvia looked out across the back of the ship. The setting sun dyed the sky a soft shade of pink. She smiled to herself, determined to enjoy the last of her freedom.
A splash from over the side of the ship caught her attention.
"Juvia!" shouted Gajeel. He shook the water from his unruly mane.
Juvia's eyes widened. She raised her hands and tilted her head in question.
"Can't you feel it? Meredy's got us linked," he said, holding up his wrist. "That's how I found ya."
Juvia looked down at her own wrist and, sure enough, she saw a glowing loop of pink hearts just above her hand. Juvia started to nod her understanding.
"Meredy wanted to be here, but I wouldn't let her come," said Gajeel. "But she says hi."
Juvia's eyes shot wide, throwing a hasty glance over her shoulder. Meredy might be safe, but if Gray and the others saw Gajeel, they'd attack him, like they always did. Gajeel was as strong and capable as Gray was, but Gajeel was alone. If a fight broke out, he could be seriously hurt!
"Heh-heh. I wouldn't worry about that," said Gajeel, picking up on her panic. "They're too busy partying to notice me."
Despite his reassurances, Juvia was still a little leery. She was grateful for the risk he was taking to help her.
"So, you gonna ask me why I came today?" asked Gajeel.
Juvia tilted her head in question, letting the link between them fill with curiosity.
Gajeel raised a hand, a metal tube in his fist. "Know what this is?" he asked, his grin triumphant.
Juvia shook her head, eyebrows drawing together in an exaggerated show of confusion.
"Your silly little contract with the Phantom Lord," he growled smugly.
Juvia couldn't hide her surprise. How had Gajeel managed to get his hands on that?!
"Easy there, Juvia. I didn't do anything too crazy," he shrugged. "I just stopped by to see the Phantom Lord and… had a little chat. I just made my terms… Perfectly. Clear." Gajeel transformed his hand into a steel club. "Made him an offer he couldn't refuse."
Juvia knew that there was more to the story than Gajeel was sharing. Beneath the water, she could see the outline of bruises, mottled and purple, daubed along her friend's sternum and across one shoulder. She wondered what lengths he had gone to in order to get her contract back for her. Juvia's heart filled with gratitude. She'd never be able to repay him for this.
"Don't get all sappy on me," growled Gajeel. "We got work to do! Now that we got it, you gotta figure out how to read this thing. I ain't no good at this sorta stuff."
Juvia frowned. This wasn't her strong suit either. If it were, she wouldn't have gotten into this mess! Then her eyes widened when she realized. There was someone who could help. Someone who was knowledgeable and clever at most things.
Juvia held up a hand, signaling for Gajeel to wait. Then she darted for the other end of the ship.
Juvia weaved through the party guests. Gray had invited quite the crowd to his wedding. Juvia rushed past Cana, who was already leading her crewmates in toasting the happy couple-to-be. Natsu, looking much more subdued than his usual self, joined in with less enthusiasm than the others.
Gray, too, stood away from the others. He had a serious look on his face as he engaged in a conversation with a woman with bright red hair and a Navy officer with a tattoo on his face. Juvia recognized them from the dinner party. Gray had told her that their names were Erza and Jellal, if she remembered correctly.
Amidst the crowd, Juvia spotted Prince Lyon, chatting with the Royal Scholar. Juvia ran up to them.
"Hey, Juvia!" said Levy. "You look great!"
"Are you enjoying the party?" asked the prince.
Juvia made a movement that approximated a nod. Then she tapped Levy on the hand.
"What's the matter?" asked Levy.
Juvia waved for Levy to follow, repeating the motion when she didn't move.
The prince frowned, his eyes narrowing. Juvia hoped he wasn't about to press for details, or worse, attempt to come along.
Levy looked from Juvia to Lyon. "I think she wants me to go with her," said Levy. "Is that what you're saying, Juvia?"
Juvia bobbed her head up and down.
"If I may, Sire?" asked Levy.
"Of course, by all means," said Lyon quickly.
Juvia flashed him a grateful smile. She latched onto Levy's wrist and dragged her to the back of the ship.
"Whoa, hey! Juvia!" cried Levy. She laughed. "Juvia, what's going on?" asked Levy.
Levy was trustworthy. If Juvia could get her to understand the situation, she was sure that Levy would keep Gajeel's presence a secret. She just had to make Gajeel didn't frighten the Royal Scholar out of her wits.
But Gajeel's fierce appearance was the least of Juvia's worries. If she could get Levy to believe that she and Gajeel were both from the sea, then things would be fine. Gajeel's piercings and studs would be easy to accept in comparison.
Juvia raised her hands to begin her explanation. She started by pointing at the edge of the ship, making a swimming motion with her arms.
"Overboard?" asked Levy.
Juvia shook her head. She pointed first at herself, then at the ocean, waiting for Levy to understand.
"Y-you're not going to jump… are you?" asked Levy, her eyes wide. "Juvia, no!"
Juvia shook her head, her frustration growing.
"Hey, Shrimp!" interrupted Gajeel. "Down here!"
Juvia would have groaned if she could. Gajeel was so impatient!
Levy looked over the edge nervously. Muffling a shriek, she jerked back, her hands over her mouth. Levy looked around wildly, her face pale.
Juvia waved at her, trying to get her to calm down.
Levy shook her head frantically. "Juvia, there's a…"
Juvia grabbed both of Levy's hands, giving a comforting squeeze. She gave the Royal Scholar a pleading look. Once she was sure she had caught Levy's eye, Juvia pointed at herself. The she pointed at Gajeel.
Levy froze. "Wait… you knew he was there?"
Juvia nodded. She clasped her hands together, pretending to beg and pointed over the edge again.
"You… want me to talk to him?" asked Levy, biting her lip nervously. With a reluctant sigh, Levy reached for the edge of the ship, her fingers tightening until her knuckles turned white. She looked back over the side.
"Sorry 'bout that," growled Gajeel. "You Juvia's friend?"
"Yeah. Who are you?" asked Levy.
"I'm Juvia's friend too," he said, his mouth pulling into a grin.
"So… what are you doing in the water?" she asked awkwardly.
For a moment, Juvia was afraid Gajeel would extend his tail and show it off. Thankfully he was smarter than that.
"That's not important. Listen. We need your help. Juvia says you're trustworthy and really smart, so I'm going to believe her."
"What are you talking about?" Levy looked back at Juvia, a confused frown on her face.
Juvia raised her hands to sign, but Gajeel cut her off.
"Juvia's got herself mixed up with some weird business with a magical contract. We need somebody to get her out of it, and we're almost out of time. Do you think you can help?"
"Juvia, why didn't you say anything!" cried Levy, her eyes widening in distress. "I mean, I guess you couldn't. But I mean, all this time?"
Juvia nodded slowly.
"Oh, Juvia," sighed Levy, shaking her head sadly. She turned back to Gajeel. "Business law was never my strong suit, but I can give it a shot."
"I'm countin' on ya, Shrimp. And so's Juvia," he said, tossing her the tube.
Levy lunged for it, windmilling her arms to keep from falling. Hurriedly, Juvia pulled her back to safety.
"Got it! I won't let you down," said Levy, clenching a determined fist.
Juvia gave her a grateful hug, which Levy returned, grinning.
She popped open the tube, carefully pulling out the paper inside. "It's dry!" she muttered in wonder.
"Give me some credit," said Gajeel. "By the way, Juvia, Aria sends his best. He's the reason my container was waterproof. Toto says hi too, even if he was completely useless."
Even Aria and Totomaru had gotten involved? Juvia felt her heart swell for the team that she had left behind. Even if they weren't as jubilant and boisterous as Gray's crew, her team did care in their own way.
Bora still wasn't her favorite individual, but Juvia had to admit that there were people like that on land or under the sea. Really, they and the humans were more similar than either of them would have imagined.
"Are you… Sea-People?" asked Levy cautiously. She looked at Juvia. "Both of you, right?"
When they locked eyes, Juvia could tell that Levy needed no confirmation. Juvia cringed, biting her lip anxiously. She knew that Levy would have found out eventually. It was written in the contract, after all. Still, she hadn't planned on getting to see Levy's reaction to that news.
"Does that change anything?" asked Gajeel. He poked the tip of his black tailfin above the surface teasingly.
Levy looked thoughtful for a moment. "No," she said, finally. "I've just never met one before. All I've heard was that they attacked our ships. But, clearly, you're not attacking us now."
"Well, this is the first time I've talked with a Surface-Dweller," replied Gajeel with a shrug. "Normally, Surface-Dwellers shoot the moment they see us, but you haven't done that yet either. Guess we're even." He grinned crookedly.
Levy nodded, her logical mind satisfied. "I guess," she said. "But I'm also guessing that you're here under special circumstances?" she asked, holding up Juvia's contract.
"You're a good guesser, Shrimp," said Gajeel.
Juvia smiled gratefully at Levy. As friendly as most of the Surface-Dwellers had been, most still wouldn't have the Royal Scholar's open-mindedness for such things. Juvia had never appreciated Levy's level-headedness more.
"When do you need this by?" Levy asked, her voice businesslike again.
"Like now," said Gajeel.
"Now?" asked Levy. "As in now-now?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch.
"What part of now don'tcha understand?" snorted Gajeel. "We have to get her out of this today or something bad's gonna happen."
"How bad?" frowned Levy.
"Real bad. I mean, just read it and see," said Gajeel, gesturing at the contract. "This is, like, life or death."
Levy nodded grimly, pulling out a pair of magic spectacles, slipping them onto her face. "I'm on it. Just don't go too far. It'll be easier if I can talk things through with you. No offense, Juvia, but this might get complicated and talking with your friend will be easier than making you have to sign out everything."
"I'll be here. Just shout," Gajeel promised, tucking his tail to submerge.
"Wait!" said Levy. "What should I call you?"
Gajeel looked at Juvia over Levy's head. Juvia nodded.
"Gajeel," he said.
"Gajeel…" Levy repeated, starting to smile.
"Now hurry up."
Levy nodded. "Don't worry, Juvia. Everything's going to be okay. Leave it to us."
Gajeel's mouth curved into a determined grin. "Count on it," he promised.
Juvia could hardly believe it. Never would she have imagined that she'd see a Surface-Dweller willingly working with a Sea-Person, yet Gajeel and Levy seemed ready to put aside their differences to help her, at least for now.
And for the first time since Gray had announced his engagement, Juvia found herself filled with a desperate hope.
So... who saw the Gale coming? ;)
Next time, in Silence, we cut it down to the wire: "Do you, Lucy Heartfilia, take Gray Fullbuster to be you lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or worse, through richer and poorer, for as long as you both shall live?"
Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.
