Evening guys! Kytrin here with the Wednesday update! No announcements I can think of off hand, so enjoy the chapter! :)
CHAPTER 14
Blow me down!
Phrase of amazement or shock
Natsu looked at Wendy, who was stubbornly watching him just like he was her. After his incident at the nest she was treating him like he was made of spun glass even though he insisted he was fine.
"How's Cana?" He asked, trying to change the subject.
"Fine, now let me look at you," Wendy growled, swiping at him and catching only air as he deftly ducked out of the way.
"Natsu!" She huffed indignantly, the shyness she'd showed at first vanishing like mist in the sun as she glowered at her brother, "Get back here!"
"I promise I'm fine sis!" Natsu assured her, "Nothing got hurt!"
"Nothing except your head!" Wendy hissed, "You were in pain severe enough to roar for help! That is not 'fine' no matter what you say!"
"Is it bad I would bet on Wendy?" Lucy mused from where she was standing with Cana, Levy, and Gray.
"Nope!" Cana smirked, "Yeah you tell him girl!" She cheered Wendy on, pulling a laugh from Lucy.
"Looks like you've taken a shine to our newest healer." Lucy teased, "How are you feeling anyway?"
"Pretty good all things considered." Cana replied as she settled back to watch the siblings chase each other in circles, "Wendy says I'll be cleared for full duty in a few more days. She's leery about rushing my ribs along too much."
Lucy nodded, "That works out well then. We're still cataloguing the hoard to work out what we'll take and what we'll leave for now."
"Would you have really refused it if he hadn't insisted?" Cana asked curiously and Lucy sighed a little.
"Probably." She admitted, "I mean, I wanted it, but there's a difference between thinking your childhood hero's been dead for centuries with his treasure up for grabs, and finding out he's alive and well not five minutes before."
Cana contemplated that for a moment and nodded, "Yeah I can see that. You've always really respected the Pirate King." She smirked, "Gotta say, I'm just as glad you decided not to do it. That stash'll have us sitting pretty for a good long time."
"It really will." Lucy agreed, "And with the island abandoned the way it is, we could easily take it over when we retire. Maybe even build a village or something."
The other three exchanged looks. That was the first time Lucy had even hinted she was thinking about a day she might not sail the seas.
"Or maybe find someone to retire with hm?" Cana asked slyly, and cackled a little when Lucy blushed, "Aw, now don't tell me our fearsome Captain Heartfilia has someone on her mind?"
"I do not!" Lucy huffed, "You should stop saying ridiculous things! I was thinking of you scallywags anyway! I plan to sail until the day I die!"
"Sure you were cap'n," Levy teased, poking at Lucy's side. The woman hadn't been able to take her eyes off her childhood hero.
"You've been staring at him nonstop even before you found out who he was," Levy pointed out.
Lucy shot her friend an irate glower, not particularly pleased with having that information pointed out to her. Natsu was a very interesting, and Lucy had even considered getting closer to him. However since the resurgence of his memories Lucy had to remember that their relationship had shifted a bit.
He was in love. With someone else, even if it was from hundreds of years ago. Lucy could see it hanging around him like a cloud, the ache in the back of his eyes when he would rub at his chest.
She wasn't going to do that to herself.
The Heartfilia women had been notoriously unlucky in love for generations. Cursed in fact. So much so it was more surprising to find one who had found real long-term happiness than not. And it was a fate she was determined to avoid at all costs.
That was why she'd shied away from romantic entanglements of any kind.
And it was why Natsu, for all his artless charm and goofy attractiveness, was off limits. She would not compete with a ghost. Let alone a ghost he only vaguely remembered existed.
"And staring is as far as it will go." She said lowly, hoping the dragons didn't overhear her, "Natsu's heart is off the market."
"You don't know that." Levy protested, her eyes growing wide with a panic Lucy didn't quite understand, "His love died centuries ago!"
Lucy snorted and shot Levy another look, "Four centuries or four minutes it doesn't matter. To him it's like she died yesterday, and he doesn't even properly remember her yet!" She shook her head, "No. I'm not going to open that can of worms." She pushed away from the rail, "I'll be in my cabin if you need me."
Maybe a little reading would help get her mind off it.
Behind her Gray shook his head as they watched her go, "Well that could've gone better."
"It'll be alright Gray." Levy replied confidently, "They'll work it out in the end."
Though a little nudge in the right direction might not be amiss.
-::-
While one goddess was contemplating her friend's love-life another was curled up in a private corner below decks glaring down at the glowing lacrima in her hands, "What do you mean they fled?"
"Exactly that my lady." Zeref told her, "The Abyss started churning just after you left, and suddenly the creatures down there fled it en-mass. We've been trying to contain them, but it's slow going, and they won't remain in the depths for long no matter how often we send them there."
"That's not good, I'll have to go back down there to coax them back into the abyss." Juvia sighed into the lacrima.
"Natsu will have to return to the sea while I look into it, I'm afraid he may not like that. He's been getting very close with the captain. And he's beginning to realize who he is." Juvia murmured, "I'm afraid going back to the sea may rob him of some of that."
"Do you know if it will for sure?" Zeref asked, worried over the possibility of his brother losing himself if he returned to the sea. As much as he would like his brother to one day return home, it wouldn't be to lose all he had gained.
"I don't know for certain, but we need to take this one step at a time. Seeing my abyssal children sacred enough to be coming out of the woodwork worries me. There aren't many things that could do that, but if it is what I think... we could all be in trouble." She murmured.
"Enough that you will have to break your cover my Lady?" Zeref asked.
"Perhaps. Gods fighting against other gods makes things complicated." Juvia admitted, "And this smells like the work of Acnologia. Levy tells me that there has been a plot against him since Natsu's fall four hundred years ago. However I fear he suspects treachery. I will need to investigate."
The largest fear was that it was already too late and that those she was keeping locked away had already risen to the surface. And if that was the case, her magic would be unable to touch them.
There were rules set into place for the gods and their interference ages ago after the demon gates had ravaged the world. Rules that had been re-inforced so an incident like Acnologia and Natsu did not happen again.
That only meant the gods had to have more patience. Be sneakier.
Juvia knew the Destroyer was waiting for the moment to strike.
This might have been it.
Either way she couldn't ignore the current crisis. The seals had to be reinforced soon or they risked rupturing entirely, which would leave the primary seal on Tartaros exposed.
Something the Destroyer would be quick to take full advantage of.
The detestable war god had never fully supported their plan to seal Tartaros and the gates away, at the time the god had been different, kinder and a bit softer around the edges. The demons were from his creation though, and he had wanted to give them another chance. Although Juvia suspected Acnologia was revealing in the conflict and blood the demons spread. It hadn't been until it was clear they would burn all of creation, leaving no one to fight, that he'd reluctantly given his support.
If the damned fool had come up with a plan to side with the demons instead...
She shuddered at the implications and refocused on Zeref, "I'll return as soon as I can." She told him firmly, "No matter what else, this situation cannot be ignored. It will only be a temporary measure though. I promised your brother my help and I cannot break that vow."
Zeref bowed his head, "Any assistance you can provide will be much appreciated. I only hope Natsu will get through it alright."
Juvia's expression softened, "Don't worry. I shouldn't be gone long enough to affect him unduly, and anything that does happen will only be temporary with the way things are going."
Zeref cocked his head at that, but Juvia shook hers, "I have to go now. I'll be there as soon as I can."
Zeref nodded and the lacrima went dark.
Juvia sighed as she got to her feet, grateful she'd been alone for the duration of the conversation. It was awkward being an undercover goddess and yet needing to attend to divine things. She really didn't know how Levy did it.
Juvia sighed and stowed Natsu's lacrima away in her side satchel, sweeping her hair off her shoulder and standing up. It was nothing short of a miracle that Gajeel's image hadn't been picked out by the crew on the mural, although Juvia supposed that they hadn't been given enough time to look at it.
What with the screaming dragon and all.
After that the mural had been dropped, obscured from view. Probably it was the real reason why Natsu had given up his hoard to Lucy. To provide some cover for Gajeel.
Juvia sighed as her heart ached. She hated her ongoing deception with Natsu. She wanted to tell him all the secrets he craved, but that simply was not the way her spell worked. Not if she wanted it to continue to protect him from Acnologia's gaze. She suspected there were more secrets buried in his head than one lifetime could hold anyway. So slow and steady was likely the better option by far.
That didn't make her heart ache any less however.
She moved to walk up the stairs to the deck, stopping in her tracks by the bare chest in her field of vision and tattooed arms crossed to block her path.
"So." Gray spoke, his voice calm but with just the hint of a winter chill over the arctic sea. Juvia shivered at the coolness in his eyes and the closed off expression on his face, "You're a goddess."
Juvia let out a frantic screech and backed away, slipping off the stairs in her panic and almost tumbling backwards onto the hard floor. Gray's hand snapped out, catching her wrist before she could completely fall over, his weight shifting to keep her balanced.
"Hey, easy now! I didn't mean to startle you." Gray looked a little confused by her reaction, no doubt not having expected a goddess to scream when she was startled.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Juvia exclaimed, redness working over her cheeks at the way Gray had caught her.
Her weight had shifted, causing his strong arm to come around her shoulders and press into his chest. There was a surge of warmth in the way she was being held, her hand pressing light under his collarbone.
A sudden surge of longing rushed through her, the memory of being held like this under a sleepy canopy of stars surged to the front of her mind. Of cool kisses warming her from the inside out and filling her in a way she could hardly remember.
She jerked away from him before her memories could betray her, tears stinging at her eyes.
Gray let her go and leaned back to regard her thoughtfully, "So... when Natsu said a sea witch helped him I assume he was covering for what you really are?"
Juvia choked a little and nodded, "Er, yes." She eyed him hesitantly, "How much did you overhear exactly?"
"Most of it." Gray admitted with a shrug, not entirely sure how he felt about having his patron goddess before his eyes. Never mind the fact she'd joined the crew without them knowing.
"Oh." Juvia sighed, "I'd hoped I was being discreet."
Gray snorted, "Not aboard a ship. Especially this one." His lips twitched into a small smirk at her puzzled expression, "You should know by now Lucy's not like most pirate captains. She's not the type to restrict her crew much. Or flog us or any of that crap. She doesn't even use the brig except as a last resort."
"I had noticed she didn't lock up Bora for the cannon incident." Juvia murmured, and Gray nodded.
"And since Cana survived fine thanks to Natsu, she won't." He replied, "That's how Lucy operates. She only hauls out the harsher punishments for the truly nasty crimes." His gaze sharpened, "And she hasn't had to do that in years."
Juvia cocked her head in confusion, "I'm glad to hear that, but I don't understand how that relates to you finding me."
Gray crossed his arms as he leaned back against the wall, "It matters because nowhere except her quarters is secure. She doesn't keep anyone from going into stores or anything like that. As long as we do our jobs properly and hop if she orders us, we're free to do what we want."
"I see." Juvia sighed, "So what do you intend to do now?"
Gray tilted his head slightly at her, "I guess that's up to you." He replied after a moment, "You must've had some reason for keeping your secret, but I can't really keep Lucy in the dark about this. And what Lucy knows, eventually the whole ship will."
"I do have a reason for keeping it quiet," She murmured, "And it's a personal one as much as a divine one." She turned away from him, her hands curling in together.
She gave him an apologetic look, "I would ask you to keep it a secret from the captain, but I know that's a difficult position to put you in. I had honestly wanted to hide it from you as well."
Gray blinked and took a step towards her, his hand lifting to brace his weight on the doorframe over his head. Juvia kept her gaze averted from him.
"Why me?" Gray asked, his face serious as he crept into her personal space, making her meet his eyes.
Because I love you, her thoughts betrayed her, And I miss you. I want you to know me as I am once more, not as a goddess.
She yanked her gaze away chewing on her bottom lip, "Because I am your patron goddess. And if anyone would have expectations of me..."
"That would be me," Gray murmured, filling in the blanks, even if it was somewhat incorrect. He thought back to the whirlpool and how he had prayed to the Tempest in that moment, not aware she was sailing right beside them.
"Natsu's curse is... complicated. Even by the standards of a god," Juvia looked down to her feet, "To help him, I had to give up my divinity."
"And I cannot lead him into remembering. If I do there will be consequences." She whispered, "Very bad consequences."
Gray frowned, somewhat disturbed by the prospect of consequences following the ship. He was superstitious enough that when a goddess was worried about something then there was probably a good reason for it.
"What kind of consequences?" He questioned, unwilling to let it go.
Juvia straightened her shoulders, her expression neutral as she regarded him. She had always been weak to him, anything he ever asked of her - which was usually nothing save safe travels, she had always given.
But this was something which could endanger him. And not just him, but Lucy and Natsu as well.
Looking more like the goddess she was, she reached out and took his arm, turning it over and unbuckling the bracer he wore to try and obscure his tattoo.
He almost flinched back at her precise movements, but she held his arm firm in her grasp.
"Too much knowledge can draw his attention and weaken my protection spell shielding you from his sight." She acknowledged the protection she held on his lineage.
Gray sucked in a sharp breath and looked up to meet her eyes, but there was nothing but steady truth there. To know the whole truth about everything would be to court the Destroyer's attention. Something he tried to avoid as much as Lucy.
A part of him wanted to insist. Wanted to demand to know why his family had been cursed so. To know what they could have possibly done to deserve such a fate. It had been a mystery since their ancestor, the first Gray, had died at sea and the mark had suddenly appeared on one of his brother's children.
And yet... and yet when he looked into her eyes he saw not only fathomless knowledge, and with it the answers he sought, but pain and sorrow.
He knew in a flash that if he insisted on an answer, she would give it to him. But doing so would break her heart, and undo everything she'd been trying to do since that mysterious and fateful day.
He couldn't do it. Not to her.
She who had been his salvation and succor since he'd first felt the call of the sea as child. She who had lifted his spirits simply by being and thawed the lonely block of ice that was his heart when she brought him to the Fairy Tail and Lucy.
And now all she wanted in exchange was his patience? His silence?
It seemed like such a small thing in the face of all she'd done for him. All she'd given him.
He rubbed his hand over his aching heart and bowed his head.
"You've always been there for me." He murmured hoarsely, "You've been my solace. You brought me to the Fairy Tail and Lucy."
He reached out and pulled her into a tight hug, "Thank you." He whispered raggedly, and pulled back to stare at her face, beautiful no matter what form she wore, "I will trust you, and will not pry further." He smiled, "And I will keep your secrets, even from Lucy, until you're ready to reveal yourself."
"You give me too much credit Gray," Juvia looked up at him, emotion bubbling in the back of her throat. Her bottom lip trembled and she was forced to look down, unable to look him in the eye when she had hidden herself in grief for centuries.
"Had I been more careful or faster back then, you would never have been cursed to begin with," Juvia murmured, the regret in her eyes clear enough for Gray to see.
She had cared for his ancestor, he realized that with a start. The guilt in her eyes was shadowed with the memories of her failure to protect those she kept under her care. So much in so, she had continued to protect the legacy of his family.
"It wasn't your fault," He heard himself saying, even as those deep eyes looked at him. They were startled by his matter of fact announcement.
"It wasn't. You've done more than enough. No matter what happened then. And you've done so much for me now." He reached out and squeezed her hand.
Pulling her hand from his grip, she gave him a smile that was warm around the edges.
"I can tell you your ancestor didn't deserve his curse. He angered the Destroyer by protecting his family," Juvia gave him a smile that somehow made him very sad, "You would have done the same thing as him I imagine."
"Sounds like he was a stubborn fool, but I can't say you're wrong," Gray's face relaxed into a smile that had that dark sadness in Juvia's eyes receding into the sparkle of the sea on a sunny day.
"Just like you?" Juvia laughed quietly.
"Aye, just like me," Gray chuckled.
He grinned at her, a happy warmth settling in his chest. His faith had been rewarded. Perhaps not quite the way he'd ever imagined it, when he'd imagined it at all, but rewarded all the same.
His goddess was here, and he couldn't think of anything better than a chance to pay her back by helping her now.
"Now, I think you said something about needing to head back to the sea for a while?"
Juvia nodded, "Yes. Charybdis was only the first of many if I don't get my abyssal children back under control."
Gray shuddered at the memory of those awful teeth, "Right. So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to ask you and Natsu to do some scouting under water while we finish dealing with the treasure. Even if we don't take it all our hold will be full and the Fairy Tail won't be as maneuverable. So if there's a way to deal with some of those rocks to help make our course a little easier I want to find out about it."
He smirked at her, "I'm thinking doing that will take at least a couple days right?"
Juvia's expression lit up, "That's perfect!" She exclaimed, but then frowned, "Except... Natsu will have to remain in the water the whole time, and I won't be around if the captain changes her mind."
Or to get supplies.
Gray hummed a little and beckoned her to follow him. He led her down to one of the supply rooms and began digging around in one of the crates to pull out a waterproof bag.
"Here. You give that to Mira to fill with two day's worth of supplies for you and Natsu. It's better to supply you properly than have you come all the way back while you work. The hoard will take at least two more days to go through anyway."
"You clearly haven't gotten a full grasp of a dragon's appetite, although I suppose he can forage for what he needs." Juvia said with amusement. Her fingertips brushed over the back of Gray's hands as she accepted the satchel.
It was unnecessary for herself. She would have no need for food or supplies when she was in the water unless it was strictly for self-satisfaction or pleasure. Still she appreciated the thought.
"Thank you Gray, you are very kind," Juvia gave him a warm smile.
"And thank you for helping me too," Juvia murmured, curling her arms around the bag like it was something precious. And perhaps to her it was. It was very rare for a goddess to be given something that wasn't meant as tribute.
"Yeah, it's no problem," Gray gave her a smile that was reflected by Juvia. There was a sudden ache in his chest as she took a step towards him with a sweet smile on her face.
Her pale hand rose, lightly lifting the fringe of his bangs from his temple, right over the scar above his brow.
There was a sudden shock at her touch, but Juvia didn't seem to notice as she murmured her thanks and swept away.
It amazed him how he hadn't noticed before. The way she moved was anything but natural, as if she was gliding on two legs, graceful beyond what should have been possible. How could he have believed a simple sea witch was capable of a magic workaround a spell that a goddess created? It just wasn't possible.
There was a sudden echo in his mind, like an odd sense of dejavu overcoming him. As if there were something just out of his grasp. He frowned a little and strained after whatever it was for a few moments before giving up. Whatever it was it would surely come back to him in time. In the meantime he had work to do. Lucy was still counting on him, and he was not going to let her down.
Not now. Not ever.
Never again.
And that's the Chapter! I wanna give everyone who reviewed a hug and a shout out. Thank you all so much for your thoughts, speculations, and theories. Congratulations on more than nailing your preview mark! I hope you enjoy and we'll see you Sunday!
"Aw c'mon Levy please?" Natsu begged, "I haven't had any decent fire since the last time I saw dad!" He whined softly, "Please! Pretty please!"
"Are you sure you're as terrifying as your reputation said?" Levy teased with a laugh, "And what makes you so sure I can produce fire anyway?"
Natsu froze mid-beg, looking so comical Lucy couldn't quite smother her laughter, "What? But... you just made light for Sting!" He straightened up and waved his finger at his smug looking brother, "I saw it! And you've made other stuff! C'mon! You can't let him hog all your pretty element words!"
"Maybe she just likes me better." Sting smirked as he licked his fingers of the last of the light she'd created for him, "That was really good too."
Natsu looked torn between lunging at his brother and giving Levy the largest puppy eyes in history, and Lucy lost her battle against her laughter.
"I don't think he's going to leave you alone if you don't." She gasped between giggles.
