AN: Yay, update! *_*

This chapter was betaed by the amazing Ratiqu! Thank you!

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Far Longer Than Forever

Chapter Three – Loss

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"Far longer than forever

I'll hold you in my heart

It's almost like you're here with me

Although we're far apart"

The Swan Princess – Far Longer Than Forever

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Gray had his backpack ready when he arrived at Fairy Tail the next morning. It had been two days since Juvia left and from what he could gather, the mission was not that complicated for a mage her level. There were a few thugs vandalizing a small village and they were requesting help.

Juvia could do it with her eyes closed and hands tied behind her back.

Yet there he was, ready to go after her in case she didn't appear in the next few hours. The bad feeling was still there and he was going to the village after lunch. He was probably going to make a fool out of himself –Juvia was fine– but he was going anyway.

"Good morning, Gray." Mirajane said happily. "You arrived early today and with your backpack." She frowned. "I thought you were taking the week off."

"Change of plans." The Ice Mage shrugged. "Listen, Mira… have you heard anything from Juvia?"

"From Juvia?" Mirajane's frown got deeper. "No. Why?"

Gray looked around and saw that as it was rather early in the morning, he was the first one to arrive. He could talk to her without the prying ears of his fellow guild mates. "I have this bad feeling when I think of her; my gut is telling me that something's off."

For once, Mira didn't look like he was trying to tell the world that he was in love with Juvia without actually saying. Maybe it was the worry in his eyes, maybe it was the way he was talking. Whatever it was, the older woman took him seriously.

"What's off?"

"That's the thing… I don't know." He sighed defeatedly, taking his backpack and putting it on the ground next to his feet. "It started when she told me about the mission, and when she said good-bye… I don't know. I felt sick, because even though it was an easy mission, it seemed like I wasn't going to see her for a long time."

Mirajane nodded, taking in the information. "And you want to go after her." She didn't ask, he noticed.

"If I don't hear from her until after lunch, yes." Gray said. "She should've come back yesterday. Juvia is good enough to take down a few magic-free vandals on her own like it was nothing."

It was Mira's turn to become preoccupied. "Now that you mention it, it is unusual for her to overstay anywhere without informing any of us and you're right, the mission was easy enough." She eyed Gray with a little curiosity. "And there's your… gut feeling, sixth sense or whatever you want to call. It is known that when you feel closer to someone, sometimes you can feel when they are in danger." Gray was about to say something, but Mira held her hand up. "I am not saying that she is in danger, Gray. I hope your gut is wrong. And I am not saying that you're head over heels for her, I am just saying that it's a possible explanation for what you are feeling."

The Ice Mage was about to tell Mira that this 'sixth sense' thing was ridiculous, but a few of his comrades started to arrive at the Guild. So, he stopped himself. Instead, he grabbed his backpack. "If you hear anything…"

"I'll let you know." Mira said kindly. "I am sure everything is alright though, Gray," she tried to comfort him.

"I hope you're right," he mumbled and the Take Over Mage bit her lower lip in apprehension as she saw him go to a table in one of the corners of the Guild and look out the window, the one that could clearly see who was coming to Fairy Tail. Gray looked like he was really in pain with worry and she had only seen him like that a few times. Silently, Mira prayed that nothing happened to Juvia; she had no idea how Gray would react otherwise.

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The Water Mage opened her eyes, startled when the sound of something hitting the ground echoed through the walls of the dungeon she was being held in. She moaned in pain as she tried to get up; all of her body was sore, especially her ribs. She was sure that she had cracked a few.

She blinked a few times, trying to get used to what little light she and the girls had to look around. Once she managed to sit up, she saw that all the captive girls were asleep with the exception of her and Laura.

The blonde woman was chatting with someone outside the bars of their cell. Juvia had to blink a few more times to get a good look at whom Laura was speaking to.

She was a small woman with light brown hair and looked like a little mouse, afraid of her own shadow. But Juvia knew that looks could be deceiving.

"Laura?" Juvia whispered and the Harpia Wing Mage looked over her shoulder and made a movement with her hand, ushering Juvia over to where she and the mousy girl were. After a little effort, Juvia stood up and limped her way to them. Once she was close enough, The Girl Outside The Bars looked even more like a mouse. Her dark brown eyes were wide in fear. "Hello." Juvia said kindly, trying not to scare her.

"Rissa…" Laura whispered to the mousy little girl, regaining her attention. "Rissa, we need you." Juvia gathered that the blonde had already spoken with the girl, Rissa, and told her that they had a plan.

"Laura…" The girl looked towards the door. She went to her knees, grabbed a brush and wet it in the bucket that Juvia hadn't even noticed was there (perhaps the sound of it hitting the ground was what had woken Juvia up?) then started to clean the floor. "They can hear us."

"They've been getting drunk for the past few hours and will probably pass out soon." The blonde woman said, trying to wave the other woman's worries off, and kneeled to stay at Rissa's eye level. "As I was saying, we have a plan to save all of us." Rissa looked skeptical. Laura pointed to the Water Mage beside her. "Juvia here is a mage from Fairy Tail and she guarantees that they will come to rescue her."

The mousy brunette stared at the girl who was with Laura and frowned; she didn't look special. "I heard that they got one from the Strongest Guild, but…"

"Rissa-san." Juvia said quietly, trying to bite down a groan of pain as she also kneeled on the floor. "If Juvia could get a hold of someone from her guild, anyone, and give them a message they would come for us. All of us. They can save you too."

"I'm… I'm with them." Rissa whispered and Juvia felt bad for her. She was trapped here without the need of the cells and that saddened her.

"No, you are not." Laura said with certainty. "You are as captive as we are. I know what they do to you, Rissa." Laura said kindly and the other girl shivered. Juvia knew what had happened to the mousy girl because Laura had told her; she was never bought because she was 'too skinny and didn't have womanly charms' as the Boss said, so they kept her as a maid. And sometimes the guards would not treat her as a maid. It had been a year for Rissa. "We just need to get Juvia out for a few minutes so she can call Fairy Tail by lachryma and…"

"What?" Rissa half-yelled in panic. "No way."

"Rissa-san, if Juvia talks to them, they will come." Juvia tried to reassure the girl. She knew that her friends would come to her rescue. The Water Mage had noticed the lachryma in the corner of the Boss' office while he was talking to the men that had kidnapped her. She knew that it was a long shot, but it was their only hope.

When Juvia told Laura that she needed to reach the lachryma, the blonde woman had thought that she was crazy and refused to take part in the plan. They had a heated whispering discussion where Laura had told Juvia that she was crazy and that she was going to get caught.

The blunette changed her mind, saying: "If you don't want to do this for you, do it for them." She waved towards the girls. "If Juvia gets caught, she'll take all the blame. What's the worst that can happen to them now? Getting sold?" she said bitterly. "If we don't do anything, they will be!" She took a deep breath. "They will come, Laura. I swear."

After thinking for a long time, Laura agreed to it. It was their last chance. In two days, the auction would take place and then they would be totally helpless. She agreed to introduce Juvia to Rissa, then.

"I…" Rissa said, in doubt. Oh, how long had it been since she was free? Since she'd had any hope of getting out? If what Laura and the new girl were saying was possible, she could get out. She hated this life. The past year had been a nightmare for her. "They will get us…"

"Not if we have you by our side." Juvia said, grabbing the girl's hand, but not too tightly. "And if they do, Juvia will take all the blame, don't worry. She'll tell them that she made you."

Rissa looked at the strange woman. She talked in third person? That was so weird… The brunette could see that she'd taken a beating: her lower lip was deeply cut, her left eye was swollen with a nasty purple color and by the way that she sounded when she moved, the rest of her body was probably covered in bruises as well.

"How can you be sure that they will come?" Rissa whispered. "No one ever does."

"You've never come across a Fairy Tail mage, have you?" Juvia smiled kindly. "We don't give up on our people."

"RISSA!" One of the guards yelled, opening the door of the dungeon and the girl shrunk in fear, removing Juvia's hand from hers. The man looked drunk, his balance obviously affected. "Martov dropped his beer. Come and clean!" He turned and started to walk away.

She got up and went in the direction of the sound of his voice, but not without looking hesitantly to both Laura and Juvia. When she was gone, Juvia turned to the blonde woman.

"So… do you think she'll help us?" The blunette asked.

"Yes." Laura was sure. "Rissa hates it here. I've been here for three weeks and she talked to me a few times and she was always eager to get out, like we all are." She said. "She's just scared because she's been here longer and needs to find her strength again. I think you gave her a little just now." Laura said to Juvia, looking pleased. She had no idea what the Fairy had in her to make people just believe in what she was saying.

Maybe it was because she believed in her friends so much that others could just feel it too.

"Juvia hopes you are right."

They could only wait for the little girl. The problem was that the clock was ticking for the fourteen girls that were locked up.

"Me too, Juvia." Laura said and then helped the Water Mage up. "Come on, you need to rest a little more to heal. And if… no, when Rissa comes you need to be in your best shape to keep up with her. Having you limping your way to the Boss' office is hardly a good idea."

Juvia nodded and let the blonde woman return her to the spot she was in when she woke up a few minutes before. "Thanks, Laura." The other girl smiled and went to her own sleeping space.

Closing her eyes, Juvia didn't sleep. Instead, she started to think about her friends. Had they received the letter yet? Would they be sad? Would they question it?

She kicked herself mentally; of course they would. She knew they would do anything to get her back if there was even the slightest possibility of her being alright, she knew. Juvia knew that the uncertain thoughts were because she was panicking a little and because she was in pain, not because she didn't trust them.

They would come for her. For them.

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Gray was getting restless. No sign of Juvia anywhere and it was about lunch time. His gut was twisting, screaming that he had to leave at that very moment, that every second he stayed at the Guild was a waste of time.

"Mail!" A small bald man entered Fairy Tail and went straight to where Mirajane was, giving her many letters that consisted mostly of missions.

"Thank you, Wesley." She smiled kindly at the man, who left the Guild with hearts instead of eyes muttering 'I love my job.'

Mirajane started to sort the mail, missions in one pile, letters to Master (mostly with bills from missions the Fairy Tail members took and destroyed something) in another, and letters to her guild mates in a third.

She was humming a song when a letter came into view. It had a black stripe on the envelope and her body went rigid at the sight of it; those kind of envelopes were mostly used to tell about someone's demise.

Gray's voice about how he had a bad feeling about Juvia echoed through her mind and she quickly opened the letter, even though Master should've been the one to do it. She had to know.

Once she started to read the letter, she let a hand cover her mouth as the words began to sink in. Her gray eyes started to water as she continued reading.

"Mira?" Erza asked concerned and many of the guild members looked in their direction once they heard a sob coming from the white haired woman. "Mira, what is it?" Titania stepped closer to her and Mirajane showed the letter to Erza.

Her face immediately went serious and her whole body was rigid as she read the letter. "This…"

Sensing the change of the mood in the air, Gray returned from his thoughts and looked around. His friends were staring at a crying Mira and a stoic Erza, confused about what was happening.

He knew it was about Juvia.

Later Gray didn't even remember getting up and stepping towards the girls. He didn't even remember snatching the letter from Erza's hands (much to everyone's surprise' one simply does not snatch anything from Erza). What he would remember until the day he died were the words. He would remember the horrible feeling that washed over him with each word.

"To Fairy Tail:

I am sorry to inform you that after a series of unfortunate events, the mage that presented herself as Juvia Lockser, from Fairy Tail, died in mission.

The people of Flores send their grief for…"

Gray stopped reading the words of consolation. The letter fell to the floor as he looked down, the pain in his stomach unbearable.

He had lost her.

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AN: Poor Gray. T_T But yay for the plan! Let's just hope it works, right?

Thanks to: MimoRei13, WednesdaySnow, , Crispylepocky, Juvelia, Chibi Waru-Chan, mabello, xXwendyXx3, Sarapyon, Gohanroxme, Yukistar, Darkhope, CoolCat9698, YamixTeaLover, Seyrin, cybercorpsesnake, CaprisiousKrego, Essence97, yuuki-baka, Lavi-hime 4E-3, Ushiio, passwordrawr, animegirl115 andWiseLoad43. You are the best!

Any thoughts? :)

04/17/13 ~ BonneyQ