AN: Yay, update! *_*

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Far Longer Than Forever

Chapter Four – I Gotta Find You

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"Far longer than forever
I swear that I'll be true
I've made an everlasting vow
To find a way to you"

The Swan Princess – Far Longer Than Forever

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He had to get out of there. He needed to go outside.

Gray walked passed his friends, most of them had no idea of what was going on but had a bad feeling by Mira's and Gray's reaction towards the letter. Erza was following Gray in a second; she had a stern look on her face as she rushed to follow the Ice Mage.

Once he was outside, Gray leaned and put his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths. He was in pain. That letter had opened a lock that was in his heart for a long time. He had felt that way a few times during his life: when he lost his parents, when he lost Ur. He had locked away that awful feeling of utter loss, of not knowing what to do with himself from that moment on.

It hurt.

The mere thought of Juvia… It hurt him so much he needed to let it out.

Gray couldn't help the growl of anger that came out of him; neither did care to stop it. His hands now in fists while he started to carelessly freeze everything outside the guild: the chairs, table, even the swimming pool. It was irrational for an Ice Mage but he was boiling inside and had to let it out.

When there was nothing else in sight to freeze, he started to use his magic to make random weapons and after he finished, he tossed them aside breaking them in the process. Within his fury he forgot what Ur taught him about using two hands to make the ice stronger. Gray just had to break things.

Erza was staring from the Guild's door while her friend yelled with anger as he threw another weapon on the ground, smashing it. She wanted to go to him, but couldn't. Not at that moment. He needed to clear his head and the men of the guild were never too good with just thinking to cool down.

"What the hell…?" Natsu said beside the Titania while he saw the Guild's backyard all white with ice while Gray yelled and smashed his own creations into oblivion once he made them.

"Give him a minute to think, Natsu." Titania said as she put an arm in front of Natsu when the pink haired man tried to step into the backyard. "He needs it."

"What's going on, Erza?" Natsu asked seriously, still looking as Gray smashed yet another sword of plenty.

"The letter." The woman said. "It said that Juvia is dead."

Natsu understood Gray's reaction then. Even he was aware that things were different between those two but now seeing Gray's outburst, he realized that it was deeper than he thought it was. The words finally sank into his mind as he turned to Erza.

"She's what?"

"It's strange." Titania was staring as Gray breathed hard from his spot surrounded by Ice. "Juvia is too strong to have fallen with a mission that is not even S-Class."

"Of course she is!" Gray yelled and Natsu, like Erza, stared at the Ice Mage's back. They noticed that his hands were shaking. "The mission was stupid; she could've done it in a heartbeat. She's alive. I know it."

"Then why are you freezing the backyard for?" Natsu asked truly confused. If Gray thought Juvia was still alive, then why he was throwing such a fit? Shouldn't he be getting ready to look for the Water Mage?

"Because, Natsu" Gray turned around, his eyes burning with anger and pain. "If someone sent that letter to tell us that she is dead out of the goodness of their hearts, it tells us that she is at least hurt somewhere without their knowledge. It means that she is incapable of contact us and that is about the woman who crawled her way to us when Zeref got away. It means that she's out there alone! And if that letter is ill willed, it's even worse! Can you see now why I am freezing the damn backyard?!"

Natsu seemed a little confused with his reaction. He knew that if it was him (like already happen a few times with Lucy) he would go after her without a second's thought. He would barge in whatever place he thought she was being held to break her free.

Erza, on the other hand, understood Gray's reasons. He just faced the possibility of losing someone he didn't realize it mattered that much for him. She knew he have been developing stronger feelings for Juvia and it grew even more during the games and the dragons' attacks back in Crocus. And Gray was forced to face the possibility of Juvia dying before he could understand his feelings at the same time he understood that she was at least hurt. It was too many emotions for just a small window of time; and Gray wanted to stay away from deeper emotions as much as he could.

"Master! Mira-nee! …Juvia…!" Gray, Erza and Natsu heard Lisanna yell. Without thinking anything else, Gray ran inside the Guild.

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Juvia was sitting on the cell, looking to the small crack on the ceiling where a small ray of sunlight could be seen. She closed her eyes for a moment, to let herself remember the feeling of in on her skin. How nice the first morning sunlight was so tender and warm.

A flash of Gray's face looking up to the sky when they first met passed through her mind and she felt the urge to cry. She wasn't sad of joining Fairy Tail, never. She just wanted to see him like that again. One more time would be nice. If she had known that she was going to be held captive, she would've said her feelings to him. She would've confessed her love.

She also would've hug all of her friends and tell how much she loved them. She would've thanked Master Makarov deeply for giving her a chance. She would've told Gajeel that he was her best friend in the whole world. She would've swept Asuka from the floor and showered the little girl with kisses and told her to grow beautiful, kind and strong like her parents.

Absent minded, Juvia's hand was above her left leg where her guild mark was. She had so many wonderful memories, she had such wonderful friends. Juvia lived the best she could, that she was sure. She just wanted more time.

"Juvia…" Laura whispered to gain the Water Mage's attention. Juvia opened her eyes, just to see Laura's face a few inches away from her own. "Rissa is here."

"Will she help us?" Juvia whispered without moving. It was better not to alarm the girls.

"Let's talk to her." Laura said and helped Juvia get up and walk towards the bars, where the mousy brunette was, looking to one side to another, scared. Juvia noticed how she was now with her hair disheveled and with a few bruises on her neck. She was definitely almost strangled.

"Rissa-san." Juvia whispered. "Oh, god. Are you…?"

"I am fine." Her brown eyes were cold and distant, but also determined. "Are you sure your friends will come?"

"Yes." Juvia didn't hesitate. "They will." Rissa stared at Juvia with analytical eyes, measuring the Fairy Tail Mage. Thinking if it was worth to help or be content with her future. "They will come for all of us."

Rissa nodded. "Then let's go." She took a key from her pocket and both Juvia and Laura looked surprised.

"Right now?" Laura asked. "What about the guards?"

"Drank until they couldn't anymore and then passed out." The mousy girl started to open the lock while the other prisoners looked with curiosity to them. "The Boss went to the town, but he'll be here in no time. If we are going to do this, we need to go now." Rissa said with a decided tone, opening the gate so Juvia could follow her.

"Let's go, then." The Water Mage said standing now without the help of Laura.

"Just be quiet until we get into the Boss' room." Rissa said closing the gate again and smiled apologetically to Laura, who understood that she had to close it. "I think we have fifteen minutes."

"That will do." Juvia said and started to limp away. The small brunette girl frowned, but the Water Mage waved off her worries. "I'm fine. Let's do this."

"Good luck." Laura said and watched until both of them were out of her sight. She looked to the girls and tried to calm them down and explain without many words what Juvia was doing.

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Everyone from Fairy Tail was quiet inside the Guild. Master had taken the letter and he had let out the deadliest aura he could. The only sounds were coming from outside and they were from Gray; the utter sound of rage, heartbreak and hurting.

"She's…" Lucy started after a few minutes. "We are going after her, right?"

"Of course we will." Master said. "I do not believe a word that letter said."

"Sorry about my reaction…" Mirajane was drying her tears. "Gray told me earlier that he had a bad feeling, I got too emotional."

"Don't worry, Mira-nee." Her sister, Lisanna, hugged the older woman. "I think I would've got the same reaction as you." All of the guild members present went silence as they heard Gray yell something at Natsu and then from far, the Lachryma started to make a sound. Lisanna let her sister go. "I'll get that."

She left to the room where Fairy Tail's Lachryma was and answered not too excited. They had a crisis on their hands.

"You called Fairy Ta…" The girl stopped mid-sentence when she saw who was calling. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was Juvia who was calling! But the happiness soon changed into worry once she saw the state Juvia was in. "Juvia? Oh, god… A letter just came saying you were dead! What happened to you?"

"Lisanna-san!" Juvia said with hurry and Lisanna shut up for a moment to listen to the Water Mage. "I don't have much time. Juvia was kidnapped."

"What?" The white haired girl was surprised. "Master! Mira-nee! It's Juvia! She's calling!"

She could hear the fast steps coming towards them.

"Lisanna-san, listen to me! Juvia doesn't have much time." Before she could say another word, Master Makarov and Mirajane were by Lisanna's side, and the other guild member that were there were by the door, all gasped when they looked at Juvia's image. Once she located Makarov, Juvia sighed in relief "Master! Juvia needs help!"

"Who did this to you?" Makarov asked with his face dark with anger. One of his children was hurt and he hated it feeling powerless.

"Juvia doesn't know." The girl shook her head. "She doesn't even know where she is." The blunette said, looking to the tiny man. "We're still in Fiore, but no other girl knows where."

"Other girl? What on earth's name is going on?" Makarov asked now confused. He wanted to help her, but it was difficult to understand what was going on.

"They, whoever they are… they are going to sell us." Juvia said and took a moment for the words to sink into their minds, because everyone who could hear her yelled:

"What?"

"They get girls from small guilds, send messages that they died and then sell them." Juvia said as quickly as she could, apparently. "The next auction is in two days and apparently, since Juvia's from Fairy Tail, she's going to be the main attraction and…"

"Hey, let me pass!" Juvia's eyes lit up once she heard a much known voice to her and she called the owner of it.

"Gray-sama!"

"Juvia!" Gray pushed the people in front of him aside, his heart cartwheeling inside his chest. She was alive. She was alive! He could go get her and he would… He pushed Mira out of the way and when he saw her image he was surprised, then worried. Then angry. Very angry. Her hair was a mess and her lower lip had a deep cut, but what surprised him more was the black eye she had; her left eye was dark purple, making contrast against her white skin. He stood looking at her in shock for a moment before talking again. "Where are you? Who did this?"

"Listen to me, Gray-sama. If you don't find Juvia in time, I need you to know…" She leaned over the Lachryma and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She put her hands on it and they could see the handcuffs she was wearing. "I love you. Now and always. Nothing will ever change that."

"Don't find you? What's going on?" Gray pretended that he didn't hear the confession. He didn't want it. Not like this.

"Juvia-san, hurry up." Someone off-screen from Juvia's side said and the blunette nodded, turning her eyes towards the unseen person and then back to the Lachryma.

"There are runes around the place so no female can do magic. There are about 20 guards and fifteen girls that will need medical attention. The auction is in two days." Juvia cut off everyone who tried to ask her something. "That's all I know. Oh! And we are close to the sea; Juvia smelled it in the guards. We think that they ship some of the girls to other countries." She looked over her shoulder and then whispered. "Juvia won't escape without the girls. If you don't find us, it's…"

"We're going to find you." Gray grabbed the Lachryma as if he could grab her. No, no, no. That wasn't happening. He was not going to lose her again that day, no! "I am going to find you, Juvia!"

"Juvia loves Fairy Tail. She regrets nothing." The Water Mage said looking to the other people as if she was trying to carve their faces into her mind and then to Gray. She smiled to him, that same smile she gave him before she left two days before. "Thank you for bringing the sun into Juvia's life, Gray-sama."

"Don't talk like we're never speaking ag…" Gray started to say, but she cut him.

"I love you." She said and the Lachryma went dead.

No one in the room said a word as Gray yelled: "Juvia!", but she was gone.

His hands didn't leave the Lachryma, neither did his eyes. He was still trying to understand what had just happened there. The urge to break things, preferably the neck of the person who left the marks on Juvia's body, returned but he needed to concentrate. He had promised to find her.

And Gray Fullbuster did not break his word.

He let out a breath, have another tantrum wouldn't help Juvia. He turned to the other people inside the room. "Tell me everything she said."

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Juvia safely returned to the prison cell. She nodded to Laura, who smiled to the Fairy Tail Mage. They had done it! Help was on the way, the blonde mage could tell by the way Juvia smiled.

"How was it?" Laura asked.

"Your information helped a lot. Juvia doesn't know how they will find us, but she knows they will." The blunette said and then turned to the mousy girl. "What changed your mind?" Juvia asked Rissa as the girl opened the gate once again but this time the blunette had to step inside."

"I almost died today." The girl touched her bruised neck. "And the possibility of being free again is not too bad. I don't think there's a stronger feeling than that."

"Once we are out, come to Fairy Tail, Rissa. We would like to have you there." Juvia smiled. "You are stronger than you think you are."

Once Juvia was inside the cell, Rissa closed the gate with the key. She hesitated to leave.

"The Boss will be returning in an hour or so." The brunette said, suddenly feeling compelled to warn the other girl. "He told the guards that he wanted to have time with you. He said that he enjoyed you. This is never good."

Juvia's smile dropped. "Yes. He told me that he wanted to yesterday. Don't worry, Rissa-san. Juvia is tougher than she looks. And she's stronger now that she warned her friends. They will find a way to me. To us."

"I honestly hope you are right, Juvia-san."

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AN: I think that the Lachryma scene was a little sad. Both of them grabbing the Lachryma at the same time because they couldn't hold each other… I don't know. But at least FT knows what happened.

BTW, I hope Gray wasn't too OOC with his outburst in the beginning of the chapter. I think he would react that way, but you guys let me know!

Thanks to:

Oh, I recorded a video for you, people. It's just me being silly, but here we go: youtube . com slash watch?v=h0SSJeVvUSo (without the spaces, you know the drill. :D)

Another note: Cinnamon-bun is drawing a small doujinshi based on my one-shot from 'Seven Days of Love' Day 3 – AU. It's pretty awesome! The link is on my profile! Check it out!

04/27/2013 ~ BonneyQ