Chapter 2
Juvia P.O.V
No, no, no, it just can't be. I should have read the request carefully before I chose it, but no. Now here I am not five minutes from the town that caused me so much misery. So much pain. I just can't stop the tremors that plague my hands. Gray-sama is right, I am an idiot. And due to my idiocy I am forced into going back to the place from my nightmares. A place I never even considered returning, the town in which I was born, the town that caused me to become the Rain Woman.
Maybe they won't remember me. It has been ten years since they have last seen or heard from me. The town's people will not remember me, why would they want to remember the poor orphan girl that caused their home constant and unrelenting rain? I hope they do not recall who I am, no one, not even Gray-sama, can know of my past because compared to many others of Fairy Tail's members, I have nothing to complain about.
I don't dare lift my gaze from my still shaking hands as the train pulls into the station. Gray-sama stands ready to leave and I go to follow his lead but my body betrays me. I cannot stand up, I can barely lift my head as memories of my childhood flash before me. Stop it! I scream internally at myself. I am being foolish. Just stand up.
"What's wrong with you? Hurry up." Gray-sama's melodic voice manages to snap me out of my trance. I look up at him and see frustration in his eyes.
"Sorry Gray-sama, Juvia was just…..thinking." My trembling hands must catch Gray's eyes for he briefly glances down at them and a slight crease forms between his brows. I ball my hands into fists and stand up effectively bringing his eye contact back to my face. I smile at him hoping to ease the ever so slim sliver of worry from his questioning gaze.
"Juvia is ready now Gray-sama, let's go." And with that we leave the train and step into the one place I never wished to be in, Diluvium, the village plagued by rain. Juvia's rain.
Diluvium is just as I remember it, well except for the rain. The town, I realise, is very similar to Magnolia in its layout but considerably smaller. Small simple houses form the town and at its centre is the Town Hall where the Mayor and sender of the request works, the place that Gray-sama and I are now heading. I keep my head down as we walk, praying that no one in the bustling streets notices us, but that is inevitable considering that in this small town everyone knows everyone and if newcomers were to come the whispering begins instantly. Luckily I have not been discovered yet and I am wanting to keep it that way.
We arrive in front of the Town Hall with no incidents. I sigh in relief glad I have made it this far I just hope I can last the next few days. Gray-sama enters first and I slowly trail behind him. Inside the walls are pristine white with marble floors, a receptionists desk is directly in front of us and to the left of the desk is a door to the Mayor's office and to the right is a hallway.
"We're here from Fairy Tail about the mission regarding the bandits." Gray informs the pretty and petite brunette behind the desk.
"Oh yes Ward-sama is expecting the both of you please follow me." She looks from Gray to me, her gaze linger a little longer than I would have liked on me, then walks to Ward-san's office. After a soft knock on his door she enters and announces us.
"Sir, the two Fairy Tail mages have arrived." She motions for us to enter and we do, me, staying behind Gray-sama. And with that she leaves us and shuts the door. Ward-san waves his hand at the two seats in front of his organised desk. Papers sit neatly in front of himself, pens and other utensils seem to be placed in a precise spot. Gray-sama takes the chair on the left and I reluctantly sit on the one next to him, keeping my head down slightly.
"Thank you both so much for accepting this mission. For weeks now we have been ransacked by bandits who always come into town during the night destroying everything and stealing anything they can get their hands on. We have tried everything we can to get rid of them but our efforts have been futile. Please you have to save our town from these menacing bandits." Ward-san looks between the both of us. His light brown eyes portraying every miserable and tired feeling. He looks to be no older than his mid-thirties yet the stress these bandits have been causing have probably introduced the few grey hairs into his dark brown and neatly groomed locks. For the first time since stepping foot into this town I raise my head and look at him directly.
"Ward-san, we will stop these bandits."
"Do you know where they are staying or where they are coming into the town?" Gray-sama asks.
"Sadly no, they come from a different direction each night but they do come at approximately the same time, at about 8 o'clock. That is all the information we could gather on them I'm sorry."
"Thanks we'll begin now." Gray-sama stands ready to leave and I follow suit.
"Gray-sama Juvia will start looking on the North side of town, she thinks she saw many trees in that direction and thinks it is a likely spot for the bandits to be hiding." To be honest I just wanted to get away from the people on the streets, the less time I spend around the town's people the better. Gray-sama sets his gaze onto me and sighs in frustration.
"You can look there after we check into a hotel. Besides I highly doubt they would be there. Don't you think people would have looked their already? We should just wait until night and catch them when they get into town." Gray shoves his hands into his pockets and walks off in the direction of the hotel. Well there goes that idea, maybe I can just stay in my hotel room until it's time. Wait, am I sharing a room with Gray-sama!? Oh please, yes! Being able to share a room with Gray-sama will make my stay here bearable. We would be able to do so many things together, maybe even sleep in the same bed!
"Juvia." Gray-sama bring me out of my daydreams.
"Yes Gray-sama?" He doesn't turn to look at me as he speaks, he continues walking but he seems suspicious of something.
"Someone is follow us." At his statement I become alert. Taking in all of my surroundings, quickly analysing each and every little thing that I can from the cat scrummaging through a trash can across the street, to the two young people hiding in the alley way in a heated kiss just two meters from Gray and myself. But the one thing that stands out to me is the boy around the same age as Gray-sama with chestnut hair and mint green eyes, his build similar to Gray-sama but he is a little leaner. He is across the street just trailing behind us and looking everywhere but at us. He is the one following us.
"Juvia sees him. We should just continue and if he does anything suspicious Juvia will approach and question him." That makes Gray stop walking and face me, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Why would you go to him?" He whispers harshly to me.
"Because Juvia would not look like a threat and he is less likely to attack Juvia than you Gray-sama. Juvia does not want to fight unnecessarily. If she can diffuse the situation without violence then that is what Juvia will do." The white lies spill from my mouth with ease. It's true that I do not want to use violence but he most likely remembers me and wants to confront me. I cannot have Gray-sama near him with the chance that he finds out about my past.
Gray-sama does not seem to believe me but reluctantly agrees and we continue on our way and we soon find ourselves inside the quaint little hotel foyer. The man following us seems to have stopped for now so we continue on our way to the front desk. I sigh in relief.
"Two rooms please." I frown when Gray asks for two rooms. That means Juvia is not staying with Gray-sama, my plans for one on one time with my beloved have been crushed. The elderly receptionist smile politely at us both.
"Of course can I please have your names?" Names?! Oh no. If I tell her my name she'll know who I am!
"Gray Fullbuster and this is Juvia Lockser." I pale, my heart plummets into oblivion. Why did you say my name Gray-sama? No, no, no…..
"Juvia huh, that is quite an interesting name, it reminds me of someone from many years ago."
"Ah thank you…." I reply tensely. Gray-sama gives me a weird look before shaking his head grabbing the keys the lady holds out to us after booking in our room.
"Thanks." And with that, Gray-sama walks up the stair case on the left of the desk with me following quietly behind. That was very close. She remembers my name, well kind of but it's still a close call. If she had recalled me fully then I don't even want to think about what would have happened. When I lived in this town it was the adults, the people every child should be able to trust, that caused me the most harm. Sure the other children were bad, but the adults they had many years' worth of experience developing each and every way possible to mentally and often physically damage someone, that someone being me. I shiver at the painful memories.
"Here. Get some rest before tonight, you've been acting weird since we got here and I don't want anything to go wrong because you can't seem to concentrate." He thrusts the key to my room into my hand before turning to his door.
"Juvia is sorry Gray-sama, she will be better tonight."
Thank you all for reading my story. This idea has been in my head for a while now and I just had to write it down. All reviews welcome, I can take criticism. Oh and the name of the town, Diluvium, means flood in Latin for those of you that were curious.