Hey guys! HAPPY LATE CHRISTMAS! Welcome back! Sorry for the cliff hanger... But those are always the best, they leave you asking questions and give you something to think about!
Well, I hope you like this chapter... If you want me to add hints, remember to review the pairing and maybe an idea!
So, I am hoping to give a kick start to this chapter... Maybe answer one of those questions!
Well...
Disclaimer:
I do not own Fairy Tail or any of it's characters! I just own the story!
Last time on Masked!
Romeo: So Juvia and Lucy were captured by the Phantom guards and taken to Jose, the king...
Wendy: So, when they got back to the castle, Jose wasn't very happy that Juvia snuck out and was threatening to kill... *shudders*
Romeo: Meanwhile, Gray woke up and started freaking out about where Juvia and Lucy were... He ended up telling the guild the story.
Wendy: And they all decided they were going to give the masks one last shot!
Romeo: What does that mean...
Wendy: *shrugs* Well, now Jose is well... Um...
Romeo: Well, let's just say he isn't being nice...
Ice: Good summary guys!
"Lucy-san!" Juvia screamed, trying to pull away from the evil magic shoving her against the wall, but it was no use.
Suddenly, the whole castle was filled with Lucy's screams.
Juvia's jaw tightened and her stomach churned. She could hear her father's evil laugh echoing throughout the hall, barely heard under the loud screams of her dear friend. Goosebumps covered Juvia's body.
"Bastard..." Gajeel mumbled under his breath.
Suddenly, the screams stopped. Juvia and Gajeel were released from the pressure shoving them against the wall and the two collapsed on the floor. The Iron Dragon Slayer quickly stood up, but fell back down again. Juvia tried to pull herself off the carpet, but her muscles felt weak and powerless, and she no longer had any magical energy.
"L-Lucy-san.." She whispered, not even possible for anyone to hear. Gajeel grunted and lay down on the woven carpet, as if giving up.
"Gajeel-kun..."
Juvia heard footsteps walking towards her, then a few pairs of feet were blocking her view from the door. She looked up and saw guards looking down on her.
"Come on, we need to grab them while we can..." One of them mumbled as he grabbed Gajeel by his feet and started dragging him out of the door. "The drugs will only weaken them for a short amount of time." Juvia struggled to keep her eyes open as another guard picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
Drugs? They drugged us?
Juvia opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out. It felt as though her chest and throat were frozen solid, burning her skin every time she moved.
She felt her eyelids getting heavier... No! Juvia, stay awake! Lucy-san and Gajeel-kun need you to be strong! She told herself, but she knew she couldn't keep awake any longer. He was too powerful.
She closed her eyes and allowed herself to go into deep sleep, filled with nightmares awaiting her arrival.
Gray looked outside. The sun was just barely beginning to set around the horizon, making the sky look like cotton candy. It was a beautiful sunset, but Gray was too stressed to pay attention to any of that.
"Gray, it's almost time, just be patient..." Erza murmured softly, interrupting Gray's thoughts. He turned to look at her with a cold stare.
"What? Like Flame-Brain over there?" Gray gestured over to Natsu, who was turned into a tiny little Natsu and shoved into a jar. He was breathing fire all over the place and hitting the glass angrily. Mira laughed.
"He doesn't understand the art of thinking before acting..." She smiled looking over at him worriedly. Sure, Natsu would go on a rampage like this for any one of his comrades, but when it comes to Lucy... Well... Natsu would beat the heck out of him, bury him alive, un-bury him, beat the heck out of him once more, pull out all of his teeth one by one, then his fingernails, then throw him onto a pile of nails, make him eat really spicy foods, beat the heck out of him one last time, burn him alive then bury him again... It would be a frightening scene...
"So, what's our plan again?" Charles, Wendy's talking cat (yes, a talking cat) asked. She smoothed out her pink dress then put her paw on her hip.
"Aye!" Happy added. Happy is Natsu's blue talking cat, and he has a HUGE crush on Charles. He flew from the bar and over to his secret love. Did I mention the cats can fly? Charles rolled her eyes and looked at Gray.
"Our plan is..."
Juvia's eyes slowly fluttered open. She felt sore all over, and it hurt to move. Where is Juvia? She looked around, and realized she was in a small room. A light bulb appeared over her head and she bolted upright.
"Lucy-san!" She she said loudly getting up and looking around. The room was small and made of moldy bricks. There was a bed in the corner, and a small desk with some books and writing utensils. She ran over to the door and yanked on the knob, but it wouldn't budge. She was locked in. She looked through the bars around the center of the door and saw there were no guards. Why would father lock Juvia up, but send no guards to watch her? She thought to herself.
She walked over to the large window and looked out. The sun was setting, but the thing that caught her eye was the height. She was up really high, and I mean high. Juvia could see the clouds just hovering about her, and the ground was probably 120 feet away. Juvia stepped back. She wasn't afraid of heights, no... She was afraid of falling.
How is Juvia supposed to get out? She thought. She looked through the bars one last time, then stepped back by the window. Juvia will just make a slide out of water!
"Water slide!" She yelled pointing her hands in the direction of the ground. Nothing happened. She stepped back in shock.
"Water slicer!" She yelled aiming her hands at the door, but once again, nothing happened. Juvia looked at her hands. She felt different. Like she didn't have her powers anymore. She felt... normal.
Father tranquilized Juvia's water magic? She shook her head sadly. No, this can't be happening! She bit her lip. Juvia cannot escape without her powers... There is no way... She shook her head in dismay.
She glanced over at the desk and saw something sticking out of the drawer. She walked over to it and cautiously opened it. Inside was a pair of black pants, a blue top, and a pair of combat boots. She studied the clothes.
Her eyes widened and she ran back over to the window and leaned out. The tower was made of bricks that were uneven and choppy. They were climbable.
Juvia smirked and stripped her dress off, then changing into the clothed she found in the drawer. They hugged her curves and fit her perfectly. She pulled out a rubber band from the drawer and threw her hair into a ponytail, only leaving her bangs out.
She walked over to the window and looked down, almost fainting from the height, but she sucked it up.
Father was foolish to think Juvia couldn't handle herself. Juvia will prove him wrong... She thought throwing her legs over the ledge.
She took in a deep breath, then began to climb down the tower.
Gray tiptoed down the street as he neared closer to the giant castle. He was pretty much invisible at this point. He was wearing black pants, combat boots, a black shirt, and a matching hood that covered his face. It was dark now, and the only light seen was the lanterns the guards held as they stood by the gate. He adjusted his black mask and walked by the gate.
Avoiding the guards, he climbed a nearby tree and hopped the gate, not making even the slightest sound. He rolled his eyes at how easy it was, there wasn't even competition!
He walked through the garden and scanned the castle. They were to sneak in later tonight to grab Lucy and Juvia, but they sent Gray earlier so he could look for entry and escape routes.
Gray walked over to a brick wall and knocked on it. It sounded hollow, so that would be a good place to sneak in.
Every time he found a route, he would ice make a star and place it somewhere he would remember it.
"Hey! You! Stop!" A voice shouted from behind him. Gray jerked his head around and saw two guards running his way. He sighed and ran around to the other side of the castle and hid behind a few weeds.
The guards looked around confused for a minute, then they took off in another direction. Gray snickered. It was just too easy.
Suddenly, Gray felt off. He couldn't explain it, but something wasn't right, he could feel it churning it his stomach.
Then, out of nowhere, he heard this earsplitting scream.
Juvia grunted as she moved herself lower another foot. It was getting really tiring, and he didn't know how much longer she cold go. She was almost out of upper body strength...
Juvia lowered her right hand slowly and placed it on a brick She breathed out roughly, and was just about to move her left hand down, when the brick she was holding with her right broke. She jerked around and let out a small wail. She looked below her, but it was so dark that she didn't know how much lower the ground was. She gritted her teeth as she readjusted her right hand and continued her spiral down.
Juvia can do this... Juvia is strong... She kept trying to reassure herself, but she was beginning to get weary of whether she actually could do this.
Juvia let her hand down again and reached around for a sturdy rock. She slid her hand against the cold stone, slicing her palm open on a rough edge. She gasped and jerked her hand up, but quickly placed it back on the original stone she was holding.
Juvia stayed in that position for a few seconds breathing in and out. She needed a break. Juvia closed her eyes tightly shut.
Juvia will not go back to that horrid place. Her father wanted this to happen... Juvia would rather die than be with that sick man... She clenched her jaw and reached her hand down.
Suddenly, both of the stones she was holding crumbled, and she began to fall.
"AAAAAAAAHHH" She screamed and she began to fall deeper and deeper into blackness, not knowing when she was going to hit the ground. She could hit at any second now.
Juvia saw flashes of her memories. When Gajeel gave her her favorite dress, when Lucy became her friend, when she met Gray. Oh, Gray. What she would give to see Gray again... Juvia closed her eyes and stopped screaming. Her death awaits, and she would rather die at peace. She knew it was going to happen someday, with all of the people wanting to kill the king for all he has done, she just never imagined it would be from falling from a tower...
She smiled. She lived a good life.
All of a sudden, something smashed into her side and wrapped around her. She let out a gasp of shock and smashed into the ground. Well not the ground, it was soft, almost...
Juvia opened her eyes and looked at a hooded figure wearing all black. She stared into his eyes, they were dark and mysterious. She was just about to say something when a shout was heard from the other side of the garden.
"Hey! Stop them! Escapees!" A guard growled and he began to run towards the two of them. The figure looked between the guards and Juvia for a while before he rolled his eyes and threw her over his shoulder. Juvia began to protest, but then realized she was trying to escape. So she held on to the figure as it ran quickly out of the gates and into the woods.
Gray jumped over the gates and ran into the nearby woods. He continued to run until he could no longer hear the sounds of the guards dashing after him. Them. Gray bit his lip. What was he supposed to do know? He guessed he got enough information on different routes they could take.
Gray looked around, making sure there was nobody following them, then he set the girl down. She looked at him in surprise.
"The guards could be waiting us out, so we are camping out here for the night…" Gray mumbled as he gathered two logs for them to sit on. The girl picked up a few branches for fire wood.
Soon the camp was set up and they were sitting in awkward silence, nobody daring to speak. Gray took off his mask and stood, pacing back and forth. He needed to get back to the guild to finalize the plans. Erza was going to kill him if he didn't… Gray shuddered.
He peeked another look at the girl he rescued. Even though it was dark, he could still see her features. She had blue hair that was hung delicately in a high ponytail, and matching dark blue eyes. She was wearing a blue top, black pants, and black combat boots. She looked eerily, familiar.
The girl noticed him staring and looked back at him awkwardly. Gray quickly looked away and sat back down on the log. Oh god how he wanted to strip, but he didn't want to creep her out. They only had to stay at least another hour before the guards gave up searching and went back to their posts, so he had to suck it up until then.
"So… Uh… What were you in for?" Gray asked. She looked at the ground.
"Uh…. Ju… Uh…" She stuttered. Gray looked at her with curiosity. She shivered and scooted closer to the fire. He began to unzip his sweater.
"Are you cold?" He asked. He saw her cheeks heat up as she nodded. He finished taking off his jacket and tossed it in her direction. She looked at it for a minute, shivered again, then put it on. She smiled at him.
"Juvia thanks you…" The girl said. Gray raised an eyebrow. She talks in third person. Gray slowly began to take off his shirt. And her name is Juvia…
The girl blushed furiously and was just about to look away when she suddenly tilted her head. His shirt was off completely now and she was staring at the right side of his chest, where his Fairy Tail insignia was. Her eyes widened and she stood up.
"Gray?" She asked taking a step towards him. He stood up as well.
"Juvia?" It was all coming to him now. She was taken by the guards and just escaped from the castle. It was Juvia!
"Gray-sama!" She cried and flung herself into his arms. They both tumbled on the ground as Juvia hugged him for dear life. Tears streamed down her face as she buried her face deeper in his neck. He hugged her back and stroked her hair soothingly.
"Ssshh… It's ok…" He said calmly. He narrowed his eyes. The king was going to pay for whatever he did to her…
"Juvia is so happy to see Gray-sama…" She gave him a cute smile and he hugged her closer.
"I am really glad to see you too…" He grinned back, wiping the tears away from her eyes. The two stood up and looked at each other.
"How…" Gray looked at her in amazement. Her smile faded.
"Lucy-san…" She turned around to look back at the castle. He put his arm on her shoulder.
"Don't worry. We are going back in there tonight. Jose will never see it coming." Gray reassured her and she nodded.
"Thank you Gray-sama…"
"I will always protect you. I promise..." Gray told her. She went in and hugged him again. "So, Gray-sama huh?" He asked and she pulled away, her face redder than a cherry.
"Ju-Juvia...-"
"I like it…" Gray interrupted her. The two smiled at each other and began to walk back to the guild, hand-in-hand.
OMG YAY! Hand holding! Sorry fairies, no kissing yet! That would be way too easy!
Thanks for reading once again! And remember, if you want a couple in there, review! Or just review to give me hints or stuff! Yay!
Thank you to the fairies who reviewed!
*Rose Tiger: Agreed. Kill the king! Thanks for reviewing!
*NeverInYourWildestDreams: Don't worry, no GrayLu here! Yuck! And thanks! Yay! Thanks for the review!
*To the random Guest who reviewed: Here you go! The next chapter! Whoop! Thanks for reviewing!
*NatsumiTheDragonSlayer: Hey sis! Lol, I updated! Thanks for the help by the way! And shut up... Celestial Spirit WIZARD. Lol, see yah in like... Five minutes... Thank for reviewing!
*Forver South: Haha! Thank you sooo much! So... I know who you are thanks to the help of my good friend awesomeness101! Hi Li- Forev-san! Hehe! And I will NOT TELL ANYONE if Gray dies of not... Muhahahaha! Thanks for reviewing!
Yay! Haha! Until the next chapter!
Btw, if you like this story, go check out my sister NatsumiTheDragonSlayer's NaLu fan-fiction! It's a one-shot, and it's called Read My Mind. Go read it! She rocks!
Merry late Christmas and a happy New Year!
Until next time Fairies!
Natsu: LET ME OUT OF THIS STUPID JAR! I NEED TO SAVE LUCY! *_*