After months and months of waiting... I UPDATED PRAISE ME! Sooooo so soo sorry about that guys... I literally have rewritten this chapter a million times, because it's one of the most important and it needed to be perfect... SO I HOPE YOU LIKE IT! How about we review what happened last time!
Last time on Masked:
Loke: So everything finally began to come in place... Juvia woke up at the guild with her lover Gray by her side..
Ice: Okay I didn't write that...
Lucy: Why am I paired with Loke?
Ice: I don't even know, some people actually ship you guys...
Lucy: WAIT NO EW!
Loke: Ouch...
Natsu: GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!
Ice: Natsu! Go away we need to finish this!
Lucy: Anyways, Juvia and Gray confessed their love for each other and kissed!
Loke: But when she woke up the next morning he was gone!
Ice: This one actually wasn't that bad...
Natsu: DAMN YOU LOKE!
Juvia yawned, her eyes fluttering open. She smiled, remembering the details of the night before. She sighed and moved her hand around to find his, but all she felt was an empty mattress. Juvia sat up and looked around.
Gray was nowhere in sight.
"Gray?" She asked, rubbing her eyes to help her wake up a little. She glanced at the clock, it was 7:30. Her heart stopped when she saw it.
The window was open.
She threw off the covers and darted down the hall, searching every inch of his apartment. There was no sign of the dark haired man. Juvia bolted out the door, a gust of wind sweeping her hair in front of her face.
"Gray!"
She quickly moved her hand up to block out the light, her eyes slowly adjusting to the bright sun hovering over her. She was suddenly forced to the side by a large male walking in the direction of the castle. He held up his hands, cupped around his mouth like a megaphone, and was shouting over and over again, "This way! This way! Execution of a castle intruder! This way!" Juvia's heart was beating at an unnatural rate. She quickly dashed after the man.
"Who is being executed?" Possibilities raced through her mind.
"Wait!" She yelled, attempting to push past the hundreds of bodies that separated her from the answer she needed. "Wait, stop!" It was useless, the man was already lost somewhere in the crowd. Juvia stood on the toes of her shoes, searching for a familiar face.
"Hey! Keep it moving!" An angry elderly woman yelled behind her, shoving the young princess into the people in front of her. Unable to go anywhere else, Juvia followed the crowd to the castle courtyard, in hopes that it will lead her to her friends. She kept her eyes on the ground, and she looked up for a second, her eye catching something she wished she hadn't seen.
On a sign bolted to a nearby tree read:
"Wanted: Gray Fullbuster. For trespassing into the castle and kidnaping of the princess. Reward: 100,000,000 jewels"
Juvia's gut wrenched in her stomach, and her eyes blurred. She felt her knees begin to buckle and her entire being numbed. Her heart thumped in her chest and she sank to her knees in the middle of the confused crowd.
"No, no, no, no..." She mumbled under her breath as she felt the temperature begin to fall. She felt cold. Ice cold. "This isn't happening, this isn't happening..." She tried to convince herself that the horrors weren't real, that it was a dream. That she was going to wake up with Gray by her side, and a Fairy Tail emblem on her body, and that all the darkness of the kingdom would be replaced with love and light.
But that isn't going to happen. Not unless she does something.
Juvia rose from her knees and shoved past everybody in her way. Her face was fierce and she could feel the magic inside her rising. In seconds, she had arrived at the stage and she quickly stormed up the steps until she was eyes to eye with her father. No, not her father.
Her enemy.
"Oh, Juvia. So glad you are well enough to join us, my daughter." He said, a smug smile painted crookedly across his lips.
"Where. Is. He." Juvia demanded; her was tone hard and unafraid. Now was not a time to be intimated by this man, this creature who raised her.
"Who?" Jose played dumb, shaping a look on his face and bringing his hand to his breast. A fake gesture of shock.
"WHERE IS HE?" Juvia screamed at him, her fists clenched in tight balls. Clouds slowly began to cover up the sun and two guards quickly handcuffed her before she could react. She attempted to break free with her magic, but she felt useless and normal. Her breath caught in her throat.
"I hope you enjoy the show..." Jose chuckled softly, and with a flick of his hand, the guards began to pull her away from the stage.
At that moment, a figure was slowly being pushed onto the stage.
"NOOOOOOO!" Juvia screamed bloody murder, her blue eyes filled with hatred and fear. Two of the palace guards grabbed her wrists and yanked her back into their grasp. "You can't do this! Stop it! I order you to stop!" She struggled in the guards strong arms. She had to get away, she had to! If she didn't... Juvia looked helplessly at the dark haired man being harassed in front of her. His hands were bound behind his back in tight knots and his eyes and mouth were covered with a soiled cloth. Millions were gathered, staring carelessly at the shirtless man. It was horrible to look at, there were no wide eyes, no hint of love or affection, they all just grinned evilly, waiting for it to happen. They were here to witness Gray Fullbuster's public execution.
"This is your last chance Mr. Fullbuster, bow down to me." Jose Porla, the king, said grinning smugly. Gray did not move, he just stood there, motionless, refusing the king's order. Jose's smile spread from ear to ear. "Very well. Guards!" He yelled and four men in Phantom palace uniforms came rushing over, jerking him towards the big, metal block that stood in the middle of the stage.
"NOOOOO!" Juvia yelled murderously. Suddenly, it began to rain. The guards chained Gray to the post and held his head just barely off the block. A hooded figure walked over, carrying a large metal axe. Gray knelt there, not moving. How could he not be struggling, trying to get away? The hooded figure raised the axe, aiming at the mage's neck.
"STOP! I ORDER YOU TO STOP!" Juvia looked at her father helplessly, but he ignored her pleading and waved for the executioner to continue. The man began lowering the axe at incredible speeds, moving closer, closer, closer...
"GRAAAAYY!"
*clonk*
The freshly sharpened blade of the axe sliced with ease through the ice mage's throat. The sickening sound of crunching veins split Juvia's heart in half and her whole world froze. The head slowly separated from the rest of his lifeless body and rolled to a stop near the bottom steps. The executioner, clearly satisfied with his work, raised the axe to rest on his shoulder, small pieces of ice falling to the dirtied floor as he did so. Everything was happening in slow motion, the crowd dead silent. The guards released Juvia's wrists and arms and she fell to her knees with a thud. Her horrified eyes were glued to the man she loved. She began crawling slowly towards his motionless figure, her heart breaking just a little bit more the closer she got.
This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening...
She knelt down beside him, the rain now pouring down hard on her shaking body. A small drop of water rolled from her eye and down her cheek. Jose let out a loud, gut wrenching laugh, obviously enjoying the tragedy displayed in front of him. She sucked in a shaky breath and reached out for one last touch of something she almost had. Love.
Her finger barely graced the black Fairy Tail emblem on his chest, and there was a sudden crack. Juvia jerked her hand back and stared in shock as his body slowly turned from deadly pale to a glossy ice. Cracks spread through the entire body and suddenly it burst and shattered into millions of pieces of ice. Juvia fell back, covering her open mouth with her bloody palm.
"I have been waiting so long to do that." A familiar voice bellowed. Juvia's gaze lifted to see Natsu reveal his shaggy, salmon hair from beneath the hood of the executioner's cloak. Her eyes widened.
"Shut up Flame Brain."
Juvia's heart stopped at his familiar voice. Tears streamed from her pale blue eyes and she slowly turned, meeting his familiar eyes.
"Hey Juvia."
His voice was cool and calm as he held out his hand to her. "Need a hand?"
Juvia panted, still in shock, but couldn't hold back the smile tugging at her lips.
It was a clone made of ICE.
She grabbed Gray's hand, pulling herself up to wrap her arms around his neck. He hugged her, fingers digging firmly, protectively into her back.
Jose Porla stared at the scene, a large frown twisting his sickeningly dark lips. He looked at them, furious and Juvia locked eyes with him. She eased away from Gray, hand still gripping his.
Gray squeezed her hand and she stole a glance, a smirk on his dirtied face. Jose opened his mouth to call for his guards, but when he looked around, they were all tied up and shoved into a corner by Erza, Wendy, and Lucy.
"You-"
"Jose!" A scrawny, short old man stepped up from behind the shadow king. He was beaten and bruised and dirty, but nonetheless, seemed unharmed. Jose whipped around and stared in horror at the man standing strongly in front of him. "You dare lay a hand on the members of my guild?!" Jose began to shake in fear, but he barely made it show.
"Makarov..."
"Now you must face me." The light guild master yelled, turning his old hand into a mighty fist.
"We should go... Now." Gray whispered, tugging Juvia's hand. They took off running through the confused crowd, Natsu and the others right on their tails.
"What's going to happen?" Juvia asked.
"Trust me, you don't want to know." Gray huffed, squeezing her hand tighter and continuing to pull her towards the guild.
Suddenly, a huge explosion sounded, shaking the ground. Juvia and Gray both tumbled to the floor, their hands still intertwined. Juvia whipped her head up as a giant wave of light shot up from the direction of the castle ad erupted into the skies. It was violently beautiful. Everywhere the powerful magic touched seemed to brighten up, and become more alive. The clouds turned white and began dancing with the wind throughout the sky, and one by one each building and house was transformed from dark shadows to colorful mists of beauty. Juvia's eyes widened as it came closer to where she lay on the floor, and as soon as it touched her, her heart began to feel the warmth it longed for.
Juvia smiled, feeling the sun shine on her bare back.
"Welcome to the land of Fiore." Gray sighed, breathing in the fresh afternoon. His hair shaggy hair blew in the warm breeze and Juvia's love for him deepened. This is what he was fighting for. He was fighting for his home.
"We better go help clean up what Master destroyed..." Lucy mumbled, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "He's just like Natsu, always making a mess."
"Don't talk about your fiancé that way!" Natsu ran in, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her in for a gentle hug.
"Fiancé?" Juvia gasped and Lucy blushed between Natsu's strong arms.
"He proposed a month ago.. I was going to tell you as soon as this mess was all cleaned up.." Lucy mumbled, kissing Natsu on the cheek before running over to help her and Gray off the ground.
"What mess?" Juvia asked, realizing her very little knowledge about the situation from the last couple of days.
"For many years, Master Makarov ruled over this land, and was able to keep peace between guilds and spread light through all the towns. But then 17 years ago, Jose Porla, guild master of Phantom Lord, became outrageously jealous by Makarov's power and he gathered his dark guild and attacked. He overtook the kingdom and became ruler of what you know as The Kingdom Of Shadows." Erza came up from behind them, her hand on her hip and a serious look on her face. "You were born into the guild, and because of your powers, Jose raised you as a princess, or more so, a future weapon for when he could finally destroy Fairy Tail." Juvia's heart sank in her stomach and she could feel her hand shaking. Gray gave it a small squeeze to calm her.
"Little did he know that we had help on the inside.." Erza glanced over at Lucy. She blushed and smiled. "Lucy was sent in at a young age as a servant, or to be more accurate, a spy. She became close with you and the guards, and had close contact with the master, who was under lockdown in the deepest jail. Her initial order was to use you to get to Jose, but after becoming closer with you, she was convinced that you had a bigger part to do in this war."
Juvia smiled at her best friend. Lucy was with her through the thick and the thin, and even if their friendship was planned at first, Juvia knew that it was real.
"Although I must say, you and Gray meeting was definitely not a part of the plan..." Lucy said with a devilish smirk, eyeing her friends. Juvia blushed and Gray rubbed his neck, eyes wandering.
"We've taken back our kingdom. Now the question is, how it will stay." Erza said, her tone hard and sure. Juvia frowned.
"What will happen to Juvia? And Gajeel-kun?" She swallowed a lump in her throat. Gray smirked.
"You're a part of Fairy Tail now." He said, his eyes glued to hers. She smiled, her ocean eyes filling with tears.
"Juvia is so happy..."
"Uh, Natsu-san... We should probably go help Master..." Wendy chimed in with a low voice and her hand folded nervously at her stomach. Natsu gave her a bright smile.
"Lets go!"
Everybody rushed over to the castle, or at least what was left of it. Juvia stared in shock at the massacre. Bricks and statue bits were scattered across the crumbled cement, and smoke fogged up the air. There was a giant ditch left in the middle of the stage and Juvia walked closer to find Jose crumbled under a pile of bricks. She could barely hold the laughter.
"What's going to happen to him?" Levy asked, walking up behind them with Gajeel at her heel.
"He will be handed over to the Magic Council, where they will do whatever they want with him." Gramps said as the council guards shoved him in the back of a carriage.
Juvia looked over at Gray as he stared at the broken down building. "We did it.." He whispered. Juvia's heart thumped. She admired the way he looked at the new world. She admired him.
"Thank you Gray-sama..." She whispered. He glanced at her, his dark eyes brightening the moment she was in his view.
"For what?" He asked. Juvia pulled him into a tight hug.
"For saving me..."
Aaaaand, done with chapter eight! Don't leave me yet! Its not quite complete. ;)
But I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!
Comments!
BlueWaterGirl: Omg you're so sweet! I'm glad to complete the story too! Thank you so much for reading! I love your username by the way!
Aya-himexX: IM SQUEALING TOO! Thanks for reading! Hope I answered your question! Your avatar is horrifyingly beautiful ;)
NollyLvn: Yes! I am a song writer! I have a music producer and he records me singing and playing the guitar! Thanks for commenting! :D
Rose Tiger: Now you know where Gray went! Hahahaa, thanks for alwys reading and commenting! You're awesome!
FairyTailGirl2: OMG I LOVE YOU THAT IS AMAZING! Hahaha, thank you for commenting and sticking with the story! ;o
To the random guest who commented: Gosh I know, Im so mean! Hopefully you will enjoy the next chapter because it will be soo fluffy :)
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Fairy Tail Lover: Your user makes my life! Thank you! And I updated! Sorry it took so long but hopefully you enjoyed the chapter! :*
Sydney: Thank you so much omg! Hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Love you! ;d
To the other random guest: hdufsjfsfjdf okay okay Ill update more often! SHSLJFLJFLJFBSLJDF LOVE YOU THANKS :D
awesomeness101: I UPDATED I LOVE YOU THANKS FOR COMMENTING :DDDDD
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Gruvia Lover: I was curious too! You're awesome! Thank you! :}
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Thank you all so much for commenting! I love them so much! Please stay with me until the next chapter, which might be the last! Love you all, and happy Fairy Tail days!