Summary: "Who makes you moan? Who makes you scream in pleasure and joy? I. Fucking. Do. What's mine is mine and sharing isn't an option I'd even have the idiocy to consider."
After the Grand Magic Games, Juvia Lockser took time to reflect on her life – including Gray Fullbuster. Something she wouldn't have done on her own since she was always caught up in her fantasy. It hurt like a bitch to realize that a one-sided love would never be returned, it truly did. And moving on was even harder to do. But still, Juvia swore to do so. Somehow, there's a way for everything.
Genre: Drama/Friendship.
Disclaimer: To say that Fairy Tail belongs to me is pure fantasy. Hiro Mashima remains the creator and has all the rights.
/!\ Warning: This fan-fiction has tons of smut and I won't tell when and where you'll read them in those chapters. I'm unpredictable, huh! Minors have been warned and if you're caught off guard...remember that this fan-fiction is rated M. Read the summary carefully before launching yourself on this story.
[…]
… In which Sting Eucliffe busies himself with missions and missions to deflate his anger and growing frustration over the situation he's been thrown in. He also decides to track down his mate, since she (temporarily) left the guild, after overhearing some fan-girls talking about it.
… In which Juvia Lockser wonders about her situation and what she would do if she were to quit Fairy Tail. A master and his butler-friend who live like hermits in snowy mountains (but also enjoy Spa Town Hosenka for obvious reasons!) become the sort of persons she needs in her moments of indecisiveness, loss and fury.
… In which Gray Fullbuster reflects on his behaviour during the first three weeks of punishment he had inadvertently brought upon Juvia Lockser (and Sting Eucliffe) after Natsu Dragneel's persistent outbursts at the master and Mavis Vermillion's pep talks.
… And in which the butler-friend finds a Dragon Slayer supported by his red kitty.
[I've been listening to Monsters by Eddie Gomez while writing this chapter. Hah! ]
Chapter Seven: Ira Invicto
[The first part of the punishment, third week, "Day Three".]
"White Dragon's Roar!"
The thug didn't even have time to dodge the attack as the powerful beam mercilessly blasted him through a wall, the sound a little bit defeaning and the painful scream of the defeated thug not satisfying enough. Not satisfying enough to make Sting Eucliffe smirk in cockiness, not satisfying enough to make him want to gloat – not satisfying enough to deflate his anger and frustration over the situation he had put himself into.
His keen ears picked up the sound of someone running behind at full speed, but Sting was faster: he nimbly dodged a blade that would have slashed his back, crouched below and rounded his leg to trip the unfortunate guy, who fell hard on his back with a painful grunt and lost his sword. It clattered away, near broken furniture and rubble. The blonde was silent as he swiftly rose to violently slam his fist into the thug's stomach, knocking the breath out of him. The force of his punch was so powerful that he actually created a small crater under him. He probably cracked some ribs as well.Huh, he had it coming.
His foot abruptly came to rest on the chest of his prey, causing him to gasp in pain. Bright, furious blue orbs flashed dangerously as the White Dragon Slayer and master of Sabertooth leant on his leg to stare down at the thief, his face contorted in barely controlled fury.
"Look at me, you third rate thief," Sting grounded out with such ferocity that said thief did so obediently, looking up to gaze at the Dragon Slayer. He violently flinched and struggled not to yelp in fear upon seeing the irate, thunderous expression in those blue eyes. "You've chosen the right timing to do your petty business in town and since I needed some release for the crap-sack I've put myself into, let's say I'm quite happy to have found you all." Sting emphasized his sarcastic words by sending his trembling, future victim a dark, predatory smirk. "So don't you start pissing your pants on me, I don't want to smell the stench of your fear."
And so on, and so on, and son. Lector had a worried expression on his face as he watched his partner haul the thief over his shoulder in a not so gentle way to hand him to the authorities. Sting and Rogue were praised for their work by the overexcited reporter, Jason from Sorcerer's Weekly, who immediately rounded them with questions and 'Coooool!' in his fashion way. When Lector saw the blonde's disinterested, faraway and still angry expression, he knew that he was about to explode from the frustration that had been boiling inside for days. Crap, this isn't good. And since Jason wasn't really good at paying attention to the people he interviewed, he brilliantly missed Sting's bulging vein at his right temple. Lector certainly didn't. He winced as he flew to his side, praying that his friend would just try to ignore the fancy reporter instead of biting at his bones so he could shut up.
Just as Sting was about to snarl at Jason, Lector jumped on his shoulder, effectively startling the White Dragon Slayer. The red Exceed grinned widely, rising his paw in the air. "As expected from Sting, he totally handled those puny guys practically all by himself. They were small fry, he could have done this job alone!"
Rogue, who had also noticed his partner's rising and boiling ire, narrowed his eyes at the jab. "Shut it, cat. You've almost succeeded in making me laugh this time."
The blonde remained silent, just looking at his friends in wonder. His Exceed has just prevented him from blowing out at the unfortunate reporter and, by doing this, may have saved the city from another series of damages because of Sting Eucliffe didn't have his temper in check. He'd have to thank Lector for that; it had been two weeks now that he had last seen Juvia and the more time he was spending away from her, the more irritated and angrier he became. And to be honest, this situation couldn't be worse. It was painful not to be by her side right now, not to be able to hold her body against his because he knew that under the front she must be pulling up, she was just as angry and crushed as he was. He could feel it; her emotions were all jumbled in her heart, from confusion to astonishment, from irritation to fury – from sadness to pain. And it clutched mercilessly at his heart and guts because his own emotions perfectly mirrored hers.
Probably because I had to agree with this fucking punishment, Sting bitterly thought as he swiftly made his way out of the bank, Lector on his shoulder. He ignored reporters and fan-girls, pushed through the throng of people blocking the way without snarling angrily at them – he felt the burning urge to shake them off violently, to roughly shrug off their eager fingers because they couldn't touch him anymore, this was reserved for one woman only. The fact that they couldn't see he wasn't in a good mood only added fuel to the raging fire of his wrath he was trying so hard to keep from exploding. So he just grounded his teeth as he forced himself to listen to Lector, fingers curled into tight fists into his pockets so that they wouldn't wring any neck.
"... don't cause a scene... it's gonna be alright..."
Sting grounded his teeth together, inwardly cursing. Was it really gonna be alright? Just like that? No, he wasn't stupid: Juvia was equally angry and probably trying to blow off some steam at this moment, somewhere between resentment toward both her guild and himself for condemning her to go through nine long weeks without magic – nine long weeks during which she would certainly claw at her neck to take the atrocity off, uncaring if she was hurting herself in the process. Oh, Sting felt so guilty about that bullshit. And so empty.
He heaved a shaky breath. No Dragon Slayer should be separated from his mate in any way – they should always remain side by side, hence why Sting had asked Juvia if she would consider coming to Sabertooth one day. He'd be overjoyed and all over the moon if she said 'yes', because he knew he'd be able to give her the happiness she really deserved. When an era comes to an end, it is always better to move forward, so Juvia would more than likely come to him should her guild decide to disband. He really hoped so: his guild could become another family to her, since he was its master and intended to change it from the core.
"You'll do a wonderful, kind guild master, Sting Eucliffe. I'm sure of it."
Sting was always pained when he had to leave her side and return to Sabertooth alone, without his mate. And when she wasn't with him he'd always be plagued by thoughts of her, alluring dreams where he and Juvia were engulfed in fiery, passionate embraces that would render him aroused most of the time (he'd once been caught by Rufus whispering Juvia's name all over again while jerking off in his office late at night. What in the hell Rufus was doing there at this hour, he didn't know, but he'd been quite annoyed at the masked man's teasing.). The punishment he and Juvia were forced to go through was something that could set a Dragon Slayer and his mate quick to get angry; while he may find ways to deflate his wrath for a few hours or so, it would always come back rushing through his veins, brewing and raging underneath his cool demeanor. Snapping at his friends had also become a recurrent habit – something that truly scared Lector and Rogue when this kind of thing happened at the guild hall.
How he longed to have her in his arms right now, to taste her kisses and her skin...
"Hey, did you hear about the Water Mage from Fairy Tail?" some fan-girl whispered when Sting was just walking past them. That made the young guild master stop all at once, his ears blocking out all the other sounds to listen to whatever the two citizens had to say about his mate.
"What? What's happening with Fairy Tail now?" another fan-girl asked in hushed whispers.
"Some people in Magnolia overheard some members saying that she left the guild three days ago and although Cana Alberona and Mirajane Strauss assured that she just needed 'some time to cool off', that seems a bit suspicious." The first fan-girl snorted softly. "You know, something sounded rather fishy about the way Cana said that."
Surprise – very unpleasant surprise quickly overcame the blonde's body and he tensed, not hearing Lector's soft gasp. Sting's blue eyes widened slowly in quiet disbelief when the last words about Juvia echoed in his mind. "She left the guild three days ago and although Cana Alberona and Mirajane Strauss assured that she just needed 'some time to cool off, that seems a bit suspicious.". His mate left Magnolia and the guild altogether? Why? She didn't have her magic to defend herself due to this dreadful anti-magic collar tied to her neck and while he was sure she surely was good in hand-to-hand combat, Sting couldn't help but quickly think about storming to Juvia's position, wherever she might be right now; she was practically powerless without her magic and as her mate, the blonde Dragon Slayer wanted nothing more than remain by her side. But where the hell could she have gone?
"What do you mean?" the second fan-girl inquired.
"Well according to some people who had seen her, instead of being sad to be leaving her 'Gray-sama' behind, she looked rather solemn. As if she had known that a certain event would have happened to her sooner or later. And she hasn't returned since." Sting froze, his eyes now wide. "My cousin tried to get answers from Gajeel but he... he's so scary she couldn't even finish her question because of the look he had thrown her! But that's that: Juvia Lockser left Fairy Tail on her own to go somewhere."
"Ehhhhh? Do you think it was a job request?"
A skeptical hum could be heard. "All alone? I don't think so... plus, Gajeel came back this morning at the guild without her and looked even more irritated – not sorrowful, just irritated. So that means she's not dead and..."
The White Dragon Slayer had stopped listening and was running back to Sabertooth, ignoring the cries of his partner behind him. He couldn't believe it, he actually couldn't believe it. He had expected a reaction from Juvia sooner or later – the Iron Dragon Slayer had filled him in via communication lacrima, following his mate's vicious and violent beating on Gray Fullbuster. Gajeel had described him how miserable and angry Juvia was without him, merciless and always snapping at her friends whenever she dropped by at the guild. His absence, the weight of her punishment and the fact that everyone else was trying to make amends with her had driven his powerless Water Mage to snap most of the time. – but hadn't expected her to literally leave Fairy Tail. Even if it were just temporarily, her making that decision left Sting astounded. But again, he totally understood that she wanted to get away from the guild for a while.
"Even if I don't give a flying crap about everyone else's apologies to Sprinkler, there's still the fact that nobody has digested the sight of her kicking the living daylights out of icicle. Yeah, she did that!" he snickered at Sting's surprised face. "And that was very satisfying, the bastard had it coming anyway. But seriously," Gajeel continued as he sobered up, returning to his serious, somber self. "Ever since the old man tied this atrocity around her neck, Sprinkler hasn't been herself lately; she'd snap and yell at anyone who would try her to talk – hell, I'm ready to bet she had nearly ripped Bunny Girl's head off for assuming that she was being screwed by Laxus."
Huh? What? Sting Eucliffe was amazed that he hadn't blown off the lacrima and the room altogether when he heard the last comment – Bunny Girl? Lucy Hearfilia? Again? And Laxus Dreyar? The Lightning Mage who wiped out Raven Tail all by himself? With his mate? So this was all this commotion was about? To find out who Juvia was going out with? Damn those nosey friends of hers, they had implanted this fucking stupid idea into Fullbuster's head. They had started this whole bloody mess in the first place! His right eye twitched dangerously at this thought as he tried to not shout his outrage. He snarled visibly, feeling a blood vessel throbbing on his temple.
"Hey, hey, who the hell do you think you're growling at? Calm down, will ya?" Gajeel grounded out, narrowing his red eyes at Sting. Then he grunted. "You miss her, White Dragon. And she misses you as well. Mates shouldn't be separated this way, it makes them... savage."
Apparently, Gajeel Redfox spoke the right word to describe Sting Eucliffe's mood and reaction – for it was how Juvia had been feeling these last days.
"No... Fucking... SHIT!" The last word was roared and dragged loudly, echoing around the walls of his office. In fact, it even reverberated around the whole guild, startling the guild members.
Sting might not have noticed it, but the guild building had shaken along with his roar with so much force that the window panes around him had trembled. Everyone must have heard him and must be wondering what was wrong with their master that he was yelling at the top of his voice. But he didn't care. He absolutely. Didn't. Care. Right now, he felt like exploding was the best thing that could help him release the anger and frustration that had been building up in the pit of his stomach, starting from a small flame to a blazing, raging fire the White Dragon Slayer was all but willing to let out. All restrains be damned.
The blonde abruptly put his face on the lacrima, his eyes wide and sporting an irate, murderous expression. Really, the vein bulging on his temple was threatening. "Savage?! Savage?! Do you think I'm fucking daft, Gajeel?! I've been savage the second I knew I'd be separated from Juvia for the longest time we've ever had to be and yet I still haven't killed anyone! Hell, it's a wonder the guild is still standing with all the furniture I've destroyed and broken out of rage! And just shut the hell up for the moment being, Gajeel!" Sting ranted, yelling once again.
At this point, Sting Eucliffe wouldn't be able to control his ire. And it showed by the way his body seemed to have a mind on its own; his fingers, having grabbed the newly acquired piece of furniture quite tightly, crushed the poor object into pieces. But his hands were quick to catch the lacrima before it fell down and broke on the floor. He snarled once again at the mildly shocked face of the Iron Dragon Slayer, whose eyes held a very surprised look. Sting rarely lost his cool but now that he was mated – with his best friend, by the way –, it was completely normal that he should be this feral and agitated; he was dying to be reunited with Juvia right now and the fact that he was bound to observe the deadline was driving him crazy.
His blue eyes flashed dangerously. Once again. "That blonde cheerleader is part of that charade, isn't she? There's no freaking way she'll get away with this without expecting a payback from me: I've been pretty lenient until now but her curiosity over my relationship with Juvia was the last freaking straw! How fucking curious could she be? She even dared to interrupt us during our mating and thinks she can make amends by apologizing?She's lucky Natsu-san will be there to protect her, because I'm not sure I'll be able to hold back if I see her!"
"Sting, where are you going?" Lector cried in alarm as he followed his friend, flying behind him. "Why are you running so fast?"
There were only two words to that question. And the blonde knew it should be enough for his Exceed and friends to get it. "Juvia. Gone," was all Sting said through clenched teeth as he kept running. Sabertooth wasn't that far from this town, so he could make it in a couple of minutes if he kept rushing like this.
Juvia was gone. Off somewhere he didn't know. The very idea of knowing that Gajeel had left her on his own somewhere she couldn't even use her powers to defend herself (should she encounter some problems wherever the hell she was) left him appalled. Had Gajeel lost his mind? Why would he leave his mate all alone when he bloody knew that she wasn't in condition to be on her own? Sting swallowed the lump in his throat with much difficulty, having a hard time pushing back the guilt and self-hatred he felt for putting the both of them into that predicament. Being a guild master was the hardest job ever when it came to being as fair as possible to everyone – especially when someone you love is involved; the Dragon Slayer would have chosen to stick with his guts and taken Juvia away with him had Erza Scarlet not stepped in to remind him of his duty, he knew he would have. At least he admitted that the idea had briefly crossed his mind.
Sting needed to contact Gajeel. The Iron Dragon Slayer would know where to find her for sure, he'll just have to give him the directions and he'll sniff Juvia's scent once he gets there. The trail would be rather old as it had already been three whole days since she has set foot on her destination but a Dragon Slayer's nose was not to be laughed at – Sting Eucliffe won't be bested.
"Pull yourself together, man!" Gajeel all but snapped at Sting. "I didn't need to hear all your crap to know that you're fucking angry with the situation, Sprinkler's frequent mood swings is a pretty good giveaway."
The blonde's voice was hoarse from all the yelling but he was far, far from calm: his blue eyes were swirling with barely repressed anger and although he was taking huge breaths to cool down, the young guild master still looked like he was about to explode once again. One wrong word would trigger another choleric, loud rant that would shake the whole guild for several minutes. And still, Gajeel needed him to have his head cleared for what he was about to tell him. That had to get through his head and stay there.
"Listen, Blondie. Sprinkler is probably thinking about distancing herself from the guild. In fact, I think she must be thinking about going somewhere."
That got Sting's attention. He immediately perked up, staring at the red eyes in the lacrima crystal communication with a dark scowl set on his face. "Really? Where?"
"Beats me. She received a large package two days ago and since she had looked rather surprised, she mustn't have been expected anything. Nevertheless, it must be something pretty weird: I haven't seen Sprinkler look this solemn and rather silent in a very long time. And I know what I'm talking about," Gajeel snorted, ignoring Sting's dark look. He grunted, his face scrunching up. "You don't care about the conditions of the punishment, do you? If you have enough sense not to care, then you'll know what to do in case you hear someone say that she left the guild."
Sting cursed under his breath. He should have taken Gajeel's words seriously instead of blindly thinking that she'd stay in Magnolia even after receiving the worst punishment a mage could ever have – but one question remained: what in the world was in that package that made her leave the town and the guild altogether? Why hadn't Gajeel prevented Juvia from doing such thing? Couldn't he have stayed with her until he got there to replace him? Unless... unless...
She must have told him to leave.
And if Sting Eucliffe didn't know his mate after being together for more than a month, then he'd say that she must have been damn firm and stubborn to get Gajeel to relent. Another trait he both liked and resented about her; while she could be as understanding and sweet, Juvia could also be as insanely stubborn as hell. And Sting hadn't forgotten how conflicted she had looked when he had told his mate that Sabertooth was looking for Minerva – she still had mixed feelings about Jiemma's daughter and the blonde couldn't blame the bluenette, but once a Sabertooth mage, a Sabertooth mage you will remain. Tigers should always remain one united pack.
"Hey, Sting, good to see – hey, don't ignore me!" Orga exclaimed, surprised that the blonde hasn't even glanced at him and has continued his way toward his office. "What's wrong with you? Got an emergency?"
"Master – I mean, Sting –, are you –" Yukino started to say, but stopped when Sting rushed past her to get into his office. The Stellar Mage stared after his form, startled like many others who had seen him blur past them. What was going on with him now? Upon hearing a familiar she turned around and watched as Rogue approached her, a grim and sympathetic look on his face. "Rogue, do you know what's going on with Sting? He seems rather..."
The dark-haired man nodded. "He's going to go look for his mate, Juvia Lockser left Fairy Tail and Magnolia three days ago."
Yukino's brown eyes widened at this. She had been told that Dragon Slayers would find mates – their life partners – at one point in their existence, which she had found both amazing and rather sad at first; they didn't have to choose whoever they wanted, Fate had chosen for them a long time ago. There would have been the existing possibility that her friends wouldn't love their chosen mate, a fact that could have hurt both poor souls – there had been a chance that Sting and Juvia couldn't love each other. They could have hated each other, maybe to such point that they would have refused to be together or even work this out. But the Celestial Mage had seen and liked how happy Sting truly was when Juvia Lockser of Fairy Tail fully committed herself to him and their relationship; he'd be all smiles, more focused on his duty as a guild master and not forgetting to look after his members and friends. The Water Mage seemed to be the right woman for him, even though she had yet to meet and know her.
But after Yukino was told about her punishment for protecting Sting and attacking the one who had hurt him, to say that the Celestial Mage was appalled by the severity and cruelty of such thing was a damn pitiful understatement – no mage should have his or her magic sealed for doing the right thing, even if it meant attacking a fellow guild member out of free will! And when Sting came back at Sabertooth, looking like he'd been stripped of something so precious that he hadn't looked all there, Yukino couldn't restrain her tears of sadness as her heart went out to him and Juvia.
"She... Juvia-san has disappeared?" Yukino's voice didn't do nothing to cover the horror she was feeling right now. "W-where?"
"That's what Sting is trying to discover, so he can track her down to her last known whereabouts," Rogue provided with this same grim face as he folded his arms against his chest, staring at Sting's back. He was talking animatedly to the crystal lacrima, barely restraining himself from shouting. "This is the third day of the third week of their punishment, which means that the first part is about to finish by the end of this week. Master Makarov and Sting had both agreed that he and Juvia would not see each for four weeks straight but, if you want my opinion, I don't think he had planned to respect that part of the deal for starters."
The Celestial Mage didn't need to ask the Shadow Dragon Slayer for more details as she processed everything on her own. From what she'd been told by her two friends, Dragon Slayers shouldn't be separated from their mates for such a large amount of time because of the behaviour they would get and the way it could affect their lives; Sting's mood swings were the living proof that he was suffering from his mate's punishment and the fact that he had to go through four weeks without seeing her was unsettling. Yukino knew that her master was a man of honor – someone trustworthy who was doing his very best to escalate Sabertooth to a respectable and better guild – and would keep his word but, now that she's heard everything about Dragon mating, there was now the existing chance that Sting might just ignore the last four days to be reunited with Juvia Lockser. And Yukino knew he would do just that.
She had her answer when the blonde Dragon Slayer stormed out of his office to leave the guild, not bothering to glance at his partner as he exclaimed over his shoulder. "Rogue, take over my position for now! I'll be gone for a little while!"
The dark-haired man scowled in displeasure. "How long is 'a little while'? You better not be thinking about doing something that would delay you – like staying with Juvia-san longer than you should be! You've got duties to attend to, I hope you know that!"
Did Sting actually listen? A big, mischevious smile was sent over his shoulder. "Thanks, Rogue! I owe you one, so I'll just stay as long as I want! Lector, you coming with me or what?"
The red Exceed didn't need to be asked twice. "Of course! I want to see Juvia-fairy as well!"
"Damn it, Sting," the Shadow Dragon Slayer gritted his teeth in irritation, having guessed right. So he was going to be taking over Sabertooth for God knows how long and he won't see the blonde for... he didn't know how long his twin will be gone: as Rogue knew that Sting would want to remain by his mate's side until she was ready to come along with him to Sabertooth for a while, they would need more time for themselves to make up.
Somehow, Rogue had a feeling that his partner wasn't just all talks when it came to Juvia Lockser; while he'd always been the best jerk ever with his fan-girls when they'd start to be clingly and jealous, he'd become overly sweet and the best mate to the Water Mage. Rogue knew for a fact that Sting harbored very strong feelings toward her and, from what he had seen weeks prior to this fucked up situation, the bluenette returned his feelings. Whether it was blazing love or just pure lust, she returned his feelings as well. The stronger those returned feelings were, the more mates would desire to be together. The dark-haired Dragon Slayer groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Now he understood: the only way to deflate Sting's ire once and for all would be to get him to the blue-haired woman – something that he must have been planning ever since he'd understood he'd be separated from Juvia for such a large amount of time. Maybe he'd counted on her to get away from Fairy Tail so that he'd join her somewhere, especially when the end of the first part of their punishment was drawing near.
Nah. He couldn't have planned that beforehand. But you were prepared to go after her should she decide to break away from Fairy Tail, weren't you? Rogue wondered as his irritation faded away, his gaze softening.
Gajeel must have filled Sting in about Juvia's whereabouts, judging by the numerous times Rogue had caught his partner talking to the Iron Dragon Slayer via lacrima, so that had helped to prepare himself in case she'd do something like this. This friendship between his former master and Sting's mate was quite something to behold, since the two of them seemed so close to the point that the dark-haired mage could understand his best friend's possessiveness and suspicions. But if Gajeel Redfox was the only one Juvia Lockser trusted the most, then it was only fair that he'd let her mate know everything about her.
"Just... don't do anything rash, Sting," Rogue muttered as he closed his eyes in acceptance. "As long as you two work things out for the best, maybe you'll find some peace in your minds."
There had been a bag ready with clothes, money and food packed in his room should he need to set out to wherever Juvia had gone ever since Gajeel told him about the possibility of his mate leaving both Fairy Tail and the town altogether (even if it was temporary.). Sting had just been waiting for the news to reach his ears and now, who was going to stop him from tracking down his bluenette when they were nearing the end of the first part of that fucking punishment?
"For some stupid reason, Sprinkler didn't want me or Panther Lily to stay with her when we arrived at her destination. Don't know what the hell is up with her – that is, until I remembered something she told me a long time ago, back when we were still in Phantom..."
Once the blonde stumbled into his bedroom he grabbed the bag, shot a look at the drawings on his wall – Juvia still didn't know he had snatched some from her mini workshop in the apartment, but that was worth it. She was so talented. – and bolted out seconds later, Lector in tow with his own bag. There were still trains running toward his mate's location at this hour of the afternoon, so Sting would be able to catch one and get there without any problem (minus the fact that he'd be severely down because of motion sickness. Shit. Period.).
"... she used to have a master who taught her how to control her water magic. He taught her the basics, hand-to-hand combat and that strange, but powerful martial art technique that only requires legs. He took her under his wing after something tragic happened to her uncle when she was just a child, so I guess he somehow became the only person she could refer to as a 'relative'. He trained her for two years before sending her off on her own..."
Could her master have somehow heard about her situation? If so, how? Juvia must have taken some serious precautions to hide the horrible device around her neck and since she was forbidden to go on missions for nine weeks straight, there was no way she could have –
Wait. Didn't Gajeel say she had received a package?
Sting rolled his eyes at his own stupidity as he hopped onto a banister to run at the train station, Lector flying above him. A letter. Of course, Juvia must have written a letter to her master and inform him of her miserable situation at Fairy Tail and, in return, that master must have invited his student to leave Magnolia and the guild for some time. That could explain the package. Or a part of it. What on earth was in that package? He thought of the many possibilities as he looked at the board, searching for the destination where he would find Juvia; Gajeel told him it was a rather large package, so there must be something quite important in it. But what?
"... But that absolutely didn't mean that she was expelled from being his student. Sprinkler said that she'd only go to him if she loses control of everything and thinks that she strays from her path. Since she's an orphan, there's no one else she'd go to; you two have been forbidden to see each other for four weeks, she'd rather raise hell around her at the guild than spending her time with the idiots and she was feeling homicidal, so she had no choice. If you plan on going to her, look for someone called Zou Arashikage in Spa Town Hosenka. Trust me, this bastard of a master is freaking popular in this town for being a master Water Mage and since Spa Town Hosenka is famous for its hot springs, Sprinkler told me he'd sometimes go there to enjoy the hot springs. Figures, he's a frickin' Water Mage. So you'll find her there for sure."
Sting's dark blue eyes burnt with determination as he took the two tickets for him and Lector. So Juvia was in Hosenka. Huh. It would take them at least more than thirteen hours to get there from Sabertooth, since the town was located to the west from Magnolia. The young guild master fought the urge to groan in annoyance as he realized that him and Lector would have to pass by Magnolia if they wanted to reach Spa Town Hosenka – which also meant that they'd probably encounter some members of Fairy Tail should they be unlucky. Shit. If they were to run into Erza Scarlet, the red-haired knight would immediately assume that Sting was in town to glean informations about Juvia's absence and go where she would be found. Then she would report to her master, stating that Sting wasn't respecting the first part of the punishment. The blonde knew for sure that Fairy Tail wouldn't be even more cruel than they already were – Juvia's anti-magic collar around her neck was enough proof that they could punish their members when they were at fault – and besides, that would change her vision of the guild (and his by the way.); his mate loved Fairy Tail with all her might and he was aware she would gladly burn her own life to save all her friends. And ever since he and Juvia found each other, the blonde Dragon Slayer didn't have to ask her if she would be willing to burn her life and powers to make sure he'll live.
"Sting?" Lector's voice broke him out of his dark thoughts and he found himself blinking rapidly, looking down at his red Exceed. The cat was looking at him with a determined face, clutching his bag. "You still look like you want to strangle everybody. Calm down."
Was he that easy to read? "Sorry, Lector," the blonde sighed as he looked at the board. Their train was due to arrive in ten minutes, so he still had time to cool off and think of a plan. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Guess this punishment had me always flying off the handle more than once and I can't do anything about it. Unless I have Juvia in my arms right now." His eyelids opened once more to look at his friend apologetically, a very small smile stretching his lips. "Four weeks without her, you know, is hell for a Dragon Slayer."
Lector patted his leg with a confident smile. "It's almost over, you know: the first part is nearing its end and if we're lucky enough, maybe we won't run into Erza... or the Ice Mage." The latter words were said hesitantly, since Lector was aware of the newfound hatred toward the cause of this screwed up situation.
Sting spaced out, feeling that oh-so familiar blazing sensation known as wrath in his chest. Oh, that's right. Gray Fullbuster. The blonde hadn't given him much thought when he had been busy raising mayhem to whatever thug on his jobs the past three weeks to forget – and also bury – his urge to slaughter the bastard responsible for this shitty punishment over their heads. Good thing he had been punished as well, because Sting would have yelled his discontent over the whole predicament and demanded to review Master Makarov's meaning of a family. Having his magic severely limited to the point of being called 'weak' when you're supposed to be strong was an humiliation even he wouldn't want to face. Nonetheless, that did absolutely nothing to ease their predicament.
Another bloody, merciless beating would certainly make Sting Eucliffe much better than he was right now.
A voice announced the arrival of their train, which made the two friends perk up instantly. They walked out to the platform, subtly ignoring some awestruck fan-girls beside them. When the train finally pulled up before him, he felt his anger being replaced by this now welcome feeling of burning determination – a very nice warmth that seemed comforting and similar to a blanket around his shoulders. Sting could almost smile genuinely. Almost. Because he wanted his blue-haired woman to see that smile once he got there with Lector. He wanted her forgiveness, her trust once again – everything that would make them happy once again.
Her love.
He couldn't be more clearer, it was just this simple. Huh. Sting Eucliffe wanted Juvia Lockser's love once again, if she had started to hate him because they both were into this predicament. Gods, his heart and soul wanted and needed her all at once. Screw this fucking punishment and the consequences if he was breaking the rules, Master Makarov himself should be thinking about releasing Juvia from this torture. Wasn't his beloved mate one of his precious children, like the old man always stated?
"Let's hope she won't bite my head off once we get there," Sting muttered as he hopped into the train, Lector in tow. "I don't want to fight. Not now, not even in the future."
It's strange to find myself in their presence.
After years of fending for herself in the wild world that was Fiore, the Water Mage found herself quite at ease in the presence of her old master. He always carried that peaceful aura around him that managed to make Juvia relaxed; it was as if she had forgotten all her problems once she had been greeted by Hoenn, her master's butler-friend, at the Spa Town Hosenka train station, because the simple familiar sight of Hoenn had been enough to make her remember all the memories she preciously kept in a corner of her mind and she had genuinely smiled for the first time in three weeks. Damn! Even though he was the one who helped her strengthen her footwork through merciless training after Master Zou said that they would get back into water magic training tomorrow, Juvia had shared so many good things with her master's butler-friend – he had become both her an older brother and a confident during the two years she had spent with them before breaking apart. She'd been five back then, Hoenn had been nineteen. So even after nearly twenty years spent apart, because those damn seven years that blasted black dragon had stolen from them all had made her lose track of everything, her master and his trusted butler-friend hadn't really changed at all – Hoenn was still a single man, despite his handsome looks, and Master Zou still hadn't found the will to settle down somewhere he would be better than his snowy mountains!
Even after all these years, I still feel peace around them.
She stretched on her futon, then straightened herself until she stood up. Even now she couldn't lie to herself: Juvia did feel peaceful in this house, in this city – away from Magnolia and Fairy Tail, away from the ones she still considered her family despite her current predicament. And she could smile genuinely more often just by listening to Hoenn's soft tone when he spoke to Master Zou in the living-room. She had made the right decision to send them a letter and tell about her situation because of her actions: not only they taught her how to fight with her legs and to use her water magic, they also were the wisest men she had ever had the chance to meet and stay with. Master Zou being a Water Mage just like her, but on an outrageously different level, he seemed to have lived for so long. Juvia had been but a child back then, but he sounded like he understood how this world functioned.
The blue-haired woman made her way toward the bathroom, intent on refreshing herself before joining Hoenn and Master Zou in the living-room. As she brushed her teeth, she couldn't help but wonder how it was possible for them to own a house in Spa Town Hosenka – did they even live there for more than three months? How did they manage to rent such a big mansion like this one if Master Zou was a hermit? She'd have to ask them about this, because all she remembered of her two years of training with them was the fact that they had shared a small house in the middle of snowy mountains, when she'd learnt to control her magic. Seven years might have done them some good, Juvia thought as she stepped into the shower.
"Hey Lil' Blue, don't ya forget to eat something," Hoenn said in a patronizing tone when she entered the kitchen. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly when she saw him pointing a fork at her, smirking. "Ol' Zou is heading out to get some supplies before splashing, so all that might take a lil' while before the three of us get to talk about more serious matters. So eat ya eggs and bacon, ya lost a lil' bit of weight since ya last pictures."
Juvia was tempted to disagree with him but, as she considered his words, she did look thinner: she had always been curvy – the clothes she always wore at the guild covered almost every part of her body because the Water Mage was modest and kind of reluctant to show so much skin (unlike one Celestial Mage who liked to use her sex-appeal to get the most headstrong men to give her what she wanted... minx!). Having this atrocity around her neck had put her under stress the last three weeks and although she still ate, her stomach hadn't been able to keep any food. So she had lost weight. Hoenn had noticed, Master Zou had also noticed by feeling the rush of blood and water inside her body.
The urge to cry was burning in her chest and her eyes were already tearing up at the thought of being pampered. Again, like old times when she had been a child. She swallowed, relenting. "Fine, fine. I'll... OK, Hoenn." Juvia sat down on her chair, pulling her long, cerulean hair into a loose bun. She looked at her plate, blinking. Eggs, bacon, bread. So delicious, because that had been her favorite ever since she was a child. And judging by this sweet smell, the butler-friend was making pancakes as well. Now that was all too familiar for her because –
She could hear his smirk in his voice when she was digging in. "Tell me, Lil' Blue... ya've gotten laid, right? That blonde Dragon Slayer from that guild of tigers popped ya lil' cherry, right?"
– Hoenn only did this to make her spill the beans whenever she did something stupid. And the fact that he seemed to know about Sting managed to shock her to the point that she started to choke on her food; Juvia coughed, bending over and tapping her chest repeatedly. The butler-friend laughed heartily, slapping her back to ease her coughing fit. When she recovered she glared, her eyes flashing and cheeks ablaze.
"You... How... What?" she wheezed, breathing hard. She couldn't believe it.
His golden eyes twinkled, his smirk widening. "Shishi, ya think I wouldn't keep an eye on my Lil' Blue? Ya've grown a lot, ya know. From the crying lil' girl to this gorgeous, buxom woman, I needed to follow the news and gossips." He burst out laughing, throwing his head back. "Ol' Zou won't believe his ears, our Lil' Blue has become such a fine woman... oh, and I knew about ya and that tiger because I've watched ya two at the end of the Grand Magic Games."
Huh? Juvia blinked, at a loss. What in God's name was Hoenn blabbering about now? Sting and Juvia had been pretty careful when they had officially begun their secret relationship after a whole night of lustful and excited trysts away from prying eyes, no one in Fairy Tail – except Gajeel, because that walking piece of iron would always be the first to know what was new in her life – could have known that Juvia Lockser, who was once crazy in love with Gray Fullbuster, was now involved with Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth on their very first time together. And why the hell was Hoenn saying 'watched' instead of 'knew'? He couldn't have –
Dark blue eyes slowly widened in realization as golden orbs twinkled in mischief and his smirk widened even more at the same time. Her blush intensified as disbelief and shock were now apparent on her face. No. No, no, no, no. Her fork fell in her plate as her grip grew considerably slack, her heart hammering in her chest. Her master's butler-friend... and Hoenn sure was proud about doing this, even though he knew he could have been skewered alive by a very possessive, irate Dragon Slayer just by ogling her writhing body underneath Sting's!
Juvia wasted no time in voicing her outrage, eyes now ablaze with burning fury. "Hoenn! You... what. On. Earth?!" she shrieked, jumping on her two feet. Her hands were trembling, so were her long legs. She was itching to murder him.
He even dared to wink at her. "I have eyes everywhere when it's either about ya or Ol' Zou. Didn't know ya had it in ya, Lil' Blue. Ya could make amazing moans and screams when ya boyfriend takes ya from be – Hop!" Hoenn laughed as he swiftly and nimbly dodged a very well aimed kick at his head. Almost as fluid and graceful as a figure gliding on the surface of water he dodged Juvia's swift and undoubtedly powerful kicks, his mischevious eyes never leaving her furious ones.
Hoenn had always known how to elicite his Lil' Blue's ire whenever he just wanted some entertainment or desired to help her in her training. This time was no exception, though this was not about training or his own interest – the goal was to distract her from sinking back into her somber, depressive self because of that goddamn device around her neck. He hadn't been there when the master of Fairy Tail had tied that horrible anti-magic collar to Juvia's neck but he had had heard enough stories about that dreadful abomination to guess how his Lil' Blue had reacted once she couldn't feel her magic anymore; he had seen the red streaks on her skin, where she must have tried to claw it away because of the sudden, choking dread of not being able to perform any magic at all. Hoenn and Master Zou could imagine the look on her face, so panicked and disbelieved at first, then empty and devoid of life – something that the butler-friend now hated to see. He'd seen how alive and free-spirited she had been during the Grand Magic Games with her guild and former love interest, he'd loved it. And somehow, somehow... that changed drastically when there were talks in Magnolia about a big fight involving his Lil' Blue, Sting Eucliffe and Gray Fullbuster three weeks and a half ago. Hoenn had been amazed to learn that she'd go as far as hurting a friend out of free will to protect her boyfriend – amazed, and so damn pleased about it.
Juvia had improved to one wonderful level in her own footwork; her attacks were no longer clumsy, indecisive or slow, but confident, powerful and so swift that Hoenn himself had a hard time seeing them coming. The fact that she wasn't wearing pants but shorts enhanced her long, toned and slender legs – another fact that showed that Juvia had worked hard to build this body. Ah, perfect. And those legs... damn! That blonde Dragon Slayer was one lucky sonafubitch to have snatched Lil' Blue from both Ice Mages. Now the butler was a bit curious how those big breasts of hers couldn't snap some buttons from her white blouse, because her chest was huge!
Hoenn did a perfect somersault to land onto the counter, hands in his pockets and leaning on one foot to balance himself. He smirked playfully at a seething Juvia, who was doing a headstand on just one hand onto the table. Her legs were clamped together so that she wouldn't lose her balance, which made him smirk proudly. Lil' Blue still remembers her lessons and applies them, he thought, chest puffing and swelling with pride. Good.
He sent her another wink. "Glad ya haven't forgotten our lessons, Lil' Blue," he drawled nonchalantly. "Ya balance on this table is perfect, I'm so proud. But really, ya need to eat before we – Ha? What are ya doing, sitting like this?" His golden orbs widened at the sight of Juvia sitting crossed legs onto the table, eating her plate casually and still glaring at him. Hoenn scowled. "Ya got a chair, use it."
"Hn."
Ha? What's this? Hoenn wondered with a raised eyebrow as he got into a staring match with Juvia. She'd obey him with no resistance back then when he wanted her to sit properly because she needed to learn manners; now she was ignoring him? Interesting. His foot would always hit her head pretty hard whenever she wouldn't listen and she'd relent grudgingly, but without any more complaints. He knew she'd gotten quite headstrong over the years but to this extent? Was it because she became a Dragon Slayer's mate? What were the changes?
Juvia watched her master's butler-friend crouching before her on the counter with thoughtful, furious eyes while eating. Despite having aged he still maintained his handsome looks; his hair was split into two colours – bright orange for the left side and pure white for the right one. Years ago he had it longer, always braided behind on his back, now it looked a little bit shorter but still braided. Some bangs fell upon his eyes but that didn't seem to bother him when cooking or fighting, so he let them be. Hoenn's body was muscular, but not as buffed as Gajeel's: it was lean and long to match with his fighting skills – his legs were proof of that. His usual attire consisted of a traditional butler's clothing that he always wore with elegance – no wonder Juvia had had a crush on him when she was younger! The other characteristic trait about him (other than his bicolour hair) was the giant tattoo on his chest, that spread all the way to his stomach: both unlikely and strangely fascinating at the same time, it represented a rather unique tree to her eyes. But to Hoenn's, it represented the path of his life.
Path of your life, huh, she thought as she frowned a little, a glass of apple juice in hand. She'd have to ask him about that before leaving, because she had yet to know everything about Hoenn's life before he became Master Zou Arashikage's butler-friend. And talking about him and his life prior to the one he was living with the master Water Mage might help Juvia to sort out her thoughts about her life as a Fairy Tail Mage.
"Say, Lil' Blue."
Juvia blinked, focusing on him. His golden orbs had lost their mischevious glint to harbour this serious expression she had seen so many times during their training together. She readied herself, knowing beforehand that Hoenn only sported this kind of face when he wished to tread on dangerous waters. And he'll lose that foreign accent to talk like people in Ishgar. He got off the metallic counter to face the blue-haired woman, his hands still in his pockets as his eyes assessed her.
"Your letter said you're having doubts about your current family, as if you didn't know if you still could live with them after what the old man is forcing you to go through with that anti-magic collar around your neck. I'm not even surprised." Hoenn fingered the abomination and she stiffened, her body now frozen on its spot. The light in his golden dulled and his face fell as he took in the now empty look plastered on Juvia's beautiful features. And the healing red streaks that adorned her creamy white skin... "Master Zou himself doesn't blame you for feeling some hatred toward Makarov Dreyar, you know. You're hurting terribly, you're having trust issues and you feel like you're straying from your own path."
He gritted his teeth.
"That's one hell of a messed up shit you and your man have been thrown into. All of this, because you protected him from someone who wanted to hurt him."
Juvia had to swallow several times to reply. And when she found her voice, it was wavering. Even her features were twitching hard. "Hoenn... I-I-I wanted to run away, run away from Master Makarov a-a-as fast as I could..."
There. There it was, what the butler was looking for. Juvia's breakdown. She didn't have to hide from him or Master Zou, they had grown to know all her facades due to Hoenn's network and could tell whenever she was fighting down something big. So there was no way in hell she'd hide the fact that she wanted to slaughter in rage, to scream sorrowfully even more than she had three weeks ago and to cry her eyes out from being reduced to this state from them. No, he won't allow that.
The Water Mage didn't need to hide anymore and by the trembling of her body, she knew it would have betrayed her sooner or later. She exhaled a shaky breath, unable to hold onto her glass any longer and it crashed loudly onto the floor. Wide, dark blue eyes seemed to stare at Hoenn without seeing him, which truly creeped him out. Juvia exhaled once again. Another shaky breath. "My instincts even told me to use my magic against him, Hoenn. Can you believe it? Against him. Him, Master Makarov. Maybe I should have." Her hands then began to raise – toward her neck, as if to try and scratch that horrible thing away. Hoenn, as swift as ever, caught them in his bigger hands and held them tightly. But that didn't stop her from talking. "Y-yes, maybe I should have. I should have tried to fight them off, both of them."
"'Them'? Who's them, Juvia?" he asked, fighting hard the urge to knock her out because damn it to hell, he couldn't bear that expression on her.
"Makarov and Laxus. Laxus is a Lightning Mage, so he could have trapped me easily. I'm no match for him, after all. I'm not Natsu-san." She swallowed once again, her trembling increasing a little. "He held me against his chest, tightly so that I wouldn't escape – probably because water can't win against lightning and I would have been shocked, even though they wouldn't have resorted to this to tie that... that... do you think I should have hurt them, Hoenn? Do you think I should have tried to reason with them? Fight them off?"
Could he respond to this? "Maybe you should have. But could you have fought them off?"
There was a deafening silence between the two which, in all, said plenty without her having to voice the negative answer. Juvia whimpered in defeat, eyes slowly tearing up.
"They had me cornered."
"They had you cornered," Hoenn repeated, pursing his lips. He swallowed with difficulty, struggling to meet her eyes without faltering. "I don't know how most magical guilds work, but here's something you should know for sure: Fairy Tail doesn't treat its family this way, it takes care of them and loves every member equally. I've observed them long enough to know that Old Makarov was loathe to do something as cruel as this. Believe it or not, he didn't want to do this. Juvia," he called. He waited until he had her attention, her distraught eyes boring into his golden orbs. "What do you remember? Of that particular event at the lake after Gray Fullbuster insulted you?"
Somehow, that question sounded peculiar. Because Juvia didn't understand why he was asking this but the more she tried to remember the events, the more confusing she became; her mind was foggy and she didn't know why. She frowned, trying hard to grasp onto whatever could help her remember that particularly hellish moment. Hoenn remained silent, patient.
Some sounds of water hitting something hard, some sounds of something breaking under the pressure of some element. Some voices shouting something – was it Erza? Was it Lucy? Was it Natsu? She couldn't decipher which voice belonged to, it seemed her mind was focused on one thing only...
Protect. Protect. Protect. Protect with all your might.
"... concentrate on my voice, Lil' Blue... gonna be alright..."
Easier said than done. Hoenn wasn't the one who was trying to remember some shitty memory about someone she had cared a lot and was close to having an anxiety attack. Juvia clutched her head, her eyes shut and gritting her teeth. Those sounds were painful to remember, as if she could feel the pain they inflicted.
… Juvia could recognize one sound she loved so much and would recognize everywhere. The sound of water. Usually so calm and soothing when she wished it to be, lethal and merciless whenever she wanted it to be. As an extension of her own mind and body, she instantly knew she was the one controlling it. And judging from the sounds of it, it was a fight. A violent one...
"... breathe, Lil' Blue... anxiety attack... shit, what the hell –"
"Enough, Hoenn. Juvia."
That voice. Calm, yet with this familiar, stern tone that always managed to relax them both without trying too much. Soothing, like a peaceful sea that would even lull a wyvern to sleep. Even after almost twenty years apart and living away from him, he still had that positive effect on her: the blue-haired woman's trembling stopped almost at once and the mental racket in her head faded, becoming a familiar and soothing melody that was sung to her whenever she had a frightening nightmare. That melody sounded like the peaceful noises the sea could produce when the weather was perfect – like a lullaby. Juvia's lullaby.
His footsteps were soft onto the wooden floor, in synch with the soothing sound she could hear in her mind. Juvia's features relaxed considerably and her eyes dropped a little, as if she were sleepy. Her breathing calmed down progressively and her heartbeat ceased to hammer in her chest, no longer hurting her. Juvia wanted to turn around and have a look at her master, even just a glance in her slumbering state to catch the color of his hakama.
"Ah, Ol' Zou. Didn't know you were awake," she heard Hoenn say in a drawl. She could however catch the relief in his nonchalant tone – a sign that he was relieved that her anxiety attack had been avoided in a heartbeat.
His humming only served to render the blue-haired Water Mage even more sleepy. "It's hard to sleep when your wild bickering reverberates all over the walls of this house," he said. His voice had a rich baritone Juvia had always found exotic and immensely pleasant, which could have made many women swoon in delight. But it only served to lull her to sleep, because there was only one voice that could make her feel so weak in the knees and the owner of that voice wasn't here with them. Her eyelids were almost shut when she felt a hand on the top of her head, ruffling the small bun. "It's even harder to ignore your pain, little one. Go to sleep, Hoenn and I will manage just fine. Disturbed waters must be calmed down in order to find harmony once again."
There was a small chuckle from the almost forty-year old heartthrob before her. "What he said, Lil' Blue. Here is your home as well, you know."
Hm. Hey, Hoenn...
It would seem that even Juvia Lockser couldn't deny her body's demands, combined with her master's and his butler-friend's. With a soft sigh she fell in Hoenn's arms, eyes shut and breathing even. Out like a light.
… you're right. Stop being right.
"Hoenn," Zou Arashikage called, in hushed tones. His calm, light purple eyes watched over a sound asleep Juvia who was hugging and nuzzling her pillow – and covers – with all her might. As if she was cuddling with someone. This sight almost made him chuckle. She misses someone she loves so much, he thought as he adjusted his hakama.
His bicoloured head popped up into Juvia's room, bright golden eyes inquiring. "Yeah?" he asked, curious.
"You said you've been spying on Juvia ever since I sent her off on her own years ago, right?"
Hoenn's eyes twitched in irritation. Even the master Water Mage got it all wrong, by the gods! "I don't know what you mean. Not 'spying on', watching over, Ol' Zou. That's completely, utterly, totally, different." He snorted. He wasn't going to tell him that he calculated Juvia's breast size just by watching it bounce during the Grand Magic Games (even when the blonde Dragon Slayer was taking her, that is...). No, no. Not even Sting Eucliffe should know this.
Master Zou blinked slowly. "The slight fluctuation of the water in your body suggests otherwise, so I guess I've used the right word to describe what you and your 'genius' mind have been doing all these years." He tuned out the curses muttered in a foreign language thrown his way, assessing his young student with thoughtful eyes.
He could guess what his most trusted friend wasn't telling – better, he could hear them without having to ask.
"I was so sure that Lil' Blue had found within Fairy Tail what she needed in life, at long last. After she left us to fend for herself in Fiore, I've been watching over in the shadows and through my network, never interfering but always wanting to. Phantom Lord had somehow... 'darkened' Lil' Blue to the point even I couldn't recognize her. 'Rain Woman', they used to call her. Tch, she's always been more than a woman who commands water and calls the rain! But hey, we can't speak the idiot to actual idiots – that would be even more frustrating. And when she joined Fairy Tail, Lil' Blue came back to life and was alive once more! Bright like clear water under the sun, shining like diamonds!"
"So... Fairy Tail treats its members equally, right? Then why is Lil' Blue the only one suffering so much for doing what she thought was right? She's done the only thing she should have done: she protected her man!"
"Hey, Ol' Zou..."
Light purple eyes flashed in controlled anger, then closed as he silently stood from his position.
"Let's buy more supplies, old friend," he said. "I believe we'll have other guests throughout Juvia's stay with us. And afterward, maybe we'll do a small trip to the mountains. These two..." He gazed at Juvia's sleeping form, taking in her relaxed features. Relaxed. Peaceful. But fury was still lurking under that front. "... they have a lot to get rid of."
Hoenn's expression became solemn. "Like her man and his red kitty? Should've seen this coming."
Master Zou nodded, stepping out of Juvia's bedroom. Before he could close the door, he heard her voice and the name of the man he'd be confronting very soon.
"Sting... Sting...," she was whispering softly.
"You won't wait any longer, Lil' Blue," Hoenn sighed, closing her door silently. "You won't."
This was a promise.
"... I'm starting to resent Fairy Tail for doing this to Lil' Blue."
"It's almost been four weeks, Gray." Erza sternly reminded him. Her brown eyes just couldn't be more frightening. "Most of the injuries Juvia has inflicted on you have healed, yet you are still forbidden to use your magic to its full extent. Moreover, you have yet to solve your issues with Juvia and Sting." She took a breath, eyes shut. The red-haired knight took a moment to collect her thoughts without the several curses and insults her mind was coming up with. Fighting down the urge to beat Gray to death was even harder to do so, because he deserved it so bad. "As you must have heard from Mira and Cana, Juvia left Magnolia and the guild for a while, without telling us where she'd go. But I take it that she must be trying to sort out her feelings about you. If I didn't know her, I'd say that Juvia hates your guts with a burning passion. What are your thoughts, Gray?"
The Ice Mage bit his lower lip in justified frustration, hands clutching his head.
"Because I certainly never thought I'd see the day when you get heavily beaten by the woman who used to love you with all her might," Erza continued, her voice becoming sadder. "I've never seen so much sadness and fury in her eyes when your words finally sank in her head and, to be honest, I'm with her on this one."
Dark eyes narrowed in a nasty glare. "And yet you didn't say anything," Gray countered darkly. "You didn't even try to object to master's punishment on Juvia."
"Did you?" came the harsh, merciless answer.
No. He didn't even have to lie to himself and pathetic excuses would only serve to make him appear like a fucking victim who had nothing to do with that royal mess he'd created out of anger and – he still couldn't believe he had felt such emotion – jealousy. Gray hadn't objected to Juvia's punishment and the gods know how much he should have because he had been the one to instigate her fury – and, therefore, he should have been the one to be heavily punished. Having his magic severely limited to the point of being so weak that he'd have to rely on everyone else and being forbidden to go on missions was one thing, but having his magic completely sealed by anti-magic collar?
Juvia. Gray couldn't even get himself to say her name out loud without feeling a crushing guilt straining his lungs and throat; nothing he could say would be enough to get her to forgive both his words and actions toward her and Sting. Forgiveness had always been part of any Fairy Tail Mage and he was sure that Juvia had acquired the will to forgive as well (he wasn't even going to wonder if Gajeel was as merciful as she was, that brute would have just maimed him for even trying to talk to him.) but, during those past three, he'd seen the Water Mage at her worst and having her magic sealed was one thing she had sometimes snapped about – the cause of her very recent outburst being one of Jet's remarks. He sighed heavily. Damn Levy's partners, they had never known when to shut the hell up when they should: one angered Juvia Lockser was not to joke with, and the one who had to go through nine weeks without magic was very dangerous.
He still remembered Natsu's words and outbursts at the master three weeks ago for punishing Juvia.
"Old man, you can't do that to Juvia! Do you have any idea how she must be feeling right now? She must be feeling so... lost and betrayed. I just can't believe you'd do something like this to one of your children – I mean, you did banish Laxus once because he hurt everyone in the guild but you force Juvia to go through a nine weeks-long punishment without magic because she did what she thought was right? What the hell, old man?! This isn't Fairy Tail-like, this... THIS ISN'T WHAT OUR GUILD BELIEVES IN!"
"C'mon, old man! Just ask Juvia to come at the guild so you can take that damn thing off her neck in a second and... OK, maybe she won't forgive you right on the spot even if you take it off but you should consider this: the first master wouldn't have done something so horrible to her friends, you know this, I know this – hell, we all know this!"
"Old man, just make her come to the guild already so you can take the damn anti-magic collar off! Gray truly deserved that beating, he was lucky to have been attacked by Juvia instead of Sting: a Dragon Slayer is overly protective and would do anything to protect his mate from any harm, whether it's a person or an animal. I don't think Sting would have killed Gray because he insulted Juvia, but he would have seriously hurt him. Vice-versa for a Dragon Slayer's mate. So if you understand what I'm trying to say, old man, then GET JUVIA HERE! RIGHT. THE HELL. NOW!"
Natsu's outbursts had never shaken the guild like this before. No, never. And he'd been joined by Gajeel, who had viewed the guild like a good release. Seeing the two Dragon Slayers team up for something other than a battle against two common enemies was a rare sight for everyone, so rare in fact that even Erza couldn't help but be left speechless and silent throughout their whole. The shame and guilt that had been washing over his body had prevented him from voicing whatever would have been lame excuses for his behaviour, words and actions toward the two lovebirds and a giveaway for another bloody and merciless beating from the Iron Dragon Slayer, who couldn't bear seeing his closest friend in such state.
But Mavis Vermillion's words were the ones who had hit home the most.
"Forgiving. Moving on. Living. This, we Fairy Tail Mages can do. Any guild master of Fairy Tail has learnt to do this without having to hurt any guild member even if the situation is quite problematic. Trust is also what makes a Fairy Tail Mage. And you may have broken Juvia's trust and spirit by sealing her magic, Makarov. By doing so, you may also have lost more than you all can think; whether she decides to remain a Fairy Tail Mage after what you're putting her through or not, it's her decision to make. Four weeks without seeing the man she loves – the one who loves her back without any restraint –, nine weeks without magic..."
"She may not forgive me, Erza," Gray said through clenched teeth. "She... she may not forgive master and Laxus for having her magic sealed because she attacked me willingly to protect Sting..."
The red-haired knight either didn't hear him or ignored his words, for she remained silent with her bangs covering her eyes. She appeared in deep thought but, if he were to be honest, Gray absolutely didn't care. A horrific idea was bugging him, painful and terribly realistic if he were to think about it; the first master's words had spoken some heartbreaking, dreadful truth that even he didn't want to hear because there was a chance that they would turn out to be true. Really, he didn't want this to be a future reality.
"... Juvia might not find the will to forgive you, Makarov. Even if you were to beg her. Therefore, you will have lost a daughter."
Gray released his lower lip with a hiss, finally feeling a sharp pain in his skin. He hadn't realized that he'd been biting on his lip until it bled. However, not even the metallic taste of his own blood was enough to brush off that horrible thought. He glanced at the darkening sky, the lump in his throat becoming bothering.
Was it a possibility? Would she even think about it?
"Dammit..."
Never again, he swore as he crawled his way out of the train, his Exceed cheering him on. Thirteen hours or more to get to Spa Town Hosenka all the way from Sabertooth. This was the perfect example of a living hell for any Dragon Slayer but, what do you know? Sting Eucliffe made it out alive. And his mate was near, he could smell her heavenly scent.
Having spent about a day in a train, Sting and Lector had arrived in Spa Town Hosenka in the late afternoon. And what a beautiful city it was; the sun hadn't completely set, so the lights weren't on yet but even his enhanced sight could appreciate beauty when there was. The blonde smiled a little as he knelt, dusting himself.
"Phew, what a long trip," Lector sighed, rubbing his eyes. "And here I thought you weren't going to make it, Sting. It must be the excitement to see Juvia-fairy that allowed you to bear your motion sickness."
The blonde chuckled. "Yeah," he agreed.
He was about to get up when Juvia's scent hit his nose and his heartbeat quickened, freezing him on the spot. She was near! His dark blue eyes came to life and he looked on his left, expecting to see a woman with cerulean hair, the most beautiful and delicious body he will taste until death. Unfortunately for Sting, what he actually saw was –
Orange. White. Golden. Definitely not blue.
He blinked in confusion and quiet disbelief, bemused. This man – who the hell was this man? He looked like a butler with his attire – a royal one, judging by the way he was standing in front of Sting. But the smirk came out wrong; it was almost as if this butler was making fun of him. Which was enough to rile the Dragon Slayer up.
"Got a problem, string bean?" Sting snarled, scowling.
Said 'string bean' blinked innocently. "Ha?" he muttered. Then he chuckled, seemingly amused. "Yeah, ya must be Sting Eucliffe, Lil' Blue's man. And the red kitty, Lector."
"Huh?" The blonde didn't understand his words. Lil' Blue? What the hell?
'String bean' folded his arms, cocking his head on one side and still smirking. "Usually, I 'correct' those who throw impolite insults at me with well-aimed kicks and I would've beaten ya dragon-like ass if she hadn't warned me about ya and if ya weren't her man." He approached them elegantly, as if he were kind of gliding. "OK. My name is Hoenn, Master Zou Arashikage's butler. And friend. And yes, Juvia is with us so... wanna come and not break my neck if I told ya I've been watching ya two go at it like hotdamn rabbits?"
Author's Note 1: SHAME ON ME! So sooooooooorry, everyone: had my exams during a whole week, so I put my energy to that. Tch! Well, this baby's out. Finally!
Author's Note 2: I just realized... I might need more chapters before starting the Tartaros Arc. Yeah. Haha!
Next Chapter: Let It Out, Baby, Let It Out.