Gruvia Week Day 6 - Fear

A/N: I know it's late! Sorry! Here is my entrant for Gruvia Week 2016 Day 6 - Fear J Day 7 will be up either today or tomorrow! Enjoy!

Juvia stood squinting and panting a trickle of blood running out her lips down her chin on the muddy and frozen battlefield, the smell of smoke and the feel of death and destruction hung toxic in the air around her, the attacking soldiers were never ending and Lyon and Meredy were dangerously near their magical limit's, the fight needed to end soon, Juvia knew she had to keep on fighting no matter how exhausted she may feel she knew that she had to press on because at any moment her beloved may need her help. Throwing a powerful wave of boiling water at General Invel in front of her she dared a look at Gray-sama watching as his muscles relaxed and contracted as he fought off more soldiers, dodging their attacks, the icemage jumped backwards putting distance between him and them, Juvia noticed his dodges getting slower only slightly but having trained so closely with him she noticed every tell tale sign that he was tiring. Juvia pupils dilated as Gray looked her way staring deeply into her navy blue orbs his dark gray eyes going wide to, feeling like they were connected by an invisible string. They both nodded at each other before jumping back into their respective battles.

Panting heavily Gray stared at the sea of soldiers no matter how much ice-make magic he threw at them they just kept on coming. Lyon and Meredy seemed worn down to but they were looking out for each other off to his right. Gray cursed himself he should be helping Juvia against Invel he should have her back but he couldn't seem to break through the never ending mass of soldiers even with his devil slaying magic helping his ice-make magic. "DAMN IT! Why won't you annoying bastards just clear off already! I have bigger fish to fry!" He growled.

"Gray behind you!" The icemage heard Lyon shout as he was struck from behind hot blood pooling out his back bringing him to his knees, the pain knocking the breath out of him.

"Gray-sama!" He heard Juvia scream his name making his heart twist. He couldn't give up.

Juvias blue hair flew around in the violent winds as she battled Invel. She was well suited to him, she was able to melt his ice with her water and as long as she remained in her waterbody all his attacks would go through her she just needed to wait until he ran out of steam. He was a very skilled ice-make wizard nothing like she had ever seen. He commanded dynamic ice like Lyons as well as static like Gray-samas but there was something more to it which Juvia couldn't quite place her finger on. Dodging the next lot of lances the watermage fired a boiling water cyclone at Invel who dodged it.

"It's time to stop playing games." He paused "You're by far the strongest watermage I've come across." He smirked at her licking his bottom lip, his narrowed eyes piercing hers with a cold gaze through his spectacles unnerving her slightly.

"Gray behind you!" Juvia heard Lyon shouting causing her to snap her head around to where he was fighting, her eyes growing wide as fear shot through her like lightning as a soldier struck him from behind.

"Gray-sama!" She screamed at him as the icemage fell to his knees in the sodden battlefield. Juvia felt tears pricking her eyes as she started to run to him, her body acting before her mind could even think. Juvia has to help Gray-sama!

"You're not going anywhere until I am finished with you!" Juvia froze in her tracks. "Ice-make snow cheetah!" Invel shouted sending the speedy creature towards her, Juvia couldn't believe how fast that creation could move, it was as fast as the real thing if not faster, it was to late for her to move as the cold ice creation collided into her tearing at her clothes and skin. "Give up yet?!" Invel chuckled as Juvia struggled against it staring into the creatures eyes. There was something there. She didn't have time to think about what as her body was being ripped by its claws.

"Waterbody!" Juvia shouted as her body shifted into hot water melting most of the animal attacking her. "Sierra!" The watermage threw her body forwards propelling it through the remained of the cheetah towards Invel hoping to catch him off guard. "Juvia will never give up! As long as Juvia has love in her heart! She will not give up!" Putting even more power into her Sierra attack Juvia shot towards the older ice-make wizard like a shooting star.

"That love will be the end of you! It is your weakness!" He roared as he made ice-make daggers fly towards her.

"Those will have no affect on Juvia! Not in her heated water!" She got closer to Invel as the spears made contact making her scream in pain as she fell straight to the floor hard the mud sucking her down like quick sand. "H…How?" She gritted her teeth slowly and shakily picking herself up, mud dripping from her clothes.

"Like your little pink haired friend, Meredy or Melody was it? Nevermind. I can aim my ice at your pain sensors, even in your water form. I have fought many watermages and you all have the same weakness. You all think your indestructible." He placed his fist to his palm. "Now have a taste of my true power! Ice-make bull!" A giant bull of ice charged towards Juvia with such ferocious power in such a short distance boring into her side.

"Gahhhh!" She cried out as the bull punctured through her ivory skin staining it crimson before flinging the watermage through the air.

"Ice-make freeze lance!" Invel shouted at he fired an array of freeze lances at her, Juvia just barely managing to slip into her waterbody in time but that didn't stop the lances hitting her pain sensors. She had been fighting endlessly against the soldiers before coming up against Invel her magic was almost all used up, especially after her failed Sierra attack. She had put a lot into that move. Juvias waterbody gave out as she shifted back into her normal body feeling the full brunt of the pain she had been masking as she closed her eyes not looking forwards to hitting the floor but her fall was halted.

"I've got you." A strong pair of arms caught and encircled Juvia, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as her eyes flew open immediately met by deep grey ones. Pissed off grey ones. "You should be more careful you know." His voice was strained as he struggled to keep his emotions in check, Juvia was in a bad state, she was losing a lot of blood. The icemage froze the worst injuries, his touch gentle as if he was scared of her breaking in his arms.

"Gray-sama…." Juvia murmured as he tended to her quickly. His eyes flicking to hers invoking warm feelings in the two of them when they met.

"I'll take it from here. You make sure to rest, kay?" His voice was rough but laced through it was worry, he wanted her to be safe, she had overexerted herself. Laying her tenderly on the ground his stormy face fell to Invel.

"An ice wizard I see." Invel smirked at him. "This shouldn't be too difficult." The older ice wizard rolled up his bloodied cuffs, Juvia had really put him through his paces.

"Yeah it wont be difficult for me." Grays voice was cold as the air around him grew frigid seeping ice magic. "You're gonna pay for what you've done to Juvia." Grays ice devil tattoo started to grow on his forearm. "Ice make freeze lancer!" White arrows of ice shot at Invel who made no attempt to move.

"Ice-make shield!" A giant shield of ice flew up from the ground bouncing Grays freeze lancers back towards him.

"Damn it." He cursed as he jumped towards Juvia shielding her body with his own, his own ice barely affected him. His eyes fell to the fallen watermage who was out cold she looked so defenceless. "Juvia…" He muttered stroking her cheek before turning back to Invel. "He will pay." His raven bangs covered his eyes as his fists clenched at his sides. "I WON'T LOSE ANYONE ELSE!" Gray shouted as the ice devil tattoo spread up his arm encasing half his body in its black mark.

He's an ice devil slayer?! Invel stared wide eyed at the wizard in front of him.

"Ice-make bazooka! Ice-make knuckle!" Gray wasn't giving him a chance to retaliate infusing all his attacks with his devil slayer magic for a bit of extra punch. "Ice-make arrows! Ice-make Gungir!" Invel was incased in ice and launched high into the air defenceless. "Ice-make crescent blades!" Half moon blades propelled through the air towards Invel striking him down to the floor, Gray panting from the amount of magic he'd used.

Shaking Invel pulled himself up from the floor looking at Gray with one eye closed, blood dripping from the wound in his side before froze it. "Impressive." He chuckled. "Ice-make frozen nebula!" He smirked catching Gray off guard. Nebula? That's one of Juvias moves! But how? Standing his ground Gray opened his mouth to absorb the ice magic eating the whole nebula.

"You're magic is useless against me-" Gray clutched his stomach feeling nauseous as he choked. "Wh-what the…" His vision went blurry and he felt the familiar heat of his devils magic trying to take a hold like it had tried to do in those six months he lived with Juvia. His body was weakened and it thrived on that.

"Ice-make arrows! Ice-make snow cheetah!" Gray couldn't even see let alone react as he was hit with a barrage of ice-make spells. What's happening to me? The attacks were halted and Gray felt himself leaning against someone familiar. Peering up, his vision clearing Gray smiled. Of course it would be you.

"No-one hurts Gray-sama." Her voice was murderous, the wind whipping through her blue hair the rain growing heavier as the skies darkened.

"Juvia of the deep. The rain woman. I can see why you bear all the titles you do." Juvia recoiled slightly at his words but Gray squeezed her waist with the arm that was wrapped around her reassuring her.

"Your ice magic. It's infused with the spirits of those that you have defeated. Is it not? That's why it is poison to Gray-sama." Gray was dumbfounded.

"You're right. Intelligence, beauty and power. What a wonderful addition to my collection you will make."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Gray was more upright now still clutching his stomach.

"You." Invel laughed as he pushed his broken specs up the bridge of his nose. "You can barely stand. Let alone fight for your little girlfriend here." Gray just growled at Invel as Juvia blushed beside him. When this is all over I'll give you my answer. She would never forget those words. Those words made her fight for her life and his.

"Gray-sama you need to expel all that ice you absorbed then we stand a chance." Juvias eyes met his full of confidence. Gray nodded he remembered hearing Natsu had to that to when ever he ate dodgy fire.

"Here goes nothing'… ice maker geyse- AHH." Gray doubled over as everything he looked at seemed to shake violently, pain tearing through his stomach, he felt so cold inside but he knew his body was boiling hot.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia shrieked wrapping an arm around him shocked by how hot his skin felt.

"Stay away from me!" Gray shouted harshly at the watermage. "I don't want to hurt you Juvia." He said bitterly but with good intention.

"Juvia can help Gray-sama!" She protested, the fierceness in her voice reminded him of Erzas as the icemage turned to look at her he felt everything start to become stable, he saw that her clothes were all torn leaving little to the imagination, her hair was mixture of blue and red, but she stood tall and proud despite her injuries. "Water lock." Gray was engulfed in a dome of freezing cold water cooling his skin and clearing his groggy mind. He needed to get rid of that bad ice he had absorbed.

"FREEZE!" He shouted freezing Juvias water lock in a glorious purple hue before it shattered sending purple like crystal scattering through the air and across the battlefield, Gray looked to his left to see arrows of ice flying towards Juvia, fear striking though him.

"Ice-make arrows!" Juvia didn't know if she could use her waterbody or not as she tried to dodge them anyway feigning left.

"Juvia!" Gray shouted summoning her to his side as he took her small delicate hand in his. "We have to use everything we have left." He spoke softly staring at Invel. "What kind of dark, crazy, twisted magic absorbs the souls of it foes and infuses their power with its own."

"Zerefs magic." Juvia answered her chest rising and falling as she panted.

"I can't wait to add the two of you to my collection!" Invel gloated it was obvious that he too was feeling the effects of using his magic for such a long time.

"Lets do this now." Gray faced Juvia feeling lost and found in her eyes as he lifted their joined hands level with chest feeling his heart rate pick up as he smiled at her, the one person who had stuck by him through everything. Juvia smiled back as their magic melded and united, the wind and rain whipping harder and harder.

"Juvia trusts Gray-sama one hundred percent." Her words as fluid as water, the ocean in front of them was growing ever violent as it reacted to Juvias emotions. Who knew she had this much power?

"Only one hundred percent?" Gray cocked his head to the side chuckling as Juvia blushed. "You ready?" He asked squeezing her hand gently.

"Yes Gray-sama." The pair faced Invel as he looked at them curiously. They're going to attempt a unison raid? I doubt they'd be able to pull it off. Something about the look in their eyes though unnerved the ice wizard as he cast an ice-make shield and wall.

"ICE GEYSER!" Gray shouted imbuing it with as much devil slaying magic as he could they had to end this now.

"WATER NEBULA!" Juvia put her remaining magic into her last attack throwing everything she had behind it as her and Gray-samas magic mixed, her water nebula a bright blue, beautiful like the ocean on a summers day but as deadly as a tsunami. Grays ice geyser was as cold as it looked the beautiful spiked ice was as fatal as it looked.

Panting the pair waited to see if they had been victorious, their hands still joined and sure enough Invel was down for the count.

"We did it." Gray whispered relieved that the battle was over.

"Yes Gray-sama! Nothing is a match for our-" The watermage went to throw her arms around him but her legs gave way underneath her. Gray wrapped an arm around her waist stopping her descent as her hands rested on his chest.

"Juvia…" He didn't know what to say or do as he stared into her eyes, he didn't know if he wanted to tell her now - his answer, he knew he didn't want to risk losing her again. No he couldn't. It would have to wait until there was certain future. He did need to focus for now, there was still Zeref and E.N.D to defeat. "We should find Lyon and Meredy and rest up." Juvia nodded as they walked back supporting each other as snow started to fall from the sky.

"How odd snow in summer." Juvia commented as they trudged through the mud.

"Guess that's what happens when you mix ice an' water." Gray chuckled his heart feeling light.

"Oh." Was all Juvia could squeak as a blush lined her cheeks. That was one battle down but the real ones were still to come but for now they needed to rest.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Even if it was a bit bumpy in places!

CrookedMoonlight