The Thorn and Thistle was still a riot of noise when a girl with rich ebony skin came in to the washroom. Through bleary eyes, Juvia watched her shuffle to the sink in her golden heels. She watched her stoop to turn on the tap because she was so tall. She watched the dark braid slide over her shoulder and swing like a pendulum. Her eyes closed again, a force dragging her under.
Gentle tapping on her cheek called her back from a dark place. "Hey, Roo, you alright?"
Juvia blinked, fighting for focus.
"Some dog lay into you?"
"What?" Her tongue was thick, the word coming out garbled.
"Some guy. Your beau. He beat on you? Or was it that fight that done you in?"
Fight? She certainly felt like she'd been in one. Juvia grunted.
"You need me to get someone? A friend? A doctor?"
Gray-sama. She needed to find him. Juvia shook her head. That pained her so badly, she saw stars. "I'm okay."
"Hell you are. Stay here and I'll ask around." The sound of her heels clicking away fell into synchronicity with the dripping tap. Juvia closed her eyes again. No. You have to get up. You have to find Gray-sama. You have to ask about the stone. Because if she didn't…
Then…
Her mind blanked.
Purpose came back to her. Then Gray-sama will hurt. His magic will take him away. Though she was mad at him, she didn't want that.
Mad?
Even the anger felt so far away.
Get up, Juvia. Gray-sama needs you.
It took two tries and a generous hand from the bathroom counter for Juvia to get to her feet. Once up, the room spun so violently her mouth watered, her light dinner and all the alcohol she'd drank threatening to climb on up and give her a visit. The feeling passed in a cold sweat. As soon as she was able, Juvia adjusted Eileen's cloak on her body so she was covered, then took an experimental step. Her legs held. She took another. And another, reaching with shaking hands for the bathroom's tarnished brass handle.
Beyond the door, the Thistle was a mess. Men lay on the floor, guards rounded people up, some still fought. Others were trying to steal alcohol from behind the counter. In all the mayhem, Juvia slipped unnoticed through the bar and up the stairs. First she would change, and then she'd find Gray. And everything was going to get better.
A tremor rolled through her. Terror.
The sound of muffled sniffling brought Wendy from a very dark place. Confused, she lay prone, eyes closed, and listened to the rough intake of breath, and the uneven exhale, too. That misery sounded raw and heartfelt. I don't want to open my eyes. Because as soon as she did, she'd have to learn what it was that made the crier so miserable. Ignorance was bliss. And wrong.
Her eyelids were heavy, weighed down by some force she couldn't name. So was the hand she lifted to press at her temple.
The sniffling stopped. "Wendy?"
Erza's voice, though altered by sadness, was still the same at the core. Wendy took in a fortifying breath and encouraged her eyelids open a tad more. What she saw didn't make much sense to her. A high wooden ceiling decorated with dusty cobwebs, stained drywall riddled with holes from pictures that had long since been torn down, either broken or stolen. She turned her head and found the red-nosed Erza. She at least was recognizable. "Erza… What's wrong?"
"Gods. You're awake." Erza wobbled on her legs like all of the strength was being drained from her body. She was pushed aside by a much taller and more-human-than-usual looking Carla. The cat-turned-girl came forward with hasty, uncoordinated movements and dropped to Wendy's side. Then she cupped her cheek with cold hands, fingers brushing over her freckles.
"You're awake." Carla had tears in her eyes.
Why is everyone crying, is what Wendy meant to ask. Instead, afraid of the answer, she said, "Where am I?"
Erza seemed to recover from Carla's assault. "You're in the Briar's Lock in Magnolia."
"Magnolia?" What happened to Raven Canyon? "How?"
Erza asked, "What's the last thing you remember?"
Wendy scoured her memory. "Travelling through the passes… we stopped for the night. And… And I took the first watch." Erza nodded, encouraging her on, but that was all Wendy had. "Nothing else."
Erza rubbed her running nose on her sleeve in a very un-Erza like fashion. "You were attacked."
"Attacked?" Wendy repeated. A voice filled her head, eerie and haunting. 'A girl falls into the valley, like those wishing to die, but nobody saw it happen, so nobody has to cry.'
"You were thrown into the valley, Wendy. You've been unconscious for days."
"Days?"
"I took care of you," Carla said in a quiet voice.
Wendy found her friend's eyes, but it wasn't really Carla she was looking at, she was stuck in a memory, looking up at the sky as rock whirled by. The sensation was so vivid, Wendy jolted when her memory-self hit the ground. Carla rubbed her thumb over her cheek again, stapling Wendy in the now so she could say, "I should be dead."
Carla shook her head furiously. "No. Don't say stuff like that."
But it was true; she fell a long, long way.
Erza was never one to sugar-coat things. "You would have died without help. Cheria healed you."
"Cheria?" Wendy's heart, so new to the waking world, did a weird palpitating flip that was both concerning and thrilling. Erza stepped aside, unblocking Wendy's view of the opposite side of the room. There on the couch was the girl in question. She was in a soft blue woolen blanket, so wrapped up that only her pink pigtails and her eyes were visible. Wendy expected her to be asleep—and maybe she had been—but now Cheria examined her closely, turmoil evident on her pretty face.
"Hi, Wendy."
"Hi." Wendy couldn't smother her smile; it came without her permission and stayed where it was until Erza said,
"We should talk about some things that have happened while you were asleep."
Right. The crying. Wendy sobered. In an attempt to fortify herself, she thought of all the things that could make Erza cry. The thoughts were circular and worrying; each scenario she drew up was worst than the last.
"Can't it wait until morning?" Carla interjected.
Erza took in a breath and held it.
"I agree," Cheria said. "There will be time for that later."
But now Wendy was curious; knowing would stop her from conjecturing. "You can tell me."
Erza, against Carla's glower, spilled. "Master Makarov was found an hour ago, killed and set aflame by a fire that didn't really burn."
Carla released Wendy and stood. "She's just woken up!"
"And she deserves to know," Erza said. "Someone is declaring war on what remains of Fairy Tail, and I certainly intend upon standing against them. Wendy, we'll welcome your help, if you're feeling up to it."
"Absolutely not," Carla said before Wendy could get a word in. "She's still weak. She was almost dead. It took Cheria hours to bring her back! And you want her to stand and fight against—against an enemy we don't even know exists?"
"They exist," Erza said with forced patience. "Until now, their tactic has been to pick us off individually, but now that we're all together, things are bound to change. We should be ready for anything that comes our way."
Wendy could see that Erza wasn't sure if she believed that or not. It would be easier for any enemy of Fairy Tail to target them individually, because together they were strong. "Who else has been attacked?"
Carla said, "Please, Wendy, leave it be for now."
"I know you're trying to protect me, Carla, but it's okay. I don't need sheltering from this." As much as she'd like it. Hiding her head in the sand never helped her any, though. In the last year, Erza had taught her to stand and face her enemy, and she would.
Erza said, "Lucy and Natsu and Gajeel and Levy that we know of. Luckily, they're okay, however, if there are other Fairy Tail members coming home, it's safe to say that they too have been waylaid."
Wendy read the hesitance in Erza's voice and knew what the redhead wasn't saying. Hopefully they weren't killed. "Do we have a plan?"
"Tomorrow morning, I figured we'd converge and think of some way of drawing them out," Erza said. "You can rest until then."
Beside Wendy, Carla was fuming. It took the cat everything she had to bite back all of the nasty words she had at the ready. Wendy appreciated the effort.
"I'm glad you've woken, Wendy," Erza said. "It's nice to hear your voice again."
"It's good to see you, too," Wendy said.
Erza's smile was watery. "It's late and I'm exhausted. I need to get some sleep, but I'm sure you're not very tired."
Not at all; Wendy felt like she'd been sleeping forever. Days.
"I'll stay up with you," Carla said.
"You've pushed yourself too far." Erza's assessment was kerosene on a sputtering flame. Carla whirled on her. If she was still a cat, her fur would be on end. As it was, her usually full mouth was a flat line. That look was her most dangerous.
Wendy recognized the coming storm and touched Carla's hand. "Carla, will you lay down with me? I am actually still a little bit tired." Just like that, Carla's fury withered. She nodded and let her magic go so she was a cat once more, then clambered up beside Wendy and shimmied beneath the blankets.
Across the room, Erza let out a tense breath and spun in a half circle, choosing a place to set up camp. Right in the middle of the floor, evidently. She reached into her armoury and pulled out her bedroll and set it up beside the couch. She asked Cheria, "Is this okay here?"
Cheria nodded, though it looked like she wanted to disagree.
"Alright." Erza closed her eyes and used her magic to change into sleepwear, and then shut out the light and stumbled her way back to her bedroll. Wendy stared out into the dark room, listening to her friend get settled. At her back, Carla was already breathing evenly. Soon she'd be snoring. As she thought that, the gentle sounds came. Minutes passed and Erza followed suit. Only Cheria remained conscious. Wendy looked for her eye's shine in the nighttime and saw that not only did the girl have her eyes open, she was looking back at Wendy.
"You're not really sleepy, are you?" Cheria whispered.
"No," Wendy whispered back.
"…Did you want to talk?"
Wendy's stomach did a weird flop. Talk. About the kiss? She could only convince herself to be brave enough to say, "Yes. But… we'll wake everyone up."
Cheria's blankets rustled. The light wasn't really good enough for Wendy to see by; there was nothing wrong with her hearing. Cheria's heart beat fast, her breath was slightly erratic. Her tongue swiped across her lips. And then her feet were beneath her and she was padding across the floor, sidestepping Erza's sleeping form and coming to rest at the side of Wendy's cot.
Cheria's cold hand closed on Wendy's and pulled the dragon slayer up. "Follow me."
Wendy did, standing on legs weak from disuse, though she knew Carla would be mad if she woke. "We're not going far, are we?"
"Just the hallway," Cheria said.
Just the hallway. Where it was secluded. It would be just them...
Cheria looped her arm under Wendy's shoulder and guided her out. The door opened with a whine that Wendy was sure was going to wake the others up. They stalled up, listening intently for any change in breathing. It continued on as evenly as before. Everyone was exhausted. Cheria ushered Wendy out. The door closed much more silently and with great finality, blocking them from the world. In the pale hallway light, Wendy wrung her hands together. Cheria wouldn't meet her eyes, not until she removed herself from her wool blanket, wrapped half of it around Wendy's shoulder and guided her down to the ground, their hands laced together, backs against the wall. Then she wouldn't look anywhere else.
"Are you really okay?"
"You should know," Wendy told her. "You were the one that healed me."
Cheria shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure."
"I'm fine." Just nervous. She plucked at the pajama's Carla must have stuffed her into. Her heart swelled imagining all the things the cat did for her over the last few days. You couldn't buy friendship like that. "How did you know that I needed help?"
Cheria searched her eyes. "Erza sent Crime Sorciere to get me."
"Really?" And risk getting them caught? Wendy's heart swelled again. "I really do have the best friends." Though they were silly. "She shouldn't have done that. If Jellal got caught..."
"But he didn't," Cheria said. Then she snickered. "I thought she was going to do me in when we got here, just to make sure I didn't talk, so maybe don't say anything."
Wendy could perfectly imagine Erza's intensity. "I won't." They fell into what was supposed to be a comfortable quiet. All Wendy could think about was Cheria's shoulder bumping hers. Were they too close? Yes. Did she care? Yes, and no. She wished Cheria would do something other than just tickle her palm. She wished she was brave enough to… do something other than just let it happen.
"Why did you kiss me?" The words just popped out. Wendy clamped her lips together, surprised with herself.
Cheria's cheeks pinked. "Did you not like it?"
Wendy felt her own face get hot. "I don't know." There were so many things she wanted to ask but didn't know how. "It was surprising." Things got quiet again. Wendy stared across the hallway, studying the dirt-ridden gaps between the filthy floorboards. When was the last time Briar's Lock scrubbed up here? Ages and ages ago. That's not what you really want to think about.
Cheria cleared her throat. "If you didn't like it, that's okay. I won't do it again."
Wendy shrugged awkwardly. "Maybe it was okay." She shot a furtive look Cheria's way to gauge her reaction. The girl looked spooked and half-mad with courage.
"Okay enough to do it again?"
Wendy clutched Cheria's blanket around her body and nodded, too afraid to speak. The fear took a step back as Cheria's mouth landed on hers. The second time was better than the first, and worse. Better because it wasn't so quick; worse because Wendy could think about all of the things she hadn't been able to before—like if she was doing it right as the kiss turned from a press of lips on lips to something more… wet and opened mouth. It was less decent than anything she'd ever shared with anyone else before, but far tamer than the one she'd accidentally spied between Erza and Jellal. Her heart fluttered, her mind wandered to a place where she wondered if she was going to feel the slickness of Cheria's tongue next, and what she would do if that happened. Pull back and hurry away? Return it?
Footsteps on stairs caught her attention far too late. By the time Wendy realized that they had a visitor, Juvia had already topped the landing and saw them together. Despite Wendy's desperate attempt to get some space between her and Cheria, the damage was done, Juvia had seen the kiss. The water mage's brows went up beneath a fringe of damp sapphire hair, her pink mouth pursed. Her neck got red.
"Wendy…"
Wendy couldn't even think of something to say. That wasn't much of a problem. The door to their room opened and Carla stuck her head out into the hallway. She found Wendy and Cheria bundled together and her scowl deepened. "Why are you out here?"
"Talking," Wendy fumbled. "Just…"
"If you must, then do it in here, Wendy," Carla said sharply. "No need to put an 'attack me again' beacon over your head." Her words and tone were harsh because she was scared, Wendy knew. The knowledge helped her not be quite so frustrated. She stood; Cheria joined her. Wendy turned to say good night to Juvia but she was already gone.
Gray's arm sang for an entirely new reason. Meredy's magic pulsed against his skin. He could feel her on the opposite end of that. She was frightened. Not the kind of frightened that said her life was in danger, but the kind that kept you up at night because you couldn't bear to close that other eye. She was about to meet with someone; he'd bet any money that it was Jellal.
Listening in on their conversation wasn't an option in the traditional sense, though he could feel everything Meredy could. Needing to put his attention elsewhere, he did as she taught him and tuned her out. He wasn't incredibly good at it after only an hour's worth of practice when he was as drunk as he'd been in a long time, however it was enough to dull his heart from speeding right along with hers.
The middle-class district where Magnolia's school was located was heavily damaged still. Only the rich part of town had made any real progress in cleaning up. Here there was still the skeletons of shops, broken frames reaching skyward through brick facades like bones bursting through fragile skin. Gray skirted a pile of shattered glass and came to a crossroads. To the right was the old guild hall with its fire still raging, to the left was Briar's Lock and the Thorn and Thistle. Juvia. He wavered, on the verge of going to the former just because he felt like it was his responsibility. Juvia won out. If he found her and she wasn't naked and sweaty under that guard, they could go together and see what was going on.
And if she is? Well… he didn't know what he'd do. Something. He walked faster, feeling a thread of insecurity he was unused to. As he went, he didn't pay nearly as much attention to the night as he should have. Racer was gone from his mind, as was Meredy and the fire and everything else that wasn't Gray-and-Juvia-centric. He felt like an addict itching for something he shouldn't have, something that was taken from him prematurely.
The broken road curved upward; his calves burned almost as much as his split knuckles did, which was only half as much as his pounding head. Briar's Lock came into view first. Just beyond it, the Thistle seemed to calm down some. There were still angry voices leaching out from inside, however, there was less breaking. The guards were getting it under control. Maybe that means Riley is too busy to be pawing Juvia. He hadn't hated anyone so much with such little provocation.
Gray was just passing by Briar's Lock when a flick of light drew his eyes upward. He searched the second storey and found the room the light had come on in. It was his own. He rerouted his steps despite his throbbing heart. He knew what he wanted to find inside; who knew if that would be the case?
The front desk was empty; big surprise. The stairwell and the adjoining hallway was also deserted. Undeterred, Gray used huge steps to bring him to his room. The door was open a crack. He placed his palm on its heart and pushed it wider. The lights were off despite his surety that they were on only moments ago.
A search of the immediate area revealed his quarry hiding in a shadow's fold. She'd found a new dress to wear. Well, actually, it was an old one, and it was one of his favorites. He could see the overlarge gold buttons shining by some stray light when she moved. He could see the ivory splash of skin at her breast. He could see the long line of her leg peeping out from the midnight material. Remembering the last time she'd worn it, between his legs got hard; he couldn't help himself. He breathed deeply and closed the door, locking them in together.
"You came." Gray could hardly believe it; he thought he'd have to track her down and drag her back, but here she was.
"Yes." Juvia's voice trembled, a warbled in it that made his heart lurch.
"What's wrong?"
"I..." Her breath hitched.
Gray crossed the room and took her by the arms. She was shaking so badly that her teeth chattered. Searching for her eyes didn't help any, it was too dark. "What is it? Did something happen?"
She only vibrated in his hands.
"Juvia. What? What is it?" She was scaring him.
She took in a short breath and spat out, "You weren't at the Thistle."
Was that all? A tight ball of tension unwound itself. "Sorry. I tried waiting for you, but there was a fight and I got kicked out." And had his ass kicked, too, but he didn't need to go there. His head still ached from that stray club. "And then ah... Meredy found me. That's a long story."
Juvia leaned against his chest, bringing them closer than they had been in days, and closed her fingers around his wrist. Around his father's mark. Her next question was unexpected. "How are you feeling?"
Dizzy, overwhelmed, hopeful as well as confused. He'd expected jealousy when he mentioned Meredy, yet she didn't seem very interested in that. "I'm alright."
"This is still bothering you." She sounded a bit detached. Gray passed it off as drunkenness.
"Don't worry about it."
She was relentless. "You didn't take the stone like you promised."
Gray faltered. "Juvia..."
Her face tipped so she was only inches from his mouth. He could feel her hot breath against his lips as she said, "You told me you would."
Liar. She didn't sling the accusation; Gray did it enough for her. "Yeah."
"Please, keep it, Gray-sama. I want you to be safe."
That really did the trick. "Okay." He only needed to find it now. Wriggling out of her grasp wasn't what he wanted, yet the will to please her was stronger. His foggy memory brought him to the bed. More specifically, to the floor at the bed. Juvia caught his arm before he could get on his hands and knees and guided him to the mattress. Gray went all too willingly, though he couldn't for the life of him figure out what she wanted.
Juvia held out her hand and answered his unasked question. "I picked it up for you."
Oh. Gray cupped her smaller hand in his. She was uncalloused and soft. And unyielding. He expected her to drop the stone in his palm; she held it tight. "I can't take it unless you give it to me, Juvia."
She said, "I want you to be safe. I don't want you to hurt anyone with that magic. I don't want you to be hurt. I—I don't want it to take you away."
From me. He filled in the last bit, hoping it was true. "I know." Just thinking about taking that stone made him uneasy. That being said, if it kept her there than he would, regardless of the ill-at-ease feeling he courted. It's only temporary. You can release it whenever you want if you need your magic again. It's fine.
Juvia still had a strong hold on it. Gray tugged her in more so she was mostly straddling his one leg. Legs spread, her dress tightened around her hips and lifted a few inches; he couldn't help but wonder if she was wearing as little beneath it tonight as she usually did. He touched her hip, fingering the fabric, and wasn't reprimanded for it. Encouraged, he kept going, squeezing where he could, feeling her body beneath the dress. Juvia's breath turned uneven. She took in a gulp of air that sounded pain-laced.
"Are you okay?"
With the way the moonlight drifted through the curtain he could only see her full mouth and the tips of her damp curls resting on her chest. She'd showered at some point. "Yes."
Touching her made his heart thunder. Gray continued, keeping his fingers light. Reaching her neck, he cupped the back of her head and pulled her down so slowly.
"Gray... you said you wouldn't..."
"Don't push me away. Please, Juvia."
Juvia's breath came in a short groaning puff. Knowing what that sound meant, Gray tugged her closer. His fingers touched a raised spot beneath her hair. It was hot. Her mouth met his and he forgot to ask what it was.
The kiss deepened, so did the pain, Gray's lip protesting the abuse it'd received and then this. As Juvia planted one leg on the bed and brushed over his groin with the other, he found he didn't care. The girl's reservations fell away. She loosened her iron-clad grip on the stone. Determined to prove they could do this, Gray wriggled it from between her fingers and felt the immediate effects, his magic getting sucked away. It was so startling, he tried to drop it, thinking a good place for the artifact would be the bed for now. Juvia stopped him from releasing it, curling her fingers around his.
"You promised."
Yes, he did. He kept it, holding it tight while all the sickness, the ever-present migraine, the coldness... it all disappeared. What it left behind was Meredy's magic and drunkenness. And Juvia. She was brushing her fingers over his chest, she was undoing his shirt's buttons, she was touching his bare skin, lightly at first, and then with more decisiveness as if she came to terms with her decision.
Gray's mind blanked of everything but this.
Juvia got his shirt open and pushed him back. That strip of moonlight had moved lower, so the only part of her he could see was her fingers working at her chest to get her dress undone. The material unfolded, exposing full breasts unhindered by anything like a bra. The soft thump as the material hit the ground made Gray harder still. He fought with his belt. Juvia pushed his hands aside and did it for him, the movements practiced. He lifted his hips to aid with the shucking of his pants, all too satisfied when he was free. They went the way of the dress, forgotten on the floor.
Juvia came for him, bare skin sliding over bare skin, and climbed on top. Though he hardly had her like this, it was the way Gray liked her best, that way he could watch her cheeks pink, her breasts bounce, he could feel her hands dig into his ribs to force the air from his lungs as she lifted herself up and came back down again. He wished he could see more of her in this light; he didn't dare stop to turn on the bedside lamp, afraid that she'd change her mind if he did anything at all. In the darkness, he clutched the stone, feeling it take and take, and tilted his head, allowing Juvia to kiss his chin and his neck. Her mouth was as hot as embers. Sometimes, he felt like she was the only thing that kept him from staying cold.
Down she moved, to his collarbone, and up over his bicep, to his wrist, to his palm. Her mouth opened and she took his finger deep inside, her tongue moulding a promise of what could be. She only stopped when Gray groaned lowly and arched into her.
Long after her mouth trailed back to his chest, Gray felt a burning in his palm. He folded his arms over his head and tried to pass it off as his imagination, focusing on Juvia getting lower and lower, but it became obvious that the stone was heating up. He squeezed it just to be sure. With such little effort, the structure buckled under the force of his grip and the stone fragmented, cracking into several different pieces, some large, some small.
"Fuck."
Juvia found her destination at that moment and took him into her mouth. The sensation was so intense, Gray closed his eyes, deciding that the shards stabbing into his palm hotly weren't important, the pain could be forgotten. He let the broken stone go, thinking as they tinkered to the ground that he'd tell Juvia about it later.
Using her tongue, Juvia teased and teased, pushing him to the edge of orgasm. He waited for her to finish. And waited. She held him in her mouth, feeling him pulse on her tongue, then came away. Gray's frustration sang all the way through his bones. He waited for the pulse of coldness that usually accompanied it but he was hollow. Hollow? Searching revealed only a faint twang of his father's magic despite the stone's absence. He would have spent time being worried if he wasn't entrapped by something else: Juvia sitting up, climbing up his body. Her lips pressed into the corner of his mouth.
"I can never seem to stop myself."
He wished she never would. He tipped his hips. "Because you love me."
She didn't confirm or deny as she took him deep inside, perhaps unable to betray herself in quite that way. Gray didn't point out that her actions were much more telling than her words. Why would he be such an idiot? Faintly, he hoped that this would be the thing that healed the rift between them. He kept his eyes open the whole time, wanting to memorize everything though it was too dark to see.
Against his lips, Juvia's forehead was damp with sweat. They laid like that for long enough that the sky was bruised by the sun.
Juvia swirled her fingers against his skin and murmured lowly, "I wasn't supposed to do this. Be with you."
Her shame was palpable. That hurt, "Why not? You obviously wanted to."
"Just because I want something doesn't mean I should have it. I only came I make sure you were okay, Gray-sama."
Gray-sama. She couldn't help it. "I'm okay if you're with me." That sounded just like the fluffy bullshit that was hard to say but Juvia loved.
Predictable to the last, she weakened. Then she summoned her resolve. "I want to be, but... I keep asking myself, are you thinking about someone else? About Lucy?"
"No." Not until the lights went out and sleep was coming and Juvia was telling him how much she loved him and he couldn't stop thinking about what he did.
She acted like he hadn't spoken. "And then I think, you may be lying."
He pushed her hair aside, though it didn't help him see her. The moon had sunk and now it was too dark. "...What if I could make you feel what I do?"
Her face tilted so her lips brushed his chin. "How?"
Tentatively he said, "...I know how to do the sensory link Meredy used on us on Tenrou."
Quiet, then, "You do?"
"Yeah. She showed me."
"Why?"
"So her and I could keep in contact. But it doesn't matter. The only thing that's important is that if I do it, you'll know." Everything. There wouldn't be any hiding. She'd know the weird sense of pain twisted desire he felt when he was with her, she'd know that when he saw Lucy, his guts wrung with something more than guilt, but she'd also know that despite that, he didn't love Lucy, not the way he loved Juvia. "If you want, I'll do it." They'd never be closer. It would either drive a stake between them forever, or it would pull them together. "You'll know how I feel. For sure. I can't lie through it." It was as much for her as it was for him.
Juvia swirled her fingers over his chest more quickly. "...Are you sure?"
"No," he said honestly, "But you'll have your answers."
He felt rather than saw her nod. He was reaching for the magic before she finished so there was no time for him to hesitate or second guess because if he did, he'd chicken out, and if he chickened out, he'd never get another opportunity like this because Juvia would never let him get near again.
The magic was strange to him and didn't at all come the way he thought it should, as it did when he was practicing with Meredy. Short spurts of erratic power was the best he had. Clamping down on his concentration didn't seem to help all that much. Be patient. That was Meredy in his head. He couldn't tell if it was the real deal reaching through their connection, or if it was a memory. Patient. Right. He imagined he and Juvia as two islands, the sensory link the bridge that spanned the space between them. Carefully, methodically, he built it up, relying on the foundation that was already in place.
At first, when the connection was made, Gray wasn't sure it worked at all. Then, aside from all of his own shit he had twisting around in his brain, a new sensation befell him. Fear. No, that wasn't right. Terror. Dulled, but persistent. It kept coming and coming, buffeting him and leaving him breathless with its force.
"Juvia." He found her in the newly arrived predawn. "Juvia, what are you afraid of?"
"Afraid?" Another tremor took her. Gray was brought back to his entry into his room, seeing her silhouetted by the window, the way her body vibrated. "What happened? What made you so scared?"
"The better question is, devil slayer, are you afraid?" She didn't step through a door or a window, but a portal that snapped closed just as quickly, a woman with hair so pink, it was bright even in low light.
Gray tensed, feeling very much at a loss.
"Akio," Juvia whispered. Her fear reached new heights. There was a long moment where no one did anything. Juvia was paralyzed by her fear, meaning so was Gray. He could feel everything she could, right down to the way her breath hitched in her lungs and her head got fuzzy. This person—demon, Akio—made her feel helpless. Gray tried to separate their feelings like Meredy showed him. It wouldn't work; he couldn't focus on anything but the demon before him, the one missing one hand, her wrist a raw stump. Do something. Anything. He reached for his slayer magic. It wasn't there. Panic tried to take him. No. Get up. Once you do that, you can focus. He stood, holding his shorts in place. Like a statue animating for the first time, Juvia joined him, movements jerky as she clutched the blankets to her bare chest.
Standing didn't make as much of a difference as Gray hoped; his magic was still out of reach. Don't falter. He wouldn't show any weakness. "What do you want?"
The demon ignored him for the time being and directed her attention to Juvia. "Don't think this makes up for Lady Eileen's punishment." She held up her red, wet stump. "We'll think of some really, really awful way to punish you because I was fond of this one, it made lovely copies, but thank you for your help sabotaging the devil slayer's magic, Juvia. I couldn't have done it without you."
Gray's mouth got dry. He looked to a shivering Juvia and waited for her to deny it.
The demon raised a thin dark brow. "Don't hold your breath waiting for your slut to shoot me down, it's true. That little stone? Lady Eileen's. It worked as it was supposed to, sealing your magic for good. Juvia was eager to deliver it."
"No." Juvia's words fell flat.
"Yes." Akio pointed at her animatedly. "And now he's helpless."
Juvia clutched Gray's wrist. "Let go of the stone, Gray-sama."
Gray fingered his torn up palm.
"He can't," Akio said when Gray did not. "It's gone. Along with his curse. Good work."
"No." Juvia turned wide eyes on Gray. He looked away from her, willing himself not to feel the unfair anger or sense of betrayal that rose like bile in his throat. It was near impossible, and so connected, Juvia felt everything, too.
Her voice warbled. "I didn't know, Gray-sama."
No. She didn't. Knowing that didn't change their situation or placate the anger. Feeling what he did, her eyes watered, the tears spilled over in seconds. Her sadness was debilitating.
Focus. On the real things. He'd deal with that later. He set his sights on the demon. "I killed you."
"Only an imitation." Akio's lips peeled back to reveal sharp teeth. "I'm the real deal. Without your magic, you'll find yourself very much at a loss. Now, you do have to die, and I am supposed to do it quickly, but feel free to fight a little. Master Zeref won't know if I procrastinate some."
"Zeref?" Juvia repeated. "You and Eileen are his?" She was drowning in the duplicity.
"Of course." Akio laughed seeing the look on Juvia's face. "You didn't think Lady Eileen actually liked you? You were a tool, in perfect place to get to the devil slayer. She used you to carry out Master Zeref's will and that's all. You were easy, hurting like you were."
More tears filled Juvia's eyes, yet when she spoke next, her voice came out strong, full of a resolve it didn't have even seconds ago. "Why does Zeref want to hurt Gray-sama?" She had buried her fear and her pain and even managed to put herself between Gray and the demon. Typical. Gray was reaching for her to pull her back; the demon's next words stopped him up short.
"To ensure he can't harm Master Natsu."
"Natsu…?" Gray said. "Why would I do that?"
"Mm… Master Zeref was afraid you'd have an objection to END's awakening."
"What?" Gray asked, though he'd heard her perfectly well.
"When he came into this world… the only one that could have opposed him, aside from Master Zeref himself, was you. And that was unacceptable. Master has waited too long for this. You have to die. Master Natsu will remember who he truly is, and... all of Master's creations can be free." She said the last like it left a sour taste in her mouth.
"Shut up." Gray reached for any dregs of magic he could find. The only thing that would come was his maker magic. It's always been good enough before. He moulded a sword and was swinging before he stopped speaking. It carved through the air without meeting resistance, Akio gone. Juvia's hand disappeared from Gray's. He heard the thump of her hitting something hard, then found her seconds later, forced against the wall by Akio's one good hand clutching her throat. She'd never looked so dazed. The bedsheet she'd been holding so fiercely slipped so her crystalline skin was on display. It would have looked pure, but a line of red trailed over her shoulder and between her breasts, marring the illusion.
"Juvia!"
The water mage blinked her large blue eyes and came back to herself. Listlessness fled and was replaced by fury. Her magic was in her hand. It hit the demon squarely in the chest. It was to no avail. Water washed over the floor, soaking Gray's bare feet and the filthy carpet and then dissipated, less like a tempest and more like a gentle summer wave.
As the water faded, Akio proved herself unharmed by lunging for Juvia's neck. With a mouth that was suddenly much wider than before, she sank her teeth in. Gray's yell stopped nothing. When that didn't work, he attacked again. His sword hit its mark and slid away, pushed aside by scales. That failing, he dropped the weapon and got in close enough to use his hands, clamping on the demon's neck with everything he had, squeezing and squeezing, feeling tendon's pop, her windpipe crunch. Still against Juvia's throat, the breath wheezed out of Akio's mouth. Gray reached again for his father's magic and didn't have it.
"Fuck—" The curse dissipated in a weak whoosh of air, forced out of his lungs by Akio's elbow. The hit was hard enough to crack a rib and send him soaring back. The fall to the floor was even more painful than the initial trauma. Gray didn't allow himself to stare at the ceiling as he wanted. He sat up. Because of his stubbornness, he had the perfect view of Juvia sinking to the ground, legs giving out on her like a deer's on ice. Her throat was all crimson. She clutched it weakly and stared at Gray with eyes bluer than the sea. Through their connection, Gray felt her hopelessness, her pain, her fear, her sorrow. It was too much. He couldn't block it out.
Akio stepped before him, obscuring his view. Her boot, when it collided with his face, was steel-tipped. Gray's cheek split. Spots danced before his eyes. They intensified as his body hit the ground again, Akio's hand closed around his throat.
"How does it feel, filthy devil slayer, to be stripped of your magic?"
Gray rasped, "I don't need devil slayer magic to beat you." It was a boldfaced lie; they both knew it.
Akio let it go, knowing she had the upper hand. "And how about your Juvia's betrayal? That must sting, yes? I think I'll keep you alive for awhile longer so you can watch while I defile her. Think of it as retribution for all the demons you've hunted."
Defile? The connection between he and Juvia was still alive. With the demon's words, Gray felt what Juvia had hours before. The realization left him breathless and ill. "I'll tear your other hand off and make you eat it." That too was embellished. His palm hurt; his head hurt; his body hurt. Everything felt wrong.
"It's a pity you're a wolf without your teeth. Even hours ago, a threat like that might have made me tremble." Akio got in close enough that they were only centimeters apart. "Lastly, before we begin, tell me how it feels to be betrayed by your friend?" Her breath smelled sour, like cheese gone off. "Does it destroy you to know that you've wasted so much time looking for END, and all you had to do was turn around and slide a knife in Master Natsu's ribs?"
The only thing Gray could say was, "He isn't END." Is that really all you have, he scolded himself.
Akio's fingers dug into his throat. "You lie. I can smell it on you. You know in your heart it's true. You've sensed him here."
Yes. The sickness. The dizziness. The migraines. "You," Gray choked out stubbornly. "It was you I could feel." Not Natsu. It can't be.
She shrugged. "Go into death in ignorant bliss or enlightened, it makes no difference to me. I'm about to take everything I could possibly want from you. As I have Juvia, I'll remember the face you make for a long, long time."
Gray growled, rallying strength from somewhere and lifted his knee. It hit Akio directly in the ribs. She hardly flinched, except to bring her free arm across in a vicious elbow that caught Gray in the chin hard enough that for a good twenty seconds, he didn't know anything at all.
When he came to again, Akio wasn't kneeling before him. She tugged the remainder of Juvia's bedsheet away with her one good hand, exposing the water mage. For Gray, clarity didn't really ring through until the demon grabbed a huge handful of her left breast and squeezed tight enough that it must have hurt. Juvia did nothing, blank eyed and dead to the world. The rage Gray felt wasn't enough to break the spell that held his magic prisoner, but it was enough to put a small fracture in it, a curse, after all, wasn't something that could just be taken away. For an instant, he was half of a devil slayer again, taking the magic that was never his to begin with and channeling it into something useful.
An icy layer entrapped the entire room. Akio screamed. Gray looked but couldn't see the effects of his efforts; the backlash from the spell had him seeing black.
