Chapter 9

Grays Rescue

"Blood Orchid Guild?" "What do you mean those I do not kill?" Gray asked a very, happy Midnight.

"Glad you asked" replied Midnight.

"I gave your clone a special job, if fairytail don't realize your a clone in time."

"You are going to kill Makarov."

"Once I kill your clone, the lacrama within you will erase your memory up to the point you where attacked, and you won't be able to tell them about Blood Orchid."

"When we giv them your real dying body."

"Oh" said Gray.

"What else are you gonna make my clone do."

"Your clone is going to destroy fairytail for us."

"You are going to do Blood Orchids dirty work."

DIRT ROAD MOUNTAIN TRAIL

Erza suddenly stopped, as a abandoned castle came into view. Causing everyone else to also stop except Wendy, who was deep in thought and not paying attention. When she ran straight into the back of Romeo.

"Ow...Ow...Ow..." Escaped Wendy's and Romeos lips, as her and Romeo tumbled down a rather big hill.

"Damn" was all Romeo said when he got to the bottom, and got to his knees before Wendy yet again crashed into him. Romeo had knew he did not have time to move, so he just braced himself sparing them from any awkward landing. In the end Wendy had managed to land, face first into Romeo's bare chest, their faces turned darker than Erza's hair. But according to fate she was not done making herself look like an idiot. As the two stood up, Erza called to see if they were okay, and when wendy raised her hand to wave she smacked Romeo in th face. Then when she tried to help him she accidentally head butted him.

"Oh my gosh are you okay?" Wendy asked. "Yeah uh No" was all Romeo said as he got up.

He looked at Wendy and noticed the sad look in her eyes that others never saw, but not him he always saw it. So he walked over to Wendy and said

"it's okay, let's go back to the others".

"First let me heal you"!

"For what? I'm fine" said Romeo.

"Okay, you sure" said Wendy as the two teens began to make their way to the others.

It took about twenty minutes of jogging, for the two make it up the hill.

"You guys okay?" Asked Lucy when they reached the top.

"What's that?" Asked Natsu pointing to Romeos cheek. "It looks like a handprint", said Natsu answering his own question. "It was an accident" said Romeo and Wendy blushing. "Okay well I'm glad you two are okay, but we need to find Gray-Sama" said Juvia. "Your right said Erza, let's go". After reaching the abandoned castle, the groups split into four teams because the castle was so big. Erza, immediately took it upon herself to call teams."Romeo, Wendy you take the west side". "Natsu,Lucy you take the south". "Carla, Happy can I count on you two to take the north".

"Sure" said Carla , "Aye" said happy.

" be careful Wendy" shouted Carla , before her and Happy left. "Me and you will take the east" said Erza.

"Okay" said Juvia as her and Erza began looking for fairytail's beloved Ice-Mage.

After about an hour after the team ad split up. Natsu ran into Romeo and Wendy, "we found Gray". "Lucy's with him at the spot we split up at".

"Oh ok Wendy go with Natsu to Gray and Lucy and I will find the others" said Romeo.

"OK" said Wendy.

"Thanks" added Natsu as he and Wendy ran off.

After about thirty minutes Romeo came back with the others. As Juvia and Erza followed Romeo they had no idea what they were about to see. They along with Romeo prepared for the worst possible scenario.

But what they saw when they rounded the last corner filled them with unbelievable joy. Grays head had two small cuts one on the cheek and the other clearly the deepest on his forehead. He wore no shirt but, a bare chest and back that didn't even looked scratched. Juvia loved Gray, but she had a bad feeling.

This is not Juvia's Gray-Sama. She was going to tell Erza but she thought she needed proof first.

After about five minutes of Wendy's healing Gray woke up and when he did he looked at everyone.

Wait it suddenly clicked inside Juvia's head Gray-Sama's shirt was sliced open so bad yet there was not a single scratch on his his back or chest.

"He also doesn't realize he's not wearing his necklace, but everyone says he never takes it off," thought Juvia. Juvia is going to watch this imposter carefully. Because he is not Juvia's Gray-Sama, Juvia mumbled under her breath.

Gray began to move to a sitting position, when it suddenly dawned on Juvia that the scar on his forehead that is usually covered by his hair and the cross shaped scar on his lower abdomen were gone.

After Natsu helped Gray up the group began walking towards the inn that they had slept in only hours earlier. On the way back Gray and Natsu walked at the front with Lucy, Romeo and Wendy behind them with Carla and Happy above.

"Erza?" Juvia began, as her and Erza walked behind everyone else. "Do you think he is the real gray?" Juvia asked

"Yes why wouldn't I" answered Erza. With a look of pure confusion on her face.

"Because Juvia does not believe that is her Gray-Sama" said Juvia.

"What makes you think that?" Asked Erza as she began to slow her walking pace. To give them more privacy but most of all Natsu or Wendy heard, because as much as she loved Natsu, she knew he would come straight out and ask Gray, and that could cause problems.

"Well" Juvia began as she pulled The shirt they found at the waterfall from the bag in her back.

"Look at all those sliced areas and blood".

"But look at Gray and you don't, see a scratch on his chest or back" Erza said. Clearly seeing the water-mages point."Anything else?" Asked Erza.

"Yes" answered Juvia.

"I have noticed in my at the guild, that Gray has a scar on his forehead."(That is usually covered by his hair)" Erza finished.

"Well it's not there, I saw the spot on his forehead where it is supposed to be, when he stood up at the castle". "Also the scar on his lower abdomen has also seemed to vanish". Erza did not realize how devoted to Gray, Juvia actually was. She was just as bad or worse than Freed.

But Erza knew it was with good intentions. She just wanted to know about the man she claimed to love, and if Juvia says that he is not the real Gray she would believe her, because Juvia wouldn't come to her if she believed otherwise.

Juvia loves Gray and she wouldn't say this if she wasn't certain. Theirs no way she can be wrong when it comes to Gray.

"Okay" Erza said

"what are we going to do?" Juvia asked.

"Let's watch him closely and if he keeps acting strange, we will use a communications lacrama to contact master Makarov".

"But as of now I believe our mission started, when that guild decided to kidnap Gray"." Let's go speak to the owner after we get some rest, we all clearly need the sleep" Said Erza. As she began to look at their comrades, one by one before her eyes fell on Gray.("He looks the same, he talks the same") Erza thought as

she looked, for to scar on his lower abdomen, when he turned around.

She stared for ten seconds before turning away, confused that it wasn't there."Juvia was right, we will just have to watch him closely" thought Erza. As her and the other mages finally reached the Inn.

They walked In surprising the manager because it was nearly three in the morning, and they looked like walking zombies. "Let's get some much needed sleep, said Erza.

But before the boys could close their door, Erza said in her calm yet demanding voice that said, if you disobey me you wish you were never born.

"At six we will talk to the person that requested this mission"."Okay" the six mages and one exceed said as an, "Aye" rang through all their ears as Happy repeated "Aye" again as if he wasn't heard the first time. They then went to their rooms and fell fast asleep.