"Shit!" Juvia cursed, dragging the younger three behind a wall as Royal Guards ran past, searching for them.
"Juvia?" Monmo asked, looking at his partner with slight fear in his eyes. "What are we gonna do?"
Juvia surveyed their surroundings before sniffing the air. "Sting, do you smell Natsu?"
The blond tilted his head back and sniffed for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. And I can smell Lucy a little too,"
"Run. Go to them, all of you. Juvia will be the distraction," She said. "Monmo-chan, you go with them,"
"What?!"
"No!"
"We can't leave you!"
"Go!" Juvia growled, looking at them. "Someone has to distract these guys and it will NOT be you three. Stay with the Exceeds and find Natsu and Lucy-san and Happy, they'll help you get to the others,"
"But what about you?" Rogue asked, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he squeezed Frosch tightly.
Juvia remained silent for a moment. "When Rogue, Wendy, and Sting hear Juvia roar, they will run. Alright?"
Sting nodded, holding his siblings' hands as Juvia ducked out of the alleyway, darting towards the Royal Guards.
"Hey!" She yelled, ripping a lamp post out of the ground and wielding it like a sword. "I am Juvia Lockser, of Earth Land's Fairy Tail! Water Dragon Slayer!" She readied herself. "And Juvia will not go down without a fight!"
The bluenetter let out a loud roar and charged into battle, taking out dozens of Royal Guards with one swing. Juvia ducked their magic attacks, swinging the lamp post in a circle around her and wiping out another round of guards. She used the lamp post to launch herself over the crowd before fighting them all, those she'd taken down getting back up and calling reinforcements.
Natsu… Look after them. Save Fairy Tail. Were her finally thoughts before being sent to the ground and captured.
o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o
"Wendy? Charla? Sting, Rogue, Lector, Frosch- Monmo? What are you guys doing here?" Natsu asked when he opened the apartment door where he, Lucy, and Happy were hiding out.
The triplets tripped over each other trying to explain, each near tears before Natsu got them to quiet down.
"Sting, what happened?" Natsu asked calmly.
"We came here with Juvia after Charla explained why everyone was taken here! But when we got to the city we were attacked and chased down by Royal Guards! J-Juvi-nee told us to run when she gave the signal and ran to fight with the Royal Guard, but she told Monmo to stay with us!" Sting whimpered, clutching Lector to him.
Natsu's jaw locked, and his fists clenched, a low growl emanating from his throat when-
"We can't do anything right now," Lucy said softly, a hand on her teammates shoulder. "We need to find a way to turn everyone back from lacrima. Once we've done that we'll figure out how to find Juvia. We can do this. Stay strong,"
o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o
"AHHHHHH!" Juvia's back arched as she screamed in pain. She sagged back against the rock when the machine switched off, allowing her to catch her breath.
"Such power," The old man breathed, "From just one of you. You alone could power this world for months. Imagine what just three of you could do!"
"Don't you touch them!" Juvia snarled. "You'll never get to the others! Juvia will kill you if you try!"
The old man laughed. "Kill me? With what?" Juvia looked up slowly, leaning forward as she leveled her voice.
"Her bare hands," The man froze, a chill going up his spine when a guard entered the room.
"Sir Byro! The Exceeds have completed their mission, and they've brought four more Dragon Slayers!"
Juvia went pale as the old man grinned. "Send them in,"
o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o
"Gajeel? Levy? Erik? What's going on?" Erza asked after Edo-Gajeel had left the five Fairy Tail wizards.
"Look, we don't really know everything all right?!" Gajeel snapped. "Me, Erik, and Levy are scouring the damn city for the rest of the guild, but you two need to get to the castle. bunny girl's in there and as far as we can hear they-" He stopped, eyes squeezing shut and taking a deep breath. When he opened them again his red eyes were filled with fear and pure rage.
"Those sick bastards already have Juvia, Natsu, and the triplets," Levy bared her fangs with her arms crossed. "Belletokia caught us up to speed a little but there's no time to talk. Get to the castle, find the others. We're gonna look for the other lacrima,"
"Every single time I can hear Juvia scream it makes me want to kill every damn peron in this world," Erik growled lowly. "And Kinana's in one of those lacrima. If you can't free the others I will kill every person I see until I find them,"
"Levy, you aren't even a Dragon Slayer, why haven't you been turned to lacrima?" Gray frowned.
"It's complicated. Just hurry!"
o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o
"Stop! Stop it! Take what you need from Juvia but leave them alone! Please!" A female voice yelled before she began shrieking in pain.
Gray's eyes widened and his head whipped around, looking down the hallway towards the sound. "Wha-"
"It's Juvia, she let herself get captured so Wendy, Sting, Rogue, and their Exceeds could run but now almost all the Dragon Slayers have been captured. Have you heard from Gajeel, Erik, or Levy?" Lucy spoke rapid fire, jaw clenching when Natsu's screams rang down the hallway.
"Yeah, they're looking for the giant lacrima-Magnolia right now, scouring the town for it," Gray said as the two sprinted down the hall, the Exceeds flying behind them.
"Oh, I know where the lacrima is!" Happy exclaimed, making the wizards halt. Gray knelt down beside the blue Exceed,
"You do? Can you take Gajeel and the others there?" He asked, and Happy nodded before shooting into the air and flying off.
o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o
"Stop it! Leave them alone!" Juvia bared her fangs at Byro as Natsu screamed when the machine turned on.
Each of the Dragon Slayers were chained to a rock, the triplets unconscious as far as Juvia could tell.
"Please…" Her shoulders shook. "Let them rest. They're young, if you let them rest their magic will replenish tenfold,"
The old man turned off the machine, turning to Juvia with an interested look in his eye.
"Juvia is older. Her core is larger and more used. You can use that on Juvia for days before she runs out," It was a long shot but she needed him to buy it. She had to protect them, she had to keep them safe.
"Really?" Byro asked, raising an eyebrow as Natsu jerked.
"No! Juvia, no!"
"Shut up! Rest, hatchling. You need your strength," Juvia drew her shoulders back. "Master Jose had put Juvia through far worse than this. She can take it,"
Natsu snapped his mouth closed, tears welling in his eyes before they rolled to the back of his head and he, too, was unconscious.
"Let's test your theory," Byro said with a malicious grin. Juvia was grateful that the other four were unconscious.
She was unable to hold back her screams.