Strangely, Zeref joined the rest of Gray's team when they went to an inn in town for the night. Usually, he went off on his own, camping out and staying away from anywhere there might be gatherings of other people. He'd been trying to calm down the others after how he'd acted in front of Laxus, but it wasn't going so well. "I'm not actually trying to steal your guild away. Really, I don't have anything in place to even warrant taking what I need from you yet. There's still something else I need to find, other details that need to be finalized…truly, it would be a waste of time and resources to attempt to hold and defend it for so long."
"Well, you were the one who claimed to be escalating the problem. You expect us to believe you didn't actually mean that?" Lucy stared at him.
"Oh, I did mean that. I am perfectly capable of simply taking the guild back…in your name, however." Zeref shrugged. "Likely, given the current numbers, I wouldn't even need the full force I had planned for. Perhaps just one general…August? No, he's involved in other matters…" Zeref trailed off, looking lost in thought. "Ah, but Dimaria would be quite free. Or perhaps Irene…there are quite a few options, but the point still remains."
"The number of random names you drop as followers just keeps growing my concerns, you know." Ur stared at him. "Taking away Gray's guild is the same as taking his family right now. Do that and I promise you, I'll put a stop to this insane mission of ours and to you."
"So now you'll use iced shell on me?" Gray stiffened, while Zeref chuckled. "How interesting. True, I knew you'd defend him with your life based on what happened with Deliora, but still…it is fascinating to see in person." Zeref glanced at the others, shrugging. "As far as the rest of the matter goes, as I keep saying, I don't intend on keeping the guild. Perhaps I'd return it to your last master…or if he isn't around, then Gray would function just as well."
"Gray? Why the hell would you make him guild master?" Natsu frowned. "I'd definitely make a better master, right Happy?"
"Aye sir!"
"It doesn't matter which of us would be better, Natsu." Gray frowned. "All we know right now is that Laxus clearly isn't fit for the job. As it stands…we technically aren't a part of the guild anymore." Plus, this was also pushing Gray back to wondering what had Zeref trusting him so greatly. The enslavement spell had been put back into place, but there were still no answers.
"If someone else is to become guild master…if done properly, they need to learn of exactly what your guild's greatest secret is." Zeref paused. "And…I suppose technically, they should know how to utilize your guild's greatest spells, Fairy Law being one of them. Now, I am aware of a few details surrounding these things, so in order for someone to…forcibly take over the guild and retain this knowledge, they need my instruction." He glanced at them. "Gray is ideal for this; the enslavement spell makes it simple to educate him on magic through demonstration in my memories. And, if that isn't enough, I can demonstrate in person how to manage it."
"Is that how you planned to teach him devil slayer magic?" Lyon frowned. "It seems like an uncomfortable method to learn."
"He hardly needs to know much of that branch. Just enough to briefly demonstrate it is within his capabilities." Zeref shrugged. "Besides, that isn't our focus at the moment. Handling Fairy Tail's situation is."
"Juvia fails to see why Zeref is so concerned with this. Does Zeref actually care about Fairy Tail?"
"It has nothing to do with the guild itself." Zeref frowned. "I just…already have a collection of research on them. It'd be wasteful in my war plans to throw that away due to a new threat."
As true as that was, Gray could almost sense that Zeref was hiding something. There was something more personal about this than he let on, though what it was Gray couldn't tell. Right now, Gray didn't have time to figure out Zeref's mysteries though. He was too busy trying to sort out what to do himself. Laxus had the guild and technically, Gray had nothing again. It still had yet to sink in, the fact that he'd just been kicked out and no longer had work or the family he'd known. Where did the old members even go? Were they still in town? Did they leave for other guilds? Gray didn't know, but he felt ill just considering what might've happened after the way Laxus just treated them.
"Well, we wouldn't want your war plans to be delayed at all." Ur spoke sarcastically, shaking her head. "Still, you hesitated a bit with that explanation. Don't tell me the man who preached to us about honesty is actually starting to tell lies?"
"No. I really do have research done on quite a few of Fairy Tail's guild members, and their magic." Zeref looked away. "I wanted to plan in order to strike against their weak points and know their strengths. Most often, Fairy Tail wizards fight better in teams. They become more invested in battle when their allies are threatened and that determination fuels their magic more. As a result, I need to anticipate strong levels of magic, higher than usual when observing these wizards on jobs. So, a few calculations and prediction models are basing what I imagine fights will be like when—"
"Hey, I didn't ask for the full story." Ur interrupted, sighing and shaking her head. "I didn't mean to say you don't have plans, Zeref. I just don't think you'd get this determined over something as small as a war that you are hoping will never happen."
The black wizard was quiet, looking away. Gray was staying to himself this time, still trying to think of what he even would do to help. He was powerless against someone like Laxus, someone who'd always stood as one of their strongest members. Maybe Gildarts could help, but he was still away on that hundred year quest.
Eventually, Zeref did interrupt his thoughts. "Since when do you even attempt to see me in a better light? You were the one who insisted that I'd do everything for little more than selfish gains."
"And I still think you do." Ur frowned. "I just don't think this is the real reason for this. There's something else you have to gain from all of this." She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. "Something like trust, maybe. This seems like a very good ploy to get us to accept you, you know."
"Hey! He's not doing this just to deceive us." Natsu frowned. "I mean, wasn't he trying to do that to Gray before? He was more subtle with it back then."
"You wouldn't believe me anyway. There's no point in putting words to my motives…not right now." Zeref was quiet, turning away. He was breathing slowly and Gray could feel a throbbing in his head. Before, it would have confused him. Yet, this was someone who'd just claimed he'd give Fairy Tail to Gray, someone who insisted on letting Gray have the ability to completely take control over him. Given the topic, Gray couldn't help but stare at him with wide eyes, piecing together exactly what motive Ur would never believe he'd have.
Why? Why the hell would you go so far Zeref?
The black wizard turned towards him, smiling faintly. Well, at least one of you can believe I'm not acting quite so selfishly this time. Gray looked away, uncertain of how to respond. Zeref was fighting to take back Fairy Tail for him and likely for no other reason. Sure, the war thing was an excuse and a flimsy benefit he'd get from the act, but it wasn't the true motive fueling his actions right now. I told you before, Gray. I…He broke off, the throbbing intensifying. Sorry. I don't think now is the best time to discuss the matter. Yet, he'd gone into enough. The throbbing came from the curse, which meant that it went back to how Zeref insisted he'd started to actually value having Gray around.
"So, we're just supposed to trust you to hand the guild over to Gray when you're done?" Lucy's words interrupted Gray's thoughts, though he wasn't concerned with the conversation anymore. They could debate this as much as they wanted. Right now, Gray was starting to feel like there was something he was missing in the picture.
Fairy Tail wizards fought for each other plenty of times, so it was something Gray should be used to. Having a friend try and fight for what they both wanted was common. Yet, Zeref wasn't a Fairy Tail wizard and he had every reason to want to leave Fairy Tail in this state. It worked better for him in the end and it wasn't like he had to help even if Gray and his team would've stopped to focus on fixing the problem for a while. From Zeref, a gesture like this didn't mean the same thing as the same action from a Fairy Tail wizard; as Ur had stated, the man typically only acted in a way that benefited himself. Yet, he'd act selflessly when he found someone to care for, from what little stories he'd heard.
Gray didn't have many details on those stories either, though. Hell, Zeref hadn't mentioned a single story about someone who was just a friend to him. Gray had seen him acting recklessly for Natsu, sacrificing himself in the process. He'd behaved irrationally for that girl he'd mentioned, the one he'd loved for reasons he couldn't even name. Yet, beyond that, Gray had heard nothing. The man hated people, loved them, or was just plan indifferent towards them. Gray had no reason to believe there was anything in between that for him. So, what did that say about his actions now? If Gray was to believe that was the case, he almost didn't want to admit what it said about Zeref right now.
The black wizard was watching him, those dark eyes lingering. Gray could feel them and he found himself meeting Zeref's gaze. Slowly, Zeref nodded just once, before turning away. He was still focused on defending himself, gradually winning the others over to a point where they could move forward tomorrow. Yet, that single nod was a confirmation and nothing more. Gray's thoughts had been on the right track; in the only way he could manage with his curse, Zeref was attempting to say he cared about Gray as something more than just a friend.
It made things far clearer and at the same time, far more complicated. Zeref's strange level of trust in him and his willingness to actually push them forward and abandon his old plans made a lot more sense. While it didn't answer every mystery surrounding the man, it explained a lot of how he'd been acting towards Gray and even some of how he'd been acting towards the others. Zeref was trying to get along with Gray's friends. The ice mage snorted at the thought of just how effective those attempts were.
"Everything alright, Gray?" Lucy frowned at him. "You haven't really said anything about this, you know. You've been kinda quiet since we saw Laxus at the guild."
Turning towards her, Gray frowned. "Yeah. I'm good." He didn't say anything else, only leaned back.
"Gray, this is your guild as well. Your input is necessary to decide on if we trust Zeref with this or not." Lyon was sitting with them, frowning. "I, at least, have reasons for staying out of the conversation. As a non-Fairy Tail guild member, I see no reason to argue either way. You, however, should be directly involved."
"It's clear that Zeref won't share his actual motives and we all know that he already plans on fighting your guild in the future. I think this is just his way of ensuring he has the guild in his grasp early on." Ur looked over towards Gray. "And someone he can easily manipulate in charge."
Something flashed in Zeref's eyes, but he said nothing at her words. The irritation he felt flashed through Gray as well. "If you want my answer, I say let him do it." Gray looked away, staring out the window. "He isn't lying when he says you won't believe his motives. Even I'm struggling to believe it and I'm the one who can hear his thoughts."
Zeref was quiet."Struggling to believe something and struggling to accept it…they are two different concepts."
Gray looked over, meeting his eyes again. Slowly, he nodded. "Fine. I believe it just fine." Gray sighed. "It explains far too much to not be true."
"Did we miss something?" Lucy glanced between them. "Are you two fighting or something?"
"Not to my knowledge." Zeref glanced over at Gray. "Though, I suppose he may be a bit…uncomfortable at the moment. We can continue to discuss the matter of the guild further and leave my motives alone for the time being. Gray has given his opinion on the matter, as you requested, and we can move on."
Zeref was being considerate too? Gray shook his head, almost snorting again before remembering that it was that gesture that got their attention in the first place. The man was trying to give Gray space to think, aware that it wasn't an easy thing to just accept. The legendary black wizard, the man responsible for his parents' deaths, for the creation of Deliora and for so much death, had just claimed to be in love with him. It wasn't the sort of person anyone dreamed of having the affections of at all, yet Gray also didn't know what to say in response.
"Look, I get that you want to leave Gray alone on this, but the main thing blocking us from moving forward are our assumptions about why you are fighting against Laxus." Ur turned towards Gray, the mention of his name pulling his attention back towards them again. "Gray, he isn't willing to share at all. Even if we don't believe it, it might at least give us a possibility to understand why you are so easily able to accept him doing this for no other benefit than shortening the delay on his potential war." What was he supposed to even say? Gray didn't exactly think admitting it out loud was a good idea, not with how close to an outburst Zeref seemed to be.
"It is your decision; I simply thought it would be best to…discuss the matter with you, somehow, first," Zeref said quietly.
"Yeah, and how exactly did you think we'd manage that?" Gray stared at Zeref, who frowned.
"I had thought…perhaps after the curse was gone."
That actually wouldn't have been such a bad plan. Gray stared at him and slowly turned back towards Ur. "You know, I think it might be best to wait until we talk too." Gray pressed a hand to his head.
"Gray, why keep his secrets?"
"It isn't exactly a secret." Gray looked away. "If you pay attention, I wouldn't be surprised if one of you could figure out the answer yourself." Or maybe they couldn't. It wasn't like Gray was a romantic sort, or even a social person. None of them would probably associate romantic interest or love with him at all; Gray certainly hadn't considered it himself during the process of rebuilding his life. He'd probably only just gotten to a point where he was opening up enough to make friends when all of this happened. Going even further to find romance just hadn't crossed his mind or even felt like it was something necessary in his life.
"Well, can you give us something? Anything that says he's not gonna just betray us when this is all over?" Lucy bit her lip, staring at him.
With a sigh, Gray shrugged. "He isn't doing this for his own benefit." Ur stared at him, narrowing her eyes. "That's why you wouldn't believe the explanation; he's not trying to gain anything by taking the guild back with us. Since he's not trying to take advantage of the situation right now, I say why not? It's not like we'll get a better option for taking the guild back right now."
"We could go get the guild members back and fight Laxus ourselves now. I bet they'd help out now that Zeref's gotten rid of the weapon Laxus had." Natsu grinned, giving the suggestion.
"True, but where are they?" Zeref asked. Natsu frowned, while Zeref sighed. "This is the fastest method; if you wish to resume your plans to go after Grimoire Heart quickly, using my connections will be the quickest path towards an end."
"And exactly what connections will we be exploiting? Another stranger like the man from the tower?" Lyon stared at him, while Zeref nodded.
"Indeed. Likely…Dimaria, I think. She'd handle them swiftly and would likely be entertained by the whole process." He paused. "Much like Natsu, she enjoys opportunities to use her magic in a fight."
"Another demon then?" Ur frowned at him. "I'm not certain how I feel about that."
"She's not a demon." Zeref tilted his head. "In fact, the demons I could easily contact for help in this case would be…less than ideal for use. One would be too deadly, in terms of ability, and the other…let's just say I'm not the greatest at creating mimicry white magic. The result of attempting to do so was not at all what I expected it to be."
"What, is he not strong enough to take on Laxus?"
"Oh, he is." Zeref tilted his head. "Just in a bit of an unconventional manner."
"You know, the more vague you are with the answer, the worse I think this demon of yours is. What does he do? Does he blind people with light? Or, I don't know, make illusions so terrifying you can't even move?" Lucy didn't seem to have any ideas on this demon either, though Gray caught a glimpse from Zeref's mind. He blinked, before smirking and turning away. It seemed like he really did have something he struggled with after all, if that was the result.
"He…pleasures people to the point of incapacitating them." Zeref looked away, waiting for the information to sink in.
"If this is his magic, can Juvia know how it succeeds? Does it allow one to live their fantasies? Or is it more direct?" She had a blush on her cheeks and Gray didn't think he wanted to know what was going through her head. She probably had some twisted fantasy about Lyon she wanted to live out.
"Neither." Zeref shrugged. "It more so brings out the memories of such events and intensifies them."
"Then wouldn't it be infective against those who haven't experienced that sort of, er, pleasure?" Lyon seemed to be uncomfortable with it as well, confused with the situation.
"Is there a particular reason we are all concerned with this topic?" Zeref seemed to grow tired of it as well. "You asked about my demon and I answered. Yet, he is not the one I'd bring to help with the problem, so any description of his capabilities is pointless."
"My thoughts exactly." Ur shook her head. "I'm not letting my guard down, but I think he's right about us needing to be quick about this."
"I can start looking for the guild members now." Lucy looked around. "I mean, once we've dealt with Laxus, they'll need to know they can come back."
"I'll help! I can track 'em down if I need to." Natsu grinned, with Happy joining in on their team.
"Send me in the right direction and I shall attempt to gather some members for you as well. Perhaps we can retrieve your former master so Gray won't have to concern himself with leading a guild after all of this." Natsu nodded at Lyon, adding in another group to search for others.
"Juvia will go search with Lyon!"
"And that leaves Gray and myself to keep an eye on Zeref." Ur looked over at them, crossing her arms over her chest. "You got a problem with that?"
"Not at all." Zeref rose to his feet, glancing over at Gray one more time. "I'll…leave you to rest, then. I will return tomorrow with my companion and we can then head towards the guild hall to handle getting things back under control at your guild."
Nodding, Gray watched him turn to leave. "See you then." Zeref paused, looking back at him. Then, he nodded and walked out. Gray had a feeling things were going to be strange for a while between them. Right now, he had no idea what to think or do about the situation. Yet, it seemed like he had until the whole curse matter was settled to figure it out. For now, he'd focus on getting his guild back. Then he'd give himself the chance to try and figure out if he even wanted to deal with the drama that came with romantic relationships at all.
Not wanting to delay the task at hand, Lyon woke up early to set off on a search for Fairy Tail's wizards. His sweet Juvia would be with him the entire time, making the trip all the more enjoyable after all. Plus, he needed a break from Zeref. Being near that wizard was just confusing and annoying at best. Right now, Lyon didn't even know what to make of him either. He'd clearly gone out of his way to assist them at the tower and now he was doing so again, apparently for selfless reasons if Gray was to be believed. While he understood Ur's wariness to trust the man, Lyon was struggling to maintain his own anger at him.
Natsu and Lucy walked with them, stopping at the train station. "I think I smell a few of the wizards around town. We'll leave Magnolia, try to find the ones that really need to be tracked, and leave the city to you guys, alright?" Natsu grinned at him and Lyon nodded. It seemed like a reasonable plan, given his own lack of tracking abilities. Searching a town was simple, but tracking beyond that would be impossible for him.
"Where will you two be heading?" Juvia frowned at them and Natsu shrugged.
"Dunno. Smells like Macao, Romeo, and Wakaba came this way, which was why I was following it. Not sure about the others, since there's a lot of us and we're pretty scattered right now."
"I would have preferred to track down Levy first." Lucy sighed. "At least then I'd be around one somewhat sane person."
"Cheer up, Luce! It smelled like Levy was in town, so I'm certain Lyon will find her." Natsu patted her back and the blond continued to grumble about not reuniting with her friend. However, they still began to set off, waving goodbye to Lyon and Juvia as they left.
"Well, the train station appears to be on the edge of town, so we still have some ground to cover." Lyon frowned, turning around. "I think it might be best to start planning out our route for searching by obtaining a map of the city. I'm not that familiar with Magnolia, as I have not had any reason to spend time here before."
"Juvia agrees with this plan. While she has been near Magnolia before on jobs, she has not lingered for enough time to understand how to properly search the city for people." She glanced at Lyon. "Does Lyon remember the descriptions Natsu and Lucy gave of the members to look out for?"
He'd certainly try. They'd rambled on for what seemed like ages on their way out, giving them names and descriptions of an enormous amount of wizards. Lyon knew guilds could get to be a decent size, but the size of Fairy Tail made it almost seem absurd. "Enough to get by, at least. So long as we find a few of them, we'll be able to say we had some level of success today."
"And finding their master is most important." Juvia looked ahead. "That way we will not fall prey to Zeref's plans, whatever they may be."
"Gray seems to think he doesn't have some ulterior motive for this." Lyon sighed, shaking his head. "I understand that he actually knows Zeref's true intent here, but I still cannot imagine why. Who would he fight for in this case? Gray? Clearly, the man has only ever seen Gray as a pawn. Natsu? Maybe, as they are brothers, but Zeref seemed willing to act as if they are complete strangers despite that fact."
"Perhaps it is for another wizard in the guild we do not know of."
Lyon frowned, thinking about it. Who else would he fight for? The only person that came to mind was the rumored founder of Fairy Tail, who had the same curse as him. Yet, she was supposedly dead, wasn't she? Lyon still didn't understand how or why, but he thought Zeref had confirmed that much about her. "Either way, if Gray isn't concerned, I can't quite bring myself to be hugely worried over the matter either. Zeref has been assisting us willingly for a while now and he hasn't given me reason to think he'd betray us. Every opportunity for betrayal that comes, he counters with open honesty about his intentions. He seems like the sort of man that would bluntly state his intentions beforehand, much like he did when discussing his war with Ur and myself."
"Juvia has not heard much of this war, beyond the fact that he has one planned." Lyon knew that much, and sighed.
"I don't know much about it either." He kept walking, stopping when they arrived at a shop. It was a travel store, meant for tourists and stocked with souvenirs. A place like this was likely to have a map of some kind, so visitors to the town would know how to get around. Juvia followed him inside, wrapping her arms around his and hugging it tightly as they entered. He blinked at her in surprise, but couldn't quite bring himself to say anything to her about how she could stop. Another girl walked past, leaving the store. Juvia glared at her as she left and then smiled as Lyon moved forward into the store to scan the shelves.
How long was she going to be with them? Juvia had followed them before, but Lyon knew she had a beloved somewhere waiting for her return. Perhaps he'd been away before, but surely, he'd be back for her soon too. Then, she'd be gone as well and he'd start to miss that beautiful smile and that physical contact that made her seem so sweet and loving to those around her. She craved being near others and Lyon was happy to oblige, but knowing she was taken left him so conflicted about the matter.
She released him when he crouched down, scanning a shelf of pamphlets to see if it held a map as well. "Lyon, Juvia's been meaning to speak to you about some things lately and—"
"Can I help you?" Another voice interrupted Juvia's nervous rambling. Lyon stood up, looking at Juvia to see how heated her face seemed to be. Her head had ducked down and she was fiddling with her hands nervously in front of her. However, the store clerk stood in front of them instead, demanding his attention. She had spiky brown hair and was wearing an apron as she walked through the aisles towards customers in need of assistance.
"I'm new to town and was hoping to obtain a map before I got lost in the area." Lyon smiled over at her. "Do you have any in stock?"
"Well, I just might be in need of a map too, since I'm getting lost in your eyes." Lyon blinked at her, before she winked at him. Juvia seemed to step forward, narrowing her eyes.
"Lyon is Juvia's. She will not let any love rivals get in her way."
What? This time, Lyon spun towards Juvia, wondering where this sudden shift came from. The store clerk held her hands up in surrender, backing off with a laugh. "Kidding. Sorry, I can't help it. I love butchering corny pick-up lines and you just seemed like the oblivious sort who doesn't hear them at all." She glanced over at Juvia. "You two make a cute couple, you know. Are you out on a little lover's vacation? Honeymoon? Ooh, I can definitely see you two enjoying the Fantasia Festival for your honeymoon. Or well…you would have, if it hadn't been for what happened." Her smile faded and she turned away.
Meanwhile, Lyon's mind was too busy focusing on her own theories about him and Juvia. Honeymoon? Ah, how he wished. It would be like a dream, to come to a beautiful city with this wondrous woman as his partner for life, in love and ready for their future. They'd go for walks in the park, swim at the beach, and perhaps visit an aquarium or zoo for further entertainment. Then, they'd retire to their inn, alone together…
Lyon shook his head, trying to snap out of those thoughts. "We—we are just looking for a map!"
"Juvia and Lyon's honeymoon…" Juvia trailed off, her gaze distant and her cheeks red. She was likely uncomfortable with the insinuation. Or perhaps not, if she really was fending off other woman from stealing him away. Perhaps he could win her over with jealousy then? Lyon could make an attempt to flirt back once. Then again, he'd never tried flirting before. There was never a woman intriguing enough to catch his attention and this store clerk clearly was as plain as any other woman he'd met before Juvia too.
Staring at her, not a single line came to mind. The clerk was already guiding them to the front counter, pointing to a stand resting there. "We've got a few maps up here, since most visitors usually don't come for just the map. They tend to be our last-minute up-sale for people looking for the best attractions in town. Now, for a couple…I think you want this one. It's marked out all of the most romantic destinations in Magnolia and its surrounding areas, from the peaceful and natural Porlain Park, all the way to exciting places to schedule skydiving and bungee jumping nearby."
Lyon didn't quite understand what was so romantic about adventurous activities like those, but Juvia had already pushed her way to the counter. "We'll take that one, please." She held out jewel for the purchase and the woman at the counter smiled and nodded.
"How long have you two been together, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Not long, Juvia only met her beloved Lyon about a week ago, but she knew that she'd never find another man that could possibly compare. He held her heart from the moment we first met." There were practically hearts in her eyes as she gushed about them and Lyon felt his own pulse quicken, hearing her talk to easily and almost fanatically about this false relationship. It was just a facade, right? Juvia was putting up a cover story, to avoid the distrust they'd receive as being associates of Fairy Tail. Then again, she seemed to press herself closer to him in a way that made it difficult to keep believing that himself. "Juvia's Lyon chose such a romantic moment to confess to her. She had been feeling so sad and alone, and it was sunset on the beach…he proclaimed that Juvia would be his, and that he was hers, and she has not left his side ever since."
That had actually happened, in a way. Was she using the truth to further the act? Or…had she actually believed it to be a love confession? Lyon suddenly found his mind racing back, trying to interpret her every action on their trip here. Yet, they'd always been surrounded by others. Juvia had supported him and agreed with his every opinion as far as he knew. She'd stayed near him and had clung to his arm much like she did now whenever the opportunity came for her to do so. He'd been happy to accept her affections, but he'd assumed they'd been done with friendship in mind, not romance.
What was the answer? Lyon didn't know and without the answer, he didn't know what he could and could not do. Did this mean she was no longer with the lover he'd heard her mention before? He hadn't seen her get the opportunity to contact someone to break things off properly, after all. "Aww, how sweet. Well, you two lovebirds enjoy your trip! Stay safe out there, alright?"
Juvia smiled and took the map, walking out of the store and practically tugging Lyon along, who was still in somewhat of a daze. "Juvia is pleased. She thought that woman would become another love rival, but she seemed quite pleasant after a while. Juvia has not had the chance to tell the story of how we fell in love before and she is happy she had the opportunity to share!" Well, that confirmed that she at least thought the story was true at least. Did that mean they had been a couple this entire time? Lyon could have been showering her with compliments more freely, doting on her without guilt, and reaching out for her himself to pull her closer to himself.
Still, there was the recollection of their first encounter and her mention of her beloved then. "Juvia, I—" He inhaled slowly, stopping and glancing at her. "Have I been misinterpreting things this entire time? When we first met, you spoke of a beloved who you seemed quite happy with. I thought we were close friends, but this story seems to imply otherwise."
Juvia froze, her eyes widening. "But…Lyon said Juvia was his. Lyon has been with Juvia since Galuna Island, where we agreed we would belong to each other." Lyon stared at her, uncertain of what to say. "Her beloved has always been Lyon…Juvia's feelings would never stray towards another, she wouldn't allow it! So why? Why would Lyon say cruel things? Did Juvia do something wrong? She can do better, she promises! Please, Juvia does not want to just be friends with her beloved. She'd always be afraid that another would steal him away from her." She broke off, sniffling and pressing her head into her hands.
"Juvia! No, I didn't mean—" Lyon broke off, uncertain of what to do. He'd made her cry. How could he make her cry when she'd clearly been so happy with her declaration from before? Hesitantly, he reached out for her, touching her shoulder. Juvia reacted more abruptly than he moved, immediately pressing herself into his chest and letting her tears out there. Luckily, the streets were just as empty today as they'd been yesterday, otherwise they'd probably be drawing in outside attention. Still, Lyon wouldn't have cared either way. He pressed her close to him, relishing in her warmth as he gently stroked the back of her head. "You are an amazing woman Juvia. From the moment we met, I saw a beautiful woman and I gradually began to see how strong, loyal, and fierce you can be when you set your mind to something. It was my own foolishness that led to this situation…my own false belief that when you said beloved, you meant someone other than me. It is true that I care for you more than a friend would, Juvia…I did not realize you had already interpreted my words before as a confession and permission to take our relationship farther however."
Juvia sniffled, tilting her head to glance up at him. "Lyon isn't angry with Juvia?" He shook his head, smiling down at her. "And Lyon understands now? He understands that Juvia's heart has always been his?"
"I think you've made that quite clear now." He'd been an idiot. If he'd just asked her directly about the matter sooner, he could have avoided this entire thing. They'd have been a couple from before Phantom Lord attacked Fairy Tail if he'd done that. Wait, hadn't Gray tried to warn him about Juvia's beloved before? If it wasn't about that, what had Gray been about to go on about then? Either way, Lyon didn't think he cared that much. "And just as your heart belongs to me, I will happily give you my own in return, my sweet Juvia."
"Hearing those words makes Juvia feel so happy." She sighed, pressing her head into his neck again. "Can Juvia still tell others that we're together? Juvia wants the world to know that Lyon is hers and that no one can take him from her."
Maybe she was a bit possessive and maybe she was clingy. Yet, Lyon was happy to have her that way, to see her smile and move forward from her past of isolation. "You can tell whoever you want, Juvia. For now, I do think we have work to get done, however."
Juvia smiled, nodding at him. She pulled away, turning around to move down the streets. "Right. Juvia has the map now, so we can plan out our search for Fairy Tail's wizards." She pulled it out and began focusing on it, trying to work out a plan. "Juvia thinks we should start going in this direction. It would let us search public areas first, since it leads to most of the stores in town. There are a few cafes there as well, but Magnolia does seem fairly small overall."
Moving closer, Lyon wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Juvia's eyes went wide and he smiled over at her, giving her a slight wink. "Well, it seems like a good plan to me. Care to join me for a walk then?" Juvia nodded, her cheeks pink as they began to move forward. Lyon kept her pressed against his side as they walked, finally able to hold this girl and call her his own.
Thank you all for reading so far! While I'm horrible at keeping track of chapter counts in my drafts, I can say that we are roughly half way through the story at this point. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!