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sleepy-giggles · 5 years

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The Impostor (a continuation of Ch. 26 from FT 100 Years Quest)

OHMYGOSH GUYS, I’ve been so excited after the latest chapter that I literally couldn’t sleep until I wrote my little version of what’s going to happen next!! I know we’re unlikely to get another gruvia-dense chapter after the GLORY that was Chapter 26, but I still have a full week until the next chapter comes out to dream ok? *o*

Click here to read on FanFiction.Net!

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Lucy and Wendy shuddered as the icy waves of doom and darkness emanated from their friend's body. The poor girls who sat on either side of him could only shiver silently, unable to escape the sub-zero temperature that extended within a 3-feet radius from Gray. Neither had the courage to say anything; they could tell that it wasn't a good time.

Erza, as well as Happy, were soundly asleep against a boulder furthest to his right. Luckily, having taken Erkis' place in the play earlier had tired Erza out completely, or else she would've smashed his skull open for being so careless with his magic.

The ice mage's right leg shook restlessly as he stared intently at the bluenette who sat directly across from him. They were separated by a campfire that unfortunately illuminated the unsightly scene in front of him all too well.

Yes, unsightly was the right word.

To say that he was in a sour mood right now would be an understatement.

"U-um," Wendy said meekly, barely above a whisper. "A-are you okay, Gray-san?"

He didn't hear her. It was safe to say that at that moment, he only had eyes and ears for one person, or rather two, to be accurate.

The neglected chicken wing he happened to be holding on a skewer engulfed into flames, but even then, his eyes never left Juvia's smiling face as she listened adoringly to Natsu's exaggerated retelling of how they defeated the Water God Dragon.

What. The. Fuck.

The scorched skewer in his hand snapped in half. He didn't know if he was overreacting because he hadn't seen her in a while and was simply more sensitive than usual, or if there really was something fishy going on.

Ever since Juvia showed up out of nowhere on their train, she hadn't been acting like herself. First of all, she didn't pounce on him immediately after she found them. This part wasn't all that strange since even Juvia had her calm days. But after explaining to the team why she was there —apparently, she had taken up a solo mission close by because she just couldn't bear to be away from her Gray-sama another second— she then had the audacity to sit down next to stupid Natsu. Without so much as hugging the ice mage.

Ok fine, he'll admit that to outsiders, her behavior didn't seem out of place at all. Perhaps to the rest of Team Natsu, it just looked like Juvia was holding back more than usual and keeping her feelings in check. But they didn't know her, Gray did. The two of them had been separated for an insane amount of time. She surely would've missed him just as much as he missed her, if not more. But to his utter disappointment, other than a few polite acknowledgments and gentle smiles his way, Juvia had, for the most part, ignored him.

And now, as they're settling in for the night, the water mage had once again plopped herself down beside flame-brain. Even when there was a huge vacant spot next to Gray, which he had purposely kept free just for her.

Juvina-sama's words echoed in his mind.

"Don't think she will wait for you forever, lover boy!"

He shook his head to get rid of any unnecessary thoughts. No, there was no way she moved on already. They had been through too much; they literally died for each other. And besides, even if Juvia finally got tired of waiting for him, it was ridiculous that she would choose the pink-haired idiot over him, of all people.

And yet…

"Wow, Natsu-san is so powerful!" Juvia giggled. "The Water God Dragon didn't stand a chance, huh?"

The dragon slayer let out a boisterous laugh, his head doubling in size at the compliment.

It took Gray everything he had to not plant his foot in Natsu's face right then and there.

He glanced over at Lucy, who had been sitting quietly at his left. The celestial mage's eyes were also glued to the unlikely pair across the campfire.

Shit, even Lucy looked worried. And this made him worried because if anyone was an expert at reading these types of situations, it was her.

The blonde emerged from her thoughts when she felt like she was being watched.

"W-What…"

"Nothing."

"So you noticed too, huh?" Lucy gave a forced smile and tried to sound cheery. "I didn't know they got along so well!"

Gray said nothing.

An elbow nudged him in the chest. "Don't tell me you're jealous?" Lucy winked at him.

He scowled and looked away, knowing that a blush was making its way to his face. "Shut it."

"Oh? You're not even going to deny it?" Lucy laughed and this time, it was genuine. "You've come a long way, Gray Fullbuster."

Gray grunted but smiled back. "Stop, you're starting to sound like Juvina-sama."

His friend, now more relaxed, looked back towards Natsu and Juvia happily chatting away. "Alright, since you're having such a hard time, I'll be generous and help you out before you freeze us all to death."

Wendy and Charle, who were currently cuddling close to the fire after Gray had unknowingly unleashed his cold wrath, turned to Lucy and gave her their best look of gratitude despite shivering.

"Um, Juvia!" the blonde called out. "You and Gray haven't seen each other for a while, I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do. Why don't we switch spots? Natsu here doesn't know when to shut up once you get him started on dragons."

"Hey I don't talk that much!"

The bluenette looked startled for a second as if realizing something. "Ah yes, Juvia indeed has missed Gray-sama so much!" She turned to face the ice mage and gave him her best, loving smile. "Juvia can't wait to hear all the stories Gray-sama has to share, later."

Later?

Gray's heart fell. Lucy, Wendy, and Charle looked on with shock. Heck, even Natsu's jaw dropped slightly at her response.

Without sparing him another glance, the water mage turned back to the dragon slayer. "Please continue, Natsu-san. You left off at a most exciting part!"

Natsu let out a nervous laugh and reluctantly continued. In turn, Juvia shifted closer to him until her bare knees pressed snuggly against the clueless man's thigh.

Very. Snuggly.

The campfire froze.

Everyone turned their attention to Gray.

"Hey ice princess, what's your deal?!" Natsu immediately blew a mouthful of fire at the block of ice, restoring the heat a little.

"Gray?"

Lucy peered up at her friend cautiously, but couldn't see his eyes as they were hidden under his bangs.

She noticed his tightened fists shaking and digging into his thigh, and placed a comforting hand over his white knuckles.

The girl jumped when the ice mage suddenly grabbed her wrist instead and tugged her closer.

"Sorry, Lucy," Gray said under his breath. Confused, she followed his line of sight until her eyes landed on the bluenette. The dots quickly connected as she realized his plan.

So Gray was going to test Juvia's reaction. Lucy relaxed slightly and tried to play along. By now, Juvia's love rival senses would've been tingling and any minute now, she'd probably fly across the fire to put herself between them.

However, to their surprise, the water mage didn't even notice the fact that they were holding hands. She couldn't have, because she never once looked their way.

Lucy was thoroughly freaked out at this point. And Gray was getting desperate.

In one swift motion, and a little more aggressively than he had intended, Gray threw his arm around Lucy's shoulder and slammed her body into his. This earned a loud squeak from the celestial mage. Wendy's face turned red, and finally, Natsu and Juvia paused their conversation to see what's up.

The pink-haired dragon slayer was the first to react.

"GRAY!" he roared and shot up from the log he was sitting on. He then pointed an accusing finger at them. "What do you think you're doing to Lucy?!"

Gray ignored him and continued to direct his piercing eyes at Juvia. No one can tell except probably Lucy, but he was fuming right now.

Suddenly, the hair on his body stood up.

Although it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, Gray could've sworn he saw a flash of irritation across Juvia's face. But it hadn't been the look of jealousy like what Gray was expecting. No… it was a look of annoyance directed at him for interrupting her conversation with Natsu.

She can't be serious….

Just what the hell did he do? Was Juvia actually giving him the cold treatment? Was this all because he went on the 100 years quest without considering her feelings?

Ok, that kind of made sense. But regardless, this was still out of character for Juvia no matter how angry she was with him! And Gray knew her more than he would admit. The girl who proved that her love for him was strong enough to break even Invel's Ice Lock was not someone who would play mind games with him. Like water, Juvia's thoughts were transparent and people can read her like an open book. She was refreshingly simple in the sense that she spoke her mind and behaved in ways that felt right to her. She displayed her heart for all to see, believing that there was no shame in telling someone how much she loved them. Juvia was different from Gray.

So why then, is his woman cuddling up to his best friend and—more importantly—not losing her shit over the fact that he literally has her "self-proclaimed" love rival practically sprawled across his lap?!

Another second passed, and Juvia was making no move to do anything about their compromising position. However, just as Natsu was about to march over and start a fight, Gray stood up, making poor Lucy lose her balance and fall on her stomach.

"It's getting late. Let's call it a night."

"HUH?! Oi popsicle head, I'm not done with you ye—"

"Natsu, stop!" Lucy snapped as she tried to pull the fire dragon slayer away. "You've done enough for one night, now let's go get some sleep!"

The blonde all but shoved Natsu into the boy's tent.

"Wendy, Charle, do you think you two can manage carrying Erza to her bed?"

"Don't worry, Lucy. We'll take care of it," Wendy said with one arm already under Erza's shoulder. She seemed relieved to finally escape this 'adult drama' that had unfolded a few moments ago.

As the crew slowly retired to their respective tents, only Juvia and Gray were left.

"It's been a wonderful night, Gray-sama," she smiled at him brightly. "Juvia will see you tomorrow!"

"Wait." His hand shot out and pulled her back.

"Hm?"

His eyes were pleading. "What's with you? You're acting different."

"Am I?"

"Yes, you are," Gray stressed. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other, and you're treating me like a stranger."

"You're worrying over nothing, Gray-sama. You can never be a stranger to Juvia."

There it is, that fake smile again.

The ravin-haired mage narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Juvia," he leaned over the wooden fence that stood along the edges of the hill, and stared off into the faded landscape as dusk settled in. "Has that scar healed yet? I still feel awful for accidentally stabbing you that day."

The blue-haired beauty had a troubled expression on her face. "Gray-sama, Juvia will be sad if you keep blaming yourself. It was nothing more than an accident, and the scar is healing just fine."

"Oh really?"

Her skin crawled when he turned slowly, eyes glowing bright red in the dark. His arm and the majority of his broad chest was covered in disturbing, black markings. She backed away.

"Gray-sama? You're scaring Juvia—"

In a split second, his long fingers were around her neck and she found herself choking.

"Your acting was pretty good there, almost had me fooled," the devil slayer seethed. "Too bad it just wasn't good enough."

She struggled and clawed at his tight grasp.

"You're not Juvia. So who the fuck are you? Some sort of shape-shifter?!" he bit out threateningly and released his hold just enough for her to be able to talk.

"Please… Gray-sama…" Her tear-stained face twisted in pain, and almost immediately, Gray released her.

His heart beat heavily in his chest from the adrenaline. Shit, what if he was mistaken? What if—

A chilling laugh escaped the water mage's lips. With a hand still massaging her neck, she gazed up at him with a smirk.

"I'm impressed, I didn't think you'd catch on this quickly. You're not as dumb as you look."

Gray froze and his blood ran cold when the unfamiliar woman in front of him confirmed his worst fears.

"I'll ask you one more fucking time," he rasped out as his whole body shook with barely restrained rage. "Who are you? And where the hell is Juvia?"

"Who I am is not important."

The woman stepped towards him. "But your sweet little Juvia…" she took his hand and placed it over her heart, "is right over here… Gray-sama." She whispered the last part tauntingly into his ear, and Gray realized that he had escaped a crazy dream only to end up in a nightmare.

#gruvia #gruvia fanfiction #gruvia fanfic #gray and juvia #gray fullbuster #Juvia Lockser #fairy tail #fairy tail fanfic #nalu #fairy tail 100 years quest #Gray X Juvia #fanfic

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sleepy-giggles · 5 years

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UPDATE! A World Without You: Chapter 4 - In Your Presence

Click here to read on FanFiction.Net!

Summary: Two years had passed since Juvia’s death. During a solo quest, Gray caught sight of a beautiful woman with blue hair; her resemblance to the water mage was uncanny. Who is this mysterious girl, and why is she living in seclusion at an abandoned church?

Gray woke up with a pounding headache. Needless to say, the events that had unfolded the previous day resulted in him getting little to no sleep.

As soon as he checked into the inn last night, he had called Levy.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Flashback *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Hello?”

“Levy!” The ice mage threw his bag on the bed and paced the length of his room. “Sorry to call so late, but I need you to check something for me.”

He heard a faint, grumpy voice in the background muttering “Is it the stripper again?”, probably belonging to Gajeel.

“Sure, Gray!” Levy then carefully popped the question. “Is this… regarding Juvia-chan perhaps?”

“Yea.” Gray heaved a deep sigh. “Listen, I know you guys are all gonna think I’m fucking crazy for bringing this up again, but I need you to believe me.”

“Of course, just tell me what happened.” Her voice was laced with concern now.

“I think I saw Juvia today. No— I know I saw her. At the market place in Freesia Town. She looked exactly like her; same voice, height… everything! But for some reason, she doesn’t recognize me at all.”

He could faintly hear his friend discussing something with the iron dragon slayer on the other line.

“Are you sure about this Gray? You’re certain that it’s not just another girl who happens to have blue hair and—”

“You have to trust me, Levy. I’m not delusional. I know that doesn’t say much considering the way I’ve acted in the past, but I know what I saw.” He ran a shaky hand through his hair. “I even talked to her and walked her home to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.”

“Alright Gray, I promise I’ll look into this. Just get some rest oka—”

The phone was snatched by Gajeel.

“Oi, stripper. Do you need me to go over there? If it really is Juvia, I’d wanna check for myself.”

“No,” the ice mage said quickly. “There’s still something that doesn’t add up with this whole situation. I want to find out what’s going on first before we act rashly. I can’t risk scaring her away. Just stand-by for now, and keep this under wraps.”

The man on the other line grunted. “Fine. But you call me as soon as you find something, you got that? You better not be getting my hopes up again ya bastard.”

After reassuring the couple again that he wasn’t having another one of his “episodes”, Gray ended the call. He knew of Gajeel and Juvia’s friendship, and it wasn’t surprising that the iron dragon slayer would be skeptical.

Out of all their friends, Gajeel was among those who took the news of Juvia’s death especially hard. He had wanted nothing more than to grieve properly and move on, but every time Gray came up with yet another theory as to why he thought Juvia was still alive, Gajeel couldn’t help but hold onto a sliver of hope as well. But of course, it’s always ended in nothing but disappointment for everyone.

Sleep did not come to him that night. It took all his willpower to not jump out the window, run back to that old church and take Juvia back to Fairy Tail with him. He could care less if the old hag puts a bounty on his head and an angry mob comes after him.

The events of the day truly felt like a dream. Perhaps he really was going mad, and there was no cure for it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* End Flashback *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gray made a quick stop at the mayor’s office first thing in the morning, filled out some paperwork, and proceeded to do his job of cooling down the little town. All he had to do was cover the village in a thin flurry of icy mist. He also created a couple of ice boulders in various locations throughout the city; they should be big enough to last several days. Easy peasy.

His commitment to the job lasted about 20 minutes; he made sure to finish his duties in the shortest amount of time imaginable. Seeing Juvia was his priority, so as soon as it was over, he made his way to the old church around the block. He needed to get close to the village girl he met yesterday and find out as much about her as possible.

When he neared the familiar intersection, he spotted Meiko in the front yard hanging bed sheets on a laundry string. Even though the late morning sun shined brightly, she was covered from head to toe in a black, thick-clothed cloak. The hood hid the top half of her face, but he was able to tell it was her by the sky blue hair that poked out around her right shoulder.

She turned when she noticed his presence nearby.

“Gray-san?”

“Um… I was just checking out the neighborhood,” Gray said defensively. He didn’t know why he felt the need to offer an explanation as to why he was there. Couldn’t he have just said he wanted to see her?

The bluenette smiled as she hung the last piece of garment onto the string. “I see. Well, I hope you enjoyed your first night here.”

He most certainly didn’t. He was sleep-deprived and a disoriented, bumbling mess thanks to her.

“It was okay I guess.”

Meiko tilted her head slightly in response. Her large, ocean blue eyes observed him questioningly, and he couldn’t help but look away. What the hell, why was he acting like some shy schoolgirl with a crush? He’s just going to blame it on how agonizingly cute she looked right now as she innocently stared up at him through those long, sooty eyelashes.

Feeling a few sweat drops roll down his face, he wracked his brain to try and think of something interesting to say. He had been in such a rush to see her this morning that he really didn’t come prepared. Gray had to remind himself again that he was the only one with memories of her. In Meiko’s point of view, he was nothing but a stranger. As far as she’s concerned, they had only met yesterday, and he was already paying her a visit the next day. What if she thought he was a stalker?

The ice mage’s eyes searched his surroundings desperately until finally, he saw a worthy distraction. The entrance to the old church was wide open, and he was able to catch a glimpse inside.

“Is that the lobby area?” He indicated to the doors, glad that he was able to break the uncomfortable silence. “Even the interior looks exactly like a church instead of a living room.”

“Ah, Mother Margaret kept the majority of the church hall the same so that villagers can still come in for worship whenever they wanted.” She gave him a bright smile. “Gray-san is welcome too.”

His heart did a weird flip, but before he could reply a sharp voice rang out.

“Meiko! What’s taking you so long to do the laundry?”

The girl jumped and quickly wiped her damp hands on her long skirt. “M-Mother!”

The elderly woman noticed the dark-haired stranger standing beside Meiko and narrowed her eyes. “And who might this young man be?”

Gray tensed up.

“This is the ice mage our town hired to help ease the heat waves, Gray Fullbuster-san.”

“Hmph.” The Reverend looked him up and down, her expression judging and cynical. “Then may I ask what business a magic user has here at our humble home?”

Gray took a step forward, his gaze hard as if challenging the stout woman in front of him. “I’m here for morning worship,” he indicated to the entrance of the church with a sharp turn of his chin. “Got a problem with that?”

The older woman’s lips twitched ever so slightly at his curt words. “As a respected leader of the convent, I won’t turn away anyone who wishes to have a word with the Lord. But with that said, I’ll leave you with a warning, child. Don’t you even think of courting Meiko. She’s a nun-in-training and has pledged to serve the Lord for the rest of her life. You’re not the first man to frequent this place to try and get close to my daughter.”

She turned her back to them and began walking away. “I won’t allow some pretty boy to distract her from her responsibilities.”

Seeing the scowl on Gray’s face, Meiko panicked. What is she going to do? He must feel insulted, and how embarrassing that it was her mother who had given him such a terse welcome!

“Mother, you’ve misunderstood!” The girl quickly called out. “Gray-san has no such intentions. He’s from Fairy Tail after all, the most renowned and respected guild in all of Fiore.”

“Fairy…Tail?” The Reverend looked back with a disturbed look, and for just a split second, Meiko thought she saw fear in her eyes. Meiko shrugged off her uneasiness. ‘It must be because she’s not familiar with the world of magic and mages. Mother’s probably just confused,” she reasoned.

“Yes, Fairy Tail. So he would never—”

“I must go,” Margaret said hurriedly, her once calm demeanor breaking as her quick feet took her back towards the building steps, but not before yelling one last warning to her daughter. “Don’t even think about going anywhere with him and straying from your duties!”

Her harsh words lingered in the air uncomfortably. The doors slammed closed behind the nun, and Gray’s eyes visibly darkened. ‘There’s definitely something suspicious about that woman,’ he mulled.

“I’m so sorry about that, Gray-san!” A flustered Meiko ran up to him. “Please don’t mind her. She can be a little overprotective sometimes, but she means well.”

He grunted. “It’s fine.”

Meiko looked worried until suddenly, she sprang up to her feet as if remembering something important. “Oh no, it’s almost noon! I have to collect medicinal herbs before the sun goes down.”

“I’ll join you.”

Her head whipped back in surprise. “But you said you came here for morning worship…?”

He flinched; he didn’t think he’d get caught in his lie already. “Uh… yea, I’ll do that later. Besides, it doesn’t sound like a good idea for me to be in the same room as your mother right now. Since you’re the only one I know from this town, I thought I’d use this opportunity to become more familiar with the area….”

That was an excuse of course, and all Gray could do was hope that she would take his word for it.

“S-sure,” she stuttered before donning a playful smile. “I guess it doesn’t count as straying from my duties if you’re the one who wants to tag along on my errand. It would be nice to have company for once, I suppose.”

And with that, the two walked along the dirt path that led to a mountainous area. Since the trees were sparsely located, the sun bore down on them stubbornly when noon rolled around.

At one point, Gray looked back at her in concern.

“Oi, aren’t you hot wearing all that? It looks uncomfortable.”

The bluenette was panting as they climbed the steep trail, visibly struggling to keep up. A subtle layer of perspiration was evident on her flawless, porcelain skin.

“I’m fine.”

He scoffed. “Clearly, you’re not. Why don’t you take that annoying cloak off? It’s like 100 degrees out, you’re gonna pass out at this point.”

“I-I can’t,” she rasped out. “I’ll get in trouble if I take it off.”

Suddenly, her foot slipped on a loose pebble and, with a gasp, she fell forward until a strong hand went under her arm and held her up.

The conversation that he overheard last night played through Gray’s mind. His jaw clenched as he remembered how angry the old nun had been at her for failing to wear the cloak.

“Who the hell cares?! Why do you have to wear that stupid thing anyway?”

She leaned on his arm slightly for balance and muttered a quick thanks. Luckily, Gray wrapped another arm around her shoulder to keep her steady because Meiko was starting to feel lightheaded. “Mother hates it when I bring unwanted attention, especially from men,” she sighed. “She also said that… my body was cursed.”

The ice mage raised an eyebrow. “Cursed?”

“Yes. She said that… my body was the personification of sexual desire. This cloak is so that I won’t tempt those who are weak-willed.”

“That’s some bullshit—” Gray spat out before catching his tongue. Crap, he had forgotten that ‘this’ Juvia was a member of the church. He looked away guiltily and mumbled an apology for using profane language.

He didn’t catch the tiny smile that made its way to her lips as she regained her footing and started walking away. “You’re forgiven. I’ll be sure to pray for your soul later.”

“…Gee thanks,” he said sarcastically.

Although the mood had lightened, Gray was still simmering with anger from what he heard. How could Meiko stand to live with this prudish old lady who controlled what she wore? Would the Juvia he knew put up with that? He wasn’t sure. It was true that a body like hers would no doubt attract all sorts of men, and Gray wouldn’t want her walking around in skimpy clothes either, but the Reverend Mother was going too far. Wearing a heavy cloak in this weather was akin to suicide.

He let out a frustrated sigh when she made no attempts to remove the darned piece of cloth, and instead clutched the fabric closer to her body.

“You’re one stubborn woman. Guess it can’t be helped.…”

Almost instantly, the temperature around them dropped. A cool and refreshing breeze blew past Meiko and sent her cloak fluttering. It was enough to take the heat from her body and dry the sweat on her skin instantly. Her eyes widened in shock.

“Did you do that, Gray-san?!”

He didn’t answer, and instead took her hand in his and led her down the steep path. Her whole face lit up with excitement. To feel the effects of someone’s magic and to walk alongside a mage through the forest made her feel as if they were going on an adventure. She’s never felt so alive.

The two of them spent the next few hours scoping out the mountain for herbs. Although few words were exchanged, they enjoyed each other’s presence and relaxed under the comfortable silence. In between searching and collecting rare plants, Meiko would occasionally point out an important landmark or city off in the distance to Gray. The girl still thought that the reason he tagged along was so that she could show him around. She had no idea that the ice mage’s motives extended beyond simply making her his tour guide.

“If you go further north from here, you’ll see a beautiful river. And not surprisingly, the town nearby is also known as River Village.”

Gray paused. “A river huh? Do you uh… like rivers?” He thought it’d be best to approach the subject of magic cautiously. Partly because he doesn’t want to sound pushy, and partly because he was afraid of her answer.

The girl stood up slowly, confusion lining her youthful face. “Rivers? I suppose I don’t mind them? They’re quite pretty.”

Okay, that was definitely not the response he was expecting. He was hoping that she’d say something along the lines of how she’d always been drawn to huge bodies of water, considering how Juvia was a water mage. Meiko was proving to be more mysterious than he thought. It felt like the more he tried to know her, he just ends up with more questions than answers.

“What about water? Do you like water?!” As soon as the words left his mouth, Gray mentally smacked himself at how stupid he sounded.

A pure, melodic laugh rang throughout the peaceful forest. Meiko was doubled over, her shoulders shaking with amusement. “Gray-san,” she gasped for breath in between laughs, and Gray could only watch with a horrified expression on his face. “You didn’t come across as someone who told jokes! Do I like water? Yes I do, seeing as how I need it to survive.”

Her sarcastic comeback took him off-guard. He immediately looked away before she could see the blush spreading across his face.

“W-whatever… forget I asked!”

He trudged away, trying to hide his embarrassment and failing miserably. The bluenette didn’t hesitate to chase after him, all flustered as she apologized profusely while giggling. The ice mage eventually gave in; her laughter was contagious, and he couldn’t help but appreciate Meiko’s lighthearted spirit. Her presence had a calming effect on him, which was not surprising because Juvia had always made him feel that way. Even their elements behaved similarly when combined; ice, no matter how stiff and unyielding, would naturally melt when embraced by water.

They spent the rest of the day together. The topic of magic seemed to fascinate her, and Gray had been happy to explain some of his ice-making and devil-slaying powers to her. Meanwhile, he marveled at the expanse of Meiko’s knowledge of medicinal herbs and plant ecology as he tried his best to help her complete her errand before sundown.

For the first time in years, his heart felt light and happiness swelled within him as if his body was too small a vessel to contain it. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to not have a care in the world. Being in her presence was enough to turn his brain to mush, and for a short while, the fact that the girl beside him didn’t have any recollection of their relationship had escaped his mind. He was simply content that he was given another chance to see Juvia’s smile again. To hear her melodic voice.

If this was a dream, then he never wanted to wake up.

Gray came to see her again the following day. And the day after that as well. At first, he would use morning worship as an excuse. He would walk into the church, hang his head and sit silently until the blue-haired nun-in-training spots him. There was no doubt in his mind that Meiko had seen through his flippant acting, but he did it all in the hopes of fooling the Reverend Mother.

He kept up the act until Meiko finally told him that Mother Margaret had been away the entire time; she had packed her bags citing an important trip on the day she had her first encounter with Gray.

After spending a decent amount of time together, Gray had suggested that she drop the honorific. But staying true to Juvia’s character, the girl had refused, saying that she was simply more comfortable with formalities.

On another beautiful, breezy sunny day, the ice mage came to the church again. His legs seemed to carry him here without his knowing.

Before he could go up the steps leading to the entrance, he was stopped by a soft tap on his shoulder.

He turned to see a cloaked figure with braided blue hair poking out on one side. Gray relaxed upon seeing her.

“Here for morning worship again?” A teasing smile tugged on her lips. “Should I leave you alone and come back in a few hours?”

Crap. Yup, she definitely caught on.

“Um… no, please don’t,” he sweat-dropped. “To be honest, I’ve been using that as an excuse—”

Meiko giggled. “There’s no need to explain yourself, Gray-san. I’m just happy that you’re here to see me. I rarely get any visitors because mother tends to scare everyone off.”

Gray scoffed. “I don’t blame them.”

They went to their usual place; a gentle hill that overlooks the green, rolling plains. This was often their resting station after spending hours picking herbs in the forest. The enormous tree on the hill provided them with shade and a cool breeze, so it was their favorite spot.

“Gray-san, can you show me a bit more of your ice-making magic?”

The raven-haired mage nodded. He was glad that she was the one asking questions this time and seemed to gain some sort of interest in him.

Gray brought his palms together, a cold frosty aura emanated from his hands. An idea came to him suddenly that he could use this as an opportunity to try and jolt her memories.

With newfound determination, he slammed his fist into the palm of his hand, “Ice-Make: Umbrella!”

Meiko’s eyes grew wide when a frilly and girly looking umbrella made entirely of ice appeared before her. It glistened under the sun like a jewel.

“It’s… so cute!” Upon close inspection, it was definitely a fine piece of craftsmanship. The attention to detail on Gray’s part was evident as her fingers softly traced the hearts engraved around the brim of the umbrella.

“Do you like it?”

“Gray-san, this is amazing! How did you come up with such an adorable looking umbrella?”

She looked over at him and was startled to find the look of disappointment on his face. Was this not the response he was looking for?

“Ah… I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Must’ve been the last umbrella I saw on the street or something…”

“Well I love it. If there’s ever a downpour, I think this pretty umbrella would definitely help me forget about the rain!”

Gray wondered if that was why Juvia used to carry her pink, over-the-top umbrella all the time too. Either way, he hoped that seeing one of her treasured possessions helped to jog her memories even a little bit.

“Here’s another one,” the ice mage brought his hands together once again. “Ice-Make: Crown!”

The girl sitting in front of him gasped. “How gorgeous!”

In one swift move, Gray pulled down the hood of her cloak and plopped the intricate headpiece on her head.

“There.” He felt the blush that was making its way across his face, so he looked away and did his best to scowl. “Now you can be queen for a day.”

When there was no response from her, he slowly turned around and peeked. Meiko’s eyes were cloudy and her lips trembled comedically, as if doing her best to suppress the tears that were threatening to spill out.

“Why do I feel so happy?” She sniffled and her eyebrows furrowed even more.

“Oi!” She’d better not cry. Gray sweat-dropped before letting out a sigh. Well, it can’t be helped. She was probably just happy because the last time he made a crown using ice-make magic, he had given it to Wendy. Juvia had been so upset at the time that she demanded that he make her one too. He had refused of course, which only served to make her pout even more. He chuckled at the memory. The woman in front of him now was making that same adorable face over a stupid crown.

Meiko frowned. “I want to keep this.”

“As you wish,” he snickered. “It’s yours this time.”

Not knowing what he meant by ‘this time’, she dismissed his comment and continued to admire the crown that was now in her hands.

“If you liked that, then you’ll like this even more. Ice-Make: Doll!”

The bluenette looked on curiously at the small and plump statue that appeared to be a chibi version of the handsome man before her. Its beady doe eyes stared back at her, and almost instantly, she felt a strong urge to squeal and hug the damn thing to her chest.

“It’s… It’s mini Gray-san!” Meiko took the doll from Gray’s hands and rubbed her cheek against the ice block adoringly.

The devil slayer suddenly couldn’t move. The scene that unfolded in front of him was all too familiar. That expression on Meiko’s face, with hearts in her eyes and hugging that creepy doll-like statue that looked like him… there’s was no doubt in his mind now. This can only be Juvia. His Juvia.

“Ice-Make: Heart.”

“Hm?” Pausing from her fangirling session, Meiko’s turned her attention to Gray.

She peered down as he slowly revealed a small, shiny crystal sitting delicately between the palms of his hands. The jewel was in the shape of a heart, but this creation was visibly different from the ones that came before it. It was much more polished and clear. The ice itself had a purple tint to it, instead of blue. In fact, if she hadn’t known any better, she would’ve believed that it was the world’s most precious amethyst.

“This was made with eternal ice,” Gray said softly. He reached over and placed the heart in the palm of her hand.

Puzzled, Meiko studied the gleaming object and noted its faint coolness under her touch.

“Eternal…ice?”

His piercing eyes found hers, and she had momentarily forgotten how to breathe. His gaze held a whirlwind of emotions: determination, hope, love… and so much pain.

Even so, her stomach somersaulted and her insides felt as if it was on fire. She was scared, but at the same time intrigued by such sensations that felt so new to her. She was suddenly extremely aware of how close Gray was sitting and how fast her heart was beating. Is this what people call love? Was she falling for this dark-haired stranger who had also somehow become her best friend in a matter of weeks?

“I’ve wanted to give this to you a long time ago, Juvia.”

Eh? Juvia?

Suddenly, Meiko remembered her first encounter with Gray Fullbuster. He had cried upon seeing her, even though it was the first time they’d met. She had never seen a man cry so grievously; it had frightened her. And he had called her ‘Juvia’ then, too.

The excitement she felt just moments ago quickly dissipated as she gradually pieced everything together. The reason why he came to see her everyday. The reason why he wanted to befriend a nun even after experiencing Mother Margaret’s wrath. The reason why he spent so much time with her despite being a powerful mage who would obviously have way more important things to do.

“Gray-san…” her voice was barely above a whisper. “If you’ll excuse my rudeness… but who is this ‘Juvia’? And… who is she to you?”

His eyes softened as he gave her a sad smile. “She’s someone very special to me. A fellow guildmate… but more than that.”

“Oh,” was all Meiko managed to say. So he wasn’t confessing his love to her, per se.

“But, I never got to tell her that,” he paused as his lips formed a thin line. “Because she died.”

Meiko’s breath hitched in her throat. She… died?! Her heart squeezed as she thought about how traumatic such an experience would’ve been for Gray. For anyone. She instantly felt guilty for having overlooked their bizarre first encounter and for brushing it off as just him being weird.

Gray reached a hand inside his jacket and pulled out a small 3”x3” paper. When she saw it, a chill ran up her spine, and she couldn’t stop the shiver that reverberated through her entire being.

It was a photo of herself in unfamiliar clothes.

“She… She—” A shaky finger pointed at the girl with long, wavy blue locks.

The ice mage nodded knowingly as if he expected her reaction. “She looks just like you, doesn’t she?”

“But how? Are you saying that’s the girl you’ve been referring to as ‘Juvia’?”

“Yea,” Gray said. “Juvia was a member of Fairy Tail too… a water mage. In the war we had against Alvarez two years ago, we were up against a formidable enemy, and she sacrificed herself while trying to buy me time. I wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for her.”

Meiko could only gape in shock. To think that a woman had loved Gray so much that she died for him. How could she even begin to compare to someone like that?

Meiko shook her head in an attempt to get back on track. “But how can this be… How is it possible that the girl in this photo looks exactly like me? What’s going on?”

She jumped when he suddenly reached out and grasped her shoulders. “It’s possible! What if your memories were erased somehow? Please, think hard. Have you ever thought about the fact that you might not belong here, that your life was more than just training to be a nun?”

“If this isn’t a prank… if Gray-san is really speaking the truth, then that means Juvia-san and I have been living completely different lives,” she said, clearly distressed. “I don’t have any magic, and I’ve never once stepped foot outside of Freesia Town, much less fight in a war. So how can I be her? Are you saying that the memories I have of my life are invalid?”

Gray’s shoulders slumped as he looked at her with a defeated expression, and finally, he released his hold on her.

“But to me… you are Juvia. Everything about you reminds me of her.”

For the first time since they met, she couldn’t read his eyes as they were hidden behind his bangs. At that moment, her heart ached for him. His voice was hoarse and unsure, sounding almost like a lost child.

Meiko took a deep breath and stood up, pulling Gray to his feet as well.

“Gray-san, let’s go,” she said with determination in her eyes. “Mother should be back from her trip today, maybe she’ll know what’s going on. We’ll get to the bottom of this, I’m sure of it!”

Dazed, Gray mumbled a weak agreement under his breath and allowed Meiko to drag him back to the old church.

—————————————————————————

When the old Reverend saw the pair barge into the entrance of the lobby, holding hands at that, her fury sprang to life. It looked like she arrived not too long ago, with luggage still in hand.

Her eyes sharpening menacingly, the stout woman bellowed, “What is the meaning of this, Meiko!”

The bluenette instinctively let go of the hand she was holding. Although her heart was about to jump out of her throat, she tried to gather her courage.

“Mother, I must ask you something.”

“Oh? And what might that be?” Margaret said between her teeth and closed the distance between them. “Don’t tell me that you’ve broken your promise already, Meiko. Have you been in the company of this philanderer the entire time that I was away?!”

“No, that’s not it!” Meiko forced down the surge of irritation at hearing her friend being referred to as a philanderer. She took out Juvia’s photo and thrust it in front of the old woman. “We just wanted to ask if you knew of Fairy Tail’s Juvia Lockser… and, why we look so alike?

A deafening silence engulfed the spacious room, and the Reverend did not move an inch. Her eyes, which only a moment ago was filled with rage, now carried an expression that was frighteningly unreadable.

It felt as if an eternity had passed, but just before Gray had finally had enough and was about to snap, Mother Margaret opened her mouth.

“Why of course you two look alike, dear.” The corner of her lips curved up. “Juvia Lockser was your twin.”

—————————————————————————————

A/N: For anyone curious about the "crown" scene, just google Fairy Tail manga cover 390. ;) Now enjoy this little "behind-the-scenes" excerpt:

Juvia: What is the meaning of this, Gray-sama?! Why is Juvia dead, and why is Gray-sama cheating on Juvia with this Meiko girl?!

Gray: HUH? How is it cheating if she’s literally you?!

Meiko: I am not! Stop saying that I’m Juvia!

Juvia: *eyes glowing* LOVE RIVAL!!!

Gray: This is getting weird… I just want to be happy…

Scarf-san: *pets Gray* Nope, can’t let you be happy yet. Ya gotta suffer first, cinnamon roll.

#gruvia #gruvia fanfic #gray x juvia #juvia loxar #fanfic #fairy tail juvia #gray fullbuster #fairy tail #fairy tail fanfiction

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sleepy-giggles · 5 years

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Helloooooo OH MY GAWDD... SO FIRST OF ALL... I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH. SECOND OF ALL... IM DYING FOR THE 4th CHAPTER OF THE GRUVIA FANFIC YOU’RE WRITING... AND THIRD OF ALL.... I REALLY LOVE IT I CANT SLEEP WAITING FOR THE CONTINUATION SOOO PLSSSSSSSS FEED MY SOUL AND UPDATE THE STORY PLSSSS THANK UUUUUUUU

First of all Anon-san, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH TOO!!! Thank you for your kind words, you have no idea how happy this made me! Life and work got in the way, so I’m sorry that there’s been no update since forever. >__

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sleepy-giggles · 5 years

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“Mine” ♡

Their love is so deep and pure ♡

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sleepy-giggles · 5 years

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when will you publish ch 4 of your gruvia fanfiction? I'm dying for it!

Hi Anon! It makes me so happy that there’s someone looking forward to my next chapter!!

#gruvia #gruvia fanfic

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sleepy-giggles · 5 years

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A World Without You

Hi everyone!! I’ve started a new Gruvia fanfic series recently and thought I’d post the chapters here too. This idea has been in my mind for years now. It’s set after the Alvarez War but with a twist. ^-^ I hope you’ll enjoy!

Click here to read it at FanFiction.Net!

PROLOGUE

He collapsed under the weight of Zeref’s magic.

Gray cursed under his breath as his bloodied knees hit the rough, rocky plains of what was left of Magnolia.

They were so close. It took him and friends almost everything they had to defeat the rest of the Spriggans. But by the time Zeref finally showed his face, everyone was absolutely spent. No one had the spirit nor energy left to face the strongest dark mage in history.

Gray scanned the battlefield in front of him. Lifeless and battered bodies littered the dusty landscape; Zeref’s whirlwind of powerful magic left none unscathed in its path. He was currently in some possessed state after Gray knocked him unconscious. But dark energy was flowing ominously over his body like a tornado.

The rest of Team Natsu was nowhere to be found; they had all separated during their previous battle with the Zeref’s armies. He was now left with Juvia. They were the only two still conscious, but were definitely in no shape to fight. Gray glanced back at the water mage to see her holding her left arm in pain. She was covered in bruises from head to toe, and could hardly stand straight.

It was at this moment that Gray Fullbuster felt like the world’s biggest loser. How did years and years of intense training and dangerous quests lead to this? He couldn’t even hold his ground against Zeref, much less defeat him.

“Gray-sama, watch out!”

Juvia’s voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he looked up in time to see a dark, shadowy creature emerge from Zeref’s unmoving body and headed at lightning speed toward him.

His eyes widened in shock, barely having enough time to reflexively cover his face with this arms.

But whatever that attack was, it never came. Instead, he felt the ground beneath him rumble and vibrate.

Gray slowly preyed open his eyes and saw Juvia standing in front of him, arms outstretched to shield him from the creature. Huge geysers shot out from the hardened soil and merged into a strong shield made of water. Fear gripped his heart; everything about this situation made him uncomfortable. She was just too damn close to that monster.

“Juvia!” Gray called sternly. “Get back, you won’t be able to hold it off for long!” He’s never seen her use this skill before, not even during the six months that they’ve lived together. And he knows that it’s not going to take any regular attack to finish this thing off. It came out of Zeref’s body after all.

Gray is by no means a quitter. But he had enough sense to know that the best chance of them getting out of this alive was to run away and regroup.

If she heard him, then she must’ve ignored him. Juvia knew well enough that they wouldn’t be able to escape far with their injuries. This dark creature was a manifestation of Zeref’s bitterness and hatred for the world. It wouldn’t stop until every available, living thing in its path was eliminated.

Not even looking back once, Juvia continued to summon more and more water from the ground. The powerful streams became steam as soon as they made contact with the shadow. It appeared like the body of the monster was so scorching hot that it melted anything that touched it. However, every time it made impact with Juvia’s water shield, the shadow also shrunk in size.

The problem is, this was the first time Juvia attempted this powerful spell. And with every second that passed, she could feel her body disintegrating cell by cell. Her fingertips and toes were the first to disappear.

She bit down hard on her chapped lips to prevent a gasp from escaping.

It’s happening. The tragic side effects of using this particular magic… she was scared. But even so, if she could protect the person she loved and buy him some time until Natsu and the rest of their friends arrived, it was worth it. It didn’t matter what happened to her.

After all, Gray was in much worse condition than she was. During their battle with Invel, he had pretty much taken all the damage in her place, and had spent most of the fight trying to get her out of harm’s way.

“Juvia, for fuck sakes—” Gray grunted and used every ounce of energy left in his body to pull himself up. “Stop it. You’re in no shape to defeat him right now! Let me handle this—”

“No!” She let the strange, insurmountable magic wash through her being. The geyser shield she created pushed back further on the screeching shadow monster. “Juvia will take care of Gray-sama…”

“Idiot!”

Desperate, Gray limped towards the blue-haired mage and fell. He cursed his useless, broken legs.

The water shield, beautiful and surreal it may be, started to give in to the force of the shadow. Gray held his breath. A crack formed in its perfect, crystalline surface.

“Gray-sama.”

He froze, his blood running cold. There was something in her tone that scared him.

“Words cannot express the joy Juvia has felt getting to know you.”

Crack.

The shield finally broke, sending millions of sharp water fragments into the air.

“Stop talking nonsense!” Gray screamed desperately. “Listen for once and get back here!”

“Please allow Juvia to protect you one last time,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” Gray spat out. “I don’t need your protection—”

It was at that moment that he noticed her arms were gone. So were her feet. Since when? Was she… evaporating?!

“Juvia, your…” he trailed off, almost in disbelief. With every ounce of his willpower, he used his forearms, all bloodied and disfigured, to pull the rest of his body towards her to close the distance. His eyes must be playing tricks on him. That had to be it.

The flow of her magic stopped. And with the last surge of water, it enveloped what was left of the shadow completely and engulfed it. Both elements simmered into nothingness.

The blue-haired mage finally turned around, and the scene that greeted Gray stopped him dead in his tracks. The setting sun gently shined behind her, giving off a holy glow… she was so breathtakingly beautiful. But her flushed, tear-stained face held a number of concerning expressions: guilt, regret, longing… love.

“Please don’t be scared, Gray-sama,” she said softly. At a frightening pace, the spell’s effects claimed the bottom half of her body and continued its ascent. Her flesh flew away as tiny, glistening particles.

“What’s happening…Juvia? What’s happening to you?!” He shrieked, feeling the onset of a panic attack. Gray threw himself forward but fell again in a failed attempt to stand up. What struck absolute fear into his heart was the peaceful look on Juvia’s face. She didn’t seem alarmed by what was happening to her, as if she had already accepted her fate.

Then, she had the audacity to smile. And she gave him the most beautiful, serene smile he’d ever seen in his life.

“There’s no reason to be sad. Juvia will continue to live… through you.”

“NO!” He pushed off with his broken leg once more and flung himself up with his arm outstretched, trying to grasp any part of her that was still visible. “Who said you can do that?! I won’t let you, you’re going to stay right here dammit!”

His hand went right through her body, and he suddenly felt ill. No, this can’t be happening.

More tears flowed down her cheeks as she felt her torso disintegrate and become one with the air. “Juvia's life… will forever and always belong only to you, Gray-sama.”

He screamed.

And screamed… until the last strand of her blue hair evaporated into little orbs of mist… until his voice grew hoarse and sound could no longer come out. Until his eyes became bloodshot from the painful stinging of tears, he screamed. No matter how many times he waved his arms frantically at the space where she just stood, all that was left of her was the cool breeze and a hint of water vapour on his fingertips.

Juvia was gone. Forever.

And she never got to hear his answer.

#gruvia #gruvia fanfic #fairy tail fanfic #fanfic #gray and juvia #Gray X Juvia #gray fullbuster #Juvia Lockser #fairy tail fanfiction

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