Juvia's True Self

Chapter 3

The morning sun dawned over Fairy Tail, illuminating the warmth and love within it. The edges of the building seemed to glow in beautiful bliss in the eyes of an approaching guild member. She couldn't be happier to see her beloved home after her long trip. Juvia paused to take in the scenery and comfort. The Rain Woman took a deep breath and sighed in relief. She was safe from the world, safe from its problems. She was finally home.

The entrance doors seemed heavier as the blue water mage pushed her way through, only to see a few wizards starting their morning. She wanted to talk to the master about her experience but her feet disagreed. Every step she took was another agonizing pain on her body. She immediately sat at the closest seat and ached in pain. She tried looking around to spot Makarov but her exhaustion was getting the best of her.

"Juvia can't sleep!"

"JUVIA NEEDS THE GUILD MASTER!"

Juvia knew she wouldn't be able to tell Makarov anything while she was fighting to keep her eyes open and decided to take a short rest. Slowly bowing her head in her arms, she drifted to sleep.

I DON'T WANT TO FORGET!

I CAN'T FORGET!

PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME FORGET!

Her eyes shot open as she jerked her head up in fear.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

The water mage turned to the source of the voice. "Huh?... Oh, Juvia is sorry. She didn't know you were there." She apologized as she looked up at Macao.

Her gaze was unfocused as her blinks became longer.

"No worries, I was just checking on you." He said, noticing her hair was disheveled along with her clothes.

"Oh Juvia is alright." Struggled to maintain eye contact. "She's just a little tired."

"You should head home, I'm sure a bed is a lot more comfy than a wooden table." He worried. Her eyes were half shut and her arms struggled to keep her balanced. She looked like she hadn't slept for days.

Her eyes widened slightly as the thought of solitude shook her soul.

She couldn't be alone. Her whole trip back to the guild was endless fear of her psychic reading. The voices of her childhood heartaches would rush to her mind. Cursed, gloom, menace ...It's all Juvia. She would repeat. She couldn't bear anymore, there was no way she could be alone in her house. She needed to be around the ones she loved and the ones who cared about her.

"Juvia is alright," she lied as she gathered all her remaining strength to fake a smile. "She's just taking a short nap."

"Are you sure? You know you can talk to us if something is wrong." He offered

"J-Juvia is tired... Juvia is just tired."

"...Okay, if you need me I'll be over there." He pointed to his good friend Wakaba.

"Okay," she said, lowering her head.

He walked away looking over his shoulder, he wondered what job she was out on.

"What's wrong with her?" Wakaba asked with a cigar in his mouth.

"Not sure, she doesn't have any wounds but she looked like she was up against Erza. She sounded worried but didn't want to talk about it."

"We should keep our eyes on her just in case."

Hours passed as Juvia remained still in her spot attracting more looks from those around her. Small jerks and slight whispers slipped out as she rested. Nightmares flooded her mind, echoes grew into screams, something broke out and she didn't know what or who it was.

Her guild members knew something was off but couldn't have known how severe her troubles truly were. The only thing they knew was making sure to inform Makarov about this problem.

Half an hour passes and Mirajane has made Juvia her top priority.

"Macao, what did she tell you again?"

"Nothing, she just seemed exhausted. What mission did she take?"

"She didn't take a mission, I saw her all excited about a wizard she found out about." Elfman stated, looking back at her.

"Was this Gray?! What did he say to her?!" Mirajane growled angrily.

"It can't be. Their little team went on a mission a day before she left." Wakaba said, letting out a puff of smoke.

Mira's anger turned to worry. "Well if she's not talking to us, she must be waiting for the master. Thankfully he's returning soon."