He Came To Collect (A Gruvia FanFiction)

Chapter 06 - Happy's Sacrifice

Chapter 06 - Happy's Sacrifice
[Updated: 10/08/2015. Unedited]
(AN: This chapter was meant to be yesterday, so I'm really sorry. And also, yes; this chapter is exactly what it sounds like. Have fun!)

❅~~~☁ ~~~♥~~~☁ ~~~❅

Natsu stopped at the base of a towering mountain, crossing his arms and planting his feet firmly. He sniffed the air one last time, just to be sure, then nodded in satisfaction. The rest of the group stopped behind him.

'Definitely leads up there,' the dragon slayer said. 'Juvia's somewhere on that mountain.'

'Can't you track her any further?' Lucy asked, frowning up at the peak that disappeared somewhere into the clouds.

Natsu shook his head, 'Somethin' smells funny. Its blocking the scent.'

'Funny like what?' Lucy wondered cautiously

Natsu sniffed again and tipped his head like an inquisitive child, 'Like fire, but bitter. And darkness. Really, really darkness.'

Lucy sweatdropped, 'I don't think that sentence makes sense.'

Gray was forced to crane his neck to see halfway up the snow sprinkled landmark. From the bottom to midway was a sea of lush green forests. Further up, the ground turned to rubble and rock, and finally snow. The transition from green to grey to white was smooth and almost indistinguishable. Even from here, the cool air from the mountaintop wafted down onto the small group of four.

Happy shivered and dived into Lucy's backpack, the tips of his blue ears poking out the top, 'Wake me up when it's warm!'

'Hey!' Lucy protested.

'Wow, Lucy, I didn't think you'd bring underwear like this on a mission.'

'Okay, that's it, you stupid cat!'

In a flurry of yellow and blue, the two went tumbling down into the grass, fighting over a lacy pink bra that Happy was attempting to show Natsu, while Lucy pulled on his tail and shouted insults. Gray ignored the fuss and continued his examination of the ascent.

'You one hundred percent sure?' he asked again.

'One hundred percent,' the pinkette confirmed, nodding. 'Definitely Juvia's scent; rainwater and snow.'

'Snow?' Gray repeated.

Natsu nodded again, and ruffled up the back of his hair semi consciously, 'Yeah, weird.'

The ice mage's gaze drifted back to the mountain and up at the white topped peak like a pudding sprinkled with powdered sugar.

'Yeah,' he murmured. 'Weird.'

Natsu's eyes narrowed, 'What are you thinking?'

'None of this makes any sense,' Gray shook his head. 'Why would Juvia's father have to steal her back?'

'It's not that confusing,' Natsu frowned, as if trying to determine whether it should or shouldn't be considered at a level of puzzlement. 'Right? I mean, it happened with Luce's dad.'

Gray wouldn't meet his eye; he just couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from the mountain where, if Natsu was to be believed, the water mage was somewhere being held captive by her own father.

'Maybe. But something just doesn't sit right.'

'That's 'cause you're in denial,' Natsu slapped his shoulder good naturedly with a huge smirk. 'You liiiiiiiiiike her.'

'You've been spending way too much time with Happy.'

'Denial! Denial!'

'What goes around comes around, Flame Head.'