Ice-Cold (Gruvia Fairy Tail Fanfic)

Chapter 4: Within the Realm

Oh my God! I know it's been an incredibly long time but I figured it's way past time for me to update this. So here's Chapter 4! I own nothing!

Juvia bit her lip hard to hold back a gasp. Her dark blue eyes scanned the sight before her filled with concern and fear. There wasn't anything the water mage could do about how fast her heart was pounding in her chest. This was the deep trench that had given this town its name of Vendetta Trench. It was like a massive canyon with no bottom. 

Juvia gulped. She looked over to the figure standing quite close to the edge. He still hadn't noticed her presence. Gray's eyes were hard and emotionless as he stared off into the trench's pitch black nothingness for a bottom. A gentle breeze blew past him, almost as if trying to convince him that it wasn't worth the risk. But it was to no avail.

Gray's mind was set. The wind's warning went meaningless as Gray clenched his fist in determination. The ice wizard's eyes blazed. Juvia held her breath. She watched in horror as the man she was so madly in love with leaped into the realm.

It took all of the woman's willpower not to cry out in fear for her beloved. She thanked God that she didn't let a peep out. Juvia sighed. 

"Oh, Gray, darling...please don't do anything reckless," Juvia silently prayed. A few seconds later, Juvia ran to the edge of the cliff and stopped.

She engulfed herself in her Water Lock spell. She gracefully descended into the dark after Gray in the sphere of water. As she neared the bottom, she considered every worst-case scenario. Despite how much she tried to stay positive and have faith in her love, she couldn't command the worry in her heart to vanish.

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It was pitch black. Nothing to be seen. Nothing to detect. None of this mattered to the ice wizard who was nonchalantly sauntering through the everlasting darkness. By some miracle, or quite likely his dark determination, he was having little to no trouble navigating himself through the realm. And he had zero clue of the woman who had followed him out there in the first place.

As Gray continued walking, he couldn't help but let a few memories flash. 

Fighting against his father...

Defeating him...

Being asked to kill him...

The two embracing...

His father becoming glowing orbs that floated into the sky...

Gray shook his head vigorously. Snap out of it, he told himself. Focus on the task at hand. His self-conscious didn't listen. The man couldn't stop thinking about his father. How he died... Gray suddenly remembered when he learned how he died..

It was Juvia. He vividly remembered the tears she spilled while admitting the truth about what she did. He remembered what she had said.

"Juvia...doesn't have the right to love Gray-sama anymore..." she said in between sincere sobs. 

Gray smacked his head. Idiot! It's not her fault, you jerk! How could you think for a second that she did this because she wanted to?!

It was true. It was his father's final wish..to be with his mother, Mika. Juvia wasn't to blame. Gray convinced himself to believe that.

Alright. No more moping over the past. It's time to get this job over with and head back to the guild and beat the crap out of Flamebrain. That's it. That's what Gray wanted. What was he supposed to do again? Oh, yeah! Kick some monster-butt, retrieve the treasure, and head home 800,000 jewel richer. Easy.