Stronger Than You (Graylu)

Lucy's Solo Mission

Lucy's POV

I left Juvia, like I said I would and made my way to the edge of the island where I called out Virgo to take me through the spirit world to the nearest town. I nearly considered just going back to Fairy Tail and just keeping my distance from her for a bit. But that would be turning a blind eye. Something was wrong, and it felt as though it were up to me to figure it out. 

Juvia was acting strangely. She was always strange but this was different. She was angry, short tempered. Today was the first time I'd ever seen her look like she did, and she was looking like that at me. It was disturbing. Over the last year Juvia and I have become good friends. The three of us were a team, her me and Cana. I would trust Juvia to protect my life, but today it looked as though she would be protecting it from herself. At first I thought what happened with Gray had broke her, but then I remembered sitting by that fire. When she cried she didn't get angry or look for a fight. She hugged the closest person as if her life depended on it. Juvia was not a violent person. She was gentle, all love, often too much of it. So something was wrong. It had to be. 

Have you ever had an experience where you are suddenly taken away from a situation and realize what was happening? perhaps you had a friend, subtracted her presence and noticed she had never really treated you right. I had a similar moment of revelation as Virgo dropped me off and I made my way towards the nearest train station. It wasn't just Juvia, it was Cana too. When she was fighting Natsu and Gray she could have taken them out in a second. Perhaps her attacking Natsu at full force made sense, she did like the showman ship of a fight after all, but on Gray she used an unnecessarily painful deck. Her ace cards are brutal, I would only use them if the situation really called for it, and never on a friend. She had so many other and quicker methods: sleep cards, nullifying cards, heat cards, but she chose to go for her most painful option. If it were showmanship that she were looking for there were other options that would look more impressive than just a bright light, and wouldn't hurt as much as that deck. And Cana thought about it. Her move was calculated, she took time to ponder on how to defeat him. It was as though she wanted to hurt someone, just like how Juvia had looked at me today. Like they had no remorse. 

Come to think of it, this started a long time ago. They wanted to keep why we were missing a secret even though Erza disapproved and I'd basically begged them to let her tell. Erza told us how people were crying, suffering. How Guildarts and Macao drank, how Gajeel kept to himself, how Natsu didn't fight and about Grays obsessive behavior trying to find us. They had been family to the guild but were perfectly content with them suffering? That wasn't the Cana and Juvia I knew. They had changed. Someone had influenced them. I'd never really trusted that little black haired girl. And now I know why. 

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Third POV

Where could Lucy have gone? That was the question on almost everyone's mind in Fairy Tail. Those on Tenrou Island had returned to Fairy Tail, hoping that Lucy had mad her way straight there, but their hopes were proved wrong. Cana and Juvia were welcomed back enthusiastically by those left behind at the guild but their happiness was countered by the deep depression that had come learning they still had no idea when Lucy would return. Wendy was perhaps the most emotional, crying of happiness when she realized that he friends were back and then again crying when she noticed the absence of her team member. The sadness turned to anger towards  her friends for letting her get away, like it would with any growing girl. 

And so she ran away, out of the guild. Gray held onto Erza's shoulder as she made a mover after her and shook his head lightly. But it wouldn't be long before she would be back, screaming about something that was coming...

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Lucy's POV 

I had made my way back to Fortier and was heading towards the spot where we had trained. The enchantment was still in place, our old friend had decided to stay for a while longer. She was the one who had cast and maintained the enchantment for us to train within. When I began to feel faint I knew I was close.