TAINTED. GRUVIA

07*

挑発 provocation;

Juvia 水

"Gray!" I woke up in cold sweat, clutching my shirt right where my heart was.

"He's dead," a reply came almost immediately. Alexe.

"What are you doing here? In my room?" I questioned, eyeing the mimic mage suspiciously. "Get out."

I propped herself up on my elbows, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. It was irritating having to wake up as it is, but seeing this guy's smug face in the morning? Dreadful.

"I was checking to make sure you were okay," Alexe explained, "one surely can't have a strong mental state after killing so many of their friends."

I shifted uncomfortably and looked down at my hands. They all died by those hands. "You did it, didn't you?"

"Did what?"

"You sent me that note," I gritted my teeth. I clenched my hand in a fist tightly, till my nails began to cut into my skin. "That one," I pointed with my free hand to a crumpled-up note on the nightstand.

the roses have wilted

the violets have died

the demons run circles

over and over in my head

"Wilted, died... what is this garbage?" Alexe laughed a little. "Is this some creepy rendition of that cheesy, generic love poem?"

I said nothing, the pressure in my hands tightening. Blood started to trickle from my fist.

"I don't know who sent you this crap, but there's no meaning behind it. So you might as well just toss it away and be done with it," Alexe said with a chuckle.

"It does mean something!" I snatched the parchment from his hands. "See—wilted, died—it's talking about my friends-"

"Friends?" Alexe asked, his expression darkening. It looked menacing.

"My... old friends," I corrected. "It's to provoke me. It's about me killing them and going crazy."

"If anyone, it was probably Fullbuster trying to mess with you," Alexe said, looking at me. He then shook his head and sighed. "Don't—don't give me that look. He's ice, you're water; it just doesn't work. He was bound to freeze your heart and he did."

I looked away from him, down at the parchment. The blood from my fist bled into the paper, staining it red. "He's dead, right? It doesn't matter."

"Right." Alexe confirmed and turned on his heel to leave. "Juno."

"What?"

"It's raining."

Lucy 天体

Sting is dead.

Gajeel is dead.

Levy is dead.

And now, Gray is dead.

I sat in a barstool, face pressed against the cool surface of the table. My eyes were puffy and red from crying and I kept sniffling. My blonde hair, usually up in a ponytail, was left down.

All I had been doing for the past day was recalling the good memories I had with my friends, with Levy, with Gray. And now, they're all gone.

The whole guild was in turmoil.

Master wanted revenge. Oh, he wanted to crush Pandora. Unfortunately, no one knew where their base was located. How Sting, Gajeel, Levy, and Gray found it? Nobody knew. How did Juvia get there?

Oh, Juvia.

I couldn't believe my dear friend could possibly kill them, especially Gray. There definitely had to be more to the story. It just didn't make sense. Juvia was clumsy, awkward, but kind—there was no way she could be a cold-hearted killer.

"Why don't we just give up... we won't lose anyone else if we stop looking for them," Droy suggested.

"How could you say that?" Natsu growled. "I don't know about you but I sure as hell am taking revenge for Sting, and Gajeel, and Levy... and Gray."

Erza showed a sad smile. "Gray..."

"I'm going to look for Juvia," I chimed in.

"Juvia?" Natsu exclaimed and the whole guild stared in bewilderment.

"Lucy, you can't be serious," Mira frowned, "Juvia... she's dangerous now. She's the one who killed our nakama."

"Juvia is still Juvia!" I cried out. "No, I can't forgive her for what she's done, but there has to be a reason. Juvia wouldn't... she wouldn't do something like that!"

"Lucy, Mirajane's right," Erza advised. "I don't know what happened to Juvia, and I don't think she's that kind of person, but it's far to dangerous to confront her."

Master quietly sat cross-legged on a table and listened, eyes closed. The worry he felt was evident in the way the corners of his mouth turned down and how dark the circles under his eyes were.

Finally, he spoke in a voice as hollow as an ancient tree, "We will pursue Pandora. I won't let my family die and not be avenged."

He spoke words worthy of applause, but there was only silent understanding.

"I'm going," I spoke up. "I want to go."

"We're coming too," Natsu spoke on behalf of Happy. "Erza?"

"I'm staying." Erza said. "Pandora is sending troops to attack us. I want to stay on behalf of the guild and fight. It was... Gray's last order for me."

"Then it's the three of us." Natsu said, turning to me. In any other case, he would have a big grin on his face and shining eyes; however, those shining eyes were dark and his grin were a frown. "You, me, and Happy."

"I want to come too," Wendy spoke up, holding Carla in her hands.

"No, not you, Wendy," Natsu patted the wind mage's head. "It's too dangerous."

"I can handle dangerous!"

"I don't doubt that for a second. But I think you should stay here and protect the guild."

I understood. Maybe Wendy couldn't understand but she had to stay at the guild. Natsu wouldn't be able to forgive himself if something happened to Wendy.

Wendy sighed and finally gave in, to Natsu's relief.

"So it's decided. Natsu, Lucy, and Happy will go find Pandora while Fairy Tail prepares for battle." Macarov announced.

There was a chorus of cheers but at the same time, not a sound.

Natsu spoke in a low voice, "Let's go find Juvia."

Gray 氷

It's so dark.

Everything hurts.

Am I dead?

I can't feel anything.

I can't see.

I-

"Gray."