The Tale of Tales

Chapter 50

It took them a day and a half but eventually Gray and Gajeel made it to where Juvia had been left. There she was lying in a glass coffin, all in white with flowers in her hair and snow flakes dropping on to the lid of the coffin. Gray felt his entire body tremble when he saw her. He didn't want to believe that she was dead but he was looking at her lifeless body right in front of him so he had no choice but to believe it.

"I'll give you a moment alone." Gajeel said before walking off.

Once he was alone Gray slowly made his way toward the coffin.

"So here you are." He said trying so hard to keep the tears forming in his eyes from falling. "You know when they told me that they decided to put you on display instead of burying you I thought that was pretty creepy but now that I'm seeing you like this I can understand why. You don't look dead. You look like you're just sleeping."

He was right. She didn't look dead at all. Her face wasn't rotten, her body was no where near decay. Her fair skin was still so radiant and her cheeks were still so rosy.

"Oh God why did I leave you alone?!" He cried finally letting his tears fall. He laid his head on the lid of the coffin and did something he hadn't of done since he was eight years old. He cried. The pain in his heart was just too much for him. He couldn't hold his sadness in any longer. He would never forgive himself for leaving her. Never. He convinced himself that if only he hadn't of left her then she would be okay. He should have taken her somewhere far away where Minerva would never find her or be able to hurt her. But he didn't and now she was gone.

As he lifted his head up from the coffin it allowed him to get a glimpse of something. He thought that he had seen Juvia's chest rise. Did she just take a breath? Could she still be alive? He had an idea. He knew it was a long shot and it was very unlikely that it would work but he had to try. Picking up his axe he began to cut through the glass and pry open the coffin. He then lifted her body into his arms and began to gently shake her.

"Breathe!" He shouted desperately. "Breathe! Breathe damn it! Breathe!"

But she didn't respond.

"You're going to be alright! You have to be! Because I came for you! Come on Juvia! I know you can hear me! You don't have to speak or move! Just take a breath!" He brought her head to his chest and rocked, his lips brushed against her forehead. "Please! I love you! I have always loved you! So please! I'm begging you from the bottom of my heart! Please come back to me!"

He brushed her hair aside from her face. She was so beautiful. He wondered how any woman on this face of the Earth could be so beautiful. It seemed unreal. Not sure what else to do, he leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. He had never kissed a woman before and he always wondered what it would feel like. Now he knew and he may never feel it again. Then all too soon his lips released their hold on hers.

More tears fell from his eyes as he came to the conclusion that he was only giving himself false hope and that Juvia was lost to him forever. Suddenly she started coughing and coughing and coughing until at last a hunk of apple came out of her mouth and she took a deep breath followed by a few shorter breaths. Then she opened her eyes.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"You're here with me." Gray said with relief in his voice.

As soon as she heard him she looked in the direction of where his voice came from and when she saw his smiling face she threw her arms around his neck, crying tears of relief.