Tomb Of Time And Destiny: A Fairy Tail Fanfic

Part Twenty-Five

Erza POV

Natsu and Gajeel went running to the stables for horses just as Mira and Simon appeared in the doorway.

“I am taking her to another doctor,” Gray lied, staring into Juvia’s eyes as he stroked her sweating forehead. “She’s very sick.”

“Let me send a messenger,” Simon said. “They can bring the physician here. We’ll send our fastest rider.”

“No,” Jellal said. “She will not survive another day. She has ingested arsenic. We must try to make it to town.”

Simon and Mira both brought hands to their mouths.

“Please, return to the dining hall and spread word that everything is fine. Keep everyone calm and away from us.”

“But- but Carmen,” I began.

“Leave Carmen to me,” Jellal ground out, pulling aside Juvia’s covers, and wincing as he saw the widening pool of blood on the side of her gown. The wound had opened a full two inches and was now oozing with each twist of her body.

Jellal turned to the others. “Return to the dining hall and keep everyone inside. Distract them, no one can see us leave. If somebody wants her dead, I want them to think they succeeded so we can hunt them down.”

We could hear the clatter of horses’ hooves from outside, through the open doorways.

Mira bent and kissed Juvia’s forehead. “Please be safe, I’ll be waiting for you here when you return.”

“We all will,” Simon said, bending to kiss Juvia’s hand, even as Gray pulled her up and into his arms.

My heart broke for them because they had no idea that this was our last goodbye.

The two turned and scurried out, shouting at servants in the corridor to follow them, return to the feast. Natsu appeared and glanced at Lucy. “You need water? Food?”

“We need nothing but to get her home,” she said, striding past him, Levy hot on her heels. Gray followed them, holding Juvia hard against him. Outside, he handed Juvia to Gajeel for a moment, mounted his horse, then reached for her again. We all rode in pairs so we could sneak away more easily.

He shouted at the tower guards, and the massive gates were opened before us. Would this really be the last time we’d ever see Fairy Tail? I felt a wave of sorrow wash over me at the thought.

We tore down the path, the same path we’d taken the night of the attack on Fairy Tail, and later Phantom Lord. I could tell Gray was struggling to keep is hold on Juvia because we had to stop constantly when the pain became too much for her to bear. Gray almost dropped her due to her constant writhing.

Eventually, we were crossing the creek and climbing the winding path to the top of the hill to where it had all began, where we had first met them. Lucy and Levy were already there with Natsu and Gajeel. Natsu held a torch high, waiting by the tomb’s entrance, his brow a mass of confusion, frustration, and fear. When we were close enough, Gajeel reached out for Juvia and she all but slumped down into his arms. She had tears streaming down her face from the amount of pain she was in.

Gray dismounted and followed us into the tomb’s entrance, then he turned to accept Juvia’s body from Gajeel.

When we reached the center, Jellal looked up at Levy, who stood near the handprints, waiting. “You just touch those, and you’ll be gone? Back to where you came from?”