She wields the key to my heart

2. Gloom

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks since Fairy Tail returned from the spirit realm and once again reunited with their cheery family back home.

But it had also been two weeks since Juvia vanished from their lives.

And if Lucy had to be honest, it had been the worst two weeks of her life.

Staring at the slowly melting whipped cream of her drink, she sighed. Lucy was wondering if she had done everything she could to protect her friends, and ended on the conclusion that she didn't.

She blamed herself for getting everyone in danger, and she faintly remembered the bright red light that one by one took her friends away.

Her drink had been a mess, left out on the bar she was sitting at for almost 45 minutes without being even touched by the blonde which normally had drank it within ten.

She gazed over to her side, seeing a particulairly quiet ice mage chugging down his tenth beer of that night.

It probably would have been more if he hadn't slept in till the afternoon, and she was sure that Cana almost choked on the amount he effortlessly drank away, giving her a new rival to compete with.

And Cana was sure to ask him for a showdown, if she wasn't feeling so darn awful.

Lucy looked up from her thoughts when Natsu took a seat next to her. His usual bright smile was now replaced by a rather stern and somewhat tired expression, he arched the corner his mouth, trying to at least give her a little smile, but the bags under his eyes didn't work with him.

He looked exhausted.

And she probably did as well.

"How are you doing..?" He asked her softly when seeing her sadened eyes, his hand unknowingly rubbing her's and she was sure to kick him square in the face, if she didn't need this gesture so much as she did now.

"Terrible.. Levy and I have no lead, and Leo can't seem to find anything in the spiritworld either.." Lucy said as she finally took a sip from her shake which by now had been almost warm from the themperatuee change,

She flinched when feeling the liquid glide down her throat and gagged as Natsu couldn't help but to chuckle at least a little at her.

"You shouldn't wait too long with something made from ice, Luce."

"Trust me, I know that."

She sighed deeply, this time leaning her chin onto the bar and gaining everyone's attention, but no one dared to question it as they all shrugged it off, knowing how Lucy felt.

"It will be allright. I'm sure we'll get her back."

Lucy smiled, a bit fake as she wasn't sure, but some parts of her smile had been sincere as she truely put fate into his kind words.

"Thank you.."

Natsu gazed over at Gray which had tried standing up, only to fall face first into the floor, his own legs giving up on him as the amount of alcohol had knocked out his senses.

Without hestitation, the dragonslayer had made his way over to his friend and pulled him up so that he could drag him.

"Happy! Care to give me a hand? I belive it's best to put slanty eyes to bed!"

Gray growled, wanting to argue, but his body wouldn't let him and he decided to give in, knowing there was no need in fighting the salamander whilst staying in this vulnerable position.

The blue little cat had immediately flewn over to help his best friend out and started to carry Gray like his life depended on it.

After struggling to even reach the door, his paws gave in and Gray's body dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

"Fuck.." Gray groaned as he felt his head spin, and Happy's faint apologies were heard in the back of his head as he felt himself getting lifted off the floor.

"We'll bring him home. I'm sure Lily's fighting form will manage to carry the prick, perfectly." Gajeel said with a sigh, not wanting to carry Gray home at all, but he knew he had no way of avoiding it.

Besides, if Juvia had been there, she would've killed him if he didn't help her carry this basterd back home.

"I ...can..walk..." Gray slurred, his finger in the sky in an as-a-matter-of-fact way which Gajeel didn't seem to handle.

Just as the iron dragon was about to punch him unconsious, slender fingers had wrapped themselves around his arm.

He quickly turned around to see Levy look at him with pleading eyes, and he gulped, not wanting to ever see this frightened and dissapointed face ever again.

"Don't hurt him Gajeel.. he isn't thinking straight." Levy whispered, her eyes focussed on his and they stayed like that for a moment.

Lily had adjusted Gray's body on his back and waited for Gajeel to come along.

After what felt like enternity, the argument of the century, in Gajeel's mind at least, had come to an end, and the petite bluenette had won.

He nodded, promising he wouldn't hurt the man as he followed Lily outside and into what seemed to be a sudden downpour.

"How..fitting.." Gajeel mumbled and Gray groaned at the same time.

"Tell me about it..." he managed to whisper against Lily's fur, and so the three men left, all getting soaked from head to toe, but they found the rain ever so soothing that day.

The door closed and everyone once again remained silent, even the usual rowdy men had taken a moment of silence, all of which had thought the perky bluenette had passed on the mission.

"How gloomy.." Max stated, looking outside only to get a hit on the head by an enfuriated Erza Scarlet.

"There is nothing gloomy about the rain.." She growled, marching out into the rain to let herself soak in the water droplets that reminded her of her friend, one she had grown rather fond of.

Erza knew what impact she had on the fairy tail members, and in particulair the dense ice mage which slowly started to come loose and began to show his true colours to his friends.

Colours which were absolutely beautiful.

And it took her courage and determination to set them free, and everyone waited in anticipation what was to come next out of the man.

But when she faded like snow in front of the sun, so did Gray's emotions.

Worse even, she took his heart along with her.

A heart the young mage never knew she aquired, and it had been that particulair heart Juvia always fought for with her own.

A tear escaped Titania's eye and rolled it's way down to fall onto the floor, blending in with the tears from heaven, or as Juvia liked to call them, her only friends.

"I'm sorry I failed to protect you." Erza whispered to herself, and when she turned to walk back in, Lucy broke.

The blonde woman began to sob and soon found herself dashing through the open guild doors.

"LUCY!" Natsu cried, wanting to follow her, but she did not respond and faded into the mist.

Lucy wanted to get home, her legs going as fast as they could bring her to the warmth and comfort she desired.

Her heart aching and her tears falling rappidly.

Juvia was gone, and it was all..

Her fault.