***
Tonight stars seem to be shining less than usual for some reason. The moon stole their spotlight, glowing like never before. It almost seems unnatural.
It's quiet. The only thing I can hear right now is the sound of light wind under the moonlight and occasionally some animals running past the castle. They were looking for a place to hide from the cold December.
Everything can be described in two colors. Black and white. The black sky and everything else white, buried in snow which seems to keep falling and falling until it buries every other colour in the world.
It's amazing how much you can see when you just open your eyes, even when you're looking trough the window like I am right now. The nature around you...You can't touch it but you can still feel it.
Nostalgia. It's taking over my heart. The memories of my family flashing trough my mind in the speed of light. The snow, my family...Deliora...and Ur.
And once again I start reliving my memories, one by one, the good and the bad...I've lost a lot of people who were precious to me. My mom, my dad, Ur...all of them...
Turning my look towards the bed I see Juvia peacefully sleeping, hugging her blankets so tightly like a little child awaiting for her mother to warm her up.
She lost her family like I did. Life was so cold to her. Her fears, sorrow and pain were being washed away by the only thing she had left, rain. It used to be her only friend.
But now she's got Fairy Tail.
Just like I found a new family here she found her place as well. With us...with me. I'm not going to let her go like everyone else did. I'm going to protect that beautiful smile on her face...
No matter who I'm up against, I'll protect her. Even if it means going against Black on my own...
I slowly walked to the bed and laid close to Juvia, now starting to think about the today's meeting. Nothing has been decided yet. They don't want to rush things, I understand that, but if we don't do something soon they might come looking for us...
As I was lost in my thoughts Juvia found her way to me and put her head on my chest. I pulled her closer to an embrace and closed my eyes trying to empty my mind and sleep.
But I just can't shake this strange feeling in my heart...the stars are too pale, this breeze seems unusually cold...
I guess It's just in my head.
***
"Ur!", I said happily running towards her to give me a hug. She's here...She's standing right in front of me, hugging me tightly. I can touch her, I can feel her embrace...She's with me like she never left...
Why do I feel so cold though. Something feels really odd. Her hug isn't warm, it's cold as ice making me cold as well so I broke the hug, but as soon as I did it she started to disappear, cracking into pieces just like ice.
Wait...what's happening here? What is happening to you Ur!
'Ur!', My struggles were pointless...She couldn't hear me, she couldn't feel me...my voice was getting quieter and quieter by every second passing. She turned into dust rising up to the stars.
Then everything turned dark, like in a theater play when they lower the curtains when an act ends. A thousand questions flashing trough my head. No answers though.
Seconds later I found myself in the backyard of my house standing in front of my parents. Their smiles can warm someone's heart in an instant. I know they made my heart warm every time...and this time was not an exception.
But suddenly, for some reason, the ground beneath us started to shake. I know this feeling...But it can't be...
The ground kept shaking more and more, as if a monstrous being was walking towards us. Can it be...? No! I'm wrong. I have to be wrong...But I'm not...
He stood right behind my parents, his cold red eyes staring directly at mine. Deliora, who killed everyone I cared about...what is he doing here?
'Run!', I tried to scream, 'Mom, dad, please run away!', I tried but it was futile. My voice is paralyzed, only letting out weak whispers as hard as I try. I tried to run towards them but it's the same case with my body. Useless...powerless...I can only hope for the better.
My pulse is getting faster by every passing moment. Please don't let it end like this...please, someone help them...
He raised his gigantic foot a few feet above their heads. I started panicking, screaming inside my head. They looked at me and smiled, like they aren't noticing anything.
It seems like Deliora was getting inpatient so he just started lowering his foot closer and closer to my parents, intending to kill them like they're some kind of insects.
I can't move. I can't scream. I can't do anything but watch. I'm trying, though. I'm screaming inside me, trying to reach them but I can't...He is going to crush them...Someone tell me what I should do?!!
Am I too late? His foot is just a few inches away from their heads! No! This isn't happening! Someone, anyone! Help!!
Make it stop!!!
Darkness
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I'm in that dark place again but this time I am covered in sweat and my heart is beating faster than ever before. Why is this happening? What the hell is happening to me!
Before I got an answer to those questions I found myself on a different location again. This time it was in a mountain covered with snow.
Am I alone this time? Am I going to suffer anymore? My questions just got an answer. It was her, Juvia, standing ten feet away from me. She gave me her charming smile making me melt, but somewhere inside I knew something would go wrong.
I need to stay close to her.
My body started moving this time as I was trying to get near her. I walked and walked but it seemed like I didn't get any closer whatsoever.
I started moving faster and faster but I still couldn't get any closer. What is happening here?
The strange thing is that, whenever I ask myself a question I get some kind of answer immediately after. So there he is, Black Andrews, making his way towards her.
What does he want with her? What the heck is he doing here! My mind is going crazy, trying not to think about the worst case scenario but what did I actually get untill now? Always the worst case scenario. Death.
Is he going to kill her right before my eyes?! No way I'm letting that happen!
My legs started obeying me this time but the more I ran the more I felt like I actually got further away from her.
This time actual tears started falling on my cheeks. I want her to be safe. Why does this have to happen? Why do they have to take Everything away from me!
This is the same as before. I'm powerless...my struggles are useless...I can't protect anyone...He managed to get near her, smirking triumphantly, making me lose my mind.
His magic started to inflict her unbearable pain. She screamed and screamed and I hopelessly ran and ran...
"Help me!", her voice started to get into my head, "Gray! Help me!", she screamed.
'Gray!', I'm on my knees, tears flowing down my cheeks, my mind trembling with her every scream...
'Gray', her voice in my head started to get quieter and quieter. She is going to die...like everyone else. And I can't do a thing about it...
'Gray'
.
.
.
"Gray!", I suddenly opened my eyes hearing Juvia's voice. Was that all just a dream? It felt so real, though.
"Gray, we must get going!", she said with worry and fear in her eyes. She is safe. She's here with me. What a relief, seeing her standing beside me.
"Hey, calm down. Tell me what's happening", I asked, now feeling concerned myself. Something must have happened while I was sleeping, but what?
"It's Black", she said and my eyes widened, "We're under attack! Everyone else is already fighting. We have to help them!", she said trying to hold back her tears.
What!? How can this be happening? We were too slow. I can't believe he actually managed to regroup this fast...
Wait, what am I thinking! Juvia's right. No time for questions. I have to hurry! I changed my clothes in an instant making Juvia blush a little but that doesn't matter right now.
"Let's go", I said and ran towards the battlefield as fast as I could. She stayed behind, after I literally had to order her to, because she would be safer and I wouldn't have to worry about her getting injured.
"You finally woke up from your sweet dreams, Ice Princess?", Natsu said when I finally got there. He was fighting against a mage. He didn't even stand a chance against Natsu, though.
"This is no time for jokes, Flame Brain", I said and attacked the first guy I came across.
"What's the status?", I asked when I defeated him, surprisingly easily though.
"There is a lot of them but they aren't nearly as strong as us. No sign of Black or Nathan", Erza replied confirming my doubts.
"I admit it is kind of strange", Lucy added, "But I guess they want to make us as tired as possible when they show up. In other words, they don't care about these mages here. They are just using them", she stated and we all nodded in agreement.
"Tsk. Those bastards are so afraid of us that they had to go this far...", I said, "It really makes me doubt their abilities...", I said thinking about if there could a limiter to their power...
"Ha. As if we would be scared of insects like you!", sais a voice all too familiar to me...So he came after all. My ex friend. Nathan Andrews.
"Why don't you go and face me right now you coward!", I said.
"He doesn't have to dirty his hands on some scums like you", a male voice behind Nathan said. He's finally here. Black Andrews.
"Take that back you dumbass!", Natsu yelled getting really angry.
"We all know who is the dumbass here, don't we?", he and Nathan burst out laughing, obviously trying to make Natsu angry. Before I could say anything he already charged an attack against Black.
Black just lifted his arm and blew Natsu away using some kind of dark Fire magic. It can't be...
"Fire Demon Slayer magic...", I thought out loud.
"Yeah, Ice boy. That's correct", he said as a response to my statement. That's going to be just trouble for us.
Fully mastered demon slayer magic is very powerful especially when you have an amazing power boost like him. I'm referring to his Helio powers.
"Now, what did you say about me being scared, Ice boy", Black said making his way towards me with a dark aura around him. The pressure I feel just by looking at him is tremendous. What amazing power...
"No time to be scared now. Let's beat the crap out of this guy together!", Natsu said and rushed towards him, everyone else following him behind. With just one blow his magic blew us all away.
No matter how many times we tried we could only manage to scratch him at most. How is this possible, though. His magic...How can he be so powerful? Is there even a chance for us to win this? All of us are almost at our limit already...
"Gray", Erza said, standing up in front of me, "You remember what we planned to do if it comes to this, don't you?", she said with a commanding voice.
Of course I do. When we couldn't make a decision after the meeting Erza and I stayed a little longer to talk about what should we do in this kind of situation. We predicted something like this happening but not this soon...
Anyways, we agreed that if it comes to this I would run to a certain place with Juvia and keep her safe until she learns to control her magic and becomes able to beat Black. This, of course, ment leaving everyone else behind.
"No! I'm not doing that Erza! We can still win this fight...together...", I said trying to sound as confident as possible but it just sounded like I was lying to myself...
The situation got so hopeless that we all already know we don't stand a chance. But I want to fight, I don't want to run. I don't want to leave everyone behind!
"Get yourself together, Gray", she said, "I talked with everyone. They agreed to this already", she stated, "And if you don't do this everyone's efforts will just be wasted!"
"But Erza...!"
"We have to follow our play, Gray. So go already! I'll distract him as long as I can!"
We still need to follow that heck of a dangerous plan we agreed to follow when I helped Black escape...
I turned my look towards everyone else, one by one, and they all nodded and smiled. I know the situation, I know everything but they are literally asking me to leave my family behind and run.
How can they even expect me to do that? Isn't there any other way?!
I know the answer to that question already, though. No.
"Fine", I said with anger bursting within my voice, "But if any of you die here", I said, now with some tears falling on my cheeks, "I will never forgive you!", I screamed loudly enough so every member of Fairy Tail around could hear me.
"Go", Erza just smiled and I started to run. I know it was a forced one because I could feel it was replaced with a sad one as soon as I turned around.
They entrusted me this one mission: to protect Juvia and to get her somewhere safer. My heart was breaking because of what I had to do but I know this was the right decision.
Juvia should be in her room right now, safe and sound, like I told her to. She's probably safe for now, or at least I hope so...
A/N
Ohayo Minna!
It's me again. As always, thank you for reading. I would appreciate if you leave your thougts in the comments and vote if you liked it.
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