Juvia POV
Traffic on the road increased as we got closer to the town- wagons on carved wooden wheels, chickens in twig cages, small boys driving tired milk cows- but it was the towns high, red walls that captured my attention. The town looked pristine, clean, and grand. I gawked at the many towers, careful not to lean too much on my bruised thigh as I leaned back slightly.
We rode forward, ignoring the pigs and goats that were nearly trampled in our wake, as well as their irate keepers. ‘Sorry!’ I winced slightly. The people divided before us, as if they knew that we came from Fairy Tail, and on we climbed, curving up the cobblestone street.
If Lucy and Levy are here, they’re most likely in the middle of town. My heart surged with hope and excitement. It took everything in me to maintain my place in line and submit to the dull, clopping rhythm of our train. Erza looked just as anxious to race past the others and search for them.
‘What if they’re there, now? Giving up on us? Wandering off, deciding to try somewhere else?’ I shake my head to clear any negative thoughts from it. ‘No! Juvia must have hope! Stay there, Lu and Lev. If you’re here, stay there.’
“Oi, what’s wrong?” Gajeel asked, peering down at me.
“Juvia is just eager to get to the middle of town,” I said.
“Oh, we can go after we greet Ava's family,” Natsu said. “We’ll go right after.”
Erza and I looked at him in horror. “No, you don’t understand. We need to know right away if they’re there, waiting us.”
They studied us closely. “And what if they’re not?”
Not there? If they weren’t here, where could they be? I wasn’t ready to deal with the idea that they hadn’t made the jump at all. To think we were all alone here, with only each other to help figure out a way back. Natsu lets out a high pitched whistle and makes a circle motion with his finger. Gray and Jellal look at us then back to them and nod. Natsu turned back towards us and grinned. "Shall we go?"
We nod gratefully and I begin to check out every blonde I saw while simultaneously keeping an eye out for a small bluenette, but I seemed to be the only bluenette here, given how people openly stopped and gawked at my blue hair and Erza’s fiery red hair. We ignored the hushed whispers and the occasional ‘Witch..’ comment that slipped from the crowds and continued to search among the people, but all the blondes in the town were dull compared to Lucy’s bright gold-like hair. Erza placed a comforting hand on my shoulder when it began to slump slightly.
“Don’t lose hope Juvs,” Erza whispered in english. “Maybe they’re on their way to the middle of town now, on this very street.” I nodded and sat up straighter.
##########
“Drink,” Gajeel demanded me, brooking no argument.
I blinked at him and the cup he was holding for a moment before taking it from his grasp. Tears begin to fill my eyes and my shoulders shake slightly as I swirl the cups contents absentmindedly while staring down at it. We didn’t find them in the middle of town. We searched and asked around, but no one has seen anyone that matched either of their descriptions. I grip the cup tightly in an attempt to compose myself. Erza places her hand gently over mine and squeezes it.
‘Juvia is not alone. Juvia must have hope!’ Taking a deep breath I drink the water in one gulp and lean my head back on the wall behind me.
“I take it, you didn’t find them?” Natsu said while approaching.
I shook my head. “Juvia thought for a moment she saw someone that resembled Lucy in hair and stature but it was not her. Lucy is far more beautiful than that woman I saw.”
Natsu’s green eyes widened with wonder. “I will help you all the more in your mission to find them!” he declared loudly.
Erza and I giggled nervously at his antics. I had no doubt Natsu would fall in love with Lucy, we weren’t kidding when we said she was pretty. We were more worried about her accidentally breaking his poor heart when we leave! Or, heaven forbid, he might even ask for her hand in marriage! Lucy would absolutely freak out. They did seem to wed pretty young in this dimensions age. We need to get back to the tomb with Lucy and Levy ASAP. It was our only logical way back home. But our last two encounters in the woods told we couldn’t get there alone, sword or not. We needed an escort. And that would take some serious finagling.
“Come on,” Gajeel gruffed. “We’ve delayed your introductions long enough.”
I sigh and stand up following close behind them as they lead us up a flight of stairs, to a grand salon that took up the entire length of the building on this level. Gray, Ava, Jellal, and Carmen were sitting beside a small, gray-haired man who sat in a throne-like chair, telling him tales of our journey. He frowned in fear and then clapped in glory when he heard of his daughter’s climb to safety. Ava looked up then, and caught sight of us.
“And these, these, Father, are the heroic woman who came to our rescue.” Ava rushed over to me and dragged me to him, Carmen doing the same to Erza. I felt like a giraffe next to her, being inspected by a new zookeeper. “They pulled swords from their saddles and wielded them like fierce warriors!”
He studied us, then rose and took my hand. He looked up at me. “I am indebted to you,” he said. He bent and kissed my hand, then he turned and did the same to Erza. Erza and I blushed heavily in embarrassment and struggled to respond. “My daughter tells me you have become separated from your family,” he continues. “In gratitude to you, my sole goal will be to see you reunited.”
“Thank you,” Erza said sincerely, speaking for the both of us. I was too busy trying not to cry, he was being so kind and genuine it brought tears to my eyes.
“You are exhausted. The day has clearly tired you. Someone will see you to your room, and we will speak more of it this evening, or if you prefer, tomorrow. Good?”
“Thank you,” I manage to say. Ava bent to speak in a servant’s ear, and the woman came over to me. “Come, Miss. I'll see you two to your quarters.”
We followed behind her, Erza helped me limp up the stairs, rejecting the servants offer to help. At the top, the woman pulled a ring of keys from her belt and unlocked the first along the hallway. I peered down it there appeared to be about eleven more. She opened it and gestured inward. “Please.”
I limped forward and went directly to the window of the narrow room. There two beds, a chair, a table, and this, the window, overlooking the town. I pushed open the shutter and looked down on the well. People swirled about it, but no blondes or tiny bluenettes among them.
##########
We awakened to maids knocking on our door.
“We are here to assist you with your baths.” They said. My eyes widen and Erza and I looked at each other nervously. 'Juvia is perfectly capable of bathing herself…’ But even now I could feel the dirt and grime from our trip and we were more than eager to wash it off asap, and something told me that arguing with these maids would only bring unwanted attention to us, so we followed them.
########
“Um… Erza?” I said. “What is that?” I point to the two beautiful dresses laying on our beds.
We stood there gaping for a moment before slowly approaching what I could only equate with a wedding gown. Except, the one on Erza's bed was an elegant green dress and the one on my bed was light purple. It seemed to be endless too! It just kept coming, yards and yards of fabric.
Too scared to actually touch it, I step back to marvel at it some more. It looked like the finest silk I had ever seen. But the waist was so narrow I wondered if we would even be able to get into it. Dimly, I remembered one of the servants saying something about how Erza's dress had been meant for Simon’s nuptials and that my dress had once belonged to Grays mother.
Erza turned to me, her eyes asking "Can we really wear that? I mean, they don't really symbolize the best of things..."
I was silent for a moment. "Does it matter? We have nothing else to wear to a ball and Juvia is certain they won't allow you to waltz in there in all your armored glory..."
'Besides, these dresses are so gorgeous it would hurt not to wear them.' I thought while placing a careful finger over it. Erza sighed and said. “Guess we better start working on the ten-mile run that will allow us to sweat off enough weight to wear it tomorrow.”
I eyed the narrow hourglass of a bodice and shuddered. I wasn’t going to be able to breathe all night, let alone dance. Suddenly, I wished Gray's mother had been a large matron instead, given to tent dresses rather than tight-fitting gowns designed to draw the eye of every man in the room. I shook my head in wonder. “She must have been amazing… Juvia wishes she could have met her.”
A knock sounded at our door, causing me to jump. “Just a moment!” Erza called as we quickly put on our regular clothes.
Natsu stood there, a crooked grin on his lips. “You’ve been cooped up in this room all day!
Lets go!” he said, lifting his hand. “You can see the entire town well where I’ll take you. Also, I do believe we owe you a lesson in dancing.”
Gajeel grumbled something under his breath.
I lifted my brows. I mean, I know I asked, but I didn't think he'd actually pull through!
“Come, come,” Gajeel said in annoyance, flicking his fingers, sensing my hesitation. “I want this hour done with already. I already found someplace private where we can practice.”
I studied him a moment before grinning widely. It was far better to suffer embarrassment with him, someplace private, rather than in the middle of a ballroom floor.
Erza POV
They lead us up a narrow stair, then another, and still another, until Gajeel pulled Juvia into a large empty ballroom and Natsu lead me up another flight of stairs that lead to the rooftop. I turned, full-circle, in wonder at the view. Past the towers and the town wall, I could see miles of green rolling hills. “It is marvelous,” I said.
“Ehh, it's alright,” he grinned. He closed the door and then turned to stare at me, crossing his arms. “So, how much dance do you actually know?”
“Umm.. None?”
“Hmm. Okay then! I enjoy a challenge.” Natsu stepped forward, determined. He placed my right hand on his shoulder and grabbed my left hand.
“Okay, first bring your feet together and then step forward with left foot. Yes, like that! Now, step to right side with right foot and bring feet together again. Mmhm! Now step backwards with right foot and step to left side with left foot. Bring your feet together again aaaand let's take it from the top!”
I nodded and moved into his arms. We made it through the first three counts, and then I missed the step. He released me and then looked at me, his eyes slightly narrowed, as if exasperated, as if we had gone through it a hundred times.
“That was once! How many times were you taught?”
He cocked a brow, apparently reluctant to give me room to fail. He flicked his fingers forward. “Let’s give it another try,” he said tiredly, acting as though we’d been at it all night. “This time, close your eyes. Think only of the rhythm.”
I sighed, trying to get above my frustration. I closed my eyes and listened to the beat of the dance, along with his counting, feeling the shifts, the pause at the end, then resuming. “Good, good,” he encouraged.
On and on he went. “Ahh, yes. That is it. Perfect!” he said.
I couldn’t fight the smile forming on my face. “I’m going to release you for a moment, but keep going, as if someone else is taking my place.”
His hands left me, but then slid back in place, at my waist, but wrapping a bit more behind my back this time, as if a tiny bit more possessive.
My eyes fluttered open and encountered Jellal.
I stopped, glancing at Natsu, his profile aglow in the setting sun. He shrugged “He wanted to brush up on his dancing skills.” I looked up to Jellal and stared hard into his eyes. “He wanted to brush up on his dancing skills with sword-carrying girl with a thing for running off?” I asked.
“Tonight that is my wish,” he said, his voice strangely husky, his eyes unwavering. He began to count off the dance again, and I, apparently devoid of will, followed it.
“Has Natsu taught you this one?” he asked, raising both hands to me, palm up.
I frowned and shook my head, then glanced toward Natsu. He was gone. I sighed. I was alone with Jellal, receiving a dance lesson. This was a disaster waiting to happen. I could do nothing but place my hands in his.
“This is an eight-count dance,” he said, staring down at me with all earnestness.
He dropped my hands and counted it out, as if I were in his arms, closing his eyes, turning at the fifth count, and again at the seventh.
“Tricky,” I said, raising a brow.
“The key is following your partner’s lead,” he said, a teasing glint in his eyes. He cocked his head. “Tell me Erza, can a woman who can wield a sword find her place on the dance floor?”
“I think they’re very similar,” I said, moving toward him, placing my hands in his. “Swordplay is a dance of sorts, except that in a fight, one must take the unexpected step. In dance it is all about taking the right, expected step.”
He began counting the dance, turning me at count five and seven. I moved with him, without hesitation, and the eighth count found my left hand in his, at chest level, and my right hand above my head, facing him. Our mouths were inches away from each other. “I believe you have this mastered, Erza,” he said, still not releasing me, still staring into my eyes.
“I believe you have taught me well,” I returned, staring steadily back at him, my heart pounding in my chest so hard I swear he could hear it. We continue to stare at each other. My eyes widen as I realized the small space between us was becoming even smaller. Until.....until...
I suddenly turned away when thoughts began to cascade through my mind. Whatever I thought was happening here, could not.
It could cost a great deal. For me. For him. For Fairy Tail.
“Erza?” he asked. “Erza,” he said, dropping his tone, in such an enticing manner, I nearly turned.
“You need to go, Jellal,” I said. “Leave. Juvia and I…. We only represent danger for you. Loss. All you need is below us, in this house.”
Jellal was silent for a moment, before quietly responding. “How can you be so certain? Maybe there is something else for me. Something no one even saw coming?”
My heart pounded in my chest even more. He was speaking of me. I drew in a shaky breath. What could I promise him? A girl who would disappear into the future? No, it wasn’t fair….
Gathering my courage, and bracing myself for a life full of regret I speak.
“Jellal, I have a fiance…”
A/N: HAHAHAHAHAHA I'M SORRY I JUST HAD TO!!! AHAHAHAHAHA!!!! OK ON THE THE REAL THING:
I looked back to give him a pretty speech, some small comfort, but he was already gone through the gaping door.
I stared for a long time at that empty doorway, recognizing that I had killed any chance to be with the hottest guy I had ever run across. But it was for a good reason, a solid reason. I was being responsible.
I tried to swallow the regret that filled my throat, tried to feel assured, courageous. But I couldn’t even manage that.
My mouth was dry.
And my heart was empty.