Previously:

"Haven't Natsu asked you, yet?", Cana asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Ask me what?"

"Uh... Oops?"

"Cana...", she growled warningly.

And as ironic as it sounds, Cana seemed to be threatened because she laughed nervously, tucking the loose strands of her brown hair while looking everywhere but her.

"That he may or may not came here to the human world to convince you to go with him to the demon world."

Time seemed to pause, and Lucy was sure that her heart skip a beat.

"What?"

Chapter 18 (Strauss Sisters and the Lost Princess)

Levy decided to retreat to her room and slump on her bed the moment the captain left. The captain was very talkative, and while she usually enjoys talking to him, all she could think of at the moment was that woman.

The woman she saw earlier was so familiar. She didn't know why but she had a gut feeling that there was something special about her.

She let out a frustrated huff at how things were so unclear for her. First, the scripts she couldn't crack, and now, this mysterious woman that suddenly appeared. She closed her eyes, and amidst the chaos going on in her brain, she remembered the murals on the wall. The one that she had disregarded before.

It had an image of a woman submerged in water, with blue hair cascading her back and blue eyes. So mysterious that she swore it holds the story of the ocean itself.

Maybe that was why she thought she seemed so familiar. It must be a coincidence though. Even Levy has blue hair, and how many people have blue eyes?

But still...

She tried to shake off her remaining thoughts, wondering if the lack of sleep was getting to her. She was even speculating that a stranger might have something to do with the scriptures.

"Ah! I really need to know what's written or else I'll go crazy!" She ruffled her blue hair, and with a defeated sigh, grabbed the nearest pillow and closed her eyes.

"What's your name?"

"Juvia..." Juvia mumbled, gazing at the taste of the sandwich the kind man had bought her with teary eyes. It was the best she had had in years.

"What is your name?" she timidly asked.

"Gajeel." the black-haired man simply replied.

Juvia nodded, and proceeded eating her sandwich.

"What are you doing here? Everyone here travelled using the ship. But don't remember seeing you there." the man asked calmly while sipping on a cup of coffee.

She considered lying. She really did. But something was tellling her that she couldn't lie to this man.

"Juvia was... running away. So she hid in one of the ship's room." she said and promptly looked away, so she didn't notice the man's eyes flash with recognition.

"Running away... speaking in third person, blue hair, blue eyes. You're not running away from Jose Porla, are you?"

Juvia stiffened at the name. Her throat suddenly felt constricted. She choked on the sandwich but her trembling hands couldn't move to reach for the bottle of water in front of her.

Just hearing that man's name brought back flashes of horrible memories she'd rather forget.

But this man, how could he know that evil person's name?

He couldn't be... an accomplice of him, right? He had to be, why else would he know about Jose and her?

But he was nice enough to buy her a sandwich and she felt like... he was a good person.

It could still be an act, though.

And she wouldn't take any chances.

No. She'd rather die than go back to Jose.

If she was wrong in her assumption, then she would just apologise to him, if she would ever meet the man again. But if she was right...

Juvia's blue eyes quickly scanned the man's face and she gripped the edge of the table. Her leg muscles tensed and in the count of three, she flipped the table and ran away.

She heard him curse in surprise and she could clearly hear him shuffling, in which, she assumed, was him trying to follow her.

She didn't dare look back, and continued to run as fast as her legs could carry her.

Tears started to blur her vision as she cursed her luck.

She just wanted to get away.

To have her own freedom away from the clutches of that man.

Was it really that impossible?

"I shouldn't have said that." Cana said with wide eyes.

Lucy nodded, her eyes equally wide as realization sunk in.

"Let's not talk about this anymore." she finally decided. Thinking that maybe denial was the best approach for now.

"Agreed." Cana replied with a gulp. Oh, she was so screwed!

It was then that Lisanna started to move, the two women jumped a little at the sudden noise, but they quickly moved to checked on the white-haired princess.

"M-Mira-nee." she mumbled with a hoarse voice. Lucy took that as her cue to go to the kitchen and grab her some water.

Cana, on the other hand, continued checking up on her friend, her worry slightly disappearing whem she realized that she seemed okay. But still, the question continued hanging in the air.

Who the hell were her kidnappers?

Lucy soon returned with a glass of water and watched as Lisanna weakly gulped the water before plopping on the couch. Lucy grabbed the glass from her hand and placed it on the table.

"Should we take her to the doctor?" the blonde woman asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Right."She thought so too, but...

"How about calling Mira?" Cana suggested.

"Oh yeah, why didn't I think of that... Annnnd I still don't know where my phone is. Just a sec."

She backtracked everything she did before, cursing at her habit of always forgetting where she places her things.

She silently cheered when she finally found it in the counter where she placed all of her keys. She quickly tapped on Mira's number, and impatiently waited for her to pick up the phone.

She almost jumped in joy when she picked it up on the second ring, never did she felt more relieved to finally hear Mirajane's soft, "Hello."

"Mira! You need to get here asap! There's been an attack-"

- "What? Is anybody hurt? What about Lisanna?" -

"They used some kind of chemical that only affects demons. We don't know for sure what the effects are but Natsu's out cold and Lisanna just woke up."

- "Ask her what she's feeling! And prepare a small knife! I'll be right there!" -

The line was cut and Lucy was left gaping at her phone.

A small knife?

She followed the instruction nonetheless, and never left Lisanna's side even if the white-haired woman kept on assuring them that she was fine.

Half an hour later, Mira barged into her house and quickly demanded to see her sister. Lucy moved out of the way and watched what should have been the Strauss sister's tearful reunion when they first met.

After a few minutes of apologies and assurances, they both calmed down and finally acknowledge their friends who were also teary eyed at the reunion.

"Thanks, Lucy. You too, Cana." Mira said softly.

"Yeaaah, about that. Lisanna got kidnapped earlier. So, you might wanna do some family-bond check quick." Cana said with a wince.

Lucy panicked at that. She knew she should have called Mira earlier but she completely forgot!

"Sorry for not calling you earlier, we panicked." Lucy added nervously. But Mira just solemnly looked at her sister, before asking Lucy for the small knife.

The blonde woman felt so curious about it but she decided not to ask. She had a guess though; some creepy demon blood ritual.

Lucy watched, as Lisanna sat upright, her blue eyes looking more determined than ever. For a while, both sisters locked eyes, and with a nod from the younger strauss sibling, Mirajane swiftly buried the knife in Lisanna's chest and stabbed her heart.

"Tenroujima Island. That's where the gate is." Jellal murmured as he finally figured out where the lapse in the barrier was.

"What? Isn't that where Gajeel and Levy's working at, right now?" Erza demanded. Her fist curling tight around the hilt of her sword.

"It is. But I'm pretty sure that the weakened part of the barrier is in Tenroujima. The symbol of the barrier is water, and it's becoming more dangerous for normal humans. They might get sucked inside the gate and be transported to the demon world on accident."

"No. The gate won't react like that unless a royal water demon went near it."

"But I thought they are all gone?" Jellal asked. He read all the books about the demon world, and he was sure that all history books stated one thing.

That all the Royal blood of the Water demons were killed by the Fire Dragon King; Igneel.

"They are. At least those in the demon world are." Erza replied.

"What do you mean?"

"That there's one more royal blood left, the last true princess of water demons. And knowing our luck, she's probably on Tenroujima, right now."

Jellal was taken aback by that. A princess?

"If that's true, don't you think we should go and warn Levy and Gajeel, right now?"

"You know the rules, no human with no affiliation with demons shall know about us. You are my mate, so I'm trusting you that you'll keep a secret. But they... they shouldn't know about this."

Jellal went silent at that. He knew the rules, but keeping their friends in the dark could become a problem later.

"Then let's at least make an excuse and visit there."

"We're supposed to be on a honeymoon. What kind of excuse can you make?" Erza deadpanned.

"Call Levy's phone."

"What would we tell her? And you know her, she's very perceptive. There's nothing we could say that wouldn't trigger her curiosity.", Erza said with a sigh.

"Let's visit, Lucy."

"Wha- Why?"

"Let Lucy call Levy and ask her to video call and let us see the place. You said there are markings right? A sign in a disruption of barrier that only demons can see."

Erza contemplated on the idea, and finally nodded her head.

"Fine. But I'll make a report to King Igneel about it, first."

Jellal pressed his lips in a tight line. His thoughts were bugging him but he didn't know if he should ask.

"Wait." he said, moving to grab her arm to stop her from leaving. He gathered up his courage and looked at his wife eye to eye.

"Will King Igneel kill this princess, too?"

Erza gave him a hard stare and coldly removed his hand from her arm.

"If he has to. Then he will."

Weep weep!

I seriously have didn't much time to write last week. Sooo busy!

Hope you enjoyed this one! And as usual, leave a review if you liked the chapter! :D

Cover Credit: Concassion - got the pic from ifunny.

BETA-READ. Thanks Ink!