CHAPTER 1

Gray tossed snow atop the fire like a cooling blanket, dousing out the final embers of heat.

Smoke peeked below the mound and stretched its yearning fingers toward the moon, twisting about the crude grave before him and obscuring the names scratched into the wood. The heaviness in his heart that had guided him back to this place was no longer a stinging pain but a diligent softness. Gray was no fool. He had learned a difficult lesson in the battle with Tartaros, about fear and contentment and darkness. It was a part of him now.

It was part of the will Silver had left to him- a devil slayer was cursed to defeat that darkness or become it himself. There was so much guilt in his father at the end, regrets having eaten away at him even as he tried to save his son. Gray couldn't defeat him. He couldn't give him what he wanted.

Instead, that task had fallen to her.

"I'm going to defeat E.N.D."

"Yes." her voice echoed in the stillness of the snowed capped ruins.

Glancing toward Juvia, Gray took in the stiffness with which she smiled and tried to ignore the twinge of sadness he felt. She would followed him here— despite needing to recover from the magic barrier particles poisoning her body— just to so she could tell him the truth and then tell him goodbye. He had assumed Silver succumbed to the hole in his chest, despite being a corpse controlled by a necromancer. He had always been dead, just caught in a demonic purgatory. At some point the body would given in to destruction, no matter the focus pushing it along.

Instead Juvia had been the one who defeated the demon that pulled Silver's puppet string, and in turn gave his father the rest he had been denied. It should have never been her cross to bear in the first, had Gray not been too weak to do it himself. Juvia had believed the hand she played in Silver's passing was unforgivable. Gray wasn't sure that his thanks had been enough to show his gratitude, or his apologies enough to soothe the remorse she felt.

She had given Silver is only wish. His parents would reunite in the after life and watch the man their son would become, all thanks to the selflessness of a woman who thought she no longer had the right to love him.

"There's an inn just down the street." he offered, shrugging his jacket a bit tighter on his shoulders. "I'm staying there for the night, and I'll check the mission board in the morning to look for anything that might lead me to Zeref."

She nodded solidly, but the edginess in her eyes betrayed her fear. "Gray-sama won't return to Magnolia?"

"There isn't anything to return to right now."

The words were colder than he had intended, but Juvia took it in stride as if she would never expect anything other than coolness from him. Had he really backed her into that tight of a corner? Juvia had always said he was kind, but he didn't feel kind at all. Gray felt like a tightly wound spring, trapped under pressures far stronger than he was. Death followed in his shadow and trapped anyone who stood in its darkness.

The brighter the light, the darker and larger his shadow grew. Juvia was a blinding sunrise, and he was terrified of treading to close to her light.

"Master disbanded the guild."

Now that was surprising. "What do you mean?"

"Juvia only heard about it from the others. He said there was no reason to rebuild anymore, and told everyone that Fairy Tail as over." Juvia glanced once more toward the gravestones. "We are to carve our own paths now."

"That makes things simpler then. I have no reason to go back."

Gray watched as Juvia turned her eyes toward him, clasped hands tightening. "You will return one day, won't you Gray-sama? Everyone will be sad without you."

Images of his friends flashed in the back of his mind— could he really leave without saying anything to them? Natsu would try to stop him in order to preserve Igneel's memory. Lucy and Erza wouldn't understand his reasons. He wouldn't see Lyon's ugly mug for a while, but he couldn't have him joining him either. This was his own battle. The rest of the guild would question, but they would get by without him. If they were to forge their own way, the likelihood of them remaining in Magnolia was slim and the less people who knew where to find him, the less that could become causalities in his spiritual warfare.

If he didn't make it, that was okay. No one would have to know and the distance would soften the blow if they were learned. The words were at the tip of his tongue, trained and easy, but he couldn't bring himself to say them. Yes, everyone else would have someone to help them move forward. They would all be okay.

Juvia had him, despite the friends she made at the guild. She wouldn't be okay like everyone else. When would she give up waiting for him and try to find him herself?

"I'll come back." He couldn't wait around much longer. The chill of northern winds told him the flurries falling now would turn into a storm soon. "It's about to get bad out. You should head home."

"Juvia doesn't..." she paused, and Gray felt his stomach sink as he anticipated her answer. "The guild was the only home Juvia knew."

"You have no where to go?"

With a shake of her head, Gray knew he couldn't leave her. She had sought him out expecting rejection and his anger, and he had collapsed into her a vulnerable child who had never mourned those he had lost. Pushing Juvia away was not the answer anymore. It had been her image, smiling and calling his name, that he had felt the most guilt over as he began to cast iced shell. She knew about Silver. She had seen him broken in a way no one else ever had before.

He owed her more than this abrupt, perpetual goodbye.

"The missions I'll have to take are dangerous, but it's easier when there is someone with you. Until I find Zeref or you find somewhere else to start over, you could come with me."

"Is Gray-sama sure?" Juvia's cheeks turned pink. "Juvia doesn't think she deserves to go with Gray-sama anywhere now."

"I'm sure. It's not about what you deserve. I said I'd be with you, right?"

She glanced toward the glistening snowflakes on her boots. "Right. Thank you, Gray-sama."

"Let's go before the storm comes."

Juvia nodded, but turned toward the grave and knelt instead of following him. Arms outstretched before her, she bowed deeply to murmur what Gray assumed was her own apologies to his parents. Her words were nearly silent until her fingers began digging into the snow, voice a mixture of pain and graciousness that twisted his veins like rope about his heart.

She whispered an apology to Silver for ending his existence, a regretful confession to his mother for hurting her son. Juvia pleaded to them the virtues of the son they had not been able to raise, assuring them they was a man of whom they could be proud. She promised to take care of him for as long as he would allow her to be a part of his life.

Gray turned before she stood up and began walking. He didn't need her to protect him. He just needed her to continue shining like the sunlight to ward off the creeping shadows that would love to engulf her innocence and suck it dry. He needed her to live, or else he would be truly lost. He hadn't invited her to go with him with the intention of placing her in that position.

He had done it because as much as she had no where else to go, Gray needed to keep her close. She knew intimates parts of himself he tried to ignore. He wanted to believe that this time, at least, he could do something right by someone else the way she would always have done for him.

They made it to the inn just as the storm had broken the late night cloud cover, wind whipping the door shut behind them with the force of a god. Juvia's skin was red from the chill and covered with goosebumps, and she let her arms fall to invite the warmth of the building to all parts of her. Gray shouldn't have let her stay outside so long in her dress. What was a manageable chill to him was subzero to most others, yet she hadn't complained as they made their way through the ruins to the main road.

Scents of pine and cedar wafted through the air as Gray pushed through to the main desk of the request the keys to a room with two beds. The host smiled as she passed him the sign in sheet and a set of keys as he had specified.

"That will be 2,000 jewel, sir."

Highway robbery is what it was, but Gray handed the bills over regardless and pocketed the keys. He found Juvia sitting in a navy blue chair beside the lobby fireplace, hands outstretched as she flexed her fingers in the glowing light, testing the defrosting of her joints as the heat warmed her.

"Juvia has never been so cold. Being here feels like she is on fire."

"Because you were out in the cold too long. I got the room, lets go."

"Room?" If she had spun around any quicker, Gray was sure her head would have gone flying into the fireplace.

"Two beds." he amended. "Don't get any ideas. It's not like that."

"But Gray-sama and Juvia will be sharing a room!"

"With two beds."

Why hadn't he opted for two rooms instead of one? The thought hadn't crossed his mind until the mirth that filled her face bordered on indecency. Sometimes he wondered what kinds of things she imagined, and then there were times like this when he was glad he couldn't read her mind. It was probably best that he didn't know.

The door creaked open, revealing a small room with two beds pressed against opposing walls. The only other pieces of furniture in the room was a small table with two chairs near a fireplace, which sat near the doorway to a washroom. It would work for tonight, but next time he would invest the extra jewel into two rooms. This was too small to offer much in the way of privacy. Gray moved to claim the bed furthest from the door.

"Gray-sama, look!"

Juvia's attention had been captured by the covered platter sitting on the table; lifting the lid exposed a tray of sliced meats, cheeses, winter vegetables layered atop ice and candied fruit that the region was well known for. He had to hand it to the innkeeper; they knew how to cater to the customer. There was enough there that they wouldn't need to find another meal until morning.

Taking a seat, Juvia popped a mountain cherry into her mouth, savoring the heightened sweetness. Gray hesitated only as long as it took for his stomach to voice its aggravation and then succumbed to dining with her. It wouldn't be the first time. They'd shared many meals at the guild before, and a few in Magnolia while out on missions, but somehow this felt different.

Gray wasn't sure he wanted to explore why. He had known since the Grand Magic Games that Juvia was more than a friend to him, but he had stopped at that and refused to actually place her on a scale of closeness and affection. If it hadn't been for Ultear, he wouldn't be here now to even question it. Time had saved him, but it wasn't so kind to those around him. This kind of intimacy was the barrel of a loaded gun; once he gave in to the safety, it would go off and remind him why he kept people far from his truths.

Except now that she knew them, Juvia was unwittingly dancing near the edge of a cavern with a dark murky river. One wrong move and she would fall and be lost to him.

He held back the shudder. Pushing her away hadn't worked. Rejecting her hadn't worked. Keeping her close seemed to be the only option to keep her from being the next victim of his curse.

"What's this?"

"It's winter squash." Gray pointed to a small dish of brown sauce. "Dip it in that. It's good."

Juvia did as instructed and chewed. Sauce dripped along her lips.

"Seriously? You've always been a messy eater."

"Juvia is sorry. Gray-sama just likes messy foods."

He rolled his eyes. Caramande franks had been one thing. A piece of squash was a piece of cake. "Like this."

He dipped the squash into the sauce and quickly inserted it into his mouth, chewing slowly. The squash burst with liquid that mixed with the lightness of the sauce to create a flavor unique to his home. Gray couldn't remember the last time he tasted this. Ur never cut up vegetables like this, because Lyon didn't like them and it was a waste to make three different meals. It must have been before Deliora.

"See?"

The smile on Juvia's face was genuine this time. "Juvia has never seen Gray-sama enjoy food so much."

"It's good. I like this kind of stuff."

"It's easy to prepare, Mirajane could have made this for you."

He shook his head. "No. It has to be fresh. This stuff only grows out here, and it loses its flavor when it's taken out of the cold too long. It'd be nothing but mush when it go to Magnolia."

She nodded in understanding, then pointed to another item on the tray. "What kind of meat is this?"

Gray poked at it with a fork, flipping it to view all sides. "Looks like reindeer salami. Try it."

Tentatively, Juvia lifted the slice and took a bite. Her reaction was not immediate although the flavor was strong; Gray could smell the smokiness from across the table. The moment her lips turned to a frown he passed her a glass of water. Reindeer wasn't for everyone. He hadn't been the biggest fan of it either.

"That was... interesting."

He smirked despite himself. That was the innocence that made Juvia who she was, and Gray found himself wondering what other things she had never experienced. He had spent so much of his time in Fairy Tail invested in her development, from the moment she joined. Master had assigned him the role of showing her around and introducing her to the way Fairy Tail worked; her first mission as a mage of Fairy Tail had been with him. How many other firsts had he experienced with her that he hadn't known about? Did she always jump into them head first and confident like she had just now?

When the lid of the tray covered the remainder of the meal, the moment was broken. It didn't matter in the end, either way. He may have been invested in building her strength from the first day she was announced to the guild, and he may have invited her to take her first steps outside Fairy Tail with him as well, Gray knew better than to allow it to last. The longer he continued with her and reached for E.N.D, the closer to danger he would place her.

Maybe it was her choice, but he didn't have to go along with her plan. Someone like her didn't deserve to end up torn apart in the mess that he was walking head first into. He stopped smirking and excused himself to shower.

He needed the shock of hot water on his skin. He wasn't thinking straight. It hadn't been a normal day for him, but it was one that should have drawn a line he could no longer pass. Problem was, it wasn't himself he had to keep from crossing.

It was her.

"How about this one?" Juvia pulled a sheet from the mission board and handed it to Gray. "The reward isn't listed, but Juvia feels the reason may be due to the difficulty."

He accepted the yellowed sheet, glancing over the details. The mission involved a small village south of them which had been trapped in an eternal sleep spell. No one thus far had been able to break it and the mage responsible was believed to still be within the area. Defeat the mage, awaken the villagers, and the reward would be decided upon completion. From the looks of the sheet, it had been pulled down and placed back up multiple times.

What kind of magic could hold an entire village in perma-sleep, and why would anyone want to do that in the first place? The edginess built up in him spoke of potential leads. There must be a reason the mage involved needed the villagers to be asleep while they remained near. It was too early to assume connection to Zeref, but the flyer was vague on the affects of the villagers hibernation. The cause could be sinister or amusement.

Juvia had selected this for a reason other than the reward. It wasn't a mission to fix something or solve a problem. It was one likely caused by a dark mage, and where dark magic was concerned there was usually a connection to Zeref.

Zeref had the Book of E.N.D. He was the enemy they needed to find.

"How can we defeat someone who uses dream magic? Our magic is physical."

"We won't know until we encounter them, but we have faced many fearsome enemies." she offered.

Gray glanced toward the paper once more, weighing the risks. They didn't know how the user put others to sleep. Was it a territorial magic, an illusion or require phsyical contact? How had the enemy managed to remain secluded and secretive all this time? What had happened to the others who had attempted the mission?

Who had placed the bulletin?

Eventually, curiosity gave way to caution. He nodded and raised the sheet. "Hey! We're taking this one."

"That one?" The innkeeper's eyes widened when he realized which mission ledger Gray held. "Are you sure you're up for it? We have had many mages attempt that one, but none have been successful. It's a lost cause if you ask me."

"You must have kept it posted for a reason though." Juvia offered.

"We're Fairy Tail mages." Gray added. "We can handle it."

"Fairy Tail? The guild that won the Grand Magic Games?" the man's eyes crinkled a bit with a smile. "I thought you looked familiar. Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Lockser, right? That unison raid you performed in the final battle was magnificent."

Juvia glanced toward Gray. He pretended not to notice as he handed the mission flyer to the man. The excitement over the Games never seemed to wane; what they thought was a large event for the central cities of Fiore seemed to reach all the corners of the continent. He still wasn't used to being a household name, nor had he yet accepted that his crowning moment was the unison raid.

People made assumptions. Unison raids were supposed to only be manageable between people with strong emotional connections and complimentary magic. The way the innkeeper looked between them now, Gray could make an educated guess at what he was thinking. They'd just stayed the night together in a shared room in this man's inn.

"You know what we can do then. Put us down for this mission and we'll head out now."