A/N: Hi everyone! It's been a while since I wrote anything... life got in the way and adulting is not fun. But after some beers and serious self-reflection, I finally found the will to start this story that's been stuck in my head for years now. I hope you'll enjoy this little story. It's set towards the end of the Alvarez War, but with a slight twist. If you like a healthy dose of angst with your Gruvia, then this is the fic for you. ;)

Warning and Disclaimer: Contains coarse language and may have suggestive scenes in the future. Also, I don't own Fairy Tail.

***Recommended music for this chapter: [Mirai Nikki - Ost 2 Track 5]***

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PROLOGUE

He collapsed under the weight of Zeref's magic.

Gray cursed under his breath as his bloodied knees hit the rough, rocky plains of what was left of Magnolia.

They were so close. It took him and friends almost everything they had to defeat the rest of the Spriggan 12. But by the time Zeref finally showed his face, everyone was absolutely spent. No one had the spirit nor energy left to face the strongest dark mage in history.

Gray scanned the battlefield in front of him. Lifeless and battered bodies littered the dusty landscape; Zeref's whirlwind of powerful magic left none unscathed in its path. He was currently in some possessed state after Gray knocked him unconscious. But dark energy was flowing ominously over his body like a tornado.

The rest of Team Natsu was nowhere to be found; they had all separated during their previous battle with Zeref's armies. He was now left with Juvia. They were the only two still conscious, but were definitely in no shape to fight. Gray glanced back at the water mage to see her holding her left arm in pain. She was covered in bruises from head to toe, and could hardly stand straight.

It was at this moment that Gray Fullbuster felt like the world's biggest loser. How did years and years of intense training and dangerous quests lead to this? He couldn't even hold his ground against Zeref, much less defeat him.

"Gray-sama, watch out!"

Juvia's voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he looked up in time to see a dark, shadowy creature emerge from Zeref's unmoving body and headed at lightning speed toward him.

His eyes widened in shock, barely having enough time to reflexively cover his face with this arms.

But whatever that attack was, it never came. Instead, he felt the ground beneath him rumble and vibrate.

Gray slowly preyed open his eyes and saw Juvia standing in front of him, arms outstretched to shield him from the creature. Huge geysers shot out from the hardened soil and merged into a strong shield made of water. Fear gripped his heart; everything about this situation made him uncomfortable. She was just too damn close to that monster.

"Juvia!" Gray called sternly. "Get back, you won't be able to hold it off for long!" He's never seen her use this skill before, not even during the six months that they've lived together. And he knows that it's not going to take any regular attack to finish this thing off. It came out of Zeref's body after all.

Gray is by no means a quitter. But he had enough sense to know that the best chance of them getting out of this alive was to run away and regroup.

If she heard him, then she must've ignored him. Juvia knew well enough that they wouldn't be able to escape far with their injuries. This dark creature was a manifestation of Zeref's bitterness and hatred for the world. It wouldn't stop until every available, living thing in its path was eliminated.

Not even looking back once, Juvia continued to summon more and more water from the ground. The powerful streams became steam as soon as they made contact with the shadow. It appeared like the body of the monster was so scorching hot that it melted anything that touched it. However, every time it made impact with Juvia's water shield, the shadow also shrunk in size.

The problem is, this was the first time Juvia attempted this powerful spell. And with every second that passed, she could feel her body disintegrating cell by cell. Her fingertips and toes were the first to disappear.

She bit down hard on her chapped lips to prevent a gasp from escaping.

It's happening. The tragic side effects of using this particular magic… she was scared. But even so, if she could protect the person she loved and buy him some time until Natsu and the rest of their friends arrived, it was worth it. It didn't matter what happened to her.

After all, Gray was in much worse condition than she was. During their battle with Invel, he had pretty much taken all the damage in her place, and had spent most of the fight trying to get her out of harm's way.

"Juvia, for fuck sakes—" Gray grunted and used every ounce of energy left in his body to pull himself up. "Stop it. You're in no shape to defeat him right now! Let me handle this—"

"No!" She let the strange, insurmountable magic wash through her being. The geyser shield she created pushed back further on the screeching shadow monster. "Juvia will take care of Gray-sama…"

"Idiot!"

Desperate, Gray limped towards the blue-haired mage and fell. He cursed his useless, broken legs.

The water shield, beautiful and surreal it may be, started to give in to the force of the shadow. Gray held his breath. A crack formed in its perfect, crystalline surface.

"Gray-sama."

He froze, his blood running cold. There was something in her tone that scared him.

"Words cannot express the joy Juvia has felt getting to know you."

Crack.

The shield finally broke, sending millions of sharp water fragments into the air.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Gray screamed desperately. "Listen for once and get back here!"

"Please allow Juvia to protect you one last time," she said, her voice shaking slightly.

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Gray spat out. "I don't need your protection—"

It was at that moment that he noticed her arms were gone. So were her feet. Since when? Was she… evaporating?!

"Juvia, your…" he trailed off, almost in disbelief. With every ounce of his willpower, he used his forearms, all bloodied and disfigured, to pull the rest of his body towards her to close the distance. His eyes must be playing tricks on him. That had to be it.

The flow of her magic stopped. And with the last surge of water, it enveloped what was left of the shadow completely and engulfed it. Both elements simmered into nothingness.

The blue-haired mage finally turned around, and the scene that greeted Gray stopped him dead in his tracks. The setting sun gently shined behind her, giving off a holy glow… she was so breathtakingly beautiful. But her flushed, tear-stained face held a number of concerning expressions: guilt, regret, longing… love.

"Please don't be scared, Gray-sama," she said softly. At a frightening pace, the spell's effects claimed the bottom half of her body and continued its ascent. Her flesh flew away as tiny, glistening particles.

"What's happening…Juvia? What's happening to you?!" He shrieked, feeling the onset of a panic attack. Gray threw himself forward but fell again in a failed attempt to stand up. What struck absolute fear into his heart was the peaceful look on Juvia's face. She didn't seem alarmed by what was happening to her, as if she had already accepted her fate.

Then, she had the audacity to smile. And she gave him the most beautiful, serene smile he'd ever seen in his life.

"There's no reason to be sad. Juvia will continue to live… through you."

"NO!" He pushed off with his broken leg once more and flung himself up with his arm outstretched, trying to grasp any part of her that was still visible. "Who said you can do that?! I won't let you, you're going to stay right here dammit!"

His hand went right through her body, and he suddenly felt ill. No, this can't be happening.

More tears flowed down her cheeks as she felt her torso disintegrate and become one with the air. "Juvia's life… will forever and always belong only to you, Gray-sama."

He screamed.

And screamed… until the last strand of her blue hair evaporated into little orbs of mist… until his voice grew hoarse and sound could no longer come out. Until his eyes became bloodshot from the painful stinging of tears, he screamed. No matter how many times he waved his arms frantically at the space where she just stood, all that was left of her was the cool breeze and a hint of water vapour on his fingertips.

Juvia was gone. Forever.

And she never got to hear his answer.

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A/N: Yes, I enjoy making Gray suffer. :) As always, reviews are appreciated! The next chapter will come soon!