The Gods of Fairy Tail

Chapter 10

Down and down Juvia fell, screaming and crying out for someone from the world above to help her but no one up there could hear her. At long last she landed on the cold, hard ground.

"Ouch." She stood up and rubbed her arm which had been bruised from the fall. "Oh my! What a terrible fall. Where am I?"

She stood up and looked around the area she had landed in. It was so dark, pitch black. She could hardly see anything save for a few small lanterns. It was cold too, colder than ice.

"Hello?" She called. "Is anyone here?"

She walked around and tried to look for a way out or someone to ask for help but she saw nothing and no one. After awhile she saw a group of hooded spectors floating by.

"Excuse me." She said to them politely. "I don't mean to bother you but could any one of you tell me where I am?"

The spectors only looked at her miserably and floated away.

"Well that was rude." She said. "I guess the residents down here don't have any manners."

She continued further and further into the darkness becoming more and more cold and frightened. She thought about going back to where she started but she didn't know where that was. Suddenly she came upon a very angry and vicious fury.

"Oh..." She said trying not to tremble. "I beg your pardon but could you please help me? I'm lost."

But the hideous winged creature only let out a blood curdling screech and lunged for her. Juvia dodged the attack and fled for her life. She didn't know where she was going and at the moment she didn't care, she was just so scared. She felt talons pull and tear at her dress but she still kept running. At last she managed to escape the monstrosity when she tripped and fell into a large puddle of something cold and slushy.

She took shelter in what appeared to be the hallow of a dead tree. There she sat, shivering and trembling. She had never been so cold and scared in her entire life. She wanted to go home, back to where there was light and warmth.

"I suppose I should just stay put and wait for someone to find me. But who would think to look for me here? I don't even know where here is." As she became more aware of the situation tears started to fill her eyes. "What if I never find my way out of this place?"

Not sure what else to do, she began to cry. She wept and wept until all that crying caused her to fall asleep.

Sometime after that the air was filled with the sound of barking. Barking which came from Gray's dog Ebony who was once again chasing after souls.

"Ebony come back this instant! Or there's a rolled up scroll in your future!" The dark haired god of the underworld commanded.

Ebony ignored his master and continued to chase after the souls until his nose caught hold of a familiar scent. He sniffed the air and followed it to a dead tree.

"There you are." Gray said when he finally caught up with his pet. "That's it! You're going back on a chain!"

Ebony responded by barking at the tree.

"What? What's got you so riled up?"

Ebony ushered toward the tree, Gray placed his hand on the trunk of it skeptically. He sensed that there was something alive in that tree. But how was that possible? Nothing alive should be in this part of the underworld except for him.

He looked inside of the hallow and found Juvia sleeping inside.

"What the Tartarus?" He thought. "Hey what are you doing down here?"

She didn't respond. He felt her forehead and her chest, she was still alive but she was so very cold and hardly breathing. If she stayed in this part of the underworld then she would be dead like that tree.

"Oh man, I better get you out of here and warmed up quick."

He carefully supported her head and gathered her body up into a firm but gentle hold. He then carried her back to his palace where he ordered his servants to have a room prepared for her. When the room was ready he laid her in bed and made sure that the room she was staying in was very warm.

She didn't stir but he saw color return to her face and he felt that her body wasn't as cold as before. Her fair skin was glowing like the petals of lilies and apple blossoms and her cheeks were becoming as rosy as fresh roses and bright tulips.

"Why would someone like you come down into this place?"

Taking his finger, he carefully brushed a lock of hair from her forehead.

"She is quite beautiful sire." Said Lyon, Gray's minister and ferryman.

"Do you know how she came down here?" Gray asked. "Did you grant her access?"

"No sire. I would never allow passage to anyone alive without your permission."

"Then how did she get down here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I'm as confused as you are but I don't think she came here willingly. Do you know her?"

"She's Levy's sister, the goddess of spring."

"Then I know that she couldn't have come here willingly. I've heard stories about her from the dead and according to them she hates the cold and the darkness. It frightens her."

He noticed that her arms, legs, and feet bore many cuts and bruises.

"Lyon before you return to the river styx send for Meredy, tell her to fetch ointments and healing tonics from Mirajane.

"Yes sire."

"When she returns inform her that she is to serve as this woman's hand maid until I say otherwise and she is to inform me of any change that takes place."

"Of course."

"Also I want you to find out how this woman entered my domain."

"I shall do my best. What will you do?"

"I shall patrol the area, make sure that no one else from up there came down here. I may have to get the gate fixed again."