The Gods of Fairy Tail

Chapter 23

One day Juvia asked Gray if she could leave his palace and explore the underworld. While Gray did not think it would be a good idea he did not want to confine her so he allowed her to leave the palace but insisted that she leave with Lyon as her escort.

"Don't go too far Juvia." He told her as they walked through the dark and dreary underworld.

"This is place is so sad." She said. "Is this all there is when the mortals die? Just gloom and despair?"

"Oh no my lady. Not for those who are good and kind like you. No the mortals who live their lives justily receive the ultimate reward."

"And what is that?"

"Their souls descend into the Elysian Fields. A place of no more struggle and suffering. A place where they'll be happy forever and always. It's really a beautiful place. Perhaps one day his majesty will allow you to visit."

"I'd like that and I'm relieved that the mortals have a much better place to go to when they die but still why must everything be so gloomy here."

"I cannot say. Maybe it's because we're underground or maybe it's just because how his majesty feels."

"What do you mean?"

"Well the big three, that's his majesty and his two brothers all have their own domain and their domains are tied to their emotions. For example when Natsu is angry the sky thunders and the heavens roar, when Jellal is angry the seas storm and flood, and when his majesty is angered the earth shakes and splits. In other words his emotions effect how things are around here. If he's gloomy all the time then so is this place."

"By why does he feel this way?"

"Would you be happy all the time if you had to stay in the cold and the dark all alone? Only being allowed to leave for a limited time?"

"He can't leave this place?"

"Not for longer than half a day. If he were to do such a thing then deceased souls and the monstrosities of Tartarus would try to escape on to earth. His responsibility is to ensure that never happens."

"No wonder he's so sad all the time. I wish there was something I could do to make him happier."

"You and his mother both. Mavis didn't want to assign this burden to him. She didn't want any of her children to have it. In fact she was ready to take it on herself but Gray felt that she had been through enough suffering what with being married to a tyrant like Zeref and having to witness all the destruction he caused."

"He must love her so much if he's willing to live here just so she can't."

"All three of them love her above everything else in the world and they'd sacrifice anything for her without a second thought." Lyon explained. "I think we've seen enough today my lady. We should probably return now."

"Alright."

They started to make their way back to the palace when a powerful wind whooshed around them and the force of it knocked Lyon back so hard that he disappeared from Juvia's sight. Before she could react she found herself staring at a very frightening looking man.

"Who are you?" She asked cautiously. Now Juvia could be very naive sometimes but she could sense pending trouble so she kept her distance from him.

"In life I was a great ruler who conquered many lands and won many battles yet I died feeling unsatisfied with life because I never found a suitable wife." The man spoke. "Oh many lovely mortal women offered themselves to me but I didn't want a mortal, I wanted a goddess."

"What a foolish desire." Juvia thought to herself.

"Only the beauty of a goddess would be suitable for me and I died before I could find one. But imagine my surprise to find an immortal beauty like you here."

"You can't be serious." She said upon realizing what he had in mind. She moved to run but his speed was unlike anything she had ever seen and he snatched up the young goddess. "Put me down this minute!"

But he did not. Juvia struggled but the man's grip on her was like unbreakable chains. She wondered how it was possible that a mortal especially a dead one could actually capture a goddess. She wanted to use her powers but unfortunately they only worked on things that were alive, fertile, and thriving while everything here was dead. Nevertheless that didn't stop her from clawing at the man's face.

"You are wasting your time doing that." He laughed sinisterly. "I am dead. I feel no pain."

"Let me go!" She demanded. "You're out of your mind if you think I'll marry you! I wouldn't marry you if you were the last male thing in this world!"

"Be silent woman! You are mine now so you will do as I say!"

He made his way toward a chariot with the intention of carrying her off to do with as he pleased but was stopped when the area around them started to shake rapidly. Looking to his side, the deceased ruler saw Gray standing across from them. He looked completely calm but the shaking earth and the fury in his dark eyes told Juvia that he was enraged.

"It really frustrates me how every few centuries one of you worms who belong in Tartarus manage to slip past my radar and then get convinced by one of those despicable titans to try to usurp my authority."
He said. "Now you have exactly three seconds to release that woman before I really get mad."

"You don't scare me!" The fool retaliated. "I have the powers of a titan! And a titan's strength over powers that of a God! I am greater than you! Once I dispose of you I shall take this goddess as my immortal bride!"

"You'll have her over my dead body!"

Gray lunged for the him, Juvia was thrown to the ground and her head collided with a stone which caused her to lose consciousness. Gray would have gone to her aid but at the moment he was in a great struggle for dominance. The deceased mortal was a warrior in life, a great one and with the powers of a titan he should have been unstoppable but even with a titan's strength he was no match for the God of death.

"I don't understand it." He said as he felt himself being overpowered. "I have the strength and the abilities of a titan! I should be able to defeat you!"

"Yes but you have the capabilities of a lower level titan and although I am a god I am also the son of Zeref, the most powerful titan ever therefore my power exceeds yours!" Gray said.

The mortal knew he would lose this fight and in a moment of extreme cowardice he launched a huge flame toward Juvia's unconscious form. Gray immediately dropped his weapon, ran to Juvia, threw his arms around her, and shielded her from the flame that scorched and burned this entire backside. He let out a agonized wail due to the horrible pain from it and he felt the urge to move but he didn't. Not if it meant Juvia would be burned. Finally the flame went out and even though he was in great pain he seized the deceased mortal by his throat, squeezing it has hard as he could while stripping away any and all power he had.

"There's a special place in Tartarus just for scum like you! And as Sonya as my witness you'll rot there for all eternity!" He dropped him. "Lyon!"

At last his minister had arrived and he was horrified by the injuries on Gray's body.

"Sire what happened to you? Your body?"

"Nevermind my body. Chain this corpse to the lower regions of Tartarus."

"Yes sire."

While Lyon dealt with the mortal, Gray forced himself to ignore his aching body and carry Juvia back to his palace while keeping her head softly and securely pressed to his chest.