Yaahhh!! Mid-week and I'm updating oh yeah!!! This is what I call improvement haha!!! Hooray for me!!! Here's the new chapter guys and I dedicate this chapter to my newly acquired friend PrettyKitty280.....yo my own little Levy-chan....continue your loving support alright??? Thanks a lot guys!!!!

♥LucyAshleyHeartfilia♥

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9th Droplet of Water: Bewildered Heartbeat

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“Kyaaahhh!”, Jenny and the other girls screamed as they look at the falling boulders towards them.

“Tch, troublesome mission”, Gajeel readied himself and extended his metal arm.

“You girls better take cover”, Lily said and pointed towards a safer spot. Jenny, Cherry, Charle and Wendy took shelter in it.

Gajeel crumbled and smashed the large boulders but some chunks he just crumbled passed his guard and rolled towards where Wendy and the others are.

“You idiot metal man! You missed some!”, Jenny shrieked out.

“I’ll handle them!”, Wendy ran in front of them. “Roar of the…..Sky Dragon!”, Wendy bellowed a whirling wind coming from her mouth and sent the pieces of the rocks away from them.

“We….we’re saved”, Cherry slumped with relief to the ground.

“What the heck is with this island?”, Gajeel annoyingly said.

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“Arghh”, Ichiya groaned as he looked at his surroundings.

“Wh-what happened?”, Natsu asked.

“Well…when the waves were coming at us, Lucy-dono used her spirit to divert it however some of the monsters from before was caught in it and tried to attack us then Erza-dono used her Adamantine Armor to protect us while I used the rock formations to drive them away but Ichiya-dono was reckless and knocked you down with him”, Jura explained.

“Aye, I have a headache right now”, Happy said.

“I guess we’re alright for now”, Erza said.

Suddenly a flash of light caught their attention.

“Eve and Ren?”, Jenny gasped.

“A signal huh?”, Gajeel smirked with anticipation.

“No way, they found it?”, Lucy gasped in shock.

“Let’s go!”, Jura and Erza said.

“This is interesting”, Cherry said.

“I’m all fired up”, Natsu ran towards the light.

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“Gray! Everyone!”, Lucy shouted as they all gathered before the hole. The group who were inside the cave looked up at them.

“Everyone are you alright?”, Gray asked.

“Yes, somehow”, Lucy replied.

“Jenny are you alright?”, Hibiki looked at her.

“Yes, I managed”, Jenny smiled at him.

“Have you found the Water’s Tear?”, Erza asked directly.

“Yes, it’s here alright. The upsurge happening on the island earlier was probably caused by it”, Lyon explained.

“I see, we’ll head there at once”, Jura said.

Once they are all at the bottom, many of them gasped, amazed by what they are seeing.

“Beautiful”, Cherry said.

“I wouldn’t say you are as well”, Ren suddenly butted in.

“Oh dear”, Cherry blushed but averted her gaze somewhere else. “I didn’t say you would”

“That may be true but I sense a dangerous parfum in here”, Ichiya said.

“Men”, Nichiya said in agreement.

“This cave”, Charle remembered her visions. “It’s beginning to happen”

“Waahhh, the water is glowing!”, Wendy playfully said.

“You’re right!”, Lucy lowered her head to get a better view.

“It really is beautiful”, Erza said as well.

“What, what?”, Natsu recklessly scooted with them and accidentally bumped Lucy.

“Wh-WHA!!!!!”, Lucy struggled balancing her body. Wendy, Erza and Natsu held her back from falling. Erza’s foot bumped on a piece of rock and fell to the waters. The rock melted as if the water was made of acid. “C-can you get me away from here please? C-carefully”, Lucy stuttered in fear. Cold sweats were dripping from their paled faces.

“The water is made of acid?”, Juvia blurted out.

“We have to stay away from it”, Hibiki said. “The acid composition is too high, just a drop is able to melt our bones through”

“I-Im not going anywhere near it!”, Happy backed as far away as possible.

“Anyway, how are we going to get the Water’s Tear from there?”, Cherry asked.

“If the water is made of acid, we can’t swim it out”, Eve said.

“And it doesn’t seem like we can freeze it either”, Lyon said as he tried to freeze a portion carefully.

“Hmm, it seems like it’s nullifying our powers equally. The rocks and the earth itself are uncontrollable”, Jura replied.

“We must think this thoroughly”, Ichiya said.

“This sucks, so that means we have nothing to do now? We’re so close to getting the reward”, Natsu said lazily.

“We can’t do anything if that’s the case though”, Lily said.

“Whatever, I’m going to nap. Call me if there’s anything”, Gajeel slumped to a corner and leaned himself on a rock. Lily sat with him.

“Looks like we have to wait”, Lyon said.

“Hey how about we explore then?”, Wendy said.

“I guess since we have nothing to do….let’s do it!”, Erza said in approval.

“Is it really the time for this though?”, Lucy said. Eve, Ren, Hibiki, Jenny and Cherry all grouped themselves and wander off somewhere. Ichiya, Jura, Nichiya and Lyon seems very occupied by looking at the waters and discussing strategies.

“Hey Lucy! Come here already!”, Natsu shouted at her; waving his hands as he tell her to hurry up. Lucy ran towards them but not before giving a glance at Gray and Juvia walking together to some secluded corner.

“I guess they need to talk. A long talk”, Lucy smiled as she ran.

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“What do you want from me?”, Juvia awkwardly asked.

“I want to talk to you”, Gray said. His tone shows that he is serious.

“I already told you, the mission goes first. After the mission, I’ll talk to you all you want”, Juvia said.

“I wanted to clear something with you”, Gray started.

“I said I don’t want to hear it now! After the mission….”

“I won’t buy it”, Gray’s tone was higher than usual. “How can I be sure, that you will let me talk to you again after this, huh?”, Gray turned to look at her. Juvia gasped when he did.

“Please…”, Juvia’s eyes watered but the tears hadn’t fallen yet. “After the mission, I promise. I’d listen to you, I will”, Juvia’s hands gripped tighter at her chest.

“Then can you at least tell me something?”, Gray asked in a much softer tone. Juvia looked up at him. “Why did you leave Fairy Tail and joined Lamia Scale so easily?”, Gray asked more seriously but his tone brings comfort to Juvia. Juvia’s heart beat faster as she looked at him.

“No, this can’t be. As long as I’m with him. As long as Juvia sees him. I….my heart….Juvia’s heart is….”, Juvia thought, she was tearing up again. “I….Juvia didn’t……”, Juvia was gripping her chest tighter and tighter. She closed her eyes. “Juvia didn’t mean…..to Gray-s..”

“Juvia…I'm sorry…..truly, I do.....tell me please. After this mission, if I asked you to come back to Fairy Tail again….well, if I asked you to come back with us……to Fairy Tail….will you come?”, Gray asked her. His eyes never leaving her. Juvia suddenly looked up at him. Not believing what she just heard from him, the tears that were hanging strongly at her eyes finally fell.