Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and I love mash potatoes.
Cruel to be Kind- Chapter one: A new partner
"We'll never survive!"
"Nonsense. You're only saying that because no one else ever has."
―William Goldman, The Princess Bride
Lucy Heartfillia hated waking up earlier than necessary. She wasn't your average 'I'll be moody if you wake me up before nine' kind of person; she was more like 'I wouldn't even bother trying to wake me up before nine because I simply won't get up'. It had been that way for as long as she could remember, so waking up early was only ever performed when important things had to be done: for example, the fact that she didn't have enough money to pay her rent and she needed to get some.
Thus we arrive at the start of our story, at six in the morning on a sunny Saturday, where a certain agitated Blonde stood observing the various job requests available.
She furrowed her brows and looked around the Guild again. Sighing when she saw the still empty tables, chairs and stools, she turned back around and tried to focus on choosing a job. Lucy wasn't exactly happy to be all alone in the Guild, especially when she could still be snuggled in her warm blankets. But she had work to do, things were not free and she had to pay for them somehow.
Mirajane had given her the keys to Fairy Tail the previous night, after Lucy had told her she would be leaving for the Guild very early the following morning. Apparently the bartender didn't even wake up at six, apparently no one did.
Her chocolate brown eyes observed the various papers before, finally deciding between the highest and least amount of effort job. She pulled the jobs out of the board and strolled over to an available table, sighing and running a hand through her hair.
She didn't like being alone in such a big building, especially in Fairy Tail. It was always so warm and full of life here so seeing it quiet and still felt off.
Shaking her head, Lucy returned to her initial mission: earning as much possible money with the most minimal effort! The three jobs she had chosen were: babysitting for a very prestigious family, defeating the famous 'Uncatchable Bandit' and investigating the disappearance of a pig in a nearby town.
'A pig? What? How easy! And it pays 800,000 jewel! I can even buy some new shoes! A smile spread across her face and she quickly ran toward the job board, placing the other two back to their original spots.
Planning to leave and arrive back as soon as possible, Lucy grabbed her bag which she had prepared the night before and swiftly spun around.
Only too be met with a pair of curious blue eyes.
"Ahhh!" The celestial spirit mage cried, throwing her hand up to 'defend' herself. After hearing a light giggled she peered outside her barrier of flesh to see a girl, whom she was very familiar with.
"Juvia!" Lucy pouted, "You scared me, I almost cried!"
Said girl just smiled, raising a pale finger to fiddle with her blue curls, "Don't be too dramatic, love-rival."
"Hey! How many times do I have too tell you, I am not your love-rival!" Lucy huffed and regathered her bag, which had been tossed and neglected due to the sudden scare.
"But Juvia knows that Lucy is out to get her Gray-sama!"
Lucy sighed and stood back up, readjusting her clothes. Her brown eyes glanced curiously at the water mage before her, who annoyingly, was very cheery despite the time.
"Anyway... What are you doing here so early?"
"Same thing Lucy is doing. Juvia came here too get a good spot to watch Gray-sama before they were all gone." Juvia smiled.
"What!" The Blonde muttered, "I did not come here for that! Why would I even-"
The sound of Juvia's laughter stopped Lucy, her forehead letting out small drops of sweat.
Once recovered, the bluenette smirked, "Juvia was just kidding. She came here for work."
Lucy sighed and sat down, followed closely by her companion, "You need a job too? Is it your rent as well? Horrible, I feel your pain."
"Actually," Juvia mumbled, "Juvia just needs to get out of town for a while."
The blonde rose an eyebrow, "What? Why?"
Juvia sighed and shook her head slightly, "Well, Gajeel-kun went on a mission and he won't be back for a few days. Gray-sama did the same, and well he is back tomorrow, which is why Juvia wants to leave. Besides, she is very bored, she hasn't been on a job for weeks."
Deciding not to ask on they whole Gray situation, Lucy just nodded, "Well, there are a few left on the board. Apparently there is a kid that needs babysitting, so that would entertain you for a few days."
"Good to know." Juvia smiled, and paused when she glanced at the paper in Lucy's hands, "Wait! Can Juvia please read that?"
"Um, sure?" Lucy shrugged and handed the page over.
Juvia's blue eyes studied the sheet, growing wider and full of delight by the second. When she had finished reading she handed back the sheet and seemed to be lost in thought, a smile plastered on her face.
"Juvia?" Lucy asked timidly.
Said mage snapped her head up and stared at Lucy with a very beaming expression. The blonde wiggled in her seat, a little uncomfortable with the stare.
"Lucy!" Juvia sung, "Are you going on that mission with Natsu-kun?"
Lucy's eyebrows furrowed at the mention of Natsu, who had insisted greatly upon going on his own mission with Happy, something about 'we need to have a talk alone'.
"No, he and Happy left for there own mission yesterday. They will be home tomorrow though."
The bluenette nodded, "What about Erza-san, or Wendy-san?"
"Wendy is going on a mission with Levy in a couple days, they wanted to spend more time together or something. I actually think that Levy just wants someone to teach and Wendy seems pretty excited."
"Erza-san?"
"Nope. I wanted to go this alone because I need all the money for myself, besides Erza was already busy. Something about a party?"
Juvia nodded and rose a hand to her chin, she looked around the Guild then back at Lucy.
"Well, if Juvia doesn't want any of the reward, can she accompany Lucy?"
The Blonde's eyes widened, obviously caught off guard. She wouldn't mind Juvia coming at all, she was a great fighter and a very nice girl when you were not after Gray. But why was she so set on that particular mission, even going as far as not requesting any reward. Lucy wanted to know.
"S-sure, but why? Why this mission in particular?"
The bluenette smiled and grabbed the job paper once again, pointing to it, "This job is in Aival, right?" At the blonde's confused nod Juvia continued, "This is where Juvia was born."
"Really?" Lucy smiled, finally understanding, "How long did you live there?"
"Well, for about fifteen years. Juvia lost her parents at a young age so she lived in an orphanage for quite some time. She would love to go and visit the owner, he did a lot for Juvia."
Lucy's eyes softened and she nodded, "Sure. It is fine if you come."
Noticing the change in mood, Juvia stood up and smiled, "Well come on, no point in being all sad and gloomy. We have a pig to find."
Lucy laughed and stood up too, grabbing her bag and joining Juvia, "Right!"
As if on queue, Mirajane walked inside the Guild with Lisanna at her side. The two sisters were laughing about something, and once they entered they both greeted the girls inside.
"Already leaving Lucy?" Mira smiled and walked toward the bar, Lisanna following close behind.
"Yup. Juvia's coming with me too, here is the sheet." Lucy handed over the sheet which held the details to the mission.
"Your not going with Natsu?" Lisanna asked, also observing the sheet.
Lucy fiddled her hands and looked away, "Not this time, he is already on a mission."
"Well, have fun girls. And be safe, you know how dangerous missions can be." Mira spoke as she prepared some glasses.
Lucy and Juvia nodded, and as soon as Lucy handed over the keys, they were off.
After stopping by at Fairy Hills, were the girls were still sleeping, to let Juvia pack a small bag, they finally arrived at the train station. Juvia insisted on buying the tickets and after a few objections Lucy agreed. The blonde watched as Juvia ran off toward the counter, her whole aura quite excited.
Sitting down on a bench not far from the platform, Lucy placed the two bags beside her and leant backward. Her brown eyes closed as she stretched her legs, her body was not used to being awake and active so early in the morning.
It was strange, going on a mission with Juvia. They were friends, sure, but they never really had the chance to become closer. Lucy had always admired Juvia for her strength and love for Fairy Tail, and she really did consider her a close friend. But after going on so many missions with Team Natsu it felt exciting and somewhat nerve racking to go on a job with someone else.
She could imagine Natsu's reaction when she would tell him that she successfully fulfilled a mission on her own, earned enough money of said mission to pay her rent, and too top it all off: performed the mission with Juvia.
He would be so surprised and proud of her, and maybe even buy her dinner. But that was probably getting her hopes up, especially since he had rejected her to join his mission only a day ago. She frowned as she remembered, what could he possibly have to talk about with Happy?
"Lucy?"
After registering that the voice was not in fact Juvia's or not in fact female, her eyes opened and she spun her head around toward the voice. Her eyes widened and she let out a relieved sigh.
"It's you Gray!" Lucy laughed
"Sorry if I scared you, but what are you doing here?" He muttered and looked at the bags on the seat, a confused look spreading on his face.
"Going on a job, I need to pay my rent." She shrugged, "What about you?"
"Just got back from one. I was meant to be back tomorrow but it was pretty easy. Anyway, how long is this job? How much luggage did you bring?"
"Oh this isn't all mine, the blue one is-"
"Lucy! Juvia got the tickets!"
"Juvia's." Lucy finished, and was quite surprised at the man's reaction. His eyes widened and he turned the opposite direction of which the voice came from, fiddling with his hands and Lucy did notice the pink on his face.
As Juvia was running back from purchasing the tickets, she didn't fail to notice a man standing beside Lucy. She rose an eyebrow in curiosity and wondered if it was one of Lucy's old friends.
Oh no. No, it wasn't. As she got closer she realised by the hair and build, that it was the exact person she was trying to avoid.
"G-gray-sama?" Juvia squeaked and the said man flinched but remained facing the opposite way.
"Yeah," Lucy smiled, expecting a very happy Juvia, "He got back early from his mission."
"Oh." Juvia nodded and Lucy did notice how pale her face had turned and how still she had become.
And when Juvia took a seat beside Lucy staring straight ahead and sitting quite proper, not even further appreciating the man she was so head over heels for, she finally remembered: something happened between Gray and Juvia and now she was trying to avoid him.
"W-well," Gray muttered quietly, but both girls could clearly hear him as Juvia's hand twitched and Lucy turned her head, "I'll be going now, it was a pretty long mission."
Lucy nodded and waved goodbye, "Yeah. We'll see you later then."
Before the ice mage left, he took one sly look at Juvia who still remained on her seat not breaking eye contact with the rail way tracks.
Once he was out of sight Lucy turned to Juvia, "What the heck was that about?"
Juvia sighed and shook her head, sinking back into the seat, "Juvia doesn't really know herself."
"What happened between you two?"
The bluenette became still again and looked around the station, before she turned and handed the tickets over to the Blonde, "Can we please not discuss it here? There are certain things better said in private."
Lucy just nodded and her attention was drawn away when a train entered her sight. She immediately stood up and squinted in the distance, then looked back down at the tickets in her hands. Juvia stood up too, collecting their luggage and glancing out at the coming train.
"That is us, the 422 express to Aival!"
AN: ugh kill me, that was bad wasn't it? I tried! Any reviews or support toward this story would be greatly appreciated!
Questions to be answered in following chapter- Chapter two: Aival
what is the town of Aival like?
What is the orphanage in which Juvia grew up like?
What is this pig mission about?
Where is this story going?