Juvia Lockser does not remember her parents, or where she came from. She doesn't know where she was born, or exactly when, and even if the records exist somewhere, a possibility she doubts, she has never extended the effort to find them. She wonders, looking back, if it was because of how young she was when her origins were suddenly (or maybe not so suddenly) gone. Another part of her thinks the memories may have simply washed away with the years of rain and pressing, pressing darkness. Possible still, is that she doesn't want to remember, and she doesn't need to now, blessed as she is with a life full of sunlight and people who love her.
Gray has never said so, but Juvia suspects he believes her parents are dead. Raised by the selfless love of his own parents, of Ur, Juvia doesn't think he really believes a parent is capable of simply leaving their child behind, especially one as in need of love as Juvia had been.
Gajeel thinks her parents abandoned her, like he thought for so long Metalicana had him. She doesn't blame them if they did, though she knows he does, holding onto all the hatred he had felt towards his own father and reserving some for the people who he believes have wronged her. She's touched in a way. For the longest time Gajeel had only felt things through a veil of anger, and she knows that he only bothers to feel angry for her sake because he cares.
When Lucy asked Juvia about her family, to be met with a quiet response of unknowing, her mind filled immediately with thoughts of love, with a thousand dire reasons why her family wasn't around, weaving tales of selfless sacrifice and longing, even when Juvia insisted that she was quite alright even if that was not the case.
Erza tells her that it doesn't matter anyway, because she has a family now, and Juvia agrees.
Still, she wonders sometimes what they must have thought of her, an infant daughter cursed by the rain.
Juvia remembers hazily when she was small, vaguely content in the naivety of her situation. She remembers her delight at the puddles that she came across on every afternoon walk, how she looked forward to every bath, how the raindrops on her skin were to her one of life's simple pleasures, to be experienced and appreciated daily. She didn't understand that her life was not perfectly normal, even as an orphan girl who had never seen the sun.
It wasn't until she came of school age that she realized that she was not in a position to be perfectly content, that other children had mothers and fathers, and that rain, in fact, was not meant to be ceaseless.
Her teacher, a tall woman who regarded her children with a tittering fondness, suggested to Juvia that she make a doll called a teru-teru bozu, a little thing laced with magic meant to keep the rain away. While she had suspected that the rain's connection to the girl had something to do with magic, she had believed it to be containable, common; something that could be remedied with a bit of wishful thinking and a doll made with love. Juvia believed that too.
Her hands were small and pale as they worked at the doll in her room. She pricked her fingers more times than she could count, with no one around to teach her how to use a needle. But she was proud of her work, it make her smile, and she was eager for it to bring her the sun.
She brought the doll to her class the next day, presenting it to her teacher expectantly. She had thought that the woman would hold the talisman and somehow turn it on, in the way that children believe grown-ups control the world with a twist of their hands and a smile. But the woman had merely frowned, and handed the doll back to Juvia.
"Just wait a few days, sweetheart. It takes a bit of time to start to work."
Juvia waited a few days. A few weeks, a few months. She sewed another doll as the boys in her class kicked the first into the mud. She sewed another just to make sure she was doing it right. And another, just in case she needed a little extra magic. She asked the man who ran the orphanage to help her, and he did, with a look of sympathy that she did not understand. She asked the other children to help her. They did not.
Juvia did not go on her class field trip to their town's wizarding guild, as much as she wanted to, knowing she was a natural-born mage, untrained though she was. She did not want to drown her classmates in rain on the one day she could avoid it. They did not want her there, besides.
It was the following day when her fellow students came to class, relaying to one another tales of all kinds of magic, elemental magic, that Juvia decided to learn to become a real wizard. Water was in her blood, in her body, in her sky. It only made sense for her to become a water mage.
She taught herself with books from the library, avoiding the glares she received each time she returned them with slightly water-damaged pages. When her skills surpassed those, she taught herself the best she could. She had thought, perhaps, that if she felt the control in the palms of her hands, if she could influence raindrops and oceans alike, then she could banish the clouds themselves, that she could push them aside and see the sun for a moment, for a lifetime. Of course, that was not the case, no matter how she willed it. The rain continued to fall, and the most she could do was to arch it around herself to stay dry. It was useless to expand even that energy. She bought an umbrella, a pink one covered in lovely designs, and sewed more dolls. It was tiring, but she could think of nothing else to do, could not even find a suitable distraction from the crushing rain.
Some nights she sat on her bedroom floor sewing them until she fell asleep, her face wet with tears and her body heavy. She felt too feeble for the powerful mage she had had no choice but to become, trapped under loneliness and rain and something else, something heavy in her chest that sometimes left her still for days, lying in her bed, helpless to do anything but watch the raindrops on the window reflect on her pale skin as the tears slid down her hollow face.
A powerful mage nonetheless.
She was fourteen when Jose found her and offered her a place in his guild.
She'd been alone, as she so often was, sitting on an old bench in an abandoned park. No one wanted to be out in the rain. But suddenly the tall man stood before her, looming like the clouds, grinning like the rain wasn't soaking through his cloak.
"Miss Lockser?"
Juvia peered up at him, wondering why he was here, why he knew her name.
"Yes?"
"I am Jose Porla, master of the Phantom Lord guild."
A tremor of surprise rolled through Juvia. The Phantom Lord guild was one of the most powerful guilds in Fiore, if not the most powerful. Why it's master was speaking to her she couldn't fathom, so she merely looked up at him and stared in wonder. She could virtually feel the magic radiating off of him.
"No need to be shy my dear, I would just like to speak with you for a moment." He nodded towards her bench. "Do you mind if I sit?"
Juvia shook her head, eyes locked on Jose Porla as he lowered himself onto the bench, his seat drying just a moment before he made contact with it. Juvia's eyes widened, and he smiled at her. "Just a little trick I learned" He adjusted himself. "Miss Lockser, do you have any idea why I'm here?"
"Juvia is afraid not, sir."
Now Jose shook his head. "That's a shame. It was my hope that I would find you to have more confidence in your magic."
"Confidence."
"Juvia, I am here because I have heard stories of you. The amoena, the rainwoman, a little girl with enough magical power to command the skies themselves."
"Juvia would not say she commands them, sir." Juvia looked up at the rain that poured around her. "The rain just...follows Juvia."
"Ah, but that in itself is telling of your power. The stormclouds follow you like loyal dogs, waiting for you every order."
Juvia didn't see many dogs, or many animals for that matter. Not any animals liked the rain any more than most people did. "I suppose."
"Miss Lockser." His voice prompted her attention again. "I am here because I am looking for a water mage, and I only allow the most talented wizards into my guild. It's how I've built such a name." He smiled at her. "I am here because I would like you to join Phantom Lord."
The rain beat steady on the ground, but somehow seemed much louder than before. Juvia was...being offered a job? At a guild? At Phantom Lord? Juvia had always figured she would end up working as a wizard eventually, but she it had seemed such a long ways off. She was still...well, she was a teenager. And it was not as if she was ever going to be adopted. Juvia didn't realize that she had not responded until Jose spoke again.
"Just think about it, my dear. There is nowhere your future would be brighter than In Phantom Lord. Consider it, and stop by if you wish." He held out something to her, and she took it with shaking hands. They often shook from the cold, but this was from something else. It was a train ticket. The Phantom Lord guild hall was several towns away after all. Jose Porla stood up, and took a few steps back, still facing her. He nodded. "I hope that you will honor us with your presence very soon, Miss Lockser. Have a good day."
He turned to walk away, and within a few steps, he disappeared.
As a general rule, Juvia didn't like train rides. She had not traveled much, and when she was did, it was usually because she was being transferred to another orphanage. Train rides had always been spent ruminating over why she had been discarded again. They were not usually an enjoyable experience.
Today though, it was different. Today, if all went well, she would be joining Phantom Lord, one of the most renowned guilds in the country. She would belong somewhere. Juvia rested umbrella against her leg, her suitcase on her lap, despite the fact that she had a whole car to herself. There wasn't much in it anyway. She didn't own much. She supposed that she would be able to buy things when she started taking jobs. Housing, of course would be her first priority. As Juvia watched the rain slide down the window, she daydreamed about what it might be like to be a powerful mage in Phantom Lord. Would people see her rain as a sign of her strength instead of a bother? How would people see her? As a hero, or just a little girl splashing around in a puddle? She had read stories about the great things (and the horrible things) that wizards had done in the past. They had been knights and saviors, impassioned and beloved. In all likelihood, Juvia's life, even as a contracted mage, would be far more mundane, but it never hurt to imagine.
The train eventually slowed to a stop, the conductor announcing that they had arrived in Oak Town. This was the town of Phantom Lord. Juvia stepped onto the train station, opening her umbrella as others did the same. People did not know her here, not yet, and did not recognize her as the cause of the gloomy weather. She supposed there were pros to moving to a new place.
Juvia did not ask for directions. She had greatfully recieved a map from a friendly man at a kiosk, but as she followed the walkways into town, she soon realized that she did not need even that.
The Phantom Lord Guild hall was huge, rising above the entire town on its own hill. It was the largest building Juvia had ever seen, more reminiscent of castles she had seen in picture books than of anything else. She had read about the guilds before of course, and knew that larger ones employed even hundreds of people, but she still couldn't believe the size of it. She suddenly felt far more intimidated that before.
Juvia shook her head. No. Master Jose had sought her out himself, offered her a place in his guild personally. She had nothing to worry about. Still, as Juvia made her way through the streets of Oak town and climbed the hill to the guild hall, a tight feeling in her stomach only grew.
The doors of Phantom Lord stood impressively before her, far taller than she would presume to be necessary. Tall, pointed gates lined the stone walls, and the sign displaying the guild's name arched above the doors. Well, if Juvia was going to be a member of this guild, she might as well get used to it.
Juvia closed her umbrella, and opened the door.
She nearly slammed it closed again in surprise as something smashed against the wall only a few feet from her. As things were, she cowered for a moment in the doorframe, before looking to her right at whatever had just been thrown. Whatever it was, it left a big dent. Juvia looked down at the mass on the floor. A groaning mass. Oh my god it's a person.
"What did I say about bothering me when I'm eating?" A brutal shout ripped through the room. Juvia followed the sound, and the...trajectory, to find a man standing up from one of the tables in the back, a pile of scrap metal on the surface in front of him. He sat back down with an angry thud, huffing threateningly, as if throwing a person across a room wasn't enough of a warning, and took a bite out of a piece of metal. Well, this was certainly the most terrifying human being Juvia had ever seen, though he couldn't have been that much older than herself. No one in the room, however, seemed perturbed. No one even made a move to help the man, who was now standing up himself.
"Ah, sorry Gajeel!"
"You should be."
Juvia stood still. Was this…really how people acted here? Was she having some sort of crazy dream? She had fallen asleep on the train, that had to be it. Still, she moved toward the man as soon as she could find her own legs. "Are you okay?"
"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Happens all the time." He seemed to actually look at Juvia, because he smiled then. Uncomfortably friendly. He shifted his stance "Hey, you must be new here. Let me take your coat. Has anyone shown you around yet?"
"Um-"
"Dash, back the hell off of the new kid!" Something else sliced through the air, a card, but it knocked the man- Dash- back against the wall again. A dark skin girl jogged towards them, scooping the card back up in one swift motion. "Sorry about that." She sneered down at Dash. "He has a thing for younger girls. I'm assuming you are new though. There's no way you got lost."
"Um. Yes. Well, Juvia hasn't joined yet. She- I spoke with master Jose, before. He told Juvia to stop by when she could, if she was interested-"
"Wait, you're Juvia? Lockser?" Her eyes lit up. "I heard Master Jose talking about you, though if he asked don't tell him I was listening."
"Oh."
The girl smiled, ducking down to Juvia's height. "I can bring you up to Master Jose, if you need to talk with him first. Or you can get you're guildmark in the back." She gestured with her thumb.
"Juvia would like to speak to Master Jose first, if that's not too much to ask." Things were moving faster than she thought they would. For some reason, Juvia thought there should be some kind of test or something. The thought that maybe there usually was, and she was just an exception crossed her mind. Jose had asked her to join personally after all. But Juvia wiped the thought away. That was ridiculous.
"Alight, c'mon." The girl took Juvia's arm, gentler than she would expect. "I'm Shauna, but the way."
"Oh. It's nice to meet you Shauna."
"You too, Juvia." Did Shauna steer them far away from the metal-eating man, or was Juvia just imagining? Either scenario was believable, seeing both the man's temper and the other guild members' seeming nonchalance concerning it.
Juvia was lead up a long flight of wooden stairs, to a door at the far side of the balcony on the top floor. There was no sign, but it was clear that the door was to the guildmaster's office.
"Here ya are Juvia. Just make sure to knock first." With that she turned to return downstairs. Juvia was alone. She took a deep breath.
"Come in Juvia."
Well. She supposed she didn't have to knock after all. Juvia opened the door as quietly as she could, despite her invitation, and stepped into the room. The office was large, bookshelves lining one of the walls and papers covering the desk Jose sat at. A large window overlooked a view of the town, and at the moment, a view of the falling rain.
"I'm glad you've agreed to pay us a visit. Tell me my dear, have you made a decision?"
"Juvia has."
Jose grinned, dark eyes shining. "And what is that decision, may I ask?"
"Juvia has decided to join Phantom Lord, if you will have you."
His smile widened. "Of course we will, Juvia. I'm so glad to hear it. There's just a little paperwork you have to fill out, because of you age, and you can head down to get your guildmark and your first mission."
"Juvia's first mission? Already?"
"Well, certainly Juvia, we'd like to see what you've got as soon as possible. I'm assigning you a partner, not to worry."
Juvia scolded herself. She couldn't believe she'd shown hesitance, and to someone who was offering her so much.
"Of course. Thank you."
"Now," Jose slid a small stack of papers over to Juvia, along with a pen. "You just need to review these."
The paperwork was fairly straightforward, especially since Juvia had reviewed similar documents in the library when she studied wizarding guilds. Her guild's master, legally speaking, would be her partial guardian until she turned sixteen, if only enough to ensure her livelihood. He was by no means her parent, of course, but Juvia couldn't help but feel something warm in her heart. This was it. She would finally have a home.
It only took a few minutes to sign the papers, and Jose sent her downstairs to receive her guild mark. She was officially a member of the Phantom Lord guild. It hardly felt real.
Another woman stood near the request board and waved Juvia over as she descended the stairs. She held a magic stamp in her manicured hands, the Phantom Lord insignia at it's base. "Juvia Lockser?"
"Yes."
"What color guild mark?"
Juvia straightened her shoulders. This, she was prepared for. "Blue."
The woman clicked a switch along several brackets on the stamps handle. "And where?"
Juvia tugged up her skirt, a bit shyly, but she steeled her modestly and pointed to the outside of her left thigh. She'd been careful to wear stockings today instead of tights. "Here, please."
The woman pressed the stamp to Juvia's leg and pulled back after a pulse of light. There, smooth against her skin, was her guild mark. The symbol of Phantom Lord. The woman allowed Juvia to admire it for a moment before speaking up again. "Master's already chosen your first request. You're partner is heading over now. Sorry for the rush, but the person who sent in the request has been waiting for a while, since Master wanted to save this one for you."
"And who is Juvia's partner?" She was really more curious about that than anything else. Before Jose had sent her downstairs he had sworn that he'd found the perfect member to show her what Phantom Lord was all about, and someone right at her level, too. Around her age, just building a name for himself.
"I am, unfortunately." The voice came from directly behind her, and Juvia swirled around to see none other than the man who she'd seen throw someone across the room and eat metal.
Juvia squeaked. "Oh, um, well, i-it's nice to meet you!" Damnit, she was stuttering. She tried to even her voice. "Its nice to meet you you."
"You said that twice."
"Oh, uh, Juvia's sorry." Who could blame her for being so nervous? This man had to be at least six feet tall and made of solid iron! She couldn't count all his piercings, and he had red eyes!
He just sighed though, a long suffering sound, and turned to walk away, muttering. "This is gunna be a loong day."
The woman who had given Juvia her guildmark nodded towards his retreating figure. "Gajeel Redfox. Follow him, he doesn't like to be kept waiting. I'll send your suitcase over to the boarding rooms if you want."
Juvia nodded, handing the woman her bags, and scurried after Gajeel. "Thank you."
"Good Luck!"
Juvia caught up with her new partner as quickly as she could, remaining silent as she met his gait a few feet behind him. She followed him out of the guild hall without acknowledgement, and into the gloomy weather outside,
"Tch, damn rain." Gajeel held his hand out, gathering a few drops in his palm before shaking off his hand. He looked back at Juvia, glaring. Or maybe that was just how he normally looked, Juvia wasn't sure. "You cause this shit, right?"
Juvia flinched back, opening up her umbrella. She would offer to share it, but somehow she doubted this man would take kindly to being offered a patterned pink parasol. "Um, yes. The rain follows Juvia."
"Make it stop."
"Juvia cannot." She tried to mask her expression. "The rain follows Juvia. She does not command it to do so."
Gajeel groaned, his glare transforming into a sneer. "Ugh. Great. It's raining and I gotta spend my mission with a wizard that can't even control her own element."
Juvia considered apologizing, but thought better of it. She had met people like Gajeel before. Apologizing would earn her no favours. If anything, he'd think she was even more pathetic. She stayed silent instead as they trekked back to the train station. Apparently their mission was some distance. Instead of stopping at the ticket booth, however, Gajeel boarded the train. Juvia followed him hesitantly. She didn't know where they were going for her to buy a ticket anyway. She could only hope that things were already worked out. Gajeel stomped to a car in the back of the train, and Juvia stepped in after him. He didn't say anything, so she sat across from him, placing her umbrella against the door.
When a man stopped by for their tickets, Gajeel pulled them (one for her as well, thank goodness) from his pocket and shoved them at the man, who clipped them quickly and scurried away as fast as he could. At least someone seems to find this man terrifying, even if his guildmates didn't seem to. Juvia studies Gajeel's face, looking somehow both angry and pensive looking out the window of the rolling train.
Around your age, very powerful, just making a name for himself.
"Gajeel-san?" Juvia spoke up in the flattest voice she could. She had gotten quite good at it over the years. People tended to leave you alone if they thought they couldn't get to you anyway.
He did not look at her, but he grumbled out a response. "What'd you want, water-chick?"
"Juvia was wondering what kind of magic Gajeel-san practiced."
He finally turned to her, his eternal-grimace transforming into a harsh smirk. "Heh. I'm a dragon-slayer. Only one in the country."
Juvia thought. The term rang a bell, but… what was it. Dragons were long extinct so… "It's a dead magic?"
"Sure as hell is."
"How did Gajeel-san learn it, then?"
His smirk deepened, showcasing a set of fangs. He leaned forward like he was sharing some sort of secret, though his crossed arms suggested a threat. "I learned it from a dragon."
Juvia blinked in surprise, but her expression remained mostly still. This man (boy, she thought, he's hardly older than you) already thought she was a bumbling idiot. She couldn't give him any more ammo. "Juvia thought dragons were extinct."
Gajeel leaned back again, scowling. "Might as well be. S'far as I know mine was the last one, and he ran out on me years ago."
"Were you two close."
"Tch. Like family." He spit out the words. "But that doesn't matter. He was a deadbeat anyway, and I don't need a family."
It was quiet for a time, rain beating down against the train, sliding down the window. "Juvia is sorry. She doesn't have a family either."
"Yeah, well" He shifted. Juvia thought he might have been uncomfortable, though it had to be wrapped in several layers of anger and threat. "If you're tough, you don't need one." He looked down at her. "And you better be. If Master let in some kind of squirt I'm gonna be pissed as all hell."
Juvia's eyes narrowed only slightly. She felt...a sort of comradery with this boy, or she \could at least empathize, but she was getting a bit tired of his insults. Master Jose had said she was powerful, she was powerful, because she could be nothing else. But she kept quiet. She would show Gajeel what she had when they took on their mission. Speaking of which- "What is our request?"
"Master picked something easy. We gotta get rid of a horde of vulcans that've been harassin' Bardus."
"An entire hoard?" Juvia felt her heartbeat pick up at just the thought. Vulcans were horrible monster. The idea of facing even one was enough to put her on edge. She had never been in a real fight before! "And how many is that, exactly?" Again, she tried to bury her nerves.
"Hell if I know. We just gotta take 'em out. You're not scared are you?"
"Of course not." She wished she couldn't feel the color blooming on her face.. "Juvia was just curious, is all."
"Fine." The train slowed to a stop, the conductor announcing their arrival in Bardus. "Then this shouldn't take long." Gajeel stood up, and gestured to the door with a sweep on his arm. "After you."
Juvia stood up stubbornly, taking steps that she hoped implied that she knew what she was doing. Which of course she did not. She turned to him as they stepped off the train. "And where are the Vulcans?"
"Tch, c'mon rain-woman. Follow me." He glanced down at the paper in his hands- the request, that cheater- and headed east. Juvia followed.
It didn't take long to make it through the small town, cobblestone streets giving way to muddy paths, and eventually, damp grass. Juvia twirled her umbrella nervously as they traveled farther and farther from the town. She was really about to fight a horde of monsters! Was she really ready for this? Vulcans weren't anything like training dummies. The rain picked up. She couldn't afford to fail! Would they even let her remain in the guild if she did?
Juvia was so caught up in her thoughts that she hardly noticed Gajeel stop in front of her. She nearly ran into him, but caught herself at the last minute. They were standing in an opening, blue wildflowers dotting the field. A thick woods covered the land in front of them.
"They're here."
Juvia glanced around. She didn't see any. She closed her umbrella nonetheless, the rain soaking through her coat far more quickly than it would on a normal day. "Here?"
"They're coming." Gajeel was grinning again, teeth threateningly sharp against his barred lips. While her body shook with apprehension, his seemed to tremble with something else. Excitement. "Wait for it… and-" Juvia nearly screamed as a blur of gray launched itself forward, smashing against Gajeel's fist. His fist was iron. The creature flew back, like Dash against the guild wall, and landed on the earth before them with a wet thud. Another was not far behind. And it was headed towards her. Instinctually, thank god, Juvia threw her hands out in front of her, the rain drawing itself into bubble with which to drown the creature. Before it could though, another came from her right. She dropped the water bubble, and the first vulcan, and sliced through both with a blade of water. Blood washed from their still bodies with the rain. It nearly made her sick.
Gajeel was farther away from her nor, making his way into the woods, fighting off a dozen vulcans like they were flies. "Are ya just gonna stand there and wait for them to come to ya, or are you gonna fight?"
Juvia steeled her face and started forward, throwing back two more vulcans on Gajeel's left with a harsh wall of water, knocking them to the ground, likely dead. It was almost too easy. These creatures were no more organized than her training dummies.
"'Bout time, Rainwoman."
Juvia refused to acknowledge that comment, instead turning to take out a vulcan that Gajeel had missed. She didn't want them getting surrounded, though there had to be scores in front of them. A horde indeed. With the rate Gajeel was fighting them off however, she doubted it would be that way for long. He was taking vulcans down like a child taking candy from a broken pinata, efficient and absolutely gleeful. Juvia hoped she wasn't stepping in any blood, even if it belonged to a monster. She couldn't tell, with the way it soaked into the ground and away with the rain. Not that she could afford to pay particularly great attention to the ground. These vulcans, they weren't strong, not like she had feared they would be, but there were many of them. Gajeel didn't seem to mind. Two jumped on him, and before Juvia could assist him, he had thrown them off himself, growling like he was one of them. Another lunged at Juvia. She turned into water to miss the attack, then turned and sliced through it as it fell behind her.
More vulcans, More blood. Heavy breaths as the downpour soaked through her clothes. Gajeel was laughing. The attacks subsided. And before Juvia could even really understand that she had just been in a battle, a real battle, with monsters, it was over. They had won. She had one.
Gajeel's face was broken open in a fangy smile, and his body rose and fell with his breaths. He ran a hand through his long hair. "Ghihi. What'd ya think rainwoman? Too scary for ya?"
Juvia stared at the corpses around them. Harsh and deadly and dead. "No." She said. "They were not." She turned to head back to the town. Gajeel outpaced her in seconds.
"Good. Cause missions aren't usually this easy."
Juvia bent down to retrieve her umbrella, abandoned at the edge of the woods before the fight. She was soaked to the bone now, so she didn't really need it, but she opened it up anyway. It was a comfort. "So what do we do now?"
"We head to the mayor and collect our payment for the job. He's the one that sent in the request." He scoffed over at Juvia. "Tch. I hate havin' to share my reward money."
Juvia ignored that comment as well, lost in her own thoughts.
As they reached the outskirts of town, Juvia saw a woman heard her child inside, cursing the sudden rain. Rain that bled down Juvia's still damp skin, that followed every commanding flick of her wrist. Rain that made her powerful. This is why Juvia is in Phantom Lord overpowered her thoughts of this is why people hate you. What did it matter if they did? She didn't need their love anyway, not if she was strong. She...had a home for herself now. She wasn't entirely convinced of it. Perhaps people could learn to lover her, a powerful mage as she seemed to be, or perhaps they would continue to disgrace her dull and gloomy rain. But one way or another, she would find her place. Her footsteps quickened, walking next to Gajeel rather than behind him. She liked being powerful.
It was not difficult to collect the payment. The mayor was waiting for them, and Gajeel's presence left no room for disagreement. She wondered if she could be like that too.
The ride back to Oak town was quiet, though Gajeel seemed in a much better mood than before. Juvia wondered if it was because he had made things bleed or if it was because he was glad to have found his new guildmate stronger than he had assumed. It was likely the previous. Juvia set her jaw, determined. But both were true anyway.
Within her first year at Phantom Lord, Juvia was...happier. The rain persisted, but no one dared to mock her for it. Except, perhaps, her guild mates, but they never meant much by it. Besides, she wasn't the only one whose magic came with side effects.
Master Jose was proud of Juvia, and in turn, her own pride flourished. Her confidence grew, her timidity receded. At his recommendation, she began to go on missions with others in her guild. It was not long before she found a team.
The Element Four gave Gajeel a run for his money, a fact that made him scowl and her smile. Well, almost smile, You didn't smile much when you were amongst Phantom's elite, it was bad for your image. Not that her image really needed much upkeep. Not when her presence in a town was accompanied by storm clouds, and flanking three of the most powerful mages in Phantom Lord. At least that was how everyone else saw it.
They were powerful, of course, but amongst them, Juvia couldn't really gauge just how much so. She was powerful as well, and if she was being honest, Totomaru could sometimes act like a fool. They were people, like her.
Growing up, she had read stories of great wizards and their heroic deeds. They seemed to her unattainable, unreal. But they had become part of her life before she even realized it. And people like Gajeel- The feared Iron Dragon of Phantom Lord- became just another teenaged boy who listened to blues music and was learning to play the guitar, though she was sworn to secrecy on those particular details.
She was a mage, she was a human, and though she had her team, she had Gajeel (as unlikely as that relationship seemed) she wished she had more. She wanted to be a teenager. She wanted to go to the park with friends.. She wanted to have her first kiss.
Juvia had always been a romantic. She swooned over love stories and candy hearts (Gajeel was sworn to secrecy on that), and as her name grew, distancing her more than ever from, well, normal people, she couldn't help but want such a lovely thing more than ever. Gajeel teased her incessantly, but she confided in him her every fantasy nonetheless.
It was when her heart was beginning to ache for such things more than she thought possible that she met Bora.
Bora's first reaction to her was not distaste in her rain. She had been coming home from a solo mission, bringing the rain back to Oak Town. Bora had been starting there anew. He didn't recognize her at first.
"I'm so sorry miss," he'd greeted her, charming and polite. "But if you are headed into town, would you be so troubled as to share your umbrella?" No one had ever asked her such a question. She was not very approachable, or so Totomaru had told her. No one had been so polite. So she agreed.
They walked from the train station with polite conversation. He seemed to spent a majority of it either talking about himself or complimenting her. He did not once complain about the rain, other than to compare the watery droplets to her eyes with a smile that brought a flush to her cheeks. Was he actually...flirting with her? No one had ever shown any interest in her once they found out who she was. She thought it best to tell him.
"Do you know who Juvia is?" She asked suddenly, cutting him off as he took a breath between words.
Bora adjusted his expression, looking at her with confusion. "I don't believe so. Should I?"
Juvia's blush deepened. She didn't mean to come off as arrogant. "Ah, well, no. It's just most people around here do. Juvia is the rain woman."
"The Rain Woman…" he trailed off, before his eyes finally widened in comprehension. "Juvia Lockser? The Rain Woman of Phantom Lord?" Juvia nodded sheepishly. Here came the distaste, the fear. "I've heard of you, of course, but I'd no idea you would be so young!" His smile widened. "Miss Lockser, you are as powerful as you are beautiful. It is a pleasure to share this time with you."
Juvia stared at him in wonder. "Are you a wizard?" It was the only thing she could think to say. Who else would understand such a potent side effect of her magic, or greet her identity with such enthusiasm?
"I am indeed. Bora the Prominence." He did a little bow. "I'm a uncontracted mage now, but I plan to join the Titan Nose guild one day."
They talked of magic then, of missions and wizards they had met. He slowed as they came to a boarding house in the middle of town. "Regretfully," he began, "we must now part ways. But Juvia," he took one of her hands in his. "I have so much enjoyed our walk. Could I ever be so honored as to share your presence again soon?"
Juvia could hardly think of how to respond. Her mouth spoke anyway. "Of course."
Bora grinned. "Excellent! We'll speak soon, Juvia-chan!" He turned to walk inside the lobby of the boarding house. Juvia returned to the guild in a daze.
Gajeel sat in his usual corner, and Juvia joined him. It had taken a long time for Juvia to sit with him. It was only after several missions together did she develop the nerve to come anywhere near him when they weren't forced into a train car together. Now she sat nearer to him than anyone else dared, lest they risk being thrown against a wall.
"How'd the mission go?" He asked. Juvia would never presume that he was asking for her opinion. He was asking how she'd done for their guild.
"Successful." She answered. "Gajeel-san, Juvia thinks she was just asked on a date."
He stopped chewing the iron scraps on his plate. "What?"
"Juvia shared her umbrella with a boy from the train station. And he-" the blush returned to her face. Why was she even telling him this? And in the middle of the guild no less! Normally any of her "sissy talk" as Gajeel referred to it, was strictly confined to when no one else was around. "He said he'd like to see Juvia again."
Gajeel's top lip curled in distaste. "Ugh. Good for you I guess."
It was Gajeel's reaction, so realistic and him, that finally snapped her out of her daze. Juvia began to smile. It took everything she had not to grab onto his arm in enthusiasm. "Gajeel-san, Juvia is going to go on a date!"
"Yeah, yeah. Do you even know when?"
"Well, no. But Juvia is sure she'll know that soon." Her smile softened. "Gajeel-san."
"He glanced down at her, and sighed. "Alright. I'm glad for ya, water chick."
Juvia's first date was blissful. Bora was nothing short of charming, and he didn't mind her rain a bit. They watched it fall from inside the cafe, and to Juvia, it had never seemed more beautiful. The following weeks were much the same. They stayed inside, and he charmed her, and she smiled. She was finally, finally, starting to feel. But it didn't last long.
Bora was restless. He liked adventure, he liked outdoors, he liked the sun. None of which Juvia could give him. They hardly lasted a month.
Juvia didn't know whether she was grateful or not that he was at least honest with her for his reasonings. He couldn't stand the rain.
She honestly didn't know why she'd hoped. Children's voices echoed in her head, about ruined field trips and gloomy girls. No one liked the rain. No one liked her. She was just a gloomy rain woman, and no amount of power or skill would change that. She could be the strongest mage in the country and she would still never have a family. She would never see the sun. Why did she even try.
She left on a mission the day Bora broke up with her. She couldn't stand to face him, so she grabbed the first request she saw, ignoring her guildmates, and bringing storms to a town far away to take care of some bandits. She did so efficiently, and returned to Oak town far too soon. Her power really never did her much good. She thought of her guild, her team, Gajeel, what did any of it matter, if people still treated her the same way they did when she was a nameless orphan?
The rain poured on the edge of town, behind her apartment. She didn't want to go inside. She just wanted to wallow. The drops stung each time they hit her skin. Her umbrella lay on the ground. Damn Bora. Giving her hope. Damn rain.
Damn rain.
"Damn rain." Juvia looked up from where her face was buried in her knees. Her tears and the heavy downpour made it hard to see. But the blurry figure was unmistakable.
"Gajeel-san."
"Yeah, it's me." He tried to wipe some water off his face. "And where the hell have you been?"
She looked away. "Juvia took a mission."
"No shit. That was a week ago, and it's been stormin' ever since you got back. What the fuck happened?"
Juvia buried her head deeper in her knees. She didn't want to talk about it. Not to anyone. Not to Gajeel, who'd told her all of it was stupid from the beginning.
He sat down next to her, making a sound of disgust at what she only assumed was the weather. "I ran into Bora the other day."
Juvia's hands tightened around her knees.
"He looked shifty when he saw me. I didn't start no shit, cause I knew it'd piss you off. Should I have?"
Juvia shook her head. "No. He was right."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"He broke up with me."
"Ah, hell, the bastard. I knew it.".
The rain poured.
"Listen, he's not worth shit anyway, even you knew that. I know you're all for that gooey shit anyway, but he's a snake. You know that."
"Juvia just...I want to be normal. I want the sun, and everything that goes with with it. But people don't" She sighed, the tears welling up again. "I just want to be loved. But people can't love the rain. Or the gloomy rain girl."
Gajeel sighed now, a long suffering sound. "You know I can't do this shit." He pulled a hand down his face. "But anybody worth shit isn't gonna care anyway. They'll deal with it. And you'll deal with it. You're tougher than this. Don't waste any water on that piece of shit."
It still hurt. It couldn't just not. She wondered if Gajeel could even understand that, as ruthless as he could be. But he was here now. That had to count for something. Still, she would not make him argue any more than he had. She wasn't that pathetic.
Still, she placed a hand on his, leaned to the side so that from a distance one might think she was resting on his shoulder. The tears fell, but her voice was even.
"Thank you, Gajeel-kun."
She pulled out of it. The rain fell, and she was stronger than Bora. Stronger than anyone who could touch her. She was as strong as Gajeel, and she didn't need anyone. The rain beat behind her, in front of her, and she used it to her advantage. Who needed love, when she had strength, her team behind her, the Iron Dragon at her side? The rain fell, and Phantom Lord attacked Fairy Tail. The rain fell, and she went to war.
Still, that was long ago, another life. That any version of her ever thought she didn't need love made her heart ache. Her love was her strength. It was her sun.
Gajeel thought her family had left her, Gray thought they had died for her. Lucy wove tales of sacrifice and Ezra said it didn't matter. As much as Juvia loved them, she knew they were wrong.
Her guild laughed around her as she discussed baby names with Levy. She and Gajeel were expecting twins soon. Gray held her hand under the table, smiling, and her heart swelled. Nothing had happened to her family. They weren't gone. Her family was here, shining in the sun.