One of Us Ch. 2: If My Heart Could Beat
This chapter was meant to just be Gajeel and Juvia traveling, but if I had done that, it would have been too short.
So, instead I am merging the original plans for this chapter with the plans for what would have been chapter 3.
I hope you guys like this! :)
Their fur whipped in the breeze around them as they ran through the vacant woods, going nowhere in particular. A soft whimper was heard from Juvia as they raced along.
They had been on the run for weeks and Juvia was beginning to lose her mind. Gajeel was fine with running as he was the loner type, anyhow.
But, Juvia was special. She needed to be surrounded by love and family at all times. She had Gajeel, but she still felt a pang of emptiness within herself.
Gajeel heard her cry, but continued running. They still had an hour before they would need to stop for rest, she could whine to him later, he decided.
Gajeel loved Juvia. He never said it out loud, but she was his family and the only wolf he would ever consider running with.
Although Gajeel was part of a pack, he preferred being alone. He knew that Juvia couldn't keep this up forever and that she would want to settle somewhere soon.
He just had to be sure they were far enough away from their old pack. He growled quietly to himself as he silently asked her to wait just a little longer.
An hour pushed into two as Gajeel concluded that another hour wouldn't kill them. Juvia could beg to differ.
When he finally came to an abrupt halt, Juvia let out an annoyed bark.
She looked around and sulked at her surroundings. More dark and lonely woods. She was beginning to think that this was all she would see for the rest of her life.
With her head hung low, she wandered off into some shrubbery to phase. Gajeel phased out in the open with zero concern for nudity.
Juvia was about to emerge from the shrubbery fully clothed when she got an alarming eye full. She scoffed and sunk back into the bushes until he had covered himself.
"I'm decent, Juves. Come on out." He chuckled.
He found her shyness to be quite comical. She grew up in a pack of naked wolves and yet, here she was, acting like a timid human.
"Juvia doesn't understand why Gajeel Kun can't just phase privately." She chided.
He crossed his arms and grinned.
"Why? Ain't nobody here. Gihi."
She narrowed her eyes and pouted.
"Juvia's here."
He shrugged.
"You'll live."
She growled low in her throat as she turned to get her sleeping bag. As she settled into her makeshift bed, she sighed dejectedly.
"Look... I know ya wanna settle... So, I think we have traveled far enough." He offered.
Her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly.
"Does Gajeel Kun mean it?!"
He grunted in response, shutting his eyes to find sleep.
"We'll search the area in the morning. If we are gonna make this our new home, we gotta learn the ins and outs."
She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut happily. She couldn't wait for their new life to begin.
The next morning Gajeel and Juvia ventured off into town for the very first time. It was a nice town full of cheery humans.
Juvia delighted in her new surroundings, wanting to take in as much as she could. Gajeel didn't care much for it, but if she liked it, that was good enough for him.
They wandered the streets, memorizing the names and shops.
Gajeel insisted that they price some apartments and look for job openings if they wanted to make this permanent.
Juvia was over the moon with joy. They ventured to three different apartment buildings near town that were reasonably priced, however, job hunting wasn't as pleasant.
Because they grew up in an isolated village with their pack, they never interacted much with human society.
They knew how to fit in with humans when necessary, but not how to live among them.
They had no qualifications and things weren't looking too promising for them after all.
Seeing Juvia's dismay at their new predicament, Gajeel came up with an idea. It wasn't the best plan, but it was the best they had.
"Oi, don't worry 'bout it. Humans like entertainment. Why don't we do our routine like we used to, huh?"
When they were younger, Gajeel and Juvia used to venture off into the local town near their village and perform for jewel.
Originally, they both sang together even though Gajeel was terrible at it.
One day, a kind old man that owned a local music shop brought Gajeel a guitar and taught him how to play.
The old man, Metallicana, was like a father figure to Gajeel for a long time until he died. Metallicana's death was sudden and strange, but there was nothing that could be done.
They stopped performing after that.
Juvia looked to Gajeel with great concern, but he could see the hope flickering in her eyes like a dying candle.
"It's fine, Juves. I said we're gonna settle. I meant it."
He ruffled her hair playfully and smirked. She still seemed hesitant, but nodded and smiled. She was grateful to have him.
He didn't have to settle down, not for her or anyone, but here he was, settling down. She wondered how she got so lucky to find such a great big brother.
Later that night they sat by a fire deep in the woods far from the town.
Gajeel had caught rabbits for dinner and Juvia had gathered some lake water and boiled it for drinks.
After finishing their meal, Gajeel pulled out his old guitar and tuned the strings as Juvia watched him sorrowfully.
The last time she had ever seen him play was just before they had gone into the town that day.
Gajeel had always been a little rough, but after losing Metallicana, he only got worse. As far as she knew, he hadn't strummed a single chord since.
He looked up through strands of long black hair that curtained his face. He could practically feel the concern radiating off of her in waves.
He sighed and continued tuning.
"Juves, I said it's fine. Quit lookin' at me like that. I'm not an injured pup, alright?"
She clenched her fists and closed her mouth tightly, nodding. She knew he was fine, but she couldn't help but feel pain when she remembered a time when he wasn't.
He stopped tuning when he felt the sound was just right. He grunted and adjusted his position on the fallen tree where he was perched.
"Ya ready? Pipes ain't gone rusty, right?" He teased.
She smiled and shook her head.
"Nope! Juvia can do it!" She cheered.
He chuckled and plucked at the strings, bringing forth a tune that was comforting to them both.
This was a song that was sang to the pups of the pack before bed by Jorge's mate, Olivia. She passed on a year before George, but her song lived on.
Tears pricked at Juvia's eyes as her voice filled the peaceful woods with Olivia's melody. Olivia was a mother figure for her, for all of them in a way.
She died of heart failure, which was expected as she had always had a weak heart. She rarely took wolf form because of it.
Although her passing wasn't much of a surprise, it was still very painful for all of them.
Run through the forest
Feel the breeze
Look to the moon
That's where I'll be
Watching over you
As you grow big and strong
Find comfort in me
When you feel you can't go on
Howl to the stars
Believe in who you are
I'll always be with you
Just look to the sky
I'll shine down on you
On the darkest nights
Never forget the wind in your fur
Or the sand on your paws
Remember that wolves are never alone
Look to the moon
And run
As the last chord faded into silence both sat completely still without a word.
As children, they never understood why the song sounded like it was from someone who was long gone.
After Olivia died, they came to find out that she had left this song behind as a comfort for her passing.
She had known for a while that she would die soon and wanted to leave the children with a meaningful memory.
So, as the children grew up she would sing them this song. Olivia's lullaby, her goodbye.
Juvia heard Gajeel sniffle in the silence but said nothing. He cleared his throat and set his guitar beside him.
"Ya sound just like 'er." He mumbled under his breath, but Juvia heard him.
She looked up to the sky and smiled at the moon.
"Juvia wants to run." She stood from her spot on the tree and disappeared into the shrubbery, emerging a few minutes later with her snowy fur glowing in the moonlight.
He stared at her for a moment before cracking a smile. She turned away as he undressed and phased.
He quickly padded over to her and nodded.
That night, they ran under the light of the moon feeling like for once, they were free.
They had been living in the woods outside of the town of Magnolia for a couple of months now.
They were performing regularly, mostly songs from their village, but some well known human songs were also played. Ones that Metallicana had taught them long ago.
Money was still tight, but they were saving as much as they could. They hunted for food and drank from the lake.
The woods served as their home, which wasn't unusual for wolves like them. However, if they were going to live among humans, they needed a change.
While Gajeel went on a hunt, Juvia decided to go into town to pick up some new job applications.
They had already applied nearly everywhere, but it couldn't hurt to try again, right?
She stopped into 4 different stores and acquired two applications for each.
She glided across the empty street, gently shoving the applications into her bag as she admired the glow of the rising moon from the corner of her navy eyes.
When she made it to the other side, she wasn't paying attention and she collided into a man. His scent filled her nostrils and sent her hair on end.
She had run into a vampire. She knew he would be able to smell that she was a wolf and she prayed he was a friendly vampire.
She had no intentions to fight tonight or ever.
It's not that she couldn't fight, she was actually one of the strongest females in the pack, the problem was that Juvia didn't care for fighting.
She was a gentle soul and fighting really wasn't exactly on her list of favorite activities, unlike Gajeel.
She jumped back and smiled apologetically, ignoring the fact that he most certainly knows what she is.
"Juvia is so sorry! She needs to go! Sorry!" She waved her hands in front of her frantically as she ran backwards down the sidewalk away from him.
He stared after her with a blank expression. Emotionless. It really creeped her out. She turned abruptly into the wood line and ran, praying that he wouldn't come after her.
As she vanished into the trees, the vampire straightened up and slowly began walking towards where she disappeared. He had never smelled anything like her before.
He knew all kinds of monsters and their unique scents, but hers didn't match any from his knowledge base. What was she?
He couldn't let her go. He had to know what she was. His curiosity pushed him forward and he ran after her. He took to the trees to follow her without being caught.
He stayed a distance away, just far enough to go undetected but still have a clear view. He followed her deep into the woods until she came to a sudden halt.
Much to his surprise, she stripped down. He felt odd watching, but he didn't understand why she would need to undress in the middle of the woods.
And then he understood. Right before his eyes, he saw a glow of white light, that oddly resembled the glow of the moon, surrounding her.
The glowing form changed shape and when it faded away, instead of a girl, there was a stunning white wolf. He watched as the wolf grabbed the bag on the ground and ran off.
"Werewolf." He whispered to himself. He had never met a wolf before. Werewolves had been banished from Magnolia for centuries.
This was Vampire country, so why was there a wolf here? Were there more? He had so many questions.
He only knew one thing for sure. He had to tell the coven.
"Gray, my boy. What is your rush?" The elder Vampire, Makarov, asked curiously.
"Wolves." He stated firmly.
Makarov's eyes widened in alarm.
"Wolves? Are you sure?"
He nodded, but then waved his hand awkwardly and winced.
"Well, wolf. I ran into a female wolf just an hour ago. I didn't know what she was, so I followed her and caught her changing."
A snicker came from behind him. Natsu, his team mate and best frienemy clapped a hand onto his shoulder.
"Watched her change, huh? I always knew you were a pervert." He teased.
Gray tensed and threw his hands up.
"IT WASN'T LIKE THAT! I mean, yeah, I saw stuff, but only for a minute before she got all... Wolfy."
Lucy skipped into the room and giggled.
"Sure, if you say so." She whispered to Natsu, but everyone heard it. Nothing get's past Vampire ears.
"Gray liiiiiiikes her." She had sang into Natsu's ear.
Lucy was a respected member of the coven, but she wasn't a Vampire. She was a Fallen Angel.
When Angels lose their innocence, they are cast from the heavens and sent to Earthland.
She had been sent to Earthland to collect Natsu's soul over 50 years prior. You see, Lucy was no ordinary Angel. She was the Angel of Death.
You really wouldn't know it looking at her, though.
Natsu was set to die in a house fire that day, but before she could collect his soul a red headed Vampire, who she had now come to know as Erza, changed him.
Lucy became enamored with the soul that got away and began visiting him often. She was an official Fallen the second she fell in love with the Vampire.
Angels are forbidden to love because it conflicts with their purpose for existing, which is to maintain order and balance.
Personal relationships are messy and can cloud one's judgement. The moment she developed feelings of love for Natsu, she was banished from the Heavens.
She joined the coven shortly after and has been there ever since. She and Natsu got married 20 years ago, officially.
"I do not. I don't even know her." He argued.
"You don't have to know someone to like what you see. Was she pretty?" Erza waltzed into the room like she owned it and sat on the sofa, kicking her feet onto the table.
She smiled at Gray tauntingly, clearly screwing around with him for the hell of it.
"I dunno, I guess... HEY! THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" He shouted.
"Why're you yelling?" Wendy, a young vampire, natural born, whined as she tiredly wandered into the room.
Natural born vampires and creation vampires are different. Creation vampires are vampires that were once human.
Natural born are vampires that were born from other vampires through the natural breeding process, like humans.
Natural born vampires age until they reach their 20th year and then they age no more. Creation vampires can give birth to and impregnate other vampires.
Though Wendy is a natural born, her mother, Grandine, was killed 5 years ago by a hunter.
Shortly after her death, Wendy wandered into Magnolia and was brought to the coven by Jellal Fernandez. Jellal is a fellow Vampire who has a coven of sorts of his own.
While Fairy Tail, indeed, has a few mixed monsters, they are still mainly a Vampire coven. Jellal's group is a rag tag mix of monsters.
Instead of keeping the girl, he thought she would be better off with a coven of other vampires since she was still so young and learning.
Jellal is close with Fairy Tail, the coven, because of Erza. They are both Natural born and go way back. Centuries back. Their relationship is odd.
It is clear that they love one another romantically, but neither will admit it out loud. It's like they want to punish themselves.
"Sorry, Wendy." Gray huffed as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
The girl shrugged and crawled into Erza's lap. She had become a type of surrogate mother for the child.
At first, their team mates found it comical, but now it feels perfectly fitting.
Makarov looked around in annoyance. He was just notified of a werewolf sighting for the first time in centuries and these little shits are in here making jokes.
"Play time is over, ya brats. This is serious. Gray, could you find her again?" He asked hopefully.
Gray nodded.
"Probably."
Makarov looked around the room and rolled his eyes before begrudgingly reaching a decision.
"Take your team and watch her. Find out all you can. I don't care how long it takes. We have to keep Magnolia safe."
Wendy perked up and smiled.
"THE WHOLE TEAM?!" She squealed happily.
Makarov sighed and nodded, feeling like this was probably too large a group, but if there were more than one wolf, it could be in their best interest.
Wendy jumped excitedly from Erza's lap and called out of the room joyously.
"Charle! Happy! Lily! We're going on a mission!"
The three were cats entered the room together. Ah, yes. Were cats. Like were wolves, they are humans that transform into large felines.
But, unlike werewolves, they do not have bad blood with Vampires.
Charle, the were cat closest with the tiny natural born, is of average height with long, wavy white hair and fair skin with golden brown eyes.
Happy, the one closest with Natsu and Lucy is also of average height with short, messy blue hair and brown eyes and lightly tanned skin.
Lily, who tends to keep to himself when he isn't with his team, is rather tall with short, dark hair, gold eyes and caramel skin.
Lily happens to be Charle's father. Her mother, Shagotte, is also a part of the coven, but she prefers not to engage in missions with the team.
She does go on individual missions with Lily and Charle, though. Occasionally Happy tags along. Happy brought Charle onto their team as soon as he saw her.
She was his dream girl. That was 3 years ago. It took him 2 years to get her to agree to a date with him. Now they have at least 3 dates a week, usually over fish.
"What's the mission?" Happy asked as he dragged Charle over to where Natsu and Lucy were standing.
"Find the werewolf and watch her. We need to know if there are more and what they are planning, if anything. Understood?"
All of them nodded in agreement.
"Good. Now get out. You're all crowding my office. Shoo!" He shouted and waved his hands at them.
They all vacated the room and gathered in the main hall.
"So, when do we leave?" Natsu asked, looking to Gray.
"Where are we going?" Erza crossed her arms.
"She was running through the north woods outside of the the bar. If we run through there I am sure we will pick up her scent when we get close."
Erza shook her head.
"Gray, you can't rely on your smell. Wolves will smell us before we get close enough to smell them. You need something else."
He stared at the floor, pensive for a moment.
"Then we wait in the trees on that path until we see her, then we follow her to wherever she is staying." He shrugged.
Erza sighed and nodded.
"Alright. I guess this will have to do."
The large group scattered through the trees on the trail from the day before. They waited for hours.
This would bother average humans, but for immortals, this was nothing. They waited patiently in their designated spots for any sign of the she wolf.
Gray spotted her right away as she wandered through the forest at a leisurely pace in human form.
Her long cerulean curls swayed against her back and draped prettily over her shoulders.
She wore brown shorts and an olive green form fitting button up quarter sleeve shirt with brown hiking boots.
She certainly didn't look threatening.
His teammate's attention was pulled from their target and placed on him as they spotted him subconsciously leaning out of his tree, trying to get closer the wolf girl.
Wendy nudged him with her elbow and yanked him back. The rustling of the leaves and his annoyed grunt caught Juvia's attention and she began looking around wildly.
She searched the area with her eyes, but saw nothing, so she carried on at a much quicker pace.
"You act like you have never seen her before. She is the wolf, right?" Erza asked quietly from her tree beside his once Juvia was far enough away.
He looked away and crossed his arms.
"Yeah. That's her."
"What was that all about?" Natsu pressed on.
Lucy nodded.
"It's nothing. She'll be coming back through later, I'm sure. When she does, we can follow her and get this over with."
They all looked at him skeptically, but left it at that. Gray looked down to his necklace. A silver cross his father had given him before his passing over 100 years ago.
Erza also created Gray. She found him drowning in an icy river and saved him. If she hadn't turned him he would have died of hypothermia.
This was 90 years ago. Gray played with the cross in his fingers and closed his eyes. When he shut them, he saw her and quickly snapped them back open.
He swore if his heart could beat it would be loud enough for her to hear it in town. He tried to close his eyes once more, only to find her again.
He sat back on his branch and groaned. This mission was more than he bargained for, he just knew it.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Wellll... What do you think? :)
Next chapter will be the rest of their spy mission, them reporting their findings back to Makarov, and a werewolf vampire meeting. :)
Next story to be updated is Promises because it has gone without an update the longest. Lol.
I will try to update all of them as soon as I can.
I am trying!