They had recently run out of gun powder so Fairy Tail docked their ship and went to purchase or rather steal some from a barrel that was being loaded on to a merchant ship. Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Juvia went to get the gun powder. Erza and Natsu would swipe it while Gray and Juvia kept a look out for any authority figures.
"What exactly is this stuff your friends want?" Juvia asked Gray.
"It's called gun powder." He answered.
"What's that?"
"It's what allows us to use our guns."
"How does it work?"
"You load some up into a gun and then you add a spark."
"A spark?"
"You know a flame, a fire."
"Oh. I don't really like fire that much."
"I don't like it either. It brings back bad memories."
The two continued to stand quietly and watch for trouble when suddenly a small shriek was heard. Recognizing it, Juvia looked over and saw a group of boys throwing rocks at a dolphin who was cornered between the beach shore and a ship. Horrified, she ran down to the docks as fast as she could.
"Juvia what are you doing?" Gray called.
Instead of answering, she ran into the water and when her tail grew back she swam toward the dolphin. She knew it the risk of doing this but the little mermaid just couldn't help herself. Dolphins and other gentle sea mammals had been her most loyal and playful companions, and she couldn't bear to see any of them being hurt. She quickly put her arms around the frightened dolphin, protecting it from the rocks that were being thrown.
"What's that over there?" One boy asked.
"Another dolphin?" A second one guessed.
"It has blue hair!" A third said.
"No that's blue seaweed."
"Let's see if we can hit that second one!'
Gray panicked, if those boys figured out what Juvia was Lord knows what kind of trouble it would lead to. Not to mention it was very cruel of them to throw rocks at innocent creatures. One boy picked up a rather big stone and aimed it at Juvia. Before he could throw it, Gray caught his arm and took the stone.
"Hey that's no way to treat living things." He told them.
"We were just playing with them." The boy said.
"It didn't look like that to me. You all should be ashamed of yourselves! Treating an animal so cruelly! All of you get out of here before I tell your mothers what you've been up to!"
Once the boys were gone, Gray walked over to where she was. He found her gently stroking the dolphin and calming him down.
"Are you okay?" He asked her.
"I am well but the poor thing is scared to death." She looked at the dolphin. "There, there, it's alright."
"You know what you did was very reckless. What if those boys or anyone else had seen you?"
"I'm sorry but I couldn't just sit back and let them keep hurting him."
"I understand." He told her. "But the next time you see something like this happening, tell me and I'll handle it. Okay?"
"Really? You'd help them?"
"Yes. It's my job to keep you safe and out of trouble so I'll do it. Besides I don't believe in torturing animals."
"Thank you." She told him.
Gray never ceased to amaze her. From what she had seen humans often acted cruel toward dolphins, whales, and other creatures in that category. But Gray had defended her dolphin friend and he would defend any of the other sea animals in need of help. It was a quality that she found astonishing.
What she also found astonishing was how Gray had been defending and protecting her. He was so kind and so noble. From that moment on whenever she was around him he made her heart flutter and she felt a happiness that she had never known before. And whenever they were apart, say when he had to go on private business with the other pirates she would feel a great longing that she had never known as well. Was this what love felt like? Had she truly fallen in love? Yes, she had.
She had always dreamed of falling in love but deep down she doubted that it would ever happen to her. She was afraid that she was incapable of loving someone, that love could only be felt by humans but her fears were proven wrong and she was so happy. But she wondered, did Gray reciprocate her feelings?
"He loves me." She said dropping a flower into the sea causing it to float away. "He loves me not."
She dropped another.
"He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not." Which each phrase she continued dropping flowers into the sea. "He loves me."
"Who loves you?" She was startled by the sudden appearance of Gajeel.
"Oh Gajeel don't sneak up on me like that."
"Again I ask you, who loves you?"
"No one." She said. "At least not that I know of."
"Okay let me phrase that. Who do you love?"
"Nobody." She lied. "Nobody at all."
"Your blushing cheeks and sparkling eyes say different. Trust me Angelfish, no one can lie to me. Now who's the guy?"
She didn't know how to answer that.
"It's Gray isn't it?" He guessed.
She nodded with a smile.
"Oh man I knew this would happen. Listen whatever you feel for him, forget it! Get it out of your mind!"
"I can't. I love him."
"Are you crazy? He's a human, you're a mermaid."
"But I could become human too."
"Only if he loves you enough to marry you. Look you're a sweet kid and you're not barbaric like your sisters so I tell you this for your own good, it won't work!"
"How do you know?"
"I'll give you three good reasons why this is a bad idea. Reason number one if he were to live in your world he would drown, reason number two if you're exposed to too much heat in his world you'll burn up and die, and reason number three he has no intention of ever getting married."
"He does?"
"Yep."
"How come?"
"I don't know but you're better off keeping things platonic between you two."
"But I love him."
"Just because you love someone doesn't mean you belong together. Do your heart a favor and don't put it through the torture of a love that can never be."
Juvia sighed and looked back at the flowers floating on the ocean surface, her cheery mood now a melancholic one. Little did she and everyone else on that ship know, the Mard Geer was watching all of them through the eyes of his invisible henchmen and he was very pleased with what he had seen.
"Oh this is just too easy." Mard chuckled to himself. "The mermaid is in love with a human and a pirate captain is in love with the governor's daughter, oh this is perfect."
"How exactly will this prove useful to us?" Jackal asked.
"Jackal love is like a disease. It weakens us, makes us vulnerable, and so very easy to kill. And forbidden love is the most dangerous of all."
"It's gross and annoying if you ask me. I hope you're not going to force us to watch mushy romance."
"That's not the point you moron! If we can use this to our advantage then not only will I be able to get my hands on E.N.D but I'll also rid myself of that pest Natsu and his crew for good."
"Does that mean we attack now?"
"No. We still must wait."
"Wait for what? I don't understand any of this."
"Just get out of here! And get back to work!"
"Aye-aye captain."