The celebration was held at a clear landscape that was somewhere between the woods and the fields. At sun down, tables bearing fresh and seasoned meats, harvest crops, and barrels of beer, cider, and rum were set up, and bonfire was built. Soon a full moon the color of crimson rose up into the sky and thus ignited festivities. Vampires, goblins, werewolves, witches, and warlocks gathered around to dance and cheer. Sing and drink around the roaring bonfire. They were all just enjoying each other's company and having a good time, not at all caring that they were different.

"This is amazing." Erza said, awestruck by the sight. "I can't remember the last time I ever saw so many monsters and magic users getting along like this. Or if I even ever saw it in the first place. I gotta write this down."

"Oh save your note taking for later." Lucy said. "We're here to have fun remember? Have a glass of cider, dance with somebody."

"But Lucy this is the experience of a lifetime. A moment in history that must be recorded for the world to- Oh are those strawberries?"

Erza search for knowledge vanished as soon as she saw the large basket of wild strawberries getting placed on a table and she couldn't resist going over to help herself.

"The only organ bigger than Erza's brain is her stomach." Lucy chuckled.

"I can relate." Natsu said, drooling over the huge pig roasting on a spit over the bonfire. "We are going to eat good tonight ladies."

With that he rushed over to try to get a little morsel of the meat before it was done cooking, leaving just Lucy and Juvia after that. At once, almost all the warlocks were flocking around Lucy, begging her to share a dance with them or a drink or just a moment of her time. She was tempted to accept but then turned to look at Juvia who was silently observing her surroundings. She seemed impressed and intrigued but still so very hesitant.

"Do you want to dance?" Lucy asked her.

"No." Juvia said bashfully. "I'm more of just sit and watch girl."

"Are you sure? Those types of girls usually miss out on all the fun."

"Well maybe I'm just not ready for this kind of fun yet."

"I understand. Do you just want to sit by the fire and talk then?"

"But don't you want to dance?"

"Sure but dancing is no fun alone. Besides, I probably shouldn't leave you alone in this place. At least not until you've had a couple more visits."

"I suppose."

Lucy dismissed her admirers and the girls found a nice, sturdy log, not too close to the fire to sit on. Juvia carefully set down her bag, and not once did she notice the black cat slip out.

"Alright now, which way to Elfman's house?"

Juvia tried to think of something to say to her cousin but she couldn't. So she just stared off into the fire, letting her mind go blank, though the rest of her was still trembling. Lucy noticed this. She had never met anyone so nervous and afraid before. If she didn't know better, she'd swear that Juvia was pretty much afraid of everything. Including herself.

"Can I ask you something?" Lucy requested.

"Sure." Juvia replied, turning her gaze from the fire.

"How come you don't want to be a witch?"

"I never said I didn't want to be one."

"Nanny said you did when you first found out and even though you are trying to participate in the lessons, you;re obviously not all that into it. How come? Don't you think that it could be exciting to do magic?"

"Of course I do but I'm also scared."

"Why?"

"Because all my life people have treated me like a freak because I was different. Because I'd somehow cause strange things to happen without any explanation. I mean do you know what it's like to be a little girl going down the street while other kids call you names and throw things at you? For a cat to literally be your only friend throughout your entire childhood? To get blamed for everything bad that happens?"

"Well that I'm used to." Lucy joked. "Granted nine out of ten times I bring it on myself, but still, I know the feeling."

"I just want to be normal. To fit in. To not constantly be an outcast because then maybe, people would like me."

"Lots of people like you."

"Like who?"

"I like you. Erza likes you."

"No offense but you're family. You're supposed to like me."

"That's not entirely true. Rung is technically still family but Erza and I both hate his gutts."

"Who's Rung?"

"Erza's father, a man you never want to meet, believe me. Worst thing our grandparents ever did was force Aunt Irene to marry him. Actually I think that would be the second worst thing they ever did."

"Oh? What's the first?"

Lucy paused before answering, hoping that what she said next wouldn't upset Juvia.

"Cutting your mom from the family. My mom told me that when your mom chose to marry your mortal dad instead of a warlock like our grandparents wanted, they disowned her and forced my mom and Erza's to do the same. Mom said that she never forgave herself for not standing up to her parents and going along with their mistreatment of your mother. She really loved her, you know? She loved her and Aunt Irene so much. Her only regret was that she never reconciled with them."

"Lucy." Juvia said softly, recognizing the tone in her cousin's voice as she spoke of Layla. Knowing all too well what it meant. "Where is your mother?"

But Juvia already knew the answer.

"She's dead. Just like yours."

Juvia could feel the pain and longing in Lucy's heart. It was like a lost child crying out for her mother to come and hold her because she's scared and confused. But her mother can't come, her mother can't hold her anymore, because she's dead.

"You were a child when she died, weren't you?" Juvia guessed.

"I was five years old. I was young but I still remember her."

"What was she like?"

"She was so beautiful and so smart and she loved me more than anything. I know she did."

"I bet you had a lot of good times together."

"We did. One of my favorite things to do with her was when she would take me outside at night to watch the stars and she'd teach me all the constellations. Some nights we'd dance under them. It was the most magical moment of my life."

Juvia could feel Lucy's sadness gradually lifting, being replaced by the whimzy and innocent joy often felt by a child who has no care in the world. Memories of laughter and warmth were filling up inside of Lucy, making the scars left by tragedy heal just a little bit more. Just a little bit though.

"You know I've never really talked about Mom like that with anyone before. After she died Dad just wanted to pretend that she barely existed and Nanny would try to get me talk about her sometimes but I was just so used to no one talking, that I just couldn't do it. But you just made it very easy for me and now I feel better about her." Lucy smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome but I didn't really do anything."

"Yes you did. In fact I think you just used magic."

"I don't see how. I didn't say any magic words or point finger or anything. All I did was just talk and listen."

"But under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have opened up like that to anyone. Not even to Nanny. I think you used your powers of emotion to make easier for me to do so."

"Really?" Juvia looked down at her hands, confused. "How did I do that?"

"You don't know?"

"No. Do you?"

"No."

"Then how-"

But they were interrupted by Natsu returning from stalking the roasted pig, and approached Lucy casually, just like a man whose blood hasn't heated up to a dangerous degree.

"I hear you like to dance." He extended a hand out to her. "Will you do me the honor?"

"Tempting offer." Lucy replied with a teasing smirk. "But I'm afraid I must decline. I cannot possibly leave my cousin to sit alone and all by herself like this."

"I'm sure I'll be fine on my own for a few minutes." Juvia assured her. "Go on. I won't move from this spot until you get back."

"Alright."

Lucy put her hand in Natsu's and the two joined the other monsters and magical beings dancing wildly around the fire. Vampires were known for their elegant and refined ways of moving their feet to music and rhythm with perfect grace. But this was a talent that Natsu tragically did not pick up. In fact he hated to dance. All that spinning and jumping, and bending made him feel sick to his stomach. And of course there was the fact that he had two left feet that weren't good for anything except tripping him up or stepping on other people's toes. But poor Natsu was so desperate to impress her, that he risked humiliation.

"Sorry!" He apologized about five seconds after they started to dancing. "I almost stepped on your toes."

"That's okay." She smiled at him kindly. "You don't dance much, do you?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"From the first moment you asked me."

"Oh..." He looked down at his feet, trying so hard to keep them from being so close to hers.

"You know you sure are different from most vampires." Lucy said observantly. "And I'm not just talking about your diet. You're not as pale and you seem so much friendlier than they are. You also lack that annoying superiority complex they have. No offense."

"None taken. I find it annoying too."

"But I wonder, how is it that you turned out so different?"

"Well have yo ever heard the phrase, 'It's lonely at the top' ?"

"Yes."

"Well that's true. It is lonely being apart of the great and powerful, and regal, Dragneel family." He spoke in a mock, aristocratic voice. "Sure we're regarded as the closest thing to royalty, but nobody really wants to be friends with us. They're too scared. When I was a kid, nobody wanted to play with me except for my brother. All the other kids thought I was just going to eat them."

"That's terrible. Didn't you ever tell them that you only drank blood from animals?"

"Countless times, but nobody ever believed me. Vampires have a reputation of being deceptive and manipulative. They used to tell me that there's no such thing as an honest vampire, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get anyone to give me chance. To see that I wasn't anything like my family. But it always ended in failure."

"I'll give you a chance."

Oh that smile of hers. It had him so overheated that the cuffs of his shirt was singed. God he wish he knew how to win her over. What he would give to have just one kiss on the cheek from her. But for now, he would be satisfied with just her friendship.