Natsu Dragneel was unlike any other man Lucy had ever met. He listens to her, for one thing. Whenever she talked he just focused all his attention on her. He didn't look at her mouth and she could tell that he wasn't wondering what she would look like naked. He listened and he responded. He actually wanted to get to know her. It had been a long time since she had ever met a guy like that.

"So your mother was an astral witch?" Natsu said as he listened to her converse about Layla. "That's amazing."

"She was amazing. You know she could correct her very own constellations in the sky. Someday I'll be able to do that. In fact someday I'm going to create my very own constellation to stay in the sky forever and I'm going to name it after my mother."

"Wow, she must've been amazing if you want to do all that for her, and I know the feeling. My mother is incredible too. You know she's the only person who understands me differences and tries to get my father and brother to come around."

"She doesn't care if you drink human blood or not?"

"No she doesn't. Mom doesn't really care about royalty or status or power. She just wants us to be happy and healthy and cared for. She's a good woman, a great wife, and the best mother. Which is why I hate how my father treats her."

"Oh my goodness, he doesn't abuse her, does he?"

"No. My father is many things, but an abuser is not one of them. But he does keep a harem when he has a loyal and devoted wife." He said bitterly. "And I know it's tradition for my kind to keep concubines and lovers even if they're married, but it still disgusts me."

"Why do vampires take mistress and stuff like that anyway?"

"Well in the beginning vampires wanted to avoid having the same weaknesses that humans have 'love' so they often avoided it but at the same they still needed to reproduce like every other species. So they took meaningless concubines in order to produce heirs without developing any real feelings."

"So why did you father get married?"

"He tells everyone else in the world that it's because she's the only one who was able to give him children. But I know that's not true, I know he loves her. She's the only woman he ever loved and after she got pregnant with my brother, he never touched another woman again. He just keeps the harem in order to continue with the appearance of an unfeeling ruler. Or whatever. But Mother wants him to get rid of it, she tells me it makes her feel like he's ashamed to love her."

"Is he?"

"My brother says that he's not, he just doesn't want anyone to find out he can love because they might use it against him."

"I'm familiar with that kind of thinking. My father never let's anyone know he cares, not since my mother died. I guess it's just the pride of our family or something like that."

"Could be."

"But you know there's something I don't understand. When my mother passed my father became so distant and at times cold, but Juvia's mother died too and from what I've seen, her father is just the opposite. He's warm and affectionate. He tries everything he can to be there for her and make her happy. How come he can do that and my father can't? It's not like Uncle Derek doesn't know how hard it is to lose someone he loves and raise a child alone, but he still puts forth a great effort. So what's the difference?"

"All I can say is not all fathers are alike, and everyone handles losing a loved one differently. Some handle it more healthier than others."

"Well all I can say is Juvia is very lucky to have a father like Uncle Derek."

"Hey speaking of Juvia, where is she?" Natsu said looking around.

"Don't you remember? We left her over by the bonfire."

But when Lucy looked back to where they had left Juvia, she wasn't there. Only her bag.

"Oh my God! Where did she go?"

Lucy and Natsu dropped everything to search the whole clearing for her, however they found not one trace. Eventually though they did find her tracks leading into the woods. Lucy started to panic.

"Oh God!" She cried. "Oh this is bad! This is very bad! Juvia has never been to the Other Realm before, God only knows what kind of danger she could have gotten herself into in there."

"Now don't freak." Natsu said. "I've got an idea. I'll change myself into a bat and use echo location to find her. You go get and Erza and meet me back here, I'll let you know what I find."

"You sure that it'll work?"

"If I can use it to find a gnat a hundred miles away in the pitch black of night, then I can certainly use it to find a girl who's only a few spaces away in the woods."

"Okay. Thank you Natsu."

Natsu immediately transformed himself into a bat and flew up high above over the woods. He emitted a sound wave that bounced off all the trees, gathering any and all other sound waves within that area. When the waves returned to him, his advanced ears diffused through them all until he picked up the one that matched Juvia's voice. It was coming from the far east of the woods. He flew off in that direction, he soon came upon an old hut built by red wood and evergreen.

He glanced through the window and saw Juvia getting some green paste rubbed on her ankle by an older man while petting Gajeel who sat in her lap. The man had skin the color of wood and his hair looked like it was made entirely of leaves. He was a forest goblin, and those were normally very gentle and friendly. In fact a lot of them were fantastic healers, using herbs and other natural resources as medicines and ointments.

"There we go." He said. "By tomorrow morning that ankle of yours should be good as new."

"Are you sure?"

"As sure as I've got squirrels living in my roof." He chuckled.

"You're in good hands sweetheart." Gareth came inside holding something behind his back. "Warrod here is the best healer in the whole realm. Probably better than a mortal doctor."

"Well I wouldn't go that far boy." Warrod said. "I'm not nearly as good as Porlyuscia. She's a healing witch, saving lives is her specialty."

"Well you're a lot nicer than she is." Gareth said.

"I suppose." He said. "Say would you kids like some pumpkin spice tea and apple tarts? It's the perfect treat to have on a crisp, fall night like this."

"I'd love some, thank you." Juvia said.

"I don't really like tea but I'll take a tart." Gareth said.

"Alright, you two wait here, I'll be right back."

He walked into the kitchen to get the tea and tarts ready. Once he was gone, Gareth looked at Juvia and smiled.

"I got you a little something, hope it makes you feel better."

He started to approach her but that provoked Gajeel to hiss and swipe a paw at him.

"Keep ya distance hound dog!" He snarled.

"Gajeel!" Juvia scolded. "Where are your manners?"

"Hey we almost got ripped to shreds by a pack of werewolves, there's no way I'm letting one get anywhere near you!"

"Gajeel stop it." She said firmly before her gaze returned to Gareth. "Sorry about him, he's not very polite and he doesn't really like wolves, or dogs or anything related to them. He's also my familiar and he's technically supposed to look out for me."

"Fair enough." Gareth said. "Though to be honest I never really understood how much use a cat can give."

Gajeel hissed again.

"But I understand, still do you mind if I give the lady something?"

"That depends." Gajeel answered suspiciously. "What is it you want to give her?"

From behind his back, he produced a bouquet of wild primroses. Juvia smiled at him touched and reached out to take them.

"They're beautiful. Thank you." She brought the pink blossoms toward her nose and inhaled their sweet perfume. "These are my favorites. How did you know?"

"A lucky guess?" Gareth shrugged. "So what's your name?"

"I'm Juvia. Juvia Lockser."

"Juvia, huh?"

"Yes."

"That's a pretty name."

She blushed.

"Thank you."

"It means rain woman right?"

"Yes. My mother wanted to call me that because I was born on a rainy day."

"Fitting name." He said. "I'm Gareth."

"Gareth. That means gentle."

"Yeah I know, it's kind of embarrassing." He said. "What kind of a werewolf is given a name that means gentle? Makes me wonder what my dad was thinking,"

"I think it's a very nice name."

"Well you'd be the first, but thanks." He smiled. "Anyway now that we have introductions out of the way, you mind telling me what you were doing alone in the woods at this time? Don't you know a full moon is basically an invitation for werewolves to go out on a feeding frenzy?"

"Well no actually." She said. "Actually I've never been here before."

"Oh? Where are you from?"

"The Mortal Realm."

"That's funny. I've never heard of a witch living in the Mortal Realm before."

"Well half witch technically. My father is mortal."

"Really?" He said intrigued. "So that means you're half witch, half mortal right?"

"Pretty much."

"That's cool."

"It is?"

"Sure. You get to experience life from two different view points. Not everyone gets that opportunity."

"Hmm...I never thought of it like that before." She said pondering his words.

Natsu watched them suspiciously and thought to himself,

"What is he up to?"

He watched them for a little while longer then flew off to tell Erza and Lucy that he had found Juvia.