Year x771

In Midi, there was a time when the battered nation experienced more than rain. Midi's already harsh weather turned violent every year during the spring seasons. Massive rains and storms rolled in from the sea and flooded the streets.

During those storms, those closer to the beach were evacuated to the building at the highest point of each town. In Baci, that was the church—the designated shelter. Sometimes, the city pulled together its money to hire mages to help protect it from the winds, but it couldn't afford it this year.

They could only afford to find shelter and weather the storm. Most years, they were able to.

Some years, they weren't.

"Dad," Juvia asked, "why isn't he moving?"

"Sometimes they don't move," Juvia's father said, and she blinked. She looked back at the river where the old man was floating. His tanned back to the sky, and his muscles still. A group tried to fish him out, but it wasn't easy. The undertows were still dangerous after the flooding.

Juvia held her father's hand as she watched and wondered, still confused, "Why?"

Her father squeezed her hand.

"He drowned." Her father whispered, and Juvia got it. She knew drowning was bad. Her parents told her about it. It was why most children in Midi, including her, were forbidden from going to the beaches. The currents were dangerous, and even the strongest swimmers would get taken under. Juvia wasn't allowed to go to the beach or the ocean.

She looked at the old man, sinking silently below the river's surface, the rest of the town watching helplessly on the shores, and realized it was a good thing that she couldn't go to the ocean. It flooded the lower parts of town. It stole that man and didn't return him. If every year it felt the need to ravage the wooden houses of Midi, she was glad she couldn't see it.

"Dad?" Juvia tugged her father's hand, "Can we help?"

The ocean must've been mean.

"We can try."

Angry and mean.

It was nighttime when Juvia and her father returned to their wooden hut atop one of Midi's sparse hills. Rain was sprinkling against the walls and metal roof after washing away the town's houses below. Juvia's family lived in the higher parts of Baci, close to the church; they were among the few who could afford it.

It was... an enlightening moment. Not everyone was lucky.

Juvia learned this after spending the day moving broken wood and helping find lost items. Her father had moved houses with the other townsfolk, and Juvia's mother had helped some older residents find their lost possessions. Mrs. Sitka and her husband, one of the town's only mages, even helped repair the church near the top of the hill.

Everyone had come together and helped. The final count was 12 houses destroyed, too many damages to count, and old man Rob was the only casualty. Apparently, he had been looking for his grandson, Jay, who had snuck off to a friend's house before the storm started.

It had been a long day for Jay.

It had been a long day for everyone.

By the time the Lockser family retired, they were exhausted. Juvia's mother especially, after helping make a few shelters for the now-homeless. She went to bed as soon as she stepped through the door, and Juvia's dad was left in charge of tucking her in.

"Sweetie, " her father said after putting her under the pink covers the town seamstress had made. Juvia peeked out from her cocoon and asked, "Yes, Dad?"

"Are you okay?" her father asked, and Juvia flinched. She looked out the window, counting the sprinkling raindrops. It was strange how the same sky could give her beautiful showers after days of terrible downpours. It confused her—everything did.

The picture of old man Rob sinking into the river, which had been stuck in her head since she first saw it, confused her the most.

"I don't know, Dad," Juvia mumbled, slipping the covers over her head like it would shield her from the memory. It didn't, and before she knew it, she asked, "Can you stay with me?"

"Of course, sweetie." Her father said, "Do you want me to read to you?"

"Yes, please," Juvia whispered, and her father smiled. He picked out a book, old and tattered after being passed around the community for years. That was one of the things she liked about Baci; everyone shared everything when they could. It was cheaper that way.

And the book they shared with Juvia's father was her favorite.

"Once upon a time," Her father read, "A princess named Rapunzel in a tower. Ever since she could remember, she lived in a tower. Secluded from the outside world, her mother locked her there to keep her safe from harm. Until one day, her mother left the tower, searching for food and medicine."

Juvia listened carefully, imagining the story.

"That day, a prince climbed the tower, and worried about her mother's wrath, the princess sent him off. Promising to leave her window every night so they could meet at the tower's balcony on the top floor."

Juvia loved this story.

"They met every night, underneath the stars that kept Repunzal company during her childhood; before they knew it, they fell in love."

It is the story of a girl and her prince meeting every night despite the risks or circumstances.

"But one day, her mother found out," her father said, "In a fit of rage, the mother stabbed the prince. Her dagger pierced his heart. Embroiled in despair, Rapunzel took her lover and asked the stars for help. Her tears fell, seeping into the prince's wound."

Juvia wondered what it would be like.

"And with the star's blessings, her tears began to heal the prince."

To have a love like that.

"Seeing her daughter weep with joy," her father smiled, "The mother apologized. The mother let the prince take her daughter away, and they married in his homeland, living happily ever after." Her father closed the book and set it to the side, "The End."

"Again."

"You really love this story, don't you?"

"I like how they love each other." Juvia smiled, "It's like you and mom."

"Thanks, sweetie," her father laughed, "But I love your mother way more than the prince does. When we met, I decided to swim across a river to get her the flower she was eyeing. In a storm. More impressive than climbing a tower, don't you think?"

"Super duper impressive," Juvia giggled, "So, can you read me the story again?"

"Maybe next time, sweetie."

Juvia pouted. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," her father compromised, ruffling her hair as he said, "Now go to bed. It's been a long day."

"Okay, good night, Dad." Juvia yawned. She closed her eyes as her father walked to the door before he looked back hesitantly, "Don't worry about what happened today, sweetie. You're safe, and things will change when my business takes off." He smiled softly, "So, can you hold out for a little longer? I promise your mom and I are working really hard."

"That's okay, Dad," Juvia said. "Do what you need to. And don't worry. I feel better now."

Juvia didn't know what would change, but as she looked out the window, she believed she could learn to live with the scary ocean. Even if it was angry during monsoon seasons, she still liked the people and the breeze. She still loved her home.

"As long as I have you and Mom," Juvia smiled, "We can live anywhere."

Juvia liked the rain.

April 29, x777

Since Juvia moved to Bosco, she realized there were times when she recalled a prince from the fairy tales her father would read. She'd remember Repunzal, and if she weren't busy playing with Cindy and Lou, she'd imagine meeting a prince—preferably a handsome one with a kind smile and a good heart.

One would break through the window to her bedroom like the one in the story, one who would topple the metal dragons guarding her and show her the sun—the sky. Juvia thought she would meet her prince one day, that her prince would save her.

Instead, she met a giant.

A giant crybaby.

"IT'S SO SAD! I'M SO SAD!" The giant sobbed under the drizzling night sky, his tears nearly drowning her as she directed her open parasol toward the rivers, shooting out from beneath his blindfolded eyes. It was strange. Her savior was strange.

How did Juvia get here?

When Juvia looked back, she could confidently say that this was the strangest day of her life.

A few hours prior

In the darkest depths of Sun City's underground, where the light failed to reach any of the slums on the lower levels, the dark guild Shark's Bane had been attacked. An intruder, hidden in the cloud of dust, kicked up by destroying the large metal doors and walked in without fear. The only thing visible to the spectators was his imposing silhouette and the light shining from where his eyes would be.

When the dust settled, it was revealed that he was actually wearing a blindfold, and the light had been shining from underneath it. Slowly fading as the dust faded, the spectators could glimpse the intruder's tan skin, tall body, and massive stature. He wore a yellow robe, a green coat overtop, a green hat, and a red wooden voodoo-styled necklace.

He walked casually into the guild of killers and thieves and asked, "You're Mako Grier, correct? Leader of Shark's Bane. I've been looking for you."

It was subtle, but everyone felt it.

"I heard you have a lot of stolen goods."

Juvia, in particular, felt it.

Whenever her parents took her to one of the fancy holiday events, she had to wear her best clothes. Sometimes, a man or a woman would walk in, and everything would get quiet.

Juvia quickly learned that those were what topsiders looked like, with necklaces a tad too shiny or suits a bit too clean. Whenever they entered the middle city, their presence commanded the room. This man felt like them—no, he felt more enormous than them.

"I'm looking for a book." The man walked into the center of the guild, and no one stopped him. "It's by Kemu Zalean. A dark guild in Sun City reportedly stole it from an auction, and I've been promised a discount if I return it. I've already checked all the other dark guilds."

His presence commanded the room and everyone in it. In a way that the awe and envy of money never could. Even outnumbered by dozens of dark mages to one, it felt like he was the only one in control. Even with the blindfold over his eyes, it felt like he could see through everything.

"Do you have what I'm looking for?" he asked, and Juvia felt like his words were final. She could see the guild's underlings react similarly, everyone holding their breath as they looked to the guild master, the only one with a smile.

"Fuck you." The guild master said before a giant fist crunched into his nose, instantly sending the guild master flying through the back wall. The sight was so unexpected that everyone in the area froze. Juvia wasn't even sure she saw what happened correctly. All she heard was a 'pop', and the stranger was before the guild master, slamming his fist into his nose and sending him flying through the back wall and leaving a new hole behind.

She was pretty sure everyone was too stunned to move, wondering if the man had actually defeated the guild master in a single blow, but a vicious roar from the back rooms denied that: "YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU!"

"I'm sure you'll try," the stranger said before glancing at Juvia, light trickling beneath his blindfold, "But first."

The stranger lowered his hand to his side. There was a 'pop,' and Juvia felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, surprised to see the man standing next to her. She heard another 'pop,' her vision blurred, and pins and needles lined her skin. It felt like she was moved so quickly that her skin left her bones behind.

It was jarring. Juvia blinked, and suddenly, she was outside, standing in front of the factory, the giant's hand still resting on her shoulder. She stared at the hole left behind by the giant when he toppled the factory doors. The darkness of night and the lower levels covered her view of the guild members inside.

How did Juvia...

Juvia's thoughts crashed as her stomach began to twist itself into knots. Her head spun as she fell to her knees and puked into the puddle beneath her feet. The rain was warming the back of her head and tickling her hair. She felt weird. She felt awful.

"Apologies." The man said, "The vertigo will fade soon. For now, stay here. This won't take long."

There was another 'pop,' and shouts and violence echoed from inside the factory. Juvia blinked the rain out of her eyes, looking up to see the man was gone. Did he teleport? Did she teleport? How did she end up outside? Is that why her stomach felt like it was dying? What did he say again, vertigo?

Juvia's going to be sick.

Juvia groaned as she cradled her stomach, trying not to release the little food she had left in there.

Eventually, her stomach settled, and at about the same time, the noise inside the factory quieted. The sound of a rafter falling and dust billowing inside as she looked towards the entrance, surprised to see the man with the green coat and blindfold walking out, unscathed, reading from a blue book—a quiet cacophony of groans and whimpers left behind in the tattered factory building.

"Sorry, child," the man said, "the guild master was a little better than I anticipated. Are you okay?"

Juvia blinked before nodding hesitantly. She caught a glimpse of the devastated remains of Shark's Bane. Each member was unconscious, laid out on the ground. The guild master limply groaned over his rusted throne—new welts over his bloodied face.

It couldn't have been more than a minute, and one of the strongest dark guilds in Sun City was gone.

"Who are you?" Juvia asked, wiping the bile from her lips as she watched the man close the blue book. Sliding it into his green coat before he crouched and tilted his head, his blindfolded eyes peering with light as he said, "My name is Aria."

Juvia watched as the man reached into... something glowy, and pulled out her parasol, holding it out for her to take.

"What's yours?" He asked, and Juvia gulped. She reached out hesitantly, grabbing her parasol before murmuring, "Juvia's name is Juvia."

Juvia didn't know who this 'Aria' was or what he wanted, but she knew that even when she talked in her 'special' way—the way that got her odd looks from strangers and harsh reprimands from her parents—he didn't bat an eye.

"Ah, Juvia," He said, "That's a lovely name."

Juvia blinked as the man stood up, the crumbling factory behind him catching the attention of nearby rune knights. The man gestured for the overworked and understaffed rune knights of Sun City to check the factory. They followed, and the man turned back with a small smile, "Tell me, Juvia. Could you point me to where you live? I'll escort you there."

Juvia didn't understand the man. He was weird.

"A child shouldn't be out alone at night."

She thought about it momentarily and realized she didn't mind his weirdness.

A few hours later, while trying not to drown from his influx of tears, Juvia reconsidered the weirdness that she was okay with. It had only been a few hours, and she had already learned a bit about her savior. First, his name was Aria.

She also learned he was a strong mage, sobbed at the drop of a hat, and was looking for something. A signed book by Kemu Zaleon that he didn't find despite searching through the back rooms of the three strongest dark guilds in Sun City.

He said he needed it for a birthday present.

Juvia failed to see how a birthday present warranted destroying three dark guilds but to each their own. She had already decided that Aria was strange.

Nice but strange.

"Aria," Juvia probed, barely able to get her voice over the giant crying geysers of tears coming her way. She glanced past her open parasol, her last line of defense against the rivers shooting from Aria's eyes.

Juvia felt compelled to ask: "Why are you crying?"

"BECAUSE ITS SAD!"

"What's sad?"

"YOU!" Aria sobbed, and Juvia didn't know whether to be confused or offended. She settled on, confused, before looking at the drizzling night sky. Aria took a while to take her to the middle levels, seeing as her stomach wasn't willing to go through another weird popping spell. During that time, she had learned a little bit about Aria.

She didn't think he was a liar.

"Why?" Juvia asked, truly curious.

"Why is Juvia sad?" Juvia looked imploringly at Aria, watching as his sobs turned to sniffles. He wiped his face, and a hint of light fell from his blindfold. "That is something only you can answer, but your magic," he said gently. "It's crying."

"Juvia doesn't have magic."

"You do," Aria said, and the light behind his blindfold shone like beacons.

"You have a lot of it." He said, and Juvia shivered. Recalling the water whip she'd used back in the dark guild. She didn't know how she did it. She wasn't thinking then; she just wanted to go home. She didn't know anything about magic.

"Juvia doesn't understand," Juvia said, "How does it work? Juvia has never studied it before."

"That's perfectly fine," Aria said, holding up his finger as a ball of air spun on his index finger. Physically, magic happens when we filter the world's Ethernano through the magic containers in our bodies, producing magic when we call upon it. That is magic as we understand it physically," Aria grinned. "However, theoretically, magic is still a concept not many can agree on."

"Why?"

"Because magic is unique," he said, letting the ball of air spin through his fingers, "The origin of magic, of all magic, is unknown, so for centuries, mages have come up with their own definitions."

Aria let the ball of air dissipate and summoned a breeze—air that was constantly turning and blowing at different speeds through his fingertips. "Some believe it's hope, others hatred, maybe luck or loss, there hasn't been one that many can agree on."

"Does it matter if they agree on it?"

"No, not really. For one, it's almost impossible to ever truly know." Aria shrugged, "For another, it isn't really the answer itself that is important but the concept behind it."

"What do you mean?"

"Thousands of mages have tried to find the origin of magic, maybe some have, maybe no one has. No one knows for certain," Aria shrugged, "But what all the best wizards have discovered is their own answer. What magic is to them, and what they wholeheartedly believe magic is. Trust me when I say that is far more important than discovering the origin of magic itself."

"Why?"

"Because a mage can never reach their full potential if they don't even know what magic is." Aria elaborated, "Magic is a long road, and many believe it doesn't have an end, but if it does, reaching it isn't possible without an answer. You could ask any of the best wizards on the continent, and they'll give you an answer. They'll be able to tell you what magic is."

"Because they're strong?"

"Because they know themselves and their magic better than anyone." Aria said, "Magic isn't as simple as strong or weak. Weak magic can be perfected, and strong magic can be wasted. It all comes down to the mage and how they utilize it."

"I didn't know that." Juvia murmured, glancing at the giant before she asked, "What about you, Aria? What do you think magic is? Do you have an answer?"

Juvia saw the air swimming through Aria's fingers falter. Fading briefly before he dismissed his magic and smiled, "That's a secret," he said, "but I can tell you what most mages have been able to agree on."

"What?" Juvia said, trying not to sound too disappointed she didn't get an answer.

"Magic is about will." Aria said, practiced and poised, "Magic and will are intrinsically linked. The stronger your will, the stronger your magic, and vice versa. If you want to learn more about your magic, you must learn more about your will. It's essential."

"So if Juvia wants to learn magic, she needs to know more about her will?" Juvia asked, frowning as she pondered. "So Juvia must figure out what she wants to do?"

"Not exactly. Want is different from will," Aira explained, "But want can be a good hint for discovering your will. It's where most mages start."

"Back in the dark guild, Juvia wanted to go home."

"Excellent. You've already gotten a hint." Aria nodded, "Now try to find another. What else do you want? Something only magic could provide."

"Something Juvia wants," Juvia murmured, tilting her head at the sky. Her parasol shielded her from the rain as she whispered, "Juvia wants to see the sun. She's never seen it before."

"If you want to see the sun, that can be arranged," Aria casually mentioned, and Juvia flinched. She looked back with wide eyes.

There wasn't a joke on Aria's face. Nor his words. He seemed serious. He believed he could show her the sight she desperately wanted.

"I can show you the sun." Aria offered, and Juvia stopped. She believed him. He hadn't lied to her yet, but she just... She didn't think it would be this easy.

"Juvia," Juvia gulped, looking at the cloudy night sky longingly. Raindrops hit her cheeks. It was getting closer to dawn; if she went with him, she'd be able to see it in an hour. Maybe two. She just had not to go home, and then she'd see it. She'd see the sun.

"Juvia can't," Juvia whispered, despondently looking to her house ahead. Her parents were probably worried, and she couldn't stay out longer than she already had. She gulped, looking back at the sky one last time before shaking her head, "Juvia's sorry. She has to go home. Her parents-"

"Don't apologize," Aria said, swiftly silencing her thoughts with a gentle hand resting atop her head. "It was an offer you had every right to refuse. Don't apologize for doing so."

"Sorry," Juvia said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Aria said, "I hope you do well."

Juvia nodded. Walking away from the giant, she reached her front door, turned back, and gave one last wave goodbye.

Aria smiled and returned it, his visage flickering in the morning rain before vanishing into thin air. It must've been his magic.

Magic is... incredible.

Juvia smiled softly, shaking her head as she turned back to the door and was glad to see it was unlocked. She walked inside, shaking the rain off her parasol as she entered the quiet house.

"Mom? Dad?" she announced, "Juvia has returned. Please don't..."

Juvia walked into the living room to find her parents curled up next to each other on the couch, sleeping with half-filled glasses of wine beside them. She could see them snuggling closer together, the smiles on their faces soft and tender even while asleep.

"Worry," Juvia murmured as her parents whispered sweet nothings through their groggy slumber. They hadn't changed from their clothes the day before, so they must've returned from the dinner's afterparty—there were usually afterparties—before falling into blissful asleep.

"Oh..."

They probably had a good meeting yesterday.

"Never mind."

Juvia went to her room and watched the thundering rain outside her window.