Ruthless Winds and Raging Seas

Chapter 17

Juvia hummed to herself as she combed her hair using Erza's mirror, she was never vain but she wanted look her best in front of her new friends especially Gray. After she was finished with her hair she went out on the deck. It was a cool evening and the wind wasn't blowing so hard, she liked it when the night was like this.

Just then she saw three fair heads poke out from the ocean's surface. She recognized them as her second, fifth, and sixth oldest sisters Sherry, Risley, and Beth the least violent and malicious of the other mermaids. With their voices they sang a sad song to their youngest sister with words only her own kind could understand, a song which told her of how much they missed her and wanted her to return to the sea.

When they finished she sang a song back to them which told them that she was alright and that someday she would come back. She also told them in her song not to harm those who were aboard the ship. Though they did not understand her desire to keep the humans alive they agreed to abide by her wishes and prevent their more violent sisters from harming her human friends. They each gave her one final sad look before disappearing beneath the waves.

"Was that you singing out here?" Gray asked walking next to her.

"Yes." She answered.

"You sure do like music huh?"

"It's my favorite thing in the world. Mine and my sisters, music is like a secret language to us. If you ever hear a voice singing vocally in the waves it's probably us sending secret messages to each other. Like tonight, my sisters were singing to me."

"Your sisters were here?" He said getting nervous.

"Only three of them."

"Oh crap! I gotta warn Natsu!"

"Don't worry they're gone now, they only wanted to make sure that I was alright and they won't hurt anyone on this ship. I told them not to."

"You did."

"Yes."

"That's awfully kind of you especially since we captured you and all.'

"Yes you did steal me from my home in the sea but I believe there's no truly evil intent in any of your hearts."

"You know you're really amazing. I mean your sisters and every other mermaid in the world pretty much wish every human would die but you don't. At all."

"Well I've always felt fascinated by humans but it wasn't until that very special day..." She trailed off.

"What day?" He asked.

"I was seven years old and my sisters had finally allowed me to go to the surface. Before then all I could do was listen to their stories about the world above and imagine what it was like. The first thing I saw was the glorious sun shrouded in a reddish-golden light. It was as majestic as I had always dreamed it would be. After that I took notice of the blue sky and the white clouds followed by the green trees and the yellow sand of the shore. I saw birds flying through the air, perching on tree branches, and singing sweet melodies."

"All that impressed you?" Gray said.

Having been born and raised in the surface world he didn't understand how exciting it was for her who had spent most of her life under water.

"In the evening." She continued. "I watched as the sun set over the horizon giving off a pinkish-yellow color. Before long the sun vanished, the moon rose up, and the sky darkened, filling up with sparkling stars. It was incredible and I was just about to return home when I saw a ship floating on top of the sea. My sisters had told me to stay away from ships because of the humans who rode aboard it but I just had to know what humans looked like."