The Shadows of Tragedy

Chapter 6

1986

Twenty-two year old Juvia Lockser looked out the window of the train as it rode across the landscape. She rather liked the season of Autumn very much because she saw it as a season with so many colors. The leaves when they changed to yellow, red, orange, and purple were so pretty to her. But it wasn't just Autumn that was a season filled with color and beauty. All four of the seasons had their own array of natural colors, so all the seasons were beautiful in their own way.

Juvia herself was quite a beautiful thing. A delicate and gentle young woman with delicate and gentle features that included midnight blue eyes, a snow white skin complexion, and azure blue hair that fell in thick waves past her shoulders. And she loved all beautiful things in life. The sound of birds singing, a sweet line of poetry from a good book, the smell of fresh flowers blooming. But she was by no means shallow or vain. She just appreciated loveliness.

Her destination for which the train was taking her to was the town of Magnolia where she would be hired to work as a governess for a troubled boy. She didn't know exactly what made the boy troubled only that his family wouldn't allow him to go to public school for some particular reason. She was certified to be a tutor and she didn't really have a place of her own so she answered the add. She hoped that she would be able to help this little boy and fit into this town. Her employer sounded friendly over the phone but one's voice and one's appearance in person were both an entirely different experience.

By the time the train had dropped her off it had already become dark. Someone was supposed to be picking her up from the train station but it seemed that they had forgotten or something was keeping them. She sat down on one of the benches and waited for a good while. Once an hour had passed she tried to make a call on her cell phone but there was no service where she was.

"No signal, no surprise." She sighed to herself.

She spotted a nearby pay phone. Hopefully she would be able to reach someone with that. She stood up from the bench, searched her purse for a few coins, and walked over to the payphone. She stuck a coin into the slot and dialed a number but the line was dead. She hung up and wondered to herself what she should do now. A cold wind blew, she shuddered as she pulled her white sweater jacket tighter around herself to keep her warm. She didn't like being alone outside at night. That was usually when bad things happened like getting mugged or stabbed.

She stepped out of the phone booth to find a warmer place to wait in but was startled by the sudden appearance of a lean yet muscular young man with salmon hair waiting just outside the booth.

"Oh my!" She gasped.

"You Juvia Lockser?" He asked her.

"You scared me."

"Sorry about that. Again are you Juvia Lockser? The new governess Erza hired?"

"I am. Are you the person who's supposed to pick me up?"

"Yep. Follow me." He said grabbing her suit cases.

"I can get that." She said.

"I've got it."

She followed him to his car. Once they were both inside he proceeded to drive up the road to where his employer and her family lived.

"You're a lot younger than I thought you'd be." He said. "I thought all governesses were old ladies."

"Oh? How many governesses do you know?"

"None."

"Then you don't have much to base that belief on."

"I guess not."

"So if I may ask, how do you know Miss Scarlet?"

"I'm the family's handyman. Natsu Dragneel. Whenever something in their house breaks she calls me in to fix it. Not that they pay me enough to do it. But I don't stay for the money, I stay because I like the people."