Vampires, rare and hunted, became merely Monsters to the people over the centuries.

Juvia Lockser was a prime example.

Juvia was born in cold climates, with dark features and pale skin. She was born an outcast, growing with no parents, no friends and seemingly no future.

A dark man named Jose took her in as a child, only to use her for twisted entertainment in their constant travels. He presented her in a cage like a trapped animal and the dead look in her eyes proved to the people watching that she probably came close.

She was a 'Cursed Child' with the rain her only alley. It protected her from the sun, rumored to be her enemy, wherever they went. Although she had never been given the chance to come in contact with it's light to prove the rumor that she would 'burn alive' true.

After all, she was merely a Monster. A Cursed Child with a need for blood, a natural instinct for her kind.

Jose showed her off like a rare animal, demonstrating her abilities to regenerate to the public, using many different weapons to do so, knowing it wouldn't kill her no matter what he did.

Pain became her constant companion, and it came to the point that she no longer reacted to any of it. In order to get a rouse out of her, he would cruelly release bats outside of her cage, watching as she weakly and desperately tried to reach any of them. If her instincts took over completely, she could easily break free and catch them all, then turn on all of the people laughing at her.

However, Juvia has a compassionate heart and knows better than to lose her temper. She would never allow herself to be the Monster that they believed her to be. She only shows that she is weak to ease their own hearts, as cruel as they may seem. Juvia has more hope in humankind than anything else. She knows that if she, what they claim to be a Monster, has compassion in her heart, than surly humans who are so much like her, do as well.

She stayed strong in her resolve over the years, then during her eighteenth year, on a day like any other at first, everything changed.

A fire started. Flames rose and quickly engulfed the traveling tent. Juvia's dark, normally emotionless eyes watched with horror as people screamed and fled, leaving her far behind them. She looked to Jose, who didn't even look back at her as he fled the flames as well. She took hold of the bars as they started to grow hot, smoke filled her lungs but clouded little of her sharp vision. Though she was hungry, she still had enough strength to break free from her rotten cell once and for all.

She stepped onto solid ground, surprised to find enough strength left to stand. Then again, as she walked forward, she found herself staggering. Hearing creaking from above, she gasped, looking up to find the flamed top of the ceiling, also heavy with rain from outside, starting to fall. Adrenaline and pure monstrous instinct fully took over her body as she sprinted out of the tent and many feet away in a split second. She breathed deeply and as ironic as it sounds, blood rushed to her head, causing her to fall to the ground.

In her last seconds of consciousness, Juvia watched as her prison burned under the heavy rain. She blinked, and suddenly bare red feet with sharpened nails was before her vision. She dared to follow them up, only to see a sharp toothy grin, almost inhuman, yet not holding wicked intent like Jose's, before passing out completely.

When she came to, flame was again what met her vision. However, it was much smaller, and she was dry. She blinked once to comprehend what had happened before trying to sit up, only to be gently laid back down. The warm touch on her bare cold shoulders was sudden and she spun her head toward the one who had caused it.

"Whoa, calm down! It's okay. Don't worry, you're safe here."

The voice belonged to a young man about her age, but as she scanned him with her eyes, she wasn't so sure what he was. He looked human enough, however his nails were sharpened, as well as his canine-like teeth. There were horns with sharp points coming out of his oddly colored pink hair. His eyes were as black and dark as coal, yet not unfriendly. He wore a white, scale-patterned scarf around his neck, sleeveless black torn cloak with orange trim over his shirtless frame, being able to see his chest and stomach clearly, and white pants. As she thought, his feet were bare and dirty as a result, yet the strangest of them all still was unsaid. Maybe because it was hard for her to believe, or maybe because it was so mystical for her to comprehend, even though she herself was not human.

Scales. Red scales apart of his skin trailing from his feet to his ankles and sharpened fingertips to his elbows. Finally, as she glanced behind him, she saw red wings that looked like they were ripped off an ancient beast at least twice his size and sowed onto his back.

She took a slow scan of herself as well. Her dark blue hair in dirty waves laid down her back and shoulders. Matching eyes looking over her white tarnished dress, covered in holes from her many 'performances', but not a drop of her blood ever made it to the fabric, keeping it white. Thin straps were the only things keeping it on her frame, leaving her shoulders bare and knees exposed. Her feet were also bare and dirty. Her skin was just as pale as she remembered it being, and it stuck to her bones in a way that was almost unhealthy. She hadn't eaten in quite some time. The last bat or even rat she had managed to snag was over a week ago. Of course that wasn't as long as sometimes, but she wouldn't brag about how long she could really go without the taste of blood.

The sound of the following rain brought her gaze to the entrance of the roomy cave she found herself in with the... she wasn't sure. As her gaze had started with him, it ended on him as well, looking into his eyes as if to wonder if he was a threat or not. Would he also lock her in a cage? Keep her against her will?

His gaze, confusingly bright as he grinned at her most happily, only brought more questions to mind.

Where was she? Why bring her here? What was he going to do with her? What was he to begin with?

Some moments passed and she didn't speak any of them. Her face showed no sign of being confused or any other emotion really. No fear, no anger, no sadness. Nothing.

This seemed to make the boy frown down at her in what looked to be clear disappointment as he pouted like a child. Then he spoke again. "I'm not gonna bite, ya know."

She said nothing, though part of her wanted to. It was merely habit, really. She never spoke, nor did she ever show emotion. She never even tried anymore.

When was the last time she did speak? Most likely when she was small, begging for mercy that was prohibited from Monsters like herself, or so she quickly learned under Jose's so called 'care'.

He sighed, bringing her back to his reality instead of her nightmare of memory, which she was inwardly grateful for. "What is your name? Can you talk yet?"

He seemed impatient, as excitement glowed in his eyes like a fire. It made her want to speak, want to share her name, even if a whisper. As she opened her mouth, the air that rushed in made her start to cough. She bought a hand to her face as he made a frantic sound next to her, picking her head up to rest on his arm for better leverage and taking her hand she had brought up in his own. Soon her coughing ceased and when she opened her eyes she found his worried face above hers, looking at her every feature as if to make sure they were all still in place.

He sighed again, this time in relief. "Geez, don't scare me like that!" He squeezed her hand lightly, making her wonder why he was so worried to begin with. Why did he care for her, when no one else had?

She always hoped that one day she would greet a true kind soul. That a kind heart would care for her and she would no longer have to be strong. She could let her guard down. That she could place her faith in. A heart that is kind and gentle, like this creature by her side.

He also held compassion and kindness in his heart, and for her even. He may not be Human, or Vampire like herself, but he had a pure heart, and that's all she ever wanted to see. She knew one day it would happen.

Now he was here, helping and caring for her more than anyone else in her entire life.

Tears ran down her face and it made him panic. "A-Are you hurtin' somewhere!? What's wrong?!"

She shook her head violently and brought his hand holding her own to her face, touching it to her forehead to cover her long overdue tears. He only continued to panic. "Then what is it? Did ya remember somethin' bad? Or sad?"

She shook her head again, sniffing as she placed her other hand on top of his. She shut her eyes, unable to meet his worried gaze if she was to speak.

Finally, in a stronger voice than she had imagined, she spoke for the first time in years. "Thank you..."

He stopped, forwarding his brows in confusion after a moment of shock at hearing her voice. It wasn't soft or frail like he had imagined, but strong, steady, and sweet. "For... For what?"

She sniffed again before moving to sit up completely. He quietly helped her up, though the look on his face said she probably shouldn't be moving, but his desire to hear her answer overwhelmed that.

She moved their hands off of her forehead and into her lap between them. Opening her eyes, she saw that he was looking right back at her, and she didn't mind now. She felt stronger now, but in a different way. She felt as though she could do anything as long as she believed that she could. Or maybe it was him that brought her strength. She didn't know, but it brought a smile to her face. A first smile. That he was the first to see and the first for her to feel. "Thank you for... fulfilling my hope."

He blinked at her. "Your...hope?"

She nodded and looked down at their hands, her smile turning into a sad frown as she looked back up at him. He met her gaze with worry, but decided to listen to what she had to say. He had a feeling she was about to tell him something sad and important.

"I...Ever since I can remember, I was trapped in a cage, and treated as a Monster. But in order not to be the Monster they believed me to be, I went through the torture and pretended to be weak. More than anything I didn't want them to fear me, like the rest of my kind. I told myself that if I had a kind heart, than surely they did too. Over the years, I tried to hold onto that hope, but I could feel it slowly slipping away, and that scared me. If I had been wrong and no one else held any kindness in their hearts, then maybe... my hope was in vain, and I really was a Monster..."

He went to speak, probably to prove her wrong, defend her, but her lifting smile stopped his breath, and she continued. "Then you came and showed me more kindness than any other creature I've ever known. For that, I am eternally grateful."

He blinked, mouth slightly open in shock for a moment before he slowly closed it and grinned brightly at her. "Then ah, I guess you're welcome!"

He began to laugh, happy at her answer, though she wondered if he really understood how much it meant. His laugh was much brighter than she could ever imagine the sun itself. It made her feel warmer both inside, bringing a portion of it's warmth to her face, turning it red.

To help clear more of her thoughts, she decided to ask some questions. "You're... not human." Though that was more of a statement.

He chuckled at her. "You're not either."

She blinked. "No...I'm a Vampire."

He looked her over again, as if surprised. "So that's why! I was wonderin'."

She merely stared at him. Was he naive, or just understanding? She had no idea, but she was glad he wasn't afraid. Then again, she wasn't afraid of him either.

She looked down at his hand she had captured in hers and started to trace the scales curiously, bringing it up closer to her face to look at them better. They blended well with his tanned skin, or maybe it only looked tan in comparison to her own pale skin. Either way, the light of the flickering fire made them shine, and that captured her attention.

He grinned at her, turning his hand so she would have better access. "Cool aren't they?"

She nodded slowly. "Why... do you have them?" Her voice was filled with curiosity, but also held a gentle tone in case the subject was sensitive, which with the way he was speaking, wasn't so.

As she thought, his grin only widened with pride. "Imma Dragon that's why! Raised as one by my father Igneel. He taught me everythin' I know about being a Dragon."

She moved her studying gaze from his hand back up to his face, surprised at this new found information. It made perfect sense now, but was almost unbelievable.

Dragons, even more ancient and rare than Vampires, were said to be extinct, dead, legends, or myths. And the ones who believed they still roamed the Earth said they were to be feared as wicked and evil Monsters.

But here one sat before her, gentle and kind as could be, smiling with pride and happily taking care of her for seemingly no reason. It hurt her heart a little, that he too was misunderstood by the world, seen only as a creature to be feared of.

He must have sensed the sadness in her eyes as his smile faltered. "What is it?"

She looked down, squeezing his hand in both of her much smaller ones. "It's just... a shame to think that you're so gentle, yet people think otherwise just because of your kind."

He gave her a quick look over. "I could say the same about you, ya know. You're gentle, but those people..." He frowned deeply, looking away. "Stupid jerks. They don't know how to face anything head on." He looked up at her face, meeting her questioning gaze. "If I were you, I would've just broke free and smacked a little sense into their brains." He sighed. "Though I guess that's just how I am. I don't go lookin' for fights with everyone, but sometimes I think the Stupid ones need to be punched." He chuckled at her nervous look, patting her head with his other hand. "I guess you're just facing them a different way, fighting with your strong will and spirit instead of your fists." He laughed, holding up her hand that she had been investigating. "That's probably a good thing too, cause they're tiny!"

She pouted at him, slightly annoyed that he was underestimating her, even though he just gave her a compliment about her strong will. She let out a sigh of her own, letting go of her slight frustration because he made her happier than anything else had. So instead she gave him a sideways glance. "Need I remind you, that I am a Vampire? I am sure you're much stronger than me Dragon, but I am also fairly strong."

He blinked, and soon a chuckle followed. "You sayin' you wonna fight?" He didn't sound like he was underestimating her now, but that he seemed excited for a match.

She looked down. "Not... particularly. I just wanted to let you know that I could hold my own."

He nodded. "Oh, I've seen how fast you can move. I know you could probably easily tare my head off if you really wanted to!" He laughed. "I just like to burn energy."

His laughter filled her ears and she wondered why she enjoyed the sound of it so much. Then he stopped suddenly, as if realization of something just came to mind. Blinking at her, it was like he hadn't seen her before that moment. "By the way, my name's Natsu Dragneel, not 'Dragon'." She reflected his blank expression and he grinned at her brightly. "Could you tell me your name now? Unless you want me to call ya 'Vampire' or somethin' like that."

Slowly her face softened, and a small smile appeared on her face, lighting it up a bit. "Juvia. Juvia Lockser."

His grin only grew at the name. "I knew it would be pretty!" That same warmth rushed to her face again as she smiled and he continued happily, glancing towards the cave entrance. "It reminds me of the rain!"

She blinked, looking to the constant drizzle that followed her everywhere she went. "Is that so?"

He nodded, turning back to her. "Yeah, it's like...uh." He stopped, frowning slightly as he closed his eyes to think of the word, free hand on his chin. Then his eyes snapped open, grin returning tenfold as he locked eyes with her again. "Refreshing! Like water." He then proceeded to make wave like sounds while doing motions with his free arm.

She stared at him blankly for a solid minute before she burst out laughing. He blinked at her reaction, but then smirked, bursting out laughing with her.

At that moment, both knew that they were going to be together as long as the other would allow, and they hoped that that would be a long, long time.

If not forever.

THE END