In the under sea throne room, King Gajeel was sitting and nervously waiting for his sister to arrive and make her birthday wish. He had a good idea on what her wish would be and he was dreading it. In his mighty hand, the source of his power and all magic in the Vendershav Kingdom. Given to his father by the wizard Zeref himself and then passed on to Gajeel after his father died. Whoever wielded this trident ruled over the seas and was the keeper of Vendershav's magic. At his left side there sat his advisor and best friend Panther Lily, and at his right side, sat his queen and true love Levy, both whom were trying to keep him calm the worried monarch.

"Maybe we should wait a few more years." He said. "She's still so young. Maybe too young."

"Now Gajeel, you and I both now she's not too young." Levy said. "Sherry was her age, and you let her go up there no problem."

"But Juvia is different from Sherry. Sherry didn't like it up there and I knew she wouldn't, but Juvia...What if she likes it up there too much?"

"Nonsense. When I was a teenager, I was just as fascinated with the surface world as she is, but I never forgot that down here was my home. Juvia will be just the same."

"Personally I think we should have put this thing off for tomorrow." Panther Lily said. "With concert happening tonight, she needs all the practice she can get before this evening."

"She's practiced long enough Lily." Levy insisted. "It's her birthday, let her have her fun."

Soon Juvia entered the throne room and she swam right up to her older brother.

"Good morning Gajeel." She greeted him happily. "Good morning Levy, good morning Lily."

"Good morning Juvia." Gajeel said smiling at her. "And how is the birthday mermaid?"

"Happy and excited."

"I take it that means, you're ready to make your birthday wish now?"

"I am.

"So tell me, what is it you want most?"

"Gajeel you know what I want." She said. "I would like to visit the surface world."

"I was afraid that you were going to ask for that." He sighed, very reluctant to grant her request.

"Gajeel you told me that once I turned seventeen you would let me go up there. You gave me your word."

"I know, I know, but I had hoped that by the time you had reached this age, you would have lost all interest in the upper world. Our sisters have."

"But I haven't, and you always said that a true noble never breaks his word."

"I have no intention of breaking my word Juvia." He assured her. "But can you blame me for being a little skittish about this? You know how dangerous it is up there."

"Yes, but a promise, is a promise. Especially to your family."

"Again, I know. I'm not breaking my promise here, but are you sure you don't want to wait just one more year? Or two?"

"Gajeel." She persisted.

"Alright, alright, you have my permission to swim up to the surface, as long as you act with caution and stay away from humans."

"Yes about that." Juvia said looking down anxiously. "I was thinking, humans sound so very interesting from the stories I've heard about them, and I've never really seen one. So for educational purposes, why not-"

"No."

"You didn't even let me finish."

"Don't need to. I know what you're going to ask me and the answer is no. You cannot talk to a human."

"Why not?"

"You know why not. They're dangerous. They carry hooks, nets, harpoons, all sorts of weapons that can be used to harm you. Humans will be our ruin."

"But they can't all want to hurt us like you say they do. At least a few of them must be good."

"There's no such creature."

"There has to be. I've heard stories about them. You believe me, right Levy?"

"I do believe that there is potential for good and evil in all creatures, whether they are human or our kind." Levy said. "But I also believe Gajeel is right to keep the two species from ever meeting. Throughout history, nothing but disaster has come from merfolk interacting with humans. It's best that we live apart."

"But-"

"Don't argue Juvia, I will not have you caught in a net or ensnared by a hook or worse." Gajeel siad sternly. "Now I am willing to let you travel to the surface whenever wish, but do not under any circumstances approach a human. Do you understand?"

"Yes Gajeel." Juvia accepted with disappointment.

"Thank you." He softened his tone. "Now before you go, I have a very special birthday gift for you."

"Really? What is it?" She asked.

"Lily, if you please."

The sea cat swam into the royal treasure room and quickly came back with a small chest in his webbed paws. He presented it to the younger mermaid and carefully lifted the lid. Inside was a 15 mm, beautiful, white, heart-shaped pearl that was attached to a thin chain of shimmering silver.

"Oh Gajeel." Juvia said in surprised joy.

"It was Mom's. Do you remember? How she would always compare you and the girls to her jewelry?"

"I remember. She called Sherry her amethyst, Meredy her aquamarine, Chelia her peridot."

"She called me an opal." Levy added, showing Juvia the opal engagement ring on her finger, which had once been worn by the former queen.

"And you were her pearl." Gajeel finished. "So I believe that she would have wanted you to have this."

He carefully lifted the chain from the chest and hooked the chain around Juvia's neck. Juvia looked down at the pearl-heart pendent and gave him a smile that reminded him so much of his late mother."

"Thank you Gajeel." Juvia said. "I'll never take it off."

She embraced and kissed Gajeel to show her love and gratitude, then swam out from the elegant underwater castle that she lived in, beginning her journey to the world above. On her way there, she was noticed by almost everyone in the kingdom. The merpeople as usual, just stared at her and gossiped. But the other sea creatures adored her to no end. Even as a little girl, Juvia had always treated each creature in the deep warmly. Playing games with them, sharing her food with them, singing to them, she would even invite them to see her garden. They didn't judge her like her people did. They liked her for who she was and on that day, when she swam by, fish, rays, slugs, crustaceans, and starfish alike all smiled and waved at her.

Every sea animal in the ocean loved Juvia, but none of them could have loved her as much as Conlan did. Conlan was an orphaned, baby water horse who Juvia had found trapped in a sunken ship wreck sometime ago.

"Poor thing." She had said, as she cut him free from the net. "Trapped down here and all alone. Yet you're not even crying."

She gently took him into her arms. He was naturally afraid of her at first, but quickly warmed up to her upon seeing the love and compassion in her eyes.

"What courage you must have. Would you like to come home with me?"

The little water-horse had replied with a nod.

"I'll call you Conlan." She she named him in that moment.

Since then the water horse had been Juvia's best friend and constant companion. But folks would often laugh when they learned that his name was Conlan, because Conlan was a name that meant hero and courageous, and that little water horse was often a very fearful and nervous creature. Scared of his own shadow. Just one sudden move would spur him into hiding behind something. However he was no coward in Juvia's eyes and she knew in her heart that he was more than worthy of the name she had given him. He just needed a chance to prove it to the world.

"No Conlan, you can't come with me." She said when she noticed him following her. "I love you but, you won't be easy to hide up there. If you were there, a human would spot me in seconds."

Conlan looked directly at Juvia. His eyes were both dark and bright, with a look of concern that Juvia recognized all too well.

"Don't worry Conlan, I'll be alright." She assured him. "And the next time I go, I'll take you with me. I'm just going alone this time so I can learn how to move about and hide. Understand?"

Conlan nodded.

"Good. Now for the tricky part, which part of the surface should I go to first?"

To elaborate, when a mermaid explored the surface world, she could enchant the water around her to connect with any water source. Meaning that she could anywhere in the world as long as it was through some large of water. The different places that Juvia could see were limitless.

"I should probably start closer to home first." She decided, and up she swam.

She rose from the sea, light as a flake of foam and when she saw the golden sun glistening in the clear blue sky, she was overwhelmed with awe. It was even more magnificent than she had ever imagined. She couldn't even find words to describe it, the beauty was just too splendid for words. Next she saw green hills covered and a castle that peeped out from amid the proud trees of the forest. She could hear the birds singing and she saw several flocks of them flying overhead. So many new and beautiful sights around her. She felt that this was where she belonged. Beneath the blue sky and the sun, where there was so much light and warmth here, it was all she ever dreamed of.

"And there's still so much more to see." She thought eagerly.