Juvia's True Self

Chapter 2

The water mage sat as still as possible trying to contain her excitement while the annoyed psychic sat in her chair. Darkness flooded the window and crickets began their song, with a quick crack of her knuckles the ancient fortune teller closed her eyes and extended her hands. Juvia slowly extended her hands as the fear of her fortune started to rise. She asked herself if she was ready to hear if her beloved Grey didn't love her and never will. She asked herself if her heart could handle it.

"This is your last chance to back out. If you have any doubts, you should leave now." The elder wizard warned as she kept her arms extended and her eyes shut.

The rain woman took a deep breath as she focused her eyes on the hands that were offered to her. She smiled as she accepted her future and whatever it held.

"Juvia is ready."

"Okay, I need complete silence from you and your eyes must remain closed the whole time."

The reading began as the light of the psychics magic illuminated the room and flashed Juvias life and memories in a hazed glow. The grip tightened as the reading focused on her future and began blocking out the past. Strange sounds and blinding lights began flashing as an unsettling presence arose. Glimpses of Juvias time in Phantom Lord began passing as a certain memory caught the elder womans attention. She ceased her search forward and focused all her energy to clear the clutter around that specific time.

Images of a dark room formed as a purple circle illuminated on the floor, it appeared to be a magic seal or curse. Figures of shadows were seen at a distance inbetween the few flickers of light outside the circle. The image began to blur as well as the sound in her mind, she poured more energy to keep the memory from slipping. The haze refocused to reveal a plea from Juvia asking to be released.

"Please! I dont want to forget! Please!" Juvia was heard crying.

"Dont you remember when I found you. Alone. Unwanted. Why would you want to keep those memories?" A shadow of a man said in a low voice.

"NO!" Echoed in the darkness as the psychics mind emerged in black silence. It remained empty for a few seconds until faint sounds of words appeared. The speaker was only heard in parts, his voice entering and exiting at random times, but one word stood out to the old lady.

The tight grip around Juvias hand released as the young wizard opened her eyes assuming the reading was over. She was shocked to see tears streaming down the shop keepers eyes and a look of pain and sadness on her face. She was alarmed and an unsettling fear took root.

"What? What is wrong? Did Juvia do something wrong?" She worried.

"No. You've been..." She shook as she looked in Juvias eyes. "You've been caged, cursed ...someone placed a forbidden spell on you."

The blue haired wizard quickly retracted her hands as her eyes widened in disbelief.

"I couldnt see who. I couldnt make out a face but I saw them performing a forbidden spell. The words they spoke were unforgettable, I couldve sworn I was the only one who still remembered that horrific spell... Listen closely, you need to--"

"What no?! Juvia is not cursed!" Fear began rising as she stumbled backwards away from the shopkeeper.

"No wait! You dont understand! You have forgotten! This curse is--"

"Get away from Juvia, she...she didnt come to be lied to!" She exclaimed as she headed for the door. The word forgotten rang in her head as something began to stir in her soul. The mere mention of her being cursed set off a deep fear she had since childhood.

"Juvia, listen to me!" The elder yelled as she grabbed the girl's hand. In a swift second a magic circle emerged from the Ladys free hand and was directed to the rain woman.

"No!" Juvia screamed as she broke free from the grip of the woman and fled to the forest.

"I hope that was enough to weaken the spell." The old lady whispered in sadness as she lost sight of the wizard.