Hi! This is a story I started working on a couple days after I started Sandyland. Enjoy!
It was a dreary rainy day in Hargeon. At least, it was around a certain twelve year old water mage.
Juvia was heading towards her Aunt Mimi's house.
She didn't like her aunt. Being a rain woman herself, her aunt had endured the harsh shunning the life of a water mage could give if one didn't find their happiness. As a result, Mimi had grown into a bitter woman who couldn't give Juvia the love she so desperately needed.
Juvia's parents had died when she was young. They were wizards, out on a mission. They never returned.
Aunt Mimi had always resented Juvia's mother, a rain woman who had found her happiness. While Juvia's mother gave Juvia hope, she gave her sister, Mimi pure jealousy. It made Mimi resent Juvia even more.
Juvia approached the door to her aunt's house and knocked twice.
She heard quick, heavy footsteps; her aunt's footsteps.
Juvia cringed, expecting her aunt to berate her late timing. The train she had used was late.
The door cracked open with a threatening push from a stalky woman who reminded Juvia a bit too much of an older version of herself.
Juvia didn't want to turn into her Aunt Mimi.
She looked up to meet her aunt's cold gaze.
Mimi dragged her inside and started to ramble on harshly about Juvia's timing. She pulled her into a living room with old furnishings.
To Juvia's surprise, there was a guest sitting in one of the chairs.
It was a short woman with short lavender hair and large bright hazel eyes. She was wearing a knee length blue and white checkered dress.
The woman got up from her chair and smiled warmly at Juvia.
"Hi. You must be Juvia. I'm Livia McGarden."
Juvia smiled up at the woman, beaming at her kindness.
"Can we proceed with the casting?" Mimi asked, abruptly.
Juvia wondered what was going on as she was let to her aunt's murky basement.
There were multiple runes inscribed on the ground.
"There is no need to explain, let's get this over with." Mimi barked as Livia opened her mouth to say something to Juvia.
Livia looked frustrated. It was evident that she was going to lash out at Mimi.
"Remember who is paying you for this. I would hate to see what would happen if you were unable to support you and your daughter." Mimi warned in an icy tone.
Livia still looked angry, but there was a hint of determination in her eyes.
"Okay, I'll get on with it. Juvia, dear, could you please sit in the center of the circle? Nothing bad will happen, I promise you." Livia consoled.
Juvia trusted this lady. She had shown her kindness, a rare occurrence in Juvia's life, so she let Livia's hand guide her to the center of the circle.
Juvia wondered if the runes would make the rain go away.
Livia told Juvia to sit criss-cross. She obeyed and Livia went to kneel outside of the circle. Mimi watched, stone-like from the corner of the room.
Livia started to chant mysterious unknown words, getting louder as she continued.
The runes around Juvia glowed gold and started to encircle her rapidly.
Juvia grew terrified, unsure of what was happening. A shock ripped through her body, causing crackling pain. The shocks traveled up her body. It reached her head.
"Ugh!" Juvia shrieked in pain.
The last thing Juvia saw was Livia's kind face. Her eyes were flooded with tears.
The world around Juvia then dimmed, and Juvia entered a dark abyss.
Team seven stood around Sakura's hospital bed.
They had been out for ramen that morning. That was all. They had never expected her to almost face plant in the middle of the street.
Luckily for Sakura, she didn't break her nose. She would have thrown a tantrum if it was crooked. Sasuke had caught her before she nose-dived into the pavement, saving them all the earache.
Sakura's heart rate had plummeted at that moment. Her pulse was deathly faint. Her body seemed to have been having spasms of shock.
Team seven had raced her to the hospital, alarmed. They were terrified of losing their comrade.
Now, they were watching over Sakura's limp form with her parents who had been called in as soon as Sakura entered the hospital.
It was almost midnight now and they all had refused to leave. Naruto and Sasuke had nobody to tell them otherwise. There were of course the other adults, but they knew that making them go home wouldn't guarantee their rest. Naruto and Sasuke cared too much for Sakura to get a good night's sleep knowing that Sakura's life could be in danger.
Sakura's case was a strange one. None of the medical ninja at the hospital could figure out what was wrong. Even Tsunade couldn't have be sure when she was first brought in. Tsunade had gone to find Jiraiya, saying that it was some sort of strange justu that she had never seen before. This had resulted in a gathering of the entire village's top shinobi.
Everyone around Sakura looked up as Tsunade entered the room.
"The jutsu is a strange one." Tsunade started. "It was highly advanced and targeted the mind."
Everybody except Tsunade cringed.
"It was a technique developed to switch a person's soul with someone else's. Whoever did it must have been a greatly accomplished ninja. We have reason to believe that it could have been Orochimaru's doing."
"What!?" Naruto screeched. "That snake's here! I'll tear him to shreds!"
"Naruto, shut up." Sasuke spoke blandly.
"Sakura's soul has been switched. As you all know, the Yamanakas examined her. I have reason to believe this fact. However, she is not completely gone and the jutsu should wear off in about a week."
A few people let out a breath of relief.
"There is another thing I have to tell you." Cue held breaths. "Sakura has two souls. They are both very similar. It's a strange case. Sakura will be sharing a body for the next week. The soul that was switched was Sakura's… let's say "outer soul". Unfortunately, the other person will have more control."
"This will only be for a week, right?" Sakura's mother, Mebuki asked, trying to reassure herself that her daughter would be okay.
"A week." Tsunade replied.
Nobody was overjoyed with the news, but they were pleased that Sakura would at least be okay.
That being said, Tsunade forced everybody to leave.
Tsunade strapped Sakura's arms and legs down with chakra binding straps. There was no telling who the new "outer soul" was.
Naruto and Sasuke walked together. Their apartments were in the same direction.
"Sasuke, do you think that everything will be alright?" Naruto asked, more out of fear than curiosity.
He didn't like the idea of someone occupying Sakura's body even if she did have one of her souls in there. Sakura was not Sakura without all of her being there.
"It had better be." Sasuke stated his voice tense.
"Is it done?" Mimi demanded.
Livia nodded sullenly, her gaze on Juvia, sprawled on the basement floor. Her bottom lip shook. Juvia would not be Juvia for a while. While she found it disturbing, she reminded herself that she had to take care of her daughter.
"Good. If Juvia returns unharmed, I will have you cast the same spell on me."
Livia got up, her leg shaking.
Mimi placed an envelope in her shaky hand.
"Come back in a week."
Livia didn't have to be told twice.
So, how was it? I named Mimi after my favorite boss from Super Paper Mario.
This story might be too weird. I don't know.
I do have some sort of plot in mind, but I want to know other people's opinions on the story before continuing.