It's Monday! Thanks to all for all the continued support with this fic. I've really enjoyed connecting with each of you and hope to make more new friends as the story continues.

darling spider: Thanks so much!

Waffels: Thanks! So, one of my favorite quotes is: the first sight of love is the last sight of wisdom. That's Ariel in a nutshell. And canon Juvia too, I think.

- K. Chandler


Blue Skull Bayou was a marshy glade where the water was always black as ink. The overgrowth here was so dense that the sun's light never reached the surface of the water. Even without the gnarled roots and dangling branches, the thick, unearthly fog made for an unforgiving barrier.

Juvia shuddered. Never had she been in a place that was so cold and uninviting. She had always considered water to have a comforting and familiar presence, but this water was no friend of hers.

The deeper Juvia went, the darker it became. Shadows swirled and stretched, reaching for her with clawed hands. They swooped past, as if to warn her away from this accursed place.

Still she pressed on, for this was where Master Jose kept residence. The Phantom Lord, as he was often called, was infamous for the unearthly feats accomplished by his powerful magic.

"Hello?" Juvia called, her voice sounding weak and hollow to her own ears. "Is anybody there? Hello? Master Jose?"

A tall man emerged through the mist, a robe of aubergine purple draped around his shoulders. With his pale, gaunt face and his cold, dead eyes, he was every bit the Phantom Lord.

"Yes? Who calls?" he asked. His voice was oily as an eel and just as unpleasant.

"My name is Juvia. Are you Master Jose?" she asked.

"What is your business, girl?"

"I've heard that your magic is capable of miraculous things," she said carefully.

"Is that what they're saying these days?" he asked flatly.

"Yes, it is. That's the rumor anyways."

"So, you're here for a miracle, then?"

"I didn't say that," said Juvia.

"Please, what else are you here for, girl?" he sneered. "Nobody comes to a place like this unless they want something."

There was a sick knot forming in Juvia's stomach. For a moment, she considered turning back. But if she did, she might never know the truth.

"Well? Out with it, girl. I'm a busy man with things to do."

Juvia swallowed hard. "Can you help me with—That is—"

"Speak up," Jose snarled.

"Legs," Juvia blurted out.

"Legs?" asked Jose, looking amused. "You mean like a crab?" He made a scuttling motion with his hands.

Juvia shook her head. "Human legs. I want legs, so I can walk with the humans."

"You want me to make you a human?" asked Jose. "This is something you don't see every day. Why would a Sea-Person want to get mixed up with those nasty humans?"

"I was just curious," said Juvia.

"Curious?" mocked Jose. "Your soul is an awfully steep price to pay just to satisfy idle curiosity," he simpered.

"My soul?" echoed Juvia, recoiling.

"Yes, of course," he sneered. "I'm a businessman, my dear. You don't think I work for free, do you? Or didn't your rumors tell you that?"

Juvia bit her lip. These were things that she hadn't thought about.

"It's just your soul," he reasoned in a soothing voice. "It's not like it's doing you any good."

"And just what good will it do you?" Juvia asked carefully.

Jose sighed. "It gets awfully lonely out here by myself. Sometimes, it's nice to have a little company."

Juvia remembered the swooping shadows that she had run into when she first entered the bayou, the ones that seemed to be alive. Maybe they had been, at one point. Juvia shuddered.

"I'm a reasonable man. And I can tell that you're new at this," said Jose. "So let me help you out. If you tell me what you're truly after, maybe we can make a deal."

Despite her initial misgivings, Juvia thought this sounded fair. "It all started a couple of weeks ago," she began.

Master Jose nodded, stroking his thoughtfully as Juvia explained the particulars of her situation to him.

"What a… sweet story," purred Jose, after she had finished. "Though, I feel like I've heard this one before. You know, the transformation magic that you're asking me to perform is no small feat. Normally the price for something like that… well, like I said, it's your soul. In this case, though, I'd be willing to cut you a bargain," he said.

"And what would that be?"

"So glad you asked," he said.

Jose waved his hand, conjuring a scroll of parchment and a quill. They hovered in the air beside his shoulder.

"I can turn you into a human for a trial period, say three weeks?" The quill scratched along as he spoke, taking down the details of the arrangement. "That should be long enough for you to get all your questions answered, right? Prove that Surface-Dwellers are actually capable of love?"

"I think so," said Juvia.

"How do you feel about a little wager, then? If these humans are actually capable of love, making one fall in love with you shouldn't be too difficult, right? You're a lovely girl."

"I suppose that's true," said Juvia.

"So if you can get one of those humans to fall in love with you before the three weeks is up, then you win. I'll even let you decide if you want to stay up on land permanently or if you want your tail back."

"Any human?"

"How about that captain of yours? Gray, was it? He seems like a decent fellow."

Juvia couldn't deny that. But there was still something bothering her. "What happens if I can't do it? If I need more time?" she asked.

"Then I still get your soul," shrugged Jose.

Juvia pursed her lips, still unconvinced that this was a better deal.

"How long could it possibly take to fall in love with someone?" asked Jose. "Your Captain Gray caught your eye pretty quickly. In fact, I'll bet that the only reason he hasn't fallen for you is because he hasn't seen you yet," he continued smoothly. "You might not even need all three weeks."

Juvia frowned. Master Jose made a good point.

"Unless you don't think you can do it…" he added, sounding almost sympathetic.

"No, no. That shouldn't be too difficult," said Juvia quickly.

"Excellent. I'd hoped you'd see it my way," said Jose.

"So where do we start?" asked Juvia.

Jose plucked the scroll of parchment out of the air, handing it to Juvia. "Go ahead and sign this for me."

"What is this?" asked Juvia, eyeing the paper warily.

"Our contract, of course, silly girl," said Jose. "As I said, I'm a businessman. This is just a little precaution that I take to make sure that we're both aboveboard."

Juvia squinted at the spidery script that crawled across the yellowed paper. "It's a lot longer than I thought it would be," she said.

Jose shrugged. "It's all boilerplate. Standard details that need to be worked out, you understand, I'm sure. Feel free to read it if you want."

Juvia eyed the document. The words swam across her vision, her impatience getting the better of her. She skimmed the rest of the text. The overall spirit of the agreement seemed about right. "I just have to sign it?" she asked finally.

"Right there," said Jose, bending over to point at the signature line. "Just so you understand, this contract is magically binding."

"I understand." Juvia penned her name, sealing the deal.

"Excellent!" said Jose, his voice taking on a sinister note. He grinned, seeming far too pleased with himself.

Juvia was starting to wonder what she had actually agreed to. But before she could ask, Jose waved his hand, making the contract roll itself up before vanishing into the fog.

"Let's get you transformed. We'll start with your magic," he said, holding up a ring between two fingers.

"My magic?" asked Juvia, startled. She didn't remember promising him that. All she had asked for was a pair of legs.

"Of course," said Jose. "You wanted to be a human. Isn't that what we agreed to, silly girl? The humans don't have magic. You won't be able to keep yours if you want to walk among them."

"Of course," said Juvia uncertainly. She had agreed to be transformed into a human, hadn't she? "I suppose that makes sen—"

Juvia broke off with an anguished cry, her back arching as pain shot through her body. It was like a jolt through her bones, a burning in her chest, an agony like nothing she had ever experienced. Her vision blurred as she fought to breathe, her ears ringing with the sound of her own screams.

Then silence.

Slowly, Juvia righted herself, her heart still pounding. There was an empty ache inside her chest. Her magic was such an integral part of who she was, and just like that, it had been ripped away. She wondered if this was what losing one's soul felt like. Hopefully she'd never have to experience that.

"The extraction was a success," said Jose clinically, looking at the ring in his palm. It still glowed with Juvia's magic as he closed his fingers around it.

Juvia opened her mouth to comment, but no sound came out. Juvia could feel her features twist into an expression of horror.

"Don't look at me like that," said Jose. "I obviously can't have you telling them about our little bet," said Jose. "You understand, I'm sure. Besides, this is what you agreed to."

Juvia glared at Jose, shaking her head furiously.

"I don't understand what you're upset about," he said. "I gave you the contract. You looked it over before you signed it. Honestly, nobody is ever satisfied these days. Tell you what, as a sign of good faith, I'll even do you a favor, no charge."

Juvia frowned. She wasn't sure she wanted any more from Jose. The magnitude of what she had agreed to was starting to sink in, making her stomach feel cold and heavy.

"I was just going to transport you closer to Akane Bay," explained Jose. "That's pretty far away from here, and I'm not sure you'd be able to make it that far as a human. It wouldn't be terribly fair if you drowned before our bet even started, would it?"

Juvia huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Good luck," purred Jose, waving his hand.

An instant later, Juvia found herself back in the open ocean. Here, the water was a clear blue and she could see the sunlight at the surface. But she didn't have time to admire its beauty.

A magic circle rotated below her, a column of purple light shooting skyward. Bathed in its glow, Juvia could feel the transformation beginning. Juvia felt her tail going numb, the loss of feeling starting at her fin and inching upwards towards her waist. It was a strange sensation, almost like being erased.

Juvia looked down to make sure her tail hadn't actually disappeared. Knowing Jose, anything was possible. Juvia saw the glowing silhouette of her tail, stretching, morphing, dividing, reshaping itself. Then the glow faded away, leaving her with two slender human legs.

Unable to believe her eyes, Juvia reached down to poke her knees. They were rough and knobby, but they were definitely real.

She was human!

Juvia gasped, regretting it immediately. That was the other thing she forgot about humans. They couldn't breathe underwater.

Kicking wildly, Juvia clawed her way to the surface, gasping to fill her burning lungs with sweet, sweet air.

Looking around, Juvia recognized the spot where she had surfaced. This was where they had fought the humans. Where she had rescued Gray.

It was ironic and almost a bit poetic.

Once more, Juvia made the familiar swim towards Akane Bay. But her clumsy, new legs couldn't propel her like her tail could. Never had Juvia felt so awkward in the water. Water had always been her element.

The last time she had struggled like this, she had Gray in her arms as she carried him to safety. This time, she made the journey for herself, to join Gray on land. No, to find the truth about the humans.

But last time, Juvia had been powerful and confident. This time, she was without both her tail and her magic.

This time, Juvia felt lost.


Long-time readers will know that I'm a dub watcher. (I can't really deal with subtitles and I could never get into manga... I think I just don't know how to read... ;D) I mention this because you might notice that this world's Jose isn't strictly Fairy Tail's Jose. I was influenced by the fact that he shares an English dub actor with Fuehrer King Bradley from Fullmetal Alchemist. As a result, there are moments where Jose seems mild-mannered and almost trustworthy, like King Bradley. But I kept him as Jose (instead of choosing a more soft-spoken FT villain) because I wanted to parallel Juvia's relationship to Jose in the anime, the way retains a position of power over her.

Next time, in Silence: Jose's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Renegotiate?"

Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.