"Poor child, what a tragic turn of events."

Juvia was startled by the unexpected voice of a stranger. She swiftly turned around and saw the eel slowly approach her from the shadows.

"Who are you?" She asked. "What do you want?"

"Now don't be frightened, I only came to deliver a message."

"A message? From who?"

"An old family member of yours. Your dear Aunt Selene."

"The sea witch? What does she want?"

"She knows all about your terrible situation and she knows your fondest dreams and desires. And she wants to help. She's asked me to escort you to her lair. That is, if you're interested?"

"Why would she want to help me?" Juvia asked suspiciously.

"Well she is a rather charming creature, one who knows very well how painful it is to be misunderstood and outcasted. And she'd hate to see a member of her family feel the same."

Juvia wasn't sure about that though. Because if that was case, how come Gajeel banished her? How come no one was allowed to even speak of her? It just didn't sound right. Still she couldn't help but wonder...

"I don't understand." She said. "What could she possibly do?"

"She has great power. Her magic is capable of doing impossible things, even bringing you and your prince together."

"Now he had Juvia's attention. Was it really possible? Could Selene really bring the two of them together? But what if it was a trap? What if Selene did something terrible to her? Then again, she couldn't imagine how her life could be any worse than it is now.

"I guess I could meet with her." The words flew out of her mouth before she could think.

Nebaru looked pleased, then proceeded to lead the way. As she followed him, Conlan started coming from far behind, looking for her. The little water horse could sense that something was very wrong about that eel and worried for the mermaid's safety. He swam off to the palace to get help, but the only person he could find at the moment was Panther Lily who felt even more guilty about spilling his gutts after over hearing the conversation held between brother and sister.

Had he really screwed things up this time. Despite how difficult and frustrating it was dealing with Juvia, Lily would never want to hurt her. He loved her, he loved Gajeel, he loved the entire royal family as if they were his own family. But now he had caused a terrible rift between them and he'd never forgive himself if that rift was never mended.

"Hello Conlan." He greeted the water horse with a tone of remorse. "How is she? Does she want to talk to anyone?"

Conlan just grabbed Lily by his tail and started to swim in the direction that Juvia had gone.

"Hey! Put me down! Where are you taking me?!"

But he would know soon enough.

...

Bucking up her courage, Juvia followed Nebaru to a most frightening place where neither flower nor sea grass bloomed along the path, where the sand was grey, and where almost no living thing could be seen or heard. At last they reached a cavern that was made from the bones of unfortunate humans who had drowned in the sea. It was so dark and murky, surrounded by bones and serpents. When Juvia arrived at the entrance of this cave she felt a twinge of fear and hesitation. She was beginning to rethink her decision.

"I don't know about this." She said.

"Now, now, mustn't get cold fins." Nebaru said ushering her inside the tunnel.

Juvia reluctantly moved forward and that's when she finally laid eyes the sea witch Selene, the most feared creature in the entire ocean.

"Don't be shy Juvia darling." She heard the sea witch say in her dreadful voice. "It's me, your Auntie Selene."

The witch moved slowly and threateningly toward Juvia and tilted back her face, then running her long fingers nails on the mermaid's  white exposed neck.

"My my how you've grown." She chuckled. "Last time I saw you, you were only a minnow, but now...Well now you look exactly like your mother. The fairest beauty in the seven seas." She said with disdain and envy in her voice.

"I really shouldn't be here." Juvia said getting more and more nervous by the second.

"Nonsense." She dismissed quickly. "We're family."

"My brother banished you. Why?"

"Well as you know, when my big brother, your dear old daddy and his love were killed, Gajeel was so very young. Too young to cope with such a tragedy. He lashed out, and blamed anyone. Grief can make a person do that."

"I suppose but I don't think Gajeel would banish someone in our family over that."

"Well he wishes an entire race was dead because of grief, doesn't he?"

Juvia couldn't argue with that.

"Now then, tell dear old Auntie everything." The sea witch said.

"I...I'm in love with someone. A human."

"Yes this prince fellow. He's quite a catch I've heard."

"But he can't come to my world or he'll die. And I was told that you could find away around that. Can you?

Her grin started spread, finding this to be almost too easy.

"My dear sweet child it's what I live for." She said feigning kindness. "To help unfortunate merfolk like yourself. It's because I too, know what it's like to have the world look down upon you just because you're different. And to put it bluntly, the solution to your problem is acutally quite simple."

"It is?"

"Yes. You've got to become human yourself."

Juvia's eyes went wide as her suggestion set in.

"Me? Become human?"

"Naturally. Humans don't exactly find tails attractive, you know. Not to mention most men like a woman who can dance and run and frolic. That sort of thing."

"And you can do that?"

"Of course. Now here's my best offer Angelfish, I'll make you a potion that will turn you into a human so you can have a chance at earning your prince's love. If you can win his heart must to such a degree that you shall be mixed up with all his thoughts and wishes, so much so that he will let a priest join your hands so that you become man and wife, you will remain human permanently."

"Permanently?"

"Yes. But only if the two of you are wed by the end of the Summer Solstice. You have exactly until the clock strikes twelve, midnight on the final day of the solstice, for you and your prince to say your wedding vows."

Unknown to Juvia, Conlan and Lily had arrived just in time to over hear the arrangement.

"If you fail, then your heart will break and your soul will belong to me forever."

"You..." She gulped. "You want my soul? Why?"

"Never you mind, it's of no importance right now."

Lily was mortified. He knew for a fact that Selene would not play fair, he knew that she always rigged her deals to fail her clients, and he also knew that losing your soul to the sea witch was a fate worse than death. He was just about to swim up and object but Nebaru cleverly restrained and silenced both him and Conlan.

"But isn't that a bit much?" Juvia asked feeling a little fearful and hesitant. "I mean to lose my soul, that would mean losing everything."

Then a hand went to her neck, her fingers on the pendent of the heart-shaped pearl necklace Gajeel had given her.

"And even if I did succeed, that would mean I'd never see my brother, my sisters, Levy, Lily, or Conlan again."

When Lily heard this, he was briefly touched. Even after his mistake, even after Gajeel's words, even after all she had been through, she still loved her family and friends so much. The poor sea cat had feared that she'd hate him forever for his mistake.

"Well child life is full of risks, sacrifices, and tough choices. Especially when love is involved." Selene said, which at this point, was the first true thing that had come out of her mouth. "Besides, everyone else thinks that your just a burden on them. A family shame, just as they thought I was. And wouldn't you be much happier up there with your prince?"

"Yes." But she was still unsure about what it would take to see him again.

"Oh and there is one more thing. My fee."

"Fee?" Juvia said, having not thought about that.

"Yes. My payment. You can't get something for nothing, you know?"

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Juvia was now clutching the pendent, believing that was the only thing of value she had and was not sure if she could part with it even for a chance at true love. It was her mother's after all.

"Calm yourself child." Selene chuckled, reading her niece's expressions. "I never had an eye for pearls. Too bright and pretty for my taste."

"But I don't have anything else to give."

"I'm not asking much."  Selene smiled reassuringly, giving Juvia a touch under her chin. "Only your voice."

"My voice?" Juvia couldn't believe her ears.

"Don't worry. I have a perfect place for it." Selene then produced an enormous, white, glowing nautilus shell.

"Your magic shell." Juvia deduced.

"You've heard about it?" Selene asked, slightly nervous.

"I was once told that it was the source of your witchcraft."

"Nonsense, darling."

"That you'd be powerless without it."

"Powerless? Oh please! It's a bauble! A vessel for your voice! Trust me, darling, your vibrato, your legato, even your belt, they'll all be safe'n'sound in here."

Juvia was reluctant. She always believed her voice was the only good thing about her. No one had ever complimented on anything else about her. She'd always hear them say that was weird or strange but at least she had a beautiful voice. Without it, what else did she have to offer?

"But if you take away my voice, how can I win him?"

"With your graceful form and sparkling eyes, you should have no trouble charming a human heart. All who look upon you will say that you are the loveliest woman on earth and with your pretty white legs you shall move so lightly. If merfolk are beguiled by your beauty then the humans will surely worship you."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. I have no doubt that you shall have that prince begging for your hand in marriage within three days."

Selene grabbed her spell book again and flipped through the page until she found the one she had marked. After speaking a chant, a magical parchment appeared. It was contract, a magic one. Meaning that if Juvia signed there would be no backing out.

"So what's it going to be?" Selene asked. "Don't think on it too long, I haven't got all day."

Juvia thought hard about her decision. Though it made her sad to leave her family, she never really fit in with them and they never really accepted her for who she was. She only made life harder for them, they'd be much better off without her. And the prince was probably the only person in all the world who could possibly relate to her and like every part of her including her quirks. This was her only chance to finally be with someone who didn't make her feel like an outcast. she was doing this for love. For herself.

Juvia then took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and nodded affirmitively. Instantly, her signature wrote itself onthe contract and it magically disappeared.

"Excellent."

The sea witch gave her a sicking grin and with a wave of her fingers, suddenly a bright light started to glow from within Juvia's throat, which was then plucked and put into Selene's shell. It was her voice, it belonged to the sea witch now, Juvia would never talk or laugh or sing again.

Next took Selene took up her cauldron in order to mix the potion. Every moment she threw in an ingredient, the smoke from the mixture took on such horrible forms. Groaning and screeching in a way that made Juvia shudder. At long last the brew was complete and she filled a small glass bottle with a portion of it.

"Drink this and swim." She instructed. "Swim and think of where you wish to go to most in all the world."

Lily and Conlan had been struggling against Nebaru this entire time. Desperately trying to break free in order to stop Juvia from making a terrible mistake. Finally, Conlan bit down hard on Nebaru.

"Yeeooow!" He screeched, releasing them.

"Juvia stop!" Panther Lily cried out swimming toward her. "Don't do it!"

But it was too late. Juvia had already brought the bottle to her lips and drank the bitter potion. She started to swim upward and thought that she wanted to go wherever Gray was. Unfortunately the transformation was instant. She felt the spell run through her like a sharp knife as her tail split and changed into legs. The pain was too much, she felt like she was burning from the inside. She swooned.

Lily and Conlan quickly took hold of her and headed straight for the surface. The last thing Juvia could remember before everything went black was rising up from the sea foam to take her first breath with human lungs.