The Cat's Meow

One Determined Girl

Ms.Porlysica frowned as she sat on her leather sofa with her legs crossed and a scornful look on her face.The air was filled with so much tension and it was so quiet you could hear the birds flapping their wings, flying through the trees outside.
"Listen boy and girl. You are not to tell anyone besides only one who you desperately need on this mission what I am about to say. If anyone finds out what's going on and it gets back to the person who casted the spell, they could become even harder to find. Then you would have no chance of getting that  curse off. Do you understand?"

Porlysica had a serious look in her eyes that made Gray gulp. Gray had a swirling feeling in the pit of his stomach. Juvia was listening, not saying a word with a deadly serious expression on her face,her mouth in a straight line. He had never seen her look so serious.
"Yes,Porlysica-san!"Juvia replied faster than Gray could.
"Yeah." Gray shrugged. He tried to sound indifferent but inside he was panicking. Why would Porlyusica have on such a serious face if it wasn't something to worry about? Porlyusica intertwined her fingers and looked at Gray with a solemn expression.
"It sounds like you have the curse called'Cat's bad Luck'. It modifies your appearance in the evening and turns your body back the way it was at sunrise. The sign you experienced-the headache- is a sign which basically tells you when you're about to turn. It also has other signs but you must not have experienced those-yet.The longer you take to get the spell removed, the more the form takes over your body. Then the spell really takes over your mind and body. You would be like a real cat. You have to be a very powerful spell caster, but when it is done, it is very hard for the victim of the curse to remove it."

Porlyusica stated. Gray gulped. Spell? Who casted it? And more importantly...

"How did someone cast it ? The only time I was around people was on the train and at the resort!"
Gray quickly said. Porlyusica  silently thought to herself.
"It is true that you have to be at least the vicinity for them to even be able to cast the spell. And it becomes even harder when you are targeting just one person. You have to be very close to them to even instill the curse unto the victim."
Porlyusica shook her head in disbelief.

"The spell takes 24 hours to start taking effect. How long were you on the train?"
Gray thought for a second. He was only on the train for no more than 5 hours to get back to Magnolia. He had stayed an extra night at the resort,free of charge as the reward from the owner for getting rid of the theives.

"I was only on the train for 5 hours. And I started getting that really bad headache at least an hour and a half after I got on the train.So that must mean..."
Porlyusica nodded.

" It means that spell must have been cast before you got on the train to Magnolia. Where did you come from before you got on the train?"

Gray remembered the name of the town that the resort was built in. It was called Sylamore.

"The town was named...Sylamore."

Gray solemnly recalled staring at his tightened fists. He couldn't believe he had let this all happen. Someone was casting a spell on him without his knowledge in that damn town and he didn't even notice it.

"Well you will have to go directly to the caster of the spell. That is the only way for the curse to be destroyed.

Porlyusica stated.

"How will we even know where the hell this bastard is even hiding? That town is full of people!"
Gray questioned. Porlysica was in deep thought for a moment.

"I might have a solution for that." Porlysica told Gray about a certain spell that might be able to enhance the 'scent'of the magic which the curse being used on him was made from for 2 weeks. It  was the only spell she could think of that would be able to track down the miscreant, without causing any physical damage to Gray's body.
"Any longer than 2 weeks and my body will fail to keep up with the magic."
Porlysica stated.

"Even if you do enhance the 'scent',"Gray said in a mocking tone,"how will I be able to find them? I don't have super smelling or anything."

Gray frowned and furrowed his eyebrows. Juvia's eyes light up in an instant.
"But I know who does!" She practically squealed the words out. Gray could already see where this was going.

"No! I am not going to bring that...metal freak with me!"
Juvia pouted when she heard those words.
"Why not? Gajeel-kun is strong and can help a lot! Juvia can beg him and he will most likely do it. He may not look it but he is a sucker for crying girls."Juvia snickered. Gray rolled his eyes and spit out his next words.
"Why not Nastu? He is a pretty good sniffer. I didn't really want him to know about this situation but I guess it's pretty serious now."Gray laughed bitterly."
I don't think so Gray. If anything Nastu is the worst person to tell. Nastu is quite a motor-mouth and will probably end up telling the whole guild! We can't risk it..."
Juvia shook her head lightly in thought.She was right. Gray agreed Gajeel was probably the best option. Not only did he mostly keep to himself anyway, but he knew how to keep secrets. Especially since he had so many of his own. Gray knew when he seen the look in his eyes when he first joined the guild.He could tell Gajeel was a man of many secrets. After all,Gray himself was. And it made even more sense since Gajeel was a very stealthy person,whereas Nastu would probably burn the whole town down before he even got to walk in the front gates. If he was going to do this he would need to be covert about it. Gray nodded."All right Juvia. I'll ask Gajeel if he can...accompany me on my mission. I'll probably have to give him compensation but anything is better than what's at stake here."Juvia tilted her head in confusion."Don't you mean we?"Juvia asked.

"No Juvia...I never asked for your help. Thanks for all you've done but I can take it from here."

Gray said with a harsh  but demanding tone. Juvia looked down at her hands and tried to hold back tears. Everytime she tried to help Gray he would always push her away. She was for once excited to be included in Gray's life since for as long as she had known Gray,he had always trusted his closest friends,Nastu,Lucy,Erza, and Happy to help him. Never informing her of anything.He was always running off somewhere and she could never catch up. Never. Sometimes she wondered why she even tried so hard. Sometimes it seemed like he would rather die than spend another second with her. No. She would not think these things. Because she would not accept it!Juvia stood up out of her chair,with downcast eyes.

Then she matched her determined and fierce blue eyes with his.
"Juvia is going. She will help Gray~sama no matter how many times you may push her away! Do you know why Gray~sama? Because she loves and cares for you,and she will not stand here like every other time and let her love or her friends get hurt."

Juvia stepped closer to Gray until they were eye to eye.
"You will have to kill her first before Juvia lets anything happen to her friends. Juvia is going. And Gray~sama is not going to stop me!"

End note:Thank you for all the ones who support my story! You guys make me feel very appreciated and loved. I am sorry for the hold-up on the chapters hehe. I've been a real lazy ass and it didn't help that I've just been watching anime all day(I watched My hero academia for the first time and I just ignored everything else and binged lol). But even so thank you for those who waited and I'll try to get back on track now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you next time I upload(I will I promise)!;)