-A few days after the great mage fight.
The tournament has been a great success for Fairy Tale. Not so much for the town. This was still slowly recovering from what might have been the apocalypse were it not for the mages. That is why they were now welcome anywhere they stepped-even in the castle, though the time inscribed on the king´s invitation to the castle was still not to come for another ten hours. That was another of the mage´s privileges now-no one else was ever invited to the castle, let alone to see the king. This, however, was proving to be an unexpected annoyance to some.

"Ya ain´t serious…"
the iron dragon growled, standing, untypically, in the fashion district of the town.
"The invitation clearly states that formal attire is required."
the blue haired mage argued, looking rather at the shop windows than at the sulking brute behind her.
Even Panther Lily paid his companion no attention.

"Juvia just thought that Gajeel-kun would not like to be a laughing stock in front of the other mages…"
the girl suggested, moving along the street in a fashion that suggested a certain knowledge in the field, as well some degree of a specific hunt.
Gejeel frowned, looked at his exceed companion, and then followed-slowly...

"I ain´t gonna wear anything funny…"
he muttered, while Lily questioned his taste by reminding him of the white suit he wore while singing at one of Fairy Tales events.
"That was only cause Juvia said I should be more friendly…"
the iron mage quickly retaliated, thinking back to times when the girl was still infatuated with another-she was more to him even then though. The only woman on his level in Phantom Lord, she was always the only one who understood the loneliness, the struggle.
They both had issues however-and he did not think they would have ever worked them out had they not entered Fairy Tail…and even that was Juvia´s doing.
He watched the light smile on her face as she slowly walked from one window to another, explaining to Lily how she would alter his suit herself if they could not do it in one of the shops, so he would be able to join them.
She used to be so glum, so dark-always surrounded by rain…

"Oh, this one!"
she gasped happily out of nowhere and entered a small tailor business with a couple of elegantly dressed figurines up front. Lily waited in the door for Gajeel, who entered with slight embarrassment. But if she was willing to follow him into battle, how could he refuse a small trip like this?

The shop was quite little-there were two dressing cabins, a few mirrors, but the most space, concealing even the enormous racks with cloth was a plump woman, who happily greated even such a hoodlum as himself.
"Juvia would like to order a dress…and…ehm…"
she looked quickly back at her two male companions.
"…two morning coats for the gentlemen. "
she added quickly.
"Oh-marvelous."
the woman replied, quickly scanning the customers for possible sizes.
"I think we have something that might fit-you can try it out-but if it does not fit your taste, I can have something done for you in a few days from scratch."
she added, while already heading into the storage area of the little shop to bring back a number of completed outfits for the customers to try out.

It turned out, that the woman was more than pleased to create a miniature attire for Lily, who, it seemed, she found unbelievably adorable, and thanks to whom she also became aware of the mage´s connection to the apocalyptic events.
"Well if anyone told me Fairy Tail was to save us all-oh, I would not have believed him a word then."
she smiled heartily while spreading out differently colored clothes on the counter.
"And to think my clothes would be in the palace-if you choose any that is, of course."
she continued, not minding Gajeel´s silence while Juvia was trying out some dresses.

"Juvia was thinking about white…but she does not know if it is fitting."
said the blue haired mage exiting one of the cabins.
She was dressed in a romantic light blue medium long dress with hearts sown into the skirt. She looked quite innocent as she twirled, watching herself in the mirror.
"It does suit you"
the exceed commented, while Gajeel shrugged.
"maybe a hat then?"
she tried on a curvy thing with roses and looked at herself in the mirror, before she calmed down a bit again.
For Gajeel, she looked like a cheery spring.

"No…"
Juvia decided suddenly, looking at herself in the mirror
"…this is the old version of Juvia…Juvia is a new person now."
she proclaimed quite seriously and disappeared again.
"This one."
turned Gajeel his gaze back towards the layed out suits, choosing a quite simple black one.
"No- no-I´ll just take it…"
he reassured the owner before she was able to lay it out for him for a tryout.
There was no need.
"I´m not gonna wait for ya, okay?"
he raised his voice slightely-making clear his annoyance at this strange arrangement.
There was no reply-either she did not care, or she was disappointed…he rolled his eyes, silently exchanged the suit for a significant amount of cash (leaving enough for Juvia to buy three dresses) and disappeared before Pantherlily couldtry to persuade him to stay.

He stopped to have a couple of drinks before taking enough time to dress up. Pantherlily showed up in a cutely cut suit of his own soon enough to help him fulfill the protocol look, though he did not make any remarks concerning Juvia or her mood. Slightely annoyed, the iron Dragon thus proceeded towards the palace, intending to drink himself to sleep using the most expensive stuff the place offered.

Despite his depressing outlook on the situation, he found that drinking alongside the young Rogue was much more amusing than he might have thought…though there was still an unspoken fear about the boy.
Even the other one, Sting, was quite a welcome company.

"Those clothes do not suite you one bit…"
he heard a voice that was quite unwelcome
"At least I´m wearing clothes…"
he growled at the ice mage, who seemed to be enjoying himself in his signature manner
"Juvia thinks that Gajeel-kun looks quite dashing."
came a strong reply, which made both the black haired mages blink. There, beside the both of them, stood a blue haired water mage dressed in a long black robe. Her guild tattoo was visible in a high slid down the skirt, while her thin waist was wrapped in a pink bow, as her deep cleavage was partly covered by her loose blue locks, only slightely held up on one side by a small pink rose pin.

"There ya go…"
Gajeel grinned excitedly and raised his glass in approval not only over the support of the water mage, but also of her attire.
"You look different."
Gray remarked, forgetting about the iron dragon, still fixated on the girl who used to be so devoted to him and who he has been seeing so little lately.
"Juvia has changed, yes, if that is what Gray-san means…"
the girl replied and sat casually down next to the two exceed cats, Frosch and Lector.

Gray seemed quite confused, as the mage ignored his exposed appearance to start a conversation with one of the cats. He frowned and turned to continue conversations elsewhere, as Gajeel watched him with such contempt, the whole place seemed to be filled with joy again.
It was curious, that despite his happy looks, he seemed to leave the royal banquet so early-as he was nowhere to find when the small librarian inquired about his whereabouts…but then Lyon could not find find Juvia either…so maybe the Phantom Lords have found a better way to entertain themselves.