Chapter 9: The Second Day: Surprise

Juvia raced through the streets, unaware of the honking of horns and tire squealing around her. A man shouted at her as she darted across the intersection, but she didn't notice. Her heart was pounding. Juvia will be late for sure! Lyon admires her so much, and Juvia does not want to disappoint anyone.

She was hurrying so quickly that she walked right into something incredibly soft.

"Oh, hi there," said a very surprised, very familiar voice.

"Gray-sama?" whispered Juvia. No, it can't be... he never wears so many layers.

"How'd you know my name? Oh, nice blue hair, by the way," added the stranger with a sheepish smile. Then the smile turned into a look of awestruck desire.

"Whoa! Juvia? Is that you?"

"You are wearing so much," Juvia said bluntly. The boy looked hurt.

"Please don't say that. I've been wandering in this strange place for three days now, and when I finally find someone I know, she rejects me again?" he whined.

"Juvia doesn't know you," Juvia finalized. This guy is crazy! Did he run away from an asylum?

"Yes you do! Juvia, it's..." He paused, stricken. "Me..." he said softly, as realization flooded into his face.

"Juvia doesn't know who you are, and why you look like Gray-sama, but she knows one thing: She is late for a date and she has to hurry up or else!"

"No, I... I get it now!" He turned to Juvia, his face lighting up. "This is Earthland!"

He is crazy! I knew it! Juvia reached for her purse and took out her phone.

"What are you doing?" the Gray-look-alike asked, puzzled.

"Calling the asylum."

"What-? No! Stop! Have you gone mad? It's me,"

"Are you kidding? You're the one who's loco in the coco," Juvia said, astounded.

"But-what-?" He knocked the phone from her hands just as she was about to press the "call" button.

"Hey! That cost two thousand jewels!" Juvia huffed. She reached to pick it up from the sewer, but a pair of strong, firm hands beat her to it.

"Thanks," Juvia said as Lyon handed it to her.

"Hey, who are you?" said the boy.

"I'm Lyon, Juvia's boyfriend," announced the light-haired ice mage proudly.

"But... no!" The random boy turned to Juvia before she could object and literally dropped to his knees, begging. "Juvia, you can't do this to me! Please, I'll do anything! Prance around naked! Strip my layers foreveerrrrr!" he pleaded, and began to sob.

"What a baby," Lyon smirked. Juvia could see what he meant. I mean, the kid was crazy! Wailing like a baby right there, in the middle of the street where all of Magnolia could see him. Then again, he is a mad guy.

"Juvia thinks she should call the asylum," Juvia said, lifting her phone. Just like that, he shut up and grabbed the phone from her hands.

"No! Please! Even if I can't be your life man, can't I just spend time with you or what?" moaned the look-alike.

Juvia shrugged, She felt sort of sorry for this mysterious intruder. "Sure. Just... don't bother Juvia and Lyon, okay?" He nodded, and Juvia placed her phone back into her purse. As the boy pranced along behind them like an enthusiastic puppy, Lyon turned to Juvia.

"Let's head to the restaurant. I saved our seats. So anyway, what was taking you so long? This insolent pup?"

"Um...yes," Juvia said, not confident enough to tell him she'd forgotten about their date until it was too late.

"Huh," Lyon said, as if that explained something. They lapsed into silence, until Lyon turned to the boy. The stranger looked the same age as them, but somehow seemed childish, in a cute way, Juvia thought.

"What's your name?" Lyon said.

"Gray."

Juvia let out a small gasp, and glanced at Lyon, waiting to see how he would react. His face was twisted, and he looked unsure whether to laugh or beat the heck out of... Gray.

"I'm from Edolas," added Gray.

"No wonder," muttered Lyon.

"So that's how he recognized Juvia..."

"Yep! Wait. You're Earthland Juvia?" Edo-Gray asked. He couldn't keep the relief from lighting up his eyes.

Juvia nodded. "And you are Edolas Gray."

Lyon chuckled, a little wary of Edo-Gray but still, he couldn't keep from laughing. "And to think, Earthland Gray has a habit of stripping all the time."

"Wh...what? Noo! Now I won't get Juvia, but Earth Gray will? No fair," sniffed Edo-Gray. Juvia sighed and tried to switch the subject.

"Why don't you tell Juvia and Lyon how you got here, okay?" Juvia said as they began walking toward the restaurant.

"Oh... about three days ago, including today, I was walking around trying to find Juvia. She had left the guild to do a mission and told me she would only let me join her if I stripped some layers. So I thought about it, then decided that she was worth it and took off some layers and went to go find her," Edo-Gray explained.

Juvia couldn't really see how the guy claimed he had less layers than before, seeing as he had so many beyond belief already, but motioned him to go on.

"Well as I was walking around, I saw her high heel footsteps - the heels were definitely Miu Miu brand. They led to an alley, and since I was looking down and wondering why the steps suddenly ended there I didn't notice what happened. The only thing I saw was a lot of bright light and, being sort of, you know, frightened, I closed my eyes. And when I opened them again, I was was here," finished Edo-Gray.

They lapsed into silence. The only sounds were the constant chattering of people passing on the sidewalk, bartenders calling out from within restaurants, and the pitter-patter of sudden rain.

Juvia liked the feeling of cold, wet, tiny drips of water attacking her like silver needles, only to be cast into tiny water fragments as they hit her clothes. It was cool against her cheek, and the air was filled with a sweet dampness nothing could compare.

"Here we are." Lyon turned into a building, and suddenly Juvia was overwhelmed with soft, classy music, the dainty tinkling of glass, and the bright, lights beaming from chandeliers. The carpet was thick and velvety, and the whole air sang with the aroma of a fancy diner.

"It's beautiful," Juvia breathed.

"Of course. No second-hand, greasy street diners for you, my love," Lyon said, his eyes gleaming. Juvia blushed. She didn't have the heart to turn him down, but really, the only one for her was Gray. Oh, well. There'd be plenty of time to break the news to him. For now, Juvia would enjoy her date.