The next day the guild partied at dusk, there was no apparent reason, it was just the mages partying to relieve the fatigue and stress of missions followed. As always, it was very busy and very noisy, with drinks and fights.

Jellal was there as promised, he and Erza never strayed apart, the two were sitting at a table talking animatedly. Every once in a while they circled the room, eating and drinking something. It had been a long time since she looked so happy, even next to Ryker.

Ryker, by the way, was watching them and was not bothered by their proximity, on the contrary. There was a small smile on his face as he watched them.

"Not bothered by them?" Lisanna asked.

"Not really, Lisy," he said turning to face the bar.

"Damn! You must have a lot of confidence in her", Lisanna looked at him with a smile.

"I must say the same about you", Lisanna puzzled his speech, looking at him confused. "Mira said you and pink hair were very close as kids. It doesn't bother you to see him always near the blonde", Lisanna blushed for a moment and then I let out a light, relaxed laugh.

"That was a long time ago. If there was anything between us, it was in the past", she said with a shy smile.

"I see," he picked up his beer and took a long drink. "And you're not keeping an eye on someone?"

Lisanna blushed at the question. "Not… not really. I think I'll give it time," she said shyly.

"I know…" Ryker eyed her suspiciously.

"What are you talking about!?" a playful voice came up to them and Ryker felt an arm go around him.

"About how nosy you can be, Cana," he said wearily.

"Awww, how beautiful! You were talking about me," she hummed. Ryker looked over at Lisanna who was laughing, he rolled his eyes at them.

Cana sat beside him hugging him and drinking his alcohol, whatever it was. "Why don't we drink tequila, Ryker? It's been a while," he swallowed.

"Do you guys usually drink together?" asked Lisanna looking at the two of them.

"Sometimes," he countered. "But anyway, I can't drink tequila with you, Cana. No more".

She made a disappointed expression. "And why not? It was so good".

"Just accept it, but I'll keep you company in a round," he motioned for more beer.

"You boring! You use me and then throw it away! What kind of man are you!?" the drunk makes a mock drama, amused by Ryker's despair and Lisy's laughter.

"Cana, be quiet!"

"HAHAHA!", she laughed at his desperate face, irritating him with her behavior. "It's so good to see you like this."

"Since when are you such good friends like that?" asked Lisanna seeing their interaction.

Ryker sweated cold and swallowed hard. How would he explain...

"It was life. Life made us friends. Isn't it!?" Cana looked at him maliciously.

"Yes, exactly that", he turned his face to Lisanna who was looking suspicious. "Being together made us friends, just like we two," he said and ran a hand over Lisanna's head, which squeaked to the touch.

"Saw! We're all friends here," Cana said and approached Ryker's face and kissed his left cheek.

"Don't kiss me, Cana!" he complained and she laughed, as did Lisanna on the other side.

Cana approached his ear and whispered in a very sexy way, making him shiver. "That's not what you said in bed," he swallowed.

"Cana…!" he growled through his teeth.

"What's it? Don't you want me anymore?" he was on fire, sweating like a damned, blush rising to his face. "I can do that again, and again, and again…" by God how he wanted someone to knock him out now, and Lisanna started looking at them weird. It was all he needed right now. That would be a long night...

"My God! I need some time away from those girls," Ryker told himself as he walked to the other side of the guild, away from Cana, who was harassing him and Lisanna who was filling him with questions.

He wandered and leaned against a column looking around, the guild was full and bustling, people drinking and talking everywhere. He noticed a small blue head sitting at an empty table in the corner, it wasn't Wendy, who actually had purple hair. From the size it could only be Levy. It was strange, she wasn't with Gajeel or Lucy, with nothing to do, he decided to go there, it was calmer, just what he needed.

"Hello Levy," he greeted her as he sat across from her.

"Hello Ryker. How are you?" she greeted him sweetly.

"I'm fine," he said with a slight smile. Levy was a pretty sweet girl, he had to admit, Gajeel was a lucky guy. "But, I think I should ask this question", she looked at him curiously at the comment. "The baby," he pointed to her stomach. "Is he okay?" She looked down at her stomach and ran her hand over it, smiling, a beautiful, bright smile of pure happiness.

"He's growing strong," she said happily.

"That is great. You will be a good mother, he will be lucky to have you", she smiled at the comment.

"I don't know if I'll be a good mom, but with Gajeel as a dad I know everything will work out. He will be a great father."

"Gajeel as a father!? I take back what I said about luck", Levy looked at him and laughed.

"Hear, my name?" the man sat down beside Levy, putting a protective arm through her. "What are you doing here, weirdo?" he said looking deeply at Ryker.

"Don't be rude, Gajeel! He was just seeing how I was."

"No need to be jealous, Spinhead. If she's with you it's because she really loves you," Ryker said sarcastically.

Gajeel looked at him confused, trying to understand the meaning behind those words. He looked to the side and saw the little bluenett laughing, almost laughing, and he didn't like the implication.

"What do you mean by that, your idiot!?" he growled angrily. Ryker countered with a shrug, eliciting more laughter from Levy. Gajeel scowled, frowning.

"Don't get angry about anything, Gajeel", he smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "Why don't we drink together?"

"No, thanks. I didn't have a very good experience last time," he looked at him with deadly eyes.

"Strange... I liked drinking with you guys, that time"

"I can't even imagine why," Gajeel said looking at the bar, more precisely in Cana's direction. Levy looked in the same direction looking for what he was looking at.

"Gajeel. Why are you looking there?" she asked him.

"Ask him," she turned to Ryker curiously.

"No idea…" He took a big swig of his beer while Gajeel looked at him defiantly deeply. Levy still didn't understand anything.

Over the next few minutes they continued to chat cordially, and it turned out that he and Gajeel had a pleasant conversation, sharing stories of each other's struggles and curiosities. Levy rejoiced in the dynamic, actively participating in their conversation, creating a pleasant conversation at the table.

The conversation only stopped when Gajeel decided it was time for him to show his musical talent to the guild. To everyone's dismay, he took the stage and distilled his music.

"Go Gajeel-kun! Do your best!" shouted Juvia beside Ryker. When he started playing, it was like everything Ryker knew about music had died, or he had died himself and gone to hell.

"Gajeel-kun, you are the best!", Juvia shouted.

"Was that woman crazy or deaf!?", Ryker squirmed with every note he strummed and with every syllable he "sang."

"This song is beautiful, Gajeel-kun! Go on!".

"What song is she talking about?", he thought.

"AAAHHHH, GAJEEL-KUN! It is wonderful! Juvia is delighted!" she yelled.

"She is definitely crazy!", He was starting to get annoyed.

"THAT'S IT GAJEEL-KUN! UHU!", alright now it's enough!

"What is the next step!? Throw your panties and bra for him on the stage!?" Ryker yelled to Juvia beside him.

"WHAT!?" she looked at him in horror.

"WHAT!?" Gray, who had heard, and was always beside her, looked at her in astonishment.

"Huh!?", she turned to him startled, and turned back to Ryker confused.

"What?" he said to her.

"What, what?" Gray asked.

"Huh!?", Juvia was lost between them.

"You guys are crazy!" Ryker said in exasperation and walked away from them.

Gray watched him walk away, and turned his attention to his girlfriend completely lost in the situation.

"Juvia!", he called her, a little harshly. "Were you going to throw your panties to Gajeel?"

Juvia blushed like a tomato and was horrified by the idea and about what her love was thinking of her at that moment. "Gray-sama, Juvia never..."

"Because you were so excited about him on stage," Gray stated in an unfriendly tone, much to bluenett's horror.

"No, Gray-sama! Juvia swears that Gajeel-kun would never see her panties this way," she said nervously and awkwardly, slurring her words.

"Wait! What does that mean, Juvia!?", Gray was disoriented, pondering her words.

Realizing the duplicity of meaning she was quick to correct. "No…it's not what you're thinking, Gray-sama! Gajeel-kun never made an effort to see Juvia's panties or bra."

"WHAT!?" Gray was horrified, and a deep anger welling in his chest that he didn't even know how to explain. He turned red instantly and his face screwed up into an inexplicable frown.

"Gray-sama, let Juvia explain..."

"Juvia! What was your relationship with Gajeel in the Phantom exactly?" he asked her seriously.

Juvia looked at her boyfriend terrified.

Ryker walked back to the bar where he would be away from raucous crazy women and their perverted boyfriends. He sighed in relief when Gajeel ended his show and his ears could rest.

"Something bothering you, Ryker?"

"Really, Lisy!?" He looked at her in disbelief. "Didn't you hear Gajeel sing, or I don't know what he did up there!?" she laughed at her friend's comment.

"He likes to sing, it's one of his passions".

"Well, I feel sorry for him, but he really needs to train more."

"Don't you have any hobbies?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

He glanced at her sideways and shrugged. "Not exactly. But harassing you can become one," he eyed her slyly. Lisanna looked at him surprised and a little apprehensive, but laughed along with him.

Ryker leaned against the bar counter with his arms crossed as he stared at the stage, Lisanna at his side. "What's next?" he asked. "Another genius of music?" he said sarcastically.

"Now it's Mira. She said she was going to perform today," Lisanna said to Ryker's amazement.

"Mira can sing!?"

"I thought she told you," Lisanna said in surprise.

"Not really", he looked at the stage expectantly. "There's still a lot I don't know about her," he said almost in a whisper, but Lisy managed to hear it and smiled, seeing him look at the stage.

The stage lights went out and out of nowhere a beam illuminated a small portion of the stage, revealing Mira sitting with a guitar in her hands. The once noisy guild was suddenly quiet.

"Besides singing she plays!?", he told himself with total admiration.

There were cheers of encouragement for Mira, clapping and whistling as she prepared to strum and release her voice to the melody.

Mira looked at the entire guild with her beautiful blue eyes and her smile that would light up the world. "I hope you like it", she said in the most genuine way and started her show.

As I walk past your room,

My shadow falls through your door,

One more day you're not here,

When will my time go by?

In that moment it was like he was alone with her in the world. Ryker was fascinated, the delicacy of her voice, the way she played her guitar, she was an angel. An angel sent to Earth to make it shine brighter.

Gazing up at the stars above,

I pray that they guide your way,

Just look up, and follow the starlight

Back home you'll reach soon

So when your voice begins to fill with tears, look up

And when the night's wonders sets the sun down be my surprise,

It glowed so brightly he could barely look. She was made of light, the purest that existed. He couldn't reach, but it was the light that cleared his darkness and now he could see everything. He felt the heat in her veins, the heat of the sun, a hope and a happiness that made no sense to him. Then he realized it was her, was always her, and always will be her.

I will be waiting here,

under the starry sky,

To light your pathway just count on the stars,

Follow them to your door,

follow them home

When the song ended and the clapping and howling took over the guild, he snapped back to reality, looking at her as he'd never looked at anyone else. There was love in his eyes.

"She's an angel... My angel," he whispered to himself.

Ryker came out of his daze and as he started to walk up to the stage to congratulate her on her performance, when he saw that someone was already doing it. Laxus helped her down from the stage by holding her hand in a way Ryker found too intimate.

As soon as she was on the ground she hugged lightning mage, a strong and warm hug, he could see her happy in his arms, a wide smile plastered on her face and a slight blush on her cheeks. He felt a heaviness in his chest, frustration and anger at the same time.

Looking at Mira so comfortable with that guy was unnerving. Instead of her going back to the bar, as usual, they sat at a table together, just the two of them... Anger only grew in Ryker as he watched Laxus and Mira comfortably converse with each other. The ache in her chest only grew when Laxus held her hands so lovingly and she smiled with a beautiful shade of pink on her face. Her eyes sparkled at him as he smiled back. The two talked for a long time, much to Ryker's displeasure, and every second she was happier.

It was clear she moved on, Laxus even tucked a strand of her beautiful white hair behind her ear, resting his hand on her beautiful face and stroking her cheek with his thumb, lovingly. She smiled and blushed at his attitude. She never made a move to stop his advances.

There was nothing else he could do, she had another one. He missed his chance and he couldn't blame her. She couldn't wait for him forever, she had her life, her dreams and goals and she was going to fulfill them with someone else beside her, and it wouldn't be him.

The realization sank him, he found out too late and life doesn't wait, it always moves on. The very day he was filled with light, she was ripped from him by life and the consequences of her mistakes. He felt anger, frustration and emptiness.

No longer in the mood for parties he left the guild behind to rest in his apartment. Life has to go on and he would, one way or another.