Erza's taking a mission at Crime Sorciere, going after the man she thought she always wanted. Is she leaving behind the man she thought she'd always have?
Natsu has friend-zoned himself, leaving Lucy and Lisanna in the lurch. He'd rather avoid them both than risk being a two-timer like Gray.
Gray (not actually a two-timer) just can't seem to catch a break. Maybe he just wasn't meant for romantic happiness. Or maybe it's time for a new direction.
Mira's stuck in the past, unable to accept that Laxus has his sights set elsewhere. Freed's never, never giving up on her, even if that means a broken heart.
Juvia's having second thoughts about Gray, but Lyon's ready to call it quits. Can she get her feelings sorted out in time, or will she be left with nothing?
And Toby's dating Jenny Realight. The Jenny Realight. Wait, what?!
Something's gotta give.
This is the Mazeverse series, a post-Tenrou AU where we put your ships in a blender and beat 'til smooth. Lyvia, Jerza, Grayza, Nalu, Nali, Lolu, Graylu, Bixanna, Gale, ElfEver, Miraxus, Laxana, MiraFreed as well as a handful of crackships and rare-pairs as we try to pair the spares. This is the Mazeverse. No ship is safe ;)
Happy Friday!
I'm not sure what to say about this one. This is Mazeverse at it's wackiest. The concept behind this fic was one of the original inspirations for the entire series (or a major driver, at least).
If you're new to the series, no worries. All you need is a little suspension of disbelief for how we (and Gray) got here in the first place.
For long-time readers, this story takes place directly after last week's hangover Gray story. I like to think of this as the fallout.
Irina: Good observation-I do think Cana is underappreciated! :) Most people see her as The Drunk One, but I think there's more to her than that. I would go as far as to say that if I had to pick a successor for Makarov (that isn't Erza), I would seriously consider Cana. It sounds a little bit bizarre, but I think that under the right circumstances, she has what it takes to buckle down and take care of business. It wouldn't be by choice, but I think she'd be good at it. Plus, I think she's a watcher. A girl who grew up siting by herself in the corner and nursing a beer, probably spends half of her time watching others. As for Laxus, he reminds me a little of Shrek (like an onion... lol). Thanks for the kind words of support. It always feels good to know that I'm in others' thoughts. :) Let's have some fun this week.
- K. Chandler
"Hey, man. You doing anything tonight?" asked Loke.
The question was casual. Too casual.
Gray arched a wary eyebrow. "Um, no? Why…?"
Loke grinned broadly. "Well, then. You and me are going out tonight!" he said, pumping a fist in the air.
"Hate to break it to you, buddy, but I kinda prefer girls. Thought you did too," said Gray, missing the point on purpose.
"No, no, no. We're going clubbing," said Loke, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"And why are we doing this?" asked Gray, eying Loke with a frown.
"I'm going out because it's a fun thing to do on a Friday night," started Loke.
"That's not really my idea of fun," said Gray.
The lights. The pounding music. The stench of sweaty bodies pressed together. That was not Gray's idea of a good time, though it was certainly preferable to a trip to the dentist or one of Master Markarov's more creative punishments.
"You're coming with, 'cause a little birdie told me you needed to get out more," said Loke, ignoring his protests.
Gray let out an impatient breath. He wasn't in the mood for this nonsense. "That little birdie wouldn't happen to be named Cana, would she?" asked Gray.
Ever since his little drinking game with Cana last week, the girl had been all about sticking her nose into things that were none of her business. Gray was still working on piecing together what exactly he'd said when the alcohol loosened his tongue and made him loopy, but he had a feeling that it had been far more than he should have.
Loke waved his hand dismissively. "Details. So, are you coming or what? What better way to get your mind off of Juvia than to pick up some girls at a club?"
Gray rolled his eyes. His mind wasn't on Juvia, but there was no sense explaining that to Loke. Besides, he didn't want to talk about her either.
"It's time to move on, man," said Loke gently.
Loke hit the nail on the head, even if he didn't know it. It was time for Gray to face the truth, no matter how much it killed him.
She had left, and she wasn't planning on coming back. Not for him, at least.
Did she have her lacrima or didn't she? Was she stuck undercover or not? She really needed to decide so she could get her story straight. She had said that she was incommunicado and that she was stuck at Crime Sorcière's secret headquarters without any way to reach anyone.
Of course, he didn't really believe her crap excuses. He wasn't stupid.
She'd managed to call him from someone's lacrima. Clearly, not so incommunicado. She had even been asking him about how to add numbers and favorite some of her new contacts.
And all that stuff about not being able to come back hadn't been true either. She had come back and even stopped by the guild to talk to a few of the others. She had even gone back to pick up some things from Fairy Hills… like her hairdryer.
Somehow a hairdryer was worth coming back to Magnolia for.
But him? No.
Gray was the poor chump she called when it was the middle of the night and she wanted a shoulder to cry on.
Understanding your place in the world when compared to a freaking hairdryer really helped to put things into perspective.
Suddenly, going clubbing didn't sound like a bad idea.
"Yeah, okay," said Gray. "I'll go."
"But you can't keep—wait, really? Sweet." Loke looked pleased, despite the surprise in his eyes.
"I see you boys are taking my advice." Cana sashayed up to them, dark hair bouncing. The perpetrator, in the flesh.
"Birdie, darling!" teased Loke, grinning.
"I knew it," muttered Gray, scowling.
"Eh?" Cana raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I don't even want to know." She planted a hand on her hip, blue nails drumming against her guild mark. "So, are you guys ready to go or what?"
"Yeah, we are. But unfortunately, Cana, dear, you aren't coming with us," Loke said apologetically.
"What? What gives?" she protested.
Loke adjusted his shades. "This is a guys' night out. You're not a guy."
"But it was totally my idea!" Cana held up a magic card between two fingers. The words Call Loke were written on it.
"Doesn't make you a guy," said Loke.
"Fine," said Cana. "Then I'll have to get the girls together instead. Then we'll have a girls' night out."
"Tryin' to find Gray other girls. You're not really helping right now," Loke hissed.
"I'm standing right here," Gray reminded them.
Cana continued as if he hadn't spoken. "I'll get Lucy and Levy and Wendy and… and… and Juvia! It's a shame Erza's out, or she'd come too."
Gray froze, her name making his breath catch.
"L-Lucy?" choked Loke.
"Something wrong, hotshot?" Cana grinned triumphantly. Then she turned her attention to Gray. "What's the matter with you?"
"Nothing," Gray shrugged, schooling his features into a mask of calm. "Just that Wendy's too young to be going out," he interjected coolly. "We don't need her turning into you."
"Say what?!" Cana squawked, flapping her arms in offense.
Gray laughed as Cana sputtered.
Tonight might turn out to be okay.
"Hang on. Let me see if the Pegasus guys are here yet," said Loke, looking around. Gray marveled at his guildmate's ability to wear sunglasses in a place like this. The strobing lights made it hard enough to see what was going on.
"Blue Pegasus?" Gray shouted, trying to make himself heard over the music. "Why would we want to do anything with them?"
Cana draped an arm around Gray's shoulders, pulling him closer. "They're great fun and all, but they're also total chick magnets," she whispered. "Besides, Hibiki's getting over a breakup too. This'll be perfect, you'll see…"
"Looks like the party's here. Hey, guys." Loke nodded at the newcomers.
The taller of the two had sandy brown hair and sophisticated-looking features. The other was younger and blond, with an almost casual innocence about him. Gray recognized them as Hibiki and Eve, two of the Trimens from their joint mission against the Oración Seis.
Hibiki bumped fists with Loke and pulled Cana into a quick hug. "Hey, Fairies!" he grinned.
"Great to see you guys again," said Eve. "Who's this you've brought?" he asked, nodding towards Gray with a friendly grin.
"Don't you remember? He's Lyon's friend," Hibiki said. "Your name's Gray, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but I wouldn't call us friends exactly…" said Gray, wondering how they managed to associate him with Lyon instead of Natsu or Lucy.
"The other ice mage!" said Eve, brightening. He and Hibiki exchanged glances, grinning.
"Now that we've gotten introductions out of the way… night's a-wastin'," said Loke. "Come on. There are lovely ladies calling my name!" He gestured toward the center of the room, where a girl in a crop-top danced energetically. From this distance, Gray couldn't tell if it was just her hair or if she actually had cat ears.
"Good idea," said Eve.
Hibiki started to follow, but Cana pulled him back.
"Oh, no, you don't!" she crowed. "You're playing Power Hour with me! Sixty shots, sixty minutes. You up for it?"
"Oh, you're on, Miss Cana," purred Hibiki. "How could I possibly refuse a gorgeous thing like you?"
"I want to hear you say that after I drink you under the table. What about you, Gray?" she asked. "Shots?"
Gray snorted. "Yeah, no thanks." He'd learned his lesson. Never drink with Cana.
"You're no fun!" she pouted. "Come on, Hibiki," she said, slinging an arm over his shoulders.
Gray watched as they disappeared into the crowd. Somehow, he doubted this was what Loke and Cana had intended when they dragged him out tonight. But he wasn't complaining. In all their years of friendship, Gray had never been quite as much of a partier as Cana and Loke were.
A flash of red caught Gray's eye. Gray found himself wheeling around on instinct. It couldn't be…
Oh, he didn't...
So... how much of a sucker do you think Gray is? XD
Next time, in [Mazeverse] Of Redheads, Warriors and Best Friends: It was probably petty, but he was still kind of pissed at her for the hairdryer comment. But for some reason, his feet were moving and he was following the bright red hair. Guess who?
Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.