"Look who finally decided to show up!" Natsu shouted from across the room as a certain ice mage entered the guild.
Gray gave him a tired look. "I was only gone for one day since we came back, idiot."
"You wanna go, ice princess?" the Salamander shouted, jumping up from his seat with his fists ready. Lucy, being the one beside him, face palmed.
Contemplating the idea, said 'ice princess' decided it was better if he declined. He had more important things to do anyways.
"Not now, flame brain."
The fire dragon slayer gave his teammate a shocked look, and was about to charge at him, but was stopped when the celestial spirit wizard beside him grabbed his wrist and gave him a deadly glare, causing him to sit back down quietly.
Gray walked down the rows of tables, before stopping and taking a seat with Erza and Cana.
"You seem to be in quite the better mood," the scarlet haired girl beside him commented, causing Gray to apprehensively avert his attention away from her.
"Yeah, well I'm over it now," came his reply, evidently looking away.
Erza gave him a playful look. "What's with the sudden change of heart?"
"Doesn't matter." Gray answered offhandedly, eyes scoping the busy guild, "have you guys seen Juvia?"
This comment caused Cana to turn her gaze towards the man sitting in front of her, a slightly buzzed smirk forming on her lips.
"I saw her earlier this morning getting on a train when I was coming home from my last mission," Cana remarked, before leaning in over the table to get closer to the now shirtless mage in front of her, "why?"
"What train did she get on?" Gray asked, hopefully changing the subject. He was clearly not in the mood to deal with Cana's antics right now.
The card mage tapped her chin, trying to remember. "I'm pretty sure she went on the train leading to Hargeon," she declared, causing the half naked man to raise his eyebrows. Cana's smirk grew bigger at this.
"Aw, is someone missing a certain water woman?" Cana teased, causing Gray to pull back from his friend slightly jolted.
"Was she alone?" Erza decided to join in the conversation, resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands together. Cana merely nodded her head. Titania then crossed her arms, knowingly looking at Gray who was simply frowning.
"Even after I told her not to go, she still does it anyway." He muttered to himself, which earned a slightly puzzled look from the notorious drinker across from him. Brushing it off though, Cana resumed to what she was doing before, drinking.
Erza gave her long-time friend a pensive look, "and why is that?"
Slightly shocked that she was listening to him, Gray turned to face her.
"Well, yesterday Juvia came over, and she was concerned about me and all, but when is she not? Anyways, I ended up explaining about…" the ice mage slowed down his story when he noticed the requip mage's smile growing wider and wider and he spoke. "…you already know that she came over, don't you?"
Erza unpretentiously shrugged with her smile still frozen on her face, before standing up and walking away from the slightly dumbfounded wizard she was previously talking to.
Cana let out a rampant laugh at Gray's facial features, after taking another swig out of her barrel of alcohol.
"Well, you know what they say, Erza knows best!" Cana mentioned after she tossed her now empty barrel into a random direction, before starting on another one.
Gray stared at his already slightly drunk friend before him, before leaning back into the seat he was sitting in. "I guess so."
Putting his hands behind his head, Gray began to contemplate. He knew that he could just sit and wait for Juvia to return, but who knows how long she'll be gone for? But then again, he couldn't ignore the fact that he really did want to talk to her.
Truth be told, Gray was quite thankful for the kind deeds that Juvia did for him, and decided from the moment that she left the day before (or, in that case, dazedly stumbled out of his home after she had awoken from passing out onto his lap with a dreamy look stuck on her face) that he really needed to thank her for making him finally feel better.
Realizing that it wouldn't hurt to wait for her, Gray decided on staying at the guild for the day. It's not like he had anything better to do anyway.
Three meals, two fights, and one cup of coffee later, Gray found himself laying his head on the table before him that was covered in empty plates and cups. His eyes began to droop as he almost dozed off, but was interrupted by a friendly voice.
"I don't think that table is the best place to sleep." Gray opened his eyes, and was greeted by Mirajane. She gave him a warm smile as she began to clean up the mess of silverware before them.
The ice mage rubbed his eyes before sitting up, and took a look around him. The guild was now a hundred times quieter than it usually was, because of the lack of people around. Realizing that he was sitting at an empty table and that most his friends were no longer there, Gray declared in his head that this signified that it was now late into the night.
"It's pretty different after hours, huh?" Mirajane commented, referring to silence and the lack of guild members accompanying them.
Gray plainly nodded, before standing up from the table. Accepting the fact that the girl he was looking for was not there, he turned to the powerful wizard beside him. "I guess I'm gonna head out now."
"Of course. Goodnight!"
The stripper gave her a tired nod, before making his way down the aisles of tables. Mira let out a slightly humoured grin as she watched him leave.
"Gray, your pants!"
He immediately looked down, and just as she said, Gray was naked, save for his underwear.
"Damn it!"
Gray received a cold gust of wind immediately after he exited the guild, making him already regret that he was almost naked. Realizing the fact that he was an ice mage and doesn't get cold easily, he began to make his way down the streets towards his house.
While strolling down the streets of Magnolia, Gray took a glance up towards the night sky. It was dark, but very clear, stars dancing in the moonlight. There was not a single cloud in sight, making the stars radiate even more.
It was too bad I didn't see Juvia today, he thought absently, the dim sky somehow reminding him of his goal. I guess there's always tomorrow.
Not questioning why the sky reminded him of his stalker, Gray turned the corner that led him to his street. To his surprise, he saw a slender silhouette standing outside his door. As he approached closer to his home, he gained better sight of the figure. He was quite astonished to recognize the blue hair the character before him was twiddling with.
"Juvia?"
The figure turned around immediately at the sound of her name, a large smile etching its way onto her face.
She let out an excited "Gray-sama!" as her favourite person approached her. He gave her a slightly stunned look as she looked at him lovingly.
"What are you doing here?"
"Juvia had to see Gray-sama!" she exclaimed, causing Gray to sigh.
Oh course, typical Juvia.
The rain woman slightly blushed at her boldness, before sheepishly swaying between her toes and heels.
"Well, t-that is… well…" she stammered, growing more and more flustered by the second. "J-Juvia went to Hargeon today and-"
"So I heard," the maker magic mage cut her off, "what were you doing there anyway? I told you not to go and look for the lost treasures. They're long gone by now, and you didn't need to waste your time on that."
The water mage let out a large gasp, her cheeks completely flushed by the accusation. "Actually, J-Juvia had different intentions for going to Hargeon today…"
She reached into the back pocket of her skirt, before pulling it out with her hand in a fist, holding it out towards the puzzled man in front of her.
"Ta-da!"
She opened her clenched hands, and what was in there caused Gray let out an awed look. There, laid a brand new metal chain, and on it was a pendant slightly similar to his previous necklace's. The pendant had two crossing swords, instead of one, and in the middle of them was a dark blue diamond that greatly resembled a rain drop.
"Juvia knows that Gray-sama feels very down about not getting his necklace back, so she decided that maybe it would help if he had a replacement one for now?"
Gray couldn't help but stare at the necklace in her hand, to the point where she was slightly beginning to feel uncomfortable.
"Um… Juvia apologizes for it not being the same one," she sputtered quickly, hoping to snap her beloved out of his daze, "but no store had one that looked completely like it and-"
She immediately stopped speaking when she felt a hand being placed on the one she was holding the jewellery with. Her heart began to thump out of control as she turned her rose stained face towards the man holding her hand.
"Thank you Juvia," Gray expressed sincerely, causing Juvia to almost pass out, similarly to the day before.
"It was no problem!" She attempted to brush it off, but with the look she was receiving it was hard to.
"No, Juvia… it's just that I-"Gray struggled, mentally cursing to himself that now that he finally got the chance to talk to her, all his thoughts decided to jumble in his mind.
"I uh… thank you," he repeated again, before this time mentally slapping him-self for repeating what he had just recently said.
Feeling frustrated that he couldn't get the words out, Gray let out a discouraged sigh.
"It's just that I… I really want to thank you for all that you've done for me, and I uh… I keep…" Gray made a very pissed off noise as he realized he had repeated himself a third time, causing Juvia to giggle at his antics.
"It's okay, Gray-sama," Juvia divulged, "Juvia understands exactly what you are trying to say."
Relief filled Gray's body. "Thank goodness, here I thought I was making a complete fool of myself."
You were, dumbass, Gray's inner voice that just so happened to sound like Natsu rang in his ears, causing him feel slightly embarrassed.
A few moments passed by as the almost naked man took note of the bluenette in front of him, wondering why her face was somehow getting redder and redder with each passing second.
"Gray-sama," she began, slightly flustered. "Your hand…"
Gray looked down at their still interlocked hands, realization hitting him like a punch in the face. Quickly retracting his hand with the bracelet, he began to sheepishly put on his new necklace.
"Right… sorry."
Juvia was about to deny his words, but her thoughts were interrupted as she saw her gift on Gray for the first time. Gray took a look at the pendant as he held it in front of him, feeling the chain stop him behind his neck, signaling that he has pulled it as far as he could go.
"I really like it," Gray informed her, causing the water mage to squeal happily. Gray attempted to hold back the grin that almost immediately formed on his face at seeing the girl's happiness.
"Thank you again," he accidentally let out for the fourth time that night, causing Juvia's smile to grow even more. This caused him to full out mentally hit himself with an iced geyser, not that mentally hitting your-self really mattered though. Still, he was quite embarrassed.
"It was really no problem, Gray-sama. Juvia would do anything for you," she replied wholeheartedly, a perfect smile grazing her lips, causing Gray's heart beat increase in speed.
After standing in a comfortable silence in the front of Gray's house for a bit, the ice mage remembered something important.
"Ya know, it's getting pretty late."
Juvia's jaw dropped when she realized just how long her and Gray have been outside his home.
"Ah, yes! Juvia completely lost track of time!" she stammered, before walking down the front steps quickly. "Juvia will take her leave now!"
"I'll walk you home," Gray offered instinctively, causing Juvia's eyes to sparkle dreamily.
"Really!?"
"Sure." He answered nonchalantly, walking down his front steps.
"B-But… it's quite a long walk from Fairy Hills." She looked downcast, playing with the hem of her skirt.
"I don't mind." He began walking down the street, staring up at the dark sky filled with waltzing stars above him.
"It's a nice night out anyways."
The next day, Fairy Tail's guild hall was just as noisy and filled with ruckus as it always was. There were people laughing, fighting, eating, and just thoroughly enjoying the friendly atmosphere the guild had to offer.
"Master," Makarov felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around to see Mirajane standing there with a letter in her hand. "I have a letter from the mayor of Hargeon."
The third/sixth guild master let out a very large sigh as he accepted the letter sadly from the takeover wizard.
"Not the mayor of Hargeon again…" he muttered to himself, slowly opening the letter. He was already on bad terms with him since Team Natsu had completely failed at succeeding their last mission there just a few days ago.
To his utter shock, as he opened the letter, there was a large amount of jewel in there, as well as a letter.
Dear Fairy Tail,
It is I, the mayor of Hargeon. I just wanted to send you my deepest thanks for retrieving all the lost valuables that were previously lost during the whole bandit situation a couple days ago.
"They were retrieved? But how is that possible?" Makarov questioned to himself, before continuing to read.
I am still shocked at the fact that they were found, considering they were lost in the ocean. But thanks to the blue haired water mage of yours, she obtained the previously lost bag full of treasures, and safely returned the items to my towns' people. I am greatly in her debt.
As I thanks, I decided to give you half the reward money I didn't give before. As well, tell the guild members that I previously banned from my town that they are now welcomed here any time.
Thank you so much again,
Mayor of Hargeon.
I'm so sad. Finally, this Friday we get the episode that we have all been waiting for. BUT, I will be away from all internet access from that Friday morning until the Tuesday (22-26). I guess I'll have to wait for the ultra Gruvia feels until then. I really hope they do it well!
Also, I've had this thought in my head for awhile now. I can't really decide, so I guess its best to ask you guys. Who do you think would win in a fight between Lucy vs Wendy? I personally have no clue xD.
Thank you so much to all the people who reviewed/favourite/followed, you guys are cooler than unison raids ;-;.
ALSO, next chapter will be the last one!