Happy Friday!

Did anyone catch the reference to Edolas Gray's checkered scarf in the last chapter? The other obvious one was Gray wearing Rufus' GMG hat. There were a couple other obscure ones, but those were the two I was hoping you'd pick up on. :)

To guest reviewer darling spider: You're sweet. :) Don't underestimate how much your feedback matters. For me, it's is a huge deal. Between a full-time job and school on the side, it's not always easy to find the time and motivation to write. But getting to hear from you guys makes it totally worth it. Plus, your comments make me feel better after a really long day. :) PS When Gray does choose to wear something, his fashion sense is hit-or-miss. He's got really awesome outfits and then he's got 'Why-Would-You-Wear-That-Ever' outfits? That might be why he doesn't wear them, actually... XD

Now...on to the actual story.

- K. Chandler

Juvia tucked Gray's present in a bag with some tissue paper. She had finally found what she was looking for in a tacky gift shop, of all places. Lyon had called it a tourist trap, but Juvia dragged him inside anyways, desperate to find something, anything for Gray. It was a good thing she did, because that's where she saw it.

Juvia picked up a steel belt-buckle embossed with the Fairy Tail emblem. It was cool and it was practical. And, as Lyon had wickedly pointed out, it would keep him from losing his clothes, or his pants at least. All in all, it was very Gray.

Juvia hoped he would like it.

Lyon had asked Juvia to wait a few days before giving it to Gray. But Juvia was too excited to wait. Why put it off?

Tucking the bag under her arm, Juvia set out in search of Gray. The streets were dark, though it was still early in the evening. It looked like it might snow. Of course, that was typical for this time of year.

Juvia wondered if Gray was still at the guild hall.

Unsurprisingly, the guild hall was a hub of activity when Juvia arrived. The Fairy Tail wizards joked and shouted, exuberant as ever. The chilly weather hadn't put a damper on their spirits.

The rest of Gray's team was sitting at the bar. Natsu and his Exceed were stuffing their faces, chatting with Mirajane and Love Rival.

A little voice nagged in the back of Juvia's head. Hadn't Lyon asked her to stop calling that girl 'Love Rival?'

Fine. Lucy.

"Hey, Juvia! What's up?" The Fire Dragon-Slayer raised a hand in greeting.

"Oh, Natsu." Juvia looked around, not seeing her beloved around. "Have you seen Gray around?"

Natsu frowned. "Yeah…I don't know." He waved vaguely. "He's probably around."

"I think he left a while ago," said Lucy.

"Did he?" asked Natsu, as if surprised.

"He said he needed some air," Happy piped up. "How could you forget something like that?"

Natsu laughed awkwardly. "Oh, yeah. Oops!" He was hiding something. Juvia could tell. "You know, he's probably just out for a walk."

"But that was hours ago," said Lucy, worry flickering in her eyes.

"It might be a long walk," suggested Happy.

"Yeah, if he's trying to walk all the way to Crocus," snapped Lucy. "Maybe he's gone home?"

Natsu shrugged, seeming unconcerned.

Juvia bit her lip, frowning. "Do you think he's all right?" she asked.

"Now that you mention it, he did seem a little off today." Lucy tapped a thoughtful finger against her cheek.

"Really? I didn't notice anything," said Mira.

Natsu gave the girls a sharp glance. "Look, I'm sure the Ice Cube's fine," he said quickly. "But you just might want to wait until he comes back to the guild tomorrow to talk to him. That's all I'm sayin'."

Juvia felt unsure, but she nodded.

Mira hadn't noticed anything wrong, and she had a good intuition about these things. The barmaid was more observant that most when it came to her friends.

But Love Rival seemed to think—no, Lucy. Lucy thought that Gray had been acting strangely. She seemed a little troubled by it. Surely her opinion was worth something.

Worry stirred in Juvia's stomach, tying it into a Gordian knot. She'd just have to find him to see for herself.

"Thanks for your help. Have a good night!" she called over her shoulder.

Notice anyone missing from the guild? Other than Gray (obviously)?

One of the things that bothers me about the 413 Days episode is that Erza and Natsu encouraged Juvia to go after Gray on this particular day. After all these years, wouldn't they have noticed that Gray always gets super moody and depressed around this time every year? I get Lucy and Wendy being clueless; they're new to the guild. But Erza and Natsu should have known better. Are they really that oblivious or are they purposely trying to sabotage Juvia? (Neither one seems plausible. It's probably just a big, gaping plot hole.) End rant.

Next time, in [Mazeverse] Anniversary: Special, Just Because, Juvia runs into Gray: "Gray, darling! Juvia was looking everywhere," she breathed, running up to him. "Nobody's seen you. Where have you been all day?" Cringe. You know where I'm going with this.

Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.