Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Gray had been so engrossed in conversation with Lyon that he hardly noticed the ship docking in Hargeon. Erza had approached them with a motion-sick dragon slayer tossed over her shoulder. "We've arrived, in case you had not noticed. It is time to return to the guild for your punishment, Gray."

"Punishment?" Erza was turning to leave already, while Gray got back to his feet, Lyon following after him. "Erza, we don't have time for that! I get it, I broke guild rules, and I will face that later. Right now, I need to find Phantom Lord and—"

"Master will not forgive all of us if even I break rules, Gray." Erza closed her eyes. "As much as I want to agree with you, we have to face the consequences of what the three of you did. I will be completing the task Master gave me and then we will resume our quest."

With a groan, Gray began to follow her, getting off the ship with Lyon following behind him. "Are you certain this will not delay us too much?" Lyon whispered towards him. "She seems intent on providing you with a severe punishment for taking this job."

"She likely is." Gray sighed, running a hand through his hair. "And…yeah, this might take a while, depending on what she comes up with."

"I can look into Phantom Lord for you, while you handle this." Lyon met his gaze. "After all, I am not a guild wizard. There's no reason for me to get dragged along into whatever punishment you have to face."

Lyon had a good point, but really, was that the best plan? It wasn't like Lyon had any more information than Gray did. Yet, he didn't have the small hints Gray occasionally got from seeing inside of Zeref's head. If you think it is necessary, I do owe you a small favor. I suppose I could assist you in sneaking away from your teammates and repay my debt now. I would feel more comfortable, paying off that debt sooner rather than later.

No. Gray didn't want to waste that favor on something stupid like this. Really, the main issue was one of trust. He was used to relying on his guild members to assist in jobs like this. Lyon wasn't someone he'd worked with in the past and on Galuna Island, Gray had seen just how far Lyon would go to achieve his goals. There was every chance that Lyon might take advantage of being alone to abandon them and focus on strengthening himself. Yet, after their discussion on the ship, he felt fairly safe to assume Lyon wouldn't do that, not in this situation.

Looking ahead towards Erza, Gray inhaled slowly. "Erza, while we head back to the guild, Lyon's gonna go ahead and scope things out. He might find out what we need before we finish with whatever Master has in mind for us."

Lyon smiled faintly, nodding at them. "It shouldn't take long. Guilds publicly register the location of their guild hall so that aspiring wizards know where to travel to in order to join." He glanced around at them. "Given my lack of association, I merely have to go to the library and ask about them to have an answer."

"That seems to be the best strategy for the time being." Erza nodded at him. "Do not recklessly charge in there alone. Master Jose is considered to be a wizard saint, at a strength on par with our guild master. He is not someone to trifle with and face in battle."

"I will keep that in mind, though I'm certain I can handle anything they have to throw at me." Lyon shook his head. "It isn't as if I plan to start a fight with them anyway. I'll be entering under the guise of wishing to join a guild, which would make questions about their history and past seem almost logical."

"Wow, I didn't realize you were so smart, Lyon!" Happy grinned at him. "Natsu, it seems like we've got another partner like Lucy on the team! He's weird and doesn't want to fight."

"How is strategizing a more passive approach strange?" Lyon stared at the cat with wide eyes. "I don't think it is wise to charge in and challenge an entire guild to battle."

"Really?" Natsu tilted his head at Lyon. "But that sounds like fun to me! What do you think, Happy? Could we take 'em if we wanted to?"

"Aye!"

Gray sighed, slapping the back of Natsu's head. "Knock it off, idiot. Lyon needs to stop talking so we can split up." The dragon slayer glared at him, but one stern look from Erza had him backing down. Glancing towards Lyon, Gray nodded. "Good luck. Fairy Tail's guild hall is in Magnolia, in case you need to get back to us quickly for something. We'll likely be in the area and if we're not, Lucy can hear you out. She's been back for longer, so she's probably already gone through her punishment."

"Very well." Lyon nodded at them and Gray turned to leave him to get to work. He felt tense about the upcoming punishment and restless about stopping in the middle of a task, but he had no other options. Zeref would still owe him that favor later on, when he really needed something he couldn't handle on his own. So, instead he'd face whatever was at the guild hall. He began to head back with his team, prepared to face his punishment and return to their task as quickly as possible.

Lyon needed a break from all of the insanity that came with working with Gray's team. He'd thought he'd dealt with crazy wizards before, but they seemed excessively so. At least his own group was calm and followed orders without question. However, Erza seemed too intent on ordering everyone around, while Natsu disregarded any sensible course of action, and somehow, they managed to actually succeed in their goals. Lyon hadn't heard much about how that team operated, but he imagined luck played more of a role in their success than any of them would be willing to admit.

The trip to the library was calm enough. Given the nature of the building, it was quiet inside too. He'd almost grown used to constantly being surrounded by some form of noise. It had almost been comforting, in a way. Lyon had rarely thought about Gray after they separated when they were children; yet, it was oddly comforting to see that Gray had still found companions to stay by his side. As much as Lyon thought he'd hated Gray for Ur's fate, the more they spoke, the more he was starting to remember how fun it had been to train alongside of someone who understood what they were doing.

Despite the large following he'd gained, Lyon had not found another ice-make wizard. Gray was someone who would have challenged him, if he'd been there. Plus, he was certain that Gray's presence would have pressed him forward faster, despite his words to Gray. He didn't want his former rival to go back to being obsessed with his guilt and weakness, though. So, oddly enough, Lyon found himself telling Gray that it was the right choice, to separate. As much as Lyon wished to assist Gray now, Lyon was seeing that perhaps he had chosen the more difficult path to grow his strength. Having a rival, like Gray had in Natsu, definitely seemed to have improved Gray's confidence in his abilities.

The library had directed Lyon to Oak Town to find the guild. So, he was on a train, riding towards a destination that was only a few hours out. It gave him plenty of time to contemplate Gray's offer. Did he really need to be in a guild? Ur was back, so he had what he needed to prove his strength again. Yet, Ur was also gone still, in her own way. He'd known that Ur's daughter always took priority for that woman; she'd grown too angry with him for suggesting he was replacing her for that to not be the case.

So, actually battling Ur to see who was stronger was no longer an option. Likely, she'd grow weaker with the lack of practice she'd have while searching for Ultear. It would no longer be a fair comparison of strength. Deliora was gone as well and using Zeref to prove such a thing was just foolish. So, all that was left was for him to grow stronger without some scale to compare to. Gray's comment about becoming a wizard saint had hardly crossed Lyon's mind before it was made…yet it seemed like a viable way to prove he was powerful.

Oddly, it was his rival that gave him the best ideas it seemed. Part of Lyon wanted to be annoyed with it, but right now, it almost felt like they were friends. Gray was trying to support him and had calmed down a lot from when they were kids. It was true that it was strange, seeing Gray without all that anger in him, but then he'd go and strip and Lyon would be reminded that he was still the same, just more mature at this point. He didn't know why he expected to find Gray still devoted to the cause of killing Deliora and avenging his parents. Lyon didn't even know why he suggested Gray remain that way and go after Zeref. Maybe he just wasn't fond of such rapid change.

A guild wasn't the sort of place he ever imagined he'd end up. Always, he told himself he'd surpass Ur's expectations. So, when she set limits for him, he refused to accept they'd stop him. Two-handed ice make magic only? No, he'd prove he was powerful enough to do it with one. Join a guild for greater strength? Lyon would never rely on anyone to grow his own power, just himself and what he'd learned. There was so much advice to try and counter, so many tactics to change and make his own. Yet, it had worked thus far. Changing his goal from surpassing Ur to becoming a wizard saint, however, gave him different stages to achieve that aim.

If he didn't gain a reputation through guild work, how else would he gain such recognition? Possibly, he could work with the magic council instead. Yet, that sort of work was strict and repetitive at first from what he understood. He'd strictly follow rules that had seemed unfair to him at some times, some of which he'd blatantly ignored in his attempts to free Deliora over the last few years. So, he didn't think that would be the wisest move considering his recent history. Gray was likely right to suggest a guild, but from what he'd seen of Gray's team, he just couldn't see himself with Fairy Tail. He wasn't quirky and he wasn't energetic like they were. Lyon was just a wizard striving for strength, nothing more and nothing less.

With a sigh, he slowly got off the train as it arrived in Oak Town. He did have time to consider it further, he supposed. Now that he was away from Gray, he could contemplate the idea on his own, without Gray trying to influence his choices. This wasn't the sort of decision he wanted to make based on what others told him to do. It was a choice to be made for himself and thusly, he'd make it by himself. For now, he'd focus on helping Gray get out of using iced shell. That much, at least, he was certain he wanted to do. After only briefly speaking with the more mature Gray, Lyon was starting to find that he might actually want his former rival back, though as a rival or a friend he was uncertain.

The guild hall seemed to be constructed to look like a fortress of some kind. It had tall walls, with few windows to likely prevent intruders from breaking in and stealing any valuable tools that belonged to the guild. While Lyon might not know much about how they had to operate, he could at least rationalize such a method of defense for them. A banner hung from the top with a dark purple background and a white symbol indicating whose guild this was. "So, it appears as if you make things easy to find." Lyon smiled faintly, before pressing the doors open.

Inside, the guild hall was almost empty. A group of four wizards were huddled together in a quiet conversation, but other members were suspiciously absent. Frowning, Lyon glanced around. Were guild halls just used to pick up jobs and nothing more?

The blue haired girl from the group to the side glanced up, frowning at him. Outside, the rain began to pour down harder in the town. Lyon had already walked through it to get to the guild hall, though. "You are not a member of the guild." She tilted her head, studying him with what seemed to be a perpetual frown. An umbrella rested in her hands, and she seemed to point it towards him. "Declare who you are and your intentions here, or Juvia of the Element Four will be sure to send you away."

So, they saw him as a threat. At least they knew to recognize a powerful wizard. "Oui, oui, our Juvia will handle the situation marvelously!" Another wizard from the table spoke, clasping his hands together. The green haired man with a monocle seemed to come from some other country, based on his accent at least.

"My apologies for the intrusion. My name is Lyon and I am seeking out information on potential guilds to join." He paused, glancing around the guild hall. "Is your guild master in?"

"Sorry, but we are not accepting new members at the moment." Red spoke, or at least the man wearing all red. He seemed to have strange hair that was a mixture of black and white, though Lyon supposed he'd seen stranger before. "Now, we are in the midst of important business, so I suggest you leave."

"Juvia will escort you out." Juvia, who Lyon assumed to be the woman, gestured towards the door.

Lyon scowled, narrowing his eyes at them. "I'm not going to take no for an answer." He paused, thinking carefully. "Perhaps you misunderstood my intentions. I wish to join a guild, so I can prove that I am one of the strongest mages alive. Turn me away and you will regret it."

The group shared a look, before nodding to each other. This time, it was the blind man who spoke. "Tragedy follows those who seek nothing but strength. Prove yourself to us and perhaps we will consider making an exception."

"Oui oui! Juvia, take this man outside and show him the power he thinks he's surpassed!"

"Of course. This will only take a moment." With that, Juvia spun, turning to walk towards the door. She seemed to start speaking a strange chant as she did so, twirling her umbrella. "Drip drip drop, Juvia is the rain woman of the element four. Drip drip drop…"

There was something odd about her, yet Lyon didn't comment. At least her foolish chanting had given him some sort of information. This girl was a water wizard. He'd simply have to freeze her attacks and victory would be his. So, Lyon smiled, seeing her step outside into a courtyard and turn to face him. "These are our sparring grounds. Do not hold back."

"Oh, I didn't plan to." Lyon pulled his shirt off, tossing it aside. Feeling the cold and embracing it always placed him closer to his element. He exhaled slowly, letting the chill spread throughout the air. Yet, Juvia seemed to blink at him in surprise.

"Wh-what are you doing? We are to be fighting!"

"Indeed we are." With a smile, Lyon closed his hand into a fist."Ice Make: Eagle!" It was always his standard first attack, to gauge an enemy's reaction. Many projectiles would be launched at once and cause immense distraction in battle. Juvia gasped, looking around in surprise as they began diving towards her.

"Water Slicer!" Water lashed out, blades slicing through his eagles with ease. Lyon watched, his eyes widening as Juvia came closer, her eyes narrowing. She held her hands out again, repeating the spell and launching it towards him. "Oh, how it pains Juvia…an ice wizard, the perfect match to Juvia's water…"

He ignored the strange comment, instead focusing on the water-based attack. He moved quickly, ducking underneath the blades and rolling to the side, using the momentum to try and right himself back onto his feet. With his hand by his side, he prepared another attack. "Ice Make: Ape!" A massive ape formed, charging forward after Juvia.

"Water Cane!" A whip of water formed from Juvia's hand, and she lashed it out towards the ape while staying back. She pulled, tightening the water and immobilizing his creation. "You are quite skilled."

"And I must admit, you are as well." He hadn't imagined he'd encounter another wizard that would make him take a spar so seriously like this. It was entertaining and he couldn't help but find himself admiring a strong woman like this. She had an odd beauty to her as well, which would only be enhanced if she'd just let out a smile for a change. "A powerful water mage like you has a bright future ahead of you. Though, I still think I have the advantage here."

Meeting his gaze, Juvia seemed to blush. "Bright future…?" Her attack weakened and she seemed to go into some strange daze. Lyon frowned, wondering what had her suddenly so unfocused. For someone so skilled, she seemed to be easily distracted, and he would use that to his advantage. "Oh, I can imagine it now…a wondrous future, with me and my beloved, sitting together, dancing together, holding each other…" Well that was a bit of a disappointment. It sounded as if she was already taken, which was a true shame. He'd thought that perhaps he'd found a potentially powerful partner to stand by his side, one who'd be an even greater benefit to his strength. Still, he hardly knew the girl so he supposed it was for the best to hear this now.

"Ice make: puffer fish!" Juvia blinked in surprise as she was hit with his next creation, though it was Lyon's turn to be surprised. Rather than actually harming her, the creation seemed to pass directly through her.

Juvia's blush faded and she met his eyes calmly. "Juvia cannot be harmed so easily. Juvia's water body makes it impossible for her to sustain injury. This is why you will not win, despite your skill." She pressed a hand to her chest, taking a slow breath. "Juvia wishes she were not so strong. Juvia wishes her beloved could join her guild, but no she must stay strong! She must prove her worth to Phantom Lord!" So, her lover was not in her guild. Perhaps they sparred like this to test all potential new members. "Water Lock!"

Lyon was suddenly surrounded by water, forced to hold his breath as a sphere elevated him from the ground. His eyes found Juvia's, seeing her staring through the water towards him with tears in her eyes. Why did she look so sad? "Juvia has won. Juvia will apologize later, for harming you so greatly."

She was so caring, even to an opponent in battle. Lyon realized she really was a wonderful woman. Perhaps he should fight for her, regardless of her status as being involved. Then again, now was likely not the best time to consider such things. Water was surrounding him and soon he'd suffocate. So, he needed to escape. Closing his eyes, he began to focus, glad he'd removed his shirt to start this battle. It made it easier to expunge his energy, to freeze the water around him gradually from where he remained suspended. Eventually, it shattered outward, leaving him gasping on the ground.

"No—no one escapes Juvia's water lock. It is not possible."

Standing up, Lyon pushed aside some of his hair that was dripping onto his face. "And I'm rather upset that I had to do that too. That was static ice magic. I hate having to mimic Gray in any form, even if it is just to make a sphere of ice."

"You hated it?" Juvia stared at him, her eyes growing wide. "Because of what Juvia did, you were forced to do something you hate. That means…you hate Juvia. You hate Juvia…" She clutched at her head, shaking it rapidly. "No, Juvia will not lose! She cannot lose, not so quickly!"

"Are you certain you are alright?" The more she spoke, the more Lyon wondered if she was in a stable situation. It sounded as if she clung to her relationships and perhaps had issues with abandonment. "Juvia, if you feel as if you are lost, perhaps you need to take a moment and calm down, so you can focus on the spar properly."

Juvia stared at him, before her legs seemed to give out, collapsing onto the ground. Her hands clutched her chest, and she lowered her gaze. Above them, the rain seemed to slow down and the sun peered out from the sky. "Such kindness…no one has ever shown Juvia kindness. Juvia cannot fight one who is so kind, cannot prevent you from joining us. We have no ice wizard amongst the four and we must grow our strength for the upcoming war, so perhaps it is for the best…"

"Wait, upcoming war?" Juvia looked up, nodding at him.

"Indeed. Phantom Lord has ceased accepting new members because a high reward was offered in return for the capture and return of a member of another guild. We've anticipated a retaliation for the completion of this job, and thusly, are expecting a war with Fairy Tail soon."

Lyon frowned faintly at the explanation."I see."

"But you will help! Phantom Lord will not be defeated, not with you amidst our members. A powerful ice wizard, perfect to complement Juvia's water. As partners, we'd be unstoppable." She seemed to avoid his gaze, blushing at the suggestion.

He wanted it. If he had to join a guild, this place seemed oddly fitting for him. Juvia was powerful and while she seemed to hold quirks much like Fairy Tail's members, she was at least reserved and lacked the excessive levels of energy they had. He could see himself working with her easily, not only because he respected her strength after their brief battle, but also because she stood tall and had that confidence in her skill as well. "We would be."

Her eyes widened and for the first time, he thought he saw a smile on her face. Yet, she gasped as she looked up, gazing up at the sky. "The sun…I've never seen it before…"

What? How was that even possible? Then, he thought about the rain. Had that been her? He'd never heard of magic that could control the weather so completely. Ur really was right; guild wizards were stronger than he could have possibly imagined. "Well, I hope you continue to be able to see it in the future." He nodded towards her, giving her a slight bow. "And that you continue to smile as well. That smile, it suits you." Her blush deepened and Lyon wondered if perhaps flattery would win her over, away from her lover. "I hope we will meet again, Juvia. However, I unfortunately do not wish to impede upon plans that are nearly complete. In the future, if you could, I'd be interested in hearing more about the history of your guild and what brought you to this place as well."

"You're leaving?" Lyon nodded and she seemed to lose her smile. "Juvia will find you. Once the war is over, we will meet again. She will make sure we meet again."

"I look forward to it." He waved towards her, turning to leave. She was such a kind girl, with such a gentle heart underneath that strength and confidence. Fighting her, he'd practically forgotten his reason for coming in the first place. If he didn't leave now, he very well might take up her offer regardless of those reasons. Then again, even if he did stay, Gray and his guild could deal with whatever Phantom Lord was up to. Letting out a sigh, Lyon kept walking at a sluggish pace. Right now, he just wanted to think a bit more about how he would behave when Juvia came to him again in the future.

And we've now introduced Juvia to the story. Sorry if it came as a surprise and isn't quite what people were looking for - I haven't really indicated any pairings/ships in this story mostly because while I have a planned goal for them in this draft, I'm far less confident in their execution than I've been in prior stories. I also don't usually write stories focusing on Juvia. So, if she seems OOC, feel free to let me know and I'll try to adjust a bit as we go. Thank you all for reading!