Though most of the guild was still taking part in the bingo tournament, many had chosen to enjoy what the rest of the festival had to offer. Gray's and Lyon's teams were among them, milling about town, no goal in mind but to have fun, and to return to the park in time to watch the leaves change after sundown.

Jura had arrived shortly after Panther Lily and Juvia, and was now striding alongside Lyon, discussing the latest happenings back in Margaret Town. When asked about any interesting things happening with the Magic Council, Gray wondered if he was the only one to notice the prolonged pause before Jura answered with a stiff sounding—to him anyway—reply of "nothing of consequence." Maybe he was reading too much into it. For all he knew, Jura was always like that. It usually took him a while to establish decent tonal clues with people he didn't know very well.

Upon his genuine interest in the mission which had taken Juvia's team away from home for so long, the water mage was very quick to insist there was very little worth mentioning about it. In trying to convey a sense of tedium and boredom at the endless hours of research and cross-referencing witness statements and whatnot, she'd managed to clue the others into not adding to the conversation. There was no doubt a mystery involving a serial killer had to be exciting, but no one wanted Gray to become all that interested in this particular case. Their feigned disinterests worked, and his attention was easily focused elsewhere.

With no specific destination in mind, the group was taking their time meandering throughout town, when they came upon what's become popularly known by locals as the "Village of Yesteryear". It was more of a niche attraction put up by a group of history enthusiasts who shared a common interest in old timey skills and crafts. Most of those taking part in this exhibition were going all out in their reenactments and cosplays.

Some were skilled artisans, selling interesting tools and crafts from bygone eras, handmade using period techniques. There were entertainers of all sorts: Minstrels, poets, jugglers, storytellers. The food looked simple, but enticing; and with Natsu's superior smell and hearing, they were able to steer clear of any open flames, along with the scents and sounds of searing meat. Juvia was more than willing to approach those areas herself to gather any food Gray seemed interested in trying.

Taking stock of all that was here, Lyon decided this was a good place to explore for a while. It was pretty low key, with everyone moving rather leisurely and unhurried, so it was easy to move about at a slow pace; and since most of the activities were so old fashioned, it wasn't as crowded as the rest of the festival. Best of all, a great deal of the entertainment relied on hearing more than sight. He was sure there was something for everyone here.

"I think we should check out the storytellers first. From what I've read, they're very highly rated, and have a passionate way of drawing the audience into their tales."

"As riveting as that sounds, we didn't travel all this way for story time," said Yuka.

"Yeah! Let's play games, or go on rides or something!" added Toby.

"I'm noping the Hell out of the rides," Natsu declined, "Y'all go ahead. Happy and I are gonna grab some food. I saw something at one of the stalls that I haven't had since I was a kid. Come on, buddy!"

"Right behind you, Natsu!"

"Well I'm all on board for watching the storytellers," said Lucy, "What about you three?" She asked, directing her gaze towards Gray, Juvia, and Erza.

Erza replied, "Actually, I saw an old fashioned smithy not far from here. I'd love to see how different their weapons crafting is compared to modern techniques."

Though Gray wasn't bothered by the mental image of all that went on in a blacksmith's shop, he knew visiting one would be an entirely different matter for him. He wasn't about to make Erza feel bad about his unwillingness to go anywhere near a blazing forge, though.

"I love a good story. You go on ahead. It's not like we can't split up and meet somewhere afterwards."

"Juvia will go where Gray-sama—I mean, where Gray goes."

"Great! Lyon, come with us. We'll have lots of fun together!" cheered Toby.

Instead of joining his team like they'd expected, Lyon stood there, somewhat reluctant and unsure. He sent wary looks towards Erza and the others. Seeing Gray was preoccupied with Juvia, he raised both fisted hands in front of him, side by side like a boxer's pose, and made a slight jerking motion towards Erza and Lucy, before nodding his head towards their oblivious teammate. The Gesture for "protect".

They understood his dilemma. Ever since the attack, at least one of them was always near Gray, on constant guard until the danger of the other necromancer had passed. Lucy was powerful, but unlike Natsu and Cana, she'd never been chosen as an S-class candidate before. That was more a formality, though, wasn't it? Erza knew she was more than capable of protecting him. What about Juvia? Was she aware of this secret protection detail? She knew about the threat, and was certainly strong enough, and motivated enough, to keep him safe.

"What's wrong?" asked Yuka.

"Nothing's wrong," Lyon began, thinking quickly, "It's just... Gray and I spent the last couple of weeks getting ready for today, and talking about what we'd do. I thought we'd all be enjoying the festival together."

"Of course you were."

Lyon didn't need Gray's mastery of tonal clues to have noticed the ill feelings in Yuka's words.

"Hey, is something bothering you?"

"Never mind. You're right. We came to enjoy the festival. If you want Gray to tag along, I'm sure we can find plenty of things he can do too."

Feeling Gray stiffen beside him, Lyon was growing more upset with this topic, and disappointed in his friends.

"Tag along? You say that like he's some kid who got saddled with his big brother and his friends."

"Kinda accurate, isn't it?" murmured Toby, before Yuka lightly elbowed him in the ribs before he replied.

"I didn't mean it like that. We're fine with hanging out with your friends. We just miss having you around, that's all. Look, you wanna check out the storytellers, right? So let's go. There should be some musical acts too, and some other shows he can enjoy."

"You don't need to go out of your way to accommodate me," said Gray.

"We're just trying to be nice. Unlike Lyon, we haven't spent that much time hanging out with blind people, so excuse us for not knowing how to treat you!"

"How about no different from your sighted friends!"

"Let's not get mad over misunderstandings! Yuka, Toby, I told you he can see now. Remember? And even if he couldn't, there's no reason we can't do whatever you want here," Lyon tried to assuage.

"Then why the Hell are you still here?! Why haven't you come home yet?!" demanded Yuka.

That was a delicate topic. Both he and Gray understood his need to be there, but neither were eager to share such personal details to anyone else. Lyon especially knew how sensitive Gray was about having his vulnerabilities known to those who really had no business knowing.

"It's not… it's not that simple. Yes, he can see, but only when he needs to—"

"—Yeah, what's up with that? What kind of weirdo chooses not to see?!" asked Toby.

"You will watch your tongue, you rude little puppy man," seethed Erza.

"I think we should all take a step back and remember we're all friends here!" cried Lucy.

"Lucy-dono speaks wisely," Jura interjected, "This behavior is unbecoming of our guild.

"Whoa! What's up with all the tension?"

"Looks like we interrupted something, yes?"

All heads swiveled towards the unexpected voices. Standing before them were a brightly smiling Sabertooth guild master and his exceed companion.

"Sting, Lector! What are you doing here?!" wondered Lucy.

"We ran into Natsu at one of the food stalls," Sting informed, "He told us you guys were around here. Have you seen Frosch? We've been looking for him all morning."

"No, we haven't. We can help you look, though."

"That'll make Rogue happy. He's been going crazy since last night. Shoulda just grabbed the little guy before he made it to town, but you know how Rogue is with trying to teach him self-reliance and all that."

"Froooosch!"

"Speak of the devil."

From across the square, everyone could see Rogue searching frantically for his little exceed best friend. He wasn't being shy at all as he got into everyone's personal space, shoving a picture into the face of anyone who'd spare a look. Most were giving the manic dragon slayer a wide berth, though, allowing him a clear view all around. He soon discovered their group, and ran full tilt to join them.

"Sting! Any news? Any clues where Frosch is? We need to find him! He's probably all scared and alone. What kind of friend am I?! What are we waiting around here for? Have any of you seen him? He couldn't have gotten far! *Gasp* What if he got taken by that frog trading syndicate? He must have been kidnapped! He could be half way across the kingdom by now!"

Pausing to take a breath, he took the time to look at all who were here. Upon eying Gray, something desperate within him must have snapped, because his agitation grew, and he was now grasping at straws.

"Gray! You must have seen him, right? You're always quick to grab him when he's around. Did you take him? Where is he?!"

Sting grabbed him, aghast at his friend's manic lapse in decorum as he hissed into his ear, "Dude, he can't see, remember?" He released him, seeing his eyes widen in realization, and continued so the rest could hear, "You need to chill out! They didn't even know any of us were here until just now. You gonna say hi or what?" admonished Sting.

Now aware of how he was presenting himself, Rogue regained some composure before offering his greetings.

"I apologize. Of course I'm happy to see all of you. Gray-san, I hope you can forgive my rudeness."

Gray was still processing how he's been feeling since the strained words from Lyon's friends, and hadn't really paid much heed to Rogue's accusations. But he heard the young dragon slayer's poor attempt at feigned calmness, and understood wholeheartedly what he must be going through.

"No hard feelings. Honestly, if I'd found Frosch wandering around, I absolutely would have grabbed a hold of him, and probably never let him go. But I'd be lost if I could've find Joy. I wouldn't keep Frosch from you. I'll help you find him."

"Great! We've got a proper search party now! As soon as we eat, we'll get on our way," said Sting.

"What do you mean after we eat!?" cried Rogue.

"You mean you didn't smell it? That's what brought me here! One of those old timey food venders is selling honey minced tarts! Remember those? We haven't had those since we were kids!"

"That's what Natsu said. What's the big deal? Are they that good?" asked Lucy.

"Ha! It was more like a rare treat in our day, with how hard it was to raise domestic animals with all the dragons around."

"Dragons!? You're talking about your childhood before you came through the eclipse gate!" said Lyon.

"Heck yeah! I can't believe that recipe still exists. My mouth is watering just imagining it."

"Well, I guess we've been searching for a while. It would only make sense to take a break and eat. Regain some energy," reasoned Rogue.

"That's the spirit!"

"You're all here together! Have you found Frosch yet?"

Everyone turned to the sound of Yukino's hopeful query, finding her approaching with Wendy and the other girls in tow.

Before Rogue could go off on another tangent, Sting replied, "We're taking a break to refuel. What's up, ladies! Good ta see ya!"

"Good afternoon, Sting-san," greeted Wendy, "So I guess you haven't found any signs of Frosch yet?"

"Not a single whisker!" said Lector, "But I'm not worried. Frosch is too cute for anyone to want to harm him. He's probably just distracted by all the festival stuff to worry about being lost. I'm sure he's fine!"

"He's a brave little cat. So I guess we're all teaming up now?" asked Chelia.

"We can all partner up and cover more ground, now that we have numbers on our side. But first, we must refuel as Master Sting says. Tell me more about those honey minced tarts," demanded Erza.

While Sting was blushing and downplaying his title, though still pleased that someone as highly regarded as Fairy Tail's seventh guild master would acknowledge it, Wendy's head had perked up at the mention of the treat.

"Those sound familiar. I kinda remember eating those when—"

"—when we were kids! Yeah! We were just telling them about that!" enthused Sting.

"I remember minced tarts," mentioned Yuka, "My sisters and I used to share a box of those whenever our mother brought them back from visiting family in the east."

"You talking about the stuff they sell in the little tin boxes?" asked Sting. Upon Yuka's nod, followed by Toby's more enthusiastic agreement, he continued, "I've tried those. Trust me, they're garbage. You're gonna love these more. They make them by hand here, the old fashioned way. No big machines here. It takes forever to make it that way, so it's no wonder not many people know how it's done."

"It's very time consuming," Gray broke in, "but the wait is worth it. The quality and texture are more rich and savory. You can't get those results from a machine."

More than a few of them were surprised that he seemed to know even that much about this obscure food, though Lyon reasoned he was just more familiar with eastern cuisine. He'd never even heard of them before.

"Have you made them yourself, Gray-sama?" Juvia wondered, having heard of his culinary talents from Erza.

Opening his mouth to reply, he paused, suddenly unsure. The answer had been on the tip of his tongue, but now he couldn't even recall when he'd ever eaten the treats, homemade or not. But strangely, he could almost taste them on his tongue, the memory of its flavor so vivid. Figuring it must have been a fleeting memory from his childhood, he simply shrugged, saying, "No, I don't think so. I must have been young when I last had them. I can't remember ever eating them since coming to Magnolia."

"It's a regional delicacy. Until today, I've never seen them outside of the eastern provinces of Fiore," said Yuka.

"Oh that's right. I forgot you all came from the same lands as Gray," Lucy recalled.

"I remember my papa buying them for me as a pup!"

"You're not really a dog, Toby!" reminded Yuka.

With Toby's usual volume, Juvia, still standing close to Gray, was the only one who heard him as he murmured, "F*cking deadbeat father never spared a single facet to buy one for me. Was lucky to pull scraps from the gutters once or twice."

His words were low, bitter, seething. Juvia couldn't believe she'd heard such anger from Gray about his much beloved father. From her limited interaction with Silver, she'd gotten the impression he was a very kind, caring father in life. Did something happen while she'd been gone, for Gray's opinion of him to change so drastically? On top of that, his phrasing was strange. Jewels have been the common currency for well over a century. Had he grown up in a village that still used the much lower valued facets? She lost the chance to quietly ask him what he'd meant upon Natsu's and Happy's arrival, their arms loaded with the much talked about food.

"Get'em while they're hot! We waited an extra long while for a fresh batch! The syrup hasn't even thickened yet. Here, pass them around!"

With everyone's expectations high, some eyed the curious concoction of flaky, dough-wrapped mixture of sweet and savory foods of dubious origins, while those in the know bit down right away. They were not disappointed. Seeing the almost euphoric looks on the dragon slayers' faces, everyone else dug in, and instantly understood their enthusiasm.

"Oh my God, this is heavenly," declared Lucy.

"Isn't it?" beamed Sting.

"This brings back so many memories!" cried Wendy.

Rogue simply nodded in agreement, but all could see his nostalgic grin as he chewed slowly, enjoying the sounds from the crispy dough, and savoring the flavors which melted and melded together on his tongue.

"This is good. What do you think, Natsu?" wondered Lucy.

"It's great! I mean, it's not exactly what I was expecting, but it's just as good."

"You think so? It tastes very similar to what I remember," said Wendy.

"Nah, it's pretty close. There's something missing, but I can't tell what. It's still good, just not the same. You guys can't tell?" he asked Sting and Rogue.

"It tastes pretty much like I remember," said Rogue, Sting nodding in agreement.

"You three were younger than Natsu back in those days," reminded Erza, "His memories are probably sharper than yours. Gajeel was the oldest among you. Perhaps he would feel the same way."

"Oh yeah! Maybe he can figure out what's missing too!"

"Pergrande safflower petals."

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Gray once more, who'd spoken those words with such confidence, as if he'd created the recipe himself. Natsu's brow furrowed, and he gazed upwards, wracking his brain, trying to reproduce a taste in his mind, based not on the presence, but of a lack of a certain flavor. His jaw dropped the same moment his eyes became saucers. Pointing at Gray, he shouted, "That's it!"

"Wow, Gray. We know you've got some mad cooking skills, but that was pretty impressive," Lucy praised.

"Um, I don't mean to nitpick, Gray-san, but I think you may have meant to say Joyan safflower. It's impossible to get the Pergrande variety today," said Wendy.

Expecting a small shrug and a "no biggie" smirk, she was taken aback by the sheer annoyance he was giving off when he replied rather coldly, "I know the difference between the damn herbs, kid."

"Whoa! What the heck, man! It's just a plant! Who cares where it's from?" said Sting.

"Yes, she meant no offense," admonished Erza.

Gray blinked, and backing away slightly, he mumbled a soft apology, saying, "Sorry. I don't know why I said that. I feel a little on edge. I think I'm just hot or something."

"I should have been paying more attention. That's my fault entirely. Let me take care of that," said Lyon as he sent a cooling wave through his clothes once again. With Gray's core temperature slowly but steadily decreasing, he should have been keeping tabs on how warm it's been, and being more diligent in finding shade and keeping him hydrated. Though they now had little to worry about overheating, his comfort level was sure to take a dive in warmer weather.

"Think nothing of it," Wendy assured, "It wasn't a big deal. So if we're done, are we ready to split up now?"

"Yes! Please let's get going now. I've never been away from Frosch for this long!" Rogue begged.

"Very well," said Erza, "Everyone will take a partner and choose a direction. We will keep in touch by com lacrima. It's almost two o'clock now. Should we find no lead by five o'clock, let us all meet in the gardens with the rest of the guild, and plan our next move."

With everyone in agreement, they all started to pair off and head out. Yukino left her previous company to join Rogue. Natsu and Happy were quick to join Lucy, while Jura chose to team up with Erza. Sting and Lector had left as soon as a plan was made. Lyon was about to join Gray out of habit when he stopped him.

"Go with your team. I'm okay with Juvia."

Surprised, Lyon didn't want to sound like he was doubting his judgement, but he had to ask.

"Are you sure? I mean, she's, well… a she."

"So is Cana, and I spent a whole morning with her. Don't worry. Juvia's been very kind and courteous all afternoon, and I know she won't do anything I'm not comfortable with."

"But how do you feel now? Still out of sorts? What about the burns? And your eyes? Should you even be helping with the search? You could end up depleting your reserves if we have to look for too long. You might end up missing the color change tonight."

"That doesn't matter. I finally have my powers back. If I can use them to help my loved ones, Hell yes that's the best use for them, even if the most they can do is help me see. Don't worry about me. I feel fine. You need to take care of your friends. Talk to them, hash things out, whatever. Don't let me be a rift between you and them."

"I'm sorry. They're not usually like this. I never thought things had gotten so strained between us."

"They miss you. I won't hold their frustrations against them. I don't have the right, not with all the bullshit you've had to put up with me."

"You know I've never regretted my decision to stay here for so long. Not a single moment."

"I know. Go. Play nice with your friends. Try to find time to have fun while you're out. They didn't come all this way to play hide and seek either."

While this conversation had been going on, Juvia had taken the opportunity to approach Wendy about a nagging concern. Gaining her attention, she waited as Wendy bade Chelia and Carla to wait for her.

"Did you need something, Juvia-san?"

"Juvia was just wondering if you noticed something odd in Gray-sama's behavior recently."

"Odd how?"

Seeing her perplexed look, Juvia now wondered if she was overthinking things. Wendy's been with Gray all this time. Surely she'd notice if something was wrong with him. The words he'd said about his father may have shocked her, but was it really her place to say anything about it? She really didn't know a thing about the man, so who was she to pry?

"I guess it was nothing. Maybe he was right, and the warmth was putting him in a sour mood. Is there anything Juvia should know about before we leave? I know not to touch him without permission, and to call you if anything happens."

Seeing how the rest of her guild mates were already leaving, and that none of them seemed concerned about leaving him with Juvia, she still felt compelled to ask in a low voice, "Are you aware of what's been going on?"

Seeing her tilt her head towards Gray, Juvia understood right away.

"Levy-san informed us about the guard detail. You needn't worry. I'm strong enough to watch over him, should anything happen."

Feeling better, and trusting Juvia would never let anything happen to Gray, she smiled and nodded, turning to rejoin her friends. She paused at Juvia's hesitant inquiry.

"Um, if you don't mind, just out of curiosity, why were you so sure Gray-sama was mistaken about that herb?"

Furrowing her brow, it took mere seconds for her to know what she was referring to, and answered matter-of-factly, "You know it was herb lore which helped us find him when he was taken."

"I remember that all too well."

"Well since then, I've been studying herbal remedies with Porlyusica-san, and I've read up on the history of the many uses of so many varieties of plants. The reason I knew he couldn't have ever tried Pergrande safflower is because it had gone extinct over two hundred years ago."

Before Juvia could reply, Gray called out, "Juvia, are you ready to go?"

"Of course! I'll be right there!" Turning back to Wendy, "Thank you for your time. Let's hope this search won't take too long."

"Good luck!"

-Gajeel's apartment-

Gasping heavily, Gajeel laid back against a bank of fresh linen-scented pillows, trying to hide his smirk as Levy failed to hide her own smile. He's certainly had an enjoyable welcome home thus far.

"Dang, woman. I think you made me pull something!"

"Shut up! It's your own fault for surprising me like that. Next time tell me when you're coming home!"

"I don't know. I kinda like the spontaneity."

Levy's glare only amused him further, and seeing that, she huffed a small sigh of indignant exasperation as she continued to rest against his chest. She relaxed as he softly stroked her hair, not quite dozing, but in no hurry to get up either.

After a few minutes of this, Gajeel, still looking around, broke the silence with, "Thanks for cleaning the place. It was a nice surprise not coming home to a wrecked apartment."

Levy, impressed by his uncharacteristic appreciation, smiled in satisfaction, and made a mental note to ask Juvia if she's been lecturing him on how to properly treat a lady recently.

"I'm glad you liked it. Lucy told me how much Gray appreciated everyone keeping his house clean while he was away. I just thought that, with how often you've been gone, someone ought to take care of your place. And it's nice coming back to a clean home."

"It is," he replied warmly, hoping she wouldn't notice his blush. Then, to draw a bit of the mushy feels away from himself, he snickered as he add, "So you even cleaned the bedding, huh? Looks like you were anticipating needing them or something—"

BOOP!

"... You did not just smack me with a pillow."

"I'll do it again if you don't walk back the arrogance."

"Okay, fine. No more cheesy pillow talk… You did great, shrimp. I'm proud of you. I always knew if anyone could get his powers back, you could."

"*Sigh* I'm happy for him. Really… but I still wish we could have gotten rid of the whole seal."

Knowing she's already heard everything under the sun regarding how she'd done her best, and how there was only so much they could have done with what little they had, he instead asked, "How's he been since y'all did whatever you did?"

She smiled as she replied, "I wish you were here when he got his guild mark back. It was so touching and meaningful. I swear he was more excited about that than getting to see again."

She didn't see the shadow cross his eyes at the mention of the guild mark, nor did she notice the relieved sigh as he felt something he hadn't known had been there lifting away. He'd never forgotten that haunting memory of shriveled skin, caked in dried blood, burning to ash as he and Panther Lily stood in attendance. He couldn't be happier for his friend.

"Yeah? And how's that going for him? Having sight again, I mean."

"From what the others have said, he's been adjusting okay. He had a great time just taking in whatever he could set his eyes on."

"Glad for him. He's put up with enough bullshit. It's about time things started going his way… How about you? You sounded off that day you called after the procedure. You doing better?"

He felt how her body stiffened at the mere mention of what they'd done. She'd talked at length with the others, especially with Freed, in the days since they'd all taken part in what was essentially their friend's torture session. "All for his own good" did nothing to mitigate the guilt they all still felt over the pain they'd caused, regardless of how quickly he'd been able to bounce back from the experience.

"Seeing the results help. I just wish we could have found a way to break those seals for good, or at least a less painful way to change them."

"I know, but at least he can enjoy what he's got, right? Anything's gotta be better than nothing. You did good. The thought that you're the reason y'all were even able to come up with anything is pretty badass, if you ask me."

"*Hmph* Appreciate it. But the only reason we found anything was because of a fluke. It was just luck that we found those musty old parchments. If I hadn't trashed all our research that day, I'd probably still be down there right now."

"I think I could have persuaded you to take a break."

"You really think you could pull me away from a room full of books?"

"You've got a point. But I'm open to being adventurous. If I ever catch you down there alone, we could always fulfill my library fantasy."

"Eww. In case you haven't noticed, I prefer the scent of clean linens, thank you. I swear I've been getting a whiff of old decay in there ever since I found those parchments. Guess that's the cost of keeping a necromancer's belongings around for so long."

"Yeah, that's a total buzz kill… So you ready to get up? Starting to get a little hungry."

"I don't think you have any food here. I've got that 'Dinner for Two' prize we can use up. We'd have to dress up a little."

"That's not really what I'm hungry for."

"… In that case, I suppose we're already properly attired."

"I mean, I'll wear a tie if you wa—mmph!" he tried to say, before Levy silenced him with a heated, passionate kiss.

It was definitely nice to be home.

Next Chapter: Yuka and Toby discover a little of why Lyon is so needed there. Also, Gray and Juvia have a moment.