To Any Cost

Chapter 10: Set Backs

Sorry it's been a little while... but Happy Holidays and I hope you enjoy this chapter!!! ;)

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   Gray rubbed his eyes. 'Seriously?' he thought in bitter amazement, 'The guild hall still looks ok from last night?' he strode over to the bar, expecting to see Mira.

   "Hey, Gray!" a young white haired mage stood grinning in Mira's place, "I hear you guys had quite the time with my sis last night!"

   "Tell me about it," Gray grumbled.

   "Stop frowning! It's ruining my mood," Lisanna laughed, placing a glass of ice cold water down for him.

   "Yeah, sorry," he turned to stare off in the direction of the empty job board. Not long after Natsu and Lucy left the "party," the whole thing began to crumble apart. He left shortly after they did, and so did the others. 'I guess last night wasn't really one of her nights, was it,' he sighed, absentmindedly making the ice cubes in his drink bounce up and down. 'If only there was a job to take...' he continued staring at the job board, 'If only-' he jumped to his feet. "Hey, what's that?"

   "Gray, your clothes," Cana strolled by, chugging her regular barrel.

   Lisanna's eyebrows rose in amusement, "The job board?"

   "No!" Gray snatched the small piece of paper off the board, "A job!" he jumped up and down before realizing that he was acting completely like Natsu.

   "I-I'm guessing you want to take the job?" Lisanna's eyebrows rose even higher.

   "Yes!"

   "Do you even know what the job's about?" Cana gulped down another barrel of alcohol.

   "Nodon'tcare!" he turned to sprint out the door.

   "Don't forget your clothes!" she called after him, laughing.

   "GAH!"

   * * *

   Little did he know, a certain white haired, determined, ice make wizard had claimed the same job that day as well...

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   "BE A MAN!" Elfman shouted as he entered the fight between the two dragon slayers.

   "Don't be an idiot, Elfman," Evergreen growled at him.

   "A REAL MAN WOULD FIGHT THIS OUT AND FINISH IT!"

   "YOU DON'T HAVE TO JOIN EVERY FIGHT!"

   "A REAL MAN WOULD!"

   "OH QUIT SAYING THAT! YOU KNOW I HATE IT!"

   "THIS MAN DOESN'T CARE!"

    "WELL THIS WOMAN DOES!"

   "Ah, young love..." Bixlow sighed as Freed turned red in the face from attempting not to laugh.

   "WE'RE NOT IN LOVE!" the two bickering mages swiveled in front of the two members of the laughing Thunder Legion.

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   "Hm..." Erza stood in her regular hide out... the cake shop, "I'll take all of them."

   "Sure thing, Miss!" the stout baker said with a smile and brought out several boxes of assorted cakes... all strawberry.

   "Thank you," she took the boxes and left the shop. 'What to do next...' she thought, frowning, 'I guess I should head back to the guild to eat all of these, but it's so nice outside...' without looking where she was going, she began crossing the street. The next thing she knew, she was flying backwards while watching her cakes smash into pieces on the ground. "MY CAKES!" she screamed in fury, "REQUIP!" she transformed into her 'Heaven's Wheel' armor while turning towards the person that had ran into her, "HOW DARE YOU DESTROY MAKE CAKE! HEAVEN'S WHE-Jellal?"

   A blue-haired man stood frozen in front of her, "U-uh... sorry about your cake... Erza."

   She blushed, transforming back into her regular form, "No, um... It was my fault anyways."

   Jellal's face reddened a bit, causing him to turn away, "I should probably get going... I've been chasing this evil guild's master and he seems to have gone through here..."

   "Y-yeah..." she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed... but, "Mind if I help?"

   "U-uh..."

   "Great!" she grabbed his arm and dragged him off down the street.

   "He went the other way-"

   "Right!"

   The ruined cakes were soon forgotten along the stone paved street.

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   "Juvia... Juvia doesn't know..." Juvia blushed.

   "Oh, come on," Lyon began steering her towards the train, "It'll just be a day and you need something to do!"

   "Juvia has plenty to do back at the gui-"

   "Oh, come on!" Lyon continued pushing her on the train, "Why wont you do the job with me?"

   "Well, Juvia and Lyon are from different guilds..." Juvia muttered.

   "That doesn't matter, we're both wizards, right? I use the same magic as Gray and you don't have a problem working with him, so why-"

   Juvia stopped listening at the mention of Gray-sama. 'Gray-sama!' she thought lustfully, 'Juvia wants to be with Gray-sama but...' she shook her head, 'Maybe... a friend would be nice?'

   "And the job pays well, and the scenery is by a large lake up north so it'll be both cold and have a perfect source of water for you, and-"

   "Juvia will do it!" she began walking onto the train in search of a seat, 'Maybe... Lyon wont be as bad...' she thought hopefully.

   "Really?" Lyon's eyes seemed to light up, 'My dear, Juvia!' he thought happily, 'Soon you will be mine!'

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   "So Gray seriously took that job on the board?" Lucy's eyes widened.

   "Yep!" Levy giggled, "And what he doesn't know," she giggled even more causing Jet and Droy to have hearts in their eyes, "Is that Lyon convinced Juvia to do the same job with him!"

   "Wait... with Gray?"

   "No, silly! With Lyon!"

   "What?" Lucy's eyes widened even more, "I thought she only did jobs with Gray or Gajeel!"

   "Apparently not!" Levy grinned.

   "But if she ended up actually liking Lyon..."

   Levy shook her head, "Mira wouldn't be too happy, would she..."

   "Talk about a major set back..."

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Hope it was ok! I felt like there needed to be some Elfgreen and Jerza moments in there sooo... Anyways, until next time!!! ;)