The Demon Children

Chapter 12: A Not so Happy Reunion

Gray, something's wrong…" Juvia whispered. "I don't sense any magic power…"

"I don't sense any either," Gray said, frowning. "But Master Makarov was sure that there's some dark guild involved in this."

Across the room from them, a tall, older man with blonde hair picked up his first mug of beer. Cana, sitting close to him on a wooden barstool, picked up a keg.

"You're a confident one," the man grinned.

"If you can't at least drink by the keg, this'll be easy." Cana grinned back.

Then she glanced toward the corner table where Gray and Juvia were sitting. Gray pulled his hood a little closer around his face, and Juvia turned her head to the side.

"You don't think she saw Juvia, do you?"

"Nah.." Gray responded. "If anything, she's probably wondering who the two weirdos with cloaks in the corner are."

Juvia blushed. "Juvia told you we should've just worn different clothing…"

"That would've been way too risky!" Gray exclaimed in a whisper. "She would've recognized our faces for sure!"

Juvia suppressed a giggle. "Juvia could've gotten magic disguises. Shops sell them all over Fiore and they don't cost much…"

"But we didn't have time to stop and get them…"

"Cana spent two hours pregame drinking in that restaurant. Juvia could've picked something up…"

"Ok, ok. I just think the cloak is cool, ok? Get off my back!"

"Juvia isn't on Gray-sama's back, but if Gray-sama wants Juvia will climb on Gray-sama's lap," Juvia said.

"I don't need that!" Gray broke the whisper.

"Gray-sama blew our cover!" Juvia squealed, as the two looked to the bar. To their surprise, Cana wasn't on her stool anymore, but passed out on the floor.

"Take her to an empty room," the barkeeper said. Two other people who were nearby carried Cana to a room a couple doors down the hall. "Man she's heavy," one commented.

"Something's very wrong, Gray-sama." Juvia said quietly.

"Yeah – that idiot did too much 'pregaming' and lost the request." Gray fumed quietly.

Juvia's seen Cana drink way more than that." Juvia said. "Cana drinks 10-15 kegs a day at Fairy Tail."

Gray let that sink in for a moment. "You're right. Even with her pregame drinking, she shouldn't be down after just one keg."

"But there were no mages in the bar!" He objected a minute later.

"Juvia knows…" Juvia had a very perplexed look on her face. "Perhaps Master Makarov was wrong?"

"Unlikely," Gray said. "Or this is pure coincidence. Sure, someone could get Cana with drinks. But what about Lucy? Or Jet and Droy?"

Just then they heard the sound of a stagecoach behind the tavern. The two looked at each other before dashing outside. They saw the two men who had carried her to the room going back to the tavern through a side door.