Frozen Heart

If anyone ever bothered to ask why Gajeel helped take down his own guild, he would readily tell them the reason was Jack.

She meant more to him than anything Phantom Lord could offer, and they had made a huge mistake in threatening her.

If hurting Levy hurt Jack…

Well, then anyone who hurt either of them would just have to contend with Gajeel.

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When the massive guild hall loomed over the horizon, steadily making it’s way towards Magnolia, Fairy Tail was ready for them.

Every single one of them stood strong in the face of this new threat, the memory of Lucy’s kidnapping and Levy’s battered form fresh in all their minds.

The building stopped before them, resting on massive spider-like legs as a sound system kicked on with a crackle of speakers.

“This is your one chance to surrender. Bow to me, and I will allow you all to live.”

Makarov glared back at the Phantom Lord guild hall, the very image of tranquil fury.

“No, Jose. This is your last chance to surrender.” He answered, loud enough for his voice to carry over the water. “You won’t like what happens if you don’t.”

“And what could you possibly do to me?” Jose boomed through the speakers, amused. “I have the Magical Convergent Cannon, Jupiter! What do you have?”

The sky darkened further, threatening hail instead of rain now, a familiar figure standing out like a star against the storm.

Makarov could not help the smirk that took root on his face.

“We have Jack Frost.”

For a stunned moment, only silence crackled through as she floated down to hover between the guild halls, arms crossed.

Laughter split the air, static distorting the sound grotesquely, and a frown formed on the blank mask she had constructed.

“And what are you going to do, little girl? Throw snowballs at me?”

“Nah.” She replied calmly, holding out her staff. “I thought I’d just do this.”

The very tip touched the water, and the liquid crystallized in moments, rushing out to meet the horizon and-

Lurching on the smooth surface, mechanical legs flailing to find purchase, the Phantom Lord guild hall tipped backwards and crashed onto the frozen ocean waves with a crack of broken joints.

…

Jack burst into uncontrollable laughter, practically doubling over and hugging her stomach.

“Oh my God…” She gasped out, struggling for breath. “I…I didn’t think…”

Tamping down on his own amusement with a Herculean effort, Makarov gave orders to his own guild with as straight a face as he could manage.

“Alright, this is it! Erza, Natsu, Grey, Elfman, you all come with me and Jack into the fortress. Everyone else, hold the line here!”

Regaining control, Jack straightened up, still hugging her staff close as giggles escaped every few moments.

“I’m good, I’m good…” She assured, waving off Erza’s concerned frown. “Let’s go.”

After all, it was her job to find Lucy and get her out, and the sooner she did that, the better.

She didn’t want to be in there when Natsu brought the whole building down on their heads.

Picking up Makarov and holding him to her chest like a teddy bear, Jack took off, focusing on the best access points as the others followed.

Flailing as he was smothered against her chest, he paused at the realization that, thanks to the thinner shirt she was now wearing, that softness was most definitely not her sweater.

Landing in a crouch on the windowsill, Jack scanned the hallway for prying eyes before putting her passenger down on his own two feet, quirking an eyebrow at his almost drunken sway.

“Uh, squirt? You okay?”

“Fine, fine…” Makarov assured, stumbling his way down the hall.

Watching him go, she could only shrug, confused.

“Okay…”

Hopping onto a breeze, the white-haired girl went the opposite direction, the layout of the building pulled up in her mind as she considered the best route.

Path decided, she rocketed through the halls and stairwells, little more than a blur to anyone who might have seen.

The door burst open just from the force of her stopping, and Lucy practically leapt out of her skin in surprise, looking away from the intimidating mage that was glaring down his own subordinates.

“Jack?!”

“Hey! Sorry I’m late.” She greeted, floating in casually. “The whole ‘giant intimidating fortress slipping on ice and falling over’ kinda caught me off-guard, and I couldn’t stop laughing.”

The Celestial Mage could only gape, dumbfounded, as she realized who the culprit was.

“Glad someone enjoyed it.” Gajeel grumbled, turning his gaze on Jack, to the immense relief of the prior recipients.

“I figured a big, tough guy like you wouldn’t even notice.”

A faint blush formed on the Iron Dragon Slayer’s face as he huffed, scowling at the wall.

“Are you alright, Lucy?” She worried, refocusing on the poor girl as she hovered at the blonde’s side.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine.” Lucy answered, eyeing her impromptu protector with some misgivings. “No one’s touched me since he showed up.”

“Good.” Jack chirped, circling around to better view her restraints.

The other Phantom Lord members jerked forward as if to stop her, but froze as Gajeel’s glare returned to them tenfold.

Being in opposition of Black Steel Gajeel was a quick, efficient way to end up in the nearest emergency room.

“Just hold still and I’ll get rid of these-”

Every instinct in Jack screamed a moment before that void appeared at her back, and she reacted.

Lucy yelped as she was shoved forward, tumbling awkwardly thanks to her bound arms, and Gajeel whipped around, eyes widening at the unexpected arrival.

“Snowie-!”

“Void Magic! Metsu!”

The spell activated with a thud of evacuating air, and Jack cried out as her magic was forcibly wrenched away.

The sudden outpouring of magic was almost blinding, like the glare off snow and ice, and Lucy screamed.

“JACK!”

With a clenched jaw, Jack reached through the connection and grabbed hold, like yanking the reins of an unruly horse.

STOP!

What happened next was so surprising that no one who witnessed it could fully believe their eyes.

It was as if the very air gained a mind of its own and, with a rush that was horribly disorienting to the unsuspecting spectators, reversed the flow and swept the bright-white magic back into her body with an explosion of force strong enough to throw Aria head-over-heels into a wall.

Taking a deep breath, Jack rolled her shoulders back, letting out a sigh as magic crackled across her skin from the swift back-and-forth that had transpired.

Gajeel took in the change of expression on her face, like a sheet of thick ice forming over a raging river, and wondered how anyone could feel so much rage while still managing to smile.

Turning around as Aria found his footing, a sharp-edged smile spread across Jack‘s face like the unsheathing of a blade.

“Did you honestly think you could beat me at my own game?”

“It’s sorrowful…”

As the larger man stood, the bandaging around his eyes loosened and fell away, revealing his strange, dissected pupils.

“That such a strong mage will be gone from this world.”

Completely unruffled, though Lucy seemed to be having some sort of panic attack, Jack scoffed at the thought.

“You have no chance of beating me.” She pointed out. “So I’ll make you a deal. You tell me where Totomaru and Sol are right now, and I’ll only smash your head into a wall instead of through one.”

Aria did not answer, only moving his hands into the correct position for a powerful spell.

Jack’s grin sharpened, pleased.

“I was hoping you’d say that.”