Frozen Heart
Chapter 2
The mountains were peaceful in summer, caps permanently white with snow and storms little more than gusts of wind high overhead.
A perpetual mist hung around at this altitude, hiding the magnificent palace of ice that sat near the top, glittering like a lost jewel.
Perched on a slightly smaller peak, Jack took in the fragile towers and delicately crafted windows with a careful blankness, staff held loosely in one hand.
Rolling her shoulders, the young woman hopped onto a strong breeze, braid fluttering behind her as she turned her back on the castle and aimed for the town below.
She’d been gone long enough.
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Fairy Tail was as loud and chaotic as ever, the mages all fighting and talking and drinking in turns.
Jack smiled at the sight from her crouch on a windowsill, blue eyes bright once more as she hopped in, floating over the nearby tables.
The sudden cold breeze caught everyone’s attention, grins spreading like a wave through the crowd.
“Jack!”
“You’re back!”
“It’s been a while, Jack!”
“The kids have been asking after you!”
“Yeah, yeah, I missed you guys, too.” She replied casually, smile dazzling as reflected sunlight off snow. “Haven’t gotten into too much trouble while I was gone, right?”
The girl laughed at the answering grumbles and false assurances, floating over to the bar and giving the drinking Makarov a smile.
“Hey, squirt.” She greeted, sitting in a cross-legged hover over one of the stools. “Have Natsu and Happy gotten back?”
The old man smiled back, glad to see her back so soon.
“Actually…”
“JACK!”
With a lazy swing, her staff connected solidly with Happy’s face, effectively cutting off his leap to hug her chest.
“Owie…” The cat muttered, sliding off the frosted wood to plop on the floor instead.
“Hi, Happy.” Jack chirped, seemingly oblivious to having just smacked said winged feline right between the eyes.
Natsu ignored the familiar sight as well, grinning so wide she suspected his face might split wide open.
“Jackie! You’re back!”
“Eh, I got bored.” She replied, arms crossing behind her head and staff balanced in the crook of an elbow. “Figured I’d come by and see what’s up.”
Spotting the blonde girl behind Natsu, Jack quirked an eyebrow, curious.
“And who’s this?”
“Oh, right!” The Dragon Slayer realized, turning quickly to introduce them. “Jackie, this is Lucy! Lucy, this is Jackie Frost!”
Lucy seemed startled, taking in the petite woman before her again with wide brown eyes.
“You’re…?”
“Jacqueline Frosten, at your service.” She replied, tipping her head in greeting with a cheeky smile. “Though I prefer Jack Frost. Less of a mouthful, ya know?”
“So you’re really…I mean, you’re the same…?”
“She sure is.” Gray answered, slumped against the bar a couple stools down with only his boxers on.
“Gray, clothes.” Cana voiced, gulping down her beer as the Ice Mage jerked up in surprise.
“WHA-?”
“The one and only.” Jack agreed, ignoring the clothing-allergic mage as he dove for his abandoned pants. “Why is that so hard to believe?”
“No, it’s not that!” Lucy shouted, worried that she had offended the other woman. “It’s just that, well…Jack’s usually a boy’s name…”
“Everyone thinks I’m a boy?” Jack wondered, uncurling from her former position as she planted her staff on the floor, leaning on it as a breeze kept her aloft.
Looking at the young woman now, with her long white hair and big blue eyes-not to mention the sizable breasts she could see practically hugging the staff she was leaning on-, Lucy could admit that such an accusation was unfounded.
“Only those who haven’t met you!”
Jack laughed, turning her head to flash Makarov one of her biggest grins.
“Aw, that’s so sweet, squirt!” She teased, poking his cheek with the end of her staff. “Are you saying I’m girly?”
Lucy was, in her opinion, appropriately terrified.
Had she just called the master squirt?
To his face?!
But the old man just laughed, completely untroubled by the nickname.
“I wouldn’t go that far!”
“Hey!”
“It’s alright, Jackie!” Natsu assured, still smiling. “I don’t care that you’re not girly!”
“I’m plenty girly!” Jack retorted with a huff, hands on her hips. “Just ask-”
“Master?”
The conversation cut off at the interruption, all eyes turning to the young boy that peered up at Makarov with earnest dark eyes.
Jack recognized him immediately, faux indignation fading at the worry in his face.
“Why hasn’t my dad come back yet?”
Makarov’s cheer faded, and he sighed, taking another deep gulp of his beer.
“You’re starting to work my nerves, Romeo. You’re a wizard’s son. Have faith in your father, and wait patiently for him.”
“But sir, he told me he’d be back in three days, and he’s been gone for over a week now!”
“…If I remember correctly, he took the job on Mount Hakobe.”
Jack went still, blue eyes darkening in thought.
“That’s right! And it’s not that far from here, so why won’t someone go look for him?!”
“Listen, kid, your dad’s a wizard! And like every wizard in this guild, he can take care of himself! Now go home, have some milk and cookies, and wait!”
Romeo was tearing up in frustration, and turned to the floating girl, pleading with his eyes.
“Please, Jack! Something’s wrong! I-!”
The boy choked on his worry and fear, trying to swallow them down to speak.
“I just want him home…”
The change in her demeanor was almost palpable.
Gone were the smiles and the teasing, the lazy lean and the half-interested tilt of her head.
Even Natsu and Grey fell silent as her face went blank, knuckles going white on the creaking wood of her staff.
“…I’ll take care of it.”
Makarov only sighed as she flew out the nearest window, gaze dark as Romeo collapsed in a relieved heap and Natsu turned to leave, Lucy soon following on his heels.
Be careful, Jack…
And bring them home.
A perpetual mist hung around at this altitude, hiding the magnificent palace of ice that sat near the top, glittering like a lost jewel.
Perched on a slightly smaller peak, Jack took in the fragile towers and delicately crafted windows with a careful blankness, staff held loosely in one hand.
Rolling her shoulders, the young woman hopped onto a strong breeze, braid fluttering behind her as she turned her back on the castle and aimed for the town below.
She’d been gone long enough.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fairy Tail was as loud and chaotic as ever, the mages all fighting and talking and drinking in turns.
Jack smiled at the sight from her crouch on a windowsill, blue eyes bright once more as she hopped in, floating over the nearby tables.
The sudden cold breeze caught everyone’s attention, grins spreading like a wave through the crowd.
“Jack!”
“You’re back!”
“It’s been a while, Jack!”
“The kids have been asking after you!”
“Yeah, yeah, I missed you guys, too.” She replied casually, smile dazzling as reflected sunlight off snow. “Haven’t gotten into too much trouble while I was gone, right?”
The girl laughed at the answering grumbles and false assurances, floating over to the bar and giving the drinking Makarov a smile.
“Hey, squirt.” She greeted, sitting in a cross-legged hover over one of the stools. “Have Natsu and Happy gotten back?”
The old man smiled back, glad to see her back so soon.
“Actually…”
“JACK!”
With a lazy swing, her staff connected solidly with Happy’s face, effectively cutting off his leap to hug her chest.
“Owie…” The cat muttered, sliding off the frosted wood to plop on the floor instead.
“Hi, Happy.” Jack chirped, seemingly oblivious to having just smacked said winged feline right between the eyes.
Natsu ignored the familiar sight as well, grinning so wide she suspected his face might split wide open.
“Jackie! You’re back!”
“Eh, I got bored.” She replied, arms crossing behind her head and staff balanced in the crook of an elbow. “Figured I’d come by and see what’s up.”
Spotting the blonde girl behind Natsu, Jack quirked an eyebrow, curious.
“And who’s this?”
“Oh, right!” The Dragon Slayer realized, turning quickly to introduce them. “Jackie, this is Lucy! Lucy, this is Jackie Frost!”
Lucy seemed startled, taking in the petite woman before her again with wide brown eyes.
“You’re…?”
“Jacqueline Frosten, at your service.” She replied, tipping her head in greeting with a cheeky smile. “Though I prefer Jack Frost. Less of a mouthful, ya know?”
“So you’re really…I mean, you’re the same…?”
“She sure is.” Gray answered, slumped against the bar a couple stools down with only his boxers on.
“Gray, clothes.” Cana voiced, gulping down her beer as the Ice Mage jerked up in surprise.
“WHA-?”
“The one and only.” Jack agreed, ignoring the clothing-allergic mage as he dove for his abandoned pants. “Why is that so hard to believe?”
“No, it’s not that!” Lucy shouted, worried that she had offended the other woman. “It’s just that, well…Jack’s usually a boy’s name…”
“Everyone thinks I’m a boy?” Jack wondered, uncurling from her former position as she planted her staff on the floor, leaning on it as a breeze kept her aloft.
Looking at the young woman now, with her long white hair and big blue eyes-not to mention the sizable breasts she could see practically hugging the staff she was leaning on-, Lucy could admit that such an accusation was unfounded.
“Only those who haven’t met you!”
Jack laughed, turning her head to flash Makarov one of her biggest grins.
“Aw, that’s so sweet, squirt!” She teased, poking his cheek with the end of her staff. “Are you saying I’m girly?”
Lucy was, in her opinion, appropriately terrified.
Had she just called the master squirt?
To his face?!
But the old man just laughed, completely untroubled by the nickname.
“I wouldn’t go that far!”
“Hey!”
“It’s alright, Jackie!” Natsu assured, still smiling. “I don’t care that you’re not girly!”
“I’m plenty girly!” Jack retorted with a huff, hands on her hips. “Just ask-”
“Master?”
The conversation cut off at the interruption, all eyes turning to the young boy that peered up at Makarov with earnest dark eyes.
Jack recognized him immediately, faux indignation fading at the worry in his face.
“Why hasn’t my dad come back yet?”
Makarov’s cheer faded, and he sighed, taking another deep gulp of his beer.
“You’re starting to work my nerves, Romeo. You’re a wizard’s son. Have faith in your father, and wait patiently for him.”
“But sir, he told me he’d be back in three days, and he’s been gone for over a week now!”
“…If I remember correctly, he took the job on Mount Hakobe.”
Jack went still, blue eyes darkening in thought.
“That’s right! And it’s not that far from here, so why won’t someone go look for him?!”
“Listen, kid, your dad’s a wizard! And like every wizard in this guild, he can take care of himself! Now go home, have some milk and cookies, and wait!”
Romeo was tearing up in frustration, and turned to the floating girl, pleading with his eyes.
“Please, Jack! Something’s wrong! I-!”
The boy choked on his worry and fear, trying to swallow them down to speak.
“I just want him home…”
The change in her demeanor was almost palpable.
Gone were the smiles and the teasing, the lazy lean and the half-interested tilt of her head.
Even Natsu and Grey fell silent as her face went blank, knuckles going white on the creaking wood of her staff.
“…I’ll take care of it.”
Makarov only sighed as she flew out the nearest window, gaze dark as Romeo collapsed in a relieved heap and Natsu turned to leave, Lucy soon following on his heels.
Be careful, Jack…
And bring them home.