Frozen Heart
Chapter 41
The silence stretched taut as Gajeel felt his heart twist, mind struggling to comprehend what had happened.
Levy stared up into a pair of blue eyes, stunned.
“Jack…”
With a deep breath, Jack pulled the bloody icicle from her own belly, eyes shadowed as blood soaked her tattered shirt and bindings.
Everyone watched as the weapon dissolved into snowflakes, slowly realizing that things had not gone the way they had feared or planned.
Slowly, the winter-girl rose from her position straddling Levy’s hips, apparently unaware of the gaping wound that stretched as she did so.
The Doll Mage paled as she turned her head, ice-blue eyes pinning him with such ferocity he forgot how to breathe.
Gone was the confident, smiling woman and the frightened, vulnerable girl; here was the slighted mortal and the disrespected Spirit, the fury of a winter’s storm given flesh, and he could not escape.
“You.”
Jack turned, walking towards him in slow, methodical steps, face blank and eyes blazing like blue fire.
“You made me hurt him.”
Even injured as she was, spattered in her own blood and bruised, there was no denying how terrifying Jack was in that moment.
Stumbling back, panic-stricken, he raised both hands in a last-ditch effort.
“Doll Attack: Puppeteer!”
The winter guardian did not so much as blink, purple flames rolling off her skin like water as she continued implacably forward.
“Doll Attack: Puppeteer! Puppeteer! Puppeteer!”
Every attempt failed, like throwing pebbles at a tumbling boulder, and the air grew heavy with her magic.
But Jack did not form a seal, or even ice.
Pulling back a bandaged fist, she propelled her knuckles straight into the blonde’s face, knocking him clean off his feet and onto the ground in a spray of blood.
Which was damn impressive, in Gajeel‘s opinion, considering how small she is.
Bringing her foot down on the man’s chest, Jack barely restrained a growl, practically baring her teeth like fangs.
“You almost made me kill her.”
For a moment, all he could do was stare back and face his own untimely demise, trembling.
Jack paused at the blonde’s sudden stillness, brow furrowing as a smile took shape.
“Oh, my dear…”
Empty black pits stared back up at her, yellow pupils glowing with a crazed light.
“I so look forward to seeing you again.”
Heart lurching, Jack backed away with a gasp, blue eyes wide as the body disintegrated into shadows.
That voice…
It couldn’t be…
Her vision darkened for a moment, like something suddenly blocked the sun, and she staggered as the severe lack of magic finally caught up with her.
A fog crept in through the cracks of her tired mind, and the Winter Spirit blinked sluggishly.
“Snowie?”
Every worry seemed to dissipate at the reminder of their presence, and her entire body went limp, shutting down to block out the pain as loss of blood blindsided her.
Cursing, Gajeel threw himself forward to catch the winter-girl before she hit the ground, stomach dropping at all the blood that was still gushing out of her.
“Jack! Gajeel!”
Levy stumbled as she raced over, dizzy from the blow to her head, and Makarov’s voice became background noise as the Script Mage dropped to her knees beside them.
Shrugging off her vest, Levy pressed the cloth against Jack’s abdomen in an attempt to stop the flow and keep her hands from shaking.
Taking a deep breath, Jack forced herself to speak, no matter how much effort it took.
“Not…hurt…?”
Damn it, but even Gajeel’s eyes got a little wet at that, and Levy did her best not to break down into tears.
“We’re okay, Jack, I promise, we’re fine…” She rambled, pressing harder as blood leaked through the fabric. “You’re gonna be alright, too, just hold on…”
“Don’t you go to sleep on us now.” Gajeel growled, curling around the girls as Fairy Tail buzzed around them.
“Not…” She gasped out, fighting against every heavy weight in her body to get the words out. “Not…leaving…”
Then sleep wrapped around her exhausted mind like a velvet blanket, and Jack dreamed for the first time in days of metallic dragons and beautiful blue-winged fairies.
Levy stared up into a pair of blue eyes, stunned.
“Jack…”
With a deep breath, Jack pulled the bloody icicle from her own belly, eyes shadowed as blood soaked her tattered shirt and bindings.
Everyone watched as the weapon dissolved into snowflakes, slowly realizing that things had not gone the way they had feared or planned.
Slowly, the winter-girl rose from her position straddling Levy’s hips, apparently unaware of the gaping wound that stretched as she did so.
The Doll Mage paled as she turned her head, ice-blue eyes pinning him with such ferocity he forgot how to breathe.
Gone was the confident, smiling woman and the frightened, vulnerable girl; here was the slighted mortal and the disrespected Spirit, the fury of a winter’s storm given flesh, and he could not escape.
“You.”
Jack turned, walking towards him in slow, methodical steps, face blank and eyes blazing like blue fire.
“You made me hurt him.”
Even injured as she was, spattered in her own blood and bruised, there was no denying how terrifying Jack was in that moment.
Stumbling back, panic-stricken, he raised both hands in a last-ditch effort.
“Doll Attack: Puppeteer!”
The winter guardian did not so much as blink, purple flames rolling off her skin like water as she continued implacably forward.
“Doll Attack: Puppeteer! Puppeteer! Puppeteer!”
Every attempt failed, like throwing pebbles at a tumbling boulder, and the air grew heavy with her magic.
But Jack did not form a seal, or even ice.
Pulling back a bandaged fist, she propelled her knuckles straight into the blonde’s face, knocking him clean off his feet and onto the ground in a spray of blood.
Which was damn impressive, in Gajeel‘s opinion, considering how small she is.
Bringing her foot down on the man’s chest, Jack barely restrained a growl, practically baring her teeth like fangs.
“You almost made me kill her.”
For a moment, all he could do was stare back and face his own untimely demise, trembling.
Jack paused at the blonde’s sudden stillness, brow furrowing as a smile took shape.
“Oh, my dear…”
Empty black pits stared back up at her, yellow pupils glowing with a crazed light.
“I so look forward to seeing you again.”
Heart lurching, Jack backed away with a gasp, blue eyes wide as the body disintegrated into shadows.
That voice…
It couldn’t be…
Her vision darkened for a moment, like something suddenly blocked the sun, and she staggered as the severe lack of magic finally caught up with her.
A fog crept in through the cracks of her tired mind, and the Winter Spirit blinked sluggishly.
“Snowie?”
Every worry seemed to dissipate at the reminder of their presence, and her entire body went limp, shutting down to block out the pain as loss of blood blindsided her.
Cursing, Gajeel threw himself forward to catch the winter-girl before she hit the ground, stomach dropping at all the blood that was still gushing out of her.
“Jack! Gajeel!”
Levy stumbled as she raced over, dizzy from the blow to her head, and Makarov’s voice became background noise as the Script Mage dropped to her knees beside them.
Shrugging off her vest, Levy pressed the cloth against Jack’s abdomen in an attempt to stop the flow and keep her hands from shaking.
Taking a deep breath, Jack forced herself to speak, no matter how much effort it took.
“Not…hurt…?”
Damn it, but even Gajeel’s eyes got a little wet at that, and Levy did her best not to break down into tears.
“We’re okay, Jack, I promise, we’re fine…” She rambled, pressing harder as blood leaked through the fabric. “You’re gonna be alright, too, just hold on…”
“Don’t you go to sleep on us now.” Gajeel growled, curling around the girls as Fairy Tail buzzed around them.
“Not…” She gasped out, fighting against every heavy weight in her body to get the words out. “Not…leaving…”
Then sleep wrapped around her exhausted mind like a velvet blanket, and Jack dreamed for the first time in days of metallic dragons and beautiful blue-winged fairies.