Frozen Heart

Erigor was more than certain of his success.

Lullaby was unsealed, those Fairy Tail flies were trapped in his Wind Wall, and no one else had any idea of his plans to kill the guild masters.

Nothing could stop him now-!

It was like hitting a brick wall covered in broken glass, and Erigor cried out as he lost altitude, making a rough landing on the train tracks below.

Regaining his equilibrium, he shivered at the sudden drop in temperature, looking around in confusion.

When he spotted the lone figure a few yards down the raised path, armor glinting like ice in the sunlight, he almost had a heart attack.

“Erigor the Reaper.”

Her voice was like cracking ice, or the rumble of a coming snowstorm, and was absolutely terrifying.

“I suggest you hand over Lullaby. Unless you would prefer freezing to death.”

Gathering his wits, the Wind Mage smirked, brandishing his scythe in a show of bravado.

“I’m not afraid of you, Snow Queen!”

The air was so cold that ice began to form on the metal and wood, and she only stared at him, her own scythe held tightly in one hand.

“You should be.”

A spike of primal fear went through him, and Erigor reacted, a seal flashing to life before him.

“Wind Blade!”

Hiroyuki watched the attack approach calmly, making no move to evade, and he almost thought-

Wind kicked up around her in a rush, clashing with his own and dissipating the magical attack in moments, her cape fluttering as if disturbed by a stray breeze.

“Did you think a weak spell like that would harm me?” She voiced, ice on stone. “I am mistress of the North Wind, mother of the blizzard! And you dare challenge me with my own power?”

Yeah, Erigor was starting to think pissing off the Snow Queen was not a good idea…

Even the wind he normally used to fly was under her command, and the ice was creeping towards him in menacing spikes, as if preparing to swallow him whole.

In a last-ditch effort, Erigor leapt over the encroaching ice, scythe pulled back for a deadly swing.

“You can’t defeat Death!”

Without even the slightest hesitation, her own scythe flashed, the blade catching on his and pulling the unsuspected mage over the armored woman’s head to slam into the ground behind her.

Half-turning to face her fallen prey, the Snow Queen pressed the flat end of her blade against the man’s throat, her aura chilling.

“You call yourself Death?” She scoffed, not the least bit amused. “I have killed more with an errant thought than you have in your entire measly existence, and you think you can best me?”

Erigor was trembling now at the thought of his own demise, the sharp edge dangerously close to his chin.

“Hand over Lullaby.”

It was like facing down a force of nature, and, realizing the futility of his struggle, he scrambled for said flute before offering it up with a shaking hand.

Taking it silently with her free hand, Hiroyuki inspected the innocuous-looking object before turning her attention back to the pinned Erigor.

With only a thought, the man was quickly encased in ice, his expression caught in a moment of shock.

She contemplated shattering him, but the sound of an automobile stayed her hand as the Fairy Tail wizards finally arrived.

“Aw, we missed it!” Natsu whined as Happy set him down, looking every bit like a disappointed child.

“Do you have Lullaby?” Gray demanded, jumping out of the Magic-mobile as Lucy helped a weakened Erza down from the driver’s seat.

“Of course.” She replied, scythe disintegrating into snowflakes as she held the skull-faced flute up for them to see. “Are you seriously injured?”

“No, we’re fine.” Erza assured, the fog in her eyes a sign that she had used far too much magic.
“Now that you have Lullaby, the masters are safe. We’ll go to the conference to report this incident.”
Hiroyuki nodded, diamond dust already rising up around her feet-

A shadow wound around her legs like a snake, and the Snow Queen tensed up at the unexpected assault as it coiled up to her wrist so another shadowy hand could pluck the Lullaby from her grasp.

They could only watch in astonishment as the Magic-mobile hit the tracks hard, wheels squealing as they gained traction on the ice and sped off, Kageyama laughing maniacally all the way with Lullaby in hand.

Even Erza stayed silent as magic visibly rolled off the Snow Queen’s shoulders, the temperature dropping to such extremes that ice appeared on her armor.

“That idiot.” Hiroyuki seethed, all the wrath of a winter storm in her voice. “I’ll show no mercy when I get my hands on him.”

No one argued as she disappeared in a rush of diamond dust, though Lucy’s knees were knocking together rather loudly.

“I’m really glad she’s on our side…”

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Watching Kageyama and Makarov from a distance, the Snow Queen considered her options as storm clouds slowly rolled in, a distant rumble of thunder hinting at her current temper.

Would he really play Lullaby?

Or would he realize how foolish this all was and die quietly?

“Nothing will change.”

Makarov’s voice was clear in the quiet forest, dragging her attention from thoughts of torture.

“The weak will always remain weak. But weakness isn’t necessarily bad. People are weak creatures by nature. People’s insecurities are why guilds exist. Why comrades exist.”

Hiroyuki’s focus turned fully onto the conversation, heart tightening in her chest.

“They come together and move forward, to live life to the fullest. If you’re clumsy, you might run into more obstacles and take a long way around, but as long as you step forward with faith in tomorrow, you’ll find that your strength will emerge on its own. You’ll be able to smile and live life to the fullest. You don’t need some special flute for that.”

…

Lullaby fell to the ground with a clatter, and the Snow Queen bowed her head in respect as Kageyama fell to his knees, relenting.

As the wizards regrouped below, already celebrating their victory, she turned to leave-

A pulse of dark magic gave her pause, the stars overhead hiding behind the dark clouds that formed.

“Damn.”

“I grow tired of all you gutless wizards!” A disembodied voice roared, a massive seal appearing far overhead. “I can no longer hold back! I shall eat you myself!”

In a flash of power, Lullaby’s true form was unleashed, a massive wooden monster that roared to the growling clouds overhead in triumph.

“I will devour your souls!”

“I hope you realize this is your fault.”

Kageyama about jumped out of his skin, whipping around to stare at Hiroyuki in terror.

“If you had taken the hint, and left Lullaby sealed, this demon would not have been freed.”

“Snow Queen!” The masters realized, surprised at her sudden appearance.

“Can you stop it?” Erza demanded, glaring up at the humongous demon looming over them.

“I can certainly do something about it.” Hiroyuki replied, raising one hand to the heavens.

A seal activated on her open palm, and then-

Lullaby shrieked as lightning streaked down from the stormy heavens, tearing through it’s wooden body like a hot knife through butter.

The watching mages could only stare as the demon staggered, missing a large chunk of it’s shoulder and chest from the fiery blow.

Lowering her arm, she stayed still as a storm brewed, hail falling like rain from the clouds and twisting in a tight funnel of knives around the injured Lullaby, eliciting another pained shriek as it attempted to escape.

“Hiroyuki!” The demon snarled, enraged. “Do you really think your petty tricks will defeat me?!”

“I am rather upset at the moment.” She admitted, the wind howling in reaction to her feelings. “If you want to face the full brunt of my rage, I’m happy to oblige you.”

Lullaby was lost in a tornado of hail and biting winds, everyone watching in speechless amazement as they took in the Snow Queen’s true power.

A seal forming broke through the demon’s prison, a horrible ringing sound overpowering the wind’s howls.

“He’s activating Lullaby!” Happy shouted.

“Then we strike now.” Hiroyuki decided, reforming her scythe before leaping forward, cape billowing behind her like a snowy flag.

Erza, Natsu and Grey followed, activating their own seals for battle.

“Requip! The Knight!”

“Ice Make: Lance!”

“Fire Dragon’s Iron Fist!”

The Snow Queen lashed out in a blur of motion with her weapon, landing light as a snowflake on a nearby ridge as Lullaby fell from the blows, an arm falling free and one knee giving out like a felled tree.

Beyond impatient with their attempts to halt the inevitable, the demon activated the seal, sucking up the life of the nearby fauna, and-

Nothing.

“What is this sound?! Where has my great musical sound gone?!”

“Fool.” Hiroyuki responded, only half-facing the demon now. “A flute is a delicate instrument. You’re far too damaged now to take anyone’s soul.”

Incensed beyond reason by the off-handed comments from what had been such frightened prey, Lullaby began to destroy anything it could get it’s hands on, kicking and screaming like a child having a tantrum.

“Honestly, you haven’t changed at all.” The Snow Queen raised one hand, a white seal forming. “It’s time to end this.”

Ice rose up in a shield, protecting the guild masters and all of the non-participants as the Fairy Tail Wizards once again took action.

“Requip! Black Wing Armor!”

“Ice Make: Saucer!”

With Lullaby off-balance from their attacks, Natsu rose up, fire encasing both fists.

“The flames of my right hand and the flames of my left hand! Put them together and-!”

It was like a sun in his hands, spewing flames in it’s unstable state.

“Eat this! Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!”

With a death-shriek, the demon was gone, a column of white light rising to the heavens in it’s wake.

Now that the threat was neutralized, Hiroyuki shifted in a more relaxed stance, arms crossing as she felt the magic shatter and the flute become fully inert.

Watching the antics going on below, she hummed softly in amusement.

“Such children…”

Turning away with a flick of her cape, the Snow Queen disappeared once more, her mission completed.

It wouldn’t do for the guild masters to assume she had gone soft, after all.