Hey everyone, gah I already have 3 other fanfictions to work on but this was just screaming to be posted. I will hopefully post every other week or weekly but I will try to get around to updating whenever possible.
My favorite pairing is NaLu, but I thought of this idea and couldn't resist. And sorry if my info is wrong or time is messed up or anything, I am still trying to fully catch up to the newest chapter/episode of fairy tail.
Please Read and Review and enjoy the beginning to "Iced Malice".
The cover is from the Manga, but wonderful Miss BrigitteoO. Thank her for providing us with wonderful colored manga images!
The chapter has been edited and is better, I hope you guys enjoy it.
"Ugh," she growled in exasperation. "Why are we on a mission again already?" Her eyes were filled with irritation at her team.
They were strolling through the forests on the outskirts of Magnolia, home to the Fairy Tail guild. Green and brown foliage filled the edges of Lucy's vision as she and the rest of the team moved through the forest.
"Oh, come on, Lucy. You know you aren't too mad at us," Natsu replied, he put up a puppy dog face, making her sigh hard. Erza laughed a bit, earning a hostile look from Lucy. It didn't matter how hard Natsu tried, Lucy didn't even face him at his attempts to settle her.
Happy grinned and purred, "Hmmm, looks like there is looooove in the air."
This only made Lucy's face turn as red as Erza's hair and start muttering. "Stupid cat."
"Don't make her any more mad than she already is, ash breath," Gray taunted. Natsu spun around and raised his fists at Gray.
"Wanna go, ice princess?" he challenged. Gray rolled his eyes in reply. The two faced each other like two angry cats threatening each other, it was somewhat amusing.
"Silence. We are on a mission, remember?" Erza snapped at them.
The two rivals stammered in unison, then agreed, "Aye!" The colors had drained from their faces, and they shook slightly in fear of the armored mage.
Lucy sighed and watched her teammates bicker. It wasn't any use really being mad, she supposed that a couple days of resting were enough. But doing jobs with these guys was a dangerous thing in itself, Lucy was sure that they already shaved a few years off of her life! It didn't matter, she would just have to go on with the mission.
It was just a normal mission for team Natsu. Their job was to defeat some bandits that were hiding in the outskirts of Magnolia. It didn't seem that hard of a mission, but although they were both nearby and small in number there was an unusually high reward.
Gray had shown them the mission, mentioning how Lucy's rent would be due tomorrow and she really needed the money. The funny thing was that none of the other guild members remember seeing that assignment on the board. Not even Mira had noticed it, and she knew of every request that was and was not on the board.
None of them would have expected what was about to happen…
After walking through Magnolia they finally reached the warehouse where the bandits were supposedly at. The warehouse ended up being located on the border between the town and the forest that surrounded the city. It was worn down and abandoned; it seemed the roof had caved in at one point on the top floor and vines had crept around it. It made everyone uneasy.
"Ewww, this place gives me the creeps," Lucy complained. Erza and the others just shrugged.
"All the more reason for us to do this faster," Gray spoke quickly and flippantly.
Natsu, being the no-brained idiot that charges into everything, walked up and kicked the old and rotting door down. The rest of the group walked in behind him. It was dark except for the few rays of sunlight that came in through the windows. If it was brighter they might have noticed something important.
"Eh Gray there's no one here!" Natsu shouted, not really caring if anyone heard him. Silence. "Gray?"
"Gray! Why aren't you answering?" Erza asked sternly and looked behind her shoulder. The ice stripper was gone though. "Gra… Gra… Gray!" She stuttered.
"Where's Gray?" Happy asked, sounding worried. He flew up and landed on Natsu's shoulder and looked around in panic.
A hard, cold chuckling sent shivers down the teams sides. Two cobalt blue eyes glowed in the darkness above them. The lights on the wall turned on automatically to reveal the bandits that were supposed to be there. A large man, obviously the leader, stood on the second floor. The spot overlooked the first floor giving him a clear view of his targets. The man was also the owner of those cobalt eyes.
But what really startled them was the person standing next to the leader.
The person had spikey black hair. He also had blue eyes that was a complete contrast from the leader's cobalt ones that gazed down at them. The most obvious sign however was the lack of clothes the person was wearing. A pair of black pants with boots and a large gray cross necklace was all he wore. A cocky smirk topped it off.
"Gray? What are you doing up there with him?" Happy cried. Natsu, Erza and Lucy just stared at him, frozen with shock.
"Is that any of your business, Happy?" Gray asked. His eyes were cold and expressionless. "Ice make: Bow." A bow of ice appeared in Gray's hands. "Ice Make: Arrows!" With a bow and arrows Gray aimed and fired upon his teammates.
"Come on guys, attack," growled the leader, his voice as cold as Gray's magic. The bandits sprang into combat.
Erza was the first one to snap out of her paralysis. She grabbed Natsu and Lucy and threw them to the ground along with herself. The arrows struck the spot where they used to be and Lucy gulped. What was happening?
The four remaining members of team Natsu had to quickly get up and scatter as the wave of bandits hit them. They weren't small in number! There were at least thirty bandits! And that was just the thugs! A couple stronger looking bandits stood right next to their leader with smug expressions.
They had no time to move, and the bandits grabbed Erza and Natsu. Lucy was missed, though only because she had the sense to summon one of her spirits as she was getting off the ground.
"Open gate of the golden bull: Taurus." A sound like a doorbell rang through the room, and Taurus burst forth in a circle of light and looked at Lucy. He scanned her skinny body approvingly before turning and raising his axe to the bandits and mooing a war cry.
"You shall not touch such a nice body!" Taurus boomed as he swung his axe around, taking out a bandit every time. Lucy took out her Fleuve d'étoiles and started fighting too, hitting anyone who could make it past Taurus.
Natsu meanwhile broke out of the bandits hold and were punching them fiercely. His fists had burst into flame and every throw meant someone fell down. Erza was in her Heaven's wheel armor and was sending summoned blades at the bandits, wiping them out mercilessly. However, her attention was focused on something else.
Gray was no longer there…
"Wha-" Erza stated before gritting her teeth and flying upward, instantly getting zapped by someone's magic and crashing into the ground. "Whoever these bandits are... they aren't ordinary bandits," Erza whispered.
The leader laughed and shouted at her. "Ordinary bandits? Oh ho, no, Titania, this is the dark guild Hellfire Imp, and you're not going anywhere." At Erza's confused look he laughed again and continued. "I wonder how good of a price you, Natsu and that Heartfilia girl will fetch me." Lucy's huff of dismay could be heard from somewhere in the room as she realized that these guys didn't know her name at all.
"No one will pay your silly ransom, Fairy Tail will come for us!" Erza snarled in anger. Once again she cried out in pain as someone's magic zapped her. Who was doing that?
"Really? Even if Fairy Tail doesn't know that you are here? After all, I know Gray made sure not to tell anyone else where you guys went." Erza gasped. The trapped was planned perfectly, with Gray setting it up it worked perfectly. "Or I could always make you guys slaves to our guild, you would make the most perfect assassins!" He cackled insanely.
Natsu growled and tried to reach the leader but was thrown back by more of the dark mages. Lucy watched in shock as she realized they were losing. Erza looked trapped on the spot, unable to move and just having to watch the battle taking place, Natsu was being overwhelmed and held back. Happy let out a screech as the mages roughly grabbed him, throwing him against the wall and tying him with magical rope. While mages were walking up to Lucy, Taurus just barely holding them back.
"I cannot protect you Lucy for much longer! You have to flee!" He shouted at his master, who was scrambling backwards in panic.
"Lucy! Go back to the Guild and warn them!" Erza shouted.
"No! I can't! Not while you guys are here and captured."
"Luce, please!" The pained yell from Natsu broke through her defenses. Tears fell from her eyes in full force and she ran out as fast as she could. Taurus still hammering those that tried to follow. Gray's betrayal had truly shaken the group, left them vulnerable just when they needed help. No, they needed help because of his betrayal.
Oh, may Mavis help them all.
Juvia was sitting in her usual spot at the guild. Thinking about Gray, she worried about him. The mission team Natsu just left on was awfully shady, and Juvia didn't want any of them, even her love rival Lucy, to be wiped out.
Gray should be home soon though, if the mission had gone well. Juvia sighed. Juvia worries about Gray-sama, oh I so hope that Juvia can see lovely Gray-sama again soon safe and uninjured. She instantly had a small dream about Gray coming home.
"Oh Juvia, I almost died back there for being so foolish to take such a dark looking job," Gray told her lovingly. "But my thoughts of you kept me fighting so I was able to defeat them. I am so glad I have you," He smiled at her warmly while she seemingly melted under his gaze.
"Gray-sama… I don't know what to say…" Juvia responded, equally passionate.
Juvia sighed and got up, walking over to the only person who could potentially give her a straight solid answer… even though it might be horrid.
"Cana, Juvia wants a reading for Gray-sama. Juvia worries for him greatly," Juvia pleaded with the surprisingly just buzzed card mage. Cana just shrugged and set down the cards. She waited for a few moments with closed eyes as she was deep in her thoughts. When she opened them her eyes were clear and focused. She slowly flipped three cards up and looked at them warily.
Her eyes basically leapt out of their sockets when she read them. She gasped and raised a hand to her mouth in surprise, knocking over a cup of beer in the process. This worried Juvia, who stared in horror at the card mage's reaction.
"Juvia needs to know! What is happening to Gray-sama," Juvia pressed.
"The first card is a high priestess. He's being forced to do something, something he doesn't seem to particularly want to do," Cana told her with a now emotionless expression.
"The second card, is the card of betrayal. It is the three swords! Gray is going through some kind of betrayal." Juvia waited to hear the last card, though at the same time she thought it just might be better if she didn't hear it at all. Juvia must do this for Gray-sama! She promised herself mentally.
"The last card is the two of cups, he will form a bond with a woman in the future. One that is inseparable, normally I would consider this one good. But with the other two cards I'm not sure how things are going to turn out. Be careful Juvia, something is about to happen, something dark." Cana's eyes held only seriousness and darkness. But her expression also showed the concern and worry underneath.
Does this mean that Juvia will be with Gray-sama in the end? Or another woman? Oh I don't think Juvia could stand Gray-sama being with another woman!
Juvia had gotten up and was heading to go get a drink from Mira, normally she didn't drink but the thought of the pain her love was about to go through was too strong. Cana put her hand on Juvia's shoulder.
"Good luck Juvia, I wish it for Gray as well," was all Cana could say.
Juvia went and ordered her drink, she took a sip when someone came in, slamming the door and panting heavily.
"HELP!" Lucy screamed, getting the attention of everyone in the guild. They all stared at the worn-out blonde. Juvia felt a chill go down her spine and her blood run cold. No… This is bad… Juvia knows this is bad…
"Lucy, what's going on?" Mirajane asked quickly, asking the question that was flashing through everyone's mind.
"Bandits… No! Dark guild… Gray… Betrayed us… Natsu and Erza… Captured… Sent for help!" Lucy's words were broken up as she gulped for breath between her words. It was obvious she had ran all the way from the warehouse, something that would leave Juvia out of breath too.
Gray-sama? Betrayed them? Impossible! Juvia would never believe such a thing. But one look into Lucy's eyes and Juvia could tell she wasn't joking.
"Gray? Our Gray betrayed his friends?" Mirajane asked, Lucy just nodded. Juvia could feel Cana's unsurprised look and silently began hoping that it was all just a big misunderstanding. Murmurs began breaking out amongst the guild members.
"So he got that mission for you guys, then led you into a trap?" Gajeel muttered suspiciously.
"Leading teammates into a trap? That's not a man!" Elfman declared.
Then the master came in.
"If Gray truly betrayed the group, then he can no longer be considered a Fairy Tail mage," Makarov said quietly, though his face showed the heavy emotions he was feeling.
"Gray-sama did not betray fairy tail!" Juvia shouted angrily. The gazes of everyone, including Lucy, focused on her. "Gray-sama wouldn't do it of his own accord, NEVER!"
"But Juvia... he did," Lucy stated. Juvia started shaking in anger. As she walked across the guild hall, the members cleared a path for the furious water mage. Nearing Lucy, Juvia offered a sharp glare, then... a slap across the face.
"Gray-sama would never do such a thing!" Juvia knows deep in her heart that her beloved Gray-sama would never do this for no reason. Does Fairy Tail really have such little faith in his loyalty?
"Um.. Um… I don't think Gray would do it either…" said Wendy timidly. Charla was floating in the air searching the air for Happy, but her eyes held horror when she noticed him gone.
Pantherlily was standing on a table with a thoughtful expression, but didn't make any comments.
"Juvia." The rough voice of the guild master made her turn around slowly.
"What?" Juvia responded coldly.
"Silence, child. While Gray doesn't seem to be the kind of person to do this, I have to do what's best for the guild. And fairy tail does not tolerate traitors," Makarov told her calmly. His eyes showed a mix of confusion and unease. But the evidence could not be denied.
"Very well, then Juvia will leave!" Juvia shouted at her former guild. Their eyes widened with surprise and hurt. Even Gajeel, who took a few steps forward and reached out a hand to stop his friend who also used to be a former Phantom Lord mage.
"Juvia will go and find Gray-sama and bring him back completely innocent, Juvia will not be back till Gray-sama is," Juvia stated in a calm, deadly voice. And the water mage walked out, eyes of everyone on her.
Please review and tell me what you think!