Ice Dragon's Lament Chapter 1, a fairy tail fanfic

Zypher: So, I have returned from the dead -somewhat- and got the mojo back into writing stories. Sadly not for the section needed but it's a well off start for people to know I'm not dead yet. So getting myself caught up with Fairy Tail and the mass amounts of possibilities made ideas come and one was promising enough to work with. So I bring to you this which I hope turns out well for my first dip into the Fairy Tail category. Set after Fighting Festival arc and before Oracion Seis arc. Not going to follow storyline unless people really and I mean really want to see it happen.

Summary: Requested by one of Master's old friends, Gray becomes the experiment of an artificial dragon lacrima. Unable to work with his new power as a second generation Dragonslayer, he was teamed up with Natsu for assistant but as the time goes by, the rival relationship began to take a new dynamic. And what's all this about dragon instinct?

Disclaimer: Don't own Fairy Tail and will not be making money off this fiction.

Ice Dragon's Lament

Chapter 1

In the country of Fiore, in the bustling town of Magnolia lies the guild Fairy Tail. Within the rebuilt walls of the guild lies the rowdiest bunch of wizards you ever did see but despite such a fact, they get the job done. The worst of the bunch was Team Natsu consisting of Erza, Gray, Lucy and finally, the dragonslayer known as Natsu. The stellar spirit mage was currently at the request board, looking for something to do that will help begin to pay her rent for the month, humming thoughtfully as she looked for something easy that she could do on her own. "Ah, just who I wanted to see." Makarov, the guild leader, spoke as he came up to the mage. "Ah, hello Master. How are you?"

"Fine, just fine. Quite a hectic few days but everything is going quite well. But I must ask, do you know where Gray is?" he questioned. Before she could answer, the resounding thud of a body hitting the floor and the crackle of ice and fire magic in the air alerted the two of yet another spar between the fire and ice wizards. Lucy gave a sigh before nodding down to the first floor. "There's your answer." she muttered tiredly, trying to wonder if there was ever a time the two WOULDN'T spar with each other the moment eye contact was made. Makarov huffed as he turned, hopping onto the banister and looked down to where the two were now throwing punches instead of magic, one table iced while another was half charred.

"Damn exhibitionist!"

"Stupid slanty-eyes!"

"Enough! Stand down NOW!" Makarov thundered, causing the hall to go quiet and the two fighting to freeze in their places. "Enough roughhousing, Gray. I have a request for you." he spoke and Natsu whined irritably. "Why does HE get a request, huh?!" Natsu inquired with a huff. "Because this calls for an ice mage and he's the only one we have available." The Master spoke, sitting on the banister. Gray huffed, dusting off his pants as his shirt had gone missing during the brawl. "As long as it isn't another hotel asking for air conditioning services." Gray grumbled in irritation as he remembered the last time he took on such a request during one of Magnolia's heat spells. "No, no! Not at all! I have a friend you see, and he's been looking for an ice wizard that would provide some help with his latest test. We haven't spoken in a while so it was quite a shock for him to get in contact with me with such. You will be paid for the time spent so you aren't working for free."

Gray hummed and gave a nod. "Sure, I need some time to myself and get away from flame breath here." he said, jabbing a thumb at Natsu who was still pouting over Gray getting a solo request.

"Wonderful! I'll write up the directions to his place immediately so you can go!" Makarov said excitedly as he hopped off the banister to do just that. Lucy hummed as she listened to the exchange and wonder just what this friend of the Master had planned for Gray. She knew well enough the other could handle whatever was tossed at him but for some reason, there was a niggling feeling at the back of her mind that something strange was about to happen. Once the map was written, Gray was on his way out. Makarov smiled as he watched him leave while Natsu continued to pout as he sat at the bar. "Oh stop, Natsu. If you're really bummed about your fight being cut short, you can just start it up again when he gets back." Lucy said as she walked over to him. "Come on, you can join me for my request if you promise to not cause any damage to the area. I like to actually get my reward and not have to pay for something you wreck."

He sighed but nodded, a grin plastered on his face. "Got it! Let's go, Happy!" he called as he went to grab his bag. "Aye sir!"

"Oh Makarov, you gullible old fool. Finally my dream shall be realized thanks to your assistance. For years I have watched your little ice mage grow and improve with his magic and became the strong maker mage he is today. Now, he is finally ready for the next step." A voice spoke, a glowing crystal gleaming from the pedestal it sat on behind him, radiating the great energy of an artificial dragon.

"He is finally ready to step up and take on the power of a dragon..."

Gray sighed as he looked at the map after stepping off the train into Onibus. "Now...where to go from here..." he muttered as he began to walk through the town towards the outskirts of the town. "Walk a few miles out and I should see a house there. I'll meet Master's old acquaintance there who supposedly has a job for me. This better be something worth the trip." he muttered as he began walking to find the place that Makarov told him was supposed to be there. It was an hour, he felt, by the time he spotted the rooftop of a single villa. "Well, guy must be loaded." he hummed as he went down the beaten path of the hill that overlooked the villa and made it to the door. He knocked and waited a few before the door opened on its own and he blinked, guarding himself just in case something suspicious happens outside of meeting the guy.

He looked around, seeing the house was well cared for, not a speck of dust anywhere in sight although the lack of maids or butlers still got to him as he walked. "Hey! Anybody home!? I'm a member of Fairy Tail that was requested by the Master to come out here!" he called as he stopped in the spacious foyer and waited for any sort of sign or answer of someone being there. "Ah, welcome welcome Gray Fullbuster~" A voice spoke from within the vacant walls. "Why did you call me here?" he questioned. "Just for a simple job. Nothing too serious at all. I just need to borrow you and your magic for a few days." The voice spoke once more. Gray sighed at the time he was given. 'So much for this being a quick job.' he thought. "Alright then. Since it was the request of the Master." he replied and the voice chuckled.

"Thank you, Gray. Now, follow the floating lights and you'll be where I'll need you." he said as the dimly lit lights floated down a single hallway off to the side and he began to follow them.

A week later, people at the guild hall began to talk. There was no word from Gray or the man that the Master knew so well which began to worry the elder mage. "He should've been back or at least been heard from by now." Makarov murmured which didn't escape the sensitive hearing of Natsu whose knee bounced with anticipation. For what he didn't know but with the lack of any word from the ice mage, he expected the Master to send him out with possibly Lucy or Erza to find out what was wrong. Lucy sat down where he was, nursing a cool drink in her hands. "So, what do you think is up?" she questioned, knowing what would be on the fire mage's mind.

"There's something suspicious about this guy Master says he knows so well. Not like I care but even for someone like that exhibitionist, if something was fishy, he would've been out of there by now." he said as he looked to Lucy. She nodded. "You're right...this isn't like Gray." she said softly. "Well as much as we would like to do something, that's up to the Master. We don't know the location of this man or what to even begin searching for that will lead us to Gray. We'll just have to sit and wait to see what will happen next." Erza said as she walked over. "Are you not the slightest bit worried though?" Lucy asked.

"I am terribly worried but fretting over what could be done isn't the best option right now." she said, crossing her arms. Lucy sighed but nodded in response as she took a sip of her drink while Natsu continued to sit there, grinding his teeth and his leg bouncing even more before he couldn't stay quiet anymore and jumped up. "Come on, Gramps! Isn't there something any of us can do!?" he called and Makarov sighed. "I know you along with everyone else is worried about Gray but I want to trust my judgment on things. I'll give it three more days and if I don't hear any word from either, I will send out three of you to his villa to investigate." he said. "Three days!? And what if something goes wrong any more than it has during the week!?" Natsu protested vehemently. "Natsu, calm yourself. You know the Master would have good reason to do such. It would be pointless to send out people to find Gray and he ends up coming back while the group is gone." Erza murmured and he growled but sat back in his seat. Erza will never learn why the dragon slayer was so peeved but could only chalk it up to the fact that he wanted to continue the fight from before that was left unfinished between the fire and ice mage.

Back at the villa, the man that Makarov called friend watched over Gray who rested in a glass cage. The other was knocked out and had been for quite a while now but the results that the man wanted to see was promising. Frost had collected on the glass as the magic surrounded the ice mage in a gentle mist, forearms encased in ice like scales and his fingers ending off with deadly claws. "Perfect, simply perfect. My project is coming along nicely. Took a few brutal screams but in the end, he is almost complete. The Ice Dragon's dragonforce is positively magnificent." Gray groaned softly as he began to wake and went to place a hand over his head. "Ugh...what happened..."

"Ah, sorry Fullbuster. But you were particularly rowdy so I had to tranquilize you to continue on with my project, you see." The man spoke. The other blinked, his mind a muddled mess but as he brought his hand down and saw what had happened, he jumped up quickly only to fall back from the dizzy spell he suffered from his quick movements, "What...what did you do to me..."

"I had asked Makarov about you. A fine specimen of an ice maker mage. I wanted to see that power for myself and the possibilities of merging your power with that of a dragon. So for years, while you became stronger and stronger, I worked and worked to create the ice dragon lacrima that is now merged within you. A little unstable but with the proper training, you will become a fine ice dragon slayer." he said with a rattling chuckle. Gray growled as his magic began to pour out, the mist rising and frost creeping over the glass more. "You won t get away with this!" he snarled, leaping up once more to punch at the frost covered glass but hardly left a mark.

"Ah ah, I took into account of freezing and shattering the glass, you see. I made sure it was reinforced well enough to handle your power. You could be stronger but as you recover, you are nothing but weak." he spoke once more. "Master will never approve of this from you. To hurt his children is asking for a beat down." he snarled as he back from the glass, falling to one knee from overexerting himself. "Perhaps...but I will be long gone by the time you leave here."

"Not if he sends someone out for me...for something simple as a visit with no communication...he won't sit around for long before sending someone here to retrieve me. We'll just have to play the waiting game." he murmured. The man only chuckled again before walking off. "Indeed, indeed. But you'll be gone long before a group can find my villa, you see." he spoke before leaving through the large wooden doors, bringing silence into the room once more. Gray sighed before looking to his arms and sighed. "How the hell am I'm going to control this.." he murmured. After his encounter with dragon slayers before, he knew a bit already of what changes he'll have to deal with now. Problem is the will to control all of it on his own. He knew well enough Natsu would be a complete dimwit on teaching him what there is to know about dragonslayer magic and he still barely trusted Gajeel even after his assistance with Laxus during the festival.

He sighed and sat there, waiting for the longhaul of things but he may as well see what he can do on his own before the crazy mage came back to run tests on him.

Zypher: And as I reach the end, I come to the conclusion of the first chapter sounds botched. -sigh- Well, I'll leave it to the readers to see. The idea of Gray being an ice dragonslayer had been niggling the back of my mind for a while so I say, why not. Of course, writing the first chapter with me is doubt anyone would find interest in it and be rid of it within the week. -shrugs- Let's see what you all say. If you like, we'll have another chapter. Don't like, then it s off to the scrap heap and leave it as a dream.