She walks in shadow, the Queen of Fallen Snow.

Firstborn of the Frost, the last you'll ever know.

-Glacial Prophecy, Excerpt

Prologue

The eastern wind bayed relentlessly. It howled in the wizards' ears, snatching at their cloaks with cruel, icy fingers. Heads bowed against the gale, the intrepid party made their way forward through the gloom, cold and tired, but broken? Never. It would take more than just a brisk wind to shake a Fairy Tail wizard, and they were among the best.

"F-freed," Evergreen chattered, rubbing her bare arms to combat the chill, "Isn't there something you can do about this? We're freezing out here!"

A green-haired mage glanced haughtily over his shoulder, considerably more comfortable in his woolen red longcoat. Even so, his pointed nose bore the unmistakable red tinge of an oncoming cold. Or perhaps he was merely flustered.

"Don't you think I know that? I'm trying! Besides, it wasn't my idea for you to parade yourself about in that indecent getup," he quipped tetchily. Gesturing expansively with his rapier, he cut an elegant line of runes into the cool evening air. They hovered at chest-height, glowing an arcane purple. Freed Justine paused expectantly, palms upturned in anticipation. He took a steadying breath to prepare for the gust of warm air that was sure to follow...

Nothing.

"Damn it!" he cursed, waving away the enchantment with a dismissive flick. "That should have worked. My enchantments are having no effect!"

"Maybe that's because you're sick," a playful male voice enjoined, dripping with false concern. Bickslow chuckled through gritted teeth, and although Freed couldn't make out the wizard's eyes behind that visor, he knew they were fixed firmly on him. "You've lost focus," the masked mage went on, before addressing the floating totems over his shoulders. "What do you think, my babies?"

"Lost focus! Lost focus!" the dolls jeered, their high-pitched voices echoing across the moors. As annoying as their parroting could be, even they seemed a bit subdued by the inclement weather.

Freed paid them no mind, instead electing to examine his weapon more closely. The magic amplification and direction runes were still in place. The Warming enchantment should have had no problem chasing off the cold and shutting his guildmates up for good measure. And yet here they were, cold and irritated, chasing a lead that by all rights should have been left to the newer guild members.

"It seemed simple enough on paper," Freed grumbled, sheathing his sword and trudging across the high grass. " 'Escort Bronze Cog engineers from Mt. Hakobe to Magnolia.' A novice could have done it."

"And yet," Evergreen seethed through her scarf, using a pinch of magic power to warm her hands (to no avail), "we've been walking for hours and we've seen no sign of them! We should up the fee once we find these Bronze Cog morons. I'm going to need to buy gallons of chapstick!" The bespectacled wizard hung her auburn-haired head morosely, shoulders slumping in defeat.

"What was Gramps thinking anyway, sending us out on an errand like this? Babysitting a bunch of gearheads? The pay's only five thousand Jewel. It's not a job for the Thunder Legion," Bickslow said, arms crossed defiantly.

"And yet, it would seem our task is not nearly as straightforward as we believed," Freed muttered, patting his coat pocket. "Who has the map? We should have seen Mount Hakobe by now. We must have gotten turned around in this field, and I don't want to chance using my Dark Écriture wings after what happened to Evergreen."

The female wizard rubbed her left shoulder knowingly. "I don't know what happened. It's like my wings just... stopped working."

"Good thing you had me to cushion your fall," Bickslow said flirtatiously, waggling his tattooed tongue. The chill air immediately made him regret this decision. Pursing his lips and swearing, he smirked nonetheless and shouted, "Right, my babies?"

"Cushioned! Cushioned!"

Evergreen flushed and struck the helmeted mage. "You think this is funny, Bickslow? How'd you like me to cushion your jaw with my fist, you smug-"

"I could have sworn the mountain was this way," Freed mused to himself, paying no mind to the scuffle ensuing behind him. Glancing over the foliage, he thought he could make out a faint shape on the horizon that might have been Hakobe, but what with the gathering dark he couldn't be certain.

"We should head back," Bickslow reasoned, leaping to avoid a hasty barrage of Evergreen's fairy dust. "Start out from town again. Figure out what's wrong with our magic."

It's probably that stew Lucy made for us at the guild last night. Cana was still in the bathroom when we left. And they say I'm the bad cook. Despite their situation, Freed couldn't help but smirk.

"Bickslow's right," Evergreen admitted grudgingly. "We've only been walking for a few hours and my magic power's already running low."

"Then stop shooting me!" Bickslow squawked irately as another of Evergreen's spells singed his trousers.

Freed sighed. Laxus. Without you we've lost direction. Perhaps this is why Master has dispatched us on this fool's errand. We need to find our own way.

Still... He thought, squinting against the rising wind. It is very irregular. I didn't sense any hostile enchantments, but our power wanes with every passing hour.

Halting in his tracks, Freed turned on his heel. "Enough! We make for Magnolia. The Bronze Cog can wait another night. We won't be much use to them as we are anyway. I'm exhausted..."

"Well, we're glad to hear that."

The voice rang out from all around them, booming with power and yet somehow restrained, echoing impossibly amongst the dancing grass.

At once the Fairy Tail wizards leaped to action. Bickslow cast his arms skyward, and his floating totems rose up, forming a defensive perimeter. With one boot he stepped onto one of his "babies," hovering a few feet off the ground, hands raised.

Evergreen whipped off her glasses, tossing her reddish mane back in preparation for battle. Unconsciously she went back-to-back with Bickslow, ready to assist him, a practice born of countless years of training together. Her deadly eyes scanned the vegetation for a sign of the speaker, but no one revealed themselves to her petrifying gaze.

Freed dropped to one knee, unsheathing his sword as he did so. With one swift motion he cut a swathe in the tall grass, even as he drew an enchantment around the party. Amethyst glyphs etched into the topsoil, concentric circles upon circles of protective magic. Eyes screwed shut, he poured his strength into the spell, willing his Dark Écriture to work this time.

All this they accomplished in a matter of moments, ready for an imminent attack. When none was forthcoming, Freed became aware of just how tired his limbs were; of just how draining this trek had been.

We've... We've traveled the span of Fiore... Why are we so... weak now?

The thunderous, melodious voice said nothing for a time. Their only company was the sound of their own ragged breathing and the howling of the infernal wind...

"Impressive. Quite the teamwork you display. I would expect no less from wizards of your caliber." A chuckle, dark and foreboding. It sounded entirely too cheerful for Freed's liking.

"No more games! Who are you?!" Evergreen shouted, her Stone Eyes peering into the tall grass. "Show yourself!"

"So you could freeze me with that heartbreaker's glare? I think not. Now, be a good girl and convince your brothers there to stand down. We wouldn't want anyone to come to harm, would we, Evergreen?"

She snarled. "Enough! If you're going to hide in the grass like a coward, I'll flush you out myself!" Crossing her arms across her busty chest, Evergreen took a deep breath and focused her magic power. When she opened her eyes once more, they were alight with fury.

"Oh deary me."

"Fairy Machine Gun..."

Freed's eyes widened with shock. "Wait! Evergreen, don't-"

"Leprechaun!" she shouted, casting her arms back grandly. A chain of searing golden sparks issued forth from her outstretched hands, cascading into the brush with a rapid staccato beat. Where they made contact with the grass it burned away, melting back and opening a clearing in the field.

Evergreen maintained her concentration, redirecting the blast over and around her guildmates to mow down all the encircling grass for ten yards in every direction. As she laid down fire, Bickslow rotated on his pedestal, taking in the view of their surroundings and launching an enthusiastic volley or two of his own.

"Stop!" Freed insisted, his words urgent but his body unable to abandon its position. The Total Protection Circle required constant magic power. "It's a trick! They're not even here!"

At once his partners ceased their offensive. Where Evergreen had assaulted the land there stood a scorched crop circle, the roots of the plants smoldering and giving off a hellish glow. Deep craters marked where Bickslow and his babies had taken potshots into the melee. But as far as they could see, none of their shots had found a mark.

"What...?" Evergreen gasped, panting as her massive expenditure of energy finally registered with her overtaxed body. "But they should have..."

"It's... a trap..." Bickslow whispered incredulously. His babies didn't bother to chime in, hovering lethargically near the ground.

Freed grunted, feeling sweat begin to coat his body. His arms shook as he struggled to keep his blade perfectly steady, and the circles wavered briefly.

"Who... who's there?" Freed hissed, eyes narrowed distrustfully. "My Total Protection Circle is impervious to your attacks! Someone will have seen this! Our guild will be on the way!" His voice broke slightly as he spoke, detracting from the menace of his threat. A bead of sweat ran down his brow.

A moment's silence. "You're quite right, of course. I certainly wouldn't want to face the full wrath of an official guild..." the voice simpered.

"A Dark Guild!" Evergreen exclaimed.

"We've dealt with their kind before," Bickslow reassured her, striking a cocky smile. "Right babies?"

"Yeah!" They seemed only to have the energy for one chorus.

"Begone, Dark Wizards!" Freed commanded imperiously. "You have chosen to face Fairy Tail! We don't leave Dark Guilds standing. You'll see that soon enough!"

"Bold words," echoed the voice. "And yet, now that I have bested the Thunder Legion without firing a single shot, I sense that the rest of your guild will be of little challenge."

Bickslow laughed, sticking his tongue out at no one in particular. "Do we look finished just yet? We're just getting warmed up!" To illustrate his point, his totems hovered a few inches higher and began to glow a menacing shade of green.

"Now I can prevent the Prophecy from coming to pass..."

Freed's brow furrowed quizzically. "Prophecy? What prophecy?"

Evergreen managed a huff of agreement, clearly focusing on her next barrage. "Doesn't matter! Ask him when he's on the ground! We won't be wasting our next attack!"

Freed felt a gentle breeze tickle his ear. Suddenly, he sensed a biting cold, radiating from somewhere behind him...

Somewhere within the circle.

"There won't be one."

He was...

"Variation Fourteen..."

Inside our circle the whole time...

"Absolute Binding!"

Freed had no time to react. None of them did. As one the Thunder Legion felt the inexorable pull of the earth, and as one they rushed to meet it. Freed couldn't even turn his head to see if Evergreen and Bickslow were all right. All he knew was the crushing cold, the sensation of ice creeping along his spine.

The Thunder... He thought to himself, as his vision blurred and the skies darkened, the Thunder has passed. We have failed.

Laxus, I'm sorry.

With that Freed Justine shut his eyes, suddenly tired beyond words, beyond waking comprehension.

And all the while the eastern wind was howling.