Hello everyone!

Here comes the second chapter! Before that though. . .

DISCLAIMER: The Angelbeat family (especially Hatsune and Jade who are appearing) are not mine, as well as the rest of the characters made by Hiro Mashima. This is only a fanfiction. . .

ANNOUNCEMENT: I've added this story among the choices on the poll of my profile. Feel free to vote on which story you like best to be updated :)

Enjoy!

Chapter 2
An Angel's Song

"I am so glad that you came to our request. With a mage from Fairy Tail, our hearts will rest at ease. . ."

The mother superior, Vyamir, had her hands clasped together as she thanked the Great Phoenix for his arrival.

". . . Yeah."

Gray replied shortly, uninterested at all of her flamboyant words she kept spouting. "So, I just have to look for this girl . . . why?" he cut to the chase. He wasn't in the mood to talk with people, truth be told. Seriously, he couldn't imagine what kind of spirit possessed him when he chose this kind of mission. Of all things, he had to pick a search and find request!

Not to mention, the one he had to look for was a girl.

He wasn't complaining or anything, but girls have the tendency to be a chatter box like Mira or Cana (and to some extent, Lucy) or too forceful like Erza. Juvia was the combination of the two.

While he may sound criticizing, he wasn't. He truly appreciated their company, even more so than he would like to admit. And truthfully, he liked them for it. It was these outgoing and extroverted people that brought light and warmth to his grey dull world. That was what he liked about Fairy Tail.

Right now though, he wasn't in the mood to associate with anyone. Sometimes, people needed the time to be alone.

. . . Of course, he had ruined that by picking a mission that looks for people.

"The girl in the picture is Jade Angelbeat. . ." his requestor explained. "She is also a mage and uses card-magic. Her main affiliation is life-manipulation magic, plants are her specialty. . ."

He was quite surprised to hear that. Mage's affliation were usually elements, like how he's affiliated with ice and Natsu to fire. Life-manipulators are rare. They were from the branch of life magic, having the ability to influence a living being's mind or body. The extent of which depended on the type of magic and the power of a person. If given by the wrong hands, it could be a very dangerous power. The council and religious groups were actually working together to oppress and regulate the users of this branch of magic, making sure they don't step over the line of human boundaries.

"Jade is a good mage. It is thanks to her that we are able to live and survive here in this snowy mountain despite the harsh weather. Her magic had made our crops bear harvest plentiful enough for us to be free of hunger."

He raised an eyebrow. "So how come she's missing?"

Mother Vyamir sighed, looking down. Her blue eyes teary as her wrinkly face filled with sadness and regret. "I don't know . . . We lost contact with her," she told him. "The mountains are becoming more and more dangerous with monsters and bandits crawling about. I thought that since she is a mage, she can climb her way down to the city at the foot of the mountain and retrieve a very precious item for us. I'm afraid that she might have gotten loss, or worse, attacked. . ."

"So all I have to do is bring her back here safely?"

The mother superior nodded, wiping her eye neatly with a handkerchief. "Yes, and if you can, bring back the item with her . . . We would have searched for her ourselves if not for the blizzard. . . "

Gray nodded and left.

After receiving the details, he set out once more to look for the mage, Jade Angelbeat. The northern wind howled and blew at him hard. Snow and icy mist obscured his vision, making it hard for him to see more than a foot away.

No wonder they didn't want to come down here . . . he thought. More than bandits or monsters, this blizzard could kill people off by burying them in the snow and freezing them to death!

Really, it was cold enough for him to hold-off his habit of removing his clothes. That was saying something, considering that Gray's habit of stripping was what one would call unstoppable.

The cold never bothered him, of course, thanks to his ice-magic . . . and his teacher . . .

His eyes narrowed. Being in a snow white field with this blizzard had made him remember again. Their screams . . . the chaos . . . the icy coldness of despair . . . such things he doesn't want to remember.

"Once in a land of hope and fear. . ."

It might have been his imagination. Despite the loud howling of the wind, he could still hear a soft and mellow voice singing.

"Winter blows, and the world's at war
Their despair, filled with blood and tears"

Such a beautiful and relaxing melody. . . Can such a voice be his imagination?

"Can you hear their woes, Heaven Star?"

Now he was sure. He was definitely hearing someone singing in this hell of a blizzard. Curious, he followed after the voice.

"Gods take pity, and heard their woes
With Gift of Jade, they blessed The One
A power to rule One's own foes
A voice to command any man~"

In the thick black forest, a lone girl was singing despite the howling of the wind that blew harshly at her pale cold skin. Shivering, she continued to sing. . . It was the only way for her to survive. . .

"Voice of Jade, hear the angel's song,
Can't you see people suffering?"

He found his self in a thick black forest, the girl was still singing. As the snow were filtered by the trees, it made his vision much clearer. And the sight ahead of him made him held his breath.

"Their war had gone on for too long
End this now! Let them hear you sing~"

In front of him was the wolves' den. And they weren't just any wolf, they were dire wolves. They are creatures whose sizes were bigger than horses and had great magical capability. Their wits and raw strength were a fearsome combination for any man.

Although he could handle one just fine, these beings fight in packs.Their sheer numbers and teamwork were what made them very dangerous. Even Gray would have a hard time.

Luckily, they were sleeping and hadn't detected him intruding on their territory.

"Once . . . in a land . . . of hope. . . and fear . . ."

Not good. . . Gray thought. The voice was becoming weaker as he trudged on. The grey dire wolves snoozed heavily beside him. He went further to their territory, risking it.

"Spring . . . had come . . . at the end . . . of war. . ."

He continued to walk on, the girl's voice was becoming fainter and fainter by the minute.

"Their peace . . . filled with smile . . . through the year . . ."

He made his pace faster. He was sure she was around here. He knew she was here, it was as if her voice was calling him.

"Can . . . you see . . . their . . . joy. . .
. . . Heaven . . . Star?"

The song had ended, but at last . . .

He found her.

At the center of the clearing, surrounded by the dire wolves, was a girl with long orange hair. Her hands were clasped together on her chest, her skin pale white from the cold. Each of her breath turned to icy mist of white. He couldn't help but stare at this sole figure on the dark icy snow field.

Her lifeless emerald eyes caught his gaze.

"Ah. . ." Gray doesn't know what to say to this mysterious girl.

But it turned out that he didn't need to, because before one of them could utter a word . . .

The girl fainted and fell to the ground.