Let it Go
Elsa had left winter in her wake. She escaped across the Fjord, freezing the water as she ran across it. Snow had begun to fall soon after, encasing Arendelle in a thick layer of white. Gray wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes after chasing after her. He'd never seen magic quite like hers. It was wild and powerful, and she didn't seem to fully understand it. The people of Arendelle were in outrage that their heir was a mage, and that the royal family had kept it from them, despite the royals claiming ignorance.
Anna was the only one Gray believed when they said they didn't know. She seemed so genuinely hurt by her sister's secret. She'd tried to go after her, but her parents had stopped her, and locked her in her room after she tried to escape. Arendelle's parliament had called a private conclave, the meetings for the alliance with Ishgar put on hold.
Gray sat at a tavern in town with Erza and Makarov, the three sipping at hot coffees in silence. Makarov had found a job request flier in their room that morning, promising a large sum of jewel to meet them in the tavern. Gray glanced up when someone else entered the bar, a thick cloak covering most of their face.
"Right on time," Makarov mumbled as the hooded figure approached their table. Gray skimmed over the person who sat down at the table next to theirs. The cloak looked warm, made of a thick and expensive black material. They kept the hood over their face even as the waitress came by, and kept their voice soft, almost a whisper. After the waitress left, a slender hand suddenly passed them a folded paper. Gray recognized the hand as feminine. Makarov motioned for Gray to look at the paper.
Gray unfolded it to find a wanted poster. He sucked in a sharp breathe as he read it.
"He's going to kill his own daughter?" Gray spit out angrily, but the woman in the cloak brought a finger to her mouth, motioning him to remain quiet. He shoved the paper to Makarov, letting the master read it.
"By order of the King, Princess Elsa of Arendelle is wanted for Sorcery, punishable by death," Makarov couldn't believe what he'd read. The three looked up to the hooded woman, who had moved the cloak back just enough to see her face.
"Your Majesty," Makarov said, bowing his head briefly. The Queen's bright blue eyes were puffy and red.
"You called us here?" Gray asked, sliding the job request flier towards her and she nodded.
"Save my daughter," the Queen pleaded.
"Elsa was cursed with strange magic from the time she was born," she told them quietly, "We tried to hide it from everyone, but..." She trailed off, swallowing thickly. The waitress was heading back over, so the woman hid her face once more, looking downward as the woman dropped off her beverage and eyed them suspiciously. She walked back to kitchen without a word however. The queen turned back to them then.
"How could the King issue this?" Erza said, anger seeping from her voice.
"The king is doing what he has to, he's really not an evil man, but if it was anyone else's child, the same would have to be done. He can't show mercy just because she's his own blood,"she said, "If he doesn't issue the warrant himself, our entire family will be on trial, not just Elsa." She was trying to reason her husband's actions, and Gray understood to a certain extent, but was disgusted none the less with the way they treated those with magical abilities.
"Should we find her, what would you have us do with her exactly?" Makarov asked softly, before Gray could snap at the queen. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest and made an attempt not to do anything rash.
"Take her away from here," the queen said in a whisper. Gray flinched, surprised by her request.
"Stop this winter, and take my daughter some where she'll be safe, accepted," the queen begged them.
"I understand how your... guilds work," she said as she set a small velvet pouch containing the jewel promised in the flier.
"The jewel promised will be doubled if you succeed," she explained, "Keep half for yourselves, and give the other half to her to live on until she can adjust and work for herself."
"She can have all of it for all I care," Gray spat, making the Queen flinch.
"I'll find her, but because it's the right thing to do," he said, "We aren't monsters."
"Gray," Erza said as she shot Gray a harsh look.
"Alright, Your Highness, we'll do what we can for the princess," Makarov agreed, receiving a sad smile from the woman before them.
"One of you meet me in this tavern at this time the day after the snow subsides to receive the other half," she told them, "The others should leave with the princess immediately, however. There is another port in the city west of the mountains, use it to escape with her."
"Understood," Makarov said simply and gave a small bow of his head. The woman pulled the cloak around her tightly after leaving a few jewel on the table for the waitress and stood to leave.
"Your Highness," Makarov said suddenly, making her stop.
"Your other daughter, is she safe here?" Makarov asked, Gray and Erza exchanged uneasy looks.
"Princess Anna has nothing to fear," the queen assured him, "She's perfectly normal." Gray cringed at the term, as if those who could wield magic were some kind of freaks. Makarov set a hand on the boy's arm to calm him.
"Very well," Makarov said, giving the queen leave. She hastily exited the tavern.
Gray glanced down at the wanted poster, his eyes skimming over the portrait of Elsa. He shuddered, thinking how lonely she must have been.
Gray and Erza set out after eating a quick meal at the tavern, leaving Makarov to head back to the castle. He would stay behind, and meet back with the queen should they reverse the effects of Elsa's storm. Plus, they figured it would be suspicious if all of Fiore's ambassadors suddenly vanished. They hoped with all the commotion no one would notice Gray and Erza's absence.
"We'll let you know when we're leaving with the princess," Gray told the master, as they double checked that their communication lacrimas were working.
"I trust you brats so don't let me down," Makarov told them as they left. They smiled at the Master, knowing it was his way of telling them good luck and to be safe.
"What I'd give to be an ice wizard about now," Erza said as they made their way up the mountains, the cold biting into her skin even through her thick coat and scarf. They'd come across an trading post where they were able to gather supplies and had met a scruffy ice salesman who'd pointed them in the direction of the North Mountain, the tallest in the range. The sun was hanging low in the sky, painting it orange and pink, by the time they reached the summit.
"Gray," Erza called to him from the other side of a large rock formation, "I think you should come see this." He rounded the large rock and his jaw went slack.
"I think this is the right place," Erza said with a grin. Gray's eyes lingered over the ice palace that jutted upward on the other side of the ravine, a grand staircase made of ice leading up to the large double doors.
"Whoa," he said, his breath forming white puffs in the air. He'd never seen anything of this caliber before, his own ice creations didn't hold a candle to hers. He thought back to the crocus of ice he'd made for her and felt ridiculous for trying to show off. The way her face had lit up when she saw it hadn't been because of what he'd created, but because he was able to create it. He realized she must have never met another mage before.
"She's like winter incarnate," Erza mused, taking a step towards the palace. Gray didn't have the chance to reply, because what had looked like a simple pile of snow suddenly started moving.
Gray and Erza both gasped as the snow beast turned and stood to it's full height. Gray's eyes widened. The thing had to be ten feet tall and at least half as wide. It roared, snapping them from their shock, and making them take fighting stances.
"Ice Make Sword!" Gray shouted, creating a blade of ice in his hand. The creature swiped at Erza first, but the red-haired woman evaded, rolling away from the blow. Gray took the opportunity to strike, slashing at the monster's arm, slicing it clean off. Angered, the creature billowed again, icy spikes shooting upward from it's back. It swiped at Gray with it's other hand, smacking him back against the mountain side roughly. He looked up as he rose to his knees and caught a glimpse of multicolored hair as the doors to the castle were closed.
"Elsa!" he called out, but the monster was in front of him and he had to roll to avoid it slamming it's fist down on his body.
"Heaven's Wheel Armor!" Erza shouted, requiping to her favorite armor, angel wings now protruding from her back, and sword in hand. She took flight and swiped at the beast, but it rolled to dodge, the air pressure of her attack cracking the mountain wall behind them. The snow creature had rolled closer to the ravine, and now teetered dangerously close to the edge. Gray and Erza moved swiftly, slicing their swords through it's legs, making it fall over the edge. It grabbed at the stairs as Gray raced up them in an attempt to save itself, but the weight of it broke the banister, the force shaking the entire staircase, and making Gray slip. Erza jumped swiftly to his aid, grabbing his hand before he joined the creature and his sword in the fall. Gray used his other hand to grab hold of the remaining banister as Erza helped pull him up.
"Impressive," Erza mused as Gray caught his breath. He was unsure if she was talking about him or Elsa.
"Gray, your shirt," Erza said as he stood, making Gray look down, realizing he'd removed it at some point during the fight. He glanced around, and was thankful when he at least found his white coat. He pulled it on, but his chest and stomach were still exposed to the elements, much to Erza's amusement.
They climbed to the top of the staircase and Gray pushed open the large double doors. They were even more mesmerized once inside. The last bit of setting sun reflected off the ice, making the palace shimmer a gold hue. She'd created a fountain of ice, intricate pieces dangling from it with staircases flanking it, an archway in the center that led to more stairs. Gray caught sight of Elsa's silhouette ascending them.
"Elsa! Wait!" he called after her and began running towards the stairs, but stopped when he heard Erza's steps behind him.
"Actually, maybe only one of us should go after her," he said, "She's scared, I don't want her to feel like she's being cornered." Erza nodded.
"Yes, I suppose you're right," she agreed, "I'll wait here."
He chased after her, founding another archway leading into a room with a high ceiling decorated with a large chandelier made of ice and a doorway leading to a balcony.
"Elsa," he called out to her when he entered the room.
"Gray?" he heard Elsa's voice and found her standing behind a wall of ice, only able to make out the shape of her. She stepped from behind the wall. His eyes widened, drinking her in. She had pulled her hair from the bun, letting a braid fall over her shoulder, a few wisps of hair framing her face. She now wore a shimmering blue dress, the top translucent and showing her ample cleavage, and a slit up the dress showing shapely legs, a sparkling cape cascading down her back.
"Elsa," he breathed, "You look...different." He cleared his throat and tried to push away the warmth that had flooded his cheeks. Elsa smiled sheepishly.
"This place is... amazing," he told her, trying to find something else to stare at.
"Thank you," she said, with a small laugh, "I never knew what I was capable of." He smiled back at her and took a step towards her. Her smile faltered then, and she stepped back.
"You should go," she told him, and he stopped in his tracks.
"But," he began but she interrupted him.
"This is where I belong, alone," she told him, "It's the only place I can be who I am without hurting anybody." He furrowed his brow.
"You don't know, do you?" he asked.
"Know what?" she said, perplexed.
"Arendelle is, well, frozen," he told her.
"What?" she stammered. Snow flurries began to form in the air, catching Gray off guard.
"Uh, yeah, you kind of set off an eternal winter," he told her, and she began pacing.
"I'm such an idiot," she said, more to herself than Gray.
"You can just unfreeze it right?" he said, beginning to panic at the sudden rush of cold that entered the room. Snow was circling her now and an unnatural wind had picked up, whipping his jacket against him.
"I don't know how!" she exclaimed, tears brimming her eyes.
"Elsa, listen to me!" he called to her, confident they could figure it out together.
"What was I thinking? I can't be free!" she shouted, her anger evident. Gray realized her magic must be connected to her emotions. He had to calm her down.
"You can be free, Elsa," he called to her, holding his arms up against the snow and ice that swirled around the room.
"You don't have to be alone!" he promised her, but she continued shaking as she stood in the center of the room.
"We can help you! All you have to do is trust me!" he shouted. She turned towards him, finally, looking panicked.
"Trust?" she asked, eyes stricken with fear and self loathing.
"Yes, Elsa, trust," he said, he stood closer to her and held out his hand to her. Elsa glanced at his hand, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she thought back to their first meeting in the library, when he'd offered his hand to her. Her eyes met his then, and she found softness and sincerity despite the snow storm swirling around them.
"I... I don't know what will happen," she said, fear in her voice.
"I don't either," he told her and a smile formed on his lips. Elsa swallowed thickly but her eyes held his as she slowly reached towards him, finally settling her hand in his. They felt a strange pulse of magic shift through the air when they touched. The snow storm stopped abruptly, dissipating as if it'd never surfaced.
Elsa hugged herself as she leaned against the wooden edge of the ship. Gray had used something called a communication lacrima to contacted his guild master after she'd agreed to come with them to Fiore. Some how the snow in Arendelle had dissipated around the same time he'd had found her, which only raised more questions about her magic than answers.
The three of them descended the mountain on the opposite side, heading west to a neighboring city where they'd found her a change clothes and a cloak to hide her face as they secured passage to Ishgar.
"The alliance with Ishgar was called off," Gray said, coming to stand next to her. He leaned his back against the boat, resting his elbows along the ledge. She glanced at him around the edge of the cloak's hood, a light blush touching her cheeks when she noticed he was shirtless.
"Is, um, that a bad habit of yours or something?" she asked, eyes glancing down at his chest. He looked down, and blanched as he noticed he'd lost his shirt...again. He regained his composure after cursing to himself and shrugged.
"Yeah, actually it is," he said with a cool smile that made her laugh softly, before letting out a sad sigh.
"I figured it would be," she said, referring to his earlier statement.
"Most of Ishgar's ambassadors took offense to Arendelle's anti-magic laws," he explained, "I don't think they realized the death penalty was in effect when they agreed to come." Elsa stayed silent for a long while, starring out at the stars.
"I'm sorry about all of this, Elsa," he said sincerely, "I know it must be hard leaving your country and family behind." He reached towards her, pushing back the hood and letting it fall before resting his hand on top of hers, making her flush again.
"Here," they heard Erza say as she approached them and Gray pulled his hand away, "Your mother gave this to us." Erza handed her a small pouch. Elsa opened it, finding a significant amount of jewel.
"To help you get by during your training," Erza explained, "Until you can take jobs on your own."
"My... mother gave it to you?" she asked, receiving nods from Gray and Erza.
"Master Makarov will have more when he meets us at the guild," she told her.
"She wanted you to be safe," Gray told her, "Even if that meant away from Arendelle."
"So she... sent you?" Elsa asked, her eyes meeting Gray's.
"Well, sort of," Erza told her before Gray could say anything.
"Gray had planned on going after you anyway," Erza said. Gray glanced away from her, his cheeks turning rosy, but Elsa smiled.
"You're going to have to give yourself a new identity," Erza said, "I think if a mage named Elsa with ice magic gained fame around Ishgar, it wouldn't be difficult for people to figure out who you were."
"Fame?" Elsa asked.
"Well, yeah," Gray told her, "Everyone's heard of the Great Titania of Fairy Tail, for example."
"The nickname wasn't my idea," Erza told her, "But Gray is well known, too. Laxus and Natsu are famous, or maybe infamous I should say."
"Hothead is definitely infamous," Gray said wryly, "He causes too much damn destruction."
"Any idea what you'd want to call yourself?" Erza asked her.
"Noelle is my middle name," she suggested with a shrug, "Not many know it, just family."
"I think that's lovely," Erza said, making her smile, "And thoughts on a last name?" She chewed her lip, lost in thought. Gray suddenly reached up, brushing a few loose hairs from her face and drawing her attention towards him.
"Borealis," he said, gingerly sliding his finger down her braid before withdrawing his hand.
"That's perfect," Erza agreed.
"Noelle Borealis," she said, testing it out. It would take getting used to, but she found she liked the sound of it. Gray and Erza offered her comforting smiles.
"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Noelle," Erza said.