Lucy was a patient person. She really was. Well, she wasn't an angel, but on a scale of mere mortals, she would proudly say she ranked rather high. But given the current direction her life had taken, it did not matter how well she ranked on the scale of fortitude - for she suspected that even if she were to possess the equanimity of a goddess, it would be to no avail. For her own personal demon - in fabulous armor and possessing the most luxurious scarlet hair - would demolish what little poise Lucy had left, in a matter of seconds. The scarlet menace (as she had affectionately dubbed her friend in her head) had, over the course of the past month and a half, proceeded to make Lucy's already strenuous schedule excruciatingly rigorous. Nowadays, in addition to the usual daily grind, she had the added pleasure of five separate sparring sessions a day. Not to mention the rigorous exercise routine that she had to undergo under Erza's watchful eye, all before the crack of dawn! It was honestly getting so bad that Lucy was secretly beginning to prefer Lady Aquarius to her new young taskmaster. She was actually beginning to look upon her old arch nemesis with fondness and nostalgia... Which was where she drew the line!

Because the truth was, despite her ardent belief that Erza was some sort of cosmic punishment bestowed upon her to cleanse her of her sins, Lucy still couldn't help but feel a kinship with the girl. Beneath the stoic mien and the ruthless drive, there was a kind, gentle and feminine soul that Lucy could see was a valuable friend. If only the wretched girl would actually open up enough for her to be her friend!

For Lucy really wished to follow her Grandpapa's advice. She really did. She wished to be Erza's friend and confide in her and in turn be the recipient of her confidences - but how could she do so when she knew Erza was hiding something and actively avoiding talking about it? And when the girl in question herself tried to keep her at arm's length? It was this, more than anything else, that truly tried Lucy's patience.

Lucy sighed and plopped down onto the grass of the glade. She took a deep breath and looked around her. As she had expected, the place was empty, except for the chirping birds and a few of the braver variety of wildlife venturing into the open space for a drink at the clear spring running through it. She grimaced. It had been a close call, but she had sufficiently distracted her new friend with a promise of strawberry cake if she offered to help Loke shift some armor from one of the stables to the armory. Lucy had thankfully discovered the scarlet beauty's two greatest weaknesses - good armor and strawberry cake - and had mercilessly exploited both to gain some much-desired freedom. It had been well over a month since she had seen her magical friends, and she was eager to meet them all again. She knew Levy had been quite busy with her grotto's elders, learning as much as she could about her fairy heritage and the powers she would inherit upon her magical maturation, but she had no idea what Natsu, Happy, Wendy and the others had been up to. She had managed to send a hurried message through Happy, warning Natsu of her soon-to-be-busy schedule (right before the scarlet tornado had begun to sweep through her world) but she had received no response from the irritating dragon or his annoying familiar.

A sound at the edge of the glade had her stiffening up and sitting straighter. She glanced over her shoulder at the shrubbery, squinting to spot the source of the noise. A rabbit bounded out of the woods, sniffing at some flowers nearby. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. After the episode with Gajeel, she was especially jumpy about strange noises in the dell, a fact that the grumpy ore dragon had noticed and apologized for. And then he had promptly christened her a rabbit for her likeness to one when she had lobbed a shoe at his nose and threatened him. Which had devolved into a fist fight with Natsu when that remark reminded him of the way she had been in danger from Gajeel that day. Lucy giggled to herself, relaxing as a cool breeze wafted through the glade. Her dragon friend was very protective of her… Though not nearly as protective as Gajeel seemed to be of Levy. Lucy smirked. There was something beginning there, and she fully intended to fan the little flame between the shy pair every chance she got. Once Gajeel returned from the North, of course. Hmmm, perhaps a little romance was what the maroon-haired tyrant needed as well? To make her as kind and tractable as she had seen the grouchy metal brute become around the petite and pretty fairy…

Lucy stretched her arms above her head for a moment before propping her torso up on her outstretched palms and languidly stretching her slender legs out in front of her. She tilted her face up towards the sunlight, basking in the warm rays. She closed her eyes, her face settling into a serene expression. Her golden hair cascaded down her back, the tips brushing the dew drops decorating the grass. Wisps of her hair floated around her face in the breeze, framing it in an angelic halo.

It was in this pose, that he first saw her.

Gray trudged along behind the hyperactive fire dragon and his equally energy-filled exceed, dragging his feet as much as he could. He blocked out the incessant chatter of the pair, ignoring most of the questions and remarks the little cat pelted him with, as well as the taunts and threats lobbed his way by the flame-breathing idiot.

"...So whatever you do, you icy moron, don't mention that you're a Prince! Or that I'm one either."

"Uh huh."

"And keep your clothes on ya pervert! She musn't know of your freakish habit of taking your clothes off in warmer climates. She's rather skittish and sort of prim - if you scare her away I'll pound your ugly face into the ground!"

Gray rolled his eyes and didn't bother to comment. Of course, she would be a prude - all the nobles of Pergrande were. Snobbish, haughty, arrogant, and manipulative as well. He had heard more than enough sordid stories about the Courts of Pergrande from his father and his teacher… Gray mentally shook himself, before he dipped into the black hole of his memories, forcing his thoughts back on the girl and Pergrande. Any person from such a horrid place as Pergrande had to be horrible themselves, however much they pretended otherwise. It was no surprise that this fire-brained idiot - being the simpleton that he was - had fallen under this human girl's spell, but he, the Prince of Icegard, knew better than to trust a maiden from that accursed place. Additionally, the manner in which Natsu incessantly talked about her, caused Gray's hackles to raise and his suspicions to deepen. The boisterous and normally careless fire-dragon had spent the better part of the last half-hour's journey to their meeting spot describing his human friend and 'preparing' Gray to meet her. Although his descriptions mainly consisted of her 'strangeness' and the 'odd things she said and did', the way he delivered his opinions was uncharacteristically gentle - an affectionate tone permeating every word. Even Happy spoke of the girl in a warm and fond voice, regaling Gray with anecdotes of her kindness 'when she wasn't being strange or mean'.

"Next time you'd better carry the snow cone so we can fly to the clearing, Happy. It's taking forever to get there on foot."

"Aye! No problem - He's not nearly as heavy as Lucy!"

Gray's lips twitched and a small snort escaped him. As much as he was loath to admit, the fire-dragon and his companion were an amusing and engaging pair. It had always been easy to laugh around them (most of the time at them) and even in his current state of mind, they were the only ones who could draw a chuckle out of him.

The noise he had made did not go unnoticed. Natsu flipped around, walking backward so that he could face Gray.

"What's so funny, ice-boy? That frozen heart of yours finally thawing? Are you at last able to recognize my awesome hilarity?"

Gray smirked. "You just called yourself a clown, flame brain."

"Uh… I did not! I just called myself awesome and funny. At least I don't chill people to the bone with my very presence like you do, you icy ignoramus!"

"Sure."

Natsu's brow furrowed. The old Gray would have punched him in the gut for those baiting words.

"You know, one of these days you're going to have to talk about what's bothering you. You may be an ice mage, but you can't freeze your feelings forever."

Gray grit his teeth, glaring at the dragon who was nimbly navigating the ground beneath him despite his backward stride. "Waxing poetic huh, fire dunce? And I'm doing nothing of the sort. I'm the same as always."

"Uh huh. And I'm the Princess of Pergrande."

The trio had reached the edge of the clearing, Natsu still walking backward to glower at Gray, and Happy trailing a little behind them both, taking in the sights of the forest and cheerfully whistling a tune.

That was why - when they approached the edge of the clearing - Gray was the first one to take in the sight of the lithe little figure basking in the sunlight. Gray halted in his tracks, his eyes becoming wide, his breath catching in his throat.

The insult Natsu had been preparing to hurl at Gray died in its tracks as Natsu took in his friend's expression, surprised by the sudden flush on his cheeks and warmth in his eyes. Before he could turn around, however, a blue and white blur shot past both the boys, hurtling into the glade at an alarming rate.

"LUCY!"

The little girl in question yelped and fell flat on her back, startled by the furry blue bullet that had caught her square in the stomach. Laughing, she lifted the little cat above her, mock pouting at him.

"Happy! Don't startle me like that!"

Natsu followed the little cat into the glade at a more leisurely pace, plopping down on the grass beside the pair.

"You should've been alert. There are all kinds of beings in this forest, something might have ventured out to eat you."

Lucy stuck out her tongue at the dragon, sitting up and brushing her dress free of dew and debris.

"If such creatures really existed in this wood, I should have been devoured eons ago! As it has not happened to date, I will take my chances."

"Aye," Happy added, a serious expression on his face and an evil twinkle in his eye, "No sane creature in this forest would eat a nasty-tasting thing like Lucy, no matter how fat and fleshy she may be!"

"... YOU DEVILISH FELINE, I AM NOT FAT! AND IF THEY TRIED TO EAT ME, I KNOW I WOULD TASTE DELICIOUS… Wait, what in heavens am I saying?! Grrrr… Come here you confounded cat, I will…" Lucy's voice trailed off as her gaze fell on the fourth occupant of the clearing, still standing by the shadows at the edge. Her brow furrowed and a curious expression appeared on her delicate face.

"Errr… Hello. May I know who you are?"

Natsu threw a casual glance at Gray and bellowed. "Come out into the sun, you frozen icicle! Are you afraid you are going to melt?"

Gray snapped out of his daze as Natsu's loud words pierced through his thoughts. The young maiden was gazing in his direction, her wide and innocent brown eyes sparkling with excitement and warmth. Her gentle smile beckoned to him, and he found himself walking forward almost against his will. He stopped a few feet from where she sat on the grass next to Natsu. Happy was being cradled tenderly in her lap despite her earlier ire with the exceed.

Gray found he was speechless. The flame bastard had said all manner of things about the girl they were going to meet, but he had still left out a few crucial details. The most glaring of which was that... she was exquisite! Her golden hair, her porcelain skin, her slender yet curvy (for her age) figure, and her deep, expressive chocolate brown eyes made her one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met. And that was saying something, for Gray had met his fair share of beauties in Icegard. But beyond all of that, he could sense an innocence about her, and an air of genuine kindness that forced him to acknowledge that she was not the threat he had imagined her to be. Her disarming interactions with Happy and Natsu further cemented his belief in her good nature. His earlier mistrust mostly dissipated, leaving behind only sincere curiosity.

Through his mental struggle, the little girl had waited patiently, observing the vacillating expressions on his face. Slowly rising from her spot on the grass, she approached him cautiously, as one would approach a skittish animal. Stopping a foot away, she extended her hand for a handshake, a shy smile upon her face.

"My name is Lucy, and I am a human. What manner of creature are you?"

Gray blinked, surprised. "Err… Can't you tell? I am a human just like you." He paused, a shy smile forming on his face too. "My name is Gray. I am an ice mage." He took the hand she offered, and in a gesture he had been taught (but had absolutely refused to use before) raised it to his lips to place a chaste kiss upon it.

Lucy blushed, stammering a little. "How… How gallant of you… I just wasn't sure, when Natsu called you an icicle, I thought you were some manner of ice being… Are you really a magical human though? And what do you mean by ice mage? Can you do magic with ice? Could you show me?" Her eagerness quickly overtook her embarrassment and she reached out to clasp both his hands in hers, excitement and awe writ on her face.

A loud roar interrupted them before Gray could form a response, and a red blur wrenched Gray away from Lucy, tackling him to the ground.

"I. TOLD. YOU. NOT. TO. UPSET. HER!" The enraged dragon roared between blows to the bewildered boy.

"What are you talking about, you flaming moron!? She's not upset!"

"Then why did her face go red when you kissed her hand?! And why the hell did you do that, snow menace?"

Natsu gave a surprised yelp when he felt a sudden jerk on his horn. He jumped off of Gray, whirling around to face an angry Lucy.

"Because, you insufferable dragon, he was greeting me in the manner that a gentleman greets a lady! And I wasn't upset! I was… Just a little surprised, and embarrassed. I didn't expect a friend of yours to be chivalrous…"

"Hey! Are you implying that I'm not chivalrous?"

Lucy arched an eyebrow, placing her dainty hands upon her hips.

"Oh, I'm not implying. I'm outright telling you that you haven't a chivalrous bone in your body!"

This devolved into a squabble between the pair that very soon had Gray in stitches of mirth. He had to admit, this girl was just as entertaining as the fire dragon and his cat. He couldn't remember a time he had felt so lighthearted and free as he did in the company of this unlikely set of friends. Especially in the recent past. As the afternoon slowly faded into evening, Gray found himself relaxing, and for the first time in a long time, he felt truly happy.

The cold air swirled around him, buffeting him slightly as he trudged through the knee-deep snow. With a sigh, he glanced down at the parcel in his arms, grimacing at the sight of it. When his father had packed him off to the northern kingdom, he had warned him of the arrogant nature of some of the court dragons. Still, Gajeel had not dreamt that he would be recruited by them as their personal courier. But here he was. Delivering a package of treats to one of the courtier's hatchlings living in Icegard. And he was expected to brave the monstrous weather of the north to get it to him!

Gajeel grit his teeth. In a way, he should be grateful for being in this wretched place. Lately, when he wasn't running errands for the haughty northern dragons, he spent most of his time in the Northern Kingdom's extensive and well-stocked library. It was there, in one of the more obscure tomes, that he had found a confusing, yet possibly valuable piece of information.

"When afflicted with a curse of mixed magic, the only effective deterrent is the art of blood wielding."

This one sentence had given him pause. His instincts told him it was significant, but its full meaning eluded him. He could not even ascertain if he had interpreted it correctly, for the tome he had found it in was in the tongue of the humans, most likely one of the publications that had been gifted to the Northern Dragons by the people of Icegard. Frustrated and slightly frightened, he had finally turned to the one being who was fast becoming his closest confidant - the spirited little pixie - nay, the last spirit fairy, Levy. With a gruff, succinct epistle (very similar to the ones he had been sending her since his arrival in the north) he had explained what he had found. Her long, quirky, and eloquent response still brought a smile to his face whenever he recalled it. Amongst many colorful complaints about his lack of interest in the veritable 'heaven' of books he had been blessed with, she elaborated on the words that had piqued his interest.

"You are right in suspecting that what you suffer from is very similar to what a human would suffer if they were to be afflicted with a 'curse of mixed magic'." She had written. "Such a curse is essentially when light and dark magic combine to form an attack. The mention of blood wielding is heartening indeed! For it means that were you to learn and probably master the esoteric art of blood manipulation - do read 'Most Ancient Magiq' by Sir Rudolph Hemay! - you would be capable of controlling the battle raging inside you without the aid of your mother's necklace."

He had sought out the book she had suggested (albeit begrudgingly - she could have simply explained what she knew, she just wanted him to read one of her beloved books!) and had read all he could on the matter. Most of the content had been either too boring or beyond his level of understanding, but what he could discern was that blood wielding was a form of water magic. He wondered if he could meet a water mage who could teach him how to manipulate the blood in his body… But he doubted he would ever come across one such. Even the water dragons of his land had never mastered such an arcane art… but perhaps one of the human mages in Icegard had. He had heard tales of the immense power of some of these mages wielded, and he was very curious to meet them. Now that he was on his way to Icegard, perhaps he could find a human who could help him better handle his condition...

A cry rang out, echoing in the still, frozen air and wrenching Gajeel out of his thoughts. With a practiced motion, he snapped out his wings and sped towards the source of the sound, his half-transformation taking over and covering him in steel scales in an instant. He turned a corner around a snow drift and took in the scene before him with a gasp.

Rising from the icy lake was a creature the likes of which he had only read in legends. Her rich blue hair cascaded down her back, and her icy blue eyes matched the steely color of the water from which she rose. Strange markings decorated most of her upper body, the bottom half tapering into a magnificent, shimmering tail that was a shade of blue darker than her hair. The ice blocks scattered around the lake seemed to have no effect on her, even though she was scantily clothed in an intricately decorated top only covering her bosom. Despite her developed bust, she looked very young, approximately Levy's age Gajeel would have wagered to guess. The majestic mermaid, for that was what Gajeel knew she was, sat upon a spout of icy water near the edge of the lake, her poise and air that of royalty.

She glared threateningly at a little critter curled on the ground beside the lake.

Gajeel's gaze followed hers to the creature on the ground, and with another startled gasp he lunged forward. Based on the legends, he could only guess what was happening. But if he had truly stumbled upon the situation he thought, then he had to be prepared.

Prepared to fight to the death to prevent the loss of an innocent life.