Frost

15

All they could hear was the static mess at the other end of the line. Natsu scratched his head and looked at Erza, who wore a worried look on her face. Natsu leaned in and again said, "Hello?" It was more quieter than the first, but afterwards they all leaned in closer to see if there would be some type of response. A loud crash from the communications lacrima made them all jump. "Is this some type of joke?" Gajeel hissed into the lacrima. Lucy pushed him away. The only other sound they could hear was the static.

"Natsu?" The voice startled everyone at the table. Five faces turned angrily to Juvia, who placed a hand behind her head. She sweat dropped and held out her own communications lacrima to the fire dragon slayer, who raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, Lyon wants to talk to you," she spoke nervously. Natsu only stared at the device. He didn't know whether or not to tell the ice mage about their current situation. Not even sure what to say, he slowly grabbed the lacrima out of the water mage's hand and placed it up to his ear.

"Hello?" Natsu said for the third time. Lyon replied right away.

"How's it going with the investigation?" Lyon asked. Natsu shrugged, but then he remembered that the other man couldn't see what he was doing. So, he said, "It's going okay, I guess. We're not really making any progress." Someone elbowed his side. He knew he had just told a lie, but technically it wasn't. His theory about Gray being invisible was proven. However, Natsu hasn't found a way to make him visible. He would get help, but he doesn't think that anyone in the guild knows Gray is actually invisible. Erza might be on to something since she had the syringe before he got it.

"Dang it, I was hoping you'd get a good lead. Since you aren't really making progress, should I come by and help?" Natsu's eyes widened at the question. But he was even more shocked when Lyon said, "I'm already in town, so I guess I should come and help."

"What? How are you already in town?" Natsu asked.

He heard Lyon hum. Then, he looked at Juvia. Lyon probably asked her first. Natsu groaned at the thought, and Juvia confirmed it. "What? I told him it seemed like you were stuck!"

Lucy raised an eyebrow at her, but focused her attention on Natsu's own lacrima. There was another loud crash, and it made Gajeel curse. He hadn't been expecting it at all the second time. Wendy scratched her head and looked around the guild hall apologetically.

"That doesn't matter. Meet me at Gray's apartment ASAP. You have his keys, right?" Lyon asked. Natsu hummed and felt for his pockets. His eyes widened in realization, and he searched his pockets frantically. He didn't have Gray's keys. And then he thought of something.

"Um . . . I don't think we can go to Gray's apartment. Gramps took his keys from me because I've been caught up in the investigation for too long," Natsu laughed nervously. Lucy, Wendy, and Gajeel looked at each other confusedly. Erza only shook her head, for she knew it was another lie.

"Well, we can just break his lock-"

"Lyon! We shouldn't be breaking Gray's things while he's gone! Maybe we should wait until I get his keys back to look. Okay? And in the mean time, you should go home! Bye Lyon!" Natsu hung up before the ice mage could say anything else. He gave Juvia's lacrima to Juvia and turned to the group.

"Let's go to Gray's apartment," Natsu stated before grabbing his lacrima and making his way to the door. Behind him, four mages, and Juvia, followed close behind. "But Natsu, I thought Master took Gray's keys? Do you have them?" Wendy asked.

Natsu shook his head, making her raise an eyebrow. Instead, a smirk grew upon Natsu's lips as they weaved through the crowded streets of Magnolia. There were kids having snowball fights, and some people were taking down their Christmas decorations before the new year.

"I know someone who does," Natsu spoke, and he walked faster. Quickly, Natsu brought his communications lacrima and spoke into it, "Stay put, Ice Block. We're on our way."

•••

Gray was sitting in his room listening to the conversation on the lacrima. He was tired after trying to practice his magic. But he succeeded . . . in making an icicle. He was devastated because he didn't have his full magic power. He couldn't do the things he could do, like his ice lance—that was the icicle on the ground.

Gray was relaxed in the corner of the room when he heard his friends walking towards the apartment door. He could hear their conversation clearly.

"Are you sure the door will be unlocked?" Gray heard Lucy say.

"The door's unlocked—trust me," Natsu replied.

"Natsu, is this considered breaking and entering?" Juvia asked.

"No! We're not here to steal anything!" Gajeel hissed.

"I don't wanna get in trouble!" Wendy whined. Erza only laughed. The sounds of their shuffling feet against the snow got louder as they reached the door. Then, there was a long pause of silence.

"Ouch! Hey! What was that for?" Natsu hissed. Gajeel growled. "Are ya gonna see if the door's open, or what?" Gray listened as his front door creaked open. The sounds of the wizards stomping their feet on the entrance carpet filled his ears, and soon, the door closed behind them. The call on the lacrima ended, and Gray listened as his friends started to search his small apartment. Eventually, his bedroom door opened. Juvia crept in quietly, and Gray's head perked up.

He watched as the water mage looked around the room. Her eyes went from the bed, to the closet, and to his dresser. There, laying in a perfect position, was Gray's lacrima, as well as his keys. She raised an eyebrow. She looked around the room once more, and she noticed something weird.

"Juvia! Did you find something?" Lucy asked. She noticed Gray's lacrima immediately and grabbed it. She took it to Natsu with a huge smile.

"We have his lacrima!"

"Are his keys in there?" Erza asked. Lucy's smile fell off her face and she looked back into the room. "I think so."

Gray closed his eyes. He ignored the weird face Juvia was wearing. He listened as they shuffled into his room. But things got too quiet. He opened his eyes, and he was able to see their shocked faces.

"When did that ice get there?" Gajeel asked, making Gray's facial expression change as well. He was too exhausted to get up, but the shock of adrenaline made it no problem. From where he was sitting, ice was plastered on the corner of the wall.

And it was spreading.