A/N: Apparently Torafusa's name has been translated to "Torafuzar" and I'm not a big fan of that. Mr. Lizard-shark is still "Torafusa" to me and he shall remain as such.

The Calm before the Storm

Out in the uncharted ocean, far west of Fiore, lies a hidden island buried in snow and ice. It was guarded by enormous, treacherous glaciers that stretched tens of kilometers out at sea while the frozen land itself was constantly ravaged by a never-ending storm. From dusk till dawn, the dark twisting skies roared with thunder and flashed with purple lightning while strong wintry winds blew snow and hail. For over seven years, the storm had never stopped to keep unwanted visitors from ever stepping foot on the island.

Beneath the multitude layers of snow and ice was a giant temple-palace carved in magical ice. Sealed within the thick, icy walls was a dark entity destined to sleep for eternity. However, evil had a way of ruining the peace and that dark entity was forced to awaken, stirred from slumber by the death of its other half and the powerful need for vengeance upon its resurrection.

From deep within the seal of crimson ice, a pair of large, green eyes appeared, shining bright and sinister in the darkness. Lines of green flashed under the red crystal, tracing an intricate pattern over the waking entity's head and long, serpentine body. The whole temple-palace rumbled as the creature's power began to rise, fueled by a powerful hatred. Cracks formed on the crimson surface, spreading like lightning for the blood seal was no longer capable of keeping the dark one contained.

The red ice shattered like fragile glass, pieces thrown in all directions, and Tuirehal, the Dark Lord of the Sea, was free. The great demon snapped its muscled, reptilian jaws, thrilled by the resounding clack of its many needle-pointed teeth striking together, all fangs regrown. And its body; it was strong and whole and made of living scales and flesh once more. It raised its head high with newfound vigor, feeling its mighty, fearsome power nearly restored to what it once was during a time it had ruled the oceans.

It was a delightful feeling that overwhelmed the demon, however, its elation was short-lived. It turned its horned head, green eyes narrowing in the pitch-black chamber, focusing not on the motifs carved into the frozen walls, but on what it could sense beyond it, across the vast ocean on a distant land. It was its other half, the human who shared a part of its soul. The serpent could feel the child's hatred for the lowly fiend that killed him.

The demon let out a furious snarl; vile fiends – pitiful lesser demons – wished to wreak havoc on its world. There was no evil greater than the Dark Lord of the Sea – it was the true bringer of fear, death, and chaos. No other wretched being could ever stand on the same level as the mighty leviathan!

Green, reptilian eyes fell on the giant, heavy doors of ice marked with the crimson symbol of Fairy Tail. It was time for Tuirehal to leave its sanctuary.

Gray ignored the grim and horrified looks coming from his friends, too intent on the pitiful soul in his clutches. He crushed the ice block with ease, crumbling it into crystal dust to release the trapped soul. Frozen fingers curled around the crimson spirit of the Etherious demon, Torafusa, which burned as weakly as a dying ember.

"Speak," demanded the ice mage, raising the wretched soul to eye level. "I'm giving you a second chance to tell me what Tartaros is after."

Torafusa didn't answer right away, making the other snarl with impatience. Icy fingers twitched, wanting to snuff out the puny spirit out of spite. Sensing the mage's cold fury, the soul violently shuddered and began to squeak like a frightened mouse. But its tiny, stuttering voice was barely audible.

"They want to activate Face," Natsu answered unexpectedly before Gray could threaten the soul any further. The Dragon Slayer went on to explain what his team had learned from the ex-councilor they managed to protect from the Etherious named Jackal, the one responsible for attacking the Magic Council and killing most of its members last week.

"That's what you damn bastards want, isn't it?" Salamander growled as he glared at the soul in Gray's hand, his fires burning hotter with rage, "To wipe out all the magic on this continent to render us helpless?"

The Etherious dared to laugh, its voice shrill and squeaky. "Foolish human!" it spat, "We plan to wipe out your pathetic race so we Etherious would rule this land!"

"You…" the Dragon Slayer seethed, whole body erupting in fire. Juvia, Wendy, and the Exceeds had to jump away to avoid getting singed. The ice around the fire mage began to steam and melt, forming a pool of water tainted with black.

"Natsu! You're sinking!" cried Happy as the ice quickly turned to liquid right under the Dragon Slayer's feet.

With a startled yelp, Natsu reduced his fires back to only his arms and hopped out of the dark, slushy pool a few seconds before the water refroze.

Gray scowled hatefully at Torafusa and Tartaros's nefarious plan. "Where is your headquarters?" he demanded the soul.

Torafusa mumbled something Gray couldn't hear.

"Speak up," the ice-mage hissed, eyes narrowing into slits.

The soul shuddered under the mage's fierce glower. "I… I will tell you nothing!" Torafusa shrieked defiantly. Even when its fragile existence was at the mercy of Gray, the pathetic creature still had the guts to resist.

Under different circumstances, the Ice Make mage would have been a little impressed by the demon's bold act against its enemy, but right now, failing to answer Gray's demands truly tested the young man's patience.

The dark-haired mage couldn't let his anger overwhelm him; not when his friends were around and he had the ability to summon a powerful ice storm the instant he lost his cool. From the periphery of his vision, he noticed Natsu tensing up when the temperature suddenly dropped a few more degrees from the ice-user's foul mood.

Gray took a slow, deep breath to stay calm and thought of an idea. He sneered cruelly at the pitiful being shivering in the palm of his hand. "Very well then," he said nonchalantly and held out the soul in Zifur's direction. "I gave you a chance, lizard-freak, but I guess I'll just do this the easy way. Zifur," the winged demon huddled behind Natsu and the others perked up at the sound of its name, "I have a snack for you. Absorb this wretched thing's knowledge and tell me all about Tartaros."

The partially blind wyvern hummed as it smacked its hungry jaws and got up. It began to stomp over to Gray, forcing everyone to scramble out of the way to avoid getting trampled. "Ah, I cannot remember the last time I have feasted upon a powerful soul of malice," mused Zifur. It licked its browning teeth, its mouth salivating. "This will be a rare treat. I will savour every moment of it."

Torafusa's spirit flickered wildly as it began to panic. It wanted to flee, but it was too weak to escape the intense cold and the ice mage's greater power. It started to whimper incoherently and when Zifur stopped before the young man, its maw wide and going in to chomp down on its snack, the soul finally broke. "Nonononononono! Not like this! Not like this! Waitwaitwaitwait!" the Etherious stammered in its squeaky voice.

Gray pulled back a second before Zifur could take a bite out of his arm. Disappointment crossed the wyvern's face when it was denied its promised meal, but it made no complaint.

"Speak now," the mage commanded in a stern tone, "Or else I'm going to change my mind."

Torafusa hesitated before stuttering badly, "Y-You… I… I… It's… n-never…never never…"

Sighing in annoyance, Gray held out the soul again. "Eat him," he ordered Zifur.

"No! Wait! It's in the sky! In the sky!"

Again, the ice-user yanked back before losing his arm.

"And what's in the sky?" Gray questioned, scanning the gloomy clouds above. Natsu and the others were doing the same, warily searching the sky for what exactly, they weren't quite sure yet.

"H-H-Headquarters…" the lizard demon murmured in defeat. "T-Tartaros is in the sky…"

"What?" exclaimed Natsu, raising an eyebrow. He searched the heavens again. "Their base is floating somewhere up there? How's that possible?"

"Could it be a floating island?" suggested Carla, staying warm in Wendy's arms.

"Maybe an airship," said the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Which is it?" Gray demanded his prisoner.

The Etherious grumbled, "It is… It is an island…that defies gravity…"

"And where is it?"

"I don't know –"

"Where is it?!" the ice mage snapped, purposely letting his anger show. Ice crackled as more spread out from around his bare feet, forming crystal spines that grew large and sharp with each passing heartbeat. The clouds turned a darker shade and the wind began to pick up, blowing freezing gusts that chilled Gray's friends.

Zifur grimaced and took a few tentative steps back. Natsu growled and increased the size of his flames to ward off the cold and to keep the others warm. "Hey, calm down, you dumbass!" he shouted at the Ice Make mage.

Wendy gulped. "Saying that isn't going to calm Gray down, Natsu!" she whispered nervously.

"So this is the power that you spoke of…" murmured Carla, her voice quivering, "It's incredible and frightening at the same time…"

"Shh! Carla!" hushed the young girl, always caring about everyone's feelings.

Gray ignored them. His eyes were boring into the shivering, flickering light trapped within his palm. He was on the verge of putting the worthless being out of its misery and he made certain to show his intention.

"I-I don't know where exactly!" Torafusa answered in haste, "It's always moving – never in one location."

"But you still know where it is, don't you?" the ice-user snarled, squeezing the soul just enough to make it squeal. "You were heading there right after I killed you, weren't you?"

The crimson spirit visibly paled. "Wha – n-no–"

"Don't lie."

The soul dimmed from the calm yet dangerous edge in Gray's tone. "Y-Yes… until you interfered, brat!"

The mage's smile was most unkind. "Not entirely my fault. You were too slow to get away, wretch. Zifur, can you sense where it is?"

The half-blind wyvern shook its head. "I am afraid not, Half-Lord, nor do I sense any other demons. They must be hiding in their lair."

Gray snorted and lessened his hold on the soul by a fraction. "You, lead me to your headquarters."

Torafusa whimpered and said nothing, either too afraid to comply or too loyal to betray its guild.

Gray decided to make a deal. "You want to be reborn, right? Not be a helpless, wandering soul forever? Show me your headquarters and I'll let you free to do whatever you want."

"Uh, you sure that's a good idea?" Happy questioned, voicing the same unease that crossed everyone's minds.

The soul made an odd strangling noise as it struggled to speak. "I-I… I… never… never never… Curse you… Curse you! You think I will allow you to destroy Tartaros and all we have accomplished for our Master and Lord Zeref?!"

The Ice Make mage sneered wickedly. "How disappointing. Zifur," he held out the Etherious, "he's all yours."

The wyvern's throat rumbled as it stepped forward. "At last. Time to satisfy my growing hunger," it said, brown teeth glinting in the light of Natsu's fires.

Torafusa violently shook in the mage's hand, its light flickering madly. "Nonononono! Okay! Okay! I'll do it! Stop! I'll do it!"

This time Zifur's teeth grazed the frost on Gray's arm before he could pull back in time. Smacking its empty jaws, the wyvern groaned and actually pouted at being tricked yet again.

"Sorry," Gray apologized to the old demon, "But it seems this wretch will still be of use to me. Juvia can give you some of her buns."

"I am afraid those delectable buns have all perished," said the wyvern, hanging its horned head in a sad display.

Juvia soundly gasped. "You lost Juvia's picnic basket?!" she exclaimed.

"No, I ate it. Not a minute after the Half-Lord and Lady Juvia left to search the village."

"You ate all of Juvia's food and the basket?!" the water mage cried, hands cupping her cheeks in shock.

Zifur tilted its head. "Basket? Whatever your delicious buns were sitting in, I ate it too. A bit dry and tasteless, but it had a pleasing crunch to it."

Juvia sank to her knees, heartbroken. Wendy was quick to join her side, gently rubbing the older mage's back in hope of making her feel better. "Juvia put all her love in that picnic…" the water mage sobbed into her hands.

It suddenly began to rain due to Juvia crying. However, because of the freezing temperature, the raindrops froze on their way to earth, turning into sleet that pelted the group.

"Ah! Juvia! Stop!" Happy cried, shielding his head from the falling slush.

"Juvia," said Gray, needing to shift his body to break away the layer of ice accumulating on his body from the sleet.

His partner stiffened from his stern tone. The sleet stopped and she lifted her head to look at him with reddened eyes.

"Go back to Magnolia with Natsu and Wendy–"

"Hey, wait!" the Fire Dragon Slayer interrupted with an angry roar, making the ice mage pause. He rounded Zifur and marched towards Gray, hands curled into fiery fists. He stopped an arm's length away from his rival, his dark eyes serious. Wisps of steam billowed between them as heat and cold air collided in a silent battle. "You're not going to fight Tartaros without me, Gray."

The Ice Make mage glared at the other in annoyance. "I can do this alone, Natsu. You'll only get in my way," he said evenly.

Natsu snorted angrily. "No. You can't do this alone, idiot."

"Yes, I can, moron," Gray snapped. He raised his free hand and clenched it, soundly shattering the frost layer to make his point clear. "I now have the power to destroy Tartaros's base and wipe them all out. I am going to make them pay for everything they have done!" He gestured to the frozen landscape where the cursed black ice was now mostly covered in a layer of whitish-blue. There was once a lively village below their feet, but now most of the people were likely all dead; drowned and poisoned by the black water summoned by the wretched Etherious named Torafusa.

Gray held up the shivering soul, fingers nearly snuffing the light out as the memory of his and Juvia's struggling battle flashed in his mind. "These bastards are strong," he continued, snarling his words, "but they are nothing against me. That's why it's best I fight them alone. No one else will get hurt."

The Dragon Slayer took a step forward to close the distance between them and now they stood face-to-face. Natsu steeled against the ice mage's glower through the thick wisps of rising steam. "You're not doing this alone," he said again, unfazed by the intense chill coming from Gray's body. "You've never trained with Stormbringer's power. What if you lose control over it? What if it takes over you? I'm coming with you whether you like it or not to make sure you keep your damn head straight."

The Ice Make mage scoffed. It was true he never had a chance to train with Tuirehal's power; to test his limits and to see what he was truly capable of. He knew he had to be careful using his demonically-enhanced magic, especially around others. One mistake – if he was driven over the edge and into a fit of uncontrollable rage – could result in the same situation he was standing upon where the land, once lush, green, and full of life, would turn into a dead, frozen wasteland. Except it would be more than just the size of a village. Worst yet, he had no control over the cold energy that seeped from his body like a curse. Wherever he went, the surrounding temperature would instantly drop to freezing and frost would spread around him, creating a frozen world.

But Tartaros was located on an island somewhere in the sky. He didn't have to worry about going overboard with his power so long as no one he cared about was around to get caught in it.

Gray was about to argue when Wendy interrupted.

"I-I'm coming too!" she said tentatively, cautiously peeking around Natsu with Carla still in her arms. She shrank back when Gray's glare fell on her; however, she wasn't too intimidated to continue, "If anything goes wrong, I can heal! We haven't heard from Lisanna and Elfman… Something might have happened to them. If they've been captured, I can help!"

"Captured?" the ice mage questioned in surprise. He directed his attention to Torafusa, anger rising. "Does your kind take prisoners?" he snarled.

The soul muttered something.

"What? Speak up!"

Natsu growled at the tiny soul in Gray's palm, his expression matching Gray's. "Bastard says they do."

The Etherious started to giggle nervously. "Kyoka… She loves to torture information out of prisoners. And if it's not torture they endure, then its experimentation. Useless weaklings are transformed into dark creatures to join our ranks!"

"What?!" Natsu exclaimed in horror. He cursed, fangs bared. "Sick bastards! Gray, we need to hurry. If Lisanna and Elfman really are captured, we need to save them!" He hardened his gaze before the other could protest. "And you need us. You can't fight and protect at the same time with your demon powers so don't fucking argue with me."

Gray huffed indignantly at Natsu's goddamn point, blowing frosty air in the other's sweltering face. "Fine," he grumbled, running a frosty hand through his hair out of exasperation.

Natsu grinned and smacked his flaming fists together. "Alright! Let's kick some ass!" he shouted and glanced at the others.

Wendy and Carla smiled and nodded, their expressions bold and determined. Happy cheered enthusiastically, looking rather odd with his afro starting to lose its shape.

Juvia smiled warmly when her blue eyes met Gray's green. "Juvia will not leave Gray," she said quietly as she walked up to him. Her expression became fearless when she stopped before her partner, her body aglow from Natsu's magic. Her eyes were like the deep blue ocean that sparkled under the light of the burning sun. "Juvia will continue to fight Tartaros. She will not go back without you."

The Ice Make mage clenched his jaw and frowned in worry. No, he shouldn't worry – Juvia was a strong mage and he was well aware of this. She had proven it time and time again. Then why couldn't he shake away the feeling that she was putting her life in danger?

Perhaps because he was the real danger. The image of her frozen in his grip would not go away.

"Juvia, please be careful around me. Don't touch me, okay?" he warned her and she nodded sadly in return, understanding what could happen. He gave everyone the same warning before saying, "Let's get moving then. Everyone on Zifur."

Zifur dropped onto its knees and elbows for Fairy Tail to climb upon its broad back. Since it was Wendy's and Carla's first time to meet the ancient demon, they were a little hesitant to jump on board until Juvia told them how friendly the old beast really was.

The girls and Happy huddled around the middle of the wyvern's back while Gray stood between its shoulders with the reins frozen in his hand. Pale frost was quickly spreading up the demon's long, maned neck and down its winged arms, making the demon shiver. Seated cross-legged behind the ice mage was Natsu who was still ablaze to keep the demon from completely freezing over and to act as a heat barrier for the others. Shortly before hopping onto Zifur's back, he had taken a few motion-sickness pills that one pirate reindeer doctor had made for him a long time ago. A miraculous drug for the Dragon Slayer, the motion sickness pills made Natsu no longer hate riding on vehicles and other forms of transportation that wasn't Happy.

"Sorry about the cold," said Gray to his blind friend.

Zifur let out a raspy laugh and shook its head, shaking off most of the frost that had accumulated. "No apology needed," it replied as it stood up, "I will always serve you, Half-Lord, no matter the conditions."

"Thank you," mumbled the ice mage, truly grateful for the wyvern's devotion.

"Hey, no worries," Natsu spoke up with a smirk, "I'll keep the old bat hot and toasty." He puffed out some flames to warm up the demon's arms. Dull gray scales shimmered in the heat and Zifur seemed rather pleased.

Gray pulled on Zifur's reins and the demon leapt off the ice and flapped its mighty wings to quickly gain altitude.

The mountains and frozen village shrank below them as they rose, showing the range of damage caused by Torafusa's tainted water. Black ice covered most of the jungle surrounding the village of Edelweiss. There was nothing visible left of the village, only the ugly black taint layered with spiny, pale frost. It was as if the village and the people never existed at all and seeing that turned Gray's mood bitter.

The sky darkened and rumbled with thunder as Zifur hovered below the twisting clouds.

Gray unfurled his icy fingers that held Torafusa's soul. "You," he sharply addressed the Etherious, "show us the way. If you lead us astray, my promise to let you free will no longer hold and you will greatly regret wasting our time. Do you understand, wretch?"

The pale, pitiful soul shuddered under Gray's fierce glower. "We Etherious… when reduced to souls, we are always drawn to Tartaros's headquarters. There is no deceiving you, brat, no matter how much I want to."

The dark-haired mage sneered at its defeated tone. "Good." He tossed the spirit high into the air.

Torafusa, now free from Gray's chilling grasp, flared into a brighter, vibrant light that flickered and burned like a healthy, crimson flame. Then, without a second of hesitation, the soul fled from Fairy Tail like a frightened animal. It soared as fast as an arrow, heading south in terror.

Green eyes locked on the fleeing red light in the distance, Gray snapped Zifur's reins and began their pursuit.

It felt like an eternity until Torafusa entered the world of blue. The liquid in the Resurrection Tank was usually warm, but the cold – the horrible, icy chill the Etherious had suffered through during its imprisonment – didn't seem to go away. The cold lingered. It had penetrated to the soul's core and now the Etherious could never forget it.

Despite the warmth surrounding it, Torafusa shivered uncontrollably. It needed to warn everyone about the accursed brat and its fearsome power, but it couldn't leave the tank.

A familiar childish face suddenly pressed against the glass to peer at the soul stuck within. "Whaaat? You lost too, Torafusa?" sighed the rabbit-eared Lamy. She twisted her expression into an angry pout. "Boo! You males can't seem to do anything right! Kyoka and Seilah did perfectly fine on their missions."

"Lamy!" shouted the soul urgently, but the other Etherious didn't pay any attention to it.

The bunny demon pulled away and started to spin in circles in front of Torafusa's tank. She hummed in thought. "What sort of new body should I give you and Jackal?" she pondered to herself as she spun around and around on her toes.

"Lamy! Listen to me! They're coming! Warn Mard Geer!" Torafusa growled, but again, the girl ignored the soul. Could she not hear Torafusa behind the glass? The spirit tried several more times to gain Lamy's attention, but the result was the same.

She smacked her face against the glass again, her narrowed eyes glinting mischievously and her lips twisted into a wide, drooling smile. "Hee hee! I know! I'll give you a sexy, beefy bod! Long, flowing, majestic hair. A gorgeous face, much better looking than that ugly lizard mug you had before! Yeah! Yeah! Mmm, tanned skin too… Oh! So hot!"

"No!" Torafusa screamed. It didn't want an attractive body, it desired a stronger one; strong enough to withstand the terrible cold that would soon be upon them.

Lamy started to punch in a combination of commands on the tank's console to add the components into the liquid that were necessary to build a new body for the defeated Etherious. She clapped happily. "Oh, you're going to be pretty this time, Torafusa! Prettier than that hideous thing!" She looked disgusted at another tank that was out of Torafusa's line of sight.

The soul cursed its fate multiple times. Mard Geer was not going to be happy with Torafusa for leading the enemies to their base. The Underworld King was most likely going to be furious, an emotion rarely seen on the current leader of Tartaros. Perhaps that rage would be enough to defeat the accursed brat and his terrible power. Mard Geer was unstoppable when he was angry. Or better yet, if Mard Geer could awaken Master E.N.D. then there would be no competition at all, but complete annihilation!

No, Master E.N.D. may not even be necessary. Silver, the Ice Devil Slayer. As the name implied, the Ice Devil Slayer would be most effective against the demonic boy and his foul ice. It was the perfect match-up. There was no way Silver would lose!

If Torafusa still had a mouth, it would be grinning in vengeance. It knew the Devil Slayer wouldn't miss the opportunity to slay a powerful, ancient demon lord. It had high hopes for the other member of the Nine Demon Gates.

There was a loud explosion followed by the whole building suddenly shaking, making objects noisily rattle and consoles beep. Lamy fell to the floor with a yelp of surprise. "What was that?!" she cried and ran off in search of answers.

Torafusa shivered, knowing full well what the source of the commotion was. It could already feel the awful cold as if the accursed brat's frozen fingers were still keeping it trapped. Soon, the horrible feeling would disappear. It had to. The demonic boy and his friends were all going to die for invading Tartaros's mighty fortress.

A/N: Been feeling down in the dumps lately, but writing this sort of cheered me up. I hope it cheered you up too.