Fairy Tail FanFic - The Ice Dragon

Training.

OMG guys I am SOOO sorry about the wait xD when I posted the last three chapters I honestly didn't think anyone would read them, and I wrote them so so long ago that when I only had the first paragraph of this chapter and the title I wa completely stumped on what the original plan was. Anyhow, all my exams are done now, and I'm currently on a not very exciting holiday, so hopefully I'll get the next chapter done for you over the next week too, as admittedly, this one is a bit of a filler I'm afraid :')

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Lucy streched and yawned loudly. Grey had gone a good few hours ago, but Haylee was practically nocturnal and didn't shut up.

"You all tire so easily!" Haylee exclaimed "I'll go to bed" she laughed "or you'll be like a zombie tomorrow!"

Lucy smiled and nodded, barely able to keep her eyes open.

Haylee stood up, grabbed her pillow and blanket and tiptoed to the door, slipping out and switching off the light behind her. She could see the silvery outline of the sleeping Grey, the moonlight turning him into a silhouette. She padded quietly to the sofa, sitting down and stating out through the glass doors. She missed it a little, the travelling. Take away combing the land and beating up mages in hope of information, it might have even been fun.

Her eyes, having adjusted to the dark easily thanks to her dragon-like abilities, lingered on Grey. He had misplaced his shirt again, and the silver moonlight highlighted the definition of the muscles of his chest. Haylee paused, was this what it was like for him earlier? She smiled, and shook her head, gently pulling the throw off the back of the sofa and draping it over him, before curling up on the sofa and quickly falling asleep.

The next day the three traveled to the guild today, and on arrival they located the master and asked him about Haylee joining the guild. Makarov accepted her offer and outlined the rules and responsibilities of being a member of the guild. Then, he told her they'd need to give her a few tests, consisting of four fights, the determine her level for missions.

"First you will be tested against Lucy, so we can get an idea of your power against her Celestials, saving anyone from getting too scratched up. Then, as long as you proved your capability in the previous fight, you will fight against Natsu, who's fire will be a weakness too you, so it'll be bout strategy. After Natsu will come Grey, ice like you, so again, strategy will be important to find his differences and weakness. Finally, I you're still standing, you will fight Erza, which will test your strength the most. These will happen tomorrow, give everyone a little time to prepair. Got that?" Makarov informed her from his spot on he bar.

Hauler nodded as she absorbed the information, her childlike lack of social knowledge and skills were completely gone, and the serious Haylee that had traveled in search of her mother was in her place. 'I shall have to try to hide my dragon-based ice moves...' she thought to herself, already going through familiar battle plans and strategies in her head.

After that, the others left Haylee to take on a few jobs, while she went out into the woods to train a little and clear her head of distractions.

The way she changed when she was serious was almost as if she was a different person. When she was around Lucy and Grey, the only people she really felt comfortable with, she was happy and open, whereas almost all other times she reverted to her former-self, the lone hunter, who wouldn't hesitate to kill of the cause was right, her reptilian mindset.

Haylee reached the clearing that people occasionally used to train. It was a large circular area, surrounded by trees. The grass in the centre was mostly worn away and there were a few targets and practise dummies at one side. She decided to warm up, ex-quipping to a light amour that she often used in fights. It had been a while since she'd fought anyone, not since she'd arrived at the guild and tried to kill them all anyway. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, focusing her magical energy, before breaking out into a volley of attacks against an invisible enemy. Ice shards shot and retracted from her skin at will, she slashed with her left hand, shards shooting from her knuckles like giant claws and retreating back into her hand as her arm pulled back. She brought up her right arm as if to deflect a blow, rows and rows of small razor like ice-blades creating a mini-mountain range on her forearm. She continued in this deadly dance with her imaginary foe, ice glinting in the sun and eyes closed, trying to consider every possible move and the best ways to parry them.

Time past and Haylee felt it was time for another exercise. She set up a few targets and stood around 10 metres away. The claw-like ice shards again protruded from her knuckles in anticipation. She swung her arm as if to throw a knife, and the shards broke from her knuckles, flying to the target. She cursed as they hit just a inch from the centre, replacement blades already in hand to try again.

She continued like this throughout the day, with different armours and tactics, staying away from her Dragon slayer moves. Haylee left no room for mistakes, critiquing herself harshly.

The sun was low in the sky when Haylee decided that she'd done enough. She perched cross-legged on the stump of an old oak and breathed deeply, calming herself down as she watched the sun slowly lower itself towards the land. She sighed, her thought's wandering again to Skylar, wondering if she was skill even under the same sky anymore. 'I've worked hard today...' she thought. 'I will allow myself this one indulgence'.

She looked down at her hands, and cupped them, whispering almost inaudibly "ice make dragon!". A white glittering mist shimmered into existence between her palms, solidifying into a miniature version of her mother, the almighty ice dragon. The little dragon crawled over her arms and up to her shoulder, stopping there to make a high pitched squeak of a roar, causing a smile to play across Haylee's lips. It then jumped into the air, it's long body slithering like a snake and it's icy mane flowing in the breeze. It turned and gave Haylee another "yipp!" roar, making her laugh, before flying straight up into the sky and out of sight.

The smile slowly faded from Haylee's face. Her little ice dragon was gone, just like Skylar... 'snap out of it!' She thought, bringing jerk weld back to reality and preventing herself wallowing in self-pity and longer. She tidied up the mess she'd made, decapitated dummies and smashed up targets, before heading back towards the guild hoping that one of the others would be there to take her back to Lucy's.