Breaking the Curse

Gray reached down and scooped some of the melted ice into his hand before letting it drain. "Thank you, Ur..."

"Gray, what are you doing here?" Laki asked as she and Natsu ran over.

"Now that that thing is revived, we don't have a choice." Natsu shouted while pointing at the demon. "We've got to take it down."

"No.." The three looked over to see Lyon, crawling along the ground. "None of you... are strong enough... but I am... I will... defeat it..."

"Lyon..." Gray shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm finally going to surpass Ur..." Lyon madly chuckled out.

"You can't even get up off the floor." Natsu pointed out. "How are you gonna beat Deliora?"

Deliora roared in might as Lyon stared up at it. "We meet again, Deliora... I've waited so long for this..." Lyon said as his mind traveled back.

*"The strongest mage here?" A wizard repeated as he and his friends stared at a young Lyon with a staff on his back. "Well, I'd say Ur is one here. She's been held up in the mountains ever since her daughter died a few years ago. I swear, no one here is stronger than her."*

*"Ur, huh..." Lyon stared at the men with wide joyous eyes. "Do you think she'll teach me magic?"*

"She was strong, but still couldn't beat this demon..." Lyon said as he struggled to his feet, and started walking over. "I'm going to do the one thing she never could..."

*"What do you mean you're gonna teach that kid magic?" Lyon asked Ur as she read the paper.*

*"He said he wanted to learn." Ur told him. "You're not jealous are you?"*

*"Aren't I enough of a replacement for your daughter!?" Lyon asked. Ur's eyes snapped open and she slapped Lyon on the face. "Y-you hit me..."*

*"Lyon, let's get one thing straight." Ur knelled down to his eye level. "Never once have I thought of you as a replacement for my daughter. You are who you are. My adorable little pupil."*

"Finally... my dream... will be... fulfilled..." Lyon stood up only to have Gray chop his neck and fall back down again.

"That's enough, Lyon." Gray said as he waded into the water. "You've caused enough trouble. I'll clean up the mess you've made." He stopped and entered the Iced Shell stance. "I'll seal Deliora again. **Iced Shell!"**

"Don't do it, Gray!" Lyon shouted as ice swirled around Gray. "Do you know how long it's taken me to melt that ice!? History will just repeat itself! I'll just remelt the ice. I will not rest until I've finally defeated Deliora!"

"I don't care about the future!" Gray shouted back. "I have to do this to keep it from killing us all right now!" Before the spell could go any further, Natsu stepped in front of him. "Natsu, what are doing?"

"Why don't you let me handle this?" Natsu asked, shocking all three maker wizards.

"Don't be stupid!" Gray shouted back. "Get out of my way!"

"If I didn't let you cast it before, what makes you think I would let you cast it now?" Natsu asked Gray who just stood there in shock. "I'm not gonna let you go out like this. Go ahead and cast your spell, but I'm not moving."

Deliora roared again before raising its arm and bringing it down above Natsu, who ignited his own fist. "I'm not giving up until the end, ya hear me!?" The fists collided in a mass of green energy and flames. Suddenly, Deliora's wrist cracked, shocking Lyon. More cracks appeared along its body, and a green energy seeped out of them.

"Whoa..." Natsu backed away from the shattering demon. "I'm stronger than I though."

Deliora's ankle cracked and it toppled over to one side. "N-no way..." Lyon was in complete shock as a large crack burst along its neck and the head fell off. "It can't be..." The shattered limbs fell into the water beneath them, breaking even more. "Deliora was already dead..."

Water seeped out of the temple and joined the sea as Gray just stared in shook. "For ten years... Ur has been draining the demons life force..." Lyon said as he started to cry. "And we just saw its final moments..." He pounded his fist into the ground. "I'm never going to surpass Ur."

"Wow. Your teacher must have been pretty awesome." Natsu said to Gray.

*"I've freed you from the darkness, Gray."* Ur's voice rang in Gray's head. *"I've sealed it away, forever."* His eyes began tearing up as he covered his face. "You've saved my life again... Thank you, Ur."

"Natsu, Laki, Gray!" The first two looked over to see Lucy and Happy headed towards them.

"Natsu!" Happy flew into his friend arms. "I fought off a whole bunch of cultists by myself!"

"You did not!" Lucy shouted back. "I took out most of them!"

"Um, Natsu..." He turned around and came face to face with Erza holding Laki by her hair.

"Ahhh!" Natsu tried to run away, but Erza grabbed his scarf.

"Natsu..." Erza spoke. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"Wait, Erza!" Natsu started begging while Lucy looked over to Gray walking over to Lyon.

"Come on. Let's go." Gray said as he slung Lyon over his shoulder.

"Ur..." Lyon mumbled. "She really was something, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, she was." Gray said as the two students shared a smile.

***Outside the Temple***

"Yeah! That's right! We won!" Natsu cheered as he pumped his fists into the air.

"Honestly, I was worried for a while." Lucy confessed before turning to Gray. "But it all worked out thanks to your awesome teacher."

"We totally finished an S-Class mission!" Natsu bragged as jumped in joy.

"Does that mean Master is gonna let us on the second floor?" Lucy asked. Erza shot them all an angry look, and the mini celebration died down. "Oh no. We're still gonna get punished?"

"I think you're all forgetting something." Erza said. "Wasn't the goal of the job to return the villagers to their original forms? Until that is done, you still haven't completed your S-Class quest."

"B-but I don't understand..." Lucy spoke up. "The curse should be lifted now that Deliora's dead."

"No." Erza said back as she crossed her arms. "This curse you keep speaking of had nothing to do with the demon. The Moon Drips enormous magic power harmed the people. Their situation hasn't changed simply because Deliora collapsed."

"Oh no." Lucy realized she was right.

"So, let's go change them back!" Natsu said as he and Happy high-fived.

"Great idea, but how do we do that?" Gray asked.

"Well, I think we know who to ask..." Laki said as her eyes wandered to Lyon, who was behind them.

"I don't have a clue." He confessed.

"What?" Natsu asked.

"You better not be lying." Laki said as she cracked her knuckles. "I've got ways to make you talk. They told us this curse stated when you guys first got here."

"I'm not lying." Lyon said. "We've known about the existence of a village on this island ever since we came here three years ago. Although we didn't have any reason to communicate with them so we left them alone. And they never came to the temple to see what we were up to."

"Never, in three years?" Erza asked.

"I don't understand." Lucy interjected. "The light from the Moon Drip shone down on the ruins every night for three years. It's so bright you can practically see it from any part of the island. It's pretty weird that they saw it every night and didn't go investigate."

"I have serious doubts that the Moon Drip is responsible for their transformation." Lyon said. "It doesn't work on the human body that way."

"Yeah right." Natsu spoke up. "Don't tell you're gonna try the whole 'it's not our fault' routine."

"Just think about it." Lyon looked up at the group of wizards. "We've basked in the same light for three years, and we haven't changed one bit."

"That's right." Lucy proclaimed.

"I wouldn't trust them." Lyon added. "Those villagers are hiding something." He turned his head away and rolled his eyes. "But, I'm sure you guild wizards can handle it."

"We're not done with you." Natsu told him. "You destroyed the villa-" He was cut off when Erza cupped his lips.

"That's enough, Natsu." Erza told him as she remembered what Toby told her.

*"You really wanna know why we all joined Lyon?" Toby asked. "All of our families where killed by Deliora. We wanted revenge. He told us that if we released the demon, he would kill it."*

"They were just doing what they thought was right." Erza told him. "Let's go." She released his lips and the group started walking towards the storage area.

"So, how are we gonna lift the curse?" Laki asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Erza confessed.

Gray stayed behind for a second and looked at Lyon. "What are you looking at?" Lyon asked him, glaring in anger.

"You really should join a guild." Gray told the other ice mage. "You make new friends, meet new rivals, and maybe find a new dream to live for."

Lyon looked at him for a second before turning away. "R-ridiculous. Just go already."

***Gulana Village Storage Area***

"Hey, where is everybody?" Happy asked as the group started walking through the empty storage place.

"You sure they came here?" Natsu asked Lucy.

"Yeah." Lucy nodded. "After the village was destroyed, they were using this place as a camp. But, where is everyone?"

"Hellooo!?" Happy called out, but no one answered.

"I'm gonna grab some medicine and bandages since we're here." Gray said as he walked into a tent.

"You finally made it back!" The group turned around and saw a green villager running up to them. "You have to see this! Follow me to the village."

***Galuna Village***

"What in the..." Lucy stared in shock. The village that had been destroyed a day ago was back to normal, completely restored to before the jelly destroyed it. "Are you kidding me?"

"Yesterday it was just a big hole in the ground!" Happy shouted. "But now it's back to normal."

"What's going on here!?" Natsu asked as he pounded on a nearby wall. "It's like the village went back in time!"

"Natsu, please try not to break anything." Laki asked. "Wait, back in time? Natsu, do you think?..." He nodded as an image of Zalty flashed through their heads. "Was it him? But why would he...?"

"Maybe he had a change of heart?" Natsu asked. "Who cares? The village is back. That's all that matters."

"What are you two talking about?" Lucy asked. "Oh, I'll get our stuff." She ran off to get the groups bags, only to come face to face with Moka kneeling infront of Bobo's grave. "Bobo's grave is back. I'm so glad, and I'm sure the chief is too."

She walked over to him and Moka turned to her. "Did you and your friends restore our village with your magic?"

"Well..., not exactly..." Lucy started.

"I can't tell you how grateful we all for your help." Moka said as he stood up and turned around. "However, I must know, when will you wizards destroy the moon for us!?"

"Destroying a moon is a simple task, sir." Erza said as she walked over.

"Did she really just say that with a straight face?" Gray asked Laki.

"I think she's finally gone mad with power." Laki whispered back.

"However, before I do that, I want to confirm a few things." Erza continued, having not heard, or ignoring, the comments the maker mages said. "Would you be so kind as to call everyone together for a meeting?"

"Of course." Moka replied as he left to gather his people.

"Erza, what are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"Just confirming a few things." Erza said as Moka returned with all the villagers behind him. "Let me get this straight. You all first gained these appearances when the moon turned purple. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right." Moka answered. "During the day, we're fine but when the moon comes out we turn into what you see now."

"And the moon first turned purple three years ago, right?" She asked as she walked around. "The Moon Drip ceremony has been held daily on this island for three years. And every night, it produced a beam of light so bright you couldn't possibly miss it." She was so focused on her questions she ignored the pit fall trap in front of her and fell through, screaming.

"Even the pit fall trap is back." Happy said as he stared in disbelief.

"S-She screamed like a girl..." Natsu observed.

"It was kinda cute..." Gray added.

"Now I'm REALLY glad I didn't put spikes at the bottom." Laki said.

"I am so dead meat when she gets out!" Lucy screamed in fear.

Erza calmly climbed out of the hole and continued speaking. "Seriously, that light should have made the temple the most suspicious place on the island."

"She got up like nothing happened..." One islander whispered to another.

"I don't understand, why didn't anyone investigate?" Erza asked as the islanders whispered amongst themselves.

"Well..." Moka spoke up. "We would have investigated ourselves, but according to village tradition we must never go near that temple."

"But who cares about traditions when your own people are dying?" Lucy asked. "You contacted the magical guilds, so you knew there was a serious problem." Moka looked away from her, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Why don't you tell us the truth?" Erza asked.

"To tell you the truth, we don't know what's going on either..." Moka confessed to the group. "Allow me to explain. We've tried to investigate the temple many times. Everyone took up arms that we never had to use before and then ventured into the jungle towards the temple. But we could never get near it. We could see it through the trees, and then we would end up back at the village gates."

"That doesn't make any sense..." Laki chimed in. "We got to the temple just fine, so why can't you?"

"We kept it to ourselves because we were worried you wouldn't believe such a story..." A red islander spoke up.

"It's the truth." A dark blue islander added. "We've tried to go to the temple many times..."

"But none of the villagers have been able to get inside." A green, scaly islander finished.

"I see..." Erza mumbled.

Up in a tree overlooking the village, Zalty chuckled to himself. "Impressive, that Titania. She's already figured it out."

"Natsu, come with me." She ordered as she Requipped into a gold and black armor. "I'll need your help to destroy the moon."

"Ha ha!" He chuckled as Lucy, Gray, Laki, and Happy stared in disbelief.

"It's the only way to change the villagers back to their human forms." Erza continued as the crowd erupted into cheers.

"If we're gonna destroy the moon, shouldn't we go to the top of the ruins?" Natsu asked as he ran up to her. "It's a lot higher up there."

"Here's fine." She said. "Remember, the villagers can't go near the temple and they need to see this."

"What the hell is she thinking?" Gray asked Lucy. "Even if it is Erza, I don't think anyone can destroy the moon..."

"So, how is she gonna do it...?" Lucy asked.

"This is so exciting." Happy added.

"More like terrifying." Lucy said back.

"This is The Giant's Armor." Erza said as Moka stared at the moon. "It increases my strength, allowing me to throw farther. And this..." She held out her hand and a large spear materialized in her grasp. "This is the De-Malevo-Lance. It's a magic spear that repels darkness."

"I get it!" Natsu shouted. "You're gonna use that spear to break the moon, aren't ya!?"

'That's never gonna work..." The other wizards and Happy thought to themselves.

"That's right." Erza said as she turned to Natsu. "But I'll need more power than this armor can give me. That's where you come in. I'll need to use your fire as a boost. When I begin to throw the spear, punch the back of it as hard as you can. We'll have to time it perfectly, but it should be enough to break the moon."

"I like it!" Natsu shouted enthusiastically.

"Then let's do it." Erza said back as the two walked over to a nearby tower.

"Do they really think they can pull it off?" Gray asked the two females as Happy stared in amazement.

"I think they've both gone completely insane." Lucy whispered to Laki.

Natus and Erza reached the top of the nearest sentry tower and readied themselves. Erza aimed her spear at the moon as a gem on her armor began to glow, transferring power to her arm. "Now!" She pulled back her arm and readied to fire.

Natsu ignited his fist and punched with all his strength. The impact destroyed the towers roof as the spear went flying towards the moon.

"Reach it!" Erza shouted as everyone looked at the trail of smoke coming from the spear. Then the spear disappeared with a glimmer, lost in the light of the moon. A second later, a massive amount of cracks appeared on the moon, earning cheers from the islanders.

"NO WAAAAAY!" The other wizards shouted in disbelief.

Erza smirked as the cracks spread along the moon, before they continued onto the sky and broke apart, revealing a normal moon.

"What the..." Natsu stared at the sky in shock.

"The moon is still there!" Moka shouted as fragments of the sky fell down.

"The moon didn't break, but the sky did?" Lucy asked as she held out her hands to catch some of the sky.

"What's going on?" Natsu asked.

"As a result of the spell, a noxious membrane was covering the island." Erza explained as she walked over to him.

"A what?" Natsu asked.

"Think of it as exhaust fumes produced by the Moon Drip." Erza continued. "That exhaust crystallized and created an invisible dome over the island. That's why the moon looked purple here. Now that the shell has been broken, everything should go back to how it was three years ago."

The islanders began to glow in a golden light, hopeful that they would return to their human forms. However, the light soon died, leaving them all exactly the same.

"What gives? Why won't they turn back to normal?" Laki asked as the villagers inspected themselves.

"Because this is their normal appearance." Erza said as she Requipped back to her regular armor. "The dome didn't affect their bodies. But it does seem to have altered their memories."

"Their memories?" Natsu asked.

"They think they're humans who have been cursed to become demons, but it's the other way around." Erza explained as she walked down the stairs of the tower.

"Wait, so that means..." Lucy asked as she trembled in fear of her theory being correct.

"Yep, that's right." Erza said as she walked up next to them. "They were demons to begin with."

Everyone was in shock at the revelation. Natsu stared at the villagers with wide eyes, while Lucy collapsed into a screaming ball. Laki just fell back against a hut and held her head in pain.

"Is that true!?" Gray asked the closest demon.

"M-maybe..." The demon answered as he scratched his chin. "It's all kinda fuzzy. We looked human when you meet us, right?"

"That's because you possess the ability to take on human forms." Erza explained. "Your false memories lead you to believe that their true form was that of a human. In reality, they were victims of the Moon Drips side effects."

"Wait, if all that is true, then how come Lyon and the others weren't affected by it?" Lucy asked.

"I assume it's because they are human." Erza guessed. "As far as I can tell, demons were the only ones afflicted by the memory loss. It also explained why they were unable to go to the temple. Moonlight collected there is sacred, and therefor creatures of darkness couldn't go near it."

"Quite the detective." A voice spoke up from behind them, making the wizards turn. "I knew I could leave it in your hands." Laki looked up and gasped in shock, as did Gray and Lucy. Bobo, the man who brought them to the island, the man who was supposed to be dead, was standing right there. "Thank you, wizards."

"Ghost!" Lucy and Happy clutched each other in fear.

"You're the guy from the boat!?" Gray shouted.

"Bo-Bobo..." Moka whispered in shock.

"But I thought we..." One villager started.

"Getting stabbed in the chest really hurts, but it'll take more than that to kill a demon." Bobo chuckled.

"But, on the boat... You just disappeared..." Laki started before Bobo smirked and disappeared again, scaring her, Gray, Lucy and Happy.

"Sorry for not telling you sooner." Bobo shouted as the group looked up and saw him flying in the air with a pair of wings.

"He can fly!?" Gray asked.

"I was the only one who had their memory intact." Bobo continued. "I had to leave because everyone went crazy. I knew I was a demon, but everyone else started thinking they were damned humans. Hahaha."

"Bobo..." Tear filled up Moka's eyes as his own wings emerged from his back and he took to the sky. "Bobo!" He wrapped his arms around his son and cried.

"I'm so glad you're back to your senses, dad." Bobo said as he hugged his father.

The other demons stared at the two before taking to the sky as well, cheering that Bobo was alive. "Yep. They are definitely demons." Erza said as the group observed.

"I don't know." Natsu said as he walked over to them. "If you look at their faces, they kinda look like angels to me."

"Let's have a feast to celebrate!" Moka shouted in joy. "It will be an all-out demon party!"

"I don't think I can party like a demon..." Lucy said nervously.

"Me either..." Happy added as the islanders quickly brought out tables of food.

Everyone dug into the food, while Natsu enjoyed some of the islanders' fire. Gray was sitting off to the side, enjoying some soup.

"How are you feeling? You sure do look a lot better." Gray looked over as blue, beetle themed demon girl walked over to him, along with some other girls.

"Do I... Know you?" Gray asked as he examined the girl.

"Maybe this will help." The girl said as she changed into the girl he knew as Lulu.

"Oh, now I remember." Gray said.

"I sure look different, don't I?" Lulu chuckled as she returned to her normal form.

"You know, every girl here thinks you're the coolest guy here." A teal skinned girl said as she kneeled down.

"Yeah, you're so awesome!" A green girl added.

"But you think we're cuter in our human forms, don't you?" A purple haired girl asked.

"That's not... Necessarily true..." Gray nervously said. "I think you girls are fine just the way you are." The girls squealed in joy before wrapping their arms around Gray.

"Looks like someone's a big hit with the ladies." Lucy teased as she, Erza and Laki watched from a table.

"I have to admit, I was wrong about humans." The girls looked over at Moka and Bobo who were sharing the table with them. "All these years we've chosen to hide from the outside world, scared that people would judge us by our appearances."

"You know the curse?" Bobo looked up and asked the girls. "That was just a rumor we started so no one would bother us here."

"Well it worked." Lucy said. "The sailors at the docks were terrified. No one wanted to take us here."

"I know, and it's a shame." Moka said. "You all have restored our faith in humans, and now we're not afraid. We're ready to go out and meet people off of the island."

"That's good." Erza said with a smile. "Friendship is a beautiful thing. It goes beyond how someone looks."

***Galuna Jungle***

"Are we really gonna go down there?" Toby asked Sherry and Yuka.

"It wouldn't be right to leave things as they were." Yuka answered. "Stay here with Lyon, okay?"

"We have to do this." Sherry added. "It's all for love." The two jumped down the cliff and headed towards the village.

***Galuna Village***

The party was going strong when one demon noticed footsteps and looked at the gate, causing others to do the same.

"Not again." One demon said. "It's the Cold Emperors minions."

Erza stood up as Natsu looked over from his fire. "How can I help you?"

"You Fairy Tail wizards are quite impressive." Yuka said. "The Cold Emperor is so banged up he couldn't even make it down here."

"That's why we've come to pay you a visit." Sherry added.

"Wait, I thought we were cool." Lucy stood up. "Didn't he tell you everything that happened in the temple?"

"Yes he did." Yuka answered. "But that doesn't concern us. We wanted to settle things with you ourselves."

Erza glared at the two as Natsu ran forward. "Alright. If that's what you want, me and Laki will be more than glad to give another round." He lit his hand on fire in anticipation.

"Hold on, Natsu." He looked over to Bobo, who had other demons behind him. "Listen, we appreciate everything you guys have done, but we can't keep relying on you guys. Let us handle them."

"Normally, I would agree..." Erza started. "But I think it's best that I handle this one." She walked over in front of the two intruders.

"We meet again, Titania." Sherry said. "You gave Angelica quite a beating earlier."

"She looks like a worthy opponent..." Yuka mumbled with excitement.

"Watch out for the creepy chick, Erza!" Lucy shouted. "She can control inanimate objects!"

"And don't even try using your magic against mr. megabrow." Laki added.

"Is that so?" Erza asked before she sprinted forward. "If so, I'll do it the old fashioned way!" She rushed towards Sherry and kicked her in the gut, before spinning around and back elbowed Yuka in the face, knocking him down.

"She didn't even have to use any magic..." Lucy stared in shock.

"That's Erza for ya." Happy added.

"We're no match for you..." Yuka mumbled as he and Sherry stood up.

"Wait... So, you don't want to attack us?" Lucy asked.

"I know this won't make up for everything we've done, but we wanted to apologize in person." Yuka said.

"The Cold Emperor told us everything." Sherry continued speaking for the two. "We can finally let go of the pain Deliora caused us so many years ago thanks to you."

"Wait. You guys were victims of Deliora too?" Gray asked.

"When we were kids, the demon destroyed our village." Yuka confessed. "It killed all of our friends and family. Lyon told us he had a plan to kill the demon. That's why we joined him."

"We wanted revenge." Sherry continued. "But we were so blinded by our hatred that we behaved no better than the demon itself. From now on, we'll treat other people with respect, and love."

"Alright then!" Natus shouted before appearing behind the two. "You guys should stick around and join in on the party!"

"But we were enemies just a second ago..." Yuka said.

"I'm not really interested, because I'm trying to watch my figure and..." Sherry started before Natsu plopped the two into seats. Everyone who watched the scene chuckled before returning to the feast.

Back in a tree away from the village, Zalty observed the scene with his orb floating next to him. "Did you see that?" He asked the orb.

"Indeed." A voice form the orb said. "So Zalty, why did you turn the village back to normal?"

"I consider it a reward to the Green Woman for beating me." Zalty chuckled as he rubbed his check.

"Well, they did much better than I expected..." The voice sighed. "Fairy Tail... They better not get in our way, Ultear."

Zalty chuckled as he took of his mask. A magic light covered him as his body turned into a female with purple hair in a white kimono. "I agree, Siegrain."

***The Next Morning***

"I think you're gonna have a scar." Lucy said as she looked at Grays face.

"Whatever." Gray said uninterested.

"But it's on your face." Lucy said back.

"The scars I can see don't bother me." Gray told her. "It's the ones you can't see that sting the most."

"Well, aren't you a smooth talker?" Lucy flirted.

"So you have invisible scars?" Natsu asked.

"Shut up, fire crap." Gray shouted back. "I'm trying to say something cool, so butt out."

"That was cool?" Natsu asked.

"Alright. Break it up, you two." Laki got in between them and pushed them away. "Lucy, do you have anything less revealing to wear?"

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Lucy asked. The group gathered their stuff and headed to the village gate,

"What do you mean you can't accept the reward?" Moka asked Erza. "You deserve it after everything you've done for us, so please take it."

"Your gratitude is payment enough." Erza told the chief. "Besides, I told you last night. The request was never officially accepted by our guild. A couple of idiots trying to prove themselves stole it."

Moka chuckled at the reason the guild took the job. "That may be so, but if it wasn't for them we might not have been saved. How about if I give it to you not as a reward, but as a thank you gift from friends. It's the least I can do after everything you've done for our village."

The other wizards stared at Erza, hoping she would accept the money. "When you put it that way, it's hard to reject it." She started, filling the team with hope. "But I can't. Accepting your reward would be going against everything that our guild stands for. Although, we'll gladly take that gate key off your hands."

"The gate key!?" Natsu, Laki, and Gray shouted in disbelief.

"Come to mama!" Lucy cheered in joy.

"Then at least let me take you to Hargeon." Bobo offered.

"No need. I have a boat waiting for us." Erza told them, leaving the islanders in confusion. She led them to the beach, where a massive pirate ship was waiting for them.

"A pirate ship!?" Gray was in shock.

"Did she hijack it, or something?" Lucy asked scared. The pirates shouted in joy as their 'mean beauty' had returned to them. "Mean beauty?"

"Yes." Erza calmly said. "It seems they've grown quite fond of me."

"I am not riding that thing!" Lucy protested.

"If you wanna swim, I'll join you." Natsu offered.

"Not gonna happen!" Lucy shot him down as Erza climbed aboard followed by Laki.

"Hey, Erza." Laki spoke up. "Listen, Natsu's gonna beg me to merge with this ship so he can ride in peace. If I refuse, do you think you could let him off the hook with the punishment?"

"Not really my decision." Erza said. "However, I will tell the master before sentencing. Maybe he'll consider it."

"Thank you for everything!" Bobo shouted as the islanders cheered goodbye. "Come back someday!"

"We will!" Lucy waved back. "Take care!"

On the rocky terrain above the beach, Lyon and his followers watched as the ship sailed into the sea.

"There they go." Yuka said as Toby wept behind him.

"You okay, Lyon?" Sherry asked her former leader. "You never got the chance to say good bye to your friend, or give him your love."

"It's fine." Lyon told her as he looked to the sky. "Yuka, Toby. You two were in a guild once. What was it like?"

***Era***

***Siegrain's Office***

"I'm disappointed that the Deliora case didn't work out." Ultear said as she stood at the office door.

"Well, it can't be help..." Siegrain closed the book he was reading. "We had no way of knowing the demon was already dead." The book floated over to the shelf and put itself back. "C'est la vie. It's a minor setback. I'll be more thorough next time."

"Please forgive me, Siegrain." Ultear said as she walked over to him. "I had no idea that wenches magic would be so powerful."

"No need to talk about her like that." Siegrain turned to her. "It will make her shed another tear. I respect your mother. She was a magnificent wizard. If she was still alive today, she'd be counted among the Ten Wizard Saints."

"You think too highly of her." Ultear said back. "My mother was a pitiable woman. She loved her magic and nothing else. No wonder my father left the wench."

"They say the more important the thing you lose, the stronger the powers you gain." Siegrain said back.

"I doubt my mother considered me a great loss." She said back with disdain. "I was just a speck in my mother's life."

"Is that so?" Siegrain wondered aloud. "Maybe she took on those two pupils out of regret." He went to continue, but Ultear pressed her finger against his lips.

"Let's not talk about that." She whispered. "I think it's time we move on to the next step."

"Hey, Ultear..." Siegrain stared at her face as a massive red lump swelled onto it . "What's wrong with your face?"

"That bitch, Laki, beat me somehow!" Ultear screamed as she channeled magic into her face to smooth her wound.

"Now that's what I call a delayed reaction." Siegrain chuckled. "Speaking of the Green Woman, how was her partner, Natsu?"

"Not exactly the brightest opponent I've face, but he is powerful." Ultear confessed. "Both of them appear to be getting stronger each day, him more than her."

"I'm not surprised, he is the son of Igneel." Siegrain clutched his hand into a fist. "Keep on burning Natsu, for the sake of my dream..."

***Magnolia***

"We're back!" Natsu shouted in joy.

"What a rip." Gray mumbled. "All that hard work for a simple gate key."

"Well I'm sorry, but it wasn't an official job." Erza said dragging her cart behind her. "Just be glad you got something."

"She's got a point, so quit complaining." Lucy added.

"You're only saying that 'cause you got the key." Happy told her. "I say we sell it."

"No way!" Lucy shouted. "I've told you before. There are a lot silver keys, but are only twelve golden keys in the world. They're really rare. I'm lucky to have five."

"So, what key did you get?" Laki asked.

"Sagittarius, the archer." Lucy told her.

"The horse man?" Gray asked as his mind thought of a bipedal horse.

"More like human torso, horse legs." Lucy corrected when she noticed a dumb look on Natsu's face. "I don't even want to know what he's thinking of."

"You're all so care free." Erza mumbled. "It's like you've forgotten you face punishment when we get back to the guild."

"What!? Why!?" Lucy asked as the four turned to the redhead. "Everything worked out in the end."

"Be that as it may, I can't ignore your actions." Erza told them. "You broke one of the guild most important rules. Once I make my report to the master, it's up to him to decide your punishment. You'll be lucky if he just makes you do *that*." The mention of *that* caused Gray to turn into a blabbering mess.

"No, not *that*! Anything but *that*!" Natsu tried to run away, but Erza grabbed his scarf and started dragging him to the guild hall. Natsu squirmed around before noticing the whispering townspeople.

"Hm?" Erza looked up. "Something's wrong with the guild." The others caught up to her and stared in horror. Giant iron pillars jutted out of the guild hall.

"Our Guild!" They all shouted in horror.

Natsu stood up shaking in rage. "Who did this!?"