I don't own Fairy Tail or Percy Jackson.
Walking throughout the night in the pale purple moonlight, Percy was able to reach the village by dawn. At its entrance was a large wooden gate, surrounded by concrete on both sides where it jutted out into the forest. Atop the concrete walls, Percy could see that two guards were stationed to keep watch. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called up to them.
"Hello!"
Both of them glared suspiciously at him. "Who are you?"
"I'm a member of Fairy Tail," he replied proudly. "I'm looking for my guildmates."
"Really?" One of them sneered. "Then prove it."
Percy sighed. Lifting up his shirt, he turned so that they could see the guildmark on his back. "There. Are you happy now?"
"How do we know you didn't draw that with a pen?" The other asked.
Percy tugged down his shirt, huffing in annoyance. These men were really getting on his nerves. He knew he had to find his guildmates and they were getting in his way. He didn't have time for this and was done playing around. "Just let me in!" He bellowed, piercing them with the strongest glare he could muster. The men yelped in surprise, snapping to attention immediately.
"R-right away," one of them said nervously.
A moment later, the massive gates to the village swung inward, allowing Percy entry. He gave the men a curt nod of acknowledgment, before setting foot inside the village. He scanned the village, searching for someone that could help him find what he was looking for. Asking a kind old woman where it was, Percy made his way over to the chief's hut. Entering, he found an old man with tanned skin sitting Indian-style on the floor, his back facing Percy. He wore a white tribal-like kilt along with a cloak and numerous gold rings on his legs and left arm. The most noticeable detail to Percy was his long white sideburns.
"Excuse me," Percy said. "Are you the village's chief?"
The man turned to face Percy, the long lines in his face showing as he sighed. "Yes."
"I'm a member of Fairy Tail. I'm here to look for my guildmates."
"Ah yes," the old man nodded. "They already left. Your friends set out this morning to explore the island and see if they could reverse the curse."
"What curse?
The old man waved his hand dismissively. "I'm getting to that. Anyway, if you ask me they should just destroy the moon. Then all our troubles would disappear."
Percy frowned, impatience crossing his face. The chief nodded. "Ah yes the curse. A few years ago, the moon turned purple. Every night since then, the people of this village have transformed into demons."
Percy raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Demons?"
"Yes," the chief said gravely. He withdrew his arm from beneath his cloak, revealing an indigo claw.
"Oh. That's..uh,strange," he said awkwardly, staring at the claw with wide eyes. He'd seen quite a few strange things in his life, but never a human with a claw for a hand. That was unless he was to count Elfman's Beast Takeover.
The chief caught him staring and drew it back under his cloak. Percy opened his mouth to apologize, but the chief held up his other hand. "It's fine. Now then, shouldn't you head after your friends?"
Percy dipped his head in apology. "You're right. Thank you-?"
"Moka," he answered. "Chief Moka."
"Alright chief, I'm off then."
Leaving the village, Percy found himself in a dense forest. There was vegetation all around, upturned brown roots, thick green bushes and vines that coiled around the trunks of trees like snakes. There didn't appear to be any sign of his guildmates nearby. Looking above the treetops, he could make out the top of a tan structure. Some sort of building, he decided. Maybe he'd find his guildmates there. After all it was the most noticeable landmark on this island. 'It's the perfect place to start looking.' A moment later, he was snapped out of his thoughts by the rustling of bushes. He spun around and caught a glimpse of a cloak amongst the leaves of the trees. On second thought..' Deciding he'd start there, Percy took off in pursuit of his target.
Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Gray stood before an enormous temple that loomed overhead. A massive stone staircase marked the pathway to the entrance of the temple. Shooting each other curious looks, the group began climbing the stairs up to entryway. Once they reached the top, Natsu and Happy rushed inside, with Gray and Lucy following behind, albeit it at a slower pace. Inside they found a room so large, that it felt almost cavernous. Despite the sheer size of it, it was empty. The only sign that there had ever been human life here were the various drawings that covered the walls.
"Why's it so empty in here?" Natsu asked, as he wandered around the room.
"I don't know, so can it flamebrain," Gray retorted.
Natsu's eyebrow twitched out of irritation. "What did you say?" Natsu growled, bristling with anger. He smashed his sandaled foot against the tiled floor, sending his foot straight through it. "Huh?!" He exclaimed as he tried to pull his foot free of the floor's grip, but he only succeeded in causing more tile to fall away. Due to its old age and the force of Natsu's foot, the entire floor began to cave in, sending the startled members of Team Natsu through it and on top of a rough stone floor. The impact took knocked the wind out of them. It took Lucy and Gray a few moments to regain their bearings, while Natsu and Happy bounded back onto their feet quickly. Looking up, the group could see what was left of the caved in floor and through that the floor above. They found themselves in a cavern, much larger than the previous room. Every few feet or so rocks, both big and small, dotted the space, but there didn't appear to be anybody or anything down here. That is until Lucy caught sight of something. Letting out an audible gasp, she stared at in horror and amazement. Gray, Natsu, and Happy turned to face her, hearing her gasp, and following Lucy's pointed finger, they found themselves looking at the same things she was. Frozen inside a massive block of ice was a monstrous creature.
"Deliora," Gray muttered his steely blue eyes wide with disbelief.
"Deli- what now?" Natsu said glancing at the ice mage.
Gray glared at the dragon slayer, but tore his gaze away and stared at the creature instead "Deliora..." His voice trailed off. How could Deliora be here? On Galuna Island of all places? Last he saw of it, that monster was on the Northern Continent. Why was it here? What could someone want with something that powerful? Whoever was holding the beast here had a death wish, Gray was sure of it. Thoughts raced through his head like a whirlwind, but they kept drifting off to his old master Ur. Taking note of the opening in the cave above the creature, Gray watched as sunlight shone down on the block of ice.
"Guys," Gray piped up, turning to face his friends. "I think we should wait here until nightfall."
"But why?" Lucy questioned. Gray's response was a finger jabbed at the ceiling. Lucy nodded in understanding. "Got it, but-" She was silenced when Gray clamped a hand around her mouth. He also shot Natsu a look, as if daring him to say anything, but the dragonslayer remained quiet.
"Someone is here," Gray whispered. The four of them split up, Gray and Lucy hiding behind one rock, with Natsu and Happy taking cover behind another.
Hearing the click of boots across the cold stone floor, Gray peered out from behind the rock and saw two men talking. One man had medium length brown hair and eyes, along with facial features and ears resembling that of a dog. He was shirtless, revealing his thin body. He also wore a pair of denim jeans. Beside him was a man wearing a long black cloak that swayed from side to side as he walked. He fastened his cloak with a silver clasp that had a lightning bolt emblazoned upon it. His hair was a mess of silver spikes, a few locks hanging over his forehead. He wore a white half mask that covered his forehead, eyes, and nose, exposing only his lower jaw. Engraved upon his mask were intricate red designs, and it had black lenses that hid his eyes. The click of his polished black boots resounded throughout the entire cave.
"So Toby, are you and your friends off to capture the intruders?"
'How do they know about us?' Gray wondered.
Toby nodded. "Reitei said to capture them and if we can't kill them. He doesn't want them interfering with the Moon Drip ceremony when it's so close to completion."
"I see," the man said, still smirking. "I shall rejoin Reitei. You should meet up with the other two and be on your way."
"Yes sir," Toby said, before scampering off to find his comrades. The masked man was left alone for a moment before disappearing in a flash of light. Gray let out a sigh of relief once he did so. They hadn't been discovered.
"They're not from the island," Natsu declared. "They smell different."
Gray nodded. "You're probably right Natsu."
"Gray," Lucy began, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "What is Deliora?"
Gray drew in a shaky breath. "Deliora is a demon that terrorized the Northern Continent, destroying many villages, mine included. My old teacher Ur," he paused, keeping back a tear that threatened to fall. "She sealed Deliora in that ice at the cost of her own life." He clenched his shaking fist. "This Reitei guy," his eyes flashed dangerously. "If he ruins Ur's memory I'm going to kill him."
Leaping on to a tree branch, Percy could see the swish of a cloak as the figure leaped from tree to tree. He continued tailing the cloaked person until the trees began thinning out and eventually gave way to a small clearing. The figure, which he could now tell was a man, stood in the center of it. He had a mane of wild green hair and wore a red mask with four horns protruding from it. It was adorned with blue and yellow designs. He also wore a simple red shirt and black pants. Percy landed in the clearing behind him. He eyed the man warily. "Who are you?"
The man turned and grinned. "Zalty."
Percy then took notice of the crystal ball in the man's hand. His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here? Do you have anything to do with the curse that's been placed on this island?"
Zalty wagged his finger at Percy. "Tsk, tsk. Now I'm afraid that's none of your business." Extending the hand that held the sphere, Zalty released it. It streaked forward, smashing into Percy's stomach. The demigod grunted in pain, as he hit the ground with a thud. Percy winced, as he picked himself up off of the ground. He glared at the masked man, and raised his arms, settling into a fighting stance. They began to morph into stone clubs. Something about this man's scent was off, causing Percy to feel anxious. Thrusting his arm outwards, his club raced towards Zalty's chest. The masked man grinned, and leaped into the air, landing atop the club.
"I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that."
Percy grit his teeth and yanked his arms upwards, flinging Zalty into the air. Percy's other arm shot forward, its blunt end transforming into the sharp tip of a spear. He stabbed at the masked man, but Zalty twisted his body in mid-air. Percy's spear traveled right beneath his hip, missing him by a few inches. Percy clenched his jaw angrily. He withdrew his spear, it transforming back into a regular human arm. Percy's hand glowed gold for a moment as he requipped his sword. He raised it threatingly. "Tell me about the curse you placed on this island," he demanded.
"Curse?" Zalty repeated, sounding like he wanted to burst out laughing. "This so called curse is simply a side effect of resurrecting one of Lord Zeref's great creations."
"Zeref? Who is that?" Percy asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd heard it before.
"Anyway," Zalty said. "I best be going now." As he turned around to jump back into the trees, His crystal ball streaked towards Percy, but this time the demigod was ready. Percy cleaved the ball in half with his sword. He grit his teeth and took off after Zalty, ready to catch the masked man and get some answers. However, he was knocked aside by the crystal ball smashing into his back. He grimaced, as he was sent crashing to the ground. 'Just what kind of magic is this?'
Back in the cave, Gray, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy awaited nightfall. Natsu had fallen asleep long ago and Happy was starting to doze off, leaving Lucy and Gray to sit in an uncomfortable silence.
"Uh," Lucy began awkwardly. "How about I summon one of my spirits for entertainment?"
Gray shrugged his shoulders in response. He had too much on his mind to care. Lucy pulled out a silver key and summoned a beautiful spirit who carried a harp.
"Lyra, could you play us something?" Lucy asked.
Lyra nodded and sat down on a rock. Running her fingers delicately along the harp, she began to sing a song. Its melody was lovely, but beneath the warm sound was something deeper. In Lyra's voice there were undertones of sadness that stirred something within Gray. The ice mage's thoughts continued to drift off to Ur. Running miles through the snow and ice, grueling workouts, hours correcting stances. Taking ice baths, stripping to become accustomed to the elements. Ur's kind smile, the warmth and care that was beneath her icy exterior.
Small droplets of liquid began to fall onto Gray's pants, making the fabric grow even darker. His tears fell silently as he remembered his teacher. Lucy moved to sit beside him, her chocolate brown orbs full of sympathy. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder she searched for the right words. Nothing came to mind, so all she said was, "It's night now."
Gray wiped away his tears. "All right. Wake up flamebrain and Happy and we'll be on our way."
Reitei stood atop the temple in all his masked glory, observing his followers as they chanted in a circle. Beside him, the other masked man watched with a smile. Reitei turned to him. "Why are you smiling Storm?"
"I'm simply excited that my plans for Deliora's body will come to fruition soon."
Reitei nodded. "Yes they will. Once I defeat Deliora the body will be yours." He noticed Storm's grin turn into smirk and frowned beneath his mask. "What is it?"
"It's time to greet our guests."
As if on cue, Reitei heard the pounding of feat across the stone floor of the temple's roof. Turning around, Reitei spotted the intruders that he had received word about. They all appeared to be members of a guild, and judging by the guildmark on the salmon-haired ones shoulder they were members of Fairy Tail. His teeth gnashed together angrily when he realized who was leading the group of wizards. "Gray."
Gray froze when he heard Reitei speak. "Lyon?"
Reitei reached up and removed his mask, revealing cold black eyes and a sneer. "I suppose I won't be needing this anymore," he said, tossing it to the ground. He turned to his subordinates who had momentarily stopped performing the moon drip ceremony. "Continue," he ordered.
Natsu grinned cockily. "Oh no you don't." The dragon slayer sprinted toward the chanting people, fists ablaze with orange fire. Lyon dashed forward to meet him, and hit Natsu's sternum with an open palm strike, freezing him upon contact. Every part of him was encased in ice, save his hands, feet and head.
'Tch, you idiot,' Gray thought. Natsu was going to get himself killed, so he knew he had to do something. He ran forward and kicked Natsu, sending him tumbling down the steps of the temple. "Lucy," Gray shouted, turning back to look at the blonde. "Take Happy and head to the village. Those guys who we heard about might attack it soon."
"I'm on it," Lucy replied. "Let's go Happy."
"Aye sir!" With that, the exceed lifted Lucy up and took to the sky.
Watching them go, Gray then turned to Lyon. "Now it's just you and me."
"Not quite," Lyon said, motioning to Storm.
Storm shook his head. "I'm not participating in this battle. Your friend here is no interest of mine. He's too weak for me to even consider a worthy opponent."
"Humph." Lyon crossed his arms as he glared at Gray. Gray settled into a traditional ice-make stance, legs spread wide with his fist in his palm. "Ice-Make: Lance." Ice crackled around his hands, and took the form of sharp spears. They shot forward with an impressive speed, but Lyon raised one hand and cast a spell. "Ice-Make: Snow Bird." Dozens of small winged birds flew forward and collided with the lances, shattering them upon impact. Many of the birds broke as well, but a few continued on course. Gray's eyes widened in surprise, and he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding them. Lyon prepared another spell. "This is for what you did to Ur. Ice-Make: T-" He was silenced by a flying sidekick to the midsection. Lyon grunted in pain, as he was sent tumbling to the ground. When he rose, he was met with Percy's livid face.
"Would you like to help now Storm?" Lyon asked, as he drew in a shaky breath.
"My pleasure." Storm disappeared into thin air and reappeared behind Percy, catching him off guard with a lightning covered fist to the cheek that sent the demigod flying.
Gray glared daggers at Lyon. "What were you saying before?"
"It's your fault Ur died." He raised his hand once more. "Ice-Make: Snow Tiger." A ferocious beast of ice bounded forward, its icy fangs bared.
"Really?" Gray retorted, forming a shield of ice, blocking the tiger's advance, causing it to shatter. "You're the one that is mocking Ur's sacrifice by bringing back the very thing she gave her life to imprison."
Lyon fired off another spell, this time sending spears of ice hurtling towards Gray, at a much faster pace than Gray's version of the spell. They hit their target dead center, crashing into Gray's chest. Gray let out a pained shout, as he was knocked to the ground. "You're the reason she's dead. You thought that you could kill Deliora as a child! If you hadn't run off like an idiot, Ur wouldn't have had to save you by performing Ice-Make: Shell! And now I will avenge her by reviving Deliora and killing that beast! Something that you couldn't do," he said with a sneer.
Gray stood on shaky legs, panting heavily. Realizing that blood dribbled down his chin, he wiped it away with his fist. He squinted at Lyon, wincing in pain. Was it really his fault that Ur had died? She didn't have to use Ice-Make: Shell. There had to have been another way for her to beat the creature. At least that's what he told himself.
Meanwhile, Percy was having some trouble with his opponent. In the few moments they had been fighting, Percy realized that he was an incredibly powerful lightning mage on par with or even stronger than Laxus. Percy and Storm stood about ten meters away from each other. Storm was sporting his cocky smirk once again, while Percy's mouth was set in a firm line. He had overheard Lyon and Gray's conversation and wasn't sure what to think. Ur was dead, which he realized made perfect sense. When they parted ways they had promised to keep in touch via lacrima, but that hadn't lasted long. He had always assumed it was because she had been busy, but know he knew better. And to hear that Gray was the reason she was dead..
He shook these thoughts from his head. He had a job to do right now, and it was no longer to bring back his guildmates. No, he'd avenge Ur's death by stopping Deliora's revival and if that failed, he'd kill the demon himself. Tugging on his necklace, his shield materialized on his arm. Dashing towards Storm, he threw his shield at the mage's head, but Storm performed a forward handspring, and with a lightning encased foot, he kicked the shield back at Percy. Percy quickly morphed his hands into rock and caught the shield, grunting due to the force of its impact. It spun in his hands for a few seconds, grinding against the rock before stopping. Percy put in on his arm and continued his assault by leaping forward. Storm shot balls of electricity at him as he approached, but Percy dodged each skillfully. Leaping into the air, he brought his foot down in a powerful axe kick. "Earth Dragon's: Talon!" His rock covered foot collided with Storm's arms, that were interlocked in an x-block. The mage's block didn't even falter, his smirk still spread smugly across his face. "Is that all you got?"
Percy grit his teeth. He channeled his magic into his foot once again, and small spikes sprouted forth, impaling Storm's arms. The lightning mage's smirk disappeared, and he let out a strangled shout. He sent electricity coursing through his arms, forcing the demigod to jump back. In mid-air Percy hurled his shield once again, which hit Storm in the stomach this time. The masked mage grunted in pain, and Percy, landing on the ground, went back on the jabbed at Storm's face, which the other mage grabbed easily. Percy threw another punch, and Storm managed to catch Percy's wrist. Before Storm could flip him over, Percy pulled Storm towards him and planted his feet on his chest. Using it as a backboard, he sprang backwards. Twisting his body in mid-air, Percy's cheeks and stomach swelled with magic. He expelled a tornado of sharp rocks and stones at Storm. The other mage was caught off guard and took the full brunt of the attack, kicking up a cloud of dust. When it finally cleared, Percy found himself staring at Storm who now sported a cracked mask. Out of a broken lense, he saw a cold azure eye.
This time Storm made the first move. Seeing the lightning mage rush at him, Percy aimed an elbow at his face, but Storm ducked under the blow and caught Percy in the face with a powerful punch, sending him into the air. "Lightning Uppercut!" Jumping into the air, Storm knocked him back with a kick and before the demigod could regain his bearings or hit the ground, Storm appeared above him and brought his hands together and slammed Percy into the ground with a hammer fist. The tiles of stone cracked upon impact. "Raging Bolt!" A bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking the spot where Percy lay. When the lightning dissipated, Storm noticed a small trail of smoke rise out of the crater in the roof.
He grinned triumphantly, until he heard a quiet groan. He watched with awe as Percy rose shakily from the roof. His shirt was in tatters, revealing his lean and muscular chest and arms, both of which sported various burns courtesy of Storm. An old scar marred his chest, a long line of pale skin that stuck out like a sore thumb among his healthy tan. Wiping the blood that dribbled down his chin, Percy fell to one knee. Picking up a few broken pieces of debris, he shoved them into his mouth and scarfed them down. Feeling energy rush through his veins, he stood up once more. Settling into a fighting stance, his arms morphed into sharp spears. His sea-green eyes were dark and angry, resembling the churning and raging waves of the sea during a storm. Storm grinned, seeing Percy's expression. 'Maybe he'll pose a challenge now.' He allowed lightning to snake wildly around his body, forming an armor of sorts. He and Percy charged forward at the same time, both with fierce battle cries.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait!
