SailorStar9: We now continue with Chapter 127 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.

Chapter 127: Tartarus Chapter: Soaring Above Ishgar

"Ulyo!" Gray shouted, the two male mages shielding their eyes from the blinding white light that exploded from the water mage.

"This is... Ulyo's 'Final Release'?" Natsu was stunned, the temperature of the surrounding air was pummeling rapidly as the pillar of frozen air extended outwards, spreading from the ground and up skywards, before completing engulfing Mard Geer Tartarus.

Even as an Ice Make mage, Gray shivered as the sheer cold hit him. "Oi, Ulyo! Can you hear me?"

She could not hear him; Gray doubted she would be able to hear anyone as this point. Ulyo stood in the center of the ice pillar, with her entire appearance changed: her hair had gone completely white and she was dressed in a sleeveless chiton which was held up by two buttons made of ice on her shoulders. A half-crown of snowflakes donned her hair, keeping her fringe secure. Standing opposite of her, Mard Geer Tartarus stood frozen as well, his eyes wide in shock.

Then the ice began to thaw as Mard Geer Tartarus' armor simply shattered, crumbling into icy dust. The rest of the ice pillar fell apart, leaving Mard Geer out of his Etherious form.

A crack on her cheek brought Gray's attention back on the immobilized water user and he was instantly by her side. Granted it was still cold as the air bit into his skin, but it was nothing compared to the all-consuming cold moments before. Another crack appeared on the back of Ulyo's palm and Gray mentally cursed.

"Slowly," he coached. "Thaw out slowly."

Ulyo's ice statute remained still, the surrounding temperature began to lift as color started to seep back into her body, the ice crown fading and the chiton was replaced by her original clothes. Finally, with the last of the ice exiting her skin, her 'Final Release' form shattered into glittering ice dust. Then, she went limp and falling into Gray's awaiting arms.

"You wretch!" Mard Geer growled, finding his powers somewhat diminished and himself out of his Etherious form. "You'll pay for that with your life!" he swore and let loose his 'Thorns' Curse at the couple.

"Burn!" Natsu shouted, his attack taking out the vines closing in on them and letting Gray take Ulyo out of harm's way.

"That was rather reckless of you." Gray chided, placing Ensui on the unconscious Ulyo's lap. "But thanks to that, the advantage is on our side now. When you wake up, this fight will be over."

On the other side, the Sabertooth Twin Dragons had taken out Jiemma with their combination attack, the 'Silk of the White Shadow Dragon'. Utterly exhausted, both Dragon Slayers collapsed on the ground.

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu let loose his breath attack.

"Rage of the Ice Demon!" Gray followed up with his own breath attack.

"Dea Yggdrasil!" Mard Geer summoned an entwined vine pillar and sent it towards the two Slayers.

Drawing back their fists, both mages rained their rapid-fire elemental punches at the vines and totally disintegrated the plant pillar.

"Ice Make: Gungnir!" Gray sent his ice trident flying at Mard Geer who side-stepped the iced weapon.

"Brilliant Flame of the Fire Dragon!" Mard Geer was sent flying back into the wall by Natsu's flaming fists.

"You showed me a good time, human mages." Mard Geer pulled himself out of the rubble. "Long ago, magic was born as one. Eventually, it developed into a great number of varieties. During that historical time, END discovered a new possibility for magic: Curses. The power of that power are curses, grudges, jealousies, hatreds. All of those negative emotions became power. Power based on the essence of life."

"What a load of crap." Natsu snapped. "If that's the case, then magic will create the future."

"Magic has no future." Mard Geer declared, surrounding both his opponents with a black mist that paralyzed them. "Curse power is superior in regards to everything. Go to purgatory." he droned, as the mist slowly engulfed Natsu and Gray. "This is the ultimate Curse power that I devised to destroy Zeref. Memory of death: Memento Mori!" he case his Curse. "To kill the immortal Zeref, the notion of life and death will be destroyed. Anyone hit by this Curse will be neither dead nor alive. They will just vanish. Become nothing..." he mumbled. "For eternity. Now I just need to revive END, and I can destroy you, Zeref. It can't be..." he was stunned when Natsu and Gray broke free from the destroyed earth, unharmed. "Is that Silver's power?" he asked, seeing part of Gray's arm had turned back. "And with that wretch's last attack reducing my power, he was able to guard against my ultimate Curse? A mere human?" he fumed. "What is this power?" he wondered, after being sent flying by Natsu's flaming punch. "Dragon Force?" he realized, seeing Natsu activate Dragon Force after the Dragon Slayer nailed him with his knee on his chin.

"Inherited directly from Igneel." Natsu powered up. "Dragon Slayer's Secret Art: Hidden Fire Form, Crimson Lotus Phoenix Blade!" his flaming headbutt slammed Mard Geer clashing into a series of rock slabs.

"Ice Demon: Zero's Destruction Bow!" Gray ended the fight with his ice arrow, the arrow then solidifying into a jagged ice array once it impaled Mard Geer.

"You did it." Natsu grinned, falling back on the ground.

"No, it isn't over yet." Gray corrected. "I have to destroy END."

"That's right." Natsu recalled. "Igneel told me to get him that book."

"Sorry, but like I said, I'm going to destroy it." Gray claimed the END book.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, jackass!" Natsu snapped.

"Which one of us is the clown?" Gray fired back. "This created Tartarus. And it's the most powerful demon of the Books of Zeref. We should destroy it now, while we still can."

"I made Igneel a promise." Natsu stated. "Gimme that book."

"I refuse." Gray held fast.

"Will you two just stifle it, please?" Ulyo inquired.

"You're awake?" Natsu blinked.

"Should you even be walking around?" Gray asked.

"What's that?" Natsu looked up as the demolished Cube started rumbling. "That's... don't tell me... Face..."

"This is only the beginning." Mard Geer remarked. "The extinction of magic will soon become negative energy and END will be revived. When the strongest Etherious comes back, you humans will have no power to defend yourselves."

"Damnit!" Natsu cursed.

"Acnologia!" Gray recognized the black dragon that was slammed onto the ground.

"Don't give up, humans." Igneel declared, a foot on Acnologia's chest.

"I sense Weisslogia..." Sting mused. "But he should be dead."

"Skiadrum is here, too?" Rouge mused.

"The unleashed dragons are dancing in the sky over Ishgar." Igneel declared, as Grandeeney, Metalicana and Skiadrum demolished the Face structures.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.