Hi everyone, thanks again for your patience. Before we get started, I just wanted to say thank you to all my followers of this story, as of this moment, I have over one thousand followers! I honestly never thought I'd get so many; I am truly touched by all the support you have given me.
We are getting closer and closer to the climax of the Tenrou Island arc as most of the Eight Kin of Purgatory have been defeated. But that doesn't mean Fairy Tail is out of the woods yet. The worst is still yet to come. So, with all that being said, let's get started.
Frozen Kindred Spirits
Azuma, the strongest of the Eight Kin of Purgatory had been bested, by none other than the combined efforts of Dante and Erza, both of them watching Azuma's sliced body fall towards the ground. His obsidian skin fading as his Eden form had worn off. By the time both severed halves of his body hit the ground, Dante and Erza both fell off the branch they were on as well, their exhaustion and fatigue having caught up with them. Fortunately, Dante was able to get a hold of Erza as he let his back take the brunt of the impact before they landed on the ground as well.
"Erza… you okay?" Dante asked in-between breaths.
"Yes… I'm alright." She confirmed as they shared a small smile. However, once they both looked towards Azuma, they saw that his severed body looked as if it was being absorbed into the ground as moss formed around his body and small plants began to grow.
"The hell…? What's going on?" Dante asked.
Azuma's eyes opened. "You already know… Lost Magic takes it's toll. Once I used my Eden Form, my physical body had all been spent." Erza looked down as she knew what it meant; Azuma's fate was all but sealed. Dante didn't seem all that upset over it, but he wasn't too thrilled about it either. "I'll honor my word; your friend's power will be returned to them."
"Thank you." Erza nodded.
"Hey, I got a question for you." Dante said to Azuma. "Zeref, what exactly is going on with him? I thought he was supposed to be dead or something. How is he alive?"
Erza seemed to have the same sort of thoughts. "I remember how the Tower of Heaven was constructed to resurrect Zeref, but one of your agents said Zeref never died."
As Azuma's body continued to be absorbed, he gave his answer. "I don't know the details. But Master Hades claims Zeref to be immortal, a power that was granted to him by Mundus." Dante's eyes narrowed at the mention of that name. "Zeref, for some reason, vanished from history. So everyone believed him to be dead, which led to a cult of fanatics attempting to 'resurrect' him by constructing the Tower of Heaven. Master Hades choose to take advantage of that, using the tower as a distraction to avert the Magic Council's attention, while also leading them to believe that Zeref was dead, when in fact he was alive and out of sight."
That seemed to make sense as it answered a few of their questions. Dante already knew Grimoire Heart was pulling the strings with a lot of the bad stuff that's been going on long before he even joined Fairy Tail. However, Erza still had one question to ask.
"Do you know a man named Jellal Fernandes?"
"I never met him, but I knew the circumstances around him." Azuma answered as all the plants growing from his body began to merge into a single tree. "Much like the Tower of Heaven itself, he was also a pawn to Master Hades. He claimed to be under the influence of Zeref's spirit, when in actuality, Ultear was the one manipulating him."
"That time bitch?" Dante questioned.
"Yes." Azuma confirmed. "Though she isn't the strongest of the Kin, her cunning is not to be underestimated. It's likely the reason Master Hades choose to keep her close to his side." He looked to Erza directly. "Was Jellal someone close to you?" Erza didn't answer but looked down with a saddened expression in her eyes, Dante offered his own sympathetic look to her as well. "My condolences."
Dante saw most of Azuma's body was consumed, it wouldn't be long now. "You got any regrets?"
"No." Azuma answered.
"Really?" Dante asked in minor surprise. "No family or friends you left behind? Not even a girlfriend?"
"I told you how I lived my life." Azuma explained as he was nearly consumed. "I only sought to fight the strongest of opponents. You two were among the most challenging enemies I've ever faced before. If my life had to end at the life of another warrior, I'm glad it was you. Erza Scarlet, also known as Titania, and the Legendary Crimson Knight, Dante."
"You only sought powerful opponents?" Erza asked as she looked towards Dante with a small smile. "That sounds familiar, doesn't it?"
Dante gave a small chuckle, Azuma wasn't all that different from themselves, or even Natsu and most of their friends. "You know. If things would have been different, you'd probably fit right into Fairy Tail."
Azuma was almost completely consumed as a small smile formed on his face. "Yes… maybe…" Those were his last words before his body had been completely absorbed into the large and thick tree that grew from the ground. A light shinned down on it almost as if it were a sign that Azuma's soul had been ascended into heaven.
Dante and Erza both gave content and remorseful sighs. Though he may have been an enemy, Azuma wasn't evil. He had a code of honor and was worthy of respect. "What an incredible warrior." Erza complemented.
"Got that right." Dante agreed. Their attention was soon caught by a bright golden light that shined like the sun. It shined from the tree that grew from Azuma and all throughout the remains of the mighty Tenrou Tree that had fallen.
This light had shined throughout the entire island, and even upon the group consisting of Natsu, Lady, Wendy, Trish, Lisanna, Lucy, Happy, Carla, Cana, and Makarov. Once the light died down, most of the group instantly felt their strength and stamina return, though Cana and Makarov remained unconscious.
"Wait a sec… I'm starting to feel it again." Natsu was already back on his feet as he carried the unconscious guild master.
"Yeah, feels like I just got all my strength back." Lady said as she stood up as well.
"Did something happen just now?" Lucy asked as she picked up the unconscious Cana.
"My magic power's coming back." Wendy said as she created a small cluster of her sky magic in her hand.
"Yeah, so is mine!" Lisanna said with a smile as she felt her own power inside.
"Do you feel it, Carla?" Happy asked, while Carla smiled and nodded in confirmation.
Trish smirked as she generated a small cluster of lightning in her hand before she clenched her fist. "Looks like we're back in business."
It was happening even back at basecamp; Freed, Bickslow, and Elfman stood up as they felt their magic power return to them as well, even Levy and Panther-Lily felt it to.
"Very good." Freed stated.
"We're back, baby." Bickslow said as well.
"Talk about manly timing." Elfman smirked as Rustyrose's looked in shock as he saw what were once defenseless victims stand back on their two feet and more than ready for a fight.
"Let's rock babies!" Bickslow sent his dolls straight at the enemy wizard.
"Let's rock!" The dolls all sang as they hit Rustyrose like a pair of blunt missiles to send him flying, Freed leapt behind Rustyrose as he flew back and slashed his sword to send him reeling straight towards Elfman who delivered a solid punch to Rustyrose's face to send him crashing into a series of rocks.
"Looks like all our magic power is back to normal." Levy had a triumphant smile on her face.
"Maybe this whole bizarre phenomenon is the reason the others haven't returned yet." Panther-Lily theorized.
"What have you done, Azuma?!" Rustyrose exclaimed in desperation. "They were supposed to be reduced to dead leaves blown away by the wind!"
Gildarts appeared to be down for the count as Bluenote continued to stomp hard on his head in a mocking form. "So now the mighty Gildarts is nothing but a powerless joke!? I had expected much more from you, old man!" However, Gildarts grabbed onto Bluenote's foot before he could stomp any further as his own strength returned. "Where is all this coming from?"
"I came here to show the young ones how to hone their skills." Gildarts stated. "You think they're gonna take me as an authority if I let some dark guild lowlife get the best of me?! My reputation's at stake here, so I gotta get back up!"
In one swift movement, Gildarts flipped Bluenote off his feet and as he stood up, he sent Bluenote crashing hard into the wall with a single slap. As Gildarts glared at his enemy, a maniacal grin formed on Bluenote's face.
"Oh yes! This is what I wanted!" The Grimoire Heart commander exclaimed joyously. "A battle where we can both soar to the highest levels of our fighting skill! Let me show you why my name strikes sheer terror into the hearts of both men and demons! Black Hole!" Bluenote had created a small, yet incredibly powerful black hole in-between his hands. Already it began to create a powerful vacuum that began to suck up virtually everything in the area, even Gildarts had trouble standing on his feet.
"What kind of crazy magic is this?!" Gildarts questioned.
"It's an infinite gravity well!" Bluenote answered. "And nothing can resist its pull!"
"We'll see about that!" Gildarts attempted to resist the spell with all his might.
"Ready?! LET'S FLY!" Bluenote shouted manically.
Despite being vastly outnumbered and stunned by his enemies' sudden return of magical strength, Rustyrose refused to be defeated. "Dark Tower of Dingir!" Unleashing arguably the most powerful spell he could muster, a massive dark tower shot from the ground, trapping Freed, Bickslow, Elfman, Levy, and Panther-Lily in its grip as it ascended toward the sky.
"Ah damn it! Not this again!" Elfman exclaimed.
"What is this spell…?" Freed questioned.
"I can't move!" Bickslow stated.
"We've all gotten trapped in this thing!" Lily stated as Levy struggled next to him.
"The sacred ground you hold so dear will serve as your graves!" Rustyrose said as he let loose an evil laugh.
"Not if I can help it!"
*SLASH!*
Rustyrose was slashed across his back as he turned around in shock as he fell to see none other than Modeus standing, albeit shakily, while wielding one of his swords. "I will not allow you to harm then any further!"
"It's Modeus!" Levy exclaimed joyously as the Tower of Dingir vanished, freeing the group.
"The Arc of Embodiment…" Modeus began as he slashed at Rustyrose again. "It allows you to create virtually everything you imagine. But there's one side effect." He brought his blade down to slice Rustyrose across his face, shattering his glasses. "Your spells aren't effective if you don't concentrate! Demon Sword: Chaotic Moon!"
Modeus shot a large red moon-like projectile, that surged with chaotic energy, engulfing Rustyrose in it and causing him to scream in pain. But the others weren't finished yet, as they fell; Lily held onto Levy as Bickslow landed on his dolls, while Freed and Elfman let gravity send them straight to Rustyrose as Modeus' Chaotic Moon attack vanished.
"Dark Ecriture: Destruction!" Freed slashed Rustyrose, critically damaging him even further as blood shot out of the wounds that were inflicted on him by Freed and Bickslow.
"Beast Arm: Iron Bull!" Elfman's right arm transformed into a large iron fist, which he used to punch Rustyrose hard in the face, finally ending him as he laid unconscious in the crater formed on impact. With the fight ended, Freed, Lily, and Modeus shared contently smiles as Levy smiled joyously while Elfman and Bickslow had triumphant smirks.
Back with Gildarts, he struggled as best as he could against Bluenote's Black Hole. It seemed almost like the two were evenly matched, as if the unstoppable force had met the immovable object. The Black Hole sucked up virtually everything in the area and showed no signs of stopping. That is, until Gildarts sent out his hand and unleashed his Crush Magic on the Black Hole itself, causing cracks in the form of a grid-like pattern to form on it.
"It cracked…?" Bluenote's smile faded into one of surprise, which turned into borderline horror as his spell was shattered, stopping the powerful vacuum.
"If you really wanna fly, I can help you out." Gildarts smirked.
"He crushed my Black Hole with a shattering spell?! How?!" Bluenote exclaimed, but it was too late for regrets now.
"Crushing Evil, Spreading Truth: Empyrean!" Channeling all his magic power into his fist, Gildarts delivered a powerful uppercut to Rustyrose's jaw and sent him flying straight into the sky, scattering all the storm clouds in the area, ending the fight.
Meanwhile, Gray felt his own strength return as he was able to stand on his own two feet as well. "It seems as though your magic power has been returned." Ultear observed as she walked over to collect the unconscious Zeref.
"Ur's will… hmm." Gray appeared deep in thought.
"You can believe me or not, you know. It's up to you." Ultear told him. "As for me, I'm taking Zeref off this island. Listen, Hades must fall. I'm positive that with Ur's Iced Shell, he can be defeated once and for all." Gray was no fool, he knew how powerful that spell was. There was little doubt it could defeat Hades, but at the cost of his own life just as it cast Ur's own life when she casted the spell to defeat Deliora.
"How can I be certain you're telling me the truth?" Gray questioned skeptically. "How do I know you're not just going to take Zeref straight to Hades?"
"Just hear me out, Gray." Ultear said. "Shortly after I was born, my father was killed by Hades." That took Gray by surprise. "My mother kept tabs on Grimoire Heart, biding her time until the day came when she can avenge his death. After she died, I found her journal, and that's when I discovered the truth. That day, I made a decision that I would infiltrate Grimoire Heart. However, Hades was more powerful than I ever imagined. My mother perfected the Iced Shell because that was the only way to take him down."
"That's why she learned it?" Gray asked.
"But even though her blood runs through my veins, I was never able to master it myself." Ultear said with a great deal of regret in her voice. "As far as I can tell, that is the only spell capable of defeating Hades, and I have failed at it. You don't have to worry about Zeref anymore, I will seal him away off the island somewhere where not even Mundus will be able to reach him. I will keep him out of the reach of Hades and anybody else like him. Please Gray, my mother and I both dreamed this would one day come to pass. Please make it happen for us."
Meanwhile; Natsu's group tried to make their way back to the basecamp. "Come on! Get the lead out!" Natsu exclaimed as they ran while he carried the unconscious Makarov.
"I can't believe we all felt so horrible and weak just a minute ago." Wendy said.
"It probably had something to do with that massive tree going timber on us." Lady assumed.
"But if the tree has fallen, then how is it our magic has returned?" Carla asked.
"Wild guess, but I think Dante and maybe Erza had something to do with it." Trish said.
"But are you guys sure we're totally back to normal right now?" Lucy voiced with caution as she carried Cana's unconscious body. "I mean, we don't wanna rush into anything we're not ready for."
"We need to get Master and Cana back to camp so they can get medical treatment." Lisanna said. "I'm sure most of our friends are already waiting for us."
Happy suddenly fell on his paws with a groan. "I don't know if I can make it, I might die of starvation before we even get there." He whined as his stomach growled for emphasis.
"Get over yourself cat, it's not like the rest of us have had a full course meal during this whole shitstorm!" Lady said with an annoyed sweatdrop on her face and they all stopped for a moment.
"Maybe I'll just die of a sympathy overdose instead." Happy commented.
"You're certainly not helping your case, Happy." Carla told him.
"Actually, I'm pretty hungry too." Natsu said. "I haven't eaten any kind of fire since I had to swallow that nasty stuff that God Slayer bozo was serving up."
"Yeah, some food does actually sound like a good idea." Lisanna agreed.
"I wouldn't mind a bite either." Lucy added. "Cana's heavier than she looks."
"Wow, you better be glad she can't hear you right now." Wendy said to Lucy. "Because that's kinda rude."
"I'm actually hopping she heard it." Trish commented. "After what she pulled, she deserves it."
"Wow, you really know how to hold a grudge, Trish." Happy said. "But I'm not the only one who's starving."
"Look, we're all hungry right now." Lady stated. "But until we get out of this crapfest, our first priority is making sure everyone's alright. Once that's done, I promise to take you all to nice steakhouse."
"Be careful what you wish for, unless you wanna lose your salary for the next month." Natsu smirked, causing some chuckles admits the group. Despite the horrible situation they were currently in, it was still nice to find some humor.
Meanwhile, back at basecamp, Levy had finished tying up and securing the unconscious Rustyrose as the group began to discuss what had just happened with their sudden influx of magic power.
"It makes more sense to me now." Panther-Lily said. "That tree falling must have had something to do with why we all lost our magic power earlier."
"It is commonly known as the great Tenrou Tree." Freed explained. "The legends say it blesses our guild members."
"Well, the rumor I've always heard about it, is that if you have the Fairy Tail emblem on your body, the tree actually keeps you from dying." Bickslow put his two cents in.
"That would explain why Master Makarov chooses to host the S-Class trial on this island." Modeus assumed. "This way we can test our strength to the fullest without risking fatal harm to our comrades."
"But that also means all our wounded members will survive." Levy said with a hopeful smile.
"As much as I'd like to believe that, now that the tree has fallen, it also means that protection likely no longer applies." Modeus said in a grave tone. "But there's still one thing that doesn't quite make sense. Did Grimoire Heart fell the Tenrou Tree because they knew it would likely deal a death blow to Fairy Tail? If that's the case, how did they know?"
"Maybe it was just a lucky guess." Elfman shrugged. "It's a pretty big ass tree, they probably guessed it wasn't just for decoration."
"It would take a great deal of magic power and strength to befall something as powerful as the Tenrou Tree." Freed said. "Not just anyone could do that."
"If I had to guess, I would say it was likely that Azuma individual who defeated me and Mira." Modeus said as he spared a glance at Levy.
"He did have some kind of powerful tree magic, so it would make sense." Levy agreed. "But still, it doesn't sound like they just guessed it."
"Maybe it wasn't a guess." Panther-Lily said. "Maybe they knew that would happen."
"But how? Only folks from Fairy Tail know about the tree, and I'm guessing it's only Gramps and whoever he talks to that actually know about it." Bickslow said.
A troubled look formed on Freed's face. "As much as it pains me to admit it, I have a feeling that somebody from the guild probably leaked the information."
That took the group by surprise. "One of our guys?!" Elfman exclaimed.
"No, that can't be true!" Levy couldn't believe. "I can't imagine anyone betraying the guild!"
"It does make sense. Inside information and all that." Panther-Lily seemed to agree with Freed.
"I don't believe anybody currently in Fairy Tail would betray us." Freed explained.
"If that is the case, then perhaps it was a former member who had left the guild before and likely joined Grimoire Heart." Modeus seemed to follow Freed's logic. "But the question remains: who was it?"
Meanwhile; Gray said nothing at first as he appeared to be processing what Ultear had told him about Iced Shell and it's supposed purpose in defeating Hades. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Gray spoke.
"Okay, I'll do it."
Ultear looked at him with a surprised, hopeful, and relieved expression. "You will?"
"That's right." Gray clenched his fists. "I'll beat Hades."
"You know that Iced Shell is fatal to whoever casts it." Ultear warned.
"Trust me, I know." Gray said. "I know exactly what I'll be getting myself into by doing this."
"Thank you." Ultear said in a surpassingly sincire tone.
"Don't, cause I ain't doing this for you or your mother, either." Gray said with a glare. "It's for Fairy Tail."
Ultear simply nodded as she walked away, carrying the still-unconscious Zeref with her.
Meanwhile; Natsu and his group had finally arrived at the basecamp when they saw all their friends. "Hey guys!" Natsu called to them as they picked up the pace to join them.
"Hey, Lucy and Natsu and everyone are back!" Levy exclaimed joyously as everyone else shared smiles.
"Modeus!" Wendy immediately ran to her teacher and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She almost cried with tears ready to come down her eyes.
Modeus smiled warmly as he patted her head. "I'm relieved you're okay as well."
"Big brother, Elf!" Lisanna wasted no time in hugging her older brother, who was quick to return it as well, despite the pain he was in.
"I'm glad you're okay Lisanna." Elfman told his sister. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again."
"It's okay. I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me." Lisanna smiled at him.
"Hey, hate to interrupt the happy reunions, but we got wounded." Lady got everyone's attention as she gestured to the unconscious Makarov and Cana, whom Natsu and Lucy carried respectively.
"Set them down inside the tent." Freed said as he and Bickslow helped Natsu and Lucy gently place their master and comrade down next to the injured Gajeel, Mira, and Evergreen.
"Whoa, it's a whole lot worse than I thought it be." Natsu said upon seeing the condition his three injured friends were in.
"Yeah, this is awful." Lucy said in a scared tone.
"Mira!" Lisanna immediately kneeled down next to her unconscious older sister, with Elfman kneeling next to her.
"She, Ever, and Gajeel went through the ringer. But they'll pull through. They're way too manly to kick the bucket." Elfman said as he put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll use my Sky Magic to heal them." Wendy proposed.
"Don't strain yourself Wendy." Carla told her. "You've already exhausted a great deal of your magic during this ordeal."
Trish spotted the tied up and unconscious Rustyrose laying against a rock. "Hey, who's that guy?"
"One of the Kin of Purgatory." Levy answered. "He attacked us; but Freed, Bickslow, and Modeus were able to bring him down."
"Figure we can get some information out of him." Bickslow added. "But he can't say anything if he's out cold."
"Where is Dante?" Panther-Lily asked. "Last I checked, he was still with your group. And what of the Magic Council's spy?"
"Dante went to meet up with Erza." Happy answered. "Doranbolt went back to see if you could try and stop the Council."
"Somehow I doubt he's gonna be reliable on that front." Lady commented.
"That just leaves Gray and Juvia unaccounted for." Freed said.
Natsu cracked his knuckles. "Those bastards are gonna pay. I'm gonna make damn sure of that."
"Before we can make any attempts to counter-attack, we need to access what we know so far." Modeus said. "Here is what we know of Grimoire Heart so far. They have eight powerful wizards in their elite."
"They also got another heavy hitter who might even be stronger than those guys." Lucy said, referring to Bluenote.
"And their leader, Hades, was strong enough to even defeat our master." Lisanna also added.
Natsu choose to follow their lead. "Wendy, Lisanna, and I took down one of the Kin when this whole mess started. Counting that guy over there, that makes two."
"Loke and I took down another one ourselves." Trish added.
"All of us, including Dante, met up and took down two more; bringing our total up to five." Lady said.
"If the same enemy who defeated Mira and myself was responsible for the fall of the Tenrou Tree, then our power's restoration was likely a sign of his defeat as well." Modeus said.
"Dante and Erza probably took care of him, so that makes six." Wendy said.
"We ran into Gildarts on the way here, and he's probably taken care of that one other guy." Lisanna said.
"That means we've taken down most of the enemy's top tier soldiers." Lady said. "There might only be two left, but I say it's time we take the fight straight to their leader."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Natsu agreed with a smirk.
"We shouldn't rush into this however." Carla said. "Despite our obvious victories, we are all still tired and fatigue. We should take a moment to rest and recover before we go on the offensive."
"Grimoire Heart's ship is stationed right off the shoreline just east of here." Lily said. "I propose this strategy: that we split our group into two separate teams."
Levy seemed to agree with that strategy. "One team will be offense, and one defense."
Meanwhile; Meredy sat underneath a curved rock to serve as shelter from the rain as the unconscious Juvia laid next to her. She continued to sit and recover her strength. Once she had, she would get back up and resume her search for Zeref.
"Meredy!"
She stood up at the sound of her name being called and saw Ultear walking toward her, as she continued to carry the unconscious black wizard. "Ultear… that man with you, is that Zeref?"
"It is indeed. It's Lord Zeref." Ultear confirmed as she dropped him on the ground. A smile formed on Meredy's face once she saw him. "There's been a change of plan, we're leaving the island."
Meredy looked toward the older woman in confusion. "Are you sure that we should leave so soon? I still haven't been able to locate Gray Fullbuster or even Dante."
"They are no longer of our concern now, Meredy." Ultear revealed, only confusing the younger girl even further. "They're not our enemies, not in the slightest." A devious smile formed on her face. "They're our pawns!" She chuckled. "I just can't believe that Gray actually fell for that ridiculous story I told him! What a fool!" Her chuckle turned into a full blown evil laughter. "And Dante… that man is so protective of his so-called family, he won't hesitate but to throw himself headfirst at Hades, even at the cost of his own life! If it all goes according to plan, I might get rid of Dante, Gray, and even Hades in one fell swoop! It almost couldn't have come together more perfectly!"
That took Meredy by surprise. "Get rid of Master Hades?! But why?!"
"With him gone, we can keep Lord Zeref entirely to ourselves!" Ultear said in evil ecstasy.
Meredy looked at Ultear with a surprised and even saddened expression. "You would… betray our master like this…?"
"Hades, Gray, Dante, and anyone else I please! I will have all of them in the palm of my hand!" Ultear continued her sadistic rant. "Even Mundus can't keep us from our own Grand Magic World that we'll make with Zeref!" Ultear appeared to calm down a bit, ignorant of the disturbed look on Meredy's face. "Oh, silly me, I'm getting carried away. I'm almost certain that Gray isn't anywhere near to the task at hand. But at least, he can distract Hades' ever-watchful eye while we leave with Zeref. And if Gray dies performing the Iced Shell, the sacrifice of his friend will be enough to send Dante into a rage to avenge his comrade and distract Hades even further and possibly finish the job. Either way, we win."
Meredy, while still not over her shock, kneeled down to pick Zeref's unconscious body up as she threw his arm over her shoulder. "Let's depart before his eye falls back to us." Ultear said. However, she finally noticed Juvia's unconscious form. "Who might this be?"
"That's Juvia." Meredy answered. "She has a rather close bond with Gray, even claims to love him." Almost in response to that, Ultear then metalized a sword resembling a clock-hand and brought it close to Juvia's neck. "What are you doing?!"
"Preparing to kill her, obviously." Ultear answered.
"But… she's not a threat, she's unconscious!" Meredy tried to protest.
"Be quiet." Ultear lightly scolded as she lifted the sword. "This will limit Gray's options for the future. He can be killed by Hades or die performing the Iced Shell. Seeing his beloved's severed head will only drive him towards the inevitable!"
Meredy gasped and was about to make a move to stop her, however, just as Ultear brought the blade down, a trail of ice suddenly appeared to block the sword, much to Ultear's surprise. Gray had arrived just in time, sliding along the ice, grabbing Juvia and carrying her away bridal style.
"He found us!" Meredy exclaimed as Gray glared at Ultear in particular as her sword vanished.
"I knew something was rotten with you!" Gray stated.
"Well, well, did you?" She asked with a playful smile. "And when did you finally catch on?"
"From the second you opened your mouth; I knew everything coming out of it would be bullshit!" Gray replied.
Ultear did not lose her grin. "Is that so? You were just playing along the whole time, trying to figure out what my true motives we're. Bad boy."
"I made a promise." Gray said as he gently set Juvia down. "I swore that I would never try to use Iced Shell ever again!"
He remembered Natsu's words play through his mind when he tried to stop Gray from using it on Deliora. "If I didn't let you do it before, why would I let you do it now?! I'm not gonna let you go out like that!"
"I don't care if this is Ur's will or not." Gray continued as he stood up. "Because I got a will all of my own! And it says my friends and I are gonna walk the path of life!"
'Life…?' Meredy thought as she cast a glance at Juvia's smiling, yet still unconscious, body.
Ultear's smile faded. "My, my, I guess you're not so loyal to your master after all. I thought I could count on you to eliminate Hades for her sake. It's such a shame, here I was hoping I wouldn't have to fight you myself. I'm surprised that whore loved you more than her own daughter!" She chuckled evilly as a deranged smile formed on her face. "I'm afraid I might enjoy killing you so much, my heart will explode with joy!"
"You need to show some respect for your mother!" Gray glared as he threw away his shirt. "But since she's not around, I'll have to teach you that lesson for her!"
"You're such a fool! You've made an extremely grave mistake in threatening me like that!" Ultear declared. "For I am the leader of the Eight Kin of Purgatory! And scum like you is no match for me!"
In direct response to that, a large cluster of ice formed on Gray's fist as he landed a solid punch on Ultear's face to send her reeling back. However, she was quick to flip in the air and land on her feet.
"Ultear!" Meredy was ready to step in and help her.
"Don't worry about me." Ultear told her. "I want you to hurry and take Zeref to the escape point."
"Right." Meredy nodded.
"Hey Juvia, time to wake up!" Gray told her.
Almost as if the sound of his voice was enough to press something of an 'on-button' for her, Juvia was already back on her feet. "My beloved Gray!" She exclaimed with a smile and hearts in her eyes.
"Before you go full stalker mode on me, you gotta stop that girl!" Gray pointed to Meredy who was already running away with the unconscious Black Wizard. "Don't let her get away with Zeref!"
Juvia remembered Meredy, the same girl she thought and literally shared memories with. There was a brief hesitance before Juvia's face solidified with determination. "Alright." She was about to run, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in her leg, the same leg that she broke herself during her fight with Meredy and her Sensory Link.
"Are you hurt?" Gray asked with concern.
"Yes, but I can handle it." Juvia confirmed. "I'll do anything for my beloved!" Meredy turned around and looked comically frightened as Juvia literally crawled after her like a patient out of a mental asylum, hearts still glowing in her eyes. "A little pain isn't gonna stop me!" She chased after Meredy in comic fashion, leaving Gray alone to face the daughter of his late teacher.
Almost immediately, Ultear leapt at Gray to deliver a kick, which Gray blocked with his arms to throw Ultear back. Right as she landed, she produced a crystal ball and launched it Gray, while using her Arc of Time magic to create an entire flurry of balls which hit Gray hard, despite his attempts to guard himself by crossing his arms. He was flown back but was already on the attack again.
"Ice Make: Lance!"
However, Ultear was ready as the icy projectiles shot towards her. "I'll simply cast your ice into its future. Sublimation!" Accelerating the time around the ice, it was immediately turned into mist before it even struck Ultear, much to Gray's shock.
"The Arc of Time?" Modeus questioned as he sat down alongside Natsu, Lucy, Trish, Lady, Lisanna, and Happy; while the rest of Fairy Tail tried to plan out their next strategy.
"Yeah, that was the kind of magic that Ultear woman used." Lucy explained.
"Apparently it can control time, but it can't control living things." Lisanna added.
"I've heard of that type of power before." Modeus began to think. "It would seem that each of the Kin of Purgatory possess some form of Lost Magic."
"So, you've seen them before Modeus?" Happy asked.
"I've heard of most Lost Magics, but I've only seen a select few." Modeus replied. "Though I've heard of the Arc of Time I've never seen it myself."
"That bitch certainly knows how to use it. Even gave Dante and me a hard time." Lady commented.
"What I don't get is that lady used some kind of fancy ice magic." Natsu said.
"There are some wizards who can use more than one type of magic." Lisanna pointed out. "I mean, I'm a Take Over user, but my Dragon Take Over lets me use fire magic to."
"But it wasn't just ice magic she was using; it was Maker magic. Almost exactly like Gray's." Trish said.
"You think that there might be a connection between Gray and this Ultear woman?" Modeus wondered.
"If that's the case, then I'm really worried about Gray." Lucy voiced her concern. "What if they run into her."
"I wouldn't worry, I mean this is Gray we're talking about." Happy said. "He's more than creative when it comes to fighting, unlike Natsu who just uses his head to smash stuff."
"Hey, I can think in a fight to, ya know?!" Natsu comically complained with an anger mark on his head. "But yeah, Gray can definitely handle himself. He should be fine."
Suddenly, the group's attention by the sound of a jackhammer and looked in minor surprise to see none other than Virgo, in a black and white-frilled bikini no-less, digging plenty of holes in the ground.
"What the heck are you doing, Virgo?" Lucy questioned.
"Well what does it look like, Princess?" Virgo replied. "I'm making pitfalls in case the enemy gives chase."
"No, I get that. But why the swimsuit?" Lucy questioned further.
"I thought it be fun to spice things up a little." Virgo said as she made a pose.
"For who?!" Lucy, Trish, and Lady all questioned at the same time.
"Excuse me, Lucy." Happy butted in. "I don't mean to be rude, but we've got more important things to worry about right now than Virgo's outfit."
"You have no right to talk, cat!" Lucy comically exclaimed.
"But Happy is right though, we need to devise a strategy quickly." Modeus said.
"Shouldn't we wait for Dante, Erza, Gray, and Juvia to come back though?" Lisanna asked. "I mean, they're some of our heavy hitters; and if we put Dante and Erza on the offense team, it would give us a better chance to take down Hades."
"Somehow I got a feeling we'll meet them there either way." Lady commented. "But we still need to pick people for our teams."
"So maybe you should stop goofing around Lucy and get serious." Natsu said.
"Don't you dare try to blame me!" Lucy exclaimed in comic anger with razor sharp teeth.
"Would you like me to punish him?" Virgo asked as she took a seductive pose in her bikini.
"Butt out!" Lucy pointed to the maid-spirit.
"Who are you posing to?" Trish questioned Virgo.
Meanwhile; Gray and Ultear's fight continued as they made their way toward a large set of ruins near a cliff that led toward the ocean. Gray threw nearly everything he had at Ultear, but her Arc of Time magic made it almost impossible to land a solid hit on her.
"Ice Make: Hammer!" He created and threw a massive ice-hammer straight at Ultear, but just like before, she easily countered it with her Arc of Time.
"Sublimation!" The entire ice hammer turned into mist before it even made contact.
"Damn it!" Gray exclaimed in frustration. "My ice attacks are completely useless against her!"
A sadistic smile formed on Ultear's face. "Well, what did you expect?" She threw a series of crystal balls at Gray, though he was able to avoid it with a jump to land on the ruins above his enemy. "I mastered Arc of Time to kill a Maker-Magic wizard, my mother!" Her smile turned into a hateful glare. "My entire life, I wanted nothing more than to do away with her."
Gray gave a gasp before he glared hard at Ultear. "You sick bitch! You'd kill your own mother?!" He remembered how she'd cry every time the mention of her daughter was ever brought up, even remembering how Ur found her daughter's old clothes and that was enough to make her sob.
"I've never stopped hatting her!" Ultear exclaimed as she sent another flurry of crystal balls at Gray, however, he was quick to create a large ice shield to protect himself. "Nice try!" Using her Ark of Time again, Gray's ice was sublimated, however once the crystal balls hit Gray, his entire body appeared to shatter into ice fragments, much to Ultear's surprise before she scowled. "An ice decoy. Clever, but is hiding really the best you can do?!" She called out to Gray who was hiding in the ruins behind her.
To say Gray was angry was an understatement, however, he quickly tried to calm herself. 'Stop, don't let her get to you. Think, what would Dante or Erza do?' He peeked out catch a glimpse at Ultear. 'They'd try to find a weakness, something to exploit. Her Arc of Time makes my ice useless, but she probably can't use it on living things, otherwise she would have just aged me to dust already.' His eyes widened slightly as he saw the wounds on her right arm and leg. 'Those look like injuries from a gun; probably Dante or Lady, or even Trish. This gives me an idea.'
"Come out and show yourself!" Ultear called out as she used her Arc of Time to accelerate the time around the ruins to collapse them and incidentally create a dust cloud. "If you miss your beloved teacher so much, I can happily reunite you with her!"
Gray than shot out of the dust, straight for Ultear. She tried to throw more crystal balls at him, but he was quick to dodge them as he got close to grab her right arm at the injury and twist it, causing her to wince in pain and hesitate in counterattacking. This left her open for Gray to deliver a punch with his other fist onto the wound on her leg, bringing her down to her knees, where Gray delivered a kick to her face to slide her back.
Ultear scowled at him. 'He's using hand-to-hand combat, so I can't use my magic! And he's taking advantage of my injuries!'
"Ur loved you!" Gray exclaimed as he ran toward her, dodging another crystal ball attack to land a kick on her injured leg. "She cried herself to sleep nearly every night because she couldn't protect you!" He tried to punch her again, but Ultear was able to dodge the fist and grab him by the wrist, twisting him and sending him soaring into another flurry of crystal balls to send him crashing into some of the collapsed ruins.
"I'll give you credit for trying to exploit my weaknesses, both with my magic and my body." Ultear told him. "But resourcefulness will only get you so far. You've had to rely on your ice-magic most of your life, but without it, you can't beat me."
"No." Gray said as he stood up. "I'll beat you with ice. You just watch. I'm gonna bring you down with Ur's magic."
"But that's impossible." Ultear responded. "Arc of Time magic controls an object's flow of time. Ice sent to its future sublimates and becomes water when sent to its past."
"I can do it." Gray said as he produced an ice-blade in his hand. "Because I believe in Ur's Maker Magic."
"Very well, don't say I didn't try to warn you." Ultear said as her dark grin reformed. "You cannot defeat me, Gray. Not with your pathetic Maker Magic."
Gray need only look into Ultear's eyes before he recognized that look, he had seen it before. That darkness deep inside, one that longs for revenge, one fueled by pure hatred. It was the same hate he had when he tried to master Ice Make Magic to seek revenge against Deliora for destroying his home and killing his family. Yet, it was also that same hate that cost him the one person who was like a second mother to him. Ur was able to save Gray from his own hate; he'll find a way to save Ultear from hers.
He used his ice-blade to slash at his own side, spilling a great deal of blood, catching Ultear by surprise. He placed the blood in his hands as he created another ice-weapon.
"Ice-Make: Blood Rebellion!" Gray was able to create an exact ice duplicate of Dante's titular sword. But rather than it's typical blue, the ice was blood red. "I'll free you from the darkness." Gray repeated Ur's last words to Ultear. "I'll seal it away. Forever."
Those words only seemed to make Ultear even more angry. "I told you, your ice won't work!" She stated as Gray leapt at her with his new weapon and successfully slashed at her side, much to her shock. "What happened?! I can't control it's time!" Gray brought the flat of the blood-ice blade on her left shoulder, dislocating it, causing her to scream in pain before he slashed at her again to send her rolling across the ground.
Ur struggled to pull herself up as she saw the sword shatter, but Gray wasn't done yet as he took another stance. He formed another red-ice blade on his right hand, with an identical one on his left elbow. "That isn't ice…" She muttered as her eyes were radiant with rage and fear. "He's frozen his own blood!"
"Ice-Blood-Blade: Seven Strike Dance!" Gray unleashed one of his most powerful attacks at Ultear, slashing at her with his frozen-blood blades seven times before finishing with an x-cross to send her crashing into the already collapsing ruins, destroying them even further. Gray then fell to his knees, having not only exhausted a great deal of his own magic, but even lost much of his own blood with that stunt he recently pulled. Gray was quick to apply some ice to his wound and seal it to prevent any further loss of blood as he looked towards Ultear, who laid on the ground.
"That fancy time magic you use is formidable, but every type of magic has a weakness you can exploit, even Lost Magic." Gray stated as he saw the injured and crazed Ultear attempt to pick herself up. However, she grabbed onto her dislocated arm and re-attached it, the pain was enough to make her scream, but not enough to make her quit as she glared hatefully at Gray.
'Damn him…losing the battle just to win the war… such tenacity. Even so… I won't lose this battle! I can't! Not before I reach the Grand Magic World!' She took a stance that was almost identical to Gray's as a purple mist formed in between her fist and palm, much to his own shock.
"No way…" Gray knew exactly what she was going to do.
"Ice Make: Rosen Krone!" She launched a series of giant roses and thorny branches at Gray, all made of purple ice, that scored a direct hit and sent him flying.
'She's using the exact same Maker Magic… as Ur!.' Gray thought in surprise, but he was quick to get over it and turn serious again. 'But… it's not as strong!' While airborne, Gray took another attack-stance. "Ice Make: Lance!" He shot a multitude of ice lances that easily shattered through Ultear's own ice and slash at her repeatedly, knocking her to the ground.
Gray landed on his hands and knees as he faced the downed Ultear. "You're a little out of practice with your ice magic, aren't you?" He asked as Ultear continued to glare hatefully at him. "You've relied too much on your Arc of Time, and when it doesn't work, you fall to pieces. So now, all you have to rely on is your mother's magic." Ultear practically snarled at him as a sad smile formed on Gray's own face. "You know… if things were different… I'd probably end up just like you. You said it yourself, we're practically kindred spirits. I just wish she could have helped you like how she helped me."
"SHUT UP!" Ultear exclaimed, nearly loosing every shred of sanity left in her as she unleashed another Rosen Krone attack, but Gray was quick to create a large shield of ice to not only block against Ultear's own attack but shatter it. This gave Gray an opening to rush and tackle Ultear.
"You used Jellal to overthrow the Council and create the Tower of Heaven!" Gray exclaimed as the pair rolled down a slippery hillside towards a cliff. "And now you're working with Grimoire Heart to free Mundus and kill billions of innocent people! HOW THE HELL DID YOU BECOME SUCH AN EVIL PERSON!?" Gray yelled as they continued to roll.
"LIKE YOU KNOW!" Ultear screamed at him as they tumbled off the cliff and fell toward the ocean. "THAT HEARTLESS WITCH THREW ME AWAY AND REPLACED ME WITH TWO SONS!" They both fell into the ocean
Flashback
"Mama…" A little toddler Urtear muttered as her mother, Ur, carried her away from their home on her back. "Where are we going?" At first, there wasn't an answer. "Mama?"
The next thing little Urtear knew, she stood in a barren landscape all alone, in front of an odd-looking building that resembled something of a crescent moon. "Where did you go?" She asked to her mother, who was nowhere to be seen. She would soon be greeted by a group of people wearing white suits with white hats and red flag-like masks in front of their faces.
"Young lady, I ask that you please come with us." The man at the front asked the toddler.
Urtear was led into the building by three of these people. "Where'd my mama go?" Urtear asked in a nervous tone as she was escorted.
"She's gone home." A man replied. "But don't be afraid, she brought you here because she knew we would take good care of you and help strengthen your magic power."
"Where are we?" The little girl asked.
"The Bureau of Magical Development." A woman answered.
"It's a marvelous facility that devises all sorts of magic spells." The second man added. "We've even recently began research into demonic powers."
Urtear was led into a single room that would serve as her personal quarters. "Please step into your room."
"But…" The toddler was very hesitant and nervous.
"I know you want to see your mother, but we cannot allow that until your magic power has grown stronger." The woman told her.
"In fact, that was her request." The second man added.
"There's a change of clothes waiting for you inside." The first man said as he led her into her room before stepping out. "We'll be back shortly."
Once they were gone, Urtear cried into her hands as she sat on her bed. "Why Mama…? Why'd you leave me with these people…?! I wanna go home!"
The door soon opened to reveal the same people who brought her here. "Miss, it's time." All three said simultaneously.
Suddenly, Urtear found herself entangled in multiple wires and cords, almost like a spider's web, as she hung over a pit with an odd-looking device that looked like a mechanical sun with a crescent moon in front of it. Urtear may have been nervous before, but now she was terrified.
"I'm scared! What are you gonna do! Please let me go!" She struggled in the cords.
"We're gonna strengthen your magic power." One man told her.
"Now, this might hurt a little, but we need you to stay strong." A woman told her as well.
"Remember, you're doing this for your mother's sake." The second man said.
The device powered on and sent a powerful surge of energy into the crying Urtear. "MAMA!" She cried in fear and agony. And this wasn't the only time, she went through this entire ordeal that was practically torture for her for so many days that she honestly lost count. The face-less people had to drag her there even as she screamed and struggled against them. But despite everything, ever her begging them to stop, the pain never did.
"How's she doing?" The leader of the Bureau, also known as Brain, walked into another one of the experimentations.
"She's a remarkable vessel, sir. All our previous subjects pale in comparison." One member stated.
"Perhaps we could try to infuse her with demonic power?" Another member suggested.
"No." Brain said stoically. "While she may be the daughter of Ur, who's said to be nearly as powerful as the ten wizard saints, she is still human. There are too many unknowns when it comes to the study of the demonic arts and we can't afford to lose a valuable piece such as this. Take the magical input up to five hundred percent and perform it at hourly intervals. Don't ease up, even as she screams."
One night, after another session of torture, Urtear cried in frustration into her bed as she couldn't even sleep anymore. "I wanna go home! Please come and get me! Mama! MAMA!" As she cried, a large surge of pure magical power formed around her, triggered by her emotions, before it exploded, breaking the walls and shattering the window in her room. Once she saw that there was a way for her to escape, the little girl didn't hesitate to take it.
In no time, Urtear had made her way out of the horrible facility and ran as fast as she could, the alarms sounding behind her. Brain and one member of the Bureau had seen the wreckage of her room.
"What are your orders, sir?"
"I suppose we could just let her go for now." Brain responded as he looked out the window to see the little girl running. "The real show is still to come, young daughter of Ur."
"Mama… I'm coming…"
She ran whenever she could, not even taking the time to eat, only stopping to rest just a few times when her body felt like it was going to give out. The Bureau's constant experiments had left her mind and tiny body completely battered. The only thing that kept her going was the thought of seeing her mother again. The person that she always loved and knew had nothing but warmth for her. It didn't take too long for the little Urtear to finally arrive back in her hometown.
She trekked through the snow as she made her way back toward her mother's house, her feet and hands swollen. Finally, once she stood at the top of a small hill next to a tree, she looked down to see her mother again, a smile and tears of joy forming, however, it all faded once she saw that Ur wasn't alone, she had two boys with her: the young Gray and Lyon. And Ur was smiling and laughing. She looked so happy. As for Urtear, she felt completely crushed. She fell to her hands and knees as her heart shattered, her mother was her entire world, the only thing that kept her going through all the pain and suffering. But now, she had replaced her with two sons.
Soon however, sadness and heartbroken feelings turned into anger and hatred as Urtear's swollen fists clenched in the snow. 'Unforgivable…!'
Nowhere else to go, Urtear returned to Bureau for Magical Development, where Brain had been expecting her. This time, she didn't hesitate to jump right into their experiments. She never cried or screamed again. All that was left inside the little girl was a burning hatred and a desire for vengeance. 'Unforgivable! Unforgivable!' Every time she thought of her mother's face, it served as a motivation to become stronger and seek revenge.
"Is there something wrong?" Brain asked as he saw something different in this round of experimentations.
"Well sir… her magic power has been increasing at an alarming rate over the past several days!" One member reported with hesitance.
"I'm afraid it's simply too dangerous to continue." Another member said.
However, an intrigued smile formed on Brain's face. "This child's full of untapped potential. I thought she might be one of the five brave warriors I'm searching for, but it doesn't appear that way. Unfortunately, her magic is of a different quality. I doubt a body-link would be possible. I want you to increase the power to maximum level."
"But sir, if we do that, we risk overloading the system!" A member tried to protest.
"Do it." Brain said as he walked away with an evil smirk. His uniform faded away and changed into his attire that he would wear as the leader of the Oracion Seis. "This place can crumble to the ground for all I care. I already have all the spells I need; I'll leave Ur's daughter to Hades as a parting gift." He laughed evilly before he vanished completely.
"He vanished…"
"Hey! We got trouble!" One member exclaimed.
"The magic power's reverse flowed!" A member shouted as Urtear purposely redirected all the intense magic that was going into her body outward, already the systems were beginning to overload.
"It's going to explode! Evacuate! EVACUATE…!"
*BOOM!*
It was too late. Multiple explosions ranged throughout the entire facility. It didn't take long for the entire building to crumble and burn to the ground, killing nearly everyone who worked there. The only survivor, was Urtear herself as she walked away from the ruins with a hateful glare. However, once she stepped outside, she found herself standing in front of the same man who would become her master. Hades offered his hand to her, similar to how a father would his daughter.
Urtear was taken into Grimoire Heart under Hades' tutelage. It wasn't long after that she heard Ur had died performing the Ice Shell to seal away Deliora. Urtear then choose to change her name to Ultear to further step away from the memory of her mother as all that was left was an empty feeling that she could never hope to fill.
As the young Ultear sat in her own personal room in the Grimoire Heart airship, she began reading some of the ancient spell books the dark guild had acquired, trying to find ways of becoming stronger as it was pretty much the only thing that she could think of doing. Of course, there really wasn't any motivation behind it. It seemed as though she was just going through the motions. However, there was one page in the book she was reading that caught her attention.
"Arc of Time…?" She read aloud.
"Yes, a very special type of magic." Hades said as he stepped into her room and kneeled down to her level. "But as it is now, it does little more than control the time of objects. However, in the Grand Magic World, that can change."
"What's the Grand Magic World?" Little Ultear asked.
"A realm where wizards and demons are free to use whatever magic they want. Nothing is off limits." Hades answered. "In that world, the Arc of Time can do so much more than just control the flow of time around an object, it can even be used to retrieve lost happiness."
Ultear gave a surprised gasp. "Retrieve lost happiness? You can do that with magic? With demonic power?"
"One of the things you have to understand Ultear is that magic and demonic power are essentially the same thing at the core." Hades explained. "It all stems from our Lord Mundus, the creator of all magic. Should we retrieve his chosen one, Zeref, Mundus can be freed. With his power, you can do anything you desire. With the Ark of Time for example, you can travel to the past or future freely, even bring those who have long since died into the current present. Anything is possible in the Grand Magic World."
End Flashback
Gray and Ultear continued to fight, even while they were underwater. 'If we succeed, I can start all over.' She thought as she and Gray collided their respective ice-make magics against each other. 'This miserable world and everyone in it can burn for all I care! I don't care what Mundus does with it! With the completed Ark of Time, I can make a new world, a new timeline, one where my mother wouldn't have to abandon me! It would just be me, her, even Meredy. Just the three of us! No one else!'
"Please help me!" A voice echoed throughout the water.
'That voice… where's it coming from…?' Ultear thought in surprise, but it left her open for Gray to quickly swim and deliver a kick to her face.
"I need help! Please! I'm begging you!"
She kicked Gray back. 'There it is again!' She saw the surprised look on Gray's face. 'Wait… does he hear it to?'
"My daughter's suffering because she was born with too much magic power!"
They both recognized it, it was Ur's voice. 'My mother…' Ultear thought in shock. 'This must be her memory…'
"There's so much of it condensed into her tiny body that her fevers won't go away!"
"Don't worry ma'am." A different voice echoed with the memory. "I know of a facility that specializes in such cases."
Both Ultear and even Gray began to see these memories, Ur's own memories. Both of them had come to the same realization as they were both on Galaluna Island when they saw Ur's Iced Shell, which was made from her own body, break and melt away after Lyon's Moon-Drip ceremony freed Deliora, after that it was washed out into the sea. In a way, they were both inside Ur as they saw and listened to her memories.
"My baby… what the hell did you monsters do to her?! She's dead?! How did this happen?!" Ur's voice ranged through their heads as they also heard the voices of those from the Bureau of Magical Development, including Brain's.
"There's nothing more for me to say." Brain lied.
"I was told that… your agency specializes in cases like hers… the only reason I brought her here is because I thought you could cure her… now she's dead?!" They heard Ur's broken and sobbing voice.
"We offer our condolences. Her magic power… was simply too strong." One member continued with the lie.
"It proved too much for even us to handle." Another member said.
"It would be best for you not to see her remains." Brain said stoically.
"That's all you have to say?!" The heartbroken Ur cried. "No! Wait! PLEASE GIVE MY DAUGTHER BACK TO ME! NO! SHE CAN'T BE GONE! SHE CAN'T!"
Ultear was left completely frozen in place as she felt her own heart stop. 'It's different… her memory is so different from mine…"
Though Gray was surprised himself, he also saw the opportunity to bring Ultear down. "Ice-Make: Gungnir!" He launched a massive ice lance at Ultear, trapping her inside the tip, and sending her straight out of the water and high into the air. The force of the attack was enough to knock all the wind out of her, that added with all her previous injures, was enough to defeat her and end the fight.
Gray made his way to the surface soon after. He had heard and seen the same memories of Ur that Ultear had seen as well. He recognized Brain as the leader of the Oracion Seis and knew he had worked at the Bureau of Magical Development. Turns out that he lied about Ultear's death in order to keep her for his own twisted experiments. There was a part of him that felt sympathy towards Ultear, despite all the bad things she did which she had no excuse to give.
"Ur told us about you." Gray began. "But the memories were way too painful for her…"
"When my daughter was born, it suddenly felt as though there was a brilliant light shining in my heart. One look, and I just knew she had a bright future awaiting her. Back then, I was so happy. Packed inside her tiny body, were limitless possibilities for the future. The power of life. My eyes overflowed with tears of joy that couldn't be stopped. My daughter… she's proof of my own life. She's my tears… Ur…tear."
The ice-lance around Ultear broke as she felt something inside her break. All rage and hatred vanished in an instant, and all that was left was a strong sense of regret and grief as she fell back into the ocean. 'All I wanted… was to go back to that moment… before I hated my mother… to a time… when I loved her…' That was all she really wanted in the end.
Gray had helped Ultear get to the shore as lightning from the storm continued to surge around the island. Neither of them said anything as they barley even made eye contact.
"What… what do you intend to do with me?" Ultear asked as she had no reason to fight anymore.
"Nothing." Gray answered as he kept his back to her.
"You're not even going to take me prisoner?" Ultear asked in minor surprise.
"No." Gray said. "All I want, is for you to get the hell of our island." Ultear looked down as Gray continued. "I'm sorry your childhood was a living hell, one that was far worse than mine it would seem. Really, I am. But everything you've done with Grimoire Heart… what you tried to do to my friends… I can't forgive you. I'm not sure if I ever will. So just leave this place."
"Alright." Ultear nodded. "You're going after Master Hades, aren't you?"
"Yeah." Gray replied, still not turning around to face her.
"Listen, you can't beat him. Not in a straight-up fight. But he does have a weakness." Ultear began. "It's his heart. Somehow, he had his own heart separated from his body."
That took Gray by surprise as he turned around to reveal a shocked look. "You're serious…?! He cut out his own heart?!"
"I don't know how, but he did." Ultear continued. "Maybe it was Mundus' doing, and I've never seen the heart itself, nobody in Grimoire Heart has, aside from Hades himself. All I know, is that his heart is the source of his power, hence our guild's name. If you destroy the heart, you might be able to destroy him, but I can't say for certain. Only Hades knows where it is, though I imagine he'd want to keep it somewhere close to him for obvious reasons. Also, Hades' has an ever-watchful eye that's seen everything that's happened on this island, so more than likely, he now knows what I've told you and will be prepared."
Gray's expression became hardened with determination. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me. But don't worry, I ain't going at him alone."
Somehow, he knew he wasn't. He could feel it. He could feel the same burning desire in Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Happy, Carla, and Panther-Lily at basecamp, and even Dante and Erza who had just recovered in the remains of the Tenrou Tree. They all knew that now was the time to end this. It was time to end this war once and for all.
Done.
So this chapter was almost the same as the cannon, only a few minor differences, such as Gray taking advantage of Ultear's injuries and her vulnerabilities in her Arc of Time, not to mention her being out of practice with her Ice-Make Magic compared to Gray. Now Fairy Tail knows about Hades' weakness, but Hades probably knows that they know, so he'll be ready. But that won't stop our heroes from taking the fight straight to their boss. With Bluenote and the Eight Kin of Purgatory defeated, Hades is all that remains. But it won't be easy, nothing can prepare them for the challenges that they'll face as they go up against arguably the most dangerous and powerful opponent they've faced so far.
I'll see you soon with the next update. Until then, peace out.