Wait, what? I'm publishing the next chapter early? But I barely do it on time! That's right, I actually am ahead of the curve. I finished early with reviewing it, and I was going to keep going. There was more to this chapter, but if I'd ended it where I was going to, it was a bit of a cruel cliffhanger, and there are many things I'll do to you, but not that. Well... not until the next update.

But for now, enjoy this chapter, and please review/favorite/follow. Thanks to all my new and old followers, you guys are amazing!

Erza and Gray touched down in the nearest town to the west, looking around cautiously. Gray stared at the inactive communication lacrima, scowling. "It still won't work- they must be blocking us somehow." Tossing it to the side, he continued, "We'll just have to do this alone."

Erza nodded agreement, the two surveying the town. These people seemed a little less worried about the wizards landing in the middle of their town, a few giving them sideways glances but most going along with their business. People walked between shops, a little cluster of tables outside a cafe, groups sitting together, couples laughing as they ate and drank.

Erza looked around, slight confusion in her wary gaze. "It seems very peaceful here to be the home of a dark guild."

Gray frowned. "Did Corin lie to us?"

"We can't assume that yet. For now, be on guard while we look around."

The two began to wander the streets, finding the town was of decent size, perhaps a fourth of Magnolia tucked away in the mountains of Veronica. Walking through the streets, no one seemed too horribly disturbed by their arrival, a few even smiling kindly at the silver-armored girl and shirtless boy.

At reaching the edge of town, finding nothing suspicious, Gray growled, "We were duped. Corin may still be working with Shadow."

Erza hesitated, a bit less rushed to leave. "I don't know. Everything here seems... too calm."

"Too calm? We're in a secluded mountain village, Erza."

The red head insisted, "And yet some of them wear the latest styles imported from the capital?" She'd seen a few high-end dresses among the people, having waited until they'd reached the edge of town, away from curious ears, to mention it. "I've seen those clothes in stores- they're not cheap, and did you not notice? There was no one younger than us- no one looked even close to our age."

Gray's eyes widened, realization sinking in. "Everyone near our age in Shadow died..."

"Exactly." Erza turned around, eyes like daggers. "So let's find just how well they're hidden."

The two moved back through town, the differences now obvious. The closest to their age was still probably at least ten years older, the clothes all far too expensive and diverse for a simple village.

Gray, eyeing the cafe from before, suggesting, "Maybe we should go inside. I've always had good luck finding information in a bar."

Erza refrained from mentioning how that information often came while he held a mug and wore close to nothing, following the ice mage inside.

The small shop was nearly empty, all but for an elderly woman at the register and a pair of lovers sipping coffee off to the side. Gray immediately moved toward the counter, demanded brashly, "What do you know about Demon's Shadow?"

The old woman blinked in surprise, frowning slightly. "I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about, son. Is there another way I can help you?"

Erza stepped forward, putting a hand on Gray's shoulder. "Ma'am, I believe you should be familiar with the wizards guild, Demon's Shadow."

She shook her head, readjusting the half-moon spectacles on her nose. "I'm sorry, dear. I've no idea about this guild."

Erza arched an eyebrow. "Despite that Demon's Shadow is a national threat, according to your leaders?"

The woman spread her hands as if to show she had no answer. "We're very secluded up here, dear. I'm afraid I don't know about such things."

Gray narrowed his eyes. "And yet, there's a town a few miles away, just as secluded, who is scared to death of any strange wizards?"

The old woman sighed, pulling her glasses off. "This is getting tiresome." A puff of familiar red smoke, and Doppelganger lunged over the counter, tackling Gray down. Knee on his chest, lowering her face just over his and arms pinning his to the ground, she grinned barely an inch away from the boy, the Demon's Shadow tattoo across her face disturbingly red so close to his face. "Ohhh, I can see why little sister likes you."

Erza's sword was instantly drawn, the point at Doppelganger's neck while Gray attempted to push against the dark mage, yet somehow her grip was incredibly, almost impossibly, powerful, not giving him a millimeter. Erza dangerously growled, "Get off of him, and lead us to Ayrae!"

Doppelganger didn't even flinch at the tip of the sword against her neck, simply smiling as the couple in the back were no longer chatting, one with a handful of flame in his palm, the other clutching a stack of cards. "I'm not too worried for myself. You little fairies don't like to kill."

Erza, unaware of the wizards standing ready behind her, growled, "Don't push your luck, now stand up!"

Doppelganger didn't move, smiling eerily. "I'm afraid I don't feel like it, fairy."

The girl holding the cards suddenly flung a handful at Erza, the armored girl hearing the scratch of the cards behind her. Recognizing the sound from spars with Cana, she quickly dodged to the side, the paper hitting the opposite wall, bouncing off seemingly harmlessly. The second wizard flung his handful of fire at the moving girl. Erza easily ducked the fire, running at them, announcing, "Requip! Heaven's Wheel!"

Her body enveloped in gold, now she stood with her metal-feathered armor gleaming as she yelled, "Heaven's Wheel!"

A circle of swords appeared, though they quickly shot toward her opponents at her command. The card mage immediately threw half her deck into the air, the cards spinning into a wall between herself and the red head, the swords dissolving as they touched the cards.

Meanwhile, Doppelganger looked on, still with Gray pinned. The ice mage struggled against her grip once more, the girl sighing. "Don't bother, little fairy. I'm currently imitating an Enhancement wizard. I can increase my strength, speed, and stamina at will like this, so don't bother fighting. Ace will cast a little sleeping spell on you soon enough and you'll be out of our hair."

Sleep spell? Gray blinked, thinking over the words. This is a dark guild, why would they hold back from killing us? Still, he had a fight to finish. Gray glared at her for a moment before smirking, having found his loophole. "Not gonna happen." Twisting his hands, his palms brushed the ground as he growled, "Ice Make Floor!" Frost turned to a pure white coating across the ground, everything turning to chaos.

The two Demon's Shadow mages on their feet suddenly were struggling for balance, leaning against each other, Erza stabbing a sword into the ice to ensure she stayed standing, swiftly slinging two swords at each. A blade pinned the sleeves of their shirts to the wall, the pair exchanging panicked looks.

Doppelganger's knee on the ground slipped outward, the girl forced into splits to keep from falling over, loosing her grip on one of Gray's arms. He immediately took advantage, extending a hand toward Doppelganger's side. "Ice Make Lance!"

The girl's eyes widened, jerking herself back to avoid the pointblank attack, the tip of the icy spear still cutting across her stomach.

Clutching the wound, she hissed a curse as she backed up, glaring. "Dick." Smirking, she shrugged. "Though I suppose all's fair in love and war."

Gray couldn't help hesitating for a solitary second at this. What was that supposed to mean? This wasn't much of a war, not yet at least. So she was implying... oh. His ears lit red and he shifted weight foot to foot as Doppelganger lunged forward yet again, grinning. "Ice Make Cannon!"

Gray's eyes widened, staring down the barrel of his own weapon. "What the-"

"Open wide." Ice flooded from the cannon, blasting forth- right over Gray's shoulder. Gray staggered back in surprise, Doppelganger sighed, keeping the cannon aimed. "If only. Ace, hurry up over there!"

The card user, Ace, smirked as she dropped a card to the ground, a flash of light blinding everyone for a moment. Ace ripped herself free of the swords tacking her to the wall, flinging a handful of new cards at Erza. The cards immediately reacted to the armor, dissolving it piece by piece. Erza's eyes widened, the girl quickly requipping into her Flight Armor before she could be left with nothing left on her person.

Ace gloated, "My cards can do anything, including destroying any metal, fairy!" A handful of cards now tossing a handful of cards at Erza and Gray respectively. "So what could you possibly do against my magic?"

Erza swiftly slashed every card from middair, recognizing the now sliced markings as the paper fluttered to the ground. A sleep spell? First Doppelganger missing Gray, now this? Realization dawned, and Erza laughed heartily.

Doppelganger rolled her eyes, cannon still aimed at Gray's chest. "What do you find so funny, fairy?"

Erza quelled her laughter to look around victoriously. "You can't hurt us. For some reason, you can't hurt or kill us, can you?"

For the first time, Doppelganger seemed unsettled, scowling angrily, fingers tightening on the cannon, cracks appearing in the ice, Gray relaxing ever so slightly. "Righto, little fairy." She suddenly dropped the cannon, the ice dissolving as she crossed her arms, shaking her head dejectedly. "Little Shade made a few deals on your behalf. The gist of it: we get Kyja, you all are unharmed. So, mind doing us a favor and just fuck off?"

Gray and Erza both paused for a moment, their guards falling, Gray rerunning the words in his mind. Why would she do something so stupid? Did-Did she know we'd be able to find her? Yeah, she knows I'd kick her ass if she actually threw her life away like that.

The Demon's Shadow mage lunged forward toward Erza, announcing, "Arc of Night: Shade's Rebellion!" In a perfect imitation of Ayrae's hand movements, she froze in place as her shadow stepped off of the 2D plain, the Fairy Tail wizards' shadows doing the same.

Anger welled in Gray's chest as his own shadow attacked him. How dare she use Ayrae's magic! Well, she didn't take one thing into account- I know the strengths and weaknesses of Rae's magic. "Ice Make Sword!" An icy weapon appearing in his hands, he knew it was futile to attack the shadow. It felt no pain, and could reform after any hit. Instead, while Erza fended off two shadows, Gray dodged his own to stab at Doppelganger herself. With Ace still pulling the second mage free, Doppelganger was completely open, the sword cutting across her back.

Doppelganger snarled, recoiling as the shadows disappeared, the dark mage backed up, obviously thinking of what magic to use next. Yet Gray was growing impatient. "Tell us where Ayrae is, now!"

Erza shook her head. "They won't help, Gray! Start looking, tear this town apart! I'll handle these three, then catch up!"

Gray nodded, racing out the door and into the sunlight. Everyone who had once been in the streets were now missing, only one left. A man, nearly white blonde and in a dark suit, ducking into a bakery. Gray immediately raced after him, pausing at the sound of fighting behind him, yet he couldn't stop. Erza was more than capable of handling anything they could throw at her.

Finding the shop empty when he entered, he looked around, seeing the only exit to be a back room, quickly moving toward it. Entering, the room was empty, devoid of anything but a few crates. Not about to waste time with the sun approaching the horizon and almost touching the edge of the earth, he growled, "Ice Make Hammer!"

His massive icy weapon formed above his head, crashing against the nearest wall, wood splintering, though only the alley on the other side. Gray swifting hit the opposing wall, finding the same results as the ceiling began to buckle. Looking around, he suddenly looked to the floor, this time driving his weapon into the ground.

When the dust rose, a trap door had been knocked askew, a downward tunnel angled downward, steep steps lit by torches at intervals. Gray wasted no time, quickly beginning his descent down the steps. "Don't worry, Rae. I'm coming."

Just as Gray ran outside, Erza lunged at Doppelganger, requipping into her Black Wing armor, swinging the sword at Doppelganger, the dark mage grinning. "Requip."

Erza's sword clashed with a perfect imitation, Doppelganger now standing in the same armor. Laughing, she taunted, "I can't hurt you, little fairy, but I can counter everything you do! You'll never lay a hand on me!"

Erza jumped back, growling, "I never intended to." Requipping, she now stood in her Giant Armor, her De-Malevo-Lance in hand. "I intended for you to meet steel!" Flinging the lance, Erza knew very well that while Doppelganger was an effective copycat, she couldn't imitate accuracy and years of practice.

Doppelganger didn't move however, smirking smugly until light enveloped her. When it faded, the lance was shattered, lying on the ground, having splintered after hitting Doppelganger's rendition of Erza's Adamantine Armor. Pulling her arms apart, a half of the shield attached to each arm, she laughed at the shock on Erza's face. "What, you think we didn't prepare? Ever since I found out little sister was hiding with all of you, I researched all your powers, made sure to brush against you once or twice in a crowd and use your power! I know every move you can make, and I know exactly how to counter it!"

Erza scowled, though her determination never wavered. She would never fail her friends- she simply couldn't do such a thing. "Requip!" Now standing in her Flame Empress Armor, she invited, "Then show me just how powerful you are!"

Doppelganger smirked, muttering, "Requip." Glowing, she quickly appeared to have borrowed Erza's Sea Empress Armor. "You asked for it, little fairy."

The two leapt at one another, swords clashing, the two quickly exchanging blows with their green and red swords, the blades hitting and the two putting all their strength against one another, the edges of the blades grating and groaning under the pressure.

Yet Erza had forgotten about Ace.

A card flew over Doppelganger's shoulder, softly bouncing off of Erza's cheek, her eyes widening for a moment before exhaustion suddenly swept over her. Limbs feeling heavy, she swayed on her feet, sword loose in her hand as her arm fell slightly. Doppelganger laughed, smirking. "Sweet dreams, little fairy."

Ace flinging another card that hit Erza's hand, the Fairy Tail wizard collapsed, brown eyes falling closed and sword falling from her grip.

Doppelganger standing over the sleeping girl, she patted the redhead's cheek. "Ace will take you home soon, little girl. For now..." With a cloud of red smoke, Doppelganger was replaced with Erza in her Heart Kreuz armor, smirking darkly. "I'll be catching a fairy now."