Okay, so this chapter was an absolute BEAST to write. There was so much more, I wanted to include, but I didn't want to drag this out, not when this already was a massive chapter. Thank you all for being so patient- I really think you'll find it was worth the wait!

I promised this chapter for the 100th follower celebration, but I finished this with 98 and figured: I wanted to release this as a gift for you guys. What kind of author would I be if I held it back just because I wanted to meet a quota? So hey, got this a bit early!

Nightmare: Thank you for your constant support!

Dragonlady: Here is more!

Lynn: It's not your obligation to review- it's my privilege to read what you have to say! Thank you so much for always giving so much feedback- it really does help. I think you'll be happy to see what I did with the characters, and I assure you, this isn't the last of Doppelganger.

Without further adieu, read on!

Night was falling, Ayrae standing in an outdoor garden, long since withered away.

The once pristine white marble walls were crumbling and dirty, the once flourishing bushes of roses and rows of lilies all long since dead. The pool of water had turned a dull gray, the lotus flowers had disappeared completely.

Standing near the far side of the garden, she stared at the only thing in the garden that appeared new and well-cared for- a gravestone. Simple stone engraved in messy handwriting, Ayrae's eyes were trained on the words.

Briar

?- X773

Our Mother

Tears in her eyes, Ayrae softly asked, "Was this you?"

Behind her, Doppelganger stood with arms crossed and eyes closed, trying to keep her facade of uncaring from falling. "Yeah, so? She was the closest to a mom we had, so I gave her what I could. Why does it matter?"

Ayrae couldn't help but smile slightly. "It gives me hope that you're still the girl I grew up with. You were different back then- back when we had Briar."

Doppelganger let out a "tsk" of annoyance, turning her head away. "Yeah, and you were a pathetic little brat. At least you've got some guts now."

Ayrae couldn't hold onto her smile. "... I suppose none of us are quite the same."

Doppelganger growled, "Of course not- some of us are six feet under nowadays, little sister."

Turning toward her sister, Ayrae narrowed her eyes. "And how do you think they feel about that? About all we did?"

Doppelganger's eyes shot open, their changing colors settling on a dusty gray. "... Shut up. They don't feel anything, alright? They're dead, so move on."

Ayrae demanded, "And who's fault is that, Kara?" It wasn't even an accusation- it was a question. Her plead of whether she should blame herself or another for the death that had unfolded around her.

Doppelganger snapped, "Don't call me that!"

Ayrae reminded, "Briar knew all of our real names, and she told me yours. Why won't you accept you're better than this group of murderous outlaws and leave?"

"Because I don't want to live some eight years of my life being hunted before I get caught and die!"

Silence took the garden, the two refraining from speaking until-

"You know, I sometimes wish you'd died that day, little sister."

Ayrae blinked, turning to face her old friend. "Doppel..."

Doppelganger glared at the ground, ever-changing eyes pausing on a fiery red. "You and Gale Force... you both were always too soft. You aren't a murderer. You're not like I am. You would've been better off never making it to this point."

Ayrae softly breathed, "Kara..."

Doppelganger suddenly turned her glare on Ayrae. "Don't call me that."

Ayrae gently insisted, "You know that's your name. Briar gave me our names as a gift before she died, Kara."

Doppelganger hissed, "And I don't want it! I don't like being a murderer, but I'm still a loyal member of Demon's Shadow, and we don't require such attachments as names."

Ayrae sighed. "If you say so. I don't think I have enough time to change your mind."

Doppelganger scoffed, crossed arms tightening. "Even if you had eternity, you couldn't sway me. Didn't I prove that back when you tried to escape?"

Ayrae, looking back to the grave, blinking to keep her eyes from tearing as her fingers traced her scars thoughtfully. "... Diviner trusts you. Please... can you tell me who it was? Who left me here? If he's told anyone, it's you."

Doppelganger averted her gaze from Ayrae's back, voice subdued. "You know I can't do that."

"... It's fine. I just hoped to know before I die."

Doppelganger, almost desperately, insisted, "You're so dramatic, Shade. You won't die and you know it. It's just sharing your body with Lady Kyja, the greatest honor within the guild!"

Ayrae inquired, "And you'd be happy to watch me like that, like she was? Running around the continent, destroying everything in sight, killing with an honest-to-god smile on my face... Would you be proud of your little sister for the 'honor' she's won?"

Doppelganger wouldn't give an answer or eye contact, completely shutting Ayrae out. Yet Ayrae didn't seem affected. Looking longingly at the gravestone, she softly said, "Thank you for letting me come here before tonight."

Doppelganger seemed to ignore her, simply turning back toward the dark entrance of the tunnel leading into the garden. "Just come on. Now that night has fallen, it's time."

Ayrae slowly nodded, looking to the walls of the garden. Cracked and crumbling, one could even fit through some of the passes. Yet Ayrae couldn't even consider running again, no matter how terrified she became.

Turning around, her soft footsteps sent her slowly trailing Doppelganger, eyes trained on the ground, hands still clinking with the chains that bound her wrists behind her back.

So this is how it feels to stare at oblivion... It's a funny feeling, seeing the end of everything and still feeling more alive than ever. I guess that just goes to show just how much it all means to us in the end, and how much we'll give to protect what we love.

It was a long walk, through the winding tunnels that had brought them to Briar's old garden, weaving through the living quarters that still lay in tatters from Erza's battle with Diviner.

Looking at a sword still impaled in a wall, Ayrae felt her heart flutter. Erza... I wish I knew what happened to you. They won't tell me how the battle ended, where you are... Damn it! I swear if they managed to catch her too... Diviner's already broken Kyja's Law, the most sacred belief of the guild. If he'll do that, I don't know where he draws the line anymore, if he does at all.

Fingers curling around the chains, her hands kept the metal from jingling so loudly in the stone hallways.

Emerging from the hallway, Doppelganger stepped off to the side as Ayrae stared out at the cavernous room. Dome-shaped, it was a massive room, easily two hundred feet to the ceiling. The sleek white marble floors streaked with shoots of black melted into the black marble ceiling. In the center of the room, a dais rose in a circle, an altar gleaming white. A thick, battered book sat on the table, bound in leather, gold bands on the spine and a single name written in large, scrawling letters on the front: Kyja.

Encircling the altar, rows of seats were laid out, the entirety of Demon's Shadow sitting, watching Ayrae with hungry eyes. It was easy to see in every one of the fifty members: they wanted to see the rise of a goddess.

In the row closest to the altar, Diviner stood with a smug smile, Gray still chained and kneeling, albeit awake now. Seeing Ayrae, he roared, "Fight back, Rae! You're not allowed to give up like this!"

Doppelganger's steady hand between her shoulder blades and pushing her forward, Ayrae's eyes were almost too revealing- she was terrified, desperate, anguished. But behind all of the tumult, there was something still left of the Ayrae he'd always known- the determination and fire to rival even Natsu. "I'm not done, Gray. Not by a long shot."

The ice mage couldn't understand- what the hell was she talking about? What was she planning?

Diviner, smirking, stepped forward, the three of them meeting at the altar, Ayrae's eyes trained on the book before her. The worn cover was torn and scarred in several places, the black ink slightly faded, yet it held together incredibly well.

Diviner coolly glanced to Doppelganger. "Dear, if you would."

Doppelganger nodded slightly, hand shimmering with light as her fingers curled around the chains connecting Ayrae's manacles, easily snapping the chains, despite the magic-restraining chains still clung to her wrists. Hands now free, chains still swung from her wrists, a shaky hand reaching for the book, chains clinking gently.

Diviner moving back, Doppelganger right behind, Gray thrashed against the chains, yelling angrily, "Rae, stop this before it's too late! We can still w-"

Diviner gestured to Doppelganger, the girl quickly wrapping a strong hand around Gray's mouth, effectively quieting him. Still he fought against his chains, biting down on Doppelganger's hand, yet she seemed completely unaffected by his attempts to escape. Nothing seemed to get through to her, the girl's changing eyes glimmering strangely as she watched Ayrae.

Fingers tracing the edge of the book, it was almost like she was in a trance, her gaze having gone almost blank, her fingers turning the first page. Small letters coated the page, elegant and curling words dancing across the parchment.

The entire dark guild seemed to hold its breath, anticipation in the air. Gray strained against the chains, throwing himself against them, but he was helpless against the strength Doppelganger was using, and without his magic. He could only watch as Ayrae slowly flipped the pages, stopping a few more into the book, her hand smoothing out the page. The voice that spoke seemed to be two at once: that of Ayrae, and the voice he'd heard only a few times, the one he knew to be Kyja.

"I call to thee, Queen of Mortals. I ask for your power, that you infuse me with your strength. I summon you, First of Demons, Parasite to Men, Embodiment of Chaos, and Queen of all Humanity,"

Ayrae closed her eyes for a moment, speaking in only her own voice.

"Kyja."

Crimson light flooded from the pages of the book, the parchment suddenly flipping rapidly toward the end as Ayrae's eyes flicked open, blood red. The light swirled around Ayrae, the light funneling itself into the lacrima within her arms, another ray of light standing apart from the rest. Bright white, flickers of black inside, it seemed to thicken into the form of a snake, writhing through the air, entwining itself around Ayrae's arms.

For a moment, the red of her eyes flickered, terror filling her gaze as the light wound its way around her throat, its fangs biting into her neck, the light disappearing as it squirmed into the lacrima at the base of her neck. Lacrima in her arms pulsing a blinding red, the one in her neck black and white as it cast its light across the room.

Ayrae gripped her head, screaming in pain as the change began. Horns began to sprout from her forehead, curled and gleaming chestnut as they stretched to the sky. Scales crept downward from the base of each horn, a strange mixture of scarlet and gray across her forehead and the edge of her cheeks, biting into the scars across her face. Her black hair stood on end for a moment, her usually sleek waves tangling themselves into a messy, yet elegant pile behind her fully-formed horns.

Tears broke in the back of her robes, wings slowly stretching outward. Wings like that of a bat, their spiked edges jutted outward, stretching until they were reaching ten feet across, the stronger, bone-supported sections of her wings black and fading to gray as her wings turned to the thin skin allowing flight. From the very base of her back, a thick tail sprouted, reptilian and black as it curled around her feet.

Her forearms and hands began to grow, shattering the shackles on her wrists, gray scales spreading from her elbows to her fingers, her fingers fading to curved claws. The scales spread from each lacrima and crawled around her ankles to her knees. She rolled her jaw, another cry of agony tearing out of her throat as her teeth sharpened to canines and a red vein-like tube- the connection from Kyja to Ayrae's mind- spread from the lacrima in her neck and into her skin, her lacrima suddenly going dull as she slumped forward, leaning against the table, panting.

Doppelganger, her shock having set her off-guard, had let go of Gray, stood staring in awe at the girl, Gray completely still.

She- She has to be in control. Just because she transformed, doesn't mean that this is Kyja! This could still be Ayrae!

Diviner timidly called out, "My Lady?"

No answer came, only heavy breathing as clawed hands curled into the marble, slowly cutting into the stone.

Diviner, eyes wide, once again spoke, "Kyja?"

BAM!

A scaled fist slammed down next to the book, shattering the marble in the shape of her fist. An elegant, sleek voice hissed as regal as a true queen, "You will speak to me with due respect, little shadow."

Darkness. I wasn't used to the feeling of darkness, not being able to see straight through the blackness. No, this time it was all-encompassing. I couldn't see anything, I couldn't feel- I couldn't even move. I was simply existing in this vast emptiness.

A voice. There were voices somewhere, echoing around me! Where were they coming from? I could go to them, I could find something other than this void...

"I'm afraid this is all you have now, child."

I wanted to look around, but there was nothing. Yet I could feel something now- there was a sudden pressure on my hand, though it felt... muffled.

"Yes, you're starting to understand. You don't have the power I do, thus you're the one trapped now." An echoing, chilling laughed seemed to fill the emptiness for a few moments. "And you have so little strength in this realm, you won't even be able to whisper to me as I did to you, little one! Though I'll grant you this solace..."

The void started to clear like fog, dispersing slightly to show there was something... I could see the chamber, I could see a hand, scaled and monstrous... and from the lacrima in the wrist, I only had to assume it was mine.

I wanted to scream, to demand what Kyja thought she was doing, but I couldn't speak. I completely froze as I was.

"Sorry, little one. You can watch all that I do, but you can't control this body any longer. That is my charge now, Shade. Just relax, and enjoy the show."

I was trapped in the deepest reaches of my own mind... And this was the end.

Gray felt his blood go cold, freezing in his veins, his heart pounding too fast. No. No no no no no no no... Rae, this isn't right. This isn't you!

Diviner fell to his knees immediately, the rest of the guild imitating him as he hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry, my Lady. My deepest apologies for the disres-"

"Oh, just silence yourself." Standing straight, Kyja turned to the guild master, looking down her nose at him with eyes of pure crimson, no pupils to be seen, only pools of blood-red disgust. "And to think I entrusted you the role of my lead shadow."

Diviner bowed his head even lower, forehead only a foot from the ground. "Forgive me, my Queen. I beg you for mercy."

Waving a scaled hand, Kyja let out an annoyed breath. "Did I not tell you to silence yourself?" This effectively quieted the master, Kyja cracking her neck eagerly, a horrifying grin spreading across her lips. "Ah, it feels wonderful to feel like me again. Though this new power could take some getting used to, especially when added to mine." Interlocking her fingers, her scales scratched against each other with a sound like metal on metal, pulling her hands apart and holding a palm toward the ceiling in front of her. "Let's see, I believe it goes like... Pitch Black Cannon."

The small orb of black over her hand suddenly erupted into a column of black shadows that tore into the sky, destroying the ceiling, vaporizing every piece of rock, the shadows tearing through the sky. Soon, there was nothing except a hundred-yard hole where the ceiling used to be, growing wider as the column of shadows expanded.

Closing her hand into a fist, she cut off the shadows as she let out an irritated sound. "And I thought it would be stronger. Pity."

Gray, finally snapping out of his stupor, inquired, "Rae? Can you hear me?"

Blinking, Kyja turned with an arched eyebrow at the Fairy Tail wizard. "Hmm? And who is this?"

Diviner quickly answered, "A Fairy Tail wizard, my Lady. He attempted to interfere with the ceremony, and so we used him as leverage to achieve the host's assistance."

Kyja immediately looked away from Gray, seeming completely unconcerned with the ice mage. Instead, she turned her sights on Diviner, red eyes seething. "Well, no matter. We have other matters to think about. Stand up, you little worm."

Diviner almost fell over as he stood quickly, keeping his head bowed. "Yes, my Lady." Eagerness in his voice, he obviously expected nothing short of Kyja's highest praise.

"You pathetic fool. You've caused the most trouble of any guild master I've ever instated." Slowly walking down the steps, her scaled heels gently tapping on the stone. "First, you allowed my previous host to become... unruly. Then, you permitted my current host and one of the victors of the Trial to walk out the door, one only found after nine years of leaving me split in two, the other still missing. And your worst crime..."

Suddenly, she was in front of Diviner, rapidly lashing out and closing her clawed hand around his throat easily, lifting him as if he were a feather. Grasping at her hands, he gasped for breath, the guild holding their breath, watching in terror.

Kyja's eyes were slits of red, burning with rage. "You broke the single most important law I created. You swore an oath not to harm the Fairy Tail wizards and as annoying as it might have been, you couldn't be bothered to hold to your word."

Diviner wheezed, "Please... forgiveness..."

Kyja let out a cold laugh. "You idiotic fool. There's never been that much mercy in my soul, and there's little left now. No, all I have for you right now is rage. There are no words for this anger." Her grip tightened as shadows leaked out around her.

"So I'll simply say goodbye." Claws drove into skin, as scaled hands crushed inward, the only sound that of horrified gasps among the guild.

His staff clattered to the ground as Kyja dropped him, a dull thump resounding has he hit the ground, eyes empty. Doppelganger shook, swaying on her knees and steadying herself with one hand, Gray's jaw hanging as he tried to find words, tried to find something to say. Yet there were no words.

Turning to Doppelganger, Kyja coolly went on as if nothing had happened. "The memory of this host tells me that you were the runner-up in the Trial?"

Doppelganger nodded slowly, not seeming to be breathing as she stared at Diviner. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

Kyja gave a slight smile, sly and cold. "Then congratulations on your promotion, my little shadow." Her scaled tail curled around Diviner's staff, lifting it and offering it to Doppelganger. The girl seemed to look between the demon, the staff, and the fallen master for an eternity before her fingers slowly curled around the staff, her head bowing.

"I'll serve you to my best... Lady Kyja."

My hand had tightened. I'd felt it, I'd seen it, I'd hear the sound. I wanted to scream, cry, shout, throw something, do anything! I couldn't be trapped like this forever! I couldn't just watch Kyja commit atrocities wearing my face, using my hands! The last host... She'd resisted. I could as well. I just had to figure out how to do-

There was a sudden pain in my forehead, still muffled but much stronger than when Kyja had hit the altar. Trying to push the burning feeling away, I watched as Kyja looked upward toward the origins of the blast, finding-

"Natsu!"

Gray looked up to the massive hole Kyja had created, seeing a mass of people had gathered on the edge. Dropping down the shattered ceiling, a pink-haired boy quickly landed, the marble cracking underfoot as he did, just across the altar from Kyja. Dark eyes met red, Kyja's usually calm expression cracking. Her sly smile turned to an irritated scowl, eyes narrowed with barely contained rage, hair smoldering from the flames that had fallen from above. "Insolent little fairy. The minute I install a skylight, you have to rudely drop in."

Natsu quickly took in Gray in the background, eyes honing in on the scars across Kyja's face, quickly realizing what had happened. Voice dangerously low, he growled, "Give Ayrae back her body and I might not burn you to a crisp." His fists lit with dancing flames, the light casting shadows across his face, the rest of Fairy Tail dropping down, the Demon's Shadow wizards rushing to battle.

Kyja glared at him, yet as she looked at his eyes, she suddenly grinned. "Ha! Dragneel, aren't you? Oh, fate is a fickle friend of mine."

Natsu roared, "Either fight or give up, now!"

His fist came down on the table, his fire almost touching Kyja's book, though her tail quickly snaked out and yanked it off the altar. Tail handing off the book to her hands, Kyja ran her claws gently across the cover, chuckling as if Natsu had just told her a joke. "I wouldn't be so rash to fight, Dragneel. After all, this is still Ayrae in here." She put a hand to her head, a claw tracing the scar across her cheek. "You can't truly hurt me. I'm a parasite, you see. I live connected to my host, yet separate. I am within the lacrima, simply controlling her actions, not inhabiting her body." With a blood-freezing smile, she looked to Natsu as if she'd already won. "In other words, should you attempt to hurt me, I feel none of the pain, I take no damage. Your little friend, on the other hand... Well, I should hope for your sake that you're as weak as you seem."

No! They can't fight Kyja! No, this was all wrong! They have to stop before someone is hurt! I couldn't live if I knew this was my fault! Damn it, why did I think I could overpower Kyja once she took over? I needed magic to keep her back when only a fourth of her consciousness was even in the lacrima! Still, I was trapped, watching as Kyja gloated over her assumed victory.

"Quiet yourself, little one. It's going to be a short, bloody day."

Natsu's flame flickered, his breath halting at the news, a battle beginning around them, Natsu considering the fight for half a second before he growled, "Then I'll just have to singe you right out!"

Fairies fighting shadows, it was chaos as the black-robed wizards fought to regain their temple. Magic flew through the air, Juvia slipping through the crowd to find Gray. Swooning, she gushed, "Gray, my love!"

Shaking off his shock, Gray looked to the water mage. "Juvia, get me out of these! They're magic-proof chains!"

Looking at the chains, Juvia nodded eagerly. "Of course, my love!" Going behind him, she found the chains were held together by a simple padlock, though she couldn't imitate a key, to her dismay. "I-I can't unlock it!"

Among all the noise, Juvia could hear a soft ringing behind her, like metal and stone. Whirling, she found herself face to face with Doppelganger, dark eyes glaring from under the shadow of the tattoo's wings. Yet as Juvia prepared to attack, Doppelganger kicked something on the floor forward, brushed shoulders with a Demon's Shadow wizard, and suddenly disappeared.

Juvia, blinking in confusion, looked down to see a small gray key at her knees, seemingly the right size to fit the chains. Not questioning her good fortune, the girl happily placed the key in the lock, twisting once and the chains came unclipped, falling away and freeing Gray completely. Standing, he gave Juvia a nod and a rapid thank you before taking off into the heat of it.

Kyja had taken to the air, casually dodging the bursts of flame that flew from Natsu's fists. Kyja sighed, brushing back a strand of hair, her claws scraping against the dusty scales on her forehead. "And to think I actually believed you could pose a challenge to me. Oh well." Extending her arm, her reptilian hand was pointed downward to the many people below, dark light gathering in her palm. "I suppose I'll just have to destroy all of you humans."

Gray stepped forward, yelling, "Wake up, Rae! You're stronger than any demon!"

"Your faith is endearing- it's really unfortunate I find anything endearing quite annoying." Kyja narrowing her eyes with a cold smirk.

"Arc of Night: Concentrated Blackout."

No! You can't hurt them! Stop! I had no consciousness of what was happening beyond that if Kyja used that attack, she could kill them. For a split second, the lethargic feeling of my body faded only in my hand, just before it set back in with exploding pain, all my awareness suddenly shutting down with the agony.

Just as the blast was about to tear loose, Kyja's fingers suddenly closed like a fist, the attack backfiring. The shadows ripped through her scales, Kyja dropping a few feet in the air. Looking at her hand, the remaining skin was shredded while the scales that hadn't been destroyed smoldered. Clenching her bloody fist, Kyja scowled, anger flowing off her in waves as she glared at her steaming hand.

"Little brat... You won't be taking control."

Gray's breath seemed to hitch, realization dawning. Ayrae... She broke through. Turning to Natsu, he felt a new energy coursing through his veins. "Rae took control for a moment- I'm going to give her an opportunity to do it again!"

Natsu grinned. "Then I'll light this place up!"

"I've got this, flame brain! Go help the others!"

The Fairy Tail wizards seemed to be keeping up rather well with the Shadows, their numbers slowly fading, yet a few were giving a strong fight. Celest had summoned a Celestial spirit, two enormous fish swerving through the cavern and knocking swaths of Fairy Tail wizards back in every swipe, Natsu running straight for the white fish and screaming loudly with flames spewing. Makarov currently duked it out with an angry cluster of wizards, a particularly nasty Mirror Magic-using wizard reflecting his every attack. Cana, Macao, Wakaba, and Elfman were each carving their own path through the enemy, Mirajane currently in Satan Soul form and outside while in aerial battle with a wind wizard. Shadow Gear had been stuck in a corner before a certain metal-using man dove into their end of the fray, Erza having reemerged and now tearing through any wizard in her way, Lucy close behind her with Taurus.

On the other end of the battlefield, Lucy practically hugged Erza's back, the battle too wild for her taste. Taurus was doing a good job ripping through the chaos, but it wasn't enough to calm the blonde's nerves. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with melee fighting, the style completely out of her magical comfort zone, her plan of staying with Erza the best she could think of. As Erza's Heaven's Wheel attack shredded through a Solid Script wizard's words, Lucy meekly asked, "Can't Gramps just use the Fairy Law spell and get rid of all these guys?"

Erza spared a quick glance to the master, slashing her sword across a Beast Soul wizard's back, all the while calmly explaining, "I know he would if it were possible, but it seems Ayrae has merged with Kyja. I don't think he would risk what it could do to the two of them in one body." With a worried glance to the girl she'd called a friend, now scaled and cackling, she couldn't quash the fear that she couldn't fix this. "We have to find a different way to free Ayrae."

Erza kicking an illusion wizard in the face, Lucy pulled out a new key, swallowing her fear. "Then I guess we should clear these guys out so we can focus on Rae! Open, Gate of the Archer-"

The rest of the guilds raging around him, Gray's only focus was on the demon floating above, spiked wings swaying gently to keep her in the air. They look nothing alike, yet... I can see she was made by the same man as Deliora. A demon of destruction and a parasite... They have nothing in common except whoever was so horrible, he wanted to make such monsters for the world.

Kyja lowered her injured arm to her side, no pain in her gaze- only anger and annoyance. "This distraction has become an irritation."

Gray ignored her, calling up, "Rae, you can hear me, can't you?"

Kyja rolled her eyes, crossing her arms, not even a wince at her injured arm touching her rough scales. "Foolish little fairy. The host is no more than a ghost in the back of my mind now."

Gray still wouldn't acknowledge the demon, yelling, "I know you can! Come on, give me a sign you can hear me!"

Kyja started to laugh, yet her voice started to peter out, eyes lessening in how narrow they were. Gray, taking this as a good sign, insisted, "You're stronger than this, Rae! Fight this and wake up!"

Kyja's wing beats slowed down, slowly drifting downward, her eyes slightly glazed over, the word barely slipping out her lips: "Fullbuster."

Gray brightened as Kyja floated barely above him, looking curiously at him. "Rae-"

A scaled tail crashed into his chest, Kyja laughing as Gray skidded across the ground, crashing into the altar. Completely normal, her red eyes sneered down at Gray as she rose higher into the air once again. "You little fairies are so predictable! You really thought you could just 'talk' your little friend back? She's gone, little fairy. Now, it's only Kyja."

There was yelling. Someone was speaking, but I couldn't make out the words. All I could think of was the pain, the darkness surrounding me. I couldn't remember why I was here, what I'd been doing. I'd been focused on something, I really wanted it! ... Yet it was gone. I couldn't pull together my thoughts beyond the confusion of the pain and the never-ending night around me. It would be nice just to rest... Just to close my eyes, tune out the voice completely. Just... sleep until it was over...

"Never!"

The voice was back... but clearer. It echoed through the darkness, a name suddenly coming through the pain, a name I could put to the name: Gray.

"Never!" Gray pushed to his feet, shrugging off the rubble of the marble as he stood, glaring at the demon. "Ayrae would never just let you win! She's stronger than you could ever imagine! She's one of us!"

Kyja rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "Hmm, you were starting to be entertaining, then you opened your mouth again. Oh well, I suppose this is a good time to-" A swath of arrows ripped through the air toward her, Kyja easily dodging. Red eyes tore across the ground, looking for the origins. "Who would dare to attack me?"

Lucy, standing next to Sagittarius, returned the demon's gaze with bravery, brown holding strong against red. "We would! Now let Ayrae go!"

Kyja, looking around, let out a low growl akin to the sound of a lion. All around the temple, her Shadows were scattered, unconscious and defeated, a handful racing out through the tunnel, escaping Fairy Tail's wrath. Now, Kyja flew in a room dominated by fairies.

Makarov, still in Giant Form with his head barely below the partial ceiling, booming with rage, "YOU WILL RELEASE MY CHILD AT ONCE!"

Kyja glared around, absolute rage in her eyes. "You... You little fairies would dare to hurt my Shadows?! You would threaten the Queen of Mortals?!" Rising higher, she hit her knuckles together in the fashion Ayrae would, a black glow surrounding her.

This magic... It was familiar. It was mine, in fact. Kyja was using my magic against my friends, and I was stuck in this darkness, useless! Why couldn't I do anything?!

"It's over for you pathetic creatures! I don't need to worry about the repercussions for my actions this time. Now, it's over!" Hands suddenly flung to her sides, fingers extended over the entirety of the guild below her, a horrifying grin lit her face, the shadows dancing across her wrathful gaze, triumphant as she looked down at those she believed she'd already beaten.

Wait, this stance... This magic... No. No no no no no, she wouldn't! I swore I'd never do this again! I'd never hurt the people I love, I can't do something like this!

"Let all within my power's sight be silenced by the night's embrace..." The shadows began to flood from her, reaching out across the walls, blotting out the moon above, darkness enveloping the room. Suddenly, no one could see anything except the seal of magic at Kyja's feet and the dark light it cast upon her horrifying eyes. Yet while others panicked or prepared to fight, Gray simply stood strong, staring upward. Rae... I know what this is. And I know you'd never let Kyja hurt any of us.

NO! This spell will kill everyone, I can't do this again! I can't lose everything again, I CAN'T!

"Allow nothing to escape my wrathful gaze." Kyja's hands came together in front of her, overlapping as they pointed to the center of the room, the shadows around her filling with a blood red spark. "Advanced Arts: Night's Si-"

And nothing. Her voice simply wouldn't work, the spell faltering and the shadows flickering transparent with the halt. Kyja's eyes bulged with rage, trying to speak the word to end every life- yet the most she could do was mouth it. The seal disappeared completely as she clutched at her throat, scaled hands shaking with fury.

I didn't know how I was doing it, but I had feeling again, scattered throughout my body. A finger, a knee, one of the wings I'd grown... and my throat. I refused to let her speak, I absolutely won't let her hurt the people I love! It isn't going to happen! Not while I can still breathe!

Shadows completely disappearing, the guild wizards stared in confusion, Kyja's wings beating at off intervals, one barely moving and the other flapping rapidly to make up the difference, her scaled hands still at her neck, shadows still persisting around her despite the spell's failure. At seeing how futile her approach was, her gaze hardened, a new solution appearing to her. A quick flash of black, her fist colliding with her own gut, tearing her robes and leaving half of her abdomen exposed and bleeding. Completely unperturbed, she straightened what was left of her sleeves with a satisfied sigh, her wingbeats falling back into rhythm. "Ah, much better. Now, I believe I was about to kill every one of you."

Suddenly, pain burst through their body again, everything going numb. I couldn't feel anything except the pain that clouded my mind, tearing my thoughts apart before I could even think them. There was nothing in my mind, everything going dark again. Muffled voices spoke, a garbled sound like static in the background, all of it beyond my senses.

Natsu yelled angrily, "You're wrong! Nothing breaks a Fairy Tail wizard- especially not something as pathetic as you! You can't even exist without someone to steal from!"

Kyja chuckled, clearly amused. "Is that what you think? So uneducated, boy. And I thought Igneel taught you."

The nerve was struck, and it clearly showed on Natsu's face, shock spreading like a ripple across water. "You... You knew Igneel?"

"Knew? I still do, Firefly. The Fire Dragon King, a bit of a strict one, but he always had a soft spot for your race. In fact, if I were in the mood, I could tell you exactly where he is." A cruel smile on her lips, she put a hand to her chest in mock grief. "But unfortunately, the only way I'd ever tell you is if you beat it out of me, and well, you can't exactly do that. All this pain goes directly to the host, remember? I feel nothing."

Natsu suddenly was rocketing through the air toward her, fists flaming. With no intention of hurting Ayrae, there was a small bit of him hoping it would intimidate the demon. "Tell me where to find Igneel, right now!"

Yet Kyja easily swatted him into the wall with her tail, giving an exaggerated yawn. "I'm afraid your little attempts at postulation won't be working on me, Firefly."

Natsu shattering the stone at Erza's feet, Lucy rushing forward crying his name with worry. Gray yelled upward, "Stop her, Rae! You won't let her hurt us, I know you won't!"

Kyja rolled her eyes. "She can't do anything, you thick-headed fairies. The host is simply a source of power and information for me." Narrowing her eyes at Gray, she smirked with superiority and pride. "And you shouldn't be talking to her about an iron will. After all, didn't your own stubbornness end with your master dead and fellow student of hers wasting his life away on seeking vengeance and justice?"

And just like that, Gray was frozen in place, throat a block of useless ice. How could she know about all of this? It's impossible! Even if she somehow is using Ayrae's memories, she wouldn't know about Igneel!

Kyja chuckled at their reactions, taunting, "I know everything about every one of you." Her red eyes tore across the guild members, settling on Erza for a moment. "The escaped slave..."

Her gaze turned to Lucy. "The runaway heiress with nothing to inherit..."

The Strauss siblings. "The broken family that has nothing but the weak bonds between them."

Wendy. "The child who's every home and family abandons her."

Gajeel. "The monster pretending to be a man."

A sneer spread across her lips, red eyes on Makarov. "And the father so desperate to protect what is doomed to die. After all, look at what you've achieved in your 'long life'- son estranged, your grandson banished just like your son. Oh, let's not even mention the in-laws; no, let's look at how well you've done with the children you took under your wing out of guilt. Most are traumatized, others barely holding together," She burst out laughing, an elegant sound that made the air seem to sharpen. "And look at the worst of your failures- a girl with so pathetic a will, she's now my puppet!"

Makarov, hands forming to fists, shook as he raised one as if to attack. "Release my child at once!"

Kyja let out a mocking "tsk," folding her arms with a confident sneer. "You'd never touch me like this, old fool. You'd never hurt me, even if I brought up your dead father or the mother who died giving birth to you?"

Makarov's fist swung, Kyja never even flinching as it rushed toward her, hair fluttering with the rush of air- Makarov's fist stopping inches from her face. Makarov's fist shaking, Kyja's laugh rebooted, growing stronger as she put a hand forward, hand barely brazing his massive fist as a blast of shadows burst from her palm, the column of shadows that shot forth were so powerful, Makarov was forced back several steps until the beam collided with his chest, slowly shrinking back into his normal form, crashing into a wall. Levy and Wendy ran straight for the Master, Kyja's laughter fading into a chuckle. "I was such a fool to believe any of you could offer anything amusing. I was hoping you'd at least give me something interesting to sleep on tonight."

Kyja's fists slammed together quickly, one arm moving to support the other, a smirk still crossing her lips. "Farewell, little fairies. Arc of Night: Concentrated Blackout."

And this time, Ayrae couldn't stop her.

The blast was skinny, barely as wide as her arm, shooting toward the center of them all like an arrow, the glaring black shadows meeting metal and it's destructive power letting loose, exploding violently. Metal shattered, and Erza in her shredded Adamantine Armor was sent skidding backward across the floor, the explosion still knocking them all down like dominos, though only a few were hurt by the attack itself. Cana quickly shook herself off, stumbling over to Erza, falling to her knees next to her friend. "Erza, are you alright?!"

Erza's hand barely moved as she tried to push herself to a sitting position, her face twisted in pain, Kyja smirking in pride of her power.

Erza. I hurt Erza and Gramps... What am I doing?! I can see... They're hurt, they're holding back fighting because they still think it's me! No no no, this isn't right, I can't do this! I-I can't hurt them anymore! I can't!

Power surged through me again, the same feeling as before. I felt... in control. For a few seconds, I felt like myself, or at least part of myself. My face felt stiff from the scales as I forced my voice to work before Kyja could do anything again.

"Fight back!"

For a second, Gray was still too dazed from the explosion. From there, it took half a second to recognize the voice the spoke out. It hadn't been Kyja's prideful, dignified tone- it was Ayrae's soft, stubborn accent. Even her eyes had reverted to their usual black, wide and panicked.

Gray's eyes came into focus on Kyja/Ayrae, the two obviously struggling. Despite Ayrae being able to speak, her claws twitched angrily as her arms inched toward her throat as if to quiet herself. Ayrae's voice continued, strained and desperate. "Don't hold back, you dumbasses! I'll pull through but Kyja-" Her claws gripped at her head as her voice and Kyja's doubled together, a horrible caterwauling made from both of their voices, anger and pain echoing in the sound. Hair tangling around their claws, their chest heaved as Kyja fought for breath, eyes fading back to red.

If Kyja had been angry before, this was wrath in all its glory. The air shook with every wingbeat, the entire cavern beginning to tremble as Kyja's hate-filled eyes turned back on the guild. Now, there was much less pride, replaced by an angry wariness, even a hint of anxiety in her gaze. The elegance of her voice was gone- now, it was low and shaking with effort to keep herself under control. "You... You little fairy brats. You're somehow making her fight back, supplying your strength. I won't be overthrown!"

Gray pushed to his feet as Kyja once again hit her fists together, then throwing her hands to her sides, palms downward at the guild wizards. She's preparing for the Night's Silence spell again. Gray, looking around at his battered guildmates, urging, "Get up! You heard Rae- fight back! Maybe if we can keep her off balance, Rae can take over!"

Lucy put a worried hand to her mouth, biting a lip. "But... Ayrae-"

"She can take it," Gray assured, yet still unsure himself. "Don't worry, Ayrae's stronger than that damn demon."

Wendy, having healed Makarov, had now rushed to Erza's side, hands glowing blue as she worked what magic she could. Natsu pulled himself out of the rubble, standing with an angry scowl and flame jumping across his arms. Gajeel, Mirajane, Lucy, and a handful of others managed to stand, pulling to their feet.

Kyja couldn't even laugh at the ridiculous notion that they were all standing against her. No, now she was simply filled with outrage that these mortals would dare to stand against her. "This is the end of you pathetic rats! I'm through with your pesky existence!" Shadows began to snake around her, thicker than before, her glowing eyes the only light from within the darkness spreading around her. "Let all within my power's si-"

A red boot crashed into her forehead, Kyja flying backward, though twisting in midair before she could hit the wall, her foot instead touching down for a moment before she pushed off, rocketing herself back at her attacker, Mirajane. Mira's Satan Soul form was enough to keep up with Kyja's rapid slashing with her claws for a few seconds, yet Kyja was faster, a clawed hand ripping across Mira's abdomen. Mira curled inwardly at the pain, slowing enough for Kyja to brutally bash her tail into Mira's chest, sending her flying into the ground with a cloud of dust and a spray of rubble.

Just as she was turning around, a metal beam collided with her chest, driving her right into the wall, Kyja unable to stop the natural shock to her body. And just like that, it became a struggle. Ayrae constantly battering for control, Kyja had to split her attention between fighting internally and externally. Quickly turning to shadows, Kyja easily escaped from being pinned to the wall, appearing behind the source of the attack. Reforming directly behind Gajeel, Kyja whispered, "Didn't think about shadow travel, now did you, Redfox?"

Gajeel attempted to turn, Kyja put her palm forward, Gajeel turning to find his eyes staring at the scales.

"Pitch Black Cannon."

Gajeel disappeared in the blast of black light, completely swallowed by the attack until it pressed him a foot into the farthest wall. A smirk started to grow before a flash of pain struck her forehead, Ayrae's constant fighting back tearing through her thoughts for a moment, just long enough for Natsu's fist to strike Kyja squarely in the cheek. The demon skidding across the ground, her wings caught in the rubble, tearing through the thin membrane and shredding them as she drove her claws into the stone, forcing herself to stop. A deep growl echoing from her throat, she stood tall, glancing at her wings. "You bastard... Do you know how annoying it is to regenerate?"

Natsu hissed, "You don't get to complain- you're just going to give our friend back!"

Natsu lunged, fists glowing with fire, he drew back his arm for a punch as Kyja slammed her knuckles together, then her palms together as if praying. "Blackness Rain." Bullet-like blasts of shadows rained down, the shadows pounding down on him, pushing him to the ground. She growled, "You little-"

Kyja's emotions were all over the place, making it easier to go between the cracks of her powerful grip on our body, allowing me to take control for seconds. It didn't matter what I controlled, as long as it was something that slowed her down.

Pain flashed through her mind, Ayrae once again striking at her, her legs failing to move as Ayrae held tight to what control she could muster. Unable to move, she was completely open to the glowing gold fist of Leo as he shot forward, yelling, "Sorry about this, Rae! Regulus Impact!"

Kyja, trapped where she stood, caught his fist in one clawed hand, though his second blow was a direct strike, colliding with her collarbone. Kyja stumbled back a step, more scales falling away as her chest steamed from the blow, much worse than before.

Whatever control I'd managed suddenly slipped away. The pain was like yet another layer of darkness, weighing down on me, trying to drag me down until I couldn't get up. I was fighting as best I could, but the pain was getting to me. Yet I was starting to realize something else. When I'd had partial control, Kyja had felt the pain of Leo's attack. Not all... but something.

Lucy immediately picked up, realization striking her as she murmured, "It's still Ayrae's power... And she could be hurt worse by Light magic. Never this bad, but Kyja must be amplifying it, making her weakness even worse!" Cupping her mouth to amplify her voice, she called, "Loki, she's weak to your magic!"

The spirit smiled coyly, adjusting his glasses. "Then I suppose it's up to me. Just for the record, I don't enjoy beating a woman."

Kyja, eyes closed and one hand on her injured chest spoke with her voice shaking in anger. "Then you're lucky I'm no woman." Full control back, her foot formed a crater in the stone as she pushed off, head forward like a charging bull, Leo not fast enough to dodge as her horns drove into his chest, Leo crying out in pain as he began to dissolve into light.

Lucy screamed, "Loki!"

Kyja stood as he faded completely, having retreated back to the Celestial World. Vainly rubbing her horns as if to clean them, she smirked at the young blonde. "I'm a demon, little fairy. Your spirits can't touch me."

Tears in her eyes, Lucy snatched her whip out, the fleuve d'étoiles extending in its glowing glory. "You've hurt my friends... You stole Ayrae's body! I won't let you get away with it!" She drew back her arm, lashing out with the whip's end aimed right for Kyja's head, the demon's hand lashing out, snatching it from the air before it could touch her.

"Stupid little fairies. You think a whip can-" Her voice broke off as a new burst of pain spread from her head- and the hand gripping Lucy's whip.

It was a familiar pain- I'd felt it a few times before when I'd gotten on the wrong side of Light Magic. I struck out as Kyja gloated, taking control, refusing to let go this time, regardless of pain. I wouldn't let go of the whip, the pain burning- yet it wasn't as strong as it should've been. It was clear to me now: whoever was in control was the one who felt no pain. Sharing it like this... they were sharing the pain together.

Kyja stared wide-eyed in disgust and pain at her clenched hand, scaled fingers burning as she shook her arm. "Wh-What is this?! Let go, damn it! Enough!" She raised her free arm, growling, "Dark Claws." Small knives of darkness appearing in her hand, she slashed downward, the darkness barely managing to cut through the fleuve d'étoiles. Quickly pulling her arm away, Kyja examined her shaking hand, almost half the scales sheered away, though not as bad as her first hand. Turning, she was completely unprepared for what she met.

"Ice Make Hammer!"

Kyja began to dodge, yet as she did, her legs failed to move once again, the massive icy hammer gaining a direct hit, sending her flying into the next wall, a sickening snap echoing through the temple. Kyja fell forward, stumbling as she landed on her feet, one of her wings snapped and bleeding, dragging on the ground with the bone pointed out. Kyja scowled as she reached behind her, ripping the wing off from the base, the fallen appendage dissolving as she dropped it. "You're becoming more than an annoyance, little beasts."

Gray, still in his stance, shot back, "And you're just a body-snatching monster! Give up before we have to-"

"Do what? What can you do?" Kyja, with hands on her hips, suddenly smirked again. "Your little friend is strong, I'll give her that, but she can't take full power from me. And your pointless fighting? You don't have the guts to kill me, so the best you can do is make this body unusable to me. I'm not sure you're willing to go that far, either."

Gray admitted, "No. We won't. But we also don't have to."

Kyja, unaware of a small creature flying above her, felt curiosity perk at Gray's words.

My best opening. I took my chance, pouncing on Kyja's weakness and refusing to let go. I could feel it- I was fading fast, running out of energy. I couldn't keep this up with how blurry both of our vision was becoming. It was too much to fight with so little strength. If we don't end this soon, I'm going to lose.

Kyja exhaled sharply at the sudden lack of mobility, her entire body stiffening this time, refusing to move. Gray ordered, "Happy, now!"

The blue cat stopped circling above, dive-bombing Kyja with white cloth in his hands. Kyja's fingers barely could twitch as the cat tried to quickly wrap the bandages around her neck. As he finished getting a single layer around her neck, Kyja began to yell in rage before her eyes seemed to flicker between colors, red and black flickering uncertainly.

Happy still looping it around her neck, Kyja moved as if she were in slow motion, Ayrae hindering her the whole way. Levy, helping the Master to his feet, called with pride, "We were worried something like this might happen, so we sent Jet to Porlyusica to get enchanted bandages!"

Makarov glared with a righteous fury, a certain finality to his words. "The same that kept you at bay when Ayrae was growing up with us- and after us."

Kyja, her slow motions slightly faster, her claws near her neck, Happy hurriedly tying them in a messy, over-complicated knot. "Those barely worked when there was only a portion of my consciousness, old man!" Despite her words, it was obvious she was desperately fighting for control, her eyes more black than red, Ayrae's voice underlying hers slightly, Ayrae's magic already turning the white cloth a dark gray, almost black.

Makarov replied, "These are strong enough to hold you while we find a solution, demon. They're stronger than the last, and Ayrae is more powerful than she was before."

The darkness was splitting, parting around me, filling with light. I felt... Almost in control. The cold, numb feeling was fading away, a warmth filling m-

Pain.

Kyja's eyes cleared to red once again, her motions unhindered as in one quick swipe, she swatted Happy out of the air, claws tearing at her throat, trying to rip the bandages off her neck. Pulling at the cloth, they seemed invincible to her efforts. Quickly figuring out it wouldn't work, she turned her eyes on the guild wizards. Rage in her eyes, she was quickly realizing with the bandages, this was a fight she couldn't win. "I know when I've lost- it's not a familiar feeling, but I know." She raised one of her clawed hands, raising her voice angrily. "But I'm a bit of a sore loser!"

Her claws slashed across her own abdomen, five lines of red quickly sprouting as Kyja completely relinquished control. Her eyes turning black, her scales faded to an ashen grey, flaking away as if cold cinders in the wind. Wings, tail, and horns following suit, Ayrae was swaying on her feet, normal except for the dripping claw marks across her stomach. She managed to stay standing for a few seconds, smiling blankly. "Free..."

She started to fall, Gray racing forward, dropping to his knees and skidding for a moment to catch her, grabbing her by the shoulders and laying her head in his lap. Wendy ran as fast as she could, tripping over rubble as she hurried to reach Ayrae.

Gray's chest shook with his pounding heartbeat, urging, "Eyes open, Rae! You did good, you just need to hold on for a little longer."

Ayrae blinked in agreement, Wendy reaching them. Quickly kneeling beside Ayrae, the girl already looked pale from healing both Makarov and Erza, yet she placed her hands just over Ayrae's wound, her hands glowing a gentle blue. "Just hold still, I'll trill to stop the bleeding."

Gray, barely aware Wendy had arrived, still had his hands on Ayrae's shoulders. Her shaky hand reaching up to her shoulder, her fingers rested on his, still smiling. "I think... we won."

Gray nodded. "Yeah. We did, Rae."

Ayrae closed her eyes, aware of the angry, churning darkness in the back of her mind, yet not afraid.

I'm not a monster. Not yet.

Now... I'll never become one again. I won't allow it.

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