[Re-edited 04-16-22]

Hola, happy weekend!

Here comes Deliora, hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

12

-Deliora-

It didn't take Erza long to drag the relevant information out of their captives. The four cultists clung to each other in a shivering mess in the far corner of the ice prison, under the redhead's glare. They had spewed out every detail of lifelong plans to track down the demons of the book of Zeref, guided by a theory that uniting the demons would somehow revive the Black Wizard. The Fairy Tail mages had exchanged considering looks with one another, while Erza demanded to know how they possibly thought a group of idiots with no magic power could possibly bring a demon of Deliora's rumoured power, under control.

The cultist in the middle looked at her like she was crazy, and explained that they hadn't planned to control Deliora, they hoped to seal it, (and the other demons as they located them). Their ultimate goal was to unite them, assuming that doing so, would bring Zeref back and he would control the demons he'd created. Erza couldn't fathom how they'd come to that conclusion, it all seemed pretty farfetched to her. That said, Zeref's cultists had never been the most reasonable groups of people. Another of their captives piped up and mentioned that part of what their network of followers strived to do was collect the ancient books the demons sprung from, and their leader was currently in possession of Deliora's.

Ultear stepped forward with a calculating look and shouldered Erza out of the way, much to the redhead's chagrin. "Where is your leader now?" she asked plainly. Natsu watched her out of the corner of his eye, he didn't trust the councilwoman in the slightest. According to the sleazy reporter, she and Meredy had manipulated another group of cultists and had tried to seal the ice demon, but they had failed to a devastating magnitude, nearly losing their lives in the process. But if this book really meant they could seal, and possibly control Deliora… Well, he didn't like the look of interest on her face at all. Glancing at Lucy, he determined the stellar mage was under a similar impression, she had her arms crossed under chest and was openly staring down the time mage with narrowed eyes.

"Like we'd tell you that," a couple of the captives barked back.

Erza ran the tip of her sword across the bars of the prison as a malicious look crossed her face. Then, without warning, she whirled around and sliced clear through the bars in one graceful movement. The top of the prison slid off and crashed onto the ground, and a set of shallow gashes across the chests of two of the four cult members, who's arms shot up in the air in surrender. "The leader is northwest of the village scouting for the demon with our mages!" all four screeched in unison.

The redhead nodded in approval, slamming the point of her sword down into the ground and leaned on the hilt as she turned her attention to the rest of the team. They nodded, all silently agreeing to trail after the cult mages and relieve them of any of Zeref's books that they'd procured.

"I think we should split up into two teams," Erza suggested. The entire group turned to face her, waiting for her instructions, even Ultear watched complacently. "I want Haru and Gray on one team each, due to their past experience with Deliora. In addition, I'm splitting up Natsu and Haru, we could use a dragon's senses on each team." The mentioned mages nodded, agreeing with her strategy. "Ultear, you and Meredy will be splitting up as well, I won't pretend to trust your motives, and we will not be letting you out of our sights."

"That's fine, I would prefer the opportunity for us to keep our eyes on you Fairies, as well," Ultear countered, glaring at the Knight. The two stared each other down for a short but tense moment, dangerous intent radiating off them both.

"Okay, listen up!" Erza held her sword up into the air over her head, "team one: Gray, Natsu, Lucy and Meredy."

Natsu cheered and slung an arm around Gray and Lucy's shoulders, "Alright team, we're going to crush this!"

"Team two: Haru, Lyon, Ultear and myself," Haru and Lyon bumped fists, both ready to take on their literal past demons.

Erza's team

Erza's team moved westward through the village, planning to head north in a wide arc and hopefully come up behind their targets as Natsu's team does the opposite, moving north first and west in an arc to pin down their enemy. Ultear walked just ahead of the redhead with an arm lazily held in front of her, a crystalline orb balanced on her wrist at the ready. Erza hadn't stopped watching her intently since they'd split up from Natsu's team, not that Haru was any less weary of the raven-haired woman. He wished he could make heads or tails of the time mage, but her motivations were a total mystery. He and Lyon strode along behind the girls, each surveying one side of the street they followed.

Reaching the outskirts of the village, the group continued farther into the wilderness before gradually turning in a wide loop. "I'm picking up some new smells, I think," Haru said uncertainly. Erza glanced back at him, and he simply pursed his lips and shrugged a shoulder, unable to provide her with any surety. Tracking scents was near impossible right now with the nearby village filled to the brim with cultists. With all the different smells overwhelming him, it was a challenge to differentiate anything useful, but it appeared Erza thought it was worth exploring.

"Up front then!" she commanded. Haru nodded and passed the others following the new smells as he telepathically contacted Natsu to update his team.

"I am not sensing any mages, or anything at all, for that matter… Something is interfering with my nose," Natsu's voice echoed through his mind.

"Interesting, there's a lot of smells challenging my ability to track, but I wouldn't say I'm getting interference. Be careful, Natsu," he warned his partner, before cutting the link. The smells he was trailing were getting stronger and he gestured at the rest of his team to keep close.

Ducking behind some small boulders, Erza leaned out to peer around a rock to observe a group of five individuals in dark cloaks conversing in a circle. Haru strained his hearing, listening into their conversation even at the distance. "They're talking about the location of the demon, apparently slightly northeast from here, in the mountains..." Haru informed Erza and their team telepathically, ensuring their stealth. "Sounds like they're planning to trap Deliora with the same rune anti-magic unison raid that they used on us, to give their leader, Zoldaf, a chance to prepare the book."

"WHAT?! Are they out of their minds or just stupid!" the requip mage seethed. "Don't they realize that anti-magic can't suppress demonic power? They'll all be killed."

"We'll save their dumb asses, if we can. They're misguided, but they don't deserve to die."

"Call it, Haru," Erza requested due to his telepathy not allowing intercommunication for her to give instruction.

"Let's go team, hit 'em hard, and fast, before they know what's happening!"

In sync the four leapt out from behind the boulders they were hiding behind. Lyon released dozens of ice eagles, as Erza called dozens of shining swords and used her telekinetic abilities to send them flying. The ice and requip magics rained down on the unsuspecting cult members, the spells exploded on impact and sending up a cloud of ice and debris. Taking that as a perfect cue, Haru bolted forward, vaulting over a rock and unleashed a whirlpool attack that immediately surrounded and trapped the group of rogue mages.

"We're looking for a book," Erza announced in short fashion as she stopped in front of the violently swirling waters, cocking a hip to the side, "perhaps you can help us."

Natsu's Team

Running into thick forest with his team spread around him, Natsu huffed in irritation. "I still can't smell a damn thing, not even the three of you and you're right next to me," he growled. He couldn't decide what could possibly be dulling his senses so spectacularly. Pushing the frustration aside, he gestured for his team to follow and they sprinted forward according to the directions Haru had provided. The four found themselves bursting out of the tree line not long after when the forest ended abruptly in a decimated stretch of barren ground that had been thoroughly scorched.

"What the hell happened here?" Natsu questioned through clenched teeth. At least three miles of earth laid out before them like desert, appearing as though the lands had been thoroughly baked for decades in an unrelenting sun. The lush forest just behind them giving away to the odd char-blackened tree, twisted and dead without so much as the slightest transition. Not even the most stubborn grasses had managed to adapt to life between the webbing of cracks that marred the dusty ground that had once been part of Seven's arctic forests.

"This was Deliora," Gray told them flatly, his expression and tone suddenly stony. The girls gasped behind him and Natsu turned, eyeing the ice mage as the group slowed their pace. The arid ground crunched and shifted unstably under their boots, eroding further with each passing minute. The fire slayer kept his senses on full guard, even as he silently assessed his friend's mental state. He really disliked the anxious tension that Gray was now wearing like a second skin at all. Neither did Lucy it seemed, she was also watching him from the corner of her eye with an empathetic, albeit fearful look as well.

A deafening roar devastated the silence surrounding them unexpectedly, forcing Natsu to slap his hands over his ears in pain. He cringed forward, screwing his eyes shut against the piercing sound that set his head on a nauseating spin. Reacting immediately, his comrades leapt in front of him protectively, placing themselves between him and the direction of the sound. Natsu groaned, straightening slowly as he physically shook off the disorienting ring in his ears. His acute vision rapidly scanned the mountain range, but saw only the grey-muted snowcapped peaks that seemed a stark contrast to the dry wasteland at their bases.

"Was that…" Lucy trailed off, glancing toward their icy comrade to gage his reaction.

Gray paid no attention to any of them though, his eyes were wide and skin paler than normal as a concentrated beam of energy answered the blonde's question for him. Power more intense than Natsu had ever felt erupted from the mountain range, carving a deep line into the ground in front of them like a knife through butter. Several explosions followed as the energy ballooned to unstable levels, expelling a series of shockwaves that sent him and his teammates flying with a shared scream.

The rough ground bit into his skin as he landed hard on his upper back, sliding back toward the forest with the force of the opening attack. Natsu back-rolled and dug a foot down into the ground under him, skidding to a stop on all fours a far distance back. He remained still, even as his eyes darted around in a wild search of the attack's source. Still, nothing moved around the mountains that he could see; the stillness and silence began feeling as ominous as if the demon they sought, stood right before him.

Glancing left and right, he took quick point on the state of his comrades. Gray was pushing himself up to a half kneel and Lucy lay on her stomach with her elbows propped under her to his left, Meredy was flat on her back a few feet to his right. "Everyone okay?" he called loudly, receiving a collective round of groans in response.

Natsu rolled his bottom lip under one sharp incisor as he cast his attention back to appraising the imminent threat. The dust from the explosions was finally settling enough to offer unobstructed views, and the mages all inhaled sharply at the first sights of their would-be target. Deliora, a beast the size of a two-story house and as black as night rose to its full height, far enough that they couldn't make out many details aside from its piercing blood-red eyes that glowed even at the distance. It stood imposingly at the foot of the mountains that would border their battle field and Gray froze, glued to his spot as he watched the embodiment of his childhood trauma begin to stomp closer.

Snarling, fire burst off Natsu as he vanished into his Flash Steps, his crimson scales already burning across his skin as he moved to meet the beast on the field. Flickers of fire skipped over the lifeless stretch of land carrying him closer and closer to the massive beast, but it was Deliora that made the first move before Natsu had even fully materialized from his spell.

Swiping a large armoured arm out in a semicircle along the ground, the demon ripped through the earth in front of the fire mage like tissue paper. Natsu brought his forearms up in front of him, bracing against the wind that bloomed around the attack, nearly getting thrown back by that alone. Without a second's hesitation, he launched himself onto the demon's arm and ran up the limb, vaulting over a swipe of its large claws and fired a full-power breath attack at Deliora's head. Completely unfazed, a second explosive beam shot from Deliora's mouth and Natsu flipped out of the way, a hand catching hold of a spike to spring back up onto the demon's shoulder.

Natsu could hear his comrades shouting his name worriedly as they ran toward the battle, making up the distance his Flash Steps had gained him. Still, he continued to dodge the lumbering strikes of the demon, and traded barely effective fire attacks in retaliation. Below, he caught a glimpse of Virgo popping up after drilling several holes around the demon's feet, further destabilizing the eroded field. The ground beneath them quaked loudly and collapsed into a gigantic hole, dropping the Destruction Demon into the earth up to its arms, immobilizing it slightly.

"Star Reform: shatter!" Just like that, the stellar mage had joined the fray, announced by the compressed golden magic that rained down from the skies.

"Maguilty sodum!" A multitude of teal blades followed, whirling around the demon before shooting into the most vulnerable parts of its body, courtesy of Meredy.

"Fire Dragon's secret arts:" Natsu called as he ran up the back of the demon's neck. Flipping into the air high over its body with bright red embers coating his entire form, he spiralled down toward Deliora's head like a drill. Fire streamed out around him in a vortex as he finished the incantation, "crimson lotus, exploding flame blade!"

The attacks all hit their marks, but Deliora's roar pierced the air again, dazing Natsu immediately having been just an arm's distance away. Consequently, he took the full force of a back handed strike from the demon, sending him flying across the desolate field. "NATSU!" Lucy screamed.

His body collided with the stellar mage who'd thrown her body to the side to intercept his path. She grunted as she tried to absorb his momentum but the impact from Deliora's strike proved too powerful. Lucy lost her footing and they both went tumbling head over heel, rolling back until they slid to a stop, sprawled on the ground with Lucy under him on her back.

"Luce..." he croaked, concerned with the injuries she might've sustained from catching him. He tried to peel his weight off of her but the blonde still had her arms wrapped protectively around his torso. He coughed, choking on blood that suddenly filled his mouth as it gurgled up from his throat. With a gasp of concern, Lucy released him, helping him roll to his side as he coughed up globs of blood.

Her fear-laced words that followed his coughing fit, as he spat one last string of blood and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, were cut off by a new scream. Lucy tore her attention off him and he craned his neck just in time to see Meredy's body crash into the ground not far from them, sliding back in a cloud of dirt. "No… all of that, and we didn't leave a single scratch," the blonde whispered despondently. Natsu tried to reassure her with his unwavering confidence but only succeeded in sending himself into another coughing fit, spitting out more blood from whatever internal damage accosted his body. Concerned brown eyes shining with tears met his when he recovered and all he could do was take her hand in his, offering silent support despite lying broken in her arms.

Deliora sucked in a massive gulp of air and shot another catastrophic blast of energy at the helpless group. Lucy wrapped her arms tighter around him and squeezed her eyes shut, Natsu braced for the strike as well, even as a mix of desperation and fury burned up inside him.

"Ice Make: shield!" Gray charged in front of them, arms stretching wide to conjure a massive wall of ice that manifested before them. He cringed as the attack crashed into his shield and Natsu watched helplessly as his comrade's form tensed and he groaned under the pressure, putting everything he had into maintaining the shield to protect them. Gray's feet dug into the ground as the ice began to chip and crack until it shattered in a shower of icy shards. The ice mage released a pained grunt and dropped forward to his hands and knees, panting for breath, but he'd succeeded in warding off the attack.

"Am I still not strong enough? Are WE not strong enough to end this?" Natsu heard his long-time friend mumbling to himself. "Shit, I can't believe I've dragged my comrades into this shit."

Natsu struggled back to his feet despite Lucy's protests. She stood with him, quickly catching him under the arm when he wobbled to the side and he gave her appreciative look. "Get up Gray, we aren't out yet," he declared. The ice mage looked up at them, the fear of losing more family plainly drawn on his face.

"You're a Fairy Tail mage, and Fairy Tail doesn't lose twice, not even to a powerhouse monster like this!"

Erza's team

"Is she always like this?" Lyon questioned Haru who was standing stock still next to him. The corner of the water slayer's lip twitched upwards as he watched the predictable tactics of his guildmate. Without looking at the ice mage, Haru just nodded slowly with hints of exacerbation and fondness for the redhead in his expression. Erza had torn Zoldaf out of his watery prison and currently held a fistful of his cloak in one hand as she bombarded him with questions. Questions that she saw fit to punctuate with gauntleted slaps that knocked his head back and forth. Questions that she didn't pause long enough to allow him time to answer…

"I suggest you hand over the black magic books in your possession," she growled, a shadow falling over her eyes as she glared down at the bruised and battered man in her clutches. She drew back a fist for another strike when he failed to answer promptly.

"Erza, try not to kill our best informant—"

A huge blast interrupted Haru's plea, shattering the quiet, and the whole group froze, turning collectively to take in the plumes of smoke pouring into the sky to the east. Cold fear surged through the water mage, as his eyes followed the signs of destruction into the previously clear skies.

"NATSU?! Natsu! Can you hear me?!" Haru called telepathically in sudden desperation as that cold fear crawled up his spine. "Natsu, please, tell me you guys are okay!"

Another explosion tore a line through the sky in the distance. "FUCK! We need to get over there, NOW!" Haru demanded, as Erza fixed him with a surprised look. "My link with Natsu has been severed, they're in real trouble, I can feel it."

"My connection with Meredy has also been cut off," Ultear added in alarm.

Terror flickered across Erza's face as she turned her attention back to Zoldaf. "Times up, our comrades are in trouble, so I don't have time to play around with you anymore. Book. NOW. Or you face my wrath."

Taking in the absolute rage wafting off her in waves, the cult leader gave a squeak of fear and uselessly shielded his face with his arms. The space between them glowed and a pair of books dropped onto the dirt at Erza's feet. "Smart decision," the redhead muttered before tossing the man back into the water spell still raging behind him. She quickly requipped the two books, and pivoted to catch up with Haru and the others who were already racing in the direction of the explosion.

A spire of golden light shot into the sky and fractured into a shower of falling stars. "That's Lucy's magic, they're definitely there!" Erza announced as she caught up beside Haru in a flash. Without another word they charged eastward.

. . .

Bursting into the arid landscape behind Deliora, Erza's team came to an abrupt stop, appraising the battlefield as they searched for their comrades. Erza surveyed the extensive damage, and finally, took in the daunting demon that stood between them and their comrades.

Deliora turned glowing red eyes on the newcomers and thrashed a leg out at them before spewing a stream of demonic power that cut the air around them. The four mages scattered, aptly dodging the assaults. Erza sprinted around the demon, swinging her body back as her momentum carried her forward under the heavy swing of Deliora's arm and righted herself with a hand on the ground as she donned her Flight Armour in one seamless move. She sped out of range of the beast's physical attacks and rounded in front of it to skid to a stop in front of Natsu's team.

They were grouped together in various positions of recovery. Gray was at Meredy's side, she seemed to be unconscious as far as Erza could tell from the distance. Lucy had one of Natsu's arms slung over her shoulder, her shirt was stained with blood, her own or Natsu's, Erza wasn't sure, they both looked awful though. "Well am I glad to see you Erza," Natsu breathed, she nodded, feeling incredibly relieved that at least her guildmates were all on their feet.

Erza didn't bother asking if they were alright, she could tell they were in rough shape, and knew they'd just dismiss her concerns anyway. Instead, she requipped Deliora's book and held it out to the stellar mage, "See if you can figure out how to seal Deliora back into this book."

Lucy sunk to her knees, carefully easing the fire mage down with her, and gingerly accepted the worn leather tome. "Natsu," she said, looking at the man next to her, and without needing her to clarify her unspoken request, he requipped her Wind Reader glasses. Lucy nodded her thanks and turned her attention back to the Knight. "Cover me, as long as you can," she commanded as she popped on the red glasses and began speed reading.

"Leave it to me," Erza vowed, pivoting in time to see a massive tidal wave crash into the demon from behind. Battle-honed instincts had her instantly requipping her armour and charging back into the fray now clad in her Lightning Empress Armour, aiming to buy Lucy as much time as possible. Swirling her staff over her head she gathered electricity and released a storm of lightning bolts to rain down on Deliora.

Haru materialized next to her out of a jet of water and the two skid to a stop, catching one another's eye sidelong. Seemingly reading each other's thoughts, the water mage's magic exploded in power and cerulean scales replaced pale skin. Haru thrusted his hands forward and a deep blue magic pulsed before his hands, expanding rapidly around him. Simultaneously, Erza widened her stance and spun her lightning staff above her again, electricity building up around her once more.

"Dragon Slayer's secret arts:" Haru chanted. Torrents of water swelled up and raged around them both, and the redhead stopped her swirling staff, fusing an overwhelming charge of lightning into her comrade's water spell. "Ocean's vengeance: surging tsunami!" Haru roared, launching toward the demon with the power of the ocean seething with a living thunderstorm raging around him. He crashed into demon's chest as the torrential water crashed into it and spectacular bolts of lightning burst out shocking the drenched demon.

Deliora cried out its displeasure before snatching the water slayer out of the air in a clawed grip, and fired another explosive beam that Erza barely managed to dive clear of. Haru gave a tortured scream as claws dug into him, and the redhead screamed his name him in panic.

. . .

"NATSU!" Gray shouted, an unspoken plan developing between the long-time comrades.

Natsu, struggled to his feet again, his eyes alight with the same fire that coated his body when his partner's screams pierced his ears. Ice magic built up and in a flash of blue, a giant ice hammer appeared in Gray's grip. Bracing, he swung the hammer around just as Natsu shot into the path of his swing, with Lucy's cries trailing him. His feet planted onto the hammer's face with perfect timing and riding the power of Gray's ice-make hammer, the fire mage vanished in a stream of fire, soaring forward at blinding speeds. "Fire Dragon King's demolition fist!" he yelled. His fist, swallowed in deep red flames, connected with Deliora's arm forcing the beast to release Haru in a boneless heap. Grasping the demon's wrist, Natsu swung around, firing himself back to the ground just in time to catch his fellow Dragon Slayer. Dissolving into his Flash Steps once more, he retreated back to the relative safety of their gathered group, all within the course of a few seconds.

Natsu reappeared in a flare of fire, already assessing his partner's injuries, and Gray was over his shoulder instantly. Erza, Ultear and Lyon continued their efforts in keeping the rest of the team safe. Haru's eyes were screwed shut and his breathing came in ragged puffs. Large gashes in his shoulder, upper arm and side were bleeding heavily, and Natsu could tell he was barely clinging to consciousness. Gray's and his own frantic calls seemed to rouse him slightly. Haru cracked an eye open to focus on them both, "Natsu… I need you to—" he coughed, rasping as blood coated his lips and he pressed his hand harder into gaping wound at his side, "—close these wounds."

"What?! Haru, do you even know how painful, not to mention, dangerous, that would be?! I can't..."

"Wendy isn't here, we are nowhere near medical services, I'm going to bleed out regardless if you don't! Just DO IT!"

Natsu cringed as the truth of his best friend's words hit him. Haru would die, he had to try... The water slayer was fading in and out of consciousness again, and Natsu sunk a fang into his lip as nausea bubbled in his stomach at the task laid in front of him. He coated his hand in fire, fingers trembling as he resigned himself to causing Haru more excruciating pain.

"Wait, I can seal his wounds with ice," Gray interjected, "it'll be temporary, but it'll buy us some time to get him to proper medical care." Relief swelled inside the fire mage as he nodded gratefully. The other man's hands glowed blue with his magic and he methodically addressed each wound, allowing his ice to spread out across the gashes as Haru lost the battle to stay awake.

"I've got it!" Lucy shouted, "I've got the ritual chant to seal Deliora! Do you guys think you can distract and keep Deliora pinned down long enough for me to recite it?"

Gray caught his fellow ice mage's eye before they turned matching determined looks on Lucy in confirmation. Erza grinned at Natsu and they both nodded in unison as well. Ultear's gaze took them all in before settling on the pink-haired girl who remained unconscious, not far from Haru, "You have my support," she declared stoically.

"Let's finish this!"

The five mages leapt to action, spreading out to surround the demon. Lucy began reciting the scripture in a language Natsu couldn't begin to recognize, standing with her arms outstretched, palms up, and a golden glow gradually grew around her. From each of Deliora's sides, Gray and Lyon both slammed their palms into the ground sending waves of icy spires shooting up from the ground in rapidly increasing heights until the demon's body was trapped between them to the waist. Enraged, Deliora sent a bolt of demonic power that blasted into the ground, causing it to explode in a fiery torrent that erupted near Natsu. Immensely thankful for the lucky break, Natsu quickly inhaled every last ember, his scales reappearing with the reinstatement of his Fire Drive.

"You'll pay for what you did to Gray!" Natsu warned as he shot upward into the demon's jaw with a Sword Horn, "and Lyon!" he added, spinning in the air to throw a Talon Attack into its temple. "And HARU! Crimson lotus: fire dragon's fist!" Natsu concluded, landing a barrage of fire-enhanced fists all over the demon's body.

Below, Erza dodged a strike from Deliora, jumping, she sprung gracefully off the demon's forearm. The loose red and yellow-flame patterned cloth of her Clear Heart hakama flowed around her legs as she flipped through the air. Landing softly on bare feet, she quickly flew back at the beast again, rejoined Natsu's strikes with a flurry of slashes from her demon blade Benizakura.

Through the commotion, a giant black-red magic circle appeared below Deliora, and its body flickered in the briefest flash. Its red eyes narrowed and its gaze fell on Lucy who couldn't be aware of her surroundings in her trance state. The demon sucked in the air, preparing to unleash another devastating breath attack to thwart the blonde's efforts. "I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH HER!" Natsu yelled furiously, "Fire Dragon's brilliant flame!" He threw the massive ball of fire he'd conjured at his fingertips in second, from his position on Deliora's shoulder. The point-blank spell coursed into the side of demon's head, knocking the attack's trajectory off and obliterated a wide chunk of the encroaching forest instead.

Lucy's voice suddenly echoed all around them, and with a few more words, her chanting ended abruptly. Pitch black energy burst from the magic circle beneath Deliora, and the five mages leapt away, skipping backward to provide a wide girth around the beast. Blinding light burst off Lucy and towered into the sky. The same warm golden light filtered through the dark magic circle and poured over the demon, beginning to purify its demonic aura. Deliora roared another ear-splitting cry as it slashed pointlessly at the light now fully engulfing it. The bright light pulsed violently until it extinguished abruptly, leaving just empty space to remain.

Deliora's book floated in the air where the demon once stood before dropping to the ground. It landed with a thud on its spine and dropped open, its pages being turned wildly by the residual power as the magic circle shrunk and vanished. Lucy wobbled on her feet and collapsed sideways, but Gray caught her, supporting her weight. All the mages watched in bewildered silence as the Destruction Demon's pressure winked out completely.

Ultear was the first to move, stepping forward to make a grab at the book, however, Erza slashed her katana down between her and the demon's book. She fixed a demonic look of her own on time mage, just daring her to try again.

"Move, and I won't hesitate," Erza threatened, "don't think I haven't realized your Arc of Time could potentially act on this book."

Ultear clicked her tongue in annoyance as her unwavering glare met the Knight's.

Natsu had been standing with his hands linked behind his head when Gray and Lucy joined their gathered comrades, he noted the blonde was favouring an injured leg. The rest of the group chose to ignore the headstrong women for the moment. "That was a little sketchy for a while there… But in the end, it was almost anti-climatic," Lucy decided, laughing.

"All thanks to you Luce!" Natsu cheered in response. He bounced over to her with his usual infectious energy so he could pull her away from Gray and into a bear hug, "you were amazing!"

She murmured a thanks that was muffled by his scarf as she buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm just glad it's over an everyone's okay," she started, though she did cast a concerned glance over her shoulder to Haru and Meredy. Seeing as the fire mage had Lucy supported now, Gray announced he would check on their injured comrades. Agreeing, and knowing time was of the essence for his partner, Natsu irritably turned his own attention back to the continuing standoff between the raven and scarlet haired women. Their respective magic pressures were starting to spike in a show of power, drawing Natsu's pointed sigh.

He placed a hand on Lucy's head, before pivoting and rounding over to Zeref's book. The warring women didn't take notice until Natsu had stomped a flaming foot down onto the book, instantly turning it to ash. It released a puff of demonic energy to waft off the book before dissipating into nothing. "Oops," he said flippantly, shrugging a shoulder as Ultear whirled on him.

"What have you done?!" Ultra demanded. Unfazed, Natsu simply crossed his arms in a display of boredom, as she approached and ran magic-coated hands over the pile of ash attempting to take the book back to its past. To the surrounding mages' shared surprise, Deliora's book rematerialized in a shimmering glow, its ancient language scrawled across the cover in deep black lettering. The fire slayer watched with mild interest as Ultear picked up the book with a smug look, but that faded as soon as she cracked the book open, immediately releasing a screech of aggravation before launching into a flurry of rather childish complaints.

Leaning over the woman's shoulder to get a look, Erza burst out laughing and plucked the book from her hands. She held the book by its cover, letting the book fall open for the group to see entirely blank pages. From his spot in front of them, Natsu adopted Ultear's earlier smug expression, "Purifying Dragon Flames," he explained simply.

The corner of Ultear's eye twitched momentarily, and then she sunk to her knees and slumped forward in defeat. "No... two years of work, for nothing," she whispered to herself. A small hand clasped her shoulder, squeezing reassuringly, and the time mage found Meredy at her side. The teen had one eye swollen shut and was cradling her other, likely broken, arm against her chest.

The young mage kneeled next to her, "It can't be helped, we should be grateful to have survived... again." She smiled weakly at Ultear, "and at the very least, we know that Deliora can never be used against us."

Erza tried to demand who the 'us' Meredy referred to was, but both women ignored her outright. Standing, Ultear pulled Meredy up with her, supporting her young comrade against her side. Her eyes drifted closed and a small smile pulled at her lips, "We can't tell you that, and though you won't believe this, we are not your enemies… We'll be seeing you around."

Before any of them knew what was happening, the space around councilwoman and her companion warped subtly and they both vanished.

The Fairy Tail mages gaped, "If we aren't enemies, you'd think they could have at least taken us with them!" Lucy exclaimed hysterically. Natsu eyed Gray returning to the group, stopping next to the blonde with Haru, still unconscious, now draped over his back.

"Oh well," Natsu dismissed, "let's get moving, Haru still needs a healer and I don't know about the rest of you, but I am starving!"

"Always thinking about your stomach, Ash-For-Brains."

"Oh, can it, Ice Princess, I am too hungry to deal with your shit."

. . .

"Enforcement knights?!" Natsu yelped out. They had just made it back to the village after a couple hours of hiking, to find it crawling with knights clad in deep purple and gold tunics over armour. They appeared to be storming buildings and dragging the cultists out into the streets, sending them away in flashes of light, presumably for trial.

When Natsu's group was spotted, a captain, flanked by four of his men, broke off from the unit and marched over to them. Natsu stared back, automatically weary and defiant anytime he was confronted with Council Knights. His own comrades angled themselves around him at their center, mirroring the squad's display of intimidation. "What is your purpose here?" the Captain asked, "you don't appear to be Zeref worshippers."

"We aren't," Erza interjected placing a hand on the fire mage's shoulder and matching the Captain's stony demeanour.

"Mind explaining what a group of Fiore mages is doing mixed up in the middle of the biggest threat we've seen to Seven's national security in decades?" the Captain asked coldly, pointing at the mark on Gray's exposed chest.

Erza's eyes narrowed as she sent an appraising look at her comrade, the rest of them had managed to keep their guild marks hidden. Gray shifted sheepishly under her unspoken reprimand as he became suddenly aware of his lack of clothing, again. "We were on a mission to rescue our comrades. A reporter with the Seven Star paper told us of the rumours of Deliora wreaking havoc in your country. As our friends had gotten wrapped up in the mess already, we chose to provide aid." The Erza explained, purposefully leaving out the details of some of Fiore's own Magic Council representatives' inexplicable involvement.

"I see. You're telling me you Fiore mages engaged the demon Deliora?"

Erza nodded, holding out the demon's empty book to the Captain, "Deliora will no longer pose a threat to Seven, or Ishgar."

Taking the book, the man flipped through the blank pages; lips pursed in interest. "Hm, well we will need to question the lot of you anyway, and we will begin by contacting your Magic Council for verification of your story, regardless."

Paling slightly at the prospects of dealing with the Council, Natsu growled under his breath. Having been silent up until now while Erza took point, he finally broke in, "Fine, you have our cooperation, but we have injured comrades that need care first." He tipping his head back to gesture at the unconscious Water Dragon Slayer now on his back, the ice closing his wounds coloured pink with blood.

Erza chuckled a little, he'd stated that as though he wasn't sporting multiple bad injuries himself, but she would have expected nothing less from him. The Captain paused, just now taking in the rough state of the mages spread before him. He motioned to a couple of his men and the pair stepped forward, wielding spatial magic, and the group vanished in a flash.

1 week later

The Fairy Tail mages breathed a collective and exaggerated sigh of relief as they stepped onto the platform at Magnolia station, Natsu and Haru bolting off the train cheering for freedom in unison. The group stood together briefly, just looking out over their beloved city, they had left well over a month ago and the beautiful townscape had them smiling widely. Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to contact Makarov or their guildmates due to the vast distance and interference of Seven's royal knights while they were held for interrogation. They all knew their family was likely worried sick having not heard from them in weeks, so they hurriedly made their way to the guildhall to finally reunite with the rest of Fairy Tail.

The group was exhausted, it had been a long week following their battle with Deliora. The Captain's men had transported them to the capital city of Seven, and the six mages had been issued three rooms to share in the royal army's headquarters. Medical mages had addressed their various injuries and they'd been provided with hearty meals and lavish accommodations. Despite being held in custody, overall, they'd been treated like heroes between hours of questioning.

One day the Captain that had been overseeing their case informed them that Fiore's Magic Council representative, Ultear, had arrived in their defence. She'd spun a surprisingly believable story of how the Destruction Demon had posed a significant threat to all of Ishgar and the National Magic Council had put a request in of Fairy Tail to assist the country of Seven with its eradication. She claimed that she wasn't sure how the mission proposal had failed to be delivered to their own Magic Council branch, and apologized without batting an eyelash at her blatant lie. Erza and Natsu sweat-dropped as they listened to the tall tale, and the fire mage realized Ultear was far more dangerous then he'd previously given her credit for.

But in the end, the Royal Knights of Seven had accepted her explanation and Deliora's blank tome as proof. The Fiore mages were granted their freedom and after parting ways with Lyon, Natsu and his comrades had finally headed home.

The large castle-like structure loomed in the distance, its bright orange flag marking Fairy Tail's guildhall, flapping at the center calling them home. Lucy skipped forward, with her hands shooting into the air, "Home sweet home!" she cried happily before breaking into a run. The fire mage echoed her sentiment and overtook her in seconds.

"That's the spirit! Come on you guys, let's go home!" he shouted enthusiastically, looking back at the group as he ran with an ear to ear grin. They all exchanged grins of their own, and ran after the carefree idiot. All five of them crashed through the large doors and plowed into the guildhall at the same time, announcing their arrival home to a resounding mix of relief and excitement.

Happy flew across the hall like a speeding bullet, slamming into Natsu's chest already bawling. He quickly switched over to Haru blubbering all over his shoulder, before finally jumping off the water slayer and burying his head in Lucy's chest. Happy's words streamed out of his mouth in an incoherent mess, and Lucy sighed, stroking the cat's head while she whispered apologies for scaring the little guy. He perked up just seconds after and demanded they each buy him fish to make up for it.

As that drama died down, they were all quickly surrounded and tackled into group hugs as their guildmates cried and cheered at their safe return.

That was, until Levy stalked through the crowd with a furious look on her face, stopping in front of Haru who blinked down at the short woman questioningly. Without warning, she wound up and slapped him, hard. His eyes widened and his hand rose to his cheek as the small script mage spun on her heel, launching a furious backhand into Gray's cheek as well. The entire group froze, looking between the guys and Levy who was shaking with a warring mix of anger and relief, "How could you…? How could you two use me like that?!" She met Haru's eyes again as tears streamed down her cheeks, "if something had happened to you, I would never have been able to forgive myself."

"Levy… I am sorry, we never meant to hurt you," Gray said quietly, the guilt weighing down on him.

Haru didn't try to defend their choices, wordlessly, he pulled the small bluenette into an embrace. She sobbed even more and began weakly smacking at him trying to push him away. He winced slightly every time she unknowingly hit one of the still-healing wounds he'd suffered before pressed her back to arm's distance, finally taking in the hurt that swam in her eyes. Lucy moved to the her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, prompting Levy to turn and cry into the blonde's chest.

"Levy, we are sorry we scared you," Haru told her. "Though we may have gone about it the wrong way, you were integral in helping Gray, Lyon and myself finally gain closure so we can move forward with all of you... There is no way I will ever be able to express the depths of my gratitude." Shifting her face from Lucy's shoulder, Levy met piercing blue eyes, and a small smile graced slowly her face as she nodded. She was still angry, but her relief to have all her friends back safe and sound overwhelmed that tenfold, and she was genuinely glad that she'd been able to help them.

"I hate to interrupt this heartwarming reunion…" a voice rumbled behind them, "but did I hear you say 'might' have gone about this the wrong way?!"

Haru flinched, and turned stiffly to find Makarov and Mira standing on the outskirts of the gathered group. The former wore a dangerously calm look that cracked as soon as they made eye contact. Giant hands swept forward to wrap around Haru and Gray respectively as their bodies were forcibly turned to face the positively enraged look on the master's face.

"Scarrry," the rescue team chorused behind them. "I'd take on Deliora again...solo... Before I'd want to face Gramps when he's angry," Natsu added as the rest of the Fairy Tail mages backed away to put distance between them.

"I can't fathom what you two idiots thought you were doing! You're supposed to be more level-headed than that, or has Natsu been rubbing off on you?!" Makarov reprimanded, ignoring the indignant 'hey!' that erupted from the fire mage who was now across the hall. "You WILL be facing punishment, and I will make Deliora look like a kitten in comparison." The elderly man smirked, satisfied with the rightly terrified looks that fell over his brats' faces. "But," he dropped them on their butts, "for now, I need Natsu and Erza in my office right away, for mission report."

Natsu, from his spot at the bar now, turned and pouted at the stairs as he watched their master make his way up to his office on the second floor. His fellow S-Class mage was already on his heels. Downing the shot of fire whiskey Mira had handed him, Natsu sighed and patted Haru on the shoulder in sympathy as he passed by him to make his way up to the office.

. . .

Lucy watched the fire mage leave, sipping on a milkshake that Mira had handed her and listening to the chatter of a few of their guildmates at the bar.

"I'm so relieved you all made it back safe." Mira's voice snapped Lucy's attention back to the barmaid, and she smiled at her friend.

"Honestly, it was hard being away for so long, and not being able to tell you all we were okay."

"That feeling is mutual, Warren tried countless times to contact Haru, and I can't tell you how many hours I spent trying to track your team down." Mira's eyes dropped to the counter she was absently wiping at, despite it already being spotless. "I was terrified that I'd lose more people precious to me," she whispered. Her eyes flicked over to where Haru and Gray were sitting a couple tables away. She'd spoken so softly that Lucy wasn't sure she'd heard her correctly, but the pain clouding Mira's normally bright eyes, confirmed everything the stellar mage needed to know. Lucy gave her an empathetic smile and reached for Mira's hand.

Squeezing the hand in hers, Lucy's small smile morphed into a confident grin as Mira returned her gaze again. "It would take more than some crazy destructive demon from the most powerful black mage ever, to tear all of us apart." Mira blinked at her, before laughing heartily at her ridiculous comment, and echoed her agreement.

As Mira left Lucy to approach Cana calling for another round of drinks, Lucy swivelled on her stool and let her eyes drift around the hall before landing on her two raven-haired comrades. She walked over to join Gray and Haru at the table they were both slumped over. "For a couple guys that helped kick Deliora's ass into oblivion, you certainly don't look very cheerful." Sitting down next to Gray and taking a sip of her treat, she smiled. "Could it be… You've both been reduced to scared little girls, worrying over Master's punishment?" she teased with a finger tapping on her chin.

Both of the boys' gazes shifted to her, irritation plain on their faces. "Laugh it up Lucy," Gray growled. Her grin widened in response, as she patted his shoulder in mock comfort and he swatted her hand away.

"What are these punishments like anyway?"

"Awful."

"Brutal."

"Hell."

"Absolute Hell."

Lucy paled, listening to them trade descriptors for their Master's sadistic tendencies, "oh come on, you guys must be exaggerating a little."

"Nah, they're definitely dead men walking," Natsu announced with a toothy grin as he approached them, having finished his debrief with Erza and Makarov. Dropping on to the bench next to Haru, he nudged his partner in the arm with an elbow. "Eh, Haru?" The fire slayer began howling with unrestrained laughter as the thought amused him further, "what a turn of events, usually it's me facing punishment, this'll be your first time!"

Haru dropped his forehead into the tabletop with an audible groan, "Can't be helped, we fucked up," he mumbled into the wood slats of the table.

Natsu's laughter cut off unexpectedly as he snapped his jaw shut. "Yeah, ya did," he stated, fixing the guys each with a cold stare in turn, "I would have helped, you know..."

Lucy could hear the hurt he'd been dealing with the entire mission, undermining the anger he turned on his comrades now. It made her heart ache for him slightly, this was a man who would do anything for his friends, and it must have felt like quite the betrayal to have them leave him behind for a suicide mission. Especially Haru.

He was glaring at his fellow Dragon Slayer now, "Me and you? We're are supposed to be partners, maybe you forgot," he said bluntly, causing the water mage's cheeks to heat in shame. Natsu rounded on Gray next, "and rivalry aside, you're still one of my most trusted friends," he paused taking in the ice mage's surprised expression and hastily added, "but you tell anyone I said that, and I will deny it."

The sudden tension had the blonde observing Natsu in fascination. He was always so carefree, it was rare to see him angry outside a true fight, indignant sure, but not angry. The more she watched him though, the more she decided he wasn't angry. This outburst was just his way of masking the betrayal he felt and ensuring they knew he would always be there for them, whatever they might need. To her further wonder, the tension among them broke just as quickly when all three men around her burst out laughing at the addition to Natsu's earlier statement.

Brown eyes shifted around the table questioningly. Nope, she'd never figure out boys, and people say girls are confusing.

"You know, I've been thinking," Gray began, looking over each of them, "this team took down the Oración Seis, and a demon of the Books of Zeref." They all nodded back, smiling as if it seemed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well yeah, we're Fairy Tail's strongest team!" Natsu bragged, "what's your point though?"

"Point is, we should make this team official! The four of us, and Erza."

"Don't forget me!" Happy cheered, flying over and landing in front of the ice mage to point an accusing finger at Gray's nose. Chuckling, he added Happy's name to appease the blue cat. Natsu shared a look with Haru, who grinned back at the idea, before looking to Lucy, cocking his head in question to gage her opinion.

"Go on adventures with my best friends? Do you even need to ask?" Lucy chirped with a wide grin of her own. Gray held an open palm across the table and Natsu returned the gesture with a strong grip. Haru and Lucy threw their palms on top of the handshake, exchanging bright smiles at the formation of their new team.

"So, does our team have a name?" the stellar mage asked, pursing her lips in consideration.

"Dragon Soul." Natsu shot a brilliant toothy smile at them all.

"I like it," Erza said out of nowhere as she appeared next to the fire mage with a hand on her hip, "so our team is finally official then?"

Across the guildhall, from his usual spot seated on the bar top, Makarov froze, his beer dropped from his hand and the liquid sloshed into a puddle on the floor. He started mumbling 'Not those five,' on repeat as Mira patted him on the shoulder and giggled.

A/N. That's a wrap. Coming up, a couple fluffier set up chapters, before moving on. I think I have rewritten the next arc so many times I have to reread it myself to see what I finally settled on haha. Excited to share it with you all, enjoy the weekend!

Catch you all Wednesday for the next update.

R&R.

~LokaMuse