Chapter 9 – Absolute Freeze: Iced Shell
As Gray and I drew closer and closer to the moon temple, I could feel the worry in my gut beginning to grow. The more I thought about it, the more I feared what Gray would resort to in order to get Lyon to lay off his suicide mission of reviving Deliora. I don't know if it was the tone of voice Gray used when he thanked Erza, Lucy, and Happy for giving him a chance to settle things with Lyon, or the expression he had on his face at the time, but I got a gut feeling that he was going to try and pull something that none of us are going to like.
The easiest way for Gray to get Lyon to stand down, would be for Gray to threaten to use the Iced Shell on him if he doesn't cease trying to revive Deliora. I thought, casting a quick worried glance towards Gray who ran beside me. He was still wearing quite a few bandages, but he was keeping up with me easily enough. If he was in any pain, he was doing a good job of keeping that under wraps as well.
His voice was heavy with guilt as he described the events that killed Ur and turned Lyon from his fellow student into an enemy. Unless… Even though it's not directly Gray's fault that his master died, could he be harboring guilt anyway, because his choices led to the events that killed Ur? If this is the case… Then am I simply escorting him down the path to his and Lyon's destruction? I continued to think, as I turned to look where I was going once more.
No, I can't let him do that… I thought after a moment, as I clenched my fists a little tighter. Call me sentimental if you'd like, but Gray is a part of Fairy Tail; a guild who treats Lucy and I like family. I can't in good conscience let him run off to practically kill himself, now can I? I'll just have to try and convince Gray to not use that damn spell. It's all I can do now, considering that there's no way in hell that I would be able to convince him not to go and face his childhood rival at this point…
"Gray…" I called him, as he glanced at me while we kept going.
"What's up?" he asked, as I let out a heavy sigh.
"You're not going to use Iced Shell against Lyon, are you?" I asked him, as Gray turned widened eyes my way like he had earlier, when he found out that I knew what this spell was.
"How did you know?" he asked me after a few silent moments as he turned his eyes away, his bangs casting them in shadow as he did so.
"Considering the history that you and Lyon share, it only makes sense that should you fail in convincing him to stop, you'd use this spell on him." I told him. "While you were telling us about how Ur died, I could tell that you feel guilt over her death."
"You can stop right there Icelynn…" Gray said, his voice low as he spoke. "Like I told Erza, there's nothing you can do to stop me." He reminded me, as I glanced at him once more.
"Didn't say I was." I said, causing Gray to stop in his tracks. Doing the same, I turned to see that he was giving me a guarded look.
"Wait, you're not going to try and stop me?" he asked, as I let out another heavy sigh.
I swear, I'm going to age ten years by the time we get off this fucking island. I mentally cursed, as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Gray, I can tell that this is personal for you. And to be honest with you, we're in a little too deep to stop now." I admitted. "However, I want you to do me a favor when you face Lyon… If you do have to threaten him with the Iced Shell spell, I want you to ask yourself this before you cast it." I said, as I moved to stand in front of him.
Reaching up, I grabbed him by the necklace and dragged him forward, so I'd be directly eye to eye with him. Just to show him how seriously I want him to take this request.
"Is your attempt to cast the spell Ur forbid you to use, worth making her sacrifice to save your lives null and void?" I stated, as I let him go, and pushed him back.
As the question hit his ears, and the meaning of the words crossed his mind, Gray could only look blankly ahead as that very question began to shake up the confidence he had built up to mentally prepare himself to use this forbidden spell. Don't get me wrong, I know that Gray is still going, but I at least got him thinking about the consequences actually using that spell will entail. What it would mean to turn himself into a living prison to seal Lyon away for all eternity.
And who's to say that Lyon's followers won't use the moon drip spell to free him along with Deliora? I don't think he's considered that possibility either. I thought, as Gray flitted between his guilt, rage, and over all sorrow all of this bullshit that has been dug up is causing. After a few minutes, Gray took a deep breath as he made his face neutral again.
"Let's just get to Lyon. We'll be too late if we waste any more time." He muttered, as he began making his way back towards the temple once more.
Letting out a low curse, I began following after Gray again. With any luck, nothing more unexpected will happen, and I can be free to stop Gray should he attempt to use the spell. However, as previously stated, our luck at Fairy Tail likes to be rather shitty and random. Literally, anything between now and then could happen. Anything from as bad as Gray successfully using the Iced Shell, to as good as Deliora staying sealed away. Or possibly just dropping down dead if Lyon does manage to get him free.
Yeah, if only… I thought glumly as Gray and I got close enough to the temple to see the entrance. It was tilted like the rest of the temple, but nothing we couldn't jump up to in order to get inside.
When we reached it, I jumped up to it first, then helped Gray. Once we were about to reach the entrance though, the temple began to shake violently. Gray and I were forced to grab on to a couple of columns to try and keep from falling over as the temple slowly moved back into its original up right position. When everything finally stopped moving, Gray and I shot each other a worried look. Without another word, Gray and I straightened up from where we braced ourselves and wasted not another second in getting inside the temple. Whatever time that Natsu had earned us was just thrown out the window, so we need to act now before the sun sets and the moon rises. However, before we could go more than a couple of feet inside, I drew up short as an unfamiliar scent reached my nose. The over tone of it smelled overly flowery, and pungent like someone had bathed in a perfume bottle. It sure as hell didn't go with the natural feminine smell of this mage too well. Underneath this though, I could smell a strange type of magic. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but I could tell that it was… Uncommon… And powerful…
However, what put me on high alert, was the fact that I could smell that this person also had an illusion spell cast on them. If they had that on them to cover up the other scents, then who knows what else they might be hiding.
This is just great… Why can't I just be plain old paranoid, or wrong for a change? I mentally asked myself, as I pulled up short, pushing my senses out to try and pinpoint the source as I did so.
Slowing to a stop himself, Gray gave me a concerned glance.
"Icelynn, what's wrong?" he asked me, as I took a calming breath.
"Someone's here." I answered him, feeling eyes on us as Gray moved closer towards me.
"Can you tell who it is? Like Flame-Breath maybe?" he asked, as I shook my head no at him.
"Get going. I'll cover you." I told Gray, as I pushed him in the direction that would take him further into the temple.
"Hold up, what about you?" He protested, as I gave him an annoyed look.
"Geez, forget about your quarrel with Lyon already?" I mockingly asked him, as I went back to scanning our surroundings. "No offence Gray, but unlike my fire slayer counterpart, I can handle myself. Keeping your way clear is why I tagged along instead of staying back with Erza and Lucy after all." I reminded him, as a loud popping and cracking sound could be heard from above us.
Looking up, I could see a large section of the roof falling down towards us. Gray got ready to dodge, but I simply summoned my ice claws to my hands.
"Icelynn! Watch out!" Gray shouted at me, but I ignored him.
Waiting until it was just overhead, I jumped up and used my claws to slice the circular slab of stone in two. The cut was jagged, but it did its job as the two pieces fell on either side of Gray and I. Seeing this, Gray's jaw practically fell to the floor, causing me to have the urge to smirk in amusement at his antics. Sadly, the humor I found in this situation was short lived as the two pieces of the stone ceiling slowly began rising back up into the air. As they rose above our heads, they then fused themselves back together again in the same place I had sliced and diced them.
"How…?" I found myself muttering, as the now whole stone slab began going back up towards the ceiling and fused itself back to where it was originally. Yet, before either Gray or I could blink, we find three more circular stone slabs falling down towards us.
"ICE MAKE: CANON!" Gray called, summoning a cannon made of ice and shot at one of the slabs.
"ICE DRAGON WING ATTACK!" I shouted, using my own magic to shatter the other two.
No sooner than they were shattered, then they began floating upward and fusing themselves together again. This occurred a few more times, and as we shattered each one only for it to be reformed, I realized that Gray and I were being drawn further and further apart from one another. It was clear that our unnamed enemy is doing their best to keep us from teaming up to confront him or her. With the end goal to delay us here until the sun finally goes down, and the moon rises, enabling them to continue the Moon Drip Ritual no doubt.
Either way, I have to find a way to get at least Gray through that doorway that sat across the open space we're in. As I already stated, the whole point to me coming with Gray, was to ensure that he gets to Lyon.
That only leaves how to get Gray through. Whatever magic this is, it seems to be able to cause damage then fix it afterwards. I could just freeze the way shut, but it would take me a few minutes, and whomever we're up against could easily reverse my work before I could even get halfway done. I thought, as I did my best to dodge. Unless… Yeah, that just might work. It won't hold long but should be long enough. I just wish I won't have to make Gray push on alone. I'll just have to have faith that he'll end up doing the right thing… I continued thinking to myself.
As another slab fell towards me, I made sure to flip out of its way in the direction Gray was in as my plan began to form in my mind.
"Icelynn, we're being pushed back!" Gray told me, as I made it over to him.
"I know, but I've got an idea." I told him, as he gave me a curious look.
"Yeah, what?" he asked as I nodded towards the doorway that leads further into the temple.
"We need to move over there and get you through the doorway. Then we need to seal it off on either side to keep our hidden friend from following you." I told him, as Gray glanced over to the doorway across the open space that we were trying to avoid being crushed in, then back to me.
"But what about this bastard's magic? Wouldn't he be able to reverse the spell?" Gray asked, as the stones in the floor began flying upward as the ceiling began falling. Like our enemy was now trying to turn us into human pancakes. Whoever this is, they have a sick sense of humor…
"If we combine our ice magic to seal it together, I think we can make it thick enough for you to get away. And while you make your way to Lyon, I can try to hold off whomever it is that's destroying and fixing everything in here." I suggested, as Gray nodded his head once in my direction.
"You sure you'll be alright on your own?" he asked me, a bit of the concern from earlier still present on Gray's features.
"Once again I have to remind you." I said, as I pushed Gray in the direction that we need to go in for a third time. "I'm not Natsu."
"Touché." Gray conceded as we began trying to make our way over towards the doorway.
We ended up having to backtrack a few times, but so long as we kept it from being obvious that we were headed towards that doorway, I figured that the figure causing this chaos wouldn't be able to guess just what it was we were attempting to do. When we only had a couple of feet left to go, Gray and I then darted at the doorway. Once Gray was through, we wasted no time in sealing it with as thick of an ice wall as we could make in a few seconds. As we both stepped back, Gray gave me a nod, and I returned it before he turned and kept pushing forward.
Now that Gray was safely on the other side with a thick wall of ice between the two of us, I then whipped around to face the enemy that was still in the room with me. After a few moments of silence had passed, all without the wall of ice behind me melting any faster than it was naturally I might add, I couldn't help but feel on edge. I could pretty much feel the keen eyes that were on me, watching my every move, my every breath. I'm not sure why, but it would seem that whomever this is I'm up against decided to just let Gray go once he got through the archway.
The only question in my mind now is if Lyon gave strict orders to his little friends to let Gray reach him alone to settle their score? Or did my unknown enemy suddenly take a keener interest in me? Either way, it certainly doesn't bode well for me.
Come on Icelynn, focus! Remember what Storm taught you. Natsu, Erza, Gray, Happy, Galuna Island as a whole… Lucy, my sister… They're all counting on me here. I mentally scolded myself as I took a calming breath. Okay, I can still smell them, so they haven't gone anywhere. I just need to remain calm and do my best.
Feeling the tension in my body ease a bit, I decided that if my enemy won't get the show on the road, I may as well start things off. Time is of the essence.
"I know you're still here. So, why don't you go ahead and bring your ass out here already instead of skulking in the shadows like a coward." I called out, keeping my senses trained on my surroundings for the tiniest movement or sound.
"Well now, it would seem that Fairy Tail has acquired another dragon slayer aside from Salamander." A male voice called out, as a hunched, short man in a mask walked out from around one of the fallen pillars Gray and I had dodged. "And I must say, you're much calmer of a dragon slayer than Salamander is."
"How kind of you to notice." I told him-her, sarcasm dripping from my tone. "Although, I do find myself wondering just how long you plan to hide behind that pitiful illusion."
"And smarter to boot as well, it would seem." As illusion of the short man moved closer to me, stopping just out of my magic's range. "but I fear that I can't allow you to go any further than this, my dear. After all, the Cold Emperor will need to save the rest of his magic energy for his upcoming fight against Deliora. I was forced to allow him to face the Salamander at his insistence, but I'm sure he'll defeat that flaming fool easily enough. And your friend that just ran on ahead, he's already beaten him once. He'll be no threat, even if he does reach the Cold Emperor in time; but you… You I cannot let pass. If he were to face the Ice Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail, his own power would only serve to strengthen and replenish your own." He said, as I scoffed at the masked man.
"Well, I would say that he's rather fortunate that I'm not here to fight him, but that would just be a lie." I said, as I summoned up my magic, frigid whisps of air fluttering my clothes and hair as flurries of ice became visible around me. "After all, Gray's defeat at Lyon's hands has only made him that much more determined to put an end to all of this. And if Natsu isn't standing with him against Lyon, I know for a fact that he would be doing whatever he feels necessary to prevent your little ritual from taking place. Just as I aim to do now that Gray has managed to go on ahead. So, go ahead, fix the temple however you like, it won't change the fact that the odds are still stacked against you and your so called Emperor." I stated, as the masked man only gave me a smirk, a small chuckle coming from his mouth.
"Oh, I don't doubt that…" the man said, as his smirk turned a bit cruel. "But you see, I don't really care if our so called Cold Emperor defeats your little friends or not. He could fall to them, or slay them for all I care, so long as Deliora is freed from that ice." He said, as he held out his hands, magic seals forming around them as the scent of magic spiked in the air. "Besides, so long as I am here, you won't be able to stop the ritual. Your poor salamander counterpart is lost in the depths of this tunnel you see, so he won't be able to do a thing to stop this either." He taunted, as I bared my fangs and felt my eyes change over.
"Then I'll just have to make this quick." I said, as I darted forward without warning. As I closed the distance between me and the little masked man, I dodged any debris from the temple he tried to drop in my path. When I managed to get close enough, I sent my wing attack his way. Instead of trying to dodge it like I thought he would, the masked man simply widened his smile. Just before my ice attack were to hit him, it turned first into water, then quickly evaporated into steam, which rolled right off of the man hidden by that damn illusion.
Seeing as my ice would never reach him, I flexed my hands as I darted forward once more, intending to catch the little bastard in my iced claws and end this. Unfortunately, I couldn't get close enough to land a hit. Whenever I began to get close, he would use his magic to either make the floor beneath me unstable or try to drop a pillar or part of the ceiling on top of me again, forcing me to dodge back out of the way. After flipping out of the way of a rather large chunk of a statue my opponent tried to crush me beneath, I saw a purple flash out of the corner of my eyes, drawing my eyes to a huge circle of purple light.
"So, it's nearly there…" I heard my opponent say, as I swung my gaze back to land on him.
So, they did have someone able to do the ritual despite us being here. Damn it, I need to get up there. Lucy and Erza are still fighting the priests outside the temple, Gray is more than likely preoccupied with Lyon, and who knows where in the hell Natsu is right now. I mentally ranted, as I let lose my breath attack.
Like all of my other magic attacks, it was thwarted by the masked man dropping a pillar between the two of us. Once it took the impact, whatever type of magic he used simply melted the ice away and lifted the pillar back into its proper place. However, once it was out of the way, I saw that the masked man was nowhere to be seen. In his place was a hole in the ground.
Letting out a growl of frustration, I glanced back at the still sealed off archway I had gotten Gray through earlier.
"Good luck Gray…" I said, as I sent an ice spike directly at the barrier, breaking it just enough for someone to slip through it. That way, when Lucy, Erza, and Happy finally make their way here, they'd be able to go straight to where Gray might be. Once that was done, I dropped myself down through the hole in the floor and began looking for that bastard's scent. Once I picked up my trail, I didn't hesitate to follow it.
I can only hope that I manage to find Natsu while I'm down here, or he finds me. I thought to myself as I ran.
However, just as I turned to head down another hallway, I was forced to stop dead in my tracks as this awful, loud roar washes over me. It rattled me down to my very bones as I let out a cry while covering my ears. The sound was so fucking intense that I couldn't help but drop down to my knees as my entire world shook.
I didn't need to ask what the source of this roar was. The answer was obvious. Deliora had been revived.
When the roar died down, I used the wall next to me to push myself back up to my feet and pushed myself forward once more. I needed to get below the temple, and fast. I know that I'm no match for such a demon on my own, but if I can find some way to slow it down at the very least, I have to try. A few moments later, another roar was let loose, but this time, I slapped my hands over my ears just as the rumbling started and forced myself to keep moving. I needed to hurry.
As I drew closer to where the roars of Deliora were coming from, I began to hear a commotion going on in the chambers a head of me. I also began to pick up traces of Natsu's scent as the tunnel led out into what appeared to be a massive cavern. Reaching it, I had to hold up my arm to block out the bright purple light until my eyes could adjust a bit. When they had, I lowered my arm to see what was going on.
Before me stood the masked man I had been tailing along with Natsu, who was trying to use his flames to hit this orb the masked man must have been controlling with his magic. However, what had my attention the most was the gigantic shadow that loomed over both of them.
"You've got to be shitting me…" I muttered, as I took in the sheer size of Deliora, my eyes going back to normal from the shock I felt. I also couldn't help but notice that the ice that had been encasing him was now only holding the demon's legs. However, I knew that with the light of the moon drip still coming down over it, it was only a matter of time before that ice too would be melted.
I was snapped out of my shock however, when I heard Natsu grunt in pain as the masked man's orb knocked into his stomach. As it left him, Natsu let out a small whine of confusion. Apparently, he nor the masked man were aware of my presence.
"Hold on…" Natsu coughed, as he lifted his head just enough to keep an eye on his opponent. "Didn't I break that?" he asked out loud as the masked man used his magic to bring the orb back to him.
"Why, you did…" he said, as the orb floated before the masked man's outstretched hand. "You see, I have the ability to control an object's time. So, it's not a problem for me to simply take this orb back to the time before it was ever broken. It's one of the lost magics. It's called the Arc of Time." He explained, the devious smirk he had back when I was fighting him earlier began to etch across his face. "Want to see what happens if I throw this orb into the future?" he asked before doing just that.
No sooner had he asked, than the orb was over in Natsu's space, pummeling him from what appeared to be from all sides. After being hit for quite a few times, Natsu lit one of his fists on fire and managed to nail the orb as it flew past. However, the masked man only used this Arc of Time magic to repair the orb, then it was flying back to hit Natsu once more. This didn't stop Natsu from using his magic to destroy it once more. Only for the orb to stop in midair, just before Natsu's flame covered fist were to hit it.
Natsu could only look at it in surprise as it just hovered in place, causing the masked man to chuckle.
"It stopped…" Natsu said, as the masked man gave a noise of affirmation.
"Yes… As you can see, I also have the ability to stop an object in time as well…" he said, as Natsu glared up at him.
"It's a nice trick, but I'd be more impressed if it worked on people." Natsu said, as the masked man pulled the orb back to him once more.
"Alas, my magic doesn't work on the living. Which is why we had to resort to the Moon Drip. Seeing as the ice that encases Deliora was made from Ur's very being, I'm not able to reverse it back to the time before it was frozen." The masked man admitted, as I realized that the two still hadn't noticed my presence.
Looking back at Deliora, I began trying to think of a way to do something, anything to at the very least slow down the rate of which the Moon Drip was melting the ice around him without the masked man catching on.
Letting his flaming fist go out, Natsu lowered his arm as he regarded the masked man more carefully.
If Natsu can just distract this guy long enough for me to get over to Deliora, I can begin re-enforcing the ice surrounding him. It might not prove to stop it when the moon drip ritual has been completed, but it's the only thing I can think of right now that the masked man won't notice right away. I thought to myself, as Natsu asked the masked man why he was doing this.
Tuning the two out, I concentrated on trying to make my way over without being seen. As I inched closer, I heard the masked man saying something similar to what he told me in the temple above. The only thing he said different this time was that he had wanted Deliora to be revived so he could cast a spell to control the demon and make himself the most powerful man in the world. Not long after he stated that, he and Natsu began fighting again.
Thankfully, this was enough for me to get beneath the towering demon.
Placing my hands gently upon the ice that was once Gray's master Ur, I glanced back over my shoulder at the two mages fighting behind me before focusing on my task.
"I'm sorry Ur, but I have to do something. It might just be a waste of magic, but if I can help to slow this demon down, I have to try." I murmured to the ice, as I began pouring my magic into it.
As I began thickening the ice, I could feel the Moon Drip melting right through my magic along with the remnants of Gray's master. Pouring a little more magic through my hands, I finally began to feel my ice thicken around Ur's despite the ritual going on several floors above me. Glancing back over my shoulder, I checked to make sure that I hadn't been discovered yet.
Unfortunately, the masked man must have felt my gaze, seeing as he turned to look at me fully, a hint of panic entering their scent. Thankfully, luck hadn't totally abandoned me. Once Natsu noticed that the masked man's attention was no longer on himself, he turned to see what caught his opponent's attention. Upon seeing me, Natsu hurried to put himself between me and the masked man.
"Icelynn, what the heck are you doing?" Natsu asked me, as he kept his eyes on the man before him. However, before I could answer him, the masked man spoke up.
"She's trying to thicken the ice around Deliora." The masked man said, a frown on his face. "Were this act of hers not futile, then I'd have to commend her for sneaking in like this." He continued, before summoning another magic circle. "However, I cannot permit anyone to delay Deliora's awakening. Allow me to end such a waste of magic." He said, about to use his magic, only to have to drop the circle and jump back from Natsu's sudden wing attack that he had launched his way.
As the masked man jumped away, Natsu glanced back at me.
"Ice, you sure about this?" he asked me as I nodded my head, but not wavering in my focus on building up my ice magic along Deliora's massive frame.
"I know that this won't hold him for long, if at all, but if it can give us some time to try and at the very least evacuate the island, then I have to try. So, if you can keep that little bastard off of me, I'd appreciate it." I said, as Natsu gave me a nod.
"Alright, just try not to drain yourself too much. If that thing wakes up, we might need you to help take it out." He said, as I returned the nod, he gave me.
"Got it…" I said, as I turned and strengthened the amount of magic I was using. I could feel the moon drip still trying to eat away at the ice, but I can't give in. Already, I could even feel the drip beginning to affect even me.
Come on you guys… I thought, thinking about how Erza, Lucy, Happy, and Gray were still above ground at the very least. If they can manage to stop the ritual, then I might be able to fully encase this damn thing.
Back behind me, I could hear Natsu finishing up his fight with the masked man. Glancing back again, I had enough time to watch Natsu pop out of a cloud of smoke and land a flaming fist right into the jaw of the masked man. With a scream, the masked man went flying back into the water below where he and Natsu had been fighting, only to end up floating away as another wave of water came out from beneath the ice. Just seeing it put a smile on my face.
"Good going Natsu!" I called over my shoulder, as I felt the power behind the moon drip beginning to fade. While Natsu let out a triumphant laugh, I amped up the amount of ice magic I was pouring into covering Deliora's form. However, once the moon drip ritual dissipated completely, I began to feel my ice, along with Ur's, beginning to crack. As I felt a fissure beginning to form, I felt my heart drop into my stomach.
"Oh, fuck… Natsu, get back, hurry!" I yelled at him, as I broke away from Deliora's feet. Natsu didn't even get to ask me why I said so before another roar began reverberating through the cavern. This time, I couldn't help but scream along with the demon behind me as I moved away, my ears popping painfully as I covered them with my hands. This close to the demon, the roar was so loud that I would be surprised if my ears didn't begin bleeding. Glancing over at Natsu, I could see that he was in about the same state as I was.
Looking back at Deliora, I could see that the ice I had managed to cover him in, which was about up to his waist, was already beginning to crack and crumble at the top. When the roar that followed died down, I heard footsteps coming up behind us. Hearing them as well, Natsu turned along with me to find Gray walking up behind us, a somber look on his face. When Gray approached the water, he waded out a little ways before reaching down to gently scoop up a handful of the water that had once been a part of the ice his master had been transformed into.
Letting it run through his fingers, he murmured a quick thank you as Natsu and I made our way over to him.
"Gray, what are you doing here?" Natsu asked, as we reached him.
"Natsu, you're here?" Gray asked, as he looked from Natsu to me. "Icelynn, you made it here too?" he added, as I nodded in his direction.
"Never mind that now, we've gotta take this thing down!" Natsu declared, as I turned and looked back at Deliora as another fissure broke through the ice, causing more to crumble from Deliora's form. The ice was back down to his knees, mere feet above where I began to add my own ice.
"I thickened the ice the best I could until he started waking up. It won't hold though. Weather we fight it or not, we might want to consider finding some way to get the villagers off the island." I suggested, as Gray turned to look up at Deliora.
"We won't have enough time once it busts out of this temple." Gray stated, as I turned worry filled eyes his way.
"Then we fight it!" Natsu said, punching his fist into his opposite, open hand. "My preferred method!"
Before me or Gray could reply to Natsu, the three of us heard a groan of pain and a sliding noise coming from back behind us. Turning to look, we spotted a guy crawling towards us. He had white hair from what I could see and looked like he lost at a fight really badly.
"None of you are strong enough…" he rasped out, as Gray turned a neutral look his way.
"Lyon…" He said, identifying the white haired guy as he continued to crawl closer.
"But I am…" he continued, as if Gray hadn't spoken his name. "I can defeat it… Finally, I can surpass Ur…" he laughed, a crazed look in his eyes.
Natsu simply pointed at Lyon like he was insane. "Wait, you can't fight it! You can't even get up from the floor man!" he said, only to be interrupted by another roar from the demon in the cavern with us. This time, enough ice broke away that only Deliora's feet were still covered.
In seeing this, Lyon drug himself to his feet, his eyes transfixed upon Deliora.
"I've waited… So long for this moment…" Lyon continued, as he tried to shuffle forward.
As Lyon struggled to move forward, I found myself feeling just a little sorry for him. Yes, what he's been doing here on this island was wrong, but I can't deny the empathy I feel towards him in this moment. From Gray's story, Lyon has spent the last ten years feeling like Ur abandoned him, betrayed him. Ur had not only taught Lyon but raised him for a short time in his life. Only to turn around and become the iced shell that imprisoned Deliora for all this time. He became angry, and bitter, and obsessed with wanting nothing more than to find some way to prove that he was somehow better, stronger than his master.
In a way, I was reminded of my dragon leaving me behind, and the hell I suffered afterwards. It was hard to believe, but a part of me knew that if things in that lab had gone down differently, that if I hadn't been saved by that boy from long ago, then I could have ended up just like Lyon.
Maybe… I'd have ended up even worse off than him…
Just as my dark past began to feel like it would consume me, another powerful roar from Deliora brought me back to my surroundings in time to watch as Lyon kept moving slowly forward
"She was strong…" He muttered, as he took yet another uneasy step forward. "But not strong enough to kill this demon." He said, turning his equally unsteady gaze towards Deliora. "So, I have to defeat it… To prove that I'm stronger… To fulfill my dream…"
As Lyon kept limping towards the demon, it became clear to all of us here that no matter how battered Lyon was, he wasn't going to let any of this go. Gray still had that neutral expression on his face as he moved up behind Lyon and planted a fist in his face. Not to hurt or punish Lyon, but to put him down for just a little while and keep him from getting himself killed.
"Sorry, Lyon…" Gray muttered once his childhood rival dropped like a sack of bricks. "You've caused enough trouble. Now I have to go and clean up the mess that you've made." He said, as he began making his way to the water.
The closer Gray got to the water, the more I began to feel dread in my gut. Upon passing me, I could see a look in his eyes. One that he had back when we split up from Lucy and Erza. Back when I figured out that he would try and use the Iced Shell spell to stop Lyon from reviving the demon. That's when it hit me one more time.
He's going to use it isn't he? Only this time, his sights are on a different target! I realized, as I turned towards Gray with the intention to drag him back from the water if I had to.
"Gray, don't!" I cautioned him, causing him to pause at the water's edge without a word. Silence hung in the cavern, as my determination to keep Gray from throwing his life away warred with his determination to make the same sacrifice as his former master. "Gray Fullbuster, if you so much as set a toe in that water and attempt to do what I think you're about to do, then Lyon won't be the only one taking a temporary dirt nap over there." I warned him.
For a long moment, no one said anything. The only sounds to fill the cavern were the occasional roar from the demon in the same space as us, and the cracking of the last bit of ice that covered it's feet. Not even Natsu uttered a word, just watched us in his own silence.
"Please don't try and stop me, Icelynn. Look, I'm not trying to be ungrateful to you or the others for making it possible for me to make it this far, but this fucking monster has taken everything from me before. My family, Ur, my comradery with Lyon. So, there's no way in hell that I'm going to let it take my friends and guildmates from me." Gray said, as he spared me and Natsu a glance before facing Deliora once more. Taking a deep breath and letting out a long exhale, Gray stepped into the water.
So, this is how it is… I thought tiredly to myself.
"Don't you dare Gray! Do you have any idea how long it's taken me to melt that ice!?" Lyon demanded from where he lay on the ground, no longer dazed, but too physically weak at the moment to really move.
Looking away from Lyon and back to Gray, I could see that he had waded a ways out into the water. Stopping there, he then took what I guessed must have been the stance for the Iced Shell spell. As I'd told everyone before, Storm had forbidden me to use this spell, and to ensure I wouldn't disobey and try it on my own, he went so far as to make sure I'd never had the correct stance described or shown to me, so this was my first time seeing it. I didn't give myself any time to examine the stance though, seeing as Gray was mere seconds from casting the spell.
As Gray opened his mouth to speak the short incantation for it, I darted out to stand between Gray and Deliora. My front facing my friend, back facing the awakening demon. Normally I wouldn't turn my back to an enemy like this, but luckily, I wasn't the only one who moved to save a friend from himself…
Just as I stood facing Gray, Natsu stood facing Deliora, keeping my back covered should it suddenly wake up enough to start attacking us. Seeing two of his guild mates opposing him, the incantation Gray was about to say died on his lips as he regarded Natsu and I with surprise.
"Natsu? Icelynn? What the hell are you two doing?" Gray demanded, remaining in the stance for the iced shell.
"I'm only going to tell you this once Gray." I said, as I let my eyes change once more. "If you cast that spell, I will intercept it. Either I'll cancel it out or we'll both fall victim to it. Or you can stop trying to commit suicide and help Natsu and me try to destroy this demon. Honestly, how many times do I have to remind you that I'm not the run of the mill ice wizard Gray? Neither is Natsu a normal fire wizard either! We're dragon slayers for crying out loud! Sure, Deliora may not be a dragon, but that doesn't mean me or Natsu aren't strong enough to help you tear it to pieces." I warned him, narrowing my gaze at my fellow ice wizard.
At my words, Gray dropped his crossed arms just a bit. Indecision beginning to enter his eyes.
"I'd listen to her Gray. I already stopped you from casting that spell once, so I'm not gonna try and stop Icelynn from stopping you. Besides, and I think Icelynn will agree when I say that whether or not you cast that spell, we're not going anywhere." Natsu said, causing Gray to grit his teeth.
"I'm not trying to throw my life away! I'm just trying to save everyone, and this is the only way that any of us will be able to stop that thing! Now get out of the way you morons!" Gray shouted at us, the expression on his face becoming desperate. Yet, it wasn't going to be enough to sway me or Natsu.
Taking one lingering look at me, Gray determined that I wasn't going to be moving any time soon. Seeing this, he then turned to give Natsu the same kind of look. As Gray's gaze shifted away, I decided to go ahead and take my chance and I did the same thing to Gray, that he did to Lyon. However, stunned as Gray may be, he didn't drop like Lyon did. Still, it was easy enough for me to begin frog marching him back out of the water. It wasn't until Gray, and I stepped out of the water that he dug his heels in.
"Icelynn, What? Why?" Gray demanded as he wrenched himself away from me. Letting him go without a fuss, I took a step back from him and stood at the ready just in case Gray tried to rush past me and back towards Deliora.
"Because you becoming it's new prison won't help and you know it." I told him, as I stood there toe to toe with him. "Besides, and I'm sure Lyon has probably mentioned it, but if you cast that spell, you wouldn't be stopping your old rival from freeing this demon. You'd only be delaying him, and there'd be no one left who'd be able to track him down and stop him the next time around and I dare you to try and tell me otherwise!" I said, as Gray scoffed at my words. Thankfully, instead of trying to fight his way back to where he was before I hit him, he just shook his head and looked back at Lyon's prone form.
He looked torn. Torn between resealing the demon that took it all from him, and the fact that we were just as desperate as Ur had been to stop him from casting the Iced Shell and losing him as our friend and guildmate forever. Taking a deep breath, I gave a small prayer that my next words would give him a nudge in the right direction.
"Did you forget what I asked of you when we were on our way to the temple, in exchange for not stopping you on the way here? What I begged you to consider should you ever feel the need to use this spell?" I asked him, as Gray clenched his jaw. A clear sign that he remembered.
However, before Gray could gather himself enough to answer me, one final roar left Deliora's lungs as it wrenched itself free from the last of the ice encasing it, and turned it's red glowing, hatred filled gaze down upon us.
Don't let me down now Gray… I silently begged to myself as I darted to Natsu's side, filling my hands with my ice magic, as Natsu filled his with his fire magic. It was in this moment that the demon before us drew back it's fist to attack. As it descended, Natsu and I simply gave each other a single nod before we launched our own combined counter-attack.
If Gray were to cast the iced shell spell now, it would only encase both Natsu and I along with Deliora. Thankfully, it would seem that my faith in my comrade would not be misplaced this day, seeing as Gray stayed his hand with the Iced Shell, and instead summoned his cannon to his shoulder once more and added his own attack to ours as he called out for Natsu and I with worry. Worry for us as his friends and guildmates.
As our counter-attack met Deliora's, I hoped that Lucy would be able to continue following her dreams of being a wizard with Fairy Tail should we fail here and now.
Yet, as the force of our magic tangled with Deliora's, I could feel that something was off. Like the punch was weaker than what was to be expected from a demon of this caliber. Then, as if to prove my suspicions correct, I felt something in my opponent break as it's magic died back as the combined attack between Natsu, Gray, and I shattered the fist that had been coming at us up to the demon's wrist as if it were a brittle wall.
When the force broke off, I used the momentum to flip back towards Gray and Lyon, who was still laying prone on the cave floor but was now awake. I landed in the water however, and as I did so, some of the water that had come from the ice that had made up what was left of Ur's physical form splashed onto my face. As it touched the skin of my cheek, I heard a feminine whisper.
Thank you for saving them… It's over now… I heard it say as Deliora howled in agony as fissures, much like when Ur's ice began to give way to the moon drip, began to cover the demons body. It took me a moment to realize that the voice must have come from whatever was left of Ur's spirit. As for the demon itself, I knew for a fact that our attack wasn't powerful enough to have caused that much damage, much less cause the demon to start appearing to just straight up die like it now currently was.
Unless… Could Ur have been sapping away the demon's life force over the course of the past decade, so that it would die upon her spell becoming undone? I thought to myself, as more and more of Deliora began to crack and crumble.
As Deliora let out one last roar, I felt that there could be no other explanation for it as the demon finally broke away into nothing and faded…
"What!?" I heard Natsu exclaim as he looked down at his fist in wonder, then gave me a look that was half wonder and half fear. "Whoa, I guess we're a lot stronger than we thought." He said, as I rolled my eyes.
Then again, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised, seeing as this is Natsu and all. He both lived and fought with more instinct than even I did at times. Despite having lived and trained with his dragon for a lesser amount of time than I had with my own dragon at that.
Gray on the other hand, just stood their slack jawed as this demon of his passed just faded from this life like it was nothing. Lyon wore a similar expression, but unlike Gray, he didn't lack for words.
"How… How is this possible? Deliora… Was… He was already… Deliora was already dead…" I heard Lyon say as he closed his eyes in pain and turned away from the settling rubble that was once a terrifying demon.
"I'm guessing that this was Ur's doing?" I asked the white haired boy, as he opened his eyes long enough to spare me a single glance before looking down at the cave floor.
"It's the only reason why this would have happened." Lyon answered me, not bothering to look back up again. "For the past ten years, Ur has been depleting the demon's life force. What we just witnessed was nothing more than Deliora's dying screams…" As these words left him, I began to smell the tears that began to gather in Lyon's eyes.
Picking up his fist, Lyon slammed it down weakly to the cave floor.
"My dreams are dead… I no longer have any hope to surpass Ur." I heard him mutter as the tears began to fall. And Lyon wasn't the only source of tears, as they also fell from Gray's eyes as the significance of what we just saw hit home.
"You've saved my life a second time…Thank you… Ur…" I heard Gray mutter, as he held up a hand to hide his watery eyes.
Moving to stand closer to where I stood amongst the three of us still able to stand, Natsu nudged my arm with his own to get my attention.
"It sounds like Gray had an awesome teacher, huh?" He asked with his wide grin. Returning it with a smaller one of my own, I could only nod my head in agreement.
"That he did, Natsu. That he did." I said as I caught three familiar scents.
Looking back the way that Gray had come from, I could hear Erza, my sister, and Happy heading our way. Lucy ran our way with Happy floating beside her. Erza on the other hand opted to walk towards the back where she wouldn't be seen right away. Probably to keep Natsu from fleeing from the sight of her until he was well within her reach for capture.
"Icelynn! Gray!" Lucy called as she reached us, running at me to throw her arms around me for a sisterly hug.
"Natsu!" Happy shouted, as he barreled at his best friend. Natsu let his signature grin loose as he held his arms out for Happy to fly right into.
"Happy! I was startin' to wonder where you wandered off to little buddy!" Natsu exclaimed as he gave Happy a hug.
"Oh, we were just keeping the cultists busy outside. And trying to keep away from Lucy and her loud and hungry tummy!" Happy said, causing Lucy to let me out of the sad attempt of a bear hug she was trying to give me.
"I told you that wasn't me, cat!" Lucy huffed at him, as she put her hands to her hips like she normally does when she and Happy start.
"Good to see you all safe and sound." Erza said, popping up beside Natsu, letting her presence be known.
At hearing Erza's voice Natsu pretty much did what we all expected him to do. Freeze, go bug eyed, take one look at Erza, and try to flee for his life. Sadly, by the time that Natsu noticed the danger he was in, it was already too late to get away. Especially seeing that as soon as he turned his back to run, all Erza had to do was grab him by the scarf.
"NO! ERZA! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE? PLEASE LET ME GO! FORGIVE ME!" Natsu whimpered really loudly as he desperately kept trying to get out of Erza's grasp.
Now that Natsu could no longer try to escape her grasp and the punishment that will surely follow once we all return to Magnolia, Erza took a quick look around the cave.
"What happened to the demon?" Erza asked as she glanced back towards where Gray and I stood. Chancing a glance at Gray, I could see that he had already dried the tears that he had been hiding moments ago. However, instead of looking towards Erza who had been talking to us, Gray stared over towards where Lyon still laid face down on the cave floor.
Knowing that he probably had a lot of things going through his mind, I figured that I'd just let him be for now.
"It died right after it broke free of the Iced Shell that Ur had encased it in." I said, as I glanced back towards where Gray stood just in time to see him turn and head towards his old rival. "According to Lyon over there, Ur has been sapping it's life force over the last ten years that she'd held Deliora prisoner." I answered, as Lucy and Happy's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, but what about that huge racket it was making with all of those roars?" Lucy asked, as I shrugged a shoulder.
"Oh, the roars? They were nothing but colossal death whimpers." I answered, as Erza hummed in thought.
"I see…" she said, as Natsu finally ceased his struggling. "It would seem that Galuna Island is no longer in danger then." Erza continued, before turning to give Natsu a stern and scary glare that suggested that he stay put least he come to physical harm before letting his scarf go. Not wanting to get smacked, Natsu decided to listen.
With the demon dead, and no more enemies baring down on us, Erza decided that we all had been in the temple and the caves below it for long enough. I turned and headed over to where Gray was trying to help Lyon get back on his feet. He had already thrown an arm over his shoulder and had Lyon about halfway there when I reached them but was still having a bit of trouble seeing as Gray was also injured. So, I took up Lyon's other side so we could get him out of the cave too.
Once we reached the outside, I helped Gray take Lyon to a boulder and sit the defeated mage down before moving away from him. Lyon didn't speak a word the entire time, but I know from experience that he would need time to think things over, process everything that's happened to him today. It can be quite a shock when you learn that the world you thought you knew is nothing but a lie. Moving a small ways away, Team Natsu, Erza, and I gathered around another boulder nearby. Which Gray slinked down to sit on himself.
We'd barely even been still for five minutes before Natsu and Happy began singing that we had won or some such nonsense.
"Yeah! That's it, we kicked their butts!" Natsu declared as Happy gave him an aye sir.
"I have to admit, I was worried for a while there, but it all worked out thanks to your amazing teacher Gray." Lucy said, giving Gray a smile.
"Yeah, it sure did." He agreed, as Lucy turned to join Natsu's victory squawking. It didn't last long though with what came out of their mouths next.
"WE COMPLETED AN S-CLASS QUEST ALL BY OURSELVES!" Natsu declared, as Happy gave his customary aye once more.
"Yeah! Do you think Master Makarov will let us up on the second floor now?" Lucy asked Natsu with sparkles in her eyes.
Unfortunately for them, this only reminded Erza of why she and I had to come all the way out here in the first place. I was also reminded of the harsh boat ride that I not only had to take to get here, but the one awaiting me to get back to Fiore. That alone had me turning a warning glare in my sister's direction. I didn't lift a finger or said a word though, not with the scary expression Erza currently has leveled at the three of them and Gray. Thankfully, it was enough to remind the four that they had no reason to be celebrating right now.
Besides, now that the immediate danger was out of the way, and as long as Erza doesn't actually hurt anybody, she and I were obligated to bring home our wayward guildmates for the consequences of stealing an S-Class quest in Lucy, Natsu, and Happy's case. And in Gray's case, becoming an accomplice. Even I couldn't help but let out a slight sigh of nervousness, seeing as I too might face a punishment of my own for standing with Gray, Natsu, and Lucy on the point of making sure that Deliora wasn't about to walk free. Whether or not that comes to pass will be up to Master Makarov though.
Still, that doesn't change the fact that the four of them were forgetting something really important.
That stopping Deliora's resurrection wasn't the job that they had carelessly stolen…
"Don't think that all of you are going to be let off so easily. Besides, you haven't completed anything here." Erza cautioned them, as the four in question paled a bit.
"Wait… We still have to face punishment, don't we?" Lucy nervously asked, dreading what Erza's answer might be.
"That will be decided by the Master once we've returned. However, you all are forgetting something else." Erza said, as she crossed her arms over her armor. "The request was for you to help return the villagers of Galuna Island to their original forms. So, this S-Class quest that you STOLE has yet to be finished." She explained as Lucy gave her a confused look.
"But now that Deliora is dead, the curse should have been lifted from those poor villagers." Lucy said, as Erza shook her head in disagreement. Even I could see the flaw in their logic.
"Deliora being dead won't reverse the effects of the moon drip spell, if I'm remembering that correctly." I piped up, as Erza glanced my way for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.
"Icelynn is correct. Killing Deliora didn't reverse the effects of the curse because that demon wasn't where the Moon Drip was originating from. However, what the fools behind the actual spell chose to ignore, was the fact that over time, the toxic magical residue that accumulates in the air after each use doesn't dissipate on its own. Instead, it builds up and over time as the residue grows, it begins to affect everything in the immediate area that the spell is being cast in. The animals, plants, even the people who might call that area home become afflicted with various symptoms." Erza explained, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Like being turned into lesser demons…" Gray supplemented, earning himself a nod from Erza. At this, I couldn't help but notice how Lucy's expression became crestfallen and filled with worry. I'm pretty sure that she felt a hint of guilt as well if her scent was anything to go by.
"As it is in the case of the villagers, yes. Although that effect seems to have come from their long time of being exposed to the toxic residue." She confirmed, as Natsu gave us one of his confidence filled smiles.
"That should be easy to fix then! All we have to do is go back to the village and get rid of that strange stuff your talking about!" he said, holding his hand up for Happy to give him yet another aye sir and a high five.
"That's all good, but we don't know how to do that!" Gray announced before a look of realization crossed his features and her turned to face his old rival. "Hang on, do you know of a way to do that Lyon?" he asked him, only for Lyon to slowly shake his head no.
"To be honest with you, I don't have the faintest clue." Lyon answered, meeting our gaze steadily. "When I first learned of the spell, I only cared about how to use it to revive Deliora, not how to reverse the effects it might cause others."
"You don't!?" Natsu echoed, a deadpanned look on his face.
"What really!?" Happy said, copying Natsu's expression.
"But the villagers told us that the curse began when you and your cultists got here." Lucy protested.
"When we arrived at this island three years ago, we were well aware that there was a village located out somewhere in the jungle, but we never bothered with trying to find them." Lyon said, a sincere expression on his face. "We just left them alone, and none of them came to where we were at the temple, or the area surrounding it. During all this time, I nor my people have crossed paths with the villagers a single time."
"But that can't be right." Lucy stated, as she turned to face Lyon herself. "According to the villagers, the moon used to be normal, but for the last three years, no matter where it is that you go on the island, it's always purple now. I find it hard to believe that no one has been curious enough to try and investigate why." She said, as she put her hands to her hips. "How do we know that you're not just saying that to get yourself and your pals off the hook?" she asked as Lyon scoffed at her and looked away.
"Drop the self-righteous attitude for a moment and think about it." Lyon huffed before looking back at the rest of us. "I've been around the moon drip spell for as long as they have. I've even been up close and personal to where the spell was being cast, and I don't seem to have any sort of mutations." He pointed out, causing everyone around him to take a second look at him.
I even scented the air, and sure enough, I couldn't pinpoint any sort of strange scents. If anything, I could only pick up things that I already knew. Each scent's identity and the fact that two of them belong to people who've been roughed up a bit.
"I know that we were fighting just a while ago, but I hope that you can believe me when I say that those villagers are hiding something, and it wouldn't be smart to trust them… Then again, I'm sure you guild wizards will be able to handle it." Lyon finished, before looking away from all of us once more and out towards the sea where the water from Ur's ice had been released.
"Yeah, well don't act like we're done with you yet buddy!" Natsu declared, pointing at Lyon who seemed like he was done acknowledging us when he didn't turn to look back at the hot headed Salamander that was addressing him. "You destroyed the village and you- hmph..." he began, only for Erza to reach over with an armor clad hand and shut his mouth for him.
Natsu looked like he wanted to argue, but wisely kept his mouth shut when he realized just who had made him shut up.
"That's enough Natsu…" Erza said, letting him go once it was clear that Natsu would listen. "Before Lucy, Happy, and I found you in the caves, we rushed up to the top of the temple in order to stop the ritual. We were too late, and the ritual was completed but we were still able to get some information from the one performing the moon drip ceremony. The wizards who stood with the so called Cold Emperor and the cultists all joined his cause for the same reason as Gray. The same reason why you refused to abandon this island when Icelynn and I first arrived to apprehend the four of you." Erza finished, throwing a glance at Gray as she clearly replayed Gray's earlier display of determination to do the right thing through her mind.
"So, they agreed to help him because Deliora killed their families and destroyed Brogo, and they wanted to see it die at Lyon's hand to get some form of justice." I stated, as Erza nodded her head once more.
"Precisely… Like Gray, they were simply doing what they thought was the right thing. So, it would be hypocritical for any of us to criticize them for it." Erza said, as she turned to face the direction the village that we had been speaking about was in. "Come on, let's get out of here." She said before heading that way.
"Okay, but what are we going to do about lifting the curse?" Natsu asked, as he, Lucy, and Happy followed.
"You?" Erza stated, not bothering to look back. "You, Lucy, Happy, and Gray won't be worrying about it. Oh, and don't look to Icelynn for any help on the matter either. Among those of us here from Fairy Tail, I am the only one present who has clearance to perform this job. The rest of you, unless I specifically ask for your help, will simply stay out of my way as I work to save face for the guild." Erza explained, getting a quick round of whining from Natsu that only ended when she drove her armor clad fist into Natsu's face.
Lucy and Happy merely kept their mouths shut least they join their friend's misery. Shaking my head at the antics of my guild mates for what must be the billionth time since I joined Fairy Tail, I began trailing after them. However, I paused when I noticed that Gray wasn't following us. Glancing back, I spotted him standing near Lyon wordlessly. Waiting for us to get a bit of a distance from them I suppose. Probably to give his old rival some parting words of some form. Facing forward once more, I moved on and tried my best not to really hear what it was that Gray said to Lyon.
At most, it sounded like Gray was trying to suggest that Lyon find a guild of his own and find another reason to exist. As we moved off the beach, I found myself hoping too, that Lyon will eventually find his own place in this wizarding world of ours…
~X~ ~X~ ~X~
Next Chapter: Chapter 10 – Punishment Detail