The moment the three of us landed in the village, I retracted my wings. Happy put Lucy down and his wings disappeared when his paws touched the dirt. "Listen up!" Lucy shouted. "The people who cast the curse to cause you to transform you are planning an attack on the village!"

"They're gonna come down here to fight us?" Someone asked.

"Yeah, but I've got a plan. We'll capture them and lock them up until they tell us how to change you back."

"I don't know, do you think it'll work?" Someone muttered.

"It doesn't hurt to try." Another added.

"Only thing is, I'm pretty sure those three are Wizards!" Happy stated. "They're gonna be hard to catch."

"You're right, but we've got Yami with us." Lucy said. She turned to me with a smile. "She's the strongest Wizard I know." My cheeks flushed.

"Uh...yeah...thanks…" I muttered. Lucy then gasped, clapping her hands together.

"I just had a brilliant idea."

"Nothing good can come of this." Happy commented.

"What are all of you doing out here?" Moka demanded as he hobbled forward.

"We don't have much time, Sir, the enemy is going to attack any second!" Lucy told him.

"Enemy?"

"The ones responsible for the curse that's transformed your people! They've been hiding in the old temple in the jungle!"

"I don't care who's in the temple!" Moka shouted. "Why haven't you destroyed the moon?!"

"Well...it wasn't the moon that did this to you exactly. But now we know who did."

"You lie! Do what I ask of you!"

"Chief! Please!" One of the villagers pleaded, holding his Chief up alongside his friend. "You have to calm down."

"Come on, let's go." The other added. Between the two of them, they managed to lead their leader away as he complained.

"He doesn't mean that." A villager told Lucy and I. "He's just upset. He's been like this since Bobo died."

"Poor man. I know how to trap the enemy."

"We'll be happy to help if you need us."

"I'm the greatest Celestial Wizard Fairy Tail's got, so why don't you leave it to me? Don't worry it'll be a piece of cake. Open! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" There was a chime and Virgo appeared from the Spirit World.

TIMESKIP

"Princess, I have completed the task." Virgo said.

"Good work Virgo." Lucy complimented. "My plan is gonna work perfectly."

"I'm not so sure."

"What did you say?!"

"Hey Lucy?" Happy questioned, looking up at the former blonde.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I really hate to break it to you, but I think you might be...stupid." I reached down and grabbed Happy by the tail. He screamed as he hung upside down.

"That's just mean." I snarled. "Lucy isn't stupid! There's only one way to get in this place without flying, which they can't do, so they have to come through here to get to us."

"Why can't you just beat them up Yami?"

"Because if I do then we're not getting any answers out of them." I dropped Happy's tail. "Lucy's plan is gonna work."

"I just don't think anybody's gonna fall for your trap because it's the oldest trick in the book." Happy commented.

"Now don't be silly." Lucy said. "A pitfall trap will get 'em every time."

"But you can tell what it is by looking at it."

"Like Yami said, if the bad guys want to get to us they have to go over it."

"Well, I still don't think there's any way they're gonna fall for it."

"Um, me either." A villager said, raising her hand.

"I'm sorry but I agree with them." Another added.

"Yes, I have to concur." Virgo agreed.

"Not you too! Go ahead and doubt me, you'll see…" I placed my hand on Lucy's shoulder, causing her to look at me.

"The plan will work." I assured her softly. "They're expecting a massive force against them, something as simple as this will give us the element of surprise."

"Thanks for supporting me." Lucy said. I gave her a soft smirk and nodded.

"Miss Lucy! Miss Yami!" One of the villagers on the barricade called. "There's somebody headed this way!"

"That's gotta be them! Open the gate!"

"Right!" I got in a fighting stance, my fists surrounded by inky black magic.

"Now come to mamma!"

"Hey guys!" Natsu shouted, running towards us with Gray thrown over his shoulders. "Are you ok!"

"Natsu!" I shouted, dropping my stance and letting my magic disperse. "Stop running!"

"What?" Natsu did stop, right before the pitfall. I sighed. "Hey, what's with the grass?" Natsu took a step forward and fell in the trap.

"He actually fell for it." A villager commented.

"Yeah, I'm sorry we ever doubted you." Another added.

"It's ruined…" Lucy muttered. I sauntered up to the hole and peered down.

"Very funny!" Natsu complained. "But we don't have time to play practical jokes on each other!"

"Don't talk to me, it was Lucy's dumb idea." Happy said.

"I should have known."

"It wasn't a joke it was a trap!" Lucy explained.

"I'm glad you're ok." Happy said. "I was worried about you!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Natsu assured. "But Gray's down for the count."

"The guy in the mask beat him up that badly?" Lucy wondered.

"Hey the ice is gone!" Natsu realised, looking down at his body in shock. "Woah...it must have cracked when I fell."

"See, told you the pitfall would work!"

"Excuse me Princess, but I believe the spell was actually broken when he left the caster's range of Magic." Virgo spoke up

"I'm free!" Natsu shouted. Some of the villagers helped Natsu and Gray out of the pit, laying the unconscious man down gently. "So how come Lyon's lackeys haven't made it here yet?"

"That's a good question." I said. "They left the Temple before you guys but somehow you two made it back here first."

"I wonder what's taking them so long." Lucy added.

"Yeah." Natsu agreed. "And with Gray and that giant ice cube, I was pretty slow."

"Ok guys! Hurry and cover up that hole!" Lucy ordered.

"They're not gonna fall for that."

"Over there!" Someone shouted, pointing to the sky. We looked up and saw that giant rat thing flying overhead.

"It's a giant flying rat!" Someone complained.

"And it's carrying a bucket." Another added.

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed. "But now my pitfall trap is totally pointless!" A drop of something fell from the bucket. I could smell it from a mile away...it was horrid. I gaged, trying to wave the smell away from me. I looked over and saw Lucy staring right up at it as it descended towards her.

"Lucy look out!" I exclaimed, darting forward. I tackled her out of the way, rolling us until we were away from the drop of something. I was crouched over her protectively. The green stuff fell onto a plant just where Lucy was standing. The plant melted away, and left a hole in the ground. "That stuff was deadly." I announced. "It reeked."

"That big flying rat has a whole bucket full of it!" Someone wailed.

"No! They're gonna dump it right on us!" Another cried. The rat ten swung the bucket, and a large mass of green jelly started to descend on us.

"How are we going to protect ourselves from acid jelly!" Lucy exclaimed.

"I want everyone to get in the centre of the village!" Natsu ordered. "Ready to fly Happy?"

"Aye sir!"

"Come on everyone!" I shouted, starting to push people towards the middle of the village. "Move it! Can some of you grab Gray and take him with you." A trio of villagers nodded, lifting him above their heads as everyone raced towards the centre of the village. I followed them quickly, grabbing Lucy's hand and pulling her along. Protect...protect...protect… my mind echoed. Right now, my only focus was keeping Lucy safe. When we were where Natsu wanted us, I pulled Lucy close, wrapping my arms around her. My wings sprouted from my back and formed a shield around Lucy. I glared up at the sky as I watched Nstsu fly higher and higher. There was a large flash of red, and the jelly exploded outwards. It rained down on the village, leaving the centre free. However, one little drop separated from the rest of the jelly and fell towards us, it was so small that I could almost miss it. It was heading towards a little boy next to Lucy and I, I couldn't reach them by hand so I stuck my wing out, protecting him. The jelly landed on it, and by Mavis it stung. I grit my teeth in pain, the jelly eating away at my skin.

"Yami!" Lucy gasped. I let her go, pulling my wing closer to me, "You're hurt!"

"I'm fine." I groaned. "Nothing I can't handle." Lucy frowned.

"It looks pretty bad."

"Don't worry, Dad gave me worse."

"The village has been completely dissolved." One of the villagers lamented.

"This is terrible." Someone added.

"Is anybody hurt?" One asked.

"Bobo's grave's still standing." Moka said, relieved. However, it was kicked down by Yuka as he, Sherry and Toby strolled through the wreckage.

"The Cold Emperor ordered us to eradicate the village and it's people." Sherry revealed. "We were trying to show mercy by making your deaths quick and painless. But since that didn't work, we'll have to resort to bloodshed."

"Fifty villagers, three wizards, one injured. Shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes." Yuka mused.

"You ready?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah." Lucy said.

"Always." I agreed.

"Count again 'cause there's four wizards!" Happy exclaimed.

"How dare they!" Moka growled. "Such disrespect. They kicked over Bobo's grave!" Three villagers restrained the chief as he protested, wanting to attack.

"Let me help you." Gray groaned.

"Gray! You came too!" Lucy said.

"No way in hell, you're not fighting!" I ordered, glaring back at him.

"We don't need your help." Natsu added, looking away.

"Natsu, don't do this to me." Gray pleaded.

"Yami, go with him." Lucy ordered.

"What?" I demanded, my eyes wide as I stared at her. "No! I can't leave you!"

"You're injured."

"I can still fight! I can still protect you!"

"Yami…" Lucy turned to me. "I'll be ok, I can protect myself, but you need to get better. Next time, ok? Next time we take a mission together you can protect me all you want." My head and my heart were tearing me apart. My head was telling me to listen to Lucy, because she was a strong and capable wizard, but my heart was pleading to stay and protect her. In the end, logic won out and my heart sank.

"Fine." I muttered. "But you have to be careful." I stepped closer to Lucy, cupping her cheek and pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Come back to me." And with that, I turned away from her. I grabbed Gray's arm and started to haul him away.

"Yami!" Gray protested.

"Let's go." I said shakily, not looking back. "They can handle themselves." I could feel Gray's eyes on me, and he stopped trying to squirm away. The village led us away from the fight.