I looked up to the Moon, closing my eyes as I accepted my fate. "Natsu, we're going to destroy the moon." Erza stated.
"Really?" Naru said excitedly.
"It's the only way we can change Yui and the villagers back to their human forms. The villagers cheered.
"Where you wanna go? Do you think we should climb up to the top of the Temple? It's a lot higher up there."
"No!" I snarled, my head snapping over to Natsu and glaring at him. "You are never stepping foot in that Temple again, you hear me? If my Mother were here she'd rip you to pieces for disgracing our Holy place!"
"We'll do it from here." Erza informed him. "The Villagers can't go near the Temple and they need to witness this, besides, you heard Yui, you're not allowed there, and as far as I'm concerned she's the only one allowed to dictate who is and who isnt."
"I don't know what she's thinkin'." Gray admitted. "I mean she can do some amazing things, but still."
"So...what do you think she's gonna do to it?" Lucy wondered.
"This is exciting, huh?" Happy said.
"Mizuki thinks this is more scary." Mizuki stated. She few up to hover at my shoulder. "Yui might lose half her magic!"
"This is Giant Armour." Erza explained to the villages. "It increases my strength and allows me to throw farther. And this." Erza lifted her hand and summoned a large spear into her grasp. "This is the Spear of Haja, it repels Darkness." The villagers gasped.
"Oh! I see what you're planin' now!" Natsu realised. "You're gonna use that Spear to knock the Moon out of the sky!"
"That's right, but I'm afraid I'll need more strength than this armour can give me. So Natsu." Erza turned to the pink-haired boy. "I'm going to need to use your firepower as a boost. Whenever I begin to throw the spear, I want you to hit the back of it with your flames. Now, we'll have to time our attack perfectly. But I think you should give me just enough power to do the job."
"Sounds like a killer plan to me."
"Then let's do it." Erza started to walk off.
"They don't really think they're gonna pull this off, do they?" Gray questioned.
"Well I think they've totally gone off the deep end this time." Lucy stated.
"If they plan to do this, then I've lost part of myself." I said shakily, clenching my fists. "Today will be the end of Moon Dragon Slaying Magic." Erza and Natsu stood on top of a watchtower, ready to attack. My arms were crossed tightly as I watched Erza prepare her spear. The top of the tower exploded as the spear launched from Erza's hands, Natsu's fire trailing after it.
"She did it!" Happy exclaimed.
"This is bad…" Gray trailed off.
"Mizuki thinks they've lost their minds!" Mizuki wailed. I watched, helpless as the spear rose higher and higher, until I heard a crash, and the Moon started to crack. My eyes widened, however, when the cracks spread, spreading across the sky before it broke, and a normal, pale white Moon behind it.
"It wasn't the Moon the shattered….it was the sky!" Lucy gasped. I looked around when a yellow glow started to encase the Villagers, and I looked down to see one surrounding me. When It faded, I gasped, the memories flooding back.
"What's wrong?" Gray asked. "They're not Transforming."
"Oh no…" Happy trailed off.
"That's because these are their true forms." Erza informed as she returned, clad in her regular armour. "The Moon Drip never had any effect on their appearance, however, it seems to have altered their memories."
"What do you mean?" Lucy wondered.
"They think they're Humans who can transform into Demons, but it's the other way around."
"Wait, so you're saying...they're really?"
"Yep, the Villagers have always been Demons." The group started to freak out before Erza continued. "They possess the ability to take on human forms. Your false memories led you to believe that your temporary states were your true forms. In reality, you were demons who had fallen victim to the Moon Drip's side effects."
"Hold on, why weren't Leon and the others affected?" Lucy asked.
"I assume it's because they're human. As far as I can tell, Demons, and those with Demonic Ancestry, are the only ones susceptible to the memory loss. I knew what was going on as soon as the Villagers told me they were unable to go to the Temple. The Moonlight collected there was sacred, therefore Creatures of Darkness couldn't go near it."
"What about Yui!" Mizuki demanded, flying up to Erza. "She's still...that."
"It's ok, Mizuki." I said softly. "I remember now." I took a step back and lifted my arms. "This is my Dragon Force." I grinned. "I can't believe I forgot about it!"
"Dragon...Force?" Gray questioned.
"My parents explained it to me as being the final, most powerful form of a Dragon Slayer." I looked up to the Moon. "I guess due to the high concentration of Moon Energy and Magic here, it unlocked it…I don't know if I can get it when I get back home but…" I clenched my fists with a grin. "I know that if I work hard I can call on this power whenever I need it."
"And I'll be right here with you." Erza said softly, placing her hand on my shoulder. I gave her a soft smile of her own, resting my clawed hands on hers.
"You are quite the detective." A familiar voice said. "I knew I could trust you and your friends." I turned around and tears sprung to my eyes when I saw Bobo. "Thanks Wizards, I owe you one."
"You're the guy from the boat." Gray realised.
"Bobo…" Moka trailed off.
"But I thought you were…" Someone muttered.
"Getting stabbed in the chest hurt real bad." Bobo admitted. "But you've gotta do more than that to kill a Demon."
"But...on the boat?" Gray questioned. "You just disappeared into thin air." My eyes followed Bobo as he summoned his wings and appeared in the sky.
"I really hope you kids can forgive me for not telling you the truth sooner. I was the only one who didn't have any memory loss, I had to leave because everyone went nuts. I knew I was a Demon, but everyone else, suddenly thought they were cursed Humans? And imagine my surprise when I saw Yui on the docks, I haven't seen her in ages!"
"Bobo!" I cried, spreading my wings and flying up alongside Moka. The two of us wrapped him in a hug. "I recognised you on the docks, I'm so sorry! I didn't want anyone to know I was from Galuna, even if I left when I was a kid."
"It's all good." Bobo assured. "I'm just thankful your ok." I grinned at him as the rest of the Village flew up to greet Bobo again.
TIMESKIP
A feast was laid out, and everyone dug in. I was happily chatting with Bobo, who I had missed greatly. When I was a little kid, after my birth parents had abandoned me and before Selene found me, Bobo was the one who looked after me, almost like a big brother. "I'm sorry Yui." Moka apologised, bowing his head. "Our prejudice against non-Demonic beings years ago drove you out of the Village."
"No, it's ok." I said. "I mean, it sucked, but it worked out in the end." I smiled at him. "Without that, I wouldn't have met my parents. Selene and Helios taught me Magic and how to survive. And without that, I wouldn't have found Fairy Tail, and I wouldn't have found Erza." I smiled at Erza who was talking to a couple of the Villages. "She...she is the best. With her, we wouldn't have found our children, we built a life together, and I wouldn't change it for the world."
"I'm glad you found someone." Bobo stated. "I'm happy for you."
"Well, I have to admit I was wrong about Humans." Moka stated. "All of these years we've chosen to hide from the outside world, we were so afraid that others would judge us by our appearance."
"You know, the curse, that was just a rumour we spread so no one would come to the Island and bother us."
"Well it worked." Lucy told him. "The Sailors at the doc were terrified, nobody wanted to come here."
"I know." Moka said. "And it's a shame. But after meeting you, we've changed our minds. You've restored our faith in Humans and we're not afraid. We're ready to go out and befriend people from other lands."
"That's good." Erza stated. "Friendship is a beautiful thing. It's an emotional bond that transcends ones physical appearance." The small group appeared. We eat heartily but fell silent when two people entered the village. Yuka and Sherry. Erza and I stood. "How can I help you?"
"You Fairy Tailers are tough, the Cold Emperor is so banged up he couldn't make it down here." Yuka stated.
"What's why we've come to pay you a visit in his place." Sherry added. Lucy scrambled to stand.
"Wait just a minute!" She protested. "I thought we were cool. Didn't Lyon tell you guys what happened?"
"Yes, but that doesn't matter to us." Yuka said.
"We wanted to settle things with you ourselves." Sherry told us.
"Alright, why don't you show me what you've got!" Natsu demanded, jumping forward with a flame erupting in his palm.
"Wait, Natsu." Bobo protested. "Thanks for the help, but we can't keep relying on you, so let us fight them."
"He's right." Another agreed. "We got these clowns."
"If we want to keep our village safe, we've got to protect it." Someone else continued,
"Normally I would agree with you gentleman, but I think it's best if I handle this one." Erza said.
"Be careful." I warned, watching her walk up to the two newcomers.
"We meet again, Titania of Fairy Tail." Sherry mused. "You have Angelica quite a beating earlier."
"She seems like a formidable opponent." Yuka said.
"Watch out for that creepy chick!" Lucy shouted. "She can control inanimate objects!"
"And don't even bother trying to use your magic against ol' mega brows." Natsu added.
"Is that so." Erza contemplated. "In that case…" Erza started to run forward. "I'll do it the old fashioned way!" Erza kicked Sherry back and punched Yuka so hard he fell on his ass.
"That's my Mate." I said proudly. Sherry shakily sat up.
"You're truly an amazing warrior." She admitted. She and Yuka got to their feet.
"No kidding." Yuka agreed. "We're no match for you."
"Wait, so you're not here to attack us?" Lucy asked.
"I doubt this is going to make up for all the trouble we've caused you, but we wanted to apologise in person."
"Oh, so you guys came here to settle things in a good way." Happy realised.
"The Cold Emperor told us everything." Sherry said. "Thanks to you, we can finally let go of the pain Deliora caused us so many years ago."
"You mean, you were victims of Deliora too?" Gray wondered.
"When we were children, the monster ravaged our village, we watched it murder all of our friends and family." Yuka revealed.
"The Cold Emperor had a plan to kill the Demon once and for all." Sherry added. "That's why we joined him."
"You see, we wanted revenge, and we were so focused on getting it we never realised we were hurting innocent people."
"We were so blinded by our hatred, that we ended up acting no better than the Demon itself. From now on we'll treat other people with respect, and love."
"Alrighty then!" Natsu cheated, appearing behind the two and throwing an arm around each of them. "You guys should stick around and join in on the feast!"
"But we were enemies a second ago." Yuka reminded him.
"I don't think it's a good idea, because I'm trying to watch my figure-"
"Man, you two don't shut up." I said, walking up to them. "There's no need for any excuses, you can stay, if the Villagers allow it." Natsu dragged the two into the middle of the feast and shoved cups into their hands.
"Ok! Now we're ready to party!" Natsu shouted, and that broke the tension. I sat next to the two newcomers, talking with them as if we were old friends.
TIMESKIP
The next morning, I was relieved to find myself back to my human form. We were leaving today and hopefully, fingers crossed, I wouldn't randomly turn Dragon when we got back to the Guild. "You seem happy." Erza commented as we packed.
"I know...it's weird." I admitted. "The only reason I decided to join the Quest was to save those idiots from themselves...I didn't realise I'd end up reconciling with my past and I discovered something new about myself." I looked down at my hands. "I can feel the power of my Dragon Force, just under my skin, ready to burst but...it's like it knows it's not needed."
"I'm sure that when you need it, it'll come." Erza said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I smiled at her, wrapping my arms around her armour-clad waist in a hug. Erza chuckled, letting her armour disappear so I was cuddled against her properly. After packing, and Erza re-quipping back into her armour, we waited at the front of the Villiage to say goodbye. Each of them had chosen to stay in their Demonic forms, as it felt more natural according to them.
"What?" Moka rasped. "But miss, you deserve the reward so take it! Please!"
"Thank you, but your gratitude is payment enough." Erza told him.
"That's nice but you should take the money!"
"I can't, because your request was never officially accepted by the Guild. It fell into the hands of foolish Wizards trying to prove themselves."
"Foolish as they may be, if it wasn't for them we never would have been saved. What if I give you the money, not as a reward, but instead as a thank you gift. It's the least I can do after everything you've done for our village."
"I'm sorry Moka, but we still can't do that." I said softly. "It would go against our Guild's principals to accept it, we didn't even do what you asked us, the Moon is still intact. However, if you wanted to do something for us, I guess we could take the Key?" I looked over to Erza for confirmation, who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know how rare those are." I turned back to Moka. "Our resident Celestial Spirit Wizard would find use for it."
"Well, at least let me take you back to Hargeon." Bobo offered.
"Thank you, but I have a boat waiting for us sir." We walked to the beach, and I was surprisingly unsurprised by the fact a Pirate Ship was waiting for us.
"Ahoy me beauty." One of the pirates called. My eye twitched.
"I'm sorry…" I trailed off, slowly turning to Erza. "Maybe I misheard him."
"That's right, they've become quite fond of me." Erza said.
"Mizuki thinks they won't last 'till port!" My feline companion cheered. We boarded quickly, and instantly, I was sick and hanging off the side of the boat, trying not to bring up my breakfast. I felt small paws on my back as Mizuki tried to soothe me.
TIMESKIP
After docking in Hargeon and hitching a train, we arrived back in Magnolia. "I'm bummed." Gray sighed as we made our way to the Guild. "All that time and hard work for some lousy gate key."
"Yeah, and that S-Class reward was big-time money." Happy agreed.
"Well I'm sorry, but it wasn't an official Job." Erza reminded them. "Just be glad you got something."
"She's got a point." Lucy said. "Now quit your complaining."
"That's pretty easy for you to say, you got a reward." Happy said. "Can we sell it?"
"How can you even suggest that Happy! You guys just don't get it, they're hard to come by. Sure there are lots of Silver Gate Keys, but there are only twelve Gold Zodiac Gate Keys. And I'm lucky enough to have five."
"It's too bad they're all crazy." Natsu said.
"You better watch your mouth you punk! Me and my Celestial Spirits are gonna be stronger than you someday!"
"So Lucy, Mizuki wants to know what Key you got." Mizuki said, flying closer to the blonde.
"It's Sagittarius the Centaur." Lucy revealed.
"It's a horseman! That's so cool!" I laced my fingers behind my head.
"Well, you guys should enjoy this time while it lasts." I said. "You all seem to have forgotten, you're gonna be in trouble when we get back to the Guild."
"But why?!" Natsu gasped. Lucy, Natsu and Gray crowded Erza and I, causing us to pause in the street.
"Everything worked out in the end!" Lucy reminded us. "Can't we just forget the whole punishment thing?"
"You're right, everything worked out." Erza agreed. "But only because I came here and finished the job none of you were qualified to do."
"But we had Yui!" Happy reminded us.
"You guys kidnapped me!" I exclaimed. "I didn't want to go on the Quest until the Moon Drip changed my appearance! And then it was only to get my original form back!"
"Stealing an S-Class Request is a serious offence." Erza said.
"We said we're sorry…" Lucy trailed off.
"If you promise you'll never do it again, then I don't think you need to be penalised by the Guild. Unfortunately, I don't have any say in the matter. Your fate is in Master Makarov's hands. So I'm sure you'll be facing punishment."
"Now I'm scared." Happy said shakily. "Do you think he's going to make us do that!?"
"Just kill me now!" Gray shouted. "I don't think I can live through that again!"
"You guys are freaking me out!" Lucy wailed.
"Don't let him scare you." Natsu said, patting the blonde on the shoulder. "I'll talk the Old Man out of punishing us, that guy loves me!"
"I don't think you should do the talking."
"Remember Natsu, you won't be able to talk you're way out of this one." Mizuki reminded him. "Mizuki wishes you good luck with that and she hopes you live!" Natsu started to wail about not wanting punishment. I laughed, but then took a deep breath in, and the strong scent of iron invaded my nose.
"Guys, wait." I said. "Something's wrong." My eyes scanned the horizon, trying to pinpoint where the scent was coming from. When my eyes fell to where it was strongest. "Something's up at the Guild."
"What?" Gray breathed.
"We have to go...now."