Eisenwald's attempt of a terrorist-like attack on the mage guild masters didn't go unknown by the council and soon the entire nation heard about it. It's hard for Lucy to believe she witnessed such national news take place with her own eyes and yet she is back home safe and sound now having a normal day.

Well…as normal as being a Fairy Tail mage is going to get apparently.

"Sheesh and you get to have all this space for only 70,000 jewels a month,"

"Gray!" Lucy doesn't even know why she bothers being shocked at this point, at least she was dressed this time. She wondered what her father would say had he known about the time with Natsu. In fact she'd never want to know what that man would say however…

"Gray," she covered her eyes, noticing he once again was only in long boxers, "you shouldn't strip in my home. That's indecent."

"You've got the wrong idea you see I had already stripped before I came here,"

"Go home!"

"Jeez for someone who enjoys being as rowdy as the rest of us, you sure remind me of some kind of debutant at times," Gray sighs, "I just came here because that is happening today and wanted to remind you in case you forgot."

"What was that again…I didn't forget I just want to clarify that you'd consider you that being the same that I am thinking of," Lucy replies, aware of how silly she sounds remembering Natsu's request of Erza before the Eisenwald nonsense.

"Come on," Gray said as they left to Fairy Tail together, "Natsu and Erza are fighting."

XOXOXO

After much confusion on her part and corruption driven arrests being made the fight between Natsu and Erza didn't matter all that much. At least they got Erza back from the council that tried to charge her for all of Fairy Tail's unfortunate mission style. The knight still kept to herself about the full details of what went down and who she met. Natsu also was never going to be favorable in the eyes of most of the council too after the stunts he pulled.

Speaking of Natsu he seems pretty pleased with himself cheering about his own freedom…after also being arrested on accounts of attempting to free Erza.

She knew he had convinced Macao to pretend to be him so he could get away from Fairy Tail and attempt the jail break but she didn't say anything until Natsu was long gone because she thought it was serious. No one needed to know that however, she had to be discreet at times just like she was taught by Athena and Artemis.

"I can't believe the arrest was just a formality," Lucy said, laying her head on the table she sat at. Politics always gave her a headache no matter how much she learned about it growing up, "all those worries for nothing."

To make an example out of Fairy Tail's strongest? Well, okay apparently Erza isn't the strongest mage in Fairy Tail apparently but with Natsu's constant desire to challenge her and only having two or three on the same level of S-Class with her that was still pretty impressive.

It was logical she'd be targeted to send a message to their guild.

"So not a sacrificial lamb but a scapegoat huh," Gray ponders Erza's past situation.

"Wow no surprises here that the ice mage has cold jokes too," Elfman adds, "Hey what happened with the duel between men that Erza and Natsu had going on?"

"Men?" Lucy questioned, Natsu's a man but Erza's a woman.

"Oh yeah about that, Erza let's finish this," Natsu said charging at her.

"No, I'm tired," Erza admitted.

"Now that you mention it…" Natsu pauses, feeling a bit ready to hit the hay himself.

"What's wrong master," Mirajane turns to Makarov who looks a bit drowsy himself.

"Nothing, just getting sleepy," he told her, "it's him."

"Ah," Mirajane suddenly, aware of what the master is talking about, passes out, sleeping.

"This is-," Gray gets out before also falling asleep.

"Huh what's…," Lucy yawns, looking around as everyone in the guild has fallen asleep soundly with the exception of her, master Makarov and whoever it is she senses upstairs.

She got up groggily and sat at the bar with Master.

"Hmm so you've managed to stay awake, my child," Makarov asks Lucy, tired but surprised. He wondered why the girl held back much of herself from everyone.

"I have a gate key, Horologium, he keeps me updated on all sudden changes in terrain as long as it's inflicted by magic, I can usually nullify the spells affect by keeping his key near me," she yawns again, feeling her eyelids grow heavier but she ultimately remains awake enough to stay alert to what's happening around them.

Silver keys were often underestimated and often took the right mage to bring out their full potential. She's found she could even get more use out of them then gold or even her single platinum key at times, though there wasn't exactly a star dress for them you could still wield their magic in a sense.

"I see," Master Makarov nods before they both turn to the newcomer who pauses briefly seeing there's one more person than he expected to still be awake in the guild before resuming his strut to claim a request off the board.

"Mystogan," Master Makarov greets. The mage is covered head to toe in dark blue clothing and wraps the resemble bandages. Blue hair peeks out from the head scarf he wears, "This is Lucy, a recent recruit, Natsu introduced her to the guild."

"Master," he nods towards him then to Lucy in simple acknowledgment, "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Lucy says, sitting back where she was before. She has a feeling he'll release the sleep spell soon enough.

Mystogan shows the Master the request he picked as it is guild protocol for Makarov or someone like Mirajane to approve it on his behalf.

"I'm leaving," he says.

"Hey, release your sleep magic," Master Makarov reminds him.

"I will in…Five, Four, Three," he says as he walks out the guild, careful of the sleeping mages around him, "Two, on-."

Before he can even count down from five, Mystogan is long gone and everyone else is waking up.

"This feeling…was that Mystogan?" Jet, one of Levy's partners, complained.

"That punk," Droy, her other one facepalmed, annoyed.

"His sleep magic is so powerful," another added, "he's definitely a candidate for one of the strongest in the guild."

"Is it really necessary to put everyone to sleep every time he visits," Levy pondered.

"He doesn't want anyone to see his face for whatever reason," Gray tells her, "That's why only Master has seen his face."

"No, looks like there's three that've seen him now," a voice said perched upstairs, the section of the guild only for S-Class mages, "The old man has seen him, I've seen him."

They all look up at a well built man with short blonde hair, headphones with a spike in the center and a long fur coat over his clothes.

"Laxus?!"

"You're here?"

"How unusual?"

"He's also a candidate for one of the strongest in Fairy Tail," Gray lets Lucy know as Loke shies away from her.

"Anddd just recently Blondie over there stayed up and saw him too," Laxus revealed, pointing at Lucy.

"Lucy?" Mira questioned turning to the celestial mage in question.

"What was he like, Bestie," Levy asked.

"He was rather mysterious, still but polite," Mystogan reminded her of a handful of rich heirs she met. Well groomed, soft spoken but a powerful presence…Royal almost.

"That's one way to put it I guess," Wakaba grumbled.

Macao sighed them being the eldest that still frequented the guildhall often were constantly annoyed they were never able to best Mystogan's powerful sleep spell.

"That's not quite the word I'd use,"

Laxus nodded before turning to Levy and Lucy, "Mystogan's just really shy, girls. Don't question it too much."

"Who cares about all of that," Natsu cut in Mystogan's still a guildmate so who cared if he didn't want to show his face, "Laxus get down here and fight me."

"You didn't get enough of that fighting Erza," Warren questioned.

"He's right," Laxus smirked, "you can't even win against Erza, you got no chance against me."

"Laxus explain what exactly do you mean," Erza asks, annoyed.

"Hey Erza calm down," Warren said, getting scared the knight was starting to get angry enough to fight again.

"I mean if you're wondering whose the strongest in the guild you're already looking at him,"

"Why don't you say that again down here," Natsu replied.

"What was that I didn't hear you from all the way down there," Laxus faked, "why don't you come up here?"

"Bring it on," Natsu's attempt to go to the restricted section of the guild was quickly cut off by the Master it's still S-Class only.

He tells everyone as much but tells Laxus to stop picking at everyone here. He reiterates the rules once again just in case anyone might've forgotten and maybe a little for Lucy's benefit too since she is still a new member and might not know that guild rule yet.

"I'll never give up the Fairy Tail's strongest mage title up to anyone not Erza or Mystogan or even the kitty whipped geezer. I'm the strongest," his eyes lock on to Lucy much to everyone's surprise, "You better keep that in mind if you know what's good for you, Blondie."

"Strength isn't everything," Lucy retorts, "In fact it almost means nothing without strategy, determination and follow through and I think a lot of others here have far more of that than you, Laxus."

"Lucy…" Mirajane mutters as almost everyone glances her way in shock and hopes Laxus doesn't retaliate and attack her for the insult.

"Lulu," Levy grabbed her arm not wanting her to antagonize a dangerously powerful guy like Laxus.

Laxus laughs much to everyone's surprise, even Makarov, his grandfather.

"You're a good one, Lucy," Laxus says as he turns to leave, "I doubt an idiot like Pinky would even know what to do with all that.

As Lucy made her way home that night she thought about The S-Class mages she had met so far in Fairy Tail. She didn't know how to feel about the words Laxus left her with; they might have come off as presumptuously flirtatious but knowing what she's learned about men from Aphrodite she doubts he's interested in her at least in that way. Either way he's definitely a jerk.

Mystogan's still a mystery but she can't help but like his vibes, he feels like something she's familiar with.

Erza's great and a great friend she practically raised Natsu and Gray to the men they are today as their big sister, she looks up to her but she really didn't think she had much ambition to become S-Class herself.

It was just a title after all and she was already strong enough to have made it this far given her family's background. She also didn't need to be S-Class to achieve her goal…she had Natsu to help with that. She also didn't need to be S-Class to find all 13 of the celestial spirit keys of the zodiac like she once dreamed of.

She already knows Natsu's in her apartment when she goes to open the door. Call her crazy but she also suspects he didn't bother using the spare key she gave him.

"Welcome back," he says furiously, working out with sit-ups, getting his sweat everywhere.

"Welcomeeeee," Happy parroted working out with a little dumbbell his size as well.

"You know you can exercise at your own home too right? I gave you two that key for emergencies,"

"We used the window because this wasn't an emergency," Happy replied,

"What are you talking about we're a team anyway," he says handing her a pink dumbell, "you like pink right?"

"What am I going to do with an iron dumbbell," Lucy takes it, "oh I can in fact lift it."

"We have to get stronger to beat Laxus and Erza," he says as he and Happy switch from sit-ups to pushups. We're going to stay up all night and train."

"Again, do that at your own house!"

"Oh and I've decided something else," Natsu says, turning to face her one arm push-ups and all, "we're gonna do an S-Class job, Lucy!"

Happy reveals a request sheet with a self proclaimed cursed island on the front.

XOXOXO

She knew it was wrong for her, Natsu and Happy to take on the S-Class request but when a celestial spirit key might be the reward she had no other choice.

Just like that Natsu, Lucy and Happy found themselves back at the port town of Hargeon. Lucy felt kind of nostalgic.

"This is where we first met, right? We haven't been here in a long time!"

"It actually hasn't been that long though," Natsu replied

"Tch…old lady Lucy," Happy attempts to not laugh out loud.

"Nevermind that first we have to board a vessel that will take us to Galuna Island,"

"A vessel's a ship right? That's transportation, no way I'd rather just swim there!"

"There's even less no way for us to swim there…even if I used my Aquarius form as it is right now…,"

Regardless they have no luck in finding a sailor willing to set a course to Galuna Island not when everyone knows it's cursed. Natsu brings up the swimming plan again but a sailor tells them good luck with the sharks in that case. Natsu unsurprisingly is willing to risk it and Lucy doesn't care much for making him see reason right now surely there had to be another way right? They just had to find it.

Maybe a friend could help them out, Lucy considers.

"Found ya," Gray calls from behind them, briefly surprising Natsu and Happy.

"Oh it's Gray," Lucy states.

"Gray?!" Happy calls in surprise.

"Why are you here?!" Natsu questions.

He tells them about how the Master told him to bring them back or they risk expulsion or even worse…Erza finding out. This causes Natsu and Gray to argue,already drawing their magic from within. Lucy was beginning to see a pattern with these two.

"Wait you guys are mages," a guy in a small paddle boat says, eyeing Lucy breaking up the two before they could go further, "are you here to stop the curse?

After much confusing signals and messages from the three quirky mages the pinked haired one even knocks out the black haired one to get him to not rat them out or so he puts it. With that the three mages and cat, the four board the small boat and they head to their S-Class mission.

On the way there Natsu predictably gets motion sickness and Gray begrudgingly accepts his fate when he wakes up.

He and Lucy learn that the guy taking them there is a native from Galuna island that escaped it but he's still afflicted with the curse that plagues it.

A demonic curse.

Soon they make their way to the island but just as they see its land the native that brought them along has vanished from the boat and a tidal wave comes out of nowhere.

Quickly they are all sucked into it.

"Damnit now I'm going to die because of you guys," Gray grumbled.

XOXOXO

As we all thought we were about to die we had no idea the sinister ritual that was being held on the island.

When Lucy wakes up she finds herself along a beach of Galuna island somehow they still made it to shore. She could sense Gray, Natsu and Happy were all here somewhere too after she took the time to meditate, focusing all power into seaking out their cores.

She laughs softly once she gets a read on them, and it turns out that her companions were far closer than she realized. Sprawled out cold near the remains of the boat they used to get here.

"Wow we're already here," Natsu said shocked once he woke up.

"I suppose the tidal wave crashed us here," she replied, "I'm more concerned about the old man that brought us here? What was up with the demonic arm of his and where did he disappear to?"

"Don't worry your pretty little head," Natsu cheered, "Let's go exploring!"

He thinks my head is pretty? Lucy couldn't help but think to herself.

"Exploring, exploring," Happy cheered with him, "Aye, sir!"

"There's supposed to be a village on this island. The mayor of it is our client, Natsu. We will need to head there first,"

"Wait," Gray said, groaning as he picked himself up, "I'm coming with you guys."

"It would annoy me if you guys completed an S-Class mention before I got the chance to. Can't beat em join em. Plus if you guys got kicked out of the guild I'd probably be bored," Gray continues, noticing his guildmates' shocked faces.

It was set then.

"Let's go,"

"Yeah!"

The village turned out to be surrounded by a large gate and they all had to show their Fairy Tail guild mark to even be let in, including Happy. Lucy didn't know the small flying cat had one on his back, it was usually covered by the little green bag he tended to wear.

Once they were finally able to meet the mayor, Mocha, they showed all the villagers on the island either had a demon leg or arm they were plagued with, even the children. The animals on the island as well.

The mayor shocked them all when he revealed to them that he believes the moon's magical power has altered the way he and his villagers look. This is what caught Lucy's attention the most,she knew a little something about the cosmos magical power as a celestial mage. Mocha further explained that ever since ancient times their island accumulated moonlight making it so beautiful and as shining as the moon. A few years ago the moon turned a purple glow and that is when everyone in the village's body began to change.

To the Fairy Tail mages' shock once the sun went down everyone turned all the island locals into full demon forms. Mocha explained once morning comes everyone turns back to normal.

However none of this prepared them for the mayor's real task.

That was to destroy the moon itself.

XOXOXO

They were in a tough spot with an impossible task. Lucy couldn't help but think it wasn't the moon itself that was causing the curse on the villagers. Surely it was something else, they'd just have to find out what and break the spell.

Natsu and Gray groaned when Lucy woke them up early the next morning. She told them she couldn't get much sleep having to sleep between two rowdy sleepers and the sooner they started their mission the sooner they could return home.

Turns out they would be doing Natsu's original plan anyway, and explore the forests of the island to search for answers.

Lucy began to feel weird the deeper that they got into the forest. Something was here.

"Hrmmm," Gray turned.

A gigantic rat that towered even the tallest trees in the forest sneered at them. Weirdly she was dressed in a frilly dress and headpiece as if that somehow added to her appeal.

Before anyone can think the rat attacked, spitting out insanely bad smelling fumes like a dragon would breathe fire or perhaps Natsu would use his fire dragon's roar. Natsu suffered a bit worse having increased senses especially when it came down to scent. They ran and the rat gave chase.

"Tch," Gray grumbled looking back at the creature, "Ice make: Floor!"

He used his magic to create a floor of ice under the rat's feet causing it to lose its balance and fall devastatingly to the ground knocking itself out in the process.

"Nice," Natsu commented.

"I guess it's true what they say about the bigger they are the harder they fall," Lucy observes, "Look there's a building over there, it looks like a temple of sorts. Let's check it out, guys."

"Guys," Lucy turns to see Natsu and Gray "finishing the rat off" punching and kicking its unconscious form without much weight behind the blows.

"We're beating it up while we can," they tell her in unison.

Inside the temple it was large and spacious but it definitely looked shabby and run down. Whatever was inside the temple it couldn't have been a force people wanted to upkeep. They found moon shaped markings everywhere they looked.

"This place is really run down," Natsu pondered, stumping a foot a little harder than necessary, "is the floor even sturdy enough?"

"Hey wait, Natsu don't-," Lucy starts but the ground beneath them soon gives out and they all find themselves falling.

"Idiot," Gray yells at Natsu once they land, "why do you always act out every impulse?!"

"It looks like we're in the basement of the temple," Lucy notices attempting to help Happy as he's swallowed a random bone he picked up from the way down by accident.

"It's a secret cavern," Natsu cheered as Lucy finally saved a very thankful Happy from the bone that was in his throat, "Oh, whoa!"

"Hrmmm," Lucy looked at what the dragon slayer saw.

"No way," Gray darkened, seeing a gigantic demon encased in ice, frozen in time, "it can't be, Deliora!"

Gray was panicking seeing such a creature explaining the demon is called Deliora the devil of misfortune and disaster and there was no reason why it should be here in front of them right now, there was no reason it could be here in front of them on this island of all places.

"Someone's coming," Lucy sensed, "it's a group."

"Let's hide," Happy pushed a complaining Natsu and the four of them hid behind some large rocks in the cavern.

Two men, one dog-like and the other much shorter with incredibly thick eyebrows approached Deliora. They discussed something by the name of moon drip. They seemed friendly enough with each other and joked around as a third approached them. A woman with fuchsia hair dressed exactly like the rat from earlier.

The conversation she had with the men confirmed for Lucy that the rat belongs to her and is named Angelica, the hunter that gallops in darkness and love for some reason.

"There's something seriously wrong with her," Lucy decides.

"They're not locals," Natsu says, "Their smell is different from them."

"Doesn't look like they're cursed either," Happy adds.

They stay hidden until the newcomers leave knowing they will probably have to fight them later seeing how they were most likely responsible for a dangerous demon being on this island. Moon Island, moon temple, mood drip…it had to be all connected right? Lucy thinks some of the puzzle pieces are beginning to fit into place however she still doesn't know the strangers' connection to Deliora.

Gray seems to have a connection he tells them as much, his former magic teacher Ur had previously sealed Deliora away in its current ice prison on the northern continent at the risk of her own life. He explained the ice maker spell, Iced Shell and how it traps the foe in unmeltable ice that even tremendous flame magic couldn't melt.

On Gray's insistence that they wait to move until nightfall Lucy decides to use one of her silver keys.

"Open the door to the Lyre: Lyra!"

"Hello Lucy oh my goodness it has been ages, " Lyra cheered with her harp on her back, "what would you like me to sing today?"

Maybe some music could ease the dark aura that surrounded Gray as clearly traumatic memories were surfacing for him. Natsu slept soundly as Happy and Lucy sat down for Lyra's song. She sang a song about being stronger than you were in the past, change, and courage.

Gray must've really felt the song because he began to tear up much to Lucy and Happy's surprise. They didn't say anything to the normally calm, cool and collected ice prince however as Lucy quickly tried to encourage Lyra to sing a more upbeat song instead.

"Eeeeehhh, you should've told me from the beginning, Princess!"

"Princess? Have you been talking with Virgo?!"

Lucy wakes unaware that she had even fallen asleep to a haunting sound as if some kind of beam was shooting from the ceiling of the cave. It was.

"The ceiling opened up," Natsu said, surprised as the noise woke him as well.

"Purple light? Is it from the moon?" Gray questioned.

"What is it? What's going on," Happy screamed.

The purple beam of light from the hole in the ceiling poured directly over Deliora's ice prison.

"We got to see where that is coming from," Gray ran and they all followed him up the steps and out of the cavern. What they saw before them was some kind of strange ritual.

"The moon? Are they really gathering moonlight," Natsu questioned.

"And they're exposing Deliora to it," Lucy replies, "Lyra is this-,"

"It is," Lyra watches from behind them, "It's a spell from a beria language. Moon drip that is. They're using the moon drip spell to revive the devil that's trapped in the ice below."

"That's impossible, iced shell could never melt," Gray said in fear.

"Lyra and I believe moon drip is the very spell that can melt such an ice. The moon's magic gathered in one place can nullify any spell in the world," Lucy said with a hand to her mouth, "in ancient times those who could utilize such powers were often hunted."

"No way," Happy said, astonished.

"They…don't know how gruesome Deliora is," Gray got out through gritted teeth.

"Whatever the natives of this island think this curse is, it's likely due to the moon drip," Lucy informs.

"The moon's magical power gathered at one place is definitely strong enough to contaminate a human body especially after what looks like constant exposure," Lyra adds, "only celestials are supposed to wield such a power."

"They-," Natsu said clearly about the forcefully break up the ritual.

"Wait someone's coming," Lucy grabs his chin gently to get him to look at the weird stranger from before along with another guy leading the pack dressed in long robes and a devil shaped mask concealing his identity.

Gray eyes the leader closely.

They listen as the leader orders the others to get rid of the villagers, there was no way they'd have to stop them before they could get there.

"That voice," Gray didn't want to believe it, "tell me…it's a lie."

"I'm tired of sneaking around," Natsu creamed, "we're the ones who are going to stop you!"

This caught everyone's attention and now there was definitely no more use hiding.

"Only heaven knows what will happen next," Lucy decides, clutching her keys sending Lyra home back to the celestial spirit realm, "Thanks for everything Lyra I'll see you soon."

"Those marks…they're from Fairy Tail," the fushia haired woman notes.

"I see, the villagers must have contacted a guild for help," the short man with thick eyebrows says.

The leader keeps his plans the same despite all of this declaring anyone that tries to get in the way of his grand plans an enemy and demands that the others in his group get rid of the villagers yet again.

Gray goes to attack him, sending a path of ice shards to attack him only for the leader to do the same as the opposing ice shard paths collide in a thick wall. His is a light teal blue while Gray's a more true light blue color.

"He uses ice too," Happy exclaimed as the ice wall the two ice mages created breaks apart upon further force and impact.

"Leon," Gray says to the leader ice mage, "do you have any idea what you're doing?!"

"You know him?" Lucy and Happy questioned together.

"It's been a long time, Gray," he says, "I never imagined you'd answer the villagers call for help…were you aware I was behind it all in some strange twist of fate? Well this changes nothing."

Natsu goes to attack as well once Leon orders his underlings to get a move on for the villagers. Suddenly he gets caught up in some kind of ice storm.

"No Nasu don't," Gray yells, "Happy, go get Lucy out of here!"

"What," Lucy says.

"Aye," Happy grabs Lucy wings out flying her away from the others as Gray and Leon collide, "He filled the space with chill magic, if we stayed we would have gotten caught in it like Natsu."

"Don't worry, Happy," Lucy said, noticing Happy begin to tear up, "he's strong and ice's natural enemy I'm sure he'll make it. I'm sorry you felt the need to help me instead, maybe I could have resisted the spell."

"It's okay you're my friend too, Lucy," Happy decides, "you deserve help as much as anyone else."

"Let's stop them before the village anymore than they already have," Lucy decides, a warm feeling throughout her chest feeling even closer to everyone else.

Meanwhile a ship was making its way towards Galuna island.

A woman in armor with scarlet hair was headed there to punish the members that broke Fairy Tail's rule.