Chapter 32

Warmachine375- Yes, I know the lore around him. I know he's probably the most friendly high elf aside from Alarielle

I mean I have to when the Chaos Gods start coming into the fray. Maybe it'll just be a confrontation between him and the Chaos Gods themselves with no mortal influence, but I think I have no choice on whether or not to bring him in.

She'll probably still go. I mean, she knows how rough Arahan is and how nice Naestra is. Plus this is an S-class job. They're supposed to be some of the toughest jobs in Fairy Tail lore. Better to be safe than sorry.

No on the dragon. Ceithin-Har's time is not yet.

The Opportunist- I play Heralds of Ariel in Total War Warhammer. Not as much as the Skaven, Warriors of Chaos, Dark Elves, and Lizardmen, but enough that I know what you're referring to. I mean, I guess I can do it, but I'd think it wouldn't work because of the Orcs natural want to fight. They weren't exactly the most civilized people and aren't exactly the kind of people you want as neighbors. Also, I think that event was more due to mutual hate and dislike of the Dark Elves than anything else. So, I don't think that idea will work. However, as temporary allies, then we got something.

Also, I play Skyrim, but I never watched that anime ever. Not my style (I think). I guess I can help with the Skyrim portion, but you're going have to watch the anime, look through the wiki, or ask someone else for that part. Preferably all three.

And no, I don't want to share my email. Would rather not share it to anyone unless I can full trust them. Not after what happened last time. But if you ever do that fic, I'll leave reviews on what you did wrong and what I think you should have done instead. Perhaps even some ideas as well. Will also probably help with planning if you want.

Austin- You're right on that with Naestra and Lyon.

Be'lakor wouldn't want to kill Diederick/Archaon. In the lore, you see, Be'lakor wanted to take over Archaon's body and become the Everchosen of Chaos instead, thereby getting back his old position from before. So, he doesn't want Diederick dead. But he will show up eventually.

Lucy

Village

"Everyone, please listen!" Yelled Lucy as she tried to gather up the entirety of the village around her. After getting away with Happy from the temple, the two decided to retreat back to the village to warn them of the coming danger from the Cold Emperor's lackeys. "The people responsible for the curse on all of you are planning to attack your village!" That caused gasps to come out of several of the villagers with one of them even asking if that was true. "I'm afraid so, but I have a plan. We're going to capture them and force them to help change you back." As everyone was conversing about this, the village leader, the one responsible for handing out the job request in the first place came up to Lucy.

"What are you all doing!?" Demanded the village leader as he came up to Lucy. "What are you doing back here? I thought I told you all to destroy the moon." Lucy, upon seeing the village leader, a man named Moka, spoke up.

"Please, sir. The people responsible for all this are coming to attack the village. Any second now, they'll be here and destroy your village." Said Lucy. Upon hearing that, Moka asked her to say that again. "A group of people responsible for all this was holed up in the ancient temple on the island. They're the ones responsible for…" She couldn't say anymore when Moka suddenly screamed up at her.

"I don't care about some group of people in that dusty old temple!" Yelled Moka in annoyance that his request hadn't been fulfilled. As he still thought it was the moon that was responsible for the curse, he was frustrated at the lack of progress from Fairy Tail. "Why haven't you destroyed the moon!?" Freaked out a bit at this outburst, Lucy tried to placate the old man.

"Well, you see, it wasn't the moon exactly that caused all this." Said Explained Lucy. "But we know who is ultimately responsible for everything." Moka, however, wasn't listening and kept on yelling and whining about the lack of progress, forcing some of the villagers to grab him and drag him somewhere else in order for him to calm down. While Lucy and everyone else was looking at this, a villager spoke to Lucy.

"Don't be mad at him." Said the villager, a red-skinned man with horns on his forehead. "He's been like this since Bobo died." Lucy nodded at that, remembering the story. Moka's son lost his mind because of the curse and had to be killed in order to prevent him from harming any of the other villagers. It was a sad story and one that Lucy can sympathize with.

"I understand." Said Lucy before looking at the man with a determined look on her face. "But I know of a way to capture the enemy." Nodding at that, the man looked back at her.

"If you need, we'll assist you as best we can." Said the man, causing Lucy to smile.

"No need, I have a plan ready to go." Said Lucy, completely confident in her plan. "Besides, I'm Fairy Tail's most powerful celestial wizard. Just leave everything to me." While Happy raised an eyebrow at what she said, Lucy summoned her celestial spirit Virgo. While the males looked attracted to her spirit, Lucy ordered Virgo to make a hole in the entranceway of the village. Her reasoning was that, since there was only one entranceway to the village, the enemy will have to come through there. So, with Virgo, she'll create a big enough pitfall trap in front of the entranceway that no one can escape from. And with the enemy incapacitated, they'll lock them up and force them to spill their entire evil plans and how to lift the curse on the villagers. It was foolproof.

Later

"Lucy, I hate to admit it, but you got to be dumb if you think this will work." Said Happy as he looked at the pitfall that Virgo made for Lucy. A few villagers made noises of agreement at that with Virgo also agreeing. The Pitfall didn't even cover the entire entranceway. All one had to do was go to the sides and they'll be fine. Lucy, ignoring all the criticisms, assured everyone that It'll work and that nothing can prevent it from working. Before anyone can dissuade her from this plan and make a better one, a guard on the palisade told everyone that someone was coming this way. Excited upon hearing that, Lucy ordered the guard to open up the gates, which he did with some hesitation.

Smiling wide at the thought of her trap working, it soon shattered when she saw Arahan and Gray running towards them.

"Lucy!" Yelled Gray as he ran with Arahan. "We came to help out against Lyon's cronies!" Squealing out in horror at the thought of both Arahan and Gray falling for her trap, she yelled at them to stop, causing Gray to look at them in confusion. Before he could ask her what was going on, Arahan stopped him just inches from the entranceway.

"That's why." Said Arahan as she pointed at the pitfall in front of them. Looking at the pitfall, Gray raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" Asked Gray in surprise and disappointment. "What kind of idiot would fall for this trick?" Upon hearing that, Lucy looked dejected, and before Happy can say anything. They were interrupted by the sounds of Natsu coming right behind Arahan and Gray. Although she could have done so, Arahan opted to not reveal the pitfall trap and instead watched as Natsu fell for it, despite Lucy warning him about it.

"What the hell!?" Yelled Natsu as he looked up to see everyone looking at him. "Why the heck was that there?"

"Blame Lucy." Said Happy simply as he looked down at his friend. Natsu yelled at Lucy as a result, making her whine, saying it was a trap for the enemy. Before this would continue, Arahan put a stop to it and demanded to know if the enemy has arrived. Upon hearing that, Lucy looked at Arahan and shook her head, causing her to narrow her eyes.

"They must be preparing something for the villagers." Said Arahan as she looked around. "There's no other possible explanation for why they're not here yet." Lucy couldn't help but agree with that and so did Natsu and Gray.

"Yeah, they had a decent head start." Said Gray as he held his chin. "No way could we have gotten ahead of unless they got something special for the villagers."

"Well, whatever it is we'll take care of anything those guys send our way." Said Natsu with confidence. As Arahan tried to figure out what the enemy's plan is, someone yelled out to look up at the sky, causing everyone to do just that. Looking up, Arahan saw what was in the sky and was stunned.

Up in the sky was the giant rat from before. Using its tail, the rat was somehow able to fly. To top it all off, the massive rat was carrying a giant bucket and on top of it where the three of Lyon's lackeys that he sent to destroy the village. While Lucy complained at this, as it made her pitfall trap worthless, Arahan looked at the flying rat's buck with narrowed eyes. That bucket must be the reason that Lyon's subordinates were so late. That meant whatever was inside it was powerful. As she tried to figure out what it was, Lucy asked out loud what the rat carrying. She got her answer when the rat tilted the bucket enough that a single sizable green drop of jelly-like substance came out of the bucket and went straight for her. As Lucy was looking at the drop, Natsu suddenly tackled her out of the way. For good reason, to as the liquid instantly dissolved the ground that Lucy used to be before Natsu pushed her away.

"I knew that stuff was bad." Said Natsu as Lucy gasped out loud upon seeing what the jelly would do. The villagers, meanwhile, panicked as they realized what the rat had and just how much of that liquid it had.

"Damn cowards." Said Gray as he prepared to use his ice magic. "So long as they're in the air, most of us can't attack them. And by the time we get up there, they've already dropped their contents."

"Unless we force them down." Said Arahan before she brought out her summoning flute and called forth Gwindalor, hoping that the great eagle was close enough to hear her song. Just after she finished the song, the rat unleashed the entire contents of its bucket on the village. Looking at the jelly coming towards them, Arahan realized that there was nothing that she could do to prevent that jelly from approaching the village. While she would survive, no one else will. As she thought of ways to avenge everyone, Natsu yelled out.

"Gather everyone in the center of the village!" Yelled Natsu as he ran with Happy in tow. Before anyone can ask him why he just told everyone to trust him. Looking at Natsu's retreating form, Arahan ordered everyone to heed his advice. He may be an idiot, but even he had his moments. Stupid and foolish moments, but moments, nonetheless. As everyone was gathering in the center of the village as fast as they can, Arahan noticed Moka was kneeling before a grave, saying he won't leave Bobo behind. Rolling her eyes at this foolishness, she quickly went over to the old man and grabbed him, dragging him with her as he protested at her actions. As she regrouped with everyone else, she looked up to see Natsu being carried by Happy, his fists engulfed in flames. She then watched as he combined his two hands together before launching a ball of fire at the jelly. Upon making contact with the jelly, the fireball sent most, having boiled some of it upon making contact, of the substance flying away from the center of the village. Though the majority hit the village, destroying it, the inhabitants were spared from the acidic jelly.

After the smoke created from the jelly making contact with the ground dispersed, everyone looked around and saw the village in ruins. Moka, in particular, was horrified at the destruction. However, when he saw his son's grave was still standing, he was in awe. That awe soon turned to horror when the gravestone was kicked away by one of the wizards responsible for the village's destruction.

"The Cold Emperor wanted us to eliminate both the village and its inhabitants." Said Sherry as she, Toby, and Yuka made themselves known. "We wanted to be merciful and give you all a quick death, but now we have to resort to bloodshed." Natsu, having gotten back to the ground after saving everyone, growled at that while everyone else in Fairy Tail glared.

"Ready to take these bastards down?" Asked Natsu as he clenched his fists.

"Yeah." Said Lucy, gripping her whip.

"Same." Said Gray as he took off his shirt, much to Arahan's annoyance. Rather than answer, Arahan brought out her bow, quickly notched an arrow before firing it at the trio of mages in front of her. The arrow, however, was blocked by the giant rat, which used its paw to block the arrow.

"Hmph." Said Yuka with a smile. "Three wizards, fifty villagers, and one archer. Shouldn't take more than twenty or so minutes. Lower if we take out the archer quickly."

"Agreed." Said Sherry with a smile. "Angelica, dear. Let's begin." Making a noise of confirmation, the giant rat jumped up before using its tail to fly. It then charged directly towards the villagers, causing them to panic and try to disperse, but Arahan held them back for she saw something that made her smile. As Angelica was charging towards the Fairy Tail wizards and the villagers of Galuna Island in the blink of an eye something came zipping out of the sky and slashed at Angelica's tail, making her scream in pain before crashing into the ground.

"What!?" Yelled Sherry as she was forced off Angelica as the rat came began to tumble around the ground, stopping inches from the Fairy Tail wizards. Screaming out in horror at her rat, Sherry demanded to know what happened. Instead of answering, Arahan aimed an arrow and shot it at Sherry's leg, making her scream out as the arrow embedded itself in her leg, causing her to fall to the ground as well. Yuka and Toby shocked at this, we're unable to do anything as a massive figure came down and pinned them both to the ground.

"What the?" Asked Lucy as she saw all this, shocked at how quickly they all fell.

"Huh?" Asked Gray as well as he wondered what just happened. Natsu, meanwhile, saw what was trapping and couldn't help but widen his eyes. For what was trapping both Yuka and Toby was a giant eagle. Possessing head armor, the giant eagle had brown feathers and was the largest bird that Natsu had ever seen. And it was looking at Arahan with eyes that showed familiarity and friendliness. Looking back at Arahan, Natsu saw that she was smiling.

"Excellent job, Gwindalor." Said Arahan as she made her way over to the giant eagle. In the process, she passed Sherry and knocked her out unconscious with a simple chop to the head. Walking over to Gwindalor, Arahan caressed his neck while the villagers and her fellow Fairy Tail members looked at her in shock. The latter even more so when she was caressing the Eagle affectionally. There were plenty of giant animals in the world, but a giant eagle was not amongst them. To see one was a surprise to all.

"What the heck!?" Yelled Lucy as she pointed towards all this, the eagle and Arahan being nice to it "You know that giant Eagle!?" Arahan looked back at Lucy, annoyed with her outburst. Natsu, meanwhile, went over to the great eagle and looked it in the eyes, where he saw the wisdom within them. He also saw the connection that the giant eagle had with Arahan and also Naestra if he had to guess. It was similar to the one he had with Happy. A bond forged long ago and unbreakable, no matter what was thrown at it. That meant she knew this eagle for years and never told them about it. Gray, meanwhile, was glaring down at the rat and began encasing it in ice so it won't cause any problems for everyone. The villagers, meanwhile, were looking at the eagle in awe as it looked at Natsu, whispering amongst themselves about the giant eagle and how it came to help them. Eventually, it was all ended when Mako suddenly exploded.

"Argh!" Yelled Moka as he went over to the trapped Yuka and Toby and began beating them up with his walking stick. "You bastards destroyed our home and desecrated our dead! You all are dead, you hear me!" As he kept on beating them both upon the head for everything, Arahan looked at the villagers making their way to Gwindalor, in awe of its size.

"Look at the size of it!"

"How could something like that fly?"

"Can I ride it?"

As these and many more came from the villagers, Lucy looked at Arahan, now fully composed, and asked her about the eagle. Sighing in irritations, Arahan spoke up.

"Everyone, this is Gwindalor." Said Arahan, causing the eagle to straighten up and show its wings to everyone, making people look at it in awe even more so. "He's been with both my sister and me since the beginning. He's been a faithful friend ever since."

"Hot damn, just like Sherry and Angelica." Said Toby as he heard the story. Upon hearing that Toby was conscious, Gwindalor raised the talon holding Toby and slammed it down, knocking him out.

"You serious? Then how come you and your sister never used him before? Much less tell us about it?" Asked Gray after finishing imprisoning the giant rat in ice, not liking the fact this eagle was kept hidden from everyone else in Fairy Tail.

"Because Gwindalor is the last of his kind." Said Arahan, making a lie. "As far as my sister and I know, at least. We didn't want to put him in danger of being hunted down by poachers or dark guilds that wish to sell him off to some lowlife criminals or thugs." Gray, understanding that logic, nodded in understanding before looking at the giant eagle. He could picture people wanting to get this giant eagle for themselves. Both illegally and legally.

"Who cares about that now!?" Yelled Natsu in excitement, completely forgetting that Arahan and Naestra kept Gwindalor from all of them. "We got ourselves a ride off this island. And it won't make me puke!" He then hugged one of Gwindalor's legs, making the eagle look at him before focusing on the remaining conscious member of Lyon's lackeys, finding the hug harmless. Before Arahan can tell Natsu that Gwindalor is picky when it comes to those that can ride him, Lucy asked an important question.

"Where's your sister, Arahan?" Asked Lucy. "Where's Naestra?" Upon hearing that, Arahan looked at Lucy and told her the plan.

"Naestra wanted to convince the fool behind all this into stopping all of this." Said Arahan, disapproval evident in her voice. "She believes that she can convince him to stop all this." Upon hearing that, Lucy gasped out in shock.

"You serious?" Asked Lucy. Naestra really thought she can do that all by herself. She knew that Naestra wanted to avoid bloodshed whenever possible and that she can take care of herself, but this was risky. Even for her. That Cold Emperor guy managed to freeze Natsu with ease and would have frozen them all if they didn't get away in time.

"Whoa. You mean she's really trying to try to talk her way out of a confrontation?" Asked Happy, having overheard the conversation while Natsu was hugging Gwindalor.

"Yeah." Said Gray, answering Happy's question while glaring down at Yuka, daring him to try anything. "Lyon's a stubborn bastard, but Naestra knows how to talk and make people see things her way. If anyone has a chance to make that guy see reason, it's her."

"I guess.' Said Lucy, looking at Gray. "But still, I'm worried about her." Gray nodded in agreement at that. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a little worried for Naestra. Lyon clearly has gotten stronger since last they met so he was worried that he got strong enough to actually beat Naestra. He never see her or Arahan lost, admittedly, but he was worried that this would be the first and only loss they suffer. If Lyon was cold enough to wipe out a whole village for Fairy Tail's interference, he could only guess what he'll do to someone that was actually responsible for said interference.

"Maybe we should help her out?" Asked Happy. That was something Gray agreed to, but there was one problem.

"Some of us have to keep an eye on these people." Said Gray as he glared down at Yuka while Gwindalor held him tightly, preventing him from using his magic. Not that it would help him at all against the giant eagle.

"Gray, you volunteer!" Yelled Natsu. He overheard the entire conversation and instantly knew that someone had to stay behind and he didn't want to be the one to do that. He wanted to get payback for the bastard that encased him in ice. Gray nodded at that absentmindedly until he realized what he did.

"Wait! To hell with that." Said Gray as he glared at Natsu instead. Before they could fight, Moka suddenly exploded.

"I don't care who gets left behind!" Yelled Moka, surprising both Gray and Natsu. "Just lift the curse on our island!" Before Arahan could talk, she heard the sounds of something coming and looked to see a dot appearing in the sky. Inspecting it, she smiled as the dot became a figure. A figure that she knew all too well. It was Erza in a set of armor that enabled her to fly.

"Erza is here." Said Arahan simply, causing Lucy and Natsu to instantly go pale in horror, realizing how much trouble they're in now.

Meanwhile

Lyon

As Lyon was looking upon the frozen Deliora, a man wearing a unique garb of green robes and a red and yellow mask came towards him.

"Do you believe that you have the power to defeat Deliora when he's fully awakened?" Said the man as he also looked at Deliora. "Especially now that Fairy Tail is involved."

"I can handle whatever wizards that Fairy Tail sends against us, Zalty." Said Lyon with confidence.

"Perhaps with regular mages, but the twins, Naestra and Arahan, are here as well." Said Zalty. "Those two, despite bearing no magic whatsoever, have proven to be skilled combatants. To the point that they may as well be considered the equal to S-class mages."

"I can handle them." Said Lyon with annoyance. Zalty has always done this since he recently joined them. Questioning his capabilities and just plain annoying him. Still, he was useful and so Lyon tolerated him.

"As you say, Lyon." Said Zalty before departing. As he left, however, Zalty was frowning. Not at Lyon, but rather at this turn of events. With Naestra and Arahan here, things were looking grim for Zalty and his true goals. His partner wasn't going to like what would happen if Deliora is not free and under their control. With Zalty gone, Lyon looked back at Deliora with an impassive look.

"Finally, after all these years, I'll finally be able to surpass my master." Said Lyon as he looked at Deliora. "Once I defeat Deliora, I'll finally be able to prove that I've surpassed my master."

"So that is what this is all about. I must say I'm both disappointed and relieved that all this is over something so petty." Said a voice, making Lyon widen his eyes in shock before turning around, finding no one was around. Gathering magic power, he demanded that whoever spoke reveal themselves. With that, they did, revealing them to be Naestra. Upon seeing her, Lyon narrowed his eyes and spoke.

"What are you doing here?" Demanded Lyon as he looked at Naestra, ready to fight if she so much as moved. Instead of answering, Naestra slowly brought out her bow and lowered it to the ground, followed by her spear. Then, to his surprise, she moved away from both weapons. Stunned beyond words, Lyon then listened to what Naestra had to say.

"I'm here to stop you." Said Naestra as she held her hands up. "However, I wish to do so peacefully, rather than violence." Narrowing his eyes at that, Lyon had heard about this from the Twilight Sisters. Through backhand information and conversations with Sherry, who usually gossiped with other girls while they were out in cities gathering supplies for themselves and for the ritual to revive Deliora, he managed to get some information surrounding the twins known as Arahan and Naestra of Fairy Tail.

Supposedly, they're twins of opposite personalities. The black-haired one was merciful and always wished to seek a non-violent way to solve matters while the white-haired one was aggressive and preferred the less diplomatic of approaches when it comes to problems. Quite an odd combination, but their success rates were something that no one dared to question. Aside from that, he also heard that the two are rarely ever separate from each other, only doing so in certain circumstances. As a result, Lyon was on the lookout for the White-haired one and any other Fairy Tail mages. Seeing this, Naestra spoke out.

"There's no one else here but those loyal to you." Said Naestra. "My sister and the other members of our guild are off to defend the villagers of this island from your followers. I stayed behind to try to convince you to stop your plans." Upon hearing that, Lyon couldn't help but scoff. While it was something that he should expect from the black-haired Naestra, he still found it laughable that she would try to dissuade him from attempting to do something that he had been devoting his whole life to after his master died.

"And why would you do such a thing?" Asked Lyon, humoring the woman. What he got from her surprised him.

"Because I saw the conflict within you." Said Naestra. "When I asked you if you were aware of what your ritual is doing to the villagers of this island, I sensed the conflict within you. It may not seem like it to others and perhaps even yourself, but I know that there is conflict and regret within you about all this. It's not too late to stop all this. Though people have died because of this, you can still make amends. Just stop this ritual now and leave Deliora alone. It's what your old master would have wanted." Lyon gave a glare at that and readied himself for a fight.

"You know nothing of what my master wanted!" Yelled Lyon as he gathered up magic power. Naestra, meanwhile, readied herself, but otherwise remained unarmed. "Nor would I care about what she would have wanted. Deliora was the only thing that she failed to surpass and it's my only way to surpass my master. Is it not the purpose of the student to eventually surpass their master's? To become more powerful than the teacher ever could? This is my only chance to surpass Ur. To succeed where she failed. Do you not understand that?"

"I do." Said Naestra. "But that path is as important as the goal. And the path you choose in order to surpass your old master is a dangerous one. One that is far too dangerous for everyone involved, even those that you care not for. Have you not considered what would happen if you fail to defeat Deliora? The carnage that demon will do if it runs amok in this island? Or worse, if it somehow finds it way to Fiore or any other kingdom in Earthland. Do you want that on your conscious? That you are responsible for hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of deaths just because you wish to surpass your old master? Something that you can do through other means? Lyon, this is madness. Please, I beg of you, stop this madness before Deliora is free. Otherwise, I fear many will die because of what you wish to unleash upon the world just so you can surpass your master." Lyon wanted to argue, but the pleading look in Naestra's eyes made him pause.

Was she right? Was he just being a fool and endangering thousands of others just so he can prove to himself that he surpassed his old master? No, he wasn't. He trained hard for this. He trained as hard as he could in order to defeat Deliora. Ever since he left Gray, he trained every day and night in order to be ready to defeat Deliora. Ten years he did this while also gathering people who have been wronged by Deliora as well as gathering knowledge on how to beat it. He came too far to give up now. Then there was the number of people that he roped into this dream of his, all of whom lost their friends, family, and homes to Deliora. He cannot let them down as well, just like he did Ur that day. To him, a handful of villagers was an acceptable trade if he had the opportunity to surpass his master and defeat Deliora. At least that was his thoughts initially.

Now, with the words from Naestra, Lyon was doubting himself. What if she was right? What if, for all he did to try to defeat Deliora, it was all for naught and he ended up disgracing his master by unleashing a demonic horror that she sacrificed herself to stop? Was he just being an idiot right now by risking too much for the opportunity to prove he surpassed Ur? If he truly couldn't defeat Deliora and it somehow managed to escape the island, then he wouldn't be remembered as the one that surpassed his master, he would be remembered as the madmen and fool that unleashed a powerful demon from its icy prison.

Upon seeing the conflict within Lyon, Naestra pressed her advantage. It was clear that she was making progress. She just needed to push a little further and this can all be over soon.

"Lyon, I understand the wish to surpass your master, but there are other ways that can allow you to do so without defeating an opponent your master failed to defeat and live at the same time." Said Naestra as she moved closer to Lyon. "Becoming one of the Ten Wizard Saints is such away. I've looked through the history of those that managed to become recognized as one of the Ten Wizard Saints and your master was not amongst them. If not that, then perhaps you could join a lesser guild and help it become more recognized. Make it become greater than it already is, like what your master did with you and Gray, only on a larger scale. There are many ways to achieve recognition, Lyon. And though many of them seem less glorious and personal than defeating the very being that your master sacrificed herself to stop, they're far more likely for you to gain recognition and acknowledgment, albeit at a longer pace. And it's also a path your master would have wanted. Based on what Gray told me about her, she would have not wanted you to go on this path. Not if it endangered countless people." Naestra then placed a hand on Lyon's shoulder, trying to comfort him on this decision.

"Do you want to disgrace your master's sacrifice even further by endangering innocent people? Innocent people, that have nothing to do with Deliora or your master at all?" Asked Naestra as Lyon looked even more conflicted than before. As the two looked at each other in silence, Naestra suddenly felt something coming towards them and thus pushed out Lyon out of the way before dodging herself. She was then forced to dodge again when she noticed the thing, she sensed veered towards her. Expertly dodging it, she grabbed a hidden dagger and threw it, catching the object and halting it completely. Once it stopped, she saw the object was an orb of glass. Seeing the orb, she heard a step and crackle. She then quickly moved out of the way as the orb suddenly moved again towards her. If she was a lesser person, she have died right there as the orb barely missed her skull. Running towards her bow, Naestra had to jump as the orb came at her again. This time, Naestra heard some frustrated grunts and that was enough for her to pinpoint her assailant. At least she hoped it was her assailant. Grabbing another hidden dagger, she tossed it towards the voice. To her great fortune, it found her target, and the dagger embedded itself on the shoulder of whoever attacked her.

Giving a yell, Zalty clenched the dagger in his shoulder before pulling it out.

"She's a lot faster and more responsive than I thought." Thought Zalty as Naestra grabbed her bow and fired a shot at the now revealed Zalty. Dodging the first arrow, Zalty was then hit with three more arrows in such rapid succession that should not be possible for anyone, even for a mage. All three arrows hit either his right or left arms, making him yell out. Looking at his wounds incredulously, Zalty gasped out loud when he saw Naestra was right in front of him with a dagger near his throat.

"Do not try anything foolish." Warned Naestra before looking at Lyon, who saw all this with widened eyes. "If my words are not sufficient enough for you, then perhaps my actions will as well as the consequences of fighting me. Even if you defeat me, I'll exhaust you enough that you will be forced to fight Deliora without your full strength. A death wish, I believe, even if that demon is drained from being within that ice for so long. And that is not even considering me wounding any of your limbs with my arrows. Tell me, are you willing to fight Deliora with wounded limbs as well as without sufficient strength? It may sound appealing to some, but I assure you, it's not a risk that I advise you to take." Lyon just looked at Naestra while she had Zalty by the throat. While her display in battle was impressive and convincing to him to give up, he was left bewildered by one thing.

"Why did you save me?" Asked Lyon, remembering how Naestra pushed him out of the way of Zalty's attack. They were enemies at the moment yet she saved him. Why would she do so? If their roles were reversed, he wouldn't have done such a thing for her.

"Because I know that there is still hope for you." Said Naestra as she looked at Lyon. "I've seen and meet irredeemable people in my life, Lyon, ones that cannot be negotiated with, no matter how hard you try to negotiate with them. And yet I try still as that's part of my nature. To see the good in everyone I meet and try to help them become better people. But Lyon, you are not amongst those people. I see that it is still good within you. Good that will be damaged, if not outright extinguished, if you go along with this plan of yours. Whether it be from the Fiore authorities arresting you for your activities involving Deliora or be slaying you right here. For, even though I believe you can be redeemed, I will slay you if you force my hand. It's your choice, Lyon. I advise you to make the right choice." Lyon looked at Naestra then back at Deliora. For a time, Lyon look extremely conflicted on what to do. Zalty, meanwhile, was about to cast a spell when Naestra pressed her dagger harder onto Zalty's throat, drawing a bit of blood as a result. Naestra then saw Lyon clenching his fists and shaking his entire body as he tried to figure out what to do. Soon, he began gathering up magic power in his palms and, for a brief moment, Naestra thought she failed when Lyon suddenly went to his knees and began sobbing.

"I surrender." Said Lyon in both sadness and frustration. Her words and actions had gotten to him. Naestra smiled at that, pleased to see that Lyon listened to reason, before looking over to Zalty and knocking them out with a hard hit to the head. She then walked over to Lyon and helped him up.

"Let's get you out of here. Away from that monstrosity." Said Naestra as she looked at Deliora for a moment before leaving with Lyon and the unconscious Zalty in her arms. A difficult task for the elf if it wasn't for Gray and Natsu arriving soon after to help her escort the two back to the village.

Later

Ruined Village

Naestra sighed as she drank a cup of water provided to her by a villager. It had been some time since she returned to the ruined village. She was appalled at the destruction caused by Lyons' followers but was relieved to find that none of the villagers were seriously harmed from the battle. She was a bit surprised to see Erza there but was also relieved. When she made it back, she saw the red-haired teen scolding all of Lyon's followers, both the robed men and women, as well as the three, sent to attack the village. After this, and after Lyon was placed under Gray's supervision, which Gray actually didn't mind this time, Erza explained the whole story to Naestra.

Lyon followers, all of them with the exception of Zalty, were all people that had their lives, in one way or another, changed drastically due to Deliora. They lost family, friends, and their homes from that demon of Zeref. They all wanted revenge and justice for all that monster did to them. And so they followed Lyon, who they believed had the chance to defeat Deliora where they couldn't. It was a sympathetic story that Naestra can empathize with. Still, they nearly unleashed a powerful demon on the world again for their own selfish desires for revenge and justice, mostly revenge. Thus, punishments had to be given out. Erza agreed so long as the punishments were light as she believed it would not bode well for all of them if they gave them all a sentence for life on account of all this. Something Naestra agreed to. They'll have to discuss this with the Magic Council and whatever enforcers they send to this island along with humanitarian aid that the villagers needed after what happened to their homes.

As a result, Arahan left on Gwindalor to deliver the message to Makarov, who was better at negotiating than Arahan ever was, while everyone else stayed to both guard over Lyon and his followers and help the villagers with their curse, which was the whole reason they were here in the first place. Finishing her water, Naestra looked over to Lucy, who was drinking her own cup of water.

"I trust that seeing Gwindalor was a sight to see." Said Naestra with a small smile. As soon as they were alone, Arahan told her that Gwindalor revealed himself so that the fight would end sooner, something she saw clearly when she saw Gwindalor was in the village ruins, being adored by the demonic-looking villagers. Though she was a little disappointed that Gwindalor was now revealed to the rest of the world now, she highly doubted everyone will keep their mouths shut when it comes to keeping Gwindalor a secret. Gwindalor may just be a giant eagle on the outside if she wanted to be blunt, but he was also part of an unknown species to Earthland and that would immediately draw all sorts of unwanted attention. She'll have to talk to Makarov about some sort of protection for Gwindalor as well as a hiding where he lived. Not only for his own protection as well as her family but also because he lived close to Ceithin-Har. And if people learned that there was a still-living dragon in Earthland.

"He was amazing." Said Lucy with a big smile. "He's so majestic looking and awesome. The way he took down that rat and takedown Lyon's underlings. It was so amazing! And he's so polite and gentle too. Like, he just let Natsu caress his leg until he stopped." Naestra laughed at that.

"Gwindalor is a fine companion. One I've known for a long time." Said Naestra. "If he's allowed Natsu to do that, then it means he considers Natsu a trusted ally and someone he believes can be trusted with the protection of my family." Lucy opened her mouth in awe at that.

"Wow. It's just like my celestial spirits." Said Lucy. "Just without a contract. It must be amazing to have such a majestic creature as an ally and friend, right?" Naestra smiled again at that.

"Indeed." Said Naestra. "Truth be told, I was sick and tired of having to keep him a secret. I miss the days when I could ride atop of him and fight my battles that way. It truly is something to fight in the air, Lucy. You have to experience it firsthand." Lucy nodded at that, imagining the thrills that could be found in riding a giant eagle to battle. She can picture it now.

"Yeah." Said Lucy with a smile. "I can only imagine. Do you think Gwindalor will allow us to ride him?" Naestra hummed in contemplation at that. Truth be told, before Diederick, only Naestra and Arahan were allowed to ride both Ceithin-Har and Gwindalor into battle. It wasn't a manner of personality, though it certainly was for Ceithin-Har, but because it was a matter of trust. To gain a Great Eagle, Warhawk, or even a Forest dragon as a mount, an Asrai had to form a lasting bond with the creature. And not just any bond, but a bond that can only be broken with the death of either party. Such bonds can mostly be formed by the Asrai nurturing the creature from birth, but for her, Arahan, and a few other Asrai, managed to form such a bond through much trial and error. Although she and her sister are an exception as they instantly formed a tight bond with both Ceithin-Har and Gwindalor the moment they meet with one another.

"Only if he deems you worthy enough." Said Naestra honestly. "Gwindalor is rather picky when it comes to those, he deems worthy of riding him. "It's similar to your celestial spirits, Lucy. Only those they or you deemed completely trustworthy are allowed to make use of them in battle, yes?" Lucy nodded at that in understanding.

"I understand." Said Lucy, a bit disappointed, but understanding. After all, she wouldn't want a complete stranger to use her spirits willy nilly. Still, the thought of riding that giant eagle was so awesome that she would do whatever it took to get Gwindalor to let her ride him. Just the thought of her being in the clouds on top of a giant eagle was giving her goosebumps. Seeing that Lucy was thinking about Gwindalor made Naestra smile. She was a worthy member of Fairy Tail she is. Yes, she is. Speaking of members of Fairy Tail, she wondered what punishments Makarov will think of for Natsu for his illegal mission. Hopefully nothing too serious. She was torned away from her thoughts when Erza came into the hastily made hut for both her and Lucy.

"Naestra, I've managed to uncover the reason for the curse on the villagers." Said Erza. That caused Naestra to look at Erza in surprise.

"You did?" Asked Naestra in surprise. "What is it?" Truth be told, Naestra was in deep contemplation after Lyon told her that he and his people had nothing to do with the curse on the villagers. He also told her that he doubted that his ritual had anything to do with the curse as well for if it truly was responsible for the curse, why were his people not affected. Erza and Naestra sensed that he was telling the truth so Erza did some investigations of her own in order to figure out what was going on. If it weren't for Naestra and Arahan convincing her that it was an appropriate punishment for Natsu to not receive any reward money for his efforts her as well as promising her additional punishments when they get back, Erza would have dragged everyone back to the guild to receive punishment for the unauthorized quest.

"Yes." Said Erza. "While Lyon is correct that the ritual itself is not the cause for the villagers, it's not entirely true. The Moon Drip spell, you see, has a side effect for demons. It affects their memories to the point that they can't remember things clearly, to the point of having false recollections of events." While Lucy was confused at that explanation, wondering what it had to do with the villagers, Naestra understood it.

"You're saying the villagers are actually demons instead of humans?" Asked Naestra, causing Lucy to widen her eyes and mouth in shock. Erza nodded with a smile.

"You mean, they're all demons?" Asked Lucy in shock. Erza nodded again, causing Lucy to faint. Looking at the unconscious Lucy, both Naestra and Erza spoke.

"And you can fix it, yes?" Asked Naestra.

"Indeed.' Said Erza. "The purple moon is a result of the Moon Drip spell. Residue from the spell formed a crystalized layer above the island. That's what caused the curse. Shouldn't be too difficult to destroy. I just need some help from Natsu to break it all down."

"Good." Said Naestra. "In the meantime, I'll try to explain to the chief of the truth. Hopefully, he won't be too mad at what I say." Erza chuckled at that.

"From what I've seen of him, it'll be quite a spectacle to see." Said Erza, remembering how he went bonkers on Gray after he accidentally kicked his son's grave. "As for the reward, how about we let the villagers keep the money. I think it's rude for us to take money from them after everything that's happened to them."

"Agreed." Said Naestra as she looked at her quiver, noticing it's relatively full, to which she was thankful for. "Still, I recall there being a celestial key as part of the reward. Lucy would want that. Perhaps we should give it to her so she'll get stronger?"

"Agreed." Said Erza. "No harm in that, I suppose. Though I think Natsu will be pouty over it as he should be. It's part of the punishments he'll receive when he gets back to the guildhall."

"And his punishments will only get worse from there." Said Naestra causing Erza to nod.

"In fact, I have a rather great one in mind." Said Erza with a smirk. "One that's both harmless and entertaining for all of us." That caused Naestra to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh?" Asked Naestra, curious about what it was. "Mind telling me what it is?" Erza just smirked before telling him her plan.

Tomorrow morning

"Why?" Groaned out Natsu as he was being held in the talons of Gwindalor as the Great Eagle went all around the island at rapid speeds, taking as many turns and dives as he possibly could, making his travels as bumpy and rickety as possible.

"Poor Natsu." Said Lucy as she scratched her head at all this. While she was in awe at Gwindalor's speed, she couldn't believe he could go that fast, she couldn't help but feel pity for Natsu. It must be hell for him. Gray, meanwhile, was laughing out loud at all this, enjoying this too much for his own good. Arahan, while amused, shook her head before she looked at Moka, who was smiling like a big buffoon.

"Thank you again for releasing the curse on us." Said Moka as his son Bobo smiled at Arahan and Naestra. "I've sorry if our appearances are of our human form, but it's for the best since we like to keep hidden the fact we're demons. Humans aren't exactly hospitable when it comes to our kind."

"I can't imagine why." Muttered Arahan as she recalled her daemons. Naestra ignored that while she talked with the Moka.

It was quite a lot to take in. After Erza and Natsu destroyed the layer of Moon Drip that covered the entire island, the villagers began to remember clearly who they really are as well as what actually happened. Good thing too as Moka was about to beat Naestra in the head with his walking stick after she told him the truth as he believed at the time the villagers were all humans and not demons. It was then that Bobo, who hadn't actually died reappeared. He was forced into exile after his father stabbed him, thinking he was going mad when in reality his mind was clear of the Moon Drip residue and was trying to convince everyone that they're really demons and not humans, but with the curse gone, he was able to return again safely. After a tearful reunion, the villagers wanted to throw a party, but Naestra managed to convince them not to as they have plenty of captives and she didn't want any of them to escape, even though all of them were behaving well. She also convinced them to not give them anything but the celestial key, much to the dismay of everyone but herself, Arahan, and Erza.

The next morning, an advance boat from the Magic Council arrived with humanitarian aid along with a detachment of Rune Knights. Normally it would take days for them to arrive, but after Makarov told the council about Deliora's location, they immediately dispatched a ship as soon as possible, fearing the power of the demon. The boat of humans from the Magic Council was the reason that the villagers were using their magic to make themselves look human. They didn't want to cause any unnecessary problems. After all, humankind and demons were not exactly in good terms right now. After the whole debacle with Zeref and his demons.

"I hope that your village will prosper after your curse is gone." Said Naestra with a smile. "And if you ever need help again, you're welcome to send out another request to Fairy Tail." Moka smiled at that.

"Of course, young lady." Said Moka. "Have a safe trip. Though I wonder if I should say that to your friend that's in the air with that bird. I can't imagine that being pleasant for him."

"That's the point." Said Arahan before taking off, wanting to go back home to their son and not be anywhere near these demons. It took all her willpower to not shoot them all on sight because of her history with Chaos daemons. Apologizing for her sister's rudeness, Naestra quickly followed her sister as they walked on board the Magic Council boat that arrived, where Lucy and Gray were currently on right now, watching Natsu's misery.

Meanwhile

Hold

"I'm disappointed Ultear." Said Siegrain as a thought projection of himself appeared near Zalty's cell. The first thing that the Magic Council did upon arriving on the island was arrest all those involved in the attempted resurrection of Deliora. Although supposed to be guarded, Siegrain dismissed all the guards and put up a sound barrier so that no one can overhear him and Zalty. "Not only did you get defeated by a non-magical person, but also you failed in resurrecting Deliora. This significantly hinders our plans." Zalty growled at that before looking at Siegrain. The plans that Siegrain was referring to was something that both of them wanted, but for different reasons. And Deliora would have helped in achieving that goal, hence the reason Zalty was sent. To resurrect Deliora and put him under his thrall. But, thanks to Fairy Tail, that failed in a significant way. Though Deliora was still encased in ice, they could not attempt to resurrect it without drawing attention and that was something Siegrain didn't want.

"In case you've forgotten that non-magical person was Naestra, and you know how skilled she is along with her sister." Said Zalty but in a feminine voice. "Though I will take responsibility for my failures this day." Siegrain grunted at that before speaking again.

"I'll make sure you're released soon." Said Siegrain. "After all, a lady such yourself wouldn't like to be in a prison cell." With that Siegrain ended the thought projection and barrier, leaving Zalty alone. Once he was, Zalty thought about his true master, one that Siegrain knew nothing of.

"Master Hades will not like to hear of this." Thought Zalty as he thought of his true master and how he will react to all this.