Natsu matched the demon's attack with his own as fire engulfed the cave. To everyone's surprise, cracks formed all along the demon, and within a few minutes, Deliora was dead. Everyone was shocked and confused by what had happened. Yet the only one who seemed relieved was Morana.
"Deliora was already dead," Gray questioned. Lyon lay on the ground angrily at his plans being thwarted once more. There was a rushing sound as the water that was once ice seeped out into the ocean.
With Deliora dead, Morana's health returned to her. Stumbling while she got to her feet, she staggered over to Lyon. She dropped to her knees as he wrestled with his emotions.
"For ten years, Ur has been sapping away Deliora's life," Lyon whispered.
"That's what Ice Shell does, Lyon, but it's ok now," Morana spoke softly as she molded a piece of the ice she managed to salvage—molding the forever ice into that of a rose necklace to show Ur's style.
"But how? Why?" Lyon was confused as Morana slipped the ice necklace over his head. He couldn't move very well as he touched the piece.
"Because I know how it feels to feel lost; you may not understand anything, but you will." Morana got to her feet and shuffled into the water to stand by Gray's side.
"Man! Your teacher was awesome." Natsu turned and smiled at the two. Gray held his head as tears flooded his cheeks. Grasping his shoulder, Morana gave a smile.
"She's not completely lost. I know it's not much, but here, give me your necklace." Morana molded the ice she had left to cover Gray's sword cross necklace. The ice molded and mixed with the metal as Gray looked down at it in shock.
"Thank you," Gray whispered as he gripped the jewelry tightly.
"You're my friend; I don't want to lose you. I finally have a place to call home, and I know I still have a long way to go to be free of my chains, but I will stop at nothing to protect what I care for. So please, don't sacrifice your life like that again." Morana leaned against Gray, who supported her.
"I'm sorry. I promise I won't, but you have to promise the same thing." Gray wiped away his tears, yet they still kept flowing.
"I'll try my best." Morana smiled brightly as Natsu joined in.
"Natsu! Morana! Gray!" Lucy joined the mages as Happy came flying toward Natsu. Erza wasn't too far behind.
"Heck yeah! We finished the job!" Natsu started jumping and cheering.
"You're an idiot; no, we haven't." Morana recollected herself as she leaned against a rock for balance. Everyone looked at her, confused.
"Morana is right. Your mission was to turn the villagers back to normal. Defeating Deliora won't change that." Erza added as she crossed her arms.
Lucy gasped as she recalled her conversation with Morana the night they arrived on the island. "Wait! Morana! You mentioned earlier that these people were already demons, right?"
"That's correct. Now that the hidden plot has been stopped, I can only assume that the demons were affected by the intense magic energy concentrated on melting Deliora. That can cause mental and psychological changes to a brain." Morana explained.
"Wait! You were right all along?!" Gray and Natsu shouted as they stared at Morana in shock.
Morana rolled her eyes at the two, "Yes, you idiots, but neither of you listened to me from the start. There's a reason why this is called an S-Class mission."
"Yes, with that being said, only Morana can clear this mission." Erza pointed out. Morana turned to the armored wizard, confused.
"How will we help them if it's a mental change?" Gray asked. Lucy was hard in thought but came up with nothing.
"I still don't get it." Natsu looked around, confused.
"I have my questions I would like to ask. I think it would be best to return to the village." Morana sighed as she pushed herself off of the rock. Erza had placed her hand on her shoulder to help steady the ice dragon.
"You have done enough. You should take it easy."
"And when have I ever listened to you?" Morana chuckled, it made Erza smile.
"Yes, you have a point." Erza turned to the others. "Let us go now."
When they arrived at the storage area, they found it empty. Luckily, one of the villagers guided them back to the village. Morana was using Gray to lean against the entire trip as they were shocked to return to the village. The entire village was repaired completely. Natsu was furious and confused as he knocked on one of the homes.
"What?! How the heck did this happen?!" The fire dragon demanded to know. "It's like everything was brought back in time!"
"Maybe you shouldn't be touching anything." Lucy smarted off.
"What the hell are you trying to say!" The fire dragon turned to the blonde with fire flaming around him.
"You can't touch anything without destroying it, flames for brains," Morana grumbled as she huffed.
"You want to go, you sleaze brain!" Natsu got in Morana's face, and she retaliated the same.
"What does it look like, fire-eating lizard?" Morana growled as fire and ice seemed to collide.
"That's enough, you two. We still need to finish this mission." Erza pulled them apart. The two dragon slayers glared at each other before looking away.
"Thank you, wizards, for returning our village to normal!" The Chief had found his way to the Fairy Tail mages. "We are greatly appreciative, but I must ask. When are you going to destroy the moon?!"
"That task can be done." Erza walked over to the Chief. "However, before I do this, can you gather everyone for a meeting? I have a few questions."
"She can't be serious?" Lucy and Gray were shocked that Erza was willing to destroy the moon.
"She is, and it's much simpler than you think." Morana shoved her hands in the pockets of her pants. The two mages turned to her, confused.
"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.
"Just watch," Morana mumbled as everyone gathered together in the center of the village. There, Erza began asking questions that no one could answer. It was clear that the ice dragon had an answer to them, yet she remained silent.
"Seems like Morana knows the answer." Happy snickered as Morana glared at the blue cat.
"Shut up, fleabag. I'll turn you into a cat-scile." Morana threatened.
Happy jumped back, "Scary!"
Lucy and Gray chuckled at the two. "It doesn't surprise me that Morana has already figured this out, though I have to ask, why didn't you say anything sooner?" Gray questioned. Erza had gathered what she needed to know and turned to the others.
"That is a good question; if you already knew what was happening, why didn't you do something about it?" Erza questioned.
"Cause, one, no one would listen to me, and two, I found out about Deliora and deemed that my top priority," Morana explained bluntly.
"Sorry." Lucy, Gray, Happy, and Natsu apologized simultaneously.
"Eh, don't worry about it." Morana shrugged her shoulders as she looked up at the purple moon.
"Very well, Natsu. I am going to need your assistance." Ezra turned to the fire dragon, who looked at her with stars in his eyes.
"Wait! Are you really going to destroy the moon?" The Chief asked. Cheers erupted among the villagers as Morana headed out.
"Is this really happening?" Gray questioned. Lucy had glanced back at Morana, worried but reassured, when she watched the ice dragon sit down against a house and fall asleep.
"You know that's a creepy smile you got there, Lucy." Happy snickered.
"Watch it, cat!" Lucy threatened.
The two's attention was returned to Erza, who had requiped into her Giant armor. It was a nice piece of metal. Natsu eagerly followed the woman.
"This is my Giant armor. It increases my strength, allowing me to throw farther and this." She summoned a spear, "This is De-Malevo-Lance. I will throw this at the moon. That is where you come in Natsu. When I throw this spear, I need you to use your flames to hit it in the back to give it extra power."
"Oh, heck yeah!" Natsu was fired up as they readied to destroy the moon. The two headed up to the top of a tower and got ready. With perfect timing, Erza threw the spear as Natsu gave more firepower. The added boost was what it needed as it skyrocketed through the sky and hit something. Cracks were seen as pieces started falling from the sky in specks. The moon was clear and intact.
"That purple...WAS A DOME?!" Lucy shouted as she realized the actual cause of the so-called curse.
"That is correct, Lucy. Over the three years, the magic had accumulated in the form of a gas, but that gas had crystallized. The side effects of the moon drip were related to the memory loss of the demons." Erza and Natsu had returned to the rest of the villagers as everything was finally made right.
"That's crazy! But that doesn't explain why they couldn't get to the temple." Gray pondered.
"That's because they're demons, and the moon temple is considered holy ground. The two don't mix." Morana grumbled as she explained. She still looked fast asleep but was clearly not.
"It would make sense why Morana would know this, but man, that's a lot," Lucy mumbles as she turns to see Natsu. She is a bit confused but happy nonetheless.
"Can we go home now?" Morana asked as she appeared next to Lucy out of nowhere. The blond had jumped in fright, not expecting to see the ice dragon right next to her.
"But we must have a feast in your honor!" One of the demons shouted.
"I'll pass." Morana wanted to go home and sleep for a few days. Now that the demons had their memory back, she didn't want to be around them for much longer.
"That's no way to treat your clients, Morana. I'm here, so staying for a bit longer will be alright." Erza reassured the ice dragon, who only pouted.
"If you say so." She grumbled as she turned to return to where she was resting. It didn't last long as Erza dragged her to sit next to her at the feast the demon villagers held for the Fairy Tail Mages. Morana pouted the entire time as she ate the food offered. Who would turn down free food?
Lucy glanced over to see Gray swarmed by a few lady demons. "Looks like Gray is getting all the attention from the ladies."
"He'll scare them off eventually." Happy said.
"I was wrong about you humans." The Chief said. Erza and Lucy glanced at the Chief in confusion. "All these years, we were afraid that others would think of us differently because of our appearances. But you humans have restored our faith, and we want to open our shores for trade with other species!"
"That's good. Friendship is a beautiful thing. It's an emotional bond that transcends one's appearance." Erza added. A crack was heard as everyone turned and watched Morana storm off, leaving behind a trail of ice in her wake.
"It doesn't seem like she would agree." A villager added.
"That's because your kind mistreated Morana. She doesn't trust very easily." Erza explains as Lucy stands up. "I would leave her be Lucy."
"Oh...I know, there's something I need to do." Lucy smiled as she hurried away to one of the tents.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Lucy's going behind your back to comfort Morana." Happy munched on a fish.
"Yes, it would seem that way. But I trust Lucy; she managed to get Morana to soften up a bit." Erza took a sip of her drink.
Morana had stormed out of the village and into the forest to cool down. She couldn't stop the feeling that snuck up on her—clinging to her skin like a sickly scent. It didn't take long for it to steal her breath away as she kept walking, fighting through her racing heart as her tears kept flowing down.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid." She mumbled to herself as she kept going.
"My, my. Another panic attack?" A familiar voice spoke. Morana looked up and saw Zesty.
Wiping away her tears as she clutched her scarf tightly, "What do you want, Ultear?"
"So you knew it was me all along?" Zesty changed his appearance to that of a woman in a white robe. A light green crystal ball floated in her hand.
"How could I not? Your scent reeks of perfume. Would you answer my question?" Morana kept her voice steady as she kept a firm grip on her scarf.
"How is life in a guild? It's quite amusing how much you changed over the past year." Ultear mumbled as she sat down on a tree branch she stood on.
"Different, and I wouldn't change anything." Morana was sure of this. "May I be left alone?"
"You're not going to ask me why I'm here? I'm shocked! The great Black Ice always asks questions and demands answers even if it ends with bloodshed." Morana's strange behavior amused Ultear.
"What difference is it going to make? Is it too much to ask to leave behind a life I was forced into?" Morana asked. Ultear paused for a moment to think of Morana's question.
"No. I don't think it is, but others would think differently." Ultear answered.
"I figured as much. May I ask a question about them?" Morana asked.
"Of course." Ultear smiled. Despite what anyone thinks, Ultear was quite fond of the ice dragon. Having encountered the ice dragon several times throughout her childhood, she grew to care for her.
"Do they think I'm still dead?" Morana asked as a shadow covered her face.
"Yes, but you know it won't last long," Ultear warned her. "They are quite angry that their precious dragon is no longer with us. Even your sister and boyfriend are quite upset about it."
Morana gritted her jaw as her fists tightened. "They are not family, and Dryace is most certainly not my boyfriend!" The fire in her blue eyes shocked Ultear greatly as she looked down at the ice dragon below her.
"And if you saw them again? What would you do?" Ultear couldn't help but ask as she saw the dragon's rage within Morana.
"Kill them with my bare hands," Morana growled the promise as she turned on her heel and stormed off to the shore. She needs room to breathe and to collect herself. Ultear didn't follow after the girl as she spoke into the crystal.
"Seems like the little dragon is breaking her chains." A male voice spoke.
"Yes, so it seems." Ultear stared off in the direction Morana went off in.
"Are you worried for the girl?" The man asked.
"No. It's quite the opposite. I'm proud." Ultear smiled fondly.
"Of course you are." The man chuckled. A rustle caught Ultear's attention as she blended with the branches to conceal herself.
"Damn it! Why does this have to be so hard? Where did she go?" Lucy stumbled through the forestry as she headed towards the shoreline, hoping to find Morana. She did so without noticing she was being watched in the trees above.
Lucy continued as she held a piece of fabric tightly in her arms. She was making sure not to get it stuck in the thick branches that seemed to reach out to her and try to stop her from going anywhere.
"It's so creepy here!" Lucy whined as she finally made a breach for the shore. "Finally! The ocean!" Lucy looked around, happy to be on the beach. Soon enough, she caught sight of Morana sitting by the water's edge, hugging her knees.
"Morana! I found you!" Lucy smiled as she ran over to the girl.
"Lucy, please. I want to be left alone for a while." Morana mumbled as she kept her face buried in her arms and scarf.
"I know, but I wanted to give this to you." Lucy draped Morana's winter coat over the ice dragon's shoulders, shocking Morana.
"My coat?" Morana looked at it.
"Yep, Erza and I checked the temple before meeting you underground. That's where I found it. I thought you would want it back. It was dinged up, so the villagers were kind enough to fix it." Lucy sat down next to Morana.
"They did? When did they have time to do that?" Morana asked, confused, as she didn't recall seeing Lucy with her coat when she met her after Deliora's death.
"Funny you should say that; I honestly have no idea. It disappeared from my hands as we headed down the temple to meet you guys. Even Ezra was confused, but when the feast started, one of the villagers shared with me about it. They wanted to give it to you personally but were too scared to. I think you know why." Lucy chuckled softly as Morana slipped her arms into her coat.
"I know they are good people, but that fear is still there, and I can't get rid of it. No matter how hard I try, it's still there. I'm sorry, Star." Morana whispered as she stared out into the sea.
"It's ok; I'm sure they will understand. Soon tomorrow, we'll be heading home." Lucy tried to reassure the ice dragon.
"Yeah, I guess you're right about that." Morana mumbles.
***
The next day came, and almost everyone got a good night's rest. The Fairy Tail wizards were ready to head home, but the villagers were adamant about rewarding them. However, Erza kindly refused their offer. However, Lucy was able to accept the gate key that was offered in the reward.
Morana waited for her guildmates on the shore as she was staring down the pirate ship that was their ride home. The men aboard the vessel watched the ice dragon weary as they waited for Erza to appear.
"A Pirate ship?!" Lucy's squeal caught their attention as the rest of the Fairy Tail wizards and villagers appeared. Once Erza was in view, the men aboard the ship started cheering her on.
"Yes, they have grown quite fond of me." Erza smiled softly as she looked at the ship.
"I'm not getting on that thing!" Lucy shouted as she held herself.
"If you want to swim, I'll join you!" Natsu offered. Lucy whined as she declined his offer.
"Let's get this over with," Morana grumbled as she quickly made haste to board the ship.
"She has no fear, does she?" Lucy mumbles as she follows after the ice dragon.
"Well, Morana probably knows far scarier things." Gray mentions.
"What's more scary than Erza?" Natsu reluctantly got on board. No one answered him as he tried throwing himself overboard but was held back by Erza herself.
"What was that, Natsu?" Erza asked with a dark tone.
"Aye! It..was nothing!" Natsu gaged as he hung over the ship's railing. Lucy and Gray laughed as they looked over and saw that Morana found a spot to sit. She was far better at managing her motion sickness than Natsu was.
Everyone on Galuna Island wished the Fairy Tail mages off as they set sail for Hargeon. It was a quick trip, and soon enough, they all found themselves back in Magnolia.
"I can't believe we did it! We completed an S-Class mission!" Natsu was cheering as Morana walked in silence next to Ezra. Her mind was preoccupied with other things.
"Heck yeah, we did!" Lucy jumped in with the celebration.
"You're only happy 'cause you got a reward." Gray pointed out.
"Yeah! Some of us worked hard for that reward, you know! Maybe we can sell it!" Happy chimed in.
"Hell no, you fleabrain cat! Do you know how rare gold keys are?!" Lucy shouted, ready to humble the blue cat.
"Which golden key did you get, Lucy?" Gray asked curiously.
"Sagittarius the centar!" Lucy smiled.
"Oh, man! I can't wait to get back to the guild!" Natsu was clearly not paying attention.
"You all are so carefree that you forget that you face punishment at the guild." Erza put a stop to their happy charade. It was enough to make the three mages stop.
"What?! Why! I thought everything ended well!" Lucy whined.
"That was only because I was there," Erza said.
"Yeah, well, we could have done it with just Morana! You said it yourself: she's the only one cleared for S-Class missions." Gray tried to defend themselves.
"Makarov has not officially cleared Morana to be S-Class. She still needs to meet specific requirements to even become S-Class in the first place." Erza explained. The mages glanced over at Morana, who held a blank expression. "However, since everything did work out in the end, and you all promised not to do this again, I think there is no need for punishment. But that is not my decision to make. Your fate is in Master Makarov's hands."
"Need I remind you, Ezra? I'm taking the full blame for this one." Morana mentions as she glances at the armored wizard.
"What?! Are you crazy? You don't want to know what Gramps will do to you!" Gray tried to get Morana to rethink her decision. "You don't want to go through with this."
"The worst Makarvo can do to me is throw me in prison. I could care less about anything else he'll do if he decides not to." Morana cold states as she walks onward.
"Of course, Morana would do such a thing. Then consider yourselves lucky Morana is taking the blame and full punishment for this. You should do something to make it up to her." Ezra sighed, knowing she could not talk the ice dragon out of her decision.
"What do you think is going to happen to her?" Lucy asked as Erza began walking after Morana, pulling behind all her belongings.
"Well, she is right; the worst thing Master Makarov can do is throw her into prison." Happy answered as he flew next to Lucy. Natsu stared after Morana with a blank expression.