"Clear the way!" a blonde shouted through the crowd of onlookers watching an intense mage battle. She was approaching the recently-demolished 8-Island Cafe (leave it to Fairy Tail to destroy a building in 5 minutes or less) and she was limping on a heavily-injured left leg while trying to support a nearly unconscious Doranbolt.

She'd been bleeding heavily from wounds on her right hip and waist (lacerations from flying debris), and sported massive burns along the entirety of her left leg. It was serious, but all things considered it could have been worse, especially as she was living in the steadfast denial that her right arm was fractured. It absolutely was not compromised. Not enough to slow her down, despite the unhelpful pain that radiated from her arm when she moved it.

Doranbolt's injuries were far worse. Or at least, they were more… impairing. The man was bleeding from a head-wound and carried his own weight less and less by the second.

He'd been awake - dazed, but conscious - when she'd gate-hopped them from the rubble that was once the Magic Council Headquarters. Now, he was barely mumbling once every few minutes, and it was beginning to worry her. He may be a grade-A dumbass, but he was a good man and - though she was loathe to admit it - he was her best friend. She'd hoped he would make it with enough time to help her with Yajima before they both had to seek medical attention. Seems that hope was dashed, and she had to get him help.

Would have been dashed anyway, she thought in disappointment, since instead of stumbling into a busy cafe, they'd found themselves in a battle. Again.

Guess Plan A was out the window.

She'd finally shoved past the onlookers, shooting them all enough scathing glares to convince most of the citizens to scatter. She was small, but she knew how to be intimidating.

Lucy was left holding up an unmoving Doranbolt, watching as the infamous (in the council's eyes anyway) Thunder Legion and Laxus Dreyar fighting with what could only be another Demon Gate of Tartarus.

Another Demon, like Jackal, who had laughed as he watched the light leave her brother's eyes.

She promised herself, in that moment, she would end them all. She would kill them if it was the last thing she did. And celestial mages always kept their promises.

Lucy took in the battle with analytical eyes, and sighed as she watched the female fairy tail wizard fall back with Yajima, the former council member that was the likely target of the demon. She didn't have many options, but Plan B should still work. With some modifications.

The demon turned his attention to the males in the fight, as Evergreen and Yajima had been the least concerning in that moment, and Lucy took the opportunity to insert herself into the situation.

The celestial mage loosened her grip on Doranbolt, letting go of him quickly to step through a celestial gate. She appeared right next to a winded Evergreen of Fairy Tail and a surprised Yajima, and before they had a chance to speak, she put a hand on each of their shoulders and hopped back to Doranbolt.

She caught the Direct Line mage just before he fell to his knees, and breathed a sigh of relief and fatigue. Gate hops? They took massive amounts of energy for a non-celestial being. Lucy was taking a moment to be thankful that her magical energy wasn't as low as her physical energy, or she and Doranbolt both would be in a heap on the ground.

"What the hell-"

"Evergreen," Yajima cut off the hostile brunette, "This is Major Heartfilia from the Rune Knights. Likely we don't have time for questions. Major," the old man smiled grimly at the young blonde, "You're quick as ever, I see. I assume you're here to help?"

The old man spoke calmly, but quickly, understanding the danger they were in and that their comrades were just yards away - fighting an extremely challenging battle sans one team member.

"Yes, sir," Lucy grit out through clenched teeth, "The Lieutenant here needs immediate attention, but my duty is here. Evergreen?"

Said mage, who was still trying to understand what was happening, simply nodded.

"Are you still good to fight? Is your guild hall still safe?"

"I am, and yes as far as I know. We were ambushed here," she said, gesturing to what was once a restaurant. She brought her arms back up in a ready position as she turned slightly to keep the escalating fight in her vision. She winced when Freed took a heavy hit and went down, but kept her attention mostly on blonde who had - literally - just popped in.

"I'm taking Yajima - I'll be right back, be ready," Lucy advised her, then disappeared in a flash of gold with the injured mage and the old council wizard.

Now, the Fairy wizard would normally pride herself on being unflappable. Unfazed by even the most concerning and terrifying of situations. This blonde wizard, though, the one that just popped in and out in the middle of a battle with a demon while looking like she'd just fought through the seven rings of hell and an unstable explosives factory? Like it was nothing? That had even Evergreen a little off-balance, and she didn't like it. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

And the fact that she was a council wizard? That was a little odd, all things considered. Her behaviour, while stiff and professional, was… fiery, passionate. She'd never seen that in a council knight before, apart from Mest but he was really Fairy Tail, even if he didn't quite remember that. Most council wizards were stiff, unemotional, and frankly, unhelpful.

She didn't have time to dwell on it, though, because moments later the blonde was in front of her once more. Evergreen should have been prepared, but she was shocked nonetheless.

She couldn't have been gone for more than a minute! Freed had just stood up on the other side of the ruined restaurant, and he was never down for long (he'd told her once he refused to allow his hair to rest on the filth of the ground, even in a life-or-death fight. She was only partially convinced he was joking about that).

Lucy was panting heavily, she was… more than aware of the toll her body had taken. And the strain she was putting on her magic. She was also pissed off that the little blue-haired girl had tried to force her to remain where she was and get treatment and delayed her return.

It didn't matter what state she was in, her duty came first! Didn't they understand that?

It was Fairy Tail, she thought bitterly, of course they didn't. They knew nothing of rules or respect or duty. Let alone honor.

Scowling, she looked up at the startled brunette. "You ready?"

Evergreen quickly recovered herself, "Of course.''

"Good," the major answered, looking at the battlefield she'd returned to, "We only get one chance at this. We were fast enough that the demon," she took another deep breath, "hasn't noticed you or Yajima's absence. We're jumping in directly behind him, launching an attack, and getting the hell back in case it doesn't do him in. Charge your most powerful attack."

"Right," Evergeen nodded, feeling a little like she was a soldier taking orders. Heartfilia, for as small and unassuming as she looked, had an alarmingly commanding presence.

Once Lucy finished speaking, a golden flash alerted Evergreen to another figure in her line of sight. She almost unleashed the Fairy Blast she was charging at the movement, but saw the Lucy's complete lack of surprised as she just spoke to the odd-looking man with a metal tail, as if she were giving orders to him as well.

"Thank you, Scorpio. You ready?" Evergreen caught the last of Lucy's softly spoken words as her magic began to strain.

"We are!" the guy (she thinks) throws up a 'rock on' hand motion.

Odd.

"M-Major," Evergreen grit out, "We gotta go soon, I'm a little too ready."

"Understood," the blonde gripped Evergreen's shoulder with her right hand, and motioned for the metal-tailed guy to move to her other side, "Now!"

They disappeared from their spot, only to appear directly behind the large demon less than a moment later.