Moon Drip! (Episode)

is the 12th episode of the Fairy Tail anime. It first aired on January 4, 2010.

Gray Fullbuster has found Deliora and the plan to revive it using Moon Drip. He encounters the one behind it and while fighting him, finds out that he is his old partner and rival Lyon Vastia.

Synopsis
Deliora stands frozen before Gray and the others. Lucy Heartfilia speculates that maybe the curse and Deliora’s presence are related, and Gray agrees. He says that the demon is in fact alive, and Natsu Dragneel suggests they destroy him. This infuriates Gray, who punches him down. Happy is shocked to see that, but Lucy states that it’s not that rare. Gray orders Natsu to stay away from it, because if Deliora is freed, no one would be able to stop it. Then, Gray discloses that his former master, Ur, froze Deliora by using Iced Shell. Iced Shell is a kind of never melting ice, being resistant to every kind of magic. He then wonders why it was brought there. Natsu and Lucy opine to follow and interrogate the other non-inhabitants they saw before, but Gray decides to wait there, until the moon is high. He decides it because he hears one of the non-inhabitants say “Soon, we’ll be able to collect enough moonlight”, and deducts that Deliora and the Village’s curse is somehow connected to the moon. Lucy agrees and after Natsu falls asleep, they patiently await for nightfall. While waiting, Gray remembers of one of his trainings with Ur, in which she inquires if he will be able to keep up with her harsh training, to which he replies, “I will do whatever it takes!”

Back in the present, Lucy is bored, so she decides to summon Lyra, the singing spirit. She asks why Lucy doesn't summon her more, to which Lucy responds that she can only be called three days a month. She starts singing a very heart–felt and sad song, which calms everyone, but saddens Gray to the point that tears roll down his cheek. He is reminded of his training with Ur, one in which he finally leaned Ice Make: Shield. When he finally learns it, she smiles and nods in acknowledgement, the memory of which makes Gray cry. He denies it, and, moments later, everyone falls asleep.

They are woken up by a tremor. Light is raining down from the ceiling, and they quickly climb up to find out where it is coming from. They find a group of sorcerers chanting an incantation, which is absorbing the moonlight. Lyra explains that the spell they are witnessing is called Moon Drip, an ancient kind of magic used to nullify any kind of magical effect. They are using it in order to free Deliora from the Iced Shell. While they decide on which course of action to take, four figures appear, shrouded in mystery.

They approach the ritual site and discuss the intruders; consequently the masked one orders the destruction of the village. His three subordinates abide, and by his voice Gray is reminded of someone. Natsu then comes out hiding, shouts out, and they get ready for battle. The boss states he will get rid of them, and Natsu charges in, but Gray out runs him, and attacks the masked figure with Ice-Make, but he protects himself with ice, and Gray calls him Lyon.

He scolds Lyon for his actions, and they argue. His subordinates part on Lyon’s orders, and when Natsu tried to follow them, Lyon uses Ice-Make: Diamond Cage on him. Gray orders Happy to grab Lucy and leave, and he concurs. He is heart broken by what he did to Natsu, but ultimately thinks of the Villagers, and Lucy cheers him up by saying that nothing will happen to his friend. Meanwhile, Gray kicks Natsu down the mountain, in order to remove him from Lyon’s range of Magic. They argue over Ur’s legacy, Lyon unmasks himself and shuts Gray up by saying that he was the one who killed Ur.

At the feet of the mountain, Natsu tries to melt the ice, but can’t. He then runs to the village, but ultimately finds it hard to run with a giant ball of ice covering his body. Meanwhile, a pirate ship approaches, with all the sailors defeated. Erza is shown to be the culprit of such coercion, and orders the captain to take her to Galuna Island, and after she states she has to punish someone, all the sailors vow to follow her anywhere. Concurrently the battle between Lyon and Gray truly starts, and after fighting for sometime he comes out victorious.

Fights

 * Deliora Returns (concluded)
 * Team Lyon's Mission: Destroy the Village (started)
 * Gray Fullbuster vs. Lyon Vastia (started and concluded)

Magic used

 * Summoned the Harp, Lyra
 * Summoned the Harp, Lyra

Spells used

 * Ice-Make: Diamond Cage
 * Ice-Make: Diamond Cage
 * Ice-Make: Diamond Cage

Techniques used

 * Hand to Hand Combat

Items used

 * Gate of the Lyre Key

Manga & Anime Differences

 * There is no flashback of Gray's past when Lyra is singing.
 * In the manga, there is a page that shows Gray, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy trying to get to the top.
 * In the anime, Lyon orders Sherry and the others to destroy the village before Natsu manages to announce his presence.
 * The captain of the ship that Erza uses to reach Galuna Island looks different.

Trivia

 * This is the first episode to feature Sense of Wonder, Fairy Tail's second opening theme.
 * This is the first episode in which Natsu gives health advice to viewers.