A/N: Hey all of my awesome readers! ^_^ I can't begin to tell you all how much I appreciate the follows and reviews. This has been a blast to write and I don't anticipate it being complete for a while (meaning, lots more chapters to come!).
Flora, the goddess of agriculture and fertility, appeared before them. Like Juturna, her body was human like, lacking the transparent, misty appearance of Jupiter. At first glance, Lucy thought she was wearing a beautiful dress made of flowers. However, as she continued to stare at the beautiful goddess, she realized that the flowers were a part of her body. Flowers of yellow, purple, and blue dotted her form, covering her entirely. Her eyes were amethyst and her hair a shade of pink. It fell over her shoulders in two braids.
"I, Jesep, will not let you fools hold the key of the King of the Gods! Juturna, GO!" The man shouted angrily.
The black cloak fell from Juturna, exposing her true form. She wore what appeared to be a tight, silver spandex suit. It rose to the top of her neck, covering every inch of her body, except her face. Her eyes and hair were a matching shade of silver. Her midnight blue heels stood out, a stark contrast to silver that adorned her every inch.
A wild look set into the man's eyes. "GET HIM! I NEED HIM TO BE MINE!"
It pained Lucy to send Jupiter after the two goddesses, but she was unsure that her celestial spirits could stand up against their power. In a sense, Jupiter was her trump card.
"Jupiter! Do what you must to make sure those keys aren't in the wrong hands. Remember, he's our real enemy." Lucy pointed to the deranged wizard.
Jupiter nodded. He had no desire to fight Juturna and Flora. He knew that they felt the same way about fighting him. The regret was evident in their eyes. However, they had no choice but to obey their key-holder. Jupiter understood that the only way to save them, was to defeat them. Suddenly, black clouds began to congregate in the sky above them. A low rumble could be heard emanating from the clouds.
"Juturna, I'm sorry." Jupiter whispered as he slammed his hand against the ground, commanding bolts of lightning to strike her.
"No! Weak, foolish girl!" Jesep screamed.
To everyone's surprise, however, Juturna stood motionless, but unaffected by the bolts.
"What the….?" Gray wondered aloud.
"But, why…?" Jupiter mumbled.
"What are you idiots waiting for?! Attack him while you have the chance!" Jesep flailed angrily, pointing towards Jupiter.
Flora stared at Jupiter for a moment, sadness welling in her eyes. She reached her hand to the sky and cried "Thorn whip!"
A thorned, green vine appeared in her outstretched hand. An intense red glow surrounded it. Before Jupiter could regain his composure from the shock of his ineffective attack, Flora lashed her whip at him. Noticing just a second too late, Jupiter became caught in the coils of her vine. It wrapped around his body tightly. Lucy could see the thorns piercing his body of mist. Part of her was surprised that his body was actually so solid. She had assumed it took on a water form, like Juvia's.
Jupiter struggled against the vine, and commanded another bolt of lightning. This time, he directed it at Flora. Just as it had been with Juturna, however, the strike dealt her no harm.
"Wh… What is this?" Jupiter struggled to speak as the thorns pierced him deeper, causing mist to pour out from his body.
Jesep laughed maniacally. "The God of Gods, Jupiter, is weaker than these two?! How disappointing… Flora, finish him off so I can take his key for my own!"
Flora winced at the command. Slowly, she stretched her hand toward Jupiter and opened her mouth to give the final necessary command to her weapon.
"FLORA! YOU CAN FIGHT THIS!" Lucy screamed desperately. Tears welled in her eyes. The pain of both goddesses was evident in their eyes. Lucy could hardly bare to watch them endure it any longer.
"Shut up!" Jesep glared at Lucy. "As a celestial wizard, you know full well that spirits cannot disobey their masters."
Lucy shook her head causing a few tears to drop to the ground. "Flora! You have the power of a god, whether you are trapped in the celestial world or not! You don't have to do this!"
Flora turned to Lucy. Her eyes softened with admiration for her. "Lucy, was it? This curse that has bound us to the keys, has also bound us to complying with our master's wishes. I cannot physically stop my body from obeying because of this. Though it may not appear so, I have been fighting with all of my power against Jesep's commands. There is no question. I am bound to obey him."
Lucy shook her head harder, falling to her knees. "NO! I don't believe it! I don't believe that anything can force two spirits who care about each other to harm one another!"
Gray touched Lucy's shoulder as she shook with sadness.
Flora turned back to Jupiter, a deep hurt appeared in her eyes as she listened to Lucy sob. "Jupiter… While I cannot avoid complying with my master's wishes, I can tell you this… Many decades ago, you vowed, as the God of Gods, to protect us with every ounce of your might. You promised this to each of the gods, especially the lesser gods, like myself, who needed it the most. You used your power to make it so this promise would bind your entire body and soul. This vow can never be broken. Your power, and our bodies know this. Your magic will not be able to harm another god, no matter your master's request."
Jupiter's eyes widened. As Flora explained this memory that he had long since forgotten, he felt her whip loosen slightly. He could breathe easier.
"You're right..." He said with shock. "I had no idea that such a vow would render my magic useless against all of you… Then how…?" He turned his head slightly to look at Lucy. "How can I help her save you both, if I can't use my power?"
Flora smiled and whispered, "Give up."
'Give up...' The words echoed through Jupiter's mind. He understood her suggestion. He must give up and return to the celestial world, allowing Lucy to call upon another spirit who would be effective against the goddesses. Jupiter, the strongest of the gods, the ruler of the gods, would need to forfeit in order to save them.
"Lucy… You must call one of your other spirits."
Her face dropped. "Who could possibly have any chance at beating them except you?! My zodiac spirits can't fight gods!"
Gray eyed her sympathetically. "Luce… Jupiter doesn't have any chance of beating them. He's helpless right now. Imagine how hard it is for him to ask this of you."
Jupiter smiled gently. "Have faith in your spirits, Lucy. Remember, I have given you some of my magic energy. Please, return me to the celestial world."
Closing her eyes tightly, Lucy allowed Jupiter to return. His misted body softly broke apart, returning him to the celestial world.