Chapter 7: The Chinese Zodiac

Lucky blinked.

"Well that explains all the screaming," she stated.

"Screaming?" Yukino wondered.

"We've been hearing Lucy and Wendy screaming off and on all day," the female pervert answered. "I was wondering about their preparation for a mission of this caliber if they were screaming so much."

"But it seems they didn't prepare at all," Lucky interrupted getting to her feet. "Let's pack up everyone!" Lucky's group immediately began gathering their things.

"Where are you going?" Erza asked.

"Home," Lucky answered. "I have better things to do than sit here for a year." She started grabbing her own things. "If your friend is training on the mountain you might want to do the same." Everyone gave Lucky strange looks.

"I thought only Celestial mages could enter the mountain," Kagura said. "Was that wrong?" Lucky looked at her.

"Celestial mages and sky magic users are the only ones allowed to enter the mountain," she corrected. "Other people can try but the mountain will attack them immediately. It's great training to just stay alive for a day. You can't even rest because you might get killed in your sleep." Everyone contemplated what they just heard and Natsu finally came out of his depression. He actually looked rather excited. Lucky gave him a strange look.

"Does that mean I can be with Lucy if I don't sleep?" Natsu asked. Lucky looked at him like he was stupid.

"If you want to get her killed, go ahead," she stated. Natsu went into an even deeper depression. All his friends stared at him. A depressed Natsu is a terrifying thing.

Lucy couldn't move. Wendy was face down on the ground next to her. How did they get like this, you ask? Simple, D had put two magic sucking braces on their upper arms. The braces kept their magic at the level where it kept them alive but left them unable to use their magic.

"Why do we have to do this?" Lucy whined.

"To get you used to having no magic," D answered.

"Why?" Wendy complained.

"So, if you ever run out of magic, you can still fight and defend yourself," D stated. "Now stop whining and focus on standing up. This is only the beginning of your training." Lucy and Wendy sighed. "As you get stronger and your magic grows, I'll add more of them so get used to it!" D growled the last part.

"H-hai!" the girls shouted. It took a while, but the girls' bodies finally got used to the lack of magic and they regained the ability to move. Eventually, they were able to stand.

"I think I'm getting used to this," Lucy observed.

"Me too," Wendy agreed. D grinned.

"Great!" she cheered. "Think you can run?" Lucy and Wendy looked confused but nodded. D's voice turned dark. "Then run," Lucy and Wendy backed up. Every time you stop I will hit you with this." D had a long black staff in her hand. "And, as you can see," she slammed the stick into the rock she was sitting on earlier turning it to rubble, "it'll hurt." Lucy and Wendy looked at each other before slowly turning around and running away screaming louder than they ever had before.

Lucky and her group were just about to leave.

"I have a final question," Kagura began. Lucky turned to her. "You said you heard screaming. What kind of screaming was it? Did it sound like they were scared or did it sound like they were in pain?" Lucky opened her mouth to reply when suddenly two extremely loud screams of terror came from the mountain.

"Like that," Lucky answered before turning on her heel and setting off for the place she claimed as "home". Her companions followed after her. Erza and Kagura shared a look.

"This isn't good," Erza stated. She turned to Yukino and Chelia. "You two should get going." The girls nodded in determination before heading off for the mountain. Kagura sighed.

"At least we know they're fine," she said. Erza stared at her.

"Fine?!" Gray roared. "Did you not hear them screaming?!"

"Calm down," Kagura demanded. "Did you not hear their screams? Those weren't screams of pain. They were screams of terror. They're just scared. That's all." Gray blinked. "It's natural that they'd be scared on this mountain when they're not expecting anything besides normal animals to appear."

"Everything is in Chelia and Yukino's hands now," Erza stated. "Let's just trust them. Now, I suggest we look for a source of water. If we'll be staying here, we'll need it to survive." Everyone nodded. "Then let's split up and search the area."

Yukino and Chelia were on edge. They were ready for a Fallen Star to appear at any moment. They moved quickly throughout the foliage trying to catch up to the girls who had almost a twelve hour lead on them.

"I've caught Wendy's scent," Chelia informed. Yukino nodded at her. (Do God Slayers even have a good sense of smell?)

"Lead the way," she said. Chelia looked worried. "Is something wrong?"

"It seems like Wendy's scent is coming from the top of the mountain," Chelia stated. "They shouldn't be that far ahead already should they?" Yukino looked surprised.

"They're that far already?" she asked. Chelia nodded. "Then we better pick up the pace. With that said, the two moved swiftly after Wendy's scent.

"I just hope Wendy's okay," Chelia whispered.

"I'm sure she and Lucy-san are fine," Yukino answered.

D stared at the two unmoving figures in front of her. They were both face down on the ground.

Are they dead? she wondered. She laughed, stood over Lucy's prone form and began poking her side with a stick.

Lucy felt an annoying prodding in her side. She immediately assumed it was Natsu. Did he really have to keep breaking into her apartment?

"What do you want, Natsu?" Lucy grumbled. She was exhausted. Her body was sore. The last thing she wanted to deal with is this idiot. The prodding stopped at her question.

"Who's Natsu?" a voice that did not belong to her annoying partner asked. Lucy's eyes flew open. She turned with a groan and saw D leaning over her with a Chesire cat grin. Remembering that she was not in her bed or her apartment and in fact on a mountain, Lucy blushed. "Hmm…is he your boyfriend then?" Lucy turned a frightening shade of red at the question.

"N-no! Not at all! He's just my partner!" she stammered. D's grin widened.

"He's not?" D hummed her grin disappearing. She turned to Wendy and gave her the same treatment as Lucy. A few moments later, the girl's eyes opened. "Hey Wendy."

"Hmm?" the girl answered groggily while sitting up and rubbing her eyes cutely.

"Does Lucy have a boyfriend named Natsu?" D asked. Lucy's eyes bugged out and she jumped to her feet.

"I told you, that's not it!" she yelled indignantly. Wendy, by the way, had gone wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the question.

"Does she?" D asked again ignoring Lucy's protests.

"Listen to me!" Lucy hollered. Wendy, realizing D would keep asking until she answered, swallowed and said:

"No, Natsu-san is Lucy-san's partner." D nodded accepting the answer. She turned back to Lucy.

"So he's not your boyfriend," she began. Lucy sighed in relief.

"No," she confirmed. A giant grin spread across D's face before she leaned over to Lucy's ear and whispered:

"You just want him to be." Lucy turned an even darker shade of red and sputtered unintelligible words. D had a giant Chesire cat grin and turned on her heel. "Let's get back to the cave." Wendy stood and followed after her. Lucy didn't follow until D yelled: "I will leave you."

Once they reached the cave, D grabbed two buckets and handed them to the girls. The buckets had their names on them. When D had done that was a mystery.

"These are going to be your water supply for a year," D stated. "Take care of them. Follow me to the watering hole." D led the girls to a hot spring with a river running a few feet away from it. "If you must bathe, you will do it here. You will get your water from the river. However, once you're strong enough, I will not always be with you, and this is where the Fallen Stars come for water and to bathe as well." D turned to the girls. "Some of them are perverts, by the way, so be careful." She turned to Wendy. "They might even come after you even though you're a kid. That may even be why they're here." D sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "That's why I only bathe when necessary while I'm here."

"When is it necessary?" Wendy asked. Lucy wanted to know as well.

"When I get covered in dirt, like if I fall in mud, or I sweat a lot," D answered. She pulled her hood back up and replaced her sunglasses on her face. "Get your water." Lucy and Wendy went to the river and filled their buckets. They were heavy. It had been a good twenty minute hike to these springs. It would take twice as long going downhill. Their arms might literally fall off.

"D~" Lucy whined. "This is too heavy." D smiled at her.

"It's part of your training," she stated. "It's not supposed to be easy." Lucy groaned. D's smile dropped. "Why don't you learn from Wendy and just deal with it?" Indeed. Wendy hadn't complained at all since getting her bucket full. Lucy, feel ashamed for being the oldest and still complaining when the youngest wasn't, bowed her head in apology. "Alright then, let's go." The three slowly made their way down the mountain.

It was painful. Lucy and Wendy's arms felt like they were being pulled out of their sockets. They had been walking for only ten minutes and their arms already felt useless, especially Wendy. She had never exercised in her life, neither had Lucy for that matter, practice magic, yes, exercised, no. Wendy was young, though, and her body couldn't handle this kind of intense exercise yet. Lucy watched a panting, red-faced Wendy in worry. Finally, the blond couldn't take it anymore.

"D, we need to take a break. Wendy's not used to exercise and will pass out soon if we don't," she insisted. D stopped and turned around. After taking one look at Wendy, she nodded. Wendy sighed in relief.

"In a minute," D answered, "this place isn't safe. There's a clearing up ahead." Wendy and Lucy nodded before following her. After no more than two minutes, they reached the clearing. "Okay," D began sitting on a rock. "Rest, but don't spill your water or we'll have to go back." Wendy and Lucy nodded and carefully put their buckets down before basically collapsing next to them. The combination of their hike and D chasing them with that staff until they passed out had finally taken its toll on the girls. Lucy reached for her bucket to take a drink. "Do not drink that." Lucy turned to her cousin. "The water hasn't been purified yet." D pulled out two water bottles from…somewhere and threw one to Lucy. "Drink that. Wendy!" The girl sat up. "Catch!" D tossed her the other bottle. Wendy didn't catch it but it landed in her lap. The two girls quickly opened the bottles and drank.

"Thank you!" Wendy said after she had gulped down half of her water. Lucy nodded sucking the bottle dry.

"You shouldn't drink so fast, Lucy, or you'll throw up," D warned. As if on cue, Lucy's stomach clenched and she turned to throw up away from her and Wendy. "Whoop…too late." As Lucy retched, Wendy began to slowly sip from her bottle hoping not to throw up herself. "That's just plain nasty," D commented in disgust. "What is that? Did you have fish stew?" Wendy nodded holding her nose. "Ugh…" She threw another bottle to the newly recovered Lucy. "Wash your mouth out." Lucy gargled and spat it out on her pile of vomit. She and Wendy both grabbed their buckets and moved away from the spew. D stayed on her rock.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, D suddenly snapped her head to the right with a glare. Lucy and Wendy followed her line of sight, but saw nothing. Suddenly, two women landed in the clearing. One had long red hair, was wearing a black Chinese-like outfit with a red dragon going down the side, and had red eyes. The other had long white hair, was wearing a white Chinese-like outfit with a snake going around her middle, and had black eyes. They both had black leggings on.

"Well, well, well," the white-haired one began, "what have we here? Fresh meat…" She licked her lips. The red-haired one chuckled.

"So it seems," she agreed. "Should we tenderize them?" She turned to her partner.

"Let's," the white-haired girl accepted. Lucy could sense that they were strong, far stronger than her and Wendy in their magic-drained an exhausted bodies. D snorted drawing Lucy out of her negative thoughts.

"Well, well, well," she mocked, "if it isn't the snake and the dragon." D tilted her head. "I've been looking for you two." D held up a key ring. "You're the last two I need to finish my collection." On closer inspection, everyone saw it was a black Celestial key ring with 10 red keys on it. "The last two Chinese zodiacs." The two women looked at D in shock. Suddenly, understanding came over their faces.

"I heard there was a mage going around the mountain collecting our keys," the red-haired one said. "It is as you say. I am the Chinese dragon, Queen."

"And I am the snake, Serpentina," the white-haired one introduced herself.

"I must say…I did not expect you to be so weak-looking," Queen stated. D grinned.

"And I must say, I did not expect you to be the kind who would stand in puke," she sneered. The women froze and looked down. Indeed. They were standing in Lucy's vomit. With two very loud squeals of disgust, they jumped out of the vomit and began frantically rubbing their feet clean on the grass. D laughed at the comical display.

"I'll kill you!" the red-head roared. D smirked and held up her hands in mock surrender.

"Hey, I didn't do it," D defended. "You should watch where you land." The red-head glared at her. "Now, let's get back to business. How about we have a fight? If I win, you give me your keys. If you win…well we all know you'll kill me, so let's not dwell on that." Queen grinned.

"We accept," she agreed. Serpentina gave D a cruel smile.

"Gladly," she added. D's smile turned smug. She let out a chuckle.

"So glad we could agree," she answered. "Lucy! Wendy!" The two girls stood. "You're in the way! Move it!" The girls nodded before grabbing their buckets and moving to the edge of the clearing. "Alright then…let's begin." The two women crouched. D calmly stood across from them with her hands in her pockets. D grinned evilly. "Go." The two women lunged for her.