Hello everyone!

Here's the latest chapter! I've decided to update quite early for LRCN who requested it as he/she kept dropping off. Thanks for always reviewing. FairyWood too, for reviewing the previous chapter :D That made me so happy!

Again, thank you for everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorite this story on their list! Your support are the most welcome!

Enjoy!

Spirits Bio:

Ara – a woman veiled and dressed in white with dark blue crosses around the rim. The sleeves were open wide and reached up to her palms. She had a blindfold with two tubes underneath that connected to a bottle laced around her neck.

Power: Uses misdirection magic and illusions. Discovered trait: Her tears refill the ethernano of the drinker with the expense of the summoner's ethernano.

Likes: Drama, children

Dislikes: Crying, unfaithful people

Bio: She likes watching dramas but hates it when it's a tragedy. She is usually quick to cry but when Bahram discovered that her tears could refill ethernanos he made her cry everyday to the point she could produce no tears. At that point, he subjected her on numerous tortures to make her cry more. He put two tubes to suck at her tear glands so that all her tears won't be wasted and directed at the bottle.

She continues to serve as it is her duty.

-:-

Orion – a man with short-cropped dark brown hair to the point it seemed black, sharp nose, and eyes similar to a wolf's.

Power: Hunt – he could summon weapons and traps. Though this seems limited only for hunting so cannons and sword aren't counted.

Likes: Hunting, animals, nature, moon

Dislikes: Noises, arrows

Bio: A celestial spirit that specializes on hunting. Although being a hunter himself, he doesn't use bow and arrow. Apparently he got a bad experience with them. He is the main and favorite celestial key of Nesh Gildamar. Their relationship is somewhat similar to a personal bodyguard or butler for an obnoxious and spoiled young master. He's pretty much always serious in everything he does and had a lot of respect on people and his surroundings. He especially loves being surrounded with nature, somewhat feeling safe.

A legend has it that he fell in love with the goddess of the moon. They used to hunt together but unfortunately, her brother tricked her into shooting him with an arrow that killed him. The goddess mourned and turned him into a celestial spirit out of grief. If it's true, this might be the reason why he hated arrows and doesn't use it.

Or maybe it was just a desire to prove to Sagittarius that guns are better as he got defeated by him on a shooting contest.

-:-

. . *. O. * . .

Verse X
The Celestial's Feelings

"A-Andromeda, w-what should I do?" the boy with bunny ears sniffled and cried at her.

'So even you too, huh?' she couldn't help but think that bitterly. Nonetheless, she went to her knees so that she would be on eye-to-eye level with him. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Lepus, I know this will be hard on you but you got to be strong. We are celestial spirits, remember that."

"I-I don't want to do what she says!" he wailed.

She smiled a bit for him and placed her hand on her head. "There, there. Me either. I don't want to be under humans. That's why . . . you've got to be strong, Lepus. Only the strong ones have freedom in this world."

Everyone was surprised at the sudden outburst of the flame head.

But it had given the young celestial mage courage to fight even when she was at this huge disadvantage.

Right now, if she managed it wisely, she could still use three to four more summons. With that as the basis, she needed someone who could be versatile and do long range attacks at the same time.

If that was the case. . .

"Open! Gate of the maiden, Virgo!" she called out as she took out her key. The portal opened to reveal the short pink-haired woman wearing a maid costume and broken handcuffs.

"Open! Gate of the Archer, Sagittarius!"

His portal opened and revealed the tall, black haired lanky man who was wearing a horse mascot.

The Elysian villagers were floored.

"What the heck!? What happened to Sagittarius!?"

"You mean that lame looking guy is Sagittarius!?"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"NNNNNOOOOOOO! What happened to "The Centaur"!?"

Truth be told, the Elysian villagers were quite anticipating to see the appearances of all the Zodiacs. After all, they have never really seen them and were excited to see what they looked like and abilities.

They thought that Sagittarius (just like Lucy's initial thoughts) would be a half-horse like a centaur: tall, dignified, mystical. Not this . . .

"SHUT UP! DON'T INSULT SAGITTARIUS! Although I get what you're thinking," Lucy fumed at them, angry tick marks on her head. Sagittarius just sweat dropped.

"Tch. This just proves that you're not worthy to hold the Zodiacs! To turn Sagittarius to look like this!" Jorya complained, thinking that Lucy's lack of power as a celestial mage had turned Sagittarius to have a deformed appearance.

"Don't blame me! He's just like that!" Lucy retaliated.

"Argh! Enough of this! Attack!" Jorya commanded and the battle resumed.

Sagittarius aimed the arrows from the projectile attacks that came from other Spirits. Virgo dived below the ground and began digging, causing people to fall on pits. Loki had been deflecting attacks that the others couldn't defend, like Berenice's hair. Lucy had been taking and whipping out unguarded mages, all the while avoiding Andromeda's and Jorya's attacks.

They were overwhelming. Attacks come after the other, Lucy and her summoned Spirits couldn't dodged and deflect all of them. However, they at least manage to avoid their vital parts taking hit. The people they were fighting with were all refreshed with ethernano and experienced. Contrast that to a single near-drained celestial mage.

Lucy was already panting and almost out of breath from the magic drainage she was taking. Summoning three spirits at the same time was already taking its toll on her. It felt like the blood circulating in her body was being sucked out of her along with her strength. And unlike what she had expected, it would seem like that she could only summon one after all and not two more as her own magic was quickly being drawn out. She was trying her best to maintain the magic being poured out as small as possible.

She had to close the gate of at least one of them but she couldn't take the risks.

Still, Lucy managed to hold on.

Maybe it was luck of her that celestial mages practice the tradition that summoners don't fight, only the spirits. Most of them were just bystanders that just give orders to attack. They weren't experienced with fighting, so taking them out (if you passed through the Spirit's defence) would've been easy.

Not that getting past their defence was easy though.

After all, they were still celestial spirits. It is their duty and pride to protect their master. So, even if this were against their desire, they would still fight.

Another reason why Lucy still managed to survive even when she was being overwhelmed was that the attacks weren't being directed at her for one reason or another. Granted, the Elysian villagers were focusing their attacks on the Zodiacs due to the agreement that whoever defeats a zodiac, gets that zodiac (thank goodness that Virgo was underground and the combination team play of Leo and Sagittarius was strong). It was also because they were used to just attacking the spirits and not the mages themselves, so they were unconsciously doing it.

That's not the only reason though.

It was also because the Spirits would rather avoid hurting her. They could fight their fellow spirits as it was their master's orders but they, at least, do not want to hurt the summoner with the heart of gold and beautiful soul. Lucy Heartfilia was already well-known in the Celestial Realm and admired by all.

But with one exception . . .

Lucy had slowed down on her movements as she avoided the chain of attacks. The wind attacks were easier to dodge as they were easy to read (compared to her previous fights) and there were intervals in between. She even managed to dodge wind attacks and have it hit her other opponent. A small advantage when you fight against a whole crowd, they were easier to target.

The one she was having a problem at was the chains that deliberately kept attacking her. The movements were much more precise and continuous. They were quick at catching up with her movements, as if used to attacking a person with high speed.

A chain with a huge iron nail at the end aimed for her head in which she dodged by crouching down. She whipped away the chain that aimed for her right. Then she jumped over the chain that tried to whip at her hips

Unfortunately, she hadn't anticipated that her legs were way too strained from so much running around. It didn't give enough force for her to jump high enough. The chain caught her leg and she rolled off to the ground, her leg bleeding.

She tried to stand up despite the pain.

"Hah! This is a chance! Attack her Berenice!" commanded her bald master.

Berenice pursed her lips in frustration but complied. She extended her golden hair toward her, hardening it to form into a spike.

Lucy tried to dodge but knew she wouldn't make in time.

However, Berenice's hair missed her (quite deliberately) by a hair's breath. Actually, it even deflected Andromeda's chain that aimed for Lucy.

"Tsk. Berenice, don't get in my way!" warned Andromeda with a glare.

"Oops. Sorry, she dodged and also my master told me to attack!" replied Berenice, half-heartedly.

"Just get out of my way and take the Zodiacs! Heartfilia is mine!" announced Jorya. She sent another gale, combining it with Andromeda's chain. "Wind Chain!"

Lucy tried to shield herself with her arms, but then, the ground underneath her collapsed. She fell on a soft ground.

"I've done as you've requested, hime-sama" Virgo told her.

"Virgo!" Lucy called out in relief as the Maiden took out a ribbon from her maid costume and gave it to Lucy as there was no time to wrap it herself. Andromeda's chain sneaked and dived into the hole. Virgo immediately dug out and removed the ground the chain sprouted from. The chain turned limp and disappeared.

Lucy's eyes stared at it. So that was the trick to the chains.

'Hime-sama, wrap your wound first and heal. I'll protect you from Andromeda. Just hide in that hole, Jorya will not chase you there.'

"No, I'll go. I won't let you fight alone" she told her as she quickly bandaged the wound. Right now, Sagittarius was holding off Orion and the other spirits, shooting five arrows at the same time, deflecting Orion's bullets and the other projectile attacks. He was also shooting the keys away from the owners, making spirits return, when given the chance.

"Oh yeah! Get him Orion!" demanded Nesh. Orion remained quiet but still aimed his shotgun at Sagittarius. Sagittarius shot two arrows; one had cut through the bullet while the other shot at Orion's hand, making him drop his gun.

"No one can defeat me with projectiles when I get serious" Sagittarius noted as he stood there, all dignified. The Elysian villagers, who were ridiculing him earlier, looked at him in awe. Even if this guy was wearing a ridiculous horse costume, no one could deny his skill.

". . . You got shot by a simple human though. Underestimating modern weaponry will be your downfall" Orion reminded him, referring to the treasure hunters.

"T-That's a different story" said Sagittarius, remembering the incident. It wasn't that he couldn't match it, rather he got "distracted"*.

"Watch out!" Leo punched the golden hair spike that aimed for Sagittarius. He's the one who was tanking most of attacks directed towards them.

Lucy looked up and observed first, focusing more on Andromeda and Jorya who were the most intent on attacking her.

Virgo dived and dug out the chains off the ground. There were six in total. Andromeda was controlling her chains with her hand movements; if that was the case, then she just have to restrict her hands. Lucy sent out her command and she set out and complied with it. She dug deeper.

Lucy jumped out of the hole. She dodged a chain then the second one. She rolled to the ground and then sprinted toward the chained lady. Andromeda got ready to attack

"Oh no, you won't!" Jorya took out her card but before she could throw it out, the ground beneath her feet fell. She screamed as she fell down.

"Andromeda! Save me!"

Andromeda surprised at the sudden scream, diverted her attention to her. She has to protect the contractor at all cost, after all.

She grabbed her using her chains.

That was all Lucy need.

She looped her whip to one of Andromeda's wrist and pulled, yanking her to the side then she maneuvered it so that her wrists would be tied together. Interestingly, the chains around Jorya moved as if being yanked and threw Jorya off the ground.

"So I was right, you're controlling your chains with your hand" she told her.

Andromeda glared at her.

"You . . ." she called her like she was a curse. She tried to free her hands but it was tied tightly. Andromeda's eyes widened. She was tied again . . . stuck . . . unable to leave . . .

Lucy pursed her lips. Jorya was thrown quite far away from them. She has to drag Andromeda too to get to her. Jorya was still struggling to get up. Apparently, the impact had given her quite a heavy blow. This was her chance. 'If I could get the key . . . then it will unsummon her' she thought.

She looked back at Andromeda who stopped struggling. Lucy was quite surprised to see Andromeda shaking and looking down with wide-eyes and an expression full of fear.

"A-Andromeda?"

"N-No . . . not again . . . no . . . not again . . . no . . . no. . . NNNOOOO!" Andromeda yelled, suddenly pulling up at the whip's cord that Lucy had been pulled forward. Then chains erupted at her front, hitting Lucy directly at her stomach. She flew off from the impact hitting a hard stone and rolled off the sandy red ground.

Lucy coughed blood. "Lucy!" Leo called.

However, two of the silver spirits simultaneously attacked him. "Sorry, dude. I can't go too easy on you here" Hercules, a wimpy-looking young man who could control and expand his muscles, told him as Leo hold him off with his one arm. The other was to hold off Chameleon's tongue.

He pulled and threw Chameleon to the other Spirits and mages who tried to attack them and then grab Hercules and slammed him to the ground. Phoenix dived to attack him but moved away when Sagittarius attacked.

He was about to go when golden hair wrapped on his wrist. "Leo, I understand what you feel but you can't leave Sagittarius! If he got sent back, there will be more attacks focused on your master!" Berenice reminded him.

Leo resisted and still tried to get to his master, "Why do you care!? I've got to get to her! She's my master! Her safety is my priority . . ." his voice trailed off when he saw the serious, worried and hurt look on her deep blue eyes.

She does understand. Even she doesn't want to hurt her, no celestial spirit does except for one certain spirit. But they got their own masters too. They have to attack, and they would rather hurt their fellow spirit who could take it than Lucy herself. This was their best course of action they could take to not hurt her further.

They've got no choice.

Lucy tried to get up again, supporting herself up with her arms that were shaking heavily. "Dang . . . If only I have more magic in me . . ." she thought regretfully.

Upon hearing that, Corona Borealis resolved his determination. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his fist as he charged himself up. Even though he was just a crown with eyes and hands, he skipped and jumped to "attack" Lucy.

The unprecedented tackle had almost made Lucy received the other attacks not-so-directly aimed at her, but it had made her dodged Andromeda's chains and Jorya's attack.

Andromeda clicked her tongue in irritation. All the spirits were teaming up to not really hurt the human summoner. It was only her who was really doing her job as a spirit. Granted, they were still protecting their masters but they weren't so serious at attacking at all! They were taking it easy.

It's not like she could call out to them and tell them off for doing that though. They were her fellow kin and she wouldn't sell them out on what they were really doing. If their masters found out, they would get punished and the humiliation from heaven would be harsh.

They don't deserve that, they were just being fooled. But they were getting in the way too much!

Lucy was bent over and panted heavily. She was finding it hard to breathe now. It felt like her lungs were being dried up as the air was being sucked out of it. Her legs were going numb and her hands continued shaking. She was weakly holding on to her whip.

Still, she tried to stand up.

She gripped on a hard rock to push herself up but the rock was so smooth that her hand slipped on it. She fell. She looked at the rock and found that it wasn't really a rock.

"W-What . .?"

It was a white-greenish crystal that formed and spiked on the ground. It was glowing faintly with ethereal light under the dust , soil . . . and blood.

She stared at it, realizing what it was. She picked it up and wiped off the dirt and picked up the rock crystal. Just touching it made her feel the power surge to her. "T-This is . . ."

Everyone's eyes widened at the realization too.

"Oh no! She found it!"

"Get your hands off it!"

"Why didn't you take it away!?"

Lucy held the crystal lacrima at her hands and stared at it in complete bewilderment. "Why . . . is a lacrima . . . here?"

She looked at the people around the room. Now that she noticed it, this people were all wearing a lacrima of some sort as their accessory like bracelets, necklace, earrings, and ring. Jorya was wearing a brooch with lacrima crystals as a fastener for her cloak.

". . . That's Columba."

Andromeda's head was cast low, her eyes hidden underneath her bangs.

Lucy's hand began to tremble as she held the item in her hands. "H-Huh? Columba? That can't be . . . this is a lacrima . . ."

The chained lady looked up, showing the cold dark expression on her face. Her pitch-black eyes that were full of disdain looked at her and the object she was holding.

"A-Andromeda! Stop!" Berenice called out to her, but she was unheard.

"What's so surprising? That's her. That's her foot that was cut off because of you humans" she continued on.

Lucy's eyes widened with horror. ". . . What?"

Andromeda scoffed at her. "Hah. You're acting like you're shocked and horrified, but you'll be just the same. Admit it, you find it convenient, right? You got a power lacrima. Not to mention, it's Columba's lacrima. With her buffing magic, you could also boost your attributes to defeat us."

The golden haired summoner was more shocked and horrified at the idea though. It felt like her mind clogged and stopped working as the terrible truth behind the object she was holding came to light. She couldn't accept it. That was just too much.

"N-No . . . you've got to be kidding me . . . why?"

"Why? You ask me why!? You humans had been butchering us for decades, and you ask me now, WHY?" she began to laugh as if it's some bad joke.

"Hahaha. Who do you think holds the greatest production of lacrima in this country? Why do you think this small village holds a great position in the market and power at the council!? This very village gains its very income on exporting lacrima!"

"Stop it! Don't say anymore!" Vulpecula, the little fox, cried. Lucy's body was shaking badly as Andromeda continued to speak. She bend over to the ground as the thought and pain flood through her mind. Tears began to leak out of her eyes.

"Why indeed!? It's all because it's convenient! We never die! We don't need to eat! We are basically a materialization of ethernano that formed consciousness! We don't have a real physical body! We're just a lump of infinite energy magic resource for you stupid humans!"

"Stop . . ."

"What? Feeling concerned? Am I supposed to take that seriously? Yeah right, maybe you act like its disgusting and such but later you'll also find it convenient."

The chained spirit glared at everyone, then look at the top box.

"Just like them. In the end, even when you claim to love Spirits . . .

"You will just sacrifice us for greater power."

. . . * . . .

End of Chapter.

I find it sad that Andromeda is kinda right with the last sentence. She will sacrifice Aquarius to summon the Celestial Spirit King later, but that won't be tackled in this fic.

* This was referring to Chapter 347 when Lucy, Wendy, and Flare fought off against the three treasure hunters. I recommend you to check on that chapter. Sagittarius was actually doing well on deflecting the bullets even from far away. The time he got shot in the chest was only when Virgo (who was wearing a very short miniskirt) got into a "funny" position when she tried to dig through ice.

The moment I read that chapter, I couldn't help but think that Sagittarius looked away to Virgo, and therefore got hit. Just check it out to see what I'm talking about.