Ch. 5- Trapped

Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima

Story and OCs © Me

"DAMMIT!"

Natsu roared as he tried to punch his way through the Wind Barrier with his Fire Dragon Iron Fist, but the force was too powerful even for him, causing him to get thrown back. The others were trying to stop him from recklessly charging toward the barrier, but he wouldn't listen to reason. Haru whimpered as she held an unconscious Kageyama to her side, the man bleeding heavily from out his back.

Earlier, as the others had found out about the Wind Barrier, they realized that the only one capable of dispelling it was Kageyama, who was able to actually dispel the magic that had sealed Lullaby in the first place. They just barely managed to stop Natsu from beating the Shadow Wizard unconscious and fill him in on what was happening, but when they went to force Kageyama to stop the spell, Karacka, who had regained consciousness and managed to slip away after Lucy and Haru defeated him, had delivered a fatal stab wound to the back, to Natsu's rage. He soundly defeated the fat Phasing Wizard by punching the wall where he was hiding, along with him. Now, with the Wind Barrier still whirling around the train station and Kageyama bleeding to death... they had no way of escaping.

They were trapped... like flies.

"I'M NOT LETTING IT END LIKE THIS!" Natsu yelled as he kept trying to force his way through, but kept getting knocked back, getting more and more cut up the more he tried to get through.

"Natsu, stop!" Haru cried. "It's not working! You can't force your way through!"

"Dude, stop!" Gray shouted. "Seriously!"

But the Dragon Slayer just wouldn't relent. He growled as he lit his fists on fire once more and charged at the Wind Barrier.

"We... gotta get through!" he shouted. "WE GOTTA SAVE GRAMPS!"

"Natsu, please stop!" Lucy urged. "You're only gonna tear yourself apart if you keep that up!"

"I... don't... CARE!" Natsu yelled as he kept trying to force his way through the barrier... even as his forehead began to bleed.

"STOP IT!" Lucy cried as she grabbed him and pulled him back, causing him to seethe with anger and frustration... but then, he gasped silently as he felt himself getting squeezed, lightly, causing him to glance back at the blonde girl as she held him tight. "I understand, Natsu... you're upset and you're frustrated because you feel like there's nothing else you can do... but getting yourself torn apart isn't gonna save the Master! Do you know how much that would break his heart?!"

Natsu's eyes widened slightly before he forced himself to relax while Haru heaved a quiet sigh of relief, then looked over at Lucy, who kept holding her brother.

'That girl... she sure is something,' she thought. 'Even I can't get Natsu to calm down like that.'

"Well, now what do we do?" Erza asked. "Force won't work!"

"...Wait a sec!" Natsu suddenly spoke as he turned and grabbed Lucy by her shoulders. "Lucy! Your spirit guys!"

"W-what?" Lucy asked. "What about my Celestial Spirits?"

"Remember, back with that Everlue guy?!" asked Natsu. "I was able to warp from one place to the Celestial Realm, right?!"

"Well... yeah," Lucy replied, "but normal can't go through the Celestial Realm or else they'll die! They can't breathe in there!"

"Wait, when was this?" asked a bewildered Haru while Blue Fang tilted his head.

"Must've been while we took the job with the smugglers," Gray replied.

"And besides," Lucy began, "the Gate will only open in the place where the Celestial Spirit Wizard is, meaning that if you want to get out of here through the Celestial Realm, at the very least, you need a wizard outside the station if you want-"

"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah," Natsu muttered while picking his ear. "Just do it, already!"

"Natsu, I'm trying to tell you that it can't be done!" shouted Lucy. "And another thing! Humans are forbidden to enter the Celestial Realm! It's a breach of contract! We only got lucky because it was Everlue's key!"

"...Wait..." Happy spoke up, suddenly. "Everlue's... key...?" He then gasped as if a light switch had suddenly gone off in his head. "Lucy, I got it! I remember now!"

"Huh?" Lucy asked. "You remember what?"

"Something I was trying to tell you, earlier today!" Happy replied as he pulled off his knapsack and searched inside, then pulled out... a Golden Gate Key with the Virgo symbol! "Ta-dah!"

"Oh, my god!" Lucy exclaimed. "Happy, that's the Key of Virgo! You didn't steal that, did you?!"

"No, Virgo asked me to give it to you!" Happy replied.

"Wait, who's Virgo?" asked Haru. "I'm confused!"

"What are you two talking about over there?" Erza inquired.

"This isn't the time for idle chatter!" Gray added. "We're wasting time!"

"Hold it!" Natsu exclaimed. "You mean the gorilla lady?!"

"What gorilla?!" Haru questioned. "And who the hell is Virgo?!"

"QUIET!" Lucy shouted, causing everyone to stop. "Now, Happy, can you please explain to me what happened?"

"Well, it's like this..." Happy said before he began to explain to Lucy how he had obtained Virgo's Key. After the nefarious Duke Everlue had been arrested, it resulted in Virgo's contract with him being rendered null. Knowing that Lucy was also a Celestial Spirit Wizard, she asked that she make a contract with her, instead.

"I can't believe that thing wants a contract with me..." Lucy bemoaned, remembering the fat, gorilla-like maid with huge earlobes.

"So, wait," Haru said, "Virgo is a Celestial Spirit... and a gorilla?"

"That's right!" Natsu replied.

"WRONG!" Lucy countered. "Ugh... at any rate, while that is nice to hear, Happy, we don't have time for that! We have to put our heads together and think of a way out of here!"

"But Lucy," Happy began, "isn't Virgo able to dig beneath the ground? I thought that maybe she could get us out of here by digging a tunnel!"

Lucy gasped as the realization hit her.

"Oh... my god...!" she whispered. "Happy, that's it! You're a genius!"

"Well, it's about time you said it," Happy said.

"Wait, can this Virgo lady really do that?!" asked Gray.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Erza said. "Lucy, summon this 'Virgo', at once!"

"But... I have to set up a contract with her before I can!" Lucy replied.

"Lucy, we don't have the time!" Haru pointed out. "Just hurry! You can always work out a contract with her later, right?"

"Well... since this is an emergency," said Lucy before she took the key from Happy, "I'm sure she won't mind." She then closed her eyes and held the key aloft while placing her hand on her heart as a magic circle appeared beneath her feet.

"I call upon thee from the World of the Celestial Spirits! I beckon ye to my side, at once! Pass through the Gate!"

Soon after, a keyhole of light appeared before her.

"Open the door to the Gate of the Maiden! VIRGO!"

There was a flash of light, forcing everyone to shield their eyes, and the earth shattered before a mysterious figure appeared before Lucy... but to her shock, it was not at all what she was expecting.

It was a young, petite-looking woman with rosy pink hair and blue eyes, wearing a maid outfit and shackles around her wrists.

"You summoned me, Mistress?" she asked.

"What the what?!" Lucy asked.

"...That's not a gorilla," Haru muttered, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"Hey, did you lose weight?" Natsu asked.

"Please forgive me for my prior actions," Virgo asked, seemingly ignoring the question.

"She didn't just 'lose weight'!" Lucy said, still in complete shock. "She's a totally different person, now! What happened to you?!"

"Ah, yes," Virgo acknowledged. "Perhaps I should explain. I am but a loyal servant to my Master or Mistress. Therefore, I take the form that pleases them most and will faithfully do my work without question."

"Hey, she's kinda hot," Gray smirked.

"Hmph... why does this not surprise me?" Erza asked. "Considering it's Lucy, after all..."

"I didn't think you were into that, Lucy," Haru added. "Not that I'm judging or anything!"

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?!" Lucy questioned, her face turning red at their implications, but she quickly shook her head and turned to Virgo. "Virgo, listen, I know I'm supposed to set up a contract with you, but we don't have the time! Can we negotiate one, later?"

"As you wish, Mistress," Virgo said.

"And I'd prefer if you didn't call me Mistress," Lucy pointed out.

"I see," Virgo replied before she eyed Lucy's whip. "Dominatrix, then?"

"No, no, not that, either!" Lucy cried. "Look... just call me 'Lucy', okay? You're not my servant! As far as I'm concerned, you're my equal, just like all my Celestial Spirit friends... do you understand, Virgo?"

"Very well, Lady Lucy," Virgo replied before bowing her head.

"No, just... never mind, we'll work on it," Lucy muttered in resignation. "Do your stuff, Virgo!"

"As you wish, Lady Lucy," Virgo replied before she leaped high into the air before taking a diving position toward the ground, and with little to no effort, she dug her way right through!

"She did it!" Haru exclaimed as she looked inside the tunnel opening.

"Well done, Lucy!" Erza praised as she pulled Lucy in for a hug... only to accidentally slam her face into her chest plate.

"OOF!" Lucy grunted. "Ugh... no problem, Erza... ouch...!"

"Now's our chance!" Gray exclaimed. "Let's blow this pop stand!"

"Right!" Natsu nodded. "Come on, sis, we're leavin'!"

"Coming!" Haru called as she gently pulled Kageyama onto Blue Fang's back, making sure he didn't fall off.

"Hey, what are you doin'?" Gray asked. "Did you forget? That guy's our enemy! Besides, we don't need him, now!"

"And you suggest that we leave him to die?" asked Haru. "Not likely!"

"Yeah, man, we're not animals!" Natsu pointed. "It just wouldn't feel right if he kicked the bucket after fighting me!"

"I... I wasn't saying that we leave him to die!" Gray argued.

"Worry about it, later!" Erza called as she jumped into the tunnel. "Let's go!"

With that, the group all headed down the tunnel, being very careful not to jostle Kageyama, and before too long, they made it outside the train station. As they brought themselves up and out of the tunnel, Haru gently laid Kageyama on the ground.

"Hey, can one of you tend to Kageyama?" asked Haru.

"I can do it!" Lucy said as she raised her hand, trying to keep her skirt down from the wind with Virgo's help... even though the Celestial Spirit's underwear was showing (which caused Gray's nose to bleed). "I know some first aid!"

"Good!" replied Haru before she climbed onto Blue Fang's back. "You can find a way to catch up to us, right?"

"Where are you going?" Erza asked.

"There's no way all of you can make it to Clover on foot!" Haru answered. "Natsu, Happy, Blue Fang, and I will go on ahead to Clover and warn Master Makarov and the other Guild Masters there!"

"Sis, come on!" Natsu called while Happy carried him in there. "Time's a-wastin'!"

Soon, the Dragneel Siblings took off with Happy carrying Natsu at full speed and Blue Fang running as fast as he possibly could.

"Are you sure it's okay for them to go off like that?" asked Lucy as she cleaned out and stitched up Kageyama's wounds.

"Ugh... it... doesn't matter," the Shadow Wizard said with a smirk. "Master Erigor is too far ahead. You'll never be able to catch up with him at this rate. We... we've won."

Lucy sneered before she returned to stitching up Kageyama's injury, causing him to grunt in pain.

"W... what are you doing?" he asked.

"Just shut up and let me do this!" Lucy argued. "Look, just because Erigor's far ahead, that doesn't mean you've won yet... so I wouldn't get so confident." She paused. "And besides... why would you still wanna support him if he doesn't even care about you?"

Kageyama's eyes went wide just as Lucy finished stitching him up, then wrapped bandages around his waist.

"There," she said. "That should do it." She then turned to the horizon where Natsu and Haru left.

"...Be careful, you guys..."

XXX

Blue Fang panted as he ran as fast as he possibly could along the train tracks while Haru clung to his collar. Meanwhile, Natsu and Happy flew overhead, the blue cat's wings seeming invisible as he flapped them faster than a hummingbird's wings. As Blue Fang ran, Haru spotted this tiny speck in the air... one that was slowly beginning to grow bigger.

"Natsu!" Haru called. "There he is! That's Erigor!"

"I see him!" Natsu called back before he set both feet ablaze, boosting his flight speed before he lifted them up and kicked the Wind Wizard to the tracks! "Haha! Bull's eye!"

"Nice goin', bro!" Haru cheered as Erigor landed on the ground with a thud, then turned and glared at the Dragon Slayer and Beast Wizard.

"Ugh..." Happy groaned before his wings finally disappeared. "I can't... fly... anymore..."

"Happy!" Haru cried as she caught the blue cat in her arms. "Are you okay?!"

"Aye..." Happy moaned.

"You... you cretins...!" Erigor snarled. "Just what do you think you're doing here?!"

"What's it look like?" Natsu asked with a cocky grin while lighting his fists on fire. "I'm here to kick your sorry ass, ya windbag!"

"You rest right here, Happy," said Haru as she gently laid Happy down where he wouldn't be in the way. "Natsu, Blue Fang and I are going on ahead!"

"Oh, no, you're not!" Erigor shouted as he swung his scythe at Haru, who shrieked as she tried to brace herself, but then Natsu jumped in the way and grabbed the scythe by its blade, causing him to grunt as he felt his palms getting sliced.

"Natsu!" Haru cried.

"Sis, just go!" Natsu urged. "I'll hold him off! Get to Gramps!"

Haru nodded before she jumped onto Blue Fang's back and the wolf took off running, but as he dashed off, Haru glanced back at her brother with a look of worry.

'Don't die, Natsu...'

Next chapter is the final battle of the arc, plus a bonus chapter!

Review, please!