October 31st, x777
Yoko's Bedroom
10:00 PM
"Mama!" The young cried out as Wiess entered the room. Upon hearing her child's voice, Yoko's mother jumped out of the mage's arms and hugged her daughter tightly.
Wiess made his way over to Rebecca and Aries. "Find anything out?"
"No," She let out an exasperated sigh. "If they're hiding something, the daughter is out of the loop."
"I see...What about ya, Aries?" The dragonslayer turned the shocked ram. "Do you know why Gemini would act like this?"
"N-No, our contracts won't allow us to harm humans unless we're commanded by our master," She mumbled. "Bu-But who would want to torment this family? It can't be Gemini."
"Whoever it is, they really want them to disappear," Wiess crossed his arms. "Apparently the dad was taken right before I got into the room. I tried asking about it, but the chick won't answer."
"So it's a sensitive topic," Rebecca thought to herself. "What the dad? Can you still smell him?"
"Yeah, If I'm not counting you, me, and Aries, I know there are three people and a corpse-"
"Cor-Corpse?!" The mother's eyes widen in alarm. She shielded Yoko's from us with her body. "Wh-What corpse are you talking about?"
Wiess paused as he frowned at the thought. "The corpse stowed away in this damn mansion. Might explaining that?"
"My friend here tried to use a botched Werewolf lacrima," Rebecca cut in when she noticed the confused expression on the family's face. "He wanted to be a werewolf, but it only gave him enhanced senses and an unsatisfiable appetite."
"So...th-that's how you knew where we were hiding?" Yoko concluded. "Wh-What are you going to do now?"
"That depends. Why are you keeping a dead body in here?" The dragonslayer folded his arms across his chest.
"We're not!" The mother shouted out her rebuttal. She was ready to lash out at the mages. First, they dare to break into her mansion, and then they dare to bring another one of those dirty spirits inside. She had half a mind to throw them in jail. But, her daughter was her number one priority. If she can get Wiess and Rebecca to aid her family, then this will a small price to pay. The silver-white haired woman took a deep breath before beginning her story. "I'm sorry. This month has been very stressful, but I can explain everything. Please...hear me out."
Weiss shot Rebecca and Aries a neutral expression. "Wanna hear what they gotta say?"
"...Yeah," She answered as the ram nodded along, "I want to know why Gemini is acting out, and if a corpse is involved, then we can't turn a blind eye."
The Celestial Wizard took a seat on the edge of the bed while Wiess sat far from the group, in the only unharmed chair in the room. Aries summoned a small cloud of pink wool as a cushion. Yoko's mother sat with her back against the backboard of the bed and her daughter sitting on her lap.
"It all began about a month and a half ago when my family finally moved into this mansion. It was my husband who bought the property and allowed his mother, Yoko's grandmother, to move in with us. While we were unpacking and settling in, his mother came across the Wa-I mean Gemini's key. From their first interaction, Gemi, Mini, and her became inseparable."
"The Twins were a wonderful addition to our family. They were extremely helpful when it came to caring for Grandma Agria: helping her walk upstairs, scheduling when she took her medication, feeding her when she couldn't do so herself, entertaining her, etc. And Grandma Agria treated them as if they were her own. But,...one day it all took a turn for the worse."
"Gemini kept transforming into me and my husband. They were impersonating changed Grandma Agria's medicine and locked her away in the attic. My husband tried to break and recuse his mother, but Gemini pushed him down the stairs in the struggle and barracked the attic's door. My husband and I tried our best to reason with the spirit. Gemi and Mini were our children, but they would not listen to anything! We went to the police, and they barely managed to subdue the Twin. When they broke through the barricade, we found-Oh God!"
"Miss. Agria's body," Lucy answered in a low voice. She couldn't handle hearing the mother's anguish any longer.
No, they had to bring this matter to rest. For this family's sake, Rebecca and Wiess needed to bring some justice to this family.
"We'll handle the rest from here," The dragonslayer firmly reassured the family as he rose from his seat. "There ain't a spirit in the world that can get past us!"
"Wiess is right! We'll rescue Mr. Agria from the Twins and bring peace back to your home." Rebecca nodded along with a bright smile.
Aries stared at the two with a sense of admiration. Even when facing a powerful golden gate such as the Twins, they had an air of determination around them. Meanwhile, the ram felt uncertain about the issue. On one hand, her heart went out to the family, and her master was determined to help them. So, why did she hesitate? Why did she lose her voice at the moment? Did she doubt the mother's words? Why? By the sound of it, Gemini ki- that's it!
"I need to speak to Gemini before the others can." She spoke below a whisper, wary of attracting the other's attention. The dragonslayer gave her curious brow but dismissed the thought when the ram furiously shook her head. "If Gemini killed Grandma Agria, then there's an inconsistency."
October 31st, x777
Agria Mansion's Front Entrance
10:30 PM
Our heroes safely brought the mother and daughter duo to the front gate of the mansion. There was no sight of the Twins as of late, but the mages were determined to unravel the location of their hiding spot. Upon her request, two of Lucy's spirits met the group at the gate.
"Thank you again, Virgo, and Capricorn!" Lucy profusely bowed. "I'm sorry that I had to cut your festivities short tonight."
"It is no problem, princess," The sea-goat merely waved as he opened the gate. "Taurus retired earlier, so we are free to aid you in any means. We are happy to be of assistance."
She apologized once again before explaining her plan to the newcomers. "I need you to keep an eye on them while we search for Gemini. I'll give you the full details when everything is over, but they need your protection in case they attack again."
"Are yo-you sure we can trust them?" The mother's eyes shifted between Rebecca and her spirit. "They might be aligned with Gemini."
"Our master's orders are the upmost factor in the matter," Virgo reassured the mother as she guided them down the road.
With the Agria female under the protection of Lucy's spirits, the trio returns the mansion's entrance room. The Celestial Mage studied the layout once more. While the home was spacious, there were only so many hiding spots.
"Hey Sting, do you smell anyone else in the house?" The Celestial wizard asked as she folded her arms across her chest. "If you can sniff out Gemini, then this will make everything a lot easier."
"Too bad, they're not in the house," He grunted while scratching the back of his neck. "They disappeared after I saved that woman."
"Gemini dis-disappeared?" Aries gasped which earned a curious eyebrow raise from the dragonslayer. The ram shuddered underneath his stare. "Di-Did I say something wr-wrong?"
"Why are you surprised? I thought all spirits can open and close their gate whenever."
Lucy opened her mouth to give the obvious answer. Golden gates are capable of doing this for days or months on end, depending on their strength. Loke, being the leader of the golden gate, can hold his gate open the longest. The rest can vary. She has seen Virgo and Aquarius open their gates voluntarily, a couple of times. And Lucy would be lying if she said Gemini can't open or close their gate freely. But, why did that bother Aries?
"We-Well, it is that Mrs. Agria's story made it sound like Gemini killed Grandma Agria, so Ge-Gemini closing his gate doesn't make sense. I might be overthinking the situation, sorry!"
"Nah, it fine. We just gotta find the husband and catch Gemini," Sting shrugged it off. "I guess we can split up and search for clues."
"I-I can take the second fl-floor. There aren't a lot of rooms left, so it sho-shouldn't take me long." Aries offered.
"Then, Sting and I will divide the ground floor." Lucy swallowed her concerns and allowed her spirit to search independently. "If you come across anything, please don't hesitate to call out. We'll come running."
"Th-Thank you, I'll try my best!" Aries nervously showed her smile before disappearing up the stairs. In her rush to escape into the darkness, the spirit overlooked the dragonslayer's watchful eyes.
October 31st, x777
Agria Mansion's Attic
10:45 PM
With one last glance behind her, the ram spirit scaled the ladder to the forbidden attic. If her suspicions were right, then an important clue must be in here.
The attic was more cramped than Aries expected. There were a few pieces of furniture scattered around the small space, but it wasn't the ideal living arrangement. The skyline window on the roof shined the light from the full moon into the room. In the center of the room, a figure sat peacefully in a rocking chair. To the left of the figure, Aries noticed another figure struggling on the nearby couch.
Closing the floor door behind her, the ram slowly approached the mysterious figures. Underneath the moonlight, Aries found an elderly woman slumped in her seat. Her clothes hung her body like a towel drying on a rack. A golden key rested softly on the woman's lap. The ram spirit whispered a small prayer to the Celestial Spirit King on the woman's behalf, urging the king to put her soul to rest.
To the left of the deceased woman, there was a bound-and-gagged man struggling against his restrictions. His arms were tied to the rope hanging from the ceiling. From the wrinkles on his forehead and somewhat grayed hair, Aries guess the man was somewhere in his mid-forties and possibly the missing husband. His eyes were red with dried tears on his cheeks. Upon the ram's entrance, the mystery man let out a muffled scream at the spirit before glaring at her.
Despite her senses urging her to run away. Aries slowly made her way to the man until they were eye-to-eye. The graying man thrashes violently as the ram loosens the cloth around his mouth and was immediately met with him spitting purposefully on her face. Taken aback by this, Aries wiped the saliva off and stared at the man.
"Di-Did I do something wr-wrong?" She stuttered out in confusion.
"Something wrong?" The man scoffed in a low tone before violently swinging his leg at the spirit, in hope of bruising her. "You broke into my house!"
"No, no, you got i-it wrong! My master heard screaming coming from inside, and your daughter-"
"My daughter..." His eyes dilated when he recalled the last time he saw her. A new rage filled his body as he glared furiously at Aries. "What did you do to my Yoko?! I swear if you did anything to her I will make you into a roasted ram!"
"Touch the ram and I'm breaking every bone ya got, starting with your kneecaps." Aries let out a sharp gasp when she noticed Sting and her master entering the attic. Did his screaming give away their position? The dragonslayer had a wicked grin on his face as he continued. "Come on, keep on threatening the girl. I didn't promise ya wife I bring you back in one piece, so I ain't got no problem with making ya into a punching bag."
"Weiss please," Her master sighed as she rested a hand his shoulder, signaling him to step down. Stepping forward, Rebecca spoke up again. "You must be Yoko's father. Your wife asked us to search for you, a little while ago."
He held back his slick tongue but snuck a quick glare at Weiss before answering. "...Where are they?"
"We sent your daughter and wife in the city for the time being." The Celestial Wizard responded with a heavy sigh. "Some of my spirits are watching over them."
"Speaking of spirits," The dragonslayer folded his arms as he turned to ram. "Mind telling us how you knew he was up here?"
When the pink ram realized that all eyes were on her again, she began to fidget with the purse attached to her belt. "We-Well, the thing is... I didn't. I-I was looking for Gemini because I-I had a question. I'm sorry!"
"You're fine, Aries," Rebecca quickly reassured her spirit. She, herself, had some suspicion about the situation, but the mage never expected the ram to act in secret. "But, please, come to me next time if you have any problem. I'm here for you all."
"Thank you..." The pink spirit smiled softly before she remembered her mission. "I thought the mother's story didn't make complete sense to me."
"Angela told you what happened..." The man choked on his voice as the tears filled his eyes again. Rebecca nodded slowly. "I can't tell you how sorry my wife is. The whole thing was an accident. Please don't think badly of Angela."
Weiss didn't bother resisting his urge to frown. When the story was finally making sense, this dude throws a curveball. What could make the mother sorry? Gemini killed the grandmother. The dragonslayer let out a groan once he scratched the back of his neck. Guess it's time to get a little dirty. "You know. I'm still kind of fuzzy on the detail. I would ask your wife but seeing how she's out, can you fill in the gaps?"
"Um sure, I was still on a business trip when later half happened, so I got most of it from Gemini." The father began to explain with a small sad smile on his face. "My mother and I finally saved enough to buy this mansion. It was always my mother's dream to live amongst the spirits, so I mentioned to her that a mansion in Celestia was up to sell. Putting together what she saved for vacation and what I made as a lawyer for magic guilds, we managed to pay everything upfront. Upon us moving in, my mother spoke about nothing except having a key all her own. She always wanted to befriend a spirit and spend the rest of her life along with one. And so, when I found Gemini about two months ago, words could not express the amount of joy my mother had once I gifted her the Twin's key."
"The Twins were everything that my mother could ever want. Once I explained to Gemi and Mini about my mother's heart condition, they readjusted their pranks to be milder. You have to understand that my mother couldn't take a sneak attack or a jumpscare in general. When I was explaining this, Gemini told me something important. If they accidentally killed their master, the Celestial King would banish them from the Celestial World and slowly kill them. So, the spirits and I came to an agreement. From that point on, the Twins became a tremendous help when it came to caring for my mother. I still offered a hand where I could, but Gemini, for the most part, was my mother's friend and primary caretaker. I would drive her to the doctor and refill her prescription when necessary. And the twins, they would make cook, give her daily vitamin and pills, and accompany my mother on her walks. Somedays, it felt like I had a sibling or two. I thought when we would move in, I would have to hire someone to help around, but Gemini was perfect."
"My daughter slowly took a liking to the Twins, so when my mother was sleeping, the twins would check on Yoko. I thought the four of us were grateful for Gemini. Some days my mother wouldn't have the strength to summon the Twins, so either I would do it on her behalf or the twins would maintain their own gate. Over the first couple of weeks, the twin said they had built up their resistance, so Gemi and Mini could maintain their gate for days on end. Who knew that would bite us in the ass so soon." He let out a dry chuckle.
"I had to go on a business trip towards the end of September for a case involving Phantom Lord, so I left Angela and Gemini in charge. My wife has always been hesitant to trust spirits, so I thought this was a great chance for them to bond. If they had a chance to work together, then the gap between them should've shrunk, even a little. But, when I am back, the mansion was halfway destroyed. I feared some thugs had ransacked the place in my absence, but Gemini reassured me that was not the case. According to the Twins, who were speaking faster than ever, they were screaming about how awful my wife was. Everday day since my departure, she was cold and harsh to them and refused to allow them near Yoko. Gemini said they held their tongue on my mother's behalf and continue to care for her. And yet, every day brought a new rule or change. It started with a simple bedtime and escalated every day. They said Angela forbade my mother from going outside and switched her medication to sedate my mother. When Gemini impersonated me to get it changed a few days later, apparently that caused a fight all by itself."
"From that point on, they fought about everything. My daughter and my mother were said to be the peacekeepers, but their words fell on deaf ears. According to Gemini, my wife locked my mother in the attic in retaliation of something the Twins did. When Gemi and Mini were finally able to free my mother, they went after my wife. My daughter said that if looks could kill then my wife wouldn't survive the day. I think that was when my daughter truly feared Gemini. The Twins said they found my wife at the top of the stairs. What started as another argument grew into something more physical. My mother tried to stop them from choking each other, but Gemini said that my wife backhanded her and caused her to fall down the stair..."
The father's voice broke towards the end of his story. His tears stung his eyes and the hearts of the listeners. The death of a family member always hurts, but for her to go in a painful way. The Celestial Wizard couldn't help but think about her mother and father passing as well. At the time, Lucy didn't fully understand why her mother passed, but her heart endured the pain. Her father passed away a little bit before she returned, so the scars on her heart never fully heal. Lucy knew her father loved her nonetheless.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Rebecca apologized as she hugged the weeping man.
Weiss and Aries stood off on the side as the moment passed. The ram offered a cloth to the red-eyed dragonslayer. He stared at the pink handkerchief for a moment before quietly accepting it. The spirit wiped the tears from her eyes. Gemini had the ideal life. A master who they enjoyed serving and a place to begin. It's true the life of a human is far shorter than a Celestial being, but it means little to the zodiacs when they cherish their masters. Aries understood she had to help bring Rebecca and Weiss back to their correct timeline. Still, she was happy to be alongside the duo. With the zodiacs slowly entering the picture, Aries felt the group was becoming a family, a family that wants the best for each member. The ram only wished she would be under Lucy's command in the future.
"It alright. We all had a role to play in this accident." The father frowned. "After...that my wife found Gemini and I talking. She urged me to remove Gemini from the house, calling him a monster in the process. I tried to reason with the two of them and find some middle ground to compromise with. I think that's when Gemini truly turned against my whole family. He turned in my mother and screamed about righteous retribution. He destroyed the mansion in the attempt to get us to the attic. I always figured it was some type of cruel punishment, but I never thought my mother's corpse would-"
"Well, do you know who put her in here?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.
"That's the thing. I don't know. They kept insisting that the other did it." He explained. "You gotta believe me. Oh god, it all went so wrong so fast."
"I don't think it matters," Rebecca sweatdropped.
"It kinda does. If Gemini hid her up here, then the Twins are looking for an apology. If Angela did it, that's hiding a body."
"I believe him," Aries spoke up which surprised her master and partner. "Bu-But, I don't believe your wife. I'm sorry."
"Wh-What?"
"Well, Angela said Gemini locked Grandma Argia in the attic, so she had to call the police to get the break the entrance." The ram explained. "Aside fr-from the attic's floor being completely fine, Gemini isn't here, but the Twin's key is here."
"Ya know. You keep mentioning that key. What's so important about it?" The dragonslayer said, slightly annoyed by the detail. "Yeah, the spirit king can banish a spirit for killing their master, but what does the key have anything to do with it?"
Aries's answer set an idea off in Lucy's head. "We-Well, the Celestial King removes the spirit's key from this world, so no one can forcibly close the gate,"
"According to both stories, Gemini is the only spirit in this house, so there should be only one key in the mansion." Lucy deducted before staring at the item in Miss Agria's lap. "The Spirit King would have immediately banished the Twins the moment her death was confirmed. Therefore, if Gemini's stuck in this world without his key, whose key is sitting on her lap?"
All eyes focused on the key, and yet no one could move. If the key belongs to Gemini, then the focus shifts to why Angela would lie. If the key belongs to another golden zodiac, that opens an entire floodgate worth of questions. First and foremost, who is it? Leo the Lion? Pisces the Pair Fish? Secondly, why are they here? Where did come from? Where is Gemini if not here? Did they disappear from the world already, if so what is going to happen to the twelfth key?
"It's mine," A second Grandma Agria appeared. Her figure seemed almost tired yet her eyes were burning with determination. "The key belongs to me, Gemini."
"Then, you told the truth," Rebecca whispered softly as she untied the man. "Miss Agria's death really was an accident."
Gemini snapped with a boundless ferocity in their voice. "It was murder... a murder by the hand of the wretched bitch you call a wife!"
"Yikes, those are fighting words, but I got a question that's been bugging me." Weiss crossed his arms. "What do you want out of this? Like...what is terrorizing a family going to do for you? I'm assuming Grandma Agria was your owner."
"I want to retribution for the sake of her! She has been nothing but a sweetheart to this family, and she gets shoved down the stair for it!" They continued to shout in complete anguish. "And Varian, over there, sides with the murderer!? How can you be so cold-hearted towards your own mother!? She loved you more than life itself."
"I do love her, more than you can ever imagine!"
"Cut the bullcrap! You only wanted her money!"
Aries and Lucy winced at the words thrown as Varian and Gemini's shouting match devolved into a full-blown argument. The two fought like brothers blaming each other for a broken vase. The disdain their voices weathered the bond they had. It was becoming hard to stomach their bickering, and so someone had to step forward.
"HEY!" Lucy put forth her best intimation of Erza's authoritative tone. "You were family! Varian and Gemini, it's clear to see that Grandma Agria was important to the two of you, and I know she wouldn't want either to fight. Gemini, I know you're hurting. I get it. You lost a great master but lashing out won't this problem. Varian has suffered enough. This whole family has suffered from their mistake. If you don't believe me, then transform in Varian and look into his thoughts. You might believe his words are lies, but it's impossible for his heart to do so."
The Twins clicked their tongue out of frustration. Shooting Varian one last glare, they complied with Rebecca's order. After all, once they confirmed that Varian's heart was hollow and black, there would be nothing that could stop them. From the moment the transformation was complete, Gemini had access to every important memory filed away in Varian's heart. With wicked glee, they rampaged through the cherished memories in hopes of finding something that will prove their resolve to be true.
Instead, the Twins found memories of a son going great lengths to provide for his mother. While his mother worked during the day, Varian used his free time after school to cook meals. He had the domestic chores, so his mother could relax on her off-hours. Of course, there were still a few times where Varian's inexperience cost them dinner or forced them to eat burnt food. Gemini bit their tongue to force down a chuckle. At the age of 15, Varian picked up his first job after stumbling across a stack of overdue bills. One memory after another, Gemini found his resolving cracking with each cherished memories until they reached their breaking point. The Twins spirit did bother bidding their tears as they pulled Varian in a tight embrace.
"Come on, let's put this and mom to rest," Varian smiled as he returned the brotherly hug.
October 31st, x777
Agria Mansion's Backward
11:50 PM
"Ya know when I agree to go on this adventure," Wiess loudly groaned as he continued to work. "I had an idea of what I'm was gonna get into. I figured the occasional monster, dark guild, and probably a few shitty train rides, but what the absolute fuck did you rope me into doing?!"
"Wiess, we are doing the Agria family a favor," His partner shot him a passing glare before tossing some dirt over her shoulder. "It's the right thing to do with everything that has happened tonight."
"But we're literally burying a dead body," The dragonslayer returned her glare with his own. "It feels like we're committing a crime."
Rebecca simply stared at Weiss with this sense of overwhelming disbelief. "I promise you. None of us will speak about tonight to another living soul."
Wiess swallowed his complaints about the moment. The dragonslayer figured he could go another year or so before seeing another dead body. Nope! He wasn't entirely sure that it was a good or bad that he didn't know the woman personally. Sting knew that he felt bad for Varian and Gemini, but was he supposed to mourn the woman. If anything, Grandma Agria died for what she believed was right. Could he say the same when it all was said and done?
With help from Varian, the three of them managed to dig out a decent-sized hole. Gemini brought a small headstone in the memory of Grandma Agria while Aries summoned a box of pink wool to place the body in. The ram offered to find a more appropriate casket, but Varian reassured her that this was the best option. After all, he wasn't his mother to rest in the cloud for all eternity, and the ram's wool was the closest in the universe. Gemini and Varian spoke a few words on their mother's behalf as Rebecca and Wiess lowered the casket into the ground. Aries presented everyone with Night Sky Petunia from the Celestial World. With a tearful goodbye from the group, Weiss and Rebecca sealed the casket in the ground.
"How do you feel now?" Aries asked Varian with a hint of optimism in her voice.
"It still hurt, but I do feel a little bit more at ease with everything." He scratched the back of his neck as he answered. "There's still a lot left to do on my part."
"Like talking to your wife," Weiss remarked which earned him an elbow to his side.
"Yes, that too," He let out a heavy sigh, internally realizing that conversation won't be easy. "What about you, Gemini? What are you going to do now? This can still be your home, but I don't know if you want to stay after everything that has happened."
"Hmm..." The Twins released their transformation and returned their original blue forms. The floating duo turned from the group and whispered to themselves for a minute before answering. "We'll hold Mama Agria in our hearts forever. She was a great master, but I think she would want us to go with a master that can help us grow as spirits. So Rebecca, can go with you?"
"I would be happy to have you along for the ride," The Celestial Wizard smiled as she held her hand out.
The small pair wiggled her fingers before returning to their key form, successfully completing the contract. "Call us day or night, we'll come to bring a smile to your face!"
"Hey Rebecca, can I ask you a favor?" Varian asked the duo as they walked to the front gates. Aries took the chance to leave as well to give the Twins a proper explanation of the situation. "I get we've only known each other for less than a day, but can you give Gemini a chance at happiness? I know they're good spirits, so I think they deserve that much."
"You have my words as a Celestial Mage!"
Keys Obtained: Cancer, Aquarius, Capricorn, Crux, Virgo, Taurus, Sagittarius, Aries, Libra, and Gemini
Keys Needed: Leo, Scorpio, and Pisces
A/N: And that marks the ninth key claimed!
