SailorStar9: And we continue with Chapter 102 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OCs.

Chapter 102: Library Panic

"The information is still fragmentary, so i don't have a proper grip on the situation myself." Yukino admitted, after Natsu and Lucy returned.

"But the 12 Golden Gates won't respond when they're summoned?" Makarov mused.

"That's right." Lucy replied, her Golden Keys were laid out on the table.

"Celestial Spirits and Celestial Spirit Mages have contracts with each other." Yukino stated. "So it's unthinkable, unless something very unusual happened. This is the first time I haven't been able to make contact with the Celestial Spirits."

"In other words, ' something very unusual' has happened?" Gray concluded.

"Gimme a break." Natsu spat, recalling how the Leo spirit had thoroughly trashed him. "That bastard, Loke... I swear I'll kick his ass!"

"First of all, tell me what happened in detail." Makarov requested. "'Perfect freedom'?" he echoed after Lucy related what had happened.

"Is that what Loke said?" Gray asked.

"He's the leader of the 12 Golden Gates, right?" Happy pointed out. "So maybe he's behind all of this."

"Then if I pound on him, this could all go away." Natsu suggested.

"Chill out." Gray sighed.

"As if I could chill out." Natsu retorted. "Those guys are Lucy's..."

"The 12 Golden Gates... are rebelling..." Makarov concluded.

"What could be the cause?" Yukino wondered.

"I can't believe they're rebelling!" Lucy protested.

"Of course, neither can I." Yukino concurred. "But..."

"That' right." Lucy pulled out the Southern Cross key. "I'll ask Crux-jii one more time."

"But Virgo forced the Gate shut." Happy reminded.

"I'm sure he'll come." Lucy insisted. "Gate of the Southern Cross, I open thee, Crux! Why Horologium?" she blinked when the clock spirit manifested. "Where's Crux-jii?"

"'It is very dangerous to come here, so I had him bring me, indeed'." Horologium quoted. "He said."

"He's been through a lot." Happy spotted the dozing cross spirit within Horologium. "And now he's sleeping."

"I want you to tell me what's happening in the Celestial Spirit World." Lucy requested, Erza having hushed the returning Team Shadow Gear.

"It's absolute mayhem." Crux replied. "And it all began so suddenly... the contracts between the 12 Golden Gates and the Celestial Spirit Mages have spontaneously become nullified out of the blue. Perhaps due to that influence, they are wrecking havoc. The Celestial Spirit World has become a wasteland and we can only hide."

"What happened to your mustache?" Natsu thought to ask.

"Can't the Celestial Spirit King do something?" Gray wondered.

"But we don't know where he is." Crux replied. "He's disappeared without a trace."

"The Celestial Spirit King is missing?" Lucy was shocked. "I can't believe this."

"In any event, Leo-sama the Lion is the leader of the 12 Golden Gates." Crux added.

"Loke was going on about 'perfect freedom' or something." Natsu mused.

"Liberum..." Crux supplied.

"Does it have something to do with this ancient tome?" Yukino pulled out the old book.

"Show me." Levy took over. "A grimoire written in ancient Meridius. No, it's a study. It looks like most of the entries talk about 'Liberum'."

"Were you investigating it on your own, Yukino?" Jet asked.

"Yes," Yukino replied. "I made it as far as that text, but I didn't know where to go next, so I thought I might be able to get answers by coming here."

"So, an old text like that is even in the Human World?" Crux was impressed. "Liberum is the name of a certain ritual that Celestial Spirits perform. If Liberum is performed, they can acquire the 'perfect freedom' that Leo-sama spoke of."

"But listen to this." Levy cut in. When Liberum is performed, a celestial globe is required to liberate the Celestial Spirits from their chains."

"'Chains'..." Lucy rested ah and on her key pouch. "We never thought of it like that."

"The ritual needs a 'celestial globe'." Makarov noted. "And where is that?"

"I don't know." Crux admitted. "I couldn't even tell you if they already have it or not."

"My guess is they don't have it yet." Ezra surmised.

"Then Loke just showed up to declare their independence?" Gray snorted.

"Levy, are there any other clues related to Liberum?" Erza asked.

"Calculating formulas and lore and recorded here." Levy muttered. "But lots of it's vague, and the words are too old for me to glean anything else."

"Wait a minute," Ezra remembered something. "Come to think of it..."

"That's right!" Levy realized the same thing. "The Magic Library may have more detailed archives."

"The influence of the anomalous weather may be extending to the Celestial Spirit World." Makarov stated. "But we wont' be able to move forward on conjectures alone. We'll go on from here, getting ahead of the 12 Golden Gates by getting our hands on more detailed information. It all begins from there. Ezra, you're in charge." he gave the command.

"Cana, you're with me." Ezra turned to the Card Mage. "Wendy, you're with Carla. Gray, you're with Juvia. Gajeel, you're with Lily. And Mira, please go with Elfman. We'll gather information from anywhere likely to have a clue about this. Upon Warren's return, we'll set up lateral communication between teams. I want Lucy, Natsu, Yukino, Levy, and Happy to head for the Magic Library."

"You're not getting away." Eclipse Virgo grinned, having ambushed Lucy's group in the Magic Library.

"Crown of Brilliance!" Aeon Venus' Love Whip turned into a circle above Virgo and the roses that donned the chain shot down rays of golden light at their target.

Taking the opening, Yukino moved in and pummeled the blinded Virgo with punches. "I've studied martial arts at Sabertooth." the Celestial Spirit Mage declared.

"Mcgarden, investigate while you still have a chance." Aeon Venus instructed, as she stood ready to attack with her metal whip in hand. "Yukino, go protect her."

"I enjoy inflicting pain, but I hate to be on the receiving end of it." Eclipse Virgo remarked, getting back to her feet. "That hurt!" she remarked, blocking Yukino's kick. "But now, I'll pay you back with punishment." she grabbed Yukino's head.

"Wink Chain Sword!" Venus tossed her barely formed weapon at Eclipse Virgo who merely tilted her head to dodge it, before the Celestial Spirit noticed Levy in the background.

"You shouldn't look away." Eclipse Virgo tsked, Lucy's Fleuve d'étoiles countering her own weapon. "Look at me! Show me a look of agony, Lucy Heartfilia."

"Geez, she sure has gotten tough." Aeon Venus muttered, the two whip users were thrown back.

"Where's Virgo?" Lucy looked around at the demolished spiral stairway.

"Oh no!" Happy exclaimed. "She took off after Levy and Yukino!"

"Wait, Virgo!" Lucy stopped the Celestial Spirit from chasing Levy and Yukino.

"I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?" Eclipse Virgo reminded.

"Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus fired off her light beams from the roses embedded on her whip.

"Ow!" Lucy whined, dropping in before Levy and Yukino through a hole caused by Eclipse Virgo. "Levy, Yukino, did you find any clues?"

"That's right." Levy beamed. "This is perfect timing."

"I don't think Virgo's chasing us any longer." Aeon Venus looked around.

"I see, South Warehouse, huh?" Lucy noted, after Levy explained. "Leave it to me. Gate of the Compass, I open thee! Pyxis! Thank you for coming." she looked at the penguin-like Celestial Spirit. "Do you know what direction the South Warehouse is in? Over there?" she looked at the direction Pyxis was pointing at. "Thank you, Pyxis."

"I take my previous comment back." Aeon Venus spotted the grinning Eclipse Virgo who had climbed out from a hole. "She was following us!"

"That's playing dirty!" Happy whined.

"Levy Mcgarden, that girl is heading for the celestial globe, isn't she?" Eclipse Virgo chuckled. "I'd like to punish you more, but I need to get what I came for." expanding her power, she riddled the entire tower with holes.

"Levy!" Lucy shouted, Levy having uncovered the obit from a crate.

"I found it, Lu-chan!" Levy beamed.

"Then, we're in luck; this'll stop them from activating the Liberum spell." Aeon Venus nodded.

"Thank you for finding this for me." Eclipse Virgo appeared from a nearby wall, her hands on the celestial globe. Creating a hole underneath Levy and causing the Letter Magic Mage to fall to the ground, she gained possession of the globe. "It's okay." she tenderly stroked the orb, Happy having swooped in to catch Levy. "Good globe."

"Wait, listen!" Levy shouted. "Liberum is..."

"Salamander..." Aeon Venus blinked when Natsu fell in from the sky.

"That was some fall..." Natsu winced, having returned from the Celestial Spirit World after battling with Eclipse Taurus . "What are you guys doing here? In fact, where are we?"

"Virgo is gone!" Yukino looked around.

"There's one more thing I found out about Liberum." Levy added. "A note was written on the list by 'celestial sphere'. The price of freedom that Liberum will bring the Celestial Spirits; they'll live for only 12 more days."

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.