SailorStar9: And we continue with Chapter 104. 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 104: Astral Spiritus
"This is the entrance?" Natsu blinked, the group stopping on top of the mountain.
"Since ancient times, of those who have climbed this mountain seeking Astral Spiritus, most adventurers have vanished without a trace." Hisui remarked. "Supposedly, they were looking for the source of Celestial Spirit Magic, but most of those who were enveloped in this mist never returned, wile those who survived abandoned their quest. They're only rumors. But we must proceed. Okay, the keys, you two," she presented the keys to Lucy and Yukino. "The keys will lead us down the right path. Let's go." and raised the key in her hand, the key shining brightly.
Gray's icicle severed Eclipse Virgo's whip, freeing Natsu.
"Everyone!" Lucy gasped.
"How did you catch up with us?" Levy asked.
"Moore of them?" Taurus mused. "This is increasingly unpleasant."
"No fair, zura!" the male half of Pisces complained.
"It's thanks to Warren." Cana replied.
"His telepathy, right?" Happy guessed.
"Yeah." Mirajane nodded. "He used his power to track you down, and we climbed the mountain to get here."
"This is Astral Spiritus?" Ezra inquired. "They haven't accomplished Liberum yet, right?"
"I've always wanted to try having a slugfest with Celestial Spirits." Gajeel grinned.
"Trading blows isn't the focus here, Gajeel." Pantherlily reminded.
"Hey, Natsu." Gray called. "Here's where I pay you back for saving me."
"Do want you want." Natsu shrugged.
"Loke, now we can go one on one!" Gray pulled off his shirt.
"I'll destroy you!" Eclipse Leo swore and released his black flames.
"Love and Beauty Shock!" Aeon Venus nullified the attack. "Leo!" she barked.
"Taurus!" Aeon Jupiter glared at her morphed Stellar Representation.
"Scorpio!" Aeon Mars gave her Stellar Representation a rebuking look.
"Pisces!" Aeon Mercury turn to the Twin Fish.
"Have you forgotten our faces?" the four Senshi demanded.
"If you want to stop us, you'll have to follow us." Eclipse Leo declared. "Show us your own craving for freedom." he smirked and vanished via his gate portal.
"Bastard!" Natsu swore as one by one, the Eclipse Zodiac vanished through their portals.
"Please wait!" Hisui stopped Natsu. "I'll entrust each of us with one key. They're charged with Celestial Spirit Magic, so now all of you will be able to close the gates at will. Here, the Key of the Lion." she gave Natsu Leo's key. "This is the space between the Human World and the Celestial Spirit World. I don't know what will happen, but be careful."
"Let's go, Happy!" Natsu instructed and the blue Exceed took off after his partner.
"We Senshi will have to stay behind." Aeon Venus stated, taking out two prong-shaped rod-like items from her fuku bow.
"Mataku, those Celestial Spirits really are troublesome." Aeon Mars sighed, the other three Senshi following their leader's example.
"Realm Boundary Fixation!" the four Senshi tossed the rods straight into the Zodiac plaques on top of the portals: Aeon Mercury's rods flew into Pisces and Aquairus' plaques. Aeon Mars' were tossed into Libra's and Scorpio's tablets. Aeon Jupiter pulled her rods taunt when they embedded into Aries and Taurus' slates. Aeon Venus tossed her rods into Cancer and Leo's plates.
"Damn!" Aeon Mars hissed, kneeling on one knee as the rods started to drain their powers.
"Taichou warned us this would happen..." Aeon Jupiter gritted her teeth.
"But I didn't think it'll drain us this much." Aeon Mercury admitted.
"But we still have four more Gates left." Aeon Venus stated. "We need two more Senshi..."
"Call and you shall receive." Aeon Pluto manifested with Aeon Saturn in tow. "Alice." she turned to the Senshi of Death.
"Of course, Celia-sensei." Aeon Saturn nodded and the two Outer Senshi threw their own rods into the four remaining portals.
"The six of us will stabilize the the dimension boundaries between the Human World and the Celestial Spirit World with our powers." Aeon Pluto informed the Fairy Tail Mages.
"Let's go after them!" Ezra ordered, each Mage receiving a key from Hisui.
"Where am I?" Lucy found herself in a large library.
"It's just as I expected." Eclipse Virgo cracked her whip. "I figured you would come, Lucy Heartfilia.
"What kind of joke is this?" Ezra demanded and she stood with Eclipse Sagittarius on the shoreline.
"It's a recreation of a battle from a better age." the Centaur replied.
"Battle?" Ezra looked around at the obviously fake battlefield. "It's all papier mache, isn't it?"
"Fake it till you make it." the Archer shrugged. "Now then, best out of three."
"We just have to shoot those down, right?" Ezra asked, turning to the fans bearing the Sagittarius sign.
"Humans and Celestial Spirits..." Eclipse Libra voiced. "There needs a balance.
"What do you mean, Libra?" Yukino looked at her Celestial Spirit.
"Battle Colosseum, open." Eclipse Scorpio opened his card game field. "I heard you were good at cards?" he looked at Cana. "Then, fight me."
"Strange place." Gray remarked, walking into a dance floor, complete with a twirling disco ball.
"Kani, kani, aye!" Eclipse Cancer shuffled his feet.
"There you are, Crab." Gray noted.
"I've been waiting for you, kani." Eclipse Cancer posed. "So, come on, let's bump hot spirits, kani! Let's dance, kani!"
"It's hot..." Juvia found herself in the middle of a desert. "And no one else is around. Aries! Come out!" she shouted.
"What the heck is this?" Levy asked, finding herself stuck to a char in the middle of a pop quiz game-show.
"Shall we begin the showdown?" Eclipse Capricorn asked. "It's called Celestial Spirit Quiz. A voice from above is going to present us with a quiz. There will be ten questions. When they're all done, the winner will gain perfect freedom, and the loser will be subjected to something unbearable. Because I enjoy quizzes. Now then..."
Natsu barely managed to dodge Eclipse Leo's fire attack near the ruins and the two adversaries faced off once more.
"Hi!" Eclipse Aquarius greeted Wendy and Carla in an amusement park. "Let's play!"
"A place like this is inside the portal?" Mirajane found herself by the beach when she was tackled into the water by the mother half of Pisces.
"Piri, here I am!" the lively half of Gemini poked her head out from behind a tree.
"Piri, over here!" the other half of the Twins taunted.
"I've never felt so irritated!" Pantherlily snapped.
"I have no idea what they're going to do." Gajeel remarked.
"Piri-piri, those two are no fun at all." the Twins whined and shot into the air. "Piri!" their antennae then shone a bright light on Gajeel and Pantherlily.
"Doesn't this feel like the perfect place for a fight between two men?" Elfman cracked his knuckles as he and Eclipse Taurus faced off in the forest.
"Moo!" Eclipse Taurus replied. "Can I construe that as a compliment? Let's warp this up quickly. Despite appearances, I'm actually quite busy. Moo! Being muscular isn't all it cracked up to be." he chided, dodging Elfman's punches. "Moo! A beast?" he tsked when Elfman activated his Takeover Magic. "How vulgar. Turning into a beast doesn't change anything." he sidestepped Elfman's punch and dodged his attacks. Stopping Elfman with a finger, he sent the Takeover Mage flying a series of trees. "You're just wasting your time. Moo! Your fight lacks intellect." he scolded, dodging Elfman's fist. "That's why you're so clumsy." he sent Elfman to the ground with a foot to the head. "You should train your brain rather than your brawn. Although it's too late for that now... you see, I'm going to consign you to oblivion. Moo, that was too easy." he released the seemingly defeated Mage.
"It didn't work." Elfman stood back up, morphing into his Beast Soul: Were tiger, before switching over to his Beast Soul: Lizardman to block off Eclipse Taurus' attack.
"What did you do to me?" Eclipse Taurus hurriedly wiped off the sweat droplets that had fallen on him. "That was nasty! Dirty! Filthy! The stench! The stains!"
"Drink a Man's sweat!" Elfman dematerialized his morph and slammed an open palm into Eclipse Taurus' face, before sending the panicking Bull to the ground with a punch. Sitting on top of Eclipse Taurus, he let his sweat drip onto the Bull's face. "Put a cork on it!" he snapped and tapped the glowing key on Eclipse Taurus' forehead.
"The Bull is the first one down." Arcadios noted, the rest of the group watching Elfman celebrate his victory.
"Nicely done, Elfman." Aeon Jupiter nodded, the rod attached to Taurus' gate detached itself and dropped to the floor.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.