"Just forget about it lady. I told ya, there's no undoing Erigor's barrier. You and your buddies are stuck." The man I had unfrozen rasped.
"Are you sure about that?", I whispered quietly as I placed my hand on the floor and let ice creep up onto him.
"Hhnh!" He gasped at my ice's subzero temperature, the temperature matching my desire to play games with this moron.
"Erza! Aquila!" Gray cried out, I turned to see him standing on one of the balconies.
"What are you doing here!? I thought you were with Natsu!" Erza thundered out.
"We decided to split up. Never mind that now!" Gray yelled hurriedly. Hm, smooth he skated over the fact that he and Natsu disobeyed Erza's direct orders. Who would've thought they had the guts? "Listen, I just found out Eisenwald's real target is Clover, The next town up!"
Erza paled, "What?!"
"Erza, the guild masters! The meeting is in Clover!" I spoke with urgency.
"Erigor's headed towards the conference as we speak! He's planning to use the lullaby to kill the guild masters!" Gray yelled out. Erza began to radiate with fury. I retracted my ice and scooted a few feet away. I almost felt bad for the poor Eisenwald schmuck.
"Why didn't you TELL ME?!" Erza roared at the wizard. He quivered with fear as I loomed behind her. With a disgusted look she dumped him onto the floor.
"Night, night. Hope the cold doesn't keep you up!" I smiled sweetly at the wizard before encasing him in ice.
"There's a problem. The station is surrounded by a wind barrier." Erza began.
"Yeah, I know. I saw it earlier. If you try to break through that thing, it'll make mincemeat out of you." Gray interjected.
"I've already tried that." Erza admitted, while clutching her wounded arm.
"I tried to freeze a portion of it too but no such luck." I added coming to stand next to Erza.
"Is your arm okay?!" Gray asked with concern.
"That's not important. What is, is getting out of here. We must stop Erigor before he reaches the guild masters conference." Erza stated.
"Wait a minute, Erza back at the pub. Wasn't there a wizard named Kage who broke Lullaby's seal on his own?! If he could do that, then he could break the wind barrier!" I said.
"We must find him!" Erza commanded.
"A dispeller huh? That could take it down!" Gray said thoughtfully.
"Let's go find him!" I said and took off down the hall Erza and Gray following me.
As we ran, a series of explosions wracked the eastern side of the station. "I believe we just received the direction to go to find Natsu and Kage." I said with a wry smile.
Gray rolled his eyes and Erza managed a small smile. We ran up a staircase to find Natsu standing before a slightly charred Kage.
"Do not harm him!" Erza called out to Natsu.
"Huh?" Natsu turned to see us running towards them.
"Good job flame brain!" I spoke with genuine delight. He took him down with relatively little damage, for us that is. Erza leaped at them with a sword as Natsu dropped to the ground pleading for mercy.
"Idiot, it's not you she's after!" I ran up and flicked him on the forehead.
Erza leapt at Kage and her sword bit into the brick, coming to a stop inches from his neck.
"You will dispel the wind barrier and you will do so without complaint, do you understand?" Erza spoke in a deadly serious tone.
"Just do it man! That chick's a real monster!" Natsu whined at Kage.
"Shut up Natsu!" Gray yelled back at him. I drew closer to both of them and slung an arm around each of their necks.
"Now gentlemen, what do we do when Erza's threatening someone? We. Stay. Quiet." I whispered the last few words and took a small amount of delight in their paled faces.
"Understand?!" Erza threatened again.
"Fine, I'll dispel it!" Kage stammered out.
Suddenly, Kage lurched forward with a pained groan. A pool of red began to spread from his chest as a hand emerged from it. He slumped forward in agony.
"Why? Karaka…" Kage moaned as he collapsed and the fat wizard Lucy had run after earlier was shown half-in and half-out of the wall. He was trembling as Erza rushed to Kage's side.
"No he was our only way out of here!" Gray cursed. Natsu was wide eyed and trembling.
"Kage, don't you dare die on us! We need your help, do you hear me?" Erza demanded of the fallen wizard. I dropped to his side.
"Erza, move. It won't be the best but it could keep him alive." I gently pushed my best friend aside. I placed my hands on the wizard's chest and forced ice to creep out of them. It creeped over his chest and covered his torso.
"More, more." I muttered to myself. I had to make it thick enough to withstand movement. Finally I finished and collapsed back, where Gray caught me. "It should be enough, to keep him, huh huh, alive." I panted. That always took a lot out of me. I had to perfectly control my ice's temperature so that he wouldn't get frostbite or hypothermia from it. It took a lot of finesse and control.
"Gray, can I have some ice?" I muttered.
"Sure thing. " Gray lowered me to ground and made me some blocks to eat. I began to pop the ice cubes into my mouth like candy.
The fat wizard, Karaka, I believe his name was, stood trembling before all of us. Natsu suddenly lit up in flames.
"He's a member of your guild! He trusted you and you tried to kill him!" He roared and leapt at Karaka who tried to disappear back into the walls, but Natsu broke through. He knocked him out with a single punch. We left him where he was and Erza grabbed Kage and slung him over her shoulders, whereas Gray helped me to stand.
I glared at the arm he had under my shoulders and shook him off. I lurched for a moment and was fine.
"If you want to help, make me a ton of ice!" I ordered Gray who rolled his eyes at me and then proceeded to start crafting ice for me to eat.
"Thank you." I whispered quietly as we descended the stairs. He nodded and we turned our attention to the next problem.
We had made it back down to the main hall where we found Lucy and we enlightened her as to the situation.
"No way, he want to kill all the guild masters!?" Lucy cried out after we finished our explanation.
"We have to stop him!" Natsu roared.
"That's easier said than done. Erigor cut off our only means of reaching Clover and he's headed there by air!" Erza explained.
"I'm pretty sure we could catch up to him on the magic mobile. But, we can't do anything until we figure out how to get on the other side of this barrier!" Gray reasoned.
Natsu, moron that he is, attempted to punch through the barrier. The recoil sent him flying back into a heap.
"See that's what happens if you try to bust through." Gray gestured to Natsu as an example.
"Kage, wake up! You're our only hope right now." Erza pleaded with the unconscious Kage as Natsu made another go at the wall sending him flying backwards.
"Cut it out, you idiot, brute force won't do you any good." Gray reprimanded Natsu.
"What options do we have? Kage's down, lucky to be alive, armor can't break through this, not ice, nor fire…" I puzzled against a column. What was I missing, what abilities do we have that I was overlooking?
Lucy tried to persuade Gray to try freezing the war, but I shook my head and interjected, "Won't work. I tried it earlier Lucy." Natsu threw himself at the wall again, only to be sent flying. I shut my eyes tightly trying to think over Erza, over Gray and Natsu. What was I missing?!
Natsu threw himself at the wall again and Lucy caught him when he rebounded, holding him.
"You're going to get torn to shreds." Lucy screamed at Natsu, who froze and turned to stare at her. It hit me as Lucy asked Natsu what was the matter.
"Your Celestial Spirits!" I yelled. Interrupting Natsu's similar declaration, "Do you have any that can help us get out of this mess?!" I continued. Natsu starts ranting about using one to teleport outside and Lucy shoots him down.
"But Lucy do you have any that could dispel the barrier or maybe get us through it?" I state firmly as I stand up straight. Then I notice Happy mumbling to himself then he jolted.
"I just remembered Lucy!" Happy cried out.
"Remembered what?" Lucy asked him.
"Remembered what I was supposed to tell you on the way here!" Happy exclaimed then proceeded to pull out a key.
"Lucy, is that a new celestial spirit key?!" I asked with growing enthusiasm.
"How did you get your paws on Virgo's key?! Didn't anyone ever teach you that stealing is wrong?!" Lucy yelled at Happy. I walked over and separated the two of them.
"Happy explain, now!" I ordered.
"I didn't steal it, Virgo asked me to give it to you! Her contract with Everlue was broken when he was arrested, and she decided that she wanted to form a new contract with you! She asked me to give you her key!" Happy declared.
"That's nice but I'll have to deal with her later." Lucy responded and Happy tried to protest causing Lucy to force him to be quiet. Gray and Natsu began to remark how she can be scary too and I edged back a few feet.
"I'm sorry, I just thought that since Virgo can dig holes she could dig one and get us to the other side of the barrier…" Happy whimpered. Erza and Gray were shocked at the revelation, so was I for that matter, Natsu was clueless and Lucy's entire attitude changed in seconds. She praised Happy and apologized for pinching his face. Lucy takes the key form Happy and stands back from the rest of us.
With calm voice she says, "I call upon thee, in the world of the Celestial Spirits, and now I beckon you to my side at once, pass through the gate! Open gate of the maiden, Virgo!" A drilling sound can be heard from below and pretty young women with pink hair in a maid's costume appears before Lucy.
Lucy looked utterly confused as Virgo states, "You summoned me mistress? What can I do for you?"
Lucy manages to stammer out, "Who are you?"
I step forward and ask Lucy, "You don't recognize the spirit? I didn't think other celestial spirits could come through gates meant for others." I ask. Natsu steps forward and begins exchanging pleasantries with the spirit, obviously recognizing her. Virgo explains she changes to reflect her master's sense of aesthetics.
Lucy explains that we don't have a lot of time and she has no time to form a proper contract, to which I nod my agreement, then asks Virgo to drill us a hole to the other side of the wind barrier. Virgo agrees and begins to drill a hole.
"Wow! Look at her go!" Gray exclaims with excitement while Erza gives Lucy a bone crushing hug that has me smiling. Things were going to be alright. We hear a dragging noise and see that Natsu has Kage and is supporting him.
"I know he's one of our enemies, but I'd feel guilty if we just left him here to die." Natsu explains.
Erza smiles and even Gray nods. I approach and lay my hands on Kage's ice bandage and strengthen it. I stagger a little and Gray summons a block of ice as large as his torso.
"Thanks." I say before digging into the ice, replenishing my energy.
We all enter the tunnel, with Virgo leading us, followed by Natsu and Kage, Happy, myself, Lucy, Gray, and Erza.
As Natsu emerges I see him lay Kage down and shout to Happy, "Let's go catch this punk!"
"Aye sir!" Happy responds, unfurling his wings.
I clap my hand down on their shoulders. "Now, where do you two think you're going?" I say from behind.
Happy pales but Natsu merely turns and looks me dead in the eye. "I'm going to catch Erigor." He states with determination.
I smile at him, and release him. I freeze the beginnings of an ice trail and turn to them.
"I'm coming with you, Happy I going to fasten some rope to you, with you going at mach speed, it should be enough give me a sling-shot effect, once you get me started, my own momentum should allow me to keep up with you both so we can kick Erigor's ass!" Natsu cheers as I grab some rope from the back of the magic mobile and fasten it around Happy, who picks up Natsu with his tail.
"Alright, let's go!" I shout stepping onto my ice path. Happy is off with a bang, I almost can freeze a new path fast enough. I release the rope, my own momentum is enough now. I keep up with the boys as we wind our way towards Clover.