Previously;
As I roll my head back, I catch a glimpse of something odd outside the train, I look down at it and gasp with wide eyes as the Concealment Spell on the Dark Magic Attack was lifted. Everyone in the compartment could either stare wide eyed or stop breathing as they start to recognize the magic but before they could fully calculate of what it is so they can defend themselves from it, the attack hit our train carrier compartment sending us flying nearly 20 meters away from the speeding yet crashing and burning train and its railroad. With my Creations Citadel whip already in my hand I skidded on the ground to find myself and sensing that most of my other comrades are protected from the unusual white smoke that lies clouded and bunched at the place where we were hit by the attack.
Wendy all of a sudden comes sailing out of the smoke unconscious. With an already good and ready grip on my whip, I swing it towards the air around Wendy, creating a Citadels ramp that has Wendy rolling smoothly onto the desert dirt.
Noticing something odd from the cloud, I turn my head just in time to see the white cloud feet's away from me and someone in dark clothing sending a kick my way. Too bad for me that I don't have any time to react to the tick that is already through my whip's defenses.
Sure enough I am sent 7 paces away from the odd man and sprawled on the dusty ground, coughing as I try to regain my breath. "How did you get past my Creations Citadel?"
"I am a Phoenix Rider. Your whip won't work against me because it is devoted to allow sanction to Phoenix Riders and Giants." I silently curse myself as I realize that this man knows the history of my whip.
I stand up and look at the ashen orange haired man in front of me and his comrades which include Midnight and Cobra are revealed as the fog lifts. "Well this isn't going to be easy." I murmur to myself.
"I'm afraid so. My name is Amphias De Cotoro and I will be your opponent, Lucy Heartfilia." Amphias said as he and the others dash to all of my scattered and separated comrades.
"Devenir Un!" I chant as the whip's power surges and imbeds itself into me. I set up some complex spells around me and Wendy as this Amphias fellow comes running towards me. The spells and barriers I set up around Wendy are more complex than mine which should give this Phoenix Rider a run for his money to break through them if he defeats me. Two pink glows appear in the cloudy sky above I spin the whip handle around and lash at the two glows with a neon-pinkish-purplish energy coming out of the handle of my whip. When the whip lash passes through the two glow's the air around and in the glows constrict and create metal devises of some sort that come barreling down at Amphias with deadly force.
Amphias easily dodges the incoming attack of the first device and then smacks and smashes the other with a side swipe of his fist engulfed in blood red flames. The pink glow in the broken device shoots back to me like a lightning bolt, I strain a gasp as my control on the Devenir Un mode wavers. Amphias jumps up and stomps the second one out of physical existence; I was able to contain my pained gasp as the lightning goes into me and the whip.
I glare down at my opponent with rage; I didn't like how he could get through the raw barriers and knows the history of my whip to the point where he knew its weaknesses. Not. One. Bit.
I elbow the hidden gray aura behind me and 6 snake like drill's are immediately unveiled and plunge into the desert dirt. They weave in and out of the dirt like dolphins as they surround and nick Amphias' clothes, keeping him in place at the moment.
Feeling another aura in the earth I increase the glow before lashing my now cloudy blue whip onto the ground. Giant, stone arms erupt from the ground as the top part of a giant with glowing orange eyes tries to slam Amphias into the ground as the drill's lash out at him and draw blood.
"Phoenix Screech!" Amphias chants as red fire comes bursting out of him mouth, causing part of the head and arm of the giant to turn to glass.
A warm, goose-bump like sensation runs up my arm and enters my head as the whip suggests in plans, ideas and pictures of what to do. I let go of the whip handle and let it levitate next to my hand with its strap on my forearm.
"—Gates Open—"I murmured. My voice echo's across the whole battle field as I bring my arms out in front of me, as if I am about to shake two people's hands or am about to lift up a box. The simple tribal markings on my wrists grow as the magic of my whips open up their great magic, it spreads out and cover's my hands completely as well as my arms. I feel a… rejuvenated sensation all over as I can tell that the magic is readying itself inside my vessel.
I clap my hands together and the magic that was pooling and festering inside of me swiftly envelops itself as a small orb around my middle knuckle before it grows in massive diameter that fits the whole battle field like a globe in a matter of milliseconds.
I can actually see through different eyes, the Creation magic as it stitches Light and Dark magic in both Giant and drillers as well as simultaneously bring conscious to the Creations. One could see the wispy cloud-like light swirling and spinning, merging and intertwining itself in rock and glass as the giant shrinks down to a tall warrior that has the aura of a worthy opponent. Another wave of power surges out of me as Earth and Gravity infuse themselves as tribal marks and upgraded armor of magic embeds itself into the 7 Creations.
I go back to my eyes and see that nobody could really move, they could just prepare to attack each other when the barrier comes down. Erza has gotten on her Flight Armor and is death glaring at her opponents as Mira and Elfman already have the spell that they are favoring to use on the tip of their tongue and ready to be chanted and casted. Gray and Natsu are swelling with their element's power as Lisanna is up in the air in her Animal Soul; Wings form, ready to strike or distract the enemy along with Happy. Carla is in Wendy's personal barrier as she sees to Wendy's head wound that the enemy did.
The Creation magic swirls around me like a vortex as it chimes in its unique way that it's done with its touch up's and gifts and that it's time to –close—the gate.
"—Gates Close—"I chant. The barrier, Citadel Creations, and Tenebres La Lumiere (Darkness' Light) magic go back to me, the only magic 'gates' that stay open are the Motifs Respectent (Ground's Abide) magic. A wave of dizziness rolls over me and I close my eyes and rub the bridge of my nose as the fighting starts up again as I realize that the Devenir Un spell ended when I chanted -gates close-.
"LUCY!" Carla shouts from her place.
I open my eyes and look just in time to see Amphias smacking me with two fists in the chest, sending me into the ground to create a big Lucy Crater before I bounce out of the crater and land on my stomach in a daze. My body spasms, aches and screams at me as I try to recover from both the Gates usage and the hit, my eyes and mind spin inconsistently as I also get over the 6 painful destruction of the 6 drillers and the disconnection of the Warrior.
I blurrily see Amphias' boots as he walks out of the crater. They stop a foot away from my Fairy Tail marked hand and I could faintly hear him say; "I'll wait until you're more aware before doing what I have planned next."
No One's POV
Amphias looks around and inspects Erza Scarlett's fight with some Teleport mages who were trained since they were young in intense hand to hand combat. They were being excessively tricky by teleporting to one spot before teleporting to another as they anger, taunt, and best the temperamental Erza with a little child's play. But it would be a deadly fault if someone said that the Teleport Wizards were getting away with no injuries. No every time they'd teleport to somewhere new to avoid a stab or slash of Titania's all of them would get a tiny scratch or nick in the clothing. Amphias knew that it wouldn't be long before the Fairy Tail mage found out their weak spot.
Amphias turns to Midnight, Cobra, Mira, and Elfman's fight as he sees Mira in her Demon form, fighting against Midnight and Elfman transforming into a full body Beast as he rampages at Cobra who seems to be having an amusing time with avoiding and blocking Elfman's attacks. Cobra brings out some poison but it all draws over to Mira's mouth as she eats it all up. Midnight tries to lock Mira in the world of the Nil Travelers but just as the Travelers touch her, she easily swats them aside with a manicured hand before launching towards Midnight and fighting in close hand combat.
Turning towards Happy, Lisanna, Natsu and Gray's fight, Amphias spectates Happy and Lisanna as Lisanna transforms herself into Animal Soul; Dragon and attacks the enemy who are distracted by Natsu and Gray's close hand combat. Happy and Lisanna dive with flames that nick the enemies bodies. Natsu eats up some of Lisanna's flame as Gray makes a catapult that flings the enemy mages a good distance away before shooting them with Ice Cannon Balls as Natsu roasts them with some sort of more coordinated fire breath.
Lucy's POV
I groan as I finally get over the silent spasms and start to move my legs into a position that I can use to slip under my body before standing up. It doesn't get that far as Amphias' boots shift towards me. I look fearfully up as De Cotoro reequips a blood red spear out of a dimension pocket. He twirls it around before plunging it into my right hand.
"AHHH-hhhh... Huh?" I asked as confusion rushes over me like a tidal wave and scrunches up my face. My hand is indeed impaled by the spear, the blade has even 'cut' through three of my finder bones horizontally, yet I'm not bleeding, in fact there's no pain at all minus the odd sensation atop my hand.
I look closely at the Fairy Tail symbol as it turns from a Pink Spice to a neon pink before light shoots up and out of my hand. Neon light twists and turns, spirals and curves as it creates a majestic Fairy Tail symbol with a decorated frame in the air above Amphias and I. The Neon Pink part of it goes back down into my hand leaving a vapor cloud trail of the Fairy Tail frame in its place. I inspect my hand as the usual Pink Spice color deepens into a more Double Truffle pink.
De Cotoro removes the spear blade and I can see a cut mark across the Fairy Tail sign where the blade had just been.
A red swirling light consumes my vision as I feel myself being lifted from the ground and standing upright on nothingness. I look around and see De Cotoro standing a pace beside me but looking at something in the distance or the tunnel like red fire.
My hatred for Amphias dissipates into an awareness of him, as though even if I dislike the methods he uses, he's still someone who's powerful. A past though arises from the depths of my mind.
Flashback;
"Lucy, Old Friend," The Celestial Spirit King starts, "Be wary when you bond with these whips, they give you a part of them as you give them a part of you. Their perspective and duties will become like second nature to you as your perspectives and will becomes a second nature to the power within these whips."
Flashback End.
Guess that's what Old Bearded Guy was talking about. When I bonded with my Creations Citadel whip, its duty to protect and house the Phoenix Riders and Giants will overcome some spells of mine that I might wish to use.
The musky red flames start to spin around us like a vortex, I stare into the 'eye' of the vortex that goes from a crimson red to an overwhelming gold that engulfs our bodies.
I shield my eyes from the gold as my ears start to ring. As the ringing dies down, I hear waves crashing against the sand some distance below wherever I was at. I sway a bit and find that I am once again on ground. I open my eyes and look down at my muddied boots standing on some cement. I look up and see that I am facing a window that shows there is a balcony outside the window and past that balcony is misty clouds.
"This... is the boundary of Galico isn't it?" I asked aloud.
"Yes it is." Amphias answered.
A loud horn sounds off in the near distance as a darker shape starts to outline itself in the silver-gray clouds. I turn towards the direction where Amphias' voice came from and I find him standing beside a big Lacryma orb that is stationed and connected to whatever building we are in, thanks to a golden stand. I find myself captivated by the Lacryma as the horn blares again behind me.
In the back of my mind, the first child sacrificed to the Nightmare whispers, 'Touch it, it's a new path that is welcome to us both. The 'worlds' won't crumble as much, as it will expand.'
Following the First Child's words, I reach out and touch the orb. It instantly reacts and lights up, illuminating the fog and the room in golden light. Red writing illuminate the golden stand and almost instantaneously the fog is blown away revealing a massive city floating a mile off shore.
I turn towards Amphias as he smiles fondly at the floating city and ask, "This boundary... it's the boundary on Fiore's borders isn't it?"
"That it is." Amphias answered.
A thunderclap followed by a low rumbling comes from behind the Lighthouse Lacryma. I turn and run to the window to see a two story mansion connected to the Lighthouse. Blue, purple, and green lights flash in a large building before dying down into the faint glow of lights turned on.
"Looks like the others are back." Amphias chimed before he climbs down the ladder.
"What others?" I asked in confusion.
"You know Cobra, Midnight, and the rest of my pals." Amphias chimed. In all honesty, I've slightly forgotten the fight that we were having just moments ago, at the mention of Midnight's name I start to feel heat rising to my cheeks that are more than likely pink right now. He looks up at me from his position halfway down the ladder. "I see that gusher-bomb." At this comment I feel my blush rising in depth of color and tone.
"Shut up before I kick you!" I snap as I climb down after him.
"Like you can kick me." Amphias said smugly. I pretend to have my foot slip and the back of my heel collides into his face. "OW!"
"Whoops!" I said innocently as I climbed down.
"That stings you know!" He complained.
"Be glad I didn't kick you with full force or you might find yourself a literal wall flower." I threaten as I hop onto the wooden steps.
"Alright, alright, warning received. Now come on the others are waiting!" Amphias whined before he bolts down the winding stairway.
"Why are they waiting? And why did you kidnap me?!" I demanded as I followed pursuit. Amphias doesn't appear to hear me as he's already 4 spirals below me and counting. "Oi, wait up!" I shout after as I start down the stairway with equal pace.
After some running later, I find myself in the entryway of this Lighthouse mansion that is absolutely gorgeous with its high ceilings with carved beams, to its marble floors, to the oak doors leading to separate rooms and the steel and cement doors that lead out of this mansion.
"Wow." I breathed as I turned and actually spotted a piano through a cracked open wooden door.
"Come on! No time to smell the flowers, I'll give you a tour later!" Amphias shouts over his shoulder as he runs down a hallway.
"Hey, you haven't answered my questions yet!" I shouted after him as I skid into the hallway.
"Woo!" He whoops as he slides on a carpet causing it to fold and crumple up on itself.
"Oh you child!" I scold as I started after him.
"The world has to be childish or it's not a fun place!" Amphias declared as he ran down the ballroom before throwing open some doorways that lead to somewhere else. Light from the shaded yet still bright sun shines down in the ballroom as he runs out into what I can assume is a courtyard. I race after him as exhaust from the Devenir Un spell and the Gates spell silently start to nag at my muscles and bones but I don't exit the doorway and enter the courtyard that cuts over to what seems like an indoors gym. I lean against the doorway as I catch my breath and fight dizziness. "He-Hey there!" Amphias laughs as he hugs his friends who's names I do not know, nor can I see the persons themselves, everything was starting to become blurry. "How was the rest of the fight?!"
"Horrible! I've got a bruise on my stomach and it is going to scar up my body along with my other collection of wounds!" A woman complained dramatically as she revealed the huge stomach bruise that Erza most likely gave her.
"Ignore her Amphias, she's being overly dramatic by something that can easily be healed by some hours of icing." Another woman said earning a glare from the first woman.
"You should have been there to see the Fiore Guild mages faces! They went murderous on us! Titania went totally bad ass with her Purgatory Armor on, she got Kiki and I in the gut. Allen here, was the one who was hit by surprise, luckily we all had our shields up when the consequence spread around." A man said as he slung his arms over two other's shoulders.
I could barely make out Midnight and Cobra as the two approach Amphias.
"Well I can see that the Lighthouse beacon is lit again. So she agreed to the terms?" Midnight asked.
"Well-" Amphias starts as he scratches his head.
"Uh-oh." Cobra said as I start to fall forward without realizing it.
I can hear the sound of my knees hitting the marble but as I fall forward, Midnight warps in next to me and catches my a foot before my face lands in the grass. My lips part as I fall into another magic induced slumber.
Later;
With a gasp I wake up to the fading gongs of the Nightmare, I open my eyes to meet a ceiling with some painted stars glittering against the wooden panels. I try to prop myself up but groan as the pain throbs throughout my back and chest where De Cotoro hit me and my impact with the earth.
"Evening." De Cotoro chimed as he looked up form his book that he was inspecting with spectacles on his gray eyes. I turn towards him with a pained questioned look. "It's 11 in case you're wondering. You've been asleep for about, 8 hours and 32 minutes." I groaned as I turned my side so that I don't strain and cramp my neck by looking at him oddly. "Yeah, you'll be feeling that pain for a few weeks. I wasn't trying to go easy on you but my Phoenix side knew that you were Gate Master of the Creations Citadel so both the Phoenix and the Creations saved you form broken bones, punctured organs and bruises. You'll just be feeling pain and be a little miserable and crabby too." Amphias explained as he took off his spectacles.
"Well that answers a question of mine." I murmured as I closed my eyes to adjust to the lamp that was shining right on my pillow.
"What question is that?" He asked.
"My Creations Citadel and I bonded and the Old Bearded Guy-"
"Who?" Amphias interrupts.
"The Celestial Spirit King." I clarified.
"Oh!"
"Anyway the Celestial Spirit King gave me a warning when he gifted these whips to me, he said 'be wary when you bond with these whips, they give you a part of them as you give them a part of you. Their perspectives and duties will become like second nature to you as your perspectives and will becomes a second nature to them.' Then he went back to the Celestial Spirit World leaving me behind with a question. If there are people who the whips duties are focused on protection, saving, training, etc., do the people have similar duties to the whip? Like if the 'Gate Master' as you called it, was pitted against the person who the whip has duties to, does that mean that both can't do anything against each other? Like is their magic going to refuse to cooperate with the castor?" I explained. "But those were halfway answered when I was fighting against you, I knew that the more raw, immediate barriers casted by the Creations Citadel were practically pointless against you. At that time I didn't know if your power would harm me."
"Well I can tell you right now. Our powers can't harm each other to where we are put to the death but we can sure as hell wear each other out until one of us passes out." Amphias explained. I sigh in relief at the answer. "I understand you asked some questions some hours ago, I'll answer them the best I can right now."
I stare at him with a shocked, wide-eyed expression as I think, so he did hear my questions, that ass!
"This Lighthouse is unique. Not only is it a part of the Galico country, it also has a special way of functioning and protecting the people of Galico. To answer your first question as to why Kiki, Ravenna and the others were waiting for us is because this Lighthouse needs ancient super-magic weapon holders to activate the beacon which is a safe haven of sorts for all civilians and mages of Galico. If the beacon was lite when they teleported into the mansion they'd wait for me to come down with the holder to see if he or she would want to stay in this mansion and be lord- or ladyship of the Lighthouse. If the holder doesn't want to keep the ancient super-magic, I have a safe method on how to sever the connection to the main source of the super magic and extract the residue of the magic, which will fuel the beacon for a short while. But if they agree to be the 'master' of the Lighthouse they have to regularly touch the beacon so that the super magic will merge its power with the other powers of Galico and be an offensive defensive magic to all mages and civilians of Galico." Amphias uncrosses his legs and stares at me with serious yet kind eyes that remind me of Master Makarov's. "And as to why we kidnapped you? Well, we know that you are holder of the super-magic weapon the Infinity Clock and Real Nightmare. Cobra confirmed it because he could hear the gongs in your mind as you were sleeping. We can help you to where you don't have to keep it in. You can use the power of the Real Nightmare against enemy countries of Fiore and Galico. So my question now is; do you want to be a civilian of the floating country of Galico?"