I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVEEEEEE.
I'm really sorry this took so long. I have a good excuse, I swear. I just wanted some free time to literally jump on my bed and scream, "TESTS ARE OVEEEEEER!"
There was also the fact that my shoelace kept getting untied whenever I tried to walk towards my laptop.
. . .
Don't give me that look, untied shoelaces are dangerous. I could trip and fall and break my neck.
Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted, favorited and whatnot. Yeah, I'm too lazy to mention all the names.
SO I'M MAKING IT UNIVERSAL! THANKS FOR REVIEWING AND FOR THE MANGA RECOMMENDATIONS, EVERYONE!
^ As you have probably guessed — yes, I'm hyper and loaded on chocolate chip ice cream. Ahh, life's good.
Enjoy and review, please!
Chapter Nine.
"Lucyyy."
"Shut up Natsu."
"Luuuuuceeee."
"Shut up, Natsu."
"But I'm bored!"
"Play with Happy! I'm reading!"
"You're no fun."
"That's good, now leave me alone. Go bother Gray in the other compartment."
He brightened up considerably. "Why didn't I think of that? Thanks, Luce!"
"Yeah, OK, now leave me alone."
"Lu-chan, you made him go away without beating him up. That's a first," Levy observed, sitting beside Lucy. Wendy giggled.
"I don't care what method I use, just so he leaves me alone," Lucy huffed. Normally she liked train rides — looking at the passing scenery and reading was a good way to relax — but when Natsu and Gray were bickering next door and Happy was constantly annoying Erza, she wanted to get off.
"I can't concentrate if the two idiots are so loud!" Lucy complained and slammed her novel shut.
"Maybe you can try doing something else besides reading, Lucy-san," Wendy suggested.
Lucy banged her hand on the train's walls. "Erza! Tell Natsu and Gray to shut up!"
"I tried, Lucy," Erza's voice floated over to them calmly.
"What do you mean, you tried? Normally you can get them to shut up in three seconds flat!"
"They seem to have engaged each other in a contest to see who can ignore my death threats the best. As such, I fully confess that they're a lost cause. It's hopeless."
Lucy groaned. "Again, I'm happy we always get empty trains."
Levy patted her friend's back in a sympathetic manner.
"I'm sure we can do something else, Lu-chan, like maybe . . . look at the scenery! See, that's a pretty hill! And over there . . . wait, what's that?"
"What's what, Levy-san?" Wendy scrambled over to see.
"That . . ." Levy pointed.
Lucy strained her eyes to see what Levy was talking about. In the distance was a plume of dark purple smoke.
Heading their way.
Moving at an incredibly fast pace.
Lucy had a very bad feeling.
"Erza, something's coming —! Levy-chan, Wendy, I think we better get —"
BOOM.
The train exploded and bits of wood and metal rained down at the group. Lucy, Levy and Wendy were unceremoniously flung off their seats and thrown to the ground. Likewise, Gray, Natsu, and Happy were in similar positions. Erza had miraculously managed to stay on her feet and had drawn her sword. The train was a smoking, shattered wreck behind them.
Lucy climbed to her feet shakily and watched as the trail of smoke zoomed away, slowed down, then turned around and doubled back towards them.
"Oi, what's that?" Natsu, ever the brightest, piped up.
"Erza, do you think it's normal for smoke to do that —"
A split second later, the smoke crashed against them. Lucy barely had time to jump away before the impact hit. Dust rose and obscured her vision, and when the dust settled, the smoke solidified to form the shape of two identical people. Both had dark blue hair and eyes and had identical expressions of evil glee on their faces.
"Fairy Tail, yeah?"
"Kinda expected you guys to be more of a challenge."
"Uh-huh."
"Boom went the train. Just like that."
"And you will all go boom as well . . ." one of them said, "if you don't shove off and let us complete our plan."
"So now —" Twin One said.
"Prepare —" Twin Two continued.
"To meet —"
"Your —"
"Are you twins?" Gray interrupted.
"They are?" Natsu exclaimed.
The six of them sighed collectively. "Idiot."
Twin One and Twin Two, meanwhile, were positively smoldering.
"How dare you interrupt our speech!"
"Unforgivable!"
"A criminal offence!"
"Yes indeed! THEY MUST DIE!"
"Yep," Natsu said. "Definitely twins."
Twin One and Twin Two blanched. "Is he always like this?"
Erza glared at Natsu. "Yes."
Twin One and Twin Two stared.
"You know, our mission was pretty simple," Twin One — or Twin Two, whichever it was, drawled.
"Kill you all. Simple, yes," Twin Two — or Twin One, said.
"So you're a part of Grimoire Heart? What, their newest member?" Levy spat.
"Grimoire Heart? Oh, no, darling."
"We don't work for them."
"We don't work for anyone in particular."
"We just work for people who pay good."
"As they say, money is everything." Twin Two said. "And when money is the prize . . . we'll go through just about anything."
"But since you Fairy Tail mages are quite entertaining, we'll make this interesting."
"Oh yes, we will. Thank us later."
Twin One pulled out a silver key. "You're all looking for the Grimoire Heart base, correct? Well, you'll need a key to open it. And I have the key."
"Good luck catching him," Twin Two said, as Twin One pocketed the key and sped off.
Erza wasted no time. "Levy, Gray, Wendy, Happy — go after the key. Natsu, Lucy — we're taking this one down."
"Yes ma'am!" Levy, Gray, Wendy, and Happy chorused and chased after Twin One.
Erza shifted to her Heaven's Wheel Armor, Natsu's hands blazed with fire, and Lucy summoned Scorpio. She felt her adrenaline pumping and shifted to her battle stance, gripping her whip tightly.
A silver blur darted to Twin Two, sword raised high.
It should have impaled Twin Two straight in the heart, but he vanished a mere heartbeat before Erza brought the sword down. Twin Two reappeared behind Erza, flashing twin serrated daggers and bringing them down Erza's back.
Scorpio fired and Lucy coiled her whip around Twin Two's hands, stopping him from stabbing Erza. Natsu decimated the spot with a fiery punch and Lucy's grip on the whip relaxed ever so slightly —
— tightened again when she realized Twin Two wasn't there.
A rush of air behind her, she ducked and rolled just in time to avoid the daggers, and Scorpio shot another blast of sand to Twin Two, but he vanished again, this time reappearing behind Erza, who raised her sword just in time to block his daggers.
Twin Two jumped back and settled down a few meters away.
"As you've probably guessed by now, my magic is teleportation. Very handy it is, too. No need for cars. And ships. And planes. I am practically undefeatable!"
"Funny, because so many believed they were until we beat them down," Natsu growled. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
"No use," Twin Two cackled. "No use if your attacks don't hit me. Now, I'm going to happily detain you here so you won't be able to find Grimoire Heart."
"Don't underestimate the rest of us," Natsu said.
"The rest? You mean the pathetic bunch you sent to get the key? They won't last."
"Shut up!" Lucy yelled.
"Make me, little darling."
"Oh, we will. We will," Erza promised grimly, speeding towards Twin Two again.
Metal clashed against metal, sword and dagger striving to get break each other's defenses. Twin Two was a blur, swiftly disappearing and reappearing just before Erza could slash him. Natsu joined in the fight a few seconds later.
Lucy fingered her other keys and decided to bring another spirit into play.
"Open, Gate of the Maiden — Virgo!"
As the spirit appeared with a poof, Lucy pointed at Twin Two and said, "That's our opponent! Virgo, Scorpio, we're taking him down!"
"Yes, princess!"
"Yeah! We're ready!"
Scorpio and Virgo launched into the fray. Erza and Natsu looked like they hadn't gotten anywhere in the fight; both of them had scratches all over while Twin Two looked untouched.
Erza charged towards him head-on, then dove down low, almost touching the ground. Sliding behind Twin Two, she tried to strike him with her sword but he twisted and blocked with his daggers. While his daggers were locked with Erza's sword, Natsu, Virgo, Scorpio, and Lucy chose that moment to launch attacks of their own.
Natsu's flames blazed brighter than before, Lucy thrust out her whip, Virgo reached for her chains and Scorpio prepared to blast —
— Twin Two promptly vanished, and instead Erza got a fireball in her face, a red welt from Lucy's whip, a mouthful of sand, and a smack from Virgo's chains.
"You idiots!" Erza bellowed. "Watch where you're aiming!"
"Eep! We're sorry!"
"You better be —" whatever death threat Erza had in mind was cut off when Twin Two materialized in front of her, daggers poised to strike. She hastily jumped away.
"Tch," Twin Two said. "Fighting among your friends. What kind of teamwork is that, I wonder?"
"Fire Dragon's Crushing —"
"Too slow," Twin Two cackled, reappearing behind Natsu and kicking him hard.
"Dammit, stop moving!"
"Now, am I likely to do that?"
"We'll make you!" Lucy shouted, having just about enough. "Scorpio, Virgo!"
The spirits charged towards Twin Two, followed closely by Erza and Natsu. Lucy's whip sailed to him, tied around his feet, and Lucy yanked, tripping him. As expected, he disappeared, but Erza was ready, striking him when he reappeared behind Scorpio. Twin Two ducked and teleported away a hearbeat before Natsu's fire-infused punch left a crater in his previous spot.
He reappeared behind Virgo and the spirit did not have time to turn around before he threw a punch and lifted her off the ground. Lucy quickly thrust her whip at him, but he caught it with his other hand. Both hands occupied, Natsu charged up behind Twin Two and managed to punch him in the face. Staggering back, Twin Two was forced to let go of Virgo when Scorpio slashed at him with his tail.
He teleported away, but Erza had anticipated this and lashed out a foot, noting with satisfaction when it connected with his jaw.
Clutching his mouth, Twin Two stumbled back. "That's quite impressive, that is. How did you know where I was going to reappear?"
Erza shrugged. "Women's intuition," she said, bringing down her sword.
Twin Two fell back against the ground to avoid the blow, neatly avoiding Scorpio and Natsu's attacks.
"Still too slow," he stuck his tongue out at them. "You'll never catch me, even if you can anticipate where I'm going to teleport next."
"But what if . . ." Scorpio said grimly.
"NOW, VIRGO!" Lucy screamed.
A pair of arms burst out of the ground and wrapped around Twin Two's feet, firmly planting him in place.
". . . you can't teleport?" Scorpio finished.
"Now we gotcha!" Natsu sped towards Twin Two. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
A massive explosion ensued and smoke billowed. A few minutes of silence.
"We . . . we did it!" Lucy said.
"Who's undefeatable now?" Natsu yelled.
Erza remained silent, glittering eyes wide and searching.
The smoke cleared. Lucy strained her eyes and she could just make out a dark shape lying on the ground. It wasn't moving.
The three of them walked to the shape carefully to take a closer look.
Lucy waved away the remaining smoke that obscured her vision, then gasped in disbelief. The shape was —
"VIRGO!"
"My punishment, princess?" Virgo said weakly.
"No punishment!" Lucy said quickly. "Return now!"
As her spirit vanished in a poof, Lucy met Natsu and Erza's eyes. Virgo was beaten up. Twin Two wasn't there. Which meant —
— Lucy's trail of thought was promptly cut off when Scorpio was violently kneed in the gut and thrown back.
"Such a shame," Twin Two muttered. "Good plan, that is."
"Scorpio!" Lucy screamed.
Conveniently choosing that moment when their guard was down, Twin Two disappeared.
A familiar rush of air behind Lucy, her body frozen in shock —
— a dagger sprouted from her chest.
"What . . ." Erza said, bewildered.
"LUCY!"
Oh yes, I'm evil. Deal with it.
- TheAliensDidIt