The sun was slowly getting higher in the sky as the early dawn turned to day. Hoshi was in a small town taking a pit stop. At the moment she was sitting in a little café enjoying a blueberry muffin and some freshly squeezed orange juice. She may have lived on the fringe of society for the last few years, but she still enjoyed taking part in everyday life once and awhile. Munching on her muffin she looked at her the contents of her satchel trying to figure her next move.
Flipping open her data book she asked the book if it had anything on Lucy's companions. Like anyone in Fiore, she knew the stories and accomplishment of Fairy Tail mages, but there was a few things only this book could tell, including their psychological profiles and personal weakness, ones that the mages themselves might not be aware of.
She brushed her hands against the illustrations of both Gray and Erza. They were both powerful mages with special talents indeed. Gray knew all sorts of ice spells, he was talented enough to even use his maker magic in the most unusual, but successful, ways to win a fight. His stripping habit might be interesting in a club to watch.
Erza on the other hand, she didn't seem to care about modesty, her armor though was fashionable and powerful had a few chinks that the Fairy Titania was aware of. Silly girl, didn't she know every magical armor had a weakness so the wearer wouldn't be too powerful? She just have to make her aware of it.
Giggling a little a smile appeared on her face as she looked at Wendy and Carla's picture. "Just adorable, the power of a dragon, yet the heart of a human. This little girl will grow up one day to change the world, I just know it. With the Exceed Princess's help they'll be able to bring together the two species in harmony." Tapping the table thoughtfully she wondered if Wendy would be willing to join her new regime once she claimed the title of Star Maiden. Shutting the book tightly she put it back in her bag. The only thing worth knowing about Natsu and Happy was how crazy they were so you could use it against them.
Brushing everything in the bag, but the map she got up and paid her bill asking directions to the nearest magic store. Thanking the hostess she made her way towards the shop. Her magic levels had dropped with all the high power spells she had used. If she was going to use Space Magic, she had to increase the size of her second magic core, maybe even create a third.
Entering the magic shop a little bell rang. The bald headed chubby clerk looked up from the counter where he'd been cleaning some of the products. "Welcome my dear to the Pixieland Magic Shoppe. Take a look around and tell me if you need any help finding something."
"Thank you kind sir, I will." Looking around the shop she took stock of the inventory. There were simple products ranging from Colors Magic, come to life story books, all the way to top line items such as keys and magical clothes. Items relating to all sorts of different magic could be seen on the display items. Keeping one eye on clerk through his security mirror she bent down pretending to be interested in the magical figurines.
Once she was certain that the clerk wasn't looking at her she brushed the figurines with her fingers, softly casting a smaller version of her Solar Winds spell. The tiny amounts of magic flowed from the toys into her body filling up her second core. Standing up she made her way through different displays feigning interest to disguise what she was doing. Hopefully the clerk would believe that some of the products were defective.
Knowing it would be suspicious if she didn't buy something she asked the clerk if he had any silver keys to show her. His face lit up as went to the backroom coming out with a display of keys. "These are the shops finest keys. I have Nikora, Lyra, even Horologium. Surely any of these could interest a mage such of yourself?" he said eyeing her necklace, believing the platinum keys were just charms.
Hoshi rolled her eyes sticking her tongue out in disgust. Leaning against the counter she looked directly in the eye of the clerk. "These keys are very basic, I need something more powerful. Surely you have some high priced silver keys I could use."
The clerk was starting to sweat, wondering if this was a bad idea. The owner of the shop didn't like him to bring out the high priced items unless he was absolutely certain of a sale. The girl in front of him appeared to be in high fashion clothes and only had "five" real keys. Still some of them were rarely seen keys. That along with her gold accessories made up his mind.
"Give me a minute ma 'me. The owner of the store keeps the very best stuff in the back. I'll return in a moment," he said bowing slightly. Hoshi nodded adjusting her pose so she was straight and not leaning on her elbow. Her brow slightly furrowed as she thought about what she was going to do next.
I know the more spirits I have, the easier it will be to get the Monkey Key. Still having another summons, might drain me faster. I could just take the energy from the key so it can't summon, but would that be crossing the line. It might not even matter if I can't figure out where to go on the map. It appears there have been some changes since I used it last. I need a new route to get to where I'm going, but I'm not sure which way to go, she thought bitterly. "I guess I can just ask the clerk once he shows me the keys."
"Ask me what my dear?" the clerk asked carrying a small velvet box with two locks on it to the front display. "I be happy to help you in any way I can."
Shaking her hand she told him to wait a minute. Understanding the man used a small key to open the locks. Slowly he opened the lid revealing two high priced and somewhat rare silver keys. Looking at their handles she could easily tell which gates they opened. "You have the Chained Lady Andromeda and the Queen of Ethiopia Cassiopeia. A mother and daughter set, that is very rare indeed." To have a matching set was almost impossible considering how high priced they were and the tendency of them being split apart at the various stages it took to get them to the store.
Reaching into the bag she pulled out several jewels. "How much for the set?" When he told her it would 180,000, she didn't even blink an eye, dishing out the money. Taking the keys she felt a rush of power energize her, a third core was starting to form. "Thank you my good man, now help me with some directions. My map seems a bit out of date."
Laying it out she pointed to the map where the road to the Monkey Key used to go. It was supposed to be a straight path, only twisting left then right for half a mile each. But now it seems something was blocking the turns cutting the road off.
"Oh there was an earthquake about a month back. The result was the road was ripped apart having sections of jutting upward or big gorges and partial rockslides. It's impossible to get through now," He could feel the anger building up in this girl and didn't want her to get upset at him. "If you're trying to reach the Celestial Museum, you can take this route. Follow the road here for about two and half miles, then cut left for another half mile until you reach the Crossroads of Seasons. You'll want to go north for a bit before you leave the seasons behind. From there it's a simple to go into town and catch a bus to the museum."
"Thank you, you've been a big help. I'll make sure I'll use these keys wisely." She excited the shop heading in the direction the man indicated. It took her a while, but she finally found the road towards to the museum. Before she went any further she decided to summon the new spirits and make contracts. Plucking the two keys off her necklace she called out their names.
Two females appeared, a mid age woman and late teenage girl. The older woman was wearing a purple Grecian style dress with gold embellishment. On top of her head was a massive six pointed crown with sparkling gems. The teenager was light blond sharing the same hazel eyes and bone structure of the woman. She was draped in a simple white tunic dress with chains wrapped around her torso and a small tiara. The teen glared at the women.
"Oh great I have to work with you!" said the Princesses Andromeda. "Why couldn't our keys be separated? You're the one with the big mouth that cost me being nearly devoured by a sea monster!"
"For the last time, you're not the real Andromeda, you're only the constellations represented! Do we have to keep going over this every time we're summoned together?" The teen turned her back to her mother, ignoring her. The mother threw her hands up in exasperation.
"Um if you're down with the family drama, I would like to get down to contract if we could?" Hoshi said impatiently. Snapping her fingers she drew their attention to her. The two spirits looked at their new summoner with curiosity. They could sense her intense magical power. "So what can you do and when do you wish to be summoned?"
"I am able to use my chains to tie others up just as I was. I'm not against using my body to get my way either. So I will be available Thursday, Friday, and then every other Tuesday."
"My crown has several attack powers and I do have a way of making people obey my commands. I will be summoned Monday, Saturday and every other Tuesday."
Hoshi nodded accepting the deal. Slightly disappointed she couldn't summon them together unless it was every other Tuesday, but their powers more than made up for that fact. Indeed her hunt for more magic had just made her a lot stronger. Returning the keys to her necklace she made her way the crossroad hoping she wouldn't encounter her rival just yet.
Unfortunately the Fairy Tail mages were making their way to the crossroads at that very moment. They were going to take the path southward and head to Horse Key, believing that Hoshi would be taking the original route to get to the Monkey Key. As they were walking the mages started to notice the unusual landscape around them.
On the left side of the road there were trees with leaves changed into autumn colors. The smell of smoky wood carried on the crisp breeze flowing through the trees. There ripen vegetables ready for harvesting. The animals were all preparing for hibernation or the long winter.
On their right side the scenery was completely different. Meadow with tall grasses swayed with the cool winds. Flowers were bright as the brooks sparkled under the light of the sun. The weather was a bit hotter there, but all the animals were a buzz happily munching on food or babies playing games. The sky above was blue with only the occasional fluffy cloud. It was like the perfect summer day.
Wendy's head was turning back and forth as she tried to make sense of what her eyes were seeing. She stopped on the edge of the road plucking a single flower from the summer side before darting over to the autumn side and snagging a beautiful red apple from the tree branches hanging above her head.
"Look at this, the periwinkle is in full bloom smelling beautiful. This apple is perfectly ripen," she said showing her friends. Biting into the apple she let the sweet juice flow through her mouth and down her throat. It was perfect. "I've never tasted an apple like this. It's so tasty."
Erza took a bite of the apple, agreeing with Wendy. It was a puzzle of why the two sides of the road was different. She commanded the two Exceeds to fly up and scan the horizon. Carla and Happy did just that calling out what they saw ahead. At crossroad a mile and half away, they could see two more seasons dominating the roads. A winter wonderland was on the left side and a spring time funland was on the right. Coming down they described what they had seen.
Bringing her hand to her chin Erza thought about it very hard before driving her sword in the ground. "This is what the map meant when it said we had to take the Crossroad of the Seasons. Somehow a powerful magic allows the four seasons to live together side by side."
"Wow that's so cool! Maybe we can take a break and see if we can have some fun in the different seasons! I would love to go to spring to test my limits by climbing all the budding trees!" Natsu exclaimed happily. Climbing trees was always a lot of fun and the trees took abuse a lot better.
Gray, who had somehow stripped down to his undies again, shook his head. "Focus Natsu, we need to get that key ASAP. It's already going to be tough enough making are way through one season, we don't need to waste our energy on another," he pointed out before popping Natsu's head. Angered, Natsu threw a punch and Gray countered with a kick. Their little melee sent them rolling down the pathway towards the crossroad.
"Can't those idiots avoid fighting for a single day?" Lucy asked exasperated. She could feel Wendy getting a sweat drop next to her. When she looked behind her to ask if Erza agreed the female mage was already running after then armed with several sharp swords. "Oh man come on."
By the time they caught up to them they had arrived at the crossroads. Erza had separated the boys giving them a lecture with her swords at their throats. The boys were trying to make up in front of her. Lucy was about to start yelling at her when she felt a warmth from her keys. "What the heck?"
Everyone turned to look at Lucy as golden glow outlined her body. The sounds and smells from the four seasons vanished. She cringed as she felt her magical core twisting and surging inside her. The platinum keys were shaking back and forth. Her Fairy Tail mark sparkled then let out a burst of pink energy that shot out of her hand.
The energy was then blocked by an opposing red beam in the shape of the Starwatchers Village. There was a sudden cry of surprise as the sound of someone being shoved back against their will on the dirt road. Looking up and over the group caught their first glimpse of Hoshi Supernova in real life. Her eyes narrowed as her stance became more protective, but flexible. The mage already had three keys in her hands as she addressed them.
"You might consider learning to control the resonance reaction better. I would hate if we both accidentally ended our lives without the quest completed," Hoshi hissed. Seeing Lucy's confusion she rolled her eyes and pinched her nose. "For the daughter of the last Star Maiden, your lack of knowledge on the quest is startling. Didn't you pay any attention to the stories? The resonance reaction is caused when the questers and their keys start to harmonize, in order to prepare us for the final battle. The energy burst is a defense mechanism to help protect you during the fight."
Before Lucy could reply Natsu pushed himself through the group smashing his fists together as fire covered them. "YOU! You tried to kill Lucy and the rest of us! Fire Dragon's: Iron Fist!" He struck hard nearly taking out Hoshi who nimbly jumped out of the way. Natsu used his one foot to pivot on the ground and come at her again as she slid under the attack and his legs before coming a delivering a devastating double elbow drive on his back. Seeing their comrade in the dirt the others came at her as she did a one handed spring into the air twisting her body in a spiral as she used a spell, Star Burst to paralyze them for a few minutes as she landed on her feet near the northern path. Panting she turned her eyes towards Lucy, who was the only one not paralyzed.
"Don't fret they'll be able to move again in a few minutes. Your friends overreacted," she said. Just then the fleur de lease wrapped around her right wrist pulling her arm up and down. Smirking she laughed. "Ah so you do have guts. I'm pleased."
Lucy pulled the whip tighter trying to keep her from using her right hand to summon spirits. "We'll after the exploding flower and Vulpecula trickery can you blame them?" Raising the whip she pulled it around her body once before cracking it down on the ground raising a puff of dirty. Hoshi was on her knees with her clothes slightly dirty and few strands of hair out of place. "Those attacks were…"
"Legal under the rules. I sent a warning and did an indirect attack. We're rivals on this quest, but I don't want you dead! I can't wait another seven years for someone of your caliber and bloodline to show up. I'll go crazy!" Hoshi said as the whip fell of her wrist. Flexing it back and forth she stood up. "Learned that trick from a traveling circus. Comes in handy. Oh by the way, I'm not right handed!" she shouted as she pulled out the keys she'd been hiding in her left fist.
"Open the Gates of the Serpent, Canine and the Winged Horse: Snake, Dog, and Pegasus!" enjoying the wide eye look from Lucy. Sure she could double summon, but Hoshi with magical stores, could do a triple summons! She flashed her teeth and chill went up her spine as she saw Quing, Yen, and her white coated, blue mane bedazzled helmet Pegasus. He let out a neigh rearing up before slamming his hooves in the ground cause it crumble and crack.
"You have a Pegasus key? I've wanted one ever since I was little, but I could never find one," Lucy whispered as he gazed at spirit. At the moment Hoshi could have taken advantage of her and attacked. Instead she let her rival admire her spirits. Pegasus was actually a gift from a mage she aided in a job.
"So why don't you show me yours? Come on let's use this little spar to test each other," the green hair girl suggested. She made a hand gesture as if saying come on already. Her right eye slid down as she look to see the rest of Fairy Tail as the paralysis was nearly over.
"Open the Gates of the Leporidae and Feline: Rabbit and Tiger!" Soon her two friends in their animal forms appeared standing by waiting for orders. Hu let out a grunt and snarled at Quing who hissed back at her. Yen and Yue on the other paw were smiling and waving at each other. "Focus both of you. She's got three and I only have you two."
Hoshi attacked first. With ease she shouted out commands. "Quing, go invisible and then after your target! Yen, stay in animal form and in the back to protect me. Pegasus, go after your target before attacking Lucy!"
"Both of you stand by and attack when their close!" Lucy countered. The spirits obeyed as Quing turned invisible before slithering away. Yen held back as Pegasus flew at Hu, his wings flapping hard as his hooves lashed out. Hu racked his claws in the air just missing the horse. Turning around to take another pass, Hu jumped on top of the winged horse, starting to rip and tear at him as his opponent, kicked, bucked and bit at him in midair.
Yue called out her to her friend only to spring backwards to avoid becoming a meal. Yue made rabbit noses as her nose twitched. Adjusting her ears she pinpointed a heartbeat before tackling Quing. "Your stealth is no match for my ears and speed," the little rabbit chortled jumping and speeding around, but Quing had a good strike speed going at her again, this time grazing her back right leg.
"Ahhh," Yue winced, her leg hurt badly. "You're a constrictor not a cobra!"
Slithering over she started to wrap her tail Yue's backside. "True, but any bite can do a bit of damage," Quing said squeezing a bit.
While Lucy was trying to help her spirits by shouting commands, Yen stood by Hoshi keeping an eye on out for danger. Suddenly she barked and jumped on to the Exceeds. Growling she started to shake them as they struggled to fight back.
"Yen get back here ahh!" Hoshi cradled her side. Pulling back her hand she saw blood on it. The others had recovered and were coming at her. Natsu struck first rapidly punching at her with Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist. She blocked some the attacks, by covering her face as her arms burned. When he got close again she kick up catching him in the throat. Twisting her foot around she started to choke him.
"You're…. going… down," Natsu whispered trying pull her foot off, only for her to pull tighter.
"Two ways to defeat a fire mage. 1. Separate them from anything they can burn. 2. Close off their oxygen," Twisting and pivoting around on her other foot she sent him flying into the air as she cast her spell. "Space Magic: Vacuum and Rings Trap!" The air shimmered around Natsu as clear gel coated him trapping him in the vacuum of space and then the rings appeared pressing all around him. He was effectively trapped. Hoshi had left just enough oxygen there to breath, but if he tried to use fire, he'd die of affixation.
Hoshi was pleased but did the splits to avoid being stabbed by the twin swords as Erza overestimated her jump landing a few feet behind her in her Morning Star Armor. Gray was to her left on an ice platform with an ice cannon pointed at her. Wendy was hanging back for support. "Your efforts to slow down this quest aren't welcome."
"Your attempts on our comrades life isn't welcomed," Erza spat. She felt a rush of supportive energy as Wendy used Vernier on Erza. Erza ran faster then the eye could see pointing her swords at Hoshi, before releasing a photon blast. Right before it hit Yen jumped in front of the beam. Hanging in midair she stayed strong enduring the blast until it was over.
"Ruff, that was very hard to endure. Magic has come a long way indeed."
Though shocked Gray attacked as well shooting his ice cannon at Hoshi. The girl snagged two of them. Clutching them in her hands she used them to deflect or shatter the other ice balls. Whistling loudly, Pegasus, who had just finished getting an injured Hu off his back flew to her. She jumped on taking to the skies avoiding attacks as she collected her spirits.
"This is fun, but I'm done being delayed from my journey. I know how to defeat you of course, but I'll save that until next time. Space Magic: Planetary Collision!" Two mini planets appeared in the sky as she used her hands to crash them together. Debris and kinetic energy came raining down on them.
The mages all reacted at once. Together they cast their strongest spells watching them merge into a protective dome over them. They held out for a little bit, but the pressure on both sides exploded all over the place. The earth quaked, the backlash greatly disturbed the sky as water from all four zones flooded everyone. In the craziness none of them realized they were being sent in all different directions along with the quest stuff. As the after effects died down none of the questers could be seen.
A short time later, Gray's eyes slowly opened. His head was pounding and he felt like he'd been run over and then buried into the ground. Pushing himself up he let out of a yelp holding his left wrist. It didn't seem to be broken, but it hurt to move it, most likely a severe sprain. Either way he couldn't use his magic until the wrist was treated.
Hopefully Wendy can heal me or there's something in the med kit that can fix this up, he thought. At least my coat remained intact and I've still got the lacremeia flowers maybe I can use them to find the others, but can I send a message without the map?
Shaking his head he pushed his thoughts away as he took in his surroundings. It appeared he was in the Summer Meadows. All around him were tall green grass wrapping itself around his legs gently. There was a healthy elm shading him from the rays of the soon. He could smell water nearby, but couldn't see the road anywhere. Absentminded he tore part of his coat to make a sling for his wrist.
"How far did that explosion throw me? Ugh, at least this heat isn't as bad as Tenrou Island, still I can feel my magic weakening. I need to get my bearings," he muttered to himself. Turning around he started to climb one handed and jump from branch to branch until he swung around landing on the top of the tree. Balancing himself carefully he scanned the horizon to figure out where to go next.
All around him he could see a massive meadow and small dips in the land showing sparkling lakes with frogs singing. He saw birds flapping through the air on the hunt for food for their babies. There was a river about five feet away to the left that looked like it might flood a bit later, especially if those storm clouds coming where an indication. Just as he was about to give up hope he spotted something in the far distance. "The road! I should try to get back to the crossroads." He jumped to the ground enduring the pain from the impact.
Pulling out a single lacremeia flower, he held it in his good hand. "I don't know if you'll work without a map, but I need your help. Please, find the others and tell them I'm in summer. They need to make their way back to the crossroad. Go." The flower hesitated, not fully changing color and hovering above his hand. Just when he thought all was lost the flower shot through the sky heading towards the Autumn Forest. Hoping for the best he started moving towards the road determined to beat the storm.
In Autumn Wendy found herself in the middle of a vegetable patch. She even had half a gourd in her mouth. Spitting it out, she frantically looked around for Carla. "Carla, Carla where are you?"
"I'm over here, get me out of this log!" came the muffled cries of the Exceed female who had her head stuck in hole in a nearby log. Wendy rushed over and started to pull, but that didn't work. "Try rotating my body before pulling me out Wendy!"
"Sorry, I'll try again!" With a quick twist and pull Carla came flying out sending the girls into a pile of leaves. She quickly brushed the leaves of her cute little suit while Wendy pulled them out of her hair. "Remind me to never jump into a leaf pile again. Oh, I lost the guide book in the explosion!"
"I still have the med kit. Hold still Carla," Wendy said noticing for the first time that her friend's ears were burnt. Opening the kit she pulled out a potion labeled Burn Cure. She drizzled a few drops onto Carla's ears instantly healing them. "Better?"
"Yes, do you see the road anywhere?" Wendy shook her head waving her hand around. All they could see and smell was the vegetables and fruit ready for harvesting. Squinting through the trees she thought she saw something. "Look, I think that's a log cabin."
The two friends marched through the trees, being careful to avoid any animals that hadn't finished going into hibernation yet. Pulling a few dry shrubs apart they did find the log cabin. Smoke was coming out of the house with a few lanterns lit. Approaching the door Wendy knocked. "Is anyone there? Hello we need help!"
The door swung open on its own. Scared Wendy carried Carla as they entered the cabin. It was lightly furnished with hand carved wooden tables and trees. There was fur rug near the fireplace with a picture of the different guild's symbols above the mantel. A quick check of the kitchen revealed food and water, but no one appeared.
"This is strange, why is this cabin stocked with goods, if no one lives here?" Wendy asked.
"Yeah and why is the Fairy Tail mark on that painting?" Carla remarked. Upon her words the symbol light up. A projection beam shot out creating a hologram of a young girl with short light blue hair and eyes, wearing a simple dress. "Welcome members of Fairy Tail. I'm Alfredia, I created this home for travelers to rest up in. Stay as long as you need. If your lost or can't find your friends, simply press the guild mark and say their names. If they're anywhere in the Four Seasons, you'll find them. If you need my help simply call out my name. Have a nice day."
After the hologram shut down the two females shrugged their shoulders. They would get some food and bathing in, then find their friends. They hoped everyone else was doing okay.
In the Winter Woods, Ezra was ignoring the ice collecting in her hair then breaking off. Angrily she marched through the snow before going down and ice slide. She skidded across the ice into a heavy snowbank. She used her superior strength to lift the mound and toss it over her shoulder.
"I just have to ignore the cold. At least I held onto the camping gear. If I must take shelter, I will. Right now, I need to Requip!" Her magic activated as brand new armor appeared on her, Ice Queen Armor! She was wearing a pale blue form fitting dress, with white protective plates over her legs, arms, and chest. Her hair was now in a single braid, with snowflake crown on her head. A transparent snowflake cape trailed after her. This armor not only protected her from the extreme cold, but increased durability making sure not even the thickest blade could pierce it.
"Hoshi, next time we meet, you're magic won't be able to save you!" she called out as a snow covered staff appeared in her hand. A light flashed in front of her as she knocked it from the sky. Before she could crush it, she saw it was a broken message flower.
Gray's image appeared and he started to speak "I'm…umer. Ma…wa...road." The flower disappeared speeding off to the south. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the message was. She started heading southeast, hoping she came across the road soon.
While the others were struggling to make it to the crossroad, Natsu and Happy were sleeping in the moss covered roots of slowly budding cheery tree. The guide book had somehow landed in Happy's backpack. A few song birds saw the duo and started to sing their wake up song loudly.
Natsu shot up spewing fire as Happy activated his wings. "Come on out you evil mage! I'm going to give you a pounding you'll never forget! I'll, hey, where are we Happy?" the teen boy said, finally assessing his surroundings. The budding trees and the animals slowly waking up, even right under his butt, (angry raccoon), confused him.
"The explosion must have separated us from the group. We should head back the crossroads. That's where everyone else is going," Happy explained. Taking a look at the book, he started to read about the Four Seasons when Natsu started dragging him all over the place. "Natsu what are you doing?"
"Forget going back, we have a mage to track down. I need to make sure Hoshi doesn't hurt Lucy ever again!" he called out as he ran. Happy shouted at him that if they took Hoshi out of action they couldn't complete the quest. He stopped when he thought it over. Letting loose a growl he started walking in the direction of the crossroad hoping everyone was safe.
While Team Natsu were attempting to reunite; Hoshi was in a bad situation. The backlash from a magical explosion had affected the weather in the worse way. After sending her Animal Zodiacs away, she clutched tightly to Pegasus; in an attempt to keep herself steady as torrential storm raged around her. Along with deadly updrafts and thunder crashing all around them. Ice crystals were forming on the wings of the horse. She let out a shriek as lightning bolt nearly hit them.
"It's no use, we need to land otherwise the storm will tear us in half!" she told her spirit squeezing her legs around his belly. The spirit bucked out of control frightened by the raging storm. She yanked his mane trying to keep him under control. "Control yourself! You're a Celestial Spirit! You're an immortal being, the storm can't kill you, but it can kill me! So get a grip and land already!"
"Sorry my lady, I don't know if I can land, my wings are already becoming heavy. I fear I might crash."
Seeing the truth of his words, Hoshi pursed her lips. This weather was making her burned arms worse. Her insides were aching from the stress of battling. She didn't need her map to tell her that her health and magic had gone down. Doing multiple summons and using her space magic had greatly depleted her magic, despite the earlier absorption. Another lightning bolt clashed nearby bringing her out of her thoughts.
"No choice, get me as close to the ground you can before returning to the Celestial World. Don't argue with me, I'll figure out what to do next on my own!" Without protesting, Pegasus obeyed her wishes running towards the ground as fast as he could. The ice clung to his wings refusing to melt as they got closer. With the ground only twenty feet away he tried to stay in the human world, but his injuries were too much. He popped in the air sending Hoshi hurling to the ground.
Falling fast Hoshi barely had time to brace for impact. She hit the ground feet first crying out in pain as her legs strained themselves nearly snapping in half. Her arms were soon coated with dirt and cut appeared running through her mark. She tried to stand, but it was too much.
Shivering in the cold, she wished silently that she was back in her home. Her bed was so comfy and the blankets extra warm. The storm would have been dampened by her words. As she was, she couldn't figure out how to survive this storm as she tried to reach her med kit only for it to fall in a newly forming mud puddle. "Celestial Spirits, if you can hear me, I beg of you to help me."
As she started to fall unconscious she heard the footfalls splashing through the puddles. The voice of young girl was calling out to her asking if she was okay. Her mouth responded in gibberish as she fell unconscious in the middle of the road.
As she was awaiting her fate, Lucy was in a desperate situation. Her Celestial Spirits had tried to absorb the impact for her, but when they were forcefully sent through their gates, the extra energy had sent her flying even further. Lucy had been sent three and half miles through the air, going through trees, snagged along vegetation before rolling against the turned up soil and now was hanging on the edge of small cliff face. Her body was covered in cuts and scrapes, she was also pretty sure she'd cracked a couple of ribs, maybe fractured something in the rest of the body.
Ignoring the blood dripping into her eyes, she tried to swing her legs to get a grip on the rock face, hoping to climb up and out. She let out an agonizing scream as her foot connected with a sharp outcropping. "Come on Lucy, you can do this! Pull yourself up!" she gritted her teeth as she flung her right hand up digging into the solid ground above. She scrambled, trying to push herself up and over, but lost her grip falling towards the ground.
Right before she could crash in the ground something snagged her out of midair. She felt talons tightening around her shoulders digging deep into her muscles causing immense pain. "What in the world is going on?" she cried out trying to break free only to receive a sharp peck in the head. Looking up her eyes bugged out.
Carrying her was a giant oversized peregrine falcon. Her golden eyes bore into Lucy as she started to peck at her more tenderizing her up. Ignoring the yells of her prey she climbed into the sky before dropping into a super-fast dive. As her prey ignored as she got closer to her nest. Her partner was already there ready to help her tear the girl's flesh apart to feed their chicks.
Seeing the danger she was in, Lucy started kicking and thrashing, ignoring the pain. She snagged her fleur de lease, only partially able to get it out, but it was enough. Raising what she could, she drove it into the bird's wing. The bird screeched dropping her from the sky.
"This is becoming a familiar theme!" she shouted, as she fell through the trees, getting covered in moss and spider webs, her keys fell off into the rushing river below. "NO! I can't lose my keys!" Twisting around, she rolled out the tree branch into the river.
The current pushed her down into the freezing cold water. The fish scattered as she was pulled across the rocks. Awkwardly she managed to burst through to the surface. Her arms were burning as she struggled to swim through the current, her eyes locked on the key ring. She promised to never lose her keys again and wasn't about to break that promise!
"A bit closer, come on Lucy don't give up! You can do it!" With a final push she snagged the key ring cheering in victory. Hearing a roaring she saw a giant water fall coming up. Frantically she tried to the get to the edge, swimming furiously, but it was no use. She went over the edge, her screams drowned out by the roaring waters.
The river surged through the land, cutting a path through forest, a rocky gorge, and then into a miniature jungle. As twilight rose, something washed out of the river on to the bank. It was a blond teenage girl's body. It was covered in river plants. Her clothes were torn to shreds barely covering her. The girl's body was covered in open wounds, with broken bones and shredded muscles. The girl gave a cough, spitting up river water proving she was alive, but barely. As night started to descend Lucy began to shake and shiver, her keys still clutched tightly in her hands. Lying next to her, was the quest map somehow intact.
Three keys glowed as the spirits materialized under their own power. Yue, Cheng, and Hu appeared looking worriedly at their mistress. It was common for questers to be on death doors, but they didn't want her to die like the others. Instead they settled in for the night keeping her warm, and getting a little food and water down her throat.
In the Celestial World, the ten Zodiacs that Lucy had contracts had gather together at the only restaurant in the world. Aquarius was sitting on her boyfriend's Scorpio's lap enjoying a mocha latte. Even though both spirits were trying to enjoy themselves, their hearts felt hollow.
Nearby the twins, Gemi and Mini were pulling stunts changing into their friends in trying to cheer Sagittarius up. So far it wasn't working. When they mimicked Lucy the archer started to cry. When the twins dropped the transformation they also started to cry.
Taurus was sharpening his labrys complaining at the lack of activity to Cancer. The hair dresser spirit was practicing his trade with a few wigs, occasionally taking a break to eat a croissant and some blueberries. He would nod a few times at his friend, sometimes adding a word or two.
Aries and Virgo were seated at small two person table looking dejectedly at their milkshakes and fresh salad. Virgo was fiddling around with her chains, almost taking them off. Aries was molding her wool into different shapes, even making a fluffy little Lucy.
Loki was sitting in a booth with Capricorn. He was on edge, his entire body on alert. He kept twisting his ring and looking around distressed. Glancing at the clock on the wall he started tapping his foot. Capricorn simply ate his celestial steak, glancing up at his friend's request. Finally Loki's actions were too great to ignore. Using a napkin, he cleaned his face, put down the silverware, before clearing his throat. "Leo-sama, you need to relax please. All this tension is not good for you. I would hate to see you get sick again if you get too stressed. Remember my friend, neither of us has fully recovered since being able to return home."
Taking his glasses off in fury he slammed them on the table cracking the lens. His actions got everyone's attention as he stood partway up and shouted. "I don't care if my body gets weak from stress! I care about Lucy! All of us should be there, helping her to keep safe during this quest!"
Capricorn didn't react, just sat there taking another bite of his meal. Angrily, Loki swept the plate on to the floor causing it to shatter. Still no reaction as Loki grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to his feet. "How can you just sit there so calmly? You promised Layla Heartfillia that you would protect her family for all eternity! We can all sense that Lucy's in trouble so why are you here?!"
Capricorn removed Loki's hands from his suit. He then forced the spirit to sit as he dusted off his jacket. Adjusting his sunglasses his stare bored into his friend. "For the same reason you've restrained yourself from going there. The rules of the quest clearly state we can't be summoned until the final battle." His expression changed softening and kind. He placed his hand on Loki's shoulder giving him a gentle squeeze. "I know it's frustrating to stay here when Lucy needs us, but at the same time we must respect her wishes."
Sagittarius put his bow down, turning his chair around. Addressing his friend, he gave them his own opinion. "The restrictions of the quest, bother all of us. We're used to being the strongest Celestial Spirits around, but that's the problem. Our arrogance and pride is what started the war that tore our world in half remember?" They all looked at the ground in shame. His words rang with truth.
It was truly frustrating. As much as they wanted to help, they knew that it would ruin Lucy's chances of becoming the true Star Maiden. It had been so long since Star Maiden Estrella had given them the prophecy. After all this time that had past, all the Celestial Spirits in this half of the world, wished to reunite and let the King be with his Queen. Still there were reservations about what the future would be like.
Aquarius flicked her hair behind her back. Her tail thrashed around her seat, pushing herself out of Scorpio's lap. Huffing she glared at the others. "Do we really believe Lucy is the true Star Maiden? That girl is irritating, a weak mage, and she is a loser in the relationship department. Her mother Layla proved herself to be a true Star Maiden, she was so powerful, graceful and loving."
Her eyes tears up as the memories of helping Layla resurfaced. She had been there that day, witnessing as the Celestial King, had bestowed the title and duty to her summoner. Layla had completed a rather difficult mission rescuing kidnapped children from a slave trader, who wanted to sell them to highest bidder because of their magical potential. It was that mission when the slave trader, who turned out to be a mage, had cursed her with dying spell that would slowly take her life. It was ironic that the mission that earned her title ended up killing her.
Aquarius was brought out of her memories when she felt Scorpio hugging her as he wrapped their tails together. He looked at her understandingly. Wiping her tears from her face he whispered, "I know why act so rude and mean to Lucy. She's Layla's spitting image, your heart breaks every time you look at her. You relive those memories every time you're summoned, it must be torture."
The couple didn't notice as Cancer walked closer to them. Kneeling down, he lifted Aquarius's head up so they could look at one another. By that time everyone else had pulled their chairs closer to bar. Cancer put his scissors in his pocket and addressed not only them, but the group. "The past defines us, who we were. There comes a time where we must let go. Instead of living in the past work towards the future. Lucy is not Layla and Layla is not Lucy. Stop comparing the two, and your heart may heal."
Sniffling, Aquarius nodded promising to act better. Seeing her recovering the others smiled. Finding her courage Aries decided to speak her mind as well. "We should help Lucy anyway we can to become the true Star Maiden." Her wool fluffed up as continued to speak with confidence. "Lucy has displayed qualities of love, friendship, and the determination to make peace with anyone."
Virgo nodded, "My princess has never punished me, even encouraging me not to seek it."
"There's no way I'll let anyone hurt her perfect body!" Taurus added.
"We love Lucy! No matter what we'll help her! Agreed?" the twins asked earning a cheer from all of them. Outside the restaurant the rest of Lucy keys heard the Zodiacs declaration they agreed with them. No matter what all of them would help Lucy.
Back in Earthland, it was fifteen minutes until noon. On a bus to the Celestial Spirit museum was Hoshi, accompanied by her saviors, Phoebe and her eight year old daughter Selena. They both had the same long silver hair, light blue eyes and wore identical matching outfits. Selena had found her on the road and with her mother's help, they had taken care of her the entire night. She had woken up refreshed and feeling a lot better. They had tried to keep her in bed, but she was determined to get to the museum by tonight so they agreed to take her there.
Phoebe glanced at the stranger they helped. She was very unusual indeed. That potion she had used early to help speed her recovery was remarkable and one of a kind. A glance at her key necklace showed she was a very powerful mage indeed. Phoebe was a magic historian, she was currently writing a book on the history of several different magic's; including celestial. She hoped that Hoshi would let her interview her before she left.
Next to Hoshi Selena was asking a dozen questions at once. "You're so pretty! Where did you get your clothes? I've never seen that mark before, what guild is it from? Are all those keys real? What Spirits do you have contracts with? Are you here to study the artifacts at the museum? Do you think you could teach me to summon spirits?"
Hoshi's eyes crinkled as she looked at the adorable girl. She honestly reminded her of herself when she was that age. Gently she helped the girl sit down as the bus took a wide turn. In the distance she could see their destination approaching. "You are an inquisitive child Selena. I will gladly answer your questions tonight after we return to your home. I'm still feeling a bit under the weather, if that's alright with you Phoebe?"
The elder woman nodded, that would give her time to do a brief interview. Soon they were in the museum. It was majestic, it was a converted old manor. The original owner had been a collector of artifacts related to celestial magic. Upon his death, his will had stated he wanted the manor to be turned into a museum in honor of his wife.
So the ceilings were high and arched. Large stained glass windows were everywhere. The hallways had grand chandeliers. Mosaic tiles covered the floors along with some red carpet. Each room had been transformed to showcase the artifacts. As they started the tour, Hoshi could sense the Monkey Key somewhere in this building. Her sensitivity told her the traps were still in place, probably would be tripped if they felt her searching for the key.
"Come on, let's go check out the rare key room!" Selena said, tugging on both Hoshi's and her mother's arm. "I want to see the keys!" The little girl dragged them through the hallway and entered a room full of old style keys or replicas of keys once owned by the wife. The room had obviously been a bedroom if the bed curtains was any indication. Under the curtains was a small bell jar with a single platinum key resting on it. When Hoshi approached, her foot clicked on a tile, normally nothing would happen, but sensing the platinum keys the trap released the sleeping powder. Soon everyone was asleep, but her.
"Hmm, simple, but effective. Let's see what I do next," she chuckled. Carefully she tip toed over the sleeping people. Touching the bell jar, the fake key turned into a small tablet with instructions. "I'm the key of change, searching these rooms will take all day, but humans can't sleep without pay. More time passes, more people will remain forever in sleep. To find me, follow my trail, and I will undone the spell."
Not really helpful, but at least I know I need to finish this sooner than later. Can't let Phoebe and Selena suffer, not after their kindness. Looking around she tried to figure out what the clue meant. Trails meant signs, and maybe she needed to pay to find it. Looking up she spotted something in the trim above the door she spotted a hidden monkey face. Hmm, I wonder.
Leaving the room, Hoshi kept her eyes open spotting a few more hidden monkey faces. Walking throughout the entire building she finally found the last face, a gold face on the doors to the treasure room. The door was locked from the inside. Touching the doors she felt the enchantment, so no spell could undo it. Thinking about the pay she removed her key necklace placing it on the door decoration. The doors swung open and she entered.
Books, maps, and jewels dotted the room. The light shone through the window passing through the gems revealing a hidden message. You've nearly completed this phase of the quest. Now is time to trust your instincts to guide you. Find me amongst the treasures and the spell will be lifted."
Closing her eyes she let go, her priestess instincts took over. Keeping her eyes closed she moved around the room silently not touching anything. A few minutes later she stopped, reached up high, grabbed something then opened her eyes. It was a jeweled egg box. Opening it up there inside was the Monkey Key! Removing it she called out, "Open the Gate of the Primate: Monkey!"
A door shaped like a tree opened up and out popped a small brown monkey wearing Middle Eastern clothes and jeweled headband with her mark. The little monkey chittered "I'm Xiaoying Monkey! I have the power to shift shape. Watch!" The monkey did a backflip, there was puff of smoke and Xiaoying now looked like Hoshi. She did again three times, turning into a banana tree, a rock, and lastly Lucy, before revealing her human form. She had long black hair tied behind her back with two bands, brown eyes, with large earrings in her ears. Her clothes were blue tube top with see through arm sleeves and matching pants and shoes.
"I'm glad you found my key. So I agree to help you throughout this quest, but afterwards you may summon on days with eight and nine in them along with Wednesday and every other Thursday. Agreed?" Hoshi nodded. With the contract done Xiaoying returned to her home. The spell was broken and Hoshi quickly rejoined her group, all her keys now safely back with her.