Chapter Seven: Mizu

Infra pointed her crossbow at me and I shut my eyes, praying for some miracle to happen. After a few seconds and I was still alive, I dared to open my eyes and look at Infra, but then quickly shut them again since maybe Infra was sadistic and probably wanted me dead with my eyes open or something like that.

Then something cold hit my cheek and trickled down the side. I opened my eyes in surprise at that. The whole wall behind Infra had burst into flames so there couldn't possibly be any moisture left in the room. I looked at Infra and saw she had tears like tiny diamonds in her eyes.

More tears fell and hit me on the face as she kept on crying. I had no idea why she was but this was my chance. I had to somehow get her to go along with my plan so that if she recovered and decided to kill me again, she couldn't.

I shoved my arms up and pushed her back, rolling to my side and breaking free of her grasp. Then I unhitched a key from my belt, looking briefly at it to make sure it was the right one. It was, "Gate of the Maiden, I open thee! Virgo!"

As she appeared, I winced and panted a bit. That was four spirits.

"Is it time for punishment, hime-sama?" asked Virgo as usual.

"Not now," I said, still panting a bit, "I need you to drill a tunnel straight down until you reach the ocean. Can you do that?"

"Hai," said Virgo immediately, although she looked a bit surprised. She got right to drilling downwards as I unhitched the next key I would use.

"Drilling a tunnel?" said Infra, standing back up, panting a bit now too. It was hard to breathe in the smoke of the fire. My throat burned with every pant, "What would drilling a tunnel do?" She ran straight at me again and I realised she was nearly out of magic power too from her two fights with me and Gray. She had a few scratches now, a bruise on her shoulder and some tears in her clothing. I was pretty sure I looked the same as her except with a bruised face.

On cue, water splashed up from the tunnel and Virgo burst back up, "Was that too long, Hime-sama?"

"No, right on time," I smiled, "Thank you, Virgo."

She bowed slightly and faded away and I unhitched my next key, "Gate of the Water Bearer I open thee!" I panted but I had to stay strong. It was nearly over now, "Aquarius!"

"Nani?" said Infra in disbelief as Aquarius appeared.

"Aquarius!" I said happily.

"What a dump!" said Aquarius naturally, "Where the hell am I? It's too hot! What's your problem, summoning me out here?" she yelled at me, her head expanding.

"How…?" said Infra, edging away.

"Water's your weakness, right?" I said, "I knew that from the beginning. But, since we aren't near any source of water, Aquarius wouldn't be able to do anything. I figured you'd be smart enough not to follow me outside so I just had to bring the water here. I had that plan ever since you mentioned the word 'island' and I realised the ocean was beneath us. I just had to dig a tunnel for it to come up."

"Geez, you better not be planning to keep me out longer than five minutes, you hear me?" shouted Aquarius, "I have a date with my boyfriend."

"As soon as you help me with her, you can go," I said.

"Fair enough," said Aquarius, getting her urn and absorbing lots of water.

"Gomenasai, Infra," I said, "But I have to do this."

Aquarius flung water at her, flooding the whole corridor so there was no chance of her escaping. Hopefully, if my plan was successful, the current would carry Infra straight through the Runes and she couldn't come back in because of that rule: Once you have passed through from either side, you cannot go back.

"Well, that's her taken care of," declared Aquarius, "I'll just be getting back to my date with Scorpio…"

The rest of her words appeared to be an unintelligible slur of words to me as I became dizzy and tired, my vision blurring slightly. I was aware however, when Aquarius looked down at me, genuine concern in her eyes, "Lucy? Oi, are you OK?"

"Yeah," I said, standing up, although I wobbled a bit, "I'm just tired… Go, don't worry about me."

"Oh, bullshit, you can barely walk," said Aquarius, "It's actually pretty sad looking at you right now."

I appreciated the rare concern on Aquarius' part but that just wasn't what I needed right now.

"Sorry, Aquarius," I said, taking out her key, "But I'm fine, it's nothing to worry about."

Her eyes flickered to the key and back to me, "Oh, no. Don't you dare use that key to—"

I force closed her gate and leaned against the wall, panting. I had to save Gray and the princess but I'd be pretty useless if I charged in there, barely able to stand up. I was pretty sure Gray wouldn't do anything fishy anyway, since he would probably wait for the rest of us to come.

I wonder if Erza found another way in, yet? I wondered. And I hadn't even seen Natsu or Happy. I looked at the black wall where the wall had exploded into flames and then Aquarius' wave put it out, leaving a huge black mark. It was the only interesting thing to look at. Then I saw a flying, blue little thing coming in my direction.

"Lucy!"

Recognition came after a few short seconds, "Happy?" I cried.

"Lucy!" shouted Happy, crashing straight into me, "Ne, are you OK?"

"Yeah, more or less," I answered, "What about Natsu?"

"He's OK," said Happy, "We defeated that Ladin guy when he came back but Natsu kind of got lost so… But then we found Erza and we couldn't find any other way to get into this place so Natsu and Erza have to wait in that room with unconscious people for you and Gray to come back."

"Are you kidding me?" I cried, "Natsu's pink-haired though! He should come through!"

"In the hair types, brunettes, blondes and redheads, Natsu is closest to a redhead."

"I guess," I sighed, "Happy, I don't know if I can! Infra was hard to beat and I have little to no magic power left. What if this Nero guy is the leader or the strongest mage?"

"Demo, Lucy! We have to try!" said Happy, "Natsu and Erza are depending on us!"

Why can't it be me depending on them? I thought, but I nodded my head, "OK. But I have to rest a while. I can't fight if I can't walk."

"Yeah," Happy agreed, sitting down next to me.

Just then, we heard a scream, a high one, like a female's and also a gunshot. That was followed by some thumping and some people shouting, both males.

The princess was the female and Gray and Nero are the males, my first instincts told me. Either way, they were in danger. I stood up, "Let's go, Happy!" I ran down the corridor, somehow able to run.

"Aye!" said Happy.