SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 7 out, this is Chapter 8 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and the main pairing.
Chapter 8: Key of the Starry Heavens
"What?" Wakaba echoed after Gildarts reported back. "Legion?"
"Then the ones that attacked us are from Zentopia?" Cana asked her father.
"Yeah, I'm positive." Gildarts nodded.
"Why would Fiore's largest religious organization attack us?" Marco inquired.
"I don't know, but he said some crap about a crusade." Gildarts replied.
"Who gives a damn about all that?" Natsu snapped. "Lucy, I swear we'll get that memento back to you."
"What happened with the members that were sent in pursuit?" Gray asked.
"All of the teams lost track of them, according to Warren." Ami replied. "Gray, your clothes…" she sighed, already used to her fellow ice wielder's habits.
"Motherf…" the stripperiffic teen bit back a curse.
"But it's not over." Erza reminded, the ice mage went off to find his shirt. "It's just begun, I suppose you could say."
"Now you're talking." Natsu grinned. "Now we can look forward to getting payback, 100 times over."
"The crusade they mention." Ami started. "Legion is trying to accomplish something big. For that, the clock hand is necessary. And the words that were inscribed on it…"
"That clock actually exists somewhere." Lucy flipped through her books. "Do they mean to use it for their crusade?"
"'Chaos descends…'" Ami frowned. My guess it's a reference to that crusade."
"Natsu, are you okay?" Happy asked, Natsu apparently lost in the geek talk. "Are you following the conversation?"
"The, the rules are unnecessary." Gray stated.
"That's right up my alley." Natsu agreed.
"A clue…" Lucy racked her brains.
"Maybe Legion is looking for another part of the clock now." Michelle suggested.
"All we can do is investigate." Gray noted. "And maybe that'll tell us where they are. Or maybe they'll notice us sniffling around and come for us."
"I like that thinking." Natsu grinned, both elemental mages knocking knuckles. "Let's go."
"That's rare." Ami chuckled. "You two actually agree on something."
"What?" both boys jumped apart.
"But where should we start investigating?" Lucy wondered.
"I'll try doing a divination." Cana offered. "That should narrow down it, at least."
"I kind of remember seeing this before…" Natsu noted, the group standing outside the Heartfilla mansion.
"It's the Heartfilla mansion." Ami supplied.
"Was it put up for sale?" Gray wondered.
"It's in god shape, considering seven years have passed." Happy remarked.
"Then it must be kept up periodically until a buyer is found, right?" Carla asked.
"The administrator of this estate says they haven't been able to find a buyer." Lucy admitted.
"Probably because it's too luxurious." Gray guessed.
"This brings back memories…" Michelle gushed. "I used to think of this as a castle back then. And it hasn't changed."
"Michelle, you've been here before?" Lucy wondered.
"We used to play together a lot." Michelle sobbed. "Nee-san you used to make clothes for me. Although the clothes were made with colored construction paper and flowers."
"I'd like to get to the reason we're here." Erza went into leader mode. "Do you mind?"
"No objections!" both boys chorused.
"But where do we start?" Ami wondered.
"And what are supposed to be looking for?" Wendy asked.
"That's the reason I had so many of us come here." Erza replied. "We'll spread out in groups and thoroughly search every room. Look for clock parts, old clocks, anything that reminds you of those words, books that have something to do with ancient Potamelian, anything."
"In other words, examine anything that makes you think 'How about this?'" Ami summarized.
"'To my daughter'?" Michelle took out a book from Jude's study. "Nee-san, look at this. This is a strange book."
"All the pages are blank." Lucy flipped through the book.
"Then there's some magic at work on the book." Michelle concluded. "By the way, nee-san…" she looked at Crux. "Is he sleeping?"
"No, he's tuning in." Lucy explained. "Old Master Crux should be able to learn something."
"Diao!" the Southern Cross exclaimed. "Indeed, this is decidedly nothing more than an old bundle of paper. There's no magic involved, let alone characters written in invisible ink. Furthermore, your father bound these pages together himself."
"I see." Lucy nodded. "Did you learn anything else."
"There is one more thing." Crux added. "From ancient times, there have been certain 'rules' when it comes to this particular type of riddle. For example, this title. What if it's an anagram?"
"So we try putting the letters in a different order, right?" Michelle realized.
"What are you guys playing a game for?" Natsu asked, Gray and Erza sat on the study floor, with cut out letters before them.
"Keep your silence." Erza retorted, trying to figure out the anagram.
"What's that?" Happy asked. "A puzzle?"
"We're trying to decipher an anagram." Ami replied.
"That looks like fun." Natsu grinned. "Let me…"
"What do you think you are doing?" Carla snapped, Natsu having erupted in a sneeze.
"We were trying to think." Wendy agreed.
"We were on the verge of getting a flash of inspiration." Erza's sword was drawn out.
"Erza is serious…" Wendy gaped.
"She's the type that really focuses on this kind of thing." Gray agreed.
"Jeez, you scattered the cards all over the place." Ami sighed. "Wait…" she spotted the 'myth' word on the ground. "Is this…?"
"Diao!" Crux was summoned again. "Those four letters, 'Myth' correct? Like an old legend."
"I think we're getting there." Gray grinned.
"What can we do with the remaining letters?" Erza wondered. "Duo… Great… Myth…"
"That's it." Lucy brightened. "There are two books referred to as 'The Two Great Myths'! The author is Will Neville. One book is titled the 'Life of the Clockwork' and it's got those words in it. And as for the other myth… ;The 'Key of the Starry Heavens'!" she pulled out the picture book.
"Isn't that a picture book?" Natsu wondered.
"It's not just any old picture book." Lucy chided. "It's really magical…"
"At any rate, doesn't the word' key' strike you?" Gray cut in.
"Maybe there's some kind of hint inside the book." Erza agreed.
"I don't know if it has to do with that clock hand." Lucy admitted. "But maybe there's a message from my father in this book."
"Would you give me that book?" Samuel asked.
"What the hell is that?" Natsu asked, the door handle exploding inwards.
"The door handle expanded." Gray blinked.
"You've got a rather limited power of expression, it seems." Samuel remarked. "You couldn't say the door handle doubled in size, which broke down the door?"
"An Exceed." Happy gaped. "But was this guy in Extalia?"
"No," Carla corrected. "I bet he was sent to this world at the same time we were, Happy."
"Who the hell are you?" Natsu demanded.
"I am the head of the Legion." Samuel adjusted his glasses. "Samuel."
"So you sniffed us out right away and came running, huh?" Gray retorted.
"Then give us back the clock hand!" Natsu ordered.
"Anyway, you've done exactly as I predicted." Samuel stated, spreading his wings. "I knew you would come here. And that you would find a clue. As indeed, you have. I'm a genius."
"That guy's getting to my nerves." Gray growled. "Ice Make: Lance!"
"Victory goes to the one who makes the first move!" Erza donned on her 'Lightning Empress' armor and let loose a stream of electricity.
"Roar of the Fire Dragon!" Natsu released his breath attack.
"Water Dragon!" Ami let her aqua serpent fly.
"Wait a…" Lucy gaped, Dan having deflected the converging attacks. "No!" she screamed. "What are you doing? I just decided to buy this house back!"
"Hold it!" Gray retorted. "That guy repelled our magic."
"I'm the spearhead of Legion." Dan stated. "Dan Straight is here. Did you get a good look at the power of my shield? Magic Shield: Ricochet. It blocks any and all attacks, then scatters them about."
"Ricochet…" Erza mused. "So everything bounces off it."
"They're going to attack." Samuel warned.
"No matter how many times they attack, nothing will change." Dan declared.
"I'll destroy that thing before it can repel my attack." Natsu went on the offensive.
"I told you to stop it!" Lucy yelled, Dan's shield returning Natsu's flames back.
"Dan, that girl has the book." Samuel pointed.
"Here's the book." Lucy taunted. "Steal it if you can."
"Throb!" Dan went into love-sick mode. "You're beautiful!" he stopped Lucy with his lance. "She's shot me through the heart. By the way, what is your name?"
"Lucy…" Lucy muttered.
"Lucy!" Dan gushed. "I can't stand it! You've touched me to the quick."
"Is he always like this?" Ami looked at Samuel.
"It's begun…" the Exceed sighed.
"Lucy!" Erza jumped in and attacked.
"Cut it out!" Dan dodged the attack. "Don't butt in!"
"Mercury Star Power!" Ami transformed into her more powerful form. "Go, Lucy, Michelle. We can't let them have that book."
"Everyone, we need you on support." Erza ordered, donning on her 'Flight Armour'. "Leave this to us."
"I think we're overwhelmed by that…" Wendy reminded.
"Our brains were at a standstill." Gray added.
"You've got quite a lot of confidence in yourself." Samuel remarked.
"You'd do well not the underestimate us." Dan grinned.
"Let me hit them too." Natsu smirked.
"You protect Lucy." Mercury glared.
"I'm not done talking to you!" Dan snapped, Lucy and Michelle making a break for it.
"Dan, I'll leave Titania and Mercury to you." Samuel instructed, the others heading out.
"Come on then!" Erza accepted the challenge, both females clashing blades with Dan's shield.
"Even physical attacks bounce off?" Mercury frowned, their attacks deflected.
"Alrighty!" Dan counterattacked, taking on Erza.
"What?" Erza blinked, her sword shrinking in size.
Dan took the opening and sent both girls into the ground via a spike from the earth. "Our time is about up." The swordsman remarked. "See you again, Titania, Sailor Mercury."
"Wait a second!" Erza exclaimed, the enlarged books crashing down on them.
"Turtle Shield!" Mercury summoned her water barrier to deflect the books.
"When did he…" Lucy was stunned to find Samuel before them in the hallway.
"Just as I predicted." The Exceed stated. "The answer came forth simply based on your mental state and the structure of this abode."
"No one wants to hear your rumbling!" Natsu snapped, going on the offense.
"Natsu!" Gray shouted, the Dragon Slayer being hit by Dan's spear.
"Exactly as planned." Samuel nodded, Dan having sent the enlarged versions of the roof tiles crashing on Gray and Wendy.
"Natsu, are you okay?" Happy ran out.
"Wait a second!" the miniature Natsu screamed, the blue Exceed flattening him under his feet.
"Happy, where's Natsu?" Lucy asked as she and Michelle running in.
"I stepped on him." Happy picked up the doll-sized Natsu.
"Now, why don't you stop running around?" Samuel chided.
"I'm able to change the size of anything I touch with my magic spear." Dan explained. "That's the power of 'Happy Lucky'."
"So, would you hand over the book without any more fuss?" Samuel requested. "I don't like to do things Mary's way. I would prefer to avoid having to get even rougher on you."
"Happy!" Lucy tossed the book up. "Get the book and escape!"
"Not clever by half." Samuel sighed, Happy taking to the skies. "The book is right here." He pulled out the book from under Michelle's skirt. "Everything is cause and effect." He put on his 'Gale-Force Reading Glasses'. "I can read the calculations. That's why I can see through everything that you people do. You can have the book back." He added, Dan's shield absorbing Mercury, Erza, Gray and Wendy's combined attacks. "I memorized its contents."
"Hey!" Lucy exclaimed, the reflected attacks raining on her.
"He left the book here…" Wendy gaped, Samuel having taken Dan away.
"Meaning he doesn't see us as any kind of threat." Carla snapped.
"I swear I'll get them back." Erza swore.
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.