The Regal Key
===Chapter 9===
The Coronation
Author's warning: This chapter contains descriptions of torture. I apologize if you find that uncomfortable, but I did tone it down from what it could have been.
Levy summoned all of her courage and stood to face Ivan. He almost broke out into a fit of giggles.
"Little girl, surely you know how powerful I am!"
"I remember how Laxus beat the shit out of you," Levy replied sternly. The amusement left Ivan's face in a heartbeat and Levy screamed as his Shikigami dolls swarmed over her, engulfing Gajeel as well.
"You may have beaten those two fools, but don't dare compare them to me! I am beyond their level and beyond yours too!" As Ivan snarled, the assault ended and Levy fell to her knees, covered in scrapes and cuts. She didn't look back, but she could hear Gajeel moaning with pain. This wasn't fair! Gajeel could kick his ass if he wasn't suffering from motion sickness.
"Lyria-chan, please subdue this pest." As Ivan ordered it, tendrils of golden hair lashed out, binding Levy by her wrists and ankles. More wrapped around her torso, dragging her away from Ivan and Gajeel.
"I suggest you be quiet, little Fairy," Lyria crooned. "You might live longer."
Levy spat in her face.
"You little…" Lyria hissed and shocked Levy briefly. The small girl screamed.
"L-levy," Gajeel said feebly, trying to stand. But he had no strength. Couldn't think properly or move freely. Ivan smashed him back into the floor painfully, and then drove a heel into his back. The way he was laying, he could no longer see Ivan, but could see the two girls.
"Gajeel-chan! It does my heart good to see you where you belong – grovelling on my floor for mercy!"
"I ain't pleading for mercy, dumbass."
"Oh? Lyria-chan?" Levy screamed again as Lyria plied her torturous magic.
"No!" Gajeel shouted. "I'm begging! I'm begging!"
"Wonderful," Ivan said smugly and the torture ended. Ivan lifted his boot to kick Gajeel in the ribs. "It's good to see that you know your place. You are an insignificant worm. Nothing compared to me or my guild. Go on, say it. Raven Tail is the most powerful guild in the whole world!"
"You gotta be kidding-"
"Lyria!"
"Raven Tail is the most powerful guild in the whole world!" Gajeel garbled, seething with fury. Ivan grinned and stamped on Gajeel again, eliciting another cry of pain.
"Oh, I am enjoying this! Vengeance is a wonderful feeling, am I right, Gajeel-chan?" Ivan marched over to where Levy hung in Lyria's grasp and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. They were still bright and clear. "Oh? She has some spirit. I can see why you've taken a shine to her, Gajeel-chan."
Levy spat in his face.
Ivan actually laughed. "A strong will indeed! It makes breaking you all the more fun! I wonder how Gajeel-chan will enjoy listening to your screams. You are a very convenient weakness."
"You're using me to get to Gajeel?" Levy asked, seemingly shocked.
"Does that make you feel bad? Does it hurt you to know that you are Gajeel-chan's weakness? As a measure of amusement, I have been manipulating our group for a while now. Did you know that Gajeel-chan has seen you die twelve times?"
"Gajeel," Levy whispered, distraught. Why had he hidden that from her? She glared at the bastard before her. "Why would you do that, you monster!?"
"Because he betrayed me! I let him into my guild, I trusted him! How dare he betray me!?"
"Because you're not a man worth being loyal to!" Levy snapped. "You betrayed our guild – your father and your son! Don't stand there and speak to me of betrayal! You aren't fit to bear the name Dreyar!"
"Please stop," Gajeel groaned. "He'll kill you."
"Oh no, Gajeel," Ivan hissed, finally dropping the niceties. "You two will have a long time before that happens." Gajeel cried out in agony as shikigamis swarmed over him.
===][===
Lucy was running as fast as she could. She didn't believe that she could fight both Raven Tail mages in her current state. She'd just used three gates at once and was exhausted. The best thing that she could do was to lead these two away from Natsu.
But could Natsu beat both slayers at the same time? She shook her head. Of course he could! He'd done a similar feat before and he'd do it again. Suddenly, she tripped. No, the ground had shifted, granules of sand under her feet. She rolled and sprang to her feet in an instant, drawing a key right away.
"Open Greater Gate of the Lion: Loke!" As the celestial lion appeared, Narpuding and Kurohebi became visible, pushing out of the tree line. Lucy was panting. "Loke, I'm not sure how long that I can hold you here."
"Understood. I'll end this quickly."
===][===
"Thunder-Flame Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"
"Earth Dragon's Talos!"
Natsu, to his amazement, was pushed back. He began to realise that this pair was far stronger than Sting and Rogue. Erutan was as old as himself but without the seven years missing. Seven years older, seven years stronger. About on par with Natsu's ridiculous might. Alexander was an Edolas Dragon, strong in his own right and granted the power of a lacryma. Natsu suspected that his Draconic nature further enhanced the slaying lacryma's power.
"Good, it's been a whole since I've had a good challenge," Natsu said with a cheeky grin. "I'm all fired up!"
"I hate simple minded fools," Alexander growled. "Life is more complex than your simple ethos states."
"Cherish you nakama. Crush your enemies. I've not found life to be more complicated than that."
"Your nakama…," Erutan mumbled, his eyes shadowed. He snapped back up, tears glistening. "Because of you, they're dead! Earth Dragon's Roar!"
Alexander grinned as the spell slammed into Natsu. Clearly the Earth dragon was choosing to vent his grief on the most acceptable of targets. That was fine by his measure; he desired vengeance on the Salamander but cared not for quaint notions like fair battle. The world was more complex than that.
"Thunder-Flame…"
"He's coming!"
"Right!"
"…Dragon's Roar!" Alexander and Erutan threw themselves aside, but the attack wasn't aimed at them. It went upwards into the Corvus, striking a hole through the aft section, near the engines. Natsu grinned at his handiwork. "It's only right that Gajeel gets a fair fight!"
"I was nervous for a moment, but it's still airworthy," Alexander stated prosaically.
"Then I'll just have to hit it again! Hihi!"
"We won't let you!" The two dragons charged.
===][===
There was a hole in the ship's flank now, almost seeming to have been cut by a welder's torch, such was the strength of Natsu's flame. Two Exceeds flew in through the hole. Once inside, Lily instantly went into his battle form and charged down a corridor.
"Lily, wait up!" Happy cried.
"My partner needs me! I won't let him down!" Lily retorted, never looking back.
===][===
"Guh!" Blood spurted from Gajeel's mouth as he slammed into the floor again.
"My, my. You really are a tough one, aren't you Gajeel-chan? Made of iron indeed."
"Bastard, if I had any of my strength…," Gajeel promised. His clothes were in tatters now, Ivan's shikigamis tearing at him again and again.
"Threats, Gajeel-chan?"
"No! Please, I'm sorry! Hurt me, please my master! I deserve it!" Gajeel's face was pointed to the floor, hiding the wrathful expression that contrasted with his words. He couldn't bear the idea of him hurting Levy any further.
"Too late! Lyria-chan, please kill her!"
What!? What had he said!? No! No! He watched in horror as the woman formed two spiked tendrils from her hair and plunged them in to Levy's torso with a shrill scream. Gajeel screamed in anguish, but the next moment, Levy was fine. Unmarred, unharmed.
Huh? What had just…Lyria reached out and snapped her neck. No! Gajeel roared again, but then, Levy was fine again. Again and again, Gajeel watched her murdered, only to be healthy again.
"Gajeel!" Levy shouted as he convulsed insensate on the floor. "What's happening to you!?"
"My dear, I am showing him your death a thousand times over," Ivan replied with a chuckle. "Hurting Gajeel may be fun, but in order to truly punish him, I have to attack his mind."
"Why are you so cruel!?" Levy screamed.
"Cruel? Yes, maybe I am. Lyria-chan, please release her." For a moment, Lyria looked about to question the order, but she knew better than to argue and Levy fell to the metal decking. She tried to drag her injured body over to Gajeel. He was in a state, bloodied and bruised and was wracked by spasms.
"Gajeel! I'm here!" Levy shouted.
"How naïve," Ivan said mirthfully, observing their pain with amusement. Levy reached out to grab Gajeel's hand, pressing it against her face.
"I'm here. Can't you feel me? I'm right here!"
"Foolish girl, you cannot penetrate my illusions no matter how-"
"Shrimp," Gajeel hissed. "I can hear you."
"What!?" Ivan shrilled. He watched as Gajeel slowly pulled his upper body upright and pressed his forehead into Levy's. They were both crying, exhausted by their emotions.
"There…was a light…in the shadows," Gajeel sobbed. "You're…so strong."
"This is impossible!" Ivan shouted. He tried to calm himself. They were still helpless. There was no problem here. He could easily – he jumped as the door at the end of the room was kicked in, a large and irate Lily charging into the room. He too one glance at his comrade's bloodied forms and lunged at the Raven Tail mages, roaring with hate.
"You fool!" Lyria cried, crackling with lightning. "Have you forgotten your fear?"
Lily drove his fist into her face and then into the decking. He was so angry that he hadn't even noticed his phobia. His mind had no room for any unnecessary emotions at the moment. Ivan took a glance at the changed odds and fled the room, abandoning his fallen comrade. Lily wanted to follow, but needed to check on Gajeel and Levy.
"Can you help?" Levy cried. "He's motion sick!"
Lily poofed back into his smaller form and sprouted wings. He grabbed Gajeel by the back and lifted him into the air, off of the decking. For some reason, slayers felt their Exceeds to be 'Nakama' rather than 'transportation', and being held by Lily erased his motion sickness. Gajeel felt his strength return little by little.
"You're looking much better!" Levy said, joy evident in her voice. Gajeel's body might have been on the verge of breaking, but seeing Levy's much milder injuries at Lyria's hands drove a wild fury within him. Ivan would die for this.
"Happy," Gajeel growled. "Get Levy out of here. Lily and I are going hunting for someone's head."
"Gajeel," Levy said sternly. "Don't do anything that you can't take back – that's not the man you are anymore. I don't want vengeance, I want justice."
Gajeel glared at her for a long moment. He never understood her strength. To be so forgiving while on the verge of collapse. Despite himself, he grinned. She was his light. He'd seen that clearly. He had to respect that strength, do whatever he could to help it.
"Gotcha Shrimp! Now get outta here, I'm going to get Ivan!"
===][===
"Levy where are you going?" Happy shouted as she headed down a corridor at seeming random. "The exit was back this way!"
"I'm looking for the shard," Levy clarified, ignoring the cat's pleas to leave. "You said that they had it?"
Eventually, she came upon Ivan's chambers and began to search. Everything was in disarray, thanks to Natsu's attack. Levy frowned, wishing he hadn't hit the ship with them in it. He did tend not to think his plans through very well. Her eye was drawn to a black box with symbols on it she recognized. She opened it to reveal the shard inside, glistening gold.
"We did it!" Happy cried, suddenly changing his tune.
"No," Levy said quietly, "it's a fake."
"What!?"
She lifted it up. "It's a shard of rock covered with gold foil. Why would it be like this? If they didn't have it, they couldn't fool us with this. Lu-chan would know in an instant."
"Maybe someone switched it," Happy suggested.
"Switched it?" Levy pondered the question. Why would someone inside Raven Tail switch the shard out from under Ivan's nose? Wait…rock?
===][===
Natsu staggered under repeated blows, trying to stay on his feet. Alexander grinned, ready to press the attack, but suddenly a hand clamped onto his shoulder. He was wheeled around to face Erutan and suddenly had a face full of rock-covered fist and flew backwards to land in the grass.
"W-what!?" Natsu and Erutan asked at the same time, one with considerably more fury than the other.
"I'm done," Erutan said lightly. "This has gone on for long enough. Now that we've weakened Dragneel a bit, I think this fight should be fair. Anyway, right about now, the package should be delivered."
"Package!?"
===][===
Lucy slammed into the grass under Narpuding's assault. Loke tried to drive him away, but Kurohebi pressed in from the other side. The Raven Tail mages were strong! He couldn't last much longer!
Something swooped out of the sky, hovering before Lucy. She stared at it in surprise. It looked like a little dove sculpted from clay. It landed in her hands. On the back a message was written. 'A gift. Sorry for all the trouble'. The clay bird began to dissolve, revealing the item tucked inside.
The shard of Capricorn.
"What!?" Narpuding raged. "Isn't that bird-thing one of Earth-boy's techniques?"
"He betrayed us!" Kurohebi rasped. Not wasting a second, Lucy drew the King's key and slammed the last shard into place. She hadn't completed the trial yet, but she needed the power now!
"Capricorn, please!" She entreated, eyes closed. When she opened them, she was somewhere else. There was only blackness in all directions, though there was still some surface to stand on. The key was no longer in her hands.
Capricorn advanced out of the darkness, bearing a red velvet pillow in his hands, upon which now rested the key.
"Magnificent, Lucy-sama. You have collected all thirteen pieces. It has been over four hundred years since that last happened,"
"Capricorn! Is this a trial? I don't have time!"
"No, princess. I am the final spirit of the zodiac. My role is to teach proper manners, spirit and education, to temper the power of the previous twelve. I see you cry out in desperation to save your friends and I see nothing more beautiful. You have earned my shard splendidly."
"Capricorn…"
"With this key comes the power of our king. To you, who now becomes our queen. This is no trial." Capricorn knelt. "This is a coronation. You are my queen, Lucy-sama and I defer to you as your loyal subject. Here is our power, the combined might of your vassals. Please take it."
Lucy began to reach for it.
"What is this!?" Narpuding asked, staggering back alongside Kurohebi. The lion had gone and the girl had…changed. Her injuries were gone, and her attire was different. She wore a long flowing gown as deep as the darkest night, a million stars shimmering within its dark hues. An elegant crown sat upon her head, embedded with thirteen jewels inscribed with the signs of the zodiac.
She opened her eyes and lifted her new key.
"Open the Gate of the Celestial King!"