Lucy and Aaron's hands were in magic-binding cuffs and secured behind their backs. They sat on the ground outside the cabin, watching their captor.
Cobra walked around them, busy arranging items for the Dragon King's curse. There was Brotan's necklace which he pulled from a brown bag and put on the ground in front of Lucy. Next, he pulled out a glass jar. Inside was a spider, about two inches in length. It had a cross-shape design on its body that changed colors from cool blues to fiery oranges. It was hypnotizing to watch.
"Whatever you're planning—it's not going to work. I can't summon Brotan even if I wanted to," said Lucy.
Cobra shifted his gaze from the spider to her. "We both know that's not true. Remember, I can hear your thoughts."
Aaron started to stand up but Cobra moved quickly and forced him back to the ground.
"Don't try anything," he warned. "Even you're not a match against me without your magic."
"My brother said summoning Brotan might kill Lucy. Have you found some way to safely summon the First?" ask Aaron.
Cobra got the wine pouch that was full of Natsu's blood and set it in front of Aaron. "No, unfortunately your new playmate will either summon the First, or die trying."
Aaron kicked out in frustration. "Dammit dragon slayer, why are you doing this? If you want revenge, why not just kill me?"
Cobra remained calm, and knelt down so that he could stare into Aaron's eyes. "Because I'm going to hurt that son-of-a-bitch deep. You are Lucy are the only two things Zeref cares about and it's going to torture the hell out of him." He stood back up and rubbed his hands on his pants.
"But Lucy's a good person. How are you going to feel if you end up killing her? You don't want to live with that guilt—trust me."
"Well, let's hope she's gotten a little stronger since the last time she summoned Brotan."
He picked up the jar back up and walked to Lucy. "Here's how this is going to play out. This is an Imperium Spider." He shook the little jar. "They are extremely rare but I was able to pick one up on the black market yesterday. This little guy is going to force you to obey my every command, at least for a couple minutes. I'm going to make you summon Brotan and transfer his energy back into the necklace. Once that's done, Brotan will be a ghost instead of a physical spirit. He won't be able to ignore my commands and I'll be able to cast the Dragon's King curse by myself."
Lucy closed her eyes. So this was how he was going to force her to summon the First? Perhaps she could resist the spell long enough to ensure her death instead of being forced to take part in his plan. After all, she had almost died the first time she had summoned Brotan.
Cobra shrugged, seeming to hear her thoughts. "Zeref will be devastated if you die or if you become a Dragon King, but I hope you make it through this alive. You never know, you might enjoy being an immortal."
Aside from her own dark destiny, there was another thing that dismayed Lucy about Cobra's plan—transferring power to the necklace would mean that most of the power inside her would be lost forever and she wouldn't be able to bring her Celestial Spirits back. Furthermore, she would lose the ability to undo Natsu's curse.
"You're an asshole," she muttered.
"I've been called worse." He pushed her to the ground and straddled her hips. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a plastic tube that was about a foot long and an inch in diameter.
"Wait, what are you doing to do with that?" she asked.
He didn't answer. Instead, he put his hand over her nose, forcing her to breathe through her mouth. The instant her mouth opened, he began shoving the tube down her throat.
"Stop it!" yelled Aaron.
The tube scraped the back of her throat. Once it was down, Cobra reached for the glass jar.
Oh hell no! He's going to put that thing in my mouth?
With a little coaxing, Cobra was able to get the spider to travel down the tube. Soon, she felt thin legs scraping the back of her throat.
Lucy began twisting and bucking her hips. The thought of a spider crawling around inside her was possibly more terrifying than death.
"Stop moving!" said Cobra.
Lucy rolled over and began to gag.
"Dammit, why isn't it working?" he asked.
Lucy felt a sharp pinch in the back of her throat. The spider had just bitten her.
Cobra must have either picked up on her thoughts or seen something in her eyes because he smiled and seemed to regain some composure.
"Stand up." His voice had the authority of someone who knew they were going to get exactly what they wanted.
It was as if she was a passenger inside her own body—each of Lucy's legs found their footing and soon she was standing.
"Good, now don't move unless I tell you to do so." Cobra walked around her, unlocked her cuffs and removed the rope that had bound her wrists.
Lucy stood frozen. She could see Aaron watching her from the corner of her vision. He looked horrified.
"Excellent, now pick up Brotan's necklace."
Lucy did as she was told.
"When I say "transfer Brotan's power", I want you to summon the First and repeat these words—
'Brotan, I command you to return to the relic from which you once were bound. Return to the necklace Faralee created from your bones and teeth and do not return unless summoned by the one who holds this relic'."
He paused and licked his lips. The fear in his eyes did nothing to sooth hers. "Lucy, I command you to transfer Brotan's power!"
She could feel the tingle of magic begin to build up inside of her.
"Brotan, I summon you!" she shouted.
White mist formed and began to swirl around her. It seemed to gather and thicken until it was a solid mass.
The wave of power was overwhelming and she stumbled. Instinctively, she opened her chi-lines and let the power flow through her. She no-longer sought to control the magic, only gentle guide it—this seemed to help ease the pain.
"Summoner, are you alright?"
Lucy tried to look up. Her vision was blurry but she was able to make out white and gold wings. Brotan was standing before her like a legend pulled from a book.
She couldn't answer him. She wasn't even sure if could remain conscious. Still, she wasn't dying. That was a good thing, right? "Brotan…" she began, "I command you to return to the relic from which you once were bound."
There was a roar that made Lucy's knees weak and startled the birds from their resting place among the surrounding trees. "No!" yelled Brotan.
Despite her fear and resistance, Lucy continued—Cobra's spell wouldn't allow her to relent. "Return to the necklace Faralee created from your bones and teeth and do not return unless summoned by the one who holds this relic."
Instantly, Brotan's form seemed to shimmer. His wing began to stretch towards the necklace in her hand. It appeared as if he were turning to sand and be sucked up by the relic.
Oh God, I need to stop this.
But there was nothing Lucy could do. She could feel the power pouring out of her.
There was a shout and through blurred vision, Lucy saw Aaron throw a punch at Cobra. Flames where coming out of his fist. Somehow, Aaron had managed to get his cuffs off again. The blow had taken Cobra by surprise and he flew out of her field of view.
A few moments later, arms lifted her and placed her on the ground. Aaron's face came into view.
"Lucy, can you hear me?"
She stared back at him. The magically energy was still pouring out of her and into the necklace.
Aaron furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry, this is going to hurt."
He leaned over her and pressed his lips to hers. Hot air escape his mouth and filled hers, scorching the back of her throat.
At first, she couldn't speak but tears welled up in her eyes. Then suddenly, she felt control of her body come back to her. Aaron had killed the spider.
But there was still great pain. She clawed at her throat.
Aaron lifted a hand towards her neck. "Sana," he said.
Instantly, she felt relief as a green mist shimmered over her body.
"Poison Dragon's Crushing Fang!" Cobra came up behind Aaron and swiped at him like a tiger clawing its prey. Streams of poison mist trailed his fingertips. Aaron blocked the attack and began fighting Cobra again.
Lucy now had control over her body but there was nothing she could do to stop the magic that was pouring out of her. Brotan's necklace had reached its limit and the rest of the magic was disappearing into the space around her. It was as if a damn had burst and couldn't be contained.
Her mind flashed to the conversation she had had with Zeref. He had said that the spell for re-bonding with her spirits was relatively simple except finding a way to gather the necessary energy.
Well, she had a lot of magical energy now—the energy needed to fill Brotan's necklace was only a fraction of the energy that had been available in his physical form. In theory, all she had to do was think about each of her spirits and then transfer the remaining energy into a corresponding summoning object. It was essentially the same thing she had done when she had given Brotan his physical form— but reversed. The only problem was that Lucy didn't have her keys. She needed twelve objects now if she wanted to have any hope of seeing her beloved spirits again.
She looked around her. There was some debris scattered around the cabin. Her eyes landed on the empty jar that had once held the spider.
Aquarius.
Instantly the power began to flow towards the little jar. The aura of the power changed also. It seemed… annoyed… but perhaps pleased as well. It was definitely Aquarius.
It's working!
Lucy's eyes searched her surroundings for other objects. There was a comb sitting on a bench.
Cancer.
Again, power began to flow towards the comb. The aura took on a relaxed feeling, reminiscent of Cancer's personality.
Excited, Lucy began to find other objects around her and one-by-one, she transferred her spirits to each of them. For Taurus, there was an old shoe buckle and for Aires, there was a discarded bandana. Scorpion was a rock about the size of a billiard ball and Pisces was a bucket sitting next to the well. A stick reminded her of Sagitarius's arrows and an old dish was Libra. Lastly, there was a small knife for Capricorn and a twin set of acorns for Gemini.
Lucy was exhausted and could tell that didn't have much energy left. Still, she couldn't take a break. Every second that was spent not actively engaged in created summoning objects for her celestial spirits was a loss. She had to push through.
She looked at the ground and saw the rope that Cobra had used to help tie her hands. It reminded her of someone's perverted tendencies—Virgo.
A scream ripped through the forest and Lucy looked up. Cobra was sitting above Aaron, holding a bloody knife.
"Aaron!" shouted Lucy.
Aaron moaned and rolled over. Cobra wiped his mouth and stood slowly.
Seeing Aaron injured had disrupted Lucy's concentration. Magic poured out of her, lost to the surrounding world. It had been the last of her energy and she hadn't gotten to summon her final spirit—Loke.
"Damnit," cursed Cobra. "This isn't what a wanted." He threw the knife to the ground and began to pace. "What am I going to do?"
Lucy edged her way towards Aaron. Cobra seemed too distracted to notice her.
Aaron coughed and blood splattered across his lips. His complexion was even more pale than usual. The corners of his mouth curled up in a pained smile when he saw her. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through. I wish I had a chance to find that redemption you were talking about."
Lucy took his hand. She could feel tears beginning to well up inside of her.
"I know I have no right to ask this, but do you think you could give me one last kiss? I've grown quite fond of you."
She sniffled and tried to smile. Gently, she leaned down and kissed him.
As their lips touched, Lucy felt Aaron exhaling gently into her mouth. Her eyes widened—he was pouring more magical energy into her. The energy reignited the spirit energy that was just beneath her surface and seemed to roar to life.
She pulled back and looked at him.
"That is all I have," he said. "Maybe it will be enough."
His eyes closed and he lost consciousness.
The magical energy that Aaron had given her seemed to pulse inside her. She had never felt more powerful.
She searched the ground and her eyes fell to a pile of trash that was just a few feet away. There, amongst food wrappers and moth-ridden linen, was the magazine that Cobra had bought for Aaron—a nudie magazine. It was perfect for Loke. Lucy directed a piece of the energy surging through her there.
Within seconds, the last of Lucy's spirits had been assigned a summoning object.
There were footsteps behind her and she spun around. Cobra was there, holding Brotan's necklace and the pouch with Natsu's blood. It seemed that he had finally found a plan.
"If I can't turn Aaron into a Dragon King, then you'll have to suffice. One dead brother and one cursed lover ought to torment Zeref sufficiently."
Lucy scrambled on all fours and fell on top of the nudie magazine. "Open, Gate of the Lion!"
Loke appeared next to her, grinning.
"Look out!" she yelled.
He turned around just in time to see Cobra launching an attack.
"Poison Dragon's Sharp Horn!" Cobra shouted. He threw a punch, connecting with Loke's jaw and then released a burst of poison at point blank range.
Loke stumbled back from the force but remained standing. "Regulus!" he shouted.
A large beam of light formed near his outstretched hand and headed towards Cobra.
As Loke and Cobra continued to fight, Lucy crouched low and gathered her other summoning objects. She was particularly appreciative of Pisces's bucket. It wasn't as convenient as her key ring but it helped her carry the other objects.
"Poison Dragon's Roar!" shouted Cobra. A wave of purple mist shot out of his mouth and struck Loke. The force of the blow would have normally sent Loke to the ground but he barely faltered. As Lucy watched, Loke seemed to blink in and out of existence. It was so fast, she wasn't entirely sure if she had even really seen it.
"Lion's Roar!" he shouted.
A ball of light two stories high formed and raced towards Cobra. The blast struck him and he flew back.
"Damn," whispered Lucy. Either Loke was putting on an extra special show today or he had powered up immensely since she had obtained all twelve Zodiac Keys. Still, she wanted to summon another spirit. She knew how strong dragon slayers were and she was going to need to pull out all the stops to beat Cobra. She grabbed the stick from her bucket and held it up to the air. "Open, Gate of the Archer!"
She felt a pull on her magic that was so strong, it made her dizzy. She closed her eyes, thinking for that she might pass out but she worked through the discomfort. When she opened her eyes, she found the other eleven Celestial Spirits standing in a circle around her.
"All of you… how is this even possible?"
The largest number spirits Lucy had ever previously summoned had been three.
Aquarius was the first to speak. "We were so scared that we wouldn't get to see you again. Once we heard that Loke was summoned, we all wanted to come and help." The blue mermaid smiled which was very out-of-character for her. "Each one of us summoned ourselves. We were careful to only come if your magic could handle the task but it did! You have really come a long way in training these last couple months."
Lucy looked over at Aaron's body. She had a feeling that the magical power he had passed on to her had also helped.
Cobra was standing back up. "Damnit!" he yelled at Loke. "Why can't I hear your thoughts?"
Loke smirked. "Oh, a mind reader eh? Well spirits aren't exactly the same as humans. That's not going to work on us."
The other spirits moved and stood next to him. They all looked at the man who was struggling to stay standing.
"Ebi Snip Snip!" shouted Cancer. With a burst of speed, he ran forward. His arms were a blur as he passed Cobra. Once past, he paused, allowing his back to face his opponent.
Cobra swayed as he stood. A moment later a thousand cuts appeared on is skin and he fell face-first to the ground.
He didn't get back up.
Lucy looked around at her spirits. She was trying not to cry. "It is so great to see you all. I missed you all so much."
"We missed you too princess," said Virgo.
Lucy turned to Loke. "Are you going to be okay? You took the full force of Cobra's Dragon's Roar."
Loke smiled. "Did you happen to see me disappear for an instant?"
"Now that you mention it, yeah I did."
"If my magical energy is sufficient, I can flash between the human world and the spirit world. My health partially regenerates that way."
"Wow, that's awesome," said Lucy.
A breeze was beginning to pick up. The sound of leaves rustling was suddenly cut by an earth shattering roar. Everyone turned their heads.
A massive red dragon had just appeared over a mountain top in the distance.
Natsu was coming.