The Day in Between: The Hero of Time
Yukino wasn't sure how she ended up standing before Princess Hisui out by the large fountain in the grand courtyard of Castle Mercurius. She couldn't remember following the black knight either. All she could recall was leaving her cell when the man commanded her to.
Her mind was blank and hazy as she stared ahead at the princess, transfixed by Her Higness's emerald eyes that glinted with sorrow under the faint glow of the moon that shone behind a cover of clouds. Princess Hisui was beautiful, that much Yukino could understand as she stood obediently beside the taller man concealed under heavy armour.
"Princess," rumbled the man's deep voice from within his dark helm as he took a bow.
The sound of his voice sent a shiver down Yukino's spine for some unknown reason. She said nothing as she followed the knight's gesture without a thought and bowed as well. Her gaze once again fell on the beautiful face of Princess Hisui, but Her Highness paid little attention to the Celestial Spirit mage. Those sad, emerald eyes were locked on the black knight, her pale hands clasped tightly before her breasts as if in prayer.
"Sir Geraldo," the princess addressed formally, but quickly shook her head. "No. I apologize. You are Captain now."
The black knight straightened and grunted in annoyance at his newly promoted title. "'Captain' is un-befitting of me. It belongs to Arcadios and always will be."
Arcadios… The name triggered something in Yukino's foggy memory. There was a man with curly black hair, a square nose, and dressed in silver armour instead of black. The image of the person flashed in the girl's mind for a second before her focus was interrupted by the black knight's voice.
"There is nothing we can do for him now, Your Highness. He has taken the blame and now it is up to us to finish what he started. I promised him we would see this plan to the end. The fate of our kingdom depends on this!"
The princess's frown deepened. "The plan… Yes, of course," she whispered, closing her eyes. She wrung her hands and bit her lower lip, both anxious and upset. "The eclipse is soon upon us. Gods… Without Arcadios, do you think we will be prepared?"
The black knight took a step forward and spoke softly, "I do, Princess." He turned and gestured at Yukino. "We have everything we need to activate the Gate when the time comes. All twelve Gold Celestial Spirit Keys and a Celestial Spirit mage. Sergeant Yukino has agreed to lend us her power."
Yukino blinked in confusion and slowly shifted her attention to the shadowed slit of the man's horned helm where his eyes should be. When did she agree to help this man? She had never spoken to him, not that she could remember.
And the twelve Gold Keys… Yukino's hand tightened around a small pouch she didn't know she was holding. Somehow she knew what was inside the pouch and it worried her. How did she come in possession of Lucy's keys?
Yukino furrowed her brow and tried to make sense of what was happening. She tried to ask the black knight, but her tongue suddenly felt glued to the top of her mouth when she saw his eyes flash bright red and sinister for only an instant. Her blood went cold and the shivers down her back returned as she stood frozen; terrified of the demon standing so close to her.
Next thing she knew, her mind and body had gone numb, feeling as if she had fallen in some sort of dream. Her vision was clouded, like a veil had been pulled over her head; the black knight was a shadow and the princess a pale ghost.
Yukino heard her own voice, but it sounded like she was underwater; "I am honoured to be at your service, Your Royal Highness. I will not fail you."
Princess Hisui opened her eyes that seemed to blaze like fire within her ghostly face and met the other woman's gaze. She offered a weak, but grateful smile. "I thank you," she said, her voice quiet and distant to Yukino's ears, "The whole kingdom will be in your debt once they know you helped prevent the terror that will soon be upon us." She furrowed her brow in concern as she took a step closer to Yukino. "Are you alright? Are you not feeling well?"
"I have just released the Sergeant from prison," the black knight answered for the mage, shifting to stand right beside the Celestial Spirit mage, "She has gone through quite an ordeal, she is weary and in need of rest before the time comes." His voice was like thunder, every word like a command. Yukino had no choice but to listen.
The princess looked apologetic as she reached out and grasped Yukino's free hand. She was shocked the instant she touched Yukino's skin. "You're so cold and pale! I'm… I'm very sorry for what Minister Datong has put you through. It has been a long day. Sir – Captain, will you please escort the Sergeant to her room?"
The black knight bowed. "Of course, Princess. She must stay hidden, however. The minister will not look kindly on this if he finds out what I have done. Rest assured, the guards I have posted down at the prison will not disclose our secret."
Princess Hisui slid her hand away from Yukino's and yet her expression remained concerned. "What of the other Celestial Spirit mage?" she questioned.
"Datong promised to release her after the eclipse so there is no need to worry about her, Your Highness."
The princess breathed a small sigh of relief. "Then… everything is set. All we have to do is wait and see tomorrow's outcome… Thank you, Captain. Thank you, Sergeant. Please, retire for the night. I would like to spend a moment longer out here."
"As you wish, Princess." The black knight bowed once more and Yukino's body followed. "Come," he commanded the mage as he turned away from Her Royal Highness and headed towards the castle.
In a trance, Yukino followed behind the billowing crimson cape before her. She couldn't remember how many hallways they passed through or how many corners they turned. It seemed to happen so fast that her memory was a blurry mess. But then the pair stopped when a new voice started to shout for the new captain.
It was a ghostly soldier and he was running towards them, his steps seemingly echoing all around Yukino. "Captain!" he formally address the black knight with a salute. He was panting heavily and needed a short moment to catch his breath. "W-We have a problem! There's an intruder and he tried to escape with the spirit mage down in the dungeon. Both intruder and escapee have just fallen into Abyss Palace."
The black knight crossed his arms and grunted. "If that is the case, why is it a problem?" he demanded more than asked.
The soldier grimaced and lost his stiff composure from the larger man's tone. "Err, w-well…" he gulped.
"We are no longer obligated to keep an eye on the prisoner until her release," stated the captain. "By deciding to follow this rat out of her cell, she is now as guilty as a criminal for breaking the conditions we had set specifically for her."
"I… I guess…" the soldier mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Um, but what about our dungeon keys? The intruder knocked Benny out and took them!"
The captain huffed. "I will inform the Garou Knights to retrieve them from the dead rat's body. In the meantime, escort Sergeant Yukino to her quarters and ensure no one enters without permission from me. Is that clear?" He turned to the girl, his hidden eyes flashing red for an instant. "She needs to rest and she is not to be disturbed."
The soldier saluted. "Yes! Understood!"
The black knighted nodded and turned away, his crimson cape flapping behind him as he continued down the hall. "You are both dismissed."
"Bad news," Meredy's worried voice interrupted Jellal's train of thought. The man stopped short and quickly took cover in the nearest alley to avoid looking suspicious to the people still wandering the streets of Crocus in the middle of the night.
"What is it?" Jellal inquired, moving into the darkest shadows behind a smelly dumpster. He wrinkled his nose and decided to venture into the next alley.
"I've lost my connection with Keaton," she continued as Jellal carefully slipped into the shadows between two closed shops.
Jellal exhaled sharply and swore under his breath the moment he knew no one was around to hear him. "What happened? Ultear?"
"Can't tell you," Ultear replied, sounding quite frustrated, "The enchantments protecting the castle are preventing me from seeing inside. Only Meredy could keep tabs on him."
"I think he managed to get to Lucy," said Meredy, "He was really happy for a moment before he was surprised by something. It felt like he was falling. There wasn't any pain so I don't think he was attacked and he's not unconscious either. It's like he just disappeared!"
Jellal folded his arms and closed his eyes, putting all his concentration into creating a telepathic link with the swordsman from the future. Normally it would have been easy to hone in on the boy's unique magic signature, however Jellal could not find it within or around the city. It truly was as if he had disappeared out of thin air. "I can't detect him either. Wherever he's gone, our magic cannot follow."
It was just like the time when Keaton had tried to teleport with Jellal back to the underground chambers of Mercurius castle. But instead of teleporting to the warp point Keaton had set, the pair ended up crash-landing in the main fountain in the courtyard. Luckily, no one was around to witness their humiliating entrance.
Ultear grumbled a curse. "More damn enchantments." Jellal could picture the scowl on her face.
"Should we go help him?" asked Meredy. Her worry was making Jellal feel worried too thanks to the sensory link they shared. She had quickly grown fond of Keaton after meeting the young man the night before. She had found it so very amusing that, in the future, Jellal somehow had the patience to become the boy's master. (Even Jellal couldn't believe he could be a teacher.)
Jellal shook his head out of habit as he answered, "No. We don't know what happened in there. For all we know, he may have set off a trap. We can't risk going in there, they might be expecting us if we do. We need to continue with our plan. We only have two days, we can't waste any time." He formed an assuring smile that Meredy could sense. "If he really did learn from me, then I know he can get himself out of trouble. After all, he survived seven years while we only survived three in his timeline."
"You guys survived three years," Ultear pointed out, "I was killed during the Festival! We better change that future at once! I don't want to be killed fighting some damn dragons!"
"I agree!" Meredy practically shouted in Jellal's mind, making him grimace. "A future without Ultear is a sad future…"
Jellal smirked and glanced up at the faint glow where the moon was hidden behind the clouds. "The future has already been changed with Keaton coming here. We just have to continue diverting its path towards a better outcome."
"Then are you almost done with the final preparations?" Meredy asked.
Again, Jellal shook his head even though his companions weren't around to see. "Not quite. I was on my way to make sure we got what we need."
"Then hurry up! Chop chop! Time's wasting here!"
Jellal sighed and wearily pinched the bridge of his nose. "You two better not be slacking off either!" he snapped. The corner of his lips twitched into a smile when he sensed Meredy's laughter.
He was riding on Meredy's chipper mood to carry him through the rest of the night. He hadn't slept since the night before Keaton's arrival. For the past two days, Crime Sorcière and Keaton had been making plans and running around Crocus to gather everything they needed for the destruction of the Eclipse Gate.
Their plan sounded simple but was much more complex in reality. There could be dire consequences if something were to go wrong. It was Keaton who had suggested it to Jellal, back when they were examining the Eclipse Gate:
Even when he was cold and uncomfortably wet, Jellal couldn't help but be astonished by the incredible structure standing before him. The Gate was enormous! Larger than the main gate to the city of Crocus, as if made for giants! Jellal gazed upon the gilded stone, following the golden rays of the sun to the twelve metal mechanisms that appeared to be locks. He slowly climbed the steps, his eyes drinking all the little details that went into the design and function of the Gate.
He reached out to touch the gold metal bracing only to be stopped by Keaton grabbing his arm.
"Careful," the boy warned through the telepathic link Jellal had created. Jellal wanted to communicate only through telepathy to ensure any patrolling guards would not accidently catch their voices when they spoke. "The Gate will absorb all your magic even through contact. Master Lucy made that mistake the first time and she passed right out."
Jellal nodded. He quietly hummed as he leaned in for a closer look. "So this is it? The doorway through time." It was dimly lit in the underground chamber so it was hard to make out what the Gate was made of.
Keaton nodded and slid his mask up to rest it on his forehead. He reached into the folds of his tunic and pulled something out. With a flick of his wrist, the object he held started to shine with a pale blue light. Dangling in his left hand was a silver-chained necklace with a star-shaped pendant made of a rare, blue Light Lacrima. The shining crystal was only bright enough to light up what was in front of them, which was all they need.
Keaton's blue eyes seemed to burn with anger under the glow of his Lacrima as he glared at the giant gate. "Yes," he said aloud before falling back on mind-speech. "This is where it all began. Where everything changed." He faced Jellal, his expression almost pleading. "Master Jellal, there must be something we can do to keep these doors from ever opening!"
The mage of Crime Sorcière crossed his arms and glanced around, hoping to find an easy solution. But like his complicated past, nothing was ever simple, straightforward, or what he hoped to expect. "It's hard to say what this thing is made of. If it is as sturdy as a mountain, then we'll need a high amount of force to destroy it. How does it even open? What controls it?"
"There should be a switch panel, but it's not down here."
Jellal raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Is it not yet built?"
Keaton shrugged. "I'm pretty sure it's already built. It's just not here. Sometime between now and the day of the eclipse, the Gate will somehow be moved to the main plaza on the left side of the castle. That is where Master Lucy and I found it in our time. The switch panel is probably up there somewhere, stored away, hidden, or under guard."
"I was thinking of sabotaging it."
Keaton smirked at the idea, but his enthusiasm didn't last long. "That would only delay the Gate's use."
"It would bide us some more time."
The swordsman frowned. "But then they would know that someone is out to stop them. They may move the Gate, hide it, increase security… They will likely do whatever they can to stop us from stopping them. It's too risky. We need a one-step plan. I was thinking… maybe perhaps…" He hesitated and looked off to the side as his hands began to fidget with the chain of his necklace.
"Well? Go on. I'm all ears – well, open-minded – you get the idea. I can't think of any other options so yours might as well be the best one."
Blue eyes met brown, steadfast and determined. "We blow it up."
The first thing that came to Jellal's mind was how insane that sounded, (but then again, Keaton was raised as a Fairy and Jellal knew first-hand how insane and catastrophic everyone in Fairy Tail was), followed by how many ways that plan could go devastatingly wrong. He wasn't aware he was staring with his jaw hanging open until Keaton tilted his head and made a face.
"You think I'm crazy," the boy accused sullenly.
Jellal sighed and brought a hand to rub his weary face. "Am I wrong to think so?"
Keaton raised a challenging brow. "Can you come up with a better idea? Enough explosives can level a mountain so we can assume the same will happen to this door."
"Then we'll need a lot of explosives."
"A lot of powerful, non-magical explosives."
Oh yes, enough bombs to turn Crocus into a smoldering crater. It wasn't easy to find someone who could supply them the right materials at such short notice. There were plenty of firework shops situated throughout the city due to the festivities surrounding the Grand Magic Games. It took day and night; after asking the right questions and bribing the right people, they tracked down the right person who would provide what they needed – for a very steep fee.
Located on the far corner of the south-western district, the seedy, little 'fireworks' shop was tucked between a run-down, out-of-business hotel and the city's outer wall. Jellal was just on his way there before being interrupted by Meredy.
Before he slipped back into the street, he adjusted his black hooded cloak that was part of his new disguise. He wasn't Jellal or Mystogan tonight; he was 'Crow'. The new identity was necessary to prevent anybody, especially the Magic Council, from tracking down his activities back to Fairy Tail or Crime Sorcière. He had taken a page from Keaton the night prior and borrowed a crow mask to hide his whole face, hence his new alias.
A cherished treasure, the bird mask once belonged to Keaton's late brother who also went by the name of 'Crow'. It was made from black dragon bone and decorated with large, golden-tipped, black scales carved into the shape of feathers. Wearing it didn't make Jellal stand out too much since many people still wore costumes and festival masks out on the streets with the Games still going on.
Acting casual, Jellal headed straight for the tiny shop that was still open past midnight. Above the rusty screen door was an old, poorly-lit, lopsided sign that said 'Crocus's Best Fireworks Sold Here!' in faded red and blue letters. The place looked sketchy on the outside and it looked no better on the inside.
The screen door screamed at Jellal as he pried it open. The rusty hinges alone were louder than a doorbell, alerting the only visible person occupying the cramped and cluttered little store. There were ten others that Jellal could sense, and those ten individuals were well hidden from sight; no doubt waiting to show themselves if Jellal would choose to deceive the person before him.
Golden, reptilian eyes glinted in the dim light when the store owner turned from his desk to meet his customer. Sharp teeth were visible when the blue-scaled lizardman formed a grin the instant he recognized Jellal. "Ah, Crow," greeted the lizard in his raspy voice as he approached the mage, wiping his dirty, clawed hands on the filthy, ragged, brown apron he wore. His long, spiny tail swayed behind him with each heavy step. Having operated in his dingy store for years, he was careful not to accidentally knock over any of the cheap fireworks piled on his tables.
The lizardman stopped before Jellal, standing a full two heads taller than the human. The two pairs of horns sprouting on the back of his head just barely grazed the ceiling. Gold eyes narrowed and looked behind Jellal suspiciously. "Jusssst you tonight? Where issss your partner?" the reptile asked.
"He is on a job at the moment," was Jellal's quickly thought up answer.
The store owner's forked, black tongued flicked out as if to taste the truth in Jellal's words.
"Do you have what I came here for, Rajar?" the mage questioned brusquely.
Rajar's expression immediately changed into sneering delight. He clasped his greedy hands together and nodded vigorously. "Why yessss! Of coursssse! It all came in time thissss evening! Exsssspress delivery from my besssstest men! Becausssse of that, I'll have to charge you exsssstra." He lowered his voice and kept a sharp eye on the front door. "Dangeroussss cargo and all."
Jellal withheld the urge to grumble. He wasn't surprised at the additional fees suddenly tacked onto his shipment. He had dealt with plenty of shady characters like Rajar in the past so he knew that it was best to work in their favour to get what he wanted without too much trouble. Jellal hid his annoyance when he replied, "I understand. I put your men in danger so I suppose they should be generously compensated."
Rajar's sneer widened with glee. He held up a scaly finger and an open hand. "Now, before I show you your goodssss, I musssst firsssst see the other half of my payment. Twenty million Jewelssss plussss two hundred thoussssand for the exsssspress."
Just as Jellal moved to raise his arm, he summoned a brown leather briefcase in his hand. Inside was the exact amount of cash plus some valuable jewels from Keaton.
"They're Rupees where I came from. But here, call them 'rare Hylian gems.' Makes them sound more valuable," the boy had told Jellal with a snide, little grin when they were preparing Rajar's payment. The handful of colourful Rupees the swordsman had tossed in was more than enough to cover the added costs.
As Jellal handed over the case, he said, "You'll find everything is here, plus the extra you spoke of. Even more."
Rajar's gold eyes were wide and gleaming as he took the cash. He turned around, careful not to smack Jellal or his merchandise with his swinging tail, and headed straight to his counter to get a better look inside.
The masked man waited patiently as the lizardman counted the bills. The reptile made a sound of awe when he found Keaton's Rupees stashed in a fancy-looking pouch tucked in one of the case's pockets.
Rajar held one of the ruby-coloured gems up to the light hanging right above him. "Ohhh! Thesssse are real?!" He sniffed it, tasted it, and brought it closer to his eye, admiring its sparkling shine.
"What you are holding is a rare Hylian gem."
"Hylian?" The lizard turned his head to give Jellal a suspicious look. "Never heard that name before."
"That is why that gem is extremely rare. And highly valuable. Selling one of those will cover that extra charge and leave a little extra for yourself as well. Consider these gems as a… thank-you gift from us, my friend."
Rajar's eyes were wide as saucers as he stared in disbelief. "Wh-Where did you–"
Jellal 'tsked' and wagged a finger. "Ask not where I got them, and I will not ask where you obtain your special wares. Now, is Rajar satisfied with his payment?"
The store owner nodded vigorously with great enthusiasm. He was visibly shaking, most likely all giddy inside at Jellal's generosity. "Yessss! Yessss! Rajar is mosssst pleassssed!" He snapped the briefcase shut and made it disappear, likely sending it to his storage dimension for safe-keeping.
He faced the mage, showing his sharp teeth in a wide, happy grin, and clapped twice; it was a signal to his ten hidden friends that they were no longer needed. Jellal could sense them leave, leaving him alone with Rajar.
"You will not be disappointed, my friend Crow. Come, thissss way." Rajar rounded his counter into the backroom and Jellal followed right after his spiny tail.
The room was small and dim with crates and boxes piled haphazardly on top of one another. There was barely any room to move around and it seemed impossible to find anything to an outsider like Jellal. The mage stayed by the doorway as the reptile shifted a stack of cardboard boxes aside, climbed over a giant crate and pushed it far enough to create a wide enough gap for Jellal to squeeze through.
"Through here, Crow," Rajar rasped from behind the crate as he soundly moved a few more things. There was a loud click followed by a dull grinding of gears as something mechanic was moving out of Jellal's line of sight.
By the time the mage managed to wiggle his way between the crate and another pile of boxes, he found a hole in the wall waiting for him. There was light flickering from the darkness inside, revealing a set of stairs that led down.
"Thissss way!" Rajar called from within.
Jellal stepped into the shadows, keeping his senses fully alert. He didn't fully trust Rajar and half-expected the lizard to have more men waiting below, ready to jump him. The stairway curved and it wasn't long until Jellal found Rajar at the bottom where awaited a wall marked with a magic seal.
The shopkeeper had his spiny back turned to the man, one hand holding onto a Lacrima lamp, and the other hand sweeping over the runes in the circle. In beast-tongue, the lizard hissed and snarled the magic chant to open the seal. The circle flashed blue and the wall started to rumble as it slid down to reveal a dark opening.
Rajar glanced at the mage over his shoulder. "It'ssss all in here," he said, gold eyes gleaming with pride. The moment Jellal stepped inside, Rajar snapped his fingers and the room suddenly lit up.
Jellal was stunned by the brightness, but did not fear any sudden attack. They were the only people in the room. When his eyes fully adjusted, he saw a fairly large room filled with gray metal barrels neatly stacked and tied together on wooden pallets.
Rajar turned to the mage and gestured to the metal barrels. "Two hundred and fifty kegssss full of volcanonyte! As you have requessssted!"
Jellal examined the closest, unmarked barrel. "And this material produces the strongest, non-magical explosion known in Earthland?"
"That issss correct! Ah! Careful! Careful!" Rajar warned when Jellal lightly touched the cold metal casing of one of the barrels. "Volcanonyte issss very unsssstable. Sssslightest bump can sssset one off! Thissss special inert ore," he pointed to the outer casing, "preventssss the volcanonyte from reacting with air and water. Air and water are bad! Remember that, Crow! Sssstore it carefully or elsssse Crocussss will be no more!"
Jellal nodded. "I will keep that in mind."
"Now, if you need asisstancsssse carrying–"
The mage held up a hand to interrupt the lizard. "No need." It didn't take too long for Jellal to send every pallet into his storage dimension. One at a time, he made them all vanish.
Back upstairs in the main shop, Rajar handed Jellal a huge box full of cheap fireworks as a gift. It, too, was stored in the other dimension.
Before heading out, Jellal said, "Thank you for your service, Rajar."
Rajar bowed his head humbly. "A pleasure doing buissssness with you, my friend Crow!" said the shopkeeper, baring all his sharp teeth in a grin. "If you are in need of Rajar'ssss 'waressss' again, pleasssse stop by!"
Out the screaming door and into the cool night air, Jellal exhaled a deep, weary breath. The deal went better than he had anticipated. Part one of their plan was done and now it was onto the next. And it was going to be another sleepless night.
Lucy was going to die! She just knew it; her life was flashing before her eyes. She was falling and falling in pitch black darkness, screaming her lungs out, arms and legs flailing uselessly around her. Oh, what did she do to die like this?! Just when she thought the end had come, there was a blinding flash of green light right beside her and a powerful gust of wind that made her twist around. It felt like she was nearly struck with lightning for her skin got all tingly and every hair on her body stood on end. Then a pair of strong arms embraced her followed by someone saying, "I got you! Please stop kicking!"
Then her fall abruptly ended. She landed hard on top of the person holding her, drawing out a breathless "Oof!", and together they bounced, landed once again, and rolled a couple times before coming to a sudden halt.
Head spinning, Lucy drew several much needed breaths only to end up hacking at the dust flying into her mouth. She stiffened when the ground started to move right under her, moaning as if in pain.
It took a long moment before Lucy realized she was lying on top of – and possibly crushing – the masked man named Keaton who had just protected her and cushioned her fall.
Lucy rolled off him and apologized profusely as she kneeled beside him. She groped for him in the darkness, hoping he wasn't badly injured. Her hands found mostly the feathers of the cloak he wore.
"I… I think I'll live," the young man croaked, his voice muffled under his mask. He coughed at the dust and hissed at the action.
"Are you hurt?" Lucy asked, wishing she could see.
"Ugh… I may have broken a rib – Ow! Or two…" Keaton groaned. From the sound of it, he was trying to sit up.
The spirit mage frowned with worry as she blindly tried to help. "I'm so sorry!" she apologized again, finding his arm. She lent him her support.
She felt his hand cover hers, cold and plated with steel. "Not your fault, Master Lucy," he assured her quietly, "I should've remembered about the trap…"
She was about to question the odd title before her name but then she exclaimed, "Wait, you knew there was a trap?!"
"Was vaguely aware of it…" he grumbled. There was a rustling of clothing before something blue lit up in his hand, chasing away some of the shadows. Star-shaped and beautiful, it was a blue Lacrima crystal necklace – appearing as if a real star shining through the settling dust in the darkness that surrounded them. Keaton turned to Lucy, peering at her through the narrow slits of his fox mask. "Are you alright?"
Lucy nodded. She was a little sore and her right knee was throbbing having banged it pretty good, but other than that and a few other bruises, she was better off than Keaton. "Yes. Thanks to you," she said humbly, bowing her head guiltily. "But you should worry more about yourself. You came to rescue me and–"
He waved a hand to stop her in mid-sentence. "Getting hurt isn't new to me, Mas – err, Miss Lucy." She raised a questioning brow. He continued before she could say anything; "I'm pretty sure I've broken every rib at least once. It's not a big deal." To prove it, he got to his feet, with much grunting and staggering. He leaned against the craggy rock wall they had rolled into.
Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed. How typical of men and their manly pride. She wanted to find out what sort of other crazy things, besides breaking people out of prison, this man did for a living to result in broken bones on a daily basis. However, there were more pressing matters at the moment. She looked around where they had fallen, unable to see far in the small blue light of Keaton's pendant. Wherever they were, it seemed like an underground cavern judging by the rocky ground and wall. It was cold and dusty and the air stale and musky.
"Where are we?" she asked.
The answer to her question appeared right above them in the form of a giant hologram screen bright enough to illuminate the small, ceiling-less cavern. And on the screen was the enlarged image of the black knight's armoured face; the same man who had taken Yukino from the cell she shared with Lucy.
Although Lucy couldn't see the man's eyes hidden within the dark depths of his horned helm, she could definitely feel them glowering right at her.
"Still alive, I see," the man's voice boomed within the cavern, making Lucy's ears ring. "If the fall did not kill you, then your punishment will soon be upon you. You have fallen in Abyss Palace. There is no escape for criminals like you."
"Criminals?! Hey! I didn't do anything! And give me back my keys!" Lucy screamed at the image. It didn't seem like the knight could hear her.
"For harming a soldier, breaking into prison, and for attempting to escape, you will both be executed for these crimes. Farewell."
The hologram blipped out, casting the pair in darkness once more.
Lucy shuddered, mouth agape. Executed?! You have got to be kidding me!
"That man…" Keaton began, still staring where the hologram used to be, "Do you know who that was?"
The Celestial Spirit mage shook her head and slowly gathered her nerves. "I sort of met him back in prison, but he never did introduce himself. I never liked him the first time I saw him, and now I hate him even more," she growled.
The masked man brought a hand up to his chin. "I think I met him once before…" he murmured, mostly to himself.
"Does it matter?" Lucy asked. She was panicking. Hands running through her dirty, tangled locks, she couldn't stop shaking at the fact that they were going to be executed by the Kingdom of Fiore!
Take steady breaths, Lucy. Slow. Steady. Breaths.
No, she couldn't let them do this to her. She had only been trying to help, didn't they understand? She will not die down here.
"Look, we… we should start finding a way out of here," she said, regaining her calm.
Keaton nodded. "You're right. It was a long time ago anyway. Let's get out of here." He held out his glowing pendant as he walked along the cavern wall, gliding his other hand over the rocky surface, perhaps searching for a way out. Lucy strode alongside him to stay in the light because she was secretly afraid that something could be hiding in the dark, waiting for the right opportunity to attack.
As she silently kept in pace with Keaton, she could tell his injuries were hindering him and he was trying his best to hide it. She glanced discreetly at his mask from time to time, trying to find a connection between this Keaton and the magic fox Reedus had drawn for Bacon. Similar name, similar faces… And his ears; she hadn't noticed it until now, but they were long and pointy, just like Bacon's. Just who was this person?
Curious, Lucy broke the tense silence, "Can I ask you something?"
"Hm?" was his response, his attention never straying from his task.
"Where did you get that mask?"
"I made it."
How intriguing. Lucy wanted to find out more. "Why do you wear it? It must be hard to see with it." Take it off. I want to see your face.
He hesitated for a moment. "I can see well enough. I wear it because it is my identity."
Damn. "Where are you from?"
He stiffened from the question. He seemed more reluctant to answer her.
Lucy softened her voice and expression, hoping to make him understand why she was prying into his life. "You see… there is a boy with us – with Fairy Tail," she began.
"And he has amnesia," he finished for her, bringing a look of shock on her face.
"Y-Yes, how did you know?" Lucy could've smacked herself for such a stupid question. Of course, he would know, he had to have met with Fairy Tail first before agreeing to come and try to rescue Lucy.
He paused and didn't answer right away because they found a change in the cavern wall. Someone had built a perfectly aligned stone wall over part of the natural, craggy rock of the cavern. Once, the covered section may have been an exit from this awful cave, but now it was barricaded by old, gray stones deeply etched with magic runes.
"Great, an enchantment," Keaton muttered in contempt as he traced one of the runes with a metal finger. "No wonder… I won't be able to use magic to get us out."
"There has to be another way out," said Lucy. She had to be optimistic in a situation like this or else it felt like it would just get worse, (which was pretty much every time she got into some sort of trouble).
Keaton turned to her and leaned his back against the wall. "There is… and it won't be easy, Master Lucy."
She abruptly pointed at his mask's pointy nose, causing him to flinch back. "There it is again! Why do you keep calling me that?" she demanded.
"Call you what?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.
"Master Lucy." It wasn't like she didn't appreciate being called a 'master'; she always felt empowered when her spirits called her that; but that was just it, only her spirits had a reason to call her their master.
He looked away and scratched the back of his head. "Oh! Um, no I didn't."
She placed her hands on her hips. "Yes, you did! You said it a few times!"
"Did I?" He laughed nervously, which was sharply cut off by pain. He clutched his broken ribs and held up a hand as if to surrender. "Ow ow ow! Okay… Well… I suppose you'll find out eventually…" he mumbled under his breath.
She raised an eyebrow and stepped closer. "Find what out exactly? What is going on here? I'd like an explanation right now, if you don't mind?" She sounded angrier than she felt. She was tired, grumpy, frustrated, and scared and she was stuck with this stranger wearing a mask who was obviously hiding some sort of secret. She deserved some answers because she was not in the mood to play stupid mind games.
Seeing her stern 'don't-you-dare-argue-with-me' expression, (which Lucy liked to call the 'Erza-mean-face impression'), Keaton sighed and turned back to following the wall in search of an exit.
"We should keep moving," he said quietly as if in defeat, "I'll tell you everything as we go on."
Lips a thin line, Lucy marched beside the young man as he continued to drag his hand over the stone wall, producing an irritating screech every now and then. "Earlier, you asked me where I'm from. Will you believe me if I told you I'm from the future?"
Lucy missed a step and stumbled over a rock, but was quick to regain her composure. She stared dubiously at the masked man, thinking perhaps he had hit his head pretty hard when they landed. "Are you… sure about that?"
He made a strange choking noise as if trying not to laugh. "I'm positively sure. You wondered how I know about the boy with amnesia in your guild? That's because…" He paused and looked at her then, through those narrow slits for eyes. He reached for his mask and slowly slid it upwards until it rested on top of his head.
Lucy had held her breath during the whole process. And when she met those bright blue eyes set within an awfully familiar, but older face, she couldn't help but to cover her mouth and gasp upon recognition. She was speechless, shocked, and confused all at once as she did nothing but gape in absolute disbelief at the person standing before her.
"I am that boy," he finished softly, his voice almost a whisper.
The Celestial Spirit mage removed her hand and sputtered the first thing that came to her mind, "Wh-What? I don't … I don't believe this… Y-You… You're… Bacon?"
He smirked at that silly name. "Yeah, it's me, seven years from the future."
She truly could not believe it! The same fearless little boy who loved to smile and laugh was now a strong and handsome young man!
"But… how?" And then she remembered the main reason why she was in this awful mess in the first place. "The Eclipse Gate!"
He nodded, his eyes bold and determined. "Yes. I used it to come back to this time. Something terrible will happen on the final day of the Grand Magic Games, something that will turn the world to death and ruin in the upcoming future. I am here to stop it."
"Stop it? Stop what? What's going to happen?" she asked, body going numb with trepidation.
As he went back to searching for a way out of the cave, he told her the shocking truth: Dragons – ten thousand of them, all under the control of one. Single. Man. And all would come through the Eclipse Gate from the distant past when dragons once ruled the land, skies, and sea. That day would be known as The Festival of Dragons and would forever be remembered as the beginning of humanity's downfall.
Lucy had fallen into a solemn mood as she listened to Keaton's tale. She wanted to know what happened to Fairy Tail, but was too afraid to find out how many of her friends didn't survive. Keaton didn't share any details and Lucy did not press him to tell, deeply understanding how painful it would be to relive the tragedy.
Lucy asked instead, "How do you plan on stopping that future?"
"We will destroy the Gate."
"We? There are others who came back with you as well?"
Keaton shook his head and glanced at her with sadness and guilt. He turned away, head downcast as his gauntlet quietly screeched beside him. "No… I am the only one who made it," he answered, voice cracking. "Master Lucy… I call you 'Master' because you – the future you – were my last mentor and the final master of the only guild left in Fiore."
He grabbed a set of keys attached to his belt that Lucy had first thought were the prison keys he had stolen, but when he held them up for her to take, she recognized them as Celestial Spirit keys. Two gold and one silver.
Lucy carefully reached for them, her mind still reeling from this sudden revelation. The instant she touched them, she knew they were her keys but not the exact same ones she owned. Her whole set, along with her whip, had been confiscated by the guards. These ones were rough in shape; covered in scratches and worn in some places. She didn't need to read the symbols to know which keys she held.
"Loke, Gemini, and Plue…" She rubbed her thumb over each key bow as she spoke the spirits' names.
"You taught me how to summon them, how to fight with them. You taught me how to be a Celestial Spirit mage and gave me those keys to keep as my own."
In spite of everything she had just learned, hearing that was the most shocking news to Lucy. She did a double-take and nearly tripped over another stupid rock at such a convenient time. "What?! You're a Celestial Spirit mage?!"
She was flabbergasted and most of all, incredibly happy. Celestial Spirit mages were rare nowadays; the special magic could only be inherited, not taught. She would have never thought that Bacon was capable of summoning spirits given that he enjoyed playing with swords rather than magic. And his magical aura certainly didn't have that light, celestial feel that Lucy could sense when she was around another Celestial Spirit mage like Yukino.
"I'm not a very good Celestial mage," he said modestly, looking rather sheepish. "I didn't find out I could summon spirits until I was almost fifteen so I didn't get to train very long."
"But you remember being a Celestial Spirit mage now, don't you? Or… do you still not remember your past?"
He smiled at her, but it was more sullen than expected, "I remember everything. My real name, my past life, how I ended up at the temple… All it took was seven years and a near-death battle against Ac – whoa!" It was his turn to stumble, but it wasn't due to a rock on the ground; the cavern wall he had been leaning against as he walked had turned into a narrow fissure.
After regaining his balance, he held up his light in the opening and side-stepped into the gap that was wide enough for them to squeeze through. "I think this may be a way out," he surmised. He turned his head and motioned with his free hand for Lucy to follow.
The gap was tight, Lucy couldn't turn her head the other way if she wanted to, and the rocks on either side of her were cold and rough. She was feeling claustrophobic with the walls pressed against her, seemingly crushing the air out of her lungs. It was so dark too! She could barely see Keaton – was that his real name? – ahead of her. She was afraid of getting stuck.
Keaton must have sensed her fear because he paused and extended his hand. Lucy didn't hesitate to grab it. His grip was cold but strong and assuring. Feeling better, she allowed him to guide her. "I wasn't born a Celestial Spirit mage if you're wondering," he continued, keeping his voice low, "The power was given to me by the Celestial Spirit King back when I first met him."
Lucy squeezed his hand, once again flabbergasted. She had no idea the King could do such a thing. "During the party…" she mused, thinking back on the wonderful time they had in the Celestial Spirit World. She remembered the moment when a curious little boy had walked up to the giant of a man and offered a friendly hand in greeting. Why did the King give the boy the power of a Celestial Spirit mage and not mention it? She would have to get Loke to ask the King for answers later once they got out of their current dilemma.
"You taught me as much as you could for two years," he said, sounding wistful. "You were supposed to come with me back to this time… but the Gate only had enough magic to send one person. I didn't know… You told me to go first and I did without a second thought." His fingers tightened around hers, as if afraid to lose her. "The instant I stepped through, the door shut behind me, and you were left behind… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… If I had known…"
"She knew you would be the one to save the future," Lucy interrupted him, speaking softly. He was crying, she could hear it in his voice. Knowing he felt absolutely guilty of abandoning her future counterpart made her heart wrench. Her future self knew the best course of action when given such a difficult decision.
"How would she know?" he muttered.
"Because you are destined to do it, just as Zirconis had said."
"Zirconis?" he snarled. His mood suddenly turned dark from hearing the dragon's name.
"You don't remember? He translated that Dracotongue thing for you. Something along the lines of you being destined to save our world, Hero of Time."
He was quiet for a moment, probably thinking. "He did?"
Lucy suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and sigh. She had to cut him some slack, it was seven years ago for him. "It was before I got thrown into prison. Wendy used her magic to summon the ghost of Zirconis."
"Oh! His ghost. Right, forgot about that. Damn prophesies…" His tone was bitter. He tensed and dropped his voice to a whisper. "There's light up ahead. We need to be on our guard. Whoever's in charge down here might be waiting for us. Use those keys – the spirits are still under your contract."
"Okay," Lucy whispered back. There was so much more she wanted to ask of him, but that would have to wait. Getting out of this Abyss Palace alive came first. Her hand clenched tight around the spirit keys Keaton had given her. Holding them gave her the strength and courage to face whatever danger lurked beneath the castle.
Just as Keaton had said, there was light when they finally reached the other end of the fissure. The young man sidled to the very edge and slowly poked his head out to scan the area. "No one out there," he whispered, "but I can sense five magical entities coming this way. We need to hurry."
As he pulled Lucy out into the open, he tucked away his necklace and slipped his mask back on. The other side of the fissure was completely different from the pitch black cavern. Underground ruins lay before them, similar to the ruins beneath Domus Flau. Seeing it made Lucy wonder if there was an entire forgotten city right under Crocus. If so, then it was possible there would be connecting tunnels that they could escape through before being found.
Sconces on the walls of the old, mossy buildings burned with eerie green flames, casting strange shadows over the crumbling stones. It was as if the ghosts of the dead were dancing among the ruins, eager for more living souls to come join them. Someone was definitely down here keeping those fires going.
Lucy gritted her teeth and swallowed her fear as Keaton pulled her into the haunted ruins. They ran through the barren streets overgrown with glowing bell flowers and thorny vines. There were large flowers blooming on the vines; red, vibrant, and nauseatingly sweet. The flowery vines seemed to grow everywhere they turned, choking old statues of giant stone knights, wrapped around support pillars that reached into the darkness above, and forming curtains that draped down the sides of walls and buildings.
Out of the emerald light and into the shadows they went, trampling through an empty plaza carpeted in dark moss. In the centre was a bare, twisted tree with gnarled roots jutting out of the cobblestone ground. Beautiful florescent mushrooms sprouted on the old, rotten trunk, providing some natural light around the area.
By then, Lucy was out of breath and struggling to keep up with Keaton's quick strides. Her body was screaming at her; lungs and muscles were burning like fire and her wounds that have yet to heal were aching like mad. She hadn't have a proper rest since leaving the infirmary however long ago so it didn't take too long to get exhausted. She nearly tripped over a number of times, but thanks to Keaton's strong grip, she was saved from breaking her face on the ground.
Keaton suddenly stopped and Lucy had no choice but to run into him. Considering he was just as tall as her, they both fell over. Again, she was on top of him and crushing his poor broken bones. He hissed at the pain, but was quick to climb back to his feet, pulling the spirit mage with him. Sharply, he turned to the side and practically dove behind the remains of a wall that used to be a part of a building a long time ago judging by the square hole that served as a window.
Lucy pretty much collapsed against the wall while Keaton crouched under the window. He brought a finger to the smiling lips of his mask, silently telling her to be quiet. Lucy nodded and slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her panting breaths.
She dared not to move a muscle, her back parallel to the wall they hid behind. She tried to tune her ears to listen for whatever may be following them, but all she could hear was the rapid beat of her racing heart. She watched Keaton instead, waiting for him to signal when the coast was clear.
After a few rapid heartbeats, there was an audible pounding of footsteps accompanied by heavy breathing coming towards them from the other side of the wall. It sounded like a person. Possibly male.
Lucy tensed when the person got very close to their hiding spot, soundly dragging his hand across the ancient stone as he quickly walked along. He passed the pair without noticing them and crossed the plaza, much to Lucy's relief.
Keaton carefully peeked out of the corner of the window only to suddenly pull back when the person cursed loudly in a familiar voice and began to run back the way he came. However, he didn't get very far. Lucy heard him fall hard on the ground as if he had just tripped over his own two feet.
Someone else had appeared in the plaza, giggling in amusement at the fallen man. Suddenly, there was light on the other side of the wall, illuminating the area in a soft yellowish glow. A young woman with a bubbly voice began to speak; "There you are, Captain! We've been looking all over for you!"
"C-Cosmos," the captain stammered, terror evident in his voice.
Lucy stiffened. The man was Captain Arcadios, the silver knight with the square nose who spoke of defeating Zeref using the Eclipse Gate. Was he sent down here by the short, old man?
"At your service," the woman giggled at the man's reaction. "Why such an ugly face, Captain? Oh! I suppose I shouldn't call you that anymore. Down here, you're just an awful criminal."
"I am no criminal!" Arcadios shouted defiantly. "What I did was to protect our kingdom! It was wrong for them to send me here! It was unjust!"
Cosmos laughed, her voice ringing around the abandoned ruins. "What you say doesn't matter anymore. You of all people should know that all who fall into Abyss Palace are guilty for their sinful crimes and must be executed! Since you chose to flee like a coward instead of choosing your method of execution, it looks like I get to have the honour. Oh! But before I send you to Hell, have you seen a yellow-faced rat and a blonde girl come this way?"
Arcadios growled. "I have seen no one. Who are they? Who is the blonde girl? Don't tell me…"
"They are terrible sinners, just like you. This is the most we've had within a day in such a long time. It's beautiful."
There was no doubt the woman was talking about Lucy and Keaton. Lucy slowly and carefully shifted her body so she could see what was going on, but before she could even get close enough, Keaton held up a hand and shook his head. Bad idea, he seemed to say.
"Are you sure you haven't seen them?" Cosmos asked. Her steps were so light, Lucy could only tell the woman was moving by the increasing volume of her voice. She was slowly approaching the pair's hiding spot, likely circling the captain as if she was the predator and he was prey. "My beauties tell me they were heading in this direction."
Lucy furrowed her brow in worry while Keaton clenched a fist. What 'beauties' did the woman speak of that had been watching them?
"I told you," Arcadios spat, "I've seen no one."
The woman hummed in disappointment. "Very well. Any last words?"
"Not once have I ever betrayed our kingdom. I have sworn to serve only my king and princess; I am their sword and shield, their light in darkness! My entire life has been devoted to protecting Fiore. You will be killing an innocent man, Cosmos."
"How beautiful," the woman gushed, standing just opposite from Lucy's and Keaton's wall.
Keaton decided to peek out the window and Lucy followed, her brown eyes falling on the back of a woman with long, pretty pink hair standing several metres ahead.
Cosmos looked as tall as Lucy and wore a white rounded hat atop her head, a long, white robe with petal-like ends, and knee-length green boots that matched the colour of plants. Floating around the plaza were fluffy balls of yellow spores that shone bright with magic, forming a perfect ring.
In the centre was the rotting tree and Arcadios, stripped of armour and looking worn and frazzled.
"Very touching," Cosmos sighed, one hand on her cheek. "But as I have mentioned earlier, no one is innocent when they are cast down here. You have been judged, ex-Captain, and you are a guilty man." She brought both of her hands outward and raised her head slightly. She spoke in a strong, authoritative voice; "I am Cosmos of the Garou Knights. As your executioner, I hereby send you to Hell for your sins!"
Lucy almost yelped when the ground began to shake and split apart as giant flowers rapidly grew from the earth, surrounding and trapping a terrified Arcadios. Buds the size of the man's head unraveled into beautiful violet blooms with open crimson centres.
"Sleep for all eternity," commanded the woman and the large flowers began to hiss, spewing some kind of purplish-gray gas from their middle holes.
Lucy needed to act quickly to save the captain. The man didn't deserve to die like this; he had been wrongly accused of treason just like Lucy! Not only that, he could help them escape!
She was about to select Loke's key from Keaton's iron ring when the young man placed a hand over hers, stopping her. She glared, her eyes silently screaming at him that she couldn't let Arcadios die. However, Keaton wasn't looking at her; the slits of his mask were focused on the scene before them.
Before Lucy could even open her mouth to argue, she felt his magic surge and in an instant Keaton's entire body was suddenly enveloped in bright green light. His body seemed to burst into thousands of light particles, releasing a powerful gust that nearly knocked Lucy right over. Then the wind shifted, carrying the emerald dust right out the window. In a blink of an eye, Keaton reappeared right behind Cosmos in another powerful blast of wind, blowing off her hat and giving her a start. But before she could turn around, Keaton struck her from behind; swiftly chopping his hand to the back of her head, knocking her out cold.
Cosmos would have landed face-first on the hard ground if the young man hadn't grabbed her and gently laid her down. With the caster incapacitated, her spells dissipated; the flowers wilted and shriveled to dust and the glowing spores dispersed like dandelion puffs before their light faded away.
The only source of light remaining was the colourful mushrooms on the tree; faint but enough to see. Arcadios was lying prone on the ground and Keaton quickly made his way over, whipping his feathered cloak in front of him a few times to fan away the sleeping gas.
Lucy left her hiding spot, amazed at what Keaton had just pulled. She took a quick glance at the unconscious Cosmos as she passed, seeing a harmless young woman. Appearances were deceiving, however. The woman was an executioner; Lucy was afraid to know how many lives Cosmos had taken in her life.
Carefully, the Celestial Spirit mage approached Keaton as he kneeled over the captain. "That's Captain Arcadios," said the spirit mage, keeping her voice low in fear of waking up the executioner. "Is he okay?"
"He's in a deep sleep," Keaton answered, bringing some relief to Lucy. For some reason, he started to gently brush the feathery ends of his cloak over the sleeping man repeatedly.
"What are you doing?"
"This cloak has the ability to protect and ward off any magically afflicted ailments," he explained. After a few more times and nothing happened, he stopped and decided to take his cloak off instead, revealing the many pointy weapons he had hidden on his person. Knives strapped to his chest, a small sword by his waist, and upon his back, a quiver half full of arrows, a bow, a large sword, and an edge shield that appeared to be made of a monster's ruby scales. He was well armed and he had gauntlets and plated boots for protection as well. All necessary to fight and defend against dragons most likely.
"Hm, it's a strong sleep spell," he mused, not noticing Lucy's staring. "It'll take a while before he'll wake and we can't stay here for too long. The rest of the Garou Knights are coming this way fast."
"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, we'll need Arcadios to show us the way out of here."
Keaton nodded. He clasped the cloak around the captain's shoulders and with Lucy's help, lifted the sleeping man onto his feet. Even without his armour, Arcadios was still a big and heavy man who weighed like a ton to Lucy. They each draped one of the captain's beefy arms over their shoulders to keep him upright.
"We need a distraction," Keaton grunted as he adjusted his hold on Arcadios. He looked over at Lucy, "Summon Gemini."
Lucy didn't hesitate or ask why; she knew exactly what he was planning. In the air before her, she twisted the scarred gold key from the future as she chanted: "Open the Gate of the Twins! Gemi! Mini!"
Something felt off when the twins took longer to appear than normal. "It didn't work?" she questioned, giving Keaton a worried look.
Before he could respond, the air before them flashed silvery white as a mirror-like rift appeared. Gemi and Mini flew right out, both crying, "Master Lucy!" The twins circled the three once before hovering in front of Lucy, twirling and swinging their stubby arms and legs as they danced in sync.
"Sorry if we're late!" Mini exclaimed, his smile always present.
"Something weird happened," said Gemi, his tone matching his constant frown, "We heard your call, but our normal gate didn't open."
"But there was another gate," Mini added, "It opened in another location and we had to find it!"
"So weird, we don't know why that happened."
Lucy exchanged a quick look with Keaton. "You might know the reason if you transform into me," the masked man told them. "Please, hurry and do so."
"Who's this, Master Lucy?" Mini asked curiously, twirling closer to the masked man with Gemi mirroring his movements.
"Yeah, he's rather rude. He can't order us what to do!" said Gemi angrily, pointing a stubby arm at Keaton's masked face.
"There's no time to explain," Lucy began as she nodded at her future apprentice, "Do as he says."
The twins flinched back as if struck, both wearing identical shocked faces. "What?!" they cried as one.
"You'll understand when you do it, now hurry up! We're running out of time!" the girl demanded.
"Yes, Master Lucy!"
"Don't forget my feather cloak!" said Keaton right at the moment the twins joined their stubby arms together.
The spirits' bodies turned blindingly white in the darkness, forcing Lucy to shut her eyes. With a poof, the twins had taken on their new form. They didn't forget the young man's white-feathered cloak or his smiling fox mask as they stood before them, a perfect clone of Keaton
Gemini gasped, their eyes falling on their raised hands, examining them in disbelief. "You are…" they spoke in Keaton's voice, muffled by their own mask. They were in shock at Keaton's true identity.
"We need you to distract the other executioners for as long as you can," ordered Keaton, "Go now. And stay safe."
Gemini shook out of their surprise and nodded, armoured hands furling by their sides. "We will do our best… Master Link." With that, the twins took off in the opposite direction the trio was heading.
Link, so that is your real name, Lucy mused to herself, glancing sideways at the masked man.
As they began to trudge through the plaza, Lucy couldn't help but quietly laugh.
"What's so amusing at a time like this?" Keaton questioned, looking her way. If he wasn't wearing that mask, Lucy would probably be seeing him raise an eyebrow at her.
Lucy smiled. "Haven't you noticed? Using Gemini as a distraction was the same strategy I used back when we were trying to leave Saffarion without getting arrested."
"Really? When was that? I don't remember… As for the strategy," he soundly smirked, "I did learn from the best after all."
For some reason, hearing that made Lucy's eyes water and her heart swell with newfound pride. She started to tell the story of that disastrous day to bring back the fond memory they shared together in hope of lightening the mood.
A/N: You're all probably wondering: "Where's all the action?!" Turns out I have to split The Day in Between into two chapters otherwise it would've been around 20,000 words long! There's going to be lots of action in the next half; Lucy and Link aren't going to get out of Abyss Palace that easily!
After reading all of your comments and theories on the Fierce Deity, (they were all very interesting - thank you!), I thought long and hard and I've decided to include him in the story. But it won't be for a while, and he won't be a mask! Can you guess how he will appear? A big hint in this chapter!
Stay tuned for part two!
Please, don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!