The Final Day: The Lunar Eclipse
The, once again, newly repaired Bar Sun was physically trembling from all the banter, laughter, and drunken brawls that erupted every so often. Even though they should all be resting, it was impossible to restrain Fairy Tail's excitement for winning this years Grand Magic Game. And their joyous celebration had spread like wildfire; it wasn't just Fairy Tail celebrating inside, the other guilds had joined in on the fun after hearing all the ruckus coming from the single guild: Mermaid Heel, Lamia Scale, Quatro Puppy, Blue Pegasus – only Sabertooth was absent, all likely sulking back at their lodgings after experiencing such a dramatic defeat in the final Game.
On this warm night, everyone merrily ate, drank, and sang together, enjoying each others' company.
The bar was loud, crowded, rowdy, and destructive and Cana wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Surrounded by empty kegs, she was in the middle of a drinking rematch against Bacchus Groh of Quatro Puppy. After her embarrassing defeat against the sleazeball, Cana had trained every night, drinking at every bar that she had come across until it ran dry to increase her tolerance. Just so she could get her petty revenge.
All those brutal hangovers were finally paying off. The drinking rivals were down to their thirty-seventh keg and Bacchus was very red in the face, badly slurring his speech, and swaying to and fro in his chair. Cana, on the other hand, was only starting to feel tipsy.
"Come on, bad boy," Cana teased with a sultry smile, purposely adjusting the strap of her bra, "we got thirteen more kegs to go. Don't tell me you're finished already?"
Slumped over their table, Bacchus hiccuped and leered at her whilst licking his lips. "Ain't dun yet, sweet pea. I'll be takin' home another trophy!" he proclaimed, pounding his fist on the table. He reached for the next keg only to overshoot and lose his balance, which resulted in him toppling face-first onto the floor, ass up in the air. He didn't move or get back up for a while.
Cana nudged him with her foot and heard a loud snore in reply. Whooping, she jumped out of her chair and threw her hands up in victory, receiving a thunderous cheer and happy clapping from the surrounding crowd. "Time to claim my trophy," she said, sneering at the unconscious man. She ripped off Bacchus's pants, revealing his bare ass, and laughed uncontrollably as she swung the man's pants wildly above her head like a lasso.
A couple more drinking games later, Cana found herself sitting alone in the far corner of the bar, Bacchus's pants long forgotten in the rafters, her fortune-telling cards shuffling in her hands. It was midnight. The beginning of a new day. Reading a fortune right when the clock struck twelve had become a ritual for her this past week. No matter how drunk, her hands moved deftly and precise.
The card with Bacon's face lay on the counter, smiling up at her. Cana stopped shuffling, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She slowly flipped the first card in her deck over, praying to whatever deities would listen that the card in her hand was not the one she feared.
She opened her eyes and looked at the image in her card. Nothing made her sober faster than having death staring right back at her.
Cana strung together a bunch of colourful words. Maybe she had one too many drinks. She reshuffled her cards and read the fortune again, only to get the same cursed result. She gathered her cards and frantically looked around the bar, but it was impossible to find a little kid with so many people crammed together.
"Hey, Cana, you okay?" Gray asked as he stopped by the bar beside her to grab a new drink. He had stripped down to his boxers unknowingly, showing off his bandaged injuries that were already quickly healing thanks to Porlyusica's new and improved medicines.
"Have you seen Bacon?" she asked him.
Gray raised his brow questionably. "Saw him earlier before the other guilds started showing up," he answered, giving the crowd a quick glance. "Haven't seen him since. Why? What's wrong?"
Cana showed him Bacon's fortune. "It's going to happen today."
Shocked, Gray fully turned to face her. "What? You're sure?"
"My cards don't lie, Gray."
He swore and looked around Bar Sun, eyeing the members of the other guilds suspiciously. His fists curled by his sides. "How? Is it Sabertooth? That bastard Rufus out for revenge? I swear, if he thinks he can mess with us again..."
Cana shook her head. "I have no idea. Could be anything. We need to find Bacon first and keep him safe." There was one easy way to find the boy amongst the many bodies occupying the building. Cana held Bacon's card and lightly tapped the blank space above the boy's image, infusing the card with a spell. The word 'LOCATE' appeared in bold letters in the space and the card flew out of Cana's hand, its edges shimmering with white magic.
The card hovered before her, twirled once and shot left, straight towards the wall, but then immediately stopped. It twirled in place, as if hesitating, before it sharply turned around and flew past Cana in the opposite direction. But then it stopped abruptly before it got too far, once again hesitating for some reason. Back and forth the card flew, unable to decide which way to go.
Cana furrowed her brow out of confusion, having never seen her locating spell act so strangely. Usually, the card would head straight for the target, purposely taking detours to avoid obstacles such as walls. And if the card could not locate the target, due to distance, being in another dimension, or some sort of magical interference, the spell wouldn't activate at all.
"Find. Bacon," Cana ordered her card. It continued to fly back and forth instead. "What the hell's going on?"
"Maybe because of his sealing bracelet?" Gray suggested, looking just as confused.
"No, can't be that. If my spell can't find him, the card wouldn't have left my hand in the first place. It's like... It thinks he's in two places at once or something." Frustrated, Cana snatched her card out of the air and dispelled her magic. She recast the locating spell, this time adding more specific instructions; "Find the ten-year old boy named Bacon who wears a green cloak of Fairy Tail."
The card came to life and unlike before, it shot in one direction without a hitch, flying high above everyone's heads towards the swinging door leading to the kitchen. It stopped above the door and twirled in place, waiting for its caster to catch up.
Cana let out a brief sigh of relief, seeing her magic finally work. She exchanged a nod with Gray and together they elbowed and pushed their way through the crowd to follow the magic card. There were many hazards to avoid, such as thrown chairs and beer bottles, stray magic, and tussling bodies as fights broke out spontaneously between friends and rivals from every guild.
Cana spotted Macao and Wakaba near the opposite end of the bar and was about to head their way, but thought second of it. It would be wise not to update Macao on Bacon's fortune just yet, knowing the father would have a full-fledged panic attack upon hearing the news, which had already happened when Romeo and Bacon ended up missing on the first day of the Games. Cana steered clear of Macao and made a beeline to the kitchen door with Gray not too far behind.
She took a quick look around for any sign of the owner and employees of Bar Sun before she slipped through the kitchen door, allowing her card to continue its search. The kitchen was bustling with the cooks preparing food for the ever-hungry customers in the bar. None paid attention to the two mages who quietly snuck around, following a magic card to another door that likely led to the back storage room.
Seeing how far her card was taking her made Cana wonder what Bacon was up to. Again, Cana made sure no one was looking before she opened the next door and hurried inside. It was a short empty hallway on the other side with four doors, two on either side. Cana's card hovered above one of the doors at the end of the hall that had a sign that said 'Manager's Office'. One room was an employee washroom and another an employee break room, both empty. The third door however, opposite of the manager's office, was cracked open ajar and two familiar voices could be heard.
Curious, Cana tip-toed to the open door to listen in on the conversation between Master Makarov and Porlyusica.
"... cannot say. All I can tell you is Natsu's team was able to rescue Lucy," said Porlyusica.
Cana blinked in surprise and met Gray's just-as-shocked expression.
"Heed me, Makarov," Porlyusica continued, a sense of urgency in her tone. "The future will be a dark and grim place if we are not prepared. I have done all I can for the children. The potions I've made should bring them back to full strength before the time comes, but I fear their strength alone will not be enough. It will not just be dragons they may have to face."
Cana held her breath, feeling her gut twist with dread. Dragons? What were they talking about? Could it be related to Bacon's fortune?
There was a heavy sigh coming from Makarov. "I will have to trust you on this, don't I, my dear? How soon? Do you know?"
"Sometime tonight. During the lunar eclipse. The Gate will open then if it is not prevented in the first place."
"Then I assume Natsu and the others are working on that?"
"What?" Gray exclaimed in a whisper.
Cana quickly brought a finger to her lips to hush him.
There was a brief moment of tense silence before they heard Makarov continue; "Judging by that look you're giving me, you cannot say, yet again, correct? This is quite the dilemma..."
"That will only get worse if we don't act now."
The master hummed deeply in thought. "Gray. Cana."
Both mages froze at the sound of their names.
"No need to stand out there," said Makarov, "You two may come in."
Hanging their heads in guilt, Cana and Gray quietly shuffled inside what looked like the storage room. Makarov was sitting on the edge of a crate, legs crossed and Porlyusica was leaning against a metal shelf full of food stuffs, arms folded beneath her red cloak. Makarov welcomed them with a nod and hardened stare while Porlyusica shot them an irritable scowl that made Cana break into a nervous sweat.
"Sorry, Master," Gray was first to apologize, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. "We didn't mean to eavesdrop..."
"Did something happen?" Makarov asked, glancing between the two.
Cana nodded and motioned for her card to come back to her. She showed them Bacon's image and heavily frowned. "I read his fortune, Master... It's going to happen sometime today," she answered.
Porlyusica suddenly stepped forward, her scowl replaced with worry – an expression Cana had never thought the mean, old woman was capable of doing. "This is proof, Makarov," said Porlyusica, sounding quite distressed, "You mustn't delay any further."
Even Makarov was taken back by Porlyusica's sudden concern. He grunted and crossed his arms. "Well then... I suppose I will have to meet with the other Guild Masters and tell them of this great evil that may soon be upon us."
"What exactly are you guys talking about?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow at Porlyusica. "You mentioned Natsu and Lucy–"
Makarov waved a hand to interrupt. "It will all be explained later, I'm hoping?" he raised his brow in Porlyusica's direction and received a glare in return, "I-In the meantime, both of you keep an eye on Bacon. I had asked Dwayne to watch over him while all the other guilds are here. As a precaution. He and Romeo should be in the manager's office across the hall. Go on. Porlyusica, please accompany me when I speak with the other masters."
Porlyusica scoffed in annoyance. "Do I have a choice?"
Makarov hopped off the crate and chuckled. "You can be very convincing when you need others to listen. I will need your help on this. Gray, Cana," he glanced at them both as he passed, "I'm counting on you two."
"Do not lose sight of the boy," Porlyusica added, giving the two mages a stern look that could easily be mistaken as a death threat.
The elders both left and headed straight for the kitchen, leaving Cana and Gray feeling either bewildered or perturbed.
Gray sighed as he ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. "Got a really bad feeling things are going to turn to shit," he grumbled.
Cana shook her head in disbelief. "Dragons and a 'great evil'? Yeah, definitely doesn't sound like we're going to have a good time tonight," she muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. She was trembling out of anxiousness, her mind conjuring up one terrible scenario after another. She took a deep, steadying breath to shake away the bad feelings so she could focus on the new mission Master had just assigned them. In a confident stride, she approached the manager's office and knocked on the door.
"Who's there?!" a loud, gruff voice demanded from the other side.
"Hi, it's Cana," she answered, undeterred by the man's intimidating tone.
"Who?!"
"It's Auntie Cana," said a child behind the door.
Cana grinned, glad to hear Bacon's voice. "That's right! Auntie Cana! From Fairy Tail? Gray is here also. We're just checking in!"
"Fairy Tail, eh?" the man grumbled. "Let me check and make sure they're your pals, scamp."
There was a big grunt of effort, followed by heavy footsteps stomping towards the door. A series of locks clicked in succession before the door opened a crack. Peeking through the narrow gap was the owner of Bar Sun, eyeing both mages suspiciously.
He recognized Cana immediately and threw the door wide open with a welcoming grin. "Ah, so it is! Come in! Come in!" he said, waving the pair inside, his demeanour completely changed. With a simple glance, one would never think Dwayne, a tall, burly, graying man with a stern, hairy face and tough exterior, would ever have a kind side to him. Although Fairy Tail may have been the source of his problems a few times, (nearly destroying his bar more than once these past couple nights), he was never one to refuse the guild's patronage. They were his best (and worst) customers, after all.
Cana smiled and nodded in thanks as she strolled inside the office that looked newly refurbished. Sitting on the floor on plush cushions around a small coffee table were Romeo and Bacon. Each had a small pile of coins and a hand of playing cards.
They both smiled at Cana and Gray in greeting.
"Hey kids, whatcha playing here?" Cana asked as she rounded the table to plop on the floor between them.
"Pokey," Bacon answered, showing her his cards. Two aces, two queens, and a four of hearts.
"Poker," Romeo corrected, shuffling his hand around. "Mr. Dwayne is teaching us."
Cana snorted in laughter while Gray raised his brow at the owner. "Really? That doesn't seem appropriate for them," he said, taking a seat on the fancy lounge chair situated behind Romeo.
Dwayne had locked the door and returned to his spot at the table, acting as both teacher and dealer. His knees loudly popped as he slowly lowered himself onto his cushion. "The scamps are good at it. Keeps them out of trouble. 'Specially this one who nearly burned down my whole business the other day!" With a hearty chuckle, he ruffled Bacon's hair playfully, drawing a wide grin from the boy as if he was being praised.
"Can I do it again?" Bacon asked, slapping down his cards and jumping to his feet. He cupped his hands together, eager to play with his fire.
Everyone in the room gasped and started to protest.
Cana saw only a spark of flame before she grabbed Bacon's arm to break his concentration. "No! No! Don't do that here!" she shrieked in panic.
"Yes! Please don't!" Dwayne cried, waving his hands frantically. "Lots of people are going to be very, very upset. Especially me, understand?"
"Oh... Sorry..." Bacon slumped onto his cushion with a guilty pout.
There was a collective sigh of relief.
"Hey, once Natsu comes back, you can use your fire again," said Romeo, hoping to cheer Bacon up. "Somewhere far, far away from Bar Sun. Better yet, far, far away from the city so we don't rack up any more damage fees."
Bacon brightened at the thought, but soon frowned right after. "When will he be back? And Wendy too? Do you think they're okay?"
"Knowing Natsu, he'll make sure everyone's okay," said Gray. He looked off to the side, narrowing his eyes at nothing in particular, unable to fully hide how he truly felt. "They'll be back before you'll know it. Hopefully..."
"Why are you two here, exactly?" Romeo questioned, noticing the magic card that Cana had foolishly forgotten to put away. When he met her gaze, his eyes went wide, realizing the truth immediately.
Before Cana could pretend nothing was wrong, there was a sudden pounding on the door.
"Who is it now?!" Dwayne demanded, glaring at the door.
"Hey, boss, it's me, Jim," a man answered, likely one of the cooks. "We got a situation out here. It's the Magic Council. They say we gotta leave right now. They're evacuating the whole city!"
"Evacuating the city?! What? Why?" Dwayne exclaimed, wrinkling his brow in confusion.
Cana exchanged a worried look with Gray. She bit the inside of her lip. The dread she was feeling had gotten ten times worse.
"Don't know," Jim answered. "They wouldn't say. Says it's an emergency though. We better get going. Everyone's already leaving."
"All right! I'm coming! Meet you all outside!" Dwayne bellowed. He let out an exasperated sigh and grumbled mostly to himself as he climbed to his feet. He stomped towards the door, turned every lock, and motioned everyone out. "Well, you heard him, we better get moving. City wide evacuation... what on Earthland is going on?"
Cana was desperate to know the answer to that very same question.
"What's happening?" Bacon asked, visibly confused as to why everyone was in a hurry to leave.
"We're evacuating. Means we gotta get out of here because... something bad is about to happen," was the best answer Cana could give him.
He gasped. "Is it the very, very bad thing you were talking about?"
Cana's gut twisted into knots. She placed a firm hand on Bacon's shoulder and guided him out the door. "It's... possible. So stay close, okay, Bacon bits? Let's go find everyone else."
Bacon pulled his hood on and nodded. Romeo and Gray were not too far behind, both wearing the same fearful expression as Cana.
It was an hour before midnight and the streets were oddly quiet and empty. There wasn't a single firework going off in the night sky nor was there any cheering, partying or other loud noises compared to a few hours ago.
Lights were still on in every house and building, however, no matter where Lucy looked, she saw no one through the many windows. She wasn't the only one to notice as she and her teammates, Crime Sorcière, and Keaton quickly made their way through the side streets towards Mercurius Castle in the distance.
"Where are all the people?" Happy was first to ask, flying above their heads alongside Carla and Pantherlily.
Ultear shortly snickered and sounded quite impressed when she answered, "The Magic Council actually took Jellal seriously. Over half the city has already been evacuated."
"You guys weren't actually scouting earlier, were you?" Keaton asked, his voice muffled by his fox mask.
Meredy laughed wickedly. "Oh, we were definitely scouting."
"Scouting for Doranbolt and his people," Jellal clarified, leading the group down a dark, narrow alley. His face was hidden behind his bird mask. He had changed to his guild attire, but kept his disguise as Crow. Since the black knight believed Jellal to be the one from the future, Jellal wanted to keep up the charade to better deceive their enemy. He even borrowed Keaton's small sword to make his disguise more convincing. "I told him to take his Rune Knights and initiate a city-wide evacuation. To put our minds at ease, just in case..."
In case everything goes horribly wrong, Lucy finished the thought. With an anxious frown, she glanced up at the full moon and saw the beginning of the lunar eclipse.
Natsu snorted and raised a skeptical brow at Jellal. "Really? How'd you convince Doranbolt to listen without him arresting you on sight?"
Jellal's smirk was evident by his tone when he replied, "Easy. Sent him a telepathic message. Threatened to blow up the city. Told him the destruction of the castle gate and front plaza was only just a warning. I'm not bluffing either. I have enough explosives to wipe Crocus off the map."
Mirajane giggled in amusement. "Oh my, branding yourself a terrorist certainly won't win you any favours from the Magic Council any time soon."
The man scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. "I'm already the most wanted criminal. Can't get any worse than that. Doranbolt and his Rune Knights are caught up getting everyone out so we don't have to worry about the Magic Council interfering."
"What about the Royal Family and the people in the castle?" Wendy asked out of concern.
"Doranbolt had gotten them out first," said Ultear. "From what we saw, the Royal Family and those employed were escorted out by the Rune Knights and Royal Guards."
"But not all the guards," Meredy noted with a hint of disdain.
"I estimate it was only eighty percent of the army," said Jellal.
Ultear grumbled, "And of course, our Captain was nowhere to be seen."
Keaton swore under his breath. "He's staying behind to ensure the Gate is opened during the total eclipse."
"The King and Princess," Lucy began, "were they under his control?"
"No," said Jellal, "I did not sense any dark power from them as I had with Yukino."
Natsu growled indignantly, always riled whenever Yukino or the Captain were mentioned.
Lucy couldn't help but feel the same. The thought of Yukino acting against her will angered Lucy to no end.
Yukino had told Lucy and Mirajane everything she could remember while she had been under Geraldo's control. Her memories were jumbled, hazy, and missing huge gaps, but there were some vital pieces of information scattered throughout, nonetheless. The Eclipse Gate was no longer locked; Yukino was forced to use the twelve Gold Zodiac Keys to unlock it. Not only that, she had a portion of her magic absorbed into a special Lacrima ring, which would temporarily grant the wearer the abilities of a Celestial Spirit mage. Hence why Yukino and the keys were no longer needed to operate the Gate.
Yukino had also overheard the knight talking to the princess about moving the Gate to a safer location when the time to use it came. From what Yukino could stitch together, it sounded like the Gate would remain on the castle grounds, just somewhere not in the main plaza where Keaton had found it in the future. Although it wouldn't be far from where it was predicted to appear, a 'safer location' implied the Gate would be better protected. Wherever it was going to end up, no doubt there would be hidden traps and an evil Captain and his likely mind-controlled men.
Yukino had stayed behind after the group had devised their plan. She was in no condition, both mentally and physically, to join in on the fight. She was terrified of the Captain, evident by how pale and shaken she had gotten when she spoke of him. A demon with red, sinister eyes and human skin, she called him, in which Jellal and Keaton couldn't agree more. Not wanting to leave her alone, Lucy had asked Loke to take Yukino to Fairy Tail, knowing her guild would keep Yukino safe.
While following Jellal's lead, Lucy kept tabs on Loke's progress, sensing him moving towards the south-western district. Bar Sun was located there and it was very likely her guild was busy celebrating their victory if news of the evacuation hadn't reached them yet.
By the time they stepped foot on the main bridge leading to the castle, Lucy felt a sharp pang in her chest just as Loke disappeared from her radar. She stopped in her tracks and turned her head in the direction she last sensed him, one hand clutching her chest and the other reaching for his key by her hip out of instinct. Loke's key was ice-cold to the touch, bringing a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Natsu was first to notice her lagging behind. "Hey, Lucy, what's the matter?" he asked, stopping to wait for her, prompting everyone to do the same.
"It's Loke. He's... vanished," she answered hesitantly. Normally, it wouldn't trouble her; Loke was free to pass through his own gate however he pleased, appearing and disappearing from Lucy's detection without any cause for concern. But this time, it felt unusual and it made her worry.
Keaton turned his head in the same direction Lucy was looking. "Gone back to the Spirit World?" he questioned her.
"I think so. Can you sense Yukino? Did she make it to the guild?"
It took a moment before Keaton muttered, "Hard to distinguish her out of all the mages that have gathered together in this one spot. Master Jellal, can you pick her out?"
Jellal shook his head. "Too many powerful magical signatures blending together. Seems like it's not only Fairy Tail that are celebrating at Bar Sun, the other guilds are there too. Yukino's likely there if that's the last place you sensed Loke."
Lucy nodded and let out a small sigh. "Yeah, it was around the bar where he disappeared. Sorry, I guess I'm worrying for nothing." Loke likely wanted to take a rest in the Spirit World to prepare himself for what was coming up ahead.
Without delay, Jellal motioned them all to continue. "Let's keep moving."
As Lucy followed everyone across the bridge, she couldn't shake away the nagging feeling lingering at the back of her mind. Perhaps she was overthinking it; the stress and anxiety were making her thoughts run wild – as per usual when she was up against some of the toughest adversaries.
And the enemy they were about to face was the worst Earthland has ever seen.
Up ahead, Mercurius Castle was only a dark silhouette under the moonlight. There were no lights shining from within, making it seem completely abandoned and eerily haunted. The gate Natsu had blown apart was missing and was replaced with a temporary barricade consisting of an iron barred fence that was a head taller than Lucy. Chained to the middle of the fence was a huge wooden sign that said in big red letters:
'UNDER CONSTRUCTION. DO NOT ENTER. INTRUDERS WILL BE THROWN INTO THE DUNGEONS!'
"No trespassing, huh?" Natsu mocked, pounding a fist into the palm of his other hand. "Think this puny little fence is gonna stop me?"
Jellal held out his arm to stop the Dragon Slayer from doing anything rash. "What did I say about alerting our enemies to our position?" Jellal hissed.
"Natsu! We have to be stealthy like ninjas again!" said Happy. He dove down and picked up a grumpy Natsu to carry over the iron bars.
Carla carried Wendy and Pantherlily carried Lucy. Meanwhile, the others simply bound or pulled themselves over without any effort, making Lucy envious of their acrobatic abilities.
Once on the other side, Jellal signaled them all to wait in the shadow of the great arc as he scanned the area with both his eyes and senses.
Lucy could make out the damage in the plaza, seeing the outline of a huge, deep crater and the pile of collected rubble that used to be a fountain. It was unnervingly quiet without the sound of running water. In fact, there were no other sounds that Lucy could hear that usually accompanied the city night; no breeze, no crickets... nothing. Suddenly, in the distance, the clock tower struck twelve and the bell began to toll, counting the start of a new day.
Lucy peeked out at the full moon and frowned at the creeping shadow that covered half its glowing face. Another hour, more or less, and it would be a total eclipse – the time the Eclipse Gate would open.
"About two hundred guards waiting in the courtyard," informed Jellal through telepathy, "and five strong mages."
"Feels like the Garou Knights," said Keaton, crossing his arms out of frustration. "I shouldn't be surprised that they'd be guarding the Gate."
Lucy shuddered at the thought of having to confront the five executioners all over again. However, it would not be the same struggle as in Abyss Palace with Natsu and the others fighting alongside Lucy and Keaton.
"If they are guarding it," Ultear began, humming in thought, "then it's likely there are no Nullification traps. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to fight back either."
"It could be a ruse," said Pantherlily, "Fool us into thinking there are no traps. They could all be armed with anti-magic weaponry."
Jellal grunted. "A possibility. Ultear."
"On it. Cover me," Ultear replied, holding out her crystal ball that she had been carrying since they left the hideout. Turning her back, she crouched and levitated the ball an inch above the ground, waving her hands over it. Jellal and Meredy shifted to stand behind her to hide the magic pink light that illuminated from within Ultear's crystal, in case there were any hidden eyes looking from the castle's dark windows.
Curious, Lucy moved in for a closer look and saw a bird's-eye view of the castle's enormous garden courtyard under a pink hue.
With subtle movements of her fingers, Ultear zoomed in on the image and scrolled around as if controlling the lens of a flying camera. Soldiers and armoured knights stood waiting in ambush throughout the dark garden, wielding swords and pointy spears. Scattered among them were the Garou Knights, their wounds fully healed, and seemingly in charge of their respective group of guards.
Keaton peered over Lucy's shoulder. "Do you see the Gate? Or the Captain?"
After a bit more searching, Ultear shook her head. "Negative. I see neither. It's still a little while before the total eclipse. My guess is he'll show up when it's close to time."
Keaton wasn't happy to hear that. "It can't be that easy to move a gate that large... We need to lure him out. Defeat all the guards and the Knights as soon as possible."
"Now you're talking! Let's do this, Bacon!" said Natsu eagerly. Both boys were about to charge ahead, but Jellal's stern command to wait made Natsu stumble to a stop and Keaton freeze.
"We need to take every step of caution before we can proceed," Jellal told them fervently, "lest it'll be the torture chamber all over again. That Captain can conceal his presence and blend with the shadows. For all we know, he could be hiding where Ultear cannot see."
Natsu scoffed in anger, but didn't argue.
Keaton huffed to the side and grumbled, "Sorry, Master."
They were both on edge and it was understandable. They weren't the only ones; all around, Lucy could see the anxiety, fear, and agitation in each of her teammates and she wasn't spared either. The thought of failure weighed heavily in her heart. They needed to succeed in their mission, but they couldn't just rush in like normal, not against an enemy like Geraldo.
Jellal sighed and glanced over his shoulder at Ultear. "Any traps?"
Ultear scrolled around the courtyard, checking the perimeter and every corner before hovering over the executioners and guards. "None that I can see. No special runes in place. Guards are armed with ordinary weapons, but every one of them are carrying Sealing Cuffs."
"Sealing Cuffs? What're those?" Keaton asked.
"Binds made of Sealing Stone," Jellal answered in a bitter tone. "Can render any mage helpless if caught. They might not affect you at all, Keaton, but I don't recommend testing that theory out."
Keaton chuckled. "Wasn't planning to."
Jellal turned to Meredy. "Anything odd?"
Meredy shook her head. "It's a mix of boredom, nervousness, and confusion. Doesn't seem like they know why they're standing around there instead of evacuating. There is one Knight though, who seems very steadfast despite not know what he's even guarding."
"Kama, I'm assuming," noted Keaton with admiration. "He definitely has a strong sense of duty."
Mirajane made a quiet sound of interest. "I find it rather strange they would blindly follow orders without knowing the reason. There is nothing to protect in the garden."
"Do not underestimate the loyalty of soldiers," commented Pantherlily, speaking from experience. "Command from a Captain is never questioned. To be given a duty is an honour and often disobedience is punishable."
Natsu tapped his foot impatiently and glowered at Jellal. "So there ain't no traps and all we gotta worry about are those stupid cuffs, right? What are we waiting for?! Let's hurry and finish this!"
Jellal exhaled a slow, deep breath, clearly trying to maintain his composure. "Just because we can't see any traps, doesn't guarantee there aren't any. We'll continue on, but–" He didn't even get to finish.
Natsu was already bolting half-way across the plaza with Happy and Keaton right on his tail.
"Hey! You guys!" Lucy exclaimed, horrified at their reckless behaviour. After everything they've been through, how could they just throw caution right out the window?!
"We've already wasted too much time!" Natsu argued.
"Don't worry," Keaton assured, "I'll make sure we won't get caught in any traps!"
Jellal pushed his mask up to run a hand down his face in frustration. "How does Erza deal with this?" he groaned, exasperated.
Mirajane giggled quietly and whispered, "She tends to use intimidation and fear to keep the boys under control. You could learn a thing or two from her." With a teasing wink, she dashed after the boys who were making their way to the side of the castle.
Sighing, Jellal turned to Meredy and Ultear. "Both of you stay here and keep watch. Bail us out if anything happens."
They both nodded.
Jellal glanced between Pantherlily, Carla, Wendy, and Lucy and motioned them to follow him closely. Together, they rounded the huge crater towards the side of the castle. To those ahead, he growled a warning, "If any of you get caught in those binds, don't expect me to save you!"
"Ha! They won't even get close enough to use them on me!" Natsu retorted smugly.
"Wait, Natsu," Happy's voice chimed in, "there's a gate over–"
There was loud explosion and a bright flash of fire as Natsu demolished something in his way. Typical, stupid Natsu.
Lucy wanted to pull out her hair and scream at him.
"So much for being stealthy as ninjas..." Carla muttered.
"That goddamn idiot," Jellal hissed as they entered the shadows of the castle. Ahead, they could see hedges burning and a tall piked fence with a massive hole blown through it, the metal around it melted and still red hot. The hole was just inches away from an unlocked gate door that was wide open and completely bent out of shape. They hopped through the gaping hole and continued on at a slower pace.
Lucy could hear Natsu shouting at the top of his lungs; calling Geraldo a coward and a bastard, attempting to lure the Captain out. Although she couldn't see him, she knew he was charging head-first towards the guards and executioners waiting in the middle of the courtyard.
Instead of heading out into the open as Natsu, Happy, Keaton, and Mirajane had gone, Jellal led Lucy's group to stay by the outer wall. Manicured trees and trimmed hedges provided enough cover to keep them hidden from view. Not only that, with Natsu causing such a commotion, no one would even notice them sneaking by.
Jellal created a private telepathic link between Lucy's group and said, "Let them draw all the guards' attention. We'll provide back-up if they need it. In the meantime, we'll scout for any hidden traps."
"Are you sure we shouldn't join and help?" Wendy asked, sounding worried.
The answer to her question came in the form of an earth-shaking explosion that was immediately followed by a massive, twisting inferno coming from the centre of the courtyard. It was Natsu and he had just unleashed his fury on the helpless guards that dared stand in his way. There were screams of pain and terror alongside the panicked cries of fleeing men as the wild flames quickly spread throughout the garden.
Before the fire got out of hand, a powerful stream of water rapidly extinguished the flames and tore up the flower garden, thanks to the mother and son dual, Pisces. Any guard standing in the path of their water were blasted right off their feet.
Not too far from there, soldiers were being tossed through the air like rag dolls as Mirajane easily ripped through their defenses.
"They're doing fine," Jellal pointed out needlessly, rather calm compared to a moment ago. "As much as I disapprove of their methods, I have faith they won't be easily defeated. If the Garou Knights are giving them trouble, we can surprise them from behind."
So far, it didn't seem like the executioners were too difficult for Natsu's team to handle. Natsu's fires could eliminate Cosmos's and most of Kamika's spells and Mirajane was an unstoppable force against any opponent whenever she transformed into one of her demonic forms.
And with Keaton no longer hindered by injuries and his magic power fully restored, he was free to go all out. He possessed a wide variety of skills and spells and had Gemini, Pisces, and Libra at his command, making him capable of countering any of the Garou Knights. And to add on top of that, Keaton had learned, from Lucy of his time, the Celestial Spirit spell Star Suit, the male equivalent of Star Dress. It was an advanced spell that granted the caster the summoned spirit's abilities, manifested in the form of altered clothes, and sometimes weapons, stylized to match the caster's preferences as well as represent that spirit's characteristics. Lucy had yet to dabble with that spell herself due to the lack of time, which, she hated to admit, made her a little envious of her own student. (Keaton had thought she had Star Dress mastered by now. Boy, was he totally wrong...)
'Not the best Celestial Spirit mage,' huh? Lucy had wanted to slap him for believing such a thing. He had learned so much within two short years that took Lucy her entire lifetime and then some.
With Natsu, Keaton, Mirajane, and Happy taking care of things on the main battlefield, Jellal was right not to worry.
Swiftly and quietly, Lucy and the others continued on, unseen like shadows. Lucy winced every time people screamed and cringed whenever something exploded. She felt sorry for the poor soldiers and even sorrier for the Royal Family's garden. The beautiful courtyard had been meticulously groomed and maintained for many generations, often deemed the "greatest treasure" of Castle Mercurius; for it to be ruined in a single night, Lucy wouldn't be surprised if the king and princess would never forgive them.
Undetected, they passed by the line of soldiers and started to circle around to get behind when Wendy frantically pointed at something. Her voice was a frightened squeak when she exclaimed, "There's someone there!"
Beyond the fragrant flower beds and ornate benches tangled with ivy was a wide open area paved with smooth stones. And standing in the dead centre of it was a lone figure, nearly invisible in the darkness. A horned helm and black armour softly gleaming under the fading moonlight; it was the Captain of the Holy Blossom Knights and he was watching the chaos before him seemingly without a care, arms stubbornly crossed and as still as a statue.
Lucy quickly followed Jellal in dropping into a crouch behind a low hedge. Meanwhile, Wendy, Pantherlily, and Carla dove behind the trunk of the nearest tree.
Lucy held her breath, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. The mere sight of the Captain made her body tremble in fear. She slowly peered over her hiding spot, seeing the man had yet to make the slightest twitch, which was a good indication that he hadn't noticed them.
"Has he been waiting there all this time?" Lucy wondered to her companions.
"Ultear would have seen him... Ultear, Meredy," Jellal reconnected with his guild mates, "he's here! The Captain!"
"What? Where?!" Ultear questioned. "I don't see anyone where you guys are."
Jellal gave Ultear a precise description on Geraldo's position. Her cryptic reply sent a nervous shiver down Lucy's spine; "I can't see him, Jellal. I don't know how he's doing it, but he's not showing on my crystal! All I see is a wide open space that looks like the perfect place to put a giant gate."
Jellal sighed in aggravation. "You gotta be kidding me... I'm taking him down before he gets the chance to activate any traps!"
"You better not get yourself killed again!" Meredy warned out of concern.
Jellal stood abruptly and shifted into a stance, one hand raised skyward and his eyes locked on his target, his body charged with an incredible amount of magic. Winking from the night sky were six brilliant stars that quickly turned into rays of golden light as they fell straight for the oblivious Captain at a blinding speed.
All six rays struck the black knight from above, combining into one giant, deadly beam that swallowed the man in bright, golden energy and tore up the ground he stood upon. The light faded and the dust cleared.
To their horror, the black knight stood unscathed and unflinching with only his crimson cape fluttering from the wind stirred up by the attack. The ground right under his feet remained untouched while the surrounding area was completely annihilated by Jellal's magic, leaving a ring of destruction.
"What?! Pleiades did nothing?" Jellal uttered in shock.
The Captain slowly turned his head in Jellal's direction, looking more bored than annoyed at being disturbed. But that was definitely not the case. The tension in the air had suddenly grown cold and heavy now that they have the black knight's attention.
Jellal visibly stiffened. He didn't waste another moment as he shifted into another stance. Seven stars flashed from the heavens, forming the constellation, Grand Chariot. They fell as one, each falling star a golden ray that slammed into the Captain with the force of a meteor. With a blinding flash and an earth-shattering boom, the seven stars crashed into the earth.
The resulting shockwave sent Lucy tumbling backwards head-over-heels a few times. She ended up on her side and quickly curled up into a defensive ball to shield her head from the hail of debris.
Hearing Jellal outright curse made Lucy quickly scramble to her feet. She covered her face with one hand and waved her other hand in front, trying to blow away the thick cover of dust shrouding her view. She didn't need to see to know there was nothing left of the garden where the black knight once stood, only giant, sunken craters.
Despite the power behind Jellal's spell, it clearly didn't eliminate the threat; within the cover of dust, Lucy could hear the dreadful, heavy clang of armour calmly marching their way.
"What's happening?!" Ultear demanded.
"He's unaffected by my spells!" Jellal growled, taking a few wary steps back. "A barrier? No... Maybe he can nullify magic before it hits him... His armour must be made of something special – enchanted with protective runes and the like. Hitting him directly is ineffective."
"Then perhaps this will stop him!" Jellal snarled out loud. He brought his hands before him as if grabbing onto something then swung them outward to either side. The ground split apart, creating a deep, dark fissure that Lucy was certain had swallowed the black knight. Jellal brought his hands back together to seal the crack with a minor quake, trapping the Captain beneath the earth.
The clanging of armour stopped. They waited in anticipation, watching as the dust finally settled to reveal an empty, completely demolished section of the courtyard.
"You got him!" Lucy cheered. Her celebration was short-lived, however.
A tall, humanoid shadow suddenly appeared from the ground right behind Jellal, wielding a large sword high above its horned head.
Lucy jumped back with a start and screamed, "Look out!"
Jellal only had enough time to whip his head around before the sword came down on him faster than anyone could react. Pantherlily was an exception; he tried to bravely tackle Jellal out of the way, but it was still too late; the sword struck them both and sent them flying. They landed roughly on the grass where they lay motionless and bleeding.
Lucy acted quickly, ignoring Meredy's and Ultear's shrill, telepathic messages. "Wendy! Hurry to them!" she commanded as she grabbed her keys, moving to stand between the injured and their enemy. She called for Sagittarius and Taurus. Both spirits appeared from their respective gates in a flash of white to stand before her, facing their enemy.
"Master!" Sagittarius was first to greet Lucy, giving her a quick salute, his expression as well as his horse head awfully grim. "I bring dire news! Leo! He was killed during his escort mission!"
"Wh-What?" Lucy stammered, feeling her heart skip a beat.
"He was attacked from behind!" Taurus growled with a furious snort. For once, he wasn't ogling Lucy upon his arrival. "Stabbed in the back, he said! By a knife or sword!"
Who could have done it? A soldier under the Captain's control, perhaps? If so, why would they attack Loke? To get to Yukino?
Lucy mustered the courage to glare at the Captain, hands clenched by her sides with utmost fury.
"Is Loke okay?" she asked, her voice quavering.
"He's recovering back in the Spirit World," Sagittarius assured. "He needs time to heal. In the meantime, let us avenge him!"
Geraldo scoffed at the sight of the two spirits who dared to oppose him. "What ignorant fools you are to return here," he scorned. "It would have been wise to stay away like the cowards you are for none of you will get the opportunity to flee again. I shall have to kill the little healer first to keep you meddling pests from coming back from the clutches of death time and time again."
Lucy bared her teeth in anger. She took a quick glance behind her, seeing Wendy busy healing Pantherlily. Lucy had to protect Wendy now that Geraldo had the young Dragon Slayer in his sights.
"Sagittarius, Taurus, don't let him get near Wendy!" Lucy ordered her spirits.
"Aye, Master Lucy!" they both said as one.
In one fluid motion, Sagittarius nocked three arrows to his bow and fired them all at the Captain. At the same time, Taurus launched straight up into the air and brought down his huge battle axe as he landed, cleaving the ground and sending a powerful shockwave that violently tore up the earth as it headed towards the black knight.
Without any sign of effort, the Captain flicked his sword to cut all three of Sagittarius's arrows in half with a single swing. He then slashed downwards at Taurus's shockwave and somehow proceeded to physically split it into two, diverting the attack to either side of him, leaving him to stand in the middle, unharmed.
Lucy mentally swore, unable to shake away the fear that had gripped her soul. If Jellal's level of spells couldn't touch the Captain, what good was Lucy's magic?
The Captain was formidable indeed, and he had yet to show his true colours. Immune to spells and able to phase through the ground like a phantom... How could Lucy keep Wendy safe?
The black knight marched forward in a confident, leisurely stride, each heavy footfall sounding like a countdown to their doom.
Taurus snorted and furiously scraped up the ground with one of his hooves like an agitated bull. Without Lucy's permission, he charged forward.
"Taurus! No!" she cried.
But Taurus was too enraged and didn't listen. The spirit closed in on the Captain in a matter of seconds. With a mighty moo, Taurus swept his axe fast from the side, aiming to cleave the knight in half by the waist.
There was a deafening clang as the giant axe – that should have easily destroyed the much smaller sword – was parried and knocked upwards, throwing Taurus completely off balance due to his momentum.
The Captain moved in faster than Lucy could even blink, piercing his sword right through Taurus's heart.
The only sound Taurus made was a sharp gasp before his body went limp. The Captain stepped aside, pulling free his blade just as Taurus crumpled forward, landing on his knees with a heavy thud. Before the spirit could fully hit the ground, his body vanished in a flash of white, his soul returning to the Spirit World.
Lucy was stunned with horror. She felt that sharp pang in her chest again, finally understanding it was another death of her spirit friends.
Tears stung her eyes and grief turned her legs to jelly. She slowly sank to her knees and could only watch as Sagittarius uselessly fired volley after volley of arrows at the demon coming their way. Every arrow was cut down with deadly precision, none ever reaching their mark. When Sagittarius finally ran out of arrows, the Captain lunged forward, appearing before the spirit in a matter of seconds.
With a cry, Lucy sent Sagittarius back home before he, too, could die.
The knight's sword cut nothing but air and he grunted in annoyance. He turned his head at Lucy, his hidden gaze piercing right through her body like an invisible blade. His presence seemed to drain every ounce of her strength and instilled the worst fear she had ever felt.
Lucy now understood why Yukino was so terrified of him. "Wh-What... What have you done with Y-Yukino?" she questioned, unable to control the tremor in her voice.
Deep, rumbling laughter echoed within the dark helm. "The Sergeant has one last important role to play before I'm done with her. That time will soon be upon us."
He could have killed Lucy, seeing how she was reduced to a quivering, weeping mess, but instead ignored her and began his advance on Wendy.
No! No! Lucy wanted to scream, but had lost her voice.
Carla boldly jumped in front of Wendy, baring her claws and fangs. "S-Stay away! I-I won't let you touch her!" she hissed at the Captain, putting on a brave act when it was clear in her stance that she was absolutely terrified. She looked at Lucy, her tearful eyes pleading. "Help me, Lucy! Help me protect her!"
Lucy reached for her keys only to stop midway. Her mind was struggling to determine which of her remaining spirits to summon, too afraid to get more of them killed if she didn't choose carefully.
She hesitated for too long; Geraldo made his move the instant he was close enough. He lunged at Carla, his blade ready to run her through.
There was a flash of green and a gust of wind as Keaton materialized in front of Carla, a second before she met her demise. Empowered with Pisces' Star Suit and wielding a trident to match, Keaton knocked the Captain's sword aside with his three-pronged weapon, throwing the knight completely off-guard. Keaton then followed with a quick thrust that not only hit the knight squarely in his armoured chest, but also forced the larger man back as a powerful jet stream burst from the tip of the trident.
A normal person of his size would have been thrown through the air by such a concentrated blast, but the Captain had already proven he was more demon than man. He withstood the attack, digging his heels deep and using one arm to brace against the torrent, which resulted in him getting shoved back several feet instead of flying across the courtyard. It was far enough to make him completely disappear into the darkness where Lucy's eyes could not follow.
Keaton twirled his trident in a circle upon his fingertips a few times as he shifted to stand protectively in front of Carla, glaring at the spot where the Captain had vanished. He stood fearlessly in his Star Suit blessed by Pisces, appearing like a true warrior of the sea. Silver, ornate plating in the shape of fins protected his shoulders and forearms and layered over his tall, dark blue boots. Strapped around his waist by thick, scaly chains was a set of faulds in the same design. Beneath that armour was a skin-tight blue suit covered in black fish scales around the arms, back, and upper legs, giving an extra layer of protection. A thick silver band guarded his forehead, adorned with a white and black diamond-shaped jewel in the centre and black fins flaring right above his ears, similar to what Pisces wore when they were in human form.
"Carla, Master Lucy, are you both okay?" Keaton quietly asked, keeping his attention forward.
"Y-Yes, you made it just in time," said Carla in great relief, hastily wiping her eyes.
"He killed Taurus," Lucy mumbled, holding back a sob. "And Loke... Earlier, he was..."
"I already know," Keaton muttered with an angry shake of his head. "Pisces gave me the news. How are Pantherlily and Master Jellal?"
"Pantherlily is almost stable," Wendy spoke up, her voice strained. Sweat trickled down her furrowed brow from exertion. Her hands were shining bright in the darkness, revealing the ugly gash that ran down the side of Pantherlily's head. She looked sideways at Jellal lying prone nearby and bit her lower lip. "I-I haven't checked on Jellal yet, but I know he's hurt bad!"
"He's still alive. However, his aura is very weak..." Keaton told her with a deep frown, "Please, you need to hurry, Wendy!"
"I know! I'm trying!" Wendy cried, on the brink of tears.
"Calm down, Wendy," said Carla, her tone hushed. "Focus only on healing. You need to ignore everything around you, understand? Their lives are in your hands. And Keaton," stern, feline eyes narrowed at the young man's back, "you need to protect Wendy! The Captain wants her dead!"
Keaton growled and tightened his grip on the silver hilt of his trident. "Understood. I won't let him touch you, Wendy. I promise!"
"Please, be careful," Wendy begged. She shut her eyes, drew a deep breath, and bowed her head, forcing herself to relax in order to concentrate. Brighter, her magic grew as she summoned more of her power to speed up Pantherlily's healing.
Right at that moment, two giant, flying, grinning eels rushed towards them, one black and one white. The pair twisted and circled high above, swimming in the air in a synchronized dance, staying near their master.
Seeing Keaton with his spirits gave Lucy the strength to stand. She wiped away her tears only to freeze when she heard the heavy clang of armour stomping towards them.
"The rat from the dungeon," said the man cloaked in shadow, his voice a threatening snarl. Louder and louder the sound of metal rang with every heavy step he took. It wasn't long before the black knight appeared into view, his drenched armour glistening under the moon. Though his eyes were set on Keaton, Lucy could feel the intensity coming from the Captain's hidden gaze.
Even Pisces was intimidated; they both tightly coiled their bodies around each other and shrank back, visibly shuddering in place out of fear.
Keaton was unfazed. He steeled against the demon's glower, his weapon poised and ready in his hands.
"Not just a common vermin, I see," the black knight continued, his sword gleaming dangerously at his side, "A Celestial Spirit mage and something else entirely. There has not been a record of a male Celestial Spirit mage born in this world in the last fifty years. So how do you exist to be?"
Records? Lucy loathed to think the Kingdom of Fiore had been keeping track of every Celestial Spirit mage for the sole purpose of utilizing the Eclipse Gate.
Keaton ignored the Captain's question and demanded, "Where is the Eclipse Gate?"
The black knight soundly smirked and gestured to the area with his free hand. "Clearly not here. The fate of this world cannot be changed no matter what you pathetic insects attempt to do. Might as well accept your due punishment and allow me to execute you once and for all."
Keaton stepped forward and hardened his expression, pointing the tip of his trident defiantly at the Captain. "The future can be changed. I am the one destined to change it. You will never gain control of Acnologia or any other dragon! Once I defeat you, I will find that Gate and destroy it!"
The Captain paused several paces before reaching Keaton, his mood turning foul, judging by both his tone and stance. "So that mangy crow was but a ploy," the knight lowly hissed, one hand curling into a tight fist. "You are the one from the future; the one who had managed to survive... You say you can defeat me, little rat? A fine jest. There is no stopping me and there is no stopping the Eclipse Gate. The future you know is inevitable! I will kill you last to make you relive it all again!"
It was all that needed to be said to provoke Keaton; his demeanour instantly transformed into pure hatred. He charged at the Captain faster Lucy had ever seen him move, closing the distance within a heartbeat. With a resounding clash, trident and sword collided when the knight blocked Keaton's running thrust. Pressurized water burst forth upon impact, but unlike before, the Captain was prepared for it.
By simply twisting his sword, the Captain allowed the stream to split itself apart against the sharp edge of his blade. He got soaked by the spray, but otherwise stood his ground.
Growling in frustration, Keaton quickly followed with a number of jabs, each one as fast as lightning and spurting with water. However, no matter how many he performed, they were all deflected. Except for the last.
With a furious grunt, the Captain struck Keaton's weapon hard with his blade, shattering the trident's prongs to pieces as if it was composed only of glass. The Captain then rushed forward with an upward swing, narrowly missing Keaton who back-flipped out of harm's way in haste.
Keaton leapt back a few more times to put some distance between him and the knight and scowled at his broken weapon.
The white Pisces uncoiled from the other and shot through the air, rushing to her master's aid. She flew in fast from the side, aiming to headbutt the Captain when he noticed her approach. He turned his blade on her in an instant, slicing the spirit nearly in half as easily as cutting through air.
Keaton flinched with a sharp gasp, his wide eyes following the white eel as her body crashed lifelessly to the ground.
The black Pisces made a strangled noise, completely horrified at the fate of his mother. Anger consumed him right after. He launched at the Captain in a blind rage only to be forced back to the Spirit World by Keaton. Both eels vanished in a flicker of white, taking with them the power they had granted their master.
Back to his normal clothes and gear, Keaton snarled a curse and whispered an apology to Pisces, his voice muffled beneath his fox mask.
"Go on," the Captain taunted, a sneer evident in his tone, "summon another spirit for me to slay."
Keaton called for Libra without hesitation.
The beautiful Celestial Spirit appeared beside her new master, quiet and composed.
"Crush him with all your might, Libra!" Keaton commanded at once, absolutely livid.
Libra gave him a curt nod of acknowledgement and tipped her arms like a scale.
The Captain grunted and staggered forward almost to one knee when gravity increased right where he stood. The ground noisily cracked and sank beneath him from the incredible pressure. It appeared he was trapped, but then he straightened in his posture, seemingly shrugging away the intense gravity as if it was nothing. He walked forward in a normal stride, unaffected by Libra's spell unlike the crumbling earth around him.
"Impossible..." Lucy uttered in shock. Just when she felt it was becoming hopeless, a wave of searing fire came in fast from the side, swallowing the black knight in massive flames that chased away the surrounding shadows.
Lucy had to shield her face from the scorching heat and brightness that thankfully lasted only a few seconds. When the fire subsided, she had to blink several times to adjust to the returning darkness.
Natsu and Happy suddenly joined Lucy's side, renewing her hope.
"Did I get him?" Natsu growled, both fists wreathed in angry flames.
"No way he dodged that!" said Happy, hovering above him.
"Don't get cocky," Lucy warned, "He's immune to every spell we've thrown at him!"
"You sure?" Natsu questioned, wearing a smug grin. "Look! He's gone! I incinerated the bastard to nothing!"
"What?" Lucy couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the Captain missing from the sunken, smouldering spot where she had last seen him. As much as she believed in Natsu's impressive power, she knew defeating the black knight wasn't as easy as that. She looked around in a frantic manner and shouted for all to hear; "He can phase through the ground and move like a shadow! Be on the lookout!"
Keaton spun around. "Wendy!"
He was right to worry about her; the black knight was already towering behind the girl who was lost in her spell, his sword moving to cut her down.
Before it was too late, something silver, red, and black suddenly rammed into him from the side.
It was Mirajane and she was downright fearsome in her Satan Soul form. On black demonic wings, she carried the Captain far away from Wendy and the injured then proceeded to slam the knight hard into the ground.
However, instead of eating dirt, the Captain harmlessly passed through the ground like a ghost. Mirajane snarled in displeasure and twisted around in circles, staying a few feet aloft in the air. Her angry eyes searched for her prey, her sharp, golden claws flexed and ready to tear him apart.
Lucy expected the Captain to go for Wendy one more time, but she was wrong when she heard Mirajane sharply hiss in pain.
A black gauntlet coming from the ground had grabbed Mirajane's ankle in a bone-crushing grip. She was yanked downwards and pulled through the earth, disappearing underground.
Lucy opened the Gate of The Maiden, hoping Virgo could dig Mirajane out. Before Lucy could give her command, the ground where Mirajane was buried suddenly exploded with dark purple energy that reached high into the night sky like a beacon. Everything it touched was instantly vaporized, leaving a gaping black hole in the ground. Mirajane emerged from the endless depth soon after, looking annoyed, but mostly unhurt.
She was not alone, however. Unbeknownst to her, a large shadow was tailing her, leaping faster than she flew.
"Mira! Below you!" Lucy shouted.
Mirajane glanced down in surprise and altered her course at the last second. Not quick enough to escape, she faced the demon and crossed her arms before her for protection. The Captain's sword slashed through her gold plating with ease as he passed her by, wounding both her arms and cutting deep into her left shoulder.
There was a flash of green high above them.
Wielding a large sword that shone with blazing red energy, Keaton plummeted straight towards the black knight like a falling star, his descent sped up to a blinding speed by Libra's power.
The Captain didn't even notice until it was too late; Keaton plunged his blade right through the knight's upper chest and out his lower back. Together they fell, crashing hard and fast into the ground beside the giant hole Mirajane had made, making a huge crater upon impact. Keaton unleashed the magic from his sword right at that instant; tall, fiery red blades of energy erupted from beneath the Captain, throwing thick plumes of dust in the air.
Mirajane dropped down by the crater's edge, favouring one leg and covering her bleeding shoulder. Despite her injuries, she was still determined to keep fighting. Natsu, hands still aflame, bounded to stand next to her with Happy in tow. Lucy tentatively did the same with Virgo obediently following along.
As the dust settled, Lucy could make out Keaton's form as he stood over the fallen Captain in triumph. She was agape when she saw the condition of the once nearly invincible Captain as he lay upon his back in defeat; the energy from Keaton's sword had sheared apart the knight's cape and armour like paper and sundered the surrounding earth, leaving crevasses that stretched far and deep.
"It's over," Keaton snarled at the Captain, holding the tip of his sword over the knight's neck.
The black knight started to laugh only to choke on blood. "It is far from over... little rat," he sputtered, his breathing hoarse and laboured, "You are... too late. You cannot change the future. The total eclipse is here... Gaze upon its magnificent glory... and embrace the true terror that has finally come!"
Lucy craned her neck upwards and felt the colour drain from her face at the sight of the moon completely swallowed by darkness.
"What the hell are you talking about? It shouldn't matter," Keaton retorted, "The Gate cannot be activated if it remains underground."
The Captain snorted in amusement. "The Sergeant had played her part far too well... in deceiving you fools. I had no intention... of keeping the Gate on the castle grounds..."
"What? Are you talking about Yukino?!" Natsu demanded. He jumped into the crater and charged right over, his burning hands flaring to match his anger.
It felt like Lucy had swallowed a block of ice when she finally pieced together the truth. "We were lied to from the beginning," she began, barely able to form her words, "Yukino gave us false information... No – she was tricked... given fake memories to believe... The Gate has been moved to somewhere else in the city and a Celestial Spirit mage is still needed to use it, that's why Loke was killed... A-And Yukino..."
"No, that can't be true..." Keaton uttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Seething, Natsu bent over the Captain, one blazing fist raised over his shoulder, ready to punch the Captain into oblivion. "Where is she?! What the hell did you do to her?! And where is that goddamn Gate?!"
"Threaten... all you want," the knight rasped, his strength waning, "I will tell you nothing..."
"Don't waste your breath on him, Natsu," Keaton growled bitterly, "We'll find Yukino and the Gate when the first dragon appears. We can close it immediately and destroy it then because he won't be around to control any dragons coming out of those doors."
Mocking laughter suddenly rumbled from the Captain's throat, loud and booming, giving almost everyone a start. He sharply turned his head towards Keaton, his eyes now burning red and sinister within the shadows of his helm. "Little rat," he hissed vehemently, his voice no longer on the verge of death, but full of vigour and spite, "you have won nothing! I still stand. What you have defeated before you was only my weak, inferior phantom!"
His body suddenly erupted with cold, black fire, making Natsu and Keaton jump back in alarm. The dark flames consumed the knight's body in mere seconds and extinguished itself, leaving nothing behind, but the looming sense of dread.
A/N: Based Pisces' Star Suit on Breath of the Wild's Zora Armour. No flipper feet though since Pisces are weak to water so Link would drown if he jumped in a pool. I had a funny thought of making Libra's Star Suit similar to BotW's female Gerudo outfit. It's such a perfect fit! Who wouldn't want to see sexy Link beating up bad guys? And Gemini's Star Suit? No idea. Yet.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading and please review!