Chapter 5:
First Battle!
A Tainted Key Appears?!
Lucy
Lucy must have underestimated how much that battle took out of her.
When the blonde Celestial Spirit Mage opened her eyes the next day, she could tell it was definitely past morning- the hustle and bustle of the street below them, along with the sounds of a busy train station, told her she'd definitely overslept. Slowly, she sat up, glancing over to the other bed in the room; Poppy was still asleep, completely unaware of what the time was. She had one arm thrown over the edge of the bed as she slept on her stomach, light snores leaving her open mouth. Her kinky orange hair had been braided up and stuffed under a nightcap, but a few strands stuck out from underneath its edges and framed her face.
Lucy got out of bed, rummaging through the one bag she'd brought and pulled out a spare outfit, heading into the bathroom. Once she finished getting ready, she made her way over to the sleeping girl, shaking her until her eyes opened. She looked around with unforced grey eyes, before face planting the pillow.
"Come on, Poppy- it's already after 10 AM," Lucy urged, poking her exposed foot. The girl giggled before groaning, burrowing under the covers more. "The guild's already open by now- we can get something to eat on our way there!"
"Food...?!" Poppy hopped up quickly, the prospect of trying the local dishes too tempting to pass up. She made her way into the makeshift bathroom, dragging her bag behind her. It didn't take as long as Lucy thought before Poppy had changed, adjusting the orange belt around her waist. "Alright, let's go!"
She had more pep in her steps after getting a quick breakfast, and as they made their way towards the looming guildhall. Lucy hadn't been here before, so she could understand Poppy's enthusiasm as her bubbly chatter ranged from meeting the famous members of the guild, to the specialty sweets they had around Gazania. As they got closer and closer to Sabertooth, more and more members appeared with their guild emblem. The brown-eyed wizard kept an eye out for Yukino, hoping to spy her in the crowd, but had no such luck. Eventually, the duo was overtaken by the boisterous noise of the large guild, and Lucy had to admit, it felt very familiar to Fairy Tail's own loud- but welcoming- chatter. She paused in the guild's doors, her eyes once again scanning the crowds of Sabertooth Wizards in the hopes of spying the white-haired mage. But, it was a little hard, given the different layout compared to Fairy Tail.
For one, they seemed to have three floors instead of the two at their guild. The guild was also more narrow, compared to the open floor that Fairy Tail boasted; there were dips and corners that were hidden from the door's view. She could see Rufus Lore on the second floor balcony surrounded by books, his ever-present smirk on his face as he read. Next to him was Orga Nanagear, munching on a plate of food as he watched the guild with bored eyes. A couple of members were gathered near what looked to be their request board on the first floor, while there seemed to be a sitting area for light meals on the third floor.
But there was still no sight of Yukino. Lucy sighed, crossing her arms.
"Maybe she's not here yet?" Poppy said, shrugging her shoulders. "Or she went out on a job?"
"It's possible we just missed her… Let's ask around!" Lucy stepped away from the door, approaching the nearest member. Poppy had wandered off in another direction, taking a seat at a table with three members. "Excuse me, do you know if Yukino's come by yet today?"
"Yukino?" the young boy scratched his head as he thought. "Nah, I don't think I've seen her yet today…"
Lucy thanked him as she left, wandering to another member, this time closer to the door. But she got the same answer as the first one, and the same answer for the next two members she asked… and the same for the ten after- they all hadn't seen her yet. The Celestial Spirit Mage sighed, rubbing her forehead. Okay, so… No one had really seen her. Then again, it was a big guild- maybe they just missed her? Asking random members wouldn't help, then; she needed to ask someone close to her. Someone who would know if she had come and gone, who'd know her schedule. Someone like-
"Sting, watch out!"
Lucy's eyes turned to follow the sound as Sting crashed into Poppy. She started to fall backwards, but was saved from embarrassment as Rogue reached out, grabbing her arm and wrapping his other around her waist. The orange haired wizard was stunned, staring into Rogue's red eyes as he held her up with no effort. Her face heated up as she stammered an apology, along with her name, and slowly got back onto her feet. Lucy hurried over, catching both Sting and Rogue's attention. Meanwhile, she spied Poppy hurriedly running her hands through her hair, wincing at some of the knots she hadn't bothered to pull out this morning.
"Sting- you're actually the person I was looking for!" He raised an eyebrow as Lucy continued. "We're looking for Yukino- I figured you of all people would know where she was…"
"Ah, she went on a job three days ago," Rogue answered, though there was a frown on his face. "But she should have been back by now- it's almost noon…"
"Yeah, you're right- she said she would be back by this morning." Sting's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the doorway. "She didn't say she would be running late, either…"
Lucy looked at Poppy, who stepped out from around Rogue as she spoke. "Oh, that's not good…"
"What do you mean?" Lucy flinched a little at the change in Sting's demeanor- he'd gone from casually concerned to worried immediately, his back straightening as he looked between Lucy and Poppy. "What's wrong?"
"We think someone is targeting Celestial Spirit Mages." Lucy answered, frowning. "Poppy and I were attacked at Fairy Tail yesterday, so we came here to warn Yukino about that, and some other things concerning the Spirits."
That was all it took to get Sting into action. He barely slowed down as he made his way towards the front. The two wizards and Shadow Dragonslayer were hot on his heels as he gave them the rundown, nose in the air to try and pick up Yukino's scent.
"She took on a solo job three days ago- said her Spirits would be perfect for the job. I read it over- didn't seem too hard, just some transport here and there. I would've gone with her, but guild masters aren't allowed to take on jobs anymore." He scowled, stopping at the doors. Lucy watched as he sniffed, turning his head this way and that. "I sent Lector with her, told him to keep me updated if something happened."
The blonde Celestial Spirit Mage nodded, not at all concerned as the two Dragonslayers sniffed around- though she could see the amazement on Poppy's face as she looked between Sting and Rogue. Eventually they ventured out of the guild, with the two Fairy Tail Wizards on their trail. Sting frowned, running a hand through his spiky hair. He glanced at Rogue, who already understood; he picked Frosch up, turning towards the west-end of the city. Sting looked towards the east.
"There's too many scents in the city- we're gonna split up," the blonde-haired guild master explained to the confused girls. "I'm going to check the east, and Rogue's checking the west."
"I'll go with you, Sting- Poppy, why don't you go with Rogue?" Lucy suggested, hiding a snicker at the girl's slight blush. She nodded, and they split off, heading in opposite directions. Lucy kept up with Sting's large strides, looking around the area in the hopes of spotting Yukino (though she doubted she'd be faster than his nose).
They combed every street, Sting pausing as he kept his nose in the air. Lucy simply followed along, feeling amused at the similarities between him and Natsu. Though, in her opinion, there wasn't anyone who could compete with Natsu's nose- he never forgot a scent, no matter what. She wasn't sure if Sting's nose was as good, but given how thoroughly he was sniffing, it was nothing to slouch at either.
"Maybe she hasn't gotten back to Gazania yet?" Lucy supplied, watching as he turned in a circle, nostrils flared. But Sting shook his head.
"No, it's faint- really faint, but… Yukino was here." He sounded completely sure of himself. "Did she leave the city again?"
"Do you think you'd be able to tell if we got closer to the city borders?" Sting seemed hesitant at Lucy's suggestion, but eventually nodded his head, turning towards the eastern exit. They didn't make it far, however, when a voice called out to them. The duo turned to see Rogue, Poppy, and Frosch running towards them, alarm on their faces; and in Poppy's arms…
"Lector!" Sting grabbed him from Poppy, his hands shaking as he held the injured Exceed. "What happened- weren't you with Yukino?!"
"St-Sting- she… she was attacked!" Lector cried out, holding tightly to Sting's arm. Tears and snot ran down his face as he spoke, not caring about his injuries. "We were on our way back to the guild wh-when this strange man attacked her! She led him to the Western F-forest so no one would get hurt!"
Sting didn't hesitate anymore, setting Lector down and running off. Lucy called after him, taking a few steps, but he was already gone. She looked at Poppy worriedly, who only nodded. Rogue picked up Lector, following in Sting's footsteps- but made sure not to leave behind the two Fairy Tail Wizards. It didn't take long for them to approach the forest, leaving the city behind. Rogue stopped briefly to pass off Lector to Poppy once more, diving into the forest. He seemed to follow a well worn path, occasionally stopping to sniff the air and make sure he wasn't getting lost. Lucy kept her whip in hand, knowing they could be walking into a battle.
"We should be getting closer…" Rogue muttered, though there was a look of confusion on his face. Lucy was about to ask what was wrong when she felt a strong pull on her sleeve.
Turning back, she saw Poppy doubled over, her entire body shaking. She was panting heavily as she collapsed to her knees, letting go of Lucy's sleeve and holding a hand against her head. Lector was still in her arms, even as she curled in on herself, moaning in pain. "Poppy? Hey, what's wrong…?!"
"M-my head…!" was all she managed to get out. Lucy crouched next to her, seeing the unfocused look in her grey eyes as she tried to stay upright. She winced as she held her head tighter, body trembling. Lucy took Lector from Poppy's arms and sat him next to Frosch, then called out to Rogue. He turned back briefly, slightly worried. As he approached, Poppy suddenly sat upright, eyes darting around the forest as she tried to get to her feet. "W-we need to g-get out of here, n-now!"
"Wha-?" that was all Lucy managed to get out, before the ground started rumbling. Rogue jumped into action, grabbing Poppy, Lector, and Frosch, while pushing Lucy forward. The Celestial Spirit Wizard stumbled, but eventually regained her balance, following Rogue as he dodged falling trees and tumbling boulders. The ground kept warping and shifting, but eventually, they got to an area that was stable. "Wh-what… is that…?!"
From where they were standing, the ground was slowly taking on a humanoid form, with the dirt, grass, and trees making up its skin. Its face had a crack for the mouth, and two cave-like holes for the eyes- only illuminated by pinpricks of light. In one of its monstrous hands was what looked to be a bow. The eyes searched through the forest as it roared, no doubt looking for the intruders.
Meaning, them.
Rogue wasted no time, launching forward to attack the monster. His body was covered in Shadow Dragonslayer magic as he jumped up, keeping an eye on the ferocious beast. He entered his shadow form, using it to crawl up the monster's arm. Once he was close to its face, he jumped out, delivering a swift attack.
Shadow Dragon's Roar!
The vortex of shadows covered its entire face. The monster tilted back, but didn't fall over. Rogue landed on its arm, frowning. The monster swatted at him, but he dodged, narrowly missing its heavy fingers as it slammed its hand down. He jumped into the air, coating his arm in shadows. Shadow Dragon's Slash!
His hand made contact, and the monster roared again. But it seemed to be distracted by something else- and that was when he heard another voice.
Gate of the Maiden; Virgo!
Lucy called out, holding up the Golden Key. Out of the ground emerged a pink haired woman wearing a black and white maid's outfit. She bowed, before launching herself at the monster, burrowing into its legs. Rogue nodded, thanking Lucy for the help, and went back to attacking the monster.
Lucy wanted to do more than this, but with Poppy unable to fight, and Lector injured, she didn't want to leave them alone. So, she kept her whip in hand as she directed Virgo around, watching as Rogue landed more blows. Even with their teamwork, it seemed like nothing worked. Where Virgo made openings, more plants grew over, sealing them up in an instant. And it seemed like Rogue's magic wasn't doing much better either. She grit her teeth as she tried to think- what could be this thing's weakness? Was there something controlling it? How were they going to beat it when they didn't know anything about it? And… where had Sting gone? Had he found Yukino yet?
Another roar from the beast broke Lucy's train of thought, and she looked up at it, chills running down her spine. It had raised the bow in the air, and with it, materialized what looked to be hundreds of arrows- all pointing where Lucy and Poppy were. Rogue and Virgo turned around in a panic, rushing to their sides. Before the arrows could strike, Virgo had managed to grab Lucy, burrowing underground. Poppy shielded Lector and Frosch with her body, and Rogue grabbed all three, dodging the arrows that rained down. He set them down in a new spot, glancing back at the monster. Virgo emerged from the ground, pulling up a dazed Lucy, who shook the dirt from her clothes and hair.
"I'm not sure if we can beat that thing- it doesn't seem to have a weakness!" Lucy said, watching as it searched for them. It knocked over more trees, summoning more arrows to rain down. Luckily, they were partially shielded by the forest. "Has there always been a monster this close to Gazania?"
"Not to my knowledge," Rogue answered, crossing his arms. "If there were, they would have called us out to deal with it…"
"And Sting's gone missing too- not to mention Yukino might still be in the area…" Lucy groaned, looking down at her Keys. Perhaps Taurus and Virgo could deal enough damage to it- better yet, Aquarius could deal a death blow. Only problem was, there was no water nearby… And Lucy wasn't going to risk her wrath from using a puddle! "Alright, we're just gonna have to keep hitting this monster with everything we've- huh?"
She stopped as Poppy pulled on her sleeve, slowly getting to her feet with the magic staff she'd gotten from the Sunlight Snake Wizards. Though she wobbled and was sweating profusely, there was a determined glint in her grey eyes. She pointed shakily in one direction- opposite the monster. "I-it's not a monster… It's a… it's a Spirit… S-someone is controlling it…"
"Is this like Procyon?" Lucy asked, watching as Poppy nodded slowly. "How do you know which direction?"
"I can… Feel it…" she rubbed her head slightly. "The headache… worse that way…"
The blonde nodded, looking back at the searching monster, then towards Rogue. If they could defeat the person controlling the monster-spirit… But the monster wouldn't let them wander around in search of its master. "Rogue… I think I know a way to get rid of that monster. But we're gonna need a distraction- can you handle it on your own?"
"He's not gonna be alone."
"Sting!" Lector ran up to the slightly disheveled man, who leaned against a tree, panting. He didn't look injured, but more so annoyed, as if he'd been running until now. He glanced up at the monster, before looking back at their group. "Did ya find Yukino?!"
"No- it felt like I was going in circles the whole time," Sting had a scowl on his face as he looked up at the giant. "I dunno what's goin' on, but you two are going to look for Yukino, right? Rogue and I can handle this hunk of junk. Lector, Frosch-" the two Exceeds looked up at the man as he cracked his knuckles, "go ahead and lend them a hand; we'll be okay here!"
Sting didn't wait any longer as he launched himself at the dirt monster; Rogue was behind him, only sparing a quick glance at Poppy and Lucy. The blonde Celestial Spirit nodded, knowing they would be fine- after all, these were the same two who held their own against Natsu and Gajeel! If anyone could keep a large dirt monster distracted, it would be the Twin Dragonslayers of Sabertooth. Lucy decided to help Poppy walk, taking her other arm as they began moving in the direction she'd pointed in earlier. Behind her, Sting and Rogue unleashed attack after attack on the forest beast, their magic exploding against it with terrifying force. Its roars were deafening, but Lucy ignored them in favor of making sure Poppy didn't pass out in the middle of the forest. A few times they did have to stop, letting Poppy catch her breath, but eventually, they had made it pretty far from the battle. The forest was much quieter over here, with the soft sounds of insects and small animals being their only companion. There was a slight chill in the air, and Lucy felt like they should turn back… but Poppy kept limping forward, undeterred by the uneasiness in the air.
"Poppy… are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Lucy asked quietly. Poppy nodded, stopping once more to lean against a tree. She pressed a hand against her forehead, her breathing labored as she blearily looked around. "It's just… it doesn't feel like there's anything here-"
Just as she said that, she heard a cry. Lucy's head snapped up, looking around quickly. She waited another moment, before she heard another cry. A chill ran down her spine as she realized she recognized that voice.
"Lector, Frosch- stay with Poppy!" Lucy commanded, diving headfirst into the forest. She ignored Poppy's protests as she ran off, following the screams. As she got closer, she could hear another voice speaking.
"Hahaha, you thought your little friends would rescue you?!" the oily voice said. A yell followed. "They won't get anywhere near here, not with Carbon Orion blocking their path!"
Orion? Lucy thought. She recognized that name- it was the Hunter Constellation, if she wasn't mistaken. And, it was the head of the Orion Family- the Family that Lepus's Key belonged to. So that monster was actually the Hunter Spirit?! But why did he call it "Carbon"...? And didn't Poppy say it was the same as Procyon?
"Now, hand over your Keys- and maybe our Mistress will be willing to let you join her cause if you do so!"
Lucy could feel more questions forming, but she shelved them for later as she came upon a clearing. She could see Yukino, injured but still standing and glaring at the person before her. He had red and black hair swept up into a slicked back mohawk, along with a red and yellow overcoat. His back was turned to Lucy, but she could see what looked to be scale-like patterns crawling up his pale neck. And, in his right hand was a weapon similar to Fleuve D'Etoile- only this looked to be more oily, more tainted than Lucy's own whip, the magic coming out of it black in color. None of that mattered, however, as she pushed through the brush, a Golden Gate Key in hand and her whip in the other.
"Hey! Lay off her you creep!"
Yukino looked surprised to see Lucy- as did the cretin attacking her, which gave Lucy every advantage she needed. She held her hand up, the Key glowing brightly as she did. Only then did Yukino speak, trying to stop her.
"No, Lucy wait-!"
"Come on out Taurus!" the blonde Celestial Spirit Wizard cried out, feeling the rush of magic as the gate opened. Taurus wasted no time, swinging on the mysterious man.
He dodged, eyeing the Spirit with amusement. Taurus held his axe up, face pinched in anger. "Moo! How dare you udderly injure Miss Yukino's body?! Don't worry- I'll protect that smokin' hot body of yours!"
"N-nice to see you again too, Taurus…" Yukino said, bemused. But soon she shook her head. "Lucy, hurry! You have to send him back, it's dangerous!"
"Huh?" Lucy gave her a confused stare, briefly taking her eyes off the back-and-forth between the scaly man and Taurus. "What do you- Taurus!"
Both Wizards' attention were snagged on the battle as Taurus let out a cry, the Black Whip lashing against his forearm. He dropped his axe, and Lucy watched with horror as a strange, black goo began to spread up his arm. Taurus looked terrified as his arm dropped to his side, no longer responding. The Scaly Man took this chance to whip the Bull Man against his other arm and his stomach. The black goo spread there as well, and Taurus panicked, dropping to his knees. There was a pained look on his face as it spread- almost as if it were eating him alive.
"T-Taurus…! Wh-what is that?!" Lucy cried out in shock.
"Lucy- send him back, now!" Yukino tried again, this time getting through to the girl. She nodded, shakily grabbing his key and swiping. Taurus disappeared, but Lucy wasn't sure if he would be okay or not. She turned to the Scaly Man, a furious light behind her brown eyes.
"What did you do to him?!"
The Scaly Man only snickered, flicking the whip slightly. "It's a special whip that my Mistress made- meant to harm Spirits and Mages who walk in the Light. There's only two in existence- and I have one here!" he cackled, looking back and forth between the two women. "How are you going to fare without your little Spirits now?!"
Lucy grit her teeth, Fleuve D'Etoile flaring to life. "We're still gonna beat you- you'll pay for what you did to Taurus!"
She raised her whip, flicking it towards the man. He dodged, ducking under the fist Yukino swung his way. He flung his whip out, and the two Wizards dodged. One more, Lucy went on the attack, executing a series of fast whip strikes. The Scaly Man blocked a few, aiming his own whip for Lucy's arm. She managed to dodge it, watching as it caused the tree behind her to rot. Her eyes widened, realizing it could do some real damage to her if she wasn't careful…! While their opponent was distracted, Yukino snuck up from behind, delivering a harsh kick to his side. The Scaly Man growled in pain, looking at the two wizards with contempt. Lucy smirked, feeling confident with the advantage.
But instead of attacking, he slammed his whip into the ground. A wave of dark magic came towards the two wizards and they dodged. Lucy grabbed Yukino, extending her whip to grapple a tree branch. In horror, they watched as the ground and nearby plants withered away. The Scaly Man cackled, extending his whip and aiming for the two women. Lucy hopped to another tree, keeping her hold on Yukino.
"We have to get that whip away from him!" Yukino cried out as they hopped from tree to tree. Lucy spied their opponent, laughing loudly as he chased them, not caring about the damage to the forest. "Lucy- try dropping me on top of him!"
"Wh- that's crazy! I'm not doing that!" Lucy tightened her grip, springing to yet another tree. The Scaly Man had lost sight of them, but they could still see him from where they were perched. "We can figure something else out!"
"Come on out, little wizards!" he said, lashing his whip against a tree. It fell, rotting away in the strange black goo. "What happened to beating me?! Was that all blustering and bluffing?!"
He whipped several more trees, moving in a circle as he tried to figure out where they had gone. While Lucy and Yukino tried to cobble together a plan, she looked down, seeing Poppy pass by them. Her eyes widened as the shuffling girl raised her staff, aiming for The Scaly Man. Lucy only had half a second to call for her, before she charged, throwing the staff directly at him. He reacted a moment too late, getting hit in the shoulder and losing his balance, dropping both whip and another item. Poppy held her hand out, and the magic in the staff reacted, returning to her. She charged again, but this time, the Scaly Man was prepared, recovering faster than the orange-haired wizard could attack. He lashed his whip out, hitting the defending girl and pushing her into a tree. She let out a gasp as her back hit it, collapsing to the ground. The Scaly Man cackled, watching her struggle to get to her feet. Then, realization crossed his face, and he smiled maliciously.
"Oh…! I recognize you- you've been standing in the way of my Mistress's plans!" He held the whip up, charging up an attack. "She will be pleased if I get rid of you now- goodbye, Crystal Key Owner! Fall into the Darkness!"
"Poppy, no!" Lucy cried out, hopping down from their hiding spot. She tried extending her whip, but she was too far away- she wouldn't make it in time. The black and purple attack sliced through the air, towards the disoriented girl. Her hands scrambled for the staff, but knocked it away, sending it skittering into the forest brush. Flinching, she closed her eyes and threw her hand up in defense.
But, to both Lucy and Poppy's surprise, the attack redirected, skirting around and above her. Lucy turned, hearing a sucking noise that sounded all too familiar, and found Rogue standing just behind Poppy, pulling the dark magic into his mouth. She looked up at him, her grey eyes shining with a mix of emotions Lucy didn't have the time to decipher. He finished, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a disgusted look on his face- as if he'd eaten a plate of rotten food. He approached Poppy, giving her a quick once over as he helped her to stand.
"Are you alright? Apologies we're late- dealing with that monster took longer than I would like to admit."
"We?" Lucy repeated, only to see Sting crashing through the trees on the other side. He looked a little worse for wear, but otherwise not too injured. He stared down The Scaly Man with a snarl. "Sting!"
"This the bastard that attacked Yukino?" He spat out. Lector nodded frantically, using his Aera to get a better view. "Good- I owe him a few punches!"
The Scaly Man clicked his tongue, seeing the twin Dragonslayers added to the mix, along with Yukino, who got into a defensive stance. He reached into his pocket, before pulling a magical device out and throwing it on the ground. It exploded, covering the area in smoke and fog. A bright light soon followed, and everyone covered their eyes, surprised. When it cleared, the Scaly Man was gone. Sting cursed, then asked Lector and Frosch to get an aerial view of the forest, hoping to catch him, but after a few minutes of searching, the two Exceeds confirmed there was no sign of him. And according to the Dragonslayers' nose, there was no lingering scent to follow either.
"Sunova bitch got away," Sting spat, running a hand through his hair before attending to Yukino. "You okay?" she nodded, though he didn't seem too confident in her words. "Who was that guy anyway?"
"He said his name was Anguis D. Gree… I believe he wanted my Gate Keys- he attacked me, saying he needed them for his Mistress…" Yukino answered as she leaned against the tree. She glanced at Poppy and Lucy. "I assume something similar has happened to you two as well…?"
"Yeah… we were coming to warn you, and ask you a few things," Lucy responded, humming. "Someone is after Celestial Spirit Mages again…"
"It seems we can never catch a break, can we?" the white-haired wizard joked, wobbling as she took another step. Sting rushed to her side, helping her to stay upright. "I would like to hear what you know, Lucy and… Poppy, was it?"
Lucy turned to where Yukino was looking, and found the orange-haired girl unresponsive- she had walked to where Anguis had been standing, bending down and picking something up. Lucy's eyes widened as she saw the faintly-glowing object. It looked to be a key, a rusted black color- though, some silver shined through softly. Lucy watched as Poppy approached, hands shaking. The head of the key had a bow and gun crossed, in the shape of an X, and Lucy's eyes widened as she realized which constellation it belonged to.
"There's a lot we need to catch up on. Poppy," Lucy looked at her, noting the dazed look in her eyes- "I think you should hold onto that key."
The orange-haired Celestial Spirit Wizard nodded, following the group out and back to the Sabertooth Guild. They chose a fairly quiet table on the third floor to sit, and Lucy and Poppy took turns explaining everything, from Poppy's sudden arrival to the mysterious Celestial Spirit Wizard that had attacked them just a day prior. Yukino looked surprised at this information, shaking her head in disbelief.
"That's… wow. Celestial Spirit Mages are already far and few in between, so for one to be attacking others is…" She frowned, laying her two Golden Gate Keys out on the table. Lucy had already done so with hers, and Poppy had placed the black and silver key next to Lepus's Crystal Key. Yukino looked up at Poppy. "And you've completely lost your memory?"
"Yes…" Poppy picked up a tiger shaped cookie (courtesy of the guild's souvenir shop), nibbling on it. "I thought they would start coming back, but so far… I haven't remembered much. We thought having the Golden Gate Keys together would, I don't know, reveal something? Maybe you should summon them all?"
"That's…" Lucy shook her head, frowning as she studied them together. "It'd be too much power- and there's no guarantee that it'll work."
"If only I could get some memories back…!" Poppy put her head in her arms, sighing, and Lucy patted her head. "Or at least be able to summon Lepus, then we could get somewhere…"
"Memories… ah!" Yukino jumped up, a smile on her face. Lucy and Poppy looked up, curious, and Yukino held a Silver Key up. Lucy couldn't tell what its emblem was, but she saw what looked to be vines and pillars. "I think I might be able to get us some new information!"
She held her hand out as the key glowed a silver color. "Open, Gate of the Altar- Aratus!"
There was a rush of magic in the air, then a bright light; out of it came an altar with a large marble slab as the top and golden pillars holding it up. There were green vines wrapped around its pillars, and it floated slightly off ground. Poppy let out a gasp of excitement, both hands flying to her cheek as she dropped her cookie, while Lucy nodded her head, the pieces coming together.
"I see- you think he could tell us something else about the Crystal Gate Key?" Lucy asked, watching as Yukino took one of the cookies (to Poppy's displeasure), placing it on the Altar.
"Yes- I am assuming records about the Celestial Families were out of reach for Crux… but Aratus is able to access information from the item in question *directly*." Yukino said, watching as a message was scrawled out above the marble top.
It glittered as it wrote, [Hello, Miss Yukino- how can I be of assistance today?]
"Hello, Aratus. We have a few things we'd like you to examine for us, if possible." Yukino held up the Crystal Key and the Black Key, putting the Crystal Key down first. "If possible, can you tell us anything about this key beyond its Spirit and Constellation? Perhaps even the fate of the Family Keys?"
The golden-white writing didn't appear for a while, as Aratus sat floating. Yukino hummed as she studied the Spirit, concern showing in her brown eyes. "This is strange- Ara doesn't usually take this long to gather information-"
Just as she mentioned it, there was a bright flash; the three Celestial Wizards shielded their eyes from it; when it died down, there was a person with long golden hair standing in its place. Its skin was speckled white, grey, and black, and it wore a faded green toga on its body. In its hand was a purple book, and its eyes were covered- though that didn't stop it from directly placing where the three wizards were. Its eyes lingered the most on Poppy as it opened the book, the pages floating up into the air with a soft, magical glow.
[Apologies for startling you, but… I felt it best to be in this form for your request.]. The pages came together in front of Aratus, creating a sort-of window. On it, appeared a cryptic message: {The Black Hole King swallowed The Stars, One by One; By the effort of Sol, Terra, and Stella did they survive, but at a cost.}.
Lucy, Poppy, and Yukino looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what Aratus meant; the papers fluttered back into its book, as it closed it, then looked at Yukino. [That was all I could find, Miss Yukino. It seems the rest of the information is inaccessible.]
"Thank you, Ara- I appreciate it." Yukino took the Crystal Key back, then handed him the Black Key. "Do you know anything about this?" Aratus shook its head, stepping back at the sight of the key and holding its book up once more. This time the pages flew out more violently, swirling around the Archive Spirit. Yukino looked alarmed. "Aratus…?!"
[The Divus Umbra has broken free! It will consume the Spirits' Light once more!] Aratus exclaimed, keeping the flurry of pages separating it and the three mages. It pointed to Poppy, who made a little "eep!" sound at the glowing finger facing her. [Holder of the Crystal Key- the Incantation. You must say the Incantation, before the Darkness swallows her!]
"Wh-what incantation?" Poppy said, looking at Aratus, then Yukino, then Lucy. "I-I don't know anything about a-"
A beam shot forward from Aratus's hand, directly into Poppy's head. She stumbled backwards, hitting her hip against the table. Yukino gasped, and Lucy rushed to Poppy's side, concerned. The blonde Celestial Spirit Mage could see her eyes were glazed over- as if she were seeing something else. And she could hear her muttering something, under her breath…
"... Bridge… Celestial Spirit… Earth… Slumber… True Form…"
[That is all I can do for you.]. Aratus looked troubled as it lowered the pages. It started to disappear slowly, its hands clasped in a prayer. [Please, be careful. Do not let the Shadows consume you.].
With that, he fully disappeared, the only trace of his existence being a touch of magic. Lucy helped Poppy to sit down, as light slowly came back to her eyes. She blinked, lifting her head to look at the two women, then looked at the Black Key, slowly picking it up.
"Did… Did Aratus pass on the spell to you…?" Yukino quietly asked; Poppy nodded, fiddling with the key in her hand.
"Will you be able to save Orion?" Lucy asked. Poppy gave a small smile, shrugging her shoulders as she held the Key up.
"I won't know until I try… And right now, I'm the only one who can!" She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes as she started reciting. To Lucy's surprise, there was a rush of magic in Poppy- and quite a strong one too. Softly, her hair floated as the magic gathered, travelling into the Black Key. It glowed faintly, surrounded in a golden light.
"I am the Bridge between the Celestial Spirit and Human World. You, who has slumbered, awaken your True Form! Come Forth, Family Key of the Spirit Orion; I summon thee!
Open, Gate of the Hunter: Orion!"
Lucy blinked, surprised at the sudden disappearance of her magic, and Poppy flinched, opening her eyes in confusion. She looked at both Yukino and Lucy, unable to hide the disappointment in her eyes. Clearly, she had felt the magic growing in her as well, so the abrupt cut off was weird. Her cheeks darkened as she furrowed her brow, stood from her seat, and thrusted the Key forward, reciting the incantation again.
"I am the Bridge between the Celestial Spirit and Human World. You, who has slumbered, awaken your True Form! Come Forth, Family Key of the Spirit Orion; I summon thee!
Open, Gate of the Hunter: Orion!"
Once more, there was a build-up of magic- and once more, it dissolved halfway through. Poppy tried three more times, growing desperate with each failure; Lucy frowned, her heart squeezing as she watched her start the sixth attempt. She was already sweating and panting, her arm barely able to stay up… but there was a determination in her grey eyes, driving her to keep going, to prove that she could do this.
"I am the Bridge between… between the Celestial Spirit… and Hu-" she collapsed to one knee, her arm shaking as she held it up. Lucy jumped to her feet, kneeling next to her.
"Poppy, that's enough!" she said, keeping the orange-haired girl upright. Her eyes were slightly unfocused as she dropped her arm for a moment, glancing at Lucy. "You've used up too much magic!"
She looked like she wanted to protest, but a stern glare from Lucy had her nodding in agreement. In shame, she put the Tainted Key up with her other keys, then slowly got to her feet. Her lip wobbled as she kept her head down, unable to hide her humiliation. Lucy frowned, squeezing her hand with a sympathetic look. There wasn't much else she could say, though- Poppy was the only one who could do it, and they needed to do it quickly. But pushing Poppy past her limits was out of the question…! Lucy sighed, before Yukino spoke up.
"Let us call it a day; tomorrow, we can try again." she said, standing. Lucy nodded, keeping Poppy steady; she looked more tired than the blonde thought previously- though she tried to put on a front, letting go of Lucy. "How about you come rest in my place? It's much closer to the guild."
"Thanks, Yukino…!" Poppy said as she turned to face her, some of her usually bubbliness surfacing. "Maybe then I can ask you about the time you-!"
True to character, Poppy had tripped at the top of the stairs, her foot overestimating the top step. Lucy called out her name, stunned as she teetered, arms flapping and body twisting around, putting her back toward the wooden steps. "Ah-!"
Before she could hit the steps, she was caught, an arm going around her waist and stopping her. Around her fluttered a cape, partially resting against her legs. Her stunned grey eyes were wide, her mouth half open as red eyes stared down at her, bemused and close enough that the dark strands of hair were tickling her skin. Lucy let out a sigh of relief, before snickering at the mortified blush that darkened Poppy's face. Rogue set her back on her feet, though one hand hovered nearby, as if anticipating another blunder on the stairs.
"You are… quite clumsy, I see." he said, before turning to the two at the top of the stairs. "It's a good thing I was coming to check on you three."
If Poppy wasn't embarrassed yet, then she definitely was now. She gripped the railing, her cheeks puffing out in annoyance and irritation.
"I-I'm normally not th-this clumsy…!" She argued, before huffing and turning away from Rogue and continuing down the stairs. "J-Jerk- who says that to a girl they just met…?!"
"Oh, I-" Rogue started, only to watch as she tripped once more, missing the last few steps. She sat on the floor, dazed, and Rogue turned to Lucy, a questioning look in his eyes that said, "is this girl okay?"
Lucy could only give the Shadow Dragonslayer a pat on the shoulder as she passed him, leaving him to stare at the three in bewilderment. Truly, Fairy Tail had unique mages…
Author's Note: I'm actually on a roll with these! The next chapters have a few kinks to be worked out but they'll be finished soon!
Also, side note- this is being crossposted to AO3 (under the same name); most of my fics can be found there as well, save for the few published pre-2014.