Found & Forgotten

Chapter 34

The next thing she did, of course, was call on her spirits, to help her in the fight. Can't summon Aquarius, Lucy thought to herself, there's no water. Coming to her decision, she pulled out a key.

"Gate of the Golden Bull, I open thee! Taurus!" Lucy cried, slicing down with the key.

"Luuucy, you look just as good as ever!" Taurus proclaimed, grinning down at her.

Lucy blinked at him.

"For a renowned celestial mage, you don't seem to have much control over your spirits," Leiko took the opportunity to jump in with a wry comment.

"I will protect you and your body, Lucy!" Taurus announced, swinging his axe at Leiko.

Leiko countered with another stream of magic from his rapier, causing the axe to vibrate. Taurus managed to wrestle back control of his weapon, turning to run head on at Leiko, who again countered with a flick of his rapier, this time causing the axe to shrink significantly before Taurus wrested it back from Leiko's power.

Lucy, who had retreated to press her back against one of the walls, quickly realised that Taurus alone was no match for Leiko, and she'd have to summon another spirit, maybe even two. Despite now owning ten of the twelve golden keys, Lucy was wary about using most of them, since she'd acquired most of these keys in the time she couldn't remember. Knowing that she'd have to make a decision soon, she decided to just follow her instincts.

"Gate of the Maiden, I open thee! Virgo!" Lucy again made a slashing motion with the key.

Virgo appeared, kneeling before Lucy. "Hime, how may I be of service to you?"

"I think Taurus needs some help," Lucy explained curtly, already feeling the drain of holding two gates open, and deciding to deal with Virgo addressing her as princess later.

"Of course, Hime," Virgo nodded.

Taurus and Leiko were now locked in hand to rapier combat, since Taurus' axe had apparently been completely vanished by Leiko. Virgo approached with a succinct greeting to Taurus, and proceeded to send her chains on course to wrap around Leiko's rapier. The rapier flared with magic again in response, sending the chains off their course, and forcing Virgo to rethink her plan.

"Two spirits at once, impressive. Perhaps your reputation does have a basis in truth after all." Leiko smoothly sent the quip at Lucy, despite being otherwise engaged in fighting two celestial spirits.

Lucy grit her teeth. She didn't think she had the strength to summon another spirit as anything other than a last resort. She would have to trust to other tactics to buy the time she needed.

"At least I have a reputation," she pointed out, hoping to goad Leiko into distraction. "I've never even heard of you."

Leiko, to her dismay, seemed unbothered by this fact, and carried right on fighting.

"And that is the way it should be," he responded in his monotone, breath no faster for the fight, lips pulling into a twisted version of a smile.

After a short pause, Lucy gave up on replying to Leiko. She was having to concentrate too hard on maintaining the connections to the celestial spirit gates to think of anything clever to retort with. Seeing that the fight was moving towards her, Lucy readied her whip, determined to help where she could, despite the fact that it was taking all of her strength to stand up straight. Before she could make a move, however, she noticed a figure leaning on the wall next to her.

"Who are you?" she asked, wondered how he could have gotten through the locked door, and already half knowing the answer.

"Why, Lucy, don't you remember me?" He teased.