Wheels of Fire

A Part of Two Worlds

Dawn was just peeking over the tips of the mountains, setting the white snow ablaze in pink that reminded Lucy of a certain Dragon Slayer. She could not think about him at this time, though, although he was often in her thoughts, more often than she liked to admit. For now, time was critical and focus was needed. If she let herself slip away into worries of her missing fire-breathing friend, she might not live long enough to welcome him back.

They were on the crest of a cliff looking down at the narrow mountain pathway. From here, they had a good view down the path, but the approaching army would be blinded both by the steep terrain and a hairpin curve in the road. On the other side of the path was another cliff, leading to a ten-meter drop. Maybe someone could survive a fall of that distance, but Lucy did not want to be responsible for so many deaths. She had two keys in her hands.

"Open the Gate of the Ram! Aries! Open the Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"

Two at once was still a huge drain, one she was not fully used to. The pink lamb and the round-headed alien creatures poofed out and greeted her with a mix of "I'm sorry" and "Piri-piri."

"Aries, your wool cushion can last beyond your leaving, right?" Lucy asked, just to be sure.

"It will degrade with time, I'm sorry," she explained nervously, "but yes, it can last up to an hour after I'm sent back. I can make more wool if you call me out."

"Thank you. Gray, how close are they?"

Gray used a small mirror of ice to reflect a coded signal further down the mountain, where Loke was already out on his own magic and acting as a lookout. Seven small but faintly visible bursts of starlight shined down the way.

"Seven minutes," Gray told her.

"Aries, go to the base of the cliff and create wool all along the edge so we don't kill the soldier. Gray, ready?"

He had been saving up his energy in meditation. "Not yet. I shouldn't do it until they are right below us. Element of surprise."

"But you said this will drain you."

"It did last time I tried the spell. That was before Ultear gave us that power-up."

"I'll leave it to you, then. Gemini."

The twins swirled together, and in a poof they became Lucy.

"I ... wait ... Why are you dressed like that?" Gemini was wearing a tiny tank top shirt and Kawaii Kitty panties, nothing else.

"Last time we touched you, this is what you were wearing, so of course this is how we will look, piri-piri."

"Change now!" she demanded. They touched her, and instead the Twins formed into an exact replica, wearing brown shorts and a green blouse. "Better."

"Who first, master?" the Lucy-lookalike asked.

"There is a stream just down that path. Call out Aquarius using the water and bring her here."

"You know she hates to travel away from water," Gemini warned worriedly.

"Which is why after Aries is done, I'm calling out Scorpio. That should make her obedient."

Gemini tittered that Lucy had figured out Aquarius' one weakness. "Shall we call a second Celestial Spirit?"

"Yes. Sagittarius. Can you manage two?"

"I have the same strength as you. If you can manage two, so can I. However, my magic is limited to your magic. If you get hit or grow weak, I can disappear."