Star Dress

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Tenrou Island.

December 15, x784.

"I wonder what's going on." Lucy questioned as she and Cana ran away from Mavis Vermillion's grave and made their way towards the base camp.

"I'm not sure." Cana replied. "But since the red flare went up, that means the situation is serious."

"Do you think the island is under attack?" Lucy asked.

"Maybe..." Cana replied as she narrowed her eyes.

"But who would want to attack us here?" Lucy asked, becoming more frantic as she spoke. "I mean, how would they even know where----"

"We won't have to wonder about that for long." Cana said, interrupting Lucy's string of questions and quickly slowing to a stop. "Someone's coming this way. And I don't' recognize their magic power signature."

Hearing Cana's words, Lucy followed suit and came to a stop as well. Then, she looked in the same direction Cana was looking with worry.

For the next few minutes, Cana and Lucy waited for the approaching intruder to get closer. Then, when the intruder finally arrived, Cana squinted her eyes because he was fairly strong. And she was assessing whether letting Lucy fight him would be a good idea or not.

Lucy, on the other hand, reacted completely differently. With her eyes opened wide in surprise, she could not believe what she saw.

The intruder who surprised Lucy so much was a towering man with goat-like features covered in brownish-white fur with longer tufts on his lower face that looked like a goatee, thin ears on the top of his head, a pair of curved goat horns on the sides of his head, and a large, flat nose wearing a black business sit, a yellow dress shirt, and a grey necktie, and no shoes as his legs, which were bent backwards slightly like those of a goat, ended in a pair of black hooves.

"Hmm…. I feel the presence of Celestial Keys." The goat-like man said once he was within earshot of Cana and Lucy.

"Who are you? And why are you on Tenrou Island?" Cana asked aggressively.

"Oh, where are my manners?" The goat-like man responded. "You may call me Caprico. And I am one of the Seven Kin of Purgatory of Grimoire Heart."

Hearing Caprico's introduction, both Cana and Lucy opened their eyes in surprise. At the same time, Lucy was even more confused.

"But… you're a Celestial Spirit…" Lucy said, her tone filled with confusion. "How could you join a Dark Guild?"

"What?" Cana exclaimed in surprise. "Seriously? This guy is a Celestial Spirit?"

"Yeah." Lucy nodded in affirmation. "Although he feels different than the others I know, he's definitely a Celestial Spirit."

"Well, aren't you observant?" Caprico replied with a sinister smile. "But that might be a good thing. I think you'll fit in with the rest of the ones I've subordinated with my [Human Subordination Magic]. Especially, you."

As he finished, Caprico glanced at Cana, who was the stronger of the two.

"Are you saying you want to turn me into your slave?" Cana asked with a frown as she flared her magic power to its maximum.

While Lucy stumbled at the sudden pressure, Caprico was almost brought to his knees.

Although this was not the first time Caprico had felt such a large amount of magic power washing over him, as there were several wizards in the Seven Kin of Purgatory with similar amounts of magic power. He had only felt this level of density from the two strongest members of Grimoire Heart.

'Will my [Human Subordination Magic] even work on someone with magic power that dense?' Caprico thought to himself as he picked himself up and stood firmly against the pressure. 'I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work on Master Hades or Bluenote, either.'

At the same time, a golden light appeared next to Lucy. A moment later, after the light faded, the Golden Celestial Spirit, Leo was revealed.

"Leo?" Lucy asked in confusion. "How did you get here?"

"I came down to bring back my lost comrade." Leo said sternly while straightening his tie. "He's been missing for over ten years. And now, it's time to bring him back. Isn't that right, Capricorn?"

"Capricorn?" Lucy asked in surprise. "So, that's why he looked so familiar. He was one of Mom's Spirits. But then, how did he end up as a member of a Dark Guild?"

Hearing Lucy's exclamation, Caprico… or rather, Capricorn's gaze sharpened as he shifted his attention over to the blonde.

"So, you're Layla's daughter." Capricorn asked in a low tone. "Then, that changes things. I think killing you would be the best thing, instead."

"Why, what did my mother do to you?" Lucy asked, her expression hardening after hearing what Capricorn said.

"Oh, it was quite the contrary." Capricorn said with an unstable smile. "I respected her so much. She meant everything to me. So much, in fact, that I killed that bitch who was responsible for her death.'

As he spoke, Capricorn's smile became more and more unhinged.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked with a frown. "Mom died from Magic Deficiency Syndrome." Lucy said with a frown. "No one killed her."

"Ha! Hahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha!" Capricorn, having heard Lucy's explanation, started laughing uproariously. Then, after a few moments where the only sound that could be heard in the surroundings was Capricorn's laughter, he finally calmed down enough to continue. "And do you think she would have contracted that disease if that bitch, Grammi, had stopped her from completing that ritual?"

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asked with a frown.

"Hmph! Of course, you wouldn't know." Capricorn replied disdainfully. "You were only a brat back then. But honestly, it doesn't matter. I'm going to kill you today. That way you won't have to suffer in this world Like Lady Layla did."

"Lucy, you need to get out of here." Leo said, stepping forward to protect Lucy. "If he uses his [Human Subordination Magic] on you, it would be all over."

"No, I'm not leaving." Lucy said stubbornly. "I want to know what he was talking about. Besides, he could just as easily use it on you, too."

"But it wouldn't work on me, though." Leo replied. "I'm not human, after all."

Lucy could not help but fall silent after hearing Leo's explanation. Still, she was quite unwilling to leave.

"If you're so worried about her being taken over by the [Human Subordination Magic], why don't you just use the new spell?" Cana asked after seeing how torn Lucy was. "I mean, from what I've heard, it allows you or one of the spirits she has a contract with to allow their power to dwell inside her, right? Basically, making her a pseudo-Celestial Spirit."

While Lucy perked up at Cana's suggestion, Leo looked a bit worried. Meanwhile, Capricorn was completely unsure of what she was talking about. Still, he was quite curious to see what kind of spell would allow a Celestial Spriit to let its power to dwell within a human.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea." Leo replied after a few moments of contemplation. "Although it's true that we decided to teach you the spell, you haven't had much time to train with it. On top of that, even though your magic power is quite dense, you would only be able to maintain it for ten minutes, at most."

"Still, I have to try." Lucy said. "He knows something about why my mom died." Lucy replied in resolute tone. "Plus, he's the one who killed Grammi. And although I don't remember her too well, I do remember that she was my mom's best friend."

"Just let her do it." Cana said casually. "She'll do it with or without your permission, after all. And that means, she'll do it while you're summoned. Meaning, it could be even more dangerous."

"*Sigh* I guess you're right." Leo replied. "But I want you to use my key to do it. It's still my responsibility to bring Capricorn back to the Celestial Spirit World as the leader of the Zodiac Spirits."

"Okay." Lucy said solemnly.

With that, Leo took another long look at Lucy before he unsummoned himself and returned to the Celestial Spirit World.

"Is all the mellow drama finally over?" Capricorn asked. "If so, can we get to it already? But don't worry, at least you'll be reunited with your mother soon."

"I don't think so." Lucy said as she reached into her waist pouch and pulled out Leo's key. "You will tell me what happened to my mother. And I'll make sure of that. [Star Dress: Leo]."

With that, the Golden Celestial Spirit Key in Lucy's hand began to glow. Then, she thrust it into the center of her chest. A moment later, she was covered in golden light. Then, when the light faded, Lucy was revealed once again. Though, instead of the t-shirt and skirt she was wearing while participating in the Promotion Exam, she was now wearing an elegant, black, backless and strapless evening gown with a slit that exposed her left leg, black, disconnected sleeves that started at her upper arm and flared out when they reached her hands, a pair of black high heels, a black choker with a ribbon tied in a bow, and a golden sash wrapped loosely around her hips. On top of that, due to the power she was borrowing from Leo, the Leo's Zodiac symbol appeared on her right breast.

"Damn, girl." Cana said while examining Lucy's new wardrobe. "I need to get Lici to make me address like that one. Even if I'll probably never wear it."

"Yeah, it looks pretty good." Lucy said while also examining her new wardrobe. Then, as she continued, her voice lowered in volume while her cheeks reddened slightly. "I wonder if Alfonzo will like it."

Hearing that, Cana smiled cheekily. Meanwhile, Capricorn, who had been waiting to see what they were making such a big deal about began to tremble. Though, if anyone saw his expression, they could tell that he was trembling in anger.

"Are you telling me I could have gained Capricorn's power like that?" Capricorn shouted angrily. "Instead, because he wouldn't tell me about it, I used my [Human Subordination Magic] to take over his body and got stuck like this?"

Immediately, the girls' attention was shifted back to Capricorn. And judging from what they heard, they were not actually facing Capricorn. Instead, they were facing whoever had a contract with him.

"How could you do such a thing?" Lucy asked angrily. "Do you only see Celestial Spirits as tools?"

"And so, what if I do?" Capricorn asked in a psychotic tone. "Isn't that what they are? They're use is to make the wizards they sign contracts with stronger."

"You're wrong." Lucy said, her magic power flaring unconsciously because of her emotions. "Celestial Spirits are supposed to be our comrades, our friends. That's what my mom taught me before she passed away."

"Ah… I remember hearing Lady Layla say something like that, back when I was still her disciple." Capricorn said. "I even had similar thoughts when she gave Capricorn's key to me all those years ago. But look where that got her, she's dead. And I'm still alive. It's clear that her philosophy was wrong."

"You don't deserve to have a contract with a Celestial Spirit!" Lucy shouted angrily. "Especially if you were really one of Mom's disciples, and she trusted you enough to pass one of her Spirits on to you. I'm gonna free Capricorn from you and let him choose his own contractor after I've taken you to prison!"

With that, Lucy's right hand was covered in light. Then, she raised it while placing her left hand on her bicep.

"[O Regulus… Grant me your strength!]" Lucy chanted as the light on her right fist covered her entire body. "[Lion Brilliance]."

With the second chant, the light covering Lucy's body expanded outward to cover a large part of the surroundings. At the same time, Capricorn was forced to cover his eyes, despite the fact that he was wearing sunglasses. Cana, on the other hand, just looked on curiously to see what Lucy would do to take advantage of Capricorn's defenseless state.

"Damn it, this is so annoying." Capricorn said while covering his eyes.

And Lucy did not disappoint her companion. As soon as she saw that Capricorn was affected by Lion Brilliance], she dashed forward at full speed, using [Regulus] to boost her physical parameters. Then, once she was in front of Capricorn, she reeled back her right fist before throwing a punch with all her might.

"[Regulus Gatling Impact]!" Lucy shouted as she unleashed a barrage of punches on the unsuspecting Capricorn.

Instead of throwing just one powerful blow, however, Lucy launched a barrage of punches that exploded with light on impact.

"Ahh~~~~~!" Capricorn shouted in a tone filled with pain.

'Although Leo said that I should be able to last for ten minutes, I can feel that my magic power is draining much faster than that.' Lucy thought to herself as she continued throwing punches. 'I'm letting my emotions get out of control and using up much more magic power than I should. But still, I can't help it. He's dragging my mom's legacy through the mud. And I won't allow that.'

With that thought, Lucy concentrated [Regulus'] power into her right fist as she threw a devastating uppercut into Capricorn's abdomen, launching him into the sky as a result.

Accompanying Capricorn's ascent was a golden lion head that appeared to be biting the taken over Celestial Spirit where Lucy hit him. Then, when Capricorn reached the highest point of his ascent, the lion head exploded into a brilliant explosion of light.

A moment later, when the light faded, Capricorn could be seen in a bad state with his sunglasses destroyed, his suit in tatters, and his fur burned in several places. On top of that, Lucy was positioned above him with her left leg raised and her foot covered in [Regulus'] light.

"[Regulus Lucy Kick]!" Lucy shouted as she brought her foot down on Capricorn.

Due to the strong force behind Lucy's kick, Capricorn was shot downward at a much higher speed than when he rose into the air.

*Boom!*

Upon impact, a small crater was created while dust and debris were kicked up into the air.

A moment later, Lucy landed just outside of the dust cloud while breathing heavily.

"I gotta say, that was pretty bad ass." Cana said as she walked over to Lucy, who was waiting for the dust cloud to disperse.

Instead of responding, Lucy just shot Cana a tired smile. At this point, she did not want to waste the energy it would take to speak in case Capricorn was still capable of fighting back.

A few moments later, the dust finally settled. Lying at the bottom of the crater was Capricorn, who seemed to be unconscious. But what surprised the two young women was the translucent figure of a man with a somewhat ghastly appearance with large, bulging eyes, puffy black hair pulled back by a hair band, and scars on his cheeks wearing a long, white robe with large sleeves standing next to the unconscious Celestial Spirit.

"Who is that?" Cana asked with a frown as she reached into her card pouch.

"Huh?" The translucent man exclaimed in confusion when he saw Capricorn lying next to him. "Am I finally free? Yes! Finally! I, Zoldeo, am human again!"

"Zoldeo? *Pant* He really was *Pant* my mom's *Pant* disciple." Lucy said in an exhausted tone.

At the same time, Capricorn started to stir. Eventually, he looked at his former contractor, who was clearly just a soul at this point. Then he shook his head sympathetically when he saw Zoldeo's soul start to crumble from his feet.

"What's happening?" Zoldeo asked. "Why am I just a soul? Where is my body."

"If I had to guess…" Capricorn said as he slowly stood to his feet. "It died long ago while we were fused. After all, everything you ingested went to my body, and not yours."

"Impossible!" Zoldeo shrieked in terror. "I'm finally free, and this is what happens?"

"I told you that spell, [Human Raise] was taboo to use on a Celestial Spirit, but you didn't heed my advice." Capricorn replied while using his magic power to repair his clothing and sun glasses. "And now, you're paying the price for your actions."

"No, Capricorn, please help me." Zoldeo pleaded. "Please, let me fuse with you again."

As Zoldeo begged and pleaded, his soul continued to crumble. And by now, he was nothing more than a floating head.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Capricorn replied while adjusting his tie. "I fulfilled my obligations as your Celestial Spirit when I allowed you to fuse with me the first time. And now, we are no longer contracted. So, all I can say is good bye, Zoldeo."

With that, Zoldeo could only look on with a resigned gaze as his soul crumbled completely. Then, as Zoldeo vanished from this world, Lucy's [Star Dress] was dispelled and she returned to her normal attire.

"It's… over…" Lucy said as she collapsed from magic power exhaustion.

"Geez… If you had only kept your cool, you would have been fine after that little display." Cana said as she caught Lucy before she hit the ground. "I guess that's another thing we'll have to work on in your training. You're not like Natsu who somehow gets stronger when his emotions run out of control."

While Cana was taking care of Lucy, Capricorn slowly made his way over to the two young women. Then, he pulled a Golden Key out of his suit's inner pocket.

"Please, give this to Miss Lucy when she wakes up.' Capricorn said while handing the key to Cana. "Zoldeo was supposed to be the one who did this. Lady Layla had instructed him to do so should Miss Lucy decide to learn [Celestial Spirit Magic]. Unfortunately, he was seduced by the darker side of magic before that could happen."

"I see." Cana replied while accepting the key from Capricorn. "I'll make sure she gets it when she wakes up."

With that, Capricorn bowed politely before unsummoning himself and returning to the Celestial Spirit World.

"Well, I'd better get you back to the camp." Cana said as she lifted Lucy in her arms. "It wouldn't be good if we ran into any of the other members of Grimoire Heart while you're in this state."

Like that, Cana started walking in the direction of the camp while avoiding the ongoing battles in the forest.