Flaming Stars

Haruka cornered Everlue on the ground floor, near the kitchen, just before he disappeared into the earth again. Haruka growled, trying to track the man's movements as he swam through the earth.

"That Earth Magic is really annoying…" Haruka muttered, just as hands snatched up from the floor and tried to wrap around her legs. Haruka barely managed to avoid it, but kicked Evelue's fingers causing him to squeal in pain.

"Celestial Dragon's Claw!" Haruka shouted, summoning the Spirit Magic into her palm as she slammed her hand into the earth with a blinding light. The earth shattered as the power cut through solid stone, forcing Everlue to jump out of the ground to avoid the attack.

"You use some really strange Magic…" The duke snarled, glaring at her furiously.

Haruka smirked, but she could feel the exhaustion sinking in. Celestial Dragon's Roar and Claw were the only two direct offensive attacks she had, and both took a large chunk out of her Magic. Normally it was much more economical for her to fight using Spirits. "Oh, you don't know that half of it."

"What did you do with my book?!" Everlue demanded. "Where have you hidden it?"

"If you want it…" Haruka said coolly, sticking out her tongue. "Then you'll have to beat me to get it!"

His face twisted in rage, his hand slamming into his pocket as he pulled out a large, ornate golden key. "That book is mine! I made Kemu Zaleon write it! It belongs to me!" Everlue roared. "Open! Gate to the Maiden!"

There was a flash of light and suddenly the huge gorilla maid appeared in front of him. Haruka licked her lips hungrily as she saw the key. "Cancer!" She shouted, clicking her fingers.

Both Celestial Spirits appeared into view. Virgo was huge and monstrous, her hair into pigtails and makeup smearing her angry face as she stared down at Haruka with cold eyes. Cancer was a tall, slender man dressed in a stylish striped shirt and tight pants, with a pair of sunglasses and his hair shaped like two crab glasses. He had six crab legs sticking out of his back, while he spun two pairs of scissors in his hands expertly.

"So… a battle of Celestial Spirits, then?" Everlue muttered coldly. "Yet where are your keys?"

"Haruka…" Cancer said coolly, glancing towards while raising his scissors. "What kind of hair style would you like today-ebi?"

Haruka laughed. "I was thinking something clique and modern," She said with a smile. "Something you could have fun with. But, first, though I think we'll need to beat that moustache guy up."

Cancer grinned, turning to face Everlue and Virgo. "Right away-ebi."

There was a pause as the two Celestial Spirits faced off with each other. "Virgo…" Cancer muttered, looking the fat maid up and down. "You have really let yourself go…"

Virgo didn't respond, instead slashing out with a furious blow. Cancer was faster, nimbly dodging every powerful attack as he sidestepped around Virgo easily. Haruka grinned, clicking her fingers and instantly the Revolver appeared her hands.

"Sorry about this, Virgo…" Haruka murmured, levelling the gun. "I'm just going to knock you until I get your Gate Key off your current pervert of an owner…"

Before she could even pull the trigger, strong arms wrapped around her body from behind, grabbing a hold of her fingers tightly. The Revolver scattered the ground, and Duke Everlue was popping out of the wall and clutching her hands.

"You use some weird Magic, don't you?!" Everlue screamed, meshing his hands with hers so he could hold her fingers tightly, while twisting her arms behind her back painfully. "You summon Spirits by clicking your fingers! Well, I'm not going to let do that!"

Haruka sighed. "I don't actually have to click my fingers, you know," she muttered, before shouting. "Shield!"

There was a flash of light and a heavy object dropped from the air. Everlue barely had time to gasp before a huge Spirit shaped like a fat bear with a stomach of iron collapsed onto him from above. The Spirit slammed into the ground with enough force to shattered stone, while Everlue groaned as he barely managed to dive into rock.

Haruka sighed. Clicking her fingers was just something she did to help her concentrate, in the same way other Mages dropped into a stance. Still, the strain of summoning a Gold Spirit, a Silver Spirit and an Bronze Spirit at the same time was eating through her Magic quickly, so she had to dismiss the Revolver and the Shield.

Behind her, Cancer and Virgo were still clashing, but Cancer had the clear advantage in pure speed and accuracy. Already Virgo's body was covered in cut marks and her clothes were shredded by Cancer's scissors. Everlue pulled himself out of the ground slowly, wincing at his sore back.

"You bitch!" Everlue screamed, spinning through the earth in a furious cartwheel that Haruka had to dive to avoid. She skidded up against the wall, just as Everlue shot out of the ground towards like a cannonball.

Haruka grunted, spinning her leg around in a lightning fast kick. The impact jarred her leg, but it sent Everlue crashing into the wall. He tried to stagger upwards, just as a blue shape slammed into his head and he dropped to the ground again. Happy was there in a flash of wings, punching his paw into the duke's face.

"Happy!" Haruka shouted in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Natsu sent me to make sure you're ok!" The cat replied, dismissing his wings as he dropped to the ground.

"Oh, that's cute," Haruka grinned. Behind her, a lightning fast cut from Cancer sent Virgo dropping to the ground. "But I've got this guy, easy."

That fat man was bright red as he glared at her. "Don't you dare!" Everlue growled. "I will not be beaten by someone as ugly as you!"

He dived into ground again. Haruka was expected him to go for her, yet then she shouted in shock as he went underneath Cancer, his arms grabbing the Spirit's legs long enough to trip him over. The next second, Virgo landed a heavy double handed blow and Cancer crashed to the ground.

"I'm sorry-ebi…" Cancer gasped, just before blacked out.

"Ebi?" Happy exclaimed in confusion. Haruka paid him no attention. "Who's that guy and why is he saying ebi?"

"Go now Virgo!" Everlue ordered. "We'll take the ugly one together!"

They both jumped into the ground at the same time. Haruka glimpsed the cracks in the earth as Everlue tunnelled left and Virgo tunnelled right. Haruka dodged right, avoiding Everlue's attack while Virgo's hands just phased straight through her leg.

"Ha!" She smirked. "Celestial Spirits can't hurt me!"

Virgo didn't respond, but she jumped out of the earth and slammed her fingers straight through the stone wall, heaving out a huge chunk of rubble. Haruka barely had time to gasp before the rubble flew towards her, catching her shoulder as the impact sent her skidding to the ground.

Happy's mouth dropped open. "I thought Celestial Spirits couldn't hurt you!"

"Celestial Spirits can't!" Haruka snapped, jumping up while cradling her shoulder. "But flying chunks of rock can!"

Everlue was already on her. He burst out of the ground, grabbing her neck and pulling her downwards. Haruka could hardly breathe as the surprisingly strong arms forced her to the floor. "Now Virgo!" Everlue bellowed. "Finish her!"

The Celestial Spirit heaved out a huge chunk of rubble, wielding it like a club. Virgo's footsteps were deafening as she slammed the stone downwards onto Haruka with a tremendous crack as the rubble cracked into pieces. Happy shouted in shock. The dust flew everywhere.

"Tell me something Virgo…" Haruka's voice came out of the dust cloud. Everlue's eyes bulged in astonishment. A dribble of blood poured down Haruka's forehead, but otherwise she looked unharmed. "… Are you happy with your current contract?"

The Celestial Spirit didn't respond. Haruka's eyes were sympathetic. "You can't answer me, can you?" Haruka continued. "That's because your current 'master' is forcing you to be mindless drone. He's forcing you to take that form. How long has he trapped you in this world? Your strength is terrible."

"Shut up!" Everlue snapped in her ear, trying to strangle Haruka. Her body wasn't moving. "She's my slave I can do whatever I want with her. I made the contract, I own her!"

'Slave'. The word caused Haruka's heartbeat to race with anger. Everlue's arrogance was quickly infuriating her.

"I see. You've got Virgo trapped in a strict contract, haven't you?" Haruka muttered with quiet venom. "You're forcing her to stay in this world to be your maid and she is suffocating, unable to scream. Don't you know that the strength of Spirit depends on the bond with the contract holder? You are a horrible Celestial Mage, and don't worry Virgo, I know you can't ask me, but I will not allow you to stay trapped in that contract for any longer!"

Everlue screamed, trying to throttle the life out of her uselessly. His arm was around her neck, but her body felt as strong as iron. "How are you doing this?!" He demanded, eyes bulging.

Haruka snorted. She didn't seem even slightly concerned by his efforts to strangle her. "The bond between me and my Celestial Spirit's works both ways," she explained simply. "Right now, I'm channelling the strength, stamina and toughness of Taurus into my own body. You are just too weak to even hurt me!"

Everlue was beetroot red with rage. Virgo tried to pick up another stone slab, but Haruka casually grabbed Everlue's wrist. There was a crack of bone, and he screamed as he let go and dropped into the ground. Haruka's body was glowing with starlight as she glanced at Virgo, and then back to the unconscious body of Cancer. She was burning through Magic fast, but she would end this soon.

"Allow me to show you what a true Spirit/Mage bond can accomplish!" Haruka announced. "Cancer! Take my strength!"

Everlue surfaced, nursing his wrist gingerly while glaring at Cancer's body. "Don't bother! That Spirit is out cold, there's nothing he can…"

Suddenly, Cancer's body started to shimmer. The Spirit Magic pulsed from Haruka as she closed her eyes to focus. "I told you, the bond works both ways," she murmured. "Right now, I'm putting my own power into Cancer. When my Magic meshes with his, it revitalises him."

Cancer was still shimmering, his outline growing brighter and starting to flex as he pulled himself up. Everlue's mouth dropped open. Haruka smirked. "And it makes him stronger."

The slender hairdresser was slowly starting to shift. His body was growing bigger and wider, while the six crabs legs became longer. His scissors grew in size until they were massive, and slowly his whole shape rippled.

"Thank you Haruka," Cancer muttered, but his voice was deeper and louder. "I'll take it from here-ebi."

"Alright," Haruka nodded, looking at him thankfully. "And I'm sorry; I know how you don't like reverting to this shape."

Nobody moved. In an instant, where there had been had a slim humanoid Spirit, there was now a humongous orange crab surveying the room with beady eyes swivelling on stalks. Eight thick legs twitched experimentally, while Cancer snapped his giant claws in anticipation. The crab stood up to Haruka's chest, but his long legs were bent so far his body was trailing over the ground, while his orange shell was so broad it could have been used as bed.

Happy's eyes bulged. "That's a crab!" The cat squealed excitedly. "That's a giant crab! That is so cool!"

Everlue dived into the ground. Virgo lashed out with stone brick, but Cancer was faster. Much, much faster. With Haruka's Magic powering his body, Cancer moved so quickly he was nothing but an orange blur scuttling through the room.

With a ferocious snap of claws, Virgo collapsed to the ground and then disappeared back to the Spirit World. Everlue tried to swim through the wall, but Cancer's claws cut through solid stone like a hot knife through butter. The man never even time to scream as dozens of cuts shredded his clothes, removed his hair, and then a giant pincer knocked him to the ground. Duke Everlue came to a landed in a pile on the floor while Cancer finally came to a halt.

Haruka sighed in exhaustion, staring at the crab appreciatively. "Thank you so much. I really look forward to letting you cut my hair."

Cancer grinned, or tried to at least, but a crab's mouth just wasn't built for smiling. Haruka dismissed him with a click of her fingers, and nearly collapsed to the ground with exhaustion.

"Haruka! You ok?" Happy asked with concern.

"I'm fine," she muttered wearily, staggering upwards. Channelling a Spirit's power wasn't easy and it costs Magic to sustain the bond, but supplying her own Magic to a Spirit burned through her Magic furiously. One of the biggest disadvantages of her power was how quickly Celestial Spirits could consume her Magic; she usually tried to be very conservative. "I'm just tired."

"That crab was so cool!" Happy said cheerfully. "Can you bring the crab back?"

"No, Cancer really doesn't like staying in that shape," Haruka explained with a smile, staggering upwards. "He much prefers the whole fashionable hairdresser one."

She paused as she looked down at Everlue's unconscious body. There wasn't a hair left on him, and his fine clothes were in tatters. Haruka grinned as she saw a golden key on the ground next to him. "Well, I'm exhausted…" She muttered, picking up the Gate of the Maiden Key. "But luckily I've got a nice little pick me up."

She carefully placed the Gate Key in her mouth and bit downwards, laughing as the Spirit Magic flooded through her body. It tasted warm, sweet and rich, and the power revitalised her body as she felt the gate connection open up.