Author's note: I've been intending to write this fic since August 2015, and Lories Week was the perfect excuse to start typing it out. Prompt: past. This is meant to be a multi-chapter fic, but I'll continue it after Lories Week is over. Have in mind while you read that Loke will be called Leo here, since this takes place before his exile to Earthland. Oh, and Aries lives in a Hobbit hole because I want and I can. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. If I did, Loke and Aries would appear way more often *sighs*.

And the Stars Shall Shine

By OlieGoldenWolf

Chapter 1: November Rain

There's no such a thing as immortality. Leo knows this, as well as he knows that he is digging his own grave by believing that Stellar Spirits are the exception. Even stars, the infinite guardians of Heaven, implode when their time comes. Planets die, galaxies fall, and the entire universe will perish eventually when enough of eternity has passed.

The day the Ram died was... grim. Dark. A reminder to spirits, that nobody was safe from the end. But above all that, it was sorrowful and painful. A comrade had fallen, a friend was gone. All of the Spirit World mourned his loss, stardust falling as if the sky itself was crying. A dim, gloomy aura surrounded the Kingdom that day. Everybody was grieving, but special respect was paid to the Zodiac Spirits, who had lost one of their kin. It was the first time that one of their own had been taken so abruptly, so violently. The Ram had been prideful and brave. His courage and cheek had always inspired the rest of the Zodiacs. He had been a light of fire in the midst of a storm. A flicker of hope, always shining, always steadfast, always looking so invincible. Having him dead… gone… was almost surreal. Like some kind of daydream.

He had died as he had lived, as a warrior. Fighting to his very last breath. His own stubbornness had been his downfall. Hubris of the most classical kind. His master had been in a hurry, fighting an enemy much stronger than them. The Ram had stormed through his gate like the mass of fire and energy he was, lightning in his eyes and vengeance in his fists. He was a fighting Spirit, the strongest aside from the Lion. But some walls are just too strong to wreck, no matter how many times you charge against them. His enemy had been stronger, their attacks more accurate, and the damage the Ram had received was devastating. And yet he refused to go back through his gate. In his obstinate mindset, he probably thought of going back as some kind of cowardice.

So he kept fighting, defending his master with teeth and nails, and he was still fighting when the enemy's blows began to break through his defence, still charging even as his legs evaporated into shiny dust. His master tried to force his gate closed to no avail. The Ram would rather die than surrender. His head was still screaming revenge even as it rolled to the floor.

Leo stepped forward onto the beach. A sea of stars and space was crushing its waves underneath his feet. In his hands, a golden, spartanly decorated urn guarded the ashes of what once was the most fearless spirit of the Zodiac. Heavy clouds were gathering in the sky, the threat of a storm making the sea restless. The rest of the Spirit World waited patiently behind him. Only the greatest honours awaited the Ram in his funeral. It was the least that could be done for a Spirit as courageous as him. Tradition dictated that the leader of the Zodiac should throw the ashes of the fallen spirit, to be left for the wind to take and the sea to carry away. That way, their remains might once again form another star someday.

Leo smiled bitterly. For stardust we are, and to stardust we shall return.

A girl stepped beside him, a young spirit with pink hair and small horns. Leo eyed her with confusion for a moment before realization dawned on him. That's right; the Ram had a single daughter. In case that the fallen spirit had family left, then the relatives should throw the remaining stardust after the Lion had taken the first fistful.

The Ram had always been adamant in refusing to let him see her. Loke remembered a late night long ago in a lone tavern from the Spirit World. They had been celebrating. Leo couldn't really remember why. But heavy drinks and drunken laughter had been present, lots of it. After the fifth or sixth cup of beer, the Lion had asked about the mysterious young maid that never left the Ram's realm. The man had looked at him dead in the eye and Leo would always remember the words he spoke:

"You mean my daughter? My precious, beautiful, only daughter? I would rather die than let a scoundrel like you see her."

Leo had stayed frozen under the man's eyes. But then the Ram was laughing, palming his back like a joking father. Loke still wasn't sure if he had meant it as a joke or not, but he had never dared ask again.

The girl from the Ram's realm had remained a mystery, hidden somewhere among the mountains that covered the constellation. That is, until now.

The girl looked honestly devastated. But it couldn't be any other way, could it? Her father and only family was gone, surely leaving a hole of loneliness behind. The heavy bags under her eyes, red furrows on her cheeks, and all in all unkempt state were proof of her suffering. But what struck Leo the most was the absent look in her eyes. As if her body was here, but her soul in another place entirely.

Leo suddenly had the mighty need to hug her. But that could come later, after the funeral was over. They had a ceremony to finish right now.

The girl seemed to realize that they were just standing there doing nothing because her gaze lifted to find him staring at her. She blushed the same colour of her hair, and quickly averted her eyes with nervousness. Leo almost felt bad for her reaction, but some emotion had returned to her countenance and that enough for him. At least for now.

"Do you want to throw the first handful?" he whispered close to her, so that none of the spirits in the background could hear.

She startled and looked at him wide-eyed.

"Ah, but Leo-sama!" Her voice was coarse, weak even as she tried to protest. Leo could tell she must have a high-pitched tone on normal days, but right now the tears had left her throat dry. However, what called Leo's attention the most was that this girl knew his name whereas he didn't know hers, and that bothered the Lion more than he expected. "You are the Zodiac Leader. It's your right and duty to throw the first handful of stardust."

Leo cocked a skeptical eyebrow.

"Right now," he said as he handed the urn with care to the trembling hands of the girl. "I think you've got more right than I'll ever will. The Ram was my friend, but he was your father first. Your mourning comes before ours."

He enveloped her hands with his, securing the urn there. He silently marvelled at how soft her skin felt, but didn't allow himself to dwell much on the thought. The girl still seemed unsure, biting her bottom lip and looking to the sides, as if scared somebody would see her committing this small infraction. She was terribly shy, Leo realized. He shielded her with his body from the eyes of the spirits behind them almost subconsciously. Her back was pressed against his chest now, but if goose bumps rose on her neck, he didn't mention it.

"Easy," he said in a tone as soothing as possible. "Protocol is meaningless, in my opinion, in the face of a loss as heavy as this one. He was your father, wasn't he? You can mourn him and nobody will judge you."

"But I shouldn't…"

"Don't you want to?"

"I…" The girl looked down, and Leo could see the unshed tears she was trying to suppress. "There's… there's this hole in my chest. I don't know how to close it."

Leo understood. Bitter memories came to his mind, the loss of his own father reminding him of how pain can make itself present. He let his fingers mix with hers where they were holding the urn.

"What you are feeling is terrible. But this is the first step to start healing. Nothing else matters right now. Not a ceremony, not the eyes of the rest of the Spirit World."

The girl exhaled a broken sigh. She nodded finally, after a moment heavy with silence.

"Just, please." She turned to look at him. Leo noticed that her eyes were brown and dark and incredibly deep. "Help me with this. I cannot do it alone."

The Lion spirit felt compassion warm up his chest. His hands guided hers into the urn. The substance inside was shiny, a mixture of whites and violets and pinks, and it felt weightless in his palm. When they lifted their hands from it, some of the dust escaped between their fingers like streams of light.

"Are you ready?" he asked quietly, undemanding. It was a real question, nothing in his tone hurrying her. By all means, he intended to actually wait until she said she was. But the girl was quick to nod, fast and more times than necessary.

Almost as if they had practiced it before, their hands opened at the same time. The dust flew away, painted the wind with glitter. The light got caught in it, and it reflected as bright as fire. Then, slowly but surely, it landed on the ocean and a wave swept it away forever.

The girl was silently crying where she had nested herself inside his arms. Loke didn't say a word about it. They just kept throwing fistful after fistful of stardust, letting their dear one slip bit by bit from their hands.

It was late at night when Leo finally gathered his wits to speak to her again. The reception of the funeral took place at the Ram's home; a hole carved into the earth of the hills from the Ram's constellation. The place was spacious but cozy. A good refuge against the cold drizzle that had started to chill bones outside. Carpets of thick fur covered the floors, and shelves full of china and dry food ornamented the walls. Definitely not the kind of house he would have expected his rambunctious friend to live in. He guessed it must have been the hand of his daughter that decorated the inside of the place.

He had seen her receiving condolences from every single spirit in the Spirit World, walking the length of the house time and time again to make sure everybody was comfortable, holding a cup of tea in one hand and at least one cookie in the other. She looked even more tired than before, if that was even possible. Unable to rest at the funeral of her own father, and more than once Leo felt the need to intervene and tell her to take it slow. Virgo's hand held him back, the Maid's hidden strength showing in the way she gripped his shoulder in place.

"Let her be, Leo-nii-san. Everybody takes their mourning differently. Perhaps this is what she needs."

So he did as Virgo said, because Virgo was right more times than she wasn't. He threw the girl glances every once in awhile, worry etched to his features. Leo always found her in a similar situation, engaged in a conversation with another spirit, asking if anybody needed anything, always moving, never still. But other than that, he kept his distance and minded his own business – particularly that of helping console the other spirits.

When the last guest closed the door behind them, Leo decided it would be a good time to approach her. Not only because he wished to offer his support, but because there were matters he needed to discuss with her. Ideally, he could wait some time to let her settle down in this new loss. But real world was hardly ever ideal, and time was pressing on him.

He found her piling dishes up, making trips to the kitchen and back as she started to clean up the mess that was left in her house. She was humming a low song and her eyes darted from here to there, seemingly lost in her own world. He walked up to where she was struggling to grab all the tea cups that were on the coffee table. She was prodigiously balancing seven mugs in her hands, but having problems fitting the last one somewhere on her small palm. Leo was quick to appear by her side and grab it for her.

"Excuse me, did you need help?"

"Ah! Leo-sama!" The girl startled, all but jumping in place and the cups would have fallen into a shattering oblivion if it wasn't for the steadying hand that grabbed her by the elbow.

"Are you alright?" Leo asked, partly amused by her reaction.

The girl panted as she regained her balance. "You scared me!"

"Ah, yes." Leo let go of her elbow with a sincerely apologetic expression. "Feline problems. People don't usually hear us as we get near."

The girl breathed in and out with her eyes closed, probably trying to steady herself. Leo found it oddly adorable. When she was ready, she opened her eyes again and attempted a smile.

"Leo-sama. I thought you were gone by now."

"I'm sorry to interrupt you right now. I know you probably want to be alone…" The pink haired girl grimaced slightly when he said those words. Leo frowned. Maybe that wasn't the case? He made sure to write that down internally for later. "…But there are some important matters we need to talk about. I wish we could wait, but unfortunately that's not the case."

"It's okay." The girl was heading towards the kitchen but never broke eye contact, probably trying to keep her respect. Leo followed right by her side. "What's this problem you need to tell me about, Leo-sama?"

"Well, it's about your father. Or more precisely, the empty place your father left when he died."

The young girl stopped to look at him with surprise.

"A… an empty place?"

"Yes. The Ram was the Spirit of Aries, one of the twelve Zodiac keys." They entered the kitchen and Leo waited for her to leave the dishes aside before continuing. "He's gone now, but his key still exists in the Human World. Somebody needs to take his place."

The girl bit her lip, both of them knowing where the conversation was going. She sighed, eyes down, shoulders sagged. Looking so vulnerable, and it woke up protective instincts inside the Lion.

"I… I understand." Fidgety, she shifted her weight from one leg to the other before finally meeting his eyes. "Do you want to sit down, Leo-sama?"

This was a conversation that was better to have while sitting, Leo thought. So he nodded and followed when she gestured to the large table on the dining room. She sat on the furthest corner of the table, shrinking into herself, trying to take as little space as possible. It made the Lion wonder if this body language was due to the loss she had just suffered, or if the girl was generally so timid around people.

So he moved toward her slowly, the soft steps you take to get close to a rabbit without having it run away. He sat down by her side, facing her.

"I know this is too soon but…" He looked for her eyes, but she was too preoccupied worrying her fingers. She was barely holding herself as it was. The last thing Leo wanted was to shake what little composure she had left. So even though there was no way of saying this delicately, he tried to ease it as much as possible. "Gates have a particular way of working. There's a specific gate for each Spirit because the portals are made with the same energy the Spirit is born with. This makes it virtually impossible for a Spirit to pass through a gate that doesn't belong to them. And this means that not just anyone can replace the Ram. Only somebody with the same imprint of energy as him." Leo made a pause to gauge her face, but she was as motionless as before. His lips were set in a firm line as he continued. "There are no other relatives alive. And the only spirit in the whole Spirit World that possesses energy similar to his… the only one who could take his place… I'm afraid that's you."

He remained silent, attentive for her reaction. She said no words, but bit her bottom lip and rubbed her eyes with her hands, like a small child. Once again, she looked so tired. It was understandable; the reception had taken most of the night and now the sun was starting to peek over the sky of the Stellar World. Finally, she let her head fall over her open palms, as if hiding from the world.

"You are saying I must assume the place that once belonged to my father."

"I'm saying there's no other spirit that could do it."

"And it needs to be done." He tone was flat, and her eyes resigned. When Leo uttered his next words, they reminded him awfully a lot to the sound a guillotine makes as it falls.

"It needs to be done."

Leo tried to imagine it. He recalled what he had felt when his own father passed away, leaving the spot as the Zodiac Leader as his inheritance. It had been a dichotomy of feelings for Leo. He had been torn apart by the loss of his father, but excited to take his place. Devastated, but eager to prove that his years of preparation wouldn't be fruitless. A prince that forcefully needed to take the crown his father left behind.

His family had been there to support him, his mother and sister helping him cope with the responsibilities implied by being the zodiac leader. They had supported each other endlessly, tight-knit as they were. And the death of his father had been something predictable, if that was any comfort. He was an old star already, fading away with the strength of a supernova. His last days were spent exploding what was left of his energy, laughing and cheering and bonding with his kids and wife. It had been a good death, all in all.

But this girl's father had been practically ripped out of her hands, sudden and abrupt and shocking as a splash of icy water in the face. She was alone too, unlike Leo at that time. And now, this duty she knew nothing about was being thrusted upon her. Leo wondered how she would take it.

Unexpectedly well, if the way she kept her composure was reliable sign to go by.

"And how would we do this?" The girl suddenly straightened up on the chair. Leo didn't know if he should take that as a good sign or not.

"There's a ceremony that needs to take place as soon as possible. I wish we could give you time to grieve the loss of your father, but the Human World will not wait. The key has disappeared momentarily from that world, but it will reappear in a human year from now. Because of the time difference between Earthland and the Spirit World, that means the ceremony needs to be done in the next three days."

"Okay." Her voice was barely a whisper, and she swallowed as soon as the next words were out. "So in three days from now I will go to Earthland and start my duty as the new Ram."

"Do you accept this?" Leo needed to ask. He couldn't believe that she was complying with this so easily. He wanted to – no, needed to know that she was doing this of her own accord, and not because she was feeling pressed into it. It wouldn't really make a difference, because law was old and inflexible in the Spirit World, and the rules determined that this girl was to be the next spirit of Aries. Still, even if providence decided to be cruel on this innocent girl, it didn't mean Leo wanted to do the same. He would support her as much as he could in this new duty she was forced to accept.

But once again, she surprised him when her brown eyes met his, and he found bright fire in them.

"My father raised me to never give up before my enemy does. He always used to say that a true warrior sees everything as a challenge. I haven't always lived up to his name, but wherever he is…" The girl paused and looked through the window into the dark blue sky that was beginning to crack orange with the sunrise, dotted by drops of rain. "Wherever his ashes are resting at… I know he's watching over me. And I don't want to disappoint him."

She returned her gaze to him, and Leo was awestruck by the sheer amount of resolve he saw in her. The Ram was the zodiac sign that scorched with the hottest of fires, an initiator by nature that never gave up once their target was set. Looking into the girl's eyes right now, Leo felt his worries vanishing, burnt away by the power of that fire. She would be fine. He could see the strength of her father shining within her.

He smiled and decided it was probably time to go. He stood up and she mimicked comically fast.

"Leo-sama! I'll walk you to the door!"

They did as she said, and he grabbed his coat as the girl opened the door for him. She peeked outside but returned her head immediately to the warmth of her home.

"Is your coat enough, Leo-sama?" she asked worriedly. "It's raining and really cold out there."

"Don't worry." He smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine. Once again, I'm really sorry for your loss."

"It's okay. I'll manage. Nothing lasts forever, right? And this rain will be gone by tomorrow." Even as she said this, there were heavy bags under her eyes that had the Lion worried. "Thank you for your concern, Leo-sama."

"I'll come by tomorrow afternoon… to discuss the details of the ceremony that is to take place." And to check over how you are doing. He didn't say it, but they both heard it anyway. The girl nodded.

"I'll be waiting for you."

He was about to go, but something still didn't sit right in the Lion's stomach, and he frowned.

"I'm afraid I don't know your name, young lady."

The girl startled with her mouth open, and Leo could see the exact moment realization dawned in her eyes.

"I never told you, did I?"

"I guess you forgot to do it. It's understandable, with everything that has happened today."

"I am very sorry, Leo-sama." She bowed at her waist, and Leo didn't have time to tell her such formality wasn't necessary before she straightened again. "But, ah… well, my name…" She gnawed at her lip, her eyes dancing around the room before gathering the strength to return to his face. "I guess my name right now is Aries. As from now on, I'm the new spirit of the Zodiac."

Author's note: This fic is meant to explore the relationship between Loke and Aries before canon. This is the story of how they met and fell in love. Unfortunately, this is going to be an angsty ride because we all know how things will end. But hey, nothing as good to the soul as some heart-breaking angst, right?