Dark Luv
by
Lou.D
Summary
Lucy Heartfilia questions her relationship with her spirits and Loke in particular, when a new mage shows up in her life.
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail! I only own my fictional world, its magic and characters! But, I wouldn't mind having Loke, though ;)
Chapter 1
It was another 'regular' day at the guild. The fairies were drinking, bellowing as usual. Natsu and Gray were at each other's necks, exchanging curses, and names, before they started fighting for the third time this morning! Juvia and Lisana were cheering for them. Mirajane was busy reading a paper. Cana who was drunk already was laughing hysterically at the fighting mages. Lucy who arrived a while ago was at the request board, holding Plue, looking for interesting jobs.
"Hmm, let's see if we can find a good paying job today, Plue!" The Canis Minor spirit "puuned". She skimmed through the requests. "Thieves arrest; escort job; female cosplayer needed! Ghost exorcism job", Lucy shuddered. She didn't like ghosts, even though she had contracts with many spirits! She resumed reading, trying to find a good job, but they weren't that interesting for her. She wasn't lucky today. She sighed, holding Plu, more to her generous bosom. "Well, it looks like we won't be setting out on any mission today, Plue!" The spirit "punned" again, agreeing! She sighed again looking at the board.
She noticed a brown piece of paper, sticking out from under another note. She put Plue down, and proceeded to remove the request. She read it:" mages needed to destroy a secret cult in Berucia. Award: 600,000.00 Jewels." "WHAT! 600,000.00!", Lucy shouted. Gray and Natsu stopped, looking at her. Everyone was looking at her. Lucy laughed nervously, embarrassed.
She hurried down to her team-mates. "Guys, look what I've found! It's a great job! And it pays 600 grand!", she informed them excitedly. The boys smiled broadly. "Good one Lucy! The right mission for our team", said Natsu, who was all fired up now. "Aye", chimed in Happy. Gray nodded. "We can do this one. We need to wait for Erza first. She should be back soon with Master Makarov". "Alright!", they shouted in unision.
Erza returned with the Master an hour later. Now sitting at a table, she listened to her comrades. The reward was interesting enough, and Berucia[1] was a nice city, far north, on the border with the Seven Kingdom[2]. She nodded, telling them to pack and get ready for the mission.
The following day, the four mages took the train. Their journey was comfortable enough. Natsu, however, was suffering as usual, from his motion sickness. "There, there Natsu", said Lucy, patting his head. The poor teenage was lying on the wooden seat, sweating and shivering. "We should've brought Wendy with us this time! She could've cast Troia on him", said Lucy, feeling sorry for her friend. Erza shook her head. "I know Lucy. But our mission this time is a difficult one. Wendy could get hurt!", she reasoned. "My thoughts exactly", added Gray. "Flame brain will have to lie there till we reach the city". Natsu mumbled quickly something incoherent. "hmfmmm". Gray smirked. "Did you say something, pinky punk?!" This time Natsu tried to move. He was about to retort, when a sudden wave of nausea hit him hard. "Eeek! Natsu, don't!", shrieked Lucy. But Erza came to her rescue: she hit the poor lad really hard that he fell unconscious. Gray tensed. Scary woman! He joined Lucy, leaving room to Erza and the unconscious Salamander. Erza sat down laying Natsu beside her. "There, good boy", she said satisfied! Her friends sweat dropped!
Looking back at her friends, the Titania continued crossing her arms: "This mission shouldn't take much time. We can take them down quickly, but we need to be careful!" her friends nodded again. Gray added: "It is not like any other mission we've taken before. Who is the client this time?" "Duke Zinovic of Berucia", she informed them. Lucy's mouth twitched upon hearing his title. "Another Duke! Please, don't tell me he is recruiting maids too!", she moaned. The two mages laughed. "I don't think so, Lucy. But if he is, I'll help you!", she reassured her, confident as usual. Lucy smiled. She hated dealing with another freaky perverted Duke. The thought solely made her sick.
But Lucy couldn't ignore one nagging thought though. Further, ever since accepting the mission, Lucy couldn't shake the bad feeling she was having. She looked at the Exceed who was curled in her lap, snoozing happily:"there is one thing that's been bothering me guys." Getting their attention, she went on "I've been having a bad feeling about this mission, ever since I left the guild yesterday. I don't know why, but it's making me nervous, really nervous!", she admitted, slowly. Erza's eye narrowed. Gray was fully facing her now. "I wouldn't worry, Lucy. We will work together and get the job done. Besides, you can always summon Loke. He is your strongest Celestial Spirit after all!", he explained, soothing her fears. Lucy nodded again. "Yes, you're right, Gray".
Inside the Cult's lair, two men were kneeling before what looked like a Priest. "Master", they both addressed the old man. "What news do you bring me, now? Speak!" His deep voice resonated in the dark room. The one to his right spoke:" The Shaman has seen the arrival of Fairy Tail. The request of the Duke has lured a team of four strong young mages this time. They are travelling to Berucia as we speak, Master!" The other one to his left spoke then:" the Shaman is restless. She has seen destruction and darkness, Master!" The Priest cursed under his breath. "And the portal?" he asked worriedly. "Will it be destroyed too?!" his lackeys exchanged quick glances between them, then nodded slowly, fearing his reaction. The priest bellowed madly: "cursed shall you be, Fairy Tail! I will not allow you to impede the Ritual, even if I have to sacrifice the whole Cult to the darkness! Remove the portal from its current place! Reinforce the magical barrier! They shouldn't be able to locate us! But if they do, we will be seeing the last of them!" He tapped his staff harshly on the floor. "We were fated to open the gate, and open it we shall do!" "Aye, sir", the lackeys, replied simultaneously.
The train finally reached its destination. The young mages stepped outside the train, waiting for Natsu who was still feeling queasy. The Salamander appeared finally, having at last gained his strength.
Shortly, they were approached by a well dressed man, followed by servants. "Fairy Tail, I presume?!", he asked, standing high and mighty before them. "We are!", replied Erza in her usual strong tone. "And you are?", she asked in return. "His Lordship messenger, my Lady." he bowed before straightening again. "May I see the contract?!", he demanded politely. Immediately, Erza retrieved the sealed contract from her bag. Upon seeing it, the messenger went on: "welcome to Berucia, mages of Fairy Tail. I have been assigned to escort you to the Manor. The Duke is expecting you. Please follow me", he informed them. "What about the luggage?!", asked Erza. "Fear not, my lady. Our servants will see to moving them to your new home. This way please!", he gestured with his hand. The four mages nodded, and followed him.
An elegant carriage was waiting for them outside the station. Doors were held open for them, as they stepped inside. The messenger was the last to step inside, as the door closed behind him. He tapped the roof with his adorned staff, and the carriage started.
The messenger glanced quickly at his escorts. He didn't expect to meet young ones. No matter, the Duke was ecstatic when he heard about them. They were known as the strongest mage team of Fiore: Miss Erza Scarlet, the Titania; Mr Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander; Mr Gray Fullbaster, the Ice Mage, and Miss Lucy Heartfilia, the Celestial Mage.
The messenger addressed them again: "we shall reach the manor in an hour's time. His lordship would like to discuss the request with you as soon as possible. In the meantime, I shall answer any questions that you might have". Not wasting any moment, Natsu was the first to jump in. "Well, how about telling us more about this cult?! It seems that no mage was able to defeat them, let alone get rid of them?!" The assistant replied:" indeed, sir! The Twins Cult as it goes by over here is a dark circle that has been causing us trouble for a year now. Their practices have rendered the green forest into a dead place. Villagers have deserted their homes fearing their curse. The Duke has been since then sending requests to the different guilds of Fiore, but none has succeeded so far. In fact, this is the first time Fairy Tail has answered our plea. His Lordship is jolly well content." He paused for a moment before adding "as for the second part of your question, sir. It'd seem that no mage has been able to locate their whereabouts yet! All mages who have tried before have failed miserably. We sincerely hope that Fairy Tail will succeed this time".
Lucy who has been quite all this time, asked finally. "Excuse me, sir. But, what do you mean by that?! "The messenger replied: "My lady, countless mages have always returned empty handedly. They claimed that they weren't able to attack it, that it disappeared before they were able to do anything. They even called it the ghostly cult!", he explained more, keeping a stoic face. "A ghostly cult?!", Lucy shivered. Gray glanced at Erza quickly. "So, you are you saying that the cult is impossible to strike?!", he asked. "Indeed. This is what we have gathered from the previous mages. We are hoping that you will succeed where the others have failed", he replied, seeking confirmation to which Erza was quicker to oblige. "Sir, you have sought the best mages in Fiore. We will see the mission through!", she confirmed, sending a strong message across.
After they arrived at the Manor, they were ushered to their 'home': a small house by a lake that the Duke had personally selected for them to stay at throughout their mission. Each mage was shown to his/her room.
Upon entering hers, Lucy clapped her hands, feeling all happy again. "This manor reminds me of home", she said to no one but herself. She loved it very much. The bedroom gave off a warm feeling. It was sunlit, overlooking the lake. The marble fire place was decorated with small figurines, and expensive silver candelabras. A gold framed large mirror was hanging slightly from the fireplace's wall, reflecting her image. Her large bed was covered in red silken sheets. She blushed when she noticed the color. There was a large white desk by the window. She walked to it and traced its white soft surface. She traced the expensive quill, and touched the high quality paper. She moved the white curtain, looking at the lake and the flowers around it. "Beautiful", she whispered. Leaning on her desk, she continued taking in the beauty of her room. Lucy was content. This place had awakened long forgotten memories: childhood, the manor, the servants and her mother, Laila.
She noticed the flowers on the night stands, the large Sandal wood wardrobe, and a door to her left side. Feeling excited, Lucy rushed to the door, opening it slowly. It opened to her Reading room. Unlike the red bedroom, the second room was of a lighter shade: pink. Lucy looked on, eyes twinkling, when she saw the large bookcase in front of her. "Oh my!", she commented out loud, unable to hide her excitement.
A light knock on the door made Lucy turn around. The messenger stood there. "Miss Heartfilia, it is time, my lady". Lucy nodded, following him outside the room.
Inside the Guest room, the young mages were introduced to the Duke Zenovic. They did not know what to expect, but they were surprised to see a young man who looked in his late twenties. So young, Erza thought. So handsome, Lucy smiled.
The Duke spoke: "I welcome you to my manor, Fairy Tail mages. I'm very delighted to have finally met you." They thanked him. "Please sit, you must be very tired from your journey." They thanked him again, and sat down on the comfy sofas.
Instantly, the large double doors opened revealing three maids. The first pushed a cart inside, while the two followed her in. The aromas of coffee, and tea and freshly backed cakes drifted to them. Natsu was drooling already, waiting patiently for the maids to serve them some. Erza nudged his leg under the table. He heard Erza's whisper: "behave yourself!" He gulped, scared to death. When the maids were done serving them, the Duke gestured with his hand "please, you are my guests!" They smiled, and sipped in their drinks slowly.
Once they were done and happy, mostly Natsu much to his friends embarrassment, The Duke discussed the mission with them in details. The mission was simple enough: to get rid of the cult members. But, locating the cult's lair was the problem. Lucy explained that she was able to locate them using her celestial magic. The Duke looked ecstatic! The rest of the team described their plan to the Duke, who was getting more interested in them.
After their meeting, they returned to their house. Lucy was in her room now. She had noticed that her small suitcase was brought to her room. She was lying on her bad, running her hand through the silky texture when a light knock was heard. She rose, urging them to come in. the door opened and her teammates walked in. Lucy smiled, walking up to meet them. "Hey guys, I was going to come and see you. I was wondering what kind of rooms you got!", she said happily. They smiled. "Well, we wanted to see your room too, Lucy", admitted Erza. "You have a nice room, Lucy", said Gray looking around. "And I luv your bed", added a voice behind her. She turned around and saw the Salamander and his annoying cat already stretching on her bed! "When did you?! Get off my bed!", she screamed! "You're no fun, Lucy!", complained the Slamander, lips pouting. "Aye", agreed the Exceed who was floating above! "Oh, really?! I'll show you how much fun I can be!", and she launched a pillow at Natsu!
The following day, the mages left the manor early, heading for the forest that loomed darkly in the horizon.
Lucy touched her keys, thinking about the previous night conversation.
After the pillows fight was stopped, owing to a very scary mage, the Fairy Tail team-mates were finally able to discuss their mission in Lucy's Reading room. Gray was the first to mention the disappearance problem. He had brought to their attention the similarity between the Cult and Edo Fairy Tale: they were both able to disappear when in danger! Erza argued that their world had no access to Edo technology yet, which meant that their nemesis was using a stronger magic: dark magic. Natsu as usual was excited to kick some ass. In his mind, the stronger the opponent, the more interesting it was for him. Lucy smiled when she remembered what happened later. Erza bonked Natsu on the head! Natsu then sat quietly, nursing the red bump on his head, afraid he'd suffer Erza's wrath again. Gray was shaking his head, annoyed at the Slamander's simple mindedness! Erza's eyes narrowed dangerously then. She asked them to stick together, no matter what would happen! They were going against a strong dark magic circle.
Lucy looked at her friends, walking beside her. Eventhough I'm with my friends, I feel scared. Will we really succeed? I shouldn't doubt myself or them, but I can't stop this feeling. I need to summon Loke, now! she stopped suddenly, grabbing her golden key. Her friends stopped too, watching her. " Gate of the Lion Key, Leo, I open thee", she called. The golden key shone brightly. Her friends watched as Loki appeared before them. He smiled seductively at Lucy. "Master, you called?!", he asked. Lucy nodded. Loke then noticed his surroundings and the other mages who greeted him. He returned their greetings with much warmth and happiness. Happy landed slowly on his shoulder, excited as usual at the sight of the Great Lion who smiled at the smaller feline. Lucy blushed slightly at the smiling handsome Zodiac Leader. "I need you Loke", she explained. "We are going to face a dark magic cult." Loke nodded as he approached Lucy. "Don't worry, Lucy.", he adjusted his shades. "You're Prince is here!", he added, putting an arm around his master's shoulder. Lucy blushed, then reddened more, when the annoying Exceed commented "he liiiiiiiiiiiiiikes you!" Her friends "ohhed" at his daring gesture. "Stop it Loke!", she said angrily, removing his arm. Her spirit smiled playfully, feeling happy at being so close to his master again.
They reached the forest after some time. They stopped, at the edge, looking at the dark depths of the forest. Erza looked at the Celestial mage: "Lucy, it's your turn now. This forest is huge! We need to find their exact location quickly!" Lucy nodded, retrieving a silver key. She held it high in the air, citing the incantation: "Gate of the Compass Key, Pyxis, I open thee!" A sudden light appeared, as the penguin-like celestial spirit emerged finally. "Pyxis, I want you to find the hideout of the Twin Cult!", she asked her spirit. Pyxis nodded. Whe he saw the Zodiac Leader, he "pyxied", greeting Loke. The Great Lion smiled warmly at the smaller spirit. Pyxie's compass then started turning, searching for the cult. As soon as it located it, the spirit flew deep in the forest. "Wait for us!", called Lucy. "Alright! Let's follow him, quick", yelled Natsu, excitedly. They dashed into the dark forest.
End of the first chapter
Don't forget to review. Thx ;)
You can now find the illustration(doujinshi) of the Lucy and Plue's scene on DeviantArt: loudotd dot deviantart dot com/art/Dark-Luv-The-Faited-Ones-Cover-338614608
Lou.D
[1] I came up with the name :)
[2] The northern kingdom, according to the Fairy Tail Wiki. (fairytail dot wikia dot com/wiki/File:Colored_Earth_Land_Map dot png)
