A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back! Sorry for the very long delay but as you know I have been very busy with college, Christmas, and I was working on some other stories which I have since posted; hence the delay for this chapter.
Needless to say, it has been a little rough for me recently balancing everything out but luckily I haven't burned my brain to a crisp yet…I hope. As much as I enjoy writing, my studies take top priority so I can't devote all my time to writing…much to my chagrin.
Still, I seriously appreciate you all being patient with me when it comes to stuff like this.
So, last time we all learned about Knight and the reason for why he was locked away for so long. But now, its time for him to wake up as fate plays her cards.
Oh, and the dialect for used in a part of this chapter is Latin. Just in case anyone was wondering.
So, before we get into the thick of it, here is a shout out to those of you who reviewed:
ashfrenzy: Hello there, I'm so sorry for the long delay with this story. I am very happy to know that you enjoyed the first chapter so hopefully this will make up for the delay. Thank you for being patient with this story, I really appreciate it.
ichihime4: Hello there, how are you? As always, it's always nice to see a familiar name in the review box. I'm glad you like what's been done so far and there will be more to come when it comes to Knight and his journey. Sorry for the delay so hopefully this makes up for it.
Mistwing: Hello there, long time no see; so sorry for the lengthy delay. Don't feel bad…it's been two months since I updated this! I'm the one who should feel bad! I'm glad you like the story so far, there will be more to come, I promise.
Serena fullbuster: Hello there and welcome to the story, nice to see you again. I'm glad you like the story so far. Like Kids, there will be more to this story than you think.
And now, ladies and gentlemen; let's continue our story…
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CHAPTER 2: A rude awakening
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398 Years Later…
X794; Central-Western Mountains of Fiore
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Darkness.
That's all that he knew; all that he had known for what seemed like an eternity.
An ever-present darkness and a sense of weightlessness dominated his senses.
He was drifting in a dreamless sleep…neither here nor there.
Darkness…that was all that he knew.
And then there were the memories…oh the memories, of what seemed a lifetime ago, gently slipping away but returning just as he reached the point of despair.
Memories of loss and pain. Brotherhood and camaraderie. Duty and honor. Love.
He remembered the love. He remembered it so vividly that it was almost tangible.
He remembers her.
The smile of the beautiful woman whom he had fallen in love with, the love as they embraced on the day of their wedding, the warmth of her soft skin against his as they lay on cool grass, the love and the joy as she tells him she is with child.
The child…his son. He remembers the love for his son.
The unquestionable love of holding the newborn in his arms as he instinctively curls close to his father. The joy and pride at seeing him take his first steps…at hearing his first words. The comfortable feeling of him sitting on his shoulders as they watched the nighttime sky.
He remembers them…his wife and son. But they are just memories now. Memories that have filled his mind during his long sleep.
Memories that have filled the darkness.
And then suddenly, as if materializing from the void itself, a voice enters his ears; a jovial giggle. It is a woman's voice; a voice that is both sweet and sultry in amusement.
"It is time." The honey laced voice whispers in his ear, "At long last, your time has come."
He finds his voice, surprised that he can use if after having not for who knows how long.
"Who…who are you?" he asks and receives another giggle in response.
"Who I am," she says, "is not important…but I know who you are."
And then he feels rather than sees a pair of hands gently but slowly run up his back, across his shoulders and lazily cross under his chin. He can see the ghostly image of hands and arms, wrapped in an elegant form of cloth. If this is a ghost than how can he feel them, he wonders?
"Astral projection," the woman hums sensually in his ear as if she had read his thoughts, her breath hot against the skin, "but that doesn't matter now."
She giggles again.
"Oh, I have long-awaited this day. The day your true master finds you and pulls you out of this pathetic slumber. The day you awaken."
"I...I don't understand." He says.
An amused sigh.
"Worry not…for all shall be made clear soon enough."
She flicks her wrist and a hand of cards appears in her lithe grip.
"It's time to wake up Celestial Paladin." She coos, "It's time to wake up…Knight."
There was a flash of light, so powerful and radiant that he thought it would surely blind him from its intensity.
And then a voice called out, this one different from the one before.
"Open gate of the Celestial Paladin!"
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Then…
The day, for Lucy Dragneel-formerly Heartfilia-had started out good.
It was a bright and sunny July day, with not a cloud in the sky as she had awoken that morning in the apartment she and her husband, Natsu, shared.
The two mages of the legendary Fairy Tail guild had been married for three years now, with their anniversary coming up in the fall. The two had wed in the autumn of X791, long after the events concerning the battle with the Dark Guild Tartarus and the defeat of the dark mage Zeref.
For both Natsu and Lucy, too much had been lost during that whole debacle; mainly in the form of Lucy losing her treasured Celestial Spirit and friend Aquarius while Natsu was forced to deal with the loss of his adoptive father/dragon, Igneel-who had died protecting Natsu from what would have been a fatal attack from the demon E.N.D.
Natsu and Lucy themselves had even come close to losing their lives on more than one occasion and for the two friends, it had been one too many close calls.
As things had settled down, the two friends had spent considerably more time together than they usually had in the past. Their bond, which had always been strong, seemed to have strengthened further and it wasn't long before Lucy had decided to answer her feelings for Natsu-which she admitted to always having-much to her embarrassment. Natsu's response had been a simple one: "Sure, why not? We spend most our time together anyway so what's the difference?"
And now, three years later, they were-in every sense of the phrase-happily married, or in dragon slayer terms; mated.
But, as noted, these events all lead back to the current date and time for which Natsu and Lucy had awoken in their apartment.
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Lucy had made breakfast, with a little help from Natsu and Happy (their resident friend/exceed) like she usually did and the two discussed what they wanted to do for the day.
Lucy had wanted to work on her novel-which was almost complete, Happy wanted to go fishing before going to visit Carla at Wendy's apartment, while Natsu wanted to run to the Guild to see if there were any jobs available. It wasn't the fact that they needed the money, more for the fact that it was always better to have a little extra in case they needed it.
Lucy found herself agreeing with her husband and accompanied him to the Guild. While Natsu scoured the job request board for anything that caught his fancy, Lucy had caught up with the majority of their friends. Lucy noted that some of the main members of the guild were not present and had questioned her best friend, Levy Redfox, about it.
"Well…" Levy had begun as she looked to the bar that was being tended by Wendy and Laki, "Erza is out on a job this time while Jellal is at home with Senna. Gray is at home with Juvia-poor little Jenny got sick again, Laxus is out running some errands for Mira and Selina, and Elfman is also running a job while Evergreen stays home with Kaito."
Lucy sighed with a small smile on her face, thinking of her friends and their children. Erza and Jellal had tied the knot in X792 and were blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby girl in early X794. Gray and Juvia had gotten married roughly around the time that Natsu and Lucy had but had had their first child in X793.
It had been no surprise that Elfman and Evergreen had gotten together around that time as well. Despite their best efforts to try and hide their relationship, it was not a real secret that everyone in the Guild knew about the two…but had played along anyways. Kaito, had been born in the spring of X793 and it had taken forever for Elfman to calm down about his "Little MAN!"
The wedding that had taken everyone by surprise had been that of Mirajane and Laxus after Mira had revealed that she was pregnant. The thing was, no one had known that the two S-Class mages were together and the fact that Mira and Laxus had kept it a secret for so long had floored the majority of the guild. But regardless, eight months latter Laxus and Mira were given a baby girl of their own.
All in all, everyone was happy.
There was peace and people were looking forward to the future.
"The future." Lucy had thought as a wistful smile formed on her lips.
"What's on your mind?" Levy had asked.
"…Just thinking, maybe I should talk to Natsu about starting a family of our own." Lucy had said and Levy nodded slowly, biting her lip.
"G-Gajeel and I-I are already t-trying." Levy admitted with a blush…which increased due to Lucy's teasing.
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It was then that Natsu had returned to the girls, telling Lucy that although that it was not an official job, he had found a flyer about a rumored spot for treasure. There was no guarantee of a payoff and Lucy was dubious of such a place existing but Natsu had convinced her otherwise (damn him and those puppy dog eyes!).
Happy decided he would stay behind this time around and visit Carla, who had finally decided to give a relationship with Happy a try. The white cat wouldn't openly admit it, but she cared for her blue furred companion…maybe even liked him.
So, after buying a train ticket, the husband and wife had made their way to the central western mountains of Fiore where they stopped at a small farming community. Asking around, an old timer explained that the flyer was true but it was made to entice treasure hunters to look around rather than have some professional take a look at the place. In fact a fairly large group of treasure hunters were somewhere up on the mountain now.
When questioned about what exactly the location was, the old man had explained that it was a massive shelter that had been built into the mountain and was used heavily during the dragon civil war for humans to hide and plan their battles against the dragons.
The place was abandoned after the war ended but legends persisted that there was a variety of treasure hidden deep within the mountains somewhere. However, no one from the town had ever dared to venture into the mountain; local legend claimed that something special was hidden away in there…and that it was never to be tampered with.
The old man had also explained that there were supposedly two entrances leading into the mountain; the main door and the back door. The treasure hunters had went to the far side of the mountain to go through the back so the old man advised Natsu and Lucy to head in through the front, giving them the necessary directions.
Both Natsu and Lucy had thanked the man for his help but were dubious to believe that there was something hidden away in the mountain, playing it off as superstition. With nothing left to lose, they had hiked their way up to the mountain. The entrance, to the underground settlement, wasn't that hard to find. Despite being weathered down and filled with over grown vegetation, the pathway was long and winding at the edge of the nearby forest. After an hour and half of walking, the mages found themselves at flattened area that led to the mouth of a large cave, the mountain shadowing it from above. Making an improvised torch with his fire magic, Natsu and Lucy entered the cave.
At first it appeared like any other cave, filled top to bottom with stalagmites and stalactites, and the occasional bat or two. But the further they went back, the more they noticed the cave turn from natural to manmade. The walls evened out, the pattern of brick and tile could be seen and age old burns in the rock indicated where torches once burned. An archway appeared out of the gloom, vast and high, and Natsu and Lucy realized that what the old man had said about an entrance was true.
A series of wide and winding steps carved into the rock had been found shortly after; nothing but darkness leading before the mages.
…And so down and down they went.
Natsu and Lucy were surprised by the size and scale of the place. The mountain, as it turned out, was hollow on the inside but naturally supported on all sides by the frame of the mountain. Large crags in the mountain side allowed beams of sunlight to filter in and cast away the darkness of the hollow.
And in the center of it all was vast cavern which lead into a black abyss below, while platforms and manmade outcroppings had been carved deeply or extended out into the sides of the rock walls. A rushing waterfall of crystal clear water plunged all the way down into the darkness from beneath the structures and into the darkness.
Natsu let out a low whistle at the size of the hollow and it was a long time before it died off in the void.
With no sign of the treasure hunters, the husband and wife checked the available rooms of the structures. Most of the dwellings were abandoned but there was a plethora of perfectly preserved pottery and metal works lying around. For an archeologist it would be a gold mine but for Natsu and Lucy-mostly Natsu-it was all just "useless crap."
Leaving the dwellings behind them, the duo had made their way around a bend that led to a platform…and walked headlong into the treasure hunters. They were a large group of thirty men and women, all heavily armed and surprised to have run into the mages.
Startled, the leader of the group, a woman named Mordred, had demanded to know what the mages were doing at "their claim."
Natsu and Lucy had tried to assure Mordred that they meant no harm and did not have the intention of scaring them or taking anything they had found. But Mordred, convinced otherwise, had order her group to attack the mages. Things were even further complicated when Mordred noticed that Lucy was a Celestial Spirit Mage; her gold keys instantly giving her away. Knowing that the keys were worth something fierce, Mordred had also ordered that Lucy be taken alive. As for Natsu…she didn't particularly care.
Now, taking on the group would have been easy…had it not been for the fact that treasure hunters made liberal usage of high explosive magic grenades. The explosives had a short fuse and when they went off, they did so in a spectacular if devastating fashion. Natsu and Lucy were kept on their toes, not really managing to attack.
And then it happened.
The combined blast from two grenades had caused a terrific explosion which had knocked Natsu and Lucy off their feet and sprawling in opposite directions. While Natsu was sprawled out on the floor, Lucy had tumbled to the edge of the landing. She only came to a stop when she found herself dangling from the ledge; her fingers gripping desperately at the stone as her nails dug into the rock. But her palms were sweaty from the fighting and she quickly lost whatever grip she had on the stone as she found herself sliding further and further off the edge.
One of the treasure hunters had tried to grab her but they were too late as Lucy finally lost her purchase and went falling down into the abyss below.
Her screaming and desperate calls for Natsu followed her all the way down.
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Now…
With a tremendous crash, Lucy plummeted into the ice cold water at the bottom of the hollow. She had no time to catch her breath before hitting the water and sinking deeply; her lungs screaming for air. Under the dark but clear water's surface, Lucy desperately flailed about as she desperately tried to regain her bearings.
Slowing her movements, Lucy realized that she was swimming down and not up. Had she not regained her senses, she would have possibly continued down…and eventually drown. Righting herself and kicking and pulling up with all her might, Lucy breached the surface of the water with an explosive gasp.
Fresh, wonderful air filled her lungs…but it was a short lived reverie. It took Lucy a moment to realize that she was moving. The large, deep but angled pool she had landed in was quickly pulling her to the edge of a water fall.
Lucy tried to frantically swim as fast as she could from the lip of the falls as the water rushed over the side, but she was too close, and the pull of the water took her over with it. Lucy screamed again and was more fell down deeper into the hollow of the mountain. This fall wasn't as bad, she hadn't fallen as long as before, but the shock of the water had provoked a similar reaction from Lucy.
Once again breaching the water's surface, Lucy found herself in another pool as she began to tread water. The ebb, flow and pull of the water was gentler here and Lucy saw that it led into an underground river. But right now, she could safely collect herself.
Looking up, Lucy could barely see the light from where she had initially fallen. How she had survived a fall of that nature, she had no clue but she would take her miracles where she could get them. Now, in the cold water of the cavern pool, Lucy found that the only light afforded to her were a series of luminescent blue and green crystals deeply embedded into the rock.
Knowing she had to get out of the water lest she suffer hypothermia or turn into something's lunch-heaven only knew what lived in bottom of these pools-Lucy searched for a way out of the water. She was rewarded when she spotted a man made outcropping in the water, similar to the platform she had fallen off. Quickly swimming over and heaving herself up onto smooth, polished stone, Lucy fell to the floor in a heap-cold and tired.
But despite her condition, she didn't stay down long. She pushed herself up and onto her feet.
"Natsu," Lucy said aloud, "I need to get back to Natsu."
She then looked up the way she'd came, cupping her hands to her mouth.
"NATSU!" Lucy called out, her voice reverberating up and out the cavern.
Nothing.
"NATSU; CAN YOU HEAR ME!?" Lucy called out again.
Still no response.
"Perfect," Lucy grumbled in annoyance, "I'm too far down for him to hear me…if he can hear me. I hope he's alright."
Lucy absentmindedly rubbed the left side of her neck; right where the muscle connected the shoulder and neck together. Her fingers grazed over two faint but deep scars-the scars where Natsu had bit her to mark her as his mate.
The bite had bonded the two for life and even though she could barely sense it, she felt Natsu's presence in the back of her mind…letting her know that life still coursed through him.
God, she hoped he was alright; she couldn't stand the thought of losing him.
Quickly shaking the treacherous thoughts from her mind, Lucy took a more thorough look of her surroundings. The platform she was on was large and may have at one point served as an underground dock for small boats or a place for whoever had once lived here to get fresh water.
A long, winding path was nearby and led up.
But the path, a way up and out, was not what caught Lucy's attention. She hadn't noticed it before, since she was too busy trying not to drown while swimming to safety. Towards the back wall of the platform was a cylindrical stone dais, bathed in a gentle glow of natural light. And resting atop it, was a small, stone box.
Curious, Lucy approached the dais and box. The light came from a manmade opening in the roof of the cavern. The opening cut all the way through the rock at a perfect ninety degree angle and let the light from the outside world cascade all the way down to the dais.
The box, Lucy observed, was made out of stone and had been down in the cavern for quite some time, given the heavy coating of dust that covered it. Her curiosity still piqued, Lucy gently wiped the dust off the box and Lucy was rewarded with a symbol and inscription.
The symbol was of two crossed broadswords with three, five pointed stars arcing above it and another three arcing below it.
The inscription itself, Lucy noted, was of an old language; a dialect that she had only seen in some particularly ancient books that were housed at the royal archives in Crocus. She didn't know what the words meant, but that didn't stop her from silently mouth the words to herself:
Unitas, ubi virtus et gloria. Fortitudine dolar. Pacem adductum. Custos sum lux; ego sum a Paladin.
"What do you say, I wonder?" Lucy mused as she gently ran her fingers across the inscription.
And then it happened.
As if the mere contact of her fingers had stirred something within the box to life, the words on the box glowed to life and manifested over the box like a blue hologram, causing Lucy to stumble back in shock. Hidden runes and carvings of similar color appeared in the dais and flared to life as they wound their way to the floor where a triple ringed magic circle had come to life.
Lucy gasped slightly as she watched the inscription begin to flicker and change to her fit her natural, modern tongue. The new inscription read:
Unity, Valor, Honor. Strength through brotherhood. Peace through force. I am a guardian of the light; I am a Paladin.
"Paladin?" Lucy though, "What on Earthland is that?"
The rings of the circle began to rotate clockwise, counterclockwise, and clockwise as Lucy felt a familiar sensation tingle across her skin. It was the same sensation she got whenever she called upon the Celestial Spirits.
The sensation was that of a Celestial Spirit magic.
"What?" Lucy asked in confusion, "Can it be?"
Lucy slowly stepped towards the box once more and gently rested her hands against the smooth surface of stone that made the box.
"Yes…" Lucy said in awe, "there's no mistaking it."
Within the box was a Celestial Spirit Key…and a powerful one at that.
Carefully, Lucy stepped back to the box and placed her hands on the side of the lid, gently pulling up as she did so. It took a bit of effort since the box had been sealed up for who knew how long but with a little effort, the lid popped off with a slight "hiss."
Looking into the box, Lucy saw that the velvet lining on the inside looked brand new; there was no sign of aging or decay. And resting in the center of the box were a set of keys.
"Beautiful…"Lucy whispered in awe.
The first key was made of the purest sterling silver while the other was made from white and blue diamond. The two keys, still combined, formed a shield with two crossed swords behind it.
"I've never seen Celestial Spirit keys like these before," Lucy said, "I wonder how they work."
"Well, well," a voice said from behind, startling Lucy with a gasp, "looks like she survived her tumble after all boys."
Before Lucy were three treasure hunters from the group Natsu and Lucy had encountered. They varied in appearance and height but they all had one thing in common; they were heavily armed.
The first hunter wielded a large axe, the second carried a spear and the third carried a rather nasty looking sword that resembled a meat cleaver.
The first hunter licked his lips and grinned a sly grin.
"And it also looks like she's in one piece too, the boss will be pleased to see this. I wasn't so sure when the boss sent us to go after her, seeing as how she might be splattered all over the place, but the boss loves them spirit keys."
The third hunter gave Lucy a dark leering, grin.
"Although, there might be some internal damage that we'll have to check out right?"
The other two seemed to consider this for a moment before making similar grins.
"Right you are man, right you are."
Lucy curled her nose up in disgust, firing off a glare of her own, as she unhooked her whip from her belt.
"Stay back!" Lucy said, "I'm warning you!"
"Oooh," the second hunter leered, "kinky."
The first chuckled in amusement.
"Well what do you know?" He said, "Looks like miss kitty cat is going to put up a fight. Heh, at least she ain't turning out like that pink haired fire breather."
"Natsu!" Lucy whispered before raising her voice, "What have you done to him!?"
The hunters cackled in obvious amusement.
"The idiot tried fighting us off but he tripped and face planted right onto the rock." The third said, "The damn idiot knocked himself out!"
Lucy felt a large sweat drop forming on the back of her head.
"Yeah, that sounds like Natsu." Lucy thought, slightly embarrassed.
"But he won't be causing us any trouble since the boss slapped a magic cancelling collar on his neck and tied him up tighter than a python squeezing." Said the second.
"But it appears you're not going as quietly."
Lucy stood her ground.
"I am a mage of Fairy Tail; I've fought worse than you creeps." Lucy said taking a defensive stance Natsu had taught her, "You creeps don't scare me."
"Fairy Tail, eh?" The first leered, "Well then, let's see what all the hype is about you guys then!"
Before Lucy could react, the first hunter had brought his axe to bear and had tossed it at Lucy in hopes of striking her down or making her move to a more vulnerable spot.
But the attack never came.
Lucy could only watch in surprise as the axe was stopped midair when a magical barrier flashed to life in front of her and deflected the axe away from her, causing the weapon to shatter to pieces.
"WHAT!" The hunter gawked in shock at the loss of his weapon.
The barrier remained and Lucy noticed that the magic circles beneath her feet had stopped spinning; the runes and patterns within their borders having aligned with each other perfectly. A pulsating light out of the corner of her eye drew her attention to the box and much to her surprise, the key was glowing.
Do not be afraid, a voice whispered in her ear, sweet and gentle, the spirit of this key shall not harm you.
"Who's there?" Lucy said aloud, her attention fully focused on the key.
It does not matter who I am, the voice said, all that you need to know is that the spirit within this key has been waiting for you.
"What?" Lucy said.
He has slept through the ages waiting for the day to be awoken from his slumber and your arrival has heralded his return.
"I…I don't understand." Lucy said, her confusion evident as the angered protests from the hunters went ignored.
Fear not my dear, for all shall be made clear in time. Right now, you are in quite the predicament wouldn't you agree?
The voice laughed gently almost in a carefree manner.
I know who you are Celestial Spirit Wizard; I know the power you command. This spirit is both great in power and in heart. If you awaken him, he will help you; he will give you the power to save the man you love.
"Natsu." Lucy whispered, "I…I need to get back to him; to help him!"
Then pick up the key and summon your magic's. Open the gate of the Celestial Paladin and call forth the Warrior of the Spirit World. Awaken him, give him the call to arms and let his tale begin once again.
Seeing no other option, Lucy outstretched her hand to the glowing key.
Let his power become yours as much as his will be to you.
And then the voice faded away.
Her fingers wrapping around the crystal and silver, both cool to the touch, Lucy took the key out of its box and channeled her magic into the celestial key.
"I hope this works." Lucy said.
Unlike her gold and silver keys, Lucy found that this new key absorbed much more of her magic than the other sprits. Just what in the world was in her hands? Soon enough, however, Lucy felt the familiar tingle in her fingers letting her know the spirit was ready to be summoned.
She took a deep breath…and then raised her hand.
"Open gate of the Celestial Paladin!" Lucy called out.
There was a flash of brilliant light and rather than the vibrant chiming of a bell that was synonymous with the known Celestial Spirts, this key let out a deep tolling that reverberated deep into Lucy's chest. From within the light, in a series of quickly reforming particles, a figure appeared parallel to Lucy.
And Lucy gasped in surprise.
He was tall, wore what appeared to be a special set of armor with a flowing cape, with natural grey hair tied into an equally spikey ponytail. Affixed to his arm was shield of great size and a broadsword was sheathed at his hip. His face was hidden behind a mask with a "V" shaped visor.
But even though he appeared to still be coming out of whatever sleep he had been in, Lucy could feel the magic radiating off of this new spirit. He was strong, very strong.
Slowly, the hands at his sides clenched and unclenched, the bones popping and cracking beneath the armor. He inhaled, a gentle, smooth sound and he raised his head from its lowered stance. Behind the visor, a pair of dull blue eyes flickered to life. The eyes blinked once and then twice before the spirit began to finally become aware of his surroundings.
He looked at his hands first, unclenching them and then clenching them again, before looking around the cavern that had been his home.
"How long…" the spirit spoke, his voice coming out with a metallic ring from his mask, "…have I been asleep?"
He then became aware of the human in front of him. He looked down to Lucy, his head cocked to the side in a curious manner as if he were studying her.
"Girl…" he said calmly but with firmness to his voice, "what day is it? What year?"
Before Lucy could answer, her attention was drawn back to the treasure hunters.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!?" The first raged.
"Oh to hell with the questions, let's just take our keys and kill the wench!" Cried the second.
Still angered from the loss of his weapon, the first hunter charged forward intent on rushing Lucy…something that would prove to be a very fatal mistake.
Lucy gasped, making to grab her whip once more but the new spirit pivoted on his heel and stood with his back to her; shielding her as his eyes narrowed.
When the hunter was within range, the spirit swiftly raised his shield and backhanded the hunter away; the heavy shield on his arm making a hefty "CLANG" and was accompanied by a sickening "CRACK". The hunter was tossed into the nearby wall where he stuck to it just for an extra second, before falling to the floor; his neck bent at an odd angle.
"NO!" the second and third hunter cried out in shock and anger at the loss of their comrade.
"YOU BASTARD!" the second said as he hefted his spear up and tossed it at the spirit…who was quicker, however.
The spirit snapped his right hand out, light glowing around it. From the hand, a beam of concentrated light was fired which in turn vaporized the spear in midflight, the arm of the hunter that had tossed it, before stopping at the other end of the cavern in an explosion of rock.
Before the second hunter could even cry out in pain, a dinner plate sized hole was blasted through his chest when the spirit delivered a follow up shot. He fell to his knees and then forward, never to rise again.
The third hunter, enraged by the loss of his two companions, wildly charged forward; his cleaver sword ready to strike. The spirit took a series of steps forward to meet the wild man…which was promptly followed by a shower of sparks and the cleaver was cut in two while the hunters head rolled off his shoulders.
Lucy gasped in shock as she watched the spirit lower his outstretched arm, still from its horizontal strike, with his sword in hand. The spirit looked at his sword, flicked his wrist in a manner that expelled the blood from the blade and calmly sheathed the weapon.
He regarded the body at his feet for a moment, before calmly turning and walking back to Lucy. Lucy stood stock still in shock as the spirit approached her; his stoic and commanding demeanor ensuring her silence. The spirit looked down at Lucy and relaxed his shoulders.
"I will ask you again; what day and year is it?" The spirit repeated his question from before, seemingly ignoring the fact that he had just butchered three people.
"I-It's J-July seventh…X794." Lucy stuttered out.
"X794." The spirit said, his tone that of disbelief. He then sighed deeply and lowered his head in resignation and looked to his left hand, slowly closing it into a fist.
"X794…" The spirit muttered as he clenched and unclenched his hand, "I've been gone for so long…how much has changed in my absence?"
"Excuse me," Lucy said, snapping the spirit out of his stupor, "but who are you…and how long have you been down here?"
The spirit looked to Lucy, crossing his arms as he did so.
"My name is Knight…and I am a Celestial Paladins."
"Celestial Paladins?" Lucy said, her brow knitting in confusion, "I've never heard of you and none of the other spirits have never mentioned you as well."
"I'm not surprised," Knight said with a slight chuckle, "considering I am the last of the Paladins. It appears that in the three hundred plus years that I've been gone, my brothers and I have fallen into obscurity. As for why my fellow spirits have never mentioned me…well, I suppose that they never told you because you never asked and never were told."
"Three hundred years!?" Lucy exclaimed.
"Did I stutter?" Knight said, his voice flat.
"N-no, sorry…I'm just surprised that's all."
A silence befell the two.
"The last?" Lucy said, surprised at this news as Knight nodded.
"Indeed." The spirit replied.
"Who…what are you?" Lucy asked.
"As I said, I am a Paladin. A warrior of the Celestial Spirit World, charged with protecting the Spirit King and enforcing the law of the Spirit World in the human realm. Well…that was my duty in another life. Now I am not so sure since it has been so long."
"Guardian to the King and the Spirit World." Lucy thought, "I can understand his explanation for not knowing…but I can't believe I was never told about these spirits."
"You said you are the last of these "Paladins"," Lucy said, "what happened to your brothers."
"Once there were twelve, now there is me." Knight said, "My brothers and I fought in the Dragon Civil War…and it claimed their lives as such. They fell, upholding the duty and honor we had been entrusted with."
"The Dragon Civil War." Lucy said in awe before realizing the meaning behind Knight's words.
"I'm…I'm so sorry."
"So am I." Knight said, his tone saddening slightly, "So am I."
"…Why were you down here for so long? I mean, something extreme must have happened for you to be placed down here, I mean."
"It is a long story, one which I shall be able to explain at a later time. But the short story is that due a series of circumstances, I found myself being corrupted by a terrible darkness that I could not escape. In order to prevent it from fully taking over me, I was sealed away to ensure that the darkness could be eliminated. I was to wait…until fate guided my true masters to me…and rekindled the light of my spirit."
"Wait for your true…" Lucy said as her words slowly died off in realization. She then pointed to herself.
"You mean me?" Lucy said, eyes wide.
"So it would seem," Knight said, "but I did not say master, as in one. I said masters, as in two."
"Two?" Lucy said, "You need two people to summon you!?"
"Yes," Knight said, "I share a unique connection to the human soul. That connection gives me strength and allows me to tap into my full power. In my life, I have had six masters. The first four died in battle and the other two I broke my contract with."
"What? Broke your contract?" Lucy said, "I don't understand."
"Something I will also explain later…but not now. The important thing right now is whether or not I deem you and whoever you're with worthy of being my masters. Fate led you to me, so I should assume that this meeting of ours was destined."
"Natsu!" Lucy said, remembering that her husband was still being held captive.
"Natsu?" Knight replied, "Is he or she your compatriot?"
"He's my husband!" Lucy said as she ran her fingers through her hair in distressed matter, "We came her looking for some rumored treasure but we stumbled across some treasure hunters. They freaked out and attacked us."
Lucy looked to Knight in pleading manner.
"Please, you have to help me free him!"
Knight was silent for a moment before nodding in understanding.
"If that is your wish," Knight said, "I will honor it."
Knight then kneeled down on one knee, hands resting on his knee and head bowed.
"Until I can confirm that you are to be my master, until I can confirm that both you and your husband are worthy of such a title…I am yours to temporarily yours to command."
"Thank you." Lucy said, her tone relived.
Knight rose and regarded Lucy again.
"It seems that in all this excitement…I have forgotten my manners and did not ask for your name when I gave you mine."
"My name is Lucy," Lucy said, "Lucy Dragneel…formerly Heartfilia."
"Lucy Dragneel," Knight said, testing the words on his tongue before bowing his head, "I am honored to make your acquaintance…and thank you for awakening me."
"Y-you're welcome." Lucy said, slightly embarrassed by being treated with such formality.
"Now then," Knight said as he looked to the pathway that led up, "let's go find your husband…and a way out of this desolate place."
"Right." Lucy said, before her brow quirked for a moment.
"By the way…what magic was that? That light you made earlier."
"Simple; it is light." Knight said, "I specialize in light magic. I can harness the power of the light and bend it to my will. I can use to either protect or destroy. My power and burden as it would seem."
Knight then looked to the top of the cavern.
"So let us move from the shadow and into the light."
XXXX
Mordred paced back on forth at the entrance to the cave. Occasionally, she would look at her wristwatch and then to the cave, an annoyed grimace marring her lovely features.
Mordred was a tall woman, with a fit athletic build and curvaceous frame. She had sharp features, cold brown eyes and sandy blonde hair that she kept tied into a simple knot. She wore a leather jacket with the sleeves rolled up her forearms, fingerless gloves, a black tank top and tan cargo pants which she kept tucked into a pair of laced up boots.
Although she appeared to look like any other woman of the rustic sort, the broadsword she kept slung across her back and the grenade bandolier across her wait dissuaded any notion that she was some average woman.
She didn't get to where she was, the leader of regionally known treasure hunting group, simply based on her looks.
"Where are they?" Mordred said as she turned to one of her subordinates, expecting an answer.
"Those idiots should be back by now. They can be incompetent but they're not that incompetent."
"Why you looking to me?" The man said with a hapless shrug, "I ain't in there with them so how can I give you an answer?"
Mordred rolled her eyes with an annoyed grunt.
"So long as those idiots bring me back those key's I'll forgive them for screwing around."
"What about the spirit mage?" The man asked, "And her companion?"
"Those three can do whatever they want with the bitch, I don't care." Mordred said, before looking to a now conscious-but bound and gagged- Natsu who thrashed about on the ground.
"As for the fire breather, he's one of those Fairy Tail mages…which means we can get a hefty ransom for his release. So long as we keep that collar on him, he won't cause us any harm."
"Mmmph!" Natsu said past his gag, "Mmmph, mmmph!"
"Oh shut it already." Mordred said, simply walking over to Natsu and giving him a solid kick to the ribs.
"Leave him alone." A voice suddenly echoed out from the cave, making Mordred and her hunters turn to the entrance.
"Who's there!?" Mordred said, motioning for her hunters to take up fighting positions at the mouth to cave.
"Show yourself!"
"As you wish." The voice replied as a powerful magical aura reached the senses of all present. Soon, a figure appeared from the gloom and the hunters found themselves gawking in surprise as Knight emerged into the sunlight with Lucy staying close behind him.
Knight slowly observed the assembled hunters before closing his eyes and tilting his head back as if he could feel the warmth of the sun through his mask.
"It has been too long since I last tasted fresh air. Too long since I felt the warmth of the sun. What a wonderful day it is." Knight said to himself, ignoring the treasure hunters.
"Hey!" Mordred snapped, "Who the hell are you!?"
"And now," Knight sighed in resignation, "it's ruined."
The spirit then leveled his now open eyes back to Mordred; the twin glowing blue orbs now taking on an annoyed flint.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Mordred said as she unsheathed her sword.
"I am well aware of that." Knight said, "But whether or not I acknowledged you is another matter."
"What?" Mordred hissed.
Knight then looked to where Natsu lay, the dragon slayer now still as he looked from Knight to Lucy.
"Lay down your arms and release the mage," Knight said, pointing to Natsu, "and I will let you all leave with your dignity."
The hunters openly laughed at Knight upon hearing his demand.
"You can't be serious. Who are you to jerk us around!?" Mordred cackled, "If anything, I'm the one who will be making the demands."
"Are you so sure of that?" Knight replied, moving his hand to slowly grip his sword.
"Hell yeah." Mordred said, "After all, we hold the numbers here; not you. Hand over the pretty bitch and that fancy sword of yours and we'll call it even."
"That's not going to happen." Knight said as slowly unsheathed his sword.
"I will not repeat my demands. You will either accept them or die…just like the three who came before."
"Three who…" Mordred said before her she suddenly realized what Knight was saying. The three she had sent after Lucy, we're dead.
"Take him down!" Mordred yelled, "Both of them!"
Her hunters moved to attack in the same manner that they had done to Natsu and Lucy. Many lobbed their grenades at Knight who quickly pulled Lucy down with him into a crouch as he raised his shield.
The magic explosives detonated in a cacophony of blasts and smoke quickly filled the area.
"Frig." Mordred said, "Now those keys are probably ruined. Oh well, they asked for it."
"That was a most unwise decision." A voice said from the now clearing smoke.
"What!?" Mordred said in surprise as the smoke revealed Knight and Lucy still crouched but protected by a semitransparent dome of glowing light.
"My turn." Knight said as stood from his crouch, dissipating the dome but still shielding Lucy.
Knight snapped out his left hand as runes glowed on his shield. A concentrated beam of energy was fired forth from Knight's hand and blasted the ground to his left, sending a group of mages sky high. He then darted forward, away from Lucy with his sword held low, into another grouping of hunters. He simply spun a three sixty, sword moving a in a series of arcs and spins and the hunters were cut down in no time.
"Kill him!" Mordred raged, "What are you idiots just standing there for!? Kill him!"
Knight looked to Mordred and the group near her. Focusing on the hunters, Knight's eyes flashed once and he quickly disappeared in a series of glowing particles of light.
"Teleportation." Knight said, his voice fading off with him.
Just as quickly as the spirit had uttered the incantation, he reappeared behind the group of hunters. Before any of the hunters could react, they quickly fell to Knight's blade or were battered with his shield.
And when the last one fell, all that remained was Mordred…who quivered in anger.
"Y-you…bastard!" Mordred said through gritted teeth.
"Don't think that insulting me will do you any good." Knight said as he sheathed his sword, "I've been called every obscenity that has been uttered by the human tongue. Your words mean nothing to me."
Mordred snarled as she watched Lucy run from her spot and over to Natsu as she helped him with his gag and bindings.
"Damn wench." Mordred hissed.
"Lucy!" Natsu said, elated to see his wife/mate unharmed, "Thank Mavis you're alright!"
"I could say the same for you, you big dummy." Lucy said as she kissed Natsu.
Knight looked from the husband and wife and back to Mordred.
"Leave." Knight said firmly, "Now."
"Bite me." Mordred said as she primed a grenade. She thumbed off the safety pin and lobbed it at Knight and the Dragneel's.
Knight's right hand snapped out and promptly blasted the grenade in midair.
Mordred used the distraction to her advantage and charged, sword raised.
"Light Magic," Knight said, "Prism."
Knight's body suddenly flickered, his image distorting like the sheen seen on glass before he disappeared entirely. Mordred slid to a halt in her charge as she looked this way and that for the now vanished spirit.
"Where'd he go?" Natsu said in confusion.
Even with his enhanced dragon slayer senses, he found it hard to get a solid lead on Knight.
Mordred, for her part slowly turned in a circle with her sword held close as she searched for Knight.
"Where are you?" Mordred muttered eyes narrowed, "Where are you?"
A blur of movement out of the corner of her eye, like the shimmering of air when heated, caught her attention. Before Mordred could so much as react, she found herself knocked back by a solid punch to her ribs. For a second, Knight flickered back into existence but just as quickly disappeared. Mordred pushed herself up and swung her sword wildly at where she had seen Knight only for her wrist to be caught, her arm snapped out and twisted; hard.
Mordred's sword fell from her grip as the woman cried out in pain. She was then lifted into the air and tossed onto her back, her arm relinquished. Mordred groaned as she tried to push herself up, only to be violently knocked down as Knight reappeared; his boot planted firmly on Mordred's chest.
Knight unsheathed his sword and leveled the tip with Mordred's neck.
"Do you surrender?" Knight said, his tone firm.
Mordred glared in defiance.
"Do you surrender?" Knight said again, teeth clenched as he pressed the tip of his blade into Mordred's neck.
Mordred looked to the blade and then to Knight.
"I surrender." Mordred said and Knight stepped off of her, turning his back to the treasure hunter and walking away.
"Leave." Knight said, "And never return to this place. In fact, let me never catch you again. Because I won't be as forgiving as I have been today."
Mordred quivered in anger. This spirit had just killed off her entire crew and had single handedly humiliated her. That was something she couldn't forgive. She would make that bastard and those two mages pay for what they had done to her.
Unclipping the last grenade from her bandolier, Mordred stood, pulled the pin and counted to three. She then tossed the grenade at Knight in a way one would toss a baseball.
"Look out!" Lucy cried out in panic as Natsu moved to shield her.
Sword still in hand and spinning it so that the flat side of the blade was facing the ground, Knight spun around; his sword raised.
He had expected Mordred to pull such a stunt but he didn't believe she was stupid enough to go through with it.
He swung his sword out in a manner one would swing a baseball or cricket bat and with a sharp "CRACK" hit the grenade back to Mordred. The woman only had time to make a surprised gasp when the grenade returned to its sender and detonated.
When the smoke cleared, all that remained of Mordred was a small, smoking crater. Knight spun his sword around his hand once and sheathed it, shaking his head as he did so.
"Imbecilic to the last." Knight said as he turned back to Natsu and Lucy.
"Here," Knight said, holding up his index finger, "let's get that collar off of you."
Placing his finger to the mechanism and filling it with hard light, taking the shape of the required key, Knight easily popped the lock and the collar fell from Natsu's neck.
"Thanks," Natsu said as he hugged Lucy, "for everything."
"You are welcome." Knight said with a slight bow of his head, "I presume you are Natsu Dragneel?"
"Yeah." Natsu said, and then looked to Lucy, "Say Luce, who is this guy?"
"Natsu, this is Knight," Lucy said, "I found him at the bottom of the cave when I fell down there. He's a special Celestial Spirit."
"A Celestial Spirit?" Natsu said in awe.
"Indeed." Knight replied, "And we have much to discuss, you two and I."
XXXX
And so Knight explained to both Natsu and Lucy the circumstances that led to him being locked away in the cave; his role as a Paladin and bond to humanity, his wife and son-Katsumi and Takeshi-the beginning of his corruption and him being sealed away.
The dreamless sleep he had drifted through as he had waited for his true masters to find him.
Which now appeared to be Natsu and Lucy.
"So…you mean to tell me that Pisces are not just a spirit but your wife and son?" Lucy said, her surprise obvious.
"More or less, yes." Knight said, "It has been some time since I last saw them…I expect much has changed."
"I guess it would have." Lucy said before quietly adding, "I never knew it was possible for sprits to have children. I'll have to let Yukino know about this."
"Forget about that," Natsu said in excitement, "we have our own spirit now Luce; do you know how cool this is!?"
"That remains to be decided." Knight said, drawing the two's attention.
"What do you mean?" Lucy said, "I thought you said that since I found you and freed you, since Natsu and I are together, that you are our spirit now."
"I am well aware of what I said Lucy Dragneel." Knight said, "But I must confer with my King first and let him pass his judgment on whether or not it is right for me to choose you two."
"I'm sure the King will give you the okay," Natsu said, "We're friends with him after all."
"Whether you are or not is none of my concern." Knight replied, placing his hands on his hips.
"Doesn't it come down to your choice regardless?" Lucy asked.
"Yes," Knight nodded, "it will be my final decision on whether or not I trust you with my power."
Natsu and Lucy looked nervously to one another.
"So…what happens when you meet with the King?" Lucy asked.
"I am not certain. There will be much for us to discuss before I pass my final judgment." Knight said.
"It is imperative that I return to the Celestial Spirit World immediately." Knight said and gestured to the keys in Lucy's hands.
"Hand one key to your husband while you keep the other Lucy." Knight said, "Combine the two and release me from this realm."
Natsu and Lucy looked to each other. Natsu shrugged and took the silver half of the key while Lucy kept the blue and white crystal half. They did as Knight had instructed and the combined key glowed…along with Knight. Motes of light enveloped him as he soon began to fade from the human realm.
"For now," Knight said, "return home. I will return to you two when I have casted my decision."
"How?" Lucy said, "Won't we have to summon you again?"
Lucy got the impression that Knight was smiling behind his mask.
"Believe me," Knight said just before he disappeared, "I have my ways."
And then he was gone.
Natsu and Lucy looked to the keys in their hands and then to each other.
"Do you think he'll come back?" Natsu asked.
"…I…" Lucy said as she gently closed her fingers around her half of the key, "I don't know."
XXXX
And as Knight left the human realm and crossed the bridge to that of the Spirit World, he found himself returning to a place that he had once thought he would never see again.
A place that would undoubtedly be both foreign and familiar.
Home.
He was returning home.
XXXX
A/N: Well ladies and gentlemen, what do you think? This took me a while to work on but I was finally able to crank it out for y'all.
Once again, I'm sorry for the lengthy delay but I've been super busy because of the holidays and what not. I know I promised that I would update my other stories soon but it looks like not as soon as I would have liked. Most likely, it will be after Christmas when I get back into writing. I'm just busy, that's all.
I hope you guys will bear with me and be patient with this story like you have before. That's all that I ask.
Next time; CHAPTER 3: Homecoming
As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.
Until next time; read, review, happy reading and most importantly; MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
