Chapter 3: Doors, doors, doors / Meanwhile

While Loke sat outside the circle waiting for his blonde master to contact him the sun started to set and Lucy walked slowly up and around every door getting a "feel" for what each doors' energy felt like.

Lucy walked in the darkness coming near each door as she passed (to try and identify whose door it was) but making sure not to make contact. My first task was finding Loke's or Capricorn's. As she neared a golden door with flames licking up the side she thought it would be Loke's, being the Lion zodiac his element was sunlight, however she started to feel like an inexhaustible amount of energy was pumping from underneath.

Natsu

His name just suddenly resonated in her head as she stopped in front of the closed portal. It was beautiful, giving off a bright, unearthly glow; it's flames making intricate designs on either side.

Lucy turned away to scan what seemed to be innumerous amount of doors. Focus

Lucy felt Loke's presence and started to walk towards it, as she passed by she tried to identify some of the doors.

An oversized door that looked like it was a precious metal shined to perfection. It had carvings and symbols that she couldn't decipher that seemed to make a picture of a shield. Erza

The next looked like it was glass, fairly simple with a large snowflake design. The deep blues of both the door and the snowflake seemed to alternate back and forth. Gray

A large double door, one side black one was white was the next one Lucy took note of. It had a metal design that twisted and combined over the doors. A design, so faint, under the metal looked like some kind of face. She stepped closer and felt a pulse of demonic energy. Mira?! That's interesting…

The next wasn't a door, but rather, a gate, like her own. What looked like a dark wrought iron twisted into a dragons angry scowl. Hmph! Gajeel

Door after door she slowly started identifying those of her friends in the guild, there were a few she skipped because she couldn't feel anything coming from it until she got to Levy's.

Levy's looked like a library door. Old wood, bronze handle and book return flap. Lucy chuckled as she even saw a plaque where it would normally say 'library'

As she rounded Levy's door she stopped. Another gate stood in front of her. Golds and bronzes swirled together making what looked like a sun symbol. She confirmed it as Loke's door when she stepped closer and felt his warmth leaking from the gate

She reached out and touched the warm metal…

Loke flinched as he felt an invisible hand reaching in his soul.

Loke?

He sighed, relief pouring through him.

Lucy! You did it!

Her tinkling laughter bubbled up in his thoughts. It's amazing! And so beautiful! Loke felt himself blush as he listened to her go on about his gate. He personally didn't know what his gate looked like but going from what Lucy was telling him it didn't sound like it was hard to identify.

When she'd entered a lull of quiet Loke sent back I think it's time you come back. Your body will be tired and hungry. We'll continue tomorrow…

How?

Just imagine yourself floating away from your deep subconscious, you want to float to the surface.

After a moment Lucy's eyes fluttered as she moaned and fell back. Loke quickly vanished the magic circle before leaping up to kneel at her side. Helping her up gently, he brushed her hair away from her face. "Are you okay?"

She looked up into his hazel eyes, "I'm starving!"

Loke chuckled deep in his chest as he helped her sit up all the way before handing her Virgo's key "Virgo told me to have you summon her when you were hungry. She apparently has a surprise for you."

Lucy smiled as she took the key. "Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo."

"Hime, punishment time?" Virgo asked as she appeared in a flash of light/

Lucy sighed, "No, but I am kinda hungry."

"Of course, Hime" Virgo stated as she pulled a large pack out of what seemed to be thin air. "This is from the guild." The pink haired maid set down the pack next to her princess, "I've been instructed to heat the food inside when you were ready."

Lucy's eyes filled with tears as she looked at the small note pinned to the pack.

'You'll get ill if you don't keep up your strength.

We miss you, be safe.

Mirajane'

"Mira" Lucy whispered. "Thanks"

MEANWHILE back at the guild

"Welcome back Master" Mira's voice called out over the fighting as the tiny, aged, third master came up to sit on the bar.

Makarov sighed. "The council is at it again." Mirajane continued to wipe a mug clean as she knew Master needed no prompting to tell her what the council had said. Master whipped around suddenly, tears dripping from his eyes, snot leaking from his nose, "They are tallying up all the damage from each guild and expecting it all to be paid!"

"Oh dear!"

"We must not let our more destructive teams take missions in towns." Master stated under his breath as he looked around the guild hall.

"Oh"

He froze, his black eyes narrowing as he turned to Mirajane again. "Where is Natsu and his team?"

Mira smiled, "On a mission"

"Grk!"

"They decided to take a small one while Lucy is training."

"Lucy…is not…with them..?"

"Yep! Virgo came in this morning and I packed up a special bag for her to take to Lucy since no one but her spirits know where she is."

"Ghnn!"

Makarav put his head down as he frantically thought through what missions had been on the request board. He couldn't think of any that wouldn't end up in more…"DEBT" Master cried out brokenly.

Author's Note: I've actually been done with this chapter for a while but kept going through…something's missing but I couldn't figure out what…Sorry it's kind of short I didn't want to spend too much time describing Lucy's training, we know from the previous chapters what she thinks her weaknesses are and, vaguely, how Loke and Capricorn plan to help her.