Chapter Three: The Prophecy
Loke looked around the guild hall for Natsu, Happy, and Erza but couldn't find them anywhere. He could have sworn that they had been here when he showed up. All of a sudden he caught the same scent from Lucy's apartment so he followed it around to the back of the guild hall and into the surrounding forest. He had a bad feeling about this. "Loke?" asked someone from with in shadows of the guild hall. He turned around and noticed Natsu leaning up against a wall with his arms crossed and a joint in his hand. He took a hit and handed it to Erza who was sitting on the ground. "You want any of this?" He had never known that the two of them smoked pot.
Erza held the joint out to see if he wanted to hit it, so he walked over to them and took a few puffs then handed it back to Natsu. "Yo flame brain where you at?" yelled Gray from around the corner of the building. "Seriously Natsu give me some of that." He told them as he walked up and took it from the dragon slayer. "So Loke, how are we going to find Lucy? You got any ideas where she was headed?" Natsu and Erza just looked at them like they were crazy. "You guys left before we could tell you, Lucy isn't on a solo job she is missing."
"What?" yelled Natsu. "Why would she just leave like that and not tell us goodbye or anything?" He questioned them. Loke and Gray just shrugged their shoulders. "Okay well what is the plan then?"
"Well," started Loke "Virgo told me that Lucy told her she was going home to Heartfilia plantations but I don't think she made it that far. There was a strange scent in her room, just by the window. It was musky and damp kind of like a cave on the seashore. I've never smelled anything like it before. I want to get two groups together and go check out the plantation for any signs of her. If we don't find any trace of her then we will start back at her apartment and look for more clues."
"I want to come with you." stated Wendy for the edge of the forest. She had apparently just gotten back from her lesson with Porlyuscia. "I kept telling you I thought something was wrong. I was able to get in Lucy's house last night it was bare. She left us, do you know why Loke?" Wendy had also caught the stranger's scent. However, she knew that the scent belonged to those that followed Zeref. Everyone was looking at Loke waiting for his answer.
"She told Virgo that she overheard a rumor about someone from her past, that they were looking for her. I don't know who it was or what kind of past they shared but I know that she must have been scared of him to just run off like this. She didn't even tell me what was going on. I didnt't learn about it until today when Virgo came to my home all panicked. Lucy was suppose to have gotten into contact with her yesterday so when she didn't..." He stopped talking as a gate opened up a few meters away from them. "Little sister, what are you doing here? Did she contact you?" He asked as Virgo stepped out.
"Big brother," she bowed to him before turning to the others. "The Celestial King requests all of your presence. Please change into these and then follow me through the portal." She handed everyone except Loke clothes from the celestial world. Then she went and stood by the gate with Loke at her side. "Big brother we sent some spirits to the plantation but there was no trace that she had been there. It was the king's orders; he kept repeating something about fulfilling the ancient prophecy." Finally it clicked in his mind, he knew exactly what was going on now. As the rest of the group emerged and ready to go they stepped through the portal just as Loke shifted back into Leo with his expensive suits.
He was surprised to find that the gate opened not in the town square but directly to the throne room where the king sat. "Greeting earth friends of Lucy and Loke. We have some important things that we must discuss concerning the disappearance of the young celestial wizard." He motioned for all of them to sit down before continuing. "Six thousand years ago the first celestial wizard made a prophecy about the future when our worlds would become one. About a celestial wizard and her spirit of courage joining the worlds as one. We have come to believe that this prophecy is coming true."
"Wait you think that Lucy and Loke are the two the prophecy talks about?" asked a skeptic Wendy. "How can they be talking about them? Besides I thought it was against celestial law for spirits and their wizards to have that kind of relationship."
"Ah you must be the Sky Maiden, Wendy Marvell. You were also mentioned, all of you were. Leo may I please show them?" The king held out his hand waiting. Loke approached the throne and handed over the heart locket that his mother had given him before her death. He wasn't sure how the king knew what it was but did as he had been instructed. "This locket holds the moment when the prophecy was made. Your mother was the first celestial wizard."
As the king opened the locket a beautiful young woman with golden hair emerged. "Hello Leo, my beautiful son. You have grown into a handsome man." Sh then turned to the king and bowed. "My king, Leon. Is it time?" He nodded his head indicating that she was to show them the truth. "My family is whole again, indeed it is time." She walked into the middle of the room and stood there before the scene changed. They were all standing by a hospital bed as she held a baby Leo close to her heart. Next to her stood a young spirit that greatly resembled him now. "This is the next king of the celestial world my love. He will follow in your footsteps you know."
"Leon, there will come a time when Leo will have to take your place not only as the courageous lion but as the king of this world. You must make sure he finds the celestial wizard, Lucy Heartfilia. She will be filled with unwavering compassion for her spirits and will do anything for them. There will be a day that a dark wizard, a follower of Zeref will hold her captive in a seaside cave. Together with his friends and human family they must rescue her. Their bond will be greater than ours could ever be. A bond so powerful that it will merge our two worlds together. Four dragon slayers of Fire, Sky, Iron, and Lightning will indicate the coming of days. They must help the prince rescue the princess before the demon lord can be reborn. You have three days until the blood moon rises and the ritual may be preformed."
And like that she was gone. Three days to locate the seaside cave and rescue Lucy. They had no clue as to where the cave was. Loke was furious that the king had never told him that he was his father; he had always thought that his father had abandoned him and his mother. "Is it true? Are you my father?" he asked him not even thinking about the others in the room. "Why did you abandon us?" However before he could get an answer he felt someone pulling through a gate back into the human world. He turned around and came face to face with Fairy Tail's guild master, Makarov Dreyar.
