'But Sirius,' interjected Wendy, 'why would your key bring up bad memories for you?'
Sitting on a park bench in the streets of Magnolia, Sirius sat with Wendy's arm around her shoulder and Plue sitting on her lap. She sighed sadly, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.
'It all started back when I was young….'
Flashback - Celestial Spirit World, 800 years ago
The Celestial sky shines brightly with all the stars of heaven, with planets and galaxies interwoven with multi coloured streams and trails of spiritual energy flashing across the sky in random and intricate patterns. The scene is broken by the sound of laughter and shouting.
'Come on Sirius! Come play with us!' Tucana, the toucan spirit called, while playing a chasing games with the other young spirits. He was a young boy, the loudest of the younger spirits, arrayed with toucan feathers. He was always the one to start up games, often inventing them himself and liked to make sure everyone had fun and no one was excluded. He and a few of his friends waved over at Sirius as they played power chase, a game like chasey with full use of any powers.
'I can't,' Sirius called back, shaking her wispy hair out of her face, 'maybe next time!'
'Siriuuussss,' complained Tucana, 'all you do is work! You need to have fun some time! I know you want your key, but most spirits don't get theirs until they are 300 at least! You need to take a break!'
'Sorry, maybe later,' Sirius replied with a smile, 'I am so close to mastering this I can taste it!'
Tucana rolled his eyes and grinned at her before turning back to his game.
Sirius returned to her efforts in practising her transformation. She really was getting better! She would prove to everyone that she was ready for the human world! She took a deep breath and glowed with silver magic, transforming into a powerful black dog and back again. A grin stretched across her face as it was her fastest transformation yet.
With that grin plastered on her face she ran all the way to the Celestial Palace. She was so excited that she cannonballed straight into Virgo, who was exiting the Great Hall.
'Ow!' She squealed as she fell backwards on her bottom, skidding across the floor of the courtyard.
'I'm sorry,' said Virgo with a blank expression. 'Can I help you Sirius?' she asked with the air of someone who knows the answer and is resigned to it.
'I'm ready for my gate key!' Sirius announced, jumping up off the ground.
Some of the other zodiac spirits were filtering out of the Great Hall behind Virgo after their meeting heard this and looked over.
'Isn't this the third time you have asked this week?' asked Aquarius nastily. 'Just face it honey you are not ready and begging us every day is not going to change that.'
'If I keep asking then you will say yes one day,' said Sirius, smiling, 'I have been training and training and I KNOW that I could handle it.'
'We just aren't sure if you are ready dear,' said Aries nervously.
'You are too young sweetheart,' said Cancer, 'maybe you could keep trying and come back in 20 years and we could…'
'No! Really! I can do it! Why don't you trust me!' said Sirius, beginning to look a little disheartened. 'I won't leave this time until I can see the Celestial King! You never let me ask HIM! I am not moving!' She folded her arms and stomped a foot on the ground for emphasis.
At that moment, Leo, leader of the zodiacs walked into the courtyard. Upon hearing Sirius' decree, he smiled slightly.
'Back again, Sirius?' he called loudly, catching the attention of all the spirits who begun to gather, watching the stubborn little girl with amusement.
'Leo!' she called back with a touch of surprise and hint of anger. 'I demand you let me see the King! You always send me away! But I am ready!'
'Ready are you?' asked Leo in a patronising tone slowly walking towards her. 'You have been declaring that for the last ten years! Trust me when I say that you are not.'
'What must I do to prove to you all that I am strong enough to handle myself?!'
'You know, there is not generally a test to be able to earn your key. All you need is a zodiac spirit to recommend you to the King. However, none of them are willing to do that for you. If you want to change my mind and prove that you are ready… You must defeat me in battle!'
There was a collective, almost inaudible gasp from the crowd of spirits that had gathered to watch the spectacle. Even the heads of the zodiac spirits snapped up, looking concerned when Leo said this.
'I will give you an option,' said Leo with a vicious smirk on his face, like a lion that had cornered his prey. 'You can leave now and continue to train. You will not come here constantly begging for your key and we will reassess your readiness in the usual way in fifty years. Or you can fight me now. If you win, I will recommend you to the Celestial King myself. If you lose you will leave and we will not reassess you for one hundred years. Think about how badly you want this and make the smart choice, Sirius.'
While all the other spirits seemed nervous about Leo's announcement, knowing that there was no way little Sirius could win, the spirit herself was watching Leo carefully, evaluating whether he was serious about his offer. Suddenly, her eyes shone with determination and she lowered herself into a fighting crouch.
Just as Leo was turning away with a smug expression on his face, believing to have won fifty years free of pestering, he heard Sirius shout 'You're on, Leo!' and turned back around to see the dog spirit sprinting towards him across the loose arena formed by the crowd of spectators.
Thanks for reading! I hope you like it. Please review - I really want to know how good or bad my story and writing is and if I should continue.
I think I should update my disclaimer - I don't own the Fairy Tail characters, but the others are mine: Sirius, Rosanna, Chrissie, Gwador and Tucana.
By the way, Tucana is a really a toucan constellation - the things you learn from random trivia.
