I apologize for the late update, I've been busy with starting college and finishing high school. Don't worry, everything is going fantastic! This chapter is a warmup for the next one, but it was fun to write. Enjoy!
"What is Laxus doing out there?" Master screeched and tore his hair with his fingers. The first master dangling her feet over the edge and watching the battle intently. From the viewer's perspective it appeared that Laxus was merely standing beside his opponent. No fighting was progressing, but yet he hardly moved.
"Obra. . " Lucy whispered, remembering how they had played dirty in this competition more than once. Perhaps he had something to do with it.
The guild stared down at the empty arena, the audience mumbling amongst themselves.
This isn't right. . .
The Raven Tail guild stood watching down as well, their eyes never moving. Which Lucy found odd in itself. Her eyes stumbled across Flare, who. . didn't seem to be moving. . . something was off.
This wasn't right.
Then suddenly, Laxus moved and struck his competitor before they once more were frozen. A gasp went through the audience.
"It's an illusion.. . " The first master whispered. And after a long growl a plume of dust whipped up into the air, blocking their vision of the field. Everyone started shouting as the particles cleared, revealing Laxus barely standing and a group of people around him.
Raven Tail's members! The holograms above faded from where the guild members had been standing.
Laxus had beat them.
The announcers looked shocked.
"Ehhhhhhhhhh?!" They chorused and stammered to come up with a solution.
Raven Tail would finally get what they deserved.
"Raven Tail is disqualified for breaking the combat rules!" They shouted and the audience went wild.
Fairy Tail was awarded points and the guild broke out cheering! Laxus smiled and raised his hand in the fairy tail symbol and everyone began raising their hands up.
The audience chorused for Fairy Tail, they were gaining on the others. They would be the number one guild in Fiore again!
But Lucy felt anguish. . . the need for revenge. Although Laxus had defeated Flare for her. She still couldn't get the thought out of her head.
"blondieeeeeeeee just stay down." Her voice cackled.
Lucy shook her head. She just needed to stay calm.
"Lucy. . are you alright?" Natsu questioned and she snapped her head up to look toward him. 'yeah. ." She answered and forced a smile.
When she turned her head to look downwards, a wicked smile twisted across her lips.
A chance.
A chance to get revenge.
Her shoulders shook as she laughed quietly, her brown eyes watching as Laxus held his hands outwards as though to embrace the applause of the crowd.
To cover her amusement, she began to clap.
She would get that wench.
Flare scooted along the alleyway in her crooked style of walking. Her hair was tangled and a few bruises and gashes lay about her arms, but were unable to be seen in the shadows of the night. Windows lay open above her and cast dim rays below to light her way.
"Stupid. . ." Whispered the redhead and covered her elbows with her hands.
Her footsteps clopped and she shrunk against herself. It was cold tonight.
The games were the final straw, and the guild was disbanded.
She took the hit for that one.
She giggled to herself quietly and reached the end of the alley and sat down. She had no where to go. Well, for tonight anyways. So she would get up in the morning and get in search for something else for her to do for lodgings. Money. Food. . .necessities. She shivered and pressed her back against the brick wall. A piece of newspaper dusted against the ground and she pulled her knees up to her chest.
She let her eyes slowly close but .. a sound caught her attention.
Gently, she looked upwards.
A figure stood in the gathering mist of the night. It stood at the end of the alleyway. It was tall and loomed in the darkness. And it moved. Slow at first. The armor clinking together. Heavy. Like a giant's footsteps. Flare slunk down. She was tired after today's battle. And she just wanted to hide. The sound of metal was dragged from its sheath and finally the figure came into light.
"Blondieeee?" Flare whispered and stood up to meet the female.
But there was no recognition in her eyes. Just empty, brown, irises. She pointed her key directly toward her and a faint glow emerged from her body. She glittered in the night and her aura grew stronger and stronger. Mirages of her spirits slowly crept to her side and glowered down at Flare as the wind around them picked up.
"Lucy?" Flare shouted out and held her hair from her eyes. She was panicked.
And a force tore through Flare's body. An invisible power, the equivalent to a sword a thousand times over.
And everything stopped.
There was silence as Flare fell to the ground. She wheezed and gagged as blood danced across her tastebuds.
And then she felt a foot on her back, smashing her into the concrete.
"Stay down." Lucy hissed. Flare gasped at her words that she had said earlier in the tournament.
She heard the noise of a blade being drawn.
"What if I take away your magic?" She questioned quietly.
Lucy reached down to snag Flare's hair up into the air.
"No!" Flare shouted and flailed about on the ground. Silent filled the air as Lucy swung her blade and removed her hair from her head.
"No!" Flare shouted again, a sob bursting from her lips.
With a final kick to her side that sent her into tears, Lucy turned to leave. But with a final glance backward.
She thought to herself.
Revenge. . is bitter sweet.
Sting paged through the book again. Following Lucy's instructions.
"You're reading?" Rogue snickered and untucked his collar and began undoing the buttons.
"I have to." Sting muttered and ran his finger over the detailed drawing. It depicted a woman in the center of the page with a key laced into her chest where her heart would be.
He tilted his head.
"You don't have to." Rogue sighed. He was still in the dark about everything that had just happened. Last he had known, Lucy had healed Sting and left him woundless. But a mysterious insignia now was upon his side.
He turned another page and ignored Rogue.
His curiosity was killing him, but the problem was, no one knew what was going on. It was a mystery.
Hold on.
He stared at the illustration.
There were three people on the bottom and the same drawing of the girl as before. His eyes darted toward the bottom of the page.
Celestial Knights.
The inscription was scrawled in a messy hand. The page was old and yellowed and appeared as though it was going to fall apart. He ran his hand over the drawing again and closed the book. He pulled the covers up to his chin and tried to force himself to sleep.
"What are you doing Sting?" Rogue questioned.
His eyes narrowed.
What was wrong with him.
"Sleeping." He snapped and turned over to place a pillow over his head to block out Rogue.
"It's only six o'clock."
"So, I'm tired."
"eh?"
"Shut up."
"You kidnapped that girl!" The king shouted and hunted after the general. His pointed nose stood out from his face as he narrowed his eyes.
"It is merely the princess's orders." He turned his head and continued to walk away.
"It's for the kingdom's well being."
"Commander!" The King stamped his scepter against the ground and lowered his voice.
"Do not let this get out of hand."
He nodded his head but continued to walk ahead.
His cape swished around his ankles and he turned the corner.
"we just need a celestial mage." His voice faded out into his surroundings.
". . . Lucy."
She awoke from her dreams with a sharp intake of breath. Her hands. . .they felt. . wet. Slowly she crawled out of bed and rubbed at her head with her fingertips. She just wanted to sleep. That was all. The others lay asleep around her and the moonlight washed the room in a gentle white hue. She moved slowly across the ground toward the window and pushed it open. Lucy crept out quietly into the balcony.
And that was when she noticed.
That her hands were stained with red.
She glanced up and a glimmering Loki met her eyes.
He slowly appeared into the real world and reached out to her with a comforting smile.
"Lucy. . ." he whispered and glanced into the room where the others lay asleep.
"I've found something. . .the Celestial King." His voice slipped into her ears and she immediately stood in shock. The King had returned?
She closed her eyes and felt the key opening the door to the Celestial world. Her mind danced alongside the fluffy clouds and the golden opens that surrounded the place around her in hues of purple and dark blue.
The King sat upon his throne and watched her as her spirit moved closer to him and she looked up to capture his eyes.
"Lucy!" His voice sounded through the open air. Her eyes flicked from Loki back to the King.
"Your majesty." She responded with a nod of her head.
"I have heard you have news of my. . situation."
He slowly moved his hand to the left with great power and force.
His index finger pointed beyond the gates and into the unknown.
"the answers you seek lay far beyond the Gates and into the surroundings." His voice boomed and he lowered his head.
"I cannot tell you what you must discover on your own!" He announced and turned his head in disinterest.
"Leave me." he commanded and Lucy took that as her cue to go.
"Thank You your majesty." She quickly managed to say and began to stalk off in that direction.
"Lucy!" Loki followed behind her and hardly could keep up with her pace.
"Slow down would you?" He grabbed her arm and turned her about once they were away from the sight.
"Do you even know what's out there?"
His cheeks were slightly flushed and his glasses hung limply from the bridge of his nose. But his brow creased in a way that indicated he was worried for her.
"It's the 'unknown'" She motioned with her fingertips in quotation marks.
"of course I don't know."
"Well at least let me come with you." He walked beside her as the gentle purple clouds and stars faded away into darker plainer shades.
"of course." She responded, keeping her eyes peeled.
"I'm just curious as to how far we have to search before we can find it."
"What are we even looking for?" She questioned and tightened the ponytail within her hair.
"I'm guessin-" Loki growled as he encountered a barrier that forced him backwards.
"Lucy?" He questioned and raised his hands up against the invisible wall in confusion.
"What is this?"
Lucy passed through the wall to go to his side and soon realized that it was a barrier Celestial spirits could not pass through. Loki sighed and backed away from the wall.
"I guess.. . you're on your own." He mumbled sadly and kicked at the ground with his foot.
"At least. ..call that Sting guy to help you or something." He sulked and met her eyes.
"Will you be okay without Lucy?" He spoke up and searched her eyes.
She smiled faintly.
"I'll come back in one piece." She promised and slowly closed her eyes to call Sting from where ever he was. . she would be powerless in a place like this.
For a brief moment she thought of calling Natsu. . but then decided that he was too far away from the matter.
This was between Celestial spirits, mages, and people involving them. Not a fire mage.
She thought slow and hard and extended her mind to his.
He was asleep.. .
"Sting. . ." her voice crawled into his mind. He slowly woke and sat up within his dream to look at her figure in the darkness. She stood, appearing younger than usual as though she was within her middle years of high school. Perhaps he was the same. He looked down at his hands to see they had shrunk.
Yep.
"What do you need, Lucy?" He questioned and rubbed at his eyes to wake himself. "I've found something." She tilted her head.
"That might explain everything."
He sighed and moved closer to her with a nod of his head.
"Fine. Lead the way."
He lowered his body down to her so she could simply reach up and touch his forehead. And she brought him with her into the Celestial World.
Sting shook his head and glanced down at what he was wearing. The surroundings this time were different than when he had came last time. His clothing was a simple blue shirt that buttoned in the front with brass accessories and plain pants. Lucy's attire was more extravagant and paired with her armor.
She glanced to him and narrowed her eyes.
"Stop looking at me like that. This is serious."
He pouted and looked away toward the orange haired boy that stood helplessly behind a pale wall. He sniffed. The boy smelt weird to him. Was he the same one from before?
"take care of Lucy." Loki told him, his eyes narrowed.
"I'll kill you if you don't."
Sting snorted.
"You?"
"Stop fighting." Lucy snapped and started walking ahead.
"Where are we even going?" He questioned and lowered his hands into his pockets.
"Into the outlands of the Celestial World." She stated and looked back at him.
"The Celestial King said we would find answers out here."
'Ah." of course he did.
They wandered. The terrain roughened into upturned stones and roots littered the path. Odd tree-like formations shifted every which way above them and moved their grey limbs within the nonexistent wind.
Lucy stiffened.
Up ahead she noticed the path ended, and the sky just lay beneath them. And orange, empty sky, all around the stones. The stones? They emerged from under the trees into an open field like surrounding that dropped off. The scraps of ruins lay in front of them.
"Look at that. . ." Sting mumbled and wandered just a little closer.
A pebble was kicked across the ground and scuttled off the edge into the open sky below. Lucy peered over the edge.
"oh geez"
"check it out." Sting called out. Lucy turned his way.
On the one side of the stone lay a few stenciled engravings of an illustration.
"Part of that was in the book." He mumbled and looked around.
"look at this?" Lucy turned about to face another stone.
"In accordance to the legend, a Celestial Erne will arise in time of peril and summon three Celestial knights to accommodate her power and protect the citizens.
She glanced at Sting.
"Celestial Knights?"
He smirked.
"I like that title."
"so. ..is that what you are?"
"I guess so." They sat in silence before a soft scratching noise caught their attention.
"What the hell!" Sting shouted as a pair of fangs dug into his ankle. Small black creatures spiraled up from the rocks with hungry mouths. They hissed and corralled Lucy and Sting into the center of the stones.
"Um. .that wasn't in my job requirement." Sting lowered his hands to the ground and a few bolts of lightening blocked away a few creatures. But the magic bounced from them.
"it doesn't work in his section of the Celestial world!"
"we have to go back!" Lucy shouted and pressed her head to his just as the creatures leapt to finish the job.
They disappeared into the dream once more.
