Summary: Her mother gave her a scroll signed in blood and bound with magic. Both a blessing and a curse. Years flew by and she soon became something that monsters, even demons, feared. Lucy Heartfilia – Keeper of the Stars.


Keeper of the Stars

Part One: Childhood

Chapter Nine

By the time Lucy and Aquarius had arrived at the mansion, Virgo had already dressed and cleaned Layla's wounds.

The entire mansion was in a panicked bustle with maids carrying towels and bowls of warm water towards the Lord and Lady's room, and butlers using a variety of communication lacrimas trying to get into contact with doctors and nurses.

Aquarius put Lucy down as she eyed the red-headed woman ordering the servants of the household around.

"You! Calm the hell down! Your freaking out is helping nobody! We need to find the heiress and make sure she's safe!" Arcutures shouted at several maids who had done nothing but cry and panic since seeing the sight of their beloved Lady Heartfilia.

"Oi. Arcutures. The brat's right here." Aquarius narrowed her eyes at the red-headed woman, the underlying Why the fuck weren't you with her being left unsaid by her mouth but made clear by her narrowed eyes.

Arcutures took one look at Lucy, analysing her features and noticing the tear tracks that had dried up on her face, before turning and narrowing her eyes right back at the mermaid.

"She…disappeared a couple minutes before her father left the Konzern on a business trip." 'I was certain that she hadn't gotten far, I was sending off her father before I was going to find her.' Aquarius scoffed at the reply and rolled her eyes as she muttered about one less nuisance to worry about.

"Hello Miss Lucy, I don't believe we have met. My name is Arcutures. Arcutures Black. I believe I am to be one of your tutors?" Arcutures knelt down before Lucy and extended her left hand forward in the gesture of a handshake.

"H-Hello, Miss Arcutures. It's a pleasure to meet you." Lucy curtsied before grabbing a hold of the hand in front of her, jumping in shock as she felt a brief pulse of magic tickle the insides of her hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, young miss. And please, call me Arc." Lucy's eyes widened and she giggled as Arcutures winked at her, knowing she had to have been the reason behind her still tingling hand.

Aquarius, ignored the exchange before her, and set her sights on the sneering tutor Tullius and waited.

Slowly, as though he could feel the weight of her stare, Tullius turned his gaze from the young red-headed woman and blonde child in front of him, to the burning sensation that a pair of narrow blue eyes left on his skin.

As Aquarius locked eyes with human man before her, she narrowed her gaze and flared her magic, threateningly.

Tullius, a grown man well within his own rights, had gotten scared shitless at the sight of the furious mermaid staring him down.

He felt her gaze penetrate him and, as if she was stripping his skin from his flesh, his flesh from his bone, he damn near wet himself in fear.

"…Tch." Aquarius' upper lip curled at the sight of the pathetic excuse of a man and she sneered as he turned tail and ran like a dog with its tail between his legs.

'Pathetic, fucking human.' Aquarius caught the gaze of Arcutures and raised an eyebrow in question but the red-head, who had felt the magical flare and what could only be killing intent, chuckled in response.

"Come with me, Miss Lucy, I can take you to your mother. I'm sorry but Lord Heartfilia has left the Konzern on business and has said he won't be in until tomorrow." Lucy frowned lightly at the mention of her father but quickly recovered and grabbed at Arcutures' hand.

"Okay, thank you Miss Arc." Arcutures smiled at the little girl and gently led her towards the very stair case that the young girl had almost blown up earlier that day.

"Um, aren't you coming with us Aquarius?" Lucy paused mid-step, as did Arcutures, as she turned her head and tilted it inquiringly at the floating celestial spirit.

"Tch. Just get a move on, brat." The blue-haired mermaid rolled her eyes and disappeared in a shimmer of gold.

"Hmph. She always was one for dramatics." Arcutures muttered as she adjusted her glasses with her empty hand.

"Yeah, but that's just Aquarius! That's just how she is." Lucy smiled big at Arcutures and giggled at the thought of the dramatic, temperamental celestial spirit.

"Hey! What the hell are you all still doing standing there?! Scram!" The fiery red-head shouted at the servants loitering about the hallways, flushing slightly as little Lucy giggled at the sight of the usually stoic servants, frantically running away from the angry woman holding her hand.

"Say, Miss Arc?" Lucy lightly squeezed the woman's hand, trying to get her attention.

"Um, I know I'm not supposed to blow things up, but sometimes it just happens when I uh lose control of my um magic and…well…I noticed you and Mr. Tullius walking up the staircase earlier today and so I hid on the windowpane, behind the drapes and…well…oh, um. Never mind." Lucy trailed off but at the gentle squeeze and encouraging nudge from the older woman, she took a deep breath and continued on.

"Well, Mr. Tullius was being a big fat meanie, and I was really sad and angry but all I wanted was Mama, and um Mr. Tullius, he made me even more sad and angry with his meanie voice and words and well uh…I um…I was wondering…um…" Understanding took over Arcutures face as Lucy spoke of Tullius.

'Well, that explains why the mermaid was pissed at the pitiful fool.' Arcutures mentally snorted at the thought but raised an eyebrow questioningly as Lucy had stopped and stood stock still at the middle of the staircase and stared out the window, quietly finishing off her sentence.

"How…is this side of the house not…all…wrecked? I've gotten pretty upset before, when mama wasn't around, and I made papa angry. I…accidentally blew up the door to mama and papas room because I just…wanted to see her…papa was so mad, he called me…useless. He said magic was bad and horrible…and he…tried to stop me from using magic…" Arcutures felt her blood boil as her eyes narrowed, listening to the young girl, she knew she didn't like the pompous fool for a reason.

But as she looked down at the young girl and squeezed her hand reassuringly, she was disheartened to see that Lucy was biting her lip rather harshly, not to mention Arcutures didn't like the tone of the young girl's voice, it almost sounded like…

'Self-hatred? And she made her papa angry? Who claims that magic is bad? Fucking pompous fool!' Blue eyes narrowed even more at the thought of Jude Heartfilia and his ridiculous beliefs on magic and before she knew it, she was kneeling down on the ground, tilting the chin of the child in front of hers up so that they could lock eyes.

"Miss Lucy, let me share something with you." Arcutures could feel her heart stutter at the bright brown doe eyes of little Lucy Heartfilia.

'It's far too early to tell her…however, I can reassure her.' Thinking determinedly to herself, Arcutures took a deep breath and spoke to Lucy with as much earnest as she could muster.

"Magic, is the most beautiful thing in the world that somebody can have. Magic is like…freedom for your soul. Sort of. Now, don't listen to your father's foolish ideologies about magic, okay? Because you are strong, and powerful, and magical. So don't let anyone, not me, not Tullius and most certainly not your father, tell you otherwise." Lucy's eyes grew wide at every word spoken to her and she briefly felt so incredibly…warm.

"Yes, it can be destructive, but it can also be healing too. The way you intentionally wield your magic is what matters most. And who says destruction is a bad thing, huh?" Arcutures chuckled at the thought.

That's twice today that somebody, other than her mother and Spetto, had gone out of their way to reassure the young girl and so Lucy smiled, because even though she didn't have friends, and even though she felt like her father hated her, she could tell that she wasn't alone because now she had Miss Arcutures to add to her list that only previously consisted of hers and her mamas celestial spirits.

"That's actually why I'm here, Miss Lucy. Lady Heartfilia herself…asked me to…educate you. Of sorts. On Magic. More specifically, celestial magic." And as soon as the words 'celestial magic' left Arcutures mouth, Lucy's eyes lit up in anticipation and excitement.

Lucy started to hum and literally bounce on the balls of her feet and Arcutures smiled in amusement at the sight of the excited young girl.

"And as for this stair case still being in one piece? I'll let you in on a little secret." Arcutures smirked at the young girl and cupped her hands between them.

"My magic, is a special magic, that can only be used on Celestial Magic." She pulsed magic into her hands and created an orb of soft glowing light.

"I can absorb any kind of Celestial Magic and lock it away inside a container inside me to be used at a later date or sometimes not even at all! I absorbed your raw magical energy just in time before things went…well…boom!" As Arcutures said that, the small orb in her hands flew into the air, formed a five pointed star and popped into miniature fireworks above them.

"Do you see what I mean about magic being absolutely beautiful, Miss Lucy?" Lucy laughed joyfully as the magic residue fluttered around her like glitter.

"Uh-huh, Miss Arc! I hope one day I can do pretty things like that!" Arcutures laughed at the young girl, affectionately ruffling her hair as she did so.

"I'm sure one day you will. Now, come along Miss Lucy, I'm certain your mother is feeling better by now." At the mention of her mother, Lucy quieted down and grabbed a hold of her tutor's hand again.

"Thank you…Miss Arcutures." Lucy smiled a dimpled smile up at her tutor who smiled back at her.

"Anytime, Miss Lucy. Anytime." Squeezing her hand gently, the red-headed woman led the young girl down the hallways.

Together they walked, hand in hand, with smiles on their faces and light in their hearts.

But it wouldn't last for long and as they made their way down the hallway and towards the healing room, Arcutures couldn't help but shake the feeling that this was only the calm before the storm.

C.C.