Hello everyone!

Here comes chapter 14! The interlude between the prologue arc and the next arc!

Thanks for everyone who reviewed and liked this story. Your support really keeps me pump out and give me energy to finish this. Unfortunately for me, this is just about the starting line T-T A Never Ending Tale is a series I planned to complete with five books (at the very least) so . . .

Oh right! Speaking of reviews, one of you asked me this: "Why didn't Andromeda's "Prison Chain" break when Jorta used her Wind Cards to attack?"

Well, I thought I had already explained that in Chapter 11, but just in case. . . Prison Chain is a defensive mode where Andromeda's chains would form like a dome similar to that of a classical bird cage. She could control the chains as if it had it's own will, so when an enemy attacked head on (w/o any form of caution), she could easily bend them in an instant and wrap the enemy with her chains, binding him to the prison chain and robbing him of freedom to move.

This, together with Jorya's wind magic cards was very effective in all of the battles she had. There were gaps in between those chains where Jorya's wind cards could easily slip through. Andromeda could move her chains like an extension of her arms, so this combination with Jorya worked really well.

. . *. O. *. .

Verse XIV
A Night without the Light of Stars

Little Lucy had a nightmare. Her mother was gone, everyone left her. She was all alone. She was surrounded by pitch black darkness. Cold and alone, she couldn't even hear anything. The silence was deafening.

Such coldness. . . She was surrounded by darkness. No one was beside her, she was all alone.

She would wake up full of sweat and unable to move. Always, every week, she would have the same dream over and over again. The repetition and vividness of this nightmare had caused her to fear the dark.

"No! Please, can't I sleep with the lights on?" Little Lucy would plead every single night. Her nightmares worsen whenever it was dark.

Ms. Supetto sighed. "Little miss, I told you that it would become a bad habit if you sleep with the lights on. How can you get rid of your fear if you never face it?" she would explain. The bill was never a problem, but it might be bad if she kept this up. It would be better if she could get rid of her fear immediately.

"Lucy, what's wrong?"

Layla visited her that night to help soothe her fears. Ms. Supetto had enough of her cries and turned to her mother for help.

Lucy was on her bed as she looked at her mother pleadingly. "Can I sleep with the lights on? I can't sleep in the dark!"

Her mother sat at the side of the bed. "Really? Why?"

"B-Because I'm scared," she covered half her face with her blanket, a bit shy to admit it.

Layla patted her head. "You're afraid of the dark?" she touched her bottom lip with her pointer finger as she thought up an idea. "Hmm. . . How about I tell you a story?"

Lucy brightened up. "You are going to tell me a story?" she asked excitedly. When she was younger, her mother used to read her stories every night but then her mother's health began to deteriorate so the stories being read to her became less and less.

Her mother smiled.

"Now, the story I'm going to tell you is about a man who loves the light" she told her. Lucy nodded as she eagerly listened.

"Once upon a time, in the vast lands of an unknown land, there was a young man who was born with great talent and strength. At such a young age, he became a scholar on the school of magic established by the wise men and had revolutionized the theories and arts of magic known by man" her mother started.

"Now, this young man was not only given with great talent, he was also gifted with a kind heart. He would help those who are in helpless, protect those who are weak, and enlighten those who are lost. This boy was a man of light. He loves all the living things and the creatures under it. He follows his Light because he believed in its goodwill and justice."

"He's a really great person" Lucy commented, imagining a very cool looking hero who would always save the day.

"Yes, he is" her mother agreed with a small smile. There was that strange look on her eyes, as if it was filled with sense of sadness. "But this man has one great flaw. . ."

She frowned. ". . . Flaw? How could such a great person have a flaw?"

"It's because this man was so great and a good person that it became his flaw. The man loves the light so much that he despised the darkness or anything that tainted it. He hated it so much that he wanted to erase it from the world. He doesn't realize that it was a bad idea though."

Lucy was surprised at that. "How can erasing darkness be bad!?"

Her mother smiled. "Lucy, the light and dark were just two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. They form a balance. Everything must have an opposite of them as with sun and moon, winter and summer, death and life."

"I don't get it . . ." the child admitted, screwing up her face in confusion.

"There will come a time when you will," Her mother chuckled and continued the story. "One day, he decided to get rid of it. He gathered all the darkness around the world, hoping to erase it as a whole, leaving only light to remain in the world. He hadn't anticipated the vastness of the darkness on the world though. Slowly but surely, he changed."

Lucy gasped.

Layla continued her story. "Each person has both light and dark inside them but as he gathered the darkness around the world, his own light faded out. He became different. From the man who loves light, he became a person who only hates the darkness. He destroyed anything he deemed as evil and impure."

"Isn't it good that he only targets the evil ones? He's still good, right?" her child asked worriedly.

She shook her head. "There's a difference between love and hate. In his campaign against the darkness he despised, he forgot about love and was only filled with hate. The darkness was just too much for a single person. His own light was then taken as an exchange."

"Why did that happen? Is the darkness too strong for people?" her child was aghast.

"No, Lucy. It's not because of the darkness being too strong" her mother said but Lucy wasn't reassured with the story. "But a good man turned evil! Evil won!" she wailed at her mother.

"Lucy, I said that everyone had light and dark that fights inside people. It always fought with each other inside of us. What matters is who to choose, the light or the darkness" her mother explained.

"But. . ." Lucy still felt bad for the man. "What happened to him?" she asked out of curiosity.

Her mother looked out at the window. "That man became too lost in darkness. As he took in the darkness of the world, he became evil. Now that he couldn't see the light, his views had changed. He deemed that everything on earth was cruel and dark. He especially judged that it was humanity who was the root of chaos and despair. He was still on his quest to destroy evil, and thought that the only way to fight darkness was with darkness. His belief became twisted as he sank deeper and deeper into despair that he made. He delved into the forbidden arts of magic. He created demons and terrible dark spells. He took many lives and caused great devastation on earth."

"So heroes came to stop him, right?" Lucy guessed. She had already known the routes of stories like this would usually take. Whenever there was a villain, there would always be heroes from the opposing side. In the end, the heroes would always win. She thought it was the man who was the hero, but this time, it turned out that he was the villain.

Her mother looked at her. "That's right. As time passed by, the heroes chosen by light stood up together and fought the man. Their hearts were of goodness and were as bright and warm as sun. They fought for justice and the goodwill of Light. By connecting the feelings of everyone, they became powerful enough to oppose the darkness the man had created" she said.

"The feelings of everyone . . . did you mean the 'One Magic'?" she asked as she remembered.

Layla was proud that her daughter remembered that. "That's right. Very good, you remembered. One Magic, the true origin of all magic, is the most powerful magic a person can possess. Everyone have it in their hearts, they just got to find it."

Little Lucy giggled, "It is Love, right? It is the most powerful feeling of all that binds everyone together." She would always brighten up whenever her mother talked about magic. It was like being brought to a fantastical adventure.

"Yes. Sadly though, not everyone could see it. Some would hide that at the depths of their hearts, in an abyss where no one could reach in hopes to protect their selves. . ."

'Just like that man in this tale. . .' Lucy thought. She still felt bad about the ending the man had. "The man became evil even if he loves the light. Does that mean that the darkness is too strong? How can I fight it then? Am I just supposed to accept it?"

Her mother patted her head. "No, Lucy. It's not because the darkness is too strong that he became evil, it's because he threw away his own light and forgotten love. I said that you can choose what you wanted to be and he was so absorbed in his hatred that he chose darkness. . ."

"You said' forgotten'," she interrupted. "Once, you have told me, that there will come a time for those who were lost to be found, and the memories forgotten shall be one day remembered in due time. You always told me that everyone deserved a second chance. . . What about that man? Didn't he deserve it too? He just fallen once, couldn't he rise up again? Did he really die in vain, in the depths of darkness because he pursued to fight it? He was once full of light, that's just too sad . . . If someone lost his light, will no one come to save him? Didn't that just mean that darkness is too scary?"

Her mother smiled at her complaints and questions. She patted her head. "My dear little Lucy, you don't have to worry. The man didn't die."

She blinked. "Really?"

Layla nodded. "Yes. The heroes joined forces, their hearts brimming with the glory of light and love of the world. Seeing them, the man was reminded of who he once was, and the light he once had. He stopped his desire of chaos and destruction and decided to leave, watching humanity from the distance to protect them from the creatures of darkness."

Lucy smiled in joy and relief. "So the man lived happily ever after?"

Layla paused in hesitation. Her daughter looked at her with eyes full of wonder.

". . . Yes. The man found a fairy and he fell in love with her. . ." she told her, the smile plastered still on her face.

"A fairy!? Wow! He must be lucky to see a fairy!" Little Lucy became excited at hearing that. Fairies were always mysterious creatures in her mother's tales. They were the powerful creatures who usually live in flowers and forests. They have the power to fly, control the nature, and predict the future.

Her mother looked at the sky outside her window. "That fairy became that person's new light, bringing him happiness he never thought he would have again. . ."

Lucy tilted her head to the side, her mother looked strange somehow. ". . . Mama?"

Her mother walked to the window and opened it, letting the cool night air come to her. She turned back and sat beside her, looking at her with her usual smile.

"Now, to answer your question" she shifted her daughter so that she would be sitting on her lap. She wouldn't leave her daughter with any room of doubt that would make her fear the darkness because the day would come where she had to fight it. "Do you see the sky at the window?"

Lucy looked up at her glass window to see the clear night sky.

"The sky was full of darkness right? Do you find yourself afraid of it?" her mother leaned her head at her own. She thought about it. "Not from here" she told her. For some reason, she found herself not afraid of it. But she was sure she fears the dark though.

Her mother chuckled at her answer. "Look at the stars. They were surrounded by darkness but they chose to shine bright. They illuminate the night sky along with the moon to light the way on the people down on earth."

Lucy looked at the bright twinkling stars in the sky, her own eyes reflected them. "These stars continue to shine their light even when they were surrounded by darkness. Just like these stars that continue to shine at night, a person's pure good heart would also continue to shine against the darkness."

"The stars are not afraid?" she asked her mother in wonder. She pointed at them, "Look, they were quite far away from each other, doesn't that make them alone in darkness?"

Her mother thought about it. "Maybe yes, maybe no. There are lots of different stars. However, all of them choose to shine against the darkness. Their own light connected with each other and reached the hearts of everyone."

She was amazed at that. "I want to be like a star!" she told her mother. Unlike the man who lost against the darkness once, she would continue to shine and guide the people who were lost in darkness.

Her mother hugged her, her eyes were filled with sadness but she won't let her daughter see it. "That's good. Walk the path of light, don't falter against the darkness."

What this little mage didn't know was there was another side of the story . . . a truly twisted tale for the fate this man had to suffer. Layla Heartfilia didn't want her daughter to know of such a sad and tragic tale.

The man who had loved the light and the good of this world had once sought to protect it even if it cost him his life. However, with the cruel hands of Fate, his precious Light . . . the person he held dear the most . . . was taken away from him by Ankhselam's cold scythe. If only that never happened . . . then maybe all of the chaos and destruction wouldn't have transpired. If that never happened, then maybe the young man wouldn't have delved into the forbidden magic of life and death. If that never happened. . . then he wouldn't have received the Curse of Contradiction that would have made him suffer for eternity.

The man who was once a follower of Light had now been trapped in the cold clutches of Darkness. He would never have the chance to walk on the path of Light again. As long as he loved, he would take away all life. He had to throw away the love he had for all life in order to keep the world safe. . . Yet, throwing away the love he had for all life would endanger the world with his powers.

Worst of all, he was granted immortality. Forever he must live in darkness or isolation. He must live in regret and loneliness or in anger and frustration. Never must he love again and gain anything of importance or else he would lose them all. The man was unfortunately destined to walk the path of chaos and destruction.

But Fate had more in store for him.

As if the world had taken pity of him, the man had met a fairy. The fairy was an innocent creature, full of light and hope of the future. For the long years the man had lived, she was the first ever person to approach him. With her warm smile and eyes that twinkle like stars, she showed him back to the world of light.

With her by his side, he learned again the meaning of love.

However, he should have known. Fate was a really cruel jester. As the man finally started to learn how to live happily despite his curse, She played a cruel trick on him.

She gave the same curse to his beloved fairy. . .

For two birds of the same feather should be together . . . She said, but that wasn't all. For a story of Fate wouldn't be complete without its twist.

Two immortals cursed by the same Fate. The fairy, who had accepted the man and his curse, promised a future where they would get out of the curse. With a vow that they would walk together, hand by hand, she returned his love.

The Abyss of Magic, the beginning of everything, such is the unifying magic, Love.

For Love makes miracles. . .

And, at times, it is also capable of calamities . . .

And with Her twisted sick taste, Fate played another cruel joke on him. . .

The love of these two, afflicted with the Curse of Contradiction . . .

Brought forth one final contradiction. . .

The curse that causes one to steal life the more one loves it . . .

. . . Had stolen away the life of his beloved fairy, even when she was supposed to be immortal.

That is the story of the cursed boy and his fairy. His love . . . his sadness . . . they were what would bring the whole world to darkness.

-:-

Lucy Heartfilia woke up in the middle of the night. Wind gently blew at her window.

Her eyes narrowed. In the shadows of her room, she felt a presence of the stranger.

"Who's there?"

In the corner of the room was a shadow of a cloaked figure. The night was still and quiet as if holding its breath. The shadow stepped out, his steps the only sound echoing in this quiet night.

"Greetings, Lucy-sama. I had come here to pick you up. . ."

This person . . . She felt the stranger's power was not normal. Her heart hammered at her chest, she wasn't sure if she could take out this guy with her strength alone. Instinctively, her hands went to clutch her celestial keys. "Pick me up? And what do you want from me?"

It felt like something was stuck at her throat. But she had to swallow her fear, the stranger in front of her was emitting a very dangerous aura.

". . . We need your strength, this world's Celeste. Your celestial keys are our only way . . ."

Her eyes widened. "My keys? What do you want with my keys!?"

Instincts screamed at her, she won't be able to take this guy. She's still recovering and only a third of her magic was regained. Her hands shook as her grip tightened around her key. Leo. . . a wild idea came to her. The Lion's key was already used up, so she won't be able to summon him. If that's the case . . .

She removed his key from the rest. If he's after the Celestials then . . .

Lucy glared at him. "I don't know who you are . . . but I won't let you get your hands on my keys so easily! I open thee, Gate of the Goat, Capricorn!"

Whoosh. . .

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?"

Her summoning was blocked. The stranger's stretched out hand stayed still in the air.

"I'm sorry. But you are already inside of my space. You cannot use any of your spatial magic here. . ."

She glared at him, her hand reaching for her whip beside her table. "What do you plan to do with my keys?" Activating Fleuve d'étoiles, she jumped and whipped at the stranger, planning to entangle him. However, as soon as the whip wrapped around the cloaked figure, the stranger vanished into wisps of darkness . . . as if the person was made of darkness itself. . .

"I suggest you stop. Your struggle is futile."

The stranger appeared at her back. She turned to retaliate at him but it was too late. An unseen force took hold of her, stopping her movements. She gritted her teeth in an effort to break free, however the force holding her just tightened. She yelped in pain as she fell to the ground. The stranger just stood there, watching her curled in pain, struggling as the force binding her kept tightening and tightening. She glared at him.

"Ugh . . . N-Nat . . . su. . ."

"We are already in a separated space. Even if you shout for help, no one will hear you from here."

"You . . . just . . . who . . . are you?"

Darkness seemed to gather around the stranger, creeping out of him from the floor into the walls and into the ceiling. Slowly, steadily, they reach up to her, ready to welcome her to the bottomless darkness.

"I am but a servant of Night. . . And you . . ."

The stranger stood there as her escort.

"You shall be our needed sacrifice to return the Light in our starless sky."

. . . o . . .

End of Chapter

So here you go. Hope you enjoy it. I promised to tell you the full story of The Man who Loves the Light on an extra chapter (which I planned to be after the Celestial Village arc). This is my nod to the manga, although I did add a bit of my own twist and head canon on the tale. I wanna show that Layla had already known the story of a certain someone. If you didn't know who the tale was pertaining to, you need to update yourself with the latest chapters.

PS: Just so you know, so far, this fic is behind in votes on which story would you like to be priority on my profile :)