A.N.:

Evil I know, but it's been a few chapters since I had a good cliffhanger!

-I don't own Fairy Tail!

-UM


Her heart beat echoed off the trees.

Or maybe she was imagining it?

The increasing, THRUMP-DUH-DUH-THRUMP-DUH-DUH, seemed too loud to be confined to her head.

Darkness surged around her vision and her throat constricted.

She was frightened.

Erza had said she wouldn't remember. That none of the stolen mages had. Mages from all over Earthland had no idea who took them, why should she be any different?

Lucy gritted her teeth and slowly moved her hand to rest on her keys.

Why should she know him as the leader of those who took her?

Why should she remember his orb and the pain it inflected?

Why should she let him scare her?

She tightened her hand on her keys and pulled them forward.

"Open Ga-"
A brilliant light illuminated the forest signaling that one of her spirits forced their gate open. The momentary light felt blinding, but with it she was finally able to get a good look at him.

His face.

Her stomach did unpleasant somersaults.

Images from a year ago flashed through her mind in the fading light.

His face.

It's different.

Who could have done that to him?

Loke shot forward, landing punches and kicks in quick succession. Lucy held her breath in a gasp and then laughed in spite of herself.

"Loke!" She grinned widely at him.

Her spirits never let her down!

He paused his melee attack to smirk handsomely at her over his shoulder.

"Earth Dragon Roar!"

Their eyes widened simultaneously and Loke leapt out of the way just as the attack struck.

Artur?

Does that mean Natsu's nearby?

Lucy's heart soared and then slowed again – Natsu wasn't coming, he was on a mission.

A dust and dirt tornado tore through her attacker. He flew limply into a tree.

He groped to pull himself up.

Something stuck Lucy…

As Bennie came soaring in with Artur to join the fight, something became very apparent.

Bennie and Loke were formidable fighters, Artur even seemed to have improved – but between the three of them, they were making unusually short work of this man.

Loke landed a blinding punch, the man swayed lifelessly.

Bennie threw a clawed attack at his chest – he fell backwards, blood spraying.

Artur leaned back and summoned another roar – the man flew into the trees once more and fell.

Everytime…he just got back up.

No fighting.

No dodging.

He lifted his eyes to hers.

No danger.

Lucy swallowed, her fear and anger gave way to something entirely uncomfortable…

Shame.

He wasn't fighting back.

Her friends were tearing into him and the surrounding forest.

Kicking up blood and dust.

And he wasn't doing anything.

He was just…

Taking it.

Lucy felt sick.

"St-stop!" It had come out as a half gasp, but echoed between her comrades.

Loke looked levelly at her and straighten, "Stop? This man tortured you! Took you! Was the reason you didn't know yourself and us. He was the reason you were gone for a year!" He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation.

Artur and Bennie shifted uncomfortably at his outburst. How could he have known that his agony over her missing year had been their joy? Well. Artur's joy – Bennie was most likely indifferent.

She shook the thought off and looked at the man. He was beaten, bloody and bruised.

Lucy eyes had adjusted to the dark and she made out his scars in the twilight - the worst damage had been down long before her friends had a turn at him.

She could feel them staring at her, "Do you trust me?" she didn't have to look at them to know they heard her whisper.

Loke let some of the tension out of his stance, Bennie lessened the growl she had directed at the man, and Artur gave her an enthusiastic nod.

The man moved slowly, using a tree to pull himself up with his right hand – he stood and met her gaze.

Lucy felt jittery. She wanted answers – but there were too many questions! Her eyes flicked nervously over him, but then she caught herself. She should probably try to look confident.

She propped her hands on her hips and tried to mimic Erza's smug glare.

"Well, why?"

The man raised a brow slightly – the only facial gesture she'd seen on him besides a grimace. He opened his mouth to answer -

But a snicker beat him to it-

Lucy tore her eyes away from the man to halfheartedly glare at Artur.

"Hey! This is serious – don't laugh!"

That seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. The laughter exploded out of his tiny frame. Lucy looked at Bennie incredulously; her eyes begging the cat silently to do something!

If Artur keeps laughing how are they ever going to get that guy to take her seriously and answer questions?

Bennie just smirked and with a shrug turned her attention to the known enemy. A new chortle entered the woods. Her eyes widened.

Loke too?I

He covered his mouth and tried to play it off as a cough. Lucy glared.

"What's so funny?!" She stamped her foot – that set Artur off in another screech of laughter.

Loke 'coughed' again and Bennie snorted in amusement.

Lucy could feel her pulse in her temple.

What. Was. So. Hilarious.

"You are more frightening when you are not trying to be."

The mood sobered and everyone returned their focus to the man who spoke.

Loke posed his arm for another attack, "I don't believe we asked for your input."

He grimaced. "Ah. No, you did not.-"He pointed his right hand and Lucy felt momentary panic – no, it had been his left hand that controlled the orb. "She did."

The realization that this man could release that horrid orb resounded in Lucy…Artur, Bennie and Loke stood before her.

They would get hit first.

"Artur!" She whispered harshly and motioned for him to stand behind her; he hesitated, and then did so begrudgingly. She nestled his head with her hand as he walked past her.

Bennie and Loke could hold their own if need be, and she would protect Artur…

Loke tensed in his stance, readying himself to spring forward. The man brought his hand up again slowly, this time to wipe the blood from his mouth and he continued.

"You asked, 'why'?" He paused, and Lucy realized she was waiting for her to answer. She nodded.

"'Why' is the reason I am here. I have come to explain."

Lucy's heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be that easy, right? The bad guys don't just tell you their plans…well, actually

She thoughtfully rubbed her chin and mused.

Now that she thought about it, they usually did. But only when they thought they were winning the fight and had the time to gloat. Lucy eyed the man again.

He didn't look like he was winning anything.

In addition to his new injuries and scars, he looked malnourished, haggard even – a shell of his former self, which honestly, was saying something. Their first meeting, he had appeared as a slight of a man next to his comrades, despite having stood beside the child and the thin swordsman.

"Then explain, my mistress is eager to know." Loke drawled without dropping his combative stance.

He 'hmmed' and sat down cross-legged.

Lucy nearly fell over.

Is this guy for real?

Crazy assassin-kidnapper and he's going to sit on the forest floor like its story time?

Artur danced happily behind her – she wasn't the only who noticed the beginning stages of telling a fairy tale.

Despite all the life threatening situations he's been in, he still acts as a child. Lucy grinned inwardly – it was dangerous for him to behave that way, but Lucy was thrilled he could still enjoy being young.

Lucy stopped her musing and watched the man. He appeared to be waiting.

She sighed and walked forward.

Obviously he wasn't going to continue until they joined him.

"Flora, I don't think that is wise." Bennie's voice halted her trek. Lucy swallowed.

"He won't hurt us." She wished she sounded more assured, but to be honest – she wasn't sure why she thought that.

"Lucy – we trust you. And you trust…him?" Loke eased his stance slightly. Lucy gave her spirit a timid nod. He nodded back, "Then we... trust him."

She felt Artur's hands clutching onto the back of her skirt.

If she was wrong – it wasn't just her life.

She swallowed.

She couldn't afford to be wrong.

As if he heard her internal conflict – he spoke up.

"She is right. I do not wish you harm, nor could I, if I did." He shook his left side to shimmy the cloak off his shoulder revealing his left arm-

Lucy gasped.

What was left of it anyway…

It was just like his face. Harsh jagged cuts had been made above the elbow leaving him with only a stub on his left side. His face spoke of similar abuse, his nose and left cheek had been serrated leaving scarring and the exposed under workings. Deep scar tissue adorned his face and upper body. It told the story of a cruel attack, which left him lucky to have kept his life.

The majority of her apprehension dissolved at the site of his missing arm. He couldn't hurt her; he couldn't hurt them…at least not by that orb.

She stood a comfortable distance before him and sat down. Artur followed suit, sitting only slightly behind her at her behest.

Bennie and Loke moved closer but chose to remain standing.

They waited.

His eyes flickered among the ground before finally landing on Lucy.

"I am Sadato Kurosawa." His white teeth clicked visibly through his damaged cheek.

"I have lived over eight hundred and four years, most of which I spent diligently and faithfully carrying out the agency's wishes; your acquisition being one of those." His tired eyes held hers, Lucy swallowed.

"Do you know why they wanted you and every other Celestial Mage?"

Her dream flashed hotly through her mind. An undamaged Sadato mouthing from the shadows-

"The Goddess Gate…?" Lucy answered quietly.

He grimaced and nodded.

"The United Supreme Magical Guardians predates societies – in many ways it was the first society. A society with the only purpose of upholding the balance of good and dark magic in Earthland.; to achieve such, they maintained a balance good and dark magic amongst their ranks."

Sadato had an eerie air about him in the twilight. Artur clutched her arm. Lucy wasn't sure if it was out of excitement or fear.

"Good and dark magic work as a proverbial ying-yang. One cannot exist without the other, along that thought, the Goddess Gate cannot exist without Daemien's Gate."

"Daemien's Gate? I'm a Celestial Spirit, and I've never heard of the Goddess Gate or Daemien's Gate." Loke's skeptism entered his voice and Lucy began to doubt Sadato.

Sure, an ancient fable she never heard of seemed realistic, but if Loke had never heard of the Goddess Gate and he lives in the Celestial World... How much validity could this guy have?

If she summoned Crux, he could probably shed some light on the situation…

"You had also never heard of Lucy Heartfilia's and Natsu Dragneel's wedding, yet they are married. Perhaps, what you hear of is not the best judge of accuracy."

Lucy's eyes widened and Loke looked physically wounded.

Low blow Sadato, low blow.

"How'd you know Mom was married?" Artur cocked his head at him.

"I've been aware of her return to Magnolia since she got off the train." Lucy flushed. Let's hope he didn't know about the-

"You should take better care to consummate your relationship indoors from now on." Lucy flushed and she heard choking in the direction that Loke stood, but she couldn't bear to look at him.

How mortifying!

"The Goddess Gate, please!" She squeaked and stared at the ground.

"No, do continue – consummating outdoors, did they?" Bennie smirk devilishly at her.

Stupid evil cat.

Sadato grimaced, and swallowed, ignoring Bennie, "Yes, the Goddess Gate."

He looked at her and Lucy stared back wide eyed.

"Your soul is the key."


A.N.:

I know, I know – pretty dinky compared to the length of the last chapter, but I thought getting something out would be better than sitting on it till Saturday. : )

And I know, I know – 'But we already know he thinks her soul is the key!'

Well, yeah – but Lucy doesn't! : ) But don't worry, I won't bore you to death with the same details ad nauseam, which is another reason I'm stopping here.

A huge thank you to everyone who read and reviewed: DancesWithSeatbelts, Soul Hunt, iCards, SaturnWolf3 , Zafrand and Fairy Flame Key!

You guys rock!

-Till next time!

-UM