Chapter Twenty four
Liontails And Yo, I Am Not Ready To Become BBQ Sauce, Mate.
-•-
Cancer would like to say that he had no part in this bullshit.
But that would kinda be a big, fat lie so he kept his mouth shut as he watched his fellow spirits argue.
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Watch your tone—
"Aquarius, with all due respect," Leo bayed as Cancer wondered exactly how much respect was actually due. "You hid the fact that Anna's line was not severed, you hid the fact that Layla was alive. Trust me my tone of voice is absolutely fitting."
"Loki." Capricorn interrupted patiently as an adult would when breaking up a fight between two children who are too old to settle a fight with fists. "It is not that we hid this from you, it had been specifically entailed in our contract. Layla did not want to be in touch with the magical realm."
"Oh yeah?" Leo said, folding his arms. "And pray, tell me, where did that get her? Six feet under in a pile of ashes."
Cancer flinched at the mention of the death of his former owner. He still remembered that day, it was the only day he ever saw Aquarius cry and it almost felt as if the stellar skies had no stars that could guide nor a soul to guide.
"You ungrateful piece of shit!" The mermaid growled, tightening her grip on the urn as Capricorn feared, rightfully so, that she might bring about a flood in the Celestial realm if Loki didn't tone his anger down.
"Just because." She narrowed her eyes at the lion, sharpening her voice to pierce like knives. "You didn't have a chance to serve her, don't take a piss on her decisions. Why do you think Layla was so afraid of stepping into this world? The Heartfilia line has been despised by supporters of Acnologia or did you conveniently forget that?"
"Oh, and what kind of an excelling job did you perform at protecting her from Acnologia's supporters?"
It was a low jab, directly aimed at her inability of protecting her mistress but she didn't lower her gaze from him.
"Well, at least my key isn't in the belly of some monster."
"Really? You're going to go with that?" He hit back.
Leo's aura seethed out clashing against Aquarius' gurgling anger and it felt like they might have to call the King lest the balance of the Celestial world was to topple on a dangerous curve.
"Leo," Capricorn said, sensibility flowing in his words. "I know you're angry and you have a right to be, it was wrong of us to hide it from you but we didn't have a choice, Layla had taken our word."
His gaze shifted to Cancer who straightened the legs attached to his back as the fiery spirit approached him; yeah, looks it was his turn to get fried.
"Any other justification you have to offer, Cancer?"
"No, nothing that you'd listen to anyway." He responded, fiddling with the ends of his blue shirt as Loki regarded him with hidden hurt. Loki and he were good acquaintance, they had some really fun times over the ages and it was unsavory to Cancer that the lion would look at him in that manner; not like he didn't partially deserve it.
Which was what catapulted the next statement.
"Layla," he began calmly, trying not to notice Aquarius wince. "Was the most selfish person I knew and you know why? Because she loved her family so much that she was willing to forgo magic itself. If you want to blame someone here then blame her love, blame how far she could go to keep her family safe and unaware of the evils that would terrorize her daughter and husband's well-being."
Loki stopped on his footing, stilling himself to the words spoken as he took in their meaning. Cancer watched quietly as all Celestial Spirits remained unmoving and that made him nervous. Jeez, he knew he was a cardinal sign and all but like giving speeches while being in the limelight was not his thing; Leo could do that.
"Loki." came the subdued voice of Virgo who looked at all of them meeting their eyes. "Princess is alive."
Sagittarius nodded in agreement. "Miss Heartfilia is alive and well but we do not know where, moshi-moshi. She survived the fire attack by the supporters of Acnologia, it's a turn of fate, the stars will her to live, moshi-moshi."
Virgo bobbed her head to the fire sign who seemed to somehow see sense through this bush of nonsensical drama, unlike his other counterpart. "It doesn't matter what has happened in the past." She said. "Right now, all we know is that a Heartfilia is out there, lost and alone without her keys and it doesn't take a genius to know how that would feel."
"She's not exactly lost." Aquarius gave out. "I met her."
"You what?! And why didn't you say so?" Loki asked, losing his anger in about three seconds.
"Because your dumbass was the one who hid my urn there!" She retorted, bumping head with him. "Did you think you would get away unscathed after giving my urn to those damn selkies?!"
"We're drifting away from the point." Virgo pointed out with insouciance on her exterior.
"Yes," Aquarius said, patronizingly so looking at the purple-headed maid. "The Fae realm is where I last saw her, I gave her my key but there's been a disturbing development—
"Let me guess," Capricorn chimed in. "She's the Priestess they have been talking about?"
"Yes," she nodded crossing her arms. "And has chosen a demon as her protector, those Mermaids up the Northern sea couldn't stop yapping about it."
Taurus, who had been quiet all this time, rose a brow at that. "But aren't demons forbidden from trying out as protector?"
And everyone in the room flinched at the reason why but really, unlike many races, they had forgiven the demon clan for their mistake. Oh for goodness' sake, it wasn't even Erza's fault and the repercussions had been tragic enough, to begin with.
Plus, if Anna was ever to know what treatment was being meted out to the demons these days by any other kingdom, she would be positively enraged.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." Virgo voiced out, cocking her head to the side.
"Which demon did she take?" Leo asked curiously, he had taken a break from all realms for a long time now after giving his key to Karen which had ended bitterly and he would be grateful not to be reminded of it but now, it seemed like there was an urging call to return to civilization.
Capricorn faltered momentarily which was very out of character for the goat to do and Cancer couldn't help but raise his brows, exactly how bad could-
"Natsu Dragneel."
Oh wow. That was. . . unexpected?
He watched Leo jerk his head forward in surprise as there was thick pause amongst the spirits who exchanged a wide-eyed glance.
"The demon lord?" He clarified.
"Might as well call him the High King, he's nothing less of it." Capricorn shrugged. "Apparently, he interrupted the crowning ceremony and demanded that he be made protector."
"And she gave it?" Virgo questioned, tad confounded but not surprised — cause, let's be real this is Natsu we're talking about.
"It would seem so."
Loki blew out a deep breath, this was a very interesting chain of events. He had seen the demon once in the Great War, well, the whole thing started because of him or rather with Igneel's death. There was a reason Natsu was regarded as a fallen king in the Spirit realm, that man had gone through the most unkind fate.
He brought himself out of his mind. "So she will be residing in Hell."
"Yeah," Capricorn frowned, "I'm not sure how I feel about her staying in the realm of darkness and sin."
"But the choice has been made. We need to let her find our keys so we can make our contracts quickly." Leo stated as they raised their head up to him. "If she's a Heartfilia, chances are her magic is immensely powerful."
After discussing the location of their keys and how long it could possibly take for her to come across them, the Spirits linked to the Heartfilia line ended their session. Cancer observed Leo shuffle his feet after calming down, he shot a nervous peek at Aquarius who had no shame in openly glower at him and the Crab simply smiled to himself as the leader of the spirits made his way tentatively towards the mermaid, fearing for his life.
With a little hesitation, Leo shrunk his face to an edgy smile. "I'm sorry, Aqua."
Virgo eyed the exchange with amusement as Sagittarius shook his head with a half-smile. Not just anyone could call Aquarius, Aqua, heck even her boyfriend hadn't been given that right which was reserved for Leo who was as dear as a friend could get to her.
The mermaid looked at him like a candle melting, her shoulders relaxing as the acerbity in her eyes dwindled down to ocean eyes.
But did that mean she would forgive him without a hint of violence?
Nope.
Which was why the thud that was heard after she took a long jump to smack her urn right across the back of his head made Cancer simply lose a chuckle or two.
"Listen, you damned cat—
"Listening," came his smart response which earned him another smack on his head.
"Try touching my urn again, I will skin your pelt out and make a nice little furry coat for myself." She snarled. "Am I clear?"
"Crystal," he gagged out as Aquarius' arm choke let slightly loose as she smirked at him which in the spirit world had been taken as a corollary to something evil that had been committed.
"That and I hope you find your spectacles."
Loki's jaw dropped before he groaned, "Aqua. That was given by the Spirit King!"
"Oh, was it?" She said innocently as she moved away. "Well, that's certainly a pity."
It didn't sound like she thought so but Aquarius waved back at him. "I have a date with my darling Scorpio and cat,"
Loki looked at her retreating form. "Your key is probably next." She stated before flying out.
He grumbled at her exit, rolling his eyes as he looked towards the rest of the spirits. To which he smiled, it had been such a long time before he could see a motive in their eyes that reflected his own.
There would be no longer any tumult caused by the spirits, no reason to go astray in the mortal world to lure humans with evil hearts unto evil paths.
After all, they had a purpose now.
| • • • • |
It was the sound feet crushing twigs that woke Lucy up in the dead of night.
Her ears registered the sound as intrusive before her brain reminded her of where she had fallen asleep, it jolted her eyes awake to flutter open. Natsu lay a few steps away with his back turned towards her so she doubted if he knew that she was awake or maybe he did and just didn't show it.
The fire was still crackling, a bit tenderly now as it gave sufficient light for her to read from the grimoire she had in her satchel. Lucy took a few moments to shake herself to consciousness as she tried to forget why her cheeks felt swollen. She tucked her own still-soaked strands behind her ear as she began reading about Celestial spirits.
Whoever it was that was the writer of this book, Lucy would like to meet them someday.
It really did have a vast expanse of knowledge and it wasn't biased like the books in the Fae realm, something she decided she had to ask Mavis about. That and what was the deal with her not representing as Queen rather than the Fae tactician? But even Lucy realised that she was framing questions in her head to distract herself from the present situation.
Their conversation had sure left her in tears and she really hadn't wished for him of people to see her crumble but there wasn't anything she could do about it now apart from analyzing their conversation.
So the Church had lied to her. Again.
Something that she would get back at them for at some random point in life but not now. There could be a chance that the demon was lying but that didn't lead to a logical conclusion, still, she guessed she would have to ask Gray to run a background check if he could.
There was bristle in the bushes away from her but Lucy shrugged it as a part of her imagination while she went back to the deliberation that was being held in her head.
Though Lucy mused, this wouldn't change much. She still hated Natsu's guts and was fairly sure that the sentiments were returned. If he expected some sort of apology on her part for locking him in that box with the blood of Christ which she had gained through felonious means then he might as well pack lunch and picnic himself over cause there was no way that was happening anytime soon.
She shook her head and read the line under her finger.
"'I open thee,' says a Celestial mage whose soul is led by the stellar skies." Lucy read to herself, wondering where exactly had she had heard that before continuing with the keys. Apparently, majority of the Golden keys had been scattered around Earthland, those had immense power. She blinked as she went through the drawing of the spirits some were vague, some were on point which was why she was moderately surprised to see Aquarius hold the portrait of the mermaid she had met.
Huh, that made sense, she thought, curious if it was normal for the spirits to offer their keys to random strangers even if the Law of Cáraid was involved. Most of the golden keys have been linked to Anna Heartfilia, therefore, to her descendants. Lucy stopped at the mention of her own surname, so they were linked to her. Was she really that powerful?
Her ancestor sounded like Godzilla version 2.1 and Lucy felt like Barney the Dinosaur. Man, things were so not looking up to her.
"Mystogan is gonna want that back soon."
She almost jumped at the low voice reaching her ears, she snapped her head to the demon pointedly arching a brow at the book on her lap.
"Who again?"
"The owner of that book," he gestured, "he's Jellal's twin. Sorcerers don't take kindly to stolen property but Mystogan might let you slip considering that he's a pretty chill person."
"Oh, I found it my shopping cart." Lucy shrugged, thinking if she should apply the finders keepers, losers weepers rule before she shook her head, she was definitely more mature that, also, it wasn't very nice to keep other people's things.
Natsu tapped his feet ignoring how on earth did Milliana drop it there of all places. Natsu snuck a glance at the man as he chewed on the inside of his cheeks, he couldn't do silences to save his life and if she was his only companion here then he might reconsider flying past the territories.
The reason he couldn't though was that it reminded him strongly of Zeref and Igneel, what he had and what he would never be lucky enough to have again. It was something they did; flying over territories during summer, Zeref on one wing holding unto him dearly because they were brothers. And Igneel.
A whimper stashed itself somewhere in his chest and his heart begged it to be released but he pushed it down to his gall bitterly and without remorse. He was not going to be weak and most certainly not when someone was present, especially her.
And that was the thing with pain. No matter how hard you tried to strangle it, it fought to be felt only because, at the end of the day, it belonged to you, it was made to be felt by you.
It dulled all other sensations which would explain why he didn't hear the steps of another presence zoning in on them.
"Uh, Dragneel?" She called out.
Natsu blinked at her.
"Is that," she said pointing behind him, "How Goblins look like?"
The question splintered his mind into reality as he spun around to look at the tall looking goblin, he was so willowy that Natsu wondered if he had to use any magic at all. Taking hollow steps, the goblin simply directed his gaze at the campfire.
"Food." It uttered in a discordant note.
Natsu narrowed his eyes as the goblin took another step sluggishly approaching where Lucy was sitting who merely looked at it more amused than threatened. It took him less than a second to set the creature on fire without completely killing it, just enough to subdue it though he didn't really assume that was necessary seeing how weak the creature already was. Still, precautions were precautions.
"Well," Lucy said, leaning to the side. "That was anti-climatic."
"They don't exactly look like that," Natsu said, stepping over the corpse that still had a reminiscence of his fire burning.
"Goblins? So what are they supposed to look more like?"
He looked back at the corpse, scrunching his nose. "More green."
Lucy rolled her eyes at the description, she could bet her money that there would be more information about Goblins in the book than what the demon just gave her. To her awful surprise, when she did reach the pages containing information, all it mentioned was green repetitively. He's actually telling the truth? She was going to close the book as a few pages slipped but a particular page marked her attention in place and it caused Lucy to tilt her head in confusion.
"I tend to tell the truth most of the time," Natsu stated with clean frustration, "yet you always seem to be surprised."
"Most of the time is a very debatable value if it's you we're talking about."
"Hey now—
"Dragneel."
"I tell the truth pretty often—
"Dragneel."
"You just don't want to believe that—
"Dragneel!"
"What?!"
Lucy snapped her head to him, as she peeped over at the corpse of the slender creature only it wasn't, it began growing into the creature that had been sketched roughly on the paper.
A Cawthorn, a fire-eating and breathing animal that lived in desolate parts, without fire it grows very weak to a willowy figure, almost resembling a Goblin. It grows wings to fly when it is satiated. It amplifies what it eats and has no method to be defeated. Will kill anything that it sets on sights immediately so stay near to a water source to avoid its flames.
"That is not a Goblin, it's a Cawthorn," Lucy told him, swallowing thickly as she stood up before stumbling a step back.
"Cawthorn?" He asked confused as he turned around to see what she as referring to. It turned to a two-headed snake while waist down it had the body of a rooster.
Something which would be a groundbreaking discovery in the mythical section of the creatures from the horror books she used to read as a kid but right now it sprang several nails of trepidation down her spine.
"It's a fire-eating and breathing creature. And your fire probably fed it enough."
A ear numbing screech poisoned through the air as Lucy immediately clasped her hands over her ears, flinching in sound agony. The Cawthorne took a moment before breathing in and Natsu, knowing what was coming next, pushed Lucy and himself out of the way as it trounced a roar of fire at them.
Missing narrowly.
Natsu tsked at the information at hand, his magic would be rendered useless because he couldn't take in shallow fires and his fires would only feed it. Realising the dread of the situation, massive black wings shot out from his back as he held Lucy close in his arms.
"No!" She shook away, clutching the book. "It can fly as well, going into the skies would give it open terrain."
What the hell? What kind of plot twists were these monsters mutating to?
He stepped back, almost stomping his feet in disapproval as he tried to find another working strategy. "Go run, I'll distract it."
"What? No." She refused at how stupid the prospect sounded, she wasn't going to leave him alone knowing full well that defeating the monster needed the wits he clearly didn't possess.
"Not up for discussion, little bird—
"Listen up fuckface," Lucy growled as she caught his collar, glancing at the creature who was eating the flames of the campfire as Natsu Dragneel vaguely felt that she would not hesitate to hit him over the head had her hands been freer, High King of the demons or not.
"You've done enough of decision making for today so unless you wanna be served as BBQ meat with no flavour, I suggest we make a run for it."
Natsu chewed on his tongue in aversion, his gaze exchanging between Lucy's brown eyes to the creature who seemed to make ready for round 2.
"Anytime sooner than the next century, Dragneel?" She said, tapping her feet urgently.
He let out a small yap of how infuriating the whole scene was to him and she took that as consent before yanking his hand out, entwining it with her own as she snatched them into a sprint. It was a very strange predicament that he had never thought he'd find himself in; running in the woods across the most familiar trees that yielded way to them. He felt the cruel night air hit his face as the blonde in front of him ran on nimble feet, venturing into the darker underbelly of the forestry.
They were nearing the river Riverine but Natsu could still hear the soft thumping of the monster hot on their trails as they lodged themselves behind a boulder. Lucy stifled her loud gasps into short, quiet breaths. Adrenaline pumped into their veins as they watched the monster scrabbled through the grounds, spitting out so many flames that actually made Natsu wonder how rich and reviving were his flames in the first place?
It surveyed the area close to the riverbanks but didn't approach it; like it was hesitant.
Lucy narrowed her eyes at the solution that presented itself to her. There was no way it was all so simple. What if the person writing the grimoire had got it wrong? What if it wasn't advisable for people to stay near water resources not to avoid the fires as the book had dimly told but rather because it was a weakness in itself?
She looked at the calmly flowing river reflecting the constellations above before Lucy checked the side pocket of her satchel, fishing out Aquarius' key.
Natsu's eyes almost bulged out of its socket at the key that once belonged to Anna but he held down his opinions as he watched the wheels in her head turn. Not so funnily, that was kinda the same look she had given him before she trapped him; clearly, she had found a way to defeat the monster, so exactly what was stopping her?
And his answer came promptly as he observed her face, it mind-boggled him enough to take a second try at it and he found the same quiver of her lips.
"You're doubting your magic?" He asked, incredulously because the concept was stupid, her magic was powerful enough to blow him across the field and Natsu didn't mean to brag but that was a tremendously tough accomplishment to own so why would she ever doubt herself?
Lucy's back stiffened as if she had been caught red-handed which she was but she had forgotten the demon's presence next to her.
"No." She stubbornly relented.
"Lies won't get you anywhere with me."
"I am—
"You're kidding me right?" Natsu said. "You had enough faith in your creator to trap me in a bloody box for a decade but not in yourself to summon your magic?"
She bristled at the truth as she belted her eyes out to him. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me right now, Dragneel?"
"No, but how shitty—
"Well, fuck you too—
"How is a Priestess supposed to maintain peace amongst nations if she herself does not believe in her magic?"
And there it was. The exact question that had been hounding her for days now, he had thrown in it on her face like a pie and it didn't feel nearly as appetizing.
"I don't know so don't fucking ask me." She responded, clenching her teeth as she looked down, disgraced. Admitting weaknesses wasn't a hobby Lucy had ever kept at least not to people who she considered as absolute scoundrels.
Natsu would like to think that desperate times called for desperate measures so in the near future if anyone were to ask him what made him say it? He'd give that reason in the exact.
"Look." He started, holding her shoulders, and the contact made both of them shiver.
"I'm going to say this once and never again." He emphasized, staring deep into her chocolate glazed eyes. "Your magic is powerful and you need to put some faith in that because it really is."
And Lucy didn't find a trail of deception in his face, he was actually serious.
"And if you can't believe in yourself then know this," Natsu said, fiercely holding her close. "I believe in you."
"So make good on that will you, Lucy?" His hands left her shoulder and she almost resented the loss of warmth before knocking sense back into her head as Natsu flew out to face the monster by himself, probably to buy her more time.
Lucy's fingers wrapped around at the golden bow of Aquarius' key.
She withdrew a deep breath before kneeling at the riverbank and let her shivering hand holding the key touch its surface. Why couldn't she stop shivering? Lucy heaved in as much air she could to stop her lungs from trembling within, she could feel her heart pounding in her throat as she stilled herself.
"Gate of the Water Bearer, I open thee." She chanted. "Aquarius."
But nothing happened.
Oh god, oh god, she couldn't do this, she really—
Calm down, a voice reached out to her, utterly similar to her own. Take a deep breath, focus and harness your magic, it told her, and above all, believe.
Her eyes closed as felt the water flowing, it held out to her as oceans had to the skies. Lucy felt a storming sea wither into smooth riptides and it told her stories of power that belonged to the waters, which now belonged to her. An upwinding spiral of magic burst open as if a dam had broken down and out came the waters demanding to be known.
"Open! Gate of the Water Bearer!" She swiped the key across the water. "Aquarius!"
And with a flourish appeared a mermaid with an urn in her hands and Lucy's eyes gleamed in joy and hope.
"You took your own sweet time, didn't you?" She said with a glare that would make Lucy grovel to her feet.
"I'm sorry I summoned you without a contract. Didn't mean to but we really need your help right now." Lucy immediately apologized with a low bow.
Aquarius humphed at the woman before her, some splitting image she was of Layla, she shifted her attention to the Cawthorn who was being fought out by the demon king who had seemed to have changed a lot since the funeral she noticed.
"Dragneel! Out of the way!" Lucy called out as the demon looked back at her then at Aquarius, sending a familiar smirk at the water spirit.
Aquarius twirled her urn, water collecting in it through several strong sources before she lashed out a torrent at the Cawthorne with the strength to hurl a ship lost in the sea back at the shore. It dissolved like a tablet at the bottom of a glass and left nothing behind.
It was a bit of an overkill but Lucy knew better than to complain.
"Thanks a lot, Aquarius."
"Listen up, twerp," she said, holding her collar as Lucy wondered if she could see the blank fear in her eyes. She probably could.
"You interrupted a date with my darling and this is the only time I'll forgive you for it."
"Absolutely."
"Try summoning me during my dates again, I will come for you with a wave so deep that the fishes will start complaining about the horrendous smell."
There were so many insults combined in that one sentence but the blonde simply nodded with a nervous laugh. "Noted."
Aquarius released her and she fell on her feet stumbling a bit before the mermaid threw a sparing look at the demon lad. And as quick as she had come, so did she go.
Lucy sighed almost in relief if that's how batshit crazy all the spirits were, she wondered if she could handle it. She hoped that was not the case as she walked back to where Natsu stood with her key in the pocket of her satchel. Well, that had been a ride.
But Natsu seemed to notice something next to him.
"Isn't this the same thing?" He pointed at the Gluasad circle of twirled mushroom tops.
"Yeah, it's probably come to take us home."
"Why?"
"Because we've gained something meaningful apparently that's what Mavis had told."
And have we? That was a good question and Natsu didn't know the answer as his gaze swept across the monster's remains if that was what one called a puddle of watery mud and there lay something shining in the dark.
"Hey wait." Lucy said as she crouched down to pick a golden key out of the mud.
And she smiled when she knew exactly which zodiac it belonged to.
Gate of the Lion, Leo.
Selkies : a mythical creature that resembles a seal in the water but assumes human form on land in case you're all wondering.
Guys, I'm gonna be disappointing ya'all rn.
Remember those exams I talked about? And at some point, I would be taking some weeks off? Yeah, turns out it starts next week so I won't be able to update for quite some time but I swear I'll try my level best to, Pinky swear I will.
I hope you guys liked the chapter and if you didn't that's alright too, I accept pretty much anything. Also, there was this reviewer who straight up went like I knew it's the church, it's always the church and bruh, I deadass laughed my heart out on that one cause yeah same here hun.
Until prolly 20th July if not sooner,
Chaol.