Author's Note

Hello Universe! Palkia has returned with Chapter 11! Apologies for it being so late, but now everything's coming along! So thank you to those who favorited, followed, and reviewed! It means a lot!

Now, let's get to it!

I do not own Fairy Tail.

Chapter 11

Claws of Beasts

They say that before everything comes something. Before something comes nothing. And before nothing comes everything.

They, the humans, believe that there was always something. Land perhaps. Water even. Yet everything came from somewhere. And somewhere came from nowhere. Thus, land and water came from somewhere.

The Celestial Spirits too came from something. They do not just exist. Everything came from something. Something came from nothing. Thus, Celestial Spirits came from something. Humans may have not known this.

But we do. We, the Celestial Spirits, and guardians of our King.

Our story is not known. Though it has in the past. Yet time has reached a diverging point, one that we did not foresee and never will foresee ever again. It will not change, and none shall do anything to affect it.

Thus, we shall tell you our story.

One thousand years ago human time, there was a kingdom of humans on the continent of Alakitasia. Kingdoms such as these were formed by humans. As such, the something, in this case, is humans.

This kingdom was known as the kingdom of Silva. It was the very first of its kind to rise, and quickly became a very powerful nation. No one could match its strength and might, for the royal family had excellent strategy and skill when it came to war. The humans could wield an entity known as magic, as well as the royal family, and no one could stand up to it. So there was no opposition.

The royal family themselves had descended from the humans who first created the kingdom, deciding upon the name Silva as the area was heavily forested. They were known as the Aurum family. Gold, this translates to. The humans loved them, for they ruled with kindness and a love for their kingdom.

Within this family, there was a human boy.

He was a young boy, an only child, born during the hottest time of summer. He was to be the next King of Silva. His parents taught him well, educating him to the furthest extent imaginable, making him incredibly intelligent. He was kind and caring, loving, and gentle. But there was only one issue.

The boy had no friends.

He was able to roam around freely to some extent. But no one wanted to be friends with him. He did not know why in any way, shape, or form. He did not see himself as a bad person. Yet why did no one want to be with him? Was it because he was of royal descent? No, the people of the kingdom loved the royal family.

At the time, the boy was too young to understand the concept of hate. There were people who just didn't like him. And it made the boy sad and lonely. The days which he spent alone in the castle without his mother and father were growing quickly. They had their duties, and their son was not old enough to handle them.

So the boy took matters into his own hands and did whatever he could to keep himself busy. He drew pictures. Read books. Anything to help him escape the loneliness that was constantly around his very being. For the most part, it worked. Drawings may not have helped him that much, but books helped him more than he could imagine.

They were like windows into another world, one of imagination and wonder. Some brought the boy to different places. Others taught him about his own world. And he was content with what he was learning and reading about. Yet he could not share what he learned with others, for they did not want to be with him.

One day, the boy came across a book within the castle's library that interested him greatly. It was a book of the stars. The book told him tales of the stars in the sky, how they formed specific beings that all told a story. And, how they were the rulers of certain times of the year.

It told of us. Yet not of us at the same time.

His interest in this "Astrology," grew immensely. Immediately the boy asked his parents for any book that mentioned the stars. They said they would get some for him, but only for his birthday, as it was coming up. However, the king and queen would not be around for their son's birthday once again.

This upset the boy. Once again, he would be alone for his favorite part of the year. He remembered when he used to spend this day with his parents with great joy and happiness. They would get him presents, play with him, and sing to him. How the boy wished to have those times back again. He decided what he wanted for his birthday that year.

On the night before his birthday, in the highest room in the castle, his room, the boy opened the window. A pattern in the stars lay before his eyes, twinkling at him. His book had told him that it was the King of the Star Signs, ruler of the heavens, our King. So he wished on the heart of the King, asking for one thing and one thing only.

"Please, your highness," he asked. "All I ask is for a friend. A good friend. One that will play with me and spend time with me. They'll listen to me when I tell them stories, and cheer me up when I'm down. That is all I ask, oh King."

The boy went to bed that night, dreams of faraway lands just like in his books keeping him company. Unbeknownst to him, the heart of the King shined bright and connected the rest of the stars in the King's body.

And at midnight, a beast from the heavens appeared in the boy's room.

Everything hurt. The last time Loke felt this way was when he was dying seven years ago. That was when it began to feel agonizing. For a while, his pain had been dull, spiking on a few occasions and becoming very painful. Then it became worse and worse, to the point where everything hurt. But that was seven years ago. He was dying then. Now...He wasn't so sure.

'What...happened?' the lion spirit thought.

In truth, he honestly couldn't remember. Everything in his head at the moment was just a blur. The last time Loke really felt like that was when Cana challenged him to a drinking contest (surprisingly it had ended in a tie). Still, a memory blank hadn't occurred in a very long time. Not since…

Since when exactly?

The coldness of the floor seemed to have shaken him out of his thoughts. Or at least, that he thought the floor was cold. It was certainly cooler than the air around him. Loke was warm, that was for sure. Maybe it was his suit jacket. No, the suit jacket had been torn up and…

Loke froze. He was remembering.

One of the first things that came to his mind was that he was not at home. This was not his bed, but rather a stone floor. Walls that were bright and golden were dark and dreary. There was no sky, only darkness.

He didn't like it for some reason. Loke felt confined, trapped even. In his home, which was spacious and very roomy, he did not feel this sort of feeling. If the lion spirit had to be honest at this very moment, there was no doubt in his mind that he missed home (despite the amount of time he spent in it).

Another thing that Loke noticed was for the moment he was alone. This was a common occurrence. He often spent his time alone in most cases, primarily because of his duties. But now...Loke felt lonely.

Desiring company had become one of his main focuses at the moment. Where was everyone? Where were his family? His fellow Celestial Spirits? The ones who he was the leader of? The Celestial Spirit King? What of him? Where were…Loke's eyes widened.

Fairy Tail. Where was Fairy Tail? What about his fellow guildmates? Where were they? Were they in the guildhall, drinking, and laughing? Were Natsu and Gray fighting again? Had Erza stopped them? Where was…

'Lucy,' Loke thought. 'Where's Lucy?! I can't feel-'

His eyes widened, and he was fully awake at that moment. Loke couldn't feel her connection. His connection to Lucy was nonexistent. He was scared, frantic even. Did something happen to his master?

'W-why can't I feel her?!' his panicked thoughts ran through his mind. 'Is she okay?! Lucy, what happened to you?! I…'

Loke's mind caught up to him. He still lay there, on the stone-cold floor, when all of his thoughts stopped. The lion spirit remembered why his connection to Lucy was like this. And to say that he wasn't horrified was an understatement.

He had done this. It was his fault. Loke had destroyed his contract with Lucy.

'No, no NO! Why did I do that?!'

As if to answer, the solution to his problem arose quickly in his mind. Aries. He had done this for Aries. But why for Aries? The ram spirit could handle herself quite well. What kind of decision did Loke have to make that made him choose to do this? What was the worst possible scenario?

Twitching his feet, he heard the clatter of chains. 'Golden chains' Loke recounted. 'Chains that have restricted my magic. Who put them on me? Who would put me in chains? They would know who I am right?'

It wasn't that public, but Loke had a feeling that there was some word around that the lion spirit had been hiding in a magic guild for a few years. Of course, that news was around seven years old by this point. But surely the person who was his captor would've recognized him slightly.

For a while, he had been known as Loke the Fairy Tail mage. Even if he had slightly longer hair and different clothes, someone would recognize him. Humans didn't really see Celestial Spirits that often, so recognition as Leo the Lion probably wouldn't come up. But Loke had a good reputation as a mage of Fairy Tail. In the eyes of many people, he may not be as strong as some members (although he did use to be on par with Natsu). Yet he was recognizable for his strength.

So who would do this?

Thinking back, he really didn't have many enemies. Not spending a lot of time in Earthland helped with not making a bunch of relationships. Of course, there were those girlfriends he used to have, but those didn't last long.

Who would have a grudge against him? One that would've lasted long enough up until this point? It had to be for Loke to have been in Earthland for a while. Someone came to mind, but he brushed it aside.

No, Karen was dead. She had been dead for ten years by this point. Karen would have been the only person who could have held a grudge against him. After all, he refused to obey her in the beginning. But that was a long time ago. She's…

'Alive,' he realized.

Everything came rushing back to him. That night in the guild. His capture. Karen. Torture. Pain. Nightmares. Visions. Rage. Pain. Horror.

His head hurt, and his body was in agony. Silent tears came from Loke's eyes. What had he done? He knew what he did. Karen forced the lion spirit to make a choice. And he chose to break his contract with Lucy. That was why he couldn't feel her. Loke chose to save Aries from the torture.

A promise was broken. He swore that he would protect Lucy with his life. Now, that was thrown away. There was no doubt in Loke's mind that his now-former master would hate him for what he did. He was a horrible person. He betrayed her trust yet again.

What would they say to him? Would the King banish him again? Would the other Zodiacs disown their bond? Would the guild expel him and refuse to let Loke back in? And his friends…

'Aries understands,' he tried to reassure himself. 'We both went through her torture. She…'

There was a glimmer of light in Loke's line of sight. He turned his head and noticed a golden object off to the side. It was small, almost unnoticeable. Yet Loke recognized it all the same. The pattern, the shape, everything. He was horrified.

It was Aries' key, and it was broken in half.

'What the…' Loke thought. 'Oh, no...please don't tell me. It can't be true!'

Suddenly the lion spirit tried to stand up, determined to see the object in front of his eyes. However, he fell over as soon as he got on his two feet. At first, Loke tried to convince himself that it was just because of the pain. So he tried again, and he still fell to the ground. Trying for a third time, he only found failure.

'Why? Why can't I get up?!'

Yet his determination kept him going. He wanted to see if this was true. He needed to see if this was true. So this time, Loke decided to get on his hands and knees. However, he was surprised to find that his feet were touching the ground.

Pushing the thought of it aside, he walked slowly over to the key. Loke was limping, the pain shooting up his legs as he moved. Everything still was hurting immensely. But Loke needed to see, so he continued onward. Working through the pain was something that the lion spirit was used to.

There was also another thing he noticed. His hair felt longer as well. And not to mention thicker as well. This was unusual. Loke didn't think that his hair grew out that much. But he did notice that some of it were in his eyes. Shouldn't he be seeing through lenses instead? Where were his glasses anyway?

At last, Loke was able to reach the key. Only, his horrors were confirmed, and even more so. This was the very same key that Karen had shown in front of him some time ago. One that she used to blackmail the lion spirit to break his contract. But there was a major difference.

The key on the floor in front of his hazel eyes...was fake.

'It's...it wasn't real…' he realized.

Celestial keys, depending on the type, could not be replicated. Silver keys could be replicated, as they were so common and there were many lesser spirits. Anyone could make a Silver Key, as multiple versions could exist. As long as the summoning was done correctly, a spirit could be tied to it.

Golden keys, however, were more complicated. They were tied to the Zodiac spirits, who did not have many individuals. There were only thirteen, and they were unique. No second key of a Zodiac spirit could exist.

Another important factor was that each golden key had the Celestial Spirit King's influence on it. There could be no perfect replica of a golden key. Even if someone were to make a "perfect copy," a scratch or some sort of imperfection would appear on the copy. This was to show the difference between the original and the fake.

He noticed the difference immediately. Besides the obvious fact that it was broken in half, there was a chip at the top of the key. Karen would've been able to hide this discrepancy easily by the way she held it. And because he was chained and the necklace he was wearing, the lion spirit was unable to tell if there was magic coming from it.

There was no magic coming from it. No connection to the ram's gate in the Celestial Spirit World. It didn't possess the ability to call upon Aries. And, worst of all, what it did possess was the ability to actually fool the lion spirit.

'I broke my contract...for nothing…'

A certain aroma enters his nose, and Loke turns around. There is a bowl of water and food left out for him, more specifically meat. His stomach growls, and he finds himself to be hungry. Loke had long accepted the idea of eating raw meat, so he began to walk over to the bowl of food.

For some reason, the lion spirit decided to bury his face into it instead of using his hands. He had no trouble tearing apart the meat, almost as if his teeth were sharp and meant for this. Once he was done with that, Loke went for the water.

His reflection was visible to him.

Loke jumped in horror. 'What the heck?! This is...that's not…!'

The face that met him was not his own. It was the face of a beast. He looked into the water again, seeing the face that was reflected in him. The face had golden fur, whiskers, a muzzle, a mane, jaws with sharp teeth, pointy ears, and a big black nose. And the eyes...they were hazel, just like Loke's own eyes.

'No...no no no!'

He pushed himself away from the bowl and to the wall, trying to get as far away from it as he could. Loke felt his back against the wall and the chilling sensation that came afterward. Nervously, he looked at himself. Only to be filled with horror.

His body was practically covered in golden fur. The structure of his legs and arms were completely different, connecting to paws at the ends of them. Shifting to look over his back, Loke noticed how his mane went down his back. Finally, his tail was connected to his back in a more natural way.

Loke was a lion.

'I'm a monster...a terrifying animal…'

To say that he was going into shock was an understatement. Loke was trembling, on the verge of a breakdown. There was too much going on. Karen. His broken contract. His current...appearance. Everything was too hard to deal with at the moment. He couldn't take it anymore.

So, after three months caged within the walls of this prison, he broke. Lowering himself to the ground, the now-lion allowed himself to cry fully. He did his best to remain strong, to hold out until someone came and saved him. That was what he hoped for so many long and torturous days.

Hope...what even was hope anymore? Loke had committed the most grievous sin in the book. And now he had transformed into this. Who would want a monster like him? Who would want someone who broke an eternal promise, one that he kept re-enforcing that it would never break?

'No one…' Loke thinks. 'No one wants me...no one cares about me…'

If someone had cared about him, then surely they would've come for him by now, right? Wouldn't his own brethren be looking for him? Unless the Spirit King told them no. What about the guild? They would be searching for him, wouldn't they?

'Not now,' he tells himself. 'Who would want a selfish beast who breaks all the promises he gives?'

The lion felt unloved, unappreciated, treated as if he never existed. He was lonely and broken, and couldn't be fixed. No one wanted him, he believed. No one in this world would be there for Loke. No one wanted a monster like him. A horrible, terrifying monster that could hurt anyone.

It was what he saw in his dreams. Now, Loke was that evil beast that had attacked Aquarius. He was that demon who attacked his now-former master. He was afraid, of not only himself, but of the potential people, he could hurt in the future.

His thoughts immediately turn to Lucy, his now-former master. Of the time he didn't come when she called. When she got annoyed because of his constant flirting. His weak strength and not being able to protect her against Angel. He couldn't protect her, nor could he be there for her. Loke didn't deserve Lucy.

Tears came streaming down his muzzle. He was worthless and useless, yet dangerous at the same time. He was confused and scared, not knowing what to do. What even was he anymore? Everything had been taken away from Loke. He was a monster, yet also nothing at the same time.

A few voices were heard behind the door to his cell. It opened, revealing a couple of men in white coats. Scientists, Loke realized. Out of instinct, the lion reeled back against the wall, suddenly frightened. There were needles in their hands. He knew what that meant.

Loke snarled at them. "Stay away from me!"

Only, his words came out as something inaudible. His eyes widened, realizing that he could no longer speak. He could project growls and groans, but not words. Loke was horrified.

Instead, the lion bared his teeth at the men in front of him. They, however, didn't seem to be afraid of him. A low growl escaped his throat, eyes sharpening slightly. He unsheathed his claws as well. But this tactic appeared to not work.

There was a prick in his shoulder, and he failed to realize that one of them had a dart shooter. His body sagged, falling to the ground. But surprisingly, Loke didn't lose consciousness. He remained awake, yet his body was like a ragdoll sprawled on the floor.

"Good, it's down," one of them said.

"I thought it was going to be more dangerous," another one spoke.

"The drug may not be strong enough near his head, so put this on it," the third person threw something made of leather to the second.

"Wha-why me?!" he asked.

"Because you're the closest to it," the first one answered.

"Fine…"

Loke could only watch as the man knelt down in front of him. He felt the very human hands touch his face, a feeling that made him shiver. Something was placed over his mouth. A leather muzzle, so that he wouldn't bite any of them.

They were treating him like an animal. The way they called him "it" instead of "him." Applying a muzzle to his face. Even staying slightly away from Loke although he was already tranquilized. It hurt the lion even more. He was an animal now, nowhere close to being a Celestial Spirit anymore.

Bringing up the fact that Loke was this didn't feel correct. He was cut off from the Spirit World, unable to return. Loke could live in Earthland without having to worry about his life force being drained. However, he was still chained up and locked away, unable to do anything about it.

That wasn't what a Celestial Spirit was. They were immortal beings of high honor and regard. Powerful entities with great magical strength. He had no honor anymore. No dignity. No sense of purpose. There was nothing for him to live for, as Loke had destroyed those connections only an hour ago.

He was no longer a Celestial Spirit. Nor was he pretending to be a human or acting like a human. Loke was an animal, a beast, a monster.

"Alright, let's get moving," the first one stated.

After this statement, two of the three scientists positioned themselves around Loke's body, unlocking the golden chains around his paws. Carefully and gently, but with great strength, they lifted him slightly. The third one came back with a stretcher and placed it underneath the lion. Lowering Loke's onto the stretcher, the three men were able to lift him and carry him out of the room.

'Where are they taking me?' He thought nervously, but couldn't show it.

His eyes trailed to the stone walls of the hallway, which seemed to be long and unending. A few people passed by, not sparing him one glance. Loke closed his eyes, focusing on the voices around him.

"...getting rid of it today," someone said.

"Lady Karen is doing what?!" Another asked.

"Won't that expose us?" one person mentioned.

"...plan that will...the best of us."

"Good riddance to that thing."

Loke felt the people carrying him stop abruptly, so he opened his eyes. They had stopped for something, or rather someone. He could smell a couple of people approach them, and Loke had known too well as to who they were. His eyes were wide with fear.

"Lady Karen," the three men bowed.

She came up to them alongside Joseph, an approving look on her face. The man next to her was calculating and cunning as usual, as if he were ready to see specific results.

"It woke up shortly earlier," the first person mentioned. "So we tranquilized it and brought it to you."

Karen looked over them, seeing the poor victim on the stretcher. But she had been the one to put Loke in this position. The green-haired woman walked to the side of the stretcher, heels clicking. Loke was horrified. She could do anything to him while he was stuck like this.

Her hand touched his elegant mane, and she began to stroke him. Loke would've flinched if he could. "Your research was a success, Joseph," she commented. "This is the kind of revenge I have wanted for a very long time…"

"I am glad that it is to your satisfaction, Lady Karen," Joseph answered. "The second surgery was also a success. We were able to remove both Locks completely."

The lion's eyes widened, which didn't go unnoticed by the two individuals. 'Second...surgery…?'

"Oh good, it looks like he can understand us still," Karen noted. "You are not a mindless beast...yet."

She removed her hand from his mane and lifted his chin up to her face. Loke was terrified and would be quivering if it weren't for the fact that he was tranquilized at the moment. This was bad, very bad.

"Leo the Lion...your previous appearance was ironic. The King of Beasts bearing a human physique. Now, you are nothing more than a beast as you were always meant to be. A monster who could take anyone's life."

"Years ago, you disobeyed me, ridiculed me for my treatment, and refused to come to my side. Your death was your punishment, but with the help of Lucy Heartifilia, that punishment was never fulfilled."

"This is your punishment, and it is permanent. You will never be able to return to the Celestial Spirit World, as your second surgery took that away from you. Your contract is broken, and your ability to make a new one is gone as well. Lastly, your appearance is now akin to your namesake, and your strength will hurt those around you."

He nearly stopped breathing. Everything that Loke ever had was gone. His ties to the Celestial Spirit World, his ability to make a contract, his humanity...all of it was destroyed. There was nothing left for him anymore.

Karen had gotten rid of it all. She broke him, destroyed him, both physically and mentally. All of his connections, his friends and family, were nonexistent. Loke had nothing, and even if he were to gain something, she would make sure it was lost. This was her revenge.

"Right now is the last time you and I will see each other, Leo," she told the lion.

'Last...time?' Loke wonders.

"An associate of mine has decided to buy you after I mentioned it to him. In truth, I only wanted to keep you here for three months, the same amount of time you disobeyed me. But I wasn't quite sure what to do, as simply letting you go may cause problems. So when I talked to him, he offered me a lot of money."

"He will be your new master, and he is very good when it comes to treating his pets well," Karen spoke the last part cynically, much to Loke's horror. "And your existence will be kept secret."

Karen let go of him. "Joseph, I want you to go with Leo to meet my associate. You know him well. This is so no one recognizes me."

"Understood, Lady Karen."

"Then...Farewell, Leo the Lion."

And Karen Lilica was gone from his sight.

"We must get moving," Joseph mentioned to the three scientists carrying Loke. "We'll be able to catch the 9 o'clock train if we work fast. There's a crate for Leo ready and waiting down the hall. Now go!"

The three went quickly, rushing down the hallway. Their attention caught the eyes of a certain maroon-haired Dragon Slayer and a certain purple-haired Dragon Slayer. Both had been watching the confrontation. The first was filled with concern, and the other couldn't care about the sorry state of the lion.

"Heh, serves the guy right," One spoke. "Jerk couldn't control himself in our fight."

"You wouldn't happen to know where he is being transported, would you?" Logio asked.

One put his hands in the air. "Don't know. Something that witch mentioned about a slave trader at some auction. I could care less."

Without a second thought, Logio was moving on his feet, planning on following the scientists. One was yelling behind him, but not following. The purple-haired Dragon Slayer just scoffed and turned away.

A bad feeling began to plague his mind. He had limited knowledge of the situation, considering Joseph barely gave him and his so-called "brothers" an education. However, Karen letting Loke go was something unusual. Hadn't she wanted to have her revenge against him? Then why was she somewhat releasing him?

'Something is not right with this,' the clone Dragon Slayer thought. 'And I need to follow. The previous time, I was unable to do anything, as I was overcome with fear for the first time. But now… I will help Loke.'

He kept his distance, watching as they placed Loke within a wooden crate. They had acquired the golden chains that had held him in his cell and reattached them to his paws and to the cage itself. There were iron bars on the front, and it was the perfect fit for the lion. Logio saw how they loaded the crate onto the back of a magic-powered vehicle (similar to a truck). So he snuck into the back onto the flatbed and hid in there. The vehicle drove off, exiting the building.

Escaping the facility was something Logio had been wanting for a few days. Ever since hearing the stories from the lion, his view of Karen and his creator Joseph had changed drastically. He had suspicions about the former Celestial Spirit mage when he first laid his eyes on her. That time when he had first awoken from his foreign, dream-filled sleep.

"You are a clone," Karen had told him. "A copy of the most powerful being in this world. You as well as your brothers in the other tanks were all created for one thing; Destruction. And, to obey me of course."

Logio now understood that he was more than just a clone. He had his own name, his own personality, his own will. And the Dragon Slayer knew that was true because of the results of his actions now. He was escaping, running away from the facility. This was Logio's choice, his free will. Not Karen's, and not Joseph's.

Light from above hit his dark skin, and Logio looked up. Moonlight. In truth, he was astonished. He had never seen the outside world before. The maroon-haired Dragon Slayer had only known what was inside the facility. The temperature had been regulated to a constant, warm temperature. The walls were brick and concrete. Dull, dark, and cold-looking.

But now, the moon illuminated the landscape before him, and he stared in awe. Logio had never seen anything like it before in his short life. The view before his eyes was expansive, in-depth, and other words that his limited vocabulary could not even compensate for.

His dreams had been filled with landscapes as far as the eye could see. Water that went on and on for miles. There was no comparison to it. Now, Logio was seeing what his dreams showed him for the first time.

'This is what the outside world looks like…'

Fifteen minutes later, the vehicle arrived at some sort of building with quite a few people. Logio got off the flatbed before anyone could notice him. Joseph and the other three scientists got out and covered Loke's crate with a white sheet. Most likely so no one would see the lion. Then, they moved it onto a cart and began to wheel it away.

'What is this place?' he thought.

"Please excuse the interruption," a voice called out from a lacrima-powered megaphone. "The 9 o'clock train to Crocus will be leaving shortly."

'Crocus?' Logio wondered. 'That is in Fiore, is it not?'

If it was one thing that had been useful about the bit of education he got, it was the knowledge of a few areas, more specifically the continent of Ishgar. Truth be told, the location of Karen's facility was outside of Ishgar, and instead in the next continent over. Logio never understood as to why he had to learn about it, but now he had a feeling why.

Karen was originally from Ishgar, or more specifically Fiore. And by extension, so was Loke. If this train, as it was called, was heading for Fiore, then there was a chance of running into Loke's master, Lucy. And not to mention other Fairy Tail mages. This chance was slim, but it was something he was willing to take.

Logio came out from behind the truck quietly, making sure that he wasn't noticed. He noticed Joseph speaking to someone in a plain uniform and signing off on something. The man pointed to one of the train cars, and the lion's crate was now moving towards it. The Dragon Slayer snuck in for a closer view.

The door to the car opened, and a few people placed a wooden ramp at its entrance. He watched as they rolled the crate into it, possibly putting it in a safe and secure position. They came out afterward without it, and the door was closed. Joseph and the other scientists proceeded to head towards another part of the train.

Once the coast was clear, Logio ran towards the door, pulling it open. Thankfully, they forgot to lock it. No one spotted him as he closed the door behind him, leaving the Dragon Slayer in darkness. However, Logio could easily see in the darkness, so finding his way around was no issue.

A loud whistle blew, and he felt the train car jolt and begin to move. He was startled for a moment, but gradually got used to the momentum of the vehicle. Unlike other Dragon Slayers, Joseph had mentioned that he and his brothers were immune to the motion sickness that came with their abilities. This was very handy, considering he was on a moving vehicle.

Finally, Logio found the covered crate. He pulled the sheet up and noticed that the lion was still in the same position he was in previously, only now with his eyes closed. Loke was sleeping.

'I will not wake him at this moment,' the Dragon Slayer thinks to himself. 'He will need all the sleep he can obtain.'

He sat down next to the crate, leaning against it. Logio soon found that he was becoming tired as well. So, the Dragon Slayer let himself fall asleep, listening to the clutter-clutter of the train car against the tracks.

Both would need the rest. For the next few days would be the most horrific in their lives.

Date: June 25th, X791

Five days until the start of the Grand Magic Games of X791

Author's Note

That's the end of Chapter 11! I know, a little short, but the next few will be filled, rest assured.

The little bit at the beginning will be the start of something interesting. I've been wanting to go in-depth with the creation of Celestial Spirit Magic for a while, so you'll be seeing those from time to time. And now Loke and Logio are on their way to Crocus! This should be exciting!

Lastly, tell me what you think! I love reviews! They keep me going and let me know you guys enjoy the story!

Until next time, See Ya Universe!

Palkia