"One of us needs to go and get Lucy," Aries fretted, wringing her hands together as they all glanced around nervously to make sure that they weren't overheard.
"But for her to be able to save him, she would have to prove that she loves him," Sagittarius whispered.
"No master has passed that test, no matter how good they have been to us," Capricorn nodded.
"Lucy is different, she loves us all differently," Virgo argued.
"But does she love him in that way? She would need to for her to be able to stop this," Cancer pointed out worriedly.
"I think she does… I have seen the way she looks at him, the way she is with him," Aries muttered.
"It's worth asking her anyway right?" Scorpio scowled.
"But if she isn't sure she will try anyway, to save him, and die herself as well," Gemi hissed.
"She is too big-hearted, she will try," Mini nodded.
"You're all being ridiculous!" Aquarius snapped appearing behind them and making them all startle, except her boyfriend who gave her an exasperated look.
"You don't think she does?" Aries whimpered.
"Don't be stupid of course she loves him, the little fool practically has his constellation in her eyes whenever she talks about him, never mind when she sees him. And if any celestial mage is empty-headed enough to fall in love with one of her spirits completely and forget we're her servants, it's her!" she snapped.
"Aquarius knows Lucy best, I vote we go to her," Scorpio smiled knowingly at his girlfriend who huffed and crossed her arms, turning away.
"I trust Lucy," Aries nodded.
"I vote we go to her," Virgo nodded.
"I concur with the evidence that has been presented, especially from Aquarius who has watched Lady Lucy growing up," Capricorn inclined his head.
"And doesn't that chap your ass," Aquarius smirked.
"We are worried for Lucy, but if you think that she does love Leo and that everything will be ok, we agree," Gemi and Mini nodded after a little bit of thought.
"That is the majority vote really, and I think that the others would agree," Virgo looked around.
"More than half as I don't think Libra or Pisces really gets a vote in this, even though they know Lucy and have had interactions with her, they do not really know her well, and they are not her spirits," Capricorn frowned.
"They are not going to lose her if this goes wrong," Gemi said quietly, a worried expression still on their face.
"I know you are worried, but I think that this is going to be good," Aries said hesitantly.
"You will go and talk to her," Aquarius waved at Capricorn and Virgo.
"Why are we being chosen?" Capricorn scowled.
"You will phrase it better," She rolled her eyes as though it were obvious. "And Lucy has a close bond with Virgo as well, having her there will help,"
"Come on then," Capricorn sighed.
"On my way!" Virgo nodded.
Lucy started when she felt a small pull on her magic, and then a second one, looking up from her writing in time to see Capricorn and Virgo stepping through their gates into her living room. She stood quickly, concern washing over her face straight away as she stepped towards them.
While Virgo and Loke would quite often open their own gates to come to help her with things, or even spend time with her and question her on things, Capricorn never did it, considering it bad form to open his gate using her magic when he did not know what she was doing. For him to be here as well, meant something serious was happening.
"What happened? She asked right away.
"Lady Lucy, please sit down, we have news for you," Capricorn bowed a little politely, waving towards her sofa.
"Oh god, what has happened?" She said frantically.
"It is Leo, Princess," Virgo explained seating herself onto the armchair once Lucy was sitting on the sofa, Capricorn seated on the sofa as well, his tall frame folded to fit.
"Loke? What has happened? Is he alright?" She asked concerned.
"Not really, Princess, Big Brother is in trouble," Virgo said, some of her worry showing on her face.
"What has happened?" Lucy gripped her hands tightly together.
"He has committed a crime in the eyes of the Celestial Spirits and he is now facing punishment for it," Capricorn explained.
"Crime? What has he done? What punishment?" Lucy could feel her heart starting to thunder in her chest.
"On your last mission, he used his powers to kill someone," Capricorn said gently.
"But...they were attacking me, they were going to kill me and...they were...they were using their magic to…"
"We know, Leo explained, but using your magic in such a way, it is against our laws, we do not kill except for very few reasons," Capricorn nodded, reaching out to take her hands a squeeze them gently, the fear for what had almost happened to her clear on her face.
"So now he is in trouble for something that he did to save me?" Lucy frowned.
"No, he is in trouble for something that he chose to do, something that he did because he allowed his feelings to get the better of him, knowing what would happen to him. We need to be quite clear on that before this conversation continues!" Capricorn held up his hand.
"This isn't your fault. Leo knew what he was doing," Virgo agreed seriously for once.
"Leo's face may look young, but he has lived for many years and has what many would call wisdom, he did not make the choice that he did without understanding or knowledge," Capricorn squeezed her hands gently again.
"Can I do something to help," She held tightly onto Capricorn's hands looking between the two of them.
"There may be, Leo is in trouble because of his feelings for you, his bond to you. We need to know, do you love Leo, Lady Lucy?" Capricorn asked.
"My….my feelings for Loke will help?" Lucy withdrew her hands, placing them on her lap with a wild blush on her face.
"We do not wish to influence you, or pressure you, we would not have come here to tell you about this option if we did not believe that you may have feelings for Loke. Aquarius seemed quite sure, and she is the one who knows you best, but please know that you have to tell the truth, if you pretend then you risk your life, and we will lose you and Loke at the same time," Capricorn said with deceptive calm.
"I...telling my real feelings will...save Loke?" Lucy asked nervously.
"If you love him, yes," Virgo nodded.
"If you love him in a certain way," Capricorn corrected.
"I...I love him, I love him, more than anyone else, I am in love with him," Lucy said softly, saying the words out loud, admitting to her feelings out loud for the first time.
"That is good, but for Loke to be excused for what he did, do you love him, because he is your spirit, or despite it?" Capricorn asked nervously.
"I am sorry Leo, I wish that I did not have to do this, but you have broken one of our laws, and for that, you must be punished. You used the magic of the Celestial World to take a human's life. Even though it was in the defence of your Master…" The Celestial King paused, clearly having wanted to say something else. "...but it does not excuse your actions,"
"I know, I made my choice knowingly. I either had to kill him, or he would violate and kill Lucy. I accept the punishment that comes with my choice," Loke bowed his head.
"Wait!" Scorpio hurried into the room just as the Celestial King started to glow, the power easing away at the distraction.
"Scorpio? What are you doing, don't get involved!" Loke hissed.
"We're already involved! Do you think I am going to put up with that airhead whining and crying, and pouting and wailing, pft I think not!" Aquarius scowled coming into the room as well.
"There is one thing that can be done to prevent this punishment, one loophole that exists," Scorpio pointed out.
"No!" Loke shouted, lunging to his feet.
"If she loves him too, truly loves him, then their bond is above the laws of Celestial Mage and Celestial Spirit, and he can not be punished for his actions," Aquarius said lazily.
"No! You can not! If she tries that she will die!" Loke shouted angrily at them.
"Not if I have true feelings for you," The three spirits and the Celestial King turned to see Lucy walking in with the rest of her Zodiac spirits.
"Please don't be angry Leo!" Aries cringed as the King of the Zodiac looked them over with narrowed eyes.
"You can't do this!" Loke snapped.
"It is my choice to make, as it was yours when you made your choice to protect me!" Lucy started walking forward.
"No! I won't let you! You have to love me!" Loke shook his head, yanking on the chains holding him shackled to the centre of the room for his punishment.
"I do love you Loke," Lucy smiled, her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him.
"No Lucy, you have to be in love with me!" Loke strained at his shackles until a pair of gentle hands wrapped around his own, pulling him gently forward so that he was not ripping at the skin around his wrists straining against the bindings.
He looked sharply at Lucy standing in front of him, her golden-brown eyes as warm as they always were, though they were filled with tears, her full pink lips tilted upward in a soft, sad, gentle smile. Her small hands released his, but before he could miss their gentle warmth they were sliding up the sleeves of his jacket, up his arms, over his shoulders and then up to cup his face.
"I told you once, I am not letting you go, I will not let you be taken from me," Lucy said softly to him.
"Lucy, no, Mages and their spirits have tried this before, they have taken this risk, and they have all died! No one has passed this!" Loke shouted at her.
"And I told you! I am going to change the damned rules!" Lucy shouted right back before turning to the Celestial King who was watching the interaction intently.
"Old friend, I am not surprised that the spirits came to get you, I hoped that they would," The Celestial King bowed his head.
"They shouldn't ha…" Loke glared when Lucy's hand covered his mouth.
"Has Capricorn explained this to you?" The King asked softly.
"Yes, he and Virgo did," Lucy nodded and stepped forward opening her mouth, but he held up his hands to her.
"I wish to hear you say it Old friend before we go further, I want to make sure that you really understand before we go any further," The King said softly, and Loke stopped yanking against Capricorn's hold to look at Lucy.
"If a Celestial spirit uses his magic to kill a human for their mage, because they l...love them, the only loophole that can stop their punishment is if the Celestial Mage loves them as well, but they have to love them honestly, and completely. You test the mage for the love that they claim. If they pass the test then they and the Spirit are free to go, though they will always be bound to each other in a way that is at the moment unknown as no Mage has ever passed the test. If they fail...if I fail, then Loke will be punished as you indeed, he will be killed, and I will be killed as well," Lucy tilted her chin up as she recited what she had been told.
"Lucy I…"
"You be quiet!" Lucy turned on Loke as he went to argue again.
"I will not be quiet, I won't let you do this!" Loke snapped.
"It isn't your choice to make, it is my choice!" Lucy glared.
"You can't make this choice for me!"
"I am not making this choice for you, I am making this choice for me!"
"No mage has passed!"
"I won't lose you!"
"I won't let you throw away your life for me!"
"I will pass the test!"
"No mage has passed that test before!"
"I will! I won't lose you!" Lucy turned with tears in her eyes to look at the King as Loke strained against Capricorn to try and stop her.
"Old friend, do you have something to say?" The King asked quietly, and any leftover sound in the room vanished as all the spirits looked to Lucy who took one step closer and looked into the King's eyes.
"I love Loke...I love Leo the Lion…"
"Lucy! Please! No!" Loke cried out, struggling even more as he thrashed in Capricorn, Cancer and Virgo's holds.
"..and I will take the test!" Lucy carried on, and a soft golden glow spread around her, and the soft sparkle of Celestial Magic formed around it like a protective barrier, while sealing her and her magic to the test that she had just bound herself to.
"Lucy, no...it is a rigged test, one you can not win! Lucy…" Loke's eyes filled with tears as he dropped to his knees, his eyes dropping to the floor.
"Now Leo, I never make tests that can not be won, but they have to be passed honestly," The King said to his Lion, watching Aries hold onto Loke before turning to Lucy. "Do you love Leo because he is your spirit, or despite him being your spirit?"
"I love him because he is my spirit," Lucy answered. All her spirits took a step back with terrified eyes at her answer except for Aquarius who just crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. "And I love him despite him being my spirit. My love for him is not because of how we are bound, or what he is, nor is it what I am, I love him because he is Loke, I love him because he is the man that I love, nothing more, nothing less. My love for him isn't 'because' or 'despite' that isn't real love. My love simply is,"
Loke looked up and found that Lucy wasn't looking at the Celestial King, she was looking at him, her brown eyes still filled with tears, but they were looking at him with love, warm, and endless, gentle, kind and loved him, for everything that he was, she loved him.
"I love Loke," She said simply.
"The final test then," The King inclined his head.
"Lucy!" Loke shouted as the single bit of starlight from the Celestial King drifted straight to Lucy's heart. "I love you too," he cried as the starlight touched her pale skin and absorbed inside. The smile that she gave him was the smile that he had wished to see for years since they had met, a smile of love, just for him.
"I love you Loke, whatever happens, isn't your fault," She grit her teeth as she started glowing from the inside out, clearly in pain as she staggered a little. "This is me being selfish,"
"Selfish?!" Loke choked out straining as close to her as the chains around his wrist would let him go.
"Yes, selfish. I can't live without you Loke, if this risk means I have a chance of you still being a part of my life, then it was worth it," Lucy smiled at him. "And I have faith, in my love for you,"
Loke closed his eyes before opening his green ones and smiling at her brightly. "If anyone has a heart big enough and honest enough to pass this test, if anyone's love is enough to pass, it is you, I love you,"
"You keep saying that," Lucy laughed even as a clear spasm of pain flashed across her face.
"I haven't been able to say it when you believe me all this time, I finally get to say it, I am not going to stop saying it, I will say it for the eighty to a million years,"
"Eighty to a million?" Lucy laughed as she clenched her fingers against the burning heat sweeping through her body, feeling as though every single inch of her was being burned from the inside out, but she kept her eyes on Loke and reminded herself why she was doing this.
"You heard the goat, no one knows what this will do, I could live your life span, you could live mine, I just know that once we have won this and settle into happy ever after together I won't accept anything but one or the other," Loke managed to lean forward enough against the bonds holding him to rest their foreheads together, able to ignore the feeling his muscles screaming against him and the too-fast flow of his blood coming from the wounds that opened in his wrists as the manacles ripped into his skin.
"Happy ever after huh? You're jumping the gun, we haven't even had a date yet," Lucy laughed.
"I will take you on a date, somewhere utterly romantic and that will blow your socks off, if you ever wore socks, I promise. I already know exactly where I will take you," Loke grinned, the glow around Lucy growing brighter and brighter.
"I will hold you to that. I am sorry, I didn't believe you before when you said that you loved me," Lucy smiled, closing her eyes as the pain became over stronger.
"After my past, and the fact that I kept flirting in front of you with other women, I can not blame you. I wanted you to believe me, but I was scared that you would and would reject me. I have never been in love before Lucy Heartfilia," Loke confessed, closing his eyes as well as he pressed their foreheads even closer together. He started when gentle lips pressed to his, sweet and gentle.
"I will always love you, Loke," Lucy smiled brightly at him.
Before Loke could respond the light exploded from inside Lucy, too bright for them to be able to look at her any longer, her shout of pain making all her spirits wince and step towards her, wishing to take the pain from her. With a shout of pain of his own Loke yanked his hands-free from the manacles holding him and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing their lips together firmly, willing himself to be able to absorb the light that was burning her into his own body, hoping that his light-based magical power would be able to stop the spell from killing Lucy, even if it killed him.
Lucy however seemed to realise what he was doing and threw her arms around his shoulders kissing back equally as hard drawing the spell back to herself. Desperation formed between them as they kissed passionately, holding onto each other as though they would be able to stop the other from disappearing if they held on tight enough.
A sudden pulse went through the room startling the other spirits who turned to look at them as the light eased a little, the kneeling couple holding tightly onto each other as they kissed with the fear that it was going to be the last time that they would get to have this moment between the two of them.
The second pulse had them concentrating on the two of them closer, the light was now emanating from the two of them, emanating from their chests, right over their hearts, brighter where they were pressed closer together, Lucy's ample breast pressed firmly to Loke's chest, and where the lights met seemed to pulse in different rhythms to each other before they slowly merged together and beat as one, the light pulsing through the room in perfectly matched rhythm to their heartbeats.
"Congratulations Old Friend, Loke my Lion star, you have passed the test," The Celestial King said proudly.
"What? We have?!" Lucy and Loke squawked turning to face him with wide eyes as they carried on clinging to each other.
"Yes, you have. My Old Friend's heart and soul matched Loke's, which could only happen if she truly loved him as a man and that love is nothing to do with him being your spirit while loving him because he is her spirit, and Loke's love for Lucy is utter and as endless as the stars that we represent. We who are ageless and almost endless with our lives, near impervious to harm when we can return to the spirit world, he was willing to give all that up to save Lucy because he loves her, not once but twice. You have passed, congratulations, I am happy for you both," the King smiled brightly at the two of them.
"We passed?" Loke blinked at the King.
"We passed," Lucy grinned at Loke.
"Does this mean I have to be monogamous now?" He grinned back.
"I will beat you!" Lucy growled narrowing her eyes at him as she leant back to give him the full force of her glare. Laughing Loke tugged her back in, pressing their lips together again, she almost felt as though she could feel his joy through the kiss as he held her even closer, pressing a large, warm hand right to the centre of her back, heating her as though with magic.
"I love you, whatever happens from here, I love you, and I will be at your side from now on," Loke whispered to her, tenderly cupping her cheek, brushing the tear that fell from her eye as she looked up at him happily.
"You drive me mad, but I love you too, and I want no one else by my side," Lucy smiled at him, that blooming smile that spread across her entire face, filling her eyes and warming his heart in a way he had never known was possible until she had stepped into his life and messed up all the plans he had thought that he had for his life, what he had thought was left of it anyway.
But she had refused to allow him to throw his life away, and she had stood up to the Celestial KIng and refused to allow him to punish Loke even more.
"I knew that you were going to make big changes to our world," Speaking of, the Celestial King spoke up, "I did not know that it would be by taming our Lion Constellation,"
"I never thought it was possible," Cancer laughed.
"If anyone could manage the impossible it is the Princess," Virgo smiled.
"They do say that when a lion finds his lioness he will be mated for life," Capricorn nodded knowingly, helping the two of them to their feet and patting them on the back.
"Congratulations," Aries smiled before throwing her arms around Lucy tightly and whispering in her ear, "thank you for saving him again,"
"Always, I promise," Lucy squeezed Aries back.
"Always is something that you will be able to provide. You are bound to Leo now when the time is right for you Old Friend, you may join us here, and the Lion Constellation will gain a partnering star constellation, but you will be able to live out your human life with your friends," The Celestial King smiled fondly at them all gathered around the mage.
"Lucy, are you going to be ok with that?" Loke asked concerned looking down at her.
"Perhaps this is a conversation to be had alone?" Lucy smiled softly at him. "No offence to you guys," she added looking around at the others.
"On you go," The Celestial King nodded when Loke looked to him. Wrapping his arms around Lucy's waist he took the chance to press their lips together again even as he used his magic to whisk them away to his home.
"Are you crying?" Libra asked Aquarius.
"No!" The prickly mermaid snapped.
"There is nothing wrong with being happy that the girl you practically helped raise is going to be with you forever babe," Scorpio smiled wrapping his arms around his girlfriend.
"I am not happy about that, I am crying because it is a terrible prospect!" Aquarius protested.
"Ah ha," Scorpio just smiled and hugged her tighter as more tears fell from her eyes, burying her face into his shoulder as more tears fell.
Lucy opened her eyes and looked into the glowing hazel eyes that reflected the stars she loved back down at her. Loke stroked over her cheek, unable to believe that she was here in his arms, in his home, unable to believe that everything that had happened over the last hour had actually taken place.
"I am not upset," Lucy said, and Loke blinked down at her confused for a second, having been so lost in looking at her and absorbing how lucky he was that she was here with him right now, in his arms.
"Fairy Tail means everything to you though, they're your family, I don't want you to regret having to live on without them, because of actions that I took," Loke said softly. He would never be able to live with himself if she looked at him with resentment at any point.
"Fairy Tail is my family, and do mean everything to me. But, so do all you guys, I was faced with having to leave behind one group of my family and friends, one way or the other. It will hurt not having them around, I know that, and it is something that I am not looking forward to of course, but at the same time, I have dreaded the idea of dying and having to leave behind all of you guys, never getting to see you all again," Lucy smiled warmly at him.
"Oh," Loke blinked.
"And, I love you. Loke, I love you, getting to spend my life with you, getting to have forever with you, that isn't a bad thing, never a bad thing, I love you, and I want to spend my life with you. I made the choice to take the risk of whatever happened to be with you, whether that was for 5 minutes and we both failed the test or getting to be together," Lucy smiled brightly at him.
"I am lucky to have you, so lucky. I love you, Lucy, I will make sure you are never angry or upset with me, so you never regret this decision," Loke swore, only to blink when Lucy started laughing.
"Loke, you are going to make mad and angry, you're going to drive me mad, you always do, I want to strangle you on a regular basis," Lucy laughed, cupping his face gently when he looked down, "but that is part of the reason that I love you, silly man, because you drive me absolutely mad, and then you charm your way out of it by being your sweet, caring, goofy self that reminds me why I fell in love with you. Just because I am mad at you, which will happen, doesn't mean I am going to regret my choice,"
"I...I...I love you," Loke managed to stammer out, seeming unable to say anything else.
"I love you too," Lucy wrapped her arms back around his shoulders and tipped her head back as Loke dipped down to kiss her again, unable to believe that he was able to do this.
Sixty-six years later the Leo Constellation gained a partner constellation in the shape of a heart as Lucy Heartfillia took her place in the Celestial World with her other family and friends when the time was right for her, but the next generation of Fairy Tail always had the warm light of the heart constellation shining down on them, watching over them.