Gregory was a scholar, he was lead at the archives in ERA in the rare magics department and had a fascination with Celestial magic, so, when he'd met Lucy, he'd been a little star struck. He'd seen her in the Grand Magic Games and noticed when she popped up in Sorcerers Weekly, so he was a bit of a fan already. Lucy, being inexperienced with men, had been utterly unable to resist him. His dark red hair, dreamy golden eyes, he had read all the books she had, and they shared many favorites.
Talking with him was relaxing, exciting, and kissing him...something she let happen the third time she met up with him while in Crocus, was pleasant. He held her a little too tight, and she didn't appreciate the hand that grabbed her ass and yanked her into what she was certain was a growing hard on in his pants, but, he'd been honest with her.
"You make me want you, you make my body just burn Lucy...please…. please say we can...be lovers…." He'd breathed against her lips that day and it wasn't the first time he'd made it clear he wanted sex. He'd made that clear the first time they had sat down to coffee together, little comments about how he wanted to touch her, wanted to taste one of her beautiful breasts. Usually those things would have earned a guy a kick to the head, but Lucy was trying hard to overcome her aversion to sexual advances.
All of her friends, every last one of them including Levy had sexual experience, even Natsu, and she had none, she was feeling broken, like there was something wrong with her, like she'd rebelled so hard against it when her father had wanted to marry her off so an old geezer could fuck her to his nasty hearts content and keep her pregnant that she'd turned against all things sexual and she knew that wasn't right.
She wanted romance, she wanted to giggle about her favorite parts of a mans body like the other women did in the baths damn it. She wanted to form an opinion on the types of lovers she liked, slow, fast, rough, gentle? She had no idea, but all her friends seemed to know...again...including fucking Natsu who had more men than she was currently fucking Hibiki enjoying a lusty encounter with his current boyfriend while they were in Crocus that fateful night.
They had finally gone on a date, a real date, and she was loving the nightclubs in Crocus, drinking all that Gregory handed her because it relaxed her, it helped her enjoy his touches and kisses instead of feeling panicked by them.
By the fourth club she didn't even jerk away when his hand closed over her breast and he started squeezing, fondling her in a way that would normally have had her uncomfortable.
"Lucy...lets go to your room…" He whispered in her ear and she'd barely understood him, she'd never drank so much before, not even after the Grand Magic Games, and she'd drunken herself unconscious then, all she could figure was her tolerance had increased.
Next thing she knew they were back at her hotel and Gregory was all over her, his breath reeked of alcohol and his words were slurring as he tore her clothes off and then his. She'd been stunned, staring at his freed length when it had bounced from its confines and was directly in her line of sight. She'd seen Grays, Natsu's, both of them though had been soft at the time, Gray had mentioned something about turtling in the chill air not being a problem for him and he and Natsu had cackled over that, Natsu announcing cold never made his turtle either.
She'd had no idea what they were talking about, but she'd never seen one like this before her face, it fascinated her, even in her drunken state. She was about to reach out to touch it, but Gregory had grabbed her. It was all a blur of pain and screaming. She had cried, she had begged, but nothing seemed to get through to the man that was over her.
When it was over and he'd passed out on the floor she'd looked down at herself in horror and cried then staggered toward the bathroom sobbing, threw up and passed out before she had gotten there.
When she woke up hours later, Loke was there, cleaning her up, Virgo looking over her, bathing her in a hot bath while Loke seethed and asked for permission to go beat Gregory to a pulp. There was a note…
"Lucy, I can't believe you didn't tell me you were a virgin, the way you dress and how you act I never thought for a second you were. I really don't need this, I didn't want to be a first time I just wanted you and I to be lovers, share some good sex whenever you were in town, don't call me...I am sorry about this, but you should have told me…. Gregory"
It had led her to dress, ignoring her headache, and hunt the bastard down, it was a few hours, but she knew how to find people and he'd mentioned where he lived to her. She found his apartment near the library and when he'd answered the door, looking all miserably hungover, she'd kicked him in the face.
"Just a little taste of what you put me through last night you sorry piece of shit!" She'd snarled, marched into his apartment where he'd landed groaning on the floor and kicked that miserable piece of flesh that had caused her so much pain and taken some small pleasure in watching him vomit all over himself at the pain and curl into a ball whimpering.
"Don't call me Gregory, I don't need this," she mocked "...or I'll use my whip on that nasty dick of yours so it never hurts another woman." and she had stormed off, muttering in fury about how he could damn well take his version of "good sex" and ram it up his ass.
She'd still cried over it, more than she'd ever want to admit, she'd wanted her first time to be special, not a drunken mistake with an asshole. It had shut her down too, killed her interest in sex, she'd even stopped reading the romance novels she'd so enjoyed because she saw them as lies. She started arguing with her friends when they claimed how great it was, finally sat down by Cana for a long talk and she'd told Cana the whole story.
The brunette had hugged her, muttering Gregory's name to herself several times.
"Lu, that guy was a shithead, seriously, honey, it only hurts like that if the guy is...well...like Gregory. Gods, there's foreplay to get you wet ya know? If he'd even done a little to prepare you it wouldn't have been so bad...and now that you've...well...popped the cherry so to speak, next time it won't be bad at all, especially if you get with a guy who will show you a good time, be a decent lover ya know? Shit, you know Bickslow can get a girl off with just his tongue? Hell, he's done it for me, I've had that sexy beast get me to an orgasm without even touching my pussy...skill...men do have it, and there are a lot of them that use it, that want a woman to get hers." Lucy had been glaring at her and Cana had hugged her again.
"Lu, I swear to all the Gods, sex is normally good, pleasurable, it doesn't hurt like that, you just had a really shitty first time, let me call Bacchus...I can set you up with a second time that will cure your first!" She'd offered
Lucy shook her head "No...no more, not for a while, I just need to...regroup and heal and... yeah...no, thank you Cana but...no." She had been really firm with her tone, as clear and plain as she could be, and it had been enough. Cana had sighed.
"Ok Lu Bear, but if you change your mind…"
She hadn't, and now...now…
Kaleb was sitting just a short distance from her, she wanted to crawl under a rock...there was no way he had missed that flashback…
He smiled gently, reaching out and brushing her bangs out of her eyes.
"I didn't miss it, it explains some things too." He said gently and tilted his head a little.
"Tomorrow morning I'm contacting the Order of Sudehpah and arranging lessons for you. As soon as we're done in Cellis I want a Sudehpah waiting for you in White Sea." He said firmly, and she chewed at her lip but nodded. She felt raw again, emotionally just...ripped apart and was trying to keep that from surfacing, she'd already cried all over Cristoff, and she'd cried already in Kaleb's arms too. Gods what was wrong with her? She still felt just...tingly and a part of her now, even with her first bad experience now fresh again in her head, still very much wanted to test Kaleb's promise that he'd say yes to her.
She did want to take those lessons, she'd read about them and talked with Bickslow about them, if she was ever going to relax into Boscan society, lessons with a Sudehpah would be her best avenue to pursue.
"Agreed." Kaleb said, and she sighed, she didn't even need to speak, her buzzing feeling was starting to fade. "Can you answer the riddle?" He asked.
"Sand...you're sand." Lucy said waving a hand and Kaleb smiled, under all of that, under a flashback, amidst so many other thoughts...she had still worked that out. She looked at him challenging and he smirked, as if he'd deny her...he leaned forward, and she closed the distance quickly and this time, eagerly, kissed him. He kissed back too, tilting his head so she could do what she wanted and have control, but his lips teased hers, coaxed her to push in, part her lips and run her tongue over his full lower lip, gasping softly when his mouth opened, and his tongue abruptly met hers.
Gods could he kiss, and his lips were so warm, smooth and soft under hers, he still had the distinct apple taste to him too and she could see herself forever being addicted to it. She was threading her fingers into his hair, scooting forward trying to crawl right into his lap when he caught her, stopped her and pulled back.
"That's a fair kiss for a fair answer." He breathed, and she was more than a little pleased to see the seasoned Boscan breathing a little harder than normal.
"My turn." She said and shifted a little closer to him "If you have three you have three, if you have two you have two, if you have one you have none." She said, and Kaleb smiled, narrowing his eyes.
"Choices." He replied, and Lucy frowned sitting back and returning his space to him.
They went back and forth for another hour, their dinner arriving and distracting them from their game. Lucy was feeling pretty good about it too, it had been an equal exchange, she'd not gotten to get into his lap, but, he'd had to kiss her after every one of his riddles and so her happy little buzz was still there, and she was feeling pretty good about being able to go toe to toe with a Wizard Saint Mindbender. Besides, she reasoned, it would probably be best if she waited until she'd had those lessons with a Sudehpah before she tried anything with anyone.
She still wasn't convinced there wasn't something physically wrong with her body. Nobody had ever, not even in romance novels where they made it sound pretty painful, had anyone said they experienced that much pain.
She'd broken bones, had huge wounds torn into her, and the worst injuries she'd ever sustained, that was the level of pain she'd felt.
"Because he didn't prepare you." Kaleb said handing her a glass of a rich amber colored wine that smelled like honey and strawberries and when she tasted it, taking a decent drink because she was blushing again, infuriated with herself that she couldn't seem to keep in mind Kaleb could hear all of her surface thoughts as if she was talking out loud and he'd caught her musings about her sexual experience.
Gods, he had to believe that was all she thought about, that she was some sex starved crazy woman, she couldn't help it! I've got sex on legs smiling at me of course I can't think of anything else!
Kaleb chuckled, and she turned redder.
"But the topic on your mind, this Gregory, Lucy, you weren't ready, a woman's body needs stimulation that he didn't give you, he just crammed his dick into you while you were trying to figure out where the hell you were and what was going on, if that happened to your friend Cana who you believe has had the most sexual experiences of all your friends, it would have hurt her too, possibly made her bleed too, a woman's body needs time, needs to be excited, pleased and relaxed, and a virgin? Well, they take extra preparation, a lot of it. He didn't give you that, then it hurt and that was all you could think about, you never relaxed so it kept hurting more and more. The man was a self-centered ass who doesn't deserve the cock between his legs." Kaleb said.
Something about it, the last thing he'd said while everything leading to it had made her about writhe with embarrassment, that last statement tickled her, and she laughed.
Kaleb smiled, taking a good drink from his glass and reaching for the bottle again while Lucy got control of herself.
"Gods...I did give him a good kick to that thing too." She said proudly.
"I know, bet you bruised it, pity you couldn't have kicked it up into his body so he could fuck himself." Kaleb said, and Lucy had to put her glass down she laughed so hard.
"Thank you…" She said quietly as she wiped tears from her eyes a few minutes later and Kaleb winked at her.
"You're my mage Lucy and I am your Guildmaster, to me, that's a precious relationship, one I will happily work to deepen and one I will protect." He told her, and her thoughts turned to Makarov again. He hesitated for a moment then sighed, it wasn't in his nature to hide things, to him that was akin to telling lies. He had to sit down and have the talk he was about to have with Lucy with Laxus when he got back and wasn't looking forward to it, but these mages, they were his now, and his friends, his family now, they deserved all her could give them.
"He's safe. Your former master. I spoke to him that first night you stayed at the guild. It was why I fell asleep in the bath, I had been talking with him." He told her and Lucy's eyes flew wide.
"You know where he is?!" She demanded, and Kaleb shook his head.
"No, not exactly, but I know how to reach him, the Council of Saints here met with Bosco's Magic Council to discuss what Makarov is doing. The details were not disclosed to the Saints, but I'm a Mindbender, I learned a few things me fellows did not." He admitted.
Lucy stared at him and Kaleb sat beside her on the couch, reaching to fill her glass again and putting it into her hands before he continued.
"There is a threat to the safety of Ishgar, you're familiar with the Black wizard Zaref and the dragon of chaos, Acnalogia…" At her nod he continued. "Well, Makarov was offered a mission to investigate the new threat, it's overseas, whether it is the Empire of Alvarez to the North or the Watuun Alliance to the East I don't know but Makarov took the mission knowing it would last a year or more." He said.
"He told the Council his guild was already scattered, and him leaving wouldn't stir suspicion, everyone would believe he just gave up on the destructive and chaotic assembly of mages he had and not look twice but for it to work, the guild had to break up, or, it would forever seek its lost master. He made certain to filter contact information to me through an aid with the Council because he knew Laxus was probably going to come to Bosco since he did during his exile before and he wanted me to contact him, so he could keep tabs on his grandson."
Lucy blinked, staring into her wine glass, her thoughts a tangle of questions. Why would Master Makarov abandon his guild like that? Even for an important mission, there had to be others who could have done what he was doing….
"There are, and really, he has no defense for his choice because I've confronted him already about it. He knows you're here too Lucy, and asked I keep him updated on all of you." Kaleb told her.
"Does Laxus know this?" She demanded. Kaleb shook his head.
"Not yet, I planned to sit you all down and tell you when you and I got back but you needed to know, the less feelings you have of meaningless abandonment, the better." He said firmly.
Lucy met his Lavender gaze and couldn't muster any anger at him, she wanted to, she felt angry, confused, hurt, but Kaleb wasn't the one who deserved those feelings, he was telling her...and showing her respect by doing so.
"Once we've all discussed this, if you all agree and wish it, I will contact Makarov again and let you all talk to him, I can't answer the questions you have, nor can I be a good stand in for you to vent your feelings at, I can offer only simple comforts and you aren't ready for those." He smirked at her and Lucy blushed.
Kaleb leaned forward and took her glass, setting it on the table while his lips brushed hers again before he stood.
"I'm going to take a long soak in the baths, you're welcome to join me of course, but tomorrow will be a busy day for you, the Dean will send someone to get you before dawn to get started on your lessons and preparations for your evaluations." He said gently.
Lucy nodded "I...I think I'll just take a bath here and go to bed…" She said and he nodded.
"I'm only a thought away, if you need me, just mentally call my name." He told her and turned and left to go to his room.
Lucy stood, hurrying to her room, not wanting to see him leave for the baths because Kaleb in a towel and nothing else, or a robe...anything like that, would be way too much distraction and she needed to think.
Virgo popped out with Loke as soon as she closed her door, both smiling at her, both bouncing a little on the balls of their feet and their excitement finally flooded her, her serious thoughts gave way to their elation.
"We are at the Academe Celestine! Princess, can you FEEL the starlight? It's in the very walls of this place!" Loke said excitedly and Lucy grinned at him. To hell with all her somber thinking, the buzzing inside her, her happy spirits, she was somewhere she had always dreamed of visiting!
Loke went out on the balcony while she and Virgo pulled her clothes out and put them away, then she joined her lion on the balcony and gasped, looking out over a gorgeous courtyard that glowed, gentle blue, peach and purple bioluminescent plants were everywhere, and her eyes widened a bit realizing her room, and many others overlooked what was the communal baths.
The water steamed and was contained in what was definitely a Stellanium lined massive pool, the water coming in through an aqueduct also made of a gorgeous marble laced through with Stellanium. right from the Grass Sea. it passed through 12 different waterfalls, each, she realized with her mouth falling open, bearing a symbol of the zodiac. The bath was a massive circle...a Chart of the Millennium, made into a huge bath lined with Stellanium which was lit up under the star and moonlight beaming down from above.
12 Pillars ringed the bath and a circle of pure Lacrima and Stellanium rested upon the pillars, gathering the light of the moon and stars and it flowed through the pillars into the ground atop each Pillar, was a statue of the Zodiac represented by the symbol on the waterfall below.
'Gorgeous isn't it?" Loke breathed and Lucy grinned, nodding, maybe she should go down to the baths…
The thought stalled though as she saw a few people lounging in the waters, none of them had any bathing suit or a single stitch of clothing on. The rich light from the Stellanium lining of the pool sort of cast their bodies in a bit of shadow so it wasn't easy through the steaming waters to see great detail, but their nudity was clear.
She searched but didn't see her guildmaster among them, and oddly, that made her want to go down there less, yes she'd be embarrassed and self-conscious in the extreme with him there, but, without him, she felt too exposed, too shy, it was odd, but already she knew he'd keep her safe, would make sure nobody bothered her if she tried something like using a communal bath for the first time.
She'd have to endure being around him of course, but that didn't seem as daunting as it had before they had left when she'd hovered in the doorway to the bath at the Guild Hall and was unable to go in because he was there.
His presence would make it possible because…. she trusted him, and he made her feel safe. In spite of the gentle flirting and joking they had done, or maybe because of it, she felt more at ease with him. So, since she didn't see him out there, she turned from the balcony to retreat to the bath tub, the luxurious Boscan communal bath outside would wait for another night…
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Kaleb hadn't been wrong, at 5am there was an odd sensation, pressure on her side and Lucy woke, blinking and gasped, almost screamed as her eyes opened and she found a beautiful silvery swan walking around on her bed, the elegant creature cocked its head and in a flash of silvery lights, transformed into a gorgeous woman with long white hair and glowing blue eyes.
"Lucy Heartfilia, keeper of Leo the Lion, I am Cygnus, in the service of Dean Kalperden. I have been sent to escort you to your morning lesson in requip magic." The woman said brightly, and Lucy forced herself to wake, smiling at the lovely spirit.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Cygnus!" She said brightly, or as brightly as she could muster at 5 in the morning.
She hurriedly dressed, opting for her pleated blue skirt, knee high boots and blue white and gold bustier with the pull-on sleeves. She belted her whip and keys and once her hair was bound up in a high pony tail Cygnus bowed and led her from the suite.
She glanced at Kaleb's door as they walked out, it was still closed and she wondered if he was awake yet or still asleep, she hadn't seen him at the communal baths and she'd checked three times before going to bed, he'd said he was going for a soak, had he meant other baths? She only remembered seeing the one within the school…
The musings were quickly out of her head when she met her instructor. Professor Penciss Freyd, she had long silver hair and a wizened face but kind brown eyes and she knew Lucy as soon as she saw her.
"The one they call "Princess" I am pleased to meet you Lucy, and happy you made your way to Bosco, you couldn't have chosen a finer guild to join, that choice brought you here, this school works with no guild but White Sea directly, though our students join many different guilds all over Earthland once they graduate." The professor told her.
"Now, let's teach you how not to be an easy victim and how to protect your keys and spirits from getting stolen from you. Spirits hate having their keys stolen you know and yours I suspect have been removed from you far too many times." She said archly, and Lucy blushed, nodding.
The lesson lasted more than 3 hours, and while it wasn't battle, creating a magical storage area then gating it and forming pathways so she could access each individual key she had, well, when they were done for the day she had only managed to store Plue's key, since it was the "lightest" magically but she was still exhausted.
Professor Freyd chuckled at Lucy's haggard expression, patting her on the back.
"Don't fret child, learning to use this magic isn't easy, requiping celestial keys is harder than doing it with mundane items. Magical things almost live, some have true will of direction, and celestial keys are connections to spirits with very real personalities and opinions, so they're difficult, like any magically enhanced item. Some time, ask your Guildmaster about equipping his magically enhanced armor, he's got a battle and ceremonial set as a Knight of Immaculate light. I bet you'd find it interesting.." The professor told her as they walked to the school large cafeteria.
The Cafeteria offered dozens of food options, and the Professor gave Lucy a bracelet that magically identified her and gave her access to eat there, all she had to do was hold her bracelet under a scanner and she was admitted into the large beautifully appointed hall lined on three sides by food stalls.
She was introduced by the Professor to dozens of students, but it was Kipya, a beautiful brunette who introduced herself as a White Sea native that stayed by her side and sat with her when she had finally chosen the food she wanted.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning Lucy, expect Cygnus to come for you in about an hour to take you to your next class." The Professor told her before departing to go join a few other professors at a table across the hall.
Kipya grinned at her "I saw your guild seal poking out on your belly and knew we needed to be friends." The young woman announced brightly, smiling as she sipped at her vanilla shake.
"You said you're from White Sea, are you in the guild? I admit I'm really new." Lucy said, liking Kipya's easy manner.
"No, not yet, but I'll apply my last year here, I heard Master Kaleb is here, did he come with you? He always accompanies new Celestial magic users here for their evaluations, the Dean insists on it and Master Kaleb has never argued." She asked eying Lucy expectantly.
"Yeah, he did, I'm being evaluated for my ranking, I'm from Fiore, my old guild did trials for getting S-class but ranks sort of were just...implied below that…" She frowned a little, absolute ranks were never a thing in Fiore that she knew about, just S class and up were tracked, if you weren't s-class you were...well...average she guessed.
Kipya beamed "So you know him! Do you think you could introduce me? I mean, I don't want to intrude, I know your evaluation prep is pretty intense but last time he was here I never even got to see him. I love White Sea, and I so so want to get into it, I'm not after him ya know, like some girls here have crazy crushes on him and a bunch of other mages you see in the weekly and all, me? I wouldn't care if the Guildmaster was a pink three eyed fish in pantyhose, I'd just really want to meet em!. I'm hoping he'll accept my application...maybe if I get on his radar ya know?" Kipya was bursting with happy chatter and Lucy found herself smiling and relaxing listening and encouraging the young woman to tell her more about the city of White Sea. While she was really looking forward to every minute of instruction she would get here, she was honestly a little let down when Cygnus showed up again, bowing to her and Kipya.
"Lucy it is time for your next class." Cygnus told her and Kipya grinned.
"I hope to see you around Lucy! Put in a good word to your Guildmaster for me!" She called as Lucy left to follow Cygnus.
She was led to a practice area and her heart started beating faster when a short man with a bald head and a blue beard braided with crystal beads glittering all through it bowed to her.
"Lucy Heartfilia, welcome! I am Professor Fin Hargrave, your combat instructor, for the next 10 days you and I will work to hone your combat skills with your spirits. I am a Jungle Key Celestial Spirit mage, I have read your file, you use Zodiacs and currently hold…" He held up his clipboard looking from her belt to his paper and frowning. "Well...it says 10 but my dear, you only hold 9...may I ask...where is Aquarius?"
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Kaleb had just slid into the small viewing room to watch Lucy work with Professor Hargrave, nodding to the Dean who was already seated and nodding to accept the offered tea the Dean held up when he felt his mages emotions slam into grief and pain so sharp he dropped the glass, head snapping to look and see Lucy clutching her chest with one hand, her other hand over her mouth as she looked miserably at the Professor who was looking at her wide eyed and confused.
The man had no idea why she reacted like she did, it was a simple question, he was only wondering if their information was wrong, but Lucy reacted as if he'd struck her and hard. He really had been excited to hear he'd be working with the young woman, she was somewhat famous in Celestial Spirit mage circles as THE major Zodiac keyholder, so he hadn't meant to upset her at all.
Lucy though was under crushing grief, loss, pain, and suddenly it clicked, as the professor thought about it, wondering why Aquarius' key was not on Lucy's ring when it was reported to be one she'd had for some time. Her thoughts made sense to him.
...They're going to hate me...how could they understand...I sacrificed her...she told me to! But I did it, to save the people who...abandoned me...who didn't care enough about me to even say goodbye after I gave her up...what sort of judgement does that show, what sort of Celestial mage am I that I would do that, sacrifice her for people who didn't care about me...I thought they did...I really believed it...Gods...this will ruin everything...I knew it wouldn't last...I knew I...what am I going to do, when they throw me out of here...will Kaleb kick me out of White Sea?! Where will I go?." Her tidal wave of grief, pain, fear, it made the Wizard Saint stagger as he shoved away from the wide-eyed Dean to rush past him, ripped the door into the practice ring open so hard the hinges gave and Kaleb rushed out over the sand floor of the ring, the Professor still gaping wide eyed, half reaching toward Lucy in confused concern.
She had both her hand over her face now, tears raining from her as sobs raked through her and Kaleb reached her just as her knees gave out, the big Boscan catching her and pulling her into a tight embrace, bringing his magic to bear so he could reach all of her.
Lucy, no, no I would never kick you out, no... it's ok, Lucy, look at me, stop...stop crying angel, you don't need to cry, look at me please… He pleaded, his voice firm but gentle in her mind, overcoming all of the chaos in her head, forcing her to hear him. She lowered her hands, turning red puffy eyes up to his so full of pain and fear it felt like a knife in his own heart looking into them.
Lucy...I am your Guildmaster, I would never toss you aside, kick you out, Gods above woman I told you already you're special to me, to my family, to White Sea, I am here with you, and I'm not going to cast you out over making a sacrifice...a terrible painful one...for people you loved...Gods...never… He told her, and she wrapped her arms around him and hid her face in his chest.
"But I was stupid...I thought...I thought it...I had to save them, they would have died...and Aquarius told me there was no other way and I loved her and she really did love me and...I sacrificed her, I broke her key so I could summon the Spirit King and save my guild...stop Mard Geer…." she cried.
Kaleb looked over seeing Dean Kalperden standing in his now broken doorway, eyes wide, mouth hanging open, the Professor was in much the same state, both in awe as what Lucy had said registered with them both.
"Dear sweet girl...oh child...such an act is nothing to be ashamed of…" Dean Kalperden said softly, coming near them but not intruding, Kaleb's hold on his mage made it clear the Guildmaster meant to be the one to do most of the comforting and the way Lucy clung to the man also made it clear she needed it. He'd developed a very healthy respect for Kaleb Pradesh over the years he'd known the young man, from when he was the former Guild Masters lieutenant to his taking over the guild on Grenlow's retirement, Kaleb was honorable, dedicated, and, immensely powerful.
The Mindbender could walk leisurely through every mind in the school Kalperden had no doubt, he was beyond pleased when Kaleb had sent word he was bringing a new Celestial Spirit mage to be tested, and when he'd found out it was Lucy Heartfilia, he'd been even more excited.
Now...now he had a Celestial Spirit mage in his school who had summoned the Celestial Spirit King himself….the very idea staggered the old mage and made his heart both soar and weep because he knew the price of that summon, he was witnessing the aftermath now as Lucy tried to get control of her grief again, Kaleb gently working calm into her, soothing her. A hand stroking her hair as the other pressed into her lower back keeping her tight against him.
Lucy's arms were tight around the big mages waist, her face tucked into his chest, head under his chin. Kalperden smiled softly at the scene, waiting for Kaleb to get Lucy to where she could talk he waved the Professor off. "She'll start tomorrow my friend." He said, and Professor Hargrave nodded, hesitating to leave,
Kaleb suddenly reached down and scooped Lucy up, letting her bury her face into his neck as Dean Kalperden took the que given by the Guildmaster's expression and led them from the practice rings to a staircase, up a couple of flights until he finally held his office door open and Kaleb carried Lucy inside. It didn't occur to either man to be worried about propriety, it was clear Lucy was suffering and needed some comfort and help, but Lucy still, realizing her Guildmaster was still holding her against him, cradling her bridal style in his arms after carrying her up a lot of stairs, blushed and started apologizing.
"No, enough of that, Lucy, you have nothing to apologize for." Kaleb said sternly and set her down on the small couch facing the Dean where he'd sat down in an overstuffed brown chair and was pushing the button on a pedestal.
"Misty dear, bring a nice big pot of tea to my office, would you? 3 cups and lots of honey." He said smiling.
"Of course, Dean Kalperden, I'll be up there in just a few minutes." Came a chipper reply and the dean settled back in his chair while Kaleb took a seat next to Lucy on the couch.
Lucy wrung her hands, but Kaleb reached over and grasped them, stilling her, and she looked up into his eyes, finding him smiling faintly.
"When you're ready Lucy...tell us, what happened." He encouraged, and she drew a breath nodding and, gripping his hand, let it all pour out.
Two hours, a pot of tea, a lot of tears, Kaleb's shirt was probably ruined, and it was a nice one too, a soft ivory silk with pearl buttons, not that he seemed to care it was all wrinkled and wet from Lucy crying on him.
The Dean brought out some very old books, and read to them both, about Celestial mages from centuries ago that had done what Lucy had.
"Always for love...the whole process cannot happen without complete love for those that will be saved by the action, the key would not have broken if you hadn't loved Aquarius, and the King would not have come had you not loved those you were trying to save. Whether or not they loved you back doesn't matter, it is evidence you, my dear, are a very gifted young woman." The Dean said.
"I am honored to have you here my dear, and happier than ever I offered you that shot at a place here." He added.
"And White Sea is lucky to have you, Lucy, if one day you can be a tenth as devoted to White Sea as you were to Fairy Tail, I'd be beyond thrilled." Kaleb told her.
Lucy sat quiet, processing it all. The Dean wasn't mad at all, was proud that she'd been able to sacrifice her spirit, and Kaleb wasn't upset either, his shirt was evidence of how much he supported her.
She smiled shakily "I guess...I had sort of incriminated myself, figured I was a bad person since...the people who were supposed to love me...did what they did." She sighed.
"You aren't in Fiore anymore Lucy, you're in Bosco, starting a new life, you're a Guild Mage in White Sea, one of the largest most powerful guilds in Earthland, and you earned your spot, Bickslow may have brought you to me, but I'd have taken you with or without him any day." Kaleb said, and she smiled at him, her new Guildmaster…. he was rapidly becoming the greatest most solid point in her world too, part of her quaked in fear at the idea of giving that to someone again, the position Natsu and Makarov had sort of shared for her, as her rock, what she trusted most...needed most.
She wasn't the type that could live without it though, she needed that, needed somebody to be that for her, and... Kaleb seemed to be volunteering.
He smiled faintly, and she didn't even sigh this time remembering he could hear everything she thought.
I volunteer Lucy...I'll be that person for you, you can count on me, trust me...I won't ever turn my back on you, as a Mage, a Knight, A wizard Saint and a Pradesh...I swear it.
She'd never heard anything sweeter.
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Hestor Kedanza loved his guild...for the most part. Right now, sitting across the table from Xiao Xing and besides his guildmate Romino Saebin? He wanted to kill the young archive mage, or at least shake him until something rattled and clicked into place in his head. His chest had been aching lately and he wasn't sure why, only that he wanted to get back to the main Branch of White Sea and have Cristoff look him over. He wanted to take a nap in that bay window as he'd just grown accustomed to doing over the years and basking in the light that came off the Guild Master. The pain in his chest shouldn't have been there though...that was new and it slightly scared him, he already had the insanity, the power hungriness from the keys that were bound to his bloodline licking at his sanity...and he still had two more to find...he needed to find them.
It seemed that no matter how many times they tried to explain this to the archive mage, it didn't sink in. He kept attempting to break into the Stellan Temples in Daevale...over and over again.
The man across from him was why he was sent, Xiao Xing was the High Priest of Set and whenever Farron was busy, he was sent to deal with his Cousin. He brought a slender fingered hand up, running it through his silver hair, "I assure you, we will have a talk with him, we will attempt to figure out the why. Release him into my custody."
Xiao Xing stared across the table at him and he arched an eyebrow. The two stared off before the priest let out a breath of air, "Try to have it stick this time...or perhaps take him to another branch."
Hestor nodded and smiled thinly as he stood, the archive mage walking with him. He was silent until they'd gotten out of the temple grounds and then he hissed, "if you keep this up, they're going to make you disappear." his eyes narrowed when he heard the man take a breath, "Not. A. Word."
The two were quiet until they got to the apartment that the archive mage was using and his hand went to his chest as pain blossomed to his magical core. His eyes went wide as he gasped and fell to his knees, feeling like part of him was being torn out. It was overwhelming and he saw the black spots...and then felt the darkness creeping into his mind...felt the insanity start to swirl at the back of his mind. He didn't hear Romino's voice as he was called out to, he barely registered what was going on around him as he fought to control what was going on with his magic and his mind.