Chapter Four

Lucy was sitting on the side of Fairy Tail guild hall at 11 o'clock at night. She had been waiting here for hours for that damn spirit to come out so she could confront him about his disappearance. She waited weeks for him to be by himself, but he has always been with someone in some way or another.

Her shoulder had stopped bleeding after she wrapped it up, then rewrapped it when it started bleeding again. It had been hurting for a while now, but she ignored it for something more important.

Signing in boredom, Lucy placed her forehead on her knees. Then the door slammed open with loud laughing and shouting flavored with the smell of booze all around. Turning her head around the corner, Lucy watched Leo with a brown-haired girl with her arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"Loke, you really know how to drink a girl under the table," the girl slurred her words, with a swing of her arm, booze flew onto the pavement below.

The 'Loke' shook his head with a lazy smile, "No way, you drank way more than I have in my whole life!" he exclaimed swinging his leg up high.

Lucy stood up and wiped the dirt off her and walked up to the two drunk fairies. The brown-haired girl stopped her smile and narrowed her confused drunk eyes at the blonde, "Who are you?"

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, her brown eyes turned to Leo with a calculating gaze, "I need to talk to you,"

'Loke' lifted his eyebrow and still in a drunken haze he moved his face closer to hers, "Weren't you that girl Natsu was trying to save?"

Lucy grew irritated with her foot digging into the grass beside her, "Yeah, I'm Lucy and…"

The brunette sprang forward to hug the blonde, "You have the biggest tits I've ever seen. How did I not see those yesterday?" she was about to grab Lucy's chest when the stellar mage shoved her to the ground. It was fairly easy since she was drunk as all hell.

"What the hell?" Lucy called out, her hands across her chest, "You can't just touch me like that!"

"Whoa, chill out!" 'Loke' called out getting in between the two girls then turned to the blonde with a glare, "What the hell do you want?" suddenly becoming sober in the moment.

"Sorry but I want to talk to you, Leo," his eyes widened then looked down to the keys on her waist. His head snapped towards Cana getting up from the ground and making sure her booze was okay.

Her hand laid on his shoulder causing him to jump slightly, "Loke, you okay? I'm fine really,"

He didn't answer her but just stared at Lucy then suddenly grabbed her arm to pull her off to the side, waving off Cana when she asked if everything was okay a second time. Lucy was trying to pull him off and swearing profusely at him.

"I thought I just said not to touch me, jerk!" She yelled snatching his arm away from his hand.

He huffed, planting his foot down in the dirt and eyeing her suspiciously, "My name is Loke, not Leo. You hear me," He stated certainly.

Lucy just rolled her eyes that the red-headed fairy and shifted her weight on her other foot, "I can sense a Celestial Spirit. I don't know what you did Leo, but you've been missing for a long time,"

Loke's eyes got narrower, "I'm Loke and I'm a Fairy Tail mage and nothing else," his voice sounded like he was about ready to growl at her, but Lucy put her foot down, setting her fists on her hips and setting her stance firmer.

"You know, I could help If you just tell me what happened, I could help you,"

Cana came between the two of them, stumbling through with a hand on each of their shoulders, "What are you two yelling about? And who's Leo?"

Lucy was about to tell her what exactly was happening when Loke slammed his hand against her mouth, "Nothing, she was just leaving and I still need to take you home, right?" the blonde narrowed her eyes and was going to protest, "Right, see you never Lucy," then they walked off, well more like stumbled off.

Lucy was there to just watch them walk off, she crossed her arms and thought about what she should do next. She was obviously not going to give up on this spirit and try to figure out how to help. "You just wait, asshole. You're going to get help whether you like it or not,"

[***]

Looking around the corner, she spotted Leo being surrounded by a crowd of women who were swooning over him with giggles and smoothing touches. Lucy rolled her eyes but kept watching. He hasn't been alone all day.

She was waiting to see if he would show what happened to him to make him get expelled from the celestial realm. So far, she's learned that he has sex a lot and he thinks he can get any girl he wants. Not much else has happened, she was getting bored and was about to just attack him into telling her, but something happened.

Leo left the women to go somewhere else, looking around before further walking. Lucy followed with distance, watching him stagger on his walk, with further confused her. Is he alright? Is he losing his power by being stuck here?

Seeing where they were, Lucy got super confused, where were they? It was like a giant waterfall with a ledge stretched out into the middle of it. Leo was kneeling before something with his hand touching it. He looked as though he was crying, as Lucy got closer, she could tell he actually was.

"Leo?" She asked, stepping slightly closer.

Loke turned his head to see it was Lucy and turned back towards the grave, "What are you doing here?" his voice was tired and sad.

She got up close behind him, "I could ask you the same thing, what is all this?" pointing around to the loud waterfall and apparently the grave he was crying over.

He sighed before getting to his feet, Lucy got a good look at his face; it was all pale and fatigued, he was also sweating. He wiped his hair back with his hand and poked the sunglasses further up his nose, "It's a long story, why are you still here?"

"I told you I wanted to help, and you look like you're going to die," she commented with a slight giggle to her voice.

Loke scoffed at her comment but his knee gave out and he fell to his other knee with a grunt, giving himself a minute to compose when he caught her eye with a glare, "Just get out of here, you don't want to help me,"

She crossed her arms before sighing and kneeling before him, taking her hand and touching his shoulder, "I want to help, you're a celestial spirit and I help any spirit I come across," Lucy genuinely felt that way. It was her duty to help any spirit even if she hated people, but they were her friends and they had her back.

Snapping his shoulder back and out of reach, he glared harder but softened when he looked at the determination in her eyes and sighed, "Fine, it was about 3 years ago when I had a contract with someone named Karen,"

Her eyebrows creased, "I know that name, she was a celestial mage in Blue Pegasus, right?"

Sitting back against the grave he rubbed his head; she sat across from him in a crisscross style, "Was, she's dead now and it's all my fault,"

***Flashback***

"Sorry Miss Karen, but I can't hold on any longer," Aries breathed out, sounding exhausted, tugging the chain around her neck. It had been a long 3 days too, after several mission where Karen took Aries out only for her guard, the little ram was tired and hurt.

Karen only scoffed at her, "You've only been out for 3 days, you told Master Bob and now you will be punished for it! You will stay out as long as you can," she screamed, the master had scorned her about abusing her spirits and there was no way anyone other then her spirits told him.

Suddenly Aries disappeared and a gold dust and Leo stood with a blatant stare to his master, "We want our contracts terminated immediately, all of us,"

Stuttering out, her eyes bugged out, "For what?" her voice was just short of a scream, "Force gate close!" swinging his key, nothing happened while Leo only staggered but stood his ground. "What do you think you're doing?"

"If I stay here, you won't be able to call out any other spirit. I'm not leaving until you terminate our contracts! You only use us and abuse us, I want Aries and my contracts terminated now,"

She was angry as she stomped out of the church, Leo stayed sitting on the ledge just waiting. After ten days she came back, tired and fuming. Standing in front of her lion spirit with contempt, "It's been ten days and I don't have money, I can't go on missions, I can't call out any spirit because of you! It's all because of you!" she screamed slapping his shoulder.

He breathed in deeply before looking up at her, "We still want our contracts terminated, you've abused us for the last time," coughing after.

Karen huffed then stormed out but not before cursing him and tell him that once he was gone, she could do anything she wanted with Aries.

***Flashback end***

"Then she died on a mission because she needed the money, she never listened to Master Bob when he told her not to take it, it's all my fault," Leo cried out, holding his head in his hands. Lucy leaned closer to him, her hand on her on his shoulder. The blonde thought maybe hugging his would help but she hesitated, hugging wasn't her thing, then his essence started to fade. Lucy had to think fast, suddenly hugging him gave him a start. She grip tightened when she felt him pull away, "What are you doing? Just let me go,"

"No," Lucy yelled, she was way to stubborn for this, "You don't deserve this!"

His hand came up to push her away, but she held tighter to his green jacket and closed her eyes, "Lucy stop, its just the rules and now I have to go. I stayed here too long and I can't hold on much longer,"

Her mocha eyes found his hazel ones, "Fuck the rules, I'll argue with the giant oaf if I have to!" she screamed seeing his fade growing, Leo growing opaque by the second, "I'm not giving up! Open gate of the Lion!" she screamed but nothing happened; so, she screamed again, louder, scratching her throat, "Open, Gate of the Lion!"

"Lucy stop!" Loke tried but he had no idea how stubborn Lucy could be.

The waterfall stopped, all sound stopped as he appeared, a bright statue of a man rose before them, his long white mustache was the first feature Lucy saw then his gold star atop his forehead. He was a very large man, but she didn't care, before he could even say hello, she stood in front of Leo with her arms out, "You can't let him die. Open his gate!"

"Miss Heartfilia, you know the rules. He let his master die and he knows what he's- "

"Hell no!" She yelled stepping closer, her fists held tight by her sides, "The rules are wrong! That bitch totally did it to herself! She knew she could fight without her spirits and she went anyway knowing she had the possibility of dying! So, screw you!"

He leaned forward, the Celestial King himself was arguing with a small blonde mage, "These are the rule put in place, he knew he was blocking her magic and he knew of the consequences. There is nothing more to discuss Miss Heartfilia,"

"Listen Stashface! She. Did. This. to. Herself. He wouldn't have had to stay out if she was a giant bitch and abuse her spirits. She deserved it more or less, he had no idea she would take that mission and he was just trying to save Aries. More than you did," Lucy whispered the last sentence, but he heard.

Leo stood and pulled her back but she nudged her arm away from him to look back and see his scared face, "What are you doing?" he asked for a third time, he had no idea why she was trying to save him at all. She wasn't part of his guild or even his friend, what was she thinking?

"Trying to save someone who deserves it! you tried to save Aries when she was being taken advantage of, this guy knew and did nothing," turning back to the large celestial spirit staring down at her, "He has been out for 3 years, isn't that enough suffering?"

That question ran through his mind, he has been using his own power for 3 years and that alone was significant, he saw the glare that this girl had against him, she seems very stubborn like himself, "I'm sorry but I can't change the rules," he told her.

"Bullshit! You are the king, you make the rules, so you can change them!" pointing at him while the gold aura around her grew, suddenly her contracted spirits formed behind her. Cancer, Aquarius, Taurus, Virgo, Sagittarius and all her silver keys stood with her. She felt her power lowering by having them all here with her.

"Change the rules!" She yelled again, firmer before she fell to her knees causing all her spirits to disappear.

Leo ran to her, helping her sit up before the king spoke to both of them, "Leo, I will accept you back into the spirit world, you are pardoned form all your wrong doings,"

Leo leaned his head down with tears in his eyes, "Wait…I don't deserve this at all!" grasping at the dirt on the ground.

The king started to dissipate, the sound of his deep, brooding voice was heard, "If you still want to repent for your sins then you will have to serve your friend from now on,"

The lion spirit turned his head towards his now new master, watching her get to her feet before him and then turned her hand out to him, "You heard the man, you're with me now,"

[***]

Natsu ran through town look for her, he hadn't seen her for weeks and he needed answers. Happy flew with him just wondering where he was going, his partner never told him what he wanted or who they were looking for, only that they needed to find someone.

"Natsu who are we looking for again," he asked looking down to the fire dragon slayer.

"We're looking for Lucy, I think she might know where Loke is. He's been missing for a week now and no one's seen where's he's been," Natsu explained while looking in store windows and through crowds of people.

"Why would she know?" Happy landed on his shoulder once Natsu finally stopped to see where he was and look around more. His jade eyes focused on a small diner at the end of the street and found a blonde sitting alone in a booth, looking like she was waiting on something.

"There," Natsu yelled before taking off in a sprint towards the diner, nearly knocking Happy right off his shoulder until the blue cat caught on his black vest.

Crashing the door open, scaring customers but not really caring all too much when he spotted his prey. Lucy paid him no mind when she had a bowl of wonderful, delicious and oh-so appetizing soup. Lifting the spoon to her lips, Lucy had been waiting for this moment for a long time but that didn't happen.

Natsu slammed his hands on her table, knocking over her bowl and the only with any soup on it was the table, ground and her spoon. Turning her head, glaring daggers at the pink-haired dragon slayer, "What the hell do you –" she started, slowly standing up when Natsu interrupted her.

"Have you seen Loke?" He quickly asked, slamming his hands again for emphasis.

The stellar mage let out a breath, and raised an eyebrow at him, "What?"

In the back, a frantic looking waiter was panicking, waving his arms around, "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to put out your flames or get out!" his voice was almost higher than Lucy's, but he looked like he was going to pop a gasket any second.

Both mages ignored him as Natsu repeated himself, "Where is Loke?"

"Who?" she thought about it for a spilt second when it suddenly came back to her mind, "Oh, you mean Leo?" just a second after she says his name, he pops up next to her in a black suit and wild big hair. his blue glasses glistened when he fixed them on his nose and his wild orange hair made it look like he had big cat ears atop his head.

Natsu stared at him, hardly recognizing his own guild mate, "Loke where have you been and why is Lucy calling you Leo and why did you just appear out of thin air?" sputtering out question after question, it made Lucy roll her eyes.

Sitting down and telling him the whole story and after telling the diner owner that everything was okay and nothing was going to get damaged, Natsu finally calmed down with all the questions.

"So, you're telling me, you've been a celestial spirit this whole time?" He asked, still trying to piece it all together.

Lucy just kept busy with her soup while the boys talked, she had to shoo away the damned cat, trying to eat her soup. He kept asking if there were any fish in her soup and if he could have some.

"Yes, Natsu. Lucy saved me from being gone forever and forced the Spirit King to change his own rules and now any spirit that is abused by their Master's get to sever their contract with that mage," Leo bumped Lucy's bowl but once she gave him a glare, he chuckled.

Lucy rolled her eyes, "I did not save you, you just didn't deserve that,"

Natsu then laughed boisterously, "You really attract people to be your friends, just like me,"

Finishing her soup and shoving her bowl to the end of the table, Lucy pointed a finger at the fire slayer, "You forced your way into my life. I never asked you to stay,"

Moving to the side of the booth that Lucy sat alone, Natsu shifted himself closer to her; his warm skin touched hers and his hairs tickled her cold shoulder, "Yeah but your life is so much more exciting now with me in in," he said in a singsong voice, Lucy pushed him away from her, other than that she didn't disagree with him.

[***]

Back in the Fairy Tail guild hall, a large fairy tail member was plotting his plan. On the second floor he stood, leaning over the rail and looking down on those dumb ass kids. It didn't look like pink-haired fuck head and his loud, annoying companion was here, but it was still as rowdy as ever.

Gray was fighting with Gajeel who was in place of Natsu, but they were just as loud. That rain woman was behind a pillar just staring and mumbling to herself about something or other concerning the ice mage.

His blue eyes found their guild master, sitting atop of the bar, beer in his hand and a drunk blush dusted on his cheeks.

Pathetic.

It was high time he took over and straightened up these assholes. It was just a matter of time and to get all his duck in a row. Turning back to his fellow team members, Bickslow, Evergreen and Freed; Laxus sat with a beer in his own hand, smiling at the knowing glances they all sent him.

It was all a matter of time anyway.

Thank you, guys, for being so patient with me. My cat just died last week, and it was really hard to do anything really but this will be continuing because I'm really having fun writing this and it wish I knew what you guys thought.

So, please tell me what you think.

But anyway! Till next time!