Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters; that right belongs to Hiro Mashima. Nor do I own Final Fantasy XV; that right belongs to SquareEnix and the fantastic team of developers, graphics and musical artist. This story is a work of Fiction by a fan. So, anything is possible if I (the author) dreams it! Welcome Fanfiction.

Author's Note: So, while playing the game and watching a whole bunch of Videos on Youtube from the channel Final Fantasy Union, I have come to love two characters so much. One just makes my heart weep and want to hold them and tell them it will be alright, have faith. The other is an unsung, badass, fucking cool Hero. If you can figure out who these two guys are just from this, then Kudo's.

Author's Note 2: This is dedicated to my three main ladies who are always there when I need them the most. Picking me up and talking things through with me. Assuring that I am not a bad person and do horrible things when my depression gets to me... So, LeosLady4Ever, LittlePrincessNana, as well as DragonsHost. This story is for you, my nerdlings!

Blue eyes half-closed from exhaustion stared at the large black panther that stood still, muscles coiled as if it was deciding to pounce or run from him. But what struck him as strange was the intelligence he saw in the depth of those brown eyes. Which, if he recalled, was the wrong color for this breed of a large cat. Blinking slowly, Prompto lowered himself slowly to the ground to make himself seem less threatening while reaching out a hand slowly for it to smell.

The way he saw its head tilt to the side as it watched his actions before giving a soft huff. A sound that sounded almost as if it were laughing at him. Shaking his head and smiling, Prompto just kept his hand held out as he stayed in a staring contest with it. He eventually won when it took two small, hesitant steps toward him and sniffed his hand. Its cold, wet black nose was brushing softly against his fingertips.

Knowing this was a precarious situation, as he was actually in grave danger on many levels. The daemon he'd just killed lay rotting not too far away. A large (typically) predator had assisted and was now smelling him, while he was half crouched to sit on the ground. A lot has changed in the few years since Noctis had entered the Crystal and never emerged. The group had split up, each going their separate ways. And he had done well, helping Cindy assisting refugees to Lestallum.

But right now, he needed to collect proof of the daemon kill for a bounty. Being cautious, he retracted his hand from the panther, watching as those brown eyes watched him. When he stood up and made his way to the corpse to collect a talon, Prompto looked back to see that the panther had moved to watch him — sitting down so he could barely make out with what little light there was that it was a female. Giving a shake of his head, he retrieved the talon and started to walk away, something telling him on an instinctual level that the large cat wasn't going to harm him.

Groaning, Prompto rolled over and lifted his hands to block the rough tongue that was slobbering all over his face. When a familiar huff that he knew now was laughter was heard, before a massive, velvety soft paw was placed on his arm and pulled it down, Prompto knew that he'd lost. Cracking an eye open, he saw those strange, intelligent brown eyes glowing in the dim light in his small, temporary home.

"You are a pain you know that?" he groaned as he gave in and sat up.

The loud snort he got as he watched his companion of the last three years lift her head and look down her muzzle at him in an arrogant manner. He knew it was strange to see such action from any animal, for it was such a human mannerism. But since meeting her after that daemon fight, she had followed him. A silent shadow that always trailed behind him. For which he was glad he had.

"So, ready to go see Cindy and get out to hunting again?" he asked as he stood up from his makeshift bed.

When he saw the single nod of his companion's head, Prompto stopped and stared at her. He had come to call her Celest, short for Celestial since she always seemed to be looking to the sky a look of longing in those strange eyes of her. A name she seemed to like, though even after the past two years, it seemed she still didn't answer it right away, almost like a small child who doesn't respond to a nickname.

A soft moan escaped his lips as he watched as the last of the current group of refugees made it to the gates of Lestallum. Celest had sensed them and led him to them just in the nick of time. A small band of daemons had them cornered, and were going to make a meal of them. Glancing down and to the side, he saw Celest look relieved before lifting her head to look at him. When her jaw dropped open to show all her sharp teeth, Prompto knew that she was smiling.

He was still continually amazed at how she moved and fought — reminding him that she was a natural predator, albeit at times a klutzy one. That she hadn't hesitated to throw herself at the daemons like she was possessed and began to tear the smallest ones apart while delivering precise blows that left others wounded, weakening them for him. That she would retreat for a bit and watch the way the battle was going before darting in as if now having a new tactical insight.

This was something that had been pointed out to him by Gladiolus. Of course, his friend's reaction to seeing a large panther attacking alongside him in a coordinated manner had been unsettling. It had been a short meeting, but his friend had been the one who had the most survival skills of their little four-person group. So when Gladio had mentioned it after their joint battle against a particularly tough daemon that he'd been hunting for a while, Prompto decided to watch.

He had taken the time to explain how he had met Celest. How he came up with her name and just enjoyed her company. Remarking that he was glad that she was there at times when he was away from civilization. And that she didn't let him slack off in the least. Nope, he had his pant leg torn, butt swiped at and teeth in his shirt pulling him when Celest thought he was being lazy, which had Gladio looking like he felt that any sanity he had was gone.

"Come on, Celest, let's make sure there is not a single daemon following. Then we can return, and you can have your bath and feel all pretty," he quipped.

The loud rumbling purr at his words was all he needed before she vanished into the darkness — leaving Prompto to smile before jogging after her. He had found out the hard way that she liked to be clean. She had invaded his tiny little shower stall while he was in it cleansing his person of caked-on blood. The narrowed, dark glare she had sent him to let him know that she wouldn't leave after he had screamed at her. And when she pawed at the soap and shampoo/conditioner, all while maintaining eye contact, let him know she wanted clean too.

Prompto fell to his ass hard as he looked at Celest, who was standing before him as if he had never seen her. Of course, he had never seen her like this. It had been ten long years, and Noctis had come out of the Crystal and freed them all from the darkness, returning the natural cycle of day and night. Over the course of the eight years that Celest had been his companion and partner, he had noted all the human mannerisms from her. And when they had come across the first of a series of daemons that seemed hell-bent on the panther, it had struck him as odd. At least until they defeated it and Celest had rummaged through the damn thing's body to come out covered in all kinds of gore with a little ornate golden key in her mouth.

A key that she refused to let him have when he tried to take it. It was strange looking this, with a symbol carved on it looking like v with a large sloppy drawn b attached to it. And for the first time, she had attacked him, though he knew there was no real intent to harm him, letting him know that he would not receive what she had found. From there over the next few years, they'd discover more of the little golden keys. Each similar, yet had a different symbol on the top.

"Prompto?"

The way his name fell from her lips as he sat there, still staring up at her from his new spot on the ground, he didn't know how to answer Celest, who was no longer a panther. And the look on her face said that she understood, even if it did hurt her.

Four weeks later found Prompto sitting on a couch, surrounded by Gladio, Ignis, and Noctis, as he watched the strange gold and shimmer effect surround Celest. His gaze never leaving her as he barely made out her body shifting from panther to that of a woman's. A woman he found to be rather beautiful, if not tragic. The soft whistle and audible gasp from two of his three friends as the strange shimmer faded, leaving Celest, or Lucy, visible to them all. She was well aware of who these people were to him, as he had talked ceaselessly about them.

He watched as she bowed at the waist and introduced herself to everyone. Her soft voice a light melody on the night air. Once introductions were done, she waited patiently as Ignis walked around her, allowing him to reach out and touch her face. Prompto liked her readily accepting nature and how she just adapted and went with the flow. Since the last full moon, they had long talks. She was leading him to learn a lot about the woman. How she was from another world altogether, cursed by a mage there before being flung through a magical black hole (her words, not his) and arriving here. That is her world; she was what was called a Celestial Mage.

He knew that her goal was to return home if she could. And to do that, she had to find all twelve golden keys and the thirteenth one that was black. Not knowing how to go about helping her, he had suggested on the last night of the full moon that they should talk to his friends. Preferably before Noctis' coronation. He had watched her hesitate in answering just as the sun's light began to creep over the horizon, causing that shimmer of gold and silver to encompass her. Just before she finished changing, she had said she was willing.

Now they were in the citadel in Insomnia. And his friends were seeing her for the first time.

"Well, I think I have seen everything now," Gladio spoke up.

A soft grunt of agreement from Noctis and Prompto smiling as he stood up and walked over to Lucy. Who was watching the other three with a wariness? This was something personal, he knew, that she was going to share with people she didn't know. While internally Prompto warred with himself, he wanted to free her from her curse, which had nothing to do with the keys, but yet he didn't want her to go home. It was something he couldn't explain, just the fact that he knew.

"You will watch what you say!"

Prompto stared wide-eyed in shock and awe at what he had just witnessed. It had been a few hours since Lucy had changed back to her human form and explained things to them all. Of course, Gladio had no tact and always spoke in a rough manner what he thought. It was just who he was, and while the group accepted it due to being used to it, Lucy was not. And she didn't take kindly to comments about the spirits that she could summon with those keys. And he wasn't going to open his mouth and get the same kick delivered to him because he spoke what he thought of the small snowman looking little white... doggie?

Then again, her kick came out of nowhere, taking Gladio by surprise. Something rare, to begin with. Though, he was sure the golden halo popping into existence around her was an indicator that Gladio should have shut up.

"That is rather impressive," Ignis said, finally speaking up. "I may be blind, but I can see a brilliant glow outlined in the blackness. I am to take it, that is you, Miss Lucy, and your magic?"

There was a bit of a pause as Prompto watched as she lowered her foot back to the ground. A part of him was glad that she was wearing skin-tight booty shorts instead of the micromini she had donned the last time she came out.

"Yes, my magic manifest as a golden light around me. Though you see it while being blind tells me you were not born blind, but it is due to some other means. Possibly magical?" Lucy spoke up.

Prompto let a natural smile curled his lips as he leaned back. He hadn't told her anything. But watching the three startled reactions at her astute hypothesis was highly entertaining.

"You'd be correct," Ignis stated in his typical no pomp and circumstance manner. "You stated you have both silver and gold keys. And this first spir- I mean the friend you summoned is a silver? Why not try for a gold?"

"Yes, Plue or Canis Minor is a silver key. My only one to date," Lucy said.

Prompto watched as she lifted the three golden keys she had from her pouch and looked at them. Her brown eyes narrowing as she deliberated over which one to choose. Eventually, he saw the smile plays at the corner of her lips. Then she was shifting her body back into the stance she had taken for Plue, who Prompto noticed had wobbled his way over to him and was leaning against his leg.

The creature gave off an odd vibe that he could tell was magic-based, and yet similar to the astrals.

"I am the road that connects this world to the celestial realm," Lucy intoned as the golden halo glowed brighter. "I open thee, the gate of the Goat, Capricorn!"

Her voice rang out with the power as the room filled with heavy pressure. Then with another loud chime and poof of smoke, this time in off orange color, there appeared another spirit in the room.

"Miss Lucy, it is good to see you," a proper, yet stern voice, just like Ignis spoke.

When the smoke cleared, Prompto was glad he was sitting down, because he was sure he'd have ended up on his ass. There before them, dressed in a tailored and pressed tux, was a man that was a goat at the same time. When Lucy had said goat, she meant literally.

"It is good to see you again, too, Capricorn," Lucy said. "Can you help me better explain things?"

Shifting a little, Prompto looked at the three others in the room, noting that Gladio had stayed next to his indentation in the wall. A wise move. While Noctis and Ignis were still and waiting. Because Lucy was asking for more information and willing to share it.

He grunted as he fought through the small horde of Goblins in the dungeon. Lucy was in her human form, as it was the full moon again. They were after the last of the keys she had owned before being flung into this world. This key was the leader of the Zodiacs, Leo the Lion. Prompto was both looking forward to meeting the spirit and fearing it. Each was unique.

Then again, each of their little group had gotten along just fine with at least one of the spirits. Well, Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio did. He had yet to find an affinity with one of the golden ones. Still, it was amusing to see the similarities that each spirit shared with his friends. Taurus and Gladio for strength, and a bit of perviness. Ares and Noctis for their passiveness, though he would like to see Noctis decked out in that much pink. Great photos that would produce while Ignis had bonded with Capricorn, who was strict and wanted order at all cost.

Pausing as he watched as Lucy expertly cracked her whip and wrapped it around the largest of the goblins and pulled it off the balance before Cancer darted forward and sliced it up, causing the smaller groups of goblins to panic and start running away.

"Lucy, we have found Leo's key, Ebi!"

At the word had Prompto looking over at Lucy, whose face was lit up in the light of the headlamp he wore. Seeing the delight on her face made her look even more beautiful, not that it was possible. She had been in Eos for over twelve years now, her journey finally coming to an end. And in that last four years, Prompto knew he had become attached to her even though he was consistently warned against it by his friends. Lucy was indeed a one in a million.

When she turned to look at him, he forced a smile on his face and held his arms up above his head in the sign of victory. Knowing she would know it was not a genuine smile.

Standing there on the tallest mountain in all of Eos, his friends around them as Lucy summoned one spirit after another, Prompto watched sullenly. He was happy that she was able to get a chance to go home to those she called friends and family. Lucy was a person who had a natural inner light that brightened up others' lives. Even if at times she was obstinate, klutzy and attracted trouble and danger.

"I am the road that connects this world to the Celestial Realm," Lucy said, her body almost hidden in the golden glow of her magic. "I open thee, the gate of the Eternal Snake, Ophiuchus."

The black key Lucy held seemed to suck up all the light that had been surrounding Lucy before a tall, slender woman appeared, wearing what looked to be nurses' outfit. Those red eyes looked at Lucy with an odd mix of happiness and contempt.

"You have assembled all of the Zodiac, and each of the Silver Keys you own, Lucy Heartfilia, favored by the Celestial King," the strange woman Ophiuchus said. "What is it you wish to do by summoning all of us?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Prompto looked on at Lucy, who gave a small smile to the woman.

"I'd like my curse to be broken, Ophiuchus," Lucy stated.

Feeling as if he'd just been punched in the gut, Prompto stepped forward, drawing the attention of all gathered.

"Lucy, why aren't you asking me to go home? Wasn't that your goal from the start? I mean, your spirit Crux of the Southern Star said that you could only do this once a year," he asked.

The slow blink of Lucy's brown eyes as she looked at him before she gave a small shake of her head.

"I can answer that for you, Lucy Heartfilia," Ophiuchus spoke up before Lucy could. "That is because she is unable to go home. And it has nothing to do with the curse, but herself. And as for your curse, I cannot break it, but your friend here can if you ask him to do what it is you desire in the depths of your heart."

Feeling floored at this knowledge, Prompto couldn't help but stare at the blond woman before him. His mind was reeling at the fact that she was unable to go home. The place she had longed for, for so long. What did the spirit mean by it was because of Lucy, herself, that she was unable to go home? And that last bit, what was it that Lucy desired in the depths of her heart?

The soft, slightly muffled chuckles from his friends behind him drew Prompto out of his inner thoughts and turmoil only to feel small dainty hands on his face. Only to find Lucy was standing before him, looking up at him with complete exasperation on her face. Her brown eyes were wide and shining with something he couldn't name. But his face felt hot under her hands as she rose, so she was looking him directly in the eyes.

"Prompto, I made my choice a while ago. I guess you are a clueless blonde," she said in a teasing voice.

This caused him to furrowed his brow and look at her as he replied, "You know, you're blond too, right?"

The way she smiled at him had him smiling warmly back at her. Then his world was turned on its head.

"I have been your partner for twelve years. I have learned a lot about who you are on the inside. And because of that, I chose to stay here for what I want most, that is if you'll help me break this curse," Lucy said, her voice soft and teasing.

Prompto arched an eyebrow as the chuckling from not just behind him, but all around him.

"And what do I have to do to help you? I mean, your spirit said you had to do what your heart desires, right?" he asked.

The smile she gave him left him feeling breathless. His face was only feeling hotter beneath his hands as he felt his heartbeat pick up.

"It is something I have wanted to do for a long time, Prompto," Lucy said in an almost shy voice. "To kiss you. So, will you allow me this?"

Unable to stop himself, Prompto felt his jaw drop open fast and hard. Numbly he nodded his head; he seemed to be watching her move in slow motion. The feel of her hands sliding from his face down his neck, cradling the back of his head was bliss, or what he could deem to be bliss.

Then it was as if time was moving at normal speed again as he closed his mouth, tilted his head to the side as her lips pressed against his own. Prompto gave a small hum as he brought his arms up and wrapped them around Lucy's waist, pulling her closer to him. This was something, he too, had wanted to do for a while. He hadn't even given it a thought that Lucy could have similar feelings to him. Said feelings she was communicating to him with this kiss and how her body was pressing and moving against his own.

Uncaring of their rather large audience, Prompto did his best to communicate back just how he felt. As his mind processed that she gave up going home for him, even if she was unsure about how he felt about her. The impact of that thought had him breaking the kiss and looking at her. Enjoying the way her lips were swollen and dark pink, her eyes were half shut and glazed, bringing out the flush to her skin as she stared back at him.

"Well, now that the princess had found her prince, the curse upon her is broken," Virgo spoke up. "Think there should be a wedding so that they can practice making babies."

It was like cold water had been dumped on him. And Lucy, too, from the way she looked mortified at what her spirit said as she slipped from his arms and spun around to face the pink-haired, maid spirit sputtering.

"Punishment, Princess?" the spirit said with a rather cheeky grin on her face, while everyone around them burst out laughing.

THE END!