SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 7 out, this is Chapter 8 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny and my OC.

Chapter 8: The Star That Will Never Return to the Sky

"These guys barely put up a fight." Natsu complained, the group having demolished yet another gang.

"Weaklings like you shouldn't go around robbing others." Gray concurred.

"You think you can get away after doing this?" one of the defeated robbers asked. "Devon-sama will never stand for this."

"We beat that guy already." Happy supplied.

"We've finished up over here, as well." Erza informed.

"As expected of the two of you." Lucy gave Erza and Ulyo a thumbs-up.

"You won't escape!" Ulyo let loose a water whip at a robber attempting to flee. "Looks like your punishment was not severe enough." She stomped on his bottom. "Hm, maybe I should use the pepper and string thing."

"Pepper and string thing?" Erza inquired, intrigued.

"Or, you've never heard of it?" Ulyo blinked. "You see you take a pepper, attach it to a string…"

"Ulyo!" Gray turned deadly white.

Ulyo just laughed at the ice mage's horrified face. "I'll tell you about it later." She whispered to Erza.

"That was faster than I anticipated." Erza admitted, once on the road.

"I didn't even get to go all out!" Natsu whined.

"You already went pretty crazy back there, seriously…" Gray reminded.

"Isn't that Loke over there?" Happy asked.

"What a coincidence." Gray greeted.

"Are you doing a job around here?" Natsu inquired.

"Yeah." Loke confirmed. "Everyone, as well? Lucy?" he stammered, spotting the Stellar Mage.

"Nice to see you." Lucy greeted. "I wanted to thank you for…"

"Sorry, there is still work to do." Loke took his leave.

"What's with him?" Lucy muttered.

"What did you do to him?" Gray wondered.

"He's totally avoiding you." Natsu added.

"It isn't Lucy's fault." Ulyo defended. "I think… the problem lies more on Loke's side. I'll be right back." She took off after the Golden Lion.

"Just how long are you going to keep punishing yourself?" Loke snapped up when Ulyo entered the thicket he was in, the flower in his hand withering away. "Loke, or should I say, Leo the Lion?"

"So you found me out." Loke stiffened. "Congratulations."

The water mage sighed and let her other self take over. "It's been eons since we've spoke face-to-face, Leo."

"You're…" the Zodiac leader recognized the female before him as the mist faded. "Princess Isis of the Mercury Kingdom… but the Age of the Silver Moon…"

"Has long passed, yes." The ancient Princess cut him off. "But a new Age will rise once again, this time, without any of the tyranny from the Silver Moon. You've removed the Regulus Key from your being, haven't you?" she cast a scolding look at him.

"Yes." Loke looked away.

"Then what about Aldebaran, Antares and Fomalhaut?" Isis pressed.

"Hidden away." Loke replied.

"What in Athene's name happened, Leo?" Isis barked. "When the Silver Age fell, we, Sailor Guardians, had expected you and your brethren to uphold what was left of our legacy! But now, this…! The four of you were the Royal Stars; our stellar representations!"

"We... I… offer no explanation." Loke answered. "When the Silver Age fell, we blamed ourselves for not being able to aid the Sailor Guardians; as a self-imposed punishment, each of us hid our Heart Keys away, keeping only a fragment." He rubbed his ring. "Without our powers, we had no choice but to abdicate, and the current Spirit King took over at that time."

"Idiots." Isis muttered. "I can't believe our Royal Stars are such idiots. Pluto foresaw the fall of the Silver Age; that's why none of you were summoned to the battle. We knew we were going to die and the Silver Queen would use her teleportation spell."

"But if she used the teleportation spell, then how is it…" Loke blinked.

"That I've been reincarnated?" Isis cracked a smile. "Apparently, Selenity forgot the main duty of the Elder Guardians; that we do not answer to her, or to her descendants. My time grows short." She informed. "Know that your guilt is unwarranted, Golden Lion. Open your heart to Cheveyo's child, leader of the Zodiac, and entrust your Key to her." Leaving the leader of the Zodiac Spirits with one last advice, Isis returned her incarnation's body back.

"I assume Isis had said her piece." Ulyo sighed. "Sleep on it, Loke." She smiled and exited the forest.

"Well then, shall we return?" Gray asked, once Ulyo re-joined the group.

"Hey, since we finished with everything earlier than planned, how about going to a hot spring and relaxing a little?" Lucy suggested.

"Lucy…" Erza started. "That's a good idea. Besides, Ulyo still hasn't told me about the pepper and sting thing."

"Then come to think of it, what's with Loke anyway?" Lucy mused, soaking in the hot springs.

"Nice moon." Erza stood up from the water. "And a nice bath too."

"With your armour on?" Ulyo raised an eyebrow.

"I feel at ease staying like this." Erza defended.

"But, doesn't it feel kind of weird?" Lucy wondered.

"To be honest, it does feel weird." Erza agreed. "As I thought, coming to a hot spring like this one sure brings about absolute, complete relaxation."

"And yet your words are as stiff as ever." Ulyo sighed.

"You're even more amazing without clothes, Erza." Lucy gaped when Erza unsummoned her armour.

"Really?" Erza grinned. "Then, how about I try to walk around the Guild naked? That was a joke." She waved, noticing the two younger girls' disturbed expressions.

"Here we go!" Natsu declared, pillows in hand.

"What's with the commotion?" Gray questioned from his futon. "I am trying to sleep here…"

"Hey, look around you." Natsu prodded. "We are staying at a Ryokan. Staying overnight here mean pillow brawls!"

"Isn't it pillow fight?" Gray corrected.

"All the pillows of excellence in this room are already under my possession." Erza announced, the girls entering the pending fight.

"Of excellence?" Ulyo echoed.

"I will defeat Erza!" Natsu swore.

"Oh dear…" Gray sighed, only to be met by Natsu's pillow to the face when Erza dodged the attack. "Natsu! You bastard!" the ice mage bellowed and tossed a fluffy weapon of his own at his adversary. "You're next, Erza!" he readied his next shot.

"Not bad." Erza held off the attack.

"All right." Lucy was ready to join in. "Then I will join in the fun as well." When three pillows slammed into her abdomen and throwing her out of the room. "On second thought, maybe not… or I will end up dead."

"I should have warned her beforehand about roughhousing with these three." Ulyo sighed, a water barrier already in place.

"Ulyo, that's against the rules!" Natsu whined when his pillow bounced off her shield.

"Rules?" Ulyo echoed so innocently that you could almost see the halo on her head. "What rules?"

"What's with them?" Elfman wondered as Natsu and Gray started another fight.

"It seems they injured each other in a pillow fight after accomplishing their job." Mira supplied.

"How on earth can someone get injured in a pillow fight?" Elfman sighed.

"And besides, why were you so worked up during the pillow fight?" Gray growled.

"I do everything to the best of my ability." Natsu argued.

"Yet you still lost." Gray challenged.

"It was you who lost." Natsu snapped.

"Lucy, I'm the winner, right?" both teens turned to the Celestial Mage.

"Shut up." Lucy glared.

"We're sorry!" the two boys stammered.

"Wow, there is actually someone other than Erza and Ulyo who is capable of stopping those two…" Mira gaped.

"You seem to be in a bad mood." Ulyo noted, the two males stalking off.

"Really?" Lucy asked. "I feel normal."

"It's Loke, isn't it?" Ulyo guessed.

"How…" Lucy was shocked at her insight.

"'A star that falls to the earth will never shine again.'" Ulyo quoted. "Do you understand the sorrow of a star that can never return to the heavens? The fate of the fallen star rests in your hands, Lucy."

"Lucy, big trouble!" Gray burst into the Celestial Mage's room later that night. "Loke's left Fairy Tail!"

"Why?" Lucy was startled.

"No one knows." Gray replied. "Everyone is searching for him right now. That guy, he has been acting really weird lately."

"It couldn't be…" Lucy realized what Ulyo had been hinting to her.

"Hey Lucy!" Gray called as Lucy shot past him. "Where are you going to search for him?"

"Everyone, it's enough." Ulyo informed the search party. "Call off the search."

"What?" Mira looked at her in shock. "But…"

"Right now, Lucy's the only one who knows where Loke is; she's the only one who can bring him back." Ulyo gave the younger mages a stern look. "We'll just have to leave everything to her." Lucy, she looked at the night sky. You're the only one who can save the Lion now.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.