A/N. To answer a few questions. Yes, I had written this years ago. I'm updating it and bringing it back because I had so many people asking for it, some just for a Zen story, some for this piece in particular. I'm reading what your saying, and because this story isn't going to go like the original version of it did, I'm taking reader feedback to heart. This isn't going to be a fluffy story though. War is terrible, and with the world going through all it is right now, working on this I just can't make it sweet so warning. This is going to be a hard one. Some characters are going to do things nobody wants to think they ever would because...war does that.

DESNA

2 weeks and they had gotten steadily less rest as they had neared the heavier fighting closer to what they learned from a passing group of haggard looking refugees was Crocus. Lucy and Cana both could do little more than shake their heads at the geography being too far off for them to even comprehend where in Fiore they were.

It was frustrating, terrifying, robbed her of even her indomitable hope that they could get everyone together and fight. Zen helped her a lot, easy to talk to, when they settled down to sleep each day he would listen to her, talk to her. He and Kaleb and their powerful conviction that they would set things right helped her alot. The two brothers….she wasn't sure how she and Cana would have survived this trek without them.

It seemed like it was a lot harder for her and Cana because they knew the areas they were supposed to be traveling and seeing it all changed so drastically was endlessly upsetting.

Magnolia hadn't been even close to several of the small towns she had expected to come across as they traveled. Cana had gone into a full panic attack when they hadn't found Logothen, the little village where she had been born, where her mothers grave was. It wasn't where it was supposed to be and that had been too much for the already exhausted and stressed out card mage.

Kaleb had been forced to settle her down with his magic. He'd had a bottle of whisky in his storage and had handed it over to Cana a little later, the card mage had polished it off gratefully, weeks without a drink coupled with all she was dealing with had torn down her coping mechanisms to nothing and she said as much when she apologized for her behavior.

Lucy sat with her, an arm around her, Zens cloak wrapped around them both trying to be supportive while she'd worked her way through that bottle, in the end Cana had burst into tears and cried herself to sleep, they had all slept that night together, Lucy and Cana in the middle, Kaleb and Zen on either side, waking up with Zens arm around her, tucked against his warm body, Canas head tucked under his chin Kaleb snug against Canas back had actually been really comforting, reminded her of times she had woken up in a sort of pile with her team, tangled with Natsu, Gray and Erza.

She was trying to rein in the odd feelings she had toward Zen too, she couldn't define them and that bothered her. The depth of them alarmed her too, when he took to the skies each night her heart jumped into her throat and the farther he got from them the worse she felt. She was drawn to him like she had been to Natsu but she knew the reasons were different. The feeling of closeness, friendship, it was there but it was different and again she couldn't put a finger on it. There was a certain...possessiveness she felt toward him she couldn't understand. It wasn't love, she wasn't falling in love. Gods knew she'd done that enough times in her life she knew what it felt like. The giddy glowing thing…it wasn't part of whatever this was. This was more base…her magic even seemed involved.

In some ways it was normal, like when Cana got handsy she got angry one morning as they were settling in to sleep and Cana had suggested maybe they trade sleep partners. "Cuz I haven't ridden wings yet." She'd smirked and Lucy had turned a cold glare on her even though she had known Cana was kidding around, she and Kaleb had only had sex that one time, it seemed to ease whatever issues both were dealing with and while Cana groped the tall blonde on a regular basis and made lewd comments here and there to him, she hadn't tried to get him to have sex with her again and he hadn't offered.

But still, Cana suggesting even in a tired joke that she should have a go with Zen had infuriated Lucy and she had no idea why. After weeks of struggling across war torn territory, fighting Alvarez forces, 4 times encountering dark mage groups that had on one occasion nearly been a match for them even with Kaleb in their midst. The Necromancer in that group though hadn't been able to hold out his mental defenses as the fight had stretched into hours of steady battle through the woods and the moment the dark groups leader lost his mental shielding Kaleb had him and turned him on his own men, watching Kaleb suddenly wielding Necromancy and using it so he could come at the dark group from both their angle and that of the necromancer he controlled had been terrifying.

When it was done, and all the dark mages were dead, he'd not looked at them, Zen grabbing both Lucy and Cana and pulling them back against him. "I have to end the necromancer, stay here." Kaleb had said in a voice not entirely his own, his usually beautiful lavender gray eyes had gone fully black, his skin taking on this sickly pale greenish hue while he had controlled that wizard.

Zen had held Lucy and Cana both, even wrapping his long black wings around them to drive home; he wasn't letting them follow his brother as Kaleb walked away from them through the trees. He severed the link while he did it, but they heard it, felt the swell of Kalebs powerful magic as he...ended...that wizard.

When he came back he looked at himself again, healthy tanned skin, beautiful eyes, he just looked tired.

They reached Crocus, and Lucy and Cana both exchanged looks, it was nestled against the wrong mountains… these were the Highfall mountains, the mountains that flanked Shirotsumi...or had… still, she'd never been happier to see the city, even though the outlying buildings bore evidence of fighting and there were refugees in tents all around the outer walls.

"The Blue moon inn...Laxus would go there, and everyone knows he would, he's the Master of Fairy Tail now...we need to find him…" Lucy said staying close to Zen, she didn't want to get separated from the few people she had left.

They made their way through the city, grateful at least the citys layout had not been changed in the spell. They were almost to the inn, Lucy could see it's sign ahead when a man suddenly grabbed Kalebs arm, eyes wide on his cloak where the pins holding it sat. "You...you're a Wizard Saint...why aren't you out fighting?!" He demanded, looking at Kaleb with slightly wild eyes.

Kaleb was taken aback but he recovered quickly. "I have been...I'm here to regroup with others." He replied quietly, not missing that several people had looked at them, a few had even stopped at the man's outburst.

"Are you the last? I heard all the Saints had been killed by the Spriggan...by God Serena…" A woman asked, eyes wide and full of fear. Fiore coveted their Wizard Saints, the idea they were all gone was frightening, the most powerful wizards their country had to offer...gone.

"I...I don't know if I am or not…" Kaleb admitted.

"I don't recognize you...you seem young for a Wizard Saint…" Another man said, frowning. "He's Boscan...see? The cross of the Saint is silver edged in gold, that's Boscos seal...and his guild seal on that cloak…" Someone said then some angry shouts came at Kaleb being Boscan. "My home town was blown to bits by a Boscan airship...what the hell is one of their Wizard Saints doing here?!" Someone shouted. Kalebs eyes narrowed and something was thrown at them but there was a rustle and several people staggered back as long black wings shot out, whatever had been thrown at them was slapped aside by a wing and Zen stood to his full height, eyes glowing gold, longsword in one hand glowing brilliantly.

"Enough! We are from White Sea, the guild that stood against the corrupted Princess of Bosco, our entire CITY was wiped off the map because we fought her tyranny and you will NOT disrespect us, we fight at your side." He snarled and the people had collectively gasped, staggered back at the flare of Zens holy magic.

"An Archangel...I've only ever seen pictures of them…" Someone said.

"I am Kaleb Pradesh, Guildmaster of White Sea, fifth Wizard Saint of Bosco and I fight with Fiore against the Alvarez Empire and Corrupted Princess of Bosco, now stand aside, we have others to regroup with so we can get back to the fighting." He said and the people parted, Zen took the lead, glowing golden eyes making people shrink out of his way though he retracted his wings once his point was made.

They all breathed a little easier once inside the inn. "LUCY!" A cry came and Lucy snapped her head to the side, eyes wide and soon full of happy tears as Wendy rushed to her. Laxus was shortly behind her, his large hand gripping Lucy's shoulder, stormy eyes looking her and Cana over with concern before turning and filling with relief at seeing two of the older Pradesh brothers. "Kaleb!" The tall blonde was almost bowled over when Bickslow reached him, wrapping him in a grateful hug joined quickly by Vander and Cristoff and finally Farron.

"Zen, damn...Gods I was worried…" Farron admitted, hugging his brother and not bothering to try and hide the tears brightening his eyes.

"We're ok, just took us a while to get here." Zen assured them.

"Where are the others? Natsu...Erza?" Lucy asked and Laxus shook his head. "As far as I know, out in the fighting somewhere. I've talked with some of the other Guildmasters and we're staying put, the Spriggan are supposed to be coming this way, Alvarez wants to take Crocus down, so we're all trying to get as many of our people here as we possibly can, Kaleb, Farrons been gathering White Sea mages, They're staying at the Honeybone across the street...I...I'd like to have Fairy Tail and White sea...stick together." He said. Kaleb smiled at him, reaching a hand out that Laxus grabbed immediately.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, White Sea will fight beside Fairy Tail. Farron? I need to see who we have here and about gathering our people as best we can...and...a fucking bath…" He added with a smirk and Farron laughed, nodding and leading the Guildmaster back outside to cross over to the Honeybone Inn.

"Guess we're needed across the street." Zen said, looking down at Lucy who almost felt panic at the idea of the Archangel leaving her side. He had to be feeling something too because he seemed reluctant. He reached up, touched her cheek, brushing the backs of his fingers down the soft skin and smiling faintly he seemed to make a decision. Pulling his hand back he held it in front of her and there was a flare of magic, a black feather appearing in his hand. "Take it. If you need me...run your fingers over it and push a little of your magic into it and I'll be at your side as fast as I can." He said quietly. Lucy blinked, taking the feather from him, surprised to find it was neither soft nor light but instead felt like it was made out of some sort of metal.

"Th...thank you Zen…" She said softly gripping the feather in her hand tightly. He smiled again and turned, following his brothers out of the Inn.

"What was that about?" Laxus asked, frowning and Lucy smiled up at him, since Tenrou he'd been steadily more protective of her, of all of their guild family really, now, wearing the full mantle of the guild leader, he was looking after the retreating Archangel with suspicious eyes.

"He and Kaleb saved Cana and I, helped us get here safely...Zen is...a friend now...so is Kaleb." Lucy said firmly.

Laxus nodded, but still looked suspicious "Yeah, well, we need them, no doubt about it, and I won't lie, if it weren't for Bixys brothers...I don't know if even I would be here right now." He admitted. It was a wonder he hadn't started taking on a minty smell as much of Cristoffs healing magic as had coursed through him over the past weeks.

"So be happy and tell me where I can get a bath "Master" because I need one so bad I'd be willing to go over there and share one with Kaleb." She said smirking and Laxus snorted, steering her to the stairs and putting a room key in her hand. "Number 21, you're sharing with Levy, go on." He said, nudging her gently toward the stairs as Wendy came to grab her hand and pull her to them, Cana close behind.

"Maybe you can help Levy...she's still not doing so good…" Wendy said quietly as they reached Lucys room. Drawing a slow breath Lucy nodded "I'll talk to her...it's going to take time though…" She said softly and Wendy nodded, sad eyes on the door before she turned to join Cana.

Levy was asleep when Lucy entered the room so she kept her steps light, gratefully shedding the clothes she was wearing once she was in the bathroom and filling the tub up with water as hot as she could stand, she felt like she hadn't bathed in a year and bit her lip to keep from making delighted noises as the hot water engulfed her. She drained the tub and refilled it twice before she felt like she'd washed everything away and Virgo came in smiling, placing clean clothes out for her, apologizing again that she didn't have any of the pretty things Lucy had lost when Magnolia was destroyed. Lucy waved a hand at the spirit "It's OK Virgo, bit by bit we're getting everyone back and I can replace the clothes and stuff, it's just...stuff, it's my friends...my nakama, that's what really matters. I just pray I can help Levy...she lost the love of her life...I...I can't even imagine how that must feel…" She breathed.

"The Archangel...did you like him?" Lucy sucked in a sharp breath at the familiar voice a moment before Loke appeared, sitting on the edge of the tub and she glared at him, grateful she'd decided on bubble bath for her final soak. "Um Hi Loke, yeah sure i don't mind you barging in while I'm taking a bath, have a seat!" She said.

He grinned at her "Nothing I haven't seen a few hundred times already Princess, what's the matter, don't trust yourself around me?"

"Pfft, more the other way around you pervy lion." She scoffed. Loke raised a brow at her.

"Well? Did you like him?" He pressed and Lucy frowned at him. "Zen? He's a nice guy, saved me and Cana, yeah, he's a friend of course I like him." She shrugged, not sure why she was being evasive but judging by Loke's look he hadn't missed at all that she was being that way.

She just wasn't sure about her feelings, they were confusing her. She knew attraction, having a crush, she'd had those, been drawn to men, but this was...different. She was attracted to Zen for all the usual reasons, physically he was handsome, had a hot body, plenty of sex appeal, but there was more, his magic drew her, as strongly as the physical side she was drawn to him because of his magic, the wings, the magic he wielded, even his sword, the black fire wreathed sword he carried, it all drew her, she wanted to touch it, run her hands over his wings, feel the cool metal of that sword.

She wanted to feel his magic course through her but not just the healing, there was more, more to the magic Zen used than just swords and healing, wings and that…black dark edge to him and she sensed it but couldn't put her finger on it.

Loke looked at her, his face suddenly devoid of his usual playful humor. "Princess...do you like him, do you feel...like he's...yours?" He asked. Lucy frowned, angry in an instant. Hers?! Nobody owned anyone else, no. "What are you talking about? Of course not! Nobody is mine Loke!" She snapped and he smiled at her, the warmth of his smile undoing alot of her ire.

"I know that Princess, you see everyone as equal, you would never abuse your power over someone, like you are so good to all of your spirits and we love you for it, now, answer the question...does the Archangel draw you, make you feel...I don't know, let me try putting it another way, do you feel safer with him close to you?" He asked and Lucy frowned at him, not angry this time, just a little surprised.

"I...yes...I feel...safe with him, even more than I do with Natsu or the others, when he left me in the tavern downstairs to go with his brothers even though I knew he was just going to the Honeybone across the street, I...I felt...uncomfortable about him not being near." She admitted. She really couldn't hide things from her spirits, they felt what she did, it had to be why Loke was asking her to confirm these things for him.

He smiled while sitting back "Finish your bath and get dressed, we need to talk." He said, nodding at Virgo and exchanging a look with her that had the maid smiling which set off every Lucy alarm the Celestial mage had, Virgo rarely ever smiled, especially not like that.

So Lucy hurried through her bath and got dressed, opting to leave her hair lose so it could dry and coming out into the room to find Levy sitting talking with Loke. As soon as Lucy came out Levys eyes were on her, this agonized hope in them that made the breath leave Lucys lungs. "Lucy...Lucy I can...feel Gajeel, he's not dead...I don't know how I know but I know he isn't and...and Loke...Loke just…" She hugged the Lion spirit, tears falling and Lucy looked at the pair in confusion. Loke smiled, setting Levy back so she sat on the bed and motioning toward the chair so Lucy could sit down.

"Summon Grandpa Crux please Princess." He said and Lucy didn't argue, just grabbed the key and pushed her magic into it. The Southern cross appeared smiling at the two women.

"Princess, Leo has had me gather some very ancient, very important information, both for you and for your friend." The spirit said.

Lucy frowned at Loke who smiled. "Ok, so, I'm gonna ask you both to try and hold onto your questions, I'm going to explain some of this and then Crux will tell you the rest, then we can do questions if you want to spend time on that." He said. Lucy nodded and Levy grabbed her hand, nodding as well, eagerly looking at the two spirits like they were suddenly the most important beings in the world to her.

"Ok, so, Zen Pradesh, he's 24 years old, born to the Celestial mage Ganier Pradesh, who was a very, very powerful Celestial mage, she wielded the leader of the generation keys and multiple dragon keys and, the Enochian 7, which are the 7 Archangel Keys. A thousand years ago this world was battling through the holy wars, which at its essence was a fight between good and evil, light and darkness. In the end, Light won, Earthland settled in as a normal world, a realm of magic where magic could serve both light and dark and light could prevail, it wasn't consumed by the voids as would have happened had the war ended badly." Loke said and smiled at Lucy and Levys nods.

"Common knowledge, back then there were several magic types that had come about for that war, Celestial mages were important, Celestial magics are hyper effective against demons….something that was behind, I believe, the Emperor having a hand in pushing events so Celestial mages were killed off in recent years, we do know he has ties into demonic forces…we've seen it." He said sharing a knowing look with the women before he went on.

"..I can't go into everything, there are secrets within secrets…knowledge I am forbidden to share, but I'll do my best." Loke sighed looking upward a moment before he continued.

"So the Gods, the heavens, fostered some magics to help with the war, everything from Immaculate Light wielders to a variety of Dragon Slayers and Archangels. The Archangel mages are significant because they were made…created, to work alongside Celestial magic wielders, to support them, make them stronger because…as I said, the heavenly magics work best against demons. Some forms of magic died out after the wars, Archangel magic was one of them,according to the Church records it was no longer needed so it wasn't passed on, I can't really say for sure, while I was active during those times and my key was held…I can't divulge everything…" He pursed his lips and Lucy rolled her eyes.

"I KNOW Loke, you have to hold secrets…promises made, contracts and all of it, I know, go on." She prompted and Loke smiled faintly at the sass.

"Galasfriel, the last Archangel mage never took a wife even though he was told to repeatedly, told to father children, he didn't, he insisted that if the magic passed with him one day the darkness that was its counterbalance wouldn't have to exist. He disappeared about 800 years ago, believed dead, he was almost 700 years old when he died and I met him Princess, he still very much looked like a young man. Archangel mages are guardians of the celestial realms, champions of the light, weilding a variety of heavenly magics only they can handle. Because of the way their magic is, an Archangel mage can not be trained, they can only be born, those wings can't be taught to somebody. They're born with a lot of things...special...about them, the wings of course, the magic, and their souls. An Archangels soul is like a celestial mages, brilliant, bright, golden, and, a part of it can be taken, claimed." He said.

Lucy was frowning and so was Levy, so Loke shook his head at them to keep them from interrupting him as he continued.

"The Archangel doesn't fully get access to his magic until they have been claimed, a part of their soul taken from them by a wielder of celestial magic. Archangels are born to be guardians, protectors, the human mage version of them is no different than the ethereal variety except, instead of being meant to protect heaven and enforce the will of the Gods of light, they are meant to protect the celestial, and can be claimed by any mage that wields a variety of celestial magic, like you Lucy. As a Celestial Spirit mage, you can claim an Archangel, take them almost like you do your spirits, the Archangel becomes your protector, your partner...friend, lover, anything you want, you'll have some relatively strong power over them if I understand it all right. Unlike us spirits, the Archangel costs you no magic, instead, he strengthens you, protects you and your spirits and once bound, he gains an aspect of your magic, since you're a spatial Celestial Spirit Mage,a Summoner, Zen would gain magic control of gates, he could open gates to other realms. It's a very rare and powerful ability, one Celestial Mages like you could only unlock if they could bind an Archangel to them. Mages like Jellal, Makarov used light magic, and his variety too,they could bind Zen and he'd gain some ability different from that if one of them got him, but you, you would unlock gates Lucy, and you would gain Zens lifespan because he would be bound to you and you to him like one of your spirits except...in his case...you will have a piece of his soul taken into you...merged with your own. Essentially, he would become your…mate…in whatever way you wanted that to be. Companion…lover…whatever. You worry about not being able to open your third origin too…because opening the second almost killed you remember?" Loke prompted.

Lucy was frowning now…steadily more uncomfortable with where this all seemed to be going…yes she wanted to open her third origin…her magic used a LOT of magic power and her containers, while bigger than most mages…were often just not enough, she wore out too fast, but opening her second had almost killed her, something most of her friends didn't know…while they had gone through the process fine after returning from Tenrou…she hadn't done all that well, it had taken her longer to recover…by a lot. Opening it had sent her to the edge of full blown magic deficiency…what had killed her mother…and she was still unhappy with it all.

"I...ok...I...I'm pretty sure I'm not comfortable with that...but what does that have to do with Levy?" Lucy asked quietly, trying to absorb all of it, wrap her head around it all.

"Gajeel was pulled to the netherworld by a binding spell cast on him by Bradman...he was not necessarily killed by that spell. If you bind Zen to you Princess, he could open a gate to the netherworld and if he survived….Gajeel could be brought back to this realm." Crux replied, holding out an old text that Levy grabbed immediately. "Chapter 3." Crux directed her and Levy nodded, pulling her reading glasses out of her bra and starting to scan pages, a faint smile starting to lift lips that hadn't held one in nearly a month.

"Lu...oh Gods...Lu…" Levy was saying softly, looking up over the glasses at her with so much desperate hope Lucys hand went to her own heart. She loved Gajeel too, he was her friend, he was nakama. She felt his loss bitterly, though she knew she felt it nothing like Levy did, especially after he, as he'd been sucked through that void, confessed he loved Levy…

But, there was another person involved in this, someone who didn't know Gajeel, someone who Lucy felt was a very good person and she wouldn't force him into something...would she? This was Levy...Gajeel...they had lost so many friends since the Alvarez Empire had invaded. She still didn't know where Natsu, Erza or Gray were, how could she not pursue this?!

"Lu...you have to do this...please...it's Gajeel, he...he could be alive, trapped in..." She choked then, holding up the book to show Lucy the illustrations done of the netherworld, a plain of hell...that was what Bradman had drug Gajeel into. Lucy bit her lips, eyes full of tears, the thought of their friend there...but what if he died from the spell, killed, drug into death by Bradmans spell, not just dragged to hell. She would be forcing something on a good man…

"Lucy…" Levy looked at her with disbelieving eyes.

"Does Zen know about all of this?" Lucy asked. Loke shook his head "No, very little is known about Archangel magic, and he doesn't have access to celestial archives like you and I do Princess, this part of how his magic works he would only know if he could get into the Academe Celestine in Bosco, and I happen to know he has not attended it or been there. When his family rescued him when he was 20 from the Gladiator pits of Pergrande, his father focused on helping him learn to handle his magic, control his wings, use the healing part of it, but they didn't focus on the celestial aspects of it. He was inducted into the knights that same year and the Immaculate light embraced him, stabilized him. The spirit who...knows him...wouldn't tell me more, I know though that spirit knows and hasn't told Zen. Princess...do you think he's a good man?" Loke asked and Lucy nodded.

"Then do it Lu! Please! I...we can't let Gajeel die there! I need him...need him back Lucy… please…please" Levy begged, gripping her friends hand desperately. Her whole world, her whole existence had gone dark since that moment Gajeel had been pulled away from her, she had never felt so miserable, so hopeless, or like life wasn't worth living anymore but she felt that way now.

She had been in love with the Iron Dragon since before Tenrou, dreamed about him, begged the Gods and everything else for a chance and hadn't known if all her hopes, all her love for the man was returned until she had lost him and he'd confessed as he was taken from her. Damn him for that too...for waiting until he thought he was DYING to tell her.

"Do what?" All of them turned and met the frowning faces of Cana, Lily and Wendy. Before Lucy could move a muscle Levy was beckoning them in, slamming the door behind them and rushing through an explanation.

"So...Gajeel might not be dead?!" Lilys eyes were wide, suddenly shining with the same desperate hope Levys were full of. "We don't know, or have any way of knowing unless we get to that realm…" Levy said looking hard at Lucy.

All eyes turned to Lucy. "So, you can...claim...Zen? What does that mean? Is it like the Dragon Slayer mating thing?" Cana asked.

Loke shook his head "Not exactly, maybe similar in some ways but this can be done by force, in fact it was, that's why the Archangels disappeared, wizards with celestial magics honestly hunted them, seeking to extend their own lifespans and harness stronger magic. Some were turned dark because they were taken by Dark mages. Dragon Slayer mates can be taken by force too of course, but ultimately, if the two people aren't meant for each other, fated to become mates, the mating fails and the one who initiated it dies. With this, it's almost guaranteed, Lucy can claim Zen, take that piece of his soul into hers and...he's already given her the key to it…" Loke said.

Lucys eyes flew wide then as everyone looked at her. "Do...do you mean this?" She asked, pulling the feather out from where she had stuck it into her bra, yes it was an odd place to put it but damn it, she didn't have pockets and didn't trust them anyway. Loke grinned "I thought he gave you one, felt you accept something from him...yes, with that and a...um...private...ceremony...you can claim him." he said.

There were a few moments of silence, everyone looking at her and Lucy drew a breath, this was for Gajeel, for Levy. "I, I have to talk to him, I want him to know, it would be wrong to just...go rip a piece of somebodys soul out and bind it to me without...telling them…" She said.

Levy frowned "No...Lucy, what do we do if he says no? If he knows and doesn't want to?! His family, his brothers and White Sea would stop us… We can't NOT go after Gajeel and this is the only way, unlocking that magic in Zen is the only way to get to that realm...right?" She asked looking at Loke who had his eyes on Lucy when he nodded "Opening a gate into hell that mages not of demonic origin could pass through is something only an Angel type mage could do, and you would need him in there with you, he's a being of holy light and would be your only way back out once you found Gajeel. I don't know Princess, but I doubt Gajeel has a lot of time, it's already been almost 4 weeks since he was dragged through…he's been in Hell…Hell Princess…for 4 weeks."

Lucy felt guilt and too many other things crash over her. Zen was one man, if they rescued Gajeel, all of Fairy Tail would be overjoyed, it would give them all a huge boost they so badly needed. Levy. Levy had been inconsolable since it had happened, and now she was animated, intermittently smiling, her eyes taking on a determined edge instead of just sorrow and despair.

They needed this…a win, a triumph, to bring a friend back to them would mean so much and Gajeel was so strong too…they needed him so much. Lily…Wendy and Levy all three were looking at her with so much desperate hope…

"I...I'll call him, you said private right Loke?" She looked hard at her Lion spirit, demanding his agreement and he didn't miss that, though he had said it. "Yes, all of you need to leave, maybe go to Cana and Wendys room while we do this, it has to be Lucy and her spirits, alone with him." He said firmly

Levy stood and rushed to Lucy, hugging her fiercely, smiling up at her, tears in her eyes that for once weren't heavy with grief. "I know you're scared Lu, and I know you want to give this guy a choice but...please...it's Gajeel, you know he'd do anything if it was you down there...any of us would do anything if it was you." She said.

Lucy nodded solemnly, they HAD, they had risked their lives to save her before, taken on terrible things for her. The only reservation she had was, this wasn't an enemy, Zen was a good man, and what she was about to do would bind him to her...forever, she was taking a piece of this mans soul. He'd done nothing wrong, was a friend...he should have a choice. But like Levy had said...what if he said no?

There was also the big issue that SHE wasn't sure about this, having a piece of another persons soul inside of her...being bound to him, Loke had said it could become anything, though, starting out like this...she doubted it would become much more than him hating her...she knew how she would feel if somebody did this to her…

"Take out the feather, now, when he gets here, hold it in your hand and we, your spirits, we will do the rest, when I say so though...you'll kiss him, and when you do, hold onto him, don't let go, don't take your lips off his until I say, the kiss is crucial." Loke said firmly.

Lucy frowned "Why?" She demanded.

"Trust me, now, push some magic into that feather." He said, opening the door to the balcony and stepping back. Lucy decided to listen, to trust her loyal Lion, Loke was a playboy, and a prankster, but he had always been there for her, always had her best interests at heart. As serious as this was, she didn't doubt him in this.

As she channeled her magic into the feather, felt it warm in her hand Loke smiled at her "The Spirit King is really happy about this...just so you know." He said softly and Lucy was going to ask why, wanted very much to know but in a moment, with a swirl of cool air brought in with long black wings, Zen flew into the room and spun to face her eyes looking around for trouble, whatever had motivated her to call him.

He looked at her in confusion, and Lucy felt the feather warm more, Virgo appeared, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Aries, Gemini, one by one all of her spirits, even Plue had appeared and she felt no magic drain, just felt the feather warm and start pulsing faintly in her hand.

Zen looked around at the spirits, a frown furrowing his brow "Lucy?..." He glanced from the spirits to Lucy in alarm…feeling his magic being taken…used…the spirits were using his magic to appear…through the feather, the pice of him and his magic…that he had given to her just a short time ago,the spirits… he knew she had them, recognized Virgo immediately, and maybe she'd called him just to see if the feather worked, when he'd given one to Farron once it was just about the first thing his older brother did was use it to see if it really worked, like Zen didn't know how his own damn magic worked or something.

Ok...so...maybe alot of his magic was still a mystery to him, he'd admit that, he was still learning things, uncovering abilities he didn't realize he had but when you were the first of a type of magic user born in more than 800 years...well...it was hard to get teaching or really any reliable information.

He had control of his magic, could kick some pretty serious ass, was able to spar with Kaleb, Farron, Cristoff, any of his siblings and hold his own, and was getting stronger and stronger with healing thanks to Cristoffs remarkable patience learning along with him how his magic fit into different types of healing work. The black fire he commanded…the flames of the voids of space…that he was still working on but he tended to stick with his lighter magics right now…they were easier to use…took less of a toll on him. All in all he felt confident he was a strong mage and was comfortable with his magic.

He'd even started working banishments and such with all the evil shit the Alvarez Empire was throwing at everyone. That aspect of the dark fire…it had come in very handy.

"Zen...do you trust me?" Lucy asked suddenly, and he met her eyes, they were pleading with him, brimming with this strange desperation and he blinked a few times...thought about it...he did...there was something about her, he'd noticed it right away, he was drawn to her, but then...he was drawn to the other celestial mages he'd met, Farron even joked about that, so did Kaleb. White Sea had two of them. Amath and Hestor, Amath was married, three children, Hestor though wasn't, but Zen had always, likely because of the things he'd endured while a slave in Pergrande, prefered women for pleasure.

So, when he'd about tripped all over himself to get into bed with Hestor his brothers hadn't let it go. "What IS it with you and Celestial magic users? Lindy, the Celestial Body mage, Gods she wasn't even NICE and you let her ride you for two damn days, were like a lovesick puppy on her heels, then Thura, the Angel mage from Emerald Eye, shit...now Hestor? Zen, you don't even enjoy being with men." Farron had said incredulously.

"Yet he made sure Hestor was walking funny for a couple of days, no small feat with that guy, I mean, he's good looking, better than that Thura woman by a long shot, but damn Zen." Vander had added with a snicker.

Zen had rolled his eyes at them "I like who I like, I thought it was up to me to choose who I indulge with?" He snapped and Farron had given him...that look.

"Not the point and you know it, they're all celestial types, shit when you met Amath, who was carrying her three year old and whose husband was standing not ten feet away I saw you get all moony eyed." Farron said.

"I did not." Zen had denied but his own magic had punished him then…an aura of truth…a passive part of his magic…didn't allow lies in his presence…not even from him. All of his brothers had insisted he did, and...upon resentful reflection, he grudgingly had realized they were right, he had a distinct attraction toward Celestial magic users, no matter the type, if it was Celestial based magic they used, he wanted them. He couldn't explain it and didn't doubt his brothers especially Farron would give him hell over how he was going to do it now...just agree to and go along with whatever Lucy needed….like now...he trusted her, he had no reason not to.

Being encircled by her spirits made him uneasy, decidedly so, but he somehow trusted them too, again, he had no reason not to. Lucy was a friend, he'd heard Bickslow talk about her for years, called her the Light of Fairy Tail. So...he would trust her.

"Yes." He said, it was interesting, the first warning he had something wasn't right, he couldn't retract his wings and somehow, Lucys magic was washing over him, he felt it, as those doe brown eyes held his. He'd spent more than a dozen days with this woman wrapped in his arms pressed against him when they were sleeping, at any point she could have done just about anything she wanted.

They had fought shoulder to shoulder, been cold, been afraid, worried about their friends and family together, he'd gently awakened her, bringing her out of countless nightmares on their harrowing journey to Crocus, he trusted her.

"There's a good man in trouble, in danger, he's trapped and there's only one way to get to him, to see if he's managed to survive, rescue him and bring him back...his name is Gajeel Redfox and he's my friend, my Nakama, my guildmate." She said and Zen frowned slightly.

"I'll help...any way I can...all of us will, I can get Kaleb, we could organize a rescue group…" He said and Lucy shook her head "It's not that simple...a member of the Spriggan, when he was defeated, killed, cast a binding spell on him and dragged him with him when he went down…" She said.

Zens eyes narrowed "Into...death?" He asked and Lucy drew a breath looking at Loke. The spirit nodded to her, motioned for her to hurry.

"Zen...I...I'm sorry, there's no time to explain all of it, I just, need you to trust me…" She said and her eyes said how sorry she was, were filled with regret and that alarmed the hell out of him but nothing set off his self preservation instincts as much as when her spirits linked hands around them and started speaking in an ancient tongue that...somehow...deep within him...he felt and...on some level, understood.

The understanding of what they were saying, that they were reciting a spell that was going to take a part of him and give it to Lucy, that he was about to be bound somehow, it made his magic flare, his eyes went gold and glared at Lucy as he felt his strength taken, felt it being channeled into the spirits, into Lucy herself and he groaned, staggered, arms being pulled out to his sides, wings lifting. Deep within him something started being torn and the pain was worse than anything he had ever felt before in his entire life, worse than any he could have imagined, and he was sure in the first moment it started he wouldn't survive it.

Lucy Heartfilia, the Light of Fairy Tail...was killing him.