AN: Chapter 2
Yay! Finally have finished this chapter up. I was in a bit of a funk for a while so I didn't feel like finishing it when it was half way done lol that and I was also working on my other fic, Centaur Paradise.
Anywhos! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, mostly Nalu and Happy on a job request (paying homage to their first job together in the show :) ) but things are about to get interesting and I can't wait to work on the next chapter!
Suminong: haha yeah, trust me I wanted to write more in the first chapter, but I am an evil person when it comes to ending chapters lol especially this one XD
book14reader: Aww! Thanks! I hope to not disappoint with this LoLu story! Also… we will find out the answer to your question in later chapters lol
GR33NBAYRAIDERETTESGIRL24: thank you so much! :D I'm trying to keep characters close to how they are, but at some points, they miiiight be a bit different. But I hope you still enjoy it! :) I'm going to try to update weekly or every other week!
Lucy stood from afar, watching her dying mother speak to their servants as she handed them all one of her golden celestial keys. The small girl looked down at her feet as she tried to listen in to what her mother was telling the faithful servants. It was no use. She was too far away, and her mother knew the small child was going to try to listen. Layla spoke in a hushed tone as she handed out her keys to their temporary owners.
"Please… take good care of my friends. Do not lose them or give them away, for they all belong to Lucy when she is old enough to practice her celestial magic. I am trusting all of you to come back here to give Lucy her keys."
All of her servants surrounding her nodded their heads as they took their individual keys and turned to exit the room, giving the small child and mother some time alone. Layla smiled as she looked past her leaving attendants to Lucy who was still looking down at her feet. "Lucy." Layla said softly. She watched the small girl snap her head up quickly, her big brown eyes widening at the sound of her weak mothers voice. The tiny blonde haired girl pushed off the ground quickly and ran to her mother's side as she sat up in the large bed.
Lucy stood up on her tippy toes and pulled herself up onto the bed to sit next to her mother. The small girl looked up to her smiling mothers face. She didn't look sickly at all. She looked like the strong celestial wizard Lucy always seemed to see. Layla smiled warmly as she put her hand over Lucy's short blonde hair. "My dear Lucy…"
"Mommy… do you have to go?" Lucy asked softly. "I don't want you to die…."
Layla let out a soft laugh. "No one ever wants to see a loved one pass on, Lucy. But it's just what happens to all living things. It's life. Besides… I know you will be just fine when I am gone."
Those chocolate brown eyes began to swell with tears as they looked into her mother's own caring and calm eyes. "But… I'll be so lonely… daddy is always so busy… and I won't have your keys to summon my friends with anymore…"
Layla's hand came down to her child's cheek to brush away a tear that escaped her eye. "Lucy, please don't cry. I promise it'll only be a short while you won't be able to see your celestial spirits. So until that day comes, please don't feel so sad and lonely. I want you to be strong, and prepare to become a celestial wizard. Can you do that for me?" The blonde haired child nodded her head slowly as she let another tear fall from her eye. Layla smiled as she closed her eyes lightly. "That's my girl."
Lucy watched her mother lean back up against the wall, her strong appearance slowly fading. "Mommy?"
The dying woman opened her eyes as her lips curled into a weak smile. "Go on now. Your father should be here soon, and I need to get some rest before I talk to him."
Lucy was about to protest when a warm hand came over her shoulder. The young girl turned her head back with her eyes full of tears. Loke was looking at her with so much sympathy. "Come on Lucy. I'll take you to your room before I leave."
The blonde haired girls' lips quivered as she reached her arms up to the celestial spirit. Loke reached down and scooped the girl up into his arms, holding her close as he made his way out of Layla's room. He could feel her tears soaking into his shoulder as they left. Lucy was burying her face into him, not wanting to face the truth. This was the last time she was going to see her mother. The last time she was going to feel the loving touch of a mother's love. The spirit didn't quite understand the feeling of having a mother or a father, but he could feel the overwhelming sadness that the small girl was feeling. Her tiny arm that was wrapped around his neck squeezed tighter as her other hand gripped his jacket, her sobs continuing uncontrollably.
Loke half smiled as he ran a hand up to the girls back as he walked down the hallway to her room. "It'll be ok Lucy. Your mother won't be suffering anymore."
"But why does it have to happen now? Why does everyone around me have to leave me? I don't want to be alone…" Lucy said weakly in between sobs.
The celestial spirit glanced over to blonde hair at his side. "You're mother said it won't be long before we return to you. Besides, I gave you Regulus." Loke stopped just before Lucy's door and shifted her slightly in his arm so he could open the door. "And do you remember what I told you to do whenever you feel lonely?"
Lucy's head snapped up as her reddened eyes opened wide. "What you told me?"
Loke laughed slightly as he walked through the door to the young girls' room. "Yes." He made his way over to her window and set her down on the sill. His olive-green eyes looked out to the darkened sky. He smiled as he raised a finger to the glass. "There. See? The constellations?"
Lucy turned to face the window, her small hands coming up to the glass as her glossy eyes looked to the sky as well. "Yeah… and there's yours!" She exclaimed excitedly as she pointed quickly. The memory of what Loke had told her some time ago entered her mind. "You told me to look for your constellation and I won't feel so lonely…"
The spirit smiled as he brought a hand up to the girls' blonde hair. "Even if you have to look at it every night, I swear I will be watching over you. And I'll be sure to send you a sign every time you look upon me up there."
Lucy smiled at his words. She truly thought of him as one of her best friends. Out of all the celestial spirits her mother had, he was the only one who could really comfort her. But now he was going to leave her… just like her mother…. The small smile quickly faded as the girl hung her head. Loke could tell what was eating away at the girl and once again felt sorry for her. He didn't know how long it really was going to be before he could come back and serve her just as he had served Layla.
"Lucy…" Loke said softly as he turned the girl around to face him. His fingers lightly pushed the girls chin up to make her look at him. The tears were overflowing down the girls stained and reddened cheeks. The spirit curled his lips into a soft smile as he leaned in and planted a kiss on the girls' cheek. Lucy's eyes widened as she felt the warmth of his kiss move throughout her entire body. "Please keep smiling… even after we leave… I want you to keep that smile big and bright. That way when I come back, I'll know who you are." Loke said as his smile grew wider. His hands reached down for her tiny ones, pulling them up close to his face as he looked into her chocolate brown eyes. "Besides, you're too strong for that beautiful smile to fade."
Lucy stirred in her sleep as the same dream she had been having occurred once more. She murmured in her slumber as she tossed and turned, her body finally settling down as she laid on her back with an arm across her closed eyes. Natsu and Happy looked at the girl as she slept, their curiosity peeking.
Natsu raised a brow as Happy spoke beside him. "What do you think she's dreaming about?"
The fire dragon slayer crossed his arms over his chest as he tilted his head. "Dunno. But whatever it is, it nothing good." The pair leaned in close when they heard Lucy begin to mumble once more in her sleep.
"Lo…ke…." Lucy said faintly.
"What did she say?" Happy whispered.
Natsu looked to his flying friend with a confused expression over his face. "I think she said Lo-nee?" Onyx eyes looked back to the blonde haired mage sleeping on her pink bed. He gasped as he saw a tear fall down her cheek as she slept. "She's… crying?!
Happy flew around the room, panic stricken. "Oh no! What do we do?! Why is she crying?! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Natsu what should we do?!"
Natsu ignored his frantic friend and leaned in close to the celestial mage, his nose breathing in her sweet scent as he watched her intently. Lucy stirred under the dragon slayer, her arm slowly moving away from her face and back down to her side. Natsu could see her lips utter a name again. The fire dragon slayer reach out to the sleeping girls shoulder, shaking it lightly. "Lucy? Hey… Lucy wake up…"
Brown eyes opened slightly and slowly. They closed quickly at the bright light shining in as a groan escaped her throat. "Wha…" Those same brown eyes began to open once more, their vision focusing. Natsu came into view first. His infamous wide and bright smile across his lips as his onyx eyes beamed delight to see Lucy awake.
"Hey!" He said excitedly.
Lucy's' eyes widened as she swung her fist right into Natsu's jaw out of reaction. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!" The dragon slayer was sent across the room with force, his whole body hitting the wall across from Lucy's bed.
The dragon slayers hand came up to his jaw, rubbing it lightly as he spoke. "Geez Lucy… I was just trying to make sure you were ok…" His eyes shifted off to the side as he mumbled. "There really wasn't any need for that sucker punch…"
The celestial mage pulled her pink comforter up to her chest, her brown eyes glaring at the dragon slayer. "That still doesn't give you the right to just barge into my house without permission." Her expression softened suddenly. "Wait… what do you mean you were making sure I was ok?"
Natsu stood up and brushed off his shoulders as he made his way back over to Lucy in her bed. "You were crying in your sleep… and you said someone's name. Or at least I think it was someone. Who is Lo-nee?"
A slight blush came over the girls cheeks as her eyes cast down at her blanket. "It's no one. And I'm fine. I was just having a bad dream…" Lucy let out a sigh as she brought a hand up to her head, a half smile crossing her lips. "I guess you can say it was more of a sad memory."
Happy had finally calmed back down as he floated up beside the pink haired mage. "A sad memory? Of what?"
Lucy pondered for a minute if she should even tell her two friends. She eventually shook her head and put on a smile as she looked at them both. She waved her hands in front of her as she spoke, dismissing their concern. "Guys, let's just forget about it, ok? I'm totally fine."
Happy turned his head to Natsu. "Why doesn't she sound so convincing?"
Natsu crossed his arms over his chest as he closed his eyes, nodding his head in agreement. "I know. She's a terrible liar, Happy."
Lucy shot a glare back at the two beside her bed. "Will you two seriously drop it? I said I'm fine." The blonde haired girl raised a brow as she changed the subject. "So why did you guys just barge in here without permission?"
Natsu grinned as he reached into his vest, pulling out a piece of paper. "This!" The dragon slayer shoved the inked page into Lucy's face. "This request Happy and I got from the guild!"
Happy flew up to Lucy as she removed the piece of paper away from her face and out of Natsu's hand. "It's super easy and we all could use the reward money!"
Brown eyes read over the paper carefully, taking in every detail. Her eyes narrowed as she came upon the fine print. "You guys do know that this is on Mount Hakobe… and it's almost impossible to catch a snowshoe hare. And this guy wants two of them!"
Natsu leaned in close to Lucy's face as she lowered the paper from her eyes. "So it'll be super easy! Come on! We haven't gone out on a request like this in a long time! Just the three of us!"
"Yeah! Come with us Lucy!" Happy shouted as he raised his paws up into the air.
The blonde haired girl let out a sigh as she looked back over the paper. "I don't know… seriously guys… every time we go to Mount Hakobe, something always goes wrong." Chocolate eyes looked back to her comrades who were staring back at her with puppy dog eyes. The looks on their faces were pleading with her silently as they waited patiently for her answer. Lucy couldn't help but smile at the pink haired mage and his blue cat. "Ok fine. I'll go with you guys."
Natsu raised his fist into the air as he shouted loudly. "Alright! Let's do this!"
"Why don't you both wait outside for me? I'll be out in a few minutes." Lucy said as she removed the blanket from her body, setting the request paper aside on her nightstand.
"Ok Happy! You heard her! Let's go outside." Natsu said as he walked over to the window. He quickly opened it and put his foot on the sill. His next move was stopped immediately as he heard Lucy bark out her next sentence.
"AND WILL YOU TWO JUST USE THE DOOR?! QUIT COMING IN AND OUT THROUGH MY WINDOW!" Lucy shouted angrily.
The dragon slayer and the blue cat stared at the girl on the bed for a long minute before moving away from the window and sulking towards the door, their voices speaking in unison disappointedly. "Ok…"
They had acted like she was their mother, scolding them for doing something wrong. Lucy sighed as she hung her head, mumbling to herself. "Geez, you don't need to sound so depressed about it. I just wanted you to stop using my window for petes sake." The celestial mage moved her legs to the edge of the bed as her eyes traveled back to her board in her room. 'Looks like I'm not going to have time to work on that today… oh well. At least this is an easy job so we can definitely get the reward money! No one will care if Natsu destroys anything up on Mount Hakobe! That is… unless he causes an avalanche to come down on Magnolia…' Lucy giggled at her thought. "I'll have to keep an extra eye on him today then."
The blonde haired mage shivered uncontrollably as the cold wind from Mt Hakobes' blizzard stung every inch of her covered body. Although it was the middle of June, this mountain was always snowing, always treacherous, and always unbearably cold. Lucy wrapped her own arms around her body in attempts to stay warm in her winter attire, but nothing could keep her warm in this freezing storm. Chocolate eyes dared to open and look ahead at the man leading their way through the blizzard. She couldn't believe that Natsu still insisted on wearing his dark sleeveless vest, letting his arms stay victim to the harsh weather. He always told her that even in this harsh and freezing storm, his body felt completely fine. Lucy rolled her eyes as she thought to herself.
'Must be all that fire magic running through his veins… still though…' Concerned brown eyes shifted back to Natsu as he stopped to sniff the air once the blizzard had started to calm down some. 'He could get sick if he continues to come out here without the proper clothing. Even with all the layers I have on right now, I still feel like I could catch a cold if I stay out here much longer!'
Happys' small shivering body stepped up beside the fire mage, his teeth chattering as he spoke. "Do you smell anything yet, Natsu? I'm freezing my tail off out here!"
The dragon slayer dropped to the ground quickly, crawling around on top of the snow like a dog on a scents trail. "I think I've got something… its faint… but I think we're getting close little buddy."
Lucy started to walk past the two as Natsu continued to crawl on the ground. "Thank god… I can't wait to get back home and out of this horrible weather!"
The ground beneath them suddenly began to shake violently, causing Lucy to stop in place and Natsu to stand quickly. They looked around for any signs of an avalanche or terrible creature that might have been living up here on the mountain. Happy brought his paws to his cheeks as panic started to set into the small cat. "What the heck is going on?! Are we under attack?!" He asked as he struggled to stay on his own two feet.
The dragon slayer sniffed around the air as the ground began to settle. Lucy whipped her head around to him, her hands instinctively going to her side with her keys securely on her belt. "What is it Natsu?!"
Onyx eyes glared straight ahead after a few more sniffs. "Something very familiar…" His eyes widened as he gasped. The fire mage brought a finger up quickly as he pointed past the celestial wizard. "Lucy! Up ahead!" A smile came across his face as he spoke excitedly. "Snowshoe hares!"
The blonde haired mage turned her head back around quickly, her own lips curling up into a smile. She brought her hands together and jumped up and down in place as she spoke. "Yay! Finally a job request that doesn't involve destroying a town, getting attacked by large and terrifying monsters, or our chances of losing that reward money!"
No sooner did Lucy finish speaking did the snow covered earth beneath them explode, sending large chunks of snow flying in every direction. Lucy screamed as she was sent flying backwards into the snow, landing right on her bottom. Natsu hastily stood back up and ran up next to Lucy, his fists clenched tightly ready for a fight. He knew exactly what had come up from the ground before it had even shown itself. It was one of Mt Hakobes' infamous living creatures and inhabitants. A Vulcan.
The fire mage grinned as he lit his hands on fire. "Hey there fella… it's been a while… but I've got some payback for ya!"
Lucy stood up and brushed off the snow from her leather pouch that clung tightly to her belt. "Natsu, we don't have time for this! We need to get those hares!"
Natsu glanced back over his shoulder to Lucy as he smiled. "So then you go get em. Happy and I can deal with this ugly guy."
The monochromatic Vulcan growled as he beat on his own large chest, trying to size himself up to make himself look bigger and to scare off the mages that stood in his path. Natsu responded with slamming his fists together, creating more fire between the two flames. He grinned as he waited for the wild beast to make the first move. Lucy too stood her ground until the Vulcan moved, knowing he could only focus on one person at a time. She only prayed the hares would not run off too far that she was going to lose sight of them. The celestial mage shifted her attention back to the Vulcan as it pushed off the ground, charging straight towards them, purely for the fact that they were on its mountain.
Lucy quickly ran off to the side and jumped down from the slight elevation they had ended up on. She was thankful for the snow taking most of the impact of her landing. She waited a moment to listen up above, making sure that the Vulcan had not seen her sneak away. All she could hear above the small hill was Natsu yelling and taunting the beast. Yep. He was definitely distracted. Brown eyes scanned the wintry landscape in search of the hares they had seen not too long ago. A wide grin came over her lips as she saw they hadn't gone too far when the Vulcan had shown up. It was most likely due to the fact that the large creature doesn't bother the small animals that shared the mountain.
The blonde haired mage put her hand down at her side, flipping up the flap on her leather pouch, she took hold of one of her golden keys. She stood up straight as she held her key into the air, her voice confident as she called for her spirit. "Open! Gate of the Maiden!" Lucy quickly brought her arm down in front of her as she held the key out. "Virgo!"
Within seconds, the ground a few feet away from the wizard rose up just like when the Vulcan had appeared. This time, the celestial spirit of the maiden had come up from the earth. As she descended from the air and landed on her feet, the spirit hung her head as she placed one hand behind her back while the other went up towards her opposite shoulder. The pink haired spirit lifted her head and opened her blue eyes as she spoke to her owner. "You summoned, Mistress? What can I do for you?"
Lucy smiled as she pointed past the spirit. "I need you to create some holes to catch those hares! And they have to be deep enough so they aren't going to be able to jump out."
Virgo hung her head. "As you wish." Just as the last word left her lips, the spirit had vanished back into the ground just as quickly as she had appeared. Lucy watched as multiple holes began to form in the ground around the white hares. The frightened animals looked around, trying to find an escape route. They saw an opening and made a break for it, trying to avoid the holes forming in the ground around them.
Lucy pointed a finger in the direction the small hares were heading. "Virgo! You got them on the run! Catch them before they can escape!"
The snowshoe hares were frantic, running for their lives away from the ever growing amount of holes and the blonde girl chasing them down with her spirit. They were approaching the snowy and thick brush that hid their dens from predators, their hearts racing as they were mere feet away from safety.
Lucy could feel her heart drop as she saw where the rabbits were headed. 'No! We can't let them get away! I didn't come all the way up here to freeze my butt off and not get those rabbits and reward money! Come on Virgo! I'm counting on you!'
Just before the hares could reach safety, the spirit shot up from the ground and snatched both rabbits up, holding them by the scruffs of their necks. "I have caught the hares, as requested. What would you like for me to do now, Mistress?"
Lucy slid to a halt in the snow, her smile wide as she jumped up into the air. "Virgo, you're amazing!"
Virgo stared blankly at Lucy as she gathered up the cage she was supposed to transport the animals' in. "I was merely doing as I was told."
Lucy opened the small cage and let Virgo place the hares inside before closing the door quickly. "Yeah, I know… but for a minute there, I didn't think we were going to get them. Especially when that Vulcan showed up! But you were a total lifesaver. Those rabbits never saw you coming!"
Virgo smiled slightly. "I aim to please my Mistress in whatever task she asks of me." The pink haired spirit lifted her hand up at her side. "Is there anything else that I can help you with?"
Lucy shook her head as she spoke. "No, I don't think so. I'm sure Natsu and Happy have taken out that Vulcan by now. Thanks Virgo!" The spirit brought her hand across the front of her chest as she bowed her head slightly, silently dismissing herself back to the spirit world and leaving the celestial wizard to herself and the snowshoe hares. Brown eyes looked into the small cage, looking at the scared animals inside. "Now then… let's get back to Natsu and—"
Before Lucy could finish her sentence, the snow covered earth beneath her began to rumble and shift. The blonde haired mage looked down quickly just as two large hands began to sprout from the earth. Lucy screamed as the Vulcan her partners were battling came shooting up from the ground and grabbed her by the ankle, quickly sweeping her off her feet. He held her upside down as she screamed and cried out for help. The beast was unaffected by her shouts and curses. A cheeky smile came across his face as his eyes looked Lucy over. "Woo-maan…"
Lucy clung to the rabbit's cage in her arms tightly as she spoke with a shaky voice. "H-hey big guy! Why don't you just go ahead and let me down and I'll give you these lovely bunnies to munch on? Huh? Whatcha say?"
The Vulcan blushed as he brought Lucy closer to his face, his large nose sniffing her. "Woman smell pretty! My woman now!"
Lucy's eyes went wide at the creatures words. "WHAT?! I don't think so pal!" The celestial wizard reached down with one hand for her golden keys at her side. "Time for plan B!" The mage took hold of the golden key in the shape of an axe. "Open! Gate of the golden bull… Taurus!"
A few feet away, the bull spirit appeared. He immediately went straight for his axe hanging from his back, pulling it around to the front of his body as he glared at the Vulcan holding Lucy by her ankles. "It's been a while Lucy… I must say, I'm pretty sad to see you over there with some other mooooch."
Lucy went back to gripping the cage with both of her hands as she shouted back at her spirit. "Will you just help me?! It's not like I asked him to do this, you know!"
Taurus smiled as he swung his axe behind his body, getting ready to deliver a blow to the creature holding his master hostage. "No one gets to handle Miss Lucy like that but me!"
Lucy sighed as she listened to her spirit. "I swear… sometimes I wonder how I am even able to handle some of you guys…"
Taurus pushed off the ground and charged straight for the ugly creature with haste. As he drew in closer to the monster that held his master hostage, the large celestial spirit jumped into the air, his axe raised above his head and ready to deliver a heavy impact on the black and white creature. The Vulcan pulled Lucy behind his back and raised his free arm to block the attack from Taurus.
Before the spirit could land a hit on the Vulcan, a flaming body dove down from the sky and drove its flaming foot right into the spirits face, forcing him to fly across the mountains side and land on his back some distance away. Natsu grinned as he made a fist with his hand as his feet touched the snowy ground beneath him. "Alright! We got him Happy!"
The blue cat flew beside Natsu and spread his arms up into the air. "Yeah we did!"
Their celebration was cut abruptly as they heard Lucy shout. "HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA KICKING MY SPIRIT?!"
Natsu looked over at Lucy and crossed his arms over his chest. "He was coming right at you with his axe in his hands! I thought he was under someone else's control so I was getting him away from you! You should be thanking me!"
Happy shook his head in disappointment. "Yeah, Lucy. We were just trying to save you…"
"You idiots kicked the wrong thing! I summoned Taurus to help me out with this ugly guy! Besides, I thought you two had this thing handled! What the hell happened?!"
Natsu scratched the side of his head as he spoke. "Well, we did have it under control… but then he kinda got away from us…"
The celestial mage growled angrily as she grasped the small cage in her arms tighter. "Ugh! Will you two just hit the right guy and help me get out of this mess?! I've got the hares, so let's just finish this up and go home!"
Natsu grinned as he brought his closed fist to his open hand. "You got it Lucy. Look out, you filthy animal, we're coming over there to kick you sorry ass! Right Happy?!"
"Aye Sir!" Happy said with determination.
Natsu pushed off the ground as he started running towards the Vulcan at full speed. Happy was right beside him with his small paws stretched out in front of his body, ready for any instruction from Natsu. "I've got an idea!" The dragon slayer let out a shout for Happy as he jumped up high into the air, his friend quickly catching him before his body could descend back down to the earth.
"Fire dragon—" Natsu took in a deep breath and clenched his fists tightly.
Lucy knew exactly what the dragon slayer was about to do and began to squirm in the Vulcans grip. "Natsu! Wait! I'm still in his hand! And you'll kill the hares! Don't you dare use that attack!"
"ROAR!" The fire dragon slayer completely ignored the desperate pleas from his teammate and unleashed the large quantity of flames from his lungs. His attack hit the ground and forced the snow covering the mountain to fly up and melt instantly, creating a light mist of white smoke. The Vulcan jumped back to avoid any chance of getting hit by the attack from above. He winced as he looked around through the mist for the fire mage to reappear.
"Right here, Ugly!" Natsu cried out as he suddenly appeared from behind the creature, his fist set ablaze.
The monster turned his head just in time to feel the heat coming off of Natsu's fist, and just in time to feel the strength of his punch as the fire mage caught him right in the face. The sheer force from Natsu's attack sent the Vulcan flying, instantly causing it to become unconscious. As he flew back, his grip loosened and released the celestial mage, sending her a few feet away from where they once were.
The Vulcan wasn't the only one affected by the sneak attack from Natsu. The flames that he always produced were always so intense. When Natsu had landed a hit on the Vulcan, he unknowingly had heated the cage the hares were in, causing the blonde haired mage to release the bound animals from her arms, sending the hot metal cage away from her arms. Lucy called out as she was sent away from the Vulcan in the air. "Natsu! The hares!" A second later, the celestial mage hit the ground hard, landing on her side. She let out a cry of pain as her hand instinctively went to her arm.
Seeing quickly he wasn't going to be able to reach the rabbits in time, he looked up into the air where Happy had been after his dragon roar. "Happy!"
The blue cat crossed his brows as he plunged down towards the ground, determined to catch the cage before it hit the snowy mountain. "Aye!"
Both Lucy and Natsu watched in anticipation as the blue cat was inching closer to the cage. Their hearts paused for a moment as they saw Happy reach out for the cage. They were certain he had it, certain that their reward money was in the bag. With the Vulcan knocked out, there was nothing else standing in their way of getting these hares off the mountain and back down into town.
Lucy and Natsu's hearts sank as they watched Happy miss the cage by a split second. They watched as the cage hit the cold hard ground and break open, releasing the captive rabbits inside. The snowshoe hares ran for their lives back in the direction of the thick brush where their dens were hidden away from predators.
Lucy hung her head as she groaned. "Maaan… we almost had them! Now what are we going to do?!"
Natsu stuck out his hand to Lucy to help her up. "We'll figure it out. Maybe we can go look for them again in a little while."
Lucy looked up to the fire mage for a long minute before placing her hand into his. "It's going to get dark in a few hours and I'm already freezing my butt off. Not to mention, I don't have much magic energy left in me to summon another powerful spirit."
The blue cat came over to the pair with a saddened expression over his face. "Sorry guys… I really messed it up this time."
Natsu grinned as he leaned down to his small friend. The pink haired mage put a hand over Happys' head and rubbed it lightly. "Don't worry little buddy, we'll figure something out. The day isn't over just yet!"
Lucy moved her free hand back to her injured arm as she spoke. "Are you certain we can get our hands on those hares again before dark, Natsu?"
The fire dragon slayer grinned. "Hell yeah I'm certain! Come on! Let's go get those hares and collect our reward money!"
"I cannot believe you three fools let those hares get away! Twice no less!" The man said as he pointed an accusing finger at the two mages and blue cat standing in front of his doorway. The three hung their heads in disappointment and disgrace as the man before them continued to scold them. "It was an easy task for you to complete, and I was assured that it could be done!"
Lucy kept her head down as she tried to explain. "We're so sorry, but you see—"
The man threw his hand up into the air as he scoffed. "Do you really think I want to stand here and listen to your excuses?! Heh! Some wizards you are… pathetic more like it…. Can't even handle a simple job like this one."
Natsu threw his head up and clenched his fist tightly in front of his body. "Hey! That's not fair to Lucy! She actually had those stupid hares in her hands! You can't just go around and tell everyone who disappoints you that they're pathetic!"
The man raised a brow at Natsu as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh? She did, did she? Then may I ask, where exactly are these hares that she supposedly had in hand? Hmm?"
The fire dragon mage dropped his arm slowly, his head turning off to the side slowly as he thought about the last fight against the Vulcan they had up on the mountain. "Well… we kinda… had to fight this Vulcan and… we tried again after we defeated it but-"
The blonde haired mage sighed as she turned on her heels. "Just forget it Natsu… he isn't going to give us any reward money so let's just get out of here…."
The pink haired mage watched as Lucy quietly adjusted her bag over her shoulder and walked away from the mansion the man was standing in. He felt completely at fault for the failure of their easy job request. Not only did he let the snowshoe hares get away, but he also knew he got Lucy hurt in the process of defeating the Vulcan. Onyx eyes grew wide as his mind stopped thinking of all that had happened. "Lucy, wait up!" Natsu pushed off the ground and sped up to Lucy's side. He eyed her quietly as he brought his hands up behind his head.
'Man… that job was pretty easy…I can't believe we blew it…' Lucy thought quietly as she walked. 'If I was a stronger celestial wizard… I could have called another spirit and helped Natsu out snagging those hares again…'
Natsu could tell what Lucy was thinking and quickly spoke out. "Don't go blaming yourself for this job, Lucy. It was totally my fault." Onyx eyes looked straight ahead as Natsu continued. "I mean I did take out Taurus and made that Vulcan throw you off to the side…"
Happy quickly walked up on Lucy's other side and spoke after Natsu. "Yeah, Lucy, it's not your fault at all! I could have caught that cage had I not been so slow… and then we'd still have those hares for that mean old man!"
Natsu grinned as he stepped ahead and turned, walking backwards as he spoke to Lucy. "See? It was really Happy and me who screwed this job up! So don't go blaming yourself for what happened!"
Lucy stopped in her tracks and looked at the fire mage and his blue cat who were now standing in front of her. Her lips curled into a small smile. "Thanks guy. I know we all are at fault, so you don't have to take all of the blame. I guess I was just really counting on that reward money so I'm just a little bummed."
Natsu brought his arms down at his sides as he eyed Lucy's bruised arm. "Are you sure you're ok? I mean… what about your arm?"
Lucy waved a hand as she started walking forward again, passing the two who stood in place. "You two worry too much. I'll be fine. I think I'm just going to head home. I might come by the guild later tonight."
Natsu and Happy watched disapprovingly as Lucy continued walking away from them in silence. The two friends looked at each other with concern. They both wanted to go after the celestial mage and console her further, but knew her pride would not allow it. She needed the time to herself. It's just how Lucy was and how she always has been ever since she joined Fairy Tail. No matter how many times the fire mage had gone to her to try to cheer her up, he only seemed to make matters worse.
Natsu let out a sigh as he put his hands up behind his head as he started to walk on the dirt path once more. Happy scampered behind him to catch up. "Should we go after her? She seemed pretty upset… even though she said she was ok…." He said as he looked up at his friend.
Natsu stuck out his bottom lip as he walked. "Yeah… I know Happy… but we just gotta let her be. We can make it up to her next time we see her in the guild." The fire dragon slayer looked down at Happy and made a thumbs up. "Maybe we should go find some more job requests so that way we're prepared when she comes by!"
Happy threw his paws up into the air as he shouted excitedly. "Aye!"
'Maybe a nice hot bath will make me feel better… get my mind off of the stupid job we totally bombed…' Chocolate brown eyes glanced down at her right arm. 'And maybe it'll help with this injury as well… I really don't want to bother Wendy for something so dumb…'
The celestial mage moved her eyes to the ground she walked on, watching the bricks pass under her boots as she lost herself in empty thoughts. She didn't even seem to notice or process that the two men on the small boat floating down the river were talking to her as they passed by. Her mind was in a trance, her feet subconsciously moving on their own back to her apartment.
'In between trying to find his key, trying to figure out why so many celestial mages are disappearing suddenly… I have to go on jobs to pay rent and somehow find the time to grow stronger with my spirits.' Lucy tilted her head back and looked up to the clear and starry night sky. 'When did it get so late?' The celestial mage really didn't mind that it had become later in the evening by the time she was almost at her apartment. It was the thought that she had been wandering around Magnolia, wasting time by thinking over all that had happened that bothered her. She was trying to take her mind off of it all, but it was no use.
The jobs she had been going on lately with Natsu and Happy, really haven't been turning out well for either of them in the end. It was because she could only summon a couple of spirits at a time. Had she even attempted trying to summon another spirit….
'No!' Lucy thought as she shook her head quickly. 'Don't go there… I don't even want to think about the end result.' The celestial mage looked forward, eying her apartment in the distance. She smiled as she made up her mind. 'Starting tomorrow, I'm going to have Capricorn help me out with this issue! I'm going to have to set some time aside for jobs of course… but I might have to put my search for his key and the mystery of the celestial wizards on hold for now… just until I can get stronger.'
As the blonde haired wizard approached her building, she raised a brow as a small box with something white was placed at the front entrance. "Wonder if that's for the land lady?" The celestial mage walked up to the front entrance to her apartment, looking down at the small box. Her eyes widened slightly. "It's a letter… and it's addressed to me."
Lucy reached down and picked up the letter, turning it over to glance at the back before turning it back around to look at the front. Her eyebrow raised in confusion. "It doesn't say who it's from… weird…" The young mage was hesitant at picking up the small brown box on the stairs, but decided to just open it once she was inside and cleaned up. There wasn't any harm in opening a letter and a box, right?
The slim girl at Loke's side giggled as he whispered something seductive into her ear. She waved a hand at the spirit as she turned her head away from him and his smile. Her cheeks flushed as her green eyes looked back at him as her lips curled into a smile. "If I'd know any better, I'd say you were trying to hint at something with that little statement…"
Loke brought a hand up to the girls chin, causing a small gasp to escape her throat. He raised a brow as he stared into her green eyes with his own, seducing her with his gaze. "I meant every word, gorgeous."
Another woman at the spirits side wrapped her arms around his, tugging him back to her end of the booth they were sitting at. "Heey… don't forget about me handsome!"
The lion spirit laughed lightly as his arm the girl was tugging at lifted and wrapped around her shoulders. "Of course not, how could I forget about a lovely sight as you?"
His words melted in the woman's ears like butter. Such a smooth talker, she thought to herself. The woman smiled as she glided her fingers over the dark suit Loke was wearing. "You know… I have a room here… the three of us can get out of here and go have some fun…"
Loke smirked as he raised a brow. He turned to look at the maiden at his other side. "Well? How does that sound to you?"
The woman looked over Loke and the other girl sitting at his side for a long moment before her own smirk came across her lips, her head nodding in agreement. The spirit took back his arms from both girls and motioned them to leave the booth they were sitting in. The three slunk away from the loud tavern they were sitting in to the upper part of the building where the secluded rooms were.
**
Lucy walked out from the bath with a towel wrapped around her head, her body dressed in her sleeping shorts and tank top. The young mage walked over to her bed and sat down, unraveling the towel to wring out her long hair further. Her eyes glanced over to her nightstand where the star Regulus stayed and the small brown box was, along with the letter. Lucy stuck out her lip to the side as she debated on opening the letter and box or not for a long minute.
"It's addressed to me… but there isn't a return address or a name for that matter…" She said as she stood up from her bed, making her way to the front of her nightstand. The mage stared down at the envelope with her name on it. "Maybe it's from my father?" A scoff left her mouth as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah right… like he'd do me any favors ever since I told him off." Chocolate brown eyes went back to the envelope, eyeing the inked name and the style of writing.
Lucy's hand reached out and picked up the letter with her name across it. She turned it over in her hand and opened it carefully, not wanting to rip the note inside. A few seconds later, the mage was unfolding the parchment and reading it over carefully. As Lucy read the letter over and neared the bottom, her eyes grew wide as her hands began to shake. "No way… this… this is from the magic council! And in the box is…" Brown eyes looked to the box that laid underneath the letter in her hands. "It… can't be…" The parchment fell from Lucy's hands as she dropped it to open the box. Her hands were shaking as she struggled to get the damn thing open.
The celestial mage could feel her heart racing at the thought of what was in the box. If what they said in the letter was true, then it would be holding the one thing she had been desperately searching for. The one key she cared about most. The one person she wanted to see.
Her shaky hands paused for a moment the second she opened the flaps to the box. Her eyes were wide as she stared down at a golden key. His key. A tattooed hand slowly reached into the small box, taking out the celestial key that was promised to be inside the box.
"This… this is it! It's his key." Lucy brought the key close to her chest as she clutched it tightly. She could feel her eyes welling up with tears as she smiled and laughed lightly. "It's here… in my hands. I almost can't believe it! This has to be a dream…" The celestial mage wiped her escaped tears from her cheeks as she held out the key in front of her. "There's only one way to find out if this is it or not."
The green eyed woman gasped slightly and quickly giggled as Loke threw her onto the bed, slowly climbing over her naked body. He grinned as he eyed her like a predator looking over a fresh piece of meat in front of its face. Loke leaned in close to the woman as she wrapped her arms around his neck, their lips locking quickly in a hot kiss. Their shared kiss was quickly interrupted as the orange haired spirit was pulled onto his back by the other naked woman.
He grinned as she made her way on top of his clothed body. Her hands ran over his white shirt underneath his black jacket, a seductive smile over her lips. As her hands slid over his arms that were raised above his head, her lips found their way to his. She wasted no time tasting the spirit with her own tongue. Loke too wasted no time plunging his tongue into her mouth, tasting the human back.
The green eyed woman laid beside them both, her fingers mischievously ran over Loke's chest, secretly unbuttoning his shirt while the spirit was distracted. "Why are you teasing us, Loke?"
The lion spirit broke the long kiss and turned his head to the woman lying beside him. "What do you mean?" He closed his eyes the moment he felt lips grace his neck, their soft touch sending shivers throughout his entire body.
"You still have your clothes on…. When are we going to see what's beneath this suit? I've never been with a spirit before…" She responded with a smile.
Loke brought his hands up to the woman's waist as he chuckled. "You do have a point. I am quite over dressed for this." The spirit lifted the woman off of his body and lightly set her aside, excusing himself from the bed. The two naked woman on the bed moved closer to each other as they watched Loke strip off his jacket. His hands made their way back to the silk shirt that laid underneath. He glanced down at the few buttons that had been undone already. Loke raised a brow as he looked back to the girls on the bed.
They matched his gaze with their own as they both giggled. The orange haired spirit continued to remove his shirt slowly. He set it aside before climbing back into the bed, his legs in between both of the girl's thighs with his hands on either side of their torsos. "As punishment… you two have to wait to see the rest."
The girls giggled and wrapped one hand each around his neck, pulling him down some. As the green eyed woman pressed her lips against Loke's, the other nipped lightly at the spirits neck, sending shivers down his spine once more. Heat was coming off of all of them as their kisses became wild. Tension and frustration was building between the three of them as hands searched over heated bodies.
As Loke switched his attention to his other partner in bed, the green eyed woman couldn't take it any longer. Her hands went right to Loke's belt, undoing it quickly. Loke couldn't help but grin as he kissed the other woman. He knew he had this effect on women, but this had to be the fastest time one wanted his pants off.
Their passionate kisses and touches stopped abruptly as Loke grunted and withdrew away some. He brought a hand to his aching chest as he began to pant. His eyes were wide as his mind raced. 'What the hell was that?!'
The woman who he had been locking wild kisses with looked at him with concern as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Is everything ok?"
The green eyed woman looked at the spirit with concern as well. "Yeah, you ok handsome?"
Loke shut his eyes as he breathed heavily. He could hear someone's faint voice in his head. 'What are they saying?' A sudden pull caused him to groan once more as he resisted. "Uggh!" Loke clenched his chest tighter as he felt the familiar pull of a celestial summon. 'Who the hell… is trying to summon me?!'
The two women looked to each other as Loke climbed off of the bed. They watched as his hand moved from his chest to his head as he stumbled to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
The celestial spirit stood against the door as he panted, his hand falling down to his side. "What the hell… is going on?" Sweat dripped down from his long spikey hair down to his chin. "The council said that they would get back to me about my key…" Olive-green eyes glanced over to the mirror with an exhausted glare. "There's no way… they could have given it away without telling me!"
The spirit moved over to the sink quickly, placing his hands on the cold counter as his eyes stared into his own reflection. He suddenly groaned as the pull started back up once more, his body reacting to its strength as it tried to disappear into the celestial world only to appear in front of its summoner.
"No! I'm not… going!" Loke said angrily through gritted teeth.
A faint voice entered his ears. "Open… gate of the lion!"
Olive-green eyes shot open as he heard a woman's voice speaking the words. "Who… who is that?! Why are they trying to summon me?!"
The pull was almost too much for the lion spirit to resist further when it suddenly stopped. Loke's wide eyes stared at the tiled floor as his sweating head rested on the cold counter with his hands. His breath slowed down some as his mind had slowed as well. He had never resisted a summon but had heard stories of how badly I could hurt a spirit.
Loke knew that had he been contracted with someone and resisted, the pain he had just experienced would have been a thousand times worse. The celestial spirit closed his eyes as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. 'Someone has my key right now…' Olive-green eyes opened back up a moment later as Loke continued his thoughts. 'I'm going to have to get it back… because I'll be damned if I have to serve under another celestial wizard! And whoever has my key… they are going to have to answer to my wrath.' The spirit slowly lifted his head, looking back at his sweaty and weakened reflection. 'I'm getting that key back… and I don't care if I have to kill to get it. I will not be shackled to anyone else so long as my key is whole.'
AN: I'm terrible by ending it right there. Lol
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I can't wait to write more of this story!