AN: Chapter 3

Omg you guys… seriously… I cannot tell you how sorry I am for not posting up sooner! A lot has been going on and I've been completely stressed out to the max.

I went back to work, full duty, at the end of February, early March, and it was just in time to start getting ready for the big horse shows we have. And of course, they are back to back, every weekend until probably mid April? I don't remember off hand but it's a long freaken time. And its BUSY! I come home every night after working a 10+ hr day, rain, snow, sun, w/e! you name it, I'm working in it… and I'm completely spent. So I haven't been able to really work on it 4 days out of the week. As for the other 3… I have been too busy adulting :/

Planning a wedding is freaken hard. planning a non-traditional and low key wedding shouldn't be as hard, right? Wrong. Just as flippin hard. I swear… it's really stressful, and aggravating at times. But now that things are coming together nicely, I've been able to slowly chip away at the chapter bit by bit on my days off and in between house work and whatever else I have to do in adulthood….

Anywhos! I quickly read over this, I'm sure there are mistakes, and I hope this all makes sense of what is going on… if not, I'll try to go back later and fix it up, I'm just too damn tired to keep looking at the computer screen and I really wanted to get something up since it's been so long :( please forgive me for my absence! I really hope to get another chapter posted in another week or two. I would like to work on Centaur Paradise's next chapter before chapter 4 of this story, but we'll see how that goes. Again, I'll read over this chapter later and fix anything that needs tending to. so sorry again for not posting! I appreciate all of your support and reviews!

GR33NBAYRAIDERETTESGIRL24: hiii! And thank you so much! I am trying to keep them in some ways, in character, but also keep a little spin on them as well. I can't wait to write more chapters in this story, I have so much planned! Its just hard finding time to write lol and also not get too distracted by other things!

Questionable: Thank you so much! I am happy to say that you may just get your wish in this chapter… although I'm not sure if its exactly how you wanted it to turn out lol

Lucy let out a sigh as she sat at one of the tables in the giant guild hall, her fingers tracing her newest golden key that failed to summon the one spirit she had been searching for. Her eye lids closed halfway as she stuck out her bottom lip. "Wonder why the summon didn't work… it's so weird… I've never had a problem like this before…. Maybe it's a fake?"

Her saddened expression quickly changed as familiar voices called out her name. The blonde haired mage looked up as she opened her eyes all the way to see who was coming towards her. Levy smiled as she waved her hand excitedly as she quickened her pace over to her best friend, the tall iron dragon slayer and small exceed right behind her. Lucy matched Levy's smile with her own as she saw her friend come closer. The script mage let out a breath as she threw down her red bag onto the table before sliding herself in with ease into the benched seat. Levy immediately leaned in as she spoke to Lucy.

"How's it going, Lu?! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Levy said with eyes wide, still excited to see her friend at the guild hall.

Lucy giggled as she replied. "I'm alright. I've been busy trying to get some money while on jobs with Natsu, lately. But… as you may have guessed… those jobs haven't really gone so well."

Levy centered herself back in her seat as she felt for her friend beside her. "Yeah, I hear ya. We just got back from a week long job. And at the start of it, I wasn't too sure if we were going to be able to finish it!"

Gajeel grinned as he stood behind the two girls, his arms crossed over his chest. "And you have me to thank for that, Shrimp."

Levy's eye lids lowered halfway as she looked back over her shoulder to the cocky dragon slayer behind her. "If you mean that it was all thanks to you for us almost failing the job request, then yes, thank you." Levy rolled her eyes as Gajeel's smirk turned into a scowl as she turned her attention back to Lucy. "Someone was trying to show off the whole time for the client and townspeople."

Gajeel made his way around to the other side of the table where Lily sat. He climbed into the small benched seat and let out a huff as he brought his arm up to the table, leaning in slightly as he spoke. "They didn't believe me that I could change my limbs shape or eat metal! You'd want to prove them wrong too if you were accused of your fingers couldn't create script magic!"

Levy blushed slightly as she glared at Gajeel. "I don't use my magic to show off!"

Gajeel smirked as he brought his hand up to his chin. "I'd bet you'd show off to me if I asked nice enough…"

The iron dragon slayers words made the script mage blush turn a darker shade of red across her cheeks, leaving Levy speechless with her mouth agape. Lucy couldn't help but laugh at their growing relationship. She watched as Levy finally found her voice once more and proceeded to yell at the large man across from her while he sat there with a smug look across his face. The two never really admitted it, but Lucy could tell there was something there between them.

Her smile began to fade as her brown eyes cast back down to the golden key in front of her. 'I bet I could go on more job requests myself if I had you by my side… no Natsu to do something dumb and mess it all up and cost us the reward money…'

"Something the matter Lu?"

Brown eyes opened wide and looked up to the two other mages and exceed at her table. Levy with her look of concern over her face, and Gajeel and Pantherlily with raised brows, were all staring straight at the celestial wizard. "Wha?"

Levy leaned in closer to her friend as she spoke. "Are you ok? We didn't upset you by bickering back and forth, did we?"

"Oh! No! It wasn't because of you guys… it's just…" Brown eyes cast down back to the key as she picked it up gently into her hand. "I just got this celestial key from the magic council in the mail and I know they wouldn't just send something like this as a joke… but…"

Levy looked down to the key and back up to Lucy. "But?"

Lucy looked to her friend and locked her gaze in with hazel eyes. "But the summon didn't work for some reason… I was starting to wonder if this key was just a fake… and if it is… then why did the council send it to me?"

Levy let out a small laugh as she put a hand to Lucy's shoulder. "Oh come on Lucy! I'm sure it's the real thing. The magic council isn't known to fool around and joke. They're too serious for that."

Gajeel grinned as he chimed in as well. "Yeah! They all have sticks up their asses! Besides, if you need to know if it's real or not…" The dragon slayer stood up from his seat and reached out for the key in Lucy's hand, taking it with his own. "Better let me take a look see!"

Levy and Lucy watched nervously as the large man brought the key up close to his face as he examined it closely. Lucy raised a hand up slightly as Levy spoke. "Uh… Gajeel-"

Hazel and brown eyes went wide as the dragon slayer opened his mouth wide without another word, and bit down hard onto the golden key. The two girls gasped as they both stood from their seats.

"Gajeel!" Levy shouted.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Lucy exclaimed.

A moment later, the dark haired man pulled the unharmed key away from his mouth, eyeing it once more as a smirk came across his lips. "Heh… it's the real deal. I may be able to eat iron, but celestial keys were always something I couldn't ever bite down into if they weren't fake." The large man handed the golden key back over to its owner who quickly took it back with haste. She could hear the slapping sound coming from Levy's hand as it made contact to Gajeel's head, followed by a short angered cry from the dragon slayer.

"What the hell was that for, Shrimp?!" Gajeel snapped as he rubbed the side of his head.

"Why did you just bite down on that key, you big idiot?!" Levy snapped back.

The dragon slayer clenched his fist as he spat back at the short blue haired girl across the table from him. "I was just tryin' to help!"

Levy shut her eyes tightly as she too clenched her fists as she bickered. "That isn't the kind of help Lucy needed you dolt!"

Lucy let out a soft and quiet sigh as she lowered her head, her eyelids closing softly as she thought to herself. 'Thank god… the key really is ok… and if Gajeel is right… then this key is the real thing….' Brown eyes opened slowly and looked closely at the golden gate key in her hand. 'But then why didn't you appear to me last night? It doesn't make any sense….'

Lucy's' thoughts were cut off as Levy spoke behind her. "Sorry about that Lucy… is the key really ok? That dumb brute didn't do too much damage, did he?"

The celestial wizard turned to face her friend. "Oh, no, it's completely fine. Really. Not one scratch on it." She said with a smile.

Levy sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Seriously…" The script mage began as she turned her head in the direction Gajeel had gone after their small quarrel. She placed her hands on her hips as she shook her head as she watched the iron dragon slayer start picking a fight with Natsu already. "I don't know why he would have done that."

Lucy giggled as she raised a brow. "I think he was genuinely trying to help, Levy. And like I said, no harm done."

Hazel eyes shifted back to Lucy as a smile replaced the worry expression over Levy's face. "Yeah, I think you're right. Even though he's a brute, he can try to be helpful sometimes… even if it isn't the correct way to help someone! That's probably why it took us so long to get that job done!"

Both of the girls laughed for a minute at Levy's words. It felt good to laugh like this with a friend, Lucy thought. It had been a while since she had seen Levy and been even longer since they had a second to talk just between them. Lucy wished she could have stayed there longer and talk about how Levy's job went in full detail, but she knew she had to get answers for this celestial key. She needed to figure out what was going on, and why Loke never appeared.

"Say, do you want to get a bite to eat and catch up, Lu? It's seriously been forever since we did anything just the two of us!" Levy raised a hand to her lips as she leaned in closer to her friend. "Now would be a very good time to catch up since our partners are distracted with each other!"

Lucy smiled as she laughed slightly. "You know… I was thinking the same thing just now."

Levy closed her eyes happily as she raised a thumbs up to her best friend. "Great minds think alike!"

"I'd really love to Levy, really… I just… I need to get to the bottom of this issue I'm having with my key. It's very weird that I tried to summon a spirit and it didn't come to my call for the first time. That's never happened to me and I think it would be best if I went and got it sorted out." Lucy said with slight sadness in her voice. She could tell Levy was bummed but knew her friend and guild mate would understand.

Levy sighed as she smiled, raising a brow at Lucy. "Ok fine." The short girl beside the celestial mage quickly lifted her finger. "But the moment you get it figured out, you come right back here and have a meal with me so we can catch up!"

Lucy giggled as she nodded her head. "It's a deal! I promise you'll be the first one I come find after this is all figured out!" The blonde haired girl turned and headed for the guild hall doors, waving her hand at her friend. "Thanks Levy!"

Loke adjusted his tie around his neck as he stared out his window in his room, the pull of the summon he felt the night before still fresh in his mind. He wanted to know who had his key and who had the gull to summon him so suddenly. It was the magic council who were to speak with him before any decision was made, and they had failed to do so. The lion spirit was angry and confused, he wanted answers.

"Maaster Leo, maay I enter?" A strong and confident voice came from his bedroom doorway. Olive-green eyes shifted up some to see the figure reflecting in his window. Capricorn was standing in the doorway with a hand over his chest as he waited patiently for Loke's answer.

"Yes, come in Capricorn. And I as I've told you before, just because I am the leader of the zodiac, you do not need to address me so formally."

"Of course. Forgive my forgetfulness." The goat spirit grinned as he entered the room, his hand moving behind him as he made his way over to where Loke stood.

"What is it that you want? I have something important to attend to." Loke said quickly as he turned to face the taller spirit.

Capricorn's smile faded as his expression became more serious. His eyes were always hidden behind a pair of black shades, but the lion spirit knew that Capricorn was staring right at him fiercely. He could feel his gaze burning holes into him. "I haave come to ask a question."

"And? What is it?" Loke looked right back to the spirit looking down on him. "As I said before, I have something important to take care of now, so please ask me quickly."

"Alright then… why did you refuse the summon of your new maaster?" The goat asked.

Olive-green eyes widened at the question. 'How the hell did he know about that?! It wasn't like he was there with me when it happened!' Loke turned his head away as he bit down on his bottom lip. "Tsk."

"So it is true." Capricorn leaned down some as he spoke. "You know you haave to answer the call, Leo."

Olive-green eyes shot back to the black shades now level with him. "And you need to know your place and stay out of my business." Silence fell over the two spirits as they stared into each other's eyes intently. After a long silent pause, Loke scoffed as he rolled his eyes. "If we're done here… I have somewhere I need to be." The lion spirit started to walk past the taller spirit as he spoke.

A large hand grabbed hold his arm as he passed by, stopping Loke in his tracks. "You are going to make a huge mistake if you do not go to your new maaster. He will come for you."

Loke glared at the distance ahead of him. "I highly doubt he will come down from the heavens to deal with me. He doesn't bother with matters as small as this."

Capricorn released his grip on Loke's arm as he stood up straight. "If you think that, then you are the fool. But who aam I to stop the leader of the zodiac?"

Olive-green eyes shifted back as the lion spirit glanced at the tall goat spirit beside him. "Like I said… the king wouldn't come down over something so little as me dismissing a call from a celestial wizard. Now if you'll excuse me, I have important business to take care of."

Loke left the room quickly, leaving his fellow celestial spirit to himself in his room. His focus was going to find this new master who tried to summon him. He was determined to get his key back from this unworthy person. In his mind, he was supposed to be freed from the service of serving another wizard. Himself and the other celestial spirits who were forced to serve Karen. He wanted them to taste freedom of another master as well. But from how the situation with the council turned out… it looks like someone went above his head and made a choice for them all instead. The lion spirit clenched his fist at the thought of their feelings or input was cast aside while a decision of their fate was made behind their backs.

Loke found himself before the first large and majestic gates of the celestial world. They were two giant pillars decorated with one star on either side of the top block with a crown shaped arch holding them together. The road leading to these last two pillars ended with a circle surrounded by two more partial circles made of stone. Slimmer singular pillars surrounded these circles as their giant glass stars shined on top of them. In the center of the small circle where Loke had made his way to, was a large star. He stood upon it as he looked up to the starry filled sky.

This was one way of getting to the human world that the spirits could use if they were to use their own magic to get to the human world. It seemed foolish for them to make such a long trip to this spot in the celestial world to get to the human realm, but going this way was less suspicious for what Loke had planned to do. He didn't want any prying eyes to watch him as he entered the human world.

Olive-green eyes closed softly as Loke breathed in. 'This is it… I'm going to find you… the one who has my key. But I'm going to get it back… along with the others keys. We will not stand idly by while wizards abuse their magic abilities and use us as slaves just like Karen did.' With his last thought, Loke used his magic to port himself down to the human realm, in search of the mage who had tried to call.

Lucy walked slowly down the brick layered path, her mind lost in her thoughts as she tried to come up with a way to get the spirit of the lion to show up for her. 'Maybe I should consult with the southern cross… maybe he'll have some answers…' The blonde haired mage stopped in her tracks, her weight shifting to one side as her ears picked up the sound of the small waterfall in the river that passed through the town. Chocolate brown eyes left the golden key and looked around at her surroundings. "Oh no… I guess I took a wrong turn… I'm at the completely wrong end of Magnolia and where my apartment should be…" The celestial mage smacked herself in the head as she cursed her distracted mind.

Lucy looked around once more and realized that she was completely alone. Of course it was a little bit later into the evening time, but she found it weird that there wasn't anyone else around. She started to think that she had wondered into a bad part of town and became nervous. "Well… if anything happens… I can just summon a spirit to help me out… no need to panic or anything…" The blonde haired mage clenched her fist as she changed her fearful expression to determination. "You know what… I'm just going to try to summon my spirit right here, right now! I'm not going to wait for some creep to show up and it be too late for me to do anything."

The celestial mage squared her form up and held out the golden key in front of her body. "I call upon thee, in the world of the celestial spirits. I beckon you to my side at once, pass through the gate!" Lucy swung her arm across her body, moving the golden key with her before swinging in a downward motion. "Open! Gate of the Lion!"

Lucy waited in silence for something, anything, to happen right in front of her. But once again…nothing. She just didn't get it. "If this key is the real thing… then why won't he come to me?"

A man's voice startled the young mage, causing her to practically jump out of her skin as it spoke so suddenly. "It's because I don't want to form a contract with you, wizard…"

Lucy's eyes widened as she turned quickly, seeing the man who just spoke slowly walking up to her. "Wha… who are you?!"

As the lion spirit neared closer to the girl, he watched her clench her small pouch at her side that contained the other celestial keys she owned. His olive-green eyes glared at the leather pouch. 'She already has so many keys…'

"H-Hey! I'm talking to you, buddy! Who the hell do you think you are sneaking up on a girl like that?!" Lucy squinted her eyes to try to get a better look at the man approaching her. As he got closer, he began to look more familiar to the girl. Before she could come to the definite answer of who he was, Loke was standing just mere inches away from her. His hands were tucked away into his pockets as he looked at her through his blue-tinted glasses. Lucy stuck out her bottom lip as she eyed the man suspiciously.

"I'm the one who you keep trying to summon." Loke said coldly. His eyes looked the girl over… something about her seemed very familiar… she looked almost identical to his first master. Those golden and long locks of hair that shaped both sides of the girls face, the chocolate brown eyes, and that expression over her face. 'Why does this girl look so familiar? Like I've seen her before… but from where?' Loke's eyes widened as the realization hit him. A vision of the small blonde haired child who would give him the same expression over her face whenever he had told her something indirectly, like a phrase that she was to figure out what the true meaning was behind it. Yes, it was her… Layla's daughter. The two looked at each other, eyes wide as they both spoke in unison.

"Lucy…"

"Loke?!"

The blonde haired mage let out a laugh as she threw her arms up and around the lion spirits neck. Her eyes began to swell with tears as she spoke. "I can't believe it! It's you! It's really you!"

The spirit stood still as a statue, still letting the fact that the once small child he helped care for actually grew up to become a celestial wizard. He was more so surprised that she was the one to end up with his key. 'This is who the council chose to handle my key?' Loke felt the sudden absence of Lucy's arms around his neck as she drew back and started to talk rapidly. Her words fell silent to his ears as her mouth moved, his mind racing. 'How can this be? I never knew she was actually going to pursue becoming a celestial wizard like Layla. I had a feeling she would have, but after losing her mother like that, I thought maybe she wouldn't have… yet here she stands… right before my eyes.'

Lucy wiped a tear that escaped her eye with a finger lightly as she smiled at the spirit. "You don't know how long I've been searching for you! And now you're here! In front of me… had I known it was that easy to find you this way, I would have gotten lost on the way home sooner!"

"Are you really her? Layla's daughter… Lucy?" Loke asked as he dipped his head down some, shielding his eyes with his orange bangs.

Lucy half smiled at the spirit. "Yes, it's me. I know I look way different from when I was a kid, but it's me!" Lucy giggled as she put her arms behind her back, looking over the rest of the spirit. 'He still dresses so nice… and his hair looks so much more like a mane now that it did back then… it almost looks like he has two orange ears the way he's shaping it nowadays. It's kinda cute actually.' The celestial mage let out another small giggle as she watched Loke stand in front of her silently.

"Say… if this is really your key… then how come you didn't come when I summoned you before?" Lucy said after a long minute of silence, her expression completely serious.

Loke clenched his fist tightly. 'Why did it have to be her? I vowed never to become a slave to another celestial wizard… but she has my key… and if I don't answer to her summon…' The lion spirit lifted his head, his gaze moving to meet with chocolate brown. "I'm sorry Lucy…" Loke reached out quickly and took hold of Lucy's forearm that held his key in hand. His grip was rough and tight as he pulled her in closer. He ignored the small cry of pain that escaped her mouth as he gritted his teeth in anger. 'Screw him! I made a promise to myself and to the others who were under the control of Karen! Never again!'

"Loke what are you doing?!" Lucy said as her free hand went right to his wrist, tugging at his jacket, trying desperately to free herself. "What the hell has gotten into you?!" She shouted.

"Give me that key!" Loke spouted back.

Lucy looked at Loke angrily as she spoke. "What are you talking about?! Is this about me trying to summon you?!"

Loke squeezed his hand tighter around Lucy's arm, trying to force her to drop his key. "Whoever decided that you should be my new master should know that they were wrong! Now give me my key back! I refuse to be at your beck and call!"

Lucy could see the built up anger in the spirit as he tried to force the key from her hand. She felt sorry for him, and so badly wanted to know more, but something else was more important in this moment. She had to hold onto his key. Lucy shut her eyes tight as she shouted at him once more. "No! I can't let go of this key! I've been looking for you forever now! And there's no way I'm letting this go easily!"

Loke grew angrier by the second as Lucy refused to hand over his key. Without thinking, he raised his free arm, his hand lighting up with his magic. Before he could do anything, everything that was moving around them stopped. The small leaf that fell from the nearby tree froze in time, the water on the river with a fish jumping up from it, the lightning bugs flying around the nearby light; everything was frozen in time.

Both spirit and wizard felt a pulse as everything paused in place. Their spines felt a chill run up as they looked around to see what had just happened. They watched as the sky above them began to swirl with the stars, slowly at first, but quickly picking up speed.

Loke's eyes went wide as he knew what was happening. "No… it can't be…"

Lucy shut her eyes tightly as the wind began to get sucked in towards the swirling sky above them. "What is it? What's going on?!"

Clouds quickly found themselves among the swirling stars as a loud roar echoed throughout Magnolia, but only fell upon the two standing together on the bricked road.

Loke began to shake as his olive-green eyes were glued to the sky and to what was about to happen next. "It's impossible! He's never ventured to the human world before! Why did he decide to come now?!"

Lucy opened an eye as she look at the nervous spirit still holding onto her arm. 'What is going on?! And did Loke say "He?" Who is he referring to?'

As the clouds began to disappear, they could feel a great presence hovering above them. Their jaws dropped as they looked in shock at the giant spirit who had just formed from the clouds. The armored and overwhelming spirit with his arms crossed across his chest, and cape waving slowly behind him, looked down at the human girl and the celestial spirit.

Lucy looked in awe at the enormous being before them. "Who… who is that?! Is it one of the celestial spirits?!"

Loke swallowed the large lump in his throat before he spoke. "No… it's the celestial spirit king…."

AN:

Oooooo I can't wait to start the next chapter! It's going to be so much fun! I took this last scene from one of my absolute, favorite parts in Fairy Tail. I loved the episode where Lucy tries to get Loke's gate key to open and how the celestial king comes down to speak with them, ah! Gives me chills just thinking about it… anywhos! I'll go into more about the king in the next chapter and why he suddenly showed up. and in case anyone was wondering, yes, I added in extra "a's" to certain words while Capricorn spoke. I noticed he did that in the show and the manga (?) and I wanted to incorporate that in the story just a little bit.

Please don't forget to review! I swear I'm really going to try to get another chapter up in a week or two so make sure you keep a look out for it! thank you all so much for your patience as well!