"Are you comfortable, dear?"
The soft voice was accompanied with a gentle touch on the young woman's shoulder, too light to disturb her semi-awake state. The bandaged maiden hummed in response, opening her eyes a crack to shoot the speaker a look of gratitude. The woman beamed in return.
"Excellent! Your young friend is helping us prepare dinner, once it is done we'll send you a plate through her. You just focus on healing all those nasty wounds now."
With a cheerful farewell, the portly and matronly woman exited the tiny shack, closing the rickety, wooden door gently behind her.
Ultear sat up in bed, much more alert than she had been moments before, gazing at the now closed door.
Had someone told her just a year ago that she would be back here, nearly fatally wounded and entirety weakened, being nursed back to health by a young mermaid and the inhabitants of this village… She would have scoffed and called them crazy. Even her own future predicting skills had not given her hint of this possibility - and yet here she was. At the mercy of these people.
People who, not long ago, had suffered death and destruction at her hands.
And yet had offered her sanctuary.
When Meredy had carried her away from that battlefield, barely an inch away from death's door, she had stumbled onto this recovering town - one of the many places Ultear and Jellal had been ordered to 'purge' over the years. The townspeople had taken them in, helping Meredy heal her and offering them both a place to stay until they could recover enough to travel again.
Soon after, Ultear had confronted the village's chief, suspicious and scared of the town's ulterior motives.
"Stop lying!" Ultear hissed, her hands clenching the sheets of her bed with white knuckled fists. "You now know I was a dog of our king's military. Under his command, I have pillaged and plundered not just your town, but so many like yours! Why would you help me?!"
"You said it yourself, Milady." The elderly, soft-spoken man had replied, his gaze stern yet kind. "You were ordered to do those things. And, being the dog that you are, you obeyed. But when a dog finally realizes the wickedness of its master, and gathers the courage to run away from him, it is our duty to show it the way - a better way." He sat up straight in his chair, his tone turning more firm. "We will do all we can to help you recover from your injuries - in return, we ask that you and your companion stay to assist with the rebuilding of our town. Once repairs are complete, you may be on your way. Do we have a deal, Milady?"
They were far too kind to her. The few hidden insults and jabs were miniscule compared to the untiring help they offered her and Meredy. The tender treatment she received at their hands felt wrong. It almost felt like they had forgiven her for her sins, and had adopted her as a prodigal daughter of their village. It seemed impossible to imagine how they could do so. The only other person who had ever seemed to accept her entirely for who she was had been… her mother.
No. That was no longer true. She now had Meredy.
Indeed, it was the young mermaid who had probably been the true reason the villagers had decided to help her. The way Meredy had begged and pleaded for their assistance, the tender and loving way Meredy had poured her magic into healing her, the admiration and devotion with which Meredy regarded her whilst she thought she was asleep… all these actions had probably convinced the townspeople that Ultear was someone worth saving. However far from the truth that might be.
Ultear took a deep breath, pleased that the act of breathing was already less painful than it had been yesterday.
She would need to speak privately to her young companion soon. She owed the dear maiden far more than just gratitude, and for the first time since her mother's death… she was eager to repay that debt. She was eager to return the young girl's obvious affection (however hard the child tried to hide it.) She was eager to stop being a force of destruction, and choose the role of a nurturer instead - if the young girl whom she had grown to love like her own sister would accept her. Ultear glanced out the window of the shack, catching a glimpse of bright pink hair, as the girl in her thoughts moved amongst the townsfolk, silently aiding them in menial tasks.
The young mermaid had grown very reserved of late - now that Ultear was out of danger, the young girl seemed to revert back to the mood she had been in before, haunted by the demons of her past and refusing to let anyone in to help. But Ultear knew how futile such a stance was - if you internalized your pain, it would only fester within you, until you either gave up on life such as she had, or grew insane… such as Jellal had.
She would not let that happen. Not to Meredy. The child deserved to live a long life, full of laughter, love and mischief. And Ultear internally vowed to do everything in her power to make that vision a reality.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Natsu was trying not to stare. He really was. He chanced another glance before gulping and hastily averting his eyes. He secretly thanked the stars that Happy had opted to travel with the other exceeds in their own private carriage instead of with him. He couldn't imagine what his little friend would have said of the predicament he currently found himself in, and he certainly was not prepared if the innocent young cat had any… questions. The blush that stained Natsu's cheeks was mercifully invisible against the red scales of his half form, but the way he squirmed nervously in his seat from time to time was a dead give away.
At least he was better off than Gajeel.
The unlucky ore dragon sat two seats down, smack dab in the middle of the carriage, and right opposite to…
"Whatcha lookin at, cousin?"
Gajeel scowled at the one-eyed poison dragon smirking at him, his blush flushing his silvery steel skin a deeper shade of crimson. The dragon opposite to him raised a brow, chuckling before he returned to the task at hand.
The task being kissing and fondling his lovely bonded senseless. Kinana, a beautiful nagini, was currently curled on his lap in her humanoid form, moaning as their tongues engaged in a fierce battle. Their hands roamed each other's (thankfully still clothed) bodies as the pair pushed each other to the brink of ecstasy. Natsu and Gajeel pointedly looked away, identical scowls and deep blushes on their faces. Wendy, who was wedged between them, stared unabashedly at the amorous display. Curiosity raged in her eyes despite her own flushed cheeks.
It was the shapely nagini who finally took pity on them, pushing away her needy lover with a seductive wink.
"I believe we've traumatized these young ones enough, my love."
"Whatever do you mean, my beloved? If anything, I'm giving them a free lesson in the art of pleasing a female. These boys had better be fucking grateful."
The nagini giggled, rolling her eyes as she climbed off his lap.
"Err… how long has it been since you've been bonded, cousin?"
Wendy's soft voice echoed in the quiet carriage. Erik, the leader of the poison dragons, turned to her - his smile turning gentle and affectionate.
"It has been only a month and a quarter, dear little cousin." He gave her a sheepish look, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, "I did not mean to make you uncomfortable, I apologize if our forwardness startled you…"
"Oh no no no! I completely understand!" Wendy smiled brightly at the pair, "Mother has told me that it takes months for the raw desire between a dragon and his bonded to settle into something subtler. I would expect nothing less from such a freshly bonded pair. Why, mother has told me that she and father were just as forward with their affections back in their day…"
Natsu groaned, clapping his hands over his ears just as Gajeel scooted away from Wendy, crossing his arms and sulking.
"For the love of all that is holy, Wendy, NEVER talk about our parent's love life! It's agonizing enough putting up with this poison prick and the way he's trying to eat his girlfriend's face, but I draw the line at hearing stories of what... shudder... mother and father did…!"
"As much as I hate to agree with the Salamander," Gajeel grunted, throwing an uneasy glance at the petite blue-haired dragon girl, "I'm not interested in knowing how King Igneel chose to get freaky."
"Ugh, don't describe it like that, bolts for brains! I won't be able to keep my lunch down."
"You two are immature and incorrigible!" Wendy whirled up out of her seat to glare imperiously at the males, hands balanced on her hips. "Dragon soul bonding is a beautiful experience that should be celebrated and cherished! You shouldn't be shunning and dismissing knowledge about it - this is the perfect time for you to learn. Given that you are both older than I, and closer to your magical maturity, the chances of it happening soon to either of you is quite high…"
"Not likely, Wendy." Gajeel interrupted a bit gruffly. "I've got a fairy heart, remember? No idea how it'll affect a soul bond, but if the influence it has had on my other dragon traits is anything to judge by, then I've only got a fifty-fifty chance of having a dragon soul bond. And Natsu's a bit of a wild card - what with his curse arm and all. In fact, the only pure dragon who has a shot at a real dragon soul bond here is you, Wendy."
Wendy opened her mouth to vehemently deny his claim, but found she could not counter his points. With a pout she sat down, a frown marring her pretty visage as she pondered her cousin's words. Erik, in the meantime, had listened intently to Gajeel's little speech, his eyes flashing with something akin to worry as he regarded the two dragon boys on either side of Wendy.
"The rumors are true then - you possess fairy blood, Gajeel?"
Gajeel raised a brow at the poison dragon, only a few years older than him.
"Yes. And it's not something I keep hidden, so you should've known about it, oh 'poison dragon lord'" Gajeel snickered a bit at the end, flashing the dragon a jaunty smile that was not returned.
Erik frowned as he glanced at his beloved. She had an equally concerned look on her face. Facing the younger ore dragon once more, he spoke slowly, carefully selecting his words.
"It is true that I did not hear the news, Gajeel, despite being the newly appointed lord of the poison dragons. That in itself is not an unusual occurrence - the poison lands are quite far from civilization and we generally do not seek out information about other dragon tribes. We enjoy our seclusion. But… In this case, I'm sure that not many dragons outside Alagesia are aware of your… 'condition', for lack of a better term. And from what I have observed, this secrecy has been enforced by your father, with aid from the fire dragon king." Erik paused, regarding the three young dragons in front of him thoughtfully. "Have you been briefed about the enemy yet?"
Natsu nodded confidently, while the other two agreed with more hesitancy.
"Father told us the once emperor of the Northern Kingdom - Acnologia - joined forces with demons to wage war against us. So they are our enemies. Acnologia and the demons."
Erik sighed. "Yes, but have you been told about demons - briefed on their strengths and weaknesses and what we need to know to kill them?"
Natsu frowned, falling silent as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against his carriage seat.
"I'm not surprised if they haven't. They are entering this war blind - in a sense. As far as they are aware, there is no way to directly kill a demon. You can injure it and slow it down, but their self healing capacity is so great that they will be back on their feet a few moments later. In times of peace, demons only die of old age - thankfully, they are far from immortal, only invincible as per their place on the magic spectrum. However, their invincibility is their greatest advantage in a war. To stand a chance against them, a way must be found to kill them, and fast." A soft touch on his arm interrupted him, Kinana smiling softly as she rubbed Erik's forearm.
"According to my people, there are only three ways to kill demons. We tried sharing this knowledge with the dragons of the North - by sending a delegation to speak to them - but those dragons were not… receptive to what we nagas had to say. They said that they could not trust 'magical snakes' and chased us away from their lands."
"We're sorry on their behalf," Wendy interjected timidly, "But we trust you. Could you share your knowledge with us?"
Kinana graced Wendy with a gentle smile. "Of course, little one. That is the reason my beloved and I requested this chance to travel in your carriage alone with the three of you."
"Really?" Erik interjected in mock surprise, "And here I thought it was just to make love throughout this insufferable carriage ride, undisturbed by our stuffy elders…"
Kinana giggled, shaking her head at her bonded, her eyes shining with mirth. She turned back to the three young dragons in front of them after placing an affectionate and chaste peck on Erik's cheek.
"Now then, the three methods of killing demons…" Kinana's serious tone had the hatchlings sitting up straight in their seats, their full attention focused on the svelte snake woman. "The first is straightforward - devil slaying magic. It is a rare form of magic, practiced by the yetis of the tundra, developed by them to defend their land from their neighbors. Over the centuries, the yetis have withdrawn from the world - I believe they have chosen to be neutral in this war. Thankfully, they passed on their knowledge to a few human mages. Hopefully, those mages will join our ranks…" Kinana glanced at Erik, a question in her eyes.
Erik smiled back. "King Silver has agreed to lend some of his devil slaying force towards our war efforts. It's not as effective as we could hope for - devil slayers have the distinct disadvantage of only being able to take out one demon at a time, and that too after draining them of their 'life-force' - a drawn out affair unfortunately, but it's better than nothing. At least the demons they fight will be eliminated after their efforts."
Kinana nodded slowly, picking up her explanation where she had paused it. " The second way to kill a demon is by using its own magic against it…" Kinana sighed, "Which means we either have to mimic demon powers somehow, or convince our demon prisoners of war to fight for us. The former I do not know how we will achieve, but the latter would be risky and foolhardy on our part. Demons are notoriously fickle, so there may be many volunteers to switch to our side - however, they are equally untrustworthy and their allegiance could switch back in a heartbeat."
Kinana paused again, her eyes seeking Gajeel's, a wistful and sad gleam evident in her soft midnight hued orbs.
"The final method is not a well known one. Indeed, I believe only the nagas still remember this ancient fact. We have carefully preserved this knowledge for the benefit of our descendants. The final way you may kill a demon is by… high fairy magic."
Gajeel blinked. Wendy and Natsu looked confused, their gazes darting between their steel scaled cousin and the somber nagini.
Natsu finally broke the spiraling silence with a bark of laughter.
"Is that a joke? Good one Kinana! There's no way that could be true, you just said that demon magic and devil slaying magic are the only kinds of magic that can kill a demon - and that's probably because those are the most powerful types of dark magic on the spectrum! There's no way fancy weak light magic like Gajeel's could stand up against them…"
"Do you know the true shape of the spectrum?" Kinana interrupted him solemnly.
Natsu blinked.
With an exasperated sigh, Wendy intervened. "She's talking about our very first magic lessons, brother! Where we were shown pictures of the magic spectrum to help us understand the magical hierarchy? And… If I remember correctly, the shape is a triangle? Each corner represents magic at its purest - light, dark and neutral. The line between light and dark is empty, of course, but the other two sides are filled with creatures of all kinds."
Kinana smiled at her. "That is one shape you could associate with it, I suppose. But wouldn't a more apt shape be a circle? You've said so yourself that there is nothing on the line between light and dark…"
Wendy frowned, considering her words. "... Perhaps, but then where would light end, and dark begin?"
"Where indeed…" Kinana murmured, her eyes shining bright with age old wisdom and unfathomable depth. "That is a question our scholars have puzzled over for centuries. And we are yet to find a suitable answer. However… we have proof that the extremes of light and dark magic are but two sides of the same coin. And therefore, a being who wields light magic in its purest form…"
Kinana looked straight at Gajeel.
"... May be your only hope for killing demons."
"We wished to tell you this privately so that you would be prepared, cousin." Erik grit his teeth, his voice falling to a rough whisper, "When the northern dragons and the remaining leaders of this magical alliance discover your 'talent' you will be pushed to the brink of your physical, emotional and ethical limits. Please… be careful whom you trust. And protect yourself as best as you can. We all want to win this war, but I do not want it won at the cost of your sanity… or life."
Gajeel just stared at the poison dragon, speechless. A deathly silence fell in the carriage, the only sounds those of the rickety movements of the battered vehicle. After what seemed like an age, Gajeel took a shaky breath and nodded, still not trusting his voice to convey the turmoil of emotions inside him.
His poison brethren let out a sigh, leaning back against his seat and closing his eyes as his beloved curled into his side.
Tomorrow the true test of survival would begin. And he prayed to all the dragon gods that they were ready.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"It is high time we had a talk, ladies…"
Loke regarded the pair seated on the divan before him with a stern gaze, the merry twinkle in his eyes masked by the tinted double monocle he adorned for show.
The young maiden, Yukino, sat ramrod straight at the edge of the loveseat, her expression nervous and timid. Beside her lounged Lucy, her stance far more relaxed as she snuggled into the pillows at the end of the luxurious sofa with her dainty feet tucked in beneath her. She regarded Loke with a sceptical look, not the least bit fazed by his stern mein.
Loke continued his dramatic pause, internally smirking as Yukino grew more nervous and Lucy grew more annoyed.
"Well? Out with it, Loke! We do not have all day!"
Loke grinned openly now, carefully removing his eyewear and setting it upon the desk beside him.
"As you command, Princess. I've called you two here today to explain a little more about Yukino's true purpose, considering she is a mage capable of Celestial Magic. And to tell you about the strong magical enchantment that you are both now a part of."
Whatever she had been expecting, Lucy had not been prepared for that. She sat up straight in her spot, her mouth agape as she regarded the newly promoted Count with curiosity and confusion swirling in her mind.
"Oh, I forgot to mention this as well, I suppose." Loke continued, immensely amused by Lucy's dumbstruck expression, "I am a magical being too - a celestial spirit. I am known as Leo the lion in the Celestial world - the leader of the zodiac spirits. And all the beings you met the other day, apart from Yukino and your grandfather, are celestial spirits as well. We are the twelve spirits of the zodiac."
Lucy gawked at him, the minutes slowly ticking by as she processed the information Loke had unceremoniously dumped on her. She sat back in her seat, pondering the new knowledge she had been offered, while Yukino, now considerably more relaxed herself, leaned forward.
"I recognized you when we first met, Sir Leo." She intoned softly, her eyes darting to Lucy's as if seeking permission to proceed. Lucy offered her a radiant, encouraging smile in response, and Yukino turned back to Loke with more confidence shining in her eyes. "As you've said, I am a celestial maiden - though I know very little of my craft. And I would be grateful to you if you could explain why I've been brought here and placed under her majesty's care."
Loke nodded. "Have both of you heard of the Celestial Priestess?"
The girls nodded in reply, waiting for the spirit to proceed.
"Then you would know, that once every few millennia, she appears in the world to fight a grave injustice and bring peace and balance to the land. It has been many centuries since she has last had reason to return, but in our war-ravaged world today she will be a heaven sent blessing… To those who crave peace. There are many who delight in war, unscrupulous beings who use this turmoil for their own selfish gain. Those beings would go to any lengths to harm her, and therefore, we - the zodiac spirits - and a few others, have initiated a highly powerful enchantment to protect her and her Celestial maiden companions."
Loke took a deep breath as both girls leaned forward, entranced by his words.
"The enchantment works on the principle of three, as that number is the most powerful digit in magic. The first set of three is the maiden, master and protector. The Celestial Priestess is the maiden, while the remaining two Celestial maidens are the protector and the master. For their safety, their true title is hidden from them until the Celestial Priestess reaches magical maturity. We are aware that Yukino is one of them, and therefore have brought her here so that we may protect her physically as well as with the vow."
"The vow?"
"The name of the enchantment. The three sets of three in the vow are the three guardians, three knowledge-keepers and the three maidens. All enter a pact to guard each other and the keys…"
Yukino gasped. "Wait, are those Celestial keys you speak of?"
"Correct. Those are the keys you could use to summon us. There are twelve keys, three each with a guardian and the final pair with the prime knowledge-keeper…"
"This is all fine, Loke, but I still don't understand my role in all this." Lucy interjected, exasperation coloring her tone. "I'm obviously not a maiden, and I'm definitely not a guardian. Are you giving me this knowledge to be one of your knowledge-keepers?"
He chuckled, ruffling her locks fondly as the irritated girl swatted his hand away. "Don't underestimate yourself Lucy! You could be any of those categories if you so wished… But do not interrupt me again! I was getting to your part in all this, just be patient."
Lucy pouted, but sat back in her seat, folding her arms across her sizeable chest. Yukino shot her a shy, encouraging smile which Lucy returned with a soft one of her own, waving her hand imperiously and majestically at Loke, demanding he continue his speech.
Loke rolled his eyes but resumed.
"Well, as I was saying, the keys have been separated for safekeeping with the guardians. And for further security, the identity of two of those guardians will remain a secret to the rest, just as the identity of two of the Celestial maidens will. Only the three knowledge-keepers will be known to all in the vow, though the crucial knowledge they protect will remain solely with them. The three knowledge-keepers are…"
Loke paused for dramatic effect, a twinkle of mirth in his eyes. Frustrated with his theatrics, Lucy lobbed a sofa pillow at his head with surprisingly good aim. With a hearty guffaw the limber lion spirit ducked, avoiding the incoming missile. He threw a raunchy wink at his Princess before completing his monologue.
"As both of you are officially a part of the vow, you are entitled to know who the knowledge keepers are. I am one of them, the Celestial Spirit King is another, and he is the prime one, and the final knowledge-keeper is…"
Lucy's murderous glare prevented the dramatic pause Loke had planned for his grand reveal, as the zodiac spirit instead hurried to finish his thought under her threatening gaze.
"... Your grandfather, Lucy. Sir Makarov."
Lucy's impressive glare was cut short as it was abruptly replaced with a look of bewilderment.
"W-what? Grandfather? B-but how?"
"He was there when the vow was made. In fact, it was thanks to his efforts that the vow was made at all. And until now, he has been both a guardian and a knowledge-keeper in the vow, but now that his beloved granddaughter is of age, he can pass on the mantle of one of those tasks to her. He has bequeathed the role of guardian to you, Lucy. You will henceforth be a protector of three of the keys, and a keeper of the vow. Additionally, you will have the power to decide who, outside our small circle, can be made aware of the vow, although you still won't be able to explain particulars."
Lucy just gaped at him, speechless. After a long, pregnant pause, it was Yukino who softly interjected with a question of her own.
"What can I do to help her Majesty and the spirits, Sir Loke?"
Loke turned to Yukino, his eyes softening and his smile gentle.
"You can help us all by training yourself in Celestial Spirit magic."
"I-I would love too, but my magic is weak, and I do not know many spells."
"Your magic is not weak, Yukino - merely untrained. And as for learning new spells, Lucy can assist you with that - in fact she will learn and train right alongside you!"
This finally snapped Lucy out of her daze.
"What?! How can I learn spells with her if I'm not magical?!"
"You don't need to be magical to read text and memorize it." Loke deadpanned.
"Hmmm. True, but what about helping her 'train'? And why do I have so many duties? Shouldn't the other guardians be a part of this as well?"
Loke smiled fondly at the pretty human maiden. "Celestial magic is so subtle and spell-based that you can help Yukino train in many ways. Don't worry, we zodiac spirits will guide you every step of the way. Both of you. As for 'why you' - it is because you are the prime guardian. You are directly protecting not just a set of keys, but one of the maidens herself. Hence, your responsibilities are more."
Lucy's brow furrowed as she lost herself in her thoughts, her finger rhythmically tapping the armrest of the divan. Yukino and Loke observed her in silence as she mused over all they had discussed. Finally she lifted her gaze from its spot on the ornate rug at her feet, looking Sir Loke straight in the eyes.
"There is one point you have left out in your explanation, Loke, and I do not know if it was deliberate. I ask merely out of curiosity, you need not answer if it in any way adversely affects the vow. My question is… What kind of knowledge do the knowledge-keepers protect?"
Loke inhaled sharply, sitting back in his seat and studying his Princess with a mixed look of awe and caution.
"You're shrewdness never ceases to amaze me, Lucy. Technically, you have every right to know the title of the secret we keep - just not the secret itself. But I hoped to spare you that knowledge - the less you both are burdened with, the better. However…"
Loke leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"The secret that we keep is…"
Lucy slipped her hand to her neck, unconsciously gripping her dragon pendant for courage.
"The identity of the Celestial Priestess."