6 months.

It had been exactly 6 months since Lucy was kidnapped. No one knew where she was taken and to say the whole school had gone in uproar was beyond an understatement. Yuzuru, Tamaki and Lucy's father, had called whoever he could to help find his precious daughter, the child of his dear friend Layla, even so much as to reach out to Kyoya's family to get their team to go and search which the help of Natsu.

Because of this, the school's students went into a state of gossip, rumor and slight panic. Many rumors surrounding the situation were made and it did not make the hosts, the Sohmas, Tohru and Team Natsu happy. Many were ridiculous such as: she had ran away for private reasons or she had perhaps eloped with someone to some far off country. Other's were more like: she was taken for money and ransom notes would come any day now.

The more days that pass, everyone began to lose hope of ever finding Lucy. There was literally no trace of her and no one had a lead as to where she could be as her scent had long since faded from the school. The chances of even finding her at this point in time being close to not at all.

Now, you're probably wondering: What about what Shigure said and what the heck happened to Loke?

Well... I suggest you get comfy because you need to understand that Loke had gone through something so painful. Not just physically but mentally as well.

Team Natsu, hearing the celestial spirit's outburst, turned to see what was wrong with their friend. Their hold on Shigure not wavering, though their angered faces were replaced with one of worry. Seeing Loke in the pain that he was now had them confused. But they soon understood the reason when they looked at the others, who were once standing now kneeling on the ground as they picked something up.

When Natsu saw what Hikaru held, his eyes immediately widened. On the ground were fragments of Lucy's key ring and the things the Hitachiin twins, Haruhi and Tohru were her silver and golden celestial keys. Everyone looked confused, as they should be, since there was no reason as to why Lucy's key ring would fracture into such tiny bits like that. There was no reason, except...

"Lucy... NO!" Loke's cries broke through the silence. He held onto his heart in pain, the tears turning the pavement below him dark.

"What happened?" Honey asked. "Why did Lu-chan's key ring break?"

Team Natsu stayed silent, not knowing the answer and just staring at the lion spirit with worry, Shigure not understanding what was happening in front of him or the mages that held him in place as if they weren't using any strength. "Loke... are you-"

"It's just like before..." The spirit said in a hushed voice, but audible enough for everyone to hear, cutting Erza off.

"What do you mean?" Tamaki asked.

"I felt this only... only once..." Loke continued. "Just like before... when Karen... when she..."

The fairies knew at that moment what Loke was referring to. Lucy had told them after they learned that Loke was a celestial spirit; that after Karen died, her celestial spirits' contracts were forcefully broken and thus would cause immense pain or relief depending on the bond between mage and spirit. The stronger the bond, the more painful the separation and the weaker, the more relief.

Upon taking that in, the fairies' eyes widened. Happy, who was on Tohru's head, immediately began to bawl his eyes out. His words coming out as muffled sounds. Tohru took him in her arms and started rocking him back and forth, worried for the exceed as she asked in a hushed tone why he was crying. The mages letting go of Shigure, their anger turning into sadness at the realization of what Loke's thoughts were.

"No..." Gray spoke. "You can't mean..."

"Lucy... she..." Erza said as small tears came out from her left eye.

"What? What happened to Lucy!?" Hikaru shouted, worry more evident in his voice at how vague the mages, spirit and exceed were being.

"Lucy's connection with us spirits... our contracts..." Loke choked out between sobs. "They've been... permanently eradicated."

"Excuse me?" Tamaki asked, knowing full well that if Lucy's contracts are no longer valid, it meant she had broken it herself. " But then why are you in pain? Lucy said nothing about it causing celestial spirits pain."

"That would usually be the case... if Luce had done it on her free will." Natsu said, his eyes hidden beneath his bangs and his hands clenching into fists, everyone's eyes widening. "The only way to forcefully break a contract... a bond that's attached to both spirit and mage's mind and soul... is through death."

Gasps escaped from everyone excluding the Fairy Tail mages. Denial etched across all their faces, Happy's cries being the only thing audible at the moment. Tamaki, unlike the others, was in a state of shock. The thought of his little sister... gone, dead... was something he could not fathom. In his mind...it felt the world crumbling down. All sound and sense in his mind leaving his body. Nothing could be heard. Only silence.

"But Akito wouldn't..." Shigure said in a low-whisper. "Akito said he wouldn't do anything..."

"But... there's still hope." Loke spoke again, the pain soon subsiding.

"There's a way Lucy isn't..." Haruhi asked, unable to bring herself to finish the sentence.

The lion spirit stood up then weakly made his way to the golden and silver keys that were in Hikaru's hands. "By this point, our keys would have separated in different locations. However, they are still here." He explained. "Meaning, though our contract is no more... something is still tying us to Lucy."

"Which means she's still out there, most likely still alive." Kyoya said as he regained his composure and pushed his glasses up.

The hosts, Sohmas, Tohru and Team Natsu immediately perked up at the thought and turned to Shigure with angered faces. Not forgetting that he was a part of the mess. "We won't have to look far either." Yuki finally said, his fury surrounding his entire body.

"Yeah. We're going back to Sohma house and you will give Lucy to us and you will not be telling Akito of that these guys are also mages or that they know of the curse." Kyo said, a growl escaping his lips.

"You can't be-"

"What is that I hear... pal?" Natsu said threateningly, fire not only surrounding his fists but his entire body.

"NOTHING! Nothing at all!" Shigure immediately replied, trying to minimize any damage done unto him.

And so, Yuki and Kyo began to explain about the Chinese Zodiac curse that was placed on their family just as they did with Lucy. Showing both Yuki and Kyo transform, with the assistance of Haruhi and Tohru, into a rat and cat. They explained Akito's role as the 'head' of the household and how he was basically the metaphorical 'God' from the story. The reason for Lucy's capture clear now thanks to Shigure: Akito didn't want to lose control.

They also began to explain that because Lucy is a mage, her having magic through her veins made it so that the cursed Sohmas would not be affected by her hugging them. And because of that knowledge, Akito most likely thought that all the cursed people of the family would go to the continents of Alvarez and Ishgar to search for answers on how to break the curse. However, he didn't know that Kagura and the others already knew that.

So with that knowledge, Tamaki issued for a helicopter to bring everyone to the Sohma household. But, because it was practically impossible for outsiders to even come near the main house, it was decided only Shigure, Yuki and Kyo would go. The elder man would go to Akito to ask about the blonde celestial mage while Yuki and Kyo actually searching discreetly where Akito may have actually hidden the girl.

When they did however, the mission proved unsuccessful. Shigure was equipped with a small microphone and was hidden in his clothes so that the others could hear what was going on from outside. The man himself having no ear-in to hear what the hosts and Team Natsu were saying. Yuki and Kyo equipped with their own ear-ins so they can communicate with the others too.

But Shigure's conversation with Akito was cut short, the young master saying: "That girl? Well... she IS indeed alive." That alone making everyone sigh in relief. However, it was the latter part that made them lose their lead to find her. Especially since Yuki and Kyo were unable to find her anywhere in the main house.

"She's alive... yet you could say... she doesn't exist either."

Get ready for the next arc ;) Trust me... Lucy won't be gone for good.