Reviews are Nice; The pairings are NOT decided yet. I get people like Vander/Lucy, I like them too, they're adorable when she's sassy and keeps up with him, but...I really don't know if they will get together or if it will be a friendship...or how far this darkness is going to go.

I don't own Fairy Tail. Mashima Does.

I don't own the Pradesh Clan. Desna does (and thank you for them).

I own the Storyline. That's it.

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When Leon disappeared with the dagger, Vander narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure why the Spirit had done it, but there had to have been a reason. Lucy was actually taken in front of the Games commission and talked to for the rest of the afternoon.

"Miss Heartfilia…"

Lucy looked up at the man, giving a faint, pained smile. She could feel Zen's pain and she didn't want to be there, "I know. I know you want that, but...all I can do is attempt to call him."

She'd tried a few times already, unknown to them, but nothing. The woman took a breath, bringing the key out of requip space under their gaze and held it out, using a bit more magic to show the spirit that she needed him there, "Open the Gate of the Little Lion, Leo Minor!"

The Door appeared and then Loke of all Spirits stepped through and Lucy let out a frustrated sound, "Loke!"

The Spirit looked around for a moment and then crossed his arms on his chest, "It's...about the dagger, isn't it?"

"Yes! Where is it!" She crossed her arms on her chest as she stared at him, tapping her foot, "I'd really like to get this over with…" her voice cracked, "Because right now, Zen's in pain and…"

The Lion spirit gently put a hand on her cheek, "it's a relic from the Holy war." He looked at the Commision board for a long moment, "one that was entrusted to an Encan Family who is now on their council of Mages, or was, until about twenty years ago. On his death, it went missing. It was never archived with anyone because...no one knew what it did other than him."

"Are you able to tell us what it did?"

Loke straightened his tie, "it's called the Night Sprig. It essentially...cuts off all Light Magic from anyone harmed by it." he ran a hand through his hair, "it wouldn't have affected someone like Vander, but Zen? Yes, it did. Virgo has taken Zen some medicine to counteract the effects, but we're not allowing it in this realm again."

"It would have caused the man's death," A woman, with mint and indigo hair spoke, looking down at the spirit.

Loke nodded, "most likely, unless he could live through...probably months of agony as the small bit of magic that he was exposed to ran its course." he gave them a firm look, "Make no mistake, if he would have been stabbed instead of that scratch? It would have been death."

"We need that dagger to-"

"The Celestial King said that it is not to come back here again," Loke crossed his arms on his chest, "his word in this is final. No one wants justice for what happened any more than the celestial Realms." He looked around, "But it is, as far as the world knows, an unknown artifact. Neither dark, nor light, just unknown."

He looked at the group, "if you want to look into it, the King said he will agree after these games are over. He refuses to allow it back into the realm where anyone from that Guild will be close."

The head Chairman let out a faint sigh, "I see...we cannot do anything short of asking them to bring the mage that had it in their possession in for questioning…" He pursed his lips, "But...something tells me that his memories will show that he was the only one aware that he had it."

Lucy snorted, "of course." She crossed her arms on her chest, "but it is what it is for now…" She took a breath, "so...after this is all done, it can be dealt with, please…" She shifted on her feet.

Loke smiled softly "I'll continue, you go, go to him." He didn't give the council a choice as she turned and strode out quickly. The Spirit then turned back to the assembled group, "Let's continue with what you want to know…"

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Lucy looked at Zen and then sighed as she curled up next to him. The woman letting out a low sound as he rested. She could sense he was fine, the pain was fading, but that didn't make the sharpness of what she'd felt earlier go away. She was shaking as she nuzzled into his chest and sniffled.

Vander came out of the bathroom, drying his hair and he watched them, he could feel the fear, the pain and it made him take a deep breath. He didn't like to be the serious one most of the time. He moved to the bed and curled into it behind Lucy, kissing her shoulder and murmuring, "Kaleb and Cris both said he'll be fine in a few days, Stardust."

Lucy mumbled, "I can feel the anger my spirits have…"

Vander nodded into her hair, eyes closing as he wrapped himself around her and one hand moved to rest on Zen's chest, feeling it rising and falling. He'd felt that pain and it sent him into a fury that he'd rarely unleashed. "We'll be here for him...he'll be recovered for the last day...and we're not doing anything in the games until then…"

"Okay," Lucy spoke softly as she lay there.

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To no one's shock, the mage that had used the dagger hadn't told anyone in Emerald Eye about it. Kaleb wasn't allowed to help in the interrogation, not because the Commission didn't trust him to be fair, but because of what happened. He wanted answers, but they did allow Zen in the room, negating any possibility of lies.

As it was, they were waiting for the last match. None of them were happy about the fact that Emerald Eye, despite every bit of underhanded strategy that they'd pulled could win if they won this bout.

There was no fussing this time around, Lucy's hair having been done by Cancer before Zen and Vander could make any sort of fuss, it was pulled up, braided and then put into a dense bun that wouldn't get snagged on anything. They were currently all standing and everyone was on edge as the two Celestial Mages actually were talking in quiet tones that even Gajeel couldn't hear, or perhaps they were using some sort of Rune barrier so that no one could hear, they didn't know.

Lucy would glance over at the group from time to time, then look back to Hestor with a curious look and wagged a finger in his face, almost as if chastising him. There was plenty that the two were obviously arguing over, but at the same time, as Kaleb watched, it was the same way Lucy interacted with Presca, Xally, Cris and Emzadi: like a sibling. That was the one thing, he noted that she never did with himself, Vander, Zen or Farron.

At First, it had stung, especially after the strange mating she'd gone through, and he still utterly felt that love he had for her, the want to be where his brothers were, but he couldn't be bitter about it. Lucy was just a light and people were drawn to her. People like Hestor used her as a Northern Star to find their way home, others like the star they were born under, to give them comfort that they weren't alone.

When they'd joked all those years ago, about her being the embodiment of Mehturt...he hadn't expected them to come back and Vander accosting him about the talk he'd had with Xiao Xing, or the statue he saw. The fact that she did look like that statue made him wonder, but unless they actually went to the other two temples in that city, they wouldn't know what features the two gods were given...and they'd not had time. Lucy was the Guiding Star and he felt his breath catch as both celestial Mages looked at him and her lips curled into a soft smile. He felt a bit of jealousy when she leaned against Hestor, but he wasn't sure exactly why, it was an odd jealousy that he wasn't sure he wanted to attempt to actually figure out, not now. Later, when they didn't have so much to focus on.

"You'll be starting the last challenge as soon as you step out," The attendant said as he looked at the entire group. Truthfully, he thought that Emerald eye should have been disqualified two days ago, but the mage had been shipped off to the prison at the Citadel and there was little he could do. It was general consensus, but...there was a lack of solid proof to make it go through.

"Alright, everyone get ready," Kaleb called out and then looked to where he could see Joren and the rest of his team, "does everyone know the plan that we discussed the night before?"

Vander grinned as he grabbed Lucy, hefting her up and swinging her, the light laughter from the woman filling the air, "yup, I still don't like it."

"You guys can be at my side in a few seconds," Lucy pointed out as she squealed and climbed over Vander's back leaping off his shoulders and slamming into Juvia, the two women laughing and eyeing the men as if they were ready to dart out of the way easily.

"We have to find Joren...and show him we do not appreciate what he did to Zen." Kaleb leaned against the wall, lazily watching the blonde as she seemed to play a game of cat and mouse with his brothers and smirked when Hestor seemed to join in.

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"...what...are they doing?" Joren scowled as he looked up at the Lacrama Screen, eyes narrowing.

A woman with deep green, almost black hair spoke, "It appears that they're playing a children's game, instead of planning, Master Joren."

The man's mood, already fairly bad for having lost one of his mages, plummeted, "Take them out. Start with the Celestial Mages. Split them up so that they can't pull that bullshit they did before…" He looked around, "don't kill them…" his lips curled into a dark smile, "But...if they manage to go down in a way that puts them out of view so they can't get medical attention…."

"Yes, Sir!" The assembled mages said, voices filled with dark glee and anger, even as they watched the White Sea Mages continue to goof off and play while waiting.

"Fucking bunch of children, that's what they are...they need a good... spanking ." The mages all laughed, though it wasn't kind and jovial at all. There was the underlying current that the spanking would most likely be something similar to what had been doled out to kaleb two years prior.

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"A ten mile radiu…" Kaleb's mental voice trailed off when he saw different spirits appearing out of the air. There was no...shimmer like normal and he slowly looked around. It looked like they had a small army there and he glanced at Lucy and Hestor.

Both Mages looked confused and Hestor seemed to be talking quietly with the ones that looked more Human, while Lucy had her hands on her hips and was staring at Leon, arching an eyebrow and having a contest of wills.

Seeing a duplicate of both celestial mages walk around a tree cause a bit of whiplash, but Lucy groaned softly as she took in where they were. It was a lot more humid than where they were. The jungle making her look about for a long moment and she pointed to a flower "Midi. that's a native flower."

"...right...so modification of plans, it appears."

The mindbender watched as many of the spirits seemed to meld into the shadows, Leon speaking, "...we'll let people know where we find them."

"Don't say it…" Lucy scowled as Kaleb arched an eyebrow.

"You two will stay here...hide yourselves for the time being. There's a decent chance that you two will be targeted first, if not you two, Zen."

Lucy let a disgusted sound through the link and looked around before she climbed up Zen's back to sit in a tree. As she settled, she huffed "fine…"

"If you move around too much...suspicion might be brought by how many spirits both of you have out…"

"That does not mean either of us have to like it," Hestor looked firmly at Kaleb before he moved to scale the tree, taking a branch. The group watched as magic swirled around them, first a light golden color, then black before they seemed to disappear.

Vander and Zen watched as Kaleb started at it blankly before turning, not seeing the two celestial mages making faces at him. They both grinned and waved before starting off.

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"Soooo…" Lucy looked at Hestor, the two having been given some string by Virgo and were playing Cat's Cradle as they sat there.

"Half an hour," Hestor tilted his head, slowly moving his fingers and shifting his hands to pluck the strings off the blonde's fingers.

The female nodded as she eyed the pattern, "well, I was going to ask about you going and talking to Kaleb on a regular basis…"

Hestor snorted, "sneak."

"...spy," Lucy scoffed as she curled her fingers, grinning as she took the string back and stretched it between her fingers.

Hestor rolled his eyes as he sat there, "I have a respect for the man, nothing more. He asks for updates on my finding those keys, nothing more, nothing less."

Lucy frowned, "he knows?" at the nod, she licked her lips, "does he...know what they do?"

Their eyes met and there was a long, pregnant pause as the two didn't look away but eventually Hestor's eyes tore to look at the string and his fingers moved to quickly take the string back. They both knew what the questions meant, revealing secrets like that was quite uncommon, even she was reserved about it and she lived with them since she was seven, she couldn't help but use that excuse when she didn't want to talk about something. "He does. It was the only way I could justify looking for them to him….well dedicating time away to look for them."

Lucy stared at Hestor and slowly arched an eyebrow as she leaned forward, "is that all?"

Hestor arched an eyebrow slowly, "you've seen him right? A man or woman would have to be blind to not see how he looks."

Lucy let out a cackle as she fell forward, wrapping her arms around Hestor's neck, "aww, you've got a crush. How cute."

"It's not a crush," Hestor huffed as he sat there, letting the blonde get her laughs out. Both went still though, when there was the snap of a twig.

They looked down to see one of the emerald eye members stumble through the brush and both arched eyebrows as they listened in, "there's nothing here, Sir…." There was a pause as the man looked around, "I'm looking around now."

The two mages looked one another in the eye for a moment, "Kaleb?"

"...why do both of you have little cackling mini-versions of yourselves right now?"

"Do you really want the answer?"

"It would be nice considering we're currently in the middle of a battle."

"A straggler found our position."

"Deal with them."

The two looked at each other and their eyes danced before the string was threaded between both sets of fingers and the two looked at them.

Time Immortal

Gates within

Walls of truth

The two took deep breaths, feeling the magic start to build and knew that it wouldn't be long before the man beneath them felt it. The two were close, their breath intermingling and to anyone it would look like an intimate scene.

Open the Hall

Let Truth and Justice come

Let Libra be the judge

While Ma'at watches over

Ammit waiting hungrily…

As the world holds fully Still

The Man below suddenly snapped his head up, the magic pouring off the two unable to be hidden and the effects of the spirits they'd summoned for help curling away in wisps. His eyes narrowed as he watched them, taking in how close they were. "Really? Going to fuck and put out too much magic?"

Settlement of the Stars!

Maiden's Judgement!

The two Celestial mages looked towards the man, eyes glowing brightly as the light under him lit up...and then a huge circle appeared in the sky. If no one knew where they were before that moment? They knew then. The man screamed, body arching as gold white chains threaded from both circles, curling around the man before he fell, shuddering and gasping.

The two carefully got out of the tree, Lucy huffing, "Time to foot it?"

"Time to foot it," Hestor snorted as they started off, moving deftly, "this is where I laugh that that's actually a binding spell."

Lucy shrugged a bit as they moved then put a finger to his lips, both of them hunkering down as shadows swirled around them. Nothing like Vander's, So Hestor was aware it was Corvus and the two waited as people moved past them, obviously going for where they'd left their Guildmate.

The two waited and then took off as soon as they thought the group was far enough away. Lucy held Hestor's hand, using her link to Vander and Zen to lead them to the rest of the group. They were doing good, or so they thought before Joren's voice rang through the air, "GET THOSE CELESTIAL MAGES!"

Both looked at one another and made faces torn between cringing and panic before they started moving faster. It was quite obvious that Emerald eye was out to get the two of them now and so they started running.

"Stardust!"

"We're fine! We're coming to you! With people hot on our tails!" Lucy was not going to admit that feeling the worry from them was reassuring. Both she and hestor could hear the people coming behind her, and when the sound of thunder cracked through the air and the area behind them lit up dangerously it took all she could in order to not stop.

It didn't help that Hestor was refusing to stop. When she tripped, he leaned down, grabbing her around the waist and hefting her up and over his shoulder.

"Hes!" she hissed but didn't have time to stay more as she saw something barreling at them. "Scotum!" a shield shimmered into view, even as a magical attack barreled at them. She let out a sound as it hit them, the shield spirit doing it's job, but both were pitched forward and went flying to the ground, sprawling out among the foliage. The spirit held in her hands seemed to near instantly curl a protective dome around them as the two dazed mages lay there.

Lucy and Hestor tried to clear their heads, even as they lay there, having truly been knocked for a loop at the attack. The hazed over eyes looked up as the saw the attacks hitting the shield, both working to get their heads back into what was going on. Lucy's eyes focused and she frowned as she saw a look of dark glee on Joren's face, wondering what the man was planning and she looked around, realizing they were surrounded by flowers.

"Hes?"

The male mage slowly shook his head, "these….are not native...to the area…"

"Nope…"

"Hey...guys?"

"We're finishing up here."

"Hurry, please. Encan Nightshade." Hestor realized what it was, but he wasn't about to say why he recognized it, no one would ask because both of the Celestial Mages tended to spout random facts and the like.

Hestor noticed the shield starting to fade and pursed his lips as he looked over at the other blonde. His eyes narrowed and magic swirled around him as he called all of the Sisters to his side. Joren's eyes went a bit wide as the five stood there and then turned before their magic seemed to swirl together and a large beast slowly emerged from the shadows, a roar rocking the air.

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Kaleb started when he heard the roar, eyes flying wide as he deliberately looked through the two celestial mages eyes. He couldn't get much from Lucy, most of it fuzzy and he assumed because she was smaller in size the flowers were affecting her, but Hestor's was mostly crisp and the creature he saw had him frightened.

The group started running, not giving the mages they were fighting more of a thought as they were knocked out. He took a step and then blinked as he felt Vander's shadows and saw Zen's eyes narrowed before there was power swirling around them, and they didn't seem to miss a step, but the area around them changed.

Things Erupted from that moment as the mages of White Sea came into the scene of carnage. The Spirit was being attacked, but it seemed like the hide wasn't able to be pierced and it stood in front of the two Celestial mages. Rowan would have been a good help right now, even as he watched the dome over the two flicker out.

Zen was right there in a swirl of gold and putting his hands on Lucy's chest, "I've got her." his eyes narrowed as he let out a snarl, wings snapping out in his anger as he poured his magic into the woman to clear her body of the toxins and fire seemed to swirl around him, the plants turning to ash.

Hestor was taking deep breaths of the air, trying to clear his lungs and mind before shaking his head. He could hear the battle, see the other white sea mages engaging with Joren and his. The mage mumbled, "Fucking green mages…"

Zen snorted, "it was a smart move...and probably panic had Scotum still out, instead of giving you two fresh air."

They don't know what really happened, all they saw was a dagger in Kaleb's stomach as Joren looked like the cat that ate the canary. The darkness that swirled around the Mindbender made Hestor's eyes narrow as he pushed to his feet and held out a hand, the large beast swirling into the five female spirits re-appearing before they went for Joren. Lucy's claim be damned, something was going on and he could almost feel as if Death was in the air. Runes should have triggered and his eyes narrowed as he let out a snarl. The two Brothers of Ma'at that he had also swirled into existence, looking at Joren before three more appeared, even without their keys.

"NO!" Hestor called out, "Don't!" His eyes went blank as the ten spirits looked at him and the man's head dipped forward. The mental backfeed in the team link was immense before the man murmured, "Open. Hall of the two truths. Let it be without Death, for punishment must come in both realms."

One of the Spirits looked around slowly and nodded. While they had all been in the field, the magic gathered around all the mages before the Arena in Pelerno was filled with magic. The field drastically changed from its appearance, large pillars rising with ancient language curling over it in shimmering gold.

Lucy's eyes were wide as she sat up, leaning against Zen and looking around before murmuring, "...oh shit…"

Vander murmured, "...what is this?"

"The...Hall of Two Truths, Van.." Lucy's voice was quiet as she sat there, a hand coming to her mouth before Libra appeared between the Brothers of Ma'at and Sisters of Ammit. "Zen...?"

The Archangel watched, eyes wide as he did so. The man made a small sound, letting Lucy know he was listening.

"heal Kaleb."

Zen gave a small nod, moving over, very slowly under the eyes of the spirits to the mindbender. he carefully put a hand to his brother's stomach, even as two other spirits came over, Monoceros and Phoenix. Magic slowly curled around the three as they worked on what was a very hefty wound, the two spirits talking quietly, almost as if directly Zen in what to do.

"We of Ma'at…"

"And we of Ammit…beseech the great Scales…"

"Let his man be judged for Crimes committed to the Celestial Realm."

"Our Keyholder has asked no Death," The Sister that spoke that cast a look towards Hestor that was almost petulant.

"So that Human law may also be brought down upon these souls."

One of the Brothers Turned to Hestor, the male mage gasping as he looked up at the man that looked almost like an incarnation of death, "this is the will of the Celestial Realms, you still have to find the Set. Never forget that, Child of The Xing."

If Hestor's eyes went wide in shock, Lucy's were wider. The male mage frowned and shook his head, as if trying to deny it.

One of the sisters smiled, almost fondly and murmured, "Only those of that blood may have our keys."

Libra's hands went out, shimmering magic curling through the air before small scales seemed to appear in front of each of the Mages from Emerald Eye. The male spirits held hands and then pure white feathers appeared on one side of each before magic seemed to thread into each of the Mages' chests...an orb appearing on the opposing side of the Scales. She stood there, "Let the judgement begin. The Charges are as follows: Attempted murder of the Evening Star, attempted murder of the Star Maiden, both which would have lead to the Death of the Galaxy Protector, Attempted Murder of the Son of Xing..."