~~LoLu~~

Chapter 11

~~LoLu~~

"Lu-chan... isn't coming back?"

Loke turned his head to meet the wide eyes of Levy, who was the only one who'd so far managed to find her voice, though she sounded like a lost child in the grimly silent room.

It seems she picked up on that part of things fast. Smart girl.

His eyes fell away from her and he took another drink, this time just going straight from the bottle. He'd rarely done that before, but he really needed to blur his current reality and its spiteful, bitter voice. He couldn't remember the last time things had been this bad – he hated this whole mess even more than when he'd been trapped on Earthland and dying.

After taking a good, long swallow, he said, "No. Maybe someday she can come visit, but she can't live here ever again," flatly.

There were several thumps of varying loudness as people that had been standing fell over in shock and dismay.

"How the hell did this happen?" Natsu growled in a low, furious tone.

When the lion turned to look at him, the fire mage had his lips peeled back from his teeth and a deadly glare in his eyes. The inference, unspoken but still clear, was that it was in some way the spirit's fault.

"Natsu," Makarov cautioned with a warning look at the hyper dragon slayer, who pouted.

But Loke was unable to deny the silent accusation, because he felt as though it were his fault, despite the fact Lucy and Crux had both informed him that it wasn't. His eyes fell back to the bottle in his hand, and he poured some more down his throat.

"Seirei-o said it's because of who she is. A Heartfilia. No one knew it was possible, because there's never been an entire bloodline devoted to celestial magic like hers, but apparently this is a... now how did he phrase it... oh, yes-" he smirked darkly, "-a consequence of almost a thousand years of their blood being exposed to our magic. It just built up in them until Lucy... and giving her the stardresses and drowning her in my magic in the way I was forced to because of Delenn tipped her over the edge. The king called it 'critical mass'."

The immediate silence that fell was broken by one man.

"Yeah... you sure this isn't something you did to her with that as an excuse? Seems to me this is awful convenient for you," a gravelly voice suggested, and Loke slowly rolled his head over towards the speaker with a very unfriendly light in his eyes as a babble of voices broke out around the room.

"What," he began in an ominously calm voice, "do you mean by that?"

"Come on, we've all heard that you quite clearly admitted to being in love with bunny girl. How much better it will suit you now that she's not gonna get old and die like the rest of us poor mortals, know what I mean?" Gajeel insinuated.

Once again, shocked silence fell, only this time it was at what the iron dragon slayer was actually accusing the lion spirit of...

Every person in the room nearly jumped out of their skins as the sound of glass shattering and wood splintering ricocheted around the hall. That was followed by what really sounded like the roar of an infuriated lion as Loke proved the truth of his nature in the most terrifying way imaginable - by immediately attacking the one who would dare to accuse him of something so horrible. He would never cause Lucy any harm, and especially not by doing something like this to her... taking away her humanity and her entire world for his own gain. The very thought made him ill - he'd rather die than hurt her like that.

I'll make you sorry you ever suggested that, you fuckin' bastard!

The blow plowed the slayer through the exterior wall of the building and out into the streets, the dust from the crumbled masonry cloaking his form as it billowed around him where he'd landed flat on his back.

Levy's shrill scream was what brought the rest of the guild back to themselves, and Makarov was forced to intervene as Loke stalked through the rubble towards the stunned mage with something very close to hatred in his eyes.

"If you ever accuse me of something so vile again, I won't hold back, Redfox. You'll find out the hard way what kind of power I really have," he snarled. "That you can even accuse someone who has already admitted to loving a woman of turning around and doing something to her that will leave permanent wounds on her heart, tells me you don't know what love really is." He glanced at Levy as she ran up and skidded to a stop, then looked back down at Gajeel. He tilted his head towards the petite blue-haired script mage and said deliberately, "Makes me feel sorry for her."

The lion came to a halt as Makarov suddenly appeared between he and the slayer, though he didn't break gazes with the infuriated mage at first, his eyes quite clearly sending a message of pending pain to the other man even through his shades. Don't let me catch you alone anytime soon, you rusted tin can. He deliberately cracked his knuckles in a final warning, before glancing at the guildmaster as he began to speak.

"He spoke out of concern for Lucy, though he was out of turn in his words," the short, older man said to the stellar lion. Then he looked sternly down at Black Steel as he slowly climbed to his feet with a cold glare for the celestial spirit, who didn't look fazed in the slightest by the nasty glower, returning like with like quite happily. "Gajeel, you will stand down. You have no reason to accuse Loke of such a thing. Your words have not only dishonored a fellow guild member, but yourself. Think before you speak," he rebuked gravely.

"I did," the studded man replied as he wiped a bit of blood away from the side of his mouth with one big hand and then spat on the ground. "I'm makin' sure. I owe bunny girl this much after what I did to her before, when I was with Phantom Lord. So I'm checkin' so I can be certain that she's in good hands over there in the spirit world." He held Loke's gaze and gave him a dangerous grin, now talking directly to him. "I wanted to see how you'd react, see if you really would look out for her above yourself in everything. You've convinced me, so it's over now. Though... if you ever get balls enough, I wouldn't mind a continuation of this little episode. Show up anytime. Only, be prepared to be pounded if you do, 'cause I won't hold back, either."

Tension loosening a little at Gajeel's explanation, nonetheless the spirit of the lion wasn't able to subdue his predatory nature entirely just yet, and gave the other man a smile that was just this side of friendly. "One of these days I'll take you up on that, Redfox." Then he turned around and went back into the guild via the hole in the wall that he'd created by pounding the slayer through it.

He tossed some jewel on the part of the bar he hadn't destroyed and looked at Mirajane, who'd come over to him with a sympathetic expression, though she seemed a bit disappointed that she now had yet another bar to replace – plus some.

"Sorry for the damage, Mira," he said with a deep exhale as the rest of the members began pouring back into the room and going back to their previous seats. He tossed some more jewel down. "This should take care of it... and get me a bottle of the house sake this time, would you? The nice little buzz I was working on earlier is now gone, and I've got to start all over."

Everyone had piled back inside by this time, and there was a low murmur of voices as people talked over everything they'd learned and what had happened. But Loke wasn't to be allowed any peace just yet, as the remains of team Natsu once again surrounded him.

"How is Lucy holding up?" Erza asked quietly, but with a knowing expression. "Your mood proves to me that she didn't take the news well."

He chuckled humorlessly. "No, you're wrong. She took it the way Lucy takes all bad news. Yes, she's upset, but she handled it better than probably anyone else would have. I think she's in a bit of shock – along with the grief and anxiety... and the depression that's most likely to come once everything really kicks in. But she still handled it better than I'd have believed possible with any other person caught in this mess. Better than I'm dealing with just having to tell her what's happened... and you guys."

Gray, who until now had been quiet, patted his friend on the back. "She'll survive this. Lucy's strong."

"Yes, stronger than any of us," Erza agreed with a nod. And then she sent a small smile in the lion's direction. "Not that she's ever believed it."

Loke sighed and stared down at the bar, folding his arms together and leaning on it with a far-away look in his eyes. "I know she will. I'm not so sure I will. I really hate hurting her... and lately it seems I've been forced to do it more times than I can count. I feel sick."

"I understand what you are saying, and I sympathize," Makarov replied as the group turned to look at him, back in his usual spot on the bar. "But I am a little more concerned with something else. We all know what kind of person Lucy is – and what being a celestial spirit means, at least to some degree," he added with a nod at the lion, who caught on after a moment spent wondering what the little man was talking about.

Oh... yeah. That. Funny he should be the one to bring that up...

"I worried about the same thing," he acknowledged the guildmaster's unspoken question, then smiled a little. "But she doesn't have a key, and never will. As a bonus," he added in an aside, "because she didn't die, and didn't do anything to break the contracts she has with her spirits, none of us will ever have to worry about a new master or mistress again. We'll remain under her protection forever."

"I thought all constellations had keys," Gray said, looking a little confused, though happy that his friend would never have to worry about another owner like that last bitch who'd had his key.

Loke chuckled. "No... not all constellations even have a consciousness, as Seirei-o pointed out to Lucy when she asked the same thing, let alone a key." A faint smirk crossed his lips at the reminder of what the king had used as an example to the blonde to prove his point, his face flushing with a bit of heat. Gods, he hoped the perverted old bastard was right and someday... well, he just hoped.

"So what constellation does she now represent?"

That question pulled another chuckle from the lion. Trust Erza to go straight to the point.

"She's Eridanus, the river of the stellar realm. As such, she's one of the most powerful constellations in the spirit world, as Seirei-o said, one capable of healing and battle magic alike."

It was silent for a moment, then Natsu asked, "If she doesn't have a key and a summoner, then why does she need battle magic?" before anyone else could think of anything to say.

Loke just stared at the dragon slayer, then blinked a couple of times as the connotations of his query sank in, and he shook his head, surprised he hadn't thought of it himself. For Natsu was quite correct – if she didn't have a key or a summoner who would need a skilled battle partner, then why did Eridanus have those capabilities at all?

"I... I don't know," he replied after a few, with a sort of huff of realization. "I'll have to ask Seirei-o about that."

"Maybe you should make a list of questions to ask him," Gray said wryly.

"Possibly. It's just that since this has never happened before, I'm not exactly sure what questions even need to be asked, just like that one hadn't occurred to me." Loke shook his head with a soft, "Thanks," for Mirajane as she delivered the sake he'd requested. "What a mess."

"Let me know when you're ready to go back, and I'll make a strawberry smoothie for you to take to Lucy. She always enjoys those when she's stressed and upset. She says they 'cool her down'," the takeover mage laughed a little sadly. Leaning on the bar, she sighed. "What is she going to do about her apartment here, and all her things? Plus, since she was unconscious when the sale of her estate went through, and the lawyer didn't want to deal with the 'dangerous, rude friends' she has – which I assume meant you – he dropped her as a client as soon as the sale was finalized, and the Master agreed to hold her money here in the guild vault until she was well again."

Loke couldn't help the somewhat sarcastic chuckle that information tore from his throat. "That guy..."

"What did you do to him exactly? When we asked before, all you said was that you fed him some of his own medicine. But he seemed awfully... afraid of you for that to be entirely true," Erza stated deliberately with a highly skeptical look at him.

He shot her a tight grin. "Okay, so maybe I fed him his medicine with a touch of threat," he admitted. "But the pompous little prick deserved it."

"Hm," she eyed him as Mirajane continued looking annoyed on the topic of the lawyer, but didn't say anything else.

Natsu and Gray just snickered, having a pretty good idea of what had transpired between Loke and the lawyer, since they'd been on the receiving end of the lion's 'threats' a few times before and thought they knew what sort of thing to expect from him. Especially when it came to protecting Lucy. A flamboyant personality under any circumstances, the lion always went just a little overboard when it came to anything to do with her.

"Yes," Makarov sighed, looking a little irritated himself. "He was most definitely a petty, aggravating man. I suppose it is a good thing Lucy won't have to deal with him again. Still, Mira's question stands. Perhaps you should talk to the guild's newest celestial spirit and then let us know what she wishes to do. While I have no problem holding on to her money for as long as she needs me to, her personal items at her apartment are another matter, as her landlady will probably not be understanding of her situation."

Loke rubbed a hand across his eyes, and his sigh echoed the master's. "It's always something, isn't it? I'll talk to her and then come back... though that will probably be at least a few days time here. We'll most likely just end up moving her things to her new home in the spirit world, though."

"So she has a house over there?" Natsu asked, looking extremely curious.

"She will - all of us do. Our homes are wherever we like within our constellation, though there's no saying we have to stay there. Hell, Aquarius is rarely at her home since she started dating Scorpio. She's usually shacked up at his place – which is plenty enough reason for me to stay away," he added sourly. "That woman is scary. Scorpio's definitely braver than I am, getting involved with her."

Feeling much calmer since he'd managed to down most of his sake and the supportive presence of his and Lucy's friends had cheered him some, Loke tipped back the bottle and finished off the rest. Setting it on the bar much more gently now that his temper had been defused, he shook his head and smiled a little wryly.

"Well, I suppose I'd better head back, then. Mira? If you'd whip up that smoothie, I'll take it with me. I'm sure Lucy could use it by now."

He smiled a little brighter this time as the white-haired mage immediately got to work on the offered drink with a wink and a, "She'll probably glomp you as soon as she sees this."

"She can glomp me all she likes," he chuckled. I wish... "I'll get back to you guys as soon as I can, okay? In the meantime, don't worry about her. She's fine... Seirei-o even healed her completely of the effects of the change so she wouldn't be in pain any longer."

The group all made appreciative noises at that, glad to hear that at least she wasn't physically suffering any more.

As soon as the promised smoothie was placed in his hands, the celestial spirit glanced at a certain table and moved towards it, his, "But first..." trailing off as he strode across the hall towards Gajeel, who was sitting with and trying to comfort a still-sniffling Levy.

Feeling a little awkward around the small, obviously very upset solid script mage, Loke shook his head and met the iron dragon-slayer's suspicious gaze straight on. "Don't look at me like that, you rude bastard. I just stopped to thank you for looking out for Lucy's best interests, even if the insinuation that I'd ever hurt her like that did piss me off. So take it as meant... though that doesn't mean that I won't take you up on that fight offer at some point."

"Heh. Like I said, show up anytime, Lion."

Loke flicked an off-hand, slightly sarcastic salute at the other mage, then looked at Levy. "Is there...anything you want me to pass on?"

"Y-yes," the blunette sniffed, "just tell Lucy that we all miss her and hope we can see her again..."

"Will do," he replied with a gentle smile for the grieving girl.

Gajeel inclined his head to the lion, and he nodded in response before turning and lifting a hand to the rest of the gang. "Be back in a few days, a week or so at most with some more answers for you guys," he finished before fading away to the tune of shouted acknowledgments.

It made his smile a little brighter... while at the same time it hurt his heart with the knowledge of how much her loss was going to affect the entire guild.

Lucy was just too easy to love... as he knew all too well.