Chapter 23

~~LoLu~~

The deep, dark, seemingly empty spaces of the universe sped by in the blink of an eye, its beauty unnoticed and even ignored by the sentient flash of light traveling through it. Loke had seen the universe in all its glory an uncountable number of times in his lifetime, and though usually he loved to explore and take in said universe with pride for its sheer, awesome allure, this time he had no care for it. This time, he had a destination and purpose in mind, and nothing else could tempt him away from that destination – Eridanus, heaven's river. Constellations sped rapidly by, Caelum, Cetus, Fornax, Horologium, Hydra, Lepus, Orion. And there, Phoenix, Taurus and Tucana. They all registered at the back of his mind, but he did not have business with any of them. Only the river mattered, only Lucy was important. He did not wish to seem as though he were questioning Seirei-o, but his nerves were stretched tight; he still could not feel her, and a part of him, one that he tried to push aside, was wound up and terrified that the king was wrong, that his sweet Lucy was really gone forever.

Finally the lion reached the section of the skies the river dominated, and he began to slow, dropping from the speed of light in his energy form, back into his physical form instead. Continuing to slow, Loke studied the region of deep space he was now in with a furrowed brow, the aforementioned worry creeping further into his being as he studied Eridanus with troubled eyes. The constellation seemed weaker, its usually formidable power and bright stars much duller than normal. However, it occurred to him that a constellation whose spirit had truly been destroyed would not just be weaker, but it would no longer even be a constellation, as most of the stars that powered it would actually be gone.

None of Lucy's stars had gone supernova, none had faded away. They still pulsed with power even though a bit weakened, and if one paid close enough attention, it would become quite clear that they were slowly regaining their usual strength.

Now still, hovering above the river and taking note of every one of Eridanus' stars, a little of his confidence returned at that knowledge. Now... all he had to do was find exactly where Lucy's spirit had gone when she vanished from Earthland, and join her there. He would assist and guide her, even feed her some of his energy if she needed it – he was willing to do pretty much anything to help his beloved mistress return to him, no matter how much it would weaken him.

Eyes narrowed and rigidly focused, Leo ran his eyes slowly from one end of the river to the other, slowing and studying the home she'd made for herself. Had it really only been a day or so since she'd done so? Since she'd become one of them, bound forever to the constellation of the heavenly river? How time passes as one entity, but is viewed differently depending on where you are – or what you are. Human, spirit, demons from the pits of Hel... time seems to run differently for all of us. And if Lucy hadn't become a spirit, I would have lost her in less than a year for me, but an entire lifetime for her.

He shuddered absently, his eyes locked on to her home here in the skies, all such thoughts of time and loss being pushed aside as pointless at this particular moment. Her home appeared to be glowing just slightly, and his breath was pushed from his lungs in a deep sigh of relief – she was there. That was the only reason her abode would have such luminosity, such radiance. When a spirit was not in residence within the confines of their homes, they were dark and carried an eerie, almost dead feeling.

Lucy's home was anything but eerie or dead, meaning she was there, still healing and trying to regain her tangible form, but alive, and Loke's heart pounded and he sighed once more as he slowed his breathing. Seirie-o was right, thank the heavens themselves. I don't know what I'd have done if she wasn't still alive. Now, to go assist her. He lurched back into motion, his sheer relief making him a little clumsy, and shot straight towards the home he'd asked her to show him when they had the chance.

Damn. I didn't want to see it without her, but in the circumstances, it can't be helped. I'll just keep to where she is only, so that she still has most of the place to show me. Even if she was still kind of overwhelmed with her Joining and everything before, I know she was proud of her creation, and she would have been thrilled to show it off.

Loke slowed his pace further and settled down on the embankment the home was perched on, scanning it with all his senses as he searched for that spark of consciousness that was all Lucy. When he locked onto it, he chuckled under his breath. She was curled up in a second story room that had a lovely balcony, and as he made his way there, it became apparent that said room was meant to be her bedroom.

The lion smiled a little wryly with the irony. He loved the idea of keeping Lucy company in her bedroom, but these particular circumstances were far from what he desired. Still, his wants aside, she needed him, though in a different way than he hungered so deeply for, and he would gladly give her whatever she needed from him. With that in mind, he settled down gently on the balcony, his heart stuttering in his chest as that spark of Lucy flared back into place inside him. Loke almost collapsed with the feeling and the sheer relief that surged as the bond filled his entire being once more. But he was also forced to rather dryly admit that he'd been a fool not to immediately trust Seirei-o's word; it became apparent in that moment that the bond between them had not actually been gone, it had just been weakened to the point that he'd not been able to feel it like before.

He smiled and straightened, shrugging his shoulders as his own form shimmered and changed, now appearing in a simple pair of jeans and a long-sleeved, casual shirt, to replace the others that he'd been wearing that had been torn, singed, and damaged through the mission they'd been assigned by Master Makarov. Now appearing as his usual impeccably groomed self, he pushed the door aside and entered the room, taking in but not paying much attention to the bedroom itself. His focus was completely on the still rather faint energy signature that was his Lucy at the current time, and he frowned, taking note of just how weakened she seemed to be.

In light of such an evident power-drain, the lion was much surprised – and even more pleased – when she took note of him, her damaged spirit slowly turning towards him and winding around him with a sense of relieved, warm welcome. Even like this, worn and damaged almost beyond belief, she still recognizes me, and she's even happy to see me! Those facts made a smirk cross his face, as well as a bit of a flush take up residence on his cheeks as they called to mind the 'prophecy' Seirei-o had recounted to him not long ago. Maybe she does see me as more than just a friend. Such a possibility made his heart pound and the flush deepen, as well as turning the slightly naughty smirk into a true smile – one of breathtaking happiness.

However, as the fear and confusion marking Lucy's energy infiltrated his consciousness, Loke set aside his silent celebration and reached out with some of his own energy, soothing and calming the young woman.

"It's okay, Lucy, everything's fine. You did it, you protected everyone from what Cepheus had done, and I'm here with you. I'll help you recover," he murmured, stroking her spirit with his own and feeding her some of that power.

The dim glow of light that was Lucy brightened just a little as his energy nudged at hers, and though she wasn't what one could call actually conscious at the current time, her sub-conscience stroked back at him in silent gratitude. There was a desperate sense of sheer relief within her for Loke's presence, and without her being truly awake to censor her thoughts and feelings, her joy in his presence was quite clear.

She was going to be absolutely mortified when she woke up and realized just how much she'd given away... the lion chuckled. That'll be fun.

As the warmth of her spirit touched hungrily at his, Loke tossed all other thoughts aside and wrapped himself around her fully in his own energy form as she cuddled into him with metaphorical fingers clutching at him in fearful desperation. Loke couldn't help his frown; she was like a small child that had been terrorized by things they had no name for and no recognition of, and it broke his heart to see her that way.

"It's okay, my sweet Princess – I'm here now and I won't let anything happen to you. You just need to rest and recover, you'll be fine. And I'll watch over you and keep you safe while you sleep. If you need my energy to boost yours, I'll give it to you gladly, no question."

Still actively asleep, her spirit acknowledged his assurances with childlike, eager belief, and then settled down into the healing rest she so desperately needed. Loke was quite content to have her enveloped by his own power and completely comfortable in such a vulnerable state in his presence.

He was proud and happy – she'd turned to him in her time of need, trusting him to take care of her. He was certain in that moment that she wouldn't have opened herself up so far for anyone else, and it boosted his hopes of earning her affections permanently through the roof.

Mentally purring, he resolved to be patient and wait for his lovely mistress to be fully healed before he broached such a sensitive topic, however.

I can wait a little longer; the end is finally in sight, after all.

I'll never be alone again... The thought was a comfort all on its own – he'd been alone all his life, and despite his playboy reputation, that fact had never changed. None of those women had been able to soothe the ache in his spirit, to fill the emptiness, the desire for a loving counterpart – they'd only exacerbated it.

Now, he was fulfilled and content, and with warm affection directed at the woman snuggled up to him, he sighed deeply and allowed himself to fall into a light doze after ascertaining that there was nothing dangerous lurking anywhere nearby.

~~LoLu~~

Back on Earthland, the temporarily deserted place that used to be a training area disguised as a barn echoed eerily, a whispered cry to the unforgiving skies for absolution, perhaps. To the people nearing the epicenter of the recent near-disaster, it reeked of old pain and madness, of torment and torture, sending shivers down their spines. Nonetheless, Fairy Tail wizards don't give up on their comrades, and so they crept cautiously closer, bit by bit. Natsu, Gray, Erza, Gajeel and Wendy, and Master M himself were in attendance, interspersed by Gaults and his agents.

Those underlings and mages that had claimed loyalty to the disguised Cepheus and that had been taught Marionette had been caught by Virgo's trench when they tried to get out of the area and taken into custody, so that danger was now out of the way, at least. It would be some time before their fates were decided, but that was not their concern, it was the authorities responsibility.

The only thing Makarov and the others was interested in was finding their missing nakama and an explanation of exactly what had taken place there – and why. Unfortunately for them, both Loke and Lucy had already been whisked back to the celestial realm in an unconscious state, and Cepheus and his two top cohorts had been snagged by Seirei-o and also forcibly returned to the spirit realm. Still, not being privy to that knowledge, the mages all continued moving in on the blasted remains of the ranch's training center with steady paces – all except Natsu, of course. When no movement from the area could be seen, he stood up and began boldly flinging the wreckage around while hollering for Lucy and Loke.

Makarov sighed tiredly and shook his head. What had he been thinking? If he'd wanted stealthy companions for this venture, he should have left fiery-tempered, impatient Natsu behind.

In a weary-sounding voice, but with what he personally felt was great forbearance, he asked, "Natsu, what do you think you are doing?"

"Ha! He doesn't 'think' at all, that's the damn problem!" Gajeel scoffed loudly, his arms folded across his chest and his nose in the air in his usual aloof stance. "He just runs in where dragons fear to tread."

"Bring it, numbnuts!" Natsu immediately rejoined, dropping the piece of wreckage he'd been about to fling off into the distance and bringing his fire to hand. However, both dropped their spat and fell silent at the next reprimanding voice that was heard.

"Gajeel! Natsu! That's enough! Both of you knock it off, or you'll be explaining yourselves to me over a duel, are we clear?"

The threat in Erza's voice was plain, and both dragon slayers were well acquainted with what it meant to cross the requip mage – and neither were particularly looking forward to getting their asses handed to them... again. The young woman was very powerful, and her threats were never idle, after all.

The two disengaged with dour expressions, but Natsu was heard to grumble, "So what's the big deal? This place is already torn up, so what's it goin' to matter if we rumble in the ruins?" before finally falling silent.

Amusingly enough – to those who paid attention – Gajeel was also murmuring the same sort of thing as Natsu in his frustration. The two were so alike in some ways, but everyoneknew better than to actually suggest that out loud – at least, they did if they wanted to keep living.

"It matters because Lucy and Loke might be trapped underneath all this crap, and you two could cause them to be crushed beneath whatever you dislodge if you aren't careful! Do you think the rest of us want to move so damned slowly? No – but we are so that we don't inadvertently do more harm than good! Now stop pouting," Erza chided Natsu and, by extension, Gajeel. The two were always trying to outdo each other, and it frequently got out of hand.

They couldn't afford that impulsive sort of behavior at the current moment – the potential cost was far, far too high.

A snide glance by the rather large iron dragon slayer towards the fire dragon slayer was followed by the scathingly worded, "Pfft! Like ashes for brains ever thinks things through! He's not too bright, so actually thinking about consequences ain't somethin' he's used to doin'," while he tried to wriggle his way out of being caught acting like Natsu.

Unfortunately for him, Erza was no fool, and his efforts were in vain. Deciding that laying low was the safest bet as far as maintaining his current uninjured status, the gruff but not truly hardhearted young man took several steps back and stayed put behind Makarov and kept his mouth shut.

Momentarily amused at the sight, Fairy Tail's Master didn't allow it to distract him, continuing to direct the younger and physically stronger (normally) members of the guild. Once in a while, when they'd come to an area he felt was intact, he would use his own power and shift through the largest pieces of the destroyed stone and metalwork. Despite their slower, more patient pace, with as many members of the guild had come along, it didn't take long at all for them to reach the lowest reaches of the former secret training area.

Worried by the fact that they had not found their missing comrades after searching through every bit of debris, Makarov was quick to order all his brats to go back to the guildhall, and leave the matter in his hands. As faces fell and cursing began, he drew forth his own power and suddenly, the tiny old man had become a giant, one capable of moving from one size to another as suited his needs.

That move just as suddenly had his brats all backing off, their sudden silence a tad bit humorous to Makarov – and just as aggravating. Why couldn't it work all the time with his rowdy group of wizards? Too many times even his ferocity had left the elite teams of the guild unimpressed and he'd had to put his foot down more than once. For hel's sake, though all the members of the guild knew the rules, Natsu's team had directly disobeyed them more than once. Up to and including taking on S-Class missions that they were not yet truly capable of.

But not this time. It seemed the group had realized just how angry and worried he was for their nakama. Lucy was one of his favorite young ladies for her kind heart and caring ways, and her determination to protect her friends no matter the cost. She just didn't give up, and he wildly respected that.

And Loke? Well... while he wasn't really around anymore since his big secret had come out and Lucy had saved him from certain death, he was still a member of Fairy Tail – one in good standing. He'd never really given a reason that he'd continued paying his yearly dues to the guild, and Makarov had never questioned it. Given everything, he could respect him, as well, and he was fond of the (seemingly) young man that they had discovered was not really human, but the spirit of the constellation Leo. He was a good man (or lion) to have at your back.

Fairy Tail did NOT abandon their guildmates. It was number one in the guild's codex, and if it was ever discovered that one of their own had betrayed that by abandoning their honor and their nakama to save his (or her) own skins, their contract with the guild would be terminated, effective immediately. That also included a lifetime ban, one that was withheld from them until they had already been thrown from the guild and their name had been stricken from the Member scrolls. Once that was done, unless the circumstances were dire, even mentioning them thereafter carried its own penalty. They were the shamed, the sullied, a stain on the name and honorable reputation of the guild, and one that could never never be erased nor forgotten.

As soon as the rest of the guild members had grudgingly departed, Makarov turned briskly to Gaults and eyed him for a moment with an enigmatic expression. Then he glanced sideways at a certain female agent, and the aloof and rather prim young man standing opposite her pointedly ignoring her presence.

"Have any of the detainees said anything useful? Anything that could tell us whether Vashton survived and fled, where he went, or what might have happened to Lucy and Loke? Anything at all?"

Gaults blinked, staring at the old man with a touch of exasperation and even a little consternation. What did he expect? Miracles? They'd only made sure the members of the commune that they'd captured were appropriately guarded and then converged on the devastated building that had been the apparent ground zero for whatever had happened. There'd been no time for interrogating anyone!

"You know as much as we do," he finally grunted, looking around with a weary sigh. He rubbed at his furrowed brow. "But it would seem apparent to me that either whatever happened here completely vaporized them as well as their opponents, or they were swept somewhere else."

"If I may, sir," a cool voice interrupted, and the two older men looked expectantly at Leffler. "I do not believe that what happened here-" he gestured around them at the destruction, "-was what was supposed to. Therefore, I doubt anyone of those that were captured could tell us anything useful. At this point, I think we can only hope that Lady Heartfilia and Leo survived and were simply returned to the spirit world to recover from whatever injuries they may have suffered."

His words were met with a scoff from the beautiful woman rather impatiently watching the three men speak, seemingly unimpressed by Makarov's rather sudden growth spurt. "Don't any of you know anything about celestial spirits? They're immortal. They can be injured, yes, but they can't truly be killed. So they were probably reclaimed by the spirit world and whisked away when their energy ran out and their injuries weakened them. The bigger question is, where did Vashton disappear to? Was he destroyed along with his fancy hellhole, or did he escape? If he did, there could be a lot more trouble to come. That's what you all should be worrying about right now, not whether immortal beings somehow forgot they were and allowed themselves to be killed. As if," Shona rolled her eyes, thrusting out a perfectly formed hip and resting a hand on it.

Just as Makarov opened his mouth to answer her, a voice interrupted their discussion, and they all turned to take in the sight of one of Gaults other agents carrying a damaged but still relatively intact chest their way. It wasn't overly large, but when the man set it down in front of his boss and the others and opened the lid, it became apparent that it was large enough. Sitting in front of them almost mockingly, many rather fancy silver keys glimmered under the light of the sun, and Fairy Tail's master was quite startled, for he knew exactly what they were.

So why were they here, what had Vashton been hoping to accomplish with gathering them... and why hadn't Lucy or Loke taken possession of them if they had indeed survived the battle, as Seravien had so mockingly insisted they had?

Makarov and Gaults exchanged questioning glances, and then the giant turned little old man again turned stern eyes on the others and announced that he would be taking possession of the chest and its contents until either Lucy or Loke returned and asked for them. Because he had no doubts whatsoever that either or both of the celestial spirits had known they were here, had felt their presence.

A little taken aback at the old man's intensity as he stared almost challengingly at the people around him, the gathered wizards exchanged curious glances, but knew better than to question him.

With a slightly uncomfortable clearing of his throat, Gaults answered, deliberately keeping his voice mild, not wanting to anger his boss.

"It's your call, of course. But now I'm really curious as to what was going on out here. What in the hell did Vashton need with spirit's gate keys? He wasn't a celestial spirit mage, and so far as we're aware, none of the others out here were, either."

Makarov pursed his lips and studied the chest and its contents contemplatively. "That's the question, isn't it?"

"What will you do with them if Lady Heartfilia or Leo don't return and ask for them?"

The once again little man paused for a few seconds as if considering, then grunted his reply.

"Give them to the only other mage I would trust to handle them appropriately. Yukino Aguria."

Silence fell once again in the ruins as crystallized dust spiraled into the sky, obscuring the sun like stormclouds passing over it, leaving a chill in the hearts of all those gathered.

And despite Makarov's faith in the sweet and demure mage from Sabertooth, he desperately hoped he wouldn't be forced to follow that course of action.

He would much rather have Lucy and Loke back.