Chapter 15.

Ares didn't even stop to knock on the door when we arrived to Mania's little house outside the spirit world. Instead he threw a well-placed kick at the wooden door and watched it fall to the ground with a loud thud. Lucy, Ares and Baldur walked in and looked around in the dark room. It was still a mess from last time they had been there.

Loki wasn't a spirit, so he hadn't been able to come, which he had clearly expressed his anger towards, but he was still mad at Lucy, so in the end he let her go with an unsatisfied ´fine´.

To everyone's surprise Ares still had the ability to survive in the Spirit world (although he almost threw up after the trip there). He most still be some kind of ´Half-spirit´ or something. He had never signed his name on the Switch Document so maybe he had small loopholes.

"Mania!" Ares growled and his eyes flickered around the room. Lucy looked at the watch that Loki had given her to hold track of the time. 55 seconds.

"The door wasn't locked, you know," a smooth voice said and Mania strolled toward Ares from an unknown hiding place. Lucy, Baldur and Ares lifted turned their heads toward Mania. Ares was taken off guard when her face suddenly was an inch from his own and he exclaimed a small ´gezz ´, in surprise and sighed annoyed.

"So what brings you here, Ares," she said and tilted her head toward Baldur and Lucy. By the movement Baldur pulled Lucy closer to him. Lucy made a small sound in surprise, but it also made her smile – it looked like Baldur had forgiven her. "And you brought your friends," Mania continued with a laugh, "how's your hand?" she asked Lucy with a smirk.

"Listen we don't have time for this," Ares cut her off with his well-known impatience and grabbed her arm to get her attention, "something happened with the Switch document and I need you to-"

"To cast a little spell that will make your horns grow out again," Mania ended and laughed, "I know."

The fact that she ´knew´ gave Lucy chills.

Mania let a hand run through Ares hair and he growled, "I do like you without them." Ares closed his eyes and held back his temper. Mania smiled and let her hand run down to his shoulder, Lucy didn't know why, but something about the way she touched Ares made her angry, but she just pressed her lips together and watched, while Mania continued, "but I did like the wings-"

"Can you do it," Ares said and grabbed her wrist and held it a little away from his body.

"What? You don't want to stay human?" Mania said and raised an eyebrow in faked surprise. Lucy looked at her watch again and bit her lip. 38 seconds.

"Why would I want that?" he said with flicking eyes, but then came back to reality, "Anyway! Can you do it?" Ares said stressed and glared at her.

"I can do it, but," She said and gave him a teasing smile, and both Baldur and Ares made annoyed groans.

"What do you want?" Ares asked.

"I'm getting what I want no matter what," she said and winked at him. He made a face and clenched both his fists at her.

"I have about 40 seconds before I go permanent human, now tell me what you want or I'm placing my fist right in your smirking face!" he growled and pulled his fist a little back to show that he was serious.

"Actually you have about 20 seconds," Lucy corrected him in the moment it happened.

"What!" Ares yelled and turned toward Lucy with enlarged eyes.

"Does it ever help to threaten the one holding the deal?" Mania sighed defeated, "But Fine," she said, "do you really want to hear what I want?"

"Yes," Ares exclaimed and turned toward her. Lucy made a huge gasp in surprise when a glimpse of silver caught her eye, but before she got the words over her lips the sound of something long and sharp cutting through flesh echoed around them.

"Ares watch out!" She yelled a second too late. Mania laughed loudly while staring into Ares eyes, who had widen in shock. Mania's features suddenly smoothened and for once she looked serious.

"You are teaming up with the people who killed Wan, our owner," she hissed angrily while Ares rasped and his mouth filled with dark blood, "I'll never forgive that!"

"No!" Baldur yelled, but before he could move Mania turned her wrist and cut the knife from his stomach to his chest and made the sound of breaking bones stop time. Lucy gasped out in shock and her legs collapsed under her.

Baldur's body instantly turned tense and he lunged forward and grabbed Ares' body before he kicked Mania away with all his strength.

With a scream in delight she got shoved into the wall behind her and the wall destroyed around her. Lucy felt Ares' body being shoved into her arms and she dark blood flowed through her fingers and made her shiver.

"Hold him," Baldur demanded and turned back toward Mania. Lucy's hands started to shake harder and she turned his face toward her to look at him. The sight made her choke in a cry and tears started to stream down her face.

His mouth was slightly open with blood running down his chin, his skin was ghostly white and his eyes were empty and staring straight forward, almost like he was spacing out.

"You can't be dead," Lucy told him and shook him lightly, "you always survive-" she stopped to exclaim a sob, "y-you gave all your strength away and survived … Goddanm it you fell down a building and almost broke your neck, how can you die so… instantly?" she made another sob and with a shaking hand she closed his eyes, "Stupid… Idiot…" She clenched around his body and ignored the sticky blood. Suddenly she realized that her body had started to shine gradually.

"Times up," She told him and made a little sigh, "guess this is the end." She put her hands around his neck and hugged him a last time.

Suddenly she was sitting on the street of Magnolia. Her hands that had just held Ares' dying body was now empty and clean, but still shaking. She let them fall down her body. People looked at her in surprise, but carried on with whatever work they were doing and whatever destination they were heading toward - all totally unaware of the sadness and pain that filled her whole being and the mess of blood and violence that hunted her mind.

"Lucy," Loki's voice said flatly. She lifted her head slowly and looked up at him. He was standing beside her, leaning up against the wall. He still looked mad.

"L-Loki…" Lucy began and felt fresh tears run down her face. By the sight of her tears his face twisted in surprise and worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked and kneeled beside her on the ground, suddenly every trace of anger was washed from his face.

"Ares is dead… like… really dead," Lucy said and choked in another sob.

"Hey hey," he said and pressed her into his arms, but somehow that just made even more tears spill and she clenched her fingers around his shirt. He stroke her hair and guided her to her feet.

"Lucy, calm down," he whispered soothing and chuckled lightly. Lucy really didn't see what was so funny before he calmly whispered in her ear, "everybody's staring."

She gasped in surprise and pushed his body away from her, and stared at the town-people who was staring with worried eyes.

"Gezz," she said and dried her eyes with rough movements.

"Lucy, it's okay," Loki whispered and put a hand on her shoulder, but this time she stepped out of his range. He sighed and lowered his arm, "Ares have had many near-death-moments, and I'm sure he's okay this time too." Loki mumbled.

"Then why isn't he here," Lucy asked and tried to push the picture of Ares dead eyes out of her head, "he didn't get any spell or anything… he should be permanent human… he should be here!"

"Lucy calm down, please," Loki said and Lucy realized she had started yelling. She looked away in embarrassment and sighed. People around had started walking in a slower pace to see if they should step in.

"Let's go somewhere else, huh?" Loki said and hesitantly took her hand. She let him, but didn't look into his eyes.

"You're a spirit again?" she asked with a small voice while he pulled her out of the crowd.

"Yeah…"

"You most be tired," she whispered, fighting another sob, "you should rest."

"I have plenty of energy now that…" he stopped himself and coughed awkwardly.

"Now that you have energy for two golden spirits," Lucy finished his sentence. Loki's grip tightens around her hand and she finally looked up at his face. It was twisted in concern, but not kind loving concern, but a doubtful concern. Loki was clearly wondering what he should believe. Lucy had once again forgot that Loki was a living person too.

"Let's get you back to the apartment," Loki said and looked at her with his eyes, they had turned more golden again, which made him look less as a human and more as the familiar spirit she knew.

A little while later they sat in Lucy's apartment. She had explained what had happened and ended with "… and then he stopped breathing and I got zapped here."

"I see," Loki murmured and Lucy snorted.

"That's your response? I see," she said and looked at him with frustrated eyes, "spirits live decades… for one to die is… tragic."

"Okay then…" he looked to the ceiling and faked a thoughtful look, "it's horrible and I wished I could have stopped it." He said and looked at her for improvement, but she just punched him.

"You are horrible," she said madly and looked away. Loki sighed and became serious.

"I'm sorry," he said and touched her hand, "if it gives you peace in mind I'll go check on Baldur and Ares."

"Yes," she responded quietly. In the moment the word was out she exclaimed, "wait!" but before she had even turned her head, the hand on hers had disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

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