Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. If I did, there would be more LucyXLoki and NatsuXLucy moments. Can't decide which couple I like best although I tested it out with the sims 3 and Lucy and Loki ended up getting married =P
Celestial Ties
Chapter 4: Celestial Ties
Lucy had just finished eating when a bright flash of light erupted.
She was now standing next to the Spirit King on a stage with two thrones.
"Old friends," the spirit King acknowledged, "This is my daughter, Lucy, finally returning to take her rightful place as Princess of this Spirit World."
The explosion of applause was deafening and Lucy looked warily at the large bull zodiac who had yelled out "Nice Body!".
Lucy saw that all of her spirits, even the silver keyed ones, and many more, which she guessed were silver keys as well, were crowding the ball room that they were in.
"Now, let's celebrate her return with the traditional Celestial dances."
Lyra appeared with her harp in hand and started to play and sing melodies so beautiful, everyone just had to pair up and dance together.
The King sat down as Lucy stood looking uncomfortable, seeing as she wasn't used to this sort of thing.
"May I have this dance?"
A familiar warm voice sounded, followed by a hand leading to one of her best spirit friends.
"Loki!" Lucy smiled as she took his hand and was lead to the dance floor.
"How are you feeling?" Loki questioned as they glided around the room, "This must have been a shock for you."
"You knew I was the Princess?"
"I didn't at first, since I had been exiled for those 3 years," Loki explained, "but when I came back, the King had a talk with me. He told me that I was to protect you with my very life until you collected all the keys and came here to receive the throne."
"So that's why you kept spouting out nonsense, like calling me princess and stuff, once you came back from the Spirit World that time," Lucy realized with a gasp. The pieces had all been in front of her, she just hadn't put them together. No wonder it had been so easy for her to collect the Zodiac Spirits, she was meant to.
"Wait, didn't you keep saying stuff about you being a prince?" Lucy made another realization with surprise, "Are you a prince or something?"
"Not exactly," Loki winked at her, causing Lucy to tilt her head in confusion.
"You'll find out soon enough. It looks like your father wants to talk to you."
Loki led her back to the stage and kissed her hand.
"Thank you for the dance, princess."
And then he was gone, like magic. The spirits tended to have a teleportation magic of some sort, but Lucy waved it aside and went to follow the king into a secret room.
The room must have been sound proof, because the ruckus of the party was not heard anymore. There was a large fire place which was lit with green fire, or so it looked like.
There were two arm chairs by the fire place, the king sat in one and motioned Lucy to sit in the other.
Once they were seated the King dove into the very thing that Lucy was dying to know, how she could be his daughter when her parents were human.
"Your mother, Layla, was the original Zodiac spirit of Aquarius. I took her as my wife 25 years ago and she gave me two girls. Our life was great and we loved you girls very much, but there came a time when your mother fell in love with her Spirit Mage owner."
"Breaking all the rules, she managed to leave me for this human and live with him in the human world. Originally she took both girls, thinking they could live freely in the human world without the threat of dying, like a mere Spirit would, since they both had my blood in them."
"In about a year, one of the girls began to get sick. Layla found that the girl's magical energy was being sucked out, just like what was happening slowly to herself, but more rapid since the child did not have that much to lose. She came back to the spirit world with that child and begged me to let it live, without taking on her sins. I allowed the child to replace her mother, as the Zodiac Spirit of Aquarius."
"What?" Lucy interrupted his story, "Aquarius is my sister?"
The King just smiled before continuing.
"I knew that Layla would die in that human world before she came back to me, so I simply made a request of her. I told her she could keep you, but only if she taught you how to be a Spirit Mage and gave you the key of your sister, Aquarius, to help you out. The task would be for you to grow up and collect all 12 Zodiac Keys to resolve her sins and enter as my daughter, Princess of the Spirit World."
"There's one thing that doesn't check out about your story," Lucy looked suspiciously at him, "My dad was no Spirit Mage. My mom said they met at a merchant guild and fell in love."
"Yes, well, it turned out that that spirit mage wasn't her true love like she thought," he explained sadly, "Layla left me for someone who wasn't even her true love. That was her sin. Not being able to return to the Spirit World, she started to work at that merchant guild to support you. That is where she met your 'dad' and married him. I couldn't bear seeing the poverty they were in so I provided that man some luck in the money department."
"So when I left home, is that why my dad lost his fortune and was forced to work again?"
A nod from the King confirmed her thoughts and Lucy marveled at how her whole life was suddenly starting to make sense. Even the fact that she wasn't at all like her father, Mr. Heartfilia, finally rang clear.
Lucy was caught up in her thoughts until a particular person entered them; Natsu.
"So what you're saying is that I have to take over your throne right?"
"Yes, that's what is expected."
"But what if I don't want to stay here?" Lucy was starting to ask the important questions, "What if I want to return to earth to be with my friends and a part of Fairy Tail again?"
"I'm afraid that is impossible now," The king's eyes saddened with the truth, "The only way you were able to live on earth was because I sealed your true powers so the magic wouldn't leak from you as fast."
"Well can't you just do that again and let me go back for a couple more years?"
"The seal has been broken and cannot be performed on you a second time. The maximum amount of time that you could stay on the earth without feeling sick to your stomach would be about 3 days."
"But Loki stayed on the earth for three years before he started to die," Lucy protested, "Why can't I just go back for a couple years and say my goodbyes before coming back?"
"Right, I almost forgot to let you know," the King wisely changed the topic to something that made Lucy so curious that she stopped begging him to go back to her friends on earth.
"Loki has asked me for your hand in marriage," the King looked a little displeased by the statement, "I was watching him on earth, he was a complete playboy, so I told him that he could only marry you if you wished it so."
"Loki did what?" Lucy asked with a blush. No wonder the Lion Spirit had been saying things about Love left and right after he came back from the Spirit World. No doubt, he was trying to win her affections, and later her hand in marriage.
"Well do you wish it so?" the King asked eagerly, probably hoping she'd say no.
"I," Lucy started, thinking about all the times Loki had made her feel like she was going to have a heart attack, "I don't know."
It was the truth. She would only marry the man she loved, and she wasn't sure if she loved him like that or not. Was the happy feeling she got around Natsu love? Or was the fast beating of her heart and concern for Loki's well being Love?
Then again, maybe they were both just a type of brotherly-sisterly Love.
That didn't feel right though, the Love was general, but she had it for both of them.
"Then I will give Loki two days to change your mind," The king concluded, "Otherwise, you will be marrying the guy of my choice."
"What if I don't want to get married yet?" Lucy didn't think her father was being fair.
"You will get married, even if it's arranged," his voice became stern, "It is the tradition and it will be upheld."
"We are done talking now; I will see you in two days for your answer."
In the blink of her eyes, Lucy was back in her room. It seemed like the party had gotten over an hour or so ago and the happy Zodiac Spirits were now walking around the town and having fun.
Lucy could only think of one question as she watched the spirits have fun down below.
'Do I really belong in this world?'
AN: wow that was a super long chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it!
You know the drill, review if you want :)
