Explanations and Reunions
Natsu walked into the guild to the resident infirmiry thinking no one would come looking for him there, let alone hear him pathetically cry. Was he being selfish? Was it so wrong of him to want her to remember him? He had been agonizing over losing her for three long years. He had hated himself for letting her die. He just wanted to tell her how sorry he was, he wanted to tell her his feelings for her. The suppressed feelings he had held in sense that one day. But he couldn't do or say anything, she didn't even remember him.
He sat there in the empty room on a bed holding his head in his hands. The only evidence of his muffled sobs were the small stream of tears falling down his cheeks. He had thought that no one saw him sneak away but little did he know that a certain old man was watching one of his children from the door way. Only when he herd the door shut did Natsu look up to see master Makarov standing there with arms crossed, and a poker face.
"Master Makarov.." Natsu said wiping away his tears with his arms. "I was just," as Natsu looked up to face his master he was stopped by a hand raised in the air.
Makarov lowered his hand and sighed. His expression softened a little but his eyes remained set and firm on Natsu. "Natsu my boy," he began, "I can only imagine the overwhelming emotions you must be feeling, but that doesn't give you a reason to sit here and pity yourself."
Natsu stared mouth a gaped slightly, before Natsu could interject Makarov continued. "I know Lucy not remembering you right away must sting, but that does not mean in time she wont. Now I'm only going to say this once so listen up!" the short man stated a little more bolder. "You are Natsu Dragneel a member of fairytail. In fairytail we always put our nakama before our own feelings and concerns. How do you think Lucy would act if she knew she was causing you this type of discomfort? You want her to see you as a man eventually, am I wrong?" the master asked with a sly smile.
Natsu flinched and nodded shyly with a small blush spread across his face. " Then suck it up my boy and be a man! Be there for her and take solace in the fact she will eventually remember you. And when she does I hope you will be worthy of her. Until then do not wallow in self pity. Instead strive to be stronger and more mature for her." His face was now one with a soft smile and caring eyes. He walked over to Natsu and enveloped him with a warm embrace. "Now dry your tears and harden your determination, I have a feeling a new obstacle is about to arise."
Natsu only then noticed he hadn't stopped crying. He embraced his master back and slowly started to steel himself. Their heart to heart was interrupted by an eerie silence. "It's to quite." Natsu said as he got up and walked down to the main hall, the master following after him.
Loke noticed Natsu walk off into the guild and had now changed his focus back onto the blonde women hugging him. "Hey Lucy?" He asked questionably.
"Yes Loke," She said smiling up at him.
He couldn't help but feel some heat rise to his cheeks as she looked at him with her beautiful smile. "Not that I don't like hugging you, but maybe we should go inside so I can explain a few things."
She jumped back a bit and blushed as red as Erza's hair. "Right." she said as she robotically moved toward the guild still a little embarrassed. Loke laughed and followed after her.
Soon Lucy was sitting at her old place at the bar and Loke stood beside her. Everyone was gathered around their friends and waited for Loke to start explaining.
"So Loke are you just going to keep us in suspense or are you going to give us answers to our obvious questions?" Gray asked hands folded across his chest and eyes coldly on Loke.
Loke laughed sheepishly and then cleared his throat. "First off I would like to apologize leaving so abruptly and out of nowhere all those years ago. However in order to bring back Lucy and keep the ownership of her keys intact I had to leave. Oh speaking of which, princess." He turned to Lucy and fished in his pocket and pulled out Lucy's leather pouch that holds her keys. "I believe these are yours." He extended his hand out and placed the pouch into Lucy's opened hands.
Lucy stared at the pouch for a moment before shedding a happy tear and holding them close to her chest. "Thank you Loke." She said closing her eyes in content. She placed the pouch onto her belt and looked back to Loke.
"It was the day after Lucy had died.." He paused and looked over at Lucy.
Lucy looked down and softly placed her hands together. "I know I died...I put the pieces together from what people were whispering about." She looked up and gave the guild a soft, sad smile. Some of the guild members flinched and looked down casted to the floor.
"It's ok," Lucy spoke with a meek smile. "Please don't be sad, honestly it's ok. I'm glad I know. Now I'm kind of on the same page as the rest of you. Sure I don't know the details of how or when I died, but now like all of you I want to know how and why I'm here again." She looked to Loke with her big brown eyes. "Loke please continue."
Loke smiled and gave a nod and recalled the events of three years ago.
FLASH BACK
Loke stood in a grand room filled with celestial draping's and old steel torches. In the center of the front of the room was a large throne, the celestial king sitting upon it. He was in the throne room of the king, summoned personally by the king himself.
Loke kneeled to one knee and crossed hi right arm over his chest as assign of respect.
"Rise my old friend." The king bellowed.
Loke stood as directed and awaited the king's words.
"First I'd like to give my condolences to the loss of the human mage Lucy Heartfillia. She was a magnificent wizard and and even dearer friend. Leo you did attend the funeral did you not?"
Loke's heart tightened at the memory of the day before. "Yes I did, it as a lovely service. Excluding an outburst but it was a lovely way to remember her." Loke readjusted his glasses and a sad smile graced his face.
"That's good to hear. Now then I have a matter of business to discuss with you."
Loke straightened up and looked upward at the giant mustached man.
"Leo do you recall a spirit named Cupo?"(Italian word for darkness) The kings brow furrowed and he looked deep into the eyes of Loke.
Loke swayed slightly then readjusted his glasses(again). "Of course I remember him. It's hard to forget what happened the night of his creation. It was a year or two after the arrival of Draco was it not?"
"Yes indeed." The king shook his head slightly and placed a hand to his forehead. "I have grim news that concerns Lucy Heartfillia."
Loke stiffened and braced himself for the obvious news he knew was coming.
The king lowered his hand back down to a arm rest and looked at Loke. His eyes grew more serious. "There is a rouge group of mages calling them self Riaversi (Revive in Italian). The intend to resurrect Cupo."
Loke's face now contorted into one of worry and sheer fear. "If they did that it would be worse than E.N.D. At least with E.N.D we were able to seal him!" Loke was now talking more frantically out loud to himself than to the king.
"I know that my old friend. If he is resurrected it means our world as well as earthland may cease to exist."
Loke looked more sternly at the king and clutched his fist. "What does this have to do with Lucy?"
The king sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "In order to resurrect Cupo they need the spirit of the strongest celestial wizard and their 12 zodiac keys. In this case it is the human Lucy they seek."
Loke clenched his fist even tighter to where his nails dug into his hand. "I wont let that happen!" He growled.
"Nor will I. That is why we will use the power of Draco and the river to revive Lucy Heartfillia. Until she awakes you must guard your fellow celestial spirits keys until you can return them to her."
Loke was stunned but quickly regained composure. "So he's agreed to this ritual?"
"Yes, Draco sees how dire this situation is and has consented to resurrecting Lucy. In three years time it shall be complete. Until that time I must implore you to stay in earthland. However you must hide from the world and keep those keys hidden from Riaversi. You must tell no one of this plan. If any word reached their ears our plans for stopping them may be for not."
Loke bowed, "I understand. I will protect Lucy's keys until she returns to earthland. I will leave tomorrow morning and go into hiding."
The king shook his head and looked down at his friend. He extended his hand and Let a small leather pouch fall into Loke's hands. "Guard them well. In three years time those cursed mages from Riaversi should be fully operational and waste no time trying to find those keys and Lucy. Waste no time getting to her side. I will alert you when the time comes."
"Yes sir." Loke bowed once more and put the pouch into his jacket pocket.
Flash back end
"So the next morning I left fairytail and went into hiding. In order to keep Lucy's bond with her keys intact I needed to be manifested here on earthland. Of course this time playing human didn't hurt as much because I got permission and assistance from the king. Every year I got to go back for one night to recuperate and then come back here. Hiding was pretty easy but everywhere I went I still herd rumors of rouge mages planning something big."
"So that's why you left without a word." Mira looked at him with an apologetic smile.
"Yeah, again I'm sorry but there was nothing I can do. It was all to bring back Lucy and keep her safe." Loke said as his left hand rustled his hair. Loke felt a pair of small soft hands around his free hand and looked to his side to be met with a pair of chocolate eyes.
"Thank you Loke, for everything you have done." Lucy smiled and squeezed his hand.
A slight blush stretched across his face. He cleared his through and brought his other hand on top of hers and looked at her with a serious face. "For you my princess I'd do anything."
Soon Loke was meet with one of Erza's karate chops to the back of the head and he was knocked out cold into Lucy's lap.
"Loke!" Lucy shouted frantically fussing about Loke. She could of sworn she saw a small white puff of air leave his mouth. This only made her more worried. She looked to Erza who was as calm as could be.
"He'll be fine Lucy. He deserved that plus he was attempting to flirt with you. Given your state I felt it was inappropriate."
Loke quickly recovered and stood to meet Erza. He fixed his tie and jokingly replied with, "I have no idea what you are talking about. I simply was telling Lucy the extent of my love for her."
"Love?!" Lucy held her hands out in front of her with the most confused look you can imagine.
The whole guild erupted into laughter. "No then Loke." Erza spoke "Tell us more about this group Riaversi."
As if on cue the guild doors opened to reveal five shady figures standing in the door way. There was a man, a woman, two children and what looked like a humanoid wolf. The man was tall and slender. He was muscular and had long black hair that was braided. He wore a traditional emperors kimono from the shogun era. The gold fabric only brought out his yellow eyes. The women was short and stout. Big busted and wearing what appeared to be just different kinds of animal skins as a robe. She had green hair that went up into a bun in a way that let a few strands of hair frame her face. She carried two long swords on her sides. The children looked like eerie carbon copies of each other. They were both boys and had pale skin and golden hair. They had a black dot in the middle of their forehead and piercing green eyes. The wore a black suit with a red dress shirt. Only one wore a black humanoid wolf looked rabid and was giant. He was bigger and buffer than Elfman. He only wore a pair of ripped jeans. The looked like a group out of a Halloween movie.
Lucy shuddered slightly as the man looked at her with a sly smile. She hid behind Loke's arm and clung to his jacket.
He laughed sadistically and ginned like a mad person. "Did someone ask abut us"