Keeping Promises
AN: Almost done! After this I'll be posting the last chapter. I only hope I'd be able to finish this in two days. Thanks to everyone who liked this story… special shout out to februarybabe who sent me encouraging messages to continue with this story via tumblr. :3 Don't forget reviieees please 3
Disclaimer: Same same! FT does not belong to me..
Chapter 4: Celestial Bonds
"Princess?"
Lucy looked up at her friend and smiled. Virgo sat down beside the celestial mage and handed her a drink. The blonde mage took the drink, murmured a soft thanks to her spirit and twirled the straw in it, still looking out the celestial plains.
Virgo sighed, stood up and turned to leave her master in peace. As she closed the door to her room, she sighed. "It's been two years in the human realm."
The figure leaning against the wall straightened up and walked beside his fellow spirit. "It's not that long here in our realm..."
"Eight months to be exact." came the soft response.
Loke clenched his fists, "But that's still a long time for her to be away from them... from him."
"Our mistress cannot hide the fact that she misses them very much."
Both spirits turned to look at Capricorn and Aquarius who have now joined them at the celestial hall.
"I think we should be thankful that the brat is still alive. Stupid little brat sacrificing herself for that idiot."
Loke looked at the empty seat of the celestial spirit king. "We could have done more for her back then..." he whispered as his hands tightened into fists, remembering their helplessness as their friend and summoner refused to open any of their gates only to panic when they had felt the surge of magical energy being pulled down to earthland.
It was the spirit king who had recognized the fluctuation of energy and told them what was happening. Loke, Virgo and Aquarius tried to forcefully open their gates to stop the celestial mage from using her life force to no avail.
"Calling forth that one magic... it is our old friend's decision to go through this path."
"Not at the sake of her life!" yelled Loke as he continued to forcefully open his gate
Virgo's usually emotionless face was now filled with fear and worry, "I want princess to be my only summoner! Princess loves all of us dearly!"
"That stupid brat! I didn't choose to get stuck here just to watch her die!"
At her words, the rest of the celestial spirits tried to forcefully open their gates so that they could save their summoner, but before any of them could open their gates, they all felt the magical storm stop. It was quiet in the celestial hall for a few minutes before their respective keys appeared in their hands. It was Aquarius who understood what had happened. Forgetting her harsh attitude, she dropped down on the floor, tears falling from her eyes as she saw each of the celestial spirits holding their keys. She then turned her stricken blue eyes to their king, who only looked back at her in grief.
Before any of them could react, another light flooded the celestial hall, this time they all froze in shock as the body of their summoner appeared before them.
Aquarius slowly floated up and approached the girl. Tears fell from her cerulean eyes as she realized what it meant.
The celestial mage, Lucy Heartfilia, who had been once their summoner, was now one of them. She looked up at the Great Spirit King for answers.
"Our old friend has always been a powerful mage. Her heart along with your souls beat in time with the other and created this miracle. Never has the celestial realm received an earthen mage to become one with us."
Aquarius blinked back her tears and clenched her teeth. "She's a mage and her place is with them... not with us."
"Would you rather that she disappeared completely?"
At the Great Spirit King's words all of the celestial spirits looked up to him in shock before looking at one another.
"You mean to say...piri.."
"Hnnn... this is the least that I could do for this very good old friend."
Aquarius looked at Loke and Virgo, "Ever since... you never sent your keys back to earthland..."
The lion spirit snorted. "My loyalty is with Lucy. As long as she breathes... I will stay by her side."
Virgo nodded beside him and smiled gently, "And it's not just us... all of the spirits she had been in contract with, none of them considered their contract voided with the princess."
Loke snickered. "Wanna bet if she still had your key, I doubt if you'd cancel your contract with her."
The mermaid spirit glared at him, "Shut up! Who wants to have thay brat as their summoner? She's a crybaby... an idiot..." turning her head away she flipped her blue hair in disgust however her eyes softened as she looked at the door where the former celestial mage was resting.
Loke, Capricorn and Virgo looked at one another before smiling.
"But I am curious, wouldn't she have a key of her own so that he gate can be opened, since she is now a celestial spirit?"
All four turned to see the rest of the celestial spirits coming towards them. Loke smiled at his best friend, Aries. "You know that's a good question..."
"And it would also need a celestial mage to open the gate... ebi."
"Whoever gets to open Lucy's gate will be very lucky. They get all of us as well, moo." voiced out Taurus.
Aquarius looked at all the celestial spirits gathered in the hall of stars. "I'm willing to bet, it will be that fire idiot who will find her key and open her gate. I don't see anyone else who has that bond with her."
Loke raised one brow at the mermaid. "He doesn't have celestial magic."
"Do you think that's enough to stop him?"
Virgo smiled. "I agree with Aquarius on this. If there's anyone who will have the chance to open the princess' gate... it would be Natsu."
"The question now is... who will create her key and where is it."
All of the spirits looked at Capricorn then turned to look at Lucy's closed door.
Loke sighed. "Let's hope that they would recognize her key as well when they see it. I hope also that they won't kill us for not telling them Lucy is here with us."
Aquarius smiled. "That is something they have to realize themselves."
Lucy looked at the celestial plains and sighed despondently.
Stroking Plue in her arms as he snuggled in to comfort her. She smiled sadly... remembering the last time she saw Natsu. Having her wish granted by the celestial spirit king, she was allowed to visit earthland just to catch a glimpse of the dragon slayer she left behind.
Her mind went back to the day they had faced E.N.D., remembered the great battle that ensued after Zeref had awakened the demon inside Natsu. She shivered as she remembered her friends trying to call out to the dragon slayer. In her mind's eye, she saw how Gray fully utilized his Ice Demon Slayer magic to kill Natsu. She had screamed for him to stop, begged for Natsu to wake up.
All of them had tried to subdue the demon to no avail, tears falling from her eyes, she clutched the wounded exceed in her arms. Happy had tried to go near Natsu and beg to remember who he was, only to be thrown back by a flaming claw.
She watched as all of the earthland mages fought E.N.D., working hand in hand to stop him, with little to no effect. Her eyes stayed on the dragon demon, trying to find the dragon slayer that had brought her to Fairy Tail, the one who had done everything to protect her.
As E.N.D laughed, his deranged eyes swept over their weakened and bruised forms, Lucy remembered what Hades previously mentioned, what her mother once told her.
One Magic
She closed her eyes as Horologium supplied her with the necessary information about the One Magic and connected it with what she had known with her own research. Brushing the tears from her eyes, she slowly transferred Happy to Wendy's arms, knowing that the exceed would be safe with the young dragon slayer.
Standing up, she looked at the demon raging havoc, ignoring her wounds, ignoring the flames, she slowly made her way to E.N.D. until he focused his eyes on her. She could hear her friends yelling at her to stay back, move away from him.
Accepting the flames that licked her frame, ignoring the blistering pain, she focused on the demon before her. Keeping her eyes locked on his. She could feel her spirits trying to open their gates but she held fast… keeping their gates closed. I'm sorry… but I have to do this… this time, for him.
"I know you're there and you can hear me, hear all of us. Come back to us Natsu!" slowly approaching him, she held out her hands to him. "Fairy Tail would never be the same without you... come back to us, please..."
She didn't stop until she was directly in front of the dragon slayer, ignoring the flaming claw that was extended to her. She looked deeply into his eyes and smiled softly as tears fell from her eyes. Wrapping her arms around him, laying her head on his chest, she smiled happily when she felt his clawed arm wrap itself around her.
"Natsu…"
Using all of her remaining magic, she used an old incantation to activate One Magic. Her arms tightened around him when she heard him whisper her name, tears falling down her eyes as she smiled happily as a bright light engulfed the two of them.
I know you'd be able to hear me.
As she felt herself merging with the magical energy she smiled at her friends. She smiled happily at her guild mates.
For him... this is worth it.
She closed her eyes as she lowered her face to his, wanting to be able to kiss him, at least this one last time. Just as she pressed her lips to his, she felt herself fade away.
When she opened her eyes again, it was in the hall of stars, she was met with worried looks from her spirits as well as the wrathful glare coming from Aquarius and Loke. Both spirits raged at her for taking her life for granted. Lucy merely kept quiet while both spirits yelled at her, she never regretted her actions, he had always saved her... it was past time that she saved him.
She smiled gently at them before answering them, "It saved Natsu... that's all that matters. He's safe..."
As she sat on the floor surrounded by her spirits, she turned fatigued eyes to the Celestial Spirit King, wondering why she was in the hall of stars.
The majestic spirit merely smiled at her and told her to rest.
Lucy didn't remember anything after that. Virgo told her that she lost consciousness after and went into deep slumber for four months (spirit world time). When she finally opened her eyes again, she was tended to by Virgo and Aquarius, both spirits were the one who told her that the Spirit King had used his powers to turn her into a celestial spirit. Virgo explained that as a celestial spirit, she would never step foot on earthland until the time she was summoned. Aquarius was the one who explained that she still retained her contract with all of her celestial spirits, no one wanting to break their contract with her. At her words, the mermaid spirit took her hand and slapped something on it. Lucy broke into tears as she saw a new key for Aquarius.
The bluenette turned her head away, "Try breaking that one and I'll kill you for real."
Lucy cried and held the key close to her heart before wrapping her arms around the mermaid spirit, much to her consternation before huffing and tentatively wrapped her own arms around the blonde girl, smiling softly.
With her stay in the celestial world, Loke or Virgo would give her news regarding her friends in the guild... all except Natsu. Loke once told her that Natsu was avoiding any contact with them, but Erza and the others were keeping an eye on him. They explained that he would hoard anything related to Lucy's magic or anything that would remind him of the blonde mage... but facing her spirits were a different thing. Gray once told Loke that seeing them and not Lucy would reinforce the fact that she was no longer with them.
This was the one thing that the dragon slayer could not and would never accept.
Lucy smiled as remembered the day she was allowed to visit earthland. She only wanted a glimpse, just to check how he was faring, worried how he was doing, not wanting him to take responsibility for what happened...only to be met with surprised onyx eyes.
Trust Natsu to see me when no one else could...
A part of her relaxed when she saw his toothed grin. Maybe now he can move on... A tear fell from her eyes as she thought about it.
He was able to keep his promise whereas she broke hers to him.
But if it meant saving him...
Wiping the her tears, smiled resolutely. Everything was for him. I would rather disappear than live in a world where I could never see his goofy smile again... and it's not just me... everyone cares for him that much. It would kill Erza and Gray if they lost Natsu.
I should be thankful. At least I would still get to see them every now and then... even if they could not see me.
Lucy smiled at that thought before putting Plue down. Just as she did, she felt a powerful magic pulling her, turning in shock, she saw a gate open before her. She heard her celestial spirits call her name just as the bright light engulfed her body.