This was actually quite a delay for me. Life became crazily hectic. My apologies. So here is the update!
Thank you for the wonderful reviews! And for reading! I'm actually surprised by how many people have read each chapter.
When I started this, I only expected a handful, and probably more flames than anything.
Thank you all for proving me wrong!
Enjoy!
Quick Aside:
Puma Padfoot: but is she? ;)
Tare_chan: you're good!
* * *
"Y-you wouldn't!" Lucy exclaimed as she took another step in retreat. Perhaps she could buy herself some time...
Adie sighed, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose before she crossed her arms in frustration. "Quit stalling!" she snapped.
"Why are you d-doing t-t-this?" Lucy's teeth chattered. Why did she have to be such a baby at times like these? Hopefully Natsu will notice his missing date and come looking for her.
"I don't owe you an explanation," she replied coolly. "Your keys. Now." She held out her palm; her pale blue eyes glinting in the moonlight. The shadows made them look almost black.
"No!" Lucy yelped. "You can't have them!"
"How touching," she took another step forward. "Dammit!" she hissed, throwing her thick-framed glasses to the ground.
"I knew it!" Lucy's jaw fell open. "I knew those glasses were nothing more than...than a prop!"
"Eh," Adie didn't disagree, shrugging her pale shoulders. "I do what I gotta do."
"What else has been a lie?" Lucy tried to buy time. This time, however, it worked.
"Well," she placed a nicely painted nail against her chin, "practically all of it!"
"You're not naturally dark-haired," Lucy replied, more to herself. Her tone was almost...triumphant.
"What the hell kind of stupid ass statement is that?" Adie shot back, her eyes narrowing. She had underestimated the observational skills of the young, attractive mage. Maybe there is more to her than just looks, she concluded, though she would never admit that aloud.
"Your hair," Lucy replied matter-of-factly, "is far too glossy. It can't be real."
This time, Adie threw her head back and laughed a deep, throaty laugh. Lucy momentarily thought of running, except for the fact that her feet refused to budge.
"So, I dabbled in a bit of transformation magic. Not a big deal," the fake-inspector replied. As she did so, she waved her hand over her hair. Lucy gasped as the dark locks were replaced with ones of a pale blonde color.
"I try not to go completely unnatural," Adie smiled shrewdly, gesturing to the rest of her body. "It's amazing what a few small changes can do for you! In this case," she waved her hand over her head for a second time, the glossy black mane reappearing, "It was quite easy to infiltrate this guild." Her tone rang with her satisfaction.
"H-how could you betray us? Everyone welcomed you!" Lucy stamped her foot, her anger beginning to take over. "I bet Adassandra Marigold isn't even your real name!"
An almost pained look momentarily crossed Adie's face before being replaced with one of disinterest. "I won't deny that this guild was kind," she nodded as a frown quickly played across her red lips. "I would call it more...naivety." She looked at Lucy, "You're not half as stupid as I first thought." Her eyes softened momentarily, "And Adassandra, for the record, is my real name." Suddenly, her stoic features were replaced with an amused look, "Marigold, however, is not. I simply saw the insignificant flower on my way here, and decided it was as good of a name as ever!"
"You're terrible!" Lucy squeaked, her resolve wavering. How could she lie to the entire guild? Even Makarov?
"Shit happens," she agreed. "I have my reasons, not that it's any of your business. Now," her eyes narrowed, "your keys!"
Lucy jumped as the chill of Adassandra's words penetrated her. She quickly ripped the keys from where they were secured, holding them to her chest. "I won't give them to you! You can't have my spirits—you will not harm them!"
"Harm them?" she echoed, tapping her heels on the cobblestone path. "I would never--" she began. She immediately stiffened, "Just give me the damned keys! We can do this one of two ways. One, you can cancel your contract with your spirits..."
How did she know so much about spirit contracts? Lucy wondered. "W-what's the second option?" She was sure that Adie was giving her the most painless option first.
"I would rather not go down that path," the dark-haired woman lowered her head, her eyes betraying her hardened demeanor.
"You were the one!" Lucy whispered. She took a step forward, "I-it was you who attacked those stellar spirit mages!" Her voice was rising, becoming more shrill with each word.
"Huh?" Adie replied, momentarily caught off-guard by Lucy's anger.
"You killed those mages. For their keys. For those poor spirits!"
"I've never killed--" she shot back, her words catching in her throat. Her face became stony, as if she had come to sudden realization.
"Lucy, your keys. Just give them to me. Don't make me hurt you, please," she replied softly, stepping forward.
"I won't!" Lucy wailed. "Taurus!"
Before Adie could reply, the gate had been opened, and the giant bull stood between her and Lucy.
"Shit," she hissed. This was going to get ugly, and it appeared that there was no preventing it. "Just give me your keys!" she warned Lucy one last time. "No one will get hurt."
"Why do you care? You're nothing but a liar, murder, and thief!" Lucy retorted. "Taurus, capture her!" Lucy commanded.
"Oooh, Lucy! You look lovely tonight!" Taurus' deep voice rumbled as his eyes bulged from his head. He looked over Lucy's chest appreciatively. Lucy's face reddened as she immediately covered her chest with her arms.
"T-this is no time to be a pervert!" she hissed. "I called you here for a reason. Capture her!" she pointed toward Adie.
Adie watched as the bull turned toward her. His mouth dropped open once he laid eyes on her. "Is this going to be a cat fight? Two gorgeous women fighting. For me?" he squealed, clapping his two front hooves together.
Adie raised an eyebrow in amusement. "How despicable," she murmured.
Lucy had slapped her hand to her forehead, shaking her head in frustration. "J-just capture her. She's trying to steal my keys."
"What?" he roared, immediately reaching for his fallen axe. "No one threatens my Lucy-chan!"
Adassandra sighed, shaking her head. "I'll ask you one last time, Lucy..."
"NO!" Lucy screamed her frustration evident on her face. "Taurus!"
Taurus waved his axe over his head, readying himself to bring it down in a thundering earthquake. As he was wildly gaining momentum, Adie drew her hand away from her side, pointing it at a ninety degree angle from her body. Suddenly, an unfamiliar object appeared in her hand.
"Halt!" Adassandra commanded, her voice booming.
"Huh?" Lucy and Taurus replied in unison. Adie was holding something shiny in her hand—it almost looked to be a...key! Immediately, the giant bull fell to his knees, bowing his head.
"What the hell are you doing? Taurus?" Lucy squealed, flailing around the giant livestock.
"I'm sorry, Lucy," he replied, his tone low. "I cannot." It was all he offered her. Lucy angrily glared at the intruder. She was definitely holding a key in her right hand. It was bronze, glinting in the moonlight. Lucy squinted, making out the giant lion's head on the key, its ruby eye twinkling in the dim light.
"Wha—what's that?" Lucy spat, her hands balling into fists.
"Do not worry about issues that do not concern you," Adie replied, her voice dripping with venom. "Now, shall we get back to where we were before we were so rudely interrupted?"
Within moments, the two women were mere inches apart. The key that Adie had held disappeared into thin air as her hand reached out for the neck of Lucy's dress.
"T-Taurus, what's going on?" she choked as the shock from Adie's grip sent her reeling.
"I'm sorry, Taurus replied.
"R-Return!" she commanded. "I do not want him to be harmed," she offered a weak explanation to her captor.
"Just give me the keys," Adassandra whispered, her breath warm on Lucy's face.
"No," Lucy replied through clenched teeth. Her vision was swimming from the choking grip the woman had on her dress.
"Why won't you just give up? What harm will it do to you?" she was speaking quickly--almost as if she was pleading.
"I care for them!" Lucy shot back, her anger momentarily clearing her vision. She could see Adie widen her eyes in realization.
"Bah! Stupid humans care nothing for spirits," she spat, her grip tightening. "You are nothing more than a fool. You call your spirit forth to protect you, putting him in harm's way. You care nothing about your spirits—there are mere pets to you!"
"You are wrong," was the last thing Lucy could spit from her mouth as the darkness took over.
As suddenly as the darkness had engulfed her, it quickly dissipated as she sucked in a deep, cool breath. She opened her eyes, blinking furiously. Lucy could see a pair of shoes standing before her. A man's shoes.
"Don't you touch her!" the male voice warned.
"Stay out of this, Leo!" Adassandra replied calmly. "This has nothing to do with you."
"L-Loki?" Lucy was groggy from the lack of oxygen. She pushed herself up onto her knees.
"Lucy, are you alright?" The dirty blonde mane blocked her vision of the dark-haired woman. Lucy tried to focus on the pair of eyes behind the sunglasses.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks," she replied weakly. Leo nodded, straightening his tie. He pulled his jacket from his body, draping it over Lucy's shoulders.
"Just stay put, I'll protect you," he smiled his fondness of the young spirit mage.
"My, my, how cute!" Adassandra rolled her eyes mockingly.
Leo pushed his sleeves up his arms, "I will do as I said. I will protect Lucy!" His tone was serious.
"Loki!" Lucy squeaked weakly. Why was someone always protecting her? She felt ashamed at her weakness.
"I can see she needs protecting, Leo. But I wouldn't need to harm her if she would just hand over her keys!"
"Keys?" Leo replied, confused by the woman's words.
"Yes, her keys. She had the option of mooting her contract, but she chose the more serious of the two options." She placed her hands on her slender hips, sighing her exasperation. "I don't enjoy hurting people."
"Liar!" Lucy hissed. "You were the one hurting those stellar spirit mages and stealing their keys."
Leo studied Lucy for some time. He turned to the newcomer, "You will not lay another finger on Lucy."
"Or what?" Adie raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Or you'll hurt me?"
"If I have to," Leo replied matter-of-factly. "I will protect Lucy."
"Yeah, yeah, protect the weak. I get it. Really, I do," she waved her hand in the air. "But...this prevents you from hurting me." The same key from earlier glinted in her hand.
Leo's eyes widened behind his glasses. "You!"
"I didn't want to have to use this card, but I'll do what I need to. Now convince her to give me her keys, Leo." Her tone was once again commanding.
Leo immediately dropped down onto his knees, his head bowed in some sort of recognition. Lucy looked from him to Adassandra. "What the hell is going on? Who is she, Loki?"
"She is--" he began.
"None of your business, smart ass! Now just hand over the damned keys!" the dark-haired woman barked.
"Loki...?" Lucy pleaded softly. She could see his knuckles turn white as he clenched his fists. Adie closed the gap between her and Lucy, walking past the kneeling stellar spirit.
"Keys!" she bellowed.
Lucy jumped, glaring at the woman angrily. How had she ever thought this woman to be kind? "I almost considered you my friend," Lucy whispered.
Adie's face fell at the statement, this time completely betraying her hostility. Lucy stood, clutching her keys in her left hand. She slowly lifted the keys, as Adie outstretched her hand. Before her calloused palm could close around the keys, Lucy slapped her across the face.
"You are evil!" she sneered, her eyes challenging the false inspector. "I will never give my keys to you. You do not deserve these spirits." Her teeth began to chatter as she saw the dark look that crossed the older mage's face.
"I suppose I deserved that," she replied softly, raising her hand to her face. "But, I need those keys, and will stop at nothing to get them!" her voice was cold—devoid of emotion.
The lion's key had once again disappeared, as her hand was quickly sheathed in a chain mail glove. Adie slowly raised the gloved hand, menacingly. Despite her angry tone, her face was illuminated by her remorse for her upcoming actions.
"I'm sorry, Lucy. I really am."
Lucy braced for the attack. She closed her eyes, as she held the keys close to her heart. When the attack didn't hit its mark, she risked a peek through her lids.
She saw Leo standing next to Adie as he held her raised arm. She glared murderously at him, her bottom lip jutting out in disappointment.
"I can't let you do that," Leo whispered as he looked her in the eyes.
"You will back down, Leo," she hissed. "You know what happens if you so much as lay a hand on me, don't you?"
"I do."
"And yet you're still willing to risk your life for her? A human?" Adassandra asked incredulously.
"She saved my life once," he confirmed. "I will repay the favor."
"Fool!" she spat as Lucy yelled, "Loki, no!"
The bright flash of light and booming noise forced Lucy to tumble backward over the hem of her dress. She quickly pushed herself upward, looking frantically for Loki. What had he done? And more importantly, who was this woman? When the light settled, Lucy could see Loki's back to her. Farther off was the form of Adie, crouched low on the ground. She was breathing heavily.
"You know that attack won't work on me!" she growled. "Yet you still used it! On me?"
"I told you, I will protect Lucy...even if it means I will be sentenced to death," he spoke, his voice calm.
"What? Death?" Lucy's shrill question interrupted the standoff.
"I don't understand," the dark-haired woman replied, quickly pushing off of the ground.
"How can you be so hateful toward humans, Adassandra? Especially knowing that your father--," he began to ask.
"Do not speak of such matters!" she warned, her anger peaking. Her voice cracked as she spoke, "Don't you dare open your mouth, Leo!"
"Lucy is a worthy stellar spirit mage," he shrugged. Lucy was trying to comprehend what was happening before her.
"Lucy," she heard Loki call for her.
"Huh?"
"Call your spirits. All of them," he commanded. He turned toward her. "It's alright, she won't hurt them. I promise."
Lucy eyed Adassandra as she quickly called forth the key in her hand. "Water Bearer!"
Aquarius immediately formed before her. "You idiot! How dare you summon me to pick your lock!" she screeched, glaring down on Lucy. She was referring to the events from the night before. Lucy knew she would have to face the spirit at some point. But, right now....
"I'm s-s-sorry!" she squealed. "I was drunk!"
"That is not an excuse! I'm going to kick your ass!"
"Aquarius," Leo spoke loudly.
"Shut up, Leo," she retorted. "I'm going to teach this little brat a lesson!" As if she suddenly realized who was speaking to her, she swung around in confusion.
Her eyes fell on the woman standing a few yards from Leo. She was once again clutching a familiar key in her hand. She recognized that face!
"Adie?" Aquarius asked, squinting at the newcomer.
Adie nodded, "Delilah. It's been a while."
"You have black hair!" she screeched, staring incredulously at Adassandra.
"I do," she smiled at her old friend. She knew it was no time for playing 'catch-up'. Her eyes shone her urgency. "Tell me what you think of your contract with this girl," she gestured toward Lucy.
Aquarius rolled her eyes, "Worst mistake. Ever!" She shot a dark glare at Lucy, who yelped. She turned to Adie, "Are you here to take me away? Please!" Her eyes showed her disinterest in the spirit mage. "I can't stand this bitch anymore," she pointed at Lucy, who cowered.
"Close the gate!" Lucy commanded. As quickly as Aquarius had appeared, she disappeared into the spirit world. "Cancer!"
Adassandra stared at the young woman. How could these spirits speak so favorably about her? A human, no less!
"So you see, Adassandra, not every spirit is unhappy with their owner," Leo responded, studying her reaction. Lucy was standing behind him, as if shielded by Leo's body. She peeked at Adie over his shoulder. Adassandra felt numb. Her feet and hands were cold. Perhaps she was mistaken. Had she been mistaken this whole time?
"Adassandra?" Leo spoke softly.
Adie blinked a few times, looking at Leo. Her gaze was far off, as if she wasn't entirely there. Lucy felt sorry for the woman.
"Did you know that the Amarok were sighted?" Leo's tone was serious, his face pale and sweaty.
"What?" she whispered frantically, her attention brought back into focus. "No!"
Lucy looked from one to the other. The Amarok? That sounds familiar!
"It's true. And the Adzi and Oni. Other stellar spirits have confirmed it." He studied the woman's reaction.
"It can't be! It's not--" she began, her face draining of color.
Lucy was confused by the sudden change in Adassandra's demeanor. With each spirit that had presented, Lucy watched the fire in Adie's eyes die a little more. She was no longer the angry woman after Lucy's keys. Instead, she was confused and defeated. It was as if something had deflated inside of her. Lucy almost..pitied the woman.
"Where is Lilith?" Leo asked softly.
"I...don't know..."
Leo nodded. She had confirmed his suspicions. So that was the reason she was trying to retrieve stellar spirit keys. Did she suspect that her sister had been forced into a contract? He looked over the young woman. He knew that the two sisters were advocates for free stellar spirits, their mutual dislike of spirit-human contracts had always been evident. When they left the spirit world to promote stellar spirit freedom, this was the last possible outcome that anyone would have imagined.
"When was the last time you saw her?" he pressed.
Adie shook her head sadly, "I-It's been over two years. At least. She had met someone that I wasn't entirely fond of...and, well, she just left. I haven't seen her since." She looked up at Leo, her eyes full of torture. Her cold blue eyes fell on Lucy.
"I-I'm so sorry. I only meant to help. I'm a monster!" she replied as she quickly pushed past both Lucy and Leo. Lucy felt as if she could share the loss that reflected in Adassandra's eyes. She watched the woman as she fleed, her heels clicking with each stride.
"What was that all about?" she murmured, staring in the direction the woman had disappeared. The faint clicking of heels had finally died off.
"Lucy, you need to stay in Fairy Tail," Loki told her, his voice authoritative.
"What? That was not an answer," she stomped her foot. "You could at least give me a decent explanation!"
"I'm sorry, Lucy. I cannot," he replied sadly.
"Are...are you going to be sentenced?" she asked shuddering at Adie's earlier words.
"I don't know the answer to that, either," he smiled sadly. "We will have to wait and see."
"I'm so confused!" Lucy threw her hands up in the air. "First her, now you! What is going on?"
"You'll find out soon enough," he murmured, slowly becoming more transparent. "I have to go, Lucy. Please stay in Fairy Tail. It's not safe for you..."
Lucy was left alone in the darkness. She collapsed to her knees, exhausted from the emotional toll she had just underwent. "What is going on?" she murmured to herself. "Who is she?"
She remembered the reaction from each of her spirits. Each one knelt upon seeing the woman. But, what did it mean? Lucy could feel the tears of frustration building as the symphony of music lightly carried throughout the town. This was not how she imagined her night would turn out. She had imagined that Natsu would fall in love with his beautiful date, and, well...you know.
"Ugh! I'm such an idiot! I'm so weak!" she replied, thinking about how Leo had once again come to her aid. Could she never do anything on her own? She was lost in her own dark thoughts, unaware of the person approaching.
She felt the hand on her shoulder, "Lucy?"
Her first reaction took precedence; she quickly threw an uppercut, her eyes still closed. She could feel her first connect with its mark. The stranger slumped over and collapsed on the ground next to her. Lucy jumped to her feet, ready to barrage the newcomer with a few well-placed kicks before running off into the night.
"Dammit! Lucy, what was that for?" came the familiar voice. Lucy realized her eyes were still closed.
"Grey?" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh! I'm so sorry!"
"What is going on?" he asked, slowly pushing himself to his feet. "Are you alright?" he looked over her tattered dress and mussed hair.
"Yeah," she replied softly, dropping her head in defeat. "We've been duped, Grey. The entire guild has been taken for idiots."
"What?" he was confused by her cryptic words. What had happened?
"The inspector—Adassandra. She's not who she claims to be."
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A/N: for your own knowledge--
Amarok: giant wolves that devour humans
Oni: demons/ogres/trolls--depending on literature
Adze: vampiric forest beings
These are random creatures that have made an appearance in various literature and folklore. What I wanted you, as the reader, to get from this is that there are demonic entities roaming free--now we just need to get to why!