Fear of Fangs

by RavenNM

A mission goes wrong when Lucy tries to protect Wendy and ends up being thrown through a portal to a world where her worst nightmare are living, breathing beings that are thirsting after her powerful blood. With no idea who to trust, she must do the best she can to survive and keep the vampires at bay, even if a few want to get close for other reasons... Rating may change

27. Spirits

*I do not own Vampire Knight or Fairy Tail, I accept this but it doesn't mean that I have to like it.

General POV

The following morning, Lucy woke up with more energy than she thought she would have after summoning so many spirits earlier. She couldn't figure it out at first, then she realized that the box of keys that she had clutched to her chest was practically humming with magic. Magic that her body seemed to be taking in. She worried for a moment that she might have harmed them, stealing their magic for herself, but she could tell that they were happy, like they had done it on purpose so she would have the magic to summon all of them tonight.

Excited for what was to come, Lucy jumped out of bed and quickly dressed for the Night Class. When she opened her door, she wasn't surprised to see Takuma and Hikaru waiting for her outside her door. Unable to help herself, she hopped into her boyfriend's arms and gave him a hug. Though she surprised him, he soon wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You seem full of energy tonight," he told her as she let him go.

"I know, right! It's my new spirit keys. I was clutching their box to my chest in my sleep and they must have given me some of their magic to make sure that I'd be able to make contracts with all of them tonight." She said as she took Takuma's hand in one of hers while holding the box in the other, careful not to shift it too much or drop it.

"I've got to ask, where did you get those keys? I didn't think you would ever find more in this world," Hikaru said as he walked beside them.

Unable to help herself, Lucy gave him a wink. "You'll just have to wait until my lesson. I'll tell you everything that I can without breaking the rules of my contracts with them."

She couldn't help but notice the stares she was receiving from the Night Class, and she couldn't blame them this time. It must have been startling for them to feel large fluxes of her magic over and over again while they were trying to sleep and then be woken up when Sheba roared. But she planned to satisfy their curiosity and answer as many questions as she could during her lesson.

When she reached the bottom of the steps, she felt a familiar gaze upon her and turned to see that Lord Kaname was giving her his come-here-and-speak-with-me-right-now look. She quickly gave Takuma's knuckles a kiss before releasing his hand and hurrying over to the pureblood.

"Yes, Lord Kaname?"

"How far did you get in your process?" he asked her

She couldn't help but smile at him. She could tell from that one question that he was purposefully keeping the identity of her spirits quiet so that she could reveal them herself if she chose to do so. That only made her respect him more.

"Six out of 13, I was hoping to show the process at least once in class. If they are not too bored by it, then I will finish the set."

"Will you have enough energy to do that?"

"I will, they made sure of it," she smiled brightly.

He gave her a nod and began leading the procession to pass the Day Class students and the eager fan-girls and fan-boys that awaited them.

~oOo~

Lucy eagerly waited at the front of the classroom for Headmaster Cross, Yuuki, and Zero to enter the room. She had promised to wait for them to join before beginning her lesson. The Night Class students were beginning to get impatient when the three humans… well, two humans and one vampire/hunter joined them. She smiled at them before turning her attention to the lesson.

"Good evening, everyone! I have a special treat for you tonight," she said from her usual seat on the front desk. "As many of you discovered last night, I have come into possession of some more celestial spirit keys. But what you might not know is that these keys are different from any of the gold and silver keys that you have seen me use before. The keys that I now have are made of jade and silver and are known as the Chinese Zodiac Keys, and they are the gate keys of the 13 animals of that zodiac."

"I thought there were only twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac," said Aidou.

"Ah, but you're forgetting about the cat, he or she is just as much part of the legends as the other 12 animals."

"How did their keys get here?" Asked Senri, who actually seemed interested for once.

"This is where things get sad," she told them. "They were betrayed by the mage who held their keys. He was among the first mages chosen to be keepers of the keys and was hungry for power. He killed the other celestial spirit mages who held the Chinese Zodiac keys and forced them to make contracts with him."

"That doesn't sound right," said Akatsuki.

"Exactly, but from the laws of the Celestial world, they had no choice. But when that mage decided that he would do the same thing to the keepers of the Golden Zodiac keys, they decided to take action. I won't say what happened, but their actions saved the rest of the celestial spirits from falling into the possession of that man and resulted in the entire set of zodiac keys being banished from Earthland."

"Then how did they end up here?" Takuma asked, looking a bit confused. "I remember you saying that Loke was almost killed because he inadvertently caused the death of his former owner, which is how you saved him and he became contracted to you."

"That is a very good point. You see, the Celestial Spirit King himself chose the keepers of the keys when they first came to Earthland, including the mage that betrayed and killed the other mages. In a way, he blamed himself for what happened and understood that they did what they could to save their fellow spirits from the same fate. So instead of letting them fade away to nothingness, he bound them to their keys and sent them to a world without mages to wait for someone who would be able to wield their power without abusing them. In a way, I guess you can say that it really was fate that I ended up in this world."

Lucy jumped off the desk and opened the box holding the remaining seven keys. "And now for the main part of the lesson tonight. You all have the chance to see how a celestial spirit mage makes a contract with a spirit." Reaching into the box, she lifted a pale jade and silver keep with the symbol of the horse on it. "Since all of you have seen me summon my other spirits before, I'm sure that you'll notice the difference in the spell I will be using to summon them an make a contract. This is because they are from a different pantheon than my other spirits. In fact, the spell was lost until the rat, Whisper, found a way to project it into my head. The spirit I am about to summon is the horse. I have yet to meet him or her so I don't know his or her personality yet. So, this is going to be fun for all of us!"

She could tell that the entire classroom was completely focused on her as she held out the key and took a deep breath before reciting the incantation from memory. "I am one who is blessed by the Gods, you shall hear my call and recognize me. By the powers of the Jade Emperor, I beckon you to my side, Horse of the Chinese Zodiac!"

The entire room felt the shift in the air as Lucy's magic built and a bright jade circle of magic appeared before a large black horse with white socks, brown eyes, and the symbol of horse on his forehead in white hair appeared in front of them. This spirit had a regal energy about him that reminded her a bit of Lord Kaname and a bunch of the royals from her past.

"Empress," he said as his right front leg curled so that his knee touched the floor and his left leg stayed straight so he ended up bowing to her. "It is an honor to serve you. I have been listening to the others as you have summoned them and I am aware of your aversion to being called mistress, madam, or master. By my honor, I shall live out the rest of my existence to serve you, the one who has saved us from the darkness."

Lucy couldn't help but blush as she tried to downplay his compliments, suddenly getting the impression that this is what Dan Straight would be like if he had been a spirit. "So… uh… I guess that means that you would like to make a contract with me?"

"Of course," he said as he stood up straight. "I shall accept no other as my lady and Empress. All others pale in comparison to you in power, beauty, and the love you show for your spirits."

"Alright then," she said as she got out her pen and notebook. "What kind of magic do you use alone, what kind will we use when we merge, when are you available, and who shouldn't I merge with when I merge with you?"

"On my own, I use transportation magic, I shall be your noble steed and will take you anywhere you wish to go at great speeds. When we merge, that speed becomes yours so that you may avoid attacks, so I merge well with the Rabbit if you need to avoid attacks. For you Empress, I will gladly merge with any other spirit, although the Rat, the Ox, and the Rooster are not fond of merging with me. And although I would gladly come any time you call for me, I do not recommend calling upon me on the 1st, 5th, 6th, 11th, 15th, 16th, 21st, 25th, 26th or 31st of the month since I would dare not risk my magic harming you."

"That's very kind of you," she smiled at him as she finished writing down the dates. "Do you have a name that you like to go by?"

"I do not. However, if you were to choose one for me, I would proudly display it upon a flag for you to carry into battle and it shall known throughout the lands. All great steeds shall pale in comparison for it is I who shall serve you."

Lucy couldn't help but sweat drop as she tried to think of a name that would suit him. 'Straight' came to her mind for a moment but she quickly dismissed it before thinking of something else. "How about Arion? Known as the swiftest and most noble of all horses."

"I shall wear the name proudly, Empress. And although I wish to always remain by your side, I will return to the spirit world so that you may free the rest of my brethren from the darkness."

"Of course. Thank you, Arion and welcome to the family!" Lucy said as she stepped forward and gently stroked his forehead. He gave a soft nicker of pleasure before disappearing into a shower of jade dust. Then she turned to the class and smiled. "That is the basic procedure when it comes to making contracts with celestial spirits. Any questions?"

"The whole process seemed kind of rudimentary, I thought that there would be more to it," said Hikaru.

"A lot of people say that, but it's those rudimentary things that trust between the spirit and the keeper of their keys is built on. Since many of you are studying business for placement in future companies, you all should know that the most basic principles are the most important. The spirit is giving a lot of trust to the mage that summons them, so it is my responsibility to make sure that they are safe and happy. By doing that, I know that if the time comes that I need their help, they will be there for me as well."

"So it really is like a business contract," Aidou commented.

"And what would happen if a spirit does not wish to make a contract with you?" Lord Kaname asked her.

"A few things are possible, but that depends on the spirit and the mage. Most of the time, spirits will automatically form a contract with whoever finds their keys, but they can't make a contract if they are still contracted to someone else. If the spirit does not want to make a contract, one of two things will happen: either the mage will force the spirit into a contract or the mage will help them find a different mage to form a contract with. I always make sure that the spirits I meet have a choice. If any one of them were to decide to end their contract with me, I would release them. If we were forming a contact and they decided that they didn't want one with me, I would send them to a friend that I trusted would treat them well."

"That's very kind of you, not a lot of people would do that considering how powerful these spirits are," said Takuma, pride showing in his voice.

"What some mages forget is that these spirits have thoughts and feelings that matter. Just because they're different doesn't mean that they are immune to pain. It would be the same as humans thinking that you have no feelings and deserved to be used because you are vampires. And I think that it is because I let my spirits be themselves and see them as friends that I know that everything will be okay in a battle."

"When you were talking over the contract with Arion, what did you mean about the 'merge?'" Asked Ruka.

"The Spirits of the Chinese Zodiac have an added ability, their spirits can merge with my body and gain me a different power. For instance, if I merge with Arion, my own physical speed will increase. However, not all members of the Zodiac can merge together because of the nature of their magic, which is why I can't merge with the Rat, the Ox, or the Rooster when I am already merged with him."

"And all of these spirits have an ability that they use on their own and a different ability when they merge with you," Hikaru asked her.

"So far, and the merging powers vary greatly so far from defensive to offensive to transformation and even mental abilities. And there are still six more spirits that I have the chance to make contracts with. And now I will give all of you a choice, would you like to see me make contracts with the other six spirits or should we call it a day?"

No one had a chance to say anything. Lord Kaname simply looked over at her and gave her a small smile. "I would very much like to meet the rest of the spirits of the Chinese Zodiac. It was one of my favorite stories as a child and I would like to meet the rest."

"Of course, Lord Kaname," she smiled as she placed Arion's key in her pouch and brought the next key out of the box. "I am one who is blessed by the Gods, you shall hear my call and recognize me. By the powers of the Jade Emperor, I beckon you to my side, Goat of the Chinese Zodiac!"

The magic circle that appeared was more silver in color this time and gave way to a gray colored goat with black on his two back hooves and a black strip going from between his ears and down to the top of his nose. The symbol for 'goat' appeared inside the black strip in gray hair. He bleated at her once before lowering his head and charging at her. Lucy let out an 'eep' as she quickly jumped on the desk to avoid being hit by the goat spirit. When she saw Takuma and Hikaru jump to their feet, she quickly waved them off. This was something that they couldn't interfere with.

"Was that really necessary?" She said in an exasperated voice. "I haven't even had a chance to introduce myself to you yet."

"Well, I don't care what the others say! Our last master was violent and cruel, there's no way I'll go through all that again. I'd rather stay in the darkness," he told her before ramming the desk again.

The Goat; naturally hard headed, hates change, takes a while to warm up to people. I'll have to think of a way to work around this. Lucy situated herself more comfortably on top of the desk and shrugged down at him. "If that's what you want, then that's your choice. I won't force you into a contract with me."

"Yeah right! I know you're just itching to force me into a contract with you."

She shrugged again. "You're half right, I would like to be in a contract with you, but I won't force you. But before you resign yourself to living in the darkness for the rest of your existence, let me offer you the chance to be in a contract with someone else who would take good care of you."

"What makes you think that I would want to be in a contract with anyone else when I won't even join a contract with you?" He rammed the desk again, it didn't even faze her.

"Because I don't want you to suffer any more than you already have."

"And why should I believe you? I bet all you've ever done was for yourself, never for your spirits."

That made her look away. "You're right. They've made sacrifices for me even when I tell them not to. The only times I came close was for Loke and Aries, but it never got that far."

He stopped just as he was about to charge and looked up at her suspiciously. "You know Aries?"

"Yes, she's one of my friends," she told him as she pulled Aries' key from her pouch and held it down so he could clearly see it. If she hadn't been watching his eyes, she might have missed the touch of sadness and longing there. "Would you like to see her? I'm pretty sure that all of you gave me enough magic to summon her for a bit and still summon all of you."

His expression turned hopeful for a moment before he quickly hid it. "If you want to, I won't stop you."

That was enough for her. "Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!" A flash of pink light and wool, and Aries was standing in front of the goat in all her shy glory. She took one look at the spirit in front of her and almost started crying. Then she knelt down in front of him so that they were eye level… and head butted each other so hard that Lucy swore that she heard bone crack.

"It's good to see you again, Aries," she heard the goat spirit whisper.

"You too, and I'm so glad that you found a kind owner like Lucy, we are all so luck to have her."

"She can't be that good," he scoffed.

"But she is," Aries argued with more determination than she had ever see before. "She saved Leo the Lion from disappearing forever. Then she was willing to sacrifice herself to set me free from an abusive owner. She treats us like friends, not tools."

"Now I see why she summoned you. She hopes that you will convince me to make a contract with her."

"I'm sorry, but that's my point. She could have forced you like your last master did, but she hasn't. She will let you choose just like she let me choose."

He seemed to think it over for a moment before snorting and looking up at Lucy. "Fine, you win. I'll make a contract with you, but you have to follow my conditions."

"That's fine, just name them." She said as she picked up her notebook and pen.

"First, I get too choose my own name."

"And what would that be?" Lucy asked him, glad that he was willing to make a contract with her.

"You will call me… Rufus! And if you don't like it, then tough! And you will never summon me on the 4th, 9th, 14th, 19th, 24th, or 29th of the month. And you will never have me merge with the Ox, the Dragon, the Snake, or the Dog. Understood?"

"That's perfectly fine. So, what kind of magic do you use, and what kind will we use if you allow us to merge together?"

"My magic on my own is both offensive and defensive. It makes your enemy fight each other and leave you alone. And if I ever trust you enough to merge with you, you will transform. Your bones and skin will harden so you can't get hurt, it will be like you are wearing body armor."

"That is amazing, Rufus! And thank you for giving me a chance. And I promise you, if you ever change your mind about having a contract with me, I will release you. I'd rather let you free so you can be happy than keep you and have you be miserable."

"Humph, I'll believe that when I see it. But right now, I want you to send us back to the spirit world so I can spend time with my sister."

Wow, I didn't know that Aries had a brother. No wonder he seemed so happy so see her. Lucy wished both of them well and sent them home. Then she looked over at the other students and gave them a smile. "Don't worry, things like that can happen but I was never in any real danger. So, on to the next spirit!" She said as she pulled the next key from the box. "I am one you is blessed by the Gods, you shall hear my call and recognize me. By the powers of the Jade Emperor, I beckon you to my side, Monkey of the Chinese Zodiac!"

A swirl of jade light shot from the key and into the air, it spun a couple of times before there was a 'pop' and a small monkey dropped down in front of her. If she had to guess, he looked like a capuchin monkey, only he had bright golden eyes and the symbol for 'monkey' on his chest. He squealed with joy before jumping onto the desk and then to her shoulder.

"Lucy! Lucy! You are Lucy!" He cheered as he bounced up and down.

"That's right," she giggled.

"I am Monkey. Lucy save Monkey. Monkey be with Lucy forever!"

"So you want to make a contract with me?" She asked him. He squealed with joy again as he continued to bounce up and down on her shoulder. "That's wonderful! So what kind of magic do you use?"

"Monkey get you anything you want. Lucy say, and Monkey get."

That made her pause as she thought of what that could mean for her. "Can I ask you something?" He tilted his head in response. "If someone were to take my keys, would I still be able to call out for you so you could return them to me?"

He thought for a moment before answering. "Monkey want to stay with Lucy. If bad person take Lucy's keys, Monkey will know and take them back for Lucy."

"That's wonderful! And what will happen when we merge?"

"Lucy be like Monkey, have hands and tail. Climb anything easy."

"Okay, and who shouldn't I merge with when I've merged with you?"

"Tiger and Boar no like Monkey. And Monkey no good on 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd, and 27th; so no call Monkey then."

"I understand," she said as she wrote everything down. "Is there anything else I should know for now?"

He thought for another moment. "Monkey want groom Lucy sometime. And Monkey like fruit."

He is just too cute! Lucy squealed inside her head as she laughed. "In that case, the next time I summon you, I'll make sure to have some fruit waiting for you."

"Yay! Monkey love Lucy! Stay with Lucy forever!" He cheered as he wrapped his little arms around her neck to hug her.

"I'm so glad, but is it okay if I send you home to the spirit world? I don't want to keep the others waiting."

"Monkey know. Dark is scary, save others." Then he was fading away to the spirit world.

"He was energetic," she heard Rima comment.

"Yes, but he was just so cute too. And something very important is that he will be able to return my keys to me in case they are taken away. You see, a major weakness of celestial mages is that if their keys are taken away, and they don't know any spells like Urano Metria, they will basically be powerless. However, Monkey will be able to come out to this world and return my keys to me. That is an extremely crucial and wonderful skill in battle."

She placed Monkey's key in her pouch with the others before taking the next key from the box. "I am one who is blessed by the Gods, you shall hear my call and recognize me. By the powers of the Jade Emperor, I beckon you to my side, Rooster of the Chinese Zodiac!"

The sound of a rooster's call filled the room as a red rooster appeared from the center of the jade circle. The 'rooster' symbol looked to be fashioned with its white feathers on his wings. He looked at Lucy, tilted his head at her a couple of times, then stepped toward her.

Lucy knelt down and smiled at him. "Hi, my name is Lucy, would you like to make a contract with me?"

He tilted his head again, then looked around the room for a moment before looking back at her. "Where's my food?"

"Food?"

"I'm hungry. How is you've summoned me without having food waiting for me? Not a very good start for our partnership," he told her, shaking his head.

"I didn't know. Then how about you tell me what you like to eat, and the next time I summon you I'll make sure that you have some."

"I guess that will work. I want sunflower seeds and corn, every time you summon me."

"That's fine." Lucy told him as she wrote it down. "So what kind of magic do you use alone, what kind will we use when we merge, when are you available, and who shouldn't I merge with when I'm merged with you?"

"On my own, I can make everything very quiet or I can project your voice in a different spot so no one will be able to find you. When we merge, you will transform. Your arms will become wings so you can fly for a short distance. I can't be summoned on the 1st, 3rd, 9th, 11th, 13th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 29th, or 31th of the month. And I can't merge with the Rat, the Rabbit, the Horse, or the Boar. None of them have any taste for good food."

"And do you have a name or would you like one?" She asked him as she wrote everything down.

"I used to be friends with the Sun God, Hou Yi, so I would like to honor him by using his name."

"In that case, welcome to the family, Hou Yi. And I promise to keep some sunflower seeds and corn on hand the next time I summon you."

"Good, I'm going home. I've missed the celestial world," he said as he faded back to the celestial world.

Lucy smiled down at his key as she placed it with the others and took the next one from the case. "I am one who is blessed by the Gods, you shall hear my call and recognize me. By the powers of the Jade Emperor, I beckon you to my side, Dog of the Chinese Zodiac!"

A howl filled the air as jade light bounded from the key and formed a large black dog with arctic blue eyes and the 'dog' symbol on his chest in white. She yipped with excitement before putting her nose to the ground and began sniffing everything.

"The smells! There are smells again! Different smells, new smells, familiar smells! I love smelling everything again!" Then she turned and bounded over to Lucy to smell her and lick her hand. "You are new master, Lucy. You smell so good. Sweet and powerful, I like your smell!"

"I'm glad, but please don't call me 'master.' I'm fine with being called Lucy, Miss Lucy, Princess or Empress. Or you can come up with something else if you want. Do you have a name?"

"Okay, I will call you Empress and you can call me Night. Let's make a contract together!" She said as she continued to yip with happiness. Lucy gave her head a soft pat before picking up her notepad and pen. "My magic on my own is tracking, I can find anyone if I have their scent. When we merge, all your senses will be strong like mine but we can't merge with the Dragon, the Goat, or the Rooster. They think I'm too hyper, but that's weird since they're fine with the Monkey."

"That is sort of weird, but that's in their nature. So when can't I summon you?" She asked her.

"I'm no good on the 1st, 6th, 7th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 21st, 26th, 27th, or 31st of the month. And if you can, can I have some meat when you summon me? I miss meat."

"I think I can swing that," Lucy smiled at Night as she wrote everything down. When she was finished, she reached down and started scratching her behind the ear, and Night leaned into her hand with a content look on her face.

"A little left, down a little… oh, right there. That feels good. Can you do this when you summon me too?"

"I'd love to, Night. Welcome to the family."

The dog spirit barked once more before disappearing to the spirit world with the others. Lucy was beginning to feel a bit fatigued, but she refused to let it get to her just yet. She still had two more spirits to summon and, hopefully, make contracts with. She kept this in mind as she pulled the next key from the case.

"I am one who is blessed by the Gods, you shall hear my call and recognize me. By the powers of the Jade Emperor, I beckon you to my side, Boar of the Chinese Zodiac!"

The light from the key was more of a garnet color this time as it formed a rusty red boar that came up to her hip. It had two small tusks protruding from its mouth and the 'boar' symbol on her head between his floppy ears. She snorted a few times before looking to Lucy and ambled over to her; her green eyes were bright and beautiful.

"Are you my new Empress?"

"Only if you want me to be, but I would love you have you in our family," she told her.

"Of course you would, for there is no one as beautiful as I am, you need me to add some class to your family. Don't you agree?"

"You are right, and I must say, you have the most beautiful green eyes. I wish mine were like that."

"I can imagine. So, I am available everyday except for the 1st, 7th, 8th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 21st, 27th, 28th, and 31st of every month and I can't merge with the Monkey or the Snake since those two have no concept of beauty."

"Understandable. So what kind of magic do you use?"

"When you summon me, I use a charging attack to clear a path for you. That way you can never be trapped. When we merge, you will have the ability to produce a shrill scream that will paralyze your enemies for a short time. They will be absolutely defenseless against you."

"That's wonderful. Do you have a name that you like to go by?" Lucy asked as she wrote everything down.

"I do not, but I would like to be named for something beautiful."

"Then… how about Rosa? The name derived from a flower, it matches your color, and it is a symbol of beauty and love."

"A beautiful name, I approve," she said with a snort. "I look forward to working with you, but for now, the celestial world has been deprived of my beauty for far too long. I must return so that I can fill the void that has been there since my absence." The boar spirit soon disappeared and Lucy couldn't help but shake her head as she placed Rosa's key with the others. Of course, the boar would be the one to hold beauty in the highest regard.

When she lifted the last key from the case, Lucy noticed the curious looks from the Night Class.

"Why is that one black while all the other keys were jade?" Someone asked, she didn't catch who.

"From what Whisper told me, and from what I have learned for my other spirits, there are a couple of reasons why the cat's key is black jade instead of green jade," she told them. "Firstly, in the old legends, the cat was the outcast, so it would make sense that his or her key would be different from the others. Another reason could simply be that this is the 13th key. Even in the Golden Zodiac, the 13th key is different from the others. The last possibility that I can think of is that the cat changed it. A spirit's emotions are a powerful factor when it comes to the appearance of their key, and since it was the Cat's owner that killed the others, he or she might have felt guilty for what happened and that emotion effected the key."

"Is it safe to summon that spirit?" Takuma asked her.

"I'll be fine, spirits are forbidden to harm their owners." Of course, Lucy didn't mention that the reason the Chinese Zodiac spirits were trapped in the darkness for so long was because they basically tricked their former owner into committing suicide. Instead, she pushed aside the warning and her fatigue to summon the final spirit.

"I am one who is blessed by the Gods, you shall hear my call and recognize me. By the powers of the Jade Emperor, I beckon you to my side, Cat of the Chinese Zodiac!" The magic she felt for this summoning was slightly different. Where the other spirits had been full of life, this one felt scared. The magic circle that appeared was the same black jade as the key, which formed a black cat with fire-red eyes and the 'cat' symbol showed on his forehead in red fur.

The cat looked Lucy up and down before sitting on his haunches and sighed. "So you are my new owner?" He said, sounding tired and resigned at the same time.

"Are you okay with that?"

"It doesn't matter. I don't have a lot of experience, so I doubt that you're going to be as bad as the first, last, and only master I've ever had."

Lucy couldn't help but feel said for the spirit. The only experience the poor thing had was a bad one, and even though it happened long before she was ever born, she still felt guilty for making him wait so long for her to come for them. "If you're worried about forming a contract with me, I understand. But if you are blaming yourself for what happened to the owners of your fellow spirits, then stop." The cat's eyes snapped to meet hers, almost glaring, but Lucy kept going. "It was his fault, not yours. Spirits are not responsible for the actions of their owners. And even if they were, that was a time when each mage was only supposed to have access to a single key. Could you have told the Spirit King what was happening?"

"I did at the beginning, when I noticed that he seemed power-hungry. He told me that the mage was simply trying to find his path, to give him time to find his way. It was right after that when he killed the Rabbit's owner and took his key." The cat told her, he still seemed sad and like he was blaming himself, but she could tell that he needed to talk about this.

"And how long after that had your owner acquired the other keys?"

"He obtained them all within four months by Earthland's time," he told her.

"That's barely more than a day in the spirit world. And how long after that did it take Stashface to realize that he was wrong about that mage?"

"When the Rat's owner was killed. She was the Spirit King's favorite and she was suddenly gone. When he discovered what had happened, he did everything he could to try to find a way to free us from my master, but ever the Spirit King is not able to break the contracts that he guards. Then, when my master began making plans to take the Golden Zodiac keys… we knew what had to be done."

Unable to help herself, Lucy reached down to pick up the cat and cuddle him to her chest, just like she had done with Happy to comfort him when he was sad or sick. She felt the cat spirit rub his head against her shoulder as she stroked his smooth fur. "Don't blame yourself for the actions of others," she whispered to him.

She stayed like that for a long time, comforting the cat who had put so much blame on his own shoulders. Then, the cat began to purr before looking up at her face with eyes that were much brighter and calmer than they were when she first summoned him. "I accept you as my new owner, Empress Lucy. Shall we finalize our contract?"

"Gladly," she smiled at him as she sat on the desk and set him on her lap. "So what kind of magic do you use on your own, what kind will we use when we merge, when are you not available, and who shouldn't I merge with when I merge with you?"

"The magic I use on my own are curses. I can cast an instant curse upon someone which shall become their fate. It can't kill anyone but it can create an opportunity to get the upper hand in a fight. When we merge, you will have perfect night vision. As for my availability, I am always available, that was how my former owner was able to overpower the other mages. It became even more dangerous for them when he acquired his second key and discovered that I am able to merge with any other spirit. It is their relationships within the zodiac that keeps all of them from getting along, because I fall outside of that, those rules do not apply to me."

Now it was easy for Lucy to understand how the cat's previous owner was able to overcome the other mages so quickly and easily. The cat's magic was crazy strong without the missing days like the other spirits. "Do you have a name that you want to go by?"

"I have never even thought of a name, I have always just been 'the cat.' If you would like to come up with a name for me, I believe that I will enjoy it."

Lucy wanted to give his name a lot of thought, but her exhaustion was really catching up to her. Seven new contracts and she also summoned Aries. But still, she knew that she could come up with a good name.

And then it came to her. She couldn't help but smile as she picked him up in her arms again. "It seems to me that you need to be reminded that you are strong, that it took a lot of strength for you to do what you did back then. So I'm going to name you Qiang, so that you are reminded of your inner strength every time you hear your name."

She could have sworn that she saw tears form in his eyes before he started purring and rubbing his head against her shoulder again. "I thank you, Empress Lucy. And I beg of you, please don't abuse my power the way he did. I could not bare it if it would happen all over again."

"As part of our contract, I swear that I will do everything I can not to break that trust," she told him as she absently stroked his back. She was glad he liked his name, but she also hoped that he would go to the spirit realm soon, she was starting to get dizzy from using so much magic. If she hadn't already been sitting down, she might have collapsed.

Probably sensing her fatigue, Qiang placed a paw to her cheek, as if to say goodbye, before turning his head to look at the other people in the room that he had ignored until now. "After I leave, get her to bed, she's exhausted." He then disappeared in a cloud of shimmering black dust.

Looking out to the Night Class, she gave what must have looked like a drunk smile before saying. "And that's all I have for tonight's lesson," before passing out and falling right into the waiting arms of her best friend and her boyfriend.

A/N: I am so sorry that it took me so long to post this chapter. Since my last posting, I have been preparing for a very important trip overseas. In fact, I will be spending the next four months in Italy studying for university! Amazing, right? So if it takes a while for the next chapter, you know why.

Will try to get the next chapter out as soon as I come up with it, but… I have no idea when that's going to be. Sorry. Warm-Fuzzies and please review. Let me know what you think of all Lucy's new spirits. Who's your favorite?