As always Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima

Chapter 29

Research

~~ TS five weeks ~~ Guild ~~ mid May ~~

Lucy sighed as she lay on the bed waiting for Wendy. The twins were growing faster now, she was huge, and they were starting to become active. I think I'm bigger than Juvia now. She sighed and stretched a bit, smiling as she felt a light kick as Wendy walked in.

"So what was wrong?" She asked Wendy.

"Alex wanted to hold Logan, and Elfman let her, and she accidentally dropped him. Of course Evergreen freaked out, he's only three weeks old." Wendy explained with a sigh as she got her equipment out.

"I hope he's okay." Lucy said as she lifted her shirt.

"He's fine, he takes after Elfman. Wow, Lucy. I think you're bigger than Juvia now." Wendy said as she saw Lucy's belly.

"Don't remind me." Lucy told Wendy as she placed the smaller lacrima on her stomach, and Lucy took out her recording lacrima and turned it on. "Hey, Laxus. Another appointment, another chance to see our babies." She smiled and turned the lacrima towards Wendy, who nodded and smiled as she turned the other lacrima on, both lacrimas glowing softly. Lucy smiled as she heard the heartbeat of one of the twins, and her smile only brightened when the image of one of the twins was projected above them.

"Look at how much they have grown, Laxus." Lucy said softly as she watched the baby, it was still small, but she could see it's head and body, and saw it's hand move, almost like it was waving.

"I'm able to tell the genders now. Would you like to know?" Wendy asked but Lucy shook her head.

"No, I want Laxus to be here next to me when I do find out."

"You hear that Laxus? You had better get home soon." Wendy reached over and moved the lacrima that was on Lucy. "Now I'll find the second heartbeat, just a moment. There it is." They both smiled as they heard another heartbeat, this one just a bit faster, and Wendy moved the other lacrima around and found the other twin. Lucy smiled, this one was facing the other twin, and laughed a little as she watched it turn away from the other one, and she faintly felt it move inside of her.

"They're active, aren't they?" Lucy laughed, and Wendy laughed with her.

"They're going to be very active for a while now, but if the activity decreases you should come to me right away, to make sure nothing is wrong." Wendy told her as she picked up the lacrima and put them away, and Lucy pulled down her shirt and turned the lacrima back to herself.

"Laxus, did you see them? They're still so small but they're growing. One of them even waved. Oh!" Her hand went to her abdomen. "One of them just kicked, I wish you were here to feel them, even if only for a moment." She sighed. "Come back home soon, okay. I love you." She turned the lacrima off and stood up, she had some research to do before the day was over.

Quickly, before anyone stopped her, Lucy made her way to the Guild library. She had finally gotten the nerve to do research on the Fallen, whoever it was. She sighed as she looked over the books in the Celestial Magic section. It has to be something to do with Celestial Magic, why else would they want my keys? This is going to take a while...

~~ TS three hours ~~

With a sigh Lucy placed yet another book down, that one had been no help at all. There has to be something about the Fallen here... Could it be in that one? The one Crux added recently?

Lucy got up from her table and went over to the Celestial Magic section, spotting the book she needed out of her reach at the very top. Carefully, she climbed the ladder and reached out for the book. Grabbing it and holding it to her chest, she made her way down the ladder and back to her table putting the book down and glancing at it. It was a simple brown leather book with gold words etched into it. Stars of the Heavens: a Guide to the Celestial Spirits. With a sigh she sat down and started to skim through the book, skipping the parts she already knew, stopping on the passage where it mentioned how the keys were made.

The knowledge on how to create the Celestial Spirit Keys was lost long ago; though it is said that the Spirit King bestowed the knowledge to the first Celestial Mage, who forged the first Celestial Key; Leo the Lion. Soon to follow were the next eleven Zodiac keys, the Thirteenth Gate; Ophiuchus, the sixteen Jeweled keys, and the more common silver keys.

"Sixteen jeweled keys?" Lucy took out her keys and counted the jeweled keys. "Fifteen, just one more. I wonder which one is left?" Lucy flipped through the pages, looking for the section on jeweled keys. Finally she found it, and she went through the detailed pages for each jeweled spirit, stopping only when she came to an empty page. All it had was the name of the spirit, Leo Minor, but nothing else, almost like the spirit had never been used.

As Lucy thumbed through the rest of the spirits one of the silver ones caught her eye. The name had been blurred, which was odd, and there was no sketch of this one. It was almost the exact opposite of Leo Minor. As she read the description she realized that this one was very powerful, on equal terms with a Zodiac.

"I wonder what happened to this one?" She said aloud, and jumped when someone answered.

"She was cast out." Leo said as he stepped closer.

"She?"

"Her name was Draco, and she was once one of us, a spirit, but she betrayed us."

"Could you tell me more about her?" With a sigh Leo sat nest to Lucy.

"Well, everything began five hundred years ago, when the keys were first created."

~~ Flashback ~~ five hundred years ago ~~ Spirit World ~~

Leo was off on his own, away from all the other spirits, watching a small pool of spirit water before him. He had been there for a few hours now, watching as the new spirit formed in the pool. The new spirit was Leo Minor, his younger sister, and he watched as she became more and more solid, she would be born any minute now. He let out a sigh of relief when she opened her hazel eyes and looked around, and he walked over and picked her up out of the pool, cloaking her in a white robe to cover her bear skin, her mane of orange hair falling down her back.

With the girl in his arms he turned to bring her to meet the other spirits, only to have someone block his path. It was a tall, slender woman, beautiful, even by spirit standards. She had silvery skin that glowed slightly and long golden hair reaching past her waist. Her eyes were a mesmerizing mix of silvers and she looked ethereal in the plain white gown she wore.

"Draco." Leo breathed, holding the girl closer to him, he knew she disapproved of the humans making their keys. "What is it you want?"

"Leo, is it a crime to seen the new spirit?" She asked in a light, teasing voice.

"I know you have ulterior motives for coming here." He glared at her.

"I was just wondering if you had thought about my offer?" She said innocently.

"Offer?" Leo laughed. "That wasn't much of an offer, now was it? Join you or fight you? I do not wish to fight you, but I'm not about to go and slaughter innocent humans either. As spirits we are supposed to help them."

"Help?" Draco mocked him. "Will it be helping if we're used as mere tools? Will it be helping if that young spirit in your arms is used as a shield against her will? Will it be helping if we're forced to kill each other?" Her eyes flashed angrily. "We are more powerful then those humans could ever dream of becoming, yet the Spirit King though it was a good idea to give those humans a way to control us. If you and I could jus-"

"Enough! Draco!" Leo snapped at her. "Or have you forgotten who the second in command is here? I am the one the Spirit King appointed as leader of the Zodiac, and you are just a silver key, not a Zodiac, not even jeweled, because of your blood lust for humans." His golden aura surrounded him, causing Draco to step back, away from him. "It would be wise to stay out of my way, Draco." He told her as he walked away.

"You will regret this, Leo!" Draco called after him. "Someday you will regret not listening to me!"

It had been almost an hour since Leo had introduced Lea to the other spirits, but he hadn't seen Draco, and it was bothering him. He watched as Lea ran around, playing with the other younger spirits, so young and innocent, but she suddenly stopped running, a surprised look on her face.

"What are you doing!?" Lea yelled out in a pained voice. "No! Stop it! STOP!" She let out a bloodcurdling scream and clutched her head, falling to her knees. "He didn't do anything! They didn't do anything! STOP!" Lea stopped moving and lifted her head, a horrified expression on her face. "What are you doing?" She shouted in a panicked voice. "No! Not that!"

"Lea! What's wrong!" Leo rushed to her side as she curled up on the ground.

"Nooo..." Lea moaned.

"What happened?" Leo asked, trying to get a straight answer out of his sister.

"What happened?" A mocking voice came from behind him, and he turned to see Draco standing there. "Well, I guess I happened." Leo looked at Draco and saw blood dripping from her fingertips, and she looked down and smiled. "Oh, I missed some." She brought her hand up to her mouth and licked it clean. "Oh, how I enjoy the taste of human blood."

"What have you done!?" Leo roared at Draco.

"Oh... I just did you a favor... I just killed your sister's... ahhh... human... and his family... in the human world... and hid her key so it will never be found."

"No!" He shouted but it was Lea who rushed at Draco.

"I-Will-Kill-You!" Each of her words were emphasized by a punch, but Draco dodged each one, and with a maniacal laugh, she punched Lea, sending her flying.

"Don't you see!" Draco called out. "Humans are worthless creatures! They may be able to make our keys, but they can't control us, and they sure as hell can't make us stronger!"

"What have you done?" A booming voice echoed through the space, and the Spirit King materialized before them.

"Oh, so now you appear?" Draco spat at him. "I just did what you couldn't do! I will not be used by humans, and I just set an example with little Lea here." She turned and smiled sadistically at Leo. "You should be happy, your sister will never have to suffer at the hand of humans."

"Draco! By hiding Leo Minor's key she is trapped here, never able to leave the spirit world." The King gazed down at Draco and sighed.

"And where is your key, Your Highness? Why aren't you summoned by humans to do their dirty work?" She sneered up at him.

"My key can only be called upon by someone who lives through pain, something you will never understand." He sighed and looked sadly down at Draco, who was glaring up at him with hate filled eyes.

"You know nothing about pain! You claim to be our King, but you don't act like one! I will show you how a Queen rules, and that is by power!" Soon, black humanoid figures formed at the feet of the Spirit King. "Go, my lost souls! Take his soul and rip it to pieces!"

As the souls started to swarm the Spirit King there was a brilliant flash of light, and Leo stood before him, his light destroying the souls.

"I warned you to leave." Leo growled at Draco, his eyes flashing gold. "I warned you that I didn't want to fight you, Draco. Now I have no choice but to fight you. As Leader of the Zodiac it is my job to protect my king, even if it means fighting another spirit."

"There will be no bloodshed in the spirit world!" the Spirit King thundered. "Draco the Dragon! For crimes against innocent humans, against key holders, and against Leo Minor, I cast you out! By the power of the Heavens, I take your status away as Celestial Spirit! You will stay in the human world until you essence fades away." With sadness in his eyes, the Spirit King spread his arms wide, a white aura surrounded Draco, and she began to panic.

"This isn't over!" She yelled at all the spirits. "I will have my revenge, I will rule the spirits, by force if necessary. If not, I will see you all die by my hands!" As she started to vanish Leo looked at her eyes and inhaled sharply. Her once beautiful silver eyes were turning red, and he could see infinite hatred and anger in them, and then they were gone.

Leo sighed and looked over at Lea, who was being surrounded by the other spirits. "Is there no hope for her?"

"I'm afraid that without a Celestial Mage holding her key, she can't go to the human world. It is up to Fate whether or not someone finds her key. Until then we wait, we cannot interfere, no matte how much we want to." He looked sadly down at Lea. "I am sorry, my child, that this had to happen to you." He reached down and softly touched the top of the young spirit's head, and Leo heard a soft sigh come from his king.

"What did you do?" Leo asked, glancing up at his king.

"I sealed her memory of this moment. Until a Celestial Mage summons her she will have no memory of this moment. She has become a Lost Star, never able to go to the human world."

"That is fine." Leo said with a tight smile. "I will tell her everything about the human world." Don't worry, Lea, I will make sure you see the human world with your own eyes. I just have to find the person that Fate will show your key to.

~~ End flashback ~~

Lucy just stared at Leo, speechless. "So Draco was cast out, and your sister has never been out of the spirit world?"

"Yes, and we have no idea where her key could be." Leo sighed and leaned back in his chair. I can't tell Lucy that Draco is the one who is after her, it might frighten her too much.

"Don't worry Leo." He looked over and saw Lucy smiling at him. "I'll find her key, that way she can finally see the human world."

"I hope you do, Lucy." She nodded at him and handed him the new message for Laxus, and he gave her a small smile as he left. I hope you find her key before Draco finds you.

Hi everyone! This will be it for a while! Enjoy and leave a review! Later XD