Lucy reached up into her hair, luckily though the merguards had her restrained they were holding her biceps allowing her the movement to reach into her hair, her hand grasped around something cold and solid that she drew from her blonde locks.

She wasn't sure what she'd hoped had been hiding there but some strange looking key definitely wasn't it, a knife perhaps – though she wouldn't have wanted to use it maybe it could have been used for intimidation…what though was she meant to do with a key? It wasn't like she was locked up, maybe it had been for later to help her escape from whatever room she'd be in…but again surely it would be too late and she'd have been wed to Dan by that point. It certainly didn't make any sense to Lucy.

Her father however had gone white as a sheet seeing what Lucy had pulled out of her hair, "guards – take that from her!"

One guard diligently reached to snatch the key from her hand but she curled her fist tightly around it, "no, you can't have it", – she may not know what it was but it had shook her father, not to mention Spetto had given it to her so it must be important. She was sadly though overpowered by the two guards holding each of her arms and this third yanking her fist towards him to pry her fingers apart.

"I said NO!" she screamed out and as she did a wave of power came out of her fist, warming her palm, the force sent the guard grabbing her fist back a foot or two – not far but far enough he was away from her, the two on either side of her had also been pushed away from her the shockwave powerful enough to dislodge them.

She turned her hand so it would be palm up and slowly opened her hand again, she could vaguely hear her father barking out orders again, but her entire focus was on the key in her hand and the bright golden glow it was emitting. She didn't know the right words to put to describe it, but the glow made her feel safe, it made her feel empowered, and importantly it made her feel like she could beat her father and escape with her friends.

Lucy squinted through the light and could see an inscription on the key, it was as familiar to Lucy as the world around her, her most prized possession was a book of her mother's. She'd read the book so much she knew it almost word for word, it didn't detail anything of celestial magic but it gave information on the different constellations and celestial bodies, the symbol she was looking at on the key was in the book – this one could be found within the Zodiac collection.

Lucy had never used celestial magic before, her father had informed her early on that she hadn't possessed any magic aside from that of her mermaid heritage. She'd never had any reason to believe that wasn't true – after all she could wield some mermaid magic (albeit not very well), and it was unheard of to hold multiple magic traits.

But in that moment it was as if the key spoke directly into her mind and gave her all the words she would need to use it. Her entire body tingled from her head down to the tip of her tail, as if a power were awaiting escape, it was a rich warm glow inside her much unlike the cool feeling she had when she used her mermaid magic. As she uttered the words all that power flowed into the key in her hand: "Open, gate of the Lion, Leo!"

And then it was gone as quickly as it had swelled inside of her, but a suited man appeared in front of her in a shimmer of gold, his spikey orange hair sticking up this way and that. Whatever she'd just done had resulted in this man in front of her she was sure of it, and as he glanced back at her over his shoulder and smiled she had that same feeling the key had given her: she felt safe and empowered.

"Nice to see you Lucy" he casually remarked as he threw a golden glowing fist into a nearby merguard flinging him far off into the distance.

"It's uhh nice to see you too…Leo was it?"

He disposed of another three merguards heading for Lucy then twirled around in the water lightly grabbing her empty hand and bowing before her, "Haha, technically yes. But to you, Princess, you may call me Loke", he planted a light kiss on her knuckles and looked up at her, "then again, you may call me whatever you like" winking at her she felt the blush on her cheeks.

She cleared her throat glancing away from this impossibly charming man, "Loke will do just fine thank you"

"As you wish", he released her hand and straightened himself back up

"LOKE!" the mer-King was furious, there should have been no way for Lucy to have Loke's key, he'd made very sure of that. Someone in his staff was to be in a world of trouble, and pain he thought cruelly.

Loke fixed his glare directly to the mer-King "To you, Jude" he watched the mer-King's fury grow with just his name, "I am Leo, leader of the Zodiac. I am only Loke to my friends, and that pleasure certainly does not extend to you."

"Kill him you insolent fools" he boomed to the dwindling number of guards left in the room – Loke had already disposed of a portion of them already, but as Jude had used the royal guard enlistment as a common punishment for those he deemed criminals he had plenty still remaining who though hesitant followed their King's orders going in for the strange newcomer.

"Does that mean we are friends? I'm afraid I don't remember you", Loke continued to take placement in front of Lucy as he fought off the King's merguards, his attacks were enhanced by a golden light surrounding his fists or feet when used.

"That is not your fault Lucy, the fault lies squarely on your fathers' shoulders. I am a celestial sprit and leader of the Zodiacs, I was contracted to your mother and was also a close friend of hers." He was currently fighting off a team of 5 he punched one in the stomach and rammed him into another one – with a push of golden light they were both flung to the far end of the room bouncing off a wall and onto the floor.

"Then why, father" she tore her gaze from the impressive display Loke was giving as he took on guard after guard to look with fury at her father, "why do I not know this man? You obviously do, so why did you keep mamas friend from me? And why did you tell me I didn't have any celestial magic?"

"ENOUGH LUCY! It is not for you to ask questions – I am the KING. You are the princess and you are here to marry Prince Dan and I have had ENOUGH OF THIS", he boomed out and Lucy was reminded why her father was the mer-King, he held significant power, especially in the ocean. He flung one arm out which swept Loke to the side by the forceful movement of water, the other arm he formed his hand into a claw shape and forced it upwards before bringing it closer to himself – this action formed a twister of water around Lucy and dragged her forcefully to her father's side.

"LUCY!", Loke called out to her, he pushed off the wall he'd been flung against, reaching for her to no avail as she was ripped far from him, a sea of merguards now littered his path to her. He started for her mowing down as many merguards as he could, but they vastly outnumbered him and he was growing weaker with every minute he was out here – he'd been kept away from the celestial spirit world too long to hold his own power anymore and as her first summons Lucy had already done well to keep him out for longer than a minute. Not, he thought wistfully, that she'd have any idea about that, her father had obviously kept all notion of celestial magic a secret from her and she'd likely not have registered the drop in her power the longer Loke was out. But he was painfully aware as each of his punches held less and less of his regulus light that his time was limited.

"Hi Lucy, you are looking just lovely today my lovely bride", Dan was a slime ball of the highest degree by all of Lucy's deductions of the merman over the years. He did whatever he could to get the best outcome for himself, it hadn't failed her notice that her supposed fiancé hadn't come to her rescue at any time (he hadn't even tried to get her away from Loke, which whilst she certainly hadn't wanted that, it certainly would have made sense for her fiancé to try to get her back from a strange man who was trying to stop the wedding). It had simply been too much effort for him to intervene and he'd let her father orchestrate his army instead, Lucy was pretty sure he wouldn't have won either – she'd only known Loke around 10 minutes but his power was evident and Dan was all talk.

"And you, are looking as slimy as ever Dan, but I will never be your bride."

"LUCY"

"Oh sorry, you are looking as slimy as ever Prince Dan, but I will never be your bride. That better father?" she smiled sweetly at the mer-King who was beyond rage at this point.

Lucy had never defied the mer-King so blatantly before, well apart from running away, but she'd never had the guts to stand up to him to his face. But her friends on the surface had taught her so much, and they'd come to save her, even Spetto had helped her by somehow getting Loke to her. They all filled her with so much confidence she felt ready to take on her father head on.

He spluttered for words for a few seconds then turned decisively to Dan, "We need but a few minutes to bind you two together – it is harder without two consenting parties but doable. If you want my support to overthrow your father for his crown, I suggest that you control her."

"Right-o!" and with an evil gleam in his eye Dan grabbed Lucy from the water vortex she was still trapped in wrapping his arms tightly around her from behind, in order to perform the wedding without Lucy's consent the mer-King would need all his power so it was up to him to restrain her.

Lucy tried to wriggle out of Dan's grip but she was overcome with bone deep fatigue, she'd never felt so drained of energy before, except she thought when she'd practiced her mermaid magic before – when she'd been practicing for a long time she'd sometimes feel a bit drained like she did now. Panic flashed through her suddenly and she whipped her head to the side to find Loke who was now doubled over on the ground surrounded by a group of merguards, "Loke!" but just as his name came forth he vanished in a shimmer of gold just as quickly as he'd appeared before with a choked out 'sorry'. Not that Lucy could blame him – he'd defeated more than half her father's army single handedly, he was indeed a friend, one whom she never would forget.

"Ha, seems the little kitty has run out of power. Or rather you have daughter – perfect timing", Jude outstretched his arms to the side raising them to clap together above his head, water around Lucy and Dan formed tiny bubble ribbons, weaving together which formed an arch over them both.

"By the powers of the oceans, I Jude Heartfilia, mer-King of the Pacific Ocean do hereby witness and oversee this union between Princess Lucy Heartfilia of the Pacific Ocean and Prince Dan Straight of the Atlantic Ocean."

"Now then, Prince Dan – do you take Princess Lucy as your wife?"

"Oh yes, I very much do", Dan's hands still wrapped around her she repulsed as one wandered higher to grab at her assets, she tried to resist his grasp but with her drained strength she was pretty much immobilised in his arms.

"And do you Princess Lucy take Prince Dan as your husband?" the glare her father gave her could bore holes through her head but she held her head high, "no – I refuse".

"Very well, I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this Lucy", his hands spiralled around the other forming a tight spiral of water between his hands – once the spiral was fully formed, he lifted it in his hands stretching it wide, he swam over to Lucy and Dan then lifted it above them before sliding it down them so it surrounded them. When he released it, the spiral tightened painfully around them both.

"Hey Jude! What's with this?!" Dan wasn't best pleased with the stronghold he was in.

"Now, now Dan, in order to force your union this is what must be done", but there was a wicked glint in the mer-King's eyes – Dan held his uses but he was insufferable, in reality only Lucy need be bound in the spiral but there weren't many opportunities he could enact something against Dan.

And then her father's aura changed, the same level of power came from him but it was darker somehow, the feel of pure evil prickled at her skin, "by the power of the sea serpents, I hereby force this union." Tendril shadows came forth from his fingers shooting towards the pair joining around the water spiral – Lucy could feel the cold of this power as it wrapped tightly around them both.

"This union will be complete with a kiss. Dan, if you could do the honours", Jude permitted one of Dan's arms be released from the spiralling vortex to allow him to force Lucy's head around to face him. His fingers latched on to her chin roughly pulling her head around so he could kiss her, she used every ounce of strength left to resist him but her head was turning slowly towards him as his power outmatched her.

"That, ain't his honour to have!" he'd taken the room by total surprise, all occupants turning towards the new intruder.

Lucy had never been so pleased to see Natsu as she was in that moment, as dishevelled as he was with blood coming from cuts all over him. "Natsu", it came out not much more than a whisper on her breath.

"Hey Luce. You ready to go home?" He gave her a genuine lopsided Natsu smile, his eyes still held fury but they'd softened when their eyes connected.

When Loke had appeared, she felt safe and empowered to defy her father. When Natsu appeared before her she felt everything, she was mad he'd put himself (and goodness knows who else he'd dragged down) in danger to save her, but she was unquestionably relieved to see him. He usually made her infuriated at his recklessness but he always meant well, she loved all her new friends on the surface she really did. But Natsu, she realised that the love she felt for him was different, special – he was the fire in her world, he'd warmed every corner with his infectious optimism and charm. She smiled brightly back at him, "yeah, take me home Natsu".

"Well, you heard her. Now, you best let go of my princess buddy", he glared back at Dan raising his fist which was alight, he'd made fire underwater!

Lucy pulled out some power of her own to thwart her fathers plan - we'll loop back to the rest of the gang soon too.

Thank you to all new followers and likes - hope you're all enjoying this tail!

LayLay lives: I hope you like Natsu's new trick, he's Natsu after all - water can't stop his flames for long!

FireShifter: Thanks! I'm not sure she was ready for what was coming but I think she did pretty well!