I said this chapter would be out quickly and I meant it. This chapter will be the end of the quick updates for now, so you all will have to wait a little bit until the next chapter comes out; gotta update my Akame ga Kill fic, you know? Well this chapter will conclude Lucy and Loke's little arc, and will get the Tower of Heaven arc fully underway. Like I mentioned last chapter, I'm going to gloss over Loke's backstory with Karen, because there's like almost a whole chapter dedicated to that so why bother retelling something we all know already. Lastly, in this chapter we'll learn why Natsu didn't choose Erza as his first mate. I'm sure the reason won't be too shocking, but it will make sense. Also did any of you watch the final episode of Fairy Tail 2014?! That episode was so great, and had so much nostalgia and references in it. They did a great job on the final episode. I'm sad that the anime is going on hiatus for awhile, but it makes sense because the anime is very rapidly approaching where the manga is currently at. So they need to give the manga enough time to get ahead, or possibly even finish. But Hiro Mashima announced that the next anime project is already in the works and that he's personally helping with it, so that's got me super excited! I just hope we won't have to wait too long for more Fairy Tail anime goodness, plus we got the second movie coming out hopefully sometime this year as well! I know many of you have been looking forward to this chapter, so let's get straight to the fic!
"Speech"
"Thought"
Magic
"Celestial Spirit King"
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They're all still owned by Hiro Mashima.
(The Next; Fairy Tail Construction Site)
"Back off ice princess!" Natsu growled, butting heads with Gray. "I don't want to have to kick your ass in front of everyone!"
"HA! I'd like to see you try that, ash for brains!" Gray shot back, as he glared at the dual dragon slayer. Both mages were covered in bandages, while they continued to bicker and fight.
"What's up with those two?" Elfman asked Mirajane, staring at the duo from his place at the makeshift bar. "They've been like that since they got here."
"I heard a pillow fight escalated into a full out brawl during their last mission." Mirajane said with a smile, as she wiped off the counter. The white-haired barmaid looked at Natsu with affection in her bright blue eyes. "Oh Natsu, one second you act all serious and cool and the next you're like a big kid. You can rally everyone to your side, and put a smile on their faces at the same time. You may not know it, but you're the heart of this guild. When we're down you motivate us all to get right back up."
"Juvia hopes Gray-sama and Natsu are okay." Juvia thought, peeking at both mages from behind a nearby wall.
"Why do you have to take pillow fighting so fucking seriously!?" Gray yelled, as he grit his teeth.
"I go all out when I do anything!" Natsu roared, tightly balling his fists. "You're just bitching because you lost!"
"You didn't have to set the fucking pillows on fire when you threw them!" Gray shouted, as he shoved Natsu. "And what?! More like you lost!"
"How do you determine who wins a pillow fight?" Juvia thought, quirking a blue eyebrow.
"Lucy!" Both mages yelled simultaneously, as they turned to face the blonde. "I won didn't I?!"
"For the love of God! Can you two please knock it off for five fucking seconds!?" Lucy yelled, turning to glare at both mages. "You especially Natsu! Stop this petty bickering!"
"Sorry." Gray said, as he hung his head. "Holy shit, she was as scary as Erza right there!"
"Yeah, sorry Luce." Natsu said in an apologetic tone, rubbing the back of his head.
"*Sigh* I'm sorry too Natsu. I shouldn't have snapped at you guys like that." Lucy said, as she poked at the food on her plate. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now."
"What's up Luce?" Natsu asked, taking a seat next to his mate. "You seem like you're upset, or something. You know you can always talk to me whenever you need to."
"Thanks for the offer..." Lucy said, as she placed a discrete kiss on Natsu's cheek. "But I think I'll pass." The blonde celestial spirit mage was about to take another bite of her food, but a sudden commotion at the other end of the bar caught her attention.
"Hey, have you seen Loki?"
"Loke are you here?"
"Where is Loke?"
Lucy turned her head to see a group of girls gathered at the other end of the bar. All of girls bombarded Mirajane with questions, all of them pertaining to Loke's whereabouts. The girls all looked upset, as if something terrible had just happened to them.
"Huh, what's going on over there?" Lucy asked, quirking a blonde eyebrow.
"I recognize some of them." Natsu said, as he scratched his chin. "I've seen a couple of those girls with Loke before. I guess they're all claiming to be his girlfriend, or something."
"Loke broke up with me last night! He never even told me why!"
"Oh no, the same thing happened to me!"
"Me too!"
"Why would he do something like that?!"
"I-I don't know." Mirajane replied nervously, waving her arms dismissively. But this didn't stop the girls from asking her even more questions.
"Did he find some other girl!?"
"Who is this bitch!? Is she in this guild?!"
"I...uh...um..." Mirajane began to sputter, as she tried to come up with some type of response. But the white-haired barmaid couldn't come up with anything, so she did the only thing she could think of. "Lucy! A little help over here!" Instantly all of the girls questioning Mirajane wiped around to face Lucy, an angry look in all of their eyes. Lucy gulped as the girls began to stalk towards her.
"Who's that?"
"She's kinda cute..."
"And she's got huge breasts!"
"Is she Loke's new girl?"
"N-Natsu?" Lucy said in a worried tone, tugging on the dragon slayer's vest. "A little help, please!"
"*Sigh* Alright, I'll handle this." Natsu groaned out, as he slide off his seat. "When I give the signal, you book it." The dragon slayer inhaled deeply, before he unleashed a stream of orange flames directly into the ground. A cloud of dust and debris was immidiately kicked up, which created an improvised smokescreen. The girls began to cough and sputter as the debris clouded their vision. "Now Luce! Run for it! I'll meet you back at your place!"
"Thanks Natsu!" Lucy called out, running in the direction of her apartment. "And Mira! Don't get me involved next time!"
"Damn it she got away!"
"Let's chase after her!"
"Yeah, we've gotta question her!"
"Well Lucy better lay low for a while. Those girls looked really upset." Mirajane said, as she watched the group of girls run off...in the opposite direction of where Lucy had gone.
"Yeah...but that wasn't very nice Mira." Natsu said, causing the white-haired barmaid to pout cutely.
"But Natsu, I couldn't think of anything else to do. I needed some help there." Mirajane said, as fake tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
"Okay, you can knock off the crocodile tears Mira." Natsu said, giving the white-haired beauty a knowing look. "I know you too well, you could have easily dealt with those girls. You just wanted to mess with Lucy a little."
"Oh poo, you're know fun Natsu!" Mirajane whined, as she crossed her arms under her chest, which had the added effect of giving Natsu a generous eyeful of her ample cleavage. "I can never get away with teasing you anymore."
"You can tease me all you want Mira, but ease off Luce a little." Natsu said, his eyes still firmly locked on Mirajane's bouncing breasts.
"Natsu..." Mirajane said, snapping her fingers in front of the dragon slayer's face. "My eyes are up here."
"Huh? Oh shit, sorry about that Mira!" Natsu said, as he rubbed the back of his head in embarassment. "I thought I was being a little more discrete about that."
"Natsu, you were practically drooling." Mirajane said, before she got a seductive look in her eyes. The white-haired barmaid smirked lustfully as she leaned forward, which allowed Natsu to practically look down her dress. "You know Natsu, if you wanna look at them so badly I can give you a private show later."
"Sorry Mira, but that'll have to wait." Natsu said, causing Mirajane's seductive facade to immidiately falter. "I have to deal with Erza first, before I can do anything with you."
"Oh you're no fair Natsu! Why do I have to wait!?" Mirajane complained, as she let out an annoyed huff. But Mirajane squeaked in surprise when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her close. Looking up, Mirajane saw that Natsu's face was only a few inches away from her's.
"I'm sorry but you'll just have to be patient Mira." Natsu said, a wide smirk spreading across his face. Mirajane's eyes shot wide open when Natsu's leaned forward and briefly captured her lips in a passionate kiss, but it was nothing more than a quick peck. But the small kiss was enough to set fireworks off in Mirajane's heart. As Natsu gazed into Mirajane's eyes he remembered what the voices of his magic had told him a few days earlier, after he had found out Juvia liked Gray. "Remember good things come to those who wait." With that Natsu left a flustered Mirajane to bask in the afterglow of her first kiss with the man she loved.
(Ten Minutes Later; Lucy's Apartment)
"So that's everything that's happened Crux-jiji." Lucy explained, as the elderly cross-shaped celestial spirit floated in front of her bed. "I...definitely overreacted when I slapped Loke...but the more I think about it, the more I feel like he wasn't joking." The celestial spirit merely hummed in response.
"That's some pretty heavy stuff, Luce." Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Can you please investigate any celestial spirit mages Loke has been involved with in the past?" Lucy asked the celestial spirit. Crux nodded his head and appeared to immidiately fall asleep.
"Uh Luce..." Natsu said, tapping his mate on the shoulder. "I hate to break it to ya, but it looks like that guy fell asleep."
"No, he's simply searching for information." Lucy said, as she leaned back on her bed.
"Are you sure?" Natsu asked, looking at the celestial spirit skeptically. "Because I'm almost sure he's snoring right now."
"Crux-jiji is an expert on celestial sprit magic." Lucy explained, as she moved a few stray pink locks out of her eyes. "He knows everything that's going on in both the human and celestial spirit world. He even knows which spirits are summoned by which mages." Natsu and Happy nearly jumped out of their skin when Crux suddenly let out a loud scream. "Oh, you found something Crux-jiji?"
"Hmmm..." Crux grumbled, readjusting himself in the air. "In the spirit world, one's personal activities are still private, so I can't be too precise. But I found out that the celestial spirit mage Mr. Loke was in contact with is...Ms. Karen Lilica."
"Karen Lilica!" Lucy exclaimed, as her eyes widened.
"Karen Lilica? I think I've heard that name before..." Natsu said, rubbing his chin as he tried to remember where he heard the name. "But I can't seem to remember."
"She was a very famous celestial spirit mage." Lucy explained, as she grabbed a copy of the Weekly Sorcerer that was on her nightstand. She found a particular issue and showed the cover to Natsu. "And she's a beautiful woman who's been on the cover of Weekly Sorcerer magazine several times."
"Oh, that's where I've heard of her." Natsu said, nodding his head. "Mira did a photoshoot with her one time, and told me about her when she got back."
"Yeah, but I heard she died on a mission a few years ago." Lucy said in a slightly saddened tone. "If I remember right, she was a member of Blue Pegasus." The blonde celestial spirit mage then turned back to Crux. "So, what does she have to do with Loke?"
"Hmm, that is all I can say." Crux said, causing a frown to spread across Lucy's face. After a few moments it appeared as if Crux fell asleep again.
"Well, it looks like he's actually looking something up after all." Happy said, as he raised his paw.
"No, he's actually sleeping this time." Lucy corrected, causing Happy to facefault. "Karen and Loke..." Lucy closed her eyes as she went into deep thought. After a few moments Lucy's eyes shot open as a sudden thought occurred to her.
"What's wrong Luce?" Natsu asked, as he placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder.
"I feel kind of funny." Lucy replied, clutching a hand to her head. Natsu was about ask how he could help, but the door to Lucy's apartment suddenly burst open. Ready to attack the intruder, Natsu was surprised when Gray ran into the room.
"Lucy! Natsu! We got big trouble!" Gray yelled, as he came to a skidding stop in the middle of the room. "Loke left Fairy Tail!"
"What?!" Lucy and Natsu exclaimed, leaping off the bed.
"Why would he do something like that!?" Lucy asked, as she quickly threw on her boots.
"Nobody know!" Gray replied, pointing out a nearby window. "But everyone is out looking for him right now!" Gray clenched his teeth and tightly balled his fists. "That guy has been acting strange for a while now."
"Could it be..." Lucy muttered to herself, as she finished lacing up her boots. "Natsu! You go help everyone look for Loke, I think I may have a clue!" Before Gray or Natsu had a chance to question the blonde, she bolted out of the apartment; both men were surprised when she hopped out of the window instead of using the door.
"Oi Lucy!" Gray exclaimed, running up to the window Lucy had jumped out of. "What's the big idea!? Where are you going?!"
"You heard her ice princess." Natsu said, as he grabbed Gray by arm and began to drag him out of the apartment. "Let Lucy do her thing while we look for Loke."
(Thirty Minutes Later; Remote Location South of Magnolia)
Loke had a solemn look on his face, as he stared at the aging grave in front of him. The grave was located on a small, isolated cliff, and was surrounded on three sides by a beautiful waterfall. The orange-haired man ran his hand over the inscription on the tombstone, Here lies Karen Lilica. Loke let out a long sigh, as he ran his thumb over Karen's name.
"So this is where you were, I had a feeling." Loke immidiately bolted upright when he heard a feminine behind him. He turned his head to see Lucy smiling at him. "Everyone is worried sick, and looking all over for you."
"Lucy, what are you doing here?" Loke asked, turning to face the blonde celestial spirit mage.
"This is Karen's grave, isn't it?" Lucy asked, which caused Loke's eyes to widen. "Celestial spirit mage Karen Lilica, was your summoner...Celestial spirit Loke, or more accurately Leo the Lion."
"Heh, you're something else you know." Loke said, a sad smile spreading across his face. "I should've known you'd figure out my secret."
"I'm a celestial spirit mage who's made a lot of contracts with spirits." Lucy explained, clasping her hands behind her back. "It took me a while, but I finally sensed the 'real' you. But...I really should have noticed sooner. Just so much has been happening lately that I never really payed much attention. Normally, when the summoner who holds your key dies, your contract is broken. You're then forced back to the celestial spirit world until your next summoner appears. Karen died, yet you're still here. There must be a reason why you can't return to the celestial spirit world." Loke chuckled darkly when Lucy said this. "Just as humans can't survive in the celestial spirit world, spirits can't survive long in the human world. Your life force will continue to drain away until you die."
"It's been three years already..." Loke said, which caused Lucy to gasp.
"Three years!? I'm stunned you made it past one!" Lucy exclaimed in a shocked tone.
"You're right..." Loke said, as he rubbed the back of his head. "I've reached the end of my line. I'm running out of strength."
"I can help you!" Lucy exclaimed, taking a step towards Loke. "Tell me why you can't return to the celestial spirit world, and I'll try to open the gate for you!"
"I don't need your help." Loke calmly said, as he shook his head.
"What are you talking about?! If we don't act soon you'll die!" Lucy yelled, taking another step towards Loke. "Please, let me help you!"
"The reason I can't return is quite simply really." Loke said, as he lowered his head. "I broke the sacred bond between summoner and spirit...and I've been exiled forever."
"Exiled...forever?" Lucy breathed out, her brown eyes widening considerably.
"This is my own sin." Loke said, as he raised his head and locked eyes with Lucy. "I'll die without any complaints. I'm a traitorous spirit. I killed my own summoner Karen."
"You killed Karen...You killed your summoner?" Lucy repeated, her voice full of disbelief. "That can't be right..."
"A spirit that kills his summoner cannot return to the celestial spirit world." Loke explained, as he gazed at the grave behind him. "I will disappear right here."
"But...you can't." Lucy whispered, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"It happened three years ago." Loke said, as he hung his head. "Karen belonged to the guild Blue Pegasus. She always used to mistreat and abuse her spirits. Using us for menial tasks, and treating us as if we were tools." Loke suddenly tightly clenched his fists. "She even used Aries as a shield once. One day Karen was beating Aries, and she threatened to keep her trapped in the human world for seven days as a punishment. I couldn't stand sitting back and watching anymore, so I swapped places with Aries. She was furious of course, but I wanted her to terminate mine and Aries' contracts. She refused, so I told her I'd stay in the human world until she broke our contracts. As long as I remained in the human world she wouldn't be able to summon other spirits. I told her to meet when she was ready to break our contracts. Dozens of times Karen came to me and tried to negotiate terms, but I would only accept the termination of our contracts. But Karen was just so damn stubborn! So eventually three months passed, and by that time I had become accustomed to staying in the human world. I had finally decided to forgive Karen, but when I returned to Blue Pegasus I learned that Karen had died during a mission. After that I-" Loke suddenly began to wobble, before he collapsed onto the ground.
"Loke!" Lucy yelled, running up to the orange-haired man and helping him sit upright.
"I'm almost...out of time." Loke breathed out, as he clutched his head in pain.
"Don't say that!" Lucy exclaimed, grabbing onto Loke's shoulders. "Wait! Please just hold on!"
"*Pant* Because of me...Karen couldn't summon any of her other spirits." Loke said, as he placed his face on his hand. "*Pant* And in her state, she went on a mission and lost her life...I killed her, or was at least the cause of her death." Loke removed the hand from his face as it began to disappear. "Ever since that day, I've been unable to return to the celestial spirit world. This may be the end for me, but even so I'm happy to have met such an amazing celestial spirit mage." Loke turned to Lucy and gave her a weak smile. "Thank you Lucy."
"Hold on!" Lucy yelled, tightly gripping Loke's shoulders. "We're nakama! I'll help you for sure! I'm not gonna let you give up just yet!"
"Give my regards to everyone in guild." Loke said, as he ignored Lucy.
"If you go back to the celestial spirit world you can regain your life force!" Lucy exclaimed, beginning to sweat nervously. "I promise I'll send yo back there!"
"It can't be done..." Loke said weakly, as more of his body began to fade away.
"Please! Don't you think it's strange!? After what you told me, there's no way anyone would think you killed Karen! It wasn't your fault, it was an accident!" Lucy screamed, pulling Loke in for a tight hug. "Open! Gate of the Lion! Return Loke to the celestial spirit world! Open! Please!"
"Lucy..." Loke said, as he gently pushed the blonde away. "It's fine...so please just stop..."
"It's not fine!" Lucy screamed, gripping Loke's arms. "How can I just sit back and let one of my nakama disappear right in front of me!? What would Natsu and the others think of me if I didn't even try?! I'd never be able to live with myself!" Loke's eyes widened when the amount of magical power Lucy was using spiked dramatically.
"Lucy! You can't use so much power at once!" Loke yelled, as his eyes filled with worry.
"Have you been listening to me?! I said I'd save you for sure!" Lucy exclaimed, her entire body beginning to glow brightly with magical energy. "I'll just force your gate open, and send you back to the spirit world!"
"It won't open Lucy!" Loke shouted, as he tried to push the blonde away, but she wouldn't let go of him. "Celestial spirits who disobey their summoners cannot return to the celestial spirit world!" Loke began to panic as Lucy's body began to glow even brighter. "You have to stop! You're starting to merge with the spirit energy! If you keep this up you'll disappear with me! What will Natsu think if you suddenly disappeared!?" Tears began to flow from Loke's eyes. "Please don't add to my sins!"
"What sins!?" Lucy yelled, her magical energy spiking once again. "If that's the rule in the celestial spirit spirit world than I'll change it! That's something Natsu would do!" Both Loke and Lucy gasped when a new incredible source of spiritual energy formed behind them. A giant vortex began to form in front of the waterfall in front of them. "What's happening?!"
"You...you've gotta be kidding me..." Loke breathed out, as his eyes widened. "No way..." Before Lucy and Loke appeared a massive and imposing figure, adorned in brilliant armor. "The Celestial Spirit King?! Wh-What...are you doing here?!"
"Did you say k-king?" Lucy asked, glancing at the stunned spirit beside her. "You mean the most powerful celestial spirit of all?!"
"My old friend, we who pledge oaths to humans..." The Celestial Spirit King's voice boomed, as he addressed Loke. "We who bear keys, we are forbidden from killing our summoners. Though not directly, you did indirectly cause your summoners death Leo. It is forbidden for you to return to the celestial spirit world."
"Oi! Hold on a second!" Lucy exclaimed, standing onto her feet. "Don't you think you're being unreasonable?!"
"Please, just give it up Lucy!" Loke pleaded, as he reached out towards the blonde.
"Old friend, that's the one 'rule' I cannot not change." The Celestial Spirit king said, looking down at Lucy.
"He's been suffering and basically dying for three years!" Lucy shouted, as she glared at the towering figure before her. "He did all of this for his friend! It was for Aries' sake, so he couldn't help it!"
"What you say is true, and my old friend's wish pains my heart but-"
"This isn't about old friends! This about a friend right before your eyes!" Lucy exclaimed, gesturing towards Loke. "Please listen to me Celestial Spirit King!" Once again Lucy's magical energy surged, and she was bathed in brilliant yellow light. "Can't you see this all just an unfortunate accident!? I'm begging you, Loke isn't at fault here! I'll never believe he is anything but innocent!"
"That's enough Lucy! I don't need forgiveness!" Loke roared, as tears continued to stream down his cheeks. "I want to atone for my sin! Disappearing into the dark abyss...never being seen again...is fine with me!"
"I won't let you do that!" Lucy screamed, the ground underneath her began to tremble because of the amount of magical energy she was releasing. Loke didn't notice that Lucy's mate mark was now faintly glowing. "You heard what I said earlier! What would Natsu think of me if I didn't try to save you?! He always gives his all to protect his nakama! He almost died saving me when Phantom Lord attacked! So now it's my time to step up and protect my nakama!" Loke's eyes shot open when all of Lucy's celestial spirits appeared around her. The celestial spirits all stood around Lucy protectively. "It's not a sin I tell you! Caring about your nakama's feelings and wellbeing isn't a sin!"
"This many celestial spirits...at one time." Loke thought in shock at what he was seeing. "It's incredible..." Suddenly the spirits surrounding Lucy disappeared, and the blonde collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. "Lucy!"
"My nakama all feel the same way too." Lucy said, digging her fingers into the ground. "As a celestial spirit yourself, you should understand Loke and Aries' feelings too!"
"You almost overdid it right there!" Loke exclaimed, as he helped Lucy sit upright. "It was only for a moment, but you could have died!"
"She reminds me so much of her mother...Layla, I see amazing potential in your daughter." The Celestial Spirit King thought, gazing down at the blonde. "If you would go so far for my old friend...maybe the one 'rule' is at fault here." A smile spread across Lucy's face and Loke's eyes slowly widened. "You committed a great sin for your comrade Aries' sake, Leo. I'll try and save that Leo, old friend. For the sake of that shining and radiant bond, I shall make one exception. Leo...I'll allow you to return to the spirit world."
"You've sure got a benevolent side don't ya, you old bearded-man?" Lucy said with a wide grin on her face. The Celestial Spirit King gave the blonde a toothy grin of his own.
"You were falsely accused, Leo." The Celestial Spirit King said, beginning to disappear in a swirling vortex of starlight. "Thank the guidance of the stars. Even after all of this, if you still are compelled to atone for your sins then I order you to become a pillar for your friends and live on. Those are the most important friends in your life. There is much nobility in the willingness to lay down your life...to protect those that are precious to you."
"Haha!" Lucy laughed weakly, as she smiled at Loke. "What did I tell you?!"
"This doesn't absolve my sins..." Loke thought, fading away back into the celestial spirit world. The spirit of the lion wiped his tears away, and gently grasped one of Lucy's hands. "But you've given me the strength to carry on."
"Thank you." Loke's disembodied voice said, his form fully returned to the spirit world. "I look forward to working with you...and being your backbone..."
"Me too." Lucy said, tightly gripping the new golden key in her hand.
Up in a large tree overlooking Karen's grave, Natsu Dragneel sat with a small smile on his face. The dual dragon slayer couldn't help feeling a rush of pride, as he watched his mate clutch Loke's key close to her heart. "That's my girl."
(The Next Day; Fairy Tail Construction Site)
"So you're a celestial spirit?" Gray asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it." Loke replied, as he nervously rubbed the back of his head.
"Huh, I never noticed." Gray said, with a shrug of his shoulders.
"You know now that I think about it..." Natsu muttered, as he sniffed Loke; causing the orange-haired man to cringe slightly. "You smell a little different than everyone else."
"I guess celestial spirits have a different scent." Loke said with a nervous chuckle.
"Anyway, are you just going to carry on like you used to, Loke?" Gray asked, causing a small smile to spread across Loke's face as he adjusted his glasses.
"Those days are in my past now that Lucy is my summoner." Loke said, as he turned to face the blonde. "When Lucy is in trouble, I'll gallantly show up and rescue her. I'm her knight in shining armor." Lucy squeaked in surprise when Loke suddenly scooped her up bridal style. "Speaking of which, let's discuss our plans for the future." However, Loke didn't make it three steps before he was stopped by a strong hand gripping his shoulder. He turned his head to see a sight that caused his heart to stop beating for a moment. Natsu Dragneel was looking at him with eyes full of rage.
"You may be her knight..." Natsu said deathly calm, tightening his grip on Loke's shoulder; causing the spirit to yelp in pain. "But I'm her guardian dragon, and I don't like pesky knights stealing my princess." With a low growl, Natsu strengthened his grip once again. Loke had to bite his tongue to stop himself from screaming in pain. "I can handle a little flirting, because Luce is a stunning girl so it's bound to happen. But if you ever try to take her from me...I will destroy you. Do you understand?"
"M-Message received!" Loke quickly replied, as he quickly released Lucy. "I'm sorry Lucy."
"It's fine Loke, but just remember that I'm with Natsu. Like he said, if you want a flirt a little go right ahead. But don't try anything too funny, because it won't work. I love Natsu, and I don't want to be with anyone else." The blonde celestial spirit mage reached into her pocket and pulled out Loke's key. "Alright, you can go now Loke."
"Hang on!" Loke exclaimed, as he began to dig through his own pockets. Lucy quirked an eyebrow when Loke suddenly pulled out four tickets. "Here, take these."
"What are these?" Lucy asked, scanning over the shining tickets.
"Well, since I can't stay in the human world for long periods anymore...I've got these tickets for a resort hotel that I planned on inviting my girlfriends to." Loke explained, as he winked at Lucy. "You all really helped me out so I'm giving these to you as a 'thank you' gift. You all should go and have a great time."
"Ah! I can't wait to go to the beach!" Lucy cheered, hugging the ticket close to her chest.
"Man! I've never stayed at such a fancy hotel!" Gray exclaimed, as he stared at the ticket with wide eyes.
"I can't wait to christen the bed in our hotel room." Natsu whispered hotly into Lucy's ear, causing the blonde's face to flush bright red.
"I've already given a ticket to Erza. Have fun!" Loke called out, as he disappeared in a flash of light.
"What are you guys waiting for?" Erza asked, walking up dressed in her beach apparel. The scarlet-haired knight was towing her usual cart full of gear behind her. "This trip is the perfect chance to take my mind off Natsu and Lucy."
(The Next Night; Balcony Outside Erza's Hotel Room)
Erza released a content sigh, as she reclined in the lounge chair on her balcony. The scarlet-haired knight was exhausted from her day full of fun and leisure. She even managed to speak with Lucy earlier, and joined the team in a game of volleyball. However, Erza still had a difficult time speaking with Natsu by himself and still avoided him whenever possible. The dragon slayer had hurt her, and she didn't think she could handle talking to him right now. As Erza relaxed, her mind began to drift to a long forgotten part of her memories. Her mind managed to wander to dark time in her life, a time full of hardships and tears. A time she had hoped to never think of again. A time Natsu had helped her forget. Erza bolted upright covered in a cold sweat. The scarlet-haired knight was panting slightly, as she ran her hand down her face.
"Was that all just a dream?" Erza asked herself, as she got off the lounge chair and headed back into her room. "I must have nodded off..." Erza gazed at her scarlet locks in the sliding glass mirror. She smiled softly and re-equiped back into her armor. "I'm most at ease in armor after all. Heh, there's no changing a girl like me."
"Erza." A soft voice said from behind her door. Erza froze when she heard the voice, it was definitely Natsu. After a quick knock, the dual dragon slayer entered the room. "They've got a casino downstairs. Want to come check it out with us?"
"You know I don't like gambling." Erza said, not turning to face the dual dragon slayer.
"Come on, we both know that's a lie." Natsu said, as he slowly walked towards Erza. "Lucy and Gray are already down there playing."
"*Sigh* Fine." Erza huffed, immidiately being bathed in a bright light. When the light had died down, Erza was wearing a beautiful purple dress with red rose patterns along the sides and bottom. "I'll be down in a few minutes, just give me some time to finish getting ready." However, the dragon slayer didn't move from his spot. Natsu's continued presence was really starting to upset Erza. "Didn't you hear me?! I said I'll be down! Now leave!"
"Erza..." Natsu said quietly, as he tightly balled his fists. The dragon slayer's head was lowered, his pink locks hiding his eyes. "Why have you been avoiding me?"
"W-What are you talking about? I haven't-"
"Yes you have!" Natsu yelled, raising his head to reveal a few tears falling from his eyes. "We've barely said fifty words to each other the past week! Whenever I ask you to hang out you're always busy! You never speak to me when we're not with other people! You've been acting weird ever since I told you I was dating Luce!"
"Please don't bring that up." Erza said harshly, as she glared at Natsu. "I don't need to hear it again."
"Erza, it's been killing me to see you so miserable! I know you're hurting right now..." Natsu said, walking up to Erza and placing his hands on her shoulders. "But if you just let me explain you'd understand! And we can all be happy again!"
"You keep saying that!" Erza screamed in Natsu's face, as her own tears started to pour from her left eye. "What could you possibly say that would make things better?! Than can fix my broken heart!? I loved you! I've loved you for years, but you chose her instead of me! You know how much it hurt me to hear that?!"
"I love you too damn it!" Natsu yelled, pulling Erza in for a tight hug. Erza's eyes were wide open as tears continued to stream down her cheek. "I love you so much it hurts!"
"W-What?" Erza asked, as she stood completely still. "H-How can you love me when you're dating Lucy?"
"I love both of you!" Natsu exclaimed, tightening his hold on the scarlet-haired knight. Erza was about to speak, but Natsu cut her off. "I tried to tell you before that it has to do with me being raised by two dragon kings. Normal dragons are driven to claim one mate in their life. However, dragon kings take on multiple mates to ensure that their magic is passed down to the next generation. Dragon kings pick their mates instinctively at first sight, and are driven to love their mates and make them happy. These traits are then passed down to dragon slayers."
"So...your magic is pushing you take on multiple mates?" Erza asked, as she looked up at Natsu.
"Yes, I know who a few of my chosen mates are, you and Luce are two of them. I love you both so much Erza, you have no idea." Natsu said, hugging Erza's head to his chest. "It's been actually hurting me to see you so sad and down for the past few days. I only want you to be happy Erza, to see you smile. If you're willing we can still be together Erza, you'll just have to share me with other girls." Natsu noticed that Erza was about to protest, but he stopped her before she could. "Erza, don't you think for one second that I'll neglect any of my girls. I'll make time for all of them, and love all of them equally. There won't be any favorites or top girls. Because you're all special and amazing to me." Natsu gently cupped Erza's cheeks so that he could gaze into her warm brown eyes. "Please Erza, the dragon needs his knight."
"I...I don't know what to say." Erza whispered, as she looked deep into Natsu's eyes; trying to see any hint of deceit. Seeing none, she decided that maybe she could open her heart up to this new idea. "I still love you Natsu, and I don't want to lose you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, by your side." A feeling of hope began to build inside of Natsu. "I...I think I can give this whole 'sharing' thing a chance. But...I need to know one thing first."
"Sure, ask me anything Erza." Natsu said, gently wiping away the tears in Erza's eye.
"Why didn't you pick me to be your first mate?" Erza asked, which caused Natsu's eyes to widen momentarily.
"*Sigh* I could give you the easy answer and just say it was because of Mira's little plan." Natsu said, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say. "But that wouldn't be the true reason...The reason why I didn't pick you first...is because I'm not the only man you love."
And done! There's the pick reveal! Natsu isn't the only man Erza loves! I think you can guess who the other man is. Even though I hate JeRza, it's undeniable that Erza holds special feelings for you know who. So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Let me know! Remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW, WE NEED MORE REVIEWS, and PM me any ideas you have for this fic. This chapter marks the end for the quick updates, so you'll have to wait for the next chapter. So until next time, I'm outta here!