Chapter 44
Konsilisto- No, I don't mind. Rarely do I ever get those kinds of reviews anyway. It's usually praise or just people saying one-word reviews. Or people being quite…passionate in their views on my stories. Do you know how hard it is to go back and fix mistakes, both minor and major when no one points them out? Or even just knowing if you're doing a good enough job at all? It's not easy. Recently my friend told me to make a policy where the audience has to reach a certain limit of reviews, something small like three to four reviews a chapter, before the next chapter is uploaded. I personally don't know what to feel about that. On one hand, it'll probably get people to review, but on the other, they're not obligated to do so. Plus it kind of feels scummy to me for some reason. I don't know.
Interesting back story, though it sounds more for a Chaos Lord rather than an Aspiring Champion. I guess I'll do more OCs, but I see no point when you get plenty of characters to use already. Then again Chaos is one of those factions that just allows you to make up characters and it wouldn't matter.
Evowizard25- I wouldn't put it like that. I think the other Gods can also gain a foothold without too much trouble. It's just that Tzeentch just has more opportunities that enable it to be done with ease on account of all the powerful mages in the Fairy Tail world.
Update (5/3)
Lucy's apartment
Lucy grumbled to herself as she tried to figure out how to help Loke with his problem. Reading through a book about Celestial Spirits, Lucy grew frustrated when she found nothing from the book.
"C'mon!" Yelled Lucy before closing the book in frustration. "There has to be something that can summon the Celestial Spirit King. If we don't find a way to summon him, Loke will…" Lucy couldn't finish that sentence as she thought of what would happen and she closed her eyes in pain. She then opened them up again in determination and renewed her efforts to help her guildmate, who she discovered was actually a Celestial Spirit. And not just any Celestial Spirit, but the leader of the 12 Zodiac spirits, Leo the Lion.
She uncovered the truth after the fight with Gajeel. When she was helping Loke out of some rubble, she saw that a loose metal bar had been impaled in his gut, but rather than blood being spilled out, golden stars and glitter were spilling from Loke's body and fading away. After getting rid of the shock that she experienced from seeing this, Lucy helped Loke out and patched him up as best she could, though she later realized this wasn't needed as Loke's body healed itself up nicely. It was then that Loke, realizing that Lucy knew his secret, promised to explain his situation to the Celestial Mage once the situation with Phantom Lord was over. Once it was and the two were alone in Lucy's apartment, Loke told her the whole story.
Several years ago, he had been under the contract of another Celestial Wizard by the name of Karen Lilica, a famous Blue Pegasus Celestial wizard that several years ago as well. He said that the reason she died was because of him, but it was unintentional and was something that Loke would have never done consciously. It had been purely a result of his actions in order to defend another Celestial Spirit.
Karen, despite her fame and beauty, was a cruel and abusive master that cared little about her Celestial Spirits, often using them as shields for attacks, even if it was unnecessary to do so. Loke, sick and tired of Karen's abuse of her spirits, finally had enough when she threatened to keep another Zodiac Spirit, a female one by the name of Aries, in the human world for an entire week, something that can harm a Celestial Spirit, even fatally so. Loke, disgusted with Karen, demanded that she revoke the contract she had with Loke and Aries. When she refused Loke then decided to teach her a lesson. Using his own magic to keep his gate open, Loke told Karen that, until she either revoked their contract or learned to respect and appreciate the contracts she had with both Loke and Aries, he'll stay in the human world as her spirit, preventing her from summoning another one as she didn't have the strength to do so. At the time, he thought it was the only way to convince Karen that she was in the wrong, but had he known what would happen in the future, he wouldn't have made that ultimatum.
For three months this went on. Three months that sent Karen into a state of desperation and despair. Without a Celestial Spirit, Karen was unable to take the jobs that she normally takes, putting her into a financial crisis. Yet, despite that crisis, she refused to give into Loke's demands, even going so far as tell the spirit, while physically abusing him, that she'll be even harsher than before because of what Loke did. Yet, despite that threat, Loke refused to give in as well and continued to remain in the human world, preventing Karen from summoning another spirit. Eventually, Karen, in desperation, went on a job alone and was killed as a result. Her Guild Master, Bob, tried to dissuade the girl, even offering to give her financial aid until the matter between her and Loke was resolved, but Karen was too prideful for that and paid for it with her life. Bob, disheartened at this tragedy, despite his disapproval and anger at Karen for her treatment of her Celestial Spirits, told Loke the news, much to Loke's horror. To add more pain to the news, when he received the news, Loke was prepared to forgive Karen for her treatment of her spirits. And that wasn't the only source of bad news for causing the death of his Celestial Wizard, even inadvertently, Loke was banished from the Celestial Spirit World. And without access to the Celestial Spirit World, Loke was doomed to permanently fade from existence, one of the few ways that Celestial Spirits can die.
With his contract with Karen now void, Loke left Blue Pegasus, having nothing left there now, and joined Fairy Tail, taking the name Loke and becoming a Fairy Tail Mage, which leads to the situation now. Lucy, upon hearing all that, was both horrified and shocked at everything. When she recovered enough to speak as well as take in what she heard, Lucy asked Loke if he was close to dying then. When he confirmed that, Lucy lost it.
In her view, Loke wasn't responsible for killing Karen. It was Karen's pride and selfishness. If she had just let go of her pride and either apologized for her behavior or asked a fellow Guild mate for help, she would still be alive. After all, that's one of the core things about a Guild. Guild members should always ask fellow members of a guild for help when they need it, even if their pride prevents it. They should always cover each other's backs and stir them in the right direction whenever they do something stupid or wrong. Karen was clearly suffering from the situation that she put herself in, yet she refused to ask her fellow Guild Mates for help, even refusing the master's aid because her pride refused the help that she clearly needed. To Lucy's mind, it's Karen's fault for her death. Not Lokes'. And to have him pay for Karen's mistakes was nothing short of murdering him in her eyes. She then made a promise to Loke to help him get back to the spirit world, no matter what.
Loke, though shocked, told her that it couldn't be done and that only the Celestial Spirit King, the ruler of the Celestial Spirit World can revoke his punishment and he can't be summoned like any other Celestial Spirit. That, however, mattered little to Lucy and she still made that promise for she refused to let her friend die over something like protecting his friend. Thus, she went to work on both finding a way to summon the Celestial Spirit King and get him to revoke the punishment on Loke. Unfortunately, she hit a road bump along the way. That being finding a way of actually summoning the Celestial Spirit King. When she asked one of her silver key Celestial Spirits, Crux, an expert on everything relating to Celestial Spirits and anyone that has previously owned a Celestial Key, he said that he was forbidden from telling Lucy how to summon the Celestial Spirit King, citing old laws in place to prevent it, much to Lucy's frustration. When she asked her other spirits for help, they said that they didn't know how the Celestial Spirit King, despite their wish to help Loke. Very rarely has he been summoned to the Human world by a Celestial Wizard and none of them know how it could be done. Aquarius, however, seemed to know based on her reaction to Lucy's questions, but she just rebuffed the blond when she asked the Celestial Spirit about the subject even further. Thus her current predicament.
Pouting at the lack of information regarding ways to summon the Celestial Spirit King, Lucy sighed before pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Well, if I can't find a way to summon the King through these books, I may as well ask someone for help instead." Said Lucy as she looked at the pile of books that failed to help her. "Well the only one that can help me is Makarov. Let's hope he's still up and awake." With that, Lucy changed into her typical attire and left to go find Makarov, who was most likely helping out rebuild the Guild Hall. Despite being old, the Master wasn't going to sit on his butt and let the rest of the Guild do the work for him. What kind of example would he be giving if he did that?
A decent walk towards the Guild Hall later, Lucy found most of the Guild there, making good progress on rebuilding their Guild Hall. Amidst the rebuilding efforts, Naestra was speaking to Levy and a few others. Judging by Levy's excited look and the notebook in her hands, Levy was ecstatic over something that Naestra said. Arahan, meanwhile, was near her sister, rolling her eyes at the excitement of the blue-haired girl. Despite what she came here to do, Lucy couldn't help but smile at Levy's excitement about the two sisters now that she learned that they were from another world.
When she learned about that, Levy was all over the twins, beaming with excitement. She wanted to know everything about their world. The good. The bad. Everything about the world was open for learning to the Solid Script Mage. Naestra was more than willing to indulge Levy with stories about her old world. In fact, she looked quite happy to do so, seemingly reminiscent of the stories that she was telling Levy. Arahan, however, only told Levy the more violent stories. Ones that talked about the viciousness of the Warriors of Chaos. How a single Chaos warrior can kill off dozens of lesser men with ease or how destructive and suicidal it is to live in Athel Loren, the home for the Wood Elves. She had been present for one of those stories and it left Lucy questioning who would ever willingly live in such a dangerous forest, especially when there were safer lands nearby, according to Naestra. Those types of stories scared Levy, like everyone else, but she still wrote down about them all the same. Her friend was weird like that.
Despite her wanting to hear what story Naestra is telling right now, Lucy had to see Makarov right now. Her reasoning for wanting to see him was that she hoped that, with how old and wise he was, he may have an idea on how to summon the Celestial Spirit King. It was a long shot, but she was working long odds anyway. What's one more going to affect her ability to find a solution for Loke.
Finding Makarov taking a break with a glass of water in hand, Lucy went up to him and spoke.
"Hi, master!" Said Lucy with a smile, noticing just how sweaty he was. "Guess you've been working a lot, huh?" Makarov just laughed a bit at that.
"Well someone has to be when some of the dunderheads here don't like the idea of doing the work that requires them to go on top of a thin support beam." Said Makarov as he looked at the few Fairy Tail wizards working above ground. "But enough of that, I sense you have something to ask me, Lucy. What is it?" Lucy just coughed a bit before speaking.
"I…I want to help Loke out. He's going to die soon and I need your advice." Said Lucy. Upon hearing that, Makarov instantly got serious and told her to explain what was wrong. She then told Makarov about Loke's situation. Who he really is and what she needs to do. After hearing it all, Makarov hummed in thought before speaking.
"Well, I must admit this is a conundrum." Said Makarov while stroking his beard. "As you know, only the Celestial Spirit King has the authority to repeal the punishment on our dear friend Loke. Unfortunately, the way to summon him is quite high. Very high." Upon hearing that, Lucy gasped and spoke up.
"You mean you know how to summon him?" Asked Lucy, forgetting what Makarov just said. Makarov sighed before speaking.
"Yes, but like I said, child. It has a high cost." Said Makarov ominously, causing Lucy to ask him what he meant. "I only know this from a friend, but it's a friend that I trust completely. The Celestial Spirit King can only be summoned by a Celestial Wizard if they sacrifice one of the twelve golden Zodiac keys. Meaning, if you wish to save Loke, you must sacrifice one of your keys to do so." Upon hearing that, Lucy gasped out before looking at her keys, specifically her golden ones.
"You…you mean that in order to save Loke, I have to sacrifice one of my spirits." Said Lucy with no small amount of reluctance in her voice. Makarov just nodded in confirmation before speaking more.
"The sacrifice won't kill the spirit, no, but it'll revoke the contract established between the spirit and its wizard." Explained Makarov. "In addition the key will be destroyed, forcing the Celestial Wizard to find it again if they wish to use that Zodiac Spirit again." Though Lucy was relieved to hear that, she was still not comfortable with the idea of losing one of her spirits, even if only temporarily.
They were her friends. Her family. To just cast them away, even if it's a good cause, felt wrong to her. Her discomfort must have been apparent as Makarov instantly told her something that relieved her.
"Before you go on and decide if you wish to do that, Lucy, try to find another way to summon the Celestial Spirit King." Said Makarov. "Though it's limited, you still have time to figure out another way to summon the Celestial Spirit King. And I may have a solution for your problem." Upon hearing that, Lucy looked at her master in both relief and happiness.
"You do?" Asked Lucy, wondering what his solution was. Makarov simply stroked his chin before replying.
"Well, this is only a theory, but if you try to force open Loke's gate, it may cause the Celestial King to get involved." Said Makarov. "Loke may be forbidden from entering the spirit world at his own free will, but he cannot ignore the command of a Celestial Spirit, even if he's not contracted with them. There is also the possibility of you sending a spirit to the Celestial World with a message for the king. No doubt, he'll listen to you if you provide a strong enough case. That's what I can offer you Lucy I'm afraid. I hope that it'll hope you save, Loke." Lucy just smiled at Makarov before replying that he did more than she could have hoped for. With that, she soon departed, leaving Makarov alone with a proud smile on his face.
"It's good to see the younger generations so full of life and so willing to help out their friends and family in their times of need." Said Makarov before sighing. "If only I did the same with Porlyusica when she needed it." Sighing again, Makarov recalled how he failed his former teammate years ago and how he regretted it ever since.
Night
"Okay, here's hoping that the Celestial Spirit King will listen." Said Lucy as she waited in her apartment for Taurus to come back with news about the Celestial Spirit King coming to Earthland to talk about Loke. After going back to her apartment, Lucy thought long and hard about what to say to the Celestial Spirit King in order to convince him to lift Loke's punishment and allow him entry back into the Celestial Spirit World. She went through several letter revisions and rewrites in order to make her letter as flawless as she possibly could before giving it to Taurus and having him go back to the Celestial Spirit World to deliver her message. The big lug was more than happy to do so. Not just because he was perversely in love with Lucy, but because he also wished to help out his friend and leader, Loke. He, along with many other spirits, felt it was that the punishment for what Loke did was wrong and that it should be rescinded. Unfortunately, none of them had the authority or power to lift his punishment. Several tried to convince the Celestial Spirit King to lift it to no avail. Taurus hoped that Lucy can succeed where they all failed.
Humming to herself, Lucy was wondering what was taking Taurus so long to deliver her message. It's been two hours. No way it should him that long to deliver her message. She was about to summon another Celestial Spirit in order to have them check on Taurus when she heard a knock coming from her door. Blinking in surprise, Lucy went over to her door to find Loke there, heavy bags under his eyes.
"Lucy, I heard what you're doing for me." Said Loke as he looked at the Celestial Spirit Wizard with a smile. "As much as I appreciate you doing this, I have to say that it's near impossible to convince the Celestial King to rescind his decision. Believe me, I've tried." Lucy just frowned at that.
"Well, I'm still going to try because I'm not going to just sit around and let you die." Said Lucy firmly. "What friend would I be if I don't try to help you out while you're in danger, huh?" Loke just smiled weakly at that. She just fit in so well in Fairy Tail. Just like everyone else with the exception of Laxus and his cronies.
Before Loke can say anything, Taurus suddenly appeared between them and spoke.
"Miss Luuuuucy!" Yelled Taurus in a serious tone, but with excitement in it as well. "The Celestial King has agreed to meet you right now. He's going to appear here right now." Widening his eyes at that, Loke was about to warn Lucy when a bright blue ball appeared next to Taurus, which was around the size of the cow spirit. Even though it looked nothing like the Celestial Spirit King, Loke knew who it was.
"Loke." Said the Celestial Spirit King. "It's been a long time since I've last seen you, my old friend. Forgive my appearance, but I could not show my true form without destroying this building. I didn't wish to cause grievance that calls this building their home." Before Loke could say anything, Lucy then spoke up.
"While I'm thankful you thought about the safety of those around me, but can we focus on the main issue right now, which is Loke?" Asked Lucy as she looked at the ball, causing the Celestial Spirit King's attention to shift to Lucy.
"Yes, of course." Said the Celestial Spirit King. "If I may be so bold, you're the Celestial Wizard that wishes the punishment on Loke to be revoked, yes?"
"That's right." Said Lucy with a frown. "Loke did nothing wrong when Karen died. It was all her fault. If she wasn't so stubborn or pigheaded, she wouldn't have died and Loke wouldn't have done what he did to keep Aries safe. You have no right to inflict punishment on someone that was just trying to protect their friend." Though moved by her dedication to her friend, the Celestial Spirit King wasn't moved enough to rescind the punishment.
"Though I respect your dedication to your friend, I will not rescind the punishment." Said the Celestial Spirit King, causing the other three people in the room to look at him with varying expressions. One disbelief, another in sullen acceptance, and the third was anger. "The law regarding the deaths of a Celestial Wizard at the hands of a Spirit contracted to them is absolute. It was placed there to ensure that a Celestial Spirit Wizard will not be harmed by those they're contracted to. How can a bond be forged between a wizard and their spirit if the wizard has to worry about their spirit turning on them? This law was forged in ancient times and it has served us well until now. I'm sorry, Loke, but I'm not convinced to rescind your punishment. You had countless times during your escapade with Karen Lilica to stop and continue your service with Karen. Too many to make me rescind the punishment." Loke just chuckled at that.
"It's alright, my king." Said Loke as he sat down on the ground. "I've accepted my fate. You don't need to apologize." Taurus looked saddened at what was happening, not wishing to see his friend fade away, which seemed to be soon as he was in such a weakened state. What with his baggy eyes and craggy voice. He wanted to get on the ground and beg the Celestial Spirit King to reconsider when Lucy beat him to it.
"That's a load of horseshit!" Yelled Lucy as she glared at the ball, causing everyone to look at her in shock or surprise. "Loke did nothing wrong when he protected his friend. He didn't kill Karen out of malice or contempt. Karen died because of her own selfishness and pride. She could have asked her fellow guildmates for help or changed for the better, but she didn't! She just kept being the horrible person she was and she let her stupid pride get her killed because she was too prideful to ask for help! So what if Loke had multiple chances to stop, Karen had the same amount to change. To become a better person! And why should Loke go back to being her slave! She abused her spirits and used them as little more than slaves! No one should be enslaved to anyone! If you can't see that, then you're not worthy of being a king!" Both Loke and Taurus were shocked to hear that from Lucy, fearing for her life. The Celestial Spirit King, however, wasn't angered by her questioning his rule. Rather, he felt curiosity and, perhaps, shame? Before he could say anything, Lucy suddenly started to use her magic power and summon multiple spirits, much to the surprise of the three spirits.
"How could she summon so many spirits at once?" Thought Loke as he saw all of Lucy's gold Zodiac spirits at once along with her silver ones. All looking proud at what she's doing, even Aquarius, who gave Lucy a proud smile before looking away from the blond.
"I've made friends with my spirits and our bond is stronger than anything that Karen had with Aries and Loke." Said Lucy as she glared at the Celestial Spirit King as he looked at all this with a hint of pride and something else. "And I know that none of them want Loke to go away! So stuff yourself, king, because you clearly don't know about your people anymore!" As soon as she finished that sentence, she suddenly went tipsy and fell to the ground, causing the spirits she summoned, even Taurus, to disappear.
"Lucy!" Yelled Loke as he went over to Lucy, checking up on her. Seeing that she was still alive, he breathed out a sigh of relief. "Don't do that again. You used up most of your magic power." Lucy, however, didn't give up and glared at the Celestial Spirit King.
"If you don't see what's wrong here, then you don't have a heart, King. Because even those with the darkest of hearts can see what's wrong with the punishment you gave out to Loke." Said Lucy as she glared defiantly at the Celestial Spirit King as if daring him to counterargue with her. Rather than do that, however, the Celestial Spirit King felt pride at what she said to him. Rare has it been for someone to argue with him with such passion and fire. He also felt shame coursing through his body as he realized that the Celestial Wizard was…right.
The rule that condemned Loke was placed in ancient times, back during times when magic was feared and those that wielded it were hunted down and exterminated. At the time, it was put in place to ensure that the Celestial Wizards would have some measure of assurance that their closest allies would not betray them. In such trying times, such assurances were necessary. Now, however, it was clear to the Celestial Spirit King that the rule has become obsolete. His shame at not realizing it until now coursed through him and he intended to rectify his mistake now.
"Loke, do you regret Karen's death?" Asked the Celestial Spirit King suddenly, causing Loke to look at him in surprise.
"Y-yes, my king." Said Loke after some time of recovering. "Karen may have been a despicable Celestial Wizard and person, but she still deserved to live. No one deserves to die at such a young age. If I had the power, I would go back and endure the pain and torment that she placed on Aries if it meant that both Aries and Karen would live. The fact that my decision cost Karen her life is something I'll have to live with for the rest of my existence. Even if the pain of my decision goes away, the regret will still be there." The Celestial Spirit King grew silent at that, proud of what his friend said.
Karen Lilica was an abusive master, yet Loke still wish for her to live. Such strength of character was rare in both Celestial Spirits and Humans. And it made his shame at punishing Loke all the more painful. How could he do such a thing to a person that was only looking out for their friend with a straight face and call himself a ruler? It caused his next decision to be all the sweeter.
"It seems to me that I've made an error all those years ago." Said the Celestial Spirit King in regret. "It seems that the error is not Loke's decision, but in the rule in question. It's clear to me now that the rule requires amendment in this new time. Therefore, I must both change it as well as rectify my mistake. Loke, I hereby revoke your punishment. You are now free to return to the Celestial Spirit World." This caused both Lucy and Loke to gasp out loud in shock.
"My…my king." Said Loke as tears began to form in his eyes.
"Furthermore, as a reward towards the young Celestial Wizard that helped me see the error in my judgment, I'm giving her your key. I trust that this won't be an issue, yes?" Said the Celestial Spirit King. Upon hearing that, Loke just shook his head.
"No. In fact, I'm glad to be in service to her my king. It'll help repay the debt that I owe her." Said Loke as tears started to flow down his face. Lucy, meanwhile, was beyond happy with what was happening right now.
"Alright!" Yelled Lucy, her energy back fully with the news. "Thanks, king! You're not so bad after all." The Celestial Spirit King let a smile grace his features back at the Celestial Spirit World. This Celestial Wizard was clearly a unique one. One that he was proud of. She did her mother, another Celestial Wizard, proud. That, he was certain of.
Seeing no purpose in remaining any longer, the king disappeared. In his place was the key to Loke's gate. Smiling at Loke, who just nodded, Lucy went over to the key and took it. Smiling at it, Lucy placed it with the rest of her keys, beyond happy with what happened. As Lucy smiled at Loke, Loke was looking toward one of Lucy's windows and saw Karen's spirit. Surprised to see it, he was more surprised when it smiled back at him before disappearing. Smiling, Loke went back to looking at Lucy before giving her a wave, something that Lucy returned back.
The Next Day
"No way! You're a Celestial Spirit!" Yelled Natsu as he moved around Loke, stunned beyond belief. Loke, fully rejuvenated after returning to the Celestial Spirit World, just smiled while scratching his head.
"Yeah, sorry about not telling you all." Said Loke as Gray, Naestra, Arahan, and Lucy was looking at him. He had just told them all about his real origins and it left them all surprised and stunned. "I didn't want to tell you guys because I didn't want you guys to waste your time trying to convince the Celestial Spirit King in overruling his punishment. Much as I respect him, he doesn't get out of the Spirit World as often as the rest of us. It leaves him kind of out of touch with stuff."
"Gotta say, I'm surprised I never caught on. You got skills in hiding things." Said Gray with a smirk, causing Loke to chuckle.
"Well, I've hid it well for three years. I must be." Said Loke as Happy suddenly began nibbling on his shoulder. This was on account of something Lucy told him about what Loke actually was based on.
"So, wait a minute, I heard that you're supposed to be a lion. How come you're human." Said Natsu as he pouted at Loke, confused. Loke just laughed at Natsu.
"We're not all animals." Said Loke. "Virgo also has a human form."
"Yeah, but I've seen her turn into a guerrilla!" Yelled Natsu as he remembered the times he saw her uglier form. Loke just sweatdropped at that.
"She's not actually a guerilla." Said Loke before looking at Lucy. "By the way Lucy, much as I want to help you out in your jobs, I don't have the strength yet to be of any use. I'm sorry."
"No worries." Said Lucy with a smile. "Just take some time off. You need it after staying in the human world for so long."
"Thanks." Said Loke before pulling out some tickets. "To really thank you, I called in some favors and got you and your team tickets to this hot resort in Akane Beach. It's five stars and it defiantly earns them. Got everything that you could ever hope for." Upon seeing the tickets, Lucy and Gray were in awe of them.
"Damn, I heard about this place." Said Gray as he took one ticket. "Place is damn expensive. How did you pull this off?"
"You be amazed how many hot girls I get that have rich parents or grandparents." Said Loke with a smile. "Erza already has her ticket. I imagine she left to get herself ready." As if on cue, Erza appeared before them all with a big carriage full of items fit for a vacation.
"Alright you all, move out!" Yelled Erza. "We're going to Akane Beach and we're going to dress appropriately for it! Don't worry, I packed your stuff already" Stunned at how much stuff Erza is bringing as well as what she just said about their stuff, both Lucy and Gray were in the middle of arguing with Erza while Loke was talking with Arahan and Naestra.
"Sorry, about not getting you two tickets." Said Loke in remorse. "But I only got enough for Lucy and her team and, no offense, but neither of you helped out in my situation."
"No need to apologize." Said Naestra with a smile. "You handed them to the right people. Plus, my sister and I aren't exactly the resort type of people. We prefer to work and earn some money rather than relax for an extended period of time. Besides, this is actually good for us. You see, Diederick and his friend, Daxter, recently received tickets to the same resort in Akane Beach. With Erza and her team there, our son is safe." Upon hearing that, Loke let out a smile.
"Man, that's great. How did they get tickets?" Asked Loke.
"A job." Said Arahan simply as she growled in disgust at that job. "To make things short, we got paid with just those tickets."
"And I had to restrain my sister from murdering our client." Said Naestra, recalling that day, which was just yesterday. The client was, thankfully, blissfully unaware of the white-haired maiden being restrained by the black-haired maiden when he revealed that their reward was just a pair of tickets because of his senile nature. Truthfully, the client didn't deserve whatever punishment Arahan had for him as the job was simply delivering medicine throughout his village and nothing else. If anything, the tickets were overkill with how small the village actually was. When Naestra asked the client, after restraining her sister completely, about how he acquired the tickets, he said they were gifts from his granddaughter, who was the owner of the resort.
"*Laughs* Sorry, I couldn't help it." Said Loke as he heard that, sweat dropping when he saw Arahan glaring at him. "Anyway, I'll Lucy that Diederick and Daxter will be there. No doubt having more friends there will entice them further."
"Thank you, Loke." Said Naestra. "Or should I call you Leo? Does either matter to you?"
"Eh, I'm not big on formalities." Said Loke with a shrug. "Call me whatever you want. Either is appropriate." Naestra nodded at that before looking at Lucy and Gray getting their luggage out from Erza's carriage of stuff and going to get changed.
"I hope they have fun." Said Naestra. "They deserve it after the fight with Phantom Lord." Arahan just rolled her eyes before nodding in agreement.
Meanwhile
"Lady Lilea, we have news from the assassins dispatched to the R-system tower." Said Xylas as he walked towards Lilea as she was putting on her mask.
"Really now?" Asked Lilea. "And what have they found?"
"The owners of the R-system are planning on making their move soon." Said the Xylas. "They're planning on capturing the Fairy Tail mage known as Erza Scarlet on account of her previous history with the tower." Lilea paused when she heard this.
"Interesting." Said Lilea before turning around to face Xylas. "And how important is she towards the tower?"
"We are not sure." Said Xylas honestly. "This information was only acquired through hearsay from subordinates in the tower. Not the leader. However, it seems that she's essential."
"I see." Said Lilea. "And no doubt Fairy Tail will launch an assault on the R-tower if she's captured. Hmm…yes. Yes, I think I can work with this. Xylas, prepare my ship. We are going to the coast of the Caelum Kingdom." Xylas nodded at that before leaving with Lilea in front, both eager to see what the future holds for them.
Meanwhile
Realm of Chaos
Though the ignorant think that the Realm of Chaos is completely dominated by the four major Chaos Gods, that is far from the truth. There are several pockets in the realm that aren't controlled by any of the four Chaos Gods. These are either controlled by the more minor Gods of Chaos or are truly neutral zones that none of the Gods can control. Whether it be because the four major Chaos Gods see no point in controlling them or the residents of these pockets are too powerful for them to take by force. Not without expending their forces, leaving them vulnerable to the other three Chaos Gods. The Forge of Souls is one such place.
The Forge of Souls is a massive factory-like domain in the Realm of Chaos that produced daemonic machines of war known as Soul Grinders. Whether a daemon was their physical body is destroyed, they have a chance to give their true name to the Forge of Souls and they're reincarnated into a Soul Grinder, a massive monstrosity of demonic flesh and metal. No two Soul Grinders are the exact same, appearance-wise, but all are deadly combatants that have caused the death of thousands of heroes. Such power, along with the production capabilities of the Forge of Souls, would make it an enticing prize for any of the Chaos Gods, but a pact has been formed between the Soul Grinders and the Forge of Souls. Should any of the Chaos Gods attack the Forge of Souls, all Soul Grinders, regardless of their previous affiliations, will come to the defense of the Forge along with whatever other defenders the Forge has in its possession. This made an assault on the Forge too costly for any of the major Chaos Gods, thus leaving the fortress alone. And the pact has only gotten stronger as time went on.
It was because of this pact that a certain Daemon Prince has made the Forge his fortress until his ascension has been completed.
Glaring down at the pathetic god that he's captured, Be'lakor, the first daemon prince, spoke to Ursun, the Kislev God of Bears and Strength. The patron God of the people of Kislev, the first barrier between the rest of the world and the Forces of Chaos was now chained up and bound to the Forge of Souls. A result of falling for a trap by the first Daemon Prince of Chaos.
"Ursun, how pathetic you are if you've been captured this easily." Said Be'lakor with amusement, nothing more than a formless shadow. A punishment inflicted upon him by the Gods of Chaos eons ago for various reasons. Ursun, a massive white and blue-furred bear god, just glared at Be'lakor as daemonic chains kept him in place.
"Pathetic? You claim me to be pathetic yet look upon yourself now." Said Ursun, his voice full of conviction and strength. "You used to be the greatest of your kind, but now you're nothing more than a coward. Hiding in the shadows, scheming, and letting others fight your battles for you. Were it not for the chaos God Tzeentch, you would not have succeeded in capturing me." Roaring out in anger at what Ursun just said, Be'lakor spoke.
"Tzeentch had nothing to do with your capture!" Yelled Be'lakor, his amusement gone. "My plan didn't rely on aid from the Gods! Even if they did, they will not help me after they've cast me aside."
"For good reason." Said Ursun, mocking Be'lakor. "Even the lowest of Everchosens have fared better than you have done at the height of Chaos' power. Asavar Kul would have brought an end to the world were it not for the courage and tenacity of Magnus himself." Rather than get angry, Be'lakor kept himself calm and spoke.
"Magnus was nothing but a fool. Though some say he's the one that slew Asavar Kul, it was me!" Yelled Be'lakor. "Asavar Kul would have not been slain if it weren't for my machinations! Why did I betray him? Because he's nothing but a weakling! Only I deserve the title of Everchosen! Me! No one else can destroy this world but I, the first mortal to give his services to the Chaos Gods! And I'll destroy anyone that says otherwise." Ursun just scoffed at this.
"And yet you sired a child with a human mortal during Asavar Kul's tide of destruction to take his place." Said Ursun. "One that you let the Asrai take from you after the child was born. How does it make you feel that mortals, even ones as long-lived as the elves, have taken something from you?" Upon hearing all that, Be'lakor roared out in anger.
"The Asrai are nothing but meddlesome curs!" Yelled Be'lakor as he remembered how his child was taken from under his nose by the Wood Elves of Athel Loren. The humiliation he felt as he was mocked by the Gods of Chaos for it as well as his broken pride at how easily they escaped his wrath. Be'lakor cared little about the Wood Elves before, seeing them as little more than maggots, not worth his time. Now, however, he plotted to destroy them for humiliating him along with the Druchii and Asur. "Once I achieve godhood, they'll be the first to be destroyed for interfering in my plans! I will choke the life out of Ariel and Orion for their interference, but not before I have them watch as I personally deliver each and every one of their citizens to Slaanesh for their interference! And perhaps I'll have Ariel's daughters as my personal whores for their part in the capture of my child. The next Everchosen." Ursun simply scoffed at all this again.
"You will never achieve godhood." Said Ursun as he tried to break free of the chains that held him in place. "You lack the power necessary to kill a god." Be'lakor just chuckled at that, confusing the god.
"You're right, of course." Said Be'lakor. "But I will not be the one to strike the death blow." He then disappeared into a cloud of shadows. "In time, your people will be the death of you. And I'll be there to acquire the spoils." With a hearty laugh, Be'lakor left Ursun to try and break free, if only to destroy Be'lakor for imprisoning him.
Unbeknownst to either, however, one already knew of Be'lakor's recent plot and sought to profit from it. Or rather three knew.
In a tower of silver, a massive bird-like daemon with two heads began to laugh out loud as its minions went about, doing tasks for their master.
The bird daemon held blue, purple, and white feathers, most of the latter two being part of its feathered wings. It's two heads split at the middle where a head normally goes with one having green eyes and the other golden. Both were wearing headgear of different designs along with golden armor on their beaks. In addition, in their right hand was a staff with the symbol of Tzeentch on one hand with an open book at the bottom of the symbol. This monstrosity was a Lord of Change, Tzeentch's Greater Daemons, and powerful spell casters, but not just any Lord of Change. No, this one was Kairos Fateweaver himself. The Oracle of Tzeentch himself. Once he was a normal Lord of Change with one head. Now, he was two beings in one body, his head split into two entities. One head was capable of seeing the past and the other was capable of seeing all possible futures. Both, however, lack the ability to see the present. A blessing for the enemies of Chaos for if Kairos was capable of seeing the present, then the power of Tzeentch will multiply beyond imagining.
Yet none of that mattered now. For this day, Kairos had a task given to him by his master.
"Be'lakor has captured Ursun." Said one head, his eyes glowing as he spoke.
"Yes." Said the other head, his eyes also glowing. "As the future foretold, Be'lakor will attempt to use Ursun to become a god. Yet he underestimates the threats to his plan caused by Ursun disappearance. I see it now, brother! The armies of Cathay and Kislev marching against Be'lakor to retrieve Ursun for themselves before it is too late. Without enemies, they will retrieve Ursun before he dies."
"This cannot happen, brother." Said the first head. "For to have Ursun return will impede the agenda of our lord."
"Yes and no brother." Said the second head, confusing the first. "Even if Ursun is returned to his people, our master has plans in motion. Plans that will make the bear god's survival irrelevant to the Great Game. However, that does not mean we cannot eliminate a threat to the Great Game. We must…delay the armies of Kislev and Cathay from finding Ursun in time."
"And what better way to do so than to manipulate the armies of the other Gods to do it for us." Said the first head with glee.
"Yes. We shall send word to Kislev. Manipulate them as well as the host of the Exiled One to fight one another. Make the people of Kislev desperate for their god, accelerating Be'lakor's plot. No doubt the armies of Nurgle and Slaanesh will also be drawn to the slaughter. In the meantime, we shall make preparations for another assault on Cathay. It's been far too long since we launched an assault in the name of Tzeentch!" Said the first head, causing both of them to screech out in triumph. "And, even if Ursun is saved, it matters not. For the conflict will hide our master's true objective. To find the next Everchosen, whose presence is hidden from even my sight. The mortal followers of our Lord will find the Everchosen for us. With luck, we will not only gain the Everchosen's loyalty to Tzeentch but also a new world for our master!"
"And with another world dedicated to our master, he will truly be ascended in the Great Game!" Yelled the first head as they both laughed out loud. Kairos then teleported out of his silver tower. He soon appeared on top of a pyramidal peak somewhere in Tzeentch's domain. Surrounding him were various towers and buildings dedicated to the Chaos Warriors and cultists that have dedicated themselves to the protection of their master's realm, forsaken their old homes for an opportunity to be closer to their lord and master. A risky choice as many have found out the hard way.
With a yell, Kairos slammed his staff down, creating a massive shockwave that shook the very towers. Soon various Doom Knights and cultists of Tzeentch began exiting the towers on horses, Disc of Tzeentch, and even burning chariots of Tzeentch. With them assembled, Kairo began speaking.
"Ready our forces! Today will be a day of deception and planning. On the day the bear roars, the armies of Tzeentch will march to war!" Yelled Kairos, causing chants and cheering to emerge from the Chaos Warriors. Soon more Doom Knights and regular Chaos Knights began emerging from the towers, eager to conduct acts of manipulation and deceit on the enemies of Tzeentch as well as kill in the name of their master. The cultists, meanwhile, departed on horseback to create cults and to plant the seeds for future corruption within the lands of mortals. All the while, Kairos was screeching out to the skies, eager to please his master in the near future with his deeds.