Author's Note:

Hi~!

Hope everyone enjoyed the very first chapter of this story. Not so much action, I know. But I'll get into action-filled chapters at a much later part of the story. It's not so easy writing an action story, you guys! XD

- nana

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.

Chapter 2 - A Shocking Revelation

Loke could hear the tinkle of his owner's voice. Despite his reputation as a notorious Casanova, nothing warmed his heart more than knowing Lucy was happy. He had made a vow long ago to always keep her safe and ensure her happiness. That's why he found himself seated in Makarov's office, telling their Master about the upcoming meteor shower.

Makarov sat in his chair, face in contemplation. He had always known that Lucy's magic is one to look out for - being able to call out the Zodiac spirits from a different realm is no easy feat and it is pretty obvious that her magic is so much more than just calling out the Zodiac spirits. Loke's story and how Lucy was able to summon the Celestial Spirit King… the possibilities of her magic was endless.

And there's that fact as well that she owns 10 of the 12 Zodiac Keys. This puts her on the radar.

"I'm here, not because I was ordered by the King, but because I care about Lucy." Loke stated, a serious expression on his face. "I vowed to keep her safe. And that's what I intend to do."

"I am confident that Lucy is more than capable," Makarov started, his eyebrows furrowed. "But this could also destroy her."

"Yes."

Makarov's eyebrow ticked.

"YOU KNEW ABOUT THIS AND YOU DECIDED TO JUST TELL ME ALL THESE NOW?!" Makarov couldn't help but smack his spirit-child.

Loke kneeled on the ground with tears in his eyes. "Gomenasai, Master!"

Makarov sighed. "Seriously…" 'No point in getting mad about it now.'

"Has the Spirit King offered any solutions to this?"

Loke nodded somberly. "I don't think it's something that Lucy would like. This would mean that she'll be away for months, maybe even a year."

Makarov sighed for the umpteenth time that day. "Call Freed. We're sending her away for a while."

"Yes, Master."

Makarov looked at Loke with a grave expression. "And you… tell Lucy. She needs to know what's about to happen to her."

"... yes, Master."

"Well?" Lucy sat on her pink bed, waiting for her ever-loyal spirit, Loke, to tell her what's going on.

He was adamant that they go back to her apartment to discuss something important. She kept insisting on what it was but Loke wasn't budging, his usual charm giving way to an unusual seriousness. Despite his reputation as a flirt, this time, she can tell that her spirit wasn't playing around.

"It's actually about the meteor shower." Loke took a seat on Lucy's writing desk, positioning himself so he could face her directly. His eyes held a weight that told her this wasn't just some casual conversation.

"What about it?"

"I haven't been completely forthcoming of what's going to happen when the shower comes," he started. He had to think about his words carefully. "I told you that when this happens, you get a surge of your magic, right?"

Lucy nodded.

"It sounds… tempting, but it's not all rainbows and butterflies." Loke said, his gaze locked on Lucy's warm eyes. "You've heard the saying – too much of a good thing can be dangerous?"

Flashes of battles appeared in Lucy's thoughts - Deliora. Phantom Lord. Thunder Palace. Jellal. Oracion Seis. Edolas. Ultear. Hades.

"-cy? Hey…"

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts, blinking as she stared at Loke. "Sorry… what did you say?"

Worry etched on Loke's features. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Lucy trailed off. "I got… lost in my thoughts a bit." She shook her head, willing herself to focus on the topic. "And yes, I've heard of it."

"And… I know it doesn't end well."

At this point, Loke knew he got his point across. He thanked the Gods that his owner was smart as hell. They may have a temporary solution, but her safety isn't a guarantee.

"What am I supposed to do?" She asked, her voice heavily laced with worry.

"I spoke to Master."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock, her mind reeling from what her spirit just said. "You what?"

Loke could sense her anger bubbling beneath the surface. He knew that she'd be angry. As brilliant as Lucy was, her stubbornness could be her greatest flaw – one that might one day be her undoing. 'You are one hell of a woman, Lucy..' But he loved that about her. No matter how impossible things seemed, she kept pushing forward. She wasn't driven by her own needs, but by her love and dedication to the people she cared about.

And that's why he'll do whatever it takes to keep Lucy Heartfilia alive… even if it's against her wishes.

Lucy stood up, anger gracing her features. "Loke! We are not-!"

The lion spirit rose to his feet and gently grasped one of Lucy's wrists. "Lucy!" His voice was firm but not harsh, just enough to convey the seriousness of the situation. Sure, this was something that she and her spirits can handle. But Loke wanted to make sure that there was back-up just in case something goes wrong.

"You grow stronger, each and every day. I am so proud of you. We all are." A soft stroke to Lucy's doll-like cheeks ebbed away some of her anger. "But you need to trust us to keep you safe. That's why we're here."

Loke decided not to sugarcoat things anymore. "This magic surge can break you, Lucy." He stated. "I needed to tell the Master so we have back-up."

Lucy was still struggling to wrap her mind about everything. She had imagined the meteor shower as a relaxing event, a chance to feel her Celestial magic resonate under the stars. She had even planned to invite the entire Fairy Tail guild for a casual night of stargazing.

She'd even heard from Stache-Face that lightning might accompany the meteor shower, creating a magical spectacle in the sky. 'Laxus might like it…'

"What did Master say?" She asked softly.

"We're going away for a while, Princess."

"Natsu. Where's Lucy?"

Natsu sent Macao flying to the other side of the guild hall with a punch before turning to Erza. "She's at home."

"Aye!" Happy chimed in between bites of fish. "She's waiting for a shower!"

Erza raised an elegant eyebrow. "A shower? Why would she need to wait for that?"

Natsu plopped back down at the table, biting into chicken engulfed in flames. "Lucy's weird, right, Happy?"

"Someone else must be using Lucy's shower! That's why she has to wait for it." Happy deduced, grabbing another fish from his fish bucket, looking quite pleased with himself.

In an instant, Erza's face turned red and a billow of smoke appeared in both her ears. "Who-who-who is –" She stammered, quite unsure on how to take the information that she just got.

On the other side of the guild hall, in a slightly dark corner, were Bickslow and his totems, Evergreen, and Laxus Dreyar. As always, they situated themselves in a corner to avoid the usual chaos that happens in Fairy Tail.

Where is Freed, you might ask.

He's out on a mission ordered by Master Makarov.

And Freed was tight-lipped on what his mission was.

Evergreen sighed, casually fanning herself and stealing glances at a certain 'manly' Strauss individual. "Hey, Laxus…"

A subtle tilt of his head was all the confirmation Evergreen needed to know that their leader was listening. "Did Master ever mention where Freed is headed?"

"Not a thing."

"Did you ask?" Evergreen added.

"Nope."

The fairy queen sighed again. "It's kind of unusual, don't you think?"

Laxus took a sip of his beer. "Don't let your pretty little head worry about Freed."

"Chill, Ever!" Bickslow threw an arm over Evergreen's shoulder. "He said he'll be back tomorrow, right?"

"Tomorrow! Tomorrow!" The totems echoed.

"You can ask him when gets back." The Seith Mage chimed in, casually taking a sip of his beer before shouting, "Mira! Another round!"

'Where is Blondie, by the way?'

Laxus had nothing to do for this week. He initially planned on getting a job with his team but Freed was out. So getting a job was not an option. The hell that green-haired man would raise if he found out that he and the Raijinshuu went on a mission without him.

So, he took his sweet time getting to the guild. Sure, he could join the occasional guild brawl that happens but Makarov would have his head. He was way too strong and the only ones who can hold a candle to his strength were Erza and Natsu. Maybe Gray if he tried hard enough.

The moment he walked into the guild, he headed straight for the bar. Dropping into one of the barstools near the barmaid, he called out, "Mira!"

"Ah, Laxus," Mira greeted. "Your usual for lunch?"

He nodded. "Has Freed arrived already?"

Mira shook her head. "But he's on his way," She placed a cup of water in front of Laxus. "He called Master earlier to let him know he'll be late because he slept in."

Laxus raised an eyebrow at that.

Mira chuckled at Laxus' slight shock. "Unusual, isn't it?"

Laxus grunted in response but yes, it was unusual. Freed never sleeps in – he was always the one up on time, even when they'd all stayed up far too late the night before. Curiosity got the best of him, "Do you know about the job that Gramps gave him?"

Mira shook her head. "Sorry Laxus," she said, setting two plates in front of the lightning mage – one piled high with ribs, the other with fries and kiwi. "I didn't even know Freed had left for a job until Master mentioned it."

He officially dropped the conversation, knowing that there's nothing he can get from Mira. As he was about to take his first bite, he caught a whiff of something subtly sweet; a scent that he knew all too well – Lucy.

For Laxus, she carries the soothing scent of lavender, softened by a sweet trace of honey, like a calming breeze on a warm sunny day. Other days, she had that nostalgic scent of ink and paper, reminiscent of a quiet library filled with well-loved books. He adored both…

…but he wasn't about to admit that.

He heard the guild hall doors open. "Hi, everyone!" Her melodious voice filters through.

"Yo, Lucy!"

"We missed you, Lucy!"

"You missed out on the fun last night! Where were you?!"

Lucy greeted the remaining guild members as she made her way to the bar. Upon reaching her usual spot, which was conveniently right beside Laxus, she settled in and rested her head on the table with a sigh.

"Oh my, Lucy," Mira started working on Lucy's strawberry smoothie. "Rough night?"

The blonde-haired mage sighed again. "No, but Loke and I were up all night last night." Lucy said, keeping her eyes closed as exhaustion weighed heavily on her.

Mira's matchmaking instincts kicked in, a playful grin tugging at her lips but barely contained. "Please do tell~." she asked, her tone light and teasing.

Lucy knew that tone. She sat up and shot a pointed glare at the barmaid. "It's not like that!" she pouted, clearly exasperated.

Mira couldn't help but giggle. "Sorry, Lucy!" she said, sliding Lucy's strawberry smoothie across the bar before returning to her chores. "So, what were you guys up to, anyway?"

Lucy gratefully took the strawberry smoothie and took a long sip. 'That definitely helps…' "Meditating."

"Why?"

Lucy finally glanced at Laxus, slightly surprised by his curiosity. Normally, Laxus was the no-nonsense type, rarely showing interest in others' affairs.

She hesitated a bit before finally giving in. "Capricorn wants to teach me a new spell, but he's enlisted Loke to help with the training. They had me meditate in the middle of the night because my magic regenerates faster then."

"Because you're under the stars…" Laxus had always been fascinated with Lucy's type of magic. Sure, she summons weird creatures from the depths of nowhere but captivating, nonetheless.

The blonde-haired Celestial mage felt her heart skip a beat. "Yeah…" she replied. Feeling her cheeks flushing slightly, she took a long sip of her strawberry smoothie to cool herself down. 'Relax!'

She took another peak at the striking figure beside her. Laxus just has this certain gravity to his voice, making his words carry weight and demand attention.

Where was his curiosity coming from anyway?

She was lost in thought when her gaze fell upon a small smear of sauce near the corner of his mouth. The sight made her smile softly. 'Do all dragon slayers eat like babies?'

Without really thinking, she reached out with a napkin in hand, her fingers lightly brushing against his cheek as she gently wiped away the sauce. "You've got a bit of sauce here…" she tried so hard to sound so casual despite the flutter in her chest.

Laxus' eyes widened slightly in surprise at the unexpected touch. For a brief moment, the intensity of his usual demeanor softened. Her fingers were soft and gentle against his rugged skin, and the proximity of her face so close to his stirred an unfamiliar, almost vulnerable feeling within him.

The brief touch sent a jolt through Lucy. Her fingers barely grazed his skin, but the warmth beneath her touch was electric. And his eyes, oh Mavis, his eyes were her favorite - sharp and piercing, and in some moments, would shine in hints of turquoise.

"Laxus."

Lucy and Laxus' little bubble broke.

Finally realizing her proximity, she quickly pulled her hand back. She tried to steady herself, focusing on her smoothie as she struggled to calm the flurry emotions.

'Oh Mavis… what am I doing?!' Lucy panicked inwardly, her eyes wide as saucers.

Laxus didn't know why but all of a sudden, he was pissed. A low growl rumbled in his chest. His jaw tightened and his hand twitched, sparking faintly with static electricity. His sharp eyes flicked to the source of his annoyance –

Bickslow.

Evergreen.

Freed.

Author's Ending Note:

Okidokes, we stop there! Hope you guys enjoyed this one! Will be uploading more soon.

- nana