Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

Lion's Pride	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 10067 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. I make no money writing this. I do it for my own pleasure. Any lyrics are my own or I received permission from the artist.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
"Let the lion, and the ram, and the fish fight it out.

Oh lord, let me be a peaceful man

Because I don't understand the minds of violent men.

Sometimes nature can be such a bitch."

- Damion Suomi and the Minor Prophets, "The Lion, the Ram, and the Fish"

A/N: Okay, it's the Maiden, not the Ram, but I'm 2/3 right!

Chapter 10

The Lion, the Maiden, and the Fish

Erza, Gray, Natsu, Happy, Wendy, Levy, Virgo, and Loke arrived in a rural, idyllic village in the southeastern edge of Fiore Kingdom. The same river that flowed through Magnolia was here nothing more than a tranquil stream trickling down from the nearby mountains. Their motley party stood out amidst the farmers in their overalls and shopkeepers in calico-print dresses and quaint suits. Families stopped and stared at the armored woman pulling a massive cart of luggage, the raven-haired man with icy eyes wearing a long white coat, the pink-haired yankee with his scaly scarf, a blue cat, a small girl with a white cat, a cute blunette scholar, a rosy-haired maid, and when they got to Loke, the women in the village swooned.

"So handsome!" they whispered to one another. "Like a prince. Are the rest his servants?"

Gray overheard that. "Che! I'm nobody's servant," he scoffed.

They rendezvoused with Gajeel's six-man team in front of an old inn. The iron dragon slayer had his arms folded and a bitter expression.

"Sure took your sweet time," he huffed. "The enemy moved out three hours ago. We've tracked them to an abandoned fort on the edge of the frontier. We've confirmed that Lucy is with them."

"Is she hurt?" Loke asked quickly.

"She was walking under her own strength but...well, I'm not sure how," Gajeel admitted, scratching his spiky head, "but she looked a lot thinner."

"It's the baby," Wendy explained. "I warned her about this. If she skips even a single meal, it's like fasting for a whole day. If she hasn't eaten since breakfast yesterday..."

"Princess did not have breakfast," Virgo related.

"Then that's even worse!" Wendy exclaimed fretfully. "The kidnappers might not realize anything is wrong, but the toll on Lucy's body is the same as going a week without food."

Loke clenched his fists. Even without being hurt, Lucy was in danger.

After dropping off their luggage, they followed Gajeel along a rough dirt road to a rundown fort made of stone with wooden spikes for a defensive wall. It was rural and small but still protective.

"Okay," Erza began, "here's the plan..." Before she could say more, Natsu and Loke rushed forward with roaring battle cries. Erza began to shout at them, but it was too late. She rubbed out yet another tension headache. "Idiots," she mumbled.

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu yelled. The fireball smashed apart the wooden outer wall and caught the rotting wood on fire. "Lucy!" he bellowed.

In a caged prison inside the fort, Lucy raised her head off a tattered army cot and heard the voice. "Natsu," she smiled in relief.

Queen Kefira also looked up. "They arrived after all. Such a shame."

"I sense the Lion with them," Haftorang said, looking torn by emotions of eagerness and concern.

"Is he? That shall make things easier. Come Haftorang, let us begin."

The fishman bowed from his human waist. "Aye, mistress-s-s. Princess Lucy, you must remain here for your own safety. Leo shall join you soon."

"Natsu's with him, and I bet Gray and Erza are, too," she said haughtily. "Fairy Tail's strongest team! There's no way you'll win this fight."

"Is that so?" he asked in amusement. "I'm eager to see how strong this era's warriors have become. If they're as powerful as you, perhaps I shall have a little fun."

"Are you kidding? I'm the weakest one on the team!" She realized that was not something to brag about, but right then she was praying furiously that Natsu or Loke came soon. She was starving!

"I shall test their merit. In ancient times, the star Fomalhaut engendered the test of remaining true to one's ideals. Have you ever wondered, what are Leo's ideals-s-s?" He left her to ponder over that and followed Kefira outside.

Loke followed Natsu as the energetic teen rushed across a weed-filled open space between the wooden defense wall and the stone fortress. "Lucy!" he shouted desperately. "We're coming!"

"Hang on, Lucy," Natsu yelled. "Come out here, you bastards. We're taking Lucy back home to Fairy Tail."

Loke suddenly slowed down. Something was wrong. Something felt horribly off. Something...familiar. An intense power.

"Natsu, be careful," he warned.

The pink-haired mage stopped and looked back. "What's wrong?"

Just then, the massive doors to the fort creaked open and a woman stepped out. The sun caught her sable hair and alabaster skin. Her deep purple gown, laced up the bodice with black ribbon, billowed out with each step. Natsu jolted at how noble, beautiful, and melancholy she looked.

"I welcome ye, brave warriors," she said with an elegant, ancient accent.

Loke froze and stared hard at her with an open mouth. "Kefira," he breathed.

Her glance caught his, and she smiled sweetly with a faint gleam in her onyx eyes. "And I greet thee warmly, my dearest Leo. It hath been an age since thy noble visage graced mine eyes. Time hath done thee well."

"Then it is you...Yamataikoku No Kefira, Shaman-Queen of Kohinur."

"Eh? Queen?" Natsu asked, looking her over.

Her pale lips pulled into a tight smile. "'Tis good to see thee again. That costume is most amusing. Is this the newest fashion? 'Tis a compliment to thy figure."

Natsu pouted. "She's talkin' weird."

"Thou art alive?" Loke asked, still in shock. "But how didst thou..." He slammed his astonished eyes shut and shook out his head. The shock slowly wore off, and his eyes narrowed in anger. "That was a long time ago. You should be dead. They sealed you..."

"Not very well. I escaped, although it took a few centuries."

"But...how?" he shouted. "How are you still alive?"

"Simple. Zeref."

Both Loke and Natsu jolted at the name.

"I was one of Zeref's teachers in arcane thaumaturgy, what this age hath renamed Lost Magic. After he surpassed me, I volunteered to be one of his experiments on immortality." Her eyes gleamed with inner madness. "It worked! I was infused with Celestial Spirit energy, and I have not aged since that day."

"Infused?" he sneered. "Which Spirit would dare...?" He stopped and drew back a step as something dawned on him. "Oh no. Not him!"

"Aye," she chuckled melodically. "Thou shouldst have been able to sense him for some time now, Leo. After all, ye share a connected fate."

The others made it through the burning wreck of the entrance and spread out to surround her, taking up their fighting stances. Kefira casually glanced at them, looking intrigued rather than worried by the numbers.

"Thou hast brought friends. Very well. I brought mine, the only one still left to me since thine heartless abandonment that fateful day." She turned her head to the dark doorway. "Come out."

"Yes-s-s, mistress-s-s," came a hissing voice, and the huge half-man-half-fish exited the dark fort.

Happy drooled thickly. "Big fish. Big...big...fiiiiish!"

"Happy?" Natsu asked in worry as the cat began walking zombie-like toward Haftorang. He picked him up by the scuff of the neck, but Happy kept trying to walk forward with his legs moving in the air. "Oi, snap out of it! Are you hypnotized?"

"No," Charle huffed. "He's just stupid."

"Fiiiiiiiiiish," the blue cat moaned, dripping drool down his face.

"Leo, old friend," Haftorang greeted quietly with a razor-sharp toothy grin.

"You damn Fish!" Loke glared. "They said you were a traitor, but I never wanted to believe them. It was true after all. You joined her."

"As thou once did," he shrugged.

Natsu leaned over to Erza. "Who's the fish-head? Loke's friend?"

"Piscis Austrinus," Loke told them darkly. "The Southern Fish. Once, he was one of the strongest Celestial Spirits in existence."

"That was a long time ago. I go by the name Haftorang these days-s-s," he corrected. That made Loke glare harder. "As thou hast named thyself after 'Loki,' that mischievous trickster of the old stories-s-s. Appropriate for one who tricked us all and hid who he really was even from his closest friends...and, apparently, even from thy lover." He turned to the petite maid at Loke's side. "And how fare thee, Virgo? Thou art more lovely than ever, a reflection of thy mistress-s-s."

"You should be dead," she said unemotionally. "Traitor to all Spirits! What you did, I can never forgive. In the name of the Zodiacs, I will punish you!" She posed ready to fight.

Loke put an arm in front of her and stepped forward protectively. "Revenge is not yours to take, Virgo. Besides, you're not strong enough for someone like him."

Virgo straightened with awe that he was protecting her, but concern at the dire tone in his voice. "But Brother, he's not even a Gold Key."

"Because...he's beyond that," Loke realized darkly. "All of you," he shouted to the group. "You handle her. Don't engage the Fish. He's mine!"

"Sounds personal," Erza said.

"Oh, it is," Loke said with a glare, sizing up the other Celestial Spirit. "As leader of the Zodiacs, I cannot let him go unpunished."

Erza saw the fierce look in Loke's face. She could imagine him as a lion about to hunt a prey who had harmed his pride. Any weakness he had earlier was gone from his face, although she wondered just how strong Loke was now. It did not matter. With a look that determined, denying the Lion of its prey would be suicidal.

"We'll leave it to you then. Natsu..."

The dragon slayer had already run at Queen Kefira. "Give back Lucy, you queenie bitch!"

"Never mind," sighed Erza.

Natsu held his hands out. "With a flaming right hand, and flaming left hand..." He smashed together both of his hands in front of him. "When you combine the flames together..." Natsu held his palms above him and a massive ball of dazzling flames formed. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" With an enraged shout, Natsu threw the massive sphere of fire at Kefira.

The queen smirked and laughed softly. "Thou art indeed the child of a dragon. Very well, dragonling." She raised her hands up. "Hark to my call, oh ancient dragon of the deep." Her slender arm with its draping sleeve stretched forward, a single finger pointed, and she smiled at the approaching fireball. "Quench the child dragon...Flaming Waters of Leviathan!"

"It's rude to point!" yelled Natsu.

From her finger shot what looked at first like a stream of water, but the blue turned into a flaming liquid. It smashed into Natsu's flame and easily overwhelmed it. Then the flame headed toward him.

"Hehe...snack time!" Natsu opened his mouth, ready for the blue flame, but just before it reached him, something instinctively dawned on him. He quickly leaped out of the way, just barely missing the blast.

"Natsu...dodged flame?" Wendy asked in shock.

"That wasn't flame," Gray realized, studying the residual flickers. "That's water, but not really water."

"Thine instincts are honed to the level of a master dragon slayer, little dragonling," Kefira congratulated regally.

"My nose told me they weren't edible," Natsu said, hanging from an outcropping on the fort wall.

"Indeed, those were not mere flames, but the burning waters of Leviathan, the most ancient of all dragons. If thou hadst eaten them, thy flames would have been quenched for eternity."

Wendy cringed a little. "You mean Natsu would lose his magic?"

"Not at all, child," she smiled. "Only his fire."

"But Natsu's magic is fire!"

"Wait, a dragon?" Natsu asked in astonishment. "You know dragon slayer magic, too? Were you also taught by a dragon?"

"Taught by a dragon?" she asked in puzzlement, then she smiled and chuckled softly. "Little dragonling, in my time the dragons would never dare teach this, for we indeed would have gone out to slay them. No, my shock is that a dragon took a Human as a pupil. That is practically unheard of, yet there are three of ye," she said, glancing to Gajeel and Wendy. "The times have certainly changed."

Erza sneered that this was no mere aristocrat kidnapping an heiress, but someone who knew Lost Magic. "Virgo, Wendy, Levy, Gray, go find Lucy. Gajeel and the rest of you, we'll handle the woman first, the Fish second."

They broke into two groups, one watching the blows between Kefira and Natsu to determine precisely what sort of magic she used, the others racing toward the old building.

"Not so fast!" Queen Kefira glared. "From Chapter 4, Scripture 12 of the Book of Zeref: Reverse Magic. Divine Punishment: Nemesis!"

The crumbled stones around the fort turned black and oily. The others froze to see what horrible thing was about to happen. The rocks wobbled as if alive, grew heads, legs, clawed arms, and turned into dozens of demons.

Wendy screamed and backed away. "Not them again!"

"What the heck are they?" Levy gasped in horror.

Gray got his Ice-Make magic ready. "Demons!"

Erza saw the trouble. "Shit! New plan: everyone get rid of those demons. Leave the shaman-queen to Natsu."

Gajeel grinned fiercely, firing up his magic circle. "Gehehe! Now these look like enemies I can really go all out on, rather than some weird-speaking woman."

"Let's do it!" Gray shouted. "Ice-Make: Lance!" Frozen spears shot out and slammed into a dozen demons.

Levy twirled and wrote into the air. "Solid Script: Fire!" The word FIRE shined for a moment, then blazed and shot out at a group of the creatures.

Gajeel grinned viciously as he ran at three demons. "Iron Dragon's Club!" His arm turned into a single metal club, then branched into three spikes, delivering blows straight through the heads of the three black creatures.

Erza's body shined brightly, and for some she appeared naked for the briefest moment. "Heaven's Wheel Armor!" When the light faded, she wore a glittering white and silver armor with angelic wings. A wheel of swords orbited around her in a glowing metallic circle. "Dance, my blades!" The swords gracefully plunged at the demons, slicing through dozens in a single blow and wiping out almost the entire evil force. "Go, Wendy! Get Lucy."

"Got it," she nodded, and the little girl rushed to the fort doors.

Kefira's eyes glinted. "Not so fast, little ones. The fun hath just started. Restore!"

The defeated demons suddenly reformed until there was no sign of the damage. Wendy stopped sharply and shrieked as she found herself instantly surrounded.

"Charle!" she yelled desperately. The white cat swooped in and grabbed Wendy up just as four demons were about to crush her.

"Arc of Time magic!" Gray realized. "Just like Ultear. Shit!"

Erza frowned as she saw that their enemies had not lessened, and in fact seemed larger. "This makes things a little bit more challenging."

Back over by the two Celestial Spirits, they were still only talking over the clashing all around them. Loke tried to keep his strength burning, but he knew a fight would end badly. Even at full strength, fighting this particular Celestial Spirit would have ended in a draw at best.

"How is my lovely daughter and cute little grandson?" Haftorang asked conversationally.

"You mean Pisces? Last I saw them, they were doing fairly well, considering they think you've been dead for centuries. They'll be furious when I tell them who you teamed up with."

"Jealous, old friend?" he chuckled. "'Tis not like thee."

"Shut up," shouted Loke. "I am not your old friend. Maybe in the past we were nakama—I even thought of you as a brother—but if you teamed up with her..."

He pointed over at Queen Kefira and saw her easily deflecting Natsu's fire. Even his most enraged attacks did not cause her to take a step back. Her liquid flame made the dragon slayer jump around, dodging the water in frustration, since it seemed to set everything it touched on fire, yet not a fire he could eat. Loke also saw the demons the others were fighting, getting smashed only to be restored over and over again.

"Of all the wretched women in this world, why her?"

"Ask thyself that, Leo. Thou belonged to her long before me."

"I had no choice," he yelled in fury. "When she changed, when she became...this," he sneered, "I left. Yet that was when you moved in, wasn't it? I wonder how long she waited. Was her bed even cold by the time you showed up?" He glared menacingly. "While the rest of us were fighting Zeref, you aligned yourself with his side. You assisted the most dangerous mage ever to have existed."

Haftorang put a fin on his hip and looked searchingly with those unblinking eyes. "I had my reasons-s-s, as I'm sure thou hadst thine."

"Speak the tongue of this age, you smelly Fish!" Loke yelled angrily. He stubbornly shook his head. "Reasons? I don't care about your so-called reasons. There is no forgiveness for that sort of sin."

"Like there is no forgiveness for bringing to life that baby your woman is carrying?" Haftorang chuckled in a hiss at Loke's furious sneer. "We are the same, Leo. Outcasts! How many times has the Spirit King imprisoned you or locked you out? How many times have you rebelled, again and again? Only I now have no reason to face that old dictator, because I discovered the key to remaining in the Human World indefinitely."

"Haftorang," Loke muttered, musing over the name. "The Solitary One." The half-fish chuckled, but Loke looked disgusted. "Your sin is far worse than mine."

"You think so? How much longer do you have, Leo? A year? Three years? Ten? Do you wish to leave Lucy a widow, a single mother, struggling to raise your fatherless child all on her own? Could you willingly do that to the woman you love?"

Loke quivered slightly and found it hard to breathe. How did the Fish always know how to sting him where it hurt worst?

"I know your ideals, Leo. You can never harm a woman you love, no matter what that may mean to the rest of the world. You could have stopped Kefira before she started on her path, yet you loved her. You once sacrificed everything—not just yourself, but the entire Spirit World—all for a woman you loved. You're doing it again, but would sacrificing yourself really be the best for Lucy? Without you around, who can save her? Kefira wants the child, and you know why."

Loke glared up spitefully. "Yeah, and you're helping the bitch!"

"I am protecting Lucy in the only way I can. If not for me, the same thing would happen to Lucy as what happened back then...when you acted too foolish for your own good."

That made Loke turn away in anger.

"You could protect her better than I, which is why I want you to come with us. Who else knows what happened centuries ago and can stop that same darkness from entering the world? Dying will only assure her own destruction, just like what happened before with..."

"Shut up," Loke whispered in trembles.

Haftorang watched him struggling with conflict. "You need my help, old friend. Harness the true potential of the power you already have, and nothing will stand in your way, not in this world nor the next. You could be with your woman indefinitely! With Kefira's wisdom, Lucy can become immortal as well. It is the only way to remain a family forever, just as I managed to stay with my daughter and grandson. Think about it, Leo," he urged seductively. "You're both already damned, you by the laws of the Spirit World, she by the limitations of the Human World. However, with our help, you both can remain eternal. How many lovers have you had to watch die? How often does your chest ache at all you've lost? Lucy would be like us. Eternity together! If you truly love her, this is the only way to save her."

Loke did not move for a long time. His face struggled, and his breathing went erratic. He tried to swallow, but his throat choked on the hefty offer.

"Too good to be true," Haftorang nodded. "It's written on your face. True, it's not as easy as a mere agreement, yet it isn't difficult either. We are proof."

Loke knew he was right. Kefira looked the same as the last time he saw her four hundred years ago. Haftorang was still alive despite having lived in the Human World since ancient times.

"You know how to do it, Leo. Only us two, since the beginning, only we knew. Taurus was too stupid to figure it out, and Scorpio was hurt so badly, he repressed all memories of that time. But we knew what we lost back then, and we knew how to find it again! As your old friend, as the one who has stood at your back since time began, I want to help you...the true King of the Heavens-s-s!" he declared with a deep bow, flourishing his fins out in respect.

"Don't...don't you dare call me that," Loke growled.

"'Twas your title of old. 'Twas your inheritance, as this," and his fin touched the lip ring, "is mine. You've known how to save yourself and those you love, yet your pride gets in your way. How long has this knowledge burned where your heart...once...was?"

Loke closed his eyes and grabbed his chest.

"Does it hurt even now?" Haftorang asked sadly, truly pitying him. "Yet you know how to ease the pain."

As Loke thought it through...yes, he knew how. He had always known how. Haftorang was not bluffing. Eternity was possible for both of them.

"I offer this as a friend, Lion."

Loke looked away. He could be free from the pain. He could be saved from the limitations of the Spirit World. He and Lucy could be together until the end of time...

"Loke!" Erza shouted while slicing through one of the black, gooey demons. She had overheard only a little, but it was enough to know that any person would be tempted.

Her shout jolted him, and Loke regained his determination. "Piscis...no, Haftorang," he frowned. "You dabbled in something that never should've been disturbed. If it was only Kefira offering to save Lucy from a short life, I might accept, but what you've done...the one thing that has always—always—been forbidden, the last rule set down by the Royal Stars themselves, a rule no Celestial Spirit could ever dare to break! I can never forgive such a deep sin." He tightened his fist, and magic glowed from his ring.

"You don't realize that you're halfway there already," the fishman sighed. "But I must warn you, there is no way you can defeat me."

"I already know that," he nodded solemnly.

"Then why fight?"

"Simple. My pride demands it."

Haftorang opened his massive mouth and laughed loudly. "Yes-s-s! Yes, that is the Leo I remember. Too proud even to save himself, too proud to make the move that would reinstate you as the true king. Pride and friendship above all else. I shan't kill you, old friend. I want you to join us, if only so I can see you returned to your throne. Very well, you fight with that little ring of Regulus, and I shall give you a taste—a mere sip—of the power I have inherited...from Fomalhaut himself."

Loke knew he had to end this in one shot or else he would never be able to last in a fight. He also braced himself. He knew too well, there was no way to win. Still, for Lucy, for Fairy Tail, for his pride, he had to give it everything.

"I'll have to go with that attack." He held his arm up, and light glowed all around him. Immense power swirled his suit coat and made his hair stand on end. His whole body became encompassed in a brilliant yellow glow. "O Regulus, grant me your strength."

"Do you still have to pray to him?" Haftorang asked in amusement.

Loke looked forward, and his eyes flashed golden and green. He raised his hand, which began to burn fiery red and orange. Then he shouted, "Regulus Solar Flare!" He threw his fist forward as if to punch. With a shout, all of his energy went into the blow. A solid golden beam shot out and pierced Haftorang through the torso. The fishman stumbled back and looked down at the beam.

"Oooh, this one?"

"I once swore I'd never use this attack again," Loke growled. "You're making me break a promise." His eyes glowed, and behind him one could almost see the image of a lion outlined in energy. "Regulus...Supernova!"

Light filled Haftorang's entire body, shooting out his nose, searing his eyes, cracking his bluish skin apart. His mouth opened and laughed, and every time it opened, beams of light shot out.

"Yes, Supernova! The most brutal attack!" the Fish urged. "Destroy thine enemies with all thy might, my king!"

Loke gritted and held on as all the energy he had, including everything Virgo had given him, went into that single attack. Light exploded from Haftorang's body, and Loke shouted as he felt the drain hit him hard. Exhausted, he collapsed to his knees, breathing hard. Pain hit his chest again and throbbed all through his body. He grabbed his heart and cried out in agony. His face fell to the ground as he gasped and panted. He felt drained, utterly used up.

"Was that...really Supernova?"

Loke forced his head up. The fishman still stood there, a little singed on his loincloth, but otherwise unhurt. "No way!" Loke breathed in disbelief.

Haftorang pinched off a sizzling burn to his scant clothes. "There was a time when armies trembled at the word Supernova, the most fatal blow of the heavens, an attack that could destroy a planet. But that...that doesn't even compare to your weakest. Is this really the level of your strength now, Leo? Has the king of old fallen this far? Granted, you're surely weakened from living out here for so long, but...that's not the power of Regulus-s-s." He frowned and shook his head, truly disappointed. "It's a fraction, a mere chip which you inherited. It is the equivalent of a seasoned samurai flicking a child with his finger."

Loke's head fell to the dirt with tears of shock streaming down his face. He punched the ground and growled, "Dammit!"

"Poor Lion," Haftorang sighed in pity. "It hurts me to see you like this-s-s. Put aside your pride for once and admit defeat."

Loke gritted his teeth. "Defeat?" He forced himself up, rested on his knees to catch his breath, and finally stood unsteadily on his feet. His eyes narrowed at the fishman. "Lucy is my master, but more than that, she is my friend, my lover, and she will be the mother of my son. There is no way in Heaven or Hell that I can give up on pride like that!"

Haftorang stared at him sadly for a moment, waiting, hoping he would feel his own weakness and change his mind, or at least collapse in exhaustion so it could be over. However, Loke remained firm, his feet set apart to keep steady, although he still panted hard at the effort it took. He felt like he could not even raise his arm to fight, but he was not about to fall to his knees again.

"So be it," Haftorang sighed. "For what it's worth...I'm sorry. I'll go gentle. Mistress-s-s," he shouted over.

"Art thou finally going to fight?"

"Aye."

"Ehhh?" Happy gawked in surprise, only to start drooling again.

"I see. Then I shall give thee room."

"Oh no you don't!" Natsu growled, but the woman vanished in a bolt of lightning. "Huh? Where did she go? Hey, come back and fight me! I'm just getting fired up."

Haftorang began to glow with magical power. "I don't need to pray for Fomalhaut to grant me strength," he explained.

His mouth grinned huge. The ring on his lower lip glowed greenish-blue and made him too bright to see. Loke shielded his eyes as it appeared that the Fish had turned into pure aqua light. A reverberating voice of immense power boomed out.

"I am Fomalhaut!"

Loke paled and took a terrified step back. "Oh no... Everybody, run!"

It was too late. "Fomalhaut...Flick!"

Loke was glad for one thing. He barely felt it. There was a gush of power too intense for his nerves to begin to comprehend, then it all ended in peaceful sleep.

End of Chapter 10

Rhov's Corner:

Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to Damion Suomi and the Minor Prophets. I actually emailed the band's general manager and received permission to use their lyrics in my story. (I'm a good girl!) Damion Suomi (sue-me) is a talented American folk singer. This song really touched my heart, so I hope you check it out on YouTube.

Here's their website: www =dot= damionsuomi =dot= com

Yes, Virgo totally ripped off Sailor Moon's "oshiokiyo," or in English "I'll punish you." It was too tempting! ^_^

Leviathan - a sea monster described in the Bible, sometimes referred to as a dragon.

The Solar Flare/Supernova combo was mentioned in the prequel, "Ephemeral Sakura, Eternal Love." You can see what it does to normal people in Chapter 1 of that fanfic. It's awesome but sort of gory!

In case I'm not writing clearly, Regulus is called the Lion's Heart. Queen Kefira wants the Key to the Heart of the Lion. Haftorang says "where your heart once was." Loke keeps grabbing his chest. This is all relevant and related. Woooooo, mysterious!

=^..^= "I want that fiiiish..."

"No, Happy, he tastes like evil."

"I waaaant that fiiiiiiiiish!" *slobber-drool-slobber*

Extra Footnote:

Many readers have PM'ed me wanting to know where I'm getting all this stuff about Royal Stars, so although this means another huge footnote, I'll lay it out plainly. If you don't care, you can skip this. I won't be sad.

In Persian mythology, the Royal Stars were four bright stars that marked the four compass points (North, South, East, West) and came into prominence during each of the four seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter). In Persia, they had different names.

Aldebaran (Tascheter) in Taurus - vernal equinox, Watcher of the East

Regulus (Venant) in Leo - summer solstice, Watcher of the North

Antares (Satevis) in Scorpio - autumnal equinox, Watcher of the West

Fomalhaut (Haftorang) in Piscis Austrinus - winter solstice, Watcher of the South

There is confusion on Fomalhaut and Regulus being the Watchers of the North or South. Persians associated these stars with their given directions—Fomalhaut to the South, Regulus to the North—but due to their respective seasonal/directional associations, many modern astrologists and Neopagans flip them. I prefer original beliefs to contemporary reinterpretations. Fomalhaut is in the southern sky, so to me it's the Southern Watcher.

The Royal Stars were known as Guardians of the Heavens, Nobles of the Sky, Watchers of the Directions, the Shining Ones, and Lords of the Stars. In early mystical Hebrew sects, they were the Irin, a high order of angels. The Book of Enoch calls them the Four Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Phanuel. Some ancient cultures identified them as horsemen, the same Four Horsemen which likely inspired Revelations. Wiccans know them as Lords of the Watchtowers who guard the cardinal points and escort souls to the next realm. Neopagans evoke the names of these four stars in the "Watchtower Call." In short, throughout Human history, they've been pretty damn important!

Fomalhaut, "Mouth of the Fish." Being a bright star in an otherwise undistinguished section of the southern sky, it was called the "Solitary One" and used in ancient navigation. It was seen as the archangel Gabriel "who presides over all that is powerful" (Book of Enoch 40:9). It was associated with the Persian god Zal and believed to bestow charisma and engender the test of remaining true to one's ideals (Haftorang said that in this chapter). For Egyptians, he was the infamous Nile fish who swallowed the phallus of Osiris.

Aldebaran, Eye of the Bull, also known as Buddha's Star and God's Eye. The Book of Enoch identifies it with the angel Phanuel. Aldebaran was equated with the Persian god of light, endowed integrity, and engender the test of honor. Egyptians saw Taurus as the Apis Bull, the incarnation of Osiris.

Antares, Heart of the Scorpion. It was associated with the archangel Raphael. To Persians, it conveyed passion and the test of addiction to intensity, was one of the four gateways into the underworld, and represented the Persian god of the dead. It also represented the Egyptian scorpion goddess Selkit and the symbol of Isis in the pyramid ceremonials.

Regulus, Heart of the Lion, Latin for "Little King," Persia's "King Star," King of the Celestial Sphere, Regulator of Heaven, the "Kingly One," known in ancient Babylon as simply Sharru, the King! It's used in astrology to predict the future of nobility and the rise and fall of nations. It's associated with the "princely" archangel Michael. Regulus was equated with the mythical Persian king Feridun and is said to bestow success, power of position, and the test of withholding revenge. Egyptians believed the world began when the Sun rose in Leo.

Not impressed enough? It's theorized that a convergence of Jupiter (The God Planet), Venus (The Heavenly Woman), and Regulus (The King Star) was the bright Star of Bethlehem the three Magi followed at the time of Jesus' birth. The years 3-2 B.C.E. had a rare series of convergences which occurred in both Virgo the "Virgin" and Leo the "Lion" (or Judean Lion). For more, google "The Birth of Christ Recalculated," an in-depth but intriguing theory involving true science, astrological symbolism, and Biblical prophecy.

In my mythology, the constellations which contained Royal Stars once got their strength from them, but they're now weakened (to be explained later). Loke's blue ring is a fraction of Regulus' true power. That's why Haftorang is disappointed in Loke's attack. So why was Haftorang's "Fomalhaut Flick" so powerful? Well...I can leave some mysteries for later!
- 9
- 10
- 11
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Lion's Pride