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
- 17
- 18
- 19
"Neath her hind feet as rushing on his prey,

The lordly Lion greets the God of day."

- Aratos

Chapter 18

The Lion and the Day Star

Leo closed his eyes. Sometimes, if he focused hard, he could sense things about Lucy. He always knew when she was in trouble, but sometimes he sensed other emotions. He smiled to himself. Today, Lucy was feeling happy. Like a distant echo, he heard her laugh.

"I'm glad you're doing well, my love," he whispered, staring out his window. Amongst the stars, he saw Regulus glowing firmly and proudly. "O Regulus! Fairy Tail is her family. Have them take care of her until the day I'm able to be by her side again." He dropped his head sadly. "And may that day come soon."

He heard hooves clicking behind him. "Do you think he hears you, Leo-sama?"

The Lion firmed up his face. He knew Capricorn's hoofed footsteps without needing to look around. "If I keep praying, Regulus will hear me."

The clicking steps stopped nearby but still out of reach. "Regulus-sama is gone. So are the others. Praying to him will do nothing."

Leo snarled his teeth in anger. "What do you know, you old Goat? I call to Regulus when I fight. I feel his power. You've felt it, too. He's not completely gone from us."

Capricorn sighed and folded his arms. "True, you granted me the use of Regulus-sama's power once, and so I tell you...all you feel is the fragment he left behind. You told me about your fight with Piscis Austrinus-sama, and he was right. That's not the true power of Regulus-sama. Regulus-sama is gone. Everyone has come to accept it, everyone but you."

"And the Southern Fish," glared Leo. "I saw him, Capricorn. I saw when that damn Fish merged the powers. It was Fomalhaut. Of everyone here, I know him best. It was definitely him. The Royal Stars are not completely gone."

"Fomalhaut, modern name of ancient Haftorang. The Royal Stars of ancient times: Aldebaran, Antares, Fomalhaut, Regulus." Capricorn shook his head. "Our world was turned upside down when they left. You sure didn't help!"

"I know," Leo acknowledged regretfully. "I abandoned everyone here. It's my sin to bear."

"To think they might be back! You never should have told this to the Spirit King."

Leo had been considering that action. "It was my one trump card."

"And it failed. Miserably! If Fomalhaut-sama is really back, and if he's that eager to bring Regulus-sama back and reinstate you...do you honestly think the Spirit King wants that? It'd be the same upheaval of four hundred years ago, and at a time when we need to be cautious."

"Cautious?" Leo asked bitterly. "You mean because of my son?"

"Precisely!"

"Yet everything is happening exactly how it happened before!" Leo roared and leaped at the gleaming barrier that separated him from the Goat. His eyes narrowed, and his wild orange hair looked even more ragged since his imprisonment. "He took me away from Naomi despite the schemes of Kefira. He locked me away on grounds of treason while ignoring direct threats from Piscis Austrinus. And because of those two, because of their meddling, because the Spirit King did nothing to stop them before it was too late," he shouted, shivering with emotion, "Zeref was turned into the darkest mage in history." He punched the barrier, and it sizzled around his fist. In rage, he shouted, "What's going on now is exactly how it happened before!"

"Except this time," Capricorn said firmly, "we're all going to protect Lucy-sama."

Leo backed down. The rage melted at the sincerity in the Goat's face.

"She's truly precious to you," Capricorn realized. "I felt the same way toward Layla-sama when I swore to watch over all future generations of her family. No, you feel even stronger about Lucy-sama."

"She...makes me stronger," Leo said softly, sinking back onto his prison cot.

Capricorn nodded thoughtfully. "I know exactly how you feel. You would have felt the same with Layla-sama if she had owned you back then."

"I remember you telling me about a lovely human who made you stronger. I thought you, Cancer, and Aquarius were foolish. No human since Cheveyo ever made me feel stronger. Layla...and now Lucy, huh?"

"I was never able to properly research it, but I believe they are distant descendants of Cheveyo-sama's daughter."

"Ah, she was quite strong too from what I remember."

"So," Capricorn said, resting his back against the wall and folding his arms as he kept a lookout down the prison corridor, "when did you first notice Lucy-sama's strength?"

Leo hummed as he thought back. "I guess I noticed it the first day she walked into the guild. After three years in the Human World, I was trying anything to take my mind off the pain: wine, women, work. I just wanted to feel hazy, lost. I wore shades because the sun was too bright and a coat in summer because I was always freezing. All the senses of the Human World felt ten times stronger, especially pain.

"On that day, I felt terrible, so I had two of my prettiest ladies with me to distract me from the growing agony. It wasn't working, when suddenly something within me changed, like a desperately needed medicine finally kicked in. It felt like a magnet, my eyes focused to the doorway, but I couldn't see anything past Natsu's brawl. Finally I caught a glimpse of her between the fighting. She looked timid and shocked, like how all the newcomers react...and so cute! I felt instinctively drawn to her. I wanted her! Not in the way I had merely enticed other women, but...more. Deeper! A need, an instinctive desire! I wanted her to notice me, yet all she saw was a playboy with a woman on each arm. When she left to find lodging, that feeling of completion left with her.

"There she was, my cure at last! I was determined to make her my partner, keep her by my side. Then I saw why there was that resonance of souls. She was a Celestial Spirit mage. Those other keys sang to me, calling me home...a home I knew I couldn't return to. It made the longing worse.

"I knew as soon as I came close to her...Lucy is strong, stronger than she imagines! I knew that if I got too close, she would sense me. If she called out any of her Celestial Spirits, they would know who I was instantly. Still, I watched her and fought for her. Simply being near her helped me to keep going a few weeks longer than I had calculated, yet I was terrified of her. No, not of her," he realized. "Of you guys, of the Celestial Spirits. I was too ashamed, too proud to let them see me," he admitted bitterly. "Leo the Lion: leader of the Zodiacs, reduced to that weak and dying shell! So I stayed far away from her, dreading she'd call a Celestial Spirit out and I'd be discovered.

"But when Phantom Lord attacked, I felt her...deeply. She resonated right here," he said, a fist to his chest, "right in my heart. I hadn't felt a sensation like that in four hundred years, since my time with Regulus. I thought maybe it was the Spirit Keys, but I realized she had lost them. It wasn't the keys singing to me again, but her soul. And it felt so strong," he sighed with a smile, which slowly dropped as he remembered what happened next. "However, I was too weak. I had been taking easy missions to conserve my strength. Using Regulus to fight Gajeel...even with Lucy nearby, I felt the pain, and that made me lose. I realized just how utterly pathetic I was!

"After it was over, I followed the voices and found her lost Spirit Keys on the street. Such precious artifacts, dropped as she was captured. I was truly terrified to touch them, but I couldn't leave the keys of my old friends there to be lost, or worse, to be picked up by someone cruel. I knew too well what a bad master is like, and I could see that Lucy was a good master, so I forced myself to pick them up. It was such a warm feeling, but it made the longing worse. By then, I was almost gone. The fight with Gajeel had taken off any added energy Lucy had restored. I planned to give the keys to her friends and quietly slip away.

"Then...she was there that day. I knew it'd be my last mission. I had been a jerk to so many women in my quest to distract the pain and make myself forget Karen, so I felt I could redeem myself by hunting down a couple perverts. I'd do my one last good deed in this world, then slink away like a cat ready to die. Yet there Lucy was, a victim of those men! In a twist of fate, she was the one I had to rescue.

"I felt that connection again. I felt power in my heart, strength flowing out from her. I wanted to embrace her and never let go. I had come to terms with death, yet suddenly I wanted to live. I wanted to hold her and exist with her...forever! I didn't want to leave her, but I didn't want to burden her. I ended up confessing my terminal state, but I didn't want her to be sad. Instead, I said something stupid and upset her.

"But I got careless. The Nikora she cutely calls Plue saw me. As soon as Lucy knocked my shades off..." Leo paused and chuckled to himself. "It was like a stupid superhero disguise, put on some glasses and hope no one recognized me. But Nikora saw me without them, and he knew immediately who I was. I saw his face only briefly: surprise, happiness, worry, all mixed in that silly face. Luckily, he couldn't tell Lucy. He probably realized anyway...at that point, I only had a little time left.

"Despite my act to push her away, she chased after me and saved my life. She almost sacrificed herself for some miserable beast like me. I absolutely fell in love with her right then. It was like I knew everything before was mere infatuation, but right then, as I watched her determination and felt that hidden reservoir of power, that same resonance I sensed from our first meeting...it was love, true and honest love!

"Then the Spirit King made her my master. You know," Leo laughed blithely as he leaned back on his tiny cot, "that old geezer can be one domineering jackass, but right then I knew he had felt the love in my heart. Maybe it was his way of saying sorry for three years of torture." He looked out his window. The stars had faded, and only the Day Star shined. "I almost wish Lucy could come here and yell at him again, show him how strong our love is. You should have seen her that day! I hadn't seen power like that since Cheveyo."

"Able to call all twelve of us out," Capricorn nodded. "Perhaps she truly is his scion."

"Lucy isn't even fully trained, and she's too young to be in her full power," Leo mentioned, feeling truly proud of her. "Another five or ten years, I think she'll match Cheveyo, maybe surpass him."

"She is talented. When I helped her train, I saw a glimpse of the power in her, and she's stronger now. However, I think you give her too much credit."

Leo smiled to himself. "You haven't been with her long enough. She's immensely powerful, but it's hidden. She can call up multiple Celestial Spirits at a time. She now even knows how to cast Urano Metria. She has the strength to do high level caster magic. She could do so much more; she just lacks the knowledge. As far as the amount of potential magic power within her body, I would say she's on par with Natsu. His magic comes from his training with the dragon Igneel. If Lucy could be trained...if I could train her..."

He left that thought hanging with regret. Why had he not begun training her? Even Capricorn gave her some basic training exercises to work on. He kept wanting to, but there was never a good time. If she could have been as strong as the famed celestial summoner of the past, Cheveyo, who helped to defeat Zeref, then maybe this whole thing never would have happened. Maybe she could have been strong enough to even bypass the spirit barrier on this jail, like Cheveyo could.

"The baby is due soon," Leo realized, shifting the conversation away from that particular regret. "And once again, I'm missing such an important occasion." Leo looked over firmly to the Goat. "I trust you, old friend. Keep protecting her...I beg of you!"

Capricorn nodded solemnly. "As I swore to Layla-sama, I will guard her family now and generations to come."

They heard footsteps approaching. Leo sensed the heavy presence and sat up quickly. He tried to straighten his tie and suit coat, mentally preparing himself for what he thought would be another hard-handed punishment. If he had to be beaten again, he would take it without losing his dignity.

The first ones he saw were the Gemini twins skipping forward eagerly hand-in-hand. Then came Aquarius, floating along with her tail flipped back haughtily. Hiding slightly beside the Water Bearer was Aries, who gave a timid but happy smile to Leo. Finally came the Spirit King, his eyes glowing red. He did not look happy, and that worried the Lion a little.

"You have loyal allies, old friend," the Spirit King began. "Capricorn and Scorpio have argued vehemently on your behalf. Aries faced her own terror to speak with me and even dared to shout that I was, as she put it, a stubborn old git."

"I'm sorry," the shy Ram trembled.

"Virgo offered a little too willingly to take on your punishment ten-fold. Cancer threatened to cut off my mustache. Taurus went on a rampage within my private chamber and is temporarily locked up for breaking and entering. The damage Aquarius has wrought will take some time to repair."

"It's not my fault those water pipes were rusty," she argued stubbornly, yet a gleam in the mermaid's eyes showed her mischievous side.

"Almost every single Zodiac Spirit, and numerous minor Celestial Spirits, have argued and pleaded on your behalf, Leo. Gemi and Mini were the most convincing. They argued, not for you, but on behalf of your owner, Lucy Heartfilia. She is a good woman, a noble mage, beloved by all of her Spirits...even Aquarius."

"Says who?" the Water Bearer roared, but she backed down fast. "I mean, I guess the bitch at least honors my requests for vacations."

"Our friends," the Spirit King went on, "can sometimes be more persuasive than our own words. Aries says that perhaps last time, Zeref went bad because he had no father figure. If her female intuition is correct, then the son you unwittingly sired needs a father. Therefore, I shall grant you a brief parole."

Leo grinned immediately and wanted to laugh in relief.

"You may pass through your gate freely during this time, but upon reentering you will return to this cell. You are not allowed anywhere else within the Spirit World. Oversee the birth of your child. Tend to your woman as she heals. Show your support. However, you are not free yet. Upon the Human World new year, when the last rainbow sakura petal falls in Magnolia Town, all twelve Zodiac Spirits will gather once more. At that time, your fate shall be decided: either to allow you to stay as a Celestial Spirit but restrict your interaction with your owner; or to allow you to live with your family at the cost of your status as the Spirit of the Lion."

"I'll let you know right now," Leo butted in. "I would rather live a few decades and die of old age than be parted from Lucy again."

"Not just your immortality," the Spirit King warned. "Your power would also be stripped from you. You would have no magic."

Leo hesitated, distraught by the threat. Without magic, he would not be able to protect Lucy easily. He could not work with her on missions. He would not be able to appear beside her at the first sign of trouble. Of course, she would still have the other Celestial Spirits, but he would be a huge hindrance to her, a powerless anchor slowing her down.

"You have two days, or six Earthland months, to weigh your options," the Spirit King intoned. "Also, I need not say this, but if you seek out Piscis Austrinus during this time, or if you go after the Key to the Heart of the Lion, you shall forfeit your life."

"And if he comes to me?" Loke asked skeptically. "He and Queen Kefira are still after Lucy and the baby."

"We are already searching for that traitorous fiend. If he gets near you, or you near him, we will know before you two can meet. If there is an error on our behalf...I hope you can be prudent in such a situation and not face him alone again. Even if only one other is with you—anyone but Taurus and Scorpio—then that would be fine."

Leo knew why he added that stipulation. Taurus and Scorpio had also been aligned with the Royal Stars. That was what the Spirit King feared, just like Capricorn said. If the four constellations aligned with the Royal Stars revolted, it would be another massive upheaval in the Spirit World, only instead of the power vacuum left behind when the Royal Stars left, it would be a coup d'état against the Spirit King.

"You have my oath as the Lion and upon my pride and honor as leader of the Zodiacs, I will not seek out that ancient power," Leo nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Six months, old friend. Upon the falling of the last rainbow sakura petal, your fate shall be decided. Get your affairs in order. Care for your family as best as you can in that time. Be grateful to the stars' guidance."

Lucy stepped out of the guild hall with a yawn. The sun was just rising, but the lavender wisps of river fog hid its burning disk. The guild had partied all night long. She had eaten more in that one day than she normally did in a week. She even managed a meat-eating contest with Natsu and won!

Somehow, she fell asleep. She woke up on a bed in the infirmary, sleepily wondering who carried her there until she saw the white coat draped over her. Gray really was watching out for her, and she was glad for his support.

She smiled at the silvery hidden shadows of Magnolia and the stillness that seemed to be bottled up within the fog, like the steam of a rice cooker. Behind her, she heard others beginning to wake up, some to hangovers, others with tired feet from dancing all night long. It made her feel more connected to them. Fairy Tail fought as a family and partied as a family. The thought warmed her through the dreary morning.

The fog left moisture on her cheeks so that she looked like she was sprinkled with fairy dust. She tugged Gray's coat around her a little tighter and decided to head out. First she pulled out her Spirit Keys.

"Open the Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!" The cute white...thing...appeared. "You'll walk me home, won't you, Plue?" She chuckled and began to go.

"Puu-puun!" he answered and began to follow. Then Plue paused and made a questioning sound. "Puun?" He put his paw-like hand up to his black eyes and squinted through the fog. Then he gasped. "Puun! Puu-puun, puu-puun! Puuuun!"

Lucy stopped and looked down at his excitement. "What is it?"

"Pardon me, lady," a seductive voice called out, "but I believe you need more than a tiny dog to guard you when walking home. How about a Lion?"

She gasped and covered her mouth. The sun burned off the fog, the wisps of purple haze melted away, and the world burst into golden brilliance. Amidst the yellow glare, a dark form stepped forward, a tall and lean figure with a smooth gait, wild hair, and shoes that clicked with solid soles. Like a veil pulling away before royalty, the fog swept to the sides, and the lordly Lion strode forward. Loke had a grin that could make ladies faint, but his eyes were only on his lioness.

"Lucy...sorry I'm late for the party."

She ran forward with a cry. Gray's coat fell from her shoulders and fluttered to the sidewalk as she leaped into Loke's arms. He almost yanked her up to spin her around like in a movie, but he realized that would be bad for the baby. Instead, Loke pulled Lucy close to him and crashed his lips onto hers. He desperately needed to taste her. He needed to know she was really there.

In the doorway, Erza, Wendy, Charle, Happy, Natsu, and Gray watched with smiles.

"I'm glad he's back," Gray sighed in relief.

Natsu still was not satisfied. "Oi, Loke!"

Erza tried to grab him as he rushed forward. "Idiot! At least give them time for a reunion."

"This is more important," he frowned as he marched forward.

Loke faced him, but he could not let go of Lucy just yet. Natsu came to a stop in front of them.

"Once and for all," he shouted. "Me or him?" His finger swung over to Gray. "Who's the godfather?"

Loke chuckled softly at the question. "Well Natsu, I've actually thought about that long and hard. This will be a special baby. He needs twice the love and twice the protection. Therefore, I think he should have two godfathers...and two godmothers. You and Gray, Erza and Wendy." He looked down to Lucy. "How does that sound to you?"

She was still too emotional to speak, so she just nodded and leaned into him.

"I get to be a godmother?" Wendy asked in awe. She covered her mouth and giggled. "I'm a Fairy godmother!"

"Two, huh?" Natsu pouted. "Well...I guess that's okay. But I get to wear the cool suit and pet the cat."

"Aye!" Happy chimed in. "What about me? Don't I get to do anything special?"

Natsu grinned huge. "You get to be my cat!"

Happy pouted at him. "More than that."

"Of course," Loke smiled. "You get to be the god-cat."

"God...cat?" Happy's eyes shined with stars. "I like that title. God-cat! Hey Charle, did you hear that? I'm the god-cat."

"Hmph! God-awful cat, maybe," she huffed quietly.

He flew up to her and smiled bashfully. "I'll share. You can be the goddess-cat, if you want."

The title piqued her interest, and her face twitched as she tried to suppress a smile. "That title...does sound rather appealing."

"Hey, Loke," Natsu urged, "you gotta see the gifts Lucy got. She said mine was perfect."

Loke held a hand up to calm the hyper teen. "In a bit, Natsu. I'd like to watch the sunrise with Lucy first." He took her around the waist and led her in the direction of the Fairy Hills dormitory.

"But the sun's already up," Natsu argued, and he began to follow.

Gray grabbed his shoulder and forced him to stop. "Give them some time alone," he said knowingly.

"But I wanna..."

"Natsu," Gray said firmly. "You really are a clueless idiot."

"What was that, you ice bastard?" he yelled, ready to fight.

Gray just sighed in exasperation. "Go ask Mira to cook a nice breakfast for Loke."

He yanked away. "I ain't doing whatever you order me to do."

Erza stomped up to him. "Natsu! Breakfast! Now!"

He pulled away with a tremble. "A-a-aye, sir!" Then he hurried back inside to announce to everyone that Loke was back.

Erza patted Gray on the shoulder, and he stumbled at the heavy hit. "You're really growing up, Gray. I'm impressed."

"It has nothing to do with growing up," he pouted. "I sat by her and held her through so many nights as she cried. I was prepared to fight to get him back, and I'll fight to make sure he stays with her from now on. I want her to be happy, that's all there is to it. Besides..." He chuckled as he leaned over to pick up his discarded white coat. "They do make a cute couple."

"Aye!" Happy agreed.

End of Chapter 18

Rhov's Corner:

Here's another chapter I had to adjust to match the canon story, since in the Grand Magic Games we've seen that Lucy knows Urano Metria and can call out more than one Celestial Spirit at a time. Wow, look how far she's come along! Go Lucy!

Next up...FINALLY some fluff! Maybe a little smut...keehehe!

=^-.-^= "It's about time, Rhov."

^_^ "I know, I know, Happy. It's been really angsty these last few chapters. That's just how I write, either too perverted or too much drama. I'm sorry if it depressed people."

=^..^= "Well, it made me upset! Especially since I haven't been in this story much."

"Umm...but I made you the god-cat."

"Yeah, but look at how many lines I have in this script!"

"Sorry, this story isn't really about you, Happy."

"What do you mean? It's Lion's Pride, a cat story. Charle and I should have a scene together, maybe a romantic candlelight dinner on a fishing dock with fresh salmon and cream and..."

"That...well, it'd be darn adorable, but this is Lion's Pride. You're not a lion, you're a cat."

"Lions are cats! What about a cat's pride, eh? We're proud animals!"

"Umm...it's a grownup story, you know, for...for grownup cats."

*spends a long time thinking about it* "...Oh! Okay! So that's why it's Rated M. It's for grownup cats."

"Um...right..." ^_^'
- 17
- 18
- 19
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