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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
- 42
- 43
- 44
"You must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing." - Andrew Jackson

Chapter 43

The Price to Pay
It was a cool and peaceful September day in Magnolia. In a city park, Lucy and Bisca had a picnic set out and watched Alzack playing with the two children. Luke was almost the same size as the little girl now.
"Mommy, watch!" the boy shouted, and Alzack helped him down a slide.
"That looks like fun," Lucy shouted back to him from her seat under a shady tree.
"Yeah, fun," he repeated. "Lotsa fun! Su-su, you try."
"Okay!" Next, little Asuka went down with a loud weeeeee!
Lucy smiled at the peaceful scene, yet she still felt a little sad. She wanted Loke to be there and see their son growing up. She wondered where he was, if he was safe, and what he planned to do next. She refused to think he went with Kefira because he was still in love with her. That couldn't be it! He must have had a plan. She hoped that one day he would return and they could be a family again.
By the time she realized Bisca was talking to her, the woman had called her name three times. Lucy jolted out of her thoughts, then tried to laugh it off.
"Sorry, I was just daydreaming," she said in excuse.
"I was merely wondering what you plan to do next. Will you wait for him or move on? The whole guild is wondering about you and Gray. Juvia bugs me for news every day."
"Gray...he's sweet, but I'm waiting for Loke," Lucy said decisively. "When he tried to take Luke away, I guess Loke probably panicked. I would too if I was told Luke might die. Any parent would panic and do whatever they're told is the only cure, no matter what that means."
"That's true," Bisca nodded, knowing all too well from the few childhood diseases Asuka already went through.
"Wendy and Levy are searching every day for any hints about a cure. Some days he's fine, like today, and some days he can't even get out of bed. It's heartbreaking," she admitted, watching her son climb up the slide ladder and squeal as he slid down again. "Still, I can't give him up, not until we look into every alternative. Loke...I can forgive him for panicking. It just means he's a loving father. Leaving with that woman, there's no way I can think he did that without a reason. I'll wait until he comes back and tells me his side of the story. Then I'll make a decision. Until then, he at least deserves my loyalty."
Bisca patted the blonde on the back. "You're growing to be a fine woman, Lucy. You're stronger than I would be."
She laughed sheepishly. "I guess it comes with being in Fairy Tail's strongest team, ne? But really, I..."
There was a loud explosion, and both women jolted up to their feet. Bisca had a gun out, and Lucy's hand was already on her whip.
"It came from the north," Lucy realized. "Could it be Natsu again?"
"Lucy!" They saw pink hair running toward her.
"Nope," Bisca answered. "He's been hiding behind a tree for the past hour watching over you. You really must be out of it if you didn't realize he was there."
"That guy!" Lucy sighed, but she was glad to see him and Happy come forward.
Alzack had gathered the two children up and handed them to Bisca and Lucy.
"Mama?" the little girl asked in worry.
"It'll be all right," Bisca assured her.
"Lucy!" Natsu shouted again. He held her arm, just to make sure she was fine.
"No harm done," she assured.
Alzack whipped forward his gun. "Looks like an attack. Natsu, help me guard them until we get to the safe house."
They ran to the east, Bisca holding Asuka and Lucy holding Luke. The citizens of Magnolia were in a panic. Some jumped into boats so they could paddle down the canals quickly to escape while they were still able. Others had wagons and carts with supplies, escaping before the fighting reached this district. Being the home base of a guild like Fairy Tail, they were used to an occasional evacuation, so the adults took the fleeing calmly while still rushing. They heard another bombing explosion, and the two children began to cry.
"Unkie Nana?" Luke whimpered in fear.
The dragon slayer grinned at the toddler hanging onto Lucy's shoulder and ruffled his orange and blond hair. "Hey, I told you to call me Natsu."
"Unkie Nazoo?"
"Close enough," he laughed. "Don't worry. We'll protect you. That's what grownups do," he said with a grin.
"You barely qualify as a grownup," Lucy teased.
A few streets down, they met Wendy.
"You guys!" she shouted. "A battle has started to the north. Demons were spotted. Master has ordered all available mages to the front lines. Alzack, Natsu, they'll need you two. I'll protect Lucy and Bisca until they reach the safe house."
The two women looked to the escorts. Bisca gave Alzack a farewell kiss while Natsu and Lucy looked at one another for a moment. She bit her lip in worry, and he grinned in his confident way.
"Go on, Lucy," he encouraged. "You can fight later. You've gotta get your kid to safety first. That's what a good parent does."
She knew he was right. Despite her instincts to run out into battle with him, Gray, and Erza, she had a son to look after. Luke came first in her life.
She gave him a nod. "Save some of the bad guys for me, okay?"
"Sure thing," he laughed. "Let's go, Alzack."
They ran together to the north, leaving the safety of the two mothers and children to Wendy. Their group ran along with the crowd of evacuating civilians heading east.

To the north, Queen Kefira stood atop a hill looking down at her army of demons attacking Magnolia. Smoke rose where magic spheres had exploded against the city's defensive wall, cracking an opening for the demonic forces to enter. Already, she saw flashes of magic circles trying to stop the invasion.
"A beautiful site!" she said in amazement. She glanced to her side where Loke stood stiffly. "Wouldn't you say, my Lion? Is there nothing more grand than the battlefield?"
Loke did not answer. Sadly, he realized this was the hill the guild used for stargazing. He remembered many occasions of coming up here with Lucy and the rest of the guild to look at the moon, watch shooting stars, and simply enjoy the glory of the heavens.
"What glorious view now?" he muttered to himself.
As the first skirmishes between mages and demons raged below, Kefira rubbed her hand up Loke's arm. "Will you join in the fray?"
Loke shook his head as he glared at the battle. "Do you plan on forcing me to fight for you?"
"I don't think it's necessary. If you wish to refrain, my demons can do enough damage. However, I thought fighting was in your soul."
"I refuse to attack the guild. After all, those are my friends. I don't want to hurt them. If you force me to, I will upon my pride, but on my own I prefer not to."
"I don't wish to force you to do anything, my love," she assured. "Per your orders, I created these particular demons to incapacitate, not kill. Your friends will be defeated without any loss of life. It's not an easy spell," she warned, glaring slightly. "You should be thankful."
"I...am," he said hesitantly. He still felt sick that they were attacking Fairy Tail, but at least she promised that no one would die. "I should get going."
"I await your return, dear Leo."
She tried to give him a kiss, but Loke shoved past her. She glared at his back as he strode down the hill and toward the city. The demons made way for him like servants bowing before the path of a king.
"You will return to me," she whispered to herself. "You will be mine, spirit and body. She won't want you after this. When this is over, you won't have a reason to come back to her. Then you'll be mine alone."

Lucy, Bisca and Wendy jogged through Magnolia's streets to get Asuka and Luke to safety. The explosions sounded like they were getting closer. Then they heard shrieking up ahead.
"Get ready," Wendy warned the two mothers.
Lucy held Luke on her shoulder and reached for her keyring. Bisca balanced Asuka on her hip and pulled a snubby revolver out with her free hand. Suddenly, two black demons lumbered out of an alley directly in front of them. Their group came to a stop, and the two children screamed in terror at the hideous creatures. Wendy took a deep breath, ready to fight in defense of the two mothers.
Then they heard the clicking of heeled shoes. "Go away," a deep voice ordered, and the two demons scampered off to another area of the city. Loke stepped out of the alley and stood blocking the mages' path. Lucy hitched a breath at seeing him.
"Daddy!" Luke cried out happily.
Loke smiled sadly at the boy's shout, but his eyes were cold as they fixed on Lucy.
Bisca aimed her gun at him. "Then you really have betrayed us, Loke. You're with the group attacking our city."
Lucy bit her lip. She refused to believe it was true, yet Loke did not even try to refute the accusation.
"Get the children to safety, Bisca," he said flatly. "I won't stop you, and I can even keep the demons from coming in this direction. All I want is to talk to Lucy." When she did not lower her gun, Loke finally turned his eyes over to her. "Protect them, I beg of you," he pleaded.
Bisca's resolve wavered. She looked over to Lucy.
"Luke too?" the Spirit Mage asked.
"Yes," Loke replied. "Get them both to the safe house, and hurry before too many demons arrive." His face cringed in guilt. "I'm sorry, but it's the best I can do to help."
Lucy frowned at the anguish in his voice. "You're probably under orders from your new owner," she realized bitterly. "I see. So that's how it is." She gave Luke to Wendy. "Take care of him. Bisca, hurry. Get Asuka to the safe house, then join the fighting. I'll be along in a moment."
"But Lucy," Wendy protested.
"Let's go," Bisca urged, and she ran forward. She glared at Loke as she passed by him. "If you hurt her, I'll blast your head off," she threatened, then hurried forward with her daughter.
However, Wendy hesitated in leaving. She held Luke as well as the tiny girl could managed and stood a few meters behind Loke, watching with worry.
"So, what is it you want to talk about?" Lucy yelled over to him. She realized the street was suddenly empty. The fleeing citizens had seen the demons and were taking a southern route.
"I came to get the Regulus Key," he told her. "Kefira wants nothing to do with Fiore. She needs the Lapis Lazuli Key to reclaim her ancestral lands."
"Do you plan on helping her?" Lucy asked incredulously. "Have you...gone back to her?" She bit her lip, not sure if she really wanted to hear the truth.
"No!" Loke insisted. However, the memory of those empty kisses sickened him. "She...wanted to. She tried. I won't let her. I still love you, and I always will...eternally," he smiled bittersweetly, knowing just how honest those words were now that he understood just who Lucy was, the soul he had loved over many lifetimes. "I just need to do this, then I'll be back. I won't leave you again."
"You've said that before," she snapped.
Loke dropped his gaze, knowing she was right. How many times had he sworn never to leave her? How many times had he said they would be a family? He had broken those promises. A Spirit's word was his pride, yet he had lied so many times.
"Hand me your ring, Loke," she urged. "It doesn't have to be Kefira to call up Regulus. I can do it. Levy taught me the incantation, so I can do this. Then you don't have to listen to what Kefira wants."
Loke shook his head. "I want Kefira to have it."
Lucy felt a blazing fire spike through her heart. "Then why the hell did you leave it with me? Why didn't you take the Regulus Key at the same time you took the Lion's Key? Why are you attacking us now to get it back?"
"That was before I got her to make a deal. I help Kefira, then she'll help me. I give the Regulus Key to her and help her to retake Kohinur, and she'll make you immortal."
"That's ridiculous!" she scoffed. "She's powerful, but she can't..."
"She can!" he yelled over her. "There are certain bloodlines that exist amongst Humans. Some said they were descendants of ancient gods, but it was a very rare type of magic that showed itself only once every few generations. These people can turn a normal Human into a Celestial Spirit. Most of us Zodiacs came into being this way. Kefira is the last person alive with the pure Kohinurian royal bloodline. Her ancestor was the man who made me into the Lion. She promised to do the same for you. That's the deal. When all this is over, I can simply leave her again. We can live together in peace. You can come with me to the Spirit World, and we can raise Luke together. It's the only way we can both raise our son. It's the only way we can become a true family. You wanted an alternative to me simply taking Luke away from you, and this is it! If he can't stay in the Human World, I can make it so that you can stay in the Spirit World. No one will separate us ever again."
Lucy shook her head with tears in her eyes. "And you'd attack Fairy Tail to do this?"
He explained fast, "Historically, entire nations have been wiped out to capture a Royal Star Key, so what Kefira is doing is mild compared to what was done in the past. You were prepared to fight the Spirit World to free me from imprisonment. I'm willing to fight Fairy Tail to free us so we can be a family."
"Do you really think that makes this right?" she yelled. "These are our friends!"
"And you're the woman I love," he shouted back. "So please...please, Lucy, don't give her any reason to do worse. The fighting is only a distraction. She'll go away once you hand over the Regulus Key."
Lucy put her hand over her ring of Spirit Keys, including the single blue one with a chip carved out of it. She hesitated. On one hand, Loke would be powerful enough to protect himself from the Spirit King, Magnolia would be saved, and Loke promised he would return to her. On the other hand, she did not trust Kefira having the Regulus Key. Loke would be under her complete control, and they were planning to overthrow a peaceful country.
Loke saw her looking more and more reluctant. He shook his head, staring hard, as if he could drill his reasons into her head and make her see his point of view. Instead, her eyes drifted, looking at the smoke and flashes of magic. Loke's worries piled up. He wanted the fighting to stop...now! He knew what Kefira and Haftorang were really capable of doing, and he wanted to spare Magnolia from utter annihilation.
In a desperate move, he charged at Lucy and nearly grabbed the keyring. Lucy leaped away, grabbed her Spirit Keys, and called forth the first one she touched.
"Open the Gate of the Ram! Aries!"
The lamb came out already in a fighting stance and landed a blow to Loke just as he almost caught Lucy again. His yanking grab made Lucy stumble and fall to the ground, but Aries stood in front of her.
"I'm sorry, but I'll protect Lucy from you, Leo," the Ram warned.
Wendy gasped and shouted, "Lucy!"
"Stay back!" the blonde yelled, waving the little girl away. "What are you doing waiting around? Follow Bisca."
"But Lucy..." Wendy looked at where the gunslinger had gone, but she had a feeling she needed to stay there in case things got bad.
"Lucy, please," Loke begged, looking down at her and ignoring Aries for now. "Kefira won't stop. These demons are made not to kill, but if she gets impatient, she very well could send worse. She might even make me do things I don't want to do."
Lucy lashed back, "If I give her both keys, she'll make you do even worse. She'll make you hers. I'll lose you completely."
"I won't let her..."
"Were you able to stop her in the past?" Lucy screamed angrily. "Could you completely stop her when you were with Naomi? Maybe you could keep out of her bed, but I bet she still kissed you."
Loke's stomach twisted as he remembered the past two months, spending nights lying beside Kefira, not moving, not reciprocating, but letting the woman kiss him however she pleased. How could he argue when he had done such wretched things?
"I won't let her take you," Lucy said firmly.
That determination made Loke happy...and worried. He had to smile that she was not giving up on him, but fear nagged at him.
"I love you so much, Lucy," he declared in a choking whisper, "but how much are you willing to pay to keep me here? Will you sacrifice our friends, this town, all you love? Will you sacrifice our one chance to make you into a Celestial Spirit so you can help me raise Luke in the Spirit World? Would you sacrifice your son for me?" he asked with a serious tone.
"Leo," Aries cried out. "Please don't do this to her. It's an unfair choice."
"It seems our lives are all about unfair choices," he sighed. Then the Lion looked over to the Ram in a sudden thought. "Aries, do you really want to fight me?"
"No, of course not," she trembled.
"How many others are on my side? Even when this is over, the Spirit King will not be happy. I can fight him as Regulus, but it'd be useless if most of the Zodiac Spirits are against me, too. I need allies. How many would join my side?"
Aries trembled at the fervent questions. "I...I don't know. First you try to attack Lucy, now you want us to mutiny against the Spirit King? Leo, what's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong?" he laughed, then bellowed angrily, "What isn't wrong? All I want is to raise Luke with Lucy. If he can't live in the Human World, then the problem is how to get Lucy to the Spirit World. Kefira can do that, but then the Spirit King will only lock me up. I won't let him separate me from Lucy anymore, and I'm willing to pay any price to save my family."
"Even if that price is your nakama?" came a voice, and Natsu stepped out from behind a building. "It looks like my nose was right. I thought I smelled a Lion prowling around here. A cowardly lion, it seems...one who would sacrifice his friends."
"I'm sorry, Natsu," Loke sighed, "but compared to my family, there is nothing more important."
"Then that just means you have to get through me and the rest of Fairy Tail." Natsu punched his fists together. "A Lion and a Dragon...who do you think would win? Let's find out!"

End of Chapter 43

Rhov's Corner:
=T_T= "Waaaah, I heard a horrible rumor that Rhov died!"
"Um, Happy...I'm not dead yet."
=^o.o^= "She was under a lot of stress, and it was too much. First it was her stomach, then her heart, then her brain, then her whole body fell apart and she...she died."
"Hey, I'm not dead."
=^._.^= "Then her ghost possessed another writer who lives like a zombie, not eating or drinking as she continues the stories Rhov couldn't finish before such a tragic end."
"I'M ALIVE, DAMMIT!"
=^o_o^= "I heard a rumor that if you listen closely in the catacombs of Deviant Art, you can hear her voice moaning as her spirit wanders in search of someone new to possess."
"I give up...I'm not dead, and I apologize for taking such a long break. I really needed it! My Muse keeled over just writing this much. I decided to publish it like this and save Natsu and Loke's fight for the next chapter. Otherwise, it very well might take another month to get this chapter up, and then the rumors of my untimely death would seem justified."
=^..^= "Natsu and I are holding a wake in Rhov's memory. There will be fish appetizers."
"I SAID I'M NOT DEAD!"
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Lion's Pride