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
- 47
- 48
- 49
"No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit." - Helen Keller

Chapter 48

A New Key

Dear Luke,
I hope you're doing well and studying hard. Don't worry, we're doing fine here, other than your uncle Natsu burned down a seaport on our last mission. Master made us pay for the damages and help in the rebuilding. That used up all of the reward money and took us three weeks. Because of that, I was late on my rent, and the landlady charged me a huge fine. Ah, but you don't need to hear about money problems. I'll write about that to my own mama.
I saw a lion cub at the zoo today, and it made me think of you. When you were born, Fairy Tail nicknamed you "the cub." I doubt you remember that, but I hope you can remember a few of the mages in this guild. They loved you very much, and many fought to protect you when bad people came. I hope one day you'll be healthy enough to come back to the Human World and see them. We would all like to see you and how much you've grown. It hasn't even been two months, yet it feels like ages since I've held you. Still, I can't be selfish. You were very sick when you lived in this world. Aries said you're getting better now, so I'm glad you can grow up someplace where you can be healthy and strong. I know my little cub will grow up to be a great Lion like your father.
I apologize that my letter today is so short. Your uncle Gray has just arrived to tell me Erza picked a mission for us. It's S-class, but we can come along to support her. Natsu is absolutely ecstatic about doing another S-class mission. I'm worried he'll overdo things again. Don't worry, your mama is a strong mage, so I'll be fine. Plus those two uncles of yours would never let me come to harm.
Now Happy is here too saying Natsu wants to hurry, so I need to call Virgo out to give her this letter. Stay healthy, my son. Keep studying. Work hard on writing so I can hear back from you one day.
Your loving mother,
Lucy

Lucy eventually moved back into her old place on Strawberry Street. As rent came every month, she was forced to rejoin Team Natsu and go on missions so she could make the payments. She could usually rely on Taurus, Scorpio, or Capricorn, sometimes on Sagittarius or Cancer, and in special occasions she used Gemini, Virgo, or Aries. She tried to avoid using Aquarius, but there were a couple times.
One Zodiac Celestial Key remained unused. It hung heavily on her keyring, a weight she could never forget, but she usually avoided even touching it.
In her house, there were no longer any reminders. She ended up selling most of the baby furniture, clothes, and toys, although she kept a few as bittersweet reminders locked away in a trunk. She still had Gray's ice-crystal mobile, the cowboy booties from Bisca, and the smiling lion shirt she bought the day Kefira kidnapped her. Proto sat on a shelf with other plushies, not moving, not speaking, just a normal teddy bear now that the boy he was supposed to protect was gone. Lucy often brought out Gildarts' blanket and smelled it to remind her. It always brought tears to her eyes, but she tried to tell herself that Luke was doing well where he was. She wrote letters to him, same as she wrote them to her mother. Other than that, she rarely asked any of her Spirits about news. Respecting her wishes, they carefully avoided mentioning either him or Loke unless she specifically asked, and then they told her only what she wanted to know, nothing extra.
Basically, Lucy tried to force herself back into a normal life as a mage. The whole guild watched her cautiously for many months. When they saw that she could smile and laugh, they decided she had gotten over it. To the average guild member, Lucy looked well-adjusted. She freaked out easily when Natsu picked seemingly-impossible missions, she laughed loudly at the jokes and little brawls, she moaned about trying to finish her book, she fought relentlessly when a dark guild attacked them, and she even entered another Fantasia contest—although she did not win. Only her closest friends saw the little looks of sadness whenever Bisca and Alzack brought Asuka with them to the guild hall, or if a mother and father walked by with their children, or when the stars shined exceptionally bright. She never joined Fairy Tail's moon-gazing parties and was shockingly absent from the rainbow sakura festival.
However, she did go out on the night of the Leonid meteor shower. She sat between Natsu and Gray, with Lisanna and Juvia on each side of them. Natsu kept bragging how he would punch any meteors that flew their way. It made the three girls laugh, but Gray saw the melancholy look in Lucy's eyes. He knew what she was thinking about. The Leonid meteor shower was also the night Luke was born.
"We'll both wish him happy birthday," he said quietly to Lucy. "If we wish on Regulus, maybe he'll hear us."
She smiled in her little sunny way and nodded happily.

Dear Luke,
Happy birthday! I can't believe that one year ago today I got to see your face for the first time. You grew so fast on me, but I'll always remember the tiny baby and how you looked when they first put you in my arms. I'm giving you a present. I hope you remember Proto, your little bear. He has sat alone and unmoving for too long. I'm thankful you're not in any danger in the Spirit World, but maybe this bear will help you to remember us. It was Elfman who gave him to you. He said it was a "manly gift."
Everyone in Fairy Tail says happy birthday. I was really hoping you could come for a small visit, but Virgo said something about you going through a painful growth spurt. You grew up fast here, too. I hope you feel better soon.
Lots of love from your mother,
Lucy

"Open the Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"
In a puff of smoke, the handcuffed maid appeared. "I await punishment."
"Here," Lucy sighed, handing the letter over.
"Ah, another letter for the little prince."
"Yes, and a present. Take this bear." Lucy reluctantly handed Proto over. "He could use it more than me."
"I'll deliver it at once, Princess," Virgo said with a bow. "This is from the little prince." She delivered a letter. On the front of the envelope was scrawled To Mama.
"Luke can write?" Lucy asked in shock.
"The little prince is a quick learner," Virgo affirmed. "However, he doesn't have Princess's love for writing."
"Oh," she muttered with a tiny sad smile. "I guess he didn't inherit the heart of a writer."
"No, he has the heart of a Lion."
Lucy jolted at hearing that phrase after such a long time. Then the stiffness in her shoulders relaxed, and she laughed it off nervously. "I guess you're right. He takes after Loke."
Virgo tilted her head. "This is the most I've heard you talk about the little prince and Brother in many months."
"Because it's his birthday," Lucy whispered, looking down at the letter. "Wait a moment, Virgo. I want to read it before you leave."
"I will remain as punishment," said the Maiden.
Lucy opened the letter and cried at seeing the shaky letters written in something like a crayon.
Mama, thank you for keeping me in your tummy. I like this place but I miss you. I miss Uncle Gray and Nazoo too. Oh, Daddy says it's spelled Natsu. Tell them hi and to stop blowing up things or I have to come kick their butts when I grow up. I love you, Mama. From Luke.
Lucy moved the letter away as tears fell too fast. Virgo came forward and handed her a handkerchief.
"It's his birthday," the blonde sniffled, "and yet...he's given me...the best gift of all."
"I'll let the little prince know," Virgo said, and she gave a tiny smile before disappearing.
The next question that circulated around the gossiping crowd in the guild was who Lucy would fall for next. All eyes were on Gray, but he kept a healthy distinction between being teammates and anything more. Sure, he watched over her a little closer, and whenever Lucy picked an easy job she could do alone, Gray vanished for a few days. When Juvia asked her in jealousy what she and Gray were up to, Lucy swore he was not going along with her. Not as far as she knew, anyway.
"When are you going to ask her out?" Mira asked Gray bluntly one day some six months later.
"The day she doesn't cry when she looks at the stars," was Gray's answer.
Meanwhile, Gray began going out with Juvia. At first, he insisted it was just to shut up the rain woman and pacify the gossiping curiosity of the guild members. After a few weeks, he seemed to be having a nice time with her. Lucy encouraged them to go on more dates, and Juvia became even closer friends with Lucy in gratitude for encouraging her relationship with her precious Gray-sama.
Summer rolled around. A whole year had passed since the day Kefira was defeated, Regulus vanished from this world, and Loke and Luke went off to the Spirit World. Luke only wrote to her once every three months, but Lucy realized that was once a day by Spirit World reckoning. He wrote on his birthday, on Lucy's birthday in June, and on the anniversary of his leaving Earthland. Each time, the handwriting got a little better.
Virgo wasn't kidding about him being a fast learner.
It was the beginning of autumn, just as the greens of summer turned gold and royal red. Lucy was on an exceptionally tough mission. Of course, it did not start out that way. They rarely did. "Banish the Forest Monsters" became "oust the dark guild using forbidden magic to create those monsters." Natsu, Gray, and Erza had pulled away from each other so they would not hurt one another in their destructive battles, leaving what they hoped was the weakest one for Lucy.
She wasn't the weakest, of course. That never happened.
Gemini helped to confuse the enemy for a while, but the Twins were eventually defeated. Taurus was so seduced by the woman's scantly clad body, he turned into a mess and was easily blown away. Capricorn at least did quite a bit of damage, but when it seemed eminent that the enemy was going to hit Lucy, he jumped in front of her and took the blow. Then Lucy called upon Scorpio. He fought hard, and Lucy thought for sure the enemy would fall to his blows, but of course the enemy had some last ace up her sleeve. She pulled out some weapon and shot it. Scorpio tried to dodge and missed. He cried out in the pain and apologized before vanishing.
Lucy became frantic. She called Aries for some defensive magic, and although Wool Wall bought her a few minutes, it was not enough. Desperate, she called upon Cancer, but his scissors did nothing more than scratch the enemy and gave her a terrible haircut, which pissed her off more.
Almost too weak to stand, Lucy called upon Virgo hoping to burrow down and run away, as much as she hated the idea of leaving the fight. However, Virgo arrived just in time to block a shot aimed at Lucy. Although she managed to save her Princess, she vanished from the disabling blow while thanking Lucy for the punishment.
Lucy had almost no magic left and was out of options. She dodged attacks, but a few grazed her. Happy swooped down and lifted her a short distance as she fumbled with her keys, trying to decide who else she could use. It was not the right day for Sagittarius, and Lucy was nowhere near water to use Aquarius.
She realized she had no other choice left.
Happy tiredly dropped Lucy in a clearing. She caught the exhausted cat as his wings vanished and tucked him into a hole in a tree where she hoped he would be safe.
"Lucy!" Gray shouted over, seeing just a little bit of the fight and realizing that if Happy had left Natsu to protect Lucy, she must really be in trouble.
"I'm out of options," she yelled back. Already, she could hear the enemy shouting profanities as the woman chased after her prey.
"Just summon him!" yelled Gray.
She held up the Gold Key but frowned stubbornly. "Even if I call him, he probably won't come."
Gray managed to get his enemy to slip on ice and slide down a hill, buying him enough time to run over to Lucy and lean against her back to watch for more enemies. "Stop being pessimistic and just do it. If he comes, he comes, if not, I'll take care of the rest." Still, she hesitated. "Lucy, you can't keep hiding from him."
She firmed up. "I know that." Another enemy arrived, and Gray ran that way to hold back the dark mage while Lucy summoned her last choice. She held up the Gold Zodiac Key. "Open the Gate of the Lion! Leo!"
She was ready for the same intense magical drain as the others. She had actually forgotten how effortlessly Loke's gate opened for her, despite him being the most powerful of the Zodiacs.
Loke arrived with a stern face ready for battle, sunglasses gleaming, rings glittering, holding his wrist as he built up magical power, ready to protect his master. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Which one's the enemy?"
Lucy pointed, too tired to speak. Then she sank to her knees. Effortless or not, Loke was the seventh Gold Key she had summoned in under thirty minutes. She felt so tired, she just wanted to sleep.
"O Regulus, grant me your strength."
Lucy closed her eyes to the brilliant golden light. His voice was still the same warm timbre. And praying to Regulus...she could hardly help but remember how Loke looked during that time when he merged with the Royal Star spirit. She sadly wished she had been just a little more ruthless and asked him to stay that way, being king again. Then perhaps none of this year of sadness would have happened.
No...even if Loke had usurped the Spirit King and got reinstated as King of the Heavens, Luke still would have had to leave for that realm to save his life. The choice she made back then was the best for her son's sake. Luke was happy, healthy, growing up fast, and getting stronger. That was far more important than anything else. She would sacrifice her happiness for his health.
It was the sort of thing a good mother did.
Lucy watched Loke fight. Nothing flashy, no extraneous moves. He was graceful but vicious, like a lion on the hunt. His poofy orange mane enthralled her. The enemy was shocked, not only by his beauty, but his fighting skill, refined over centuries, eons, ages.
It was over too soon. He tied up the enemy, then turned to Lucy with a genuine smile. He looked overjoyed to see her, hesitant to say anything wrong, and a little sad at seeing the sour expression on her face.
"You look well," he said with a forlorn expression.
Lucy grabbed up her Gold Key. "Close the Gate of the Lion!" She slashed the air with it, but Loke resisted. She slashed again, and he twisted his neck to get it to pop. She glared at him, daring to go against her like that. "I warn you, I didn't call you out to chat. I had no choice. I never wanted to see you again."
"Yet you didn't get rid of my key." He saw her face tighten up, as if she just might cry that he suggested that she still wanted him around. "I understand," he assured gently. "It's only been a year, so I figured it was a fifty-fifty chance, either you'd still be mad or maybe—hopefully—you'd be ready to listen and forgive me. Our son is growing fast, far faster than a human could. In the Human World, he was aging at three times the speed, but in the Spirit World that growth went even faster. It seems that wish you asked of Regulus that Luke should grow quickly was truly granted."
"Wish?" That was when she remembered that Regulus had offered her one wish, anything she wanted, and in the end she wept that she wished Luke would grow up fast so she could see him again soon.
"We all thought it would take decades," Loke went on, "but he recently reached what we Spirits deem to be the age of maturity. He's about to become a full-fledged Celestial Spirit."
"He...is?" Lucy asked in shock. A tentative smiled twitched on her lips. "He's all grown up? Already?" She felt both pride and sadness at the thought. Her little baby was grown. She had missed his entire childhood. It was painful to think about all she missed seeing.
"He's still a child in appearance, but legally he is of age." Loke pulled out a crystal clear key. "Diamond Key. The rarest of all, because there's only one. It belongs to Luke, and he specifically asked me to give it to you. I have to warn you, he's not much of a fighter yet, but I'm training him. A little real world experience might do him some good."
Lucy held out her hands and accepted the Diamond Key as if being handed back the child she had been forced to give up over a year ago. Her whole body trembled as she looked at the shape, similar to Loke's but with a different symbol and etched out of the clearest dazzling gem.
"Th-thank you," she whispered.
Loke gave her a genteel nod and vanished, leaving Lucy to stare at the Celestial Spirit Key.
Happy moaned and rubbed out his head as he crawled out of the tree hole. "Lucy, you gained weight."
"Shut up, stupid cat!" she yelled irately purely out of habit. Then she looked back contemplatively at the object in her hands.
"Aww, that was too easy!" Natsu complained, marching back out of the forest and to the clearing. "Really, I barely got a warm-up. Maybe he was the weakest one. How was yours, Lucy? Eh, Lucy? Did you find something cool?"
Gray grabbed Natsu's arm to keep him from running forward. He had watched the exchange from a distance. "Give her a moment."
Erza also came forward next. "A key?"
"Diamond Key," Lucy said breathlessly. "The key to open my son's gate." She looked up and saw all of their faces dropped in shock. "What should I do?"
"Well, open it, of course," laughed Natsu.
"Not so hasty," Erza warned. "This is a hard decision for her."
"It's your choice, Lucy," Gray told her. "No matter what, we'll support you."
"Yeah, of course," Natsu agreed. "But...come on, open it, even if just for a little bit. I wanna see what the kid looks like and if he's strong...and I still have to teach him how to melt ice."
Lucy cried and laughed at their continued support. Even if it went bad, even if Luke hated her for abandoning him, her friends would be there to support her. As Gray said, she couldn't keep hiding.
Firm with determination, she held the Diamond Key out and poured her magic into it. "I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Open the Gate to the Little Lion! Leo Minor!"
She felt the magic course through her body, the tug of dimensions uniting, and in a flash and ring of a bell, there was a child before her. He looked to be about twelve years old, brown eyes in a cat-like slant, and poofy blond hair with orange roots. He wore a boy's school uniform. As if to prove this older boy was truly the same child as the toddler from a year ago, Proto stood at his feet with his stuffed little arms folded and a scowl in his beaded eyes.
"Ack! It's that stuffed bear again," Natsu shouted, leaping back and hiding behind Erza.
Proto announced, "Luke is safe. Luke is unharmed."
Lucy stared at the boy. Only one year! Loke had warned that his rate of growth sped up. Instead of aging three months in one month like he had been doing as a child in Earthland, he had been aging nine months per month while in the Spirit World.
"Mama!" he grinned. "I'm glad you called for me so soon. I missed you."
Lucy was shocked by his voice. He sounded just like a young Loke, so mature yet a bit playful. He did not sound bitter at all.
"And Uncle Gray," the boy said, noticing him and grinning broadly. "And Aunt Erza. And Uncle Nazoo. Happy, too! Wow! I missed all of you."
"You remember us?" Gray asked in shock.
"Well, of course I do," Luke laughed. "It hasn't been that long."
"Of course," Erza realized. "One day in the Spirit World is three months in the Human World. In Luke's mind, he's only apart from us for four days."
"He's big," Happy said softly, stunned along with the rest of them.
Gray considered it logically. "He was growing at three times the rate here, but if the Spirit World increased that to three times more...within twelve months he would have aged nine years. He was already the size of a two or three-year-old, which means physically he's about eleven or twelve."
"I see," Natsu said, holding his chin and nodding studiously, although they could tell he did not get it at all.
"Mama?" Luke asked in worry. "I know I grew up real fast. Daddy tried to explain it to me. It's a little confusing still. It's only been four days, but he said it's been a year to you, and Grandpa Mustache says I'm now around twelve. Isn't that sort of funny?"
Lucy still did not say anything.
"Mama?" he asked in worry.
Loke then appeared behind his son with a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Lucy, my love," he said with a soft smile, "meet Leo Minor, the newest addition to the Celestial Spirits. He chose to be a Spirit rather than a Human. Please don't be angry at that choice."
"I'm not," she said in a jolt, still stunned by the boy. "I...I just..." Tears came to her eyes. "He grew up."
"Luke can live in the Human World or Spirit World equally fine now," Loke told her.
"Which means..." she began, unable to believe it.
Loke walked up to her and wiped a tear off of her cheek. "Which means, now that he's a full-fledged Celestial Spirit with his own key and master, he can live wherever he pleases. He still needs lessons in the Spirit World, and the strain on his growing body would likely be fatal if he stayed out here for too long, so he does have to live in my world a while longer, purely for his own safety. It might take a couple more years before he's at full strength, but...we have no need to worry anymore. Since he's half Human, he doesn't rely upon your magic to stay out here. He can come out any day you want, although only for a couple weeks at a time until he's stronger."
"Yeah," said Luke. "For our contract, you can call me any day, any time. I want you to summon me a lot, Mama. Even if I can't stay with you forever, I wanna see you as much as I can."
"Is it really safe for him?" she asked uncertainly. "He was in so much pain before."
"If he stays too long, that would happen again," Loke admitted. "He can stay only as long as he has vitality. As he grows stronger, that length of time will increase until he can stay almost indefinitely. He'll get stronger quickly. A Celestial Spirit's strength comes from love, and I know you love him dearly."
"That's...that's great," Lucy sniffled, overwhelmed with joy. "That's wonderful. I...I can't even find the words." She wiped tears off her face.
"And now," Loke warned, "I'm going to do something that might get me slapped, but I really don't care."
Suddenly, Loke embraced Lucy and gave her a long kiss. Instead of fighting him off and slapping him, she hummed in delight, feeling the nostalgic sensation and familiar taste. Being in Loke's arms always felt safe. Only for him could she drop all defenses and purely enjoy the sensual touches.
To the side, Luke giggled softly at seeing his parents getting mushy. Natsu grinned in joy, Happy purred, and Erza raised an eyebrow at such boldness. With a knowing smile, Gray looked away to give them privacy. He had not seen Lucy so happy in a long time, and for that, he was glad.
When Loke broke the kiss, he held Lucy's cheeks and looked down at her full of pent-up passion and growing hope. The child joined them in a group hug. Lucy squeezed Luke close to her and rubbed her face into his poofy mini mane.
Loke informed her, "The Spirit King declared he senses no evil in our son. Luke's heart wasn't corrupted by the pain he suffered in the Human World. That old geezer even gave his blessing." The Lion grinned happily. "It's like Regulus said. We can be a family, it just had to take a little time." He pulled back and looked suddenly uncertain. "That is, if you're willing to forgive me."
"I...I suppose I am," she laughed in a fluster. "I should have listened to you back then. You tried to explain it. Luke needed to be in the Spirit World, right? He needed to regain his vitality and get lessons, and I can't go there for very long. Just like you said, it's...it's like sending your child off to a boarding school. I was being so selfish."
"Not at all! You didn't want to give up on him, and I don't blame you," Loke said, caressing her golden hair. "It was a cruel thing, but vital for his well-being. Thanks to Regulus, we didn't have to wait long at all. Now it's over. Luke only has to go back once in a while for training."
The boy looked up at his father. "And my friends!" he insisted stubbornly.
"Yes, and your friends," Loke laughed, ruffling the boy's hair. "He's quite popular with the ladies."
"Daaaaad," he groaned in mortification. "Don't tell Mama about them."
Loke laughed and hugged his son's shoulder. Lucy covered her mouth as she laughed at just how similar the two were. It was too cute!
"So," Loke asked her, his playful smile turning serious, "do you want to be a family again?"
"Please?" Luke begged with huge, innocent eyes. "I'm sorry I had to go away, really sorry, Mama. Please take us back."
She looked at the child...her son! Their son! "Of course," she laughed and sniffed. "How could I turn away my two favorite Lions?" She reached forward and scratched both behind the ears. Both Loke and Luke leaned into her petting and gave her the same catlike grin.
"Thanks, Mama," said the boy.
Loke sighed in relief. "That makes me so happy. Which leaves one last question."
Natsu and Gray gawked at what happened next, Erza smiled proudly, and Happy giggled.
As Loke dropped to one knee, Lucy covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing, gasping, squealing, crying, and everything else that hit her all at once. Tears sprang to her eyes as Loke held up a tiny box with a gold ring fitted with a blue stone. She sensed the power of Fomalhaut in it, the stone chip reset in a slender finger ring and surrounded by diamonds. Guardian of the South, while Loke's Regulus Ring was Guardian of the North, a matching set, opposite and yet equal.
"Lucy Heartfilia." Loke's deep green eyes gleamed full of love and hope. "We had a really rough start, worse than most people face through an entire lifetime. I can't say it's all over—we'll probably always face hardships, because that's how life is—but I would rather face the future with you by my side. I don't ever want to be separated from you again. I know," he laughed sheepishly, "I've said that probably a hundred times already, but I've meant it every single time. I want to be with you every day, never parting from your side. I want us to be a family to the end of our days. I wish to be more than your knight, but your husband. So please...will you marry me?"
Lucy was speechless for a moment. She looked to Natsu, who had a massive grin filling his face. Her eyes turned to Erza, who gave her an encouraging nod. Lastly, her eyes landed on Gray.
The ice mage saw the conflict in her face. Personally, he felt Loke should have waited a while before asking her. Lucy needed time to truly get over her anger. On the other hand, this was a perfect moment, reuniting as a family.
Family! Gray missed his family. Lucy deserved to have one. Putting aside his doubts, Gray realized that this was what would make Lucy happiest. In the end, that was what he wanted most, for the day to come when she stopped crying whenever she saw the stars and could look at them with smiles of joy once more. He gave her a nod, encouraging her to take this path.
Lucy turned her gaze to little Luke, whom she could tell was ready to pounce on her if she accepted. Then she looked down to Loke, still on one knee as he waited patiently with the ring raised up, looking hopeful but also realizing that he was being impetuous and selfish again.
Did she want him as her one-and-only? Every bit of her soul knew the answer instantly, as if it had always known through countless lifetimes.
"Yes!"
End of Chapter 48

Rhov's Corner:

See, I promised it'd have a happy ending!
=^..^= "They're in lllllllove!"
"Yes, Happy, and they all lived happily ever after. Now stop rolling your tongue, it's creepy."
"What you say, Rrrrrrrrhov." =^._.^=
"Okay, that's even creepier...but it's also cute." *glomps Happy and gives him lots of fish*
- 47
- 48
- 49
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