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Ephemeral Sakura, Eternal Love	By : Rhov Category: +. to F > Fairy Tail Views: 2480 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima. I make no money, I just do this for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
An explanation of the minor Celestial Spirits: ("Warning, Rhov is delving into mythology again! Danger!")
Andromeda - the Chained Woman, traditionally portrayed similar to how Virgo is in the manga, wearing shackles.

Canis Major - the Greater Dog, guard dog of Jupiter. He's the "big brother" of Canis Minor, AKA Plue.

Orion - the Hunter, the first constellation I learned as a child.

Perseus - the Champion, famous for beheading Medusa and rescuing Andromeda.

Monoceros - the Unicorn, probably the best match for horse-head-wearing Sagittarius. I imagine they have a "Bisca and Alzack" relationship, obvious to everyone but they can't admit it to each other.

Indus - the Indian, as in indigenous Native American Indian, wearing only a loincloth, holding arrows in both hands but no bow, which makes his desire to challenge Sagittarius ironic.

Cepheus and Cassiopeia - the King and Queen of Ethiopia; their daughter is Andromeda, who is married to Perseus. Cassiopeia is often portrayed as topless, while her daughter is portrayed wearing shackles. Partial nudity and bondage gear … family reunions must be a blast!

Lynx - the Lynx, obviously, a wildcat.

Corvus - the Raven.

Pegasus - the Flying Horse.

Columba - the Dove.
A "soiree" is a social gathering, like a fancy party. Apparently, it's not a common term in many places.

Chapter 6

Spirit Soiree
Here, he was not Loke. Here, he was Leo the Lion. Here, he was not merely a member of Fairy Tail. Here, he was leader of the Zodiac Spirits.
Leo sat on a high-backed chair overlooking a party. Celestial Spirits came and went, danced and ate, chatted and gossiped. Nearby, Virgo and Andromeda sat close together, blushing over a magazine of fashionable bondage wear. On a table across the way, Nikora—Leo could not help but think of him as "Plue" now—was doing a silly dance, and the Gemini twins had transformed into copies of him to make it a three-man dance routine. Lyra was providing the music for them and giggling more than singing. Canis Major howled in laughs at his silly little brother.
Orion came in, looked at them for a moment, and moved on to strike up a conversation with his best buddy Perseus. Leo knew they would spend all night discussing sports or a hunting trip and end the night in a drinking contest. Perseus would barely come out as the champion before both of them passed out. It was always the same.
Monoceros whinnied at seeing Sagittarius step into the ballroom. The man in a horse costume saluted to no one in particular with his usual "Moshi-moshi!" The graceful Unicorn Spirit secretly had a crush on the famed Zodiac Archer. Sagittarius sensed eyes on him, turned to look, but Monoceros bashfully looked away at the last minute. When Sagittarius saw the glimmering Unicorn, he blushed and quickly looked in the opposite direction.
Half-naked Indus suddenly ran up to the horseman and challenged him to an archery contest … again! Everyone knew that Sagittarius always won, but that did not stop the Indian from trying again and again. Leo chuckled as he thought about how that rivalry and determination was somewhat like Natsu, yet Indus' penchant for running around in only a loincloth was so much like Gray.
All was peaceful in the Spirit World, as he preferred it, yet the lordly Lion was bored. Even this soiree did not take his mind off of troubles. He liked being back here amongst the Celestial Spirits he knew so well, but he often missed Fairy Tail. He missed the laughter, the brawls, Mira's cooking, Natsu and Gray's fights, seeing how much Cana could drink, laughing to Wakaba and Macao reminiscing about the old days, listening to Elfman enumerate all the things that makes someone a man, and secretly watching Lucy slumped at a table complaining about rent. It had only been for three years, a mere drop in the bucket of his very long existence, yet he wanted that joy and sense of freedom again.
Leo took up a wineglass set on a table near his chair, swirled it gracefully as he inhaled the full-bodied aroma, and gave it a regal sip. He was being selfish. He knew that, but he couldn't help it! He had truly enjoyed his time masquerading as a Human.
With a fanfare of trumpets, Cepheus and Cassiopeia entered the grand hall. If anyone could make an entrance, it was this sickeningly lovey-dovey married couple. Cepheus wore his outrageously gaudy robes and overly-jeweled crown, while Cassiopeia wore a new gown that went beyond risqué and left even the Lion gawking. How could Cepheus allow his wife to wear something so revealing? Andromeda moved away from Virgo and ran up to her parents to point out the leopard-print fuzzy handcuffs she wanted to buy. She seemed not at all alarmed by her mother's mostly-exposed bosom, and Cassiopeia merely chuckled at her daughter's masochistic sense of fashion.
"Such a happy family, nyan?"
Leo looked over to Lynx. The catgirl purred as she rubbed her cheek against his throne-like chair. Leo smirked and gave her a greeting by scratching the tufts of ears that stuck out through her orange hair. It made Lynx purr happily.
"Hey oniisan, do you ever think about having a family, nyan?" she asked.
His eyes rolled briefly before returning his gaze to the surrounding crowd. "That's a taboo subject and you know it, Lynx."
"Hmm?" she questioned innocently and blinked her slit-pupil eyes in confusion. "Oniisan chases skirts like a cat chases butterflies. Why not go out with Aries-nyan? She likes oniisan … the Stars know why!" she added with a titter.
"Che!" Leo scoffed and looked away. "Aries is like … like a sister," he muttered. "A nervous little sister who I have to protect."
"I doubt she feels the same," Lynx chuckled. "Maybe I could hook oniisan up with someone. Hey, Corvus-nyan," she called over. A raven-haired young woman wearing a loli-goth black dress looked over. "You'd go out with oniisan, wouldn't you?"
Corvus snickered to herself. "Any woman would be thrilled to court the virile Lion."
"That's … kind of you to say," Leo smiled tightly. Did she really just call me 'virile'? What the hell! "Perhaps another time. Oh Lynx." He crooked his finger to call her closer. She gave a cute, kitten smile and leaned in. He grabbed the bell she wore around her neck and yanked her even closer. "The last time you hooked me up on a date, I missed a summons from Lucy. She was very disappointed, and it threatened her life. Do not get involved in my love life, got it?"
"Nyaaaaan!" she yowled in annoyance as she pulled away and straightened her collar. "So mean! I just wanna see oniisan happy."
Just then, a shimmering, golden, arched gate appeared in the room.
"Ooh, Cancer!" Pegasus called out, flapping his wings to get the Crab's attention. "Lucy's calling for you again. Second time today, isn't it?"
Leo jumped off his chair. "Is she in trouble?" he shouted through the room. All the others looked over to him in surprise at his outburst.
Cancer looked at the shimmering view that came through the glowing arch. "She's looking in her mirror, ebi," he said coolly. "Looks like she's dressed for a party. Probably wants a new hairstyle, ebi." He walked through the gate, and both he and the archway vanished.
Columba the Dove cooed wistfully. "Aww, I wanna belong to Lucy-coo. She's such a pretty girl-coo."
Andromeda turned to Virgo. "You're so lucky to have her as your owner. I've got a total pervert."
"I have been punished with perverts," Virgo nodded in sympathetic understanding.
The music and talk resumed. As the worry melted out of him, Leo sank back onto his chair and ran his hand through his unruly hair.
He wondered when it started. Celestial Spirits got used to being called at any time, in the middle of conversations, during meals, sometimes the timing was really, really inconvenient. For the most part, others ignored these interruptions. After all, they were simply a part of Celestial Spirit life. A little more attention was given when it was one of the twelve Zodiacs, but only due to their celebrity status.
Lately, every time a gate opened for one of Lucy's Celestial Spirits, Leo felt a jolt shoot through him. At first, he told himself it was nothing more than worry for his beloved Lucy, but that feeling slowly solidified. It was not just concern for her well being. He despised listening to Taurus brag about his latest encounter with Lucy and her "nice body." Whenever Leo heard that stupid Bull go on and on about Lucy's boobs, fury burned through him until someone warned him that he was beginning to growl. More than once, he had given Plue death glares when he overheard that the Little Dog had taken a bath with his sweet, innocent Lucy. Even if it was just Virgo, for a brief moment his heart would pain him that she was called, not him. Even now, he held onto his chest in lingering throbs.
The Lion felt jealous!
Even if it was nothing more than a haircut from Cancer, he wanted to be the one brushing through her silky golden hair. Even if it was hiding inside Horologium to avoid a long and tiring hike, he wanted to carry her so her feet did not hurt. Even if it was walking along the river with Plue, or hanging around the park with the Little Dog, or taking a bath—especially taking a bath—he wanted to be the one by her side.
It had gotten so bad, he began to avoid parties like this.
"You were called to help Lucy not long ago, right, Virgo-chan?" Andromeda asked in excitement.
"Ah, yes. A small matter," the pink-haired maid nodded.
Leo growled into his goblet. "She could have called me to help with a small matter," he grumbled.
Lynx pouted down at him. "Oniisan is Leo the Lion. Lucy-nyan probably doesn't want to burden oniisan with boring stuff. Oniisan is good for special occasions, like when Lucy-nyan meets the really, really bad guys. It's nice that Lucy-nyan delegates tasks according to the need. It's part of what makes everyone want to be with her. She doesn't need to call oniisan out for every little thing."
"I want her to call on me," he snapped.
Lynx blinked her massive eyes. "Could oniisan … be in love? With a Human? And with your master?" She leaned over his shoulder and into his ear. "That's illegal. Better not let Libra-nyan or the Spirit King hear. Maybe I should find a really nice girl to take oniisan's thoughts away from that Human."
He rose quickly and swept out of the party. He did not care if the crowd watched him go in shock and whispered about him behind his back. The way Lynx had said "Human" as if they were some lowly creatures who could never understand love since they lived too short to fully enjoy it … that attitude pissed him off. His shoes clicked heavily through hallways and turned with militant precision around corners. He did not stop his swift march until he came to an exit and stepped out into a moonlit garden.
Faintly glowing flowers perfumed the air around him. Crystals lit the garden. Arching high above were the stars, not twinkling here, but so close, like he could reach out and caress them. He stopped by a circular fountain and gazed up. Regulus was low in the sky, almost hidden by trees. It alone throbbed like a steady heartbeat. Loke reached to his chest and clasped a lingering ache.
"Lucy," he whispered in anguish.
"I overheard Lynx-sama."
Leo was taken by surprise. Very few Celestial Spirits could sneak up on him like that. "Capricorn!"
The Goat stepped out of the shadows, strode forward, and joined him by the fountain. His sunglasses turned upward to look at the heavens so he could pretend not to see the Lion's emotionally distraught face. "Is it true? Have you fallen for Lucy-sama?"
Leo looked aside sternly and stared at the ripples in the fountain. "Don't be ridiculous. That sort of thing … it's illegal."
"It never stopped you before."
His green eyes glared tightly. "Don't bring up past mistakes."
"Don't worry, I won't tell Libra-sama about your little heartache. My only advice is to proceed cautiously."
"Proceed?" he laughed wryly, poking at his reflection in the pool so he could not see how the jealousy twisted his noble visage. "I doubt there's anything more to it. I told her how I felt, but only because she was drunk and I thought she'd forget. She didn't, then she avoided me all day, and when she finally talked to me, it was to say she regretted it happened."
"Regretted getting drunk or regretted that you confessed?"
"Probably both," Leo sputtered in depression.
"Or perhaps she regretted that she was in a state where she couldn't respond appropriately. She likely realizes neither one of you are prepared for the consequences of such a confession; otherwise, you wouldn't have felt restrained to tell her only when she wouldn't remember your words. Now she has to deal with this, and she knows it won't be simple. This is the sort of thing that can ruin or strengthen the bond between Spirits and Humans. I understand very well how that can be," Capricorn nodded solemnly.
Leo looked up in shock as something dawned on him. "You swore to look over Layla Heartfilia's family. Not just her, but all future generations. That's not exactly the sort of bond we Celestial Spirits can make with Humans."
"Normally, no," the Goat agreed, "but love makes a Celestial Spirit stronger. When we're in love," he said quietly with a distant look in his face, "even our bonds can be expanded."
Leo looked down thoughtfully. "If Lucy isn't comfortable being with me as a couple, I wonder if I could make a bond like that. Would I be willing to dedicate myself to any children she had with another man?"
"Such a question, only you can answer. Personally," Capricorn said with a small smile, "I hope you and Lucy-sama can find love, but don't destroy your bond as master and Spirit over a little infatuation. After all, in the end when everything is considered, she is still a mortal. You will share only a few years with her, far too brief a time for us Celestial Spirits, and then she will be nothing but a memory. Make all those memories, however they may turn out, happy ones."
A shimmering archway appeared near them with the crest of a lion on the apex. Through it was brilliant white light and a hazy view of the Human World. Capricorn and Leo looked through it and saw Lucy standing in an orchard holding up her Gold Key.
"She looks so much like Layla-sama," Capricorn sighed wistfully. "Go to her, Leo-sama. May your days with her be long and happy."
Leo nodded in thanks to him. He stepped through the arch and felt the tingle of transition. Energy that was uniquely Lucy's swirled around him, pulled on him, and embraced him. These brief moments as her magic transported him from the Spirit World to be by her side were always intense. It was like being fully encompassed by Lucy's entire essence. It made the Lion smile and realize … he was hers!
The gate vanished. Capricorn smiled at where only a little magic shimmered in an outline. "May the Stars smile upon you both."

End of Chapter 6

A/N: I love reading fans' interpretations of what the Spirit World is like. Can Spirits mingle together? Do the Ecliptic Zodiacs all reside in one huge palace? What happens when they are summoned? Libra is known as the Scales, signifying law and justice. At the time of writing this fic, we've not seen Libra, but I imagine he/she is involved with the laws of the Spirit World, thus why Lynx is concerned that Libra might find out, and why Capricorn promises not to tell Libra about Leo being in love.
EDIT: After posting this story, much was revealed about the Spirit World. I've edited the story slightly to match up with post-timeskip events, but I left this party scene the same.
- 5
- 6
- 7
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Ephemeral Sakura, Eternal Love