Why are updates for this fic so slow, you ask? I don't know. I'm sorry. D:
But I wanted to thank you for being so loyal to this story. This was my first ongoing fic and I started it half a year ago. :o Those of you who are still sticking around and encouraging me with lovely messages: Thankyou. -3-

old alliances

Even for a world of light, the brightness that was now radiating from the key in Lucy's hands shone with a blinding brilliance. Like last time, the light moved to form beautiful patterns, as if it were delicate threads being spun into a beautiful fabric.

Lucy held the golden key tightly as the magic energy flowed through her veins. Her eyes were wide, her hands trembling, but at the same time she felt a distinct, blazing feeling of empowerment and euphoria.

And again,what appeared seemed to be a gate, but this time it immediately closed again,leaving behind a monster even greater than Happy.

Lucy's jaw dropped. She had summoned this beast?! It was a lion – only taller, more ferocious, with shining, gleaming fur and clever eyes that shone like the stars.

Its mighty jaw opened – and it spoke. Everyone clutched their heads as the lion's heavy voice sounded for the first time.

"Greetings be unt- Woah, I haven't used my voice in ages. This feels good!" It regardedthe people in front of him with curiosity. "Oh, too loud? Excuse me."

The booming voice lowered by several octaves, and only then did Lucy take her hands off herears, regardless of the fact that his voice had sounded inside her head rather than invaded her ears. She still hadn'tfound the strength to close her mouth.

"Woah,cool!" Natsu called. "You already had an Exceed, Lucy?"

"I- uh, I didn't know – an Exceed?!"

"I am no Exceed," the lion's lips pulled apart, and if Lucy hadn't known better she'd say he was trying to grin. "Or why do you think I can talk to all of you simultaneously? My telepathy is of a higher level. I am a Celestial Spirit."

Levy squealed all of a sudden, while all the others remained with a look of total confusion plastered onto their faces.

But the lion's eyes fixed themselves on the blonde girl in front of him. She was still clutching the now glowing gold key in her right hand.

He bowed his head reverentially.

"So this is where we meet, Lucy Heartfilia."

Nobody but Levy and Erza reacted, who both sucked in a sharp breath.

Lucy herself understood the world no more.

"You've grown to be a fine woman."

"What?" A short, breathless whisper was all she managed.

It was weird. She had never heard of a last name like it, and it definitely wasn't her own - but why did it seem so eerily familiar? Why did it sound so right?

And why did the lion beast she had just summoned from a key with magic she hadn't known she possessed until three days ago talk like she was an old aquaintance?

"Sorry but…who are you?"

"Ah, it is no surprise that you don't recognize me. After all, you were just a toddler when we met, and our time together was short. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Loke, the Lion, Leader of the Twelve Zodiac Spirits."

He bowed again and, carefully, Lucy mirrored the motion. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the others do the same beside her.

"I-It's nice to meet you, Loke."

"I served under the Royal Family. I swore my alliance to Princess Layla Heartfilia, to be exact. Your mother."

"M-my what. What are you talking about!"

"See Lucy, maybe you're a princess after all!" Natsu beamed. He had noticed her nervosity and doubt for sure, and the concerned glimmer in his eyes didn't escape her.

Still, Lucy remained silent.

Instead, Levy chose to take the word.

"The Heartfilia's," she explained. "were the royal bloodline that ruled over Fiore for many centuries. Layla was the Queen's younger sister, and the last known Heartfilia. With her disappearance, the succession to the throne was cut. The family that rules nowadays, Princess Hisui and her father the King, are descendants of the Old Queen's Ruling Steward. They became rulers by default after The Great Darkness."

"I…don't understand."

Lucy's voice was trembling. The blood running through her veins was that of long gone kings and queens? From a world she had never set foot into until mere days ago? Her mother had been a faery?

But that made her…

"But," Erza interrupted her frantic mind's searching. "-that was 7000 years ago."

Well, this was just getting better and better.

Lucy paled.

"What do you mean seventhousand years!"

The others blinked at hr panicked screech.

"Time passes a lot slower for humans," Natsu explained with a chuckle. "Seventhousand years is quite long for us, but for Lucy it's probably… really fuckin' long."

"Eloquent choice of words, boss." Levy rolled her eyes at her commanding officer. When she turned to Lucy, her eyes softened simpathetically. "I don't know if this helps, but the lifespans of us faeries can reach up to 1000 years top."

If Lucy's jaw hadn't been halfway to the ground already, now would have been the moment for it to drop.

The number was hard to grasp, and so she chose to just go with it for now, accepting it as a simple reality even as her mind bridled at the mere idea.

"Still… seventhousand years… that's such an awfully long time even for you…"

"Yes." Erza agreed. "That is why not many are familiar with the name anymore. It is sinking into oblivion much like all that has passed so long ago. But Lieutnant McGarden is very well versed in our history."

She gave an acknowledging nod into Lev's direction, and the petite woman seemed to visibly grow a few inches.

Loke had remained silent as the women explained the most neccesary information, but now he cleared his throat.

"As much as I love watching beautiful women being clever, my time here is limited. Lucy," he fondly nodded at the girl, stepping closer. His paws stirred up the dusty ground. "You will have to go to the palace. There are bad forces at work as we speak. Request a direct audience with the King. Your key will be enough evidence as for the urgency of this matter."

"I have to… o-okay! I will do everything I can do to help!"

"This knowledge you will seek is information that only is passed down to the Royals family of Fiore, and not even I know all about it. But I know it was a matter close to your mother's heart. It was one of her last orders to make sure that one day, you would return."

"But…why me? And where … why… I don't understand anything! I - I don't even know who I am anymore… Is there really no one else? "

"The Queen never had children."

But if her mother had been the Queen's sister, and she had never had any children of her own, and now Lucy was the last Heartfilia… didn't that mean…?

"B-but doesn't that make me…"

"The rightful heiress to the throne."

Lucy said nothing.

"You're not a princess, Lucy. You're a queen."

It was all too much. Lucy could feel her last energies fading while everybody's eyes rested on her in silent shock. Loke's words processed only slowly in her mind. Tired. She felt so tired…

She stumbled backwards, but Natsu was quick to steady her.

"I am drainng too much of her magic energy. I have told what I was assigned to. I will return to the world of the spirits for now. Feel free to call on me anytime, Lucy."

And with that, and one last concerned glance, he vanished.

Days had passed, and then weeks, but Lucy had still not found it in her to do as Loke had instructed her: she would have to go to the palace to meet the King.

She would have to accept her title.

Lucy gripped the whip in her hand, putting all her frustration into the strike and swinging it at her opponent with all her might.

He dodged just in time, rolling through the dust of the training grounds.

The place had become familiar to her in the last weeks, because Natsu had insisted on training her despite all doubts on her part. She hadn't had the courage to call on Loke either, even though Natsu constantly bugged her about her 'cool Exceed' and the many possibilities of training she would have with him. Lucy had shuddered at the crazed gleam in his eyes.

What sounded like fun to him sounded like a free ride straight to the first passageway into hell for her.

Sometimes, she could see him leading armies.

Other times, like now, when he was rolling around in the sand, pretending to be fatally wounded, she tossed all such thoughts out the window.

Nonetheless, she had agreed to train with him (if 'agree' was really the right word to use - she hadn't had much of a choice against a raging wildfire like Natsu), and she was proud to say that she was indeed making progress. Small steps, but the enthusiasm with which Natsu was spurring her on was leading her to unknown heights.

Her weapon of choice - a long, elastic whip - was the one she had determined would keep her furthest away from her opponents while still qualifying as direct combat. Erza had approved, and so she had been dragged onto the training grounds once more by an overenthusiastic - and selfproclaimed 'best instructor ever' - Natsu.

By now, about four weeks later, she could handle it much better already. (She recalled the first time she had swung it, and it had somehow managed to wrap around her own ankles and tie her up her while she fell over her own feet.)

Natsu brushed the dust off his pants as he came back up, grinning as he suddenly pounced without warning. Tha attack came fast, and Lucy shrieked as she threw her whip straight at his head - the whole thing.

It hit him in the forehead, but he barely seemed to notice, and her small moment of victory was long gone as she pointlessly tried to run for her life.

He lunged, and his arms found their way around her middle. They both fell forwards from the power of his impact, and he somehow managed to turn in the air, so that he took the force of the fall. She crashed into him like a comet on collision course, and when she cranked one eye open she was sure to find a crater where Natsu had been.

But he was there, as happy and laughing as ever, arms still securely wrapped around her form. His skin was slick from sweat, and her own was probably no better, considering the harsh training he put her through.

Really, what would she do for a big swimming pool right now? There was not much she wouldn'tdo, that much was sure.

But all thoughts of refreshingly cool liquid left her mind as she was suddenly pressed against the hot ground, her arms pinned to her sides as strong hands gripped her wrists. Natsu loomed over her, grinning a predatory grin as he leaned down until his hair tickled her forehead.

She could feel his breath on her cheeks.

"I win," he whispered darkly, and Lucy realized she was captured.

But shouldn't her response to being held captive in an iron grip on the ground by her enemy be fear - or a hearty kick between his legs? Her response was most likely not supposed to be a heavy blush and increased heartrate, was it? She was pretty sure this had not been covered by Natsu's instructions.

She shuddered when he still didn't pull away.

His eyes had become curious.

"Why are you so red?"

"Wh-whaaaaa…!"

Before she knew it, her knee was buried in his stomach, and when his hands twitched in pain, she ripped one from his grip and punched him straight in the face.

"I'm not red!" she roared.

Natsu shivered in fear, rubbing his reddened cheek as he crouched few feet back.

"Are so!" he hissed defiantly, but quickly bit his lip when her head snapped in his direction once more. "So scary…"

Lucy pretended she didn't hear this time.

Really, Natsu knew nothing of personal boundaries, did he not?

But where it mattered most - inside - he did.

She was grateful that her new friends were giving her the space and freedom she needed to decide on her next step, even though the importance of her person surely meant more to them than it did to her in its urgency and consequence. After all, she was but a stranger to this world. The title of Queen seemed abstract and far too great a concept for her to handle.

But all three of them, Natsu, Levy and Erza, had offered without a second thought to keep the information secret for as long as she needed.

They had quickly become one of the best friends she ever had.

She wiped the sweat off her forehead, quite pleased with herself. Natsu was already standing, and she gladly accepted the hand he offered.

Still, the more information she received, the more questions seemed to surface, and everytime Lucy tried to dig deeper into the thoughts swirling relentlessly in her mind, the confusion of it all shut her down and out in an instant. Her thoughts tangled like threads in a ball of wool, and her fingers were too shaky to loosen the knots.

She needed more answers.

But at the same time, she was not ready for them.

And so she chose, for now, to continue to thrive in this new world, to get to know the people of Fairy Tail and build herself a new home, pushing away the looming shadows of crowns and threats and obligations.

This was not what she had wanted.

She knew the constraints of a golden cage all too well.

Lucy just wanted to be free.

As she walked back to the quarters alongside Natsu, a decision ripened in her mind, one she could barely get a hold of, so unclear was everthing surrounding it. But the thought itself seemed so simple.

Freedom wasn't just a dream anymore. Freedom was right here for her to grab.

And Lucy was done hesitating.