Author Notes:

Alright, I know what you're all thinking. I am a terrible person. And you know what. Yes, yes I am a terrible person. I completely thought I'd have enough time to finish this over the winter break, but as it turned out I really didn't. I can't express how sorry I am for how late this chapter is coming out and I hope you can forgive me. But as I said in my profile, I can't be sure how often I will post.

Enough of me though, let's just get back to the story. I hope you enjoy!

An Adventure to Call My Own

Chapter 9 - Loke Arc

"I made you promise one thing! And you couldn't even keep it?"

"But it wasn't my fault, it-"

"I don't want to hear any of your excuses!"

I raised my arms to guard myself as a variety of objects were thrown my way. "I'm sorry, okay. Stop throwing things at me."

"Now, now, Porlyusica," Makarov calmed the seething woman. "I'm sure Nate here has learned his lesson well. Isn't that right, Nathaniel?"

I nodded my head fervently, not wishing to anger Porlyusica anymore.

She glared at me for a bit longer before walking away to tend to the other wounded, not even dignifying me with an answer.

I sighed and pouted. "But I really didn't even mean to get into that much trouble…"

I felt an arm rest on my shoulder and I looked beside me at Makarov who was standing on the right side of my bed. "Now, now, child," he said soothingly. "I'm sure you didn't mean to fight nearly as much as you did."

I grumbled. "No kidding," I sulked, looking down at my bandaged form.

"But there is a couple good things that came out of it," the Master continued, making me wonder what they were. He seemed to notice my curiosity. "For one, you've finally unlocked your magic potential," he pointed out.

I supposed that was true and I was excited to see what I could do. "And the other?" I asked, seeing Makarov wanting to say one more thing.

"You kept your friends and family alive and well," Makarov said with pride. "And in the end, that's what matters most. Perhaps your unnecessarily reckless actions are what helped keep them alive," he smiled warmly.

I returned it. He just had such a calming aura, it was hard to stay gloomy.

"Anyways, I'll let you rest for now," Makarov remarked, hopping off the bed that I was resting in. "I'm sure Porlyusica wouldn't want me bothering one of her patients any more than I have already."

I nodded at his reasoning. It made sense. I wouldn't want Porlyusica breathing down my neck either… she was scary as it was.

With my guild master having left, I was alone with my thoughts. Thoughts that left a bad taste in my mouth. Mainly the hundreds of people that could have died because of my horrible choices. I couldn't blame Loke.

If only I hadn't let Natsu protect Lucy and instead destroy the Jupiter Cannon. It was just pure luck that my magic unlocked the moment it had, otherwise… otherwise, everyone could have died. A-And it would have been all my-

THWACK!

I reeled back as I felt something hit me in the head. I looked down at the sheets and picked up the object thrown at me. It was a small transparent cube that fit nicely in the palm of my hand. At the center sat an orb, which if I had to guess was a lacrima of sorts, that pulsed turquoise sporadically. It was interesting…

I then looked around the room to find who'd thrown the strange object at me. There was only Porlyusica and myself left. Was she the one who'd thrown it at me?

"You looked distressed," the pinkette replied casually. "Figured you'd appreciate it."

I fell back onto the pillows behind me and groaned. "Thank you, I do appreciate that," I said gratefully. I outstretched my arm with the strange object in it towards her. "Here's your… whatever it is."

Porlyusica looked at me and quirked a brow. "I'm surprised you don't know what that object in your hand is," she said curiously. "Considering Edolas is nothing more than a legend, shouldn't this be child's play for you?"

I froze which didn't go unnoticed by Porlyusica. "I won't ask how you know that I'm from Edolas. Rather, I'm assuming that if I did, it'll just leave me with far fewer answers and far more questions," she said. "But I do have one question for you," she narrowed her eyes. "Are you yourself from Edolas?"

I cursed myself for my need to be a smartass. I really needed to learn when it was time to just shut up and stop talking… but it was just so satisfying to see the shocked faces of others when I said things I shouldn't know. I sighed deeply. The hard choices I had to make sometimes… they were heartbreaking.

I brought myself to look Porlyusica in her piercing reds. Might as well be honest. "No, I'm not," I said seriously.

Porlyusica closed her eyes and nodded. To her own merit, she didn't question me any further and simply went to work with a few flasks of liquid. "You can keep the Judgement Field if you'd like," she said out of nowhere.

"The what?" I asked.

"The object in your hand," she replied, raising a vial for inspection.

I looked down at the transparent cube she'd thrown at me, then back at her. "That's it?" I asked, confused. "Is that all you really wanted to know?

"It's not my place to ask things that I needn't know," she replied, without batting an eye in my direction. "Nor is it my place to tell others secrets lest they wish to tell them themselves."

I could hear the hidden implication. She was rather… passive aggressive to put it in terms. "Well, thanks I guess," I said appreciatively.

"Don't thank me yet," she replied. "You might come to regret my choice."

The sun was setting by the time I finally made my way back to Magnolia. Porlyusica had finally relented to let me leave after I demonstrated my determination to escape when I dragged myself across the floor of her place.

I sighed, which I found myself doing a whole lot recently. I held up the strange object Porlyusica had given me into the setting sun for a clearer look. Judgement Field. That's what it was called. An A-Class Secret Treasure that had most likely once belonged to Yuri Dreyar. One of the founders of Fairy Tail itself.

It was as intriguing as it looked. It apparently had the ability to make anyone who was within its activated radius to speak the truth and only the truth. Though what use it would be to me, for now, remained a mystery.

I pocketed the Judgement Field and stalked off through Magnolia's empty streets, the cold wind of the night brushing across my face as I was deep in thought. Seven words were playing through my head on repeat. Over and over again.

'You might come to regret my choice.'

What did she mean by that? Could she be referring to the fact that it was bad of me to withhold information? I couldn't very well tell everyone that I knew how each of their lives would play out. Better yet, many subtle things had changed already.

… but I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something. Which was why I was still hung up on Porlyusica's words.

I stopped myself from diving even further into the depths of my mind when I came to a halt in front of the building that I was looking for.

Fairy Hill.

I pushed open the rustic metal gates at the roadside and made my way up the dirt path, manicured lawns and well-trimmed trees on either side. When I reached the door of the cozy building, I knocked on it and pushed it open.

The lobby was deserted unsurprisingly as I was sure most of the girls were in their rooms getting ready for bed, which made travelling through the dormitory much easier without judging eyes.

I reached a hand into my pocket and pulled out the note that was left on my bedside at Porlyusica's. It was from Bisca explaining that after I was sent to the old hag's place the first time, they'd brought Sarah to Fairy Hill to make sure nothing bad had happened to her. I was really grateful for their foresight while I was dead to the world.

I read over the note again. It said to go to her room, but to be honest, I had no idea where that was. All the doors had names labelled on them, but I just couldn't find Bisca's name on any of them. He'll, I'd even searched for Moulin.

"Nate? Is that you?"

I turned around at hearing my name further back down the hall. One of the doors on left was slightly ajar and a curtain of blue hair was poking out.

"Levy?" I asked, quite certain she was the only bluenette living at the dorms.

She nodded her head. "Are you looking for Bisca's room?" she asked, most likely aware of the fact that I was looking for Sarah.

"Yeah, I am," I replied. "Do you think you could show me the way?"

"Of course," she said, stepping out of her room. "Though I'm sure you could have found it if you used your nose," she added.

I crinkled mine. "So that's what that smell was," I muttered. "I really should've guessed."

The bluenette smiled. "You get used to it," she said.

I just took her word for it as she led us back down the corridor I'd come through. "Bisca lives by herself in a different wing of the building because of her animals," Levy explained. "which is probably why you couldn't find the place."

"Well, then thanks for the save," I said, flashing a grateful smile.

"Don't mention it," Levy said, returning it. "Besides you gave me advice on how to deal with Jet and Droy, it's the least I can do."

"Oh yeah," I replied, remembering the conversation. "How are things going on that front?"

Levy smiled. "Much better," she said happily. "They've sort of realized that I'm not searching for a relationship in either of them and have cooled it down a bit."

I nodded my head. "That's good," I said slowly. I was definitely hearing a 'but' here.

She winced. "But they blame you for my sudden change and plan to exact revenge for winning over my heart," she added with a sigh.

"What?" I asked, incredulously.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Levy apologized, lowering her head. "I sorta told them that you'd given me some advice to set some boundaries."

"Why would you do that?" I asked with a slight whine.

"They pressured me into telling them," she replied. "They kept on asking me what was with the sudden change and I panicked."

I sighed. It just wasn't worth the effort. Nothing was ever worth the effort.

As we continued down the hallway in silence, I reeled back suddenly at a pungent odour that shot through my nose. We'd reached Bisca's room. I was quite certain of that.

"It smells like…" I tried to find a suitable word.

"Faeces?" Levy suggested.

I shrugged. "I was going to go with a farm but feces works just as well," I conceded.

I knocked on the door. "Bisca, you there?" I asked, listening for a response. "I'm here for Sarah!" I added after hearing nothing.

A muffled reply rang through the door. "One second!"

I jolted back at the sudden bang against the door from the other side. "What the heck?"

Before I could move closer to the door again, it opened to reveal a really dishevelled green haired girl which I immediately identified as Bisca.

I frowned and peered into the room. I could only describe it as one word. Chaotic. The floor was littered with books, many trampled and ripped apart. The furniture decorating the walls trashed. And the animal enclosures Bisca kept… all unlocked.

Many of those freed animals were running amuck, frightened by a certain toddler giggling to herself as she waddled after them. I looked back at dishevelled Bisca who stared back, eyes hardened and furious. I shrunk back.

"Nate…" Bisca started, growling quietly.

"Parlay?" I asked meekly.

I felt a sharp sting on my left cheek. "Ow," I whined.

"I'm never going to have a child," Bisca muttered after she withdrew her arm.

I snorted. "I doubt it," I replied.

Bisca glared at me again and I stepped behind Levy for safety precautions. I really didn't want Bisca to injure me to the point in which I needed another visit to Porlyusica. God knows what she'd do to me if I was back at her place one more time.

Bisca sighed at my actions and called into the room. "Sarah, your brother's here."

At my mention, Sarah's head popped up and she looked between the three of us. Her eyes landed on me and she beamed. She then left the animals alone, much to their relief, and made her way over to me. It made me smile.

I picked her up when she reached me and spun her around. Glad that she was safe after that whole Phantom fiasco. "Hey, Sarah," I said with a goofy grin. "I told you I'd be fine."

Said little girl quickly frowned, her clutch on my shirt tightening. "You broke your promise," she remarked, eyes downcast.

I paused. Did she remember that? "But I'm fine, aren't I?" I rebutted, setting her back on the ground.

Sarah then looked up, her eyes locked in a fierce glare. Honestly, it was kind of frightening. "Bisca told me you were hurt badly," at that, I glared at the cowgirl. She wouldn't meet my eyes. "How is that fine?"

For a six-year-old, Sarah was making a whole lot of sense. Something that I would undeservingly take credit for if it weren't the direness of the situation.

I coughed into my fist to relieve some of the tension. Well… for me at least. "I promised that I wouldn't put myself in harm's way, correct?"

Sarah nodded, having remembered that conversation.

"But I also said that if it were family, I'd do anything for them," I added.

She repeated her previous action.

I smiled. "The guild is family, Sarah," I explained happily. "I'd do anything for them, just as they'd do anything for us. They're people that I want to protect, just as I'm sure that you'd want to protect Romeo and Wakaba's kid if it came down to it."

Sarah seemed engrossed in my words, digesting it all as Bisca and Levy smiled.

Before any more time could pass, I quickly scooped Sarah up into my arms, much to her protests, and waved goodbye to the two other females present. "Goodnight, Bisca. Thanks for taking care of Sarah. And goodnight, Levy. Thanks for showing me here."

"No problem, Nate," Levy replied.

"Don't ever make me do that again," Bisca whimpered.

I smiled as I walked off back down the corridors of Fairy Hill, ready to head home after a few very exhausting days away from there.

I felt Sarah nestle into my chest and a faint vibration as she mumbled something into it.

"What was that?" I asked.

She mumbled it again. This time moving her mouth away from my chest. "I'll forgive you," she repeated. "Just this time though, okay?"

I nodded with a hum and she nestled back into my chest, satisfied with my reply.

When we returned to our place, Sarah had fallen asleep in my arms. I'd become accustomed to it. Whenever we returned home late at night, she would fall asleep every single time without a doubt.

I climbed the staircase and carefully pulled out my keys, opening the door. I walked over to her bed and gently tucked her in.

After making sure that Sarah was comfortable, I walked the short way between the two beds and sat down on my own. I took a deep breath in and fell back.

I looked up at the ceiling for a moment and then towards the desk beside me. A flicker of light helped my eyes land on the Magic Contract that the Master had given me which I had pinned to the side of the wooden piece of furniture.

I gently tugged the Magic Contract from its place and held it up in the air. I winced at the number it read. Eighteen thousand three hundred and twenty-two Jewels.

It'd only been a mere two and a half weeks and we were already up to numbers this crazy? If I didn't have that supply of liquid Moon Drip, I was sure I'd be indebted to the Master for the rest of my life.

I sat up quickly and pulled out the chair to the desk, taking a seat in it with the Magic Contract held firmly between my two hands.

I was going to solve this puzzle that the Master had given me right here, right now.

I closed my eyes tightly and reopened them just as fast, realizing that I probably wanted to see the fruits of my labour rather than just see the results.

I focused my attention on the ever-growing number. Eighteen thousand three hundred and twenty-three. Eighteen thousand three hundred and twenty-four. Eighteen thousand three hundred and twenty-five.

And I felt it. A warm heat emanating from within my chest.

It surprised me so much that the feeling disappeared just as quick, and I dropped the Magic Contract back onto the desk. A smile slowly grew on my face. "Levy, you freaking genius," I whispered.

I was about to pick up the Magic Contract once more when I realized that I had no idea how to actually manipulate my magical energy. Maybe it would be better to study and practice it a bit before I went for the magical item.

Thinking that was a great idea, I set aside the Magic Contract and tried to find that same warm heat from earlier. This time it was much easier. Almost like having done a maze that you already knew the way out.

The first thing I noticed was that my magic reserves while large weren't nearly the lake of energy that I felt when I had a chance to glimpse the Master's, nor was it nearly as suffocating or suppressing which I could only attribute to the fact that he was that much more powerful and extensive than my own magic reserves.

I started to fiddle around with my magic energy to see what I could do with it. As it turned out, it was way easier to use than I had anticipated it would be. All I really had to do was focus on where I wanted that warm fuzzy feeling to go and it would flow from my center right to wherever I willed it to go.

Seeing as I now had a basic idea of magic flow down, I picked up the Magic Contract once more and channelled the energy through my body and out through my fingertips. I watched as the number froze in place. For a mere few seconds, but a few seconds all the same. I was really doing it! I was really using magic!

I laughed out loud before clamping my mouth shut, remembering that Sarah was asleep.

I internalized my giggling and tried again, this time seeing for how long I could keep it the magic item stilled for.

Fifteen minutes. That's how long I lasted for. It was refreshing to know that I had some competency at the art. Then again, it was just a Magic Contract. Nothing nearly as grand as the Jupiter Cannon or the dark magic, Alive.

I continued to play with the Magic Contract, my magic never ceasing to amuse me. It was all I ever wanted.

I looked back down at the Magic Contract and frowned after a second of thought. Didn't the Master say that he wanted me to stop the number from rising all together? Not just for a limited amount of time?

I tried again and ended up with the same result. While my magic was working on the Magic Contract, it would remain static; but if I were to stop focusing my magic on said item, it would go back to steadily increasing. Interesting.

This went on for a while. Where I'd experiment and note down everything that I could about my abilities. Eventually, I raised my head for a breather and pulled out my only electronic possession from home to check the time. It read two thirty in the morning. Which meant… that I should probably go to bed.

I pinned the Magic Contract back onto the side of the desk and placed my notes on my abilities with the rest of my notes on the Fairy Tail universe.

I stretched my limbs from the few hours spent at the desk and layed down on my bed, letting the pain of the past few days wash over me and lull me into a restless sleep. I grinned despite the pain from the simple act.

I had magic. And now, I could use it… to some extent at least.

"Nate! You in there? If you are, answer me!"

"I told you he'd still be asleep, Natsu," another voice whined.

"No he isn't, Lucy," Natsu replied.

I groaned and covered my head with my pillow, kicking off my blanket and revealing myself in nothing more than my undergarments. It was too early for their shit and I was still feeling out of it due to not having dinner last night.

My stomach growled. I now realized how horrible of a choice that was.

I pulled the pillow further over my head. That still wouldn't change the fact that I wasn't going to get out of bed no matter what. Not until I got another ten to twenty to a hundred hours of well-deserved rest.

The pillow was wrestled out of my grasp. "Nate!"

"Ahh!" I shouted as pulled my blankets back over my mostly naked form.

I blinked open my eyes blearily to get the sleep out and saw Natsu and Happy standing at my bedside. Both wearing a victorious grin.

I looked towards my window, suspecting it was the culprit with what Lucy had to deal with. It was wide open.

I glared at Natsu and Happy. "You do know this is trespassing, right?"

My words seemed to just fly right over both of their heads as they made their way over to Sarah's bed, right across from my own, to wake her up.

I quickly jumped out of bed and hit both of them over the head, making them sit down to cradle the goose eggs growing on their heads. "Don't you dare wake her up, you two," I growled, stretching my limbs as I went over to my drawer to throw on some clothes. "Otherwise, I won't be responsible for my actions."

The both of them immediately stepped away from Sarah's bed and sat on my own as I pulled out a plain baby blue cotton shirt and light brown cargo shorts.

Right as I pulled my shirt over my head, I heard a knock at my door which I could only assume was Lucy. I moved over and opened it.

"Good morning, Nate. I hope you're doing well."

I blinked in surprise a few times at who was at the door. "Hello, Liam," I said, seeing my landlord. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you."

He chuckled in good nature. "That quite alright, Nate," he replied. "I'll be out of your hair in a minute. I'm just here to pick up this month's rent."

"Oh, right. Of course," I remembered. "I'll be back in a minute."

After my landlord gave his consent, I closed the door and walked back into the room, going towards the desk between the beds. I pulled out the drawer and withdrew the contents from within. A thick beige envelope labelled 'Rent.'

I walked back over to the door and opened it again. Liam was standing on the other side waiting patiently. "Thanks for waiting. Here it is," I said, handing him the envelope.

My landlord opened up the envelope and flipped through Jewel notes quickly. I wasn't sure if he was counting or not. Eventually, he tucked the money back into the envelope. "I have to say, Nate," he started pocketing the envelope. "I was skeptical of you at first but you've exceeded my expectations."

I smiled. "I tend to do that a lot," I said with a shrug.

He turned to leave. "Well, I'll be going then," he said, making his way back down the staircase. "Have a good day, you two."

As I made to close the door, I saw Lucy climbing up the staircase. I grinned. "What? You didn't take the window as Natsu did?" I asked teasingly.

"Oh screw off, Nate," Lucy said as I opened the door further for her to enter.

I closed the door behind us and went over to the kitchen. "Have you guys eaten yet?" I asked, the tiredness from before having gone away.

"No, not yet," Lucy admitted from the other room. "We were planning on hitting a breakfast diner before we went over to the guild hall to help rebuild."

"Alright, I'll make us breakfast then," I called back. "It'll be quicker than going to a diner."

Natsu poked his head in the doorway. "For real? Thanks, Nate."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it," I said, as I started to locate ingredients in the fridge. "Though I'm not sure we have any fish. Sorry, Happy."

The little feline popped his head in the doorway as well. "That's fine, I wasn't expecting you to have any," he replied. "I can eat other things too, you know. I just enjoy fish the most."

I hummed in understandment and tucked that tidbit of information away.

After deciding on what would be a good healthy breakfast, I grabbed bacon, bread, eggs, milk, onions. potatoes, sausage, among with basic herbs and spices.

I grabbed a pan and pot, making sure to fill the pot with water, before placing the both of them on the stove and cranked up the heat on only the pan. While I waited for that to heat up, I started to dice the potatoes into fine little chunks and placed them into the pot, cranking up the heat for that now that the potatoes were in.

After that, I mixed together some ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and sugar. Setting it aside briefly so I could mix together my wet ingredients. In another bowl, I mixed together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract before throwing in my dry ingredients bowl and mixing them all together to make an egg mixture.

I poured the mixture into a wide shallow container and sliced up the loaf of bread I had into thin slice before dipping them into the egg mixture.

I went back to my pan and scooped a couple large dollops of butter onto it, waiting for it to sizzle before placing the slices of soon-to-be french toast on it one at a time. Being careful to not keep it on for too long.

When those were done, I threw on some bacon strips and sausage for some protein and went back to my potatoes. I poured out the water from the pot and placed them out on a cookie sheet to cool.

Seeing that the bacon and sausage were ready, I placed them on a plate and brought them over to the table along with the french toast.

I took another dollop of butter and placed it in the pan before chopping up a few onions and garlic cloves and throwing them in the pan. I then threw in some rosemary and thyme before throwing in the potatoes as well.

Letting them sit for a moment to fry, I set out some utensils, plates, and glasses for the table and placed a carton of orange juice on there as well.

Going back to the potatoes, I threw them up in the air and let them sizzle on the other side. I then plated them and brought them over to the table before standing back to admire my handiwork.

To be honest, I was pretty proud of myself. Before coming to Fiore, all I ever knew how to make was eggs and bacon. Now though, I had another mouth to feed and a reason to actually cook properly for a change. It was refreshing.

A dopey smile crossed my face and I called the others over. "Guys, breakfast is ready!" I shouted, knowing that Sarah would be awake due to the fragrance, and if not, she needed to wake up anyways.

Natsu and Happy were the first into the room, running and flying in at speeds which made me worry if they'd break anything. Lucy and Sarah followed soon after at a much more appropriate pace. We all sat at the table.

"Wow, this looks great, Nate," Natsu said. His mouth already full of sausage.

"I think you mean tastes good," I corrected, shovelling some french toast and home fries into my mouth. It really was good.

When all the food was finished and out of the way, I leaned back in my chair and looked at the ceiling. It was peaceful and quiet, something which I didn't think was possible with Natsu and Happy around. And something even more surprising, it wasn't even those two that ruined my peace. Rather it was a magazine shoved into my face.

"I wanted to show you this, Nate," Lucy said excitedly. "I figured you'd want to see it."

I stared at it. "It's a Sorcerer Weekly Magazine."

"Yeah, I know that," she said impatiently. "Just look at it carefully."

I sighed but decided to humour her. The cover of the magazine was a mugshot of Jose Porla smiling deviously with a caption clarifying his discharge from the Ten Wizard Saints and disbandment of the Phantom Lord guild.

It wasn't until I read those little captions at the bottom directing the reader to flip to a specific page did I grab the magazine out of Lucy's grasp. I skimmed through the pages until I came to the one I wanted to see.

On the page that I was at, there stood a rather… handsome young man? Honestly, the guy looked too perfect. A clean shaven face with not a single sign of a blemish and framed with perfect charcoal black hair and deep jade green eyes.

He wasn't quite tall but was far from short. His body looked rather slim, but upon closer inspection, noticed the toned muscles built up from countless hours of training.

There was only one thing that stood out and that was a large burn scar on the man's collarbone that was induced by a kitchen accident as a child. Even then, the magazine had touched it up to look manageably appealing.

I frowned. "Man, they really know how to make me feel self-conscious about my body. I mean, I don't look nearly that good," I asked, looking between my own body and the one that the magazine depicted. I then noticed Lucy staring at me in disbelief. "What?"

"What? What do you mean what?" Lucy shrilled, making me lean away from her for the sake of my hearing. "You're in the Sorcerer Weekly magazine and all you have to say is that you feel self-conscious about your body! Why aren't you more excited like I was when I saw that there was an article on both of us?"

I flipped to the next page and sure enough, there was a biography on Lucy. There was a lot of information on it too, such as the fact that she was a Celestial Spirit wizard, she had four of the twelve zodiac keys, and even stuff like her family heritage which had only been revealed to our guild during the battle with Phantom Lord.

I then looked at the pictures carefully and stifled a giggle. "By any chance did you actually take a look at the pictures before you got all excited?" I asked with a snicker.

She paused in her tirade and snatched the magazine from my hands this time. I wasn't sure how much time had passed or how silent it had gotten until Lucy had screamed out loud. And by loud, I meant really, really loud.

She threw down the magazine and I looked at it once more. They were pictures of her at her place. Whether it be in the bath, lying on her bed, or simply eating a meal. It was honestly really creepy. I then noticed the name Matsuki written under the author portion of the article and it made a whole lot more sense.

"How the hell do they even have photos like that?" she asked.

I shrugged and picked up the magazine, flipping back to my page. I was satisfied to see that they had next to no information me. With the only knowledge being that I was from outside of Fiore and that I had nullification magic of sorts.

A chair squeaked as Natsu stood up abruptly, all of our eyes on him now. "We should get going to the guild hall now," he said, walking to the door. "We've got to rebuild."

I nodded my head and handed Lucy back the magazine. She didn't take it and left it on the table.

"Yeah, give me a sec," I said, stacking the dishes. "I've got to wash these."

Lucy frowned. "I'll help with that if you want?"

"That'd me much appreciated," I added, bringing the dishes to the sink. Lucy followed with the rest of them.

"Sarah," I called, turning on the tap. "Why don't you show Natsu and Happy your drawings. I'm sure they'd like to see themselves kicking ass."

The two buffoons seemed to agree with my idea, as not a moment later, they dragged Sarah out of the kitchen and towards the desk where her pictures were stored.

This left Lucy and I to do all the dirty work and with her help, we managed to finish it pretty quickly. Five minutes tops.

We put down our rags and walked away from the kitchenette. "Hey, Natsu, Happy, Sarah," I called out, poking my head from the doorway to the kitchen. "We're done with the dishes, so get ready. We've got a hall to rebuild."

As I said that, the three of them immediately came over and we left the apartment in a haste. But not before I remembered what I wanted to show the Master. I ran back inside and ripped the Magic Contract from where it sat and placed it in my pocket.

We made our way over to the guild in an amicable silence… well, as much silence as we could possibly get with Lucy constantly ranting to us on the unethicality of taking photos of someone while they're at their place.

And by the time we'd arrived at the guild hall, or what was left of it anyways, we just desperately wanted to get away from the Celestial wizard.

"Alright," I said, taking Sarah's hand and walking away. "I'm gonna go find Mira and see if she can look after Sarah for me while I work. I'll see you guys later."

"See you later, Nate," Natsu replied. The other two being preoccupied.

After parting with Natsu, Lucy, and Happy, I searched the crowds of Fairy Tail wizards reconstructing for a certain white-haired woman. Instead, I found a tall, bulky white-haired man. Or if you'd like to be specific, he pushed me over.

"Oh sorry, Nate. Didn't see you there," Elfman said, giving me a hand to help me up. I took it and he pulled, helping me to my feet.

I looked up at him. He was carrying a large metal beam. "Hard at work, I see."

He nodded. "Yep, this guild hall isn't going to build itself," he replied, brimming with pride. "It needs a man's touch to get things moving."

"Right," I said slowly. I shook my head. "Do you know where I can find your sister?"

He pointed at a makeshift bar set up not too far away with tables set up around that structure. People were milling about there with drinks in their hands. "She's set up a resting area there for people on break," he replied.

I gave him a pat on the shoulder, already bounding away from the large man with Sarah in hand. "Thanks, big guy," I called back to him.

I didn't see if he waved back as I made my way over to the bar.

When I got close, I noticed the commotion in front of the place and the large crowd of Fairy Tail wizards growing. I then noticed Mira and was about to wave at her to get her attention when I saw how desperately she was attempting to mix drinks and get everyone there orders on time. It looked futile by one's self.

I then looked over at the others working so diligently on construction. They looked like they were doing fine on their own for now. Mira on the other hand, she needed help… like immediately. I could find the Master later and explain then.

I kneeled down in front of Sarah. "Hey, Sarah," I said, getting her attention. "Do you think that you could find Romeo or something and hang out with him today?" I asked, knowing she'd agree. So what if I was manipulative?

Sarah frowned. "Alright. Just don't go running off again," she said, glaring at me.

I nodded my head and chuckled. "I promise."

Satisfied with my reply, she gave me a quick hug and skipped off to find her, dare I say, future boyfriend or husband. I shook that thought from my head.

I hopped over the bar and poured a mug of beer from the barrel, sliding it across the length of the bar to Mira. She caught it and smiled, showing no surprise to the help that I was offering. "Just tell me what you need."

Mira nodded and went back to taking the wizards' orders, while I listened to her and followed her instructions. It also helped that I had some cooking experience now.

It felt like an eternity had gone by, by the time we'd finished with the worst of the crowd and by then, I was exhausted. "How do you do this?" I asked, taking deep gulps of air. "I mean like… every day without wanting to cry?"

Mira giggled as she started to wash some of the mugs that'd come back from use. "It's not too hard once you have a system," she admitted, smiling beautifully. "Plus I usually have a few extra hands to help out."

"And where are they today?" I asked, sounding rather pathetic.

"A few of them called in sick, while others were actually Fairy Tail wizards that got injured during the guild war with Phantom," she admitted.

"Stupid Phantom," I muttered under my breath, pouring myself a glass of cool water and downing it just as quick. It was really refreshing after that rush.

"Anyways, thanks for the help Nate. I would be in trouble if you didn't help out," Mira admitted.

I waved off her thanks. "It's fine, I wanted to help…" I trailed off. It wasn't because of anything Mira said or did, rather it was because of who was sitting at the end of the bar, playing with her food and looking all gloomy. It was Lucy.

"She's been there ever since she arrived here with you guys this morning."

I turned to Mira. "Really?" I asked.

The white-haired girl nodded her head. "Maybe you should talk to her," she suggested.

Knowing that what Mira was saying made sense, I poured two mugs of beer and walked over to where Lucy sat at the bar. "I'll be taking these as the compensation for my hard work," I said, knowing that Mira wouldn't have anything against it.

When I stood across from Lucy at the other end of the bar, I placed the mug next to her untouched meal she ordered. She looked up. "Hey, Nate," she said glumly.

I took a swig from the other mug I brought. "You still upset over the whole magazine thing from this morning?" I asked teasingly.

She shook her head and we lapsed into a dreadful silence. I hated these kinds of silences. Luckily, I didn't have to break it this time though. "I'm sorry about this morning, I just had a lot to think about and I guess I kind of vented on you, Happy, and Natsu," she apologized.

I frowned. That's not what I wanted to hear. "What do you have to be sorry about, Lucy. We're your friends, aren't we?" I replied. "Shit happens. I'm not going to hate you just because you annoyed me once.

Lucy sighed. "Yeah I know," she said with a smile. "And ever since I joined Fairy Tail, I'm glad I've been able to make friends with people like you, Natsu, Gray, and even Erza."

Okay… where was she going with this? "But do you ever feel as if one of your friends is hiding something?" she asked, taking a small sip of beer. "Something that could put their own health in danger? And you can't do anything to help them?"

"All the time," I admitted. Everyone at the guild was family. And frankly, everyone at the guild was harbouring one secret such as that. "But it's not my place to go ripping through their pasts. If they feel the urge to share, I'll sympathize. If they feel the urge to withhold, I'll take on their pain. Never though, should you force what shouldn't."

"But why?" she asked quietly. "That just isn't fair for either person."

I shrugged. "Nothing's ever fair," I said.

I felt quite guilty for my words… but none of what I just said was wrong. It was a harsh reality.

"By the way, what's with all these questions?" I asked. "It's not like you at all."

Lucy looked hesitant to say whatever was on her mind. Though it seemed in the end, she caved. "It's Loke," she admitted quietly.

Oh yeah. That's right. Loke was actually the Celestial Spirit, Leo. He couldn't return to the Celestial Spirit World because of an exile imposed on him by the Celestial Spirit King due to the death of Karen Lilica.

"He's been acting strangely recently," Lucy continued. "Normally, he wouldn't come within ten meters of me, but now he tries to talk to me whenever he gets the chance to."

I smiled and took another sip of my beer. "Maybe he's into you."

Lucy shook her head. Completely ignoring my teasing. "No, it's different," she explained. "He doesn't flirt. He just talks about whatever's on his mind. Whether it's the stars or the trees. It's like… like…"

"He doesn't have any more time for anything?" I suggested sadly.

"Exactly!" she exclaimed. "And it worries me."

We lapsed into a sombre silence. One which I didn't even dare break. It was really depressing thinking about the situation Loke was in. No one deserved that.

"I've been looking all over for Loke," a voice shrieked suddenly. Speak of the devil. Looks like we weren't the only ones thinking of him. "Where is he?"

Lucy and I turned towards the commotion. Four girls were harassing Mira on the whereabouts of their 'supposed' boyfriend. "What's going on?" Lucy asked curiously.

I shrugged. "Caught cheating?" I suggested. "I mean the man's not exactly known for how faithful he is. Hell, he flaunts his girls around."

Lucy shook her head. "I don't think that's it. They don't sound angry. More like desperate if anything," she said. "But maybe that's just me. I don't-"

"Lucy!" Mira shouted suddenly.

"Huh?" Lucy asked, looking towards the group of girls. They turned towards the blonde at Mira's words. Somehow they recognized Lucy right away. Maybe a woman's intuition?

I chuckled. "I think Mira just used you," I teased, chucking a bit. "If I were you, I'd start running. I don't think they look particularly 'desperate' anymore."

Lucy heeded my advice and ran away. "Why, Mira!" she shouted as she left with a bunch of bimbos chasing after her. It was quite amusing, if not a bit sadistic of me.

I turned to Mira who looked guilt ridden. "Better her than you, right Mira?" I said with a grin, giving her a thumbs up.

"But I didn't mean to… I panicked," she said.

"Right, and that's an excuse how?" I asked, chuckling quietly to myself. I slipped my hands into my pocket and my fingers caressed a smooth surface. I jumped back, remembering something that I had wanted to do. "I need to find the Master. I'll see you later, Mira."

While she was still flustered, I hopped over the bar and began my search for the Master. It turned out to not be much trouble as the Master was right in the middle of everything, giving out orders with a goofy smile across his face.

Though he quickly sobered up when he saw me walking towards him. "Ah, Nathaniel, you're here," he welcomed. "Where have you been?"

I pointed to the bar. "I was helping out Mira for the day," I explained. "I didn't want to aggravate my wounds and if Porlyusica heard about it. Well…"

Makarov nodded. "Fair enough," he admitted. "But why come see me at all?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the slip of magical paper that he'd given me weeks ago. "Master, you said that I was supposed to nullify the magic in this contract, right?" I asked rhetorically.

He held out his hand for the Magic Contract and I placed it in the palm of his hand. "And have you done so?" he asked, examining the slip of paper.

"Well, I have," I admitted. "It's just, I can never get it to stay dead. The magic that is."

He quirked a brow at my words. "Really? Could you demonstrate?"

I nodded and he handed me back the slip. I let it rest in the palm of my hand and poured my magical energy from my center into my fingertips and out into the Magical Contract. The results were almost instantaneous. The number froze as I continued to pour my fairly large magical reserve into it at a steady pace.

Eventually, though, my concentration grew thin and I felt faint. I stopped pumping magic through my body and watched as the number on the Magic Contract went back to steadily rising in Jewels. "So what do you make of it?" I asked curiously.

"I don't think I've ever seen this happen before if I'm being honest here," Master Makarov admitted. "Though I admit, I've never had to train someone in the arts of nullification magic. It's a rare enough magic as is."

"I see," I said thoughtfully. "Do you know anyone that might know anything?"

The Master seemed deep in thought before he started to rummage in his coat pockets. "I know it's in here somewhere," he said, finally triumphing and pulling out a paper of some sort. It was slightly crumpled and weathered.

"Thank you?" I said hesitantly, letting him plop the paper into my hand. It was plain white with a pink lotus painted onto one side of the paper.

"I don't think you understand the significance of that card," Makarov replied, crossing his arms in irritation. "It was a gift from the one who taught me my nullification magic. They should still be living to the north of Magnolia. Near a waterfall, I believe."

He couldn't be talking about that waterfall, could he? "How convenient," I muttered.

"What was that?" the Master asked.

I shook my head pensively. "It's nothing," I said quickly. "I'll head over there when I find Sarah. Hopefully, your Master can provide me with some answers. Though how old are they? I mean, no offence, but you're not quite… not old?"

Master Makarov just glared at me. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that for your own good," he said defensively. "Besides, they're not quite as old as I am."

I shrugged. Good enough for me. "I'll be going then, Master. Thanks for the help."

"Stay safe, child," he said.

I gave him a wave as I walked away.

"Is this the place?" I asked myself.

It was a shabby old wooden shack, festering with moss and rotting wood. The windows were opaque from countless rainfalls and the roof shingles had caved in at certain spots. The only thing that looked remotely new was the ivory flag emblazoned with the Fairy Tail emblem hung up right above the entrance.

I was starting to have my doubts on whether Makarov was lying about his master's age and that they were possibly already dead without his knowing.

I paused at the rushing water from behind the little shack. The whole place was on the cliffside overlooking a semicircle of waterfalls. The same falls which held Karen's tombstone at its center. A thin ledge leading out towards it.

I drew my attention back to the door and slowly walked up to it, knocking on the frail wood as lightly as I could. It pushed open slightly at the rap of my hand and I paused. "Something doesn't seem right," I muttered.

I fully pushed open the door and stepped inside, covering my nose quickly as the pungent stench of alcohol entered it. I looked around the room and took in my dark surroundings. It was small and dark. Not much moonlight was getting through the opaque windows. There wasn't much to look at save for a bed tucked into the corner of the room with heaps of blankets piled on top, a a clean drawer at the foot of the bed, a small kitchenette that looked like it hadn't been used in forever, a low wooden table with two cushions, and a door which I assumed was where the bathroom was held. It looked much better on the inside than the outside.

I stood there for a minute and was going to leave when my eyes were drawn to the shifting of the bedsheets on the bed and an arm poking out from beneath, holding a bottle of alcohol. "Hello?" I called out.

The figure beneath the blankets didn't show any signs of having heard me. I tried again. "Hey!" I shouted quietly.

Still no answer. Frankly, I was losing my patience. I walked over to the bed and yanked off the sheets. "Get your drunk ass out of bed old-" I stopped.

Lying in the bed was an older woman, roughly in her late twenties. She was flushed and smiling happily which I could only assume meant that she was piss ass drunk. Her long silky rose quartz hair draping over her body like a blanket.

My eyes trailed down her body and I immediately looked away, my cheeks going red as they heated up. The reason for that being that the woman was scantily clad in a loose white shirt wearing no bra and lacy black underwear. It helped highlight her curves which were… distracting. It was enough to make any guy's hormones go wild with desire.

"-man…" I finished meekly.

I dropped the sheets back down on the woman and backed up slowly, grasping for the door handle to leave the place. I didn't want any misunderstandings to come of this. She was the only one who could help me with my magic after all.

I was about to leave through the door when a knife embedded itself in the wooden door. I looked closely at the blade and found that it wasn't a knife at all but an exquisite folding fan. Turquoise in colour and lined with gold trimmings and beautiful lotus flower patterns.

I wondered where it came from for all of half a second before looking back at the figure in the bed. She was sitting up and staring right back at me. Her icy blues gazing into my jade greens. I froze in fear. Her glare alone was overwhelming.

A moment passed in which neither of us made a move. Slowly, she slipped out of her bed and walked to the drawer at the foot of her bed. I kept my eyes levelled and didn't dare look down. I was a man, after all, not some scum. What happened earlier was an accident and hardly counted.

"Are you just gonna stand there or are you going to explain to me why you barged into my house and shamelessly looked at my naked figure?" the woman asked.

I chanced a peek and sighed in relief when I saw that the woman was now clothed in a traditional Chinese hanfu. The dress was of the same colour as her fan and lined with a long light blue sash around the waist. It was rather simplistic, minimalistic perhaps. Maybe not the first in the room to be noticed but nowhere near the last.

Other than that, the only other noticeable apparel was the lilac bow tied into her hair, which I only noticed when she looked away for a brief moment.

"I honestly thought that you'd be older and, uh… a guy," I finished lamely.

She quirked a brow. She didn't seem upset over this whole ordeal. In fact, she looked rather amused. "Oh, and why would you assume that?"

I thought about how to answer that. "Makarov told me you were the one who trained him in the art of nullification. So I naturally assumed that you'd have to be as old if not older than him," I admitted confidently.

"And what about the 'guy' situation?" she asked curiously.

"Sorry, that was the alcohol that you were holding that made me assume that," I said, pointing at the empty bottle by her bedside. "Don't see many women who drink from the bottle," I admitted with a sheepish smile. It was true.

"I see your point," the woman pointed out. "But is it not normal for one to celebrate after a pleasant victory for their own guild?" she asked cryptically.

"Fairy Tail?" I asked undoubtedly.

She smiled slightly and raised the sleeve of her left arm, exposing her wrist. Right there, on the inside of her forearm, was the Fairy Tail emblem.

"That explains a lot actually," I mumbled quietly, making sense of the whole thing.

It was then that I realized how rude I had been. I offered out my hand. "I'm Nathaniel Valentine. Though you can just call me Nate."

The woman smiled and delicately placed her hand into my own. "Jiang Yue," she replied. "Though there's hardly a reason for you to introduce yourself. I've heard all about you from Makarov. Caring. Loyal. Noble. Courageous. And most of all selfless," she added, staring with intrigue. It made me shiver.

"But that's not all Makarov told me," Jiang Yue continued. "He also mentioned that he wanted you to see me on the matter of your magic."

"When- Nevermind," I said, remembering what was important. "Can you or not?"

Jiang Yue smiled. "And straight to the point I see," she said, pausing for a moment. "Yes, I can help you master your craft. But if you accept to be under my tutelage, I cannot say it won't be harsh. The lectures will be long and agonizing. And the exercises will be excruciating and to the extreme. After all this, are you still willing?"

I nodded quickly. Ecstatic for this opportunity. Just from her gaze alone, I could tell Jiang Yue was powerful and if she were to teach me magic, I was sure I'd be able to at least hold my own in the fights to come. I didn't want to be a hindrance any longer. I'd only been able to get by on my knowledge and luck so far. I wanted to get by with my own strength and not have to rely on cheap tricks and such.

"Alright, then let's begin with a proper analysis of your magic," Jiang Yue explained, gesturing for me to take a seat at the table.

I sat on one of the cushions and watched Jiang Yue walk back to the drawer, opening a different compartment this time. She pulled out what looked to be a clear lacrima and walked over to me with it in hand. She placed it on the table.

"Place your hand on the lacrima," she instructed.

I did as told and placed my hand on top of the lacrima, waiting for further instructions.

"Now before we begin, let me give you a little lesson," Jiang Yue started. "When someone first learns to use magic, they have a natural affinity to a type of magic. As you can see, Natsu has fire, Gray has ice, and Erza has space."

I nodded, following along with what she was saying. "And I'm assuming that this lacrima manifests a colour to see what element I have an affinity for?"

She nodded, smiling slightly. "I'm glad my disciple's at at least this level of perception," she said, continuing where she left off. "Yes, this lacrima is what you'd call an Affinity Lacrima. It manifests the colour of whichever element you have the most natural affinity for. Since your magic, if Makarov's analysis is correct, would be nullification; the Affinity Lacrima should remain clear as the magic you pour into it should suppress the magic within.

"Okay, so I should just pour my magic into the lacrima?" I asked for clarification.

Jiang Yue nodded. "Go ahead," she encouraged.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I focused on my center once more and searched for my magic reserves. Once I found it, I made a pathway from them to my hand that was placed on the lacrima for my magic to traverse.

"Mmm, that's interesting," Jiang Yue admitted.

"What is?" I asked curiously, still having not opened my eyes.

"Why don't you look for yourself," she added, seeming more intrigued with my results rather than the question I asked.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared curiously at the Affinity Lacrima. "So… which element is represented by colourless with a splash of silver?" I joked.

Because despite my joking, the Affinity Lacrima was indeed colourless with small amounts of silver orbiting the center of the entirety.

"That… I don't actually know," Jiang Yue admitted humbly. "It seems Makarov's analysis was wrong in any case and that you don't have a natural affinity for nullification magic."

I frowned. "Does that mean you can't help me?" I asked worriedly.

Jiang Yue quirked a brow. "Did I say anything of the sort?" she asked. I shook my head obediently. "Then there you have it. Since the Affinity Lacrima was mostly colourless, I'm sure that means that your magic isn't too different from my own. Which should mean that the conventional methods should still have an effect on you."

I sighed in relief. "I'm glad," I admitted, thinking that I'd have to find someone else.

Jiang Yue picked up the Affinity Orb and returned it to its place in her drawer before sitting back down at the table. "Anyways, that's all that I have for today. We'll begin your lessons once you and your friends return from the resort your friends and family at the guild plan on sending you on," she informed.

"How do you know-" I stopped myself. I didn't want a repeat of what happened with Porlyusica. It would just end in another person guessing at my secrets. It would just be wiser if I just shut my mouth and walked out the door—

I stood up abruptly. "I guess I'll be going then. I've got another matter to attend to," I said, bowing deeply to show my respect. "Thank you for the lesson, Master."

As I was walking away, Jiang Yue called out to me. "Before you go through, can I show you something?" she asked.

I turned back to her. I thought it over. "Sure," I agreed.

Having gotten my consent, she motioned me toward one of the dirty windows and we both stood there, staring at the grime covering it. "Excuse me for how dirty this place is," she apologized. "I don't get many guests."

With a wave of her hand, Jiang Yue quickly removed the grime from the window and I saw what she wanted to show me. Honestly, I was surprised she knew about this.

Below, on the thin ledge leading out to Karen's tombstone, stood Lucy and Loke. The latter lying on the ground with the former kneeling beside him. There was a bright light between them, which I could only attribute to the fact that Lucy was struggling to open Loke's gate. The bright glow from her magic was waning. Pulsing more faint with each time she sent a surge of magical energy into Loke.

"Do you know what's going on?" Jiang Yue asked.

I paused before shaking my head. It was better to play dumb and pretend to not know what was going on. "What is, Master?"

"She's attempting to force open that man's gateway to the Celestial Spirit World," Jiang Yue replied. "It's futile though. No one's ever done it-"

"You're wrong," I said resolutely, cutting Jiang Yue off. "Lucy would be capable of doing it," I insisted. "She has so much desire to protect her friends that I know that when it has to do with those she cares about, she can do anything. It's the same with everyone in Fairy Tail actually. We don't give up on each other."

There was silence between us. It was nerve-racking. "You said 'would,'" Jiang Yue finally said. "Does that mean she has the capabilities but something stops her before she can actually accomplish her goal?"

I mentally berated myself. I'd gone and done it again. I'd went and revealed hints of what was about to happen. I was such an idiot!

Unaware of what was going on through my head, Jiang Yue smiled. "But you aren't wrong, my disciple," she openly admitted. "There's indeed something that will stop Lucy before she can finish. And that's because-"

The ground trembled and I looked back outside. The stars in the sky were beginning to warp into a gate of sorts, drawing in the water from the falls like a black hole. A bright light shone from within, coming down from the heavens in a tremendous beam of light.

"-The king is here," Jiang Yue finished.

As she said that, the beam of light died out and an imposing figure was made known.

Ruby eyes bore down on both Lucy and Loke as the figure dwarfed both of them by at least thirty times their own heights. His sky blue skin brimming with pure magical energy it sent shivers down my spine even from how far I was.

His turquoise helm was lined with gold and adorned with two large ivory tusks that glistened in the moonlight. He wore full plate armour of which his chest plate and pauldrons were of the same colour as his helm, while his gauntlets and greaves were a baby blue. The plates around his waist and knees were gold. To finish his ensemble, he wore a deep blue cape that flowed without there being any wind.

Though the most distinguishable, and perhaps most laughable, were his nose hairs which reached all the way down to his stomach. It almost even made me laugh if it weren't for the overwhelming presence that such an entity brought forth.

"So…" I started, wanting to break myself away from such pressure. "You're clairvoyant?" I asked. Though it was more of a confirmation.

Jiang Yue nodded. "That's correct, I'm clairvoyant," she confirmed. "Things that are nearer to the present, I can see as clear as day. But the further they stray, the less of the entirety I can see."

"Explains a lot," I added.

Before we could continue on with our conversation, the Celestial Spirit King rumbled and our eyes were drawn back to his majestic presence. "Old friend," he said. Though even if it was just him speaking, we could hear him from even where we were. "Under our agreement with the humans, taking the life of a key holder is forbidden."

"Although it was not by direct involvement, you did commit this act, Leo the Lion," the Celestial Spirit King continued. "Therefore you are not allowed to return to the Celestial Spirit World."

There was a moment of silence in which I assumed the king listened to Lucy's opinion on Loke's matter. It was unjust no matter how anyone looked at it if they just knew of all the details that led up to Karen's death. Even though I seriously disliked the guy, he wasn't the only at fault in this situation. Karen was to blame as well.

"Old friend… Human girl…" the Celestial Spirit King said, drawing everyone's attention to him again. "That law is immutable. It cannot be changed no matter how much I care for my dear old friend over there."

What kind of logic was that? To condemn someone even if you know that it wasn't their fault. All because of a stupid rule that you can't. No, won't change. For the love of the god that sent me here, this being was the Celestial Spirit King. He was the one who made and could change the rules if he felt like it!

After I finished having my internal rant, Jiang Yue spoke up. What she said piqued my interest. "Do you wish to hear what they're saying?" she asked knowingly.

I nodded my head fervently, still peeved. I could see where Lucy was coming from now.

Jiang Yue having my answer, raised an arm towards the conversation happening below and a soft green magic circle appeared in the palm of her hand.

"Three years!" Lucy's voice echoed from the magic circle. "Loke has suffered for three long years! He did it for Aries! One of his own! He had no choice in the matter!"

"Everyone has a choice, human girl," the Celestial Spirit King stated. "As much as it pains me to say it, my old friend deserves his punishment."

"Don't be stupid!" Lucy shouted. "If you really consider him an old friend, then you'd do everything you could to help him! If you really cared, you would help him right now! Listen for a change, you old mustache man!"

This drew the Celestial Spirit King's attention and Loke's. The latter for the disrespect that Lucy was showing to his own king's decision.

"This was an unfortunate accident! But Loke wasn't at fault here!" Lucy continued, protecting her friend with everything she had. "I won't accept anything but an innocent verdict! I… refuse to accept anything else! And if you refuse, I will tear my way into the Celestial Spirit World and force you to take Loke if I have to!"

As she said those words, her magical energy flared up from beneath her and I knew she was serious on her threat, err… promise.

A new voice came through the magic circle and I easily identified it as Loke. "That's enough, Lucy… I don't want anyone's forgiveness," he said. He sounded so heartbroken and lifeless that it made even my heart reach out. Maybe I was feeling less inclined to punch the poor guy now. "I just want to atone for my sins! I just want to cease to exist" he cried, sobbing out in pain at what he thought he did.

Even though we stood far away from the action, I knew what kind of expression Lucy was making right now. One of pure stubbornness. "You can't!" she shouted out, her magical energy reaching even greater heights than before.

"You disappearing won't bring back Karen. What would your death achieve?" she asked, glaring at the Celestial Spirit King. "It'll only cause more sadness! It isn't a crime! Caring for your own isn't a crime!"

Beside me, Jiang Yue raised a hand to cover her mouth in surprise. I smirked. It wouldn't be Lucy if she couldn't do this much for the guild that she cared about.

Standing beside Lucy were all of her Celestial Spirits. From Aquarius to Sagittarius. From Crux to Horologium. They all stood there beside Lucy. Beside someone that they considered their friend and comrade.

"If you cease to be, you'll only leave me, Aries, and everyone else here with even more sorrow than before," Lucy continued. "That… won't atone for anything, will it?"

There was a moment in which I felt like Lucy was invincible. She was showing so much power that it surprised even me. Nothing that Hiro drew could ever hope to capture this moment that I was witnessing right now.

As quickly as it came, it went. Lucy collapsed from the lack of magical energy and Loke scrambled over to make sure she was okay. She waved away his help and looked at him, trying to stand on her own. "All of my friends who showed themselves right now… they feel the same way as I do. So don't even think of leaving!"

Lucy stood back up and faced the Celestial Spirit King confidently. "If you're a spirit, then you can understand how Loke and Aries feel too, right?"

There was a moment of silence in which The Celestial Spirit King seemed to ponder Lucy's words. "If you went to such lengths to say this, then maybe the fault lies within the laws I created. Perhaps you are correct."

He shifted his attention to Loke. "Leo, you committed this crime for Aries' sake, one of your brethren," he recapped, shifting his focus back to Lucy. "And you, young lady, who tried to save Leo. For the sake of a friend, was it not?" he paused, before continuing. "Out of consideration for that beautiful bond, I hereby make an exception for this incident and grant you, Leo, return passage to the Celestial Spirit World."

Lucy grinned. "You're not so bad-"

"Huh?" I asked when the voices were cut off. "What happened?"

"I cut off the magic," Jiang Yue answered. "We both know how it's going to end, so there's no point in listening in any longer."

"I guess," I replied. "But I kind of wanted to hear the rest," I muttered beneath my breath.

Another silence passed between us when I wondered if it was best that I excused myself, but those thoughts stopped when my master spoke up. "Your friend is very exceptional," she said, continuing to watch below. "She willingly risked her life to save one of her friends. Not many people these days would do such a thing."

I smiled when I thought about it. "Then you really don't know the people in the guild you joined," I said seriously. "They risk life and limb for each other. It's what brings us together and lets us be a family of sorts."

I looked down at Lucy and Loke and watched as the Celestial Spirit King returned to the Celestial Spirit World. Time began to flow once more.

"But yeah, everyone at Fairy Tail is just as exceptional as her," I admitted. "You'd have a hard time finding anyone like our guild out there," I stated proudly. Staring down at Lucy in a mixture of admiration and pride.

Well, guys, this means we're onto the Tower of Heaven Arc, so be excited for that. Now you guys have a rough idea of what Nathaniel looks like. Or at least a glamourized version of him does. And now, he has a new teacher to help him with his magic. By no means is this OC a possible love interest, in fact, she's more relevant to Nathaniel's own character arc that he'll be getting later on. Think of it as an apprenticeship for Nathaniel.

I'm glad you have all kept reading through this with me and I hope you continue to as well. Until the next one!