Here's the next chapter everyone! Enjoy! ^_^

Hi, everyone! I'm Lucy Heartphilia, and currently I'm a second year student (a junior) at the Fairy Tail Guild. Astronomy is one of the things I love the most! I've already dragged some of my closest friends into helping me recreate the Astronomy Club.

I've caught a cold, but thanks to Loki, it's slowly going away! I have to admit, I had a lot of fun at Sorcière Academy. The awkward part was the boat ride…Loki just kissed me, out of the blue! I really have no idea what's going through his mind…

~*A Spirit's Guidance*~
Chapter Five: First Revelation

The aftereffects of Loki's kiss still haven't worn off. I still feel feverish, even though it's not because of my cold, and I don't even feel like going to school. I still had to force myself to go though. I basically dragged myself to class, and attempted to force my eyes open.

"Lucy, are you feeling okay?"

Upon hearing Natsu's voice, I snapped out of my stupor. The flamingo haired boy added, "You've been staring off into space for a really long time."

"I have?" I remembered then that I was still in class. Damn, how much of the lecture did I miss? "I just feel a bit off today. I'll be fine," I reassured him.

"Oh okay. If you have any problems you can come and talk to me, alright?" Natsu offered, and flashed his always friendly smile. "Oh yeah, did you know that Master Makarov's also planning on holding a school festival soon?"

"I didn't," I answered. "When's the festival gonna be?"

"Probably in the next two weeks," Natsu answered. "Lisanna and I are thinking of constructing a booth, but so far, we've got no ideas." Natsu then perked up, as if he just had a burst of insight, and then added, "We can help you out, Lucy! We're members of your club after all! You can advertise the Astronomy Club at the festival and get more members interested with some kind of event!"

"Thanks Natsu. I was thinking about doing an event too," I said. An eraser suddenly came flying at the two of us. Oops, the teacher caught us.

"Well at least we didn't get detention," Natsu said optimistically. He had a broom in his hand and was sweeping the classroom quickly. I was at the board, cleaning whatever the teacher wrote on there. A moment later, I heard the classroom door slide open.

"Heh, Natsu's cleaning? The room's gonna be even messier now," taunted Gray, who was leaning against the wall near the entrance.

Dropping his broom, Natsu dashed towards Gray. "What'd you say, ice freak?"

"You heard me," retorted Gray.

"You two are giving me a headache," I complain as Natsu and Gray kept bickering. An idea came to my head all of a sudden. I smiled wryly. "Oh, hi Erza!" I call out.

At the name "Erza", they froze and immediately slung their arms on each other's shoulders. I burst out laughing. "I should do hat more often," I tease them. Natsu and Gray, realizing that there really was no Erza, immediately pushed each other away and stuck their tongues out at one another. They act like children too much.

"Natsu you can go if you want. I'll finish cleaning up here," I offered.

"Are you sure, Lucy?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah. There's not much else to do anyway," I replied.

Natsu grinned. "Thanks, Lucy!" Then, turning to Gray, he challenged, "Alright Gray, let's settle this somewhere else."

"You read my mind, hot-heat," agreed Gray. The two of them then dashed off somewhere to finish their little fight.

I sigh. Boys will be boys. By the time I had finished cleaning and organizing everything, it was already five. I decided to go to the Astronomy clubroom and talk to Loki. It's definitely going to be awkward, but hey, it's better to sort things out earlier than later.

"Aries? Loki?" I called out once I was in the clubroom.

"Lu-Lucy?" A weak voice sounded. Aries appeared right in front of me.

"Hi Aries. How are you?"

"I-I'm okay. But, did something happen with Leo?" Aries asked. My expression must have given something away, because Aries started apologizing. "I'm sorry! If it's something private, you can choose to not tell me."

"Well it's a bit complicated," I said. "It's nothing I can't say to you though, since you're the only person, um, spirit, here."

So, Aries and I sat down and I ended up telling her about my date with Loki. "Oh, so that was wh-what happened," stammered Aries.

"Where is he anyway?" I asked, not seeing him anywhere.

"H-He's not here," answered Aries.

"I can see that. Where did he disappear to?" I asked again.

Aries fell silent. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she whispered, "At the cemetery."

"The cemetery?" I repeated. What business does Loki have at a cemetery? "If you don't mind me asking, Aries, what's he doing there?"

Aries seemed hesitant in answering my question. To not make her feel too uncomfortable, I said, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I mean, it's none of my business anyway."

"It's okay," whispered Aries, barely audible. "I-It's fine. I can tell you. It's about time you knew about our p-past."

Aries took a deep breath and started, "Years ago, Leo and I were students at this very school. We were always together. He swore th-that he would always protect me, just as if I was his little sister."

The rosette smiled at the memory. I stared at her, willing to know more about these two mysterious spirits and the spirit world.

She continued, "A lot of people even thought we were dating." Aries giggled, amused at the misconception. "We never even thought about each other that way. Leo, or Loki, as he was called back then, was just like a brother to me. He did attract a ton of other girls, though." Aries's dainty laughter died down and her expression became solemn. "One day, something happened. Leo was busy with club activities, so I decide to walk home by myself. I-I thought nothing would happen, but I was wrong. A-A group of muggers ganged up on me, demanding for money and-and something else."

Aries bit her lower lip, the harsh memories replaying in her mind. "I-I was scared. I realized then, that without Leo, I was defenseless. I was useless. So, I did what cowards do. I ran."

I interrupted, "That's not cowardly! Any girl would've been scared to death!" I reflected back to the time when I was attacked. I'm pretty sure I share Aries's fear.

"Yes, b-but I couldn't run. I wasn't fast enough. Before I knew it, I was pinned down to the ground. I wished that Leo would find me. I didn't want to be like this." Aries turned away from me then, to hide her expression. She stared at the ground. "Leo came. He found me. Somehow h-he found me. I was really happy. He was fighting, left and right. I really thought we would get away safely, but again, I-I thought wrong."

Not wanting to speak anymore, Aries just let her wool do the talking. Pink wool formed a screen. A scene played itself on the wool. I sat there as if I was watching a movie, but this was no movie. It was real. It happened.

On screen, Aries struggled and tried to escape, but before she could run, a sharp blade impaled her chest. The person who stabbed her grinned maliciously, then forcefully pulled the knife out. Aries stumbled to the ground, lying there like a sheep that had just been slaughtered.

The screen then showed Loki. His expression was so…painful. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his body was paralyzed. One of the muggers took advantage of Loki's paralysis. Swifly unsheathing his knife, the man stabbed Loki's back. Loki looked like he didn't even feel the pain. Aries's death must have hurt him a lot more than a stab to the back. Blood flowed out of Loki's and Aries's wounds, creating a sea of red where the two of them laid.

Aries's pink wool then dispersed, ending the melancholic story. "This was when we were human," she whispered.

"You mean there's more?" I asked.

The rosette nodded. "I-Is this too much for you? I-I'm sorry if it is. You can stop me if…"

"No it's fine," I interrupted. "Please, go on."

"Okay. So after our deaths, we were transported to the Celestial Spirit World instead of directly to heaven or hell. There, our spirits were fused with the spirits of Leo and Aries. The Celestial Spirit King declared that we can go directly to heaven if we are able to assist a person, unconditionally, who has the power to see us. Such a person is called a Spirit Mage," explained Aries.

"So I'm a Spirit Mage," I utter.

"The King also said that those 'chosen ones' were rare. Out of the few that exist in this world, one of them is the one fated to rule over all of the major and minor spirits of the Celestial World." Aries paused for a breath. "This person is who the King was searching for, a-and still is; the person who will take over after the King resigns. That is why he assigned us to search for any potential Spirit Mages. Of course, we accepted his terms. A-After all, wh-who wouldn't want to go directly to heaven?"

"So Aries, I recall I wasn't the first Spirit Mage you helped," I wondered. I never even knew there were other people with the same powers as mine. I have always thought that I was the only strange one in this world.

Aries fidgeted, looking slightly uncomfortable. "W-Well, you're right," she answered. "There was one other Spirit Mage we met some time ago. She went to a different school, but after she found out about us during a school festival, she transferred here." Aries paused again. Her eyes shifted away from my gaze. "Her name was Karen."

Karen…where have I heard that name before? I racked my brain, trying to remember that name. "Karen! Now I remember!" I exclaimed. Aries uttered a surprised yelp and jumped up a little. "She was a famous model, wasn't she? I've seen her pictures on magazine covers that my mom used to buy."

Aries nodded. "Yes, she was. She was the most famous teenage model in her day. I suppose that fame and her realization about her special abilities turned her into a girl who abuses her authority."

I blinked. Did Karen harm Aries?

The timid lamb continued, "When Leo and I met her, we thought she would be kind. We were even hoping she would be the Princess the Celestial King was searching for. We were wrong."

"Did she…abuse you guys?" I hesitantly asked.

"Not Leo," Aries answered. "Only me. She knew th-that I wouldn't, or rather couldn't, do anything to hurt her. O-one day, Leo went out to run one of her errands, so only I was left." Aries winced, reminiscing. "D-Do you mind if I use my wool to show you again?"

"It's fine, Aries. Don't force yourself if it pains you," I replied.

Pink wool once again formed a screen. On it was Karen shouting profusely at Aries. The poor rosette was crouched on the floor with tears streaming down her cheeks. The timid spirit apologized continuously with her meek voice.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it!" Karen boomed. "Did you know your actions almost got me fired?" Aries apologized once again. Karen was still not going to let the subject go. "Why can't you be as useful as Leo? You're a failure of a spirit!"

Before I could even react to the abuse I was seeing, Karen grabbed a handful of Aries's hair, yanked her up, and slapped her sharply. I winced. How can a person be so cruel to someone who's so defenseless?

"Stop it."

The wool screen then showed a different person. His voice was deep and threatening. His eyes were blazing with fury and his hands were balled into fists. His expression was that of a lion that was about to tear everything to shreds.

"Loki," I whispered, watching him on screen.

"Don't think you can abuse Aries just because she can't fight back," growled Loki. He strode over to Aries and used his body to shield her from Karen.

"Don't defy me, Leo," threatened Karen. "Do you two not want a one way ticket to heaven?"

"I can't say that I don't, but from now on, lay your hands off Aries!" bellowed Loki.

Karen's expression changed from shock to anger. "You'll pay for this," she threatened. Suddenly a streak of light hit Karen's face, causing her to tumble onto a stack of cardboard boxes.

The Aries on the screen gasped. She clung on to Loki's arm and pleaded, "Leo, please, don't do it anymore!"

Loki looked at Aries, bewildered. "Aries, she yells and hits you almost every day and now you're saying I should stop?"

"Please," squeaked Aries, more tears leaking from her eyes.

Karen emerged from under the boxes. "Leo!" she exclaimed. "What is the meaning of this?"

Loki stared at her with stoic, unforgiving eyes. "I was just giving you a taste of what you do to Aries all the time." He then started to walk out the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Karen demanded.

"Somewhere where we'll be away from you. Aries, let's go," Loki said.

"You know that your energy will run out faster don't you?" Karen reminded.

"I'm perfectly aware of that. However, I'd rather get Aries away from you than stay here and obey you." With that, Loki grabbed Aries's wrist and went out of the room.

Then, the scene changed. Loki and Aries were now both standing over a grave. The once stoic and daunting lion spirit now looked like a teenage boy, trying to hold in his tears. Aries already had tears rolling down her cheeks. I squinted to get a closer look at the carvings on the grave. I gasped.

Here lies Karen- a successful model and a proud daughter

Loki crumpled to the ground, now only on his hands and knees. "It's all my fault."

His female companion knelt on the ground beside him. "No Leo. D-Don't blame yourself."

"I-I should have held back," Loki said, regretting his actions. Meanwhile, I watched the scene, confused. What happened?

"Leo, it wasn't your fault. Karen was just unlucky," Aries comforted.

I turned to the real Aries. "What happened? How did Karen die?"

Aries recollected the wool and told me, "Sh-She died in a vehicle accident. After that dispute between her and Leo, K-Karen stormed off. What I heard from other people was th-that she was speeding on her motorcycle on the way back to her home. A-A car was about to crash into her, s-so she dodged it, but also ended up crashing into a telephone post. Leo blamed himself for her death and still does. He always said that if he didn't fight with her, she would have been thinking straight, a-and wouldn't have been speeding. I-I kept telling him that it was Karen's own fault. It's hard to comfort him," Aries answered.

"So then what happened?" I asked, still curious.

"W-We were summoned by the Spirit King. We thought w-we were in deep trouble, but we weren't. It turned out that the King really wanted to f-find that Princess. S-So he gave us another chance and sent us back to Earth. Time passed, but there wasn't anyone else who could sense us. One day, a new student came to this clubroom. W-We knew that she could sense us immediately. Th-That person was you, Lucy," Aries continued.

"I see. How come Loki acted so hostile towards me back then?" I asked.

"W-Well, he wanted to distance himself from you. H-He didn't want to mess up this second change," replied Aries. "He was a real playboy back when we were alive. He even flirted with Karen a bit wh-when we first met her. After that accident, h-he just became quieter. Then, we met you. I-I have to say, I think you've opened him up a little, Lucy," Aries said.

"What do you mean, Aries?"

"H-He seems a little more cheerful now. It's like the light inside him is starting to burn again," Aries replied.

"No wonder his personality seemed so different from when I first met him," I muttered.

"So now you know," Aries concluded. "I-I'm sorry if it got a bit graphic."

"Thanks for telling me though, Aries," I said.

I heard the clubroom door slide open then. Loki was at the entrance, holding a sheet of paper. He called me. "Lucy, Master Makarov's announced that Fairy Tail will have a festival soon. I hope you have some kind of plan to advertise the Astronomy Club."

I smiled at him. All feelings of awkwardness towards him vanished. "Actually I do." Saying so, I called Loki over and talked to him and Aries about what I had planned.

Dream

Once again, I was floating in a sea of stars. Someone was calling me. It was his voice again.

"Come on, princess."

I felt his hands push me gently. Soon, I was taken away by the flow of an invisible river.

"Lucy-san, is that you? Ebi."

I soon found myself face to face with a man. Or was it a crab? "Who're you?" I remember seeing him. He was on the screen; the one who was giving me a haircut.

"It's me, Cancer," he replied. "You don't remember? Ebi."

"How do you know me? That bull, Taurus, too. What's my connection with you all?"

"Didn't Layla-sama tell you? Ebi." The crab spirit asked.

"My mother's long gone," I replied.

"So, Lucy-san, you know nothing about us?"

"I know a little," I answered.

Cancer sighed. "Well if Layla-sama didn't say anything before her death, she must have wanted you to find out for yourself, ebi. I wish you good luck, Lucy-san." Saying so, Cancer disappeared.

Ahhh another chapter done! I just wanted to reveal Aries's and Loki's past in this one chapter. Hope that wasn't too boring! ^^ Next up, Lucy's going to get more people interested in the Astronomy Club by creating an event at the festival! Stay tuned!

~SheriMeister