AN: Chapter 1

Hiii everyone! So I am super excited about this story FINALLY starting because it has been on my mind for a long time and I finally told myself to start it. This is going to be a LoLu story, I'm not entirely sure if there will be any smut later on down the road, so I will keep this rated T for now for violence and language. (please excuse any mistakes I may have missed... I've been staring at the computer too long lol)

I'm not going to be revolving this around the guild hall too much because I don't really want it to. I have many plans for this story and if all goes well, hopefully you all will enjoy it as well. :)

HUGE SHOUT OUT TO MSKTK!

Anyone who is looking for a fantastic Gajevy story, that is written beyond excellence, please go check out my friend MsKtk's story Monster. You will not be disappointed by what she has created. :)

Tiny hands reached up on the dresser with her mother's celestial keys on top, searching the hard wooden surface for the small ring of golden keys. The small girl's lips curled up into a big smile as she finally had found the keys in her hands. She pulled them down and held them close to her chest as she quickly turned and ran out of her parents' bedroom. Her tiny feet moved with speed as the small blonde haired child ran down the long halls of her parents' mansion. The young child was no older than seven and had already known that she wanted to be just like her mother. She wanted to become a celestial wizard. Though some thought the celestial wizards to be weak, and only had the power to call upon zodiac spirits to do their bidding, the small girl knew that there was more to this kind of magic. Every time she saw her mother in action or saw her summon the great and fantastic spirits, she wanted nothing more than to be able to do the same one day. She was often told by her mother that the golden keys in her possession would be passed down to her when the time came. The blonde haired child smiled as she thought of her mother and the first time she had shown Lucy how to conduct a contract between a spirit and wizard.

Layla was smiling down at her young daughter, with a soft hand running through her blonde hair. Her words were kind and warming as she spoke to her own child. "Lucy… would you like to see how a contract is made between a wizard and celestial spirit?"

Lucy looked to her mother with wide, chocolate brown eyes. They were full of excitement and anticipation. She clenched her fists tightly as she jumped up and down beside her mother. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Please show me!"

Layla smiled as she raised a hand in front of her body. "Alright, Lucy, calm down." Her hand reached down to the small box in her lap. She opened it and revealed the silver key with an intricate design on it. The bow of the key was designed similar to that of a cuckoo clock with the crest in the middle colored brown. The blade of the key was the only thing that was similar to the other silver keys Lucy had seen. She stood back as her mother stood from her chair, her hand raising the key into the air in front of her. Lucy looked up to her mother with wide eyes as she watched her speak the words all celestial wizards knew when summoning a new spirit.

"I call upon thee, in the world of the celestial spirits. I beckon you to my side at once, pass through the gate!" Layla said with such confidence. Lucy's eyes grew wide as she saw the bright light start to shin around her mother as the strong words left her lips. "Open, gate of the clock constellation—come Horologium!"

Brown eyes shifted to the sight in front of them both as a cloud of smoke with multiple clock gears started appearing from thin air. They all twisted and turned as they quickly formed in the middle of the cloud of smoke. A few seconds later after all the pieces had gathered, the smoke had dissipated, leaving just a large grandfather clock in the middle of the room. Lucy gasped as she saw a long arm come straight out from one of the wooden sides, a moment later, another arm sprouted from the other side. The clock leaned forward slightly as its arms came closer to the center of its body. The tiny girl jumped back and hid behind her mother's large dress as a head suddenly popped up from the top of the clock. She shifted her weight slightly so she could finish watching the spirit. She watched as its right arm circled quickly as the other stretched back out at its side. And even though its mouth remained closed, its voice spoke out two simple words. "Tick-tock."

Layla brought her free hand down to Lucy's head as she looked down at her scared child. "Do not be afraid, Lucy. Horologium is a gentle spirit who means you no harm." The celestial wizard stepped forward with her hands folded together in front of her dress. "Now then… shall we set up the rest of our contract, Horologium?"

The giant clock put his hands at his side as he spoke. "Of course, for that is why I have been summoned to you, my Lady."

Lucy swallowed her fear and stepped up to her mother's side once more as they talked back and forth which days the spirit was available. The tiny blonde haired child tugged at her mother's dress. "Mommy… what are you doing?"

Layla smiled sweetly as she thanked the spirit and turned to Lucy, kneeling down so she could speak to the girl on her level. "I'm sealing the rest of the contract with Horologium. I'm finding out which days he will be available for me to call upon him."

Lucy brought a small finger to her chin. "Why would you need to know that?"

Layla brought a hand up to Lucy's hair, petting it lightly as she spoke. "It may seem silly, but it's very important. A celestial wizard's contract relies on the promise that's made between wizard and the spirit, which is why I make it a point to always keep my promises and only call upon a spirit when they are available. It would be rude to pull them away from something they are doing on their free time… wouldn't you agree Lucy?"

The blonde haired girl looked to her mother then to the grandfather clock still standing in front of them. Her big brown eyes moved back to her mother as she smiled and nodded. The small girl stepped towards the clock spirit and held up her tiny hand, a bright smile was gracing her face as she looked up to Horologium. "My name is Lucy. It's very nice to meet you."

The clock spirit reached down and shook Lucy's hand gently. "As it is a pleasure to meet you, little Miss. I am Horologium, the clock constellation. And should you ever need me, I will not hesitate to rush to your aid."

Lucy took back her hand and brought it close to her lips as she dipped her head slightly, trying to hold back her laughter. "Your voice sounds funny."

"Oh?" The clock spirit put a hand on his side and outstretched his other arm as he spoke in a high pitch tone, mimicking the small child's voice in front of him. "How is this, little Miss?"

Layla smiled as her daughter began to laugh at the clock spirit. She knew one day that the young girl will take her place and take over her celestial keys. She had made sure that Lucy was going to be the one to inherit her magical keys, seeing how her daughter had made up her mind and what she wanted to do at such a young age. Even if Lucy decided to change her mind and practice a different type of magic, Layla could not think of a better mage to look after her precious keys.

Lucy had found herself in the large master bathroom, standing before the large bathtub. She looked down at the golden keys in her hands, her brown eyes searching for her favorite spirit to summon. The small girl held up one golden key in particular. The golden key she had singled out had a bow that was designed to look like and upside down urn with two handles on either side. The center of the bow was white with the crest of the water bearer colored in blue, and with a small golden heart on the base. The blade of the key resembled a mermaid tail, with what looked like fins sprouting out of either side of the base of the bow, and four more at the tip curling towards the center.

Lucy giggled as she took the single key from the ring her mother used to keep all of her celestial keys together. "Time to come out and play!" The small girl said cheerfully as she tossed the key into the water of the bathtub in front of her. "Come on out pretty mermaid!" A few seconds later, a large wave of water came up from the bath, quickly forming into a water spout. From it, the one known as the water bearer Aquarius, had appeared. She was leaning forward, holding her vase with both hands. As her solid blue eyes opened and fell upon the small smiling girl, a scowl came over her face. "Tsk."

Lucy couldn't contain her excitement as she saw Aquarius floating above the water. "Pretty mermaid!"

The water bearer growled as she leaned in close to the girl, her eyebrows twitching as she spoke coldly. "Listen here, you little brat! What have I told you about summoning me? And in the bath no less!"

Lucy brought a finger to her chin. "I thought this was a bit bigger than the fish bowl… I thought you'd be happier getting summoned in here…"

"Well you were wrong! I don't want to be summoned in this bath, nor do I want to be summoned by you at all! You may be getting my key when your mother passes, but let me make this very clear to you…" Aquarius leaned back and brought her vase behind her head, her voice getting louder as she was readying her attack. "Don't ever summon me—" She yelled as she forced her vase forward towards Lucy, sending her whole attack at the small girl. "WHEN I'M ON A DATE WITH MY BOYFRIEND!"

Lucy screamed as she was swept off her feet from the water, getting quickly sucked into the swirling vortex in the middle of her bathroom. "Aaah! I'm sorry! I won't ever do it again! I promise!"

Aquarius leaned back and closed her eyes as she groaned. "You're so annoying… why do I even put up with you?! And don't just say it's because you're Layla's daughter."

Once the watery vortex had calmed down and completely disappeared, Lucy was sitting on the wet ground. Her hands fallen at her sides as she sat in place completely soaked. Her chocolate brown eyes were swelling with tears as she spoke softly. "I just… I just wanted to spend time with a friend…"

"Tsk…" Aquarius said as she opened her eyes slightly. She kept her gaze up at the ceiling as she continued to listen to the small girl.

"And you're so pretty… I just wanted… to play with you… I didn't mean to make you mad…" Lucy sniffled. "But that's all I ever seem to do…"

The spirit looked back down at the girl, annoyance still all over her expression. "Stupid girl… are you going to start crying now? Because that's all I need… a sniveling, annoying child…"

The blonde haired girl brought her hands up to her eyes as her tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm sorry… I didn't… mean to…"

Before the water bearer could say anything else, another voice came up from behind Lucy. "Don't be so hard on her, Aquarius." Lucy's eyes went wide as a soft pink towel was placed over her head. She could feel two hands come down on either side of her hair and start to dry her head off. The voice continued to speak. "All she wanted was someone to play with."

A small clearing was made for the young girls' eyes as the towel moved further back on her hair. Lucy looked up to Aquarius who was talking back to what sounded like a man behind the small girl. "What are you doing here? I didn't see the little brat summon you too. Don't tell me you used your own magic to come to the human realm."

Brown eyes looked up as Lucy turned her head around to lay eyes on who was helping dry her off. Her eyes went wide as she saw a tall man kneeling behind her. The man was wearing a fitting black suit with a white collared undershirt and red tie. He had spikey orange hair that was kept mildly short with a few strands covering his forehead and longer strands jutting upwards from the top of his head. He had delicate facial features and gorgeous olive-green eyes that looked full of kindness as the man looked back at the girl. His smile was warm and filled the girl with what felt like the suns radiance. Who was this man? The way Aquarius had been talking to him, she must have known him somehow…

The small girl finally spoke as the man moved the towel down to her arms, continuing to dry her off from the water attack the Aquarius had unleashed in the large room. "Who are you?" She asked.

The man smiled as he continued to dry her other arm off lightly. "My name is Loke. I am one of your mothers' new golden celestial keys. What's your name?"

Lucy's eyes blinked but she did not hesitate to respond. "My name is Lucy."

Loke smiled as he took back the towel. "Lucy, huh? You know… that's a very pretty name. Fitting for such a pretty girl."

Lucy giggled as she heard Loke speak. His voice was smooth and his words just seemed to roll right off of his tongue. The small girl's smile quickly faded as her head hung down slightly. Her two index fingers came together and pressed lightly against each other's. "I'm not as pretty as the mermaid though…"

Loke laughed lightly, getting the young girls attention once more. "What are you talking about? I think you're just as pretty as Aquarius."

Aquarius's expression changed drastically as she scowled down at the other spirit, all while Lucy's expression lit up in excitement. They both spoke at the same time.

"What did you say?!"

"You mean it?!"

Loke let out a light laugh as he brought a hand up to Lucy's blonde hair. "Of course. I never lie, and I know a cute girl when I see one." The spirit stood and held out his hand to the small girl. "Now why don't you go get changed and then you and I can go play together."

Lucy's mouth opened wide as her smile formed ear to ear. She took Loke's hand with her own and stood quickly with his help. A second later, the tiny girl was running out of the bathroom, eager to play with her newly made friend. Loke smiled and waited until the girl was out of the room before leaning back down to reach for the golden keys the girl had dropped when Aquarius set loose her attack.

The water bearer put her own hand on her hip as the other held her vase close to her body. "Why are you being so nice to that annoying brat? You're going to regret everything you just said."

Loke smiled as he looked up to the floating spirit. "She doesn't seem too bad to me."

Aquarius threw her head up and off to the side as she spoke. "Yeah well, when that annoying kid summons you at the most inconvenient time, don't come crying to me!"

"Maybe you should just lighten up, Aquarius." Loke turned around just as he saw the water bearer snap her head back to the other spirit in the room, her mouth opening to say something. Loke cut her off before she could get anything out. "She's just a little girl who is lonely is all. You should take a moment to see how she feels. An only child in such a large home… her father always busy with business and a sickly mother… with no one else to talk to or play with her own age… she looks to her mother's celestial spirits for comfort." Loke slipped the golden keys into his jacket pocket just before his hands slid up the silky material, adjusting it on his torso. "It's our duty as celestial spirits to help our master whenever summoned…" His head turned back to the floating spirit, a smile gracing his lips. "But that doesn't mean we can't help out a lonely child as well. Especially when it's Layla's daughter." Loke turned back around and started for the door. "I may be new to this team and celestial wizard… but from what I've heard from the other spirits… she is the best one to serve under. And who knows, maybe one day… that little girl with become just like her mother and treat her spirits with the same love and respect as her mother does."

Aquarius quickly snapped her head back to the side. "Tsk…" She hated the fact that Loke was the leader of the zodiac. Though she thought herself stronger than the rest of the zodiac, she had no other choice than to listen to him. Of course, that was only when they were in the celestial world. "What does he know… he isn't the one getting summoned in fish bowls or bathtubs…" Aquarius let out a huff as she tossed her long blue hair away from her shoulder. "Whatever. I'm going back to my date with my boyfriend. He can deal with that little brat." And with that, the spirit quickly disappeared, her body materializing back to the spirit world.

Ever since that day, Lucy had not felt as lonely as she did before. It was all thanks to the leader of the zodiac. He had appeared every day to play and talk with the young girl. She had felt like she had an actual friend who wanted to spend time with her, and listen to her. He had never missed one day with Lucy ever since Layla had made a contract with him. Even after a battle or long lasting mission, he would always find time for the girl, whether it be tucking her into bed at night and reading her a bedtime story, or simply sitting with her and listening about how her day had gone. To Lucy, he never seemed to tire of her, never found her annoying, and genially looked like he was enjoying his time with her.

One clear and starry night, Loke was putting the girl to bed for her sick mother who could barely manage to get out of bed these days. The spirit smiled as his hands moved down the girls sides, tucking the blanket under her tiny form. He had been completely exhausted from his tasks earlier that day, but he wasn't about to show it. Not in front of her. As his hands reached the girls' feet, he heard a small voice speak up.

"Loke?" Lucy asked softly.

The spirit finished tucking the girl's body in and stood up straight. "Yes Lucy?"

The girl hid half of her face under the covers as her eyes stared up into olive-green. "Are you tired?"

The spirit half smiled as he pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, slowly sitting down in it and placing his folded hands on the edge. "Why do you ask?"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "You just look tired… and you look after me every night and play with me every day… I'm not becoming a bother to you… am I?"

Loke chuckled and spoke softly. "You could never become a bother to me Lucy. Do not worry about me. Just focus on getting some sleep." The spirit stood and started for the door of the girls' room. His feet stopped when Lucy's voice spoke back up.

"Hey… Loke?"

The tall man turned and raised a brow. "Yes?"

"You'll be my friend forever… right?" The small child asked.

Loke didn't hesitate with his answer. "Of course."

"And you'll always be there for me?" Lucy added.

Loke let out a soft sigh as he walked back over to the bed. He noticed the girl's eyes were still wide awake and awaiting his answer patiently. The spirit sat down on the bed and turned to face the small girl lying down. With a free hand, the spirit brought a hand in front of his body and pointed towards the window, motioning her to look out to the starry sky. "If you ever feel lonely, just look to the stars. You remember what my constellation looks like, right?" He watched the girl nod her head quickly as her eyes shifted to the window. "Good. So when you are feeling down or lonely, just look out to my constellation and you won't feel so sad. For I will always be watching over you."

Lucy's lips curled into a smile as she saw his constellation shine brighter than any others in the sky that night. His words were so comforting and warm, just like his voice. He always knew how to make the girl feel like she had a friend in him. A true friend. A shining light caused the girl to look back to the spirit who had pulled something from within himself. He held the shining object in his hand as it shrunk down into a small object. Lucy sat up quickly as her eyes were glued to what the spirit was holding onto. "What is that?!"

Loke chuckled. "It's my brightest star. It's called Regulus. And I would like for you to watch over it for me. That way, if I ever have to leave you, you will have something to find me with. For Regulus and I are one in the same. It's the driving force of my power and I would like for you to watch over it for me."

Lucy held up her small hands as Loke handed her the bright star. It shimmered and shinned, lighting up all that was around her. She was mesmerized by the sight. "It's so… beautiful…" The small girl blushed lightly as she looked back to Loke. His star too, was filling her with the warmth of the sun. She smiled as she pulled the blanket off of her legs, sitting up on her knees so that she could become level with his face. The young girl leaned in and planted a soft kiss on the spirits cheek. Olive-green eyes widened slightly at the cute gesture she had made. He had never been kissed by a human, let alone one so small. He watched her climb back into the spot she had been laying down in and held the star close to her chest. "I will keep very good care of it for you, because you are my best friend. And you've made me really happy. So for once, I want to do something nice for you!"

Loke smiled at the small girl as she laid back down, her hands still clutching the star. He may have been foolish to entrust such a small child with the one thing that grants him so much power, but he knew she could be trusted. Besides… he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He had planned on being beside the girl for a very long time, even if he was still under contract with Layla.

Lucy walked out of her bathroom with a cream colored towel wrapped around her body. Her feet were headed straight for her bedroom as the celestial mage ran another towel through her long blonde hair. She let out a sigh as she sat down on the edge of her bed, her brown eyes cast down as she wrapped the spare towel around her neck. 'Another year… and still no sign of his key…' Chocolate brown eyes looked up to the large board in her room. It was covered with articles from the newspaper, pictures of the different celestial keys, and different colored strings pinned to different areas of the board. Lucy stood back up and made her way over to the board. She stopped just before it, letting her eyes scan over every inch of it. She shifted her weight to one side as she brought a hand to her hip. 'And there have been more reports of different celestial wizards disappearing randomly… what is going on? Who is searching us out and taking the lives of those who practice this magic? Are they just doing it so they can get more gate keys, or is it something more?' With her free hand, Lucy reached out to one of the articles she had pinned up the night before. There had been talk about another celestial wizard who had broken a sacred rule. It was rumored they had been summoning their own spirits to use as shields or distractions instead of working with the spirits. Others have heard that the very same spirits had been getting treated unfairly, beaten, and even forced to stay in the human realm for long periods of time.

Lucy shook her head as she dropped her hand down to her side. 'But who would do that to their own spirits? That's just cruel and unlike a celestial wizard.' The blonde haired mage turned and went back to her bed, sitting down on it lightly. Her brown eyes shifted to her nightstand where her brown leather pouch was. It was holding her beloved celestial keys that had been passed down to her from her mother. Layla had passed away many years ago, and because Lucy was not old enough to control such magic power, the celestial keys were given to four of Layla's most trusted servants. Three were more than happy to return said keys to Lucy when she became of age and started practicing the celestial magic… but one servant remained elusive to this day.

When it came time for Lucy to finally get back her mothers' golden keys, the servant who had Loke's key was never found. The blonde haired girl didn't know if the servant had been killed, had died, or simply had sold the golden key for money. Either way, Loke's key was lost to her. As was her best friend. She had no way of finding him, no way of finding out if he was ok. She even used the silver Southern Cross spirit to try to find out any information he had on where Loke's whereabouts. To no prevail, he knew nothing. He couldn't even tell her if he was sighted in the celestial world because no one had seen him in such a long time.

She had gotten back Aquarius, Cancer, Capricorn, and even acquired a couple of new golden keys herself amongst her travels. The golden gate key of the bull and maiden were of her newest finds a few years back. She had also acquired a couple of silver keys to add to her growing collection and new friends. Lucy had become quite proud for making herself well known in the celestial wizard community just because of the great teamwork she had with her spirits. All of them were respected and loved unconditionally by the girl, and wouldn't trade her for the world. They had come to her aid more times than she could count, just as she was there for them whenever they were troubled.

Her magic power was still average, but she could tell that every time she worked with her spirits, she was growing stronger. She wanted to become a better celestial mage for them all, and not just for herself. It was one of her promises she had made to them all, just as her mother had done long ago.

Lucy's brown eyes moved over slightly to see a shimmering star sitting peacefully in a glass case. A soft smile came over her lips as she got up from the bed and walked over to the star that was given to her so long ago. Her hands slowly opened the glass lid, slowly and gently reaching down and scooping the star into her hands. The blonde haired mage lifted her hands close to her face so that she could see into the star. She could make out so many colors and what looked like a whole other galaxy inside this tiny star. Its light had never wavered or faded, even after all of these years. This told Lucy that Loke was still alive and well. She knew that if something drastic were to happen to him, the light coming off of Regulus would fade and its warmth would diminish completely.

"I know you are out there…" Lucy said as she looked up from the star in her hands. She made her way over to her window to look out the starry night sky, her brown eyes catching a glimpse of the constellation of the lion. "I will find you. I swear I will. I just need to find out what is going on with the other celestial wizards… I'm hoping that by digging into this mystery it will help me find you again." Brown eyes looked back down to the star in her hand. "I promise I won't give up. As long as this star shines, I know you are still waiting for me too." A smile curled the girls' lips as she felt the star grow warmer in the palm of her hand. "We will see each other again, my friend."

"It was you, wasn't it?!" Karen screamed as she tossed the spirit of the ram down onto the hard ground. The shy and nervous spirit cried out in pain as she hit the floor. Her arms instinctively came up over her face as she cried and curled her body up.

"Please, I don't know what you are talking about! I haven't been out of the spirit realm until you summoned me just now!" Aries cried out.

Karen raised her arm with a crop in hand. "Why do you insist on lying to me you pathetic and useless spirit?!" Her hand came down fast and hard, letting the crop do its work to the fair skin on the celestial being cowering before her. The green haired celestial mage continued her assault on Aries as she spoke. "You lie to my face to save your own skin! You were the one who reported me to the newspaper! You told them what I have been doing to you and the rest of those infuriating spirits!" Karen stopped for a minute to catch her own breath. She looked down at the whip marks and welts forming over Aries pale skin. The spirit looked between her wool covered arms at her unmerciful master.

"Please… I swear it wasn't me… you have to believe me!" She pleaded with tears in her big eyes.

Karen scowled as she raised her arm up and behind her head. "I'm never going to believe another word that comes out of your mouth. And you will suffer more before I chain you up and keep you from entering your gate. I think a whole week should be a good amount of time for you to see the error of your mistake."

Aries sat up quickly, her mind ignoring the pain from the welts all over her body. She clenched her fists tightly as she spoke back to her master. "Please! Anything but that! I will not be able to survive that long in the human world!"

Karen's unwavering brown eyes stared back at the quivering spirit. "I will not shed a tear over a weak spirit like you who can't even handle a week outside of the celestial spirit world." Aries shut her eyes quickly, letting her tears fall down her cheeks as Karen readied herself to unleash more punishment. Just as her arm passed her head, a deep and cold voice filled the room, causing the mage to freeze in place.

"Don't you dare lay another blow on Aries. It wasn't her who reported you. It was me." The voice said coldly.

The green haired mages' eyes opened wide as she twisted her body around with speed. Disbelief and anger was rushing through her veins and all over her face. "Leo!" She clenched her crop in her hand tightly as she watched him walk over to Aries, extending his hand to help her up from the ground. His cold olive-green eyes glared daggers at her through blue tinted sunglasses. Karen scoffed as she spoke. "Don't look at me like that! I know what you are doing. You are just covering for that pathetic spirit. I know it was her who—"

"As I said before… it was me who told the reporters about what you have been doing to your celestial spirits. And as the leader of the zodiac… I cannot allow this to continue any further." Loke said as he pulled Aries behind his own body.

Karen couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Disobedience… that will cost you dearly Leo! And I swear the moment you turn away… I'm going to take it all out on that fluff ball standing behind you!"

Loke held up a hand and pointed a finger right to Karen. "I have warned you, and I have given you too many chances to change your ways, Karen. But seeing how you would not listen to me, or my warnings, I had no other choice." A loud knock on the door caused Karen to turn around.

"This is Lahar, captain of the fourth Custody Enforcement Unit. Open up and surrender the Blue Pegasus mage known as Karen Lilica." The voice from behind the door barked quickly. The green haired mage turned back to face Loke quickly.

"Why you—you reported me to the magic council?!" She hissed.

"I'm through playing games with you Karen. My fellow zodiac spirits feel the same way as I do. We are tired of being under your wretched thumb. It's over." Loke said with narrowed eyes.

The woman standing a few feet away shook in anger. "No… I will not let this end… you are MY servants! Nothing more! And I will not let you take this power away from me!" Karen cried out as she leapt forward at Loke, her arm raised with the crop in hand. Brown eyes widened as she saw her crop make contact with Loke's hand. He had caught it on the swing down. She could see the slight tinge of pain in his face but anger was overshadowing it quickly. The knocks on the door became louder as the guards from the council were attempting to break down the locked door.

"I told you… we're done here…" Loke said through gritted teeth. His free hand made a fist and lit up with his magic. A bright golden light was shining up from it, blinding the celestial mage in front of him. The spirit pushed his fist forward into Karen's stomach, not only sending her flying backwards into her own furniture, but knocking out the damned wind in her lungs. The sudden forceful push caused her to gasp for air as she hit the table and chair nearby. Loke threw down the crop and watched Karen in disgust as the magic council guards finally broke through the doors. The orange haired spirit turned his head to look back at Aries who was still quivering from head to toe. "Are you ok?"

Aries nodded her head and walked up to the leader of the zodiac. "I will be ok… but what about you?" She asked softly as she reached down for Loke's injured hand. He quickly moved it in front of his body so she could not see the damage that was inflicted by the catch he made with it.

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me." Olive-green eyes shifted to the side, eyeing the guards taking the still winded Karen into custody. "And you don't ever have to worry about her either."

"Thank you… Leo… for helping me." Aries cast her eyes down at the ground as she brought a closed fist up to her chin, the other tugged at the hem of her wool shirt. "I know I'm not that strong and wasn't able to handle myself against our master—"

"She's no longer our master, Aries. And stop talking like that. Just get back to the celestial world and heal up. I'll deal with the council and return there myself when I am done here." Loke said quickly. The ram spirit hesitated, but knew she was to do as Loke requested. She wasn't one for confrontation and didn't want to cause a fuss.

Loke waited for the other celestial spirit to disappear in an instant before making his way over to Karen's keys. He had been waiting for this day to come. Waiting for the day that he would be free from this cruel masters' clutches. No more abuse for him or his fellow spirits, no more random summons to take the full brunt of attacks or used simply as a diversion. They were all free from Karen and her wicked cruelty. For too long he had tasted Karen's brutality… he was going to finally become a free spirit, along with his brethren. No one else would ever be able to control or command them. He was going to take the golden keys with him to the celestial world so that no one else can make a binding contract with any of Karen's spirits. He didn't care about the consequences of hiding the golden celestial keys in the spirit world. He would simply deal with the issue if the time should ever arise. Loke was tired of humanity and the ugliness it constantly spread. No more. He thought as he walked the path where his old master had flown after his punch. Loke's hands reached out for Karen's keys that had fallen from her waist when he forced her back into the furniture, his chest pounding hard as he saw his freedom coming to them at last.

Lahar stepped directly in front of the celestial spirit, stopping his hands from reaching the golden keys. Olive-green eyes glanced up at the council's right hand man. The spirit stood up straight and spoke coldly once again. "If you don't mind stepping out of the way for me… there's something I must retrieve before returning to the celestial world."

Lahar crossed his arms over his chest as he let out a sigh. "I want to thank you for tipping us off about Miss Lilica… but I am afraid that I cannot allow you to take the keys."

Loke glared at the man standing in between him and the celestial keys. "You don't want to do this, Lahar. I'm going to be taking those keys back with me or—"

"Or what? You'll do the same to me as you did your own master?" Lahar said with a raised his own brow. One of his hands came up and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Let me just remind you, spirit, that it is an offense for a celestial being to harm their master. From what I know of your rules, it would be a such a great offense for a spirit just like yourself to do harm onto one's own master. If word got back to your king… he would have no choice but to strip you of your power and take your life." Lahar watched as Loke clenched his jaw tightly. "Am I wrong in assuming that outcome?"

Loke's fists closed tightly as his head hung down slightly, his long, spikey bangs shielding his eyes. "You are correct. So what? Are you going to go and tell my king what I have done? My actions that saved my comrade? Well go ahead. Do whatever you want to me… my life doesn't have much meaning anymore so what do I care if I live or die?"

"You're saying you would honestly like to die than serve another?" Lahar asked slowly.

"If it means potentially getting another master like Karen…" Olive-green eyes shifted back up to look at Lahar, his expression completely serious. "Then I choose death. Her cruelty and malice knew no bounds. I don't want another master. All of the celestial wizards are the same. All they can see is power, and with more golden keys in their arsenal, comes this power that I speak of. My plan was to take my own key and those who have suffered under her ownership back to the celestial world so that we can all be free of this burden. No longer should we have to live under a wizards thumb."

Lahar waited a long minute before bringing up his index finger and thumb to his chin, his mind deep in thought. "How about this… I will take possession of the keys and I will talk with the magic council and see what they would like to do. If they see it is in the best interest for you to take these keys back to the celestial world, then I will call upon you and hand them directly to you."

'I really don't like this deal… but if it's the only one I've got… for a chance at freedom… then I'm just going to have to take it.' Loke thought to himself. "Ok fine. But call upon me the moment they've reached their decision."

The spirit disappeared back into the spirit realm before Lahar could get out another word. He materialized in his own room, right next to his bed. Loke loosened his red tie from around his neck as he sat down on the soft mattress. His fingers paused slightly as a thought came across his mind. 'I never asked him what would happen with our keys if the council won't let me take them back here…' Loke sighed as he closed his eyes, pulling his tie out from around his neck and tossing it to the side. 'Oh well…' He thought. 'Even if I do end up getting sent to a new master… I can always refuse to come to their beck and call. I belong to no one but myself now.' Olive-green eyes opened up halfway as he started up into the ceiling. It was made of a magic material that allowed him to view the celestial world on the outside of his room, blocking all peering eyes from looking within. He looked upon his fellow zodiac constellations, keeping track of how they all shined. 'I swear I will not form another contract with another human… for none are worthy of my key.'

AN: Fun fact…

The constellation of the lion really does have a star named Regulus, and it is the brightest of all the stars that make up the constellation.

Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! I can't wait to write more for this story!

Also for any of my loving followers, I apologize for not updating anything in such a long time! I have been in a funk and have tried desperately to get something posted for any of my stories! I should have another bonus chapter up soon, and hopefully another chapter up for Centaur Paradise next week! :)