Epilogue

~~LoLu~~

The dream of waking up next to Lucy after a night full of passion had entertained Loke's imagination more times than he could count. But the idea had been something that he'd never believed would truly come to pass, so when he woke that morning in a different place than his own bed, it took a few before he realized, this is actually happening! I'm really...

I'm really, really lucky, the most lucky bastard there's ever been, he realized, looking carefully down at the blonde woman still sprawled over his chest, so that he wouldn't disturb her.

But when his eyes fell on her fair features, hers were already open, and she had the most contented expression on her face that he'd ever seen. When their gazes met, she smiled, and to the lion, it was like the sun coming up on a clear, perfect spring day.

"Good morning," she yawned, blinking the last remnants of sleep out of her eyes. Her voice was so very soft, and it made his heart pound.

"So... I take it that you have no regrets?" he asked, a little tentatively.

A sigh met his continuing uncertainty. "No, Loke, I don't. Were you really afraid that I would?"

"I've long since learned, Lucy, my love, never to take anything for granted," he shrugged slightly. "That's the fastest way to get your heart broken."

She blinked, her stare blank for a moment as she took in his words. And then she scoffed at him. "Oh, please," she chastised, smacking him (gently) on the chest. "When have you ever had your heart broken? The girls couldn't line up fast enough to get a chance at you."

But Loke didn't respond to the playful banter on her part. Instead, his face looked sad, and old pain flashed in his eyes.

The young woman frowned, not sure what was running through his mind.

"Yes, actually, I have," he finally murmured, though his gaze was still fixed on a horizon only he could see.

Intrigued, Lucy prodded him. "When was this?"

"When I thought you had feelings for Natsu," he replied candidly, looking down at her again. He wondered what she'd say to that confidence.

A faint bit of color washed over her cheeks, and then she just seemed sad. Not wanting to turn such a beautiful day as this into one of painful admissions, Lucy touched slender fingers to a cheekbone, and then swept them down towards his chin tenderly.

"Well, I do love Natsu... and Gray, and all my friends," she replied matter-of-factly, as she laid back down across his torso. And then she grinned. "Just not in the same way I love you."

"You'd better not," Loke joked a little halfheartedly. "I would have to put a hit on whoever it was."

Lucy hummed, but didn't respond otherwise.

"Hey... not to change the subject, but what was that funny look you gave me when seirei-o mentioned the Joining to you? I've been wondering about that."

Lucy immediately flushed so hotly that the man curled up with her became instantly intrigued as he felt the heat of said blush, and watched her gaze fall away from his with embarrassment.

"Figures you'd remember that," she growled, a tad disgruntled to be having this conversation before they'd even had breakfast.

Or at all, ever.

"Well?" the lion was most certainly not going to let this one slide. It had to be good, if it had his love looking as though she'd just taken a bath so hot as to be scalding.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "If you must know," she began with (mostly fake) haughty indignation, "my mind flashed to this sort of circumstance when he called it the 'joining'. Happy now that you've made me admit to having naughty thoughts where you are concerned?"

Loke broke out in loud, boisterous, joyful laughter, and Lucy smiled secretively to herself. She loved the sound of that, and always wanted him to be so happy as to laugh freely whenever the mood took him.

"Absolutely. But hey... you can take comfort in knowing that I'm the poor sap who admitted to my feelings first."

Lucy had to give him that. He certainly had admitted his feelings, in a way that was impossible to doubt or refute, and she would never be more grateful for it.

With that thought in mind the young woman sat up, and before her lover could grab for her, swung one long, dangerously bared leg over his groin and sat astride him. Loke's hands came up to grip at her waist and keep her right where she was, because stars knew, last night had only whetted his appetite for her.

The smile she gifted him, then, was just slightly wicked, and most definitely mischievous. It promptly made his entire body tighten in near-instantaneous arousal. How the hell does she manage to turn me into a lustful animal panting after her with just one move? The woman's a menace!

Unable to resist, and not really wanting to, Loke slid both hands up her body until he came to her breasts, and then he cupped them.

With a deep groan, Lucy leaned forward enough to kiss him quite thoroughly, and their morning-after ended up being nothing more than an entirely erotic continuation of the previous night's activities.

Not that the lion was complaining, because, boy, was he ever not. And considering Lucy's instigation of said activities this time, he was more than assured that she really did have no regrets.

Something that had still been tight around his heart eased, then, and he finally allowed himself to wallow in her affection unrestrained, and unafraid.

~~LoLu~

"What on earth are you lugging around, Loke?"

Leo glanced over his shoulder at his lover, and smiled a little ruefully as she took a good long look at what very much appeared to her to be some sort of armor. "It's a gift for Erza," he responded. "I kind of owe her one... or more than one, when it comes down to it."

Lucy blinked, then blinked again, a little surprised. "Oh? What for?" she asked curiously.

"When you were taken by that bastard Delenn-" his expression became pained, as the memory of all that reminded him of just how lucky he was that she had even survived, "-it came down on me to chase his darkness from you, as you already know. I... didn't want to do it, because it could very well have killed you. I was terrified and definitely not in my right mind. Without Erza's intervention, I might have completely lost it on Natsu. You know how he is, and he just... well, suffice it to say that this-" he nodded down at the last few pieces he had to box up, "-is my way of thanking her for her graceful handling of him."

Seeing the sadness on his face hurt the young woman, so she gave him the only comfort she could – a gentle, tender kiss that washed the hurt from his expression, leaving behind only the fierce love he had for her.

"It's okay, Loke. You saved me by doing that. You gave everything you had, and you succeeded," she murmured against his lips, having pulled back from the kiss just far enough to see him. "I'm here, and I love you. Forget all of that, for me? I hate to see that look on your face..."

"If you hadn't survived, if you'd... I would have followed you, you know. Without one regret. I never want to be apart from you, and especially not like that," he confided. A guilty look settled on his face, then. "I... I know that this whole thing - becoming a spirit - has been difficult for you, and I'm so sorry for that, but I... can't deny that I'm glad that you are, in the sense that I'll never have to lose you now. I wouldn't have been able to stand that. But... if you had stayed human and aged and died, I would have followed you, in the end. Without you, life just doesn't mean anything anymore."

Eyes filling with tears of bittersweet joy, Lucy kissed him again, then leaned her head against his as she caught her breath. "I love you," she whispered, reiterating her earlier words. With that declaration, the sadness and remembered pain he was still carrying was washed from his fair features, and a small, but true smile lit his face. He leaned in to kiss her once more, his expression now filled with the deepest affection. It was a look he'd never given to anyone else, and he never would.

Said kiss got a little heated as the two pressed against each other, and eventually Lucy forced herself to pull away, because if they kept it up, they'd end up landing back in bed instead of going to visit their friends at the guild. She giggled to herself. Right now, the guild and our friends... but later...

And then she seemed to realize just what she was thinking. Well, damn... he's turned me into a nympho!

Not that it was a bad thing, necessarily, as she was coming to understand after the night – and morning – they'd spent together, but still...

Loke whined a little pitifully as she stepped out of his arms, and tried to grab at her and tug her back into his embrace, but she swatted at his hands, leaving him to give her the most adorable pout she'd ever seen.

"Later, my lion," she managed, since she really didn't want to stop, either. But she wanted to see her friends, and that gave her just enough impetus to keep him at bay – at least for the time being. "We have things to do, remember?" she canted her head down at the boxed up armor, and Loke sighed.

"I know." Then he grinned mischievously, leaving Lucy to eye him with suspicion. "So let's hurry and get the visiting done, so we can come back an-" he was met with a hand in the face and a set expression, and he couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright, I get it. But I sure hope later hurries its ass up," he couldn't resist tacking on at the look on her face. "Hey, I've been in love with you for a long time, and it's going to take a while before I calm down, so you'd better get used to it."

At that, Lucy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. Who do you think you're lying to? You're never going to calm down."

Loke just shrugged with a happy smile, not at all bothered by being called out on the matter. She was right, after all. He was never going to get enough of her, and that was just fine with him. He would happily spend eternity by her side... and in her bed.

It was Lucy's turn to sigh. "Come on, you. Let's get this done before you decide you're finished waiting for later to get here and crowd me up against the nearest wall, or something."

The two faded out along with the boxed up armor to the tune of a throttled growl from the lion, along with his promise that they'd be trying that idea out as soon as was reasonably possible.

Fortunately for him, his monologue about how he was going to make that idea reality was drowned out as they appeared in the middle of the guildhall, by the welcoming shouts of their friends. They were swarmed almost immediately, and of course, the charge was led by Natsu.

However, the swarm was stopped mid-stride by Salamander's shouted announcement, and in the sudden silence that followed, Lucy turned beet red and furious, while Loke just smiled smugly.

"Jeez, Luce, you smell just like that bastard standing next to you! I figured he couldn't wait to get you into bed, but I didn't think you'd give in that fast!"

That was definitely the end of the silence, but Lucy's screamed, "Natsu, I'm going to kill you!" overrode every other voice, and within seconds, she'd left Loke behind to chase the fire mage down and pound him for humiliating her so badly.

Loke's smile turned into a naughty grin as he watched his girl destroy Natsu, not at all embarrassed himself to be called out in such a public manner on he and Lucy's new relationship. On the contrary, he was quite proud of himself for finally winning the blonde's affections – and her hot body, as Taurus always described it.

"You might want to hide the expression on your face before she finishes attempting to beat sense into the senseless, man, or you might get jumped next," came Gray's voice, but Loke waved his warning off, his grin not easing in the slightest.

"She can jump me any damn time she likes. The more often she does, the better I'll like it."

The ice mage just shook his head with a chuckle, and then glanced at the box Loke was still holding. "What's that?"

At that question, Loke's expression turned a little more serious, and he glanced around, searching for a particular redhead. When he spotted her, he couldn't help but laugh, however. She was trying to talk Lucy down from killing a certain cowering dragon slayer for his loud mouth, but it didn't appear that she was making much headway.

"It's for Erza," he replied after he got his breath back. When Gray cocked an eyebrow at that, clearly waiting for more of an explanation, Loke exhaled and shook his head. "It's just my way of thanking her for keeping Natsu on a leash when I was getting ready to chase Delenn's darkness out of Lucy. I was way too close to the edge to deal with him and all his questions, and I didn't want to lose it, especially in front of Wendy. I didn't know if I'd be able to keep myself from... well, the less said, the better. It's in the past, anyway."

At that, Gray just nodded, and left the matter alone. "So shall I hazard a guess as to what's in the box?"

"It's an easy guess, so go for it," Loke shrugged as he watched more of their friends surround Lucy and Natsu, though Erza finally gave up trying to pacify the infuriated woman and broke away from the group, headed back in their direction.

"Some new armor, huh?"

"Got it in one."

"Not like she doesn't have enough," Gray replied sardonically. "But it's a good bet if you want to gift her with something, because she'll never turn something like that down."

"My thought exactly."

By then, the requip mage had reached them, and the two men turned their attention to her.

"Congratulations on your new relationship with Lucy," she stated in her usual forthright manner, then gave him a small, warning look. "Make sure you do not hurt her, or I will personally chase you down... and you don't want that."

Loke shuddered a little. No, he really, really did not want that. An angry Erza on your tail was everybody's worst nightmare.

"No worries there," he answered her honestly, his eyes going to the love of his life for a few moments before returning to her. "Not to change the subject, but I have something here for you," he said, indicating the box he was holding. He held it out to her, and she took it, looking a little surprised.

"What is this for?"

"Your consideration," Loke answered vaguely, not really wanting to explain again.

She met his eyes at that, and after a moment she nodded, but didn't say anything further, which the lion was quite grateful for. He didn't want to keep revisiting that day, because hands down, despite his many ages of life, that day was the worst he'd ever lived through – and that was saying a lot, considering his three years of exile and near death.

She turned and set the box down on the nearest table, and Loke and Gray moved with her, watching as she opened it and scrutinized its contents. And in the end, Loke was happy with what he'd chosen to give her, her appreciative look in his direction not missing him. With an almost blinding glow of unleashed power, she requiped into her new acquisition with a smile.

"Thank you, my friend," she said, with a small smile of appreciation. "I will most definitely enjoy using your gift for many years to come."

Loke smiled back at her. "You're most welcome."

~LoLu~

It had been a few hours since Lucy and Loke had arrived at the guild, and the initial excitement at their appearance had calmed, the core of Fairy Tail now sitting at one of the big tables talking and drinking – mostly quietly, at least. Even Lucy had eventually mellowed, her frustration at Natsu's big mouth calmed for the most part by the couple of drinks that Loke had bought her, and the beating she'd already given him.

Now, the two were sitting together and simply enjoying being with their friends. But as the conversation turned from one subject to the next, the guild-master spoke up from his spot atop one end of the table.

"That reminds me. During the cleanup of the aftermath of your battle with Vashton – or Cepheus, as you explained - a chest full of silver celestial keys was found. I took responsibility for them and have kept them here in the guild vault until I could ask you two what you wish to be done with them."

At that, Lucy sat bolt upright and looked at Loke with a bit of chagrin. "That's right! I completely forgot about them. Now I feel terrible!"

Loke shook his head dismissively. "Don't. You had much more on your mind at the time, and no one could fault you for that – at least, they won't if they know what's good for them," he tacked on pleasantly, squeezing Lucy's hand. Then he turned his head and addressed Makarov. "I'm glad you found them, and grateful that you've held on to them. We'll take them back with us, and let Seirei-o decide what to do with them."

The guildmaster nodded agreeably. "When you are ready to leave, let me know, and I will retrieve them for you."

Lucy smiled sweetly at him, though a fleeting sadness shone in her eyes for a moment, but when he asked what was wrong, she shook her head. "It's nothing. Just a little tired," she passed it off.

Makarov seemed to sense that there was something bothering her, but that she didn't want to talk about it, and so he inclined his head with a kind smile and let it go.

The moment was immediately forgotten when Natsu, who didn't appear to have learned his lesson earlier, interrupted with, "Yeah, and we all know why," at which point Lucy gave him such an evil glare, one that was echoed by Erza, that he shrank down and finally decided that maybe he'd be better off keeping his mouth shut.

He'd live a lot longer if he did, that was for certain.

The next voice to be heard was most definitely more welcome at that point in time, as far as Lucy was concerned.

"You know, when I was searching through the guild's library trying to figure out what was wrong with you after you collapsed, I found something quite interesting," Levy began, a rather knowing smile on her face. "There's an ancient prophecy about the two of you, did you know that?"

Lucy looked at her friend, nonplussed. "What?"

"It's true! Well, of course, at first we weren't sure, but as things now stand, it was definitely about you two."

Loke had actually forgotten about that. "Oh, that's right!" he snapped his fingers, a very wicked smile lighting him up as he glanced at Lucy.

Her expression became rather forbidding as she returned his glance. "Do I even want to know?" she asked rhetorically. "With that look on, it must be something dirty."

"No, no, Lu-chan, not dirty," Levy intoned with a shake of her head. "It's actually very sweet!"

The blonde woman wasn't buying it. "Uh-huh. So why didn't you tell me about it, Loke, since you apparently knew?"

Faced with her disbelief, Loke's expression softened, and his smile filled with gentle affection, instead.

"It's really ancient, love. I'd forgotten about it entirely until Cepheus brought it up. And for that matter, I'd never heard the whole thing, anyway. But I won't deny that when I heard it in full, it gave me hope that at least someday, you'd give me a chance. If you want, I'll have Crux repeat it for you when we get home."

Home.

That word brought Lucy up short, and she just nodded, then looked around at all their friends, desperately trying to memorize everything she could. It took almost all of her formidable will to keep the tears from her eyes; she didn't want to upset anyone else with such terrible thoughts, even if she couldn't rid herself of them.

But the fact was that there was no going back. Nothing about what had happened to her could be changed. Time no longer had a hold on her... but that wasn't the case for any of the others, and she suspected that the pain of their coming loss would be felt by her forever.

She chanced a subdued glance at her counterpart, wondering how he managed. Then again, he had spoken about this very subject a little, she remembered suddenly, before everything that had happened with Cepheus. He'd been deeply saddened by the matter, too.

We can be each other's comfort, then, she decided. Because, when it's all said and done, we'll be the only two left standing.

Just then, she felt Loke take her hand and looked at him again, only to see understanding and compassion in his gaze. He squeezed her hand gently and raised it to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to the back of it in an attempt to comfort her. She blinked the threat of new tears away, and huddled closer to the man she loved, a smile when he wrapped an arm around her chasing some of the darkness from her gaze.

The small but intimate exchange was interrupted when several of their friends noticed and immediately started making approving noises. And though she blushed quite darkly, Lucy didn't attempt to move away from Loke, instead cuddling closer to him in defiance of her embarrassment at the attention. She wasn't ashamed of her new relationship with the lion – far from it, and she never wanted him to think she was.

Drowsy, warm, and just a little bit tipsy, Lucy leaned fully into her lover's embrace and just listened to all her nakama as they talked and laughed and got up to their usual antics. No matter how long they lived, she would always remember them – and more importantly, she'd always love them. It wasn't in her to do anything less.

But above all else, she would always love Loke, her brilliant, beautiful guiding light, and in the end, she couldn't say she regretted the way her life was turning out.

It was messy, imperfect, and painful, and sometimes even awkward, but it was more than worth it, all the same.

~LoLu~

A few days later - spirit world time - Loke decided to corner Seirei-o. He had a question for him, and this was the perfect opportunity to get an answer, as Lucy had kicked him out that morning because she had invited Aries and Cassiopeia over for a little get-together. For girls only.

Since he wasn't going to be able to spend the entire day in bed with his princess, this matter would keep him busy for a while, as it wasn't always easy tracking the spirit king down.

And indeed, it had taken him a good bit of time to find his target. Normally it was rather annoying, having to waste time on a search, but as he was actually trying to waste said time this go-round, he shrugged it all off with a smile. Besides, he had all sorts of the very best memories of his entire life, memories of days spent exclusively wrapped up in his beloved – in her bed, in her – to entertain himself with while he searched.

The king noted that fact as soon as Loke materialized in his presence.

"So, I see that you and Eridanae have spent much quality time with each other."

Loke smirked. "Did you doubt that would happen?"

Seirei-o chuckled. "No, not at all. I'm surprised you held out as long as you did, as a matter of fact. But that begs the question of why you are here, and not there, with her."

"She kicked me out of the house this morning," he began with a small pout, then his face brightened and he laughed. "She's entertaining. Aries and Cassiopeia."

At that statement, Seirie-o nodded. "Ah. She is determined to befriend Cassiopeia, is she not? That is her way, and we are all lucky for it. But that still doesn't answer why you are here. Was there something you needed of me? I cannot imagine you hunted me down just to while away some time."

"You know me so well," Loke intoned with a small smile. "And you've gotten good at reading Lucy already, though she's only just become a spirit. How do you do that, anyway?"

"When she went through the joining, every part of her was opened to me as she made her vows. All the rest of you, birthed in the usual manner, were open to me in the same way."

That gave Loke the perfect lead-in to what he wished to ask, so he dove right in.

"Actually, a question about all of that is what brought me here. You explained to Lucy and I how spirits are normally... born, for a lack of any other word for it. But if that's all true, then why would spirits even need to be capable of procreating, like you intimated would happen with Leo Minor?"

The king chuckled again. "There does not always have to be a need for something, Leo. Sometimes, all that is necessary is want. You and Eridanae will produce the first spirit to be born in a manner she would find normal, because you both will want to."

Loke frowned as he thought about that. "So the reason I've never gotten any other woman pregnant is because I just didn't want to?"

"Exactly as you say." The king folded his arms across his mighty chest. "You wish to create new life with Eridanae because you love her."

Loke blushed a little at the knowing expression on the king's face, but he answered readily, nonetheless. "I won't deny that... though maybe not quite yet. I want some time - time to just be with her without distractions. I need that, honestly. I'm still having trouble accepting that this is real, and not some dream I've conjured up. I've loved her for a long time, but I also thought she loved someone else for most of that time. It's going to take a while before all of this settles in."

Seirei-o studied the lion thoughtfully for a few moments, and then said, "I am glad that I met Eridanae, especially when I did – she forced me to look at the Law and take notice of things that were not right within it. Her actions gave me every justification to allow you to return to the heavens. She has done much for all of us in different ways, but above all else I am glad that in her, you've found that which you needed to be happy. You have been blessed in her, old friend – do not ever take that for granted."

The lion heard what the king was saying loud and clear. Do not harm her, or you will regret it – in more ways than one.

"You have my word," Loke said solemnly, not surprised to be getting that warning from the spirit king, just as he'd gotten it from all their friends at the guild, and all their friends here. Even Cepheus had warned him. It said something for her, that so many wished to protect her from harm.

The river of heaven had brought new life and hope to the spirit world, as the king had said she would... but to none more so than he. He had been alone for so long, had thought he was doomedto live that way eternally - until Lucy had burst into his life with all the warm effervescence of the brightest star in the heavens, and breathed warmth back into his cold, cold heart. He was not foolish enough to do anything to ever endanger that. He needed her, and he would always need her.

His musing was cut short when the king addressed him again. "Did you have need of me for anything else?"

Loke shook his head. "That was all I wanted. I was just curious."

"Then you should take your leave. I believe Eridanae's little get-together is over, and she's waiting for you. I'm sure you don't wish to disappoint her, old friend," the king chortled knowingly, as Loke's expression became suddenly eager.

"How right you are," he returned as he began to fade out of sight, to the giant spirit's amusement. "How very right you are."

I never want to disappoint her, my lady, my Lucy, my love. Never. I don't think I could stand the guilt, if I ever did.

~LoLu~

The years passed, as they were wont to do, and Leo and Lucy lived and loved to the fullest through it all. And though the losses they endured were indeed great, neither one, if asked, would have changed a thing. The pain was made bearable by the fact that they shared it, and would always have each other to lean on as they endured.

When they finally decided they were ready for an addition to their lives, many lifetimes had passed in the mortal realm, meaning that none of their nakama got the chance to meet the new addition to the heavens. But though their loved ones had moved on into the afterlife, it seemed that they weren't truly gone, because both proud parents were certain they had felt them as their son took his very first breaths.

The day the lad spoke his first words, the two began teaching him all of their names, and raised him on stories of their nakama and the guild, in that way ensuring that their legend lived on eternally.

And thus ends the tale of how Eridanus gained a spirit of its own, and how the ever-lonely lion finally found the mate of his soul. There would be other stories to come as they lived and loved and learned, to be sure, but those were for another day.

fin