A/N: "Tako To Ama" is the name of a famous erotic ukiyo-e woodcut by Hokusai, known as "The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife." If you google it and see the painting, you'll understand why the enemy's magic acts the way it does.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, but I'm willing to adopt the cute Lion! ^_^

Ephemeral Sakura, Eternal Love

a Fairy Tail fanfic

by Rhov

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Chapter 1

Tako To Ama

Lucy was thrown by a force of magic that tangled her blond hair and ripped her clothes. She screamed as she twirled through the air, only to land badly in a high tree branch. She knew she broke a couple ribs, but she painfully forced herself to hoist her body up onto the thick branch. She grab the main trunk of the tree for support.

"Scorpio?" she called out and looked for her Spirit. "Oh no! Him, Taurus, Capricorn, Sagittarius … I can't call out any more. So sleepy," she sighed, feeling the dizzying effects of having used almost all of her magic.

She was more in pain than tired, although she had not slept in two days since Team Natsu started this mission, first tracking a gang of dark wizards, and then being hunted by them. They had split up some time last night, and Lucy had not seen a sign of the others since then. She had been pursued in a hellish maze of traps until the rush of adrenaline and pure fear were all that kept her going.

After all those pitfalls and monsters, dealing with one thing after another until night bled into morning, Lucy had finally found her main opponent in a forest. Their fight was brief, she was far overpowered, and now she was on the run again. She heard his footsteps falling closer and closer. However, now she was too drained and had far too many wounds that bled until she felt lightheaded.

She had one last hope. Balancing on the tree branch, she pulled out one of her Gold Keys. "Open the Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

She felt no drain on her magic. He must have sensed her weakness and broke through on his own. She looked down to where he was standing at the base of the tree. She saw the top of his ginger head, the strength in his shoulders, and as he held up his hand and grabbed his wrist in preparation for battle, she saw the gleam of his magic rings.

"My master should not be up in a tree like a scaredy cat," he said grimly as he faced the approaching enemy, but then Loke looked up at her with a playful smirk. "Because from here, I can totally see your panties."

Lucy felt her face go red hot. She wanted to hide her skirt, but she was barely able to hold onto the tree, let alone deal with panchira.

"I absolutely forbid anyone else from seeing my master's Kawaii Kitty panties," Loke said, facing the enemy again.

Lucy flared angrily. "You don't need to tell him what type they are!"

Loke chuckled softly at her annoyance. She was so easy to provoke, and so adorable with flustered. "To protect my love's decency and honor, I must defeat you."

The enemy, a dark wizard named Varjo, came forward. He was tall with muscles bulging his midnight black skin. His head was waxed except for three gray braids on the top and at the temples, which pulled to the back of his head and joined into one long braid that went down his back. On his left cheek was a silver tattoo of sanzukuri, three strokes almost like whiskers; and on the other cheek were the rest of the strokes that, together, made up the kanji for kage, shadow. His pale jade eyes coolly took in the new opponent, summing up Loke's build and strength in one glance.

"Another?" the enemy asked, sounding bored. "This one looks even weaker than the others."

Loke raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" he said in a haughty tone. "You have no idea who you're talking to."

"You're right, I don't. Nor do I care."

"Careful, Loke, he uses…"

Before Lucy could finish, Varjo struck. "Shadow Hydra!" His hand shot out, and a black beam flew forward, then broke into five fingers, which grew into terrifying, snapping heads.

Loke lifted his fist, and golden light blazed from his ring. He held his arm as the power flowed through him. "O Regulus, grant me your strength." Loke's fists lit up. He punched the first shadowy serpentine head, smashed his foot down on the snout of another, did a midair roundhouse kick to a third, and two swift punches to the last ones. The shadows broke into bubbles of darkness and dissipated.

"Dammit," Varjo gritted. "You're strong after all. Which means I'll have to use that." He squatted and placed both hands on the ground. "Tako To Ama!"

Numerous shadows spread out from his hands and slithered across the leaf-strew ground. Loke took up a fighting stance, but the shadows went right under his feet.

"What the…?"

Before Loke could understand what happened, he heard a squealing cry behind him. The shadows had gone underneath Loke and sprang up under Lucy. The shades now had her wrapped up high in the air. Black tentacles held each of her limbs apart, while other shadowy tendrils lewdly slithered over her body.

Lucy squirmed and strained against their tight holds. "Eww, stop it, don't! Hey, that tickles. No! Loke, help me. He's… No, don't touch there. Kyaaaa!"

"Lucy!" Loke shouted in horror. With his fists shining brilliantly, he punched one of the shadow tentacles over and over until it dissipated. Her right arm was free, but before Lucy could reach her whip, the shadow grew right back.

Varjo held his muscled belly and laughed sadistically. "You fight with light magic, eh? That's too bad. So long as there is light, there is darkness. There's no way you can stop my Tako To Ama shadows. Plus, I can feel everything my shadows feel. You feel soft, especially here." The black tentacles curled their way around Lucy's breasts, squeezing and pulling on them viciously.

Lucy's face drew up in disgust and outrage. "Don't touch me there! Ow, you're squeezing too hard. Owww!"

"You don't like it rough?" Varjo snickered. "A whip-wielding dominatrix like you? No, I bet having it rough turns you on. I wonder if you're moist already." The tentacles ventured up her skirt.

Lucy thrashed around. "Stoooooop!"

"Bastard! Zenith of Regulus…" Loke's whole body turned into bright yellow light, looking like furious flames of spiritual energy. "Lion Brilliance!"

Blinding light burst out. Lucy had to shut her eyes tightly, and even then she saw spots behind her eyelids. When the surge of light subsided, Lucy was still a prisoner being molested by shadow tendrils and making whimpering noises.

"Didn't I tell you?" Varjo chuckled. "Where there is light, there is darkness. I can keep my shadows going so long as there is a shadow on my body, be it under my feet, within my clothing, or even the shadows in my nostrils and mouth. Now, unless you also have magic that can strip me naked, levitate me, and make every orifice of my body light up like New Year's Eve, you can't defeat me."

"No way," Loke said. Then in anger, he rushed at the man. A glowing light shot ahead of his fist, but the man easily made a wall of shadows. Loke pounded at the barrier, but his fists made no damage to it.

"Light magic is pointless against me. Wanna watch as I strip her? I can tell you're rather attracted to this lady." He snorted a wicked chuckle. "Do you want to see her 'O' face?"

"L-Loke…" Lucy gagged weakly. One tendril had wrapped around her throat, not so tight as to choke her to death, but enough to keep her barely conscious of what was going on. "Help … help me … don't want this … help."

Her weak but desperate plea filled Loke with a burning anger he had not felt in centuries. "How dare a piece of filth like you touch a sweet, pure virgin like her!"

"Virgin, eh?" the fiend chuckled. "Is that true, cutey? A lovely thing like you has never been touched? Even more fun! It's only a shadow, so it doesn't really count, right?"

The tendrils slithered around. Loke roared and ran back to Lucy. He punched and kicked the black pillars that held her too high out of his reach. Whenever he finally destroyed one, it immediately regrew. "Lucy!" he cried, torn at seeing her pained face.

"She's moist," Varjo smiled blissfully. "If you keep aimlessly punching, you're going to miss the moment your dear master loses her purity."

"No, no, no!" Lucy shrieked, thrashing harder.

"Oh, shut up, annoying bitch." With a wave of his hand, a tentacle shoved into her mouth and began thrusting into her throat, silencing her and bringing tears to Lucy's eyes.

"Fucking bastard!" the Lion roared in rage. "Any man who touches Lucy like that, I can't allow them to live to brag about it. You … will … die!" he said, half-mad in rage. "Regulus Solar Flare!"

His ring lit up and a solid golden beam shot out. It shattered the black barrier Varjo had erected and struck him through the chest. Instead of merely stunning him like Loke's other attacks, blood and bits of entrails shot out the back. Varjo choked in shock at the fatal strike.

"The only way to defeat you is to make your whole body light up, huh?" Loke said grimly. A menacing smile curled into the Lion's face. "Too bad for you, I can do just that." His shaded eyes narrowed, and in a thudding tone, he pronounced capitol punishment for this sex fiend. "Regulus … Supernova."

Light shined from the man's ebony body. Varjo gargled, and light came out his mouth and nose. It shined through his ears and seared his eyeballs until they bled. His skin began to crack and tear. In a sickening shower of blood, he was ripped apart from the inside out, leaving nothing but the light to chase away all shadows.

The tentacled monster shattered and dissipated. Loke rushed over and caught Lucy as she fell. Blood trickled out her mouth where the tentacle had been so thick it split her lip. Not much of her clothes were left. Loke cringed as he saw deep bruises on her breasts through the cotton shreds. Slowly and weakly, her eyes opened.

"Lucy," he sighed, glad she was awake but guilty that she had been manhandled so brutally right in front of him. "He didn't hurt you … that way, did he?"

She shook her head. "No, he didn't," she rasped out through her damaged throat. She managed to lift a smile into her numb face. "Thank God for Kawaii Kitty panties, eh?"

Loke yanked her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. Tears threatened to come into his eyes.

"Oww, that sorta hurts, Loke. Still sore."

"Sorry," he whispered, being gentle once more. "I just … I'm so sorry he did that to you."

"Hey, you stopped him," she assured. "If it weren't for you, I'd be in big trouble." Then she saw the blood and small shreds of fleshy bits that covered the forest floor, trees, bushes, branches, up to the leaves. "I didn't realize you had such a powerful attack."

"One I try never to use," he admitted. "However, I'm a Lion, and if anyone harms a lion's pride, he will go after the offender mercilessly. I'm sorry you had to see that side of me."

"I'm just thankful." Lucy leaned into his chest, and Loke held her tenderly. "I don't know how you knew I was a virgin."

"Lucky guess, wishful thinking," he shrugged nonchalantly. "You're too cute and pure to be one of those sorts of girls." He did not want to tell her that he had been asking around and Levy let it slip out.

"I can't thank you enough. I didn't want my first time to be forced by an enemy. I want it to be special with someone I deeply love, someone I want forever."

Loke looked down at where she was cuddling him and rubbing her head against his chest. He stroked down her frazzled hair. "And who do you want for your first time?" He thought to himself, Please don't say Natsu or Gray. Please don't say their names!

"No one in particular right now," she shrugged. That made Loke both relieved at saddened. At least it was not them but … it also was not him. "I just know I want it to be special. Firsts are always special, be it your first time or something as simple as a first kiss."

"Have you ever been kissed?" he asked.

"A few times," she nodded. "Nothing serious, nothing I could say was a first romantic kiss, just cute youthful kissing."

"Kisses of childhood don't count," he smiled. Never even been kissed! She was so angelic!

"I bet you've been kissed so many times by so many women, first kisses are no big deal."

"You're absolutely wrong!" His firm declaration startled her. "Firsts are always important. When I kiss a woman for the first time, I make sure it's the perfect time and the perfect place. I want her to really want that kiss, and I want her to never forget it for the rest of her life. It's the only reason I haven't kissed you yet," he grinned.

Her cheeks flushed, and it made him happy to see her reacting. "Loke…" she breathed. A quick regain in her composure let her put on an adorably reproving pout. "If you ever kiss me, I'll slap you into the next kingdom."

"And see, that's why I haven't." A single finger traced her jawline down to her chin and tipped her face up. Lucy made a small gasp as Loke leaned in close and stared hungrily at her lips. "When I kiss you for the first time, you'll want it. Your eyes will be begging me to give you that kiss. In fact," he whispered hotly, leaning in closer, "that's what they're doing right now."

"N-no they're not," she trembled.

"Then slap me into the next kingdom, or at the very least, back away." He waited, but Lucy was petrified. "See! Those gorgeous brown eyes are crying out to my heart, 'Kiss me, Loke, kiss me.' Could it be, after that horrible man touched you, you need me to purify your body? Shall I kiss away your pain and lick clean his vile touches?" His hand drifted down her throat and to the bruises on her breasts.

"No," she sighed, helplessly under his control. "St-stop."

Loke pulled back instantly, so fast and without even a word to convince her otherwise that she even leaned into him to follow the warmth of his hand. Lucy was stunned at the quick retreat.

"Unlike some men, when a woman tells me to stop, I listen. You don't completely want this yet, and I'm not a forceful man."

"Wait, Loke…"

Before she could say anything, Gray ran into the clearing. "Lucy! Damn, are you all right?"

Loke rose from her side. "Bruised and the bastard harassed her a bit. Where are the others?"

"Dunno, we were split up. I finished with my opponent, and a door suddenly opened in the middle of the forest. It led me to this place. Maybe they all go here."

"I'll send up a flare just in case." Loke raised his ring to the sky, and a burst of light rocketed up. It exploded hundreds of feet above the trees with the words 'Lucy Is Here' in multiple colors.

Meanwhile, Gray knelt by Lucy's side. He had the clothes he had discarded rolled into a ball and tucked under his arm. He pulled his white coat out and draped it over her shoulders. Loke watched with a jealous glare. Why hadn't he thought of lending her his coat?

"Those bruises," Gray whispered, looking at her chest, but he could not bring himself to inspect them any closer. "Did the enemy do that? Just what did he do to you?"

Lucy looked aside in shame. "I don't wanna talk about it."

Blue frost crackled in Gray's eyes. "Where is that bastard? I'll kill him!"

"Over there," Loke pointed to the scene of gore. "And some of him is over there, a few bits up there, but I think most of him went that way. You might find a nose or hand to murder, if it'll make you feel better," he added sarcastically.

Only then did Gray see the hellish, bloody scene, and his stomach turned as something purple and oozing dripped from a nearby branch. "Loke … did you…?"

Erza suddenly appeared in the midst of the field of blood looking disoriented from the teleportation. She glanced around but was not as horrified as Gray at the gory mess. "I take it you're done here."

Gray cringed away that she could see such brutality and think nothing of it.

Lucy gasped. "Erza, your leg!"

The Titania had wrapped strips of cloth around a gash, yet blood already soaked through and dripped to her boot. She looked down as if it was nothing. "I won't say it doesn't hurt. I think his sword chipped the bone, too."

"Let me see it." Gray hurried over to her, placed both hands on her thigh, and ice spread out, clinging to the makeshift dressing. "It'll be cold, but the ice will slow down the bleeding."

"Thank you, Gray. And you, Lucy? Can you stand?"

Loke offered her a hand up. She tested out her limbs and gave them a nod that she was fine.

Soon, they heard running and panting. "Lucy!" Natsu shouted frantically. "Lucy, where are you?"

"We're over here," she shouted into the dark trees.

A moment later, Natsu burst through. "I saw the signal. Are you hurt?" He ran over to her and grabbed her arms to look her over.

"Ow! No, don't!" Lucy yelled, pulling back quickly. "Sorry, just…" She shifted Gray's coat and lifted one of her sleeves. Where the black shadow tentacles had held her, she had a ring-like purplish-red bruise. "I guess it's worse than I thought. I broke some ribs, too."

Gray walked up to her. "You should have told me. You'll need them stabilized." His hands rested on her exposed midriff. Lucy squealed as ice spread over her ribcage and cupped just under her breasts.

"Eeeek! Cold, cold, cold, co- … uh, not so cold now," she realized. "That actually feels pretty good."

Gray smiled gently at her. "I'm glad."

"Erza!" shouted Natsu.

The redhead was resting heavily on her sword and shivering with each breath. Natsu held her up, and she gratefully put her weight on him. "My apologies," she huffed, sweating hard. "Lost more blood … than I thought … leg isn't working."

"Natsu," Loke called, and he stepped up to both of him. "You're injured. I'll carry her."

"You will not!" Erza snapped, but her head suddenly felt heavy. Natsu barely caught her in time, but he struggled under the weight of her armor.

"Erza, requip into your lightest outfit," Loke ordered.

"Che!" she sneered, but she obeyed, changing into her simple hakama and sarashi. Loke easily lifted her into his arms.

"You hardly weigh anything," he smiled. Erza looked away from that charming, smarmy grin and hated that her cheeks felt hot. "Let's get to town before all of you faint from blood loss."

Loke led them. Natsu began bragging about his fight and how he learned a new trick. Gray stayed with Lucy and gently helped her along. Normally, Lucy would have been thrilled to have Gray acting attentive over her, except she could not stop staring at Loke and Erza … and wishing he would carry her like that.

"Do you want to be carried princess-style, too?" Gray teased lightly.

She gave him a stubborn pout. "I can make it just fine," she insisted.

He chuckled quietly at her determination. "Too bad. It'd be fun to carry you. Us three guys carrying the women back like heroes!"

Natsu pondered that. "But who would I carry?"

"Happy," Gray answered immediately.

The blue cat flew right in front of his face. "You're mean, Gray! I am not a girl, and I will not be carried princess-style. I'll sit on Natsu's head."

"I could carry Lucy," Natsu beamed, "and Gray is an ice princess, so he's practically a girl anyway."

Beside her, Lucy felt a chilly force. "Bastard! What was that? Say that to my face!"

"Stop it before I blast both of you," Loke shouted. The timbre of his voice froze both of them as only Erza had ever been able to do.

"He sounded … sorta cool just then," Natsu said in confusion.

Lucy smiled proudly. "Of course he's cool! He's the leader of the Zodiac Spirits, after all."

In the front of their procession, Loke smiled at hearing her praise. So, she really was proud of him, eh? He walked a little taller as they finally exited the maze-like forest and saw the paved road leading to town.

End of Chapter 1

A/N: Varjo is Finnish for "shadow." The kanji for kage, which is written on Varjo's cheeks, is 影

"Regulus Solar Flare" and "Regulus Supernova" are not canon attacks. I made them up, two bloody attacks Loke would normally NEVER use. We also see them in "Lion's Pride" Chapter 10.

This story is a prelude to "Lion's Pride." See my profile for a link to that story. It's based on the scene described by Loke in Chapter 8 of when he and Lucy got together. However, you don't need to read "Lion's Pride" to enjoy this story. Both can work as a standalone. Please read on. ^_^