. . . I am SO SORRY

First of all, I thought that I uploaded this chapter a week ago but it turns out there was an error with our internet connection being useless and all that. And with exams, I didn't have time to use the internet so I only realized it now. D: I'm so sorry . . .

Anyway, this has 3776 words so I hope I can make it up to you.

Please enjoy ~ !

Loke was wandering around the celestial spirit realm when a certain someone caught his eye.

Aries was wandering around, all alone and looking troubled. Instinctively, he walked up to her and asked if anything was wrong.

"I-I'm sorry! It's- it's nothing . . ."

"C'mon, you look a bit more depressed than usual."

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Don't apologize . . ."

"I'm sorry . . ."

"Seriously . . . What's wrong?"

"You- you don't have to worry! It's alright, really . . ."

"Aries, seriously, what's wrong?" Loke frowned.

". . . Well, it's just that . . . Lucy-sama."

"She's fine, isn't she? She's with Hibiki and working on a spell, she's really determined to get stronger." Loke said, smiling absent-mindedly.

"Yes, I-I know . . ."

"Hm? Why? Are you upset that she's trying to learn it or something?" he asked, confused.

"N-No! Of course not! I-I'm sorry, it's just that . . ."

". . . Yes?"

Aries looked down before muttering. "It's where she's at right now . . ."

Loke looked at her in confusion before realization hit him. Lucy was currently at Blue Pegasus, the guild of one of their previous owners. Of course, it didn't really bring back any pleasant memories so Loke could understand Aries' distress a bit.

"You shouldn't think about it too much, you know."

"I'm sorry . . ."

"You don't have to apologize." he sighed. "Look, I know we had more than a few bad memories here but that's all in the past now."

"Yes, I know . . . I'm sorry."

"Seriously, Aries. Stop apologizing."

"I'm so-"

"Aries." Loke crossed his arms.

"Y-Yes . . ."

"In any case, something like that won't happen again."

"But . . . not all celestial mages are as kind as Lucy-sama, you know." Aries said. "Even our creator thought nothing more of us than tools."

"Yes, Lucy's different-"

"B-but that's just it!" Loke was a bit taken aback by her sudden outburst, prompting the spirit to quickly apologize.

"What do you mean?"

"Lucy-sama is different, she treats us as friends, not tools unlike-" Aries cut herself off but continued immediately. "Unlike others . . . But that just means that there's still a chance of all that's happened in the past to happen in the future once again. Something like that is definitely bound to happen . . ."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what Aries was trying to say, but it might take one to figure out what he should say in a situation like this. Well, with all the hearts he's broken he was more used to being the reason someone needed comfort than being the source of it. But Aries was, in a way he couldn't explain, special so he was going to have to make an exception on this and think real hard.

What do you say to a girl who's way too worried about the future for her own good?

"Well, you don't know that . . ." Well, yeah and neither did he. C'mon Loke, you can do better than that.

"But it definitely will, we'll get hurt again and there's nothing we can or will be able to do about it . . ." Loke sighed at this and placed his hands on her shoulders, grasping it firmly but not enough for it to be painful.

"Listen to me, Aries. I promise that nothing like that will ever happen to you again. Now, I know I've done a lot of stupid things and because of me our owner, Karen, died. But not once did I ever regret standing up to her for your sake." Loke said, staring right at her eyes which were wide with shock. "And believe me when I say I won't hesitate to do it again. If it's to protect you then I'll stand up to as many of them as necessary. So stop worrying, okay?"

Aries was a bit shocked by his words but managed to smile softly. Loke can be really sweet if he wanted to be and he sure is good at cheering him up. And although the fear in her heart would probably never disappear- spirit or not they weren't immune to trauma it seems- she would at least be able to manage so long as Loke was still with her. And even if they won't have the same owner one day, at least she'll still be able to see him in the spirit world.

Aries couldn't even properly express how thankful she was to their current owner for saving Loke's life.

". . . Thank you." she said. He let his hands fall back to his side and smiled back at her. "I-I'm sorry for making you worry."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm here if you ever need anything, okay?"

"Yeah." she nodded.

.

.

.

"Oh my~! Looks like something interesting is going on over here." Aquarius snickered, seemingly popping out of nowhere and startling the two.

"Wh-what in the-?!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Oh, no need to apologize. I'm sure you were having a lot of fun with Leo here." the water bearer wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, making the two blush. "Oh, how rare~! The almighty playboy is blushing~!"

"We are! Looks like we'll be having another couple around here!" Scorpio smirked, walking up beside Aquarius. "Aren't you lucky, Leo?"

"Woah, woah! Hold on a moment here!" Loke blurted out. "We're not-!"

"Wow~! I'm so happy for you two!" Lyra grinned. "Should I write you two a love song?"

"I'll inform the princess immediately." Virgo said before slowly disappearing to the human world.

"Woah! W-wait!" Loke yelled, still flustered.

"Congratulations." Capricorn said politely.

"U-um, y-you see, i-it's- uh . . ." Aries stuttered, not being able to form any proper sentences.

"No need to be shy." Aquarius said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, tell us all about you two."

"I-I-!"

"Oi! Aquarius! Don't get the wrong idea here!"

Natsu's frown deepened. It was already the second day they've been in Blue Pegasus but Lucy still doesn't want to leave yet. She's still asking Hibiki for information about Urano Metria. She was determined to be able to use it the next time she tries, so she thought that it would be a good idea to find out as much as she could about it.

She spent the previous day just talking with Hibiki, almost forgetting that Natsu was even there. The fire mage would just stare at them and listen to their conversation while occasionally glaring at the archive mage. Of course, Hibiki noticed but he only found it amusing. Well, it was a bit rare for Natsu to be able to just sit quietly but it was probably only because he was too busy trying to hold himself back from hitting the playboy in front of him to cause a ruckus.

"So technically, it's based on the very first great star Atlas. Urano Metria is Graeco-Latin and means "Measuring Heaven/Measuring the Sky", like the opening stanza of the spell. The spell makes references to the 88 classical constellations, which are made up of stars which are visible with the naked eye. So if you understand that, then you'll be able to understand the power you need to generate to successfully be able to cast it. It's similar to how Leo borrows Regulus' power." Hibiki explained.

"I see . . ."

"So, is that all you want to know?" he asked, catching Natsu's interest. He really wanted to leave already, even if it meant having to endure the train ride home. It felt like Lucy would never run out of questions.

"Hmm . . . I guess I don't have any more questions about Urano Metria." sha said, earning a hopeful look from Natsu. "But hey, I've always been meaning to ask you about your magic. Do you mind telling me a bit about it?"

Natsu groaned at this, were they ever gonna leave? Lucy sent an annoyed glare at him while Hibiki just chuckled.

"Natsu, why don't you go spend time wit Happy? This might take a while."

"He's already left." he muttered in reply. "Said he wanted to see Charle again as soon as possible."

Lucy frowned. "If he didn't want to leave her then he shouldn't have come after us in the first place." she said, remembering how Happy suddenly appeared out of nowhere during the second day of their mission and started complaining about being left behind by them. "Well then, why don't you go wander around town for a bit. You're probably bored out of your mind already."

Natsu grumbled, casting a glare at Hibiki who only raised an eyebrow and shrugged. Why did he feel like beating this guy to a bloody pulp again? Well, maybe he was just hungry so it may be a good idea to walk around town and find something to eat. Still, for some reason, he really didn't want to leave Lucy alone with this guy for even a moment. Although no matter how much he thought about it, it sounded really stupid.

Yeah, maybe he was just a bit hungry, or bored. He heard boredom could really do some things to people.

"Yeah, you're right." the fire mage finally said, standing up. "I'm gonna go get a bite to eat."

"Good idea, just don't get into trouble okay?"

Natsu waved it off before walking away. "Yeah, yeah."

Hibiki couldn't help but chuckle which didn't escape Lucy's notice.

"What's so funny?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing" he said. "You two are fairly close, aren't you?"

Lucy blinked in confusion. "Well, yeah. Of course we are."

Hibiki was a smart man, not only that he was always up-to-date with everything that's going on from the rumors floating around bars to important public announcements made in small towns. And of course, he knew about the rumors about Natsu and Lucy. Although he questioned the accuracy of it. These two didn't really act like a married couple, to say the least. But then again, maybe they just weren't the type.

"So, exactly how close are you two?" he asked.

"Well, he's always at my house."

Hibiki raise an eyebrow at this. "Really?"

"Yeah, and we always go on missions together. We know a lot about each other and you know he can really be sweet sometimes. We often hang out, and lately it's been just the two of us. Happy would usually be with us but things have changed."

He was starting to believe the rumors. "Oh? Sounds like he's a real gentleman."

"Well, not exactly." she sighed, remembering all the timed he barged into her room without permission. Master Bob appeared beside them, with a tray of drinks and offered them some. Lucy gratefully took one while Hibiki declined.

"Why? Has he ever . . . done anything to you before?"

". . . what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well, there are rumors about you two that . . . would sound very embarrassing to you. Since you've always seemed like a kind, pure and very conservative girl." he tried to explain without giving off any interior motives.

Lucy blinked in confusion. "He's seen me naked if that's what you're trying to ask."

.

.

.

.

Wow.

That sure was something alright.

Hibiki managed, throughout the entire conversation, to maintain a calm smile. Today, he learned that you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover, no matter how innocent and nice the cover seemed to be.

Maybe it would be better to just be blunt.

He took a deep breath to calm himself and sighed before speaking. "Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sleeping with Natsu?"

She comically spit out the juice she had just been drinking and then whipped her head around to stare at him wide-eyed and flustered.

Well, that was quite the reaction.

"W-wh-what?! W-Why would you even a-ask that?!"

"Well, how else would he have seen you naked?"

"N-no! You've got it wrong!" she blurted out. "Well, I mean sure we tend to sleep at the same bed often but that's nowhere near the same thing!"

"The more this conversation goes on, the more I question your relationship with him." he sighed, an amused smile on his face. "Won't you tell me the truth? I can keep a secret."

"I-It's not like that!" she said, sighing. "Look, it's sort of complicated."

"Oh really? Why don't we go for a walk while you enlighten me?"

". . . yeah, let's." she nodded, after all she didn't want to risk anyone over-hearing their conversation and getting the wrong idea. They stood up and went outside, but before they could decide where they wanted to go-

*POOF*

"Princess!"

"V-Virgo?!" the two practically jumped in shock.

"Princess, I have important news."

"Wh-what is it?"

"Brother and Aries are now officially a couple." the spirit informed and Lucy blinked in confusion for a moment.

"Brother . . ? Wait, you mean Loke?! He and Aries are now official?!" Lucy's fave broke into a grin. "Oh my God, since when?! I'm so happy for them! Congratulate them for me, okay?"

"Loke . . ? You mean Leo the Lion, one of your celestial spirits?" Hibiki asked.

"Yeah, that's right." Lucy nodded.

"And Aries . . . now that I think about it, weren't they both Karen's spirits?"

"Yep, the two of them are really close but I never thought they'd actually get together!"

"Well, I could say the same about you and Natsu." Hibiki smirked and the smile immediately fell from the blonde's face, quickly being replaced with a flustered and embarrassed look.

"It seems you know." Virgo said. "Princess and Natsu-san even shared a naked embrace once."

Lucy blushed harder and Hibiki's eyes widened. "Okay . . . I did not need to know that."

"Yes, it happened during the-"

"Alright, that's enough Virgo! Why don't you go back and send my regards to Loke and Aries?" Lucy said, still looking flustered.

"Punishment, prin-"

Lucy forced Virgo's gate closed before she could even finish speaking, meanwhile Hibiki didn't really know what to make of their current situation. Should he even comment or should he just stay silent. But in the end, maybe it was better to hear the full story than make assumptions based on things that may not be what they sound or looks like. He was smarter than that after all.

Unlike the people from a certain guild.

"So . . . a naked embrace, huh?"

"It's nothing like that!"

"Oh, I see . . . So, you the two of you just happened to be naked or . . ?"

"No! Well, it's just, I- it's nothing like, he-" she groaned, and Hibiki couldn't help but laugh.

"Well then, I'm sure that this will be a very entertaining story . . ."

One explanation later . . .

". . ."

". . ."

"So . . . he just happened to be there."

"Yes! It was all just an accident!"

"Mhmm . . ." Hibiki cupped his chin with two fingers and stared at the young woman with a serious expression. "So . . . there's nothing going on between you and Natsu?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"And . . . say I've heard some rumors of you two . . ."

Lucy groaned. "It isn't like that at all! The people in our guild just have the worst timing and they like to skip to conclusions!"

"I see . . ." Hibiki said. The people there must have the craziest imagination if it went this far. And how on Earthland does she not know about the rumors? Well, it looked like she knew some of them, but he's assuming that she's oblivious to the majority of those . . . fantasies her friends had created. Because if she knew, she would definitely do something to clarify all the speculations. Maybe he should tell her about them . . .

"-biki. Hibiki!" Said man snapped out of his thoughts and blinked in confusion. Without noticing, he had wandered in his thoughts and unconsciously started to stare at the Lucy. Although he immediately managed to regain his composure and flashed a smile at her.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something."

"A penny for your thoughts?"

". . . So when do you plan on going back?"

"Huh? You mean back to the guild?" Lucy blinked in confusion. "I don't know. Maybe tomorrow or the next day? Why do you ask?"

"No reason." he shrugged.

"Geez, you can be really mysterious sometimes, you know?"

"But don't women like that in men?" he smirked, making her roll her eyes.

"So, shall I treat you to something while we chat?"

"Oh~, what a gentleman." she said sarcastically.

"Why, of course. Shall we then?" he asked, holding a hand out making Lucy giggled before reaching her out her own.

"Let's." she nodded. Hibiki then changed the conversation and soon, Lucy found herself having a good time. She found herself laughing at his jokes, he wasn't so bad when you got past the whole playboy personality.

But while she was too busy having a good time, she completely forgot about her dragon slaying companion. Natsu was strolling around town when he came across them. They didn't seem him, since they were too busy chatting. Natsu found himself watching them with an unsettling feeling akin to anger. It almost seemed like . . . jealousy? He almost scoffed. No way, why would he be jealous? It's not like Lucy would ever even think about dating a guy like Hibiki, right? She's just being her usual friendly self. Still, these thoughts didn't stop him from following them around. And the more he watched them, the angrier he got. At one point, he actually punched a wall, creating a large crack and scaring the daylights out of the people who just happened to be standing nearby. He was practically seething with rage.

Although there are some people who would still probably think of this as adorable no matter how terrifying he looks when angry.

"Hey, why are we here again?" Millianna asked, pouting. "We've already been here not too long ago. Come on, I miss everybody. I wanna go home."

"We cannot return unless we've successfully completed our mission." Kagura told her. "The night of our visit here, there has been reports of the gang being seen. It was our mistake, we shouldn't have left our guard down. What if someone had gotten hurt?"

"So we're just gonna stop by and see if anyone knows anything." Kai added. "You know, just in case somebody's seen something."

"I thought this was just gonna be a fast and easy job." Milli grumbled.

"It's an S-class mission, Millianna. Of course it won't be finished so easily." Kagura scolded her.

"Well, at the very least it should've been fun."

"Being an S-class mage isn't always about strength, Kai." she said before sighing. "Listen, we won't be here long. We'll only ask around for information and then leave. That means no chatting with Erza or the Connells, understand?"

Her two companions grumbled but nodded in response, she gave a sound of approval before walking up to the guild and opening the doors.

Their years of experience as mages from a well-known guild could never have prepared them from what they saw.

"Mira-nee! Mira-nee! Please! Wake up!" Lisanna cried out, shaking her sister as she lay her head on her lap. Mira seemed conscious but completely unaware of her surroundings.

"Mira! Mira, you-! Mirajane Strauss, you better be listening to me." Cana said, not-so-gently cupping the barmaid's cheek from her spot beside the Strauss sisters. "Listen to my voice, Mira. Don't close your eyes. Don't- Mira, don't you dare fall asleep on me!"

"I-I . . . I . . ." Wendy sat on the floor nearby, clutching her head which was bright red. "I don't understand . . ."

"You- you- you absolute moron! What kind of idiot-!" Evergreen yelled, blushing and looking violated.

"Sh-shut up, woman!" Elfman yelled back, equally blushing. "Wh-what are you even saying?!"

"You're the dumbest ape in all of Earthland, you inconsiderate jerk!"

"What?!"

"Oh, you are asking for it." Laxus said, gritting his teeth and glaring at his fellow dragon slayer. His anger was seeping out of him in the form of static.

"Man, I'm begging for it!" Gajeel glared back at him as if he was trying to kill the blond with looks alone.

"You do realize that you're just about digging your own grave right now, right?"

"Oh sure, you think I'm scared of you?!"

"Well, judging from the way you went running to the hills the last time you challenged me. Yes."

"Oh, I'll let you know what true fear feels like, you little . . ."

"What is wrong with you?!" Romeo cried out.

"I am your father, Romeo. I'm just trying to look out for you." Macao said, trying to remain calm.

"By humiliating me?! I'm thirteen, dad. I don't think about the same perverted stuff you do on a daily basis!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the guild, Juvia could be seen sobbing which caused a flood while Erza was going on a rampage.

"G-G-G-Gray-saaaamaaaaa!"

"Juvia! Juvia, please calm down!" Max cried out.

"That idiot!" Erza yelled, throwing a rainbow across the guild. She was seething with anger and was akin to an actual monster. "He's so- he's so- !" she groaned before punching a pillar and almost destroying it.

"Erza! Please calm down or you'll destroy the guild!" Warren cried out.

"Where's the master when you need him?!" Wakaba asked.

The trio stood at the entrance, wide-eyed. The whole guild was in such utter chaos that not a single person noticed their arrival. They exchanged glances, looking both horrified and confused before slowly backing away and closing the guild doors.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"I . . . I don't think this is a good time for . . . you know." Kai shrugged, trying to appear casual.

"I agree." Kagura nodded.

"Let's just . . . come back later." Millianna said and they all agreed to do that .

Of course, they still couldn't help but wonder just what the hell was going on.

Well, that's that. And BTW, college entrance exams are coming up and next time we'll be having an oral exam so I don't know when I'll be posting again. But please understand that my future is at stake and I would also really rather be here writing and reading fiction than bury myself in books.

Hopefully next month will be smooth sailing though, so look forward to it!

Please review ~ !

~ RnR ~ !

~ RnR ~ !