Beta read by Shigiya and Darklord331
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-Magnolia-
Safe to say, Lucy was not having a good day; in fact, this day could barely get any worse. What had started as a regular, mildly boring afternoon had turned into what practically amounted to an invasion.
"What the hell, where are all these mages coming from!?" she shouted, ducking as another blast of magic scorched past the alley she was hiding in.
Magnolia had been attacked, not by Vulcans or wild monsters from the mountains, but by a dark guild of all things, and not a subtle one. They'd practically marched into town like they owned it. The group had encountered one of the attackers earlier, and the identity of the woman they'd met left little room for comfort.
"So Ultear is behind it after all. This is worrisome," Makarov muttered, his voice clearly surprised by this news. "Yajima did mention how he felt odd about her at first before she won everyone's trust later on. Hm, guess he should have trusted his guts. Hah… what a mess."
Once the truth had been extracted from the encounter, the team wasted no time. They sprinted back to the guild, Lucy out of breath by the time they reached the doors. Erza had been the first to report to Master Makarov, explaining everything: the mysterious attackers, their disturbing confidence, and Broly's unexplained disappearance.
The old man had sobered instantly. The usual hint of a buzzed flush was gone from his face, replaced by deep lines of worry.
"What kind of dark guild would risk attacking Magnolia so openly?" he muttered, his voice low while scratching his nearly bald head. "This doesn't make sense unless they're ready to take on the entire Magic Council and its allies on their own. No other dark guild would throw their necks out like that. I've gotten no word from the other guilds about any movement from the Balam Alliance."
Lucy had the same questions. Whoever these people were, their boldness didn't add up unless they had something dangerous up their sleeve. But figuring that out would have to wait since they needed to protect Magnolia first.
"What about Broly? He's still missing." Cana added, feeling worried about him, just like many around.
"He is not incapable of protecting himself. I trust the child and believe nothing bad will happen to him. First, we need to deal with these idiots and then find him."
"Master! There's more of them appearing!" Nab shouted a voice from the hallway, bursting into the room, pointing toward the sky just outside of Magnolia.
Everyone turned, rushing to the windows or the guild doors. There, hanging like vultures in the clouds, were several large airships slowly descending. As they landed, waves of mages spilled out and began laying siege to the city.
Whatever this group was, subtlety was clearly not in their strategy.
"Whatever the case may be, whoever these people are and whatever they're trying to find, it won't come to fruition. All of you brats, listen carefully. This may be the only time I say this to all of you at once," Master Makarov barked, rising to his feet and slamming his fist against the table. The wood splintered and cracked beneath his strength despite his diminutive size.
"Who do these fools think they are? We are Fairy Tail, the number one guild, the strongest in all of Fiore! They dared to march to our doorstep and expect us not to respond?"
He raised his voice.
"What do you say about this!?"
"They're idiots!" Macao shouted from the other end, with Wakaba agreeing.
"I'll burn them all to ashes!" another called, already gathering magic in his hands. No one needed to turn their heads to see who it was, none other than their local fire dragon slayer.
"I just packed my luggage to go on vacation! Damn it, I'll kill them!"
"Fuck your vacation! All you do is get drunk here anyway!"
The room erupted. Shouts of fury and excitement rolled through the crowd like a wave. Makarov's lips twitched into a grin, proud despite the chaos.
"So what are you waiting for, you fools? The enemy is here! As the hosts, it's our job to welcome them properly. Let's show them what Fairy Tail really means!"
He raised his hand high, the Fairy Tail emblem glowing on his arm. The guild roared in answer, dozens of arms rising to mirror him. The cheer that followed could have shaken the roof, if the spells outside hadn't started doing that already.
"Just don't destroy the entire town!" he added quickly. "If you go too far, we'll go bankrupt and be left with no choice but to sell the entire building!"
That earned another cheer, though more than a few voices shouted that they couldn't make any promises. It was the best response he could hope for.
The moment didn't last.
The building began to shake violently, the wood and stone groaning from outside impacts. Dust rained from the rafters, and a few paintings crashed to the ground.
"Holy hell, they wasted no time!" Makarov cursed. "At this rate, there will be no building to sell! What are you still standing here for, brats!? Go! Protect the guild! Every second you waste just adds more numbers to the repair bill!"
Lucy wasn't sure how she felt about that last part, but she understood where he was coming from.
The hall that had once been full of laughter and drunken brawls was now unrecognisable. Gone were the sleepy dozes and petty arguments. In their place, mages surged forward with glowing spells, fire, wind, and shadow roaring past one another in a riot of colour. With wide, confident grins stretched across their faces, they looked less like mages here to protect their home and more like devils rising to answer a challenge—craving for blood.
Natsu leading the group while spewing fire out of his mouth did not help with that image.
Another figure blurred past her. Lucy turned just in time to catch Erza soaring into the air, her body glowing with white-hot light as her voice rang out like a war cry.
"Equip, Heaven's Wheel Armour!"
In a flash, her plain grey chestplate and blue skirt vanished, replaced entirely by gleaming silver armour. Plates shaped like feathers fanned out from her shoulders and back, reflecting sunlight like shards of a shattered star. Swords, dozens of them, floated around her in a hypnotic, whirling dance, each one spinning into position with the precision of a master conductor directing a deadly orchestra.
With a single gesture, they launched. Blades rained down like a silver storm, targeting every black-robed mage foolish enough to charge toward Magnolia's heart. Screams and flashes of magic filled the air as her blades cut paths through the invaders with grace, and the blonde hoped to match at one point in the future.
She was so freaking cool!
"I cannot fall behind," Lucy muttered to herself, shaking off the hesitation that had been clinging to her like fog. She bit her lip, drew in a breath, and thrust her key forward.
"Open! Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!"
The gate to the Celestial Spirit World flared open, golden and radiant. From within stepped a massive figure: half-man, half-bull, towering and muscular with thick fur and a ring through his nose. The axe slung over his shoulder gleamed wickedly.
"Uoooh! I'll do my best to protect your magnificent boobs from these degenerates, Lucy!"
She flinched, already bracing for the inevitable comments and unconsciously covering her own chest.
"You are the degenerate I need protection from!" she snapped, her face flushed. But deep down, she couldn't deny the comfort she felt at the sight of the old, reliable brute standing at her side. For all his perverted remarks, Taurus rarely failed her in battle.
With a roar, he launched himself into the fray, swinging his axe in mighty arcs that sent dark mages flying in all directions. Each step he took shook the ground. The sight of him cutting down enemy after enemy drew the attention of several guildmates mid-fight.
"Holy crap, no wonder she hangs out with Erza and Broly, she's got summons that look like monsters!"
"I thought she was his girlfriend, he brings her along everywhere. You know, eye candy to lift the spirit."
"She can be both."
"Is that thing her summoned Celestial Spirit? And why does it keep talking about her boobs!?"
"Who would've thought Lucy had that kind of fetish?"
"Oh, shut up!" she barked, mortified, cheeks burning hotter than Natsu's fire. "I don't have a fetish! Taurus is just a pervert who keeps saying nonsense, that's all!"
Embarrassing as it was, the momentary attention didn't last. Lucy turned her focus back to the battlefield. Even with Taurus carving a path forward, she had to keep her wits about her, these mages weren't amateurs. She managed to fend off a few attackers with her whip and dodge a few attacks, but compared to Erza, Natsu, and Gray, who were tearing through the enemy like a hurricane, she felt like she was wading through molasses.
Wendy, too, that girl was practically creating tornadoes in the middle of the battlefield! On top of that, delivering healing and support while simultaneously launching even more powerful gusts that toppled foes like matchsticks. It was awe-inspiring, and more than a little frustrating, how someone as young as her was this capable.
She'd accepted long ago that there was a gap between her strength and theirs, especially after living alongside Broly. Still, facing it in the middle of a war zone was jarring.
"Watch out, Lucy!"
"Eh!"
The shout snapped her attention back, but it was too late. A blast of energy streaked toward her, its glow pulsing, crackling, unavoidable. Taurus was too far, overwhelmed on the other side of the field.
She had no time to summon another Spirit. No time to run.
But then, a burst of golden light flared in front of her. A fist collided with the energy sphere mid-air, shattering it like glass. The very next second, arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her into the air, leaping them both out of harm's way.
The landing was rough, but controlled. They landed behind a chunk of collapsed stone wall, just out of the enemy line of sight. Lucy blinked the stars out of her eyes, heart still hammering.
"L-Loke?"
The name slipped from her lips, disbelief plain in her voice. She stared up at the face of her rescuer, his usual sly grin in place, his amber eyes gleaming with mischief and something else. Concern, maybe?
"You need to be more careful, Lucy," he said, chastising her with that maddeningly smooth tone of his. "A capable Celestial Spirit Mage knows better than to charge headlong into a battlefield. That's what they're here for."
"Sorry," she said quickly, embarrassed and slightly breathless. "I got distracted. It won't happen again."
She meant it. As much as she'd been worried about everyone else, especially Broly, she'd forgotten how vulnerable she could be. That could've easily been her last mistake.
"It's fine," he replied, waving it off. "As long as you don't make it a habit. Still… this is quite the messy situation, don't you think?"
Lucy exhaled shakily, then looked up at the darkened skies and the chaos ripping through Magnolia.
"Yeah," she muttered. "Messy doesn't even begin to cover it. Feels like we're fighting off an entire army."
"Why would anyone attack us head-on like this?" The man asked, his voice filled with confusion.
The battlefield around Magnolia was still echoing with explosions and elemental spells, and they were managing to push back against them. With Erza and Natsu on the front line, Mirajane staying at the guild to keep it safe, and Master watching the battle from the bar… it was highly unlikely for them to get overwhelmed.
"It must be because of what happened to the Oración Seis," she went on, brow furrowing. "Maybe one of the other dark guilds panicked after seeing what we did to them and decided to go all out before it's too late. But even then, this doesn't feel like a smart move. They've seen what Fairy Tail can do… they've seen we're the ones gaining ground, not the other way around."
Beside her, Loke stepped forward, eyes glinting with a seriousness that cut through the usual mischief on his face.
"If I had to take a guess, this whole thing feels like a distraction," he said quietly.
Lucy froze. Her eyes widened, and her breath caught as his words echoed something she had felt but hadn't been able to put into words, especially when she recalled what Ultear kept saying about Broly, the woman having tried to approach him before when he was first imprisoned, according to Erza.
Behind them, Erza, Gray, and the others were still locked in an intense battle, focused on preventing the enemy forces from getting deeper into Magnolia. The main group of dark mages had been keeping them occupied, but this wasn't the main event.
"Listen, Loke… I think I know what's really happening. They're not trying to destroy the guild. They're trying to get to Broly, to have him join them or get rid of him — I can't tell. This is a distraction that happened right after he went missing earlier today."
"Broly?" Loke's expression sharpened. "That's not good. Do you know a way we can find him? We can regroup with the others and go to him. He shouldn't be alone if they're targeting him."
She appreciated his quick offer, truly, and it warmed her chest in the middle of all the chaos. But her heart sank again almost immediately, because she didn't know. She had no idea where Broly could be at that moment.
And that made her stomach twist.
Until a certain face flashed into her mind, one that made her grimace instinctively. Her entire expression soured before she even realized it, and Loke noticed immediately.
"What? Did an idea just occur to you?"
Lucy hesitated. She did not want to say it, but there was no other option; calling it a good idea would be a stretch, but it was the best one she had at the moment.
"I think I know someone who could track him down and lead us to him. But... she's likely to cause more damage than these dark mages ever could." The girl whispered silently, "And well… I am ninety nine percent sure she is super pissed at me."
Loke raised an eyebrow, clearly curious now.
Aquarius had not taken kindly to being summoned less frequently lately. Lucy had made the conscious decision to give Broly some space, not that she had much of a choice, considering how much time he spent with the other girls in the guild. It was getting harder to find moments with him alone. And calling Aquarius would just add fuel to the fire and rob her of any chances to just relax with the two of them… and Cana as well.
Still, now wasn't the time to worry about that. His safety came before anything else. Even if it meant dealing with a furious celestial spirit who might try to drown her mid-battle.
"It's fine," Loke said with a casual shrug. "Master might be overdramatizing the damage, but I've seen the guild's vault with my own eyes. There's enough Jewels in there to rebuild all of Magnolia if it comes to that. Sure, he might lose what little hair he's got left from the stress, but I think he'd much rather see everyone come back alive than stare at a full treasury."
There was a grin on his face now, not forced or flirtatious, just natural, easy. Even surrounded by chaos and on the verge of another fight, Loke's charm came through. She understood now why so many girls in the guild were drawn to him, it wasn't just the looks, it was the warmth.
"Are you trying to flirt with me?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
He went pale instantly and waved his hands in defense.
"No, no, not at all! I swear! I was just saying... You know... helpful stuff! Total misunderstanding!" Loke said hastily, waving his arms like a man trying to swat away the very idea. "So, who is this person? We need to find her as soon as possible and save our friend!"
The blonde raised an eyebrow but chose not to press the matter. She gave a short nod, deciding she could be suspicious later.
"Follow me!" she said firmly, reaching for her keys. "Taurus!"
She called him back, the latter running towards her with a face full of tears and dismay.
"Uuuuuuuuh! I am not worthy!" he howled, collapsing to his knees in front of her. "I almost let Lucy's amazingly soft breast get hurt by one of those vile mages! Please forgive me! I deserve to be punished! I deserve to be punished for failing to protect you!"
Her entire body flushed with embarrassment. Her hands shot up to shield her face, groaning audibly as several nearby Fairy Tail members cast her awkward glances—especially Loke. So much for looking composed and dependable in front of others. Here she was, trying to take charge in the middle of an invasion, and Taurus was making her look like a walking joke.
Taurus's wailing halted just as suddenly as it began. His eyes had finally caught sight of the orange-haired man behind Lucy, who was standing with his back slightly turned, pretending to inspect something incredibly interesting in the opposite direction. A puzzled look crossed the Celestial Spirit's face.
"Ah... It's been a long time, Lu- "
Before he could finish, a sharp flash of gold shimmered again as Lucy hastily unsummoned him, her face now deep crimson. She didn't want to hear whatever nonsense Taurus was about to say next, especially not with Loke around. Behind her, Loke exhaled in quiet relief, muttering a silent thank-you to whoever was listening.
"Let's go!" she said quickly.
They ran through the partially ruined streets of Magnolia. Most of the townspeople had taken shelter in their homes, boarding up windows and locking doors, while the Fairy Tail guild held the front lines. The dark mages were being held back, corralled into one area of the city where the strongest of Fairy Tail could deal with them all at once.
"There!" Lucy pointed ahead, her voice breaking through the thrum of distant spells. A large fountain stood in the center of a courtyard, still untouched by the battle. She ran toward it, with this being her main gateway to summoning Aquarius.
Loke looked confused at first, but then blinked, the realization dawning on him slowly.
"Um, Lucy... just who exactly is this person you said could track Broly?"
"You'll see her soon," Lucy replied, slowing to a walk as they approached the water. "Just... don't mind anything she says or even so much as try to flirt with her — she may skin you alive like that one Vulcan. Her words can be pretty hurtful, though I doubt she'll be interested in you as long as you stay out of her way. But if she gets super angry at me, I recommend running. Fast. Unless you want to get caught up in the flood, too."
"Ah," realization reached his face upon seeing a certain key hanging around her waist. "She sounds like quite the character, hahaha…"
"Humph, that's one way to say it. She claims to be Broly's girlfriend, even though the only reason he agreed to that was because he was unfamiliar with the term and she took advantage of that." Lucy muttered, half under her breath. "Says it helps her stay linked to him or something. It's weird."
Loke blinked again, brow furrowed. "Girlfriend? Broly? Those two... together, huh? Wasn't she and Scorpio…" he whispered to himself, though Lucy didn't hear. Her focus was now entirely on the water in front of them.
"Alright. Here goes nothing."
Her fingers closed around the golden key hanging from her key ring. With a deep breath, she stepped closer to the edge of the fountain, held the key high, then dipped it into the water while shutting her eyes tightly.
"Gate of Aquarius, I open thee!"
A surge of golden light burst forth from the surface of the fountain, momentarily blinding Lucy. Loke squinted beside her, shielding his eyes with one hand, his eyes twitching the moment he saw the being who appeared before then in a rather theatrical way.
The fountain shuddered. The water swelled into a towering column, shooting skyward like a geyser before it collapsed in a mighty downpour that sent ripples racing across the stone.
From the center of the cascade, a graceful form emerged. Slender arms cut effortlessly through the water. Long, flowing strands of blue hair trailed behind her like seaweed in a current, with some sticking on her chest covered by a simple blue bikini. She swam with elegance, circling slowly as her glowing eyes began to open.
Aquarius rose from the depths, her gaze gentle at first before it turned cold upon spotting the two of them, taking in the nearly abandoned square with disinterest. In the distance, the sound of battle still rumbled through the air like thunder on the horizon. Her attention once more fell upon the two people standing before her, one she knew far too well.
The first figure to appear made her eyes widen, just for a moment. Her stare lingered briefly on the man's face before she looked away, her expression settling into something unreadable. Not a word escaped her lips, though the silence itself felt heavier than any greeting. Then, slowly, her gaze shifted again, this time landing on Lucy.
The blonde had already started inching backwards, retreating as quietly as she could, as though willing herself to vanish into thin air. Her shoulders were stiff, her movements awkward, her face twisted into a sheepish smile.
"How many days has it been, brat?" Aquarius's voice was calm, but Lucy flinched the instant she heard it.
She had known that tone. After years of summoning the Celestial Spirit, Lucy could read her moods almost too well. And this one was far from friendly. The blue-haired spirit didn't look happy. She didn't sound happy either. In fact, she looked furious.
"Hahaha…" Lucy laughed weakly, trying to maintain composure despite the lump of panic forming in her throat. "You see, we've just been really busy lately. I've mostly been taking on small odd jobs, things where bringing you along would've been overkill. I didn't want to waste your time on small fry who weren't even, "
"Water Tsunami!"
"Why!?"
Lucy's protest came too late. Aquarius didn't bother waiting for explanations. With a swift motion, she raised her urn and pointed it directly at the trembling blonde. A deafening roar followed as a monstrous wave erupted from the mouth of the vessel, a rolling mass of water crashing down with the fury of a storm.
It wasn't just a splash. It was a deluge.
An ocean's worth of water burst forth, swallowing the town square in an instant. A massive wave surged through the streets, smashing through crates, barrels, and food stalls as if they were paper. In seconds, half the town was submerged, transformed into a makeshift lake. The force was so sudden, even the other Fairy Tail mages and the opposing dark mages were caught completely off guard, yanked off their feet, and swept away into the flood along with a few houses caught in the flood.
"Waaaah!" Lucy cried, completely overwhelmed. The water surged around her in all directions, and she had no control over her limbs. The current was too strong, the surface too wild to swim through. She flailed for something, anything, but could only let the water carry her.
"Haha… your friend's got quite the temper, doesn't she?" came a relaxed voice beside her.
She turned her head, wide-eyed, to see Loke drifting next to her on a broken piece of wood, lounging like he was enjoying a day at sea. Somehow, his clothes were untouched by the water, not a single strand of his orange hair out of place.
"A little help here!?" Lucy spluttered, still half-drowned and completely soaked.
Rather than lend a hand, Loke simply gave her an apologetic shrug and pointed past her shoulder. Confused, Lucy twisted her neck and froze.
A hand had grabbed her collar.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She was lifted halfway out of the water, and as she turned her head, her breath hitched in her throat. Staring back at her were two piercing blue eyes, narrowed with deadly intensity. The air around them turned cold as Aquarius's killing aura prickled along Lucy's skin like static.
"You have ten seconds," the spirit said, voice as steady as steel. "Seven seconds have already passed since I asked my question."
"What question!?" Lucy shouted, though it came out more as a choke. Between the roar of rushing water and the whiplash of being lifted so suddenly, she hadn't caught a word. But she knew better than to argue. Talking back to Aquarius was about as smart as hugging an active volcano. There was only one thing left to do: find a way to calm her down and convince her to help.
"It's Broly!" she blurted out, desperately. "I think the attack here was just a distraction! The real target is him. They sent stronger mages to capture him while the rest of us were stuck fighting in town! I don't know where he is, but I thought maybe you could—waaaaah!"
The next second, Lucy was nothing more than a blur. Water and wind smashed against her face as she was yanked forward at incredible speed. Aquarius had taken off like a rocket, her body gliding just above the surface as her urn continued spewing even more water ahead of them, flooding everything in their path. Buildings were left behind in seconds, rooftops shrinking as they surged beyond the town's edge.
"You idiot!" The blue-haired Celestial Spirit snapped, the wind whipping her hair into a trail behind her. "You should have told me that sooner! What is with you and wasting my time with nonsense!?"
She would have told her earlier, had the woman not nearly assassinated her by drowning her alive.
Lucy was still dripping and sputtering from the initial onslaught, holding onto Aquarius's arm for dear life as the water spirit continued to tear through the flooded outskirts. Meanwhile, Loke had adapted with remarkable ease. Perched atop a large slab of driftwood, he had taken to the surging waves like a pro surfer, cutting across the current with practiced balance and flair. A broad, amused grin lit up his face as he caught up to them.
"Hahaha! Lucy, I think you just broke the record for most property damage in Magnolia. You even beat Natsu! That's got to count for something!" he called out, riding the wave with surprising elegance. "You have my respect, which should help you get a cool title."
"That's not something I want to be proud of!" she shouted back, her voice tight with guilt.
The first thing that came to her mind was the look on the old man's face, Master Makarov, watching his beloved guild's hometown half-submerged. She winced, hoping he hadn't seen the full extent of it. Still, part of her was quietly thankful. Aquarius, despite her dramatic flair, had only aimed the water in one direction. If she had wanted to, Lucy was certain she could have flooded the entire city.
In fact, of all the celestial spirits in her keyring, Aquarius was the strongest by far. Even Broly had agreed on that much. Lucy had a feeling the woman worked hard to keep that title secure, perhaps even more than she let on.
"Speaking of overkill…" Aquarius muttered as she glanced sideways at the tag, along with the group. Her eyes narrowed the moment she spotted Loke gliding along the water beside them.
"Tch. I can handle this myself."
She didn't slow down to argue. If anything, she swam faster.
Loke, ever unfazed, gave her a casual shrug and kept pace without a word, his orange hair glinting under the sunlight that filtered through the moving curtain of mist and spray. As they left the last rooftops of Magnolia behind, the water began to thin, draining off into surrounding streams. Aquarius shifted direction, still swimming like a missile approaching a dense forest at the edge of the region.
Lucy could tell they were heading somewhere unfamiliar. The ground below disappeared beneath layers of tree roots, then hills. The forest gave way to a broken path of fallen trees and scorched brush, evidence of a recent battle. Far ahead, smoke rose in the sky, curling above the treetops.
Her eyes widened at the sight of a ship resting on its side in the distance. It was already beginning to implode, metal screeching as internal supports gave way. The hull cracked with a great groan, followed by an explosive puff of flame as it collapsed into the ground below.
"Broly's not there," Aquarius said flatly, as if reading her summoner's mind.
Without pause, she changed course and continued forward. More trees passed beneath them. The air grew thick with tension. Then they burst out into a clearing so wide it looked like a crater, with torn-up soil and shattered trees forming a rough ring around the edges.
In the centre of it all, a tall figure slowly descended from the sky.
Lucy's breath caught in her throat.
Broly landed lightly on the torn ground, muscles tense and brows furrowed, clearly deep in his thoughts. But as his gaze fell on the approaching trio, his expression shifted in an instant, confusion giving way to surprise, and then unmistakable warmth.
"Broly…" Lucy whispered, beginning to lift her hand.
"Broly!"
Aquarius's voice drowned hers out completely.
Lucy didn't even have time to react before she was tossed aside like an old sack. She landed on her backside with a painful thump, sliding a few feet across the muddy ground.
"Oof!"
Groaning, she sat up and watched helplessly as Aquarius launched herself forward and all but pounced on Broly. Her arms looped tightly around his neck, her long hair wrapping behind them like a wave, and her fish-like tail curled around his waist in a tight embrace.
"We finally get to see one another again! Have you missed me? Because I have missed you!"
She wasted no time to gently push her lips against his, clinging to him with the full force of her affection, leaving Lucy to sit off to the side, soaked, bruised, and feeling like a completely forgotten third wheel.
Loke caught up a moment later, floating to a halt beside her with an amused hum. "Well… at least someone's happy."
{Break}
His fight against Hades did not feel like an actual victory in any way. Even though this time he did not kill the man with his own hands, the fact that their battle still led to his death clung to his conscience, especially when he recalled the promise he had made to the master.
Did it still stand?
Had he done enough? Could he have changed the outcome? Trying to talk things out with the old man in a different way? It frustrated him how he already knew the answer, that nothing would have changed, convincing others with words was never his strong suit compared to Lucy, Erza, and even Cana.
He was unable to understand the drive that pushed Hades this far, willing to sacrifice his own life just so he could have him live in regret and follow the same path as he had. All of these questions swarmed around his mind that coming to a complete halt when he saw the group approaching him.
"Ah, Aquarius."
He had sensed her arrival a while ago, making him less worried as he knew the woman would keep Lucy and everyone else safe. And he was proven right upon seeing the blonde being carried by her collar. She had no bruises as far as he could see, but he was confused by Luke's presence.
Wasn't he afraid of Lucy and always trying to avoid her?
"Broly!"
Aquarius wasted no time in closing the distance between them, feeling her arms wrap around him along with her tail, the woman's lips meeting his, where he managed to taste a faint presence of strawberry. She must have been snacking on those before getting summoned.
As for the kiss itself, he had no particular thought about it, just glad that it made her feel happy. Having done so many times in the past, something that Aquarius called it a normal show of affection between people who cared for one another deeply.
It was only later did he learn from Gretel that there was more to that, and such things only happened between couples, but he said nothing and let her do as she pleased. It was not hurting him in any way, quite the opposite, as he also felt a warm feeling course through his body whenever she did so. So he was also guilty of enjoying it a bit.
"Hahaha, it has been a while since I last saw you, and yes, I have also missed you and so has Lucy." He answered, only getting a scarf response from the woman.
"Oh please, if that were the case, then I would be summoned every day, yet that little minx tried to keep me away from you. Why should I really teach her a lesson!?" She said, before turning her head around to stare back at Lucy. "This time I'm staying around for a couple of days, if you dare to close the gate I swear next time we meet I'll spank your ass hard enough that it will stay red for the next ten years!"
"W-What!?" Lucy exclaimed in horror, not just at the punishment itself, but rather Aquarius' previous statement. "I don't think I can keep a gate active for this long! Wouldn't that take a toll on me?"
Her worries were immediately dismissed, "Oh please, I have trained you enough that you can summon more than one Celestial Spirit, keeping me around for a few days will not harm you in any way. As long as I don't stay around for too long and invite trouble on myself."
Loke shifted around at the last part.
"In any case, we have so much to catch up on, I have so many stories to tell you, and I want to share everything that happened while I was away."
He nodded, that was also something he wanted to do sooner or later. "There is quite a lot. I also met new people and made a few friends. You should meet Cana, you'll definitely like her."
"Another woman?" At that, Aquarius's eyes immediately narrowed as she looked back at him, but her reaction only earned an innocent expression from him, which showed nothing but confusion. Not having the heart to say anything else, she forced a smile on her face.
"S-Sure… I am more than happy to meet this friend of yours…"
Even though she tried her best to come up, he could hear there was some reluctance in her tone, but she would see for herself. Broly was certain that those two would get along very well. Whenever he spoke with Cana, she would, at times, remind him of Aquarius.
"In any case, we should go back to the guild." He said, about to head back, only to come to a complete stop upon sensing another presence nearby. "You're here. Stop hiding."
He called her out from the forest. Ultear's figure emerged with a few cuts on her body.
'She must have met Erza…' for her to have survived and only suffered minor injuries at best spoke volumes about how powerful this woman was, or rather, at how tricky her magic was.
"Tch, these harlots just keep popping out everywhere." Aquarius was not happy to see her, not even knowing who this person was, she still showed clear hostility against the black haired woman, but did not attempt to attack her.
Ultear watched the aftermath of the battle with shock in her eyes, "What… What happened to Master Hades?" She asked calmly, looking back at him, waiting for an answer which he gave without wasting a second.
"He's dead."
A silence fell onto his surroundings, Lucy looking back at him with worry, but he reassured her by flashing a small smile. Though Aquarius and Loke did not seem to react much or even care for that matter, instead keeping their guard up the entire time against the newcomer.
"Impossible." Ultear immediately denied his words, shaking her head and surveying her surroundings as if to find the old man.
"I'm… sorry. I did not wish things to go this far, but he—"
"Lies!" Once more, Ultear denied his words with a shout. "Master Hades cannot be killed! As long as the Devil's Heart continues to beat, he is immortal! Even if you possess an incredible amount of energy, that alone cannot kill him!"
"You're right." He said, "But he was the one who chose to die, I just… make sure his actions would not kill others."
He had no idea what this devil heart was in the first place, but it did not matter in the end, for its user had already perished. Seeing the girl get more agitated, he began to realise that there was a possibility of her engaging him in combat once again. He clenched his fists, still frustrated at what had happened just now. If things were to continue down the same path, then he…
"You don't have to fight me." He tried to reason with her. "I don't know what you want, I don't have much to offer, but it is not worth your life. You can just leave, and we can be done with this, please, I beg you."
Several emotions appeared on her face, shifting from denial, anger, disbelief, and so on.
Still, he continued. "I don't know what your goal is and what she promised you. But whatever it is, I am sure Fairy Tail can help you achieve that."
"The One Magic," the girl cut him off, staring back with complex emotions swirling in her eyes. "For all that power you have, can you honestly tell me to my face that you can achieve The One Magic?"
"...You too?" At first, he believed that this desire to achieve such a thing was only shared by the old man, given how zealous he had been about it. Ultear, on the other hand, even though they had only met a handful of times, did not give him the impression that she was searching for the same thing.
Unless…
"Do you want to achieve The One Magic, or are you hoping that this magic will help you attain one of your goals?" He said, getting no answers from her, which made him realise that perhaps this was the case after all. "I don't know what it is, but it is not necessarily something that can only be achieved through that method Hades was searching for. There can be other ways, if you can just tell me, maybe I can help?"
"Help?" The girl chuckled, through her eyes held no happiness whatsoever. "You speak so optimistically, you speak as if my problems can be solved so easily by just joining Fairy Tail — but that is not the case. I know full well that what I search for cannot be accomplished so easily. Without Master Hades… we will never find Zeref."
"Zeref?" That name earned several reactions from those around him.
"Hah…" Ultear sighed, having regained her composure. "No, I cannot just let go of this so easily. Even without master Hades, I'll find a way."
"Wait," Broly tried to stop her, whatever path she was going to take, whatever decision she came to make, all of them gave him a bad feeling, not for the safety of his friends but the possibility that she would end up following a similar fate to the old man.
Ultear's sphere started to glow brightly, everyone about to attack her, while he held out his hands, hoping to stop them.
Woosh!
Yet he was too slow, a surge of magic came from another direction entirely, crashing on the ground around Ultear, breaking the earth itself into cubes along with her figure, which, much to his surprise, broke down into shards of glass and light.
'How… I was certain I sensed her Ki.' He wondered, realizing that the woman must have done something to trick him from the beginning. Perhaps planning to escape, even if he tried to stop her.
"Shit, a thought projection? Does look like it. Hate those things." A gruff voice came from the forest on the other side, where the group turned to see a tall man walk out with a large cloak covering his figure and face. Holding on to a small bag on his shoulders with strands of brown hair peeking down the hood.
The person approached Lucy, but Broly did not sense any hostile intent from him, so he was not worried about him trying to hurt her. He extended his hand to help her back on her feet and flashing a smile.
"Hey there, beautiful, mind helping me out a bit? I was trying to find my way to Magnolia, and since a fight was going on here and now I'm lost. Let's go back together, I'll treat you to a meal as thanks, that's a promise."
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.