Homeless Celestial Spirits

The next morning, for some reason, girls kept coming to the guild to ask about Loki's whereabouts.

"Last night, Loki suddenly said he wanted to break up with me. I don't even know why. I've been looking for him all day and still can't find him. Can you tell me where he went?"

Mira said, "Sorry, I don't know either. He may be a member of the guild, but the guild doesn't restrict his freedom."

The girl asked suspiciously, "Really? You didn't hide him somewhere, did you?"

Mira said helplessly, "Don't worry, I didn't. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything."

Macao said, "Mira, how many has that been already?"

"I've lost count."

"Seriously, what's going on with Loki? Why did he suddenly disappear without a trace?"

At that moment, Makarov said, "Loki submitted an application to leave the guild yesterday."

Gray hurriedly said, "What?! What happened to him? Why would he choose to leave the guild? If he has troubles, he should just tell us."

"That selfish bastard. When I find him, I'll make him regret it!"

Ye looked at everyone in the guild and thought, Looks like there isn't much time left.

Ye looked at Lucy. "Lucy, I have a mission for you."

"Huh? What mission?"

"Find Loki."

"Why me?!"

"Two months' rent. ⌓‿⌓"

"Mission accepted, Boss Ye!"

Lucy dashed out like the wind to search for Loki.

"If you don't know, ask your Celestial Spirits."

"Got it!"

Mira looked at Ye. "Do you know something?"

Ye answered mysteriously, "You'll know tomorrow."

"Ugh! You're being so mysterious."

Lucy thought, Why did Ye tell me to ask my Celestial Spirits? How strange. Whatever, I'll ask Grandpa Crux.

Open! Gate of the Southern Cross!

"Ho ho ho, isn't this little Lucy? Why did you summon me so suddenly?"

"Grandpa Crux, I accepted a mission to find someone from our guild, but I don't know where he is. Ye from our guild said the Celestial Spirits might know."

Crux pondered. "Some time ago, Aquarius mentioned to me that there seemed to be a Celestial Spirit in your guild. Could he be the one?"

"What? There's a Celestial Spirit in our guild? How could I not know?"

"If we're talking about a Celestial Spirit living in the Human World, I imagine there can only be one."

"Who is it?"

"Leo, one of the Golden Twelve Houses!"

Lucy stared at Crux in disbelief. What had happened? A Celestial Spirit shouldn't be able to survive in this world without relying on a Celestial Spirit Mage.

"That's right, little Lucy. But he is a special case. He has remained here by relying on his own magic power."

"What exactly happened, Grandpa?"

"It's a long story."

"Leo's original master was the Celestial Spirit Mage Karen. Unable to endure Karen's abuse of the Celestial Spirits, he stubbornly defied his master's orders and remained alone in the Human World. Later, because Karen could no longer summon her other Celestial Spirits, she died during a mission. Leo was the cause of it all. This violated the laws of the Celestial Spirits. The gate of a Celestial Spirit who breaks the law is closed, and he can never return to the Celestial Spirit World."

"How can that be? He wasn't the one in the wrong!"

"And, little Lucy, I shouldn't have told you this. But for Leo's sake, he has already suffered the punishment he deserved over these past three years. Go, Lucy. Go bring back Leo, the Celestial Spirit of the Lion, leader of the Twelve Houses!"

"I'll definitely help him return to the sky."

That night, Loki came alone to Karen's grave. Looking at her tombstone, he sat before it and waited for the time to come.

"Leo!"

"It's Lucy!"

"I already know everything. This isn't your fault!"

"No! I caused her death. Those are the rules of the Celestial Spirits. No one can change them."

"Your hand!"

"Looks like the time has come. I spent three years in Fairy Tail just so I could disappear here, before Karen's grave."

"I won't let you disappear!"

"Open! Gate of the Lion!"

But the gate did not open, and Lucy began to fade along with it.

"Lucy, enough! Stop it now, or you'll disappear too!"

Lucy wept. "It's not enough! Not nearly enough! How can I just watch a companion disappear right in front of me?"

"Open! Gate of the Lion!"

"Lucy, you can't use up so much magic power at once!"

"I said I won't let you disappear! It's only the gate to the Celestial Spirit World. I'll open it for you no matter what!"

"Open!! Gate of the Lion!!"

"Open!!! Gate of the Lion!!!

Open!!!

"It won't open. A Celestial Spirit who defied his master cannot return to the Celestial Spirit World."

"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!"

"Stop, Lucy! You're starting to assimilate with the Celestial Spirits! If this continues, you'll disappear too!"

"I won't disappear. I won't let you disappear either. What meaning does magic have if it can't even save a companion?!"

"Stop it! Don't add to my sins anymore!!"

"What sins? If this is the rule of the Celestial Spirit World, then I'll be the one to break that rule!"

Boom!

"What was that?"

"Impossible! That's the Spirit King. Why is he here?" Leo said in disbelief.

"My old friend, according to the rules of the Celestial Spirit World, Celestial Spirits cannot kill those who possess keys. Even if it was indirect, Leo of the Lion caused Karen's death, so you cannot be allowed to return to the Celestial Spirit World."

"But that's completely unreasonable!"

"My old friend, this is the one rule that cannot be changed."

"What kind of stupid rule is that? Leo only did it to keep Aries from being abused. He had no other choice!"

"I, too, feel deeply pained by my old friend's wish."

"Who's your old friend?!"

"Listen here, bearded old man. What happened to Karen was entirely an accident. Leo did nothing wrong. I won't accept anything except a verdict of not guilty!"

"Enough, Lucy. I never expected any forgiveness. I just want to disappear like this!"

"That won't do at all. Even if you disappear, Karen won't come back. All you'll do is add to everyone's grief at the guild, add to the grief of these companions!" All of Lucy's Celestial Spirits appeared around her, staring solemnly at Leo.

"Do you want to see Ye massacre the Celestial Spirit World when that happens?!"

"And besides! Is caring about your companions really a sin? Did you spend those three years in Fairy Tail for nothing?!"

"This is what the Celestial Spirits... even Karen herself couldn't accomplish back then!" Leo said in shock.

At that moment, Ye slowly stepped forward. Lucy was right!

"Loki! Have you forgotten everything Fairy Tail taught you?!"

"Ye! Why are you here?!"

"I've been here all along. I wanted to see what decision this bearded old man would make. If it didn't satisfy me, I might really have massacred the Celestial Spirit World!"

"So! Spirit King, what is your final judgment?!"

"Young old friend, a terrifying power lies within you."

"Don't worry, old friend. I came here this time to let Leo return to the sky. The bond between my old friend Lucy and the Celestial Spirits has moved me deeply!"

"Now, I restore Leo of the Golden Twelve Houses, the Lion, with the right to return to the Celestial Spirit World."

"Leo, you must protect the descendant of that old friend of yours."

"Give thanks for the guidance of the stars."

"Looks like you bearded old man aren't half bad after all."

"Smile!"

With that, the Spirit King returned to the Celestial Spirit World.

Ye sighed. "I wanted to fight him, too. What a shame."

Lucy and Leo looked at Ye speechlessly.

"You only came here for that, didn't you?"

Ye looked sternly at Leo. "Leo, you violated Fairy Tail's third rule: you disregarded your own life. I'm going to punish you!"

Lucy and Leo could not help growing tense as they looked at the serious Ye.

"Your punishment is to protect Lucy properly!"

Hearing that was his punishment, Leo smiled knowingly.

"Ah! Since it's a punishment, I have no choice but to accept it."

"Alright, let's head back to the guild. Everyone's really worried."

"Yeah!!"