Pushing Lucy into a bathroom, she untied her hair and took off the wet hoodie, wiping herself off the water. Then, she put on the black oversized hoodie he had given her. The sleeves were longer than her arms, and anyone couldn't see the shorts she was wearing at the moment. Lucy walked out to find the man on his phone sitting down, waiting for her to finish changing.
"I swear, are all of you basketball players giants?" she pouted, watching him stand up, and then Lucy looked up and grinned at her.
"You look good in it; this was the only thing I had to give you." – he tilted his head getting up and towering over Lucy which she didn't like one bit.
"It's fine, it smells like you." – she looks up carefully so that Lucy won't break her delicate neck.
"Does it smell?" – he scrunched his eyebrows in worry
"I smell the cologne that you use... (pulling the hoodie closer to her face as she smiled softly) ...it smells nice." – his eyes blew wide and slight pink dusk over his cheeks, Lucy held back the giggle that dared to come out since it's a cute reaction.
"I...I see" – Toshiro looks away rubbing the back of his neck.
"W...We should go where the others are. I'm sure they're waiting for us; I'll meet you out there."
"Arigatou." – Lucy whispered hoping to give him a peck on the cheek then skipping outside to go meet up with Subaru, who was practicing for the game in the next few days.
"So, who are you guys going against this Friday?"
"Oh." – he looks down to see what Lucy is wearing before meeting her eye.
"We are going against another university from the next city over and they are known to be one of the best of the universities."
"You guys will do great; Little Ema and I will prepare something for you guys to get your energy pumping to beat those guys." – she beams at him.
"Focus on yourself rather than the winnings of the other team. The ball to the hoop is your only goal."
"That's a good way to think, thanks for stopping by today." – Subaru chuckles walking her to the doors of the gym.
"What will you do now?"
"Well, I got celestial spirits to hang with." – Lucy grins widely waving her farewells to everyone who also waved back with big smiles on their faces shouting their short goodbyes or See you later.
'This world is too interesting for me to leave, yet why do I have a gut feeling something is coming in the future...'
Lucy's thoughts are submerged with her worries about what may others think of her when they find out the truth about her, especially the people she calls friends. Lucy already lost her friends in Earthland, and Fairy Tail is her fairy tale life. It's full of happiness, laughter, and light. They gave her the warmth and love of family she never wanted before.
Her friends gave her hope and purpose in life, and Natsu became her fire in life, the warmth of her heart, and the will of strength to see tomorrow with a beaming smile. And yet, she lost it in a flash. If Happy's assumption of spell or mind control then she still has hope to have adventures together like before. That's all she wishes right this moment, to be together with them again, laugh together, get frustrated at them, and fight together with them again.
"Loke" – Lucy called out as Loke went through his gate with a flash of golden light, he appeared still wearing his signature black fitted suit and eyeglasses.
"Did you miss me, princess?"
"I need you to investigate Fairy Tail for me?"
"What for? They've betrayed you and thrown you away like garbage!"
Loke for once felt outrageous at Lucy's request, he couldn't believe it. Fairy Tail destroyed every ounce of trust and friendship they'd shared for the past years they were together. Just because a girl shrouded with darkness appeared, all of them forget where the true light comes from. They've worshipped the darkness ever since they sided with that girl instead of his kind princess. Loke owes and loves Lucy as his master as she is worth being his master in every way.
"I know it's crazy, but I still have hope that they were not in their right mind, especially Natsu he protected me in danger, took care of me, and gave me warmth and a safe home with the love of a huge family and friends. Happy has a crazy theory of them being controlled. Please, Loke just checked on them secretly. Check in every way just to make sure, please Loke."
She begs Loke with pleading eyes, she understands his hesitation to agree with her request, but Lucy knows Loke understands her better than anyone else. Because Loke is always beside her, he doesn't leave, even though they are in a contract between a spirit and celestial mage, both of them know that their relationship isn't based on their contract. It's based on their strong bond of friendship. Loke is her most trusted spirit including Aquarius and Virgo, as these spirits have been beside her since the very start, they could fathom her direction of thinking in things in life like the back of their hand.
"But...Lucy...~sigh~...fine I'll do it, wait for my report, princess. What will you do if they're being controlled by the curse of mind control or something, princess?"
"When I visit my other friends that were not controlled. I have to dispel it with my angel purification but to use such a curse of mind control in many strong mages at Fairy Tail, on such a great scale. The mastermind or caster must expend a toll and may receive side effects from casting it on a huge scale. And Lisanna is the center of it right now."
~Dragon Realm~
Up in the sky, a magnificent castle stands firmly on a material of clouds in heaven with a grace of light cascading among the white feathers of angels' wings. Towering and twirling clouds circled the said castle as a colourful gate like a portal as its entrance. Multiple dragons entered with their flapping wings and scaly or feathery bodies are enveloped by bright light transforming their mythical body into a human form for all of them to fit inside of the humongous enchanted castle.
In the adjacent room of the throne room, called the meeting hall, all respected leaders of every elemental dragon and their royalty sit down on their respective seats among the chairs set beside a long white table. At the forefront, there are two seats placed beside together as the dragons respectfully greet their queen and king sitting beside each other holding hands with graceful smiles on their face. On their king's left side, is their first prince wearing his usual high-collared black and tan robes with gold trim, along with a large, flowing white toga draped around his torso. His name is Zeref Heartfillia Etherious, a wielder of black and death dragon magic.
The King is wearing his usual casual clothes as he supremely dislikes wearing formal clothes with decorations with medallions befitting the title of King of the Dragons. He bears draconian light blue markings on his face along with his arms like he does when he is in his dragon dorm. He only wears a high-collared black vest with only left sleeves, a sash around his waist, a gold arm right tightened around his right upper arm, and baggy pants which are decorated the same as most former articles of clothing like Natsu's baggy white pants. His name is Acnologia Etherious, a wielder of chaos dragon magic and Etherious.
The queen is wearing a flowing white dress, with transparent lace covering her chest up to where the neck co-joins the shoulder with embroidered flower patterns and small diamonds attached to it acting as pollens of the flowers. The embroiderer goes along to the bottom of the white flowing gown creating a mass of purely white blossoms roses. It enhances her virtuousness and elegance as her golden blonde hair is tied in a French tail with peach colour flowers attached to it, keeping her hair in place. Her name is Layla Heartfillia Etherious, wielder of light and celestial dragon magic.
At this moment, the royal family, except for Lucy, and the leaders of elemental dragons; Igneel, the Fire Dragon King, Grandeeney, the Sky Dragon Queen, Metalicana, the Metal and Iron Dragon King, Weisslogia, the White Dragon King, Skiadrum, the Dark Dragon King, Mercuphobia, the Water Dragon King, Selene, the Moon Dragon Queen, Aldoron, the Earth (also wood) Dragon King, Belserion, the Lightning Dragon King, and Celeste, the Celestial Dragon Queen. They watched and listened in amusement for their own sake of entertainment as their rulers talked about their precious princess, Lucy.
Zeref misses her little sister and according to the celestial spirits popping in and out of their kingdom to give a weekly report about his little sister's condition in the human realm is good, much better compared to when she was still in that so-called light guild, Fairy Tail. He would've gone to war against them for what they've done, all of them deserve punishment for hurting her little sister emotionally, mentally, and physically. And yet, his kind-hearted little sister still cared and forgave them a long time ago, and also, there are still people that she cares about dearly as they are the only ones who sided and protected her from their abusive actions.
"She's in a house with thirteen sons though!" – Zeref sulked in the chair gaining the attention of others.
"I wonder if any of them is interested in Lucy-sama, but then again she is hard to get about love since..." – Celeste stops when she is about to mention Lucy's first love, Natsu. Since then, their princess has locked her heart on the love between man and woman. Both her mind and heart stop comprehending that kind of love. It's too traumatic and heart-aching for Lucy, so the cause of it is she became blockheaded about love. They understand it as it's Lucy's only way to cope with her past.
"I object! My sweet daughter won't be one of those hyenas! I won't let it be!" – Acnologia declared with his firm and strong gaze as his right arm crossed over his chest standing up and acting dramatically like some father would do when they find out their daughter is surrounded by wolves or hyenas.
"Don't be ridiculous." – Layla smacked him up the head
"Lucy is a mature woman, who can make her own decisions, her happiness is our happiness, and she feels at peace. Our daughter is always laughing in there. So, let her choose whoever she wants to be with."
"Plus, I don't think the princess is into any of them considering they are all brothers to Ema, and she treats them as family." – Loke stepped out of his gate with a flashing golden light in his back as a sign of his open and close gate.
"This is an unusual appearance." – Zeref raised an eyebrow in curiosity as most of the time either Virgo or Capricorn will come to report.
"The Celestial Spirit King and Kumiko, the Time Dragon King, who is currently residing in the spirit world, have sent me to deliver news and I have important information regarding the Fairy Tail. Princess doesn't know about this until I tell her about it later." – his expression has grown serious making everyone's posture a little straighter and preparing themselves for the news that makes Loke, the leader of the zodiac serious.
"What is it?" – Igneel asked.
"Someone from that realm has escaped into a portal of the human world." – he answered straightly with no shortcuts.
"How was that possible? Igneel and I have gone undercover into that realm and we found no ways of transportation nor portals in the area that could let anyone out." – Zeref crossed his arms.