Chapter Text
Loke felt like an idiot just standing there staring at her. He knew the Zodiac Spirits were something else, but holy damn, she was the most beautiful creature he had even seen.
Her skin was a rich sepia color, and she had deep brown locs she had pulled into a ponytail that she decorated with golden beads. Her eyes were a captivating, golden yellow, and she had a deep vertical gash over her left eye. She wore white dotted makeup around her eyes and the bottom of her mouth and a white line that went down her chin. She was dressed in a beautiful sleeveless golden dress with a blue ribbon that was tied around her waist. She wore golden jewelry around her neck and wrists, and a had a golden belt buckle that showed the constellation of Leo. The feline ears and tail only added to the outline of a being he had business being near, let alone holding something of her possession.
She giggled at the dumbstruck look on his face. “Are you finished staring, Master?”
Master. That’s right, Loke was lucky enough to have defeated another Celestial Spirit Wizard in a battle. The prize for winning, the man’s Gate Key, his only key. The strongest Celestial Spirit there was, aside from the Celestial Spirit King himself. Leo the Lion. Or, apparently, Lioness. Loke didn’t even know the man was a Celestial Wizard, they were in a fist fight, but apparently that was enough.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean…” Loke felt like a moron. He was usually so suave but…
She laughed, “It’s quite alright. I’m used to the reaction from new owners.”
Owner. That word made him feel queasy. Spirits didn’t deserve to be owned, they deserved a partnership.
“Are you ready to start our contract?” She asked.
“Right,” Loke pulled out a piece of parchment and lifted his quill to start writing.
Leo raised an eyebrow, curious at his actions. “Master, surely I am not your first spirit.” She said. “It does not need to be a physical form, the contract will be formed once we have reached an agreement.”
“I know,” Loke responded. “This is to help me. I wanna make sure everything is understood.”
Leo still looked amused but conceded from further questioning his methods, apart from one question. “How many Spirits do you have, if I may ask?”
“Five.” He answered, “Including you.” He held up a key ring with four silver keys, and her golden one sandwiched in the middle.
“I am your first Zodiac?” She asked, astonished.
“Yes.” He nodded.
“And yet you were able to open my Gate so easily.” She smiled, putting her gorgeous white fangs on display. “Impressive, young master. The Lion Gate is the hardest of the Zodiac to open.”
Hearing her praise make Loke blush, but he played it off with a smirk. “Really? It wasn’t that hard.”
She laughed. “You are a funny one, young master.”
“I can’t be that much younger than you.” Loke replied.
Leo laughed again, this time it was a roaring laugh that sounded animalistic. “I am flattered, but I am much too old for you.” She rolled her eyes, watching him squirm.
“Well, I’m sixteen.” He stammered. “How much older is that?”
Leo’s ear flicked as she thought. “I believe I am… Twenty five, physically, at least. However, I have been around for many human millennia.” She watched his face go through a mixture of emotions she had come to expect from teenage owners. “Shall we begin, Master?”
He cringed at the word again. “Can you not call me that?”
Leo bowed her head slightly, “Of course. What would you prefer me to call you? Young master? My lord? Sir?”
“Loke is fine,” He said with a smile.
“Very well, Loke.”
Loke knew he was blushing again just by the way she laughed. “What do you want me to call you?” He asked.
Her dark, scarred eyebrow raised again. “Why, Leo, of course.”
"Leo? May I ask you something?" Asked the seventeen year-old.
"Of course." Answered the spirit. She sat down at his desk, watching him sketch her.
"How many Holders have you had?" He questioned, not looking up from where he was shading in the shadows of her nose.
"That is a difficult question." Leo answered, though she leaned back to think. "I have been the Leo Spirit for two hundred and thirty Spirit years. Given the average human life span is roughly," Her nose wrinkled as she did some mental math. "I'd say, seventy-seven years?"
Loke laughed at her expense, which made her tail flick up and smack him softly. "I get it, I get it, its a lot."
"Now it is my turn to ask you." She said, bringing up a part of their contract that stated both parties are entitled to a question. "Why are you so interested in questioning me? Most Holders only use their Spirits for combat or pleasure."
"What's not to be interested in?" He asked, putting down his chalk so he could look at her in the dim candlelight. "You're from an entirely different plane of existence. You've lived longer than I can comprehend. You hold more power in a single claw than I do in my entire body. You're mysterious, beautiful, smart, and kind."
Leo smiled from the compliments. "I suppose. I guess I am just not used to my Holders taking such interest in me."
"Guess I'm just special, then." He smirked.
"Guess so." Leo replied with a soft smile.
"May I ask another question?"
"You may."
"The Zodiac Spirits reincarnate, right?"
"Is that your question?" She mused.
Loke rolled his hazel eyes, "My question is, how does it work? I mean, I thought Spirits were immortal."
Leo hummed, unsure if she should answer. It was genuninely frowned upon to explain how to kill a Spirit to a human, in fear of what they could do. But Loke was different, she had just admitted it. "Spirits are immortal, in the sense that we cannot die from old age. When a Spirit dies, they become one with their constellation. Silver Keys only have one life, just as humans do."
Loke nodded, to show he as following along as he started on his sketch again. He knew that their were hundreds of Silver Keys to a single constellation, and apparently hundreds of Spirits to a single constellation as well. But the Zodiac Keys were different. There was only one Key per constellation, and only one Spirit that belonged with it.
"The Zodiac, are different. Because we are the strongest, brightest constellations in the Spirit World, we are given certain... Privileges, you could say." Her fingers traced over the golden bracelets on her wrists. "There is only one way to kill a Spirit. You must keep them in the Human World, which would drain our life force. We are given twelve lives."
"What life are you on?"
She looked at him with a faked insulted expression, which made him laugh. "Sorry, sorry, it your turn for a question."
"Loke, you must be more careful!" Leo hissed, holding him closely as she pressed a warm cloth to his wound.
"How did you know?" He groaned, wincing as she ripped open his shirt with a single swipe of her claw. She held the bloodied rag as close to his slash wound as she possibly could. "How did you know I was in trouble?"
Leo removed the blue ribbon from around her waist and tied it over the cloth to hold it in place. "Most Spirits can feel when their Holder is in danger." She replied, the hiss still prominent in her voice. As if she was upset with him for getting hurt.
"But how did you-" Loke was glad she was focused on running, because she couldn't see his blush as she carried him bridal style. "I mean, I didn't open your gate."
"I used my own power to get here." Leo told him. "I'm the Lion, the Queen of the Zodiac. I'm stronger than the other Spirits, I can do things they cannot."
"My hero." Loke laughed as she busted through the doors of a healer's clinic.
Leo huffed as she was forced to wait outside as her Holder was stitched up. Damn that eighteen-year old. He was too reckless for his own good. What was he thinking? Throwing himself in the middle of a fight without his Gate Keys. He may have also known Ring Magic, but it didn't mean a thing when he couldn't react fast enough.
Still, she was proud of him for helping those kids. If it wasn't for him, those bandits would've killed them.
If he wasn't careful, he'd get himself killed. Leo knew she wouldn't be able to let that happen. He was such a bright star, he couldn't be snuffed out so soon.
It was just supposed to be an errand run. He wasn't even supposed to be in this part of town so late at night, but he realized that he had ran out of tea. Besides, it was just a quick walk to the store, he'd be out for only ten minutes at the least. But that's when he heard it. He heard her scream.
A group of men had a woman pushed up against the railing of a bridge. She was screaming and crying as their hands were roaming all over her. She struggled in their grasps, but she could do little against the five of them.
"Hands off!" Loke yelled, dropping his paper bag to race to her defense.
"Fuck off, pretty boy." Said one of the man, his hands reaching under the woman's skirt.
Loke bawled his fist and punched the first man across the face. "I said, hands off!" He repeated, using his ring magic to blow back another one of the men. "Let the lady go!"
One of the men grabbed Loke by his long hair and slammed him face first into the railing of the bridge. "I said, fuck off, pretty boy!" Snarled the man.
Loke gasped as he felt something hot and sharp pierce his back. It felt as if he had been punched by an iron hot poker! He tried to kick his attacker backwards, but that's when the poker got him again, this time in the side. He could hear the woman screaming again, but this time her cries were different, though he could figure out why. This was fine, he'd been jumped before. It'd never hurt like this though. The poker got him over and over and over again, even as he fought to face his attacker. He finally managed to turn around enough to nail the man in the face.
He stumbled backwards and dropped something the color of rubies. Loke's eyes blurred as he tried to make out what it was. He reached for it, but instead, he fell over it. He didn't understand what was happening. He felt so weak all of sudden, and what was going on with the weather? Why was this sudden rain so hot and thick on his skin?
"Gods, Caspin? What have you done?"
"Little shit got in our way."
"Did you have to go and kill him?"
"Oh, shut up, Fillius. Less you care to join our little friend?"
"Whatever, man. Just ditch him in the river."
Loke tried to force his arms under him, but he could move them. He felt so light-headed, that he could only groan when the men lifted him. It only registered that he was falling when he saw the moon's reflection in the water below.
He plunged into the icy waters, still unsure of what had happened to him. The water gave a jolt to his system, which allowed him to start flailing as he sunk further and further below the surface. His legs kicked wildly, but his efforts only seemed to propel him further down. Loke screamed as the water rushed into his lungs, but all that came up was bubbles of a crimson color.
Kicking, screaming, sinking slowly, the last thing Loke could see was a beautiful creature, reaching for him in the dark waters. She was emitting a golden aura that flooded the water with a warm, calming presence.
She must've been an angel. He thought as his eyes closed.
He wasn't sure where he was, or even who he was. All he knew is that he simply was... He? That made sense, he thought. It sounded correct.
"Please, Your Majesty, I had no choice." Spoke a soft, but fierce voice.
"That is blasphemy, Lion!" Boomed a deep, threatening voice. "You brought a Human into our world?"
"This man is no ordinary human, Sire." Said the first voice. "He is my Holder."
"I do not see why that matters." Said another voice. This one was higher-pitched then the first one. Less of a soft, raspy feminine and more of a loud, demanding feminine.
"Do not speak out of turn, Water Bearer." Ordered the voice that boomed. "And why should that matter, Lion?"
"He died, Sire. On my watch. I would like you to restore his life."
Died? He wasn't sure what that word meant anymore. He knew it meant ceasing to exist, but if these voices were speaking of him, well he was right here. He still existed, didn't he?
"You dare ask me of such a request?" Laughed the booming voice.
"Please, Sire." Pleaded the raspy, feminine voice. "He is an extraordinary young wizard. Out of all my Holders, he has shown more respect and kindness for us Spirits than any other. He burns with the flames of a star."
The deep voice let out a hum that shook his existence.
"Even if I wanted to fulfill a request so pitiful as yours, I could not. Restoring a Spirit is one thing. My power holds little over mortal lives."
"Then I wish to trade my life for his!"
What?
"What? Leo that is-"
"Silence, Water Bearer! Do you truly mean this, Lion?"
"I do, Your Majesty."
"You do understand what this would mean?" Asked the deep voice.
"I do." Answered the first voice, still as strong as ever. "It means trading everything for him. I am on my last life, but I would like to give it all to him."
"This would mean making him the next Leo the Lion. Would you truly do this for a mortal man? One you have only known for twelve days?"
"Yes, Aquarius. Please, Sire. No mortal in existence is more worthy of my power."
If this truly was about him, then no, he wasn't. He pleaded for them to hear him, to let him have a say. But he didn't exist at this point, did he?
"Very well." Said the deep voice. "You have my permission, Lion. However, you must get the same from your fellow Zodiac. After all, you will be leaving them behind if this is something you go forward with."
I don't want this, he pleaded. Please say no.
"Aries?"
This voice was very timid and soft. "I... I'm sorry but I... I vote, yes."
No!
"Thank you, Aries." Said the first voice. "Taurus?"
"Is this truly something you want, Leo?" This masculine voice sounded so full of sorrow as he spoke.
"It is, Taurus. It is time for a change in the cosmos. He is more worthy than even I."
"I don't know about that." The masculine voice laughed a bit, but the sound was more like a bovine roar than a laugh. "But if you believe so. My vote is yes."
No! Stop it!
"I thank you, my friend. Gemini?"
"Does this mean you won't be able to play with us anymore?" Asked a child-like voice.
"Yes, Gemi."
"But we like playing with you, Leo." Said another child's voice.
"I like playing with you both as well." Said the raspy feminine voice. "But, this will be a fun new playmate! He is very fun to play with, I promise."
"I don't wanna say bye-bye, Leo." Said the second child.
"But it'll make Leo happy, Mini." Said the first child.
"Okay... We vote, yes."
Please stop.
"You don't have to beg me, Leo." Said another voice. "If you want this, I will not stop you. Yes."
"Thank you, Cancer. You already know how I will vote." The first voice laughed with a playful roar.
Stop it.
"You have already made it clear that this is what you want. I vote yes, as well."
"Thank you, Virgo." After a small bit of silence, the voice spoke again, "And you as well, Libra."
"Well, it seems that my vote is unnecessary now, seeing the majority have already voted you out. Ahh, to hell with it, do whatever you want, Leo."
"Compassionate as always, Scorpio."
"Yes." Said another voice, that was thanked as Sagittarius.
"I do not understand your reasoning, Leo. How could a mortal man be worth giving up everything?"
Having grown tired of arguing, the first voice only sighed. "Is that a, no, then, Capricorn."
"Do not misunderstand, Leo. I may not understand why you would do this, but that does not mean I will stop you. I vote, yes. You clearly believe you have served your role as the Lion for long enough, and this mortal man is a suitable replacement."
”I thank you, Capricorn. Aquarius?”
“This is ridiculous, Leo! Trading your life for a mortal teenager is beyond idiotic!”
“Aquarius, I understand that you’re emotional. But please, try-“
“I vote no!”
“We vote, Yes.” Said a soft feminine voice that echoed through the arguments.
“It is decided.” Returned the booming voice, silencing the squabbles. “Take out the Key of the Lion.”
His existence began to change, that much he could feel. Before, he couldn't feel a thing, but now he felt everything. A warmth spread all over his essences, tingling from every direction. As pleasurable as it was, he could still remember what had happened. Felt something enter his existence, like it was cradling him.
"Loke, I am so sorry." It was the voice that was pleading for his existence. "I truly wanted to spend more time with you. You are so wonderful, and I am glad that I have made this decision."
He felt her presences so strongly, it made him want to reach out and touch her.
"You will do wondrous things, Loke. Whenever you are unsure, look for our shared stars. I will be there to guide you. Goodbye, my little cub."
The halls of the Lion temple were warm and decorated, but so painfully unrecognizable. Really, it was more of a mansion, than a temple, and it was his home now. But how could it ever be his? He knew who it truly belonged too. And she was gone now, because of him.
Attendants of the Lion Spirit had offered to clean out Leo's belongings, but he refused their offer. It felt wrong to just get rid of her stuff. And she had a lot of stuff. He wondered how she would feel about him going through her stuff.
The master bedroom was truly a magnificent sight to behold. The walls were white, and regally decorated in golden memorabilia from centuries past. Their was a balcony just past the bed that over looked the Leo constellation. The bed itself was laid upon a white fur rug. The bed looked as one He would've expected of a queen's, decorated in a golden curtain that held the stars he now recognized as the Leo Minor constellation. He wondered if he stuck his hand through, that it would teleport him to said constellation. About the bed was a mounted stone head of a lion that he was sure had been carved in the human world. The rest of the mansion was similarly decorated in tones of white, gold, red, orange, and black. She had rooms and rooms of clothing that would now go unworn. He decided he would give them to the Leo Minor spirits.
Yet another thing his new title required of him. He would need to meet with and establish relationships with all of them, and he knew there were hundreds of the Little Lion spirits. Not only them, but the rest of the Zodiac as well. How was he supposed to be their leader? None of them should respect him, or even like him. He took away their true leader. The true Lion.
A delightful charm snapped him from running his fingers over a silk yellow dress with orange fur trimming. He jumped a bit, still not used to his new heightened senses.
"Leo, Sir." A spirit peered into the closet hallway, their head down, bowed in honor. "Aries the Ram is here. Would you like me to escort her in?"
He still wasn't used to being called that name. Her name. "No, thank you." He cringed when he couldn't remember which spirit this was. "I shall meet her myself." The spirit bowed again and disappeared from his sight.
With a sigh, he left her belongings to find his way to the door. He remembered that the mansion opened into a large room with a sweeping, spiral staircase, but he needed to find his way down there first. He wasn't sure how long he kept Aries waiting on the doorstep, but he finally found his way to open the door.
He had never seen her before, but even without being informed of who she was, he could tell that this was indeed the Aries Spirit. The smell of her alone gave him the impression of warm wool, notes of pure vanilla, cotton candy, and coconut milk. She was about a head shorter than he was, and her skin was a deep cafe noir color, and her hair was hot bubblegum pink that was styled in a short bouffant. She had furry brown ears peaking out from the tight pink curls and beautiful golden-brown ram horns. Her eyes were the same captivating yellow of Leo's that was burned into his memory, though her pupils were rectangular. She was dressed in a white dress with wool-like designs around the color. The base of the dress and a light pink design that gave the appearance of a corset. As she stepped into the mansion, he realized that she wasn't wearing shoes. But then he also realized that she had black hooves poking out underneath her dress, which answered that question.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion, Leo." She said.
He shivered as she called him that. He knew he'd have to get used to it eventually, but it still hurt.
She must've noticed his anguish, because her hand instantly came up and rested against his cheek. "I'm sorry." She apologized again. "May I take a seat?"
"Huh? Oh, sure." She took his hand in her's and lead him over towards a couch decorated in fur. His heart raced as the approached it, wondering if the little lamb would take offense to it, but if it did bother her, she didn't show it. She took a seat and patted next to her.
He sat down, but then shifted his weight so that his tail was beside him instead of under him.
"It is quite a shift, isn't it?" Asked Aries, her lips in a gentle smile.
He looked down at the orange tail that matched his long hair, wiggling it slowly. Once his body had formed, the golden jewelry it was decorated in had appeared with it. It was so similar to Leo's that he couldn't bare to take it off. He consciously flicked the feline ears on his head, feeling a tickle as they brushed past his long shoulder length mane that was tied up. He ran his fingers against the feline pads that he now had on his hands. They were on his feet as well, but his sandals prevented him from messing with them.
"It's strange." He answered her question, after a pause that must've been uncomfortable for her. "I don't remember anything about being human, but it's still like I'm adjusting to... This." He gestured to himself.
"I understand." She said gently. "Most of us do."
His ears flicked subconsciously this time as he looked back up into her eyes. "You do?"
She nodded. "Once a Zodiac Spirit reincarnates, a human recently passed is chosen to take their place." She explained. "I am the newest Zodiac, or, I was." She looked down. "I'm sorry that you had to loose her so soon. She was so incredible."
He tensed as she brought up the Lion in the room. "You all must hate me." He muttered. "I took her away from you all."
"No, Leo wanted this." She took his hand in her's. "She wanted you to live. I could never hate her for such a wish."
He sniffled and hid his face in his hands as he began to wail. "All I can remember is her. And now she's gone!"
Aries wrapped him in a warm, wool, hug and stroked his back, enticing a purr from his throat that made his face even more red. "I miss her too." She hushed. "But she was ready to retire to the stars. And she knew that a soul like yours was too special to pass on."
"Why was I special?"
"Why don't you show us all?" Aries suggested, seeing as she had no real answer to his question. "The other's might need you to prove yourself, but I can already tell you are special. Whatever it is Leo saw in you, it was the spirit of the Lion."
Even though he had never met her before, he felt as if they had been friends since existence began. And perhaps that was because they had been, in a sense.
"I have no right asking you all for favors, but..."
"Ask me anything, Leo."
"How do I get stronger?" He asked her. "For Leo, I have too. Too ensure her gift doesn't go to waste."
Aries pulled away from their hug and brushed some of the long hair from his face. "You have inherited Leo's strength, but that has also been multiplied by your own. Right now, you are leaps and bounds above the rest of us," She laughed, "But that will dim if you do not learn to harvest it. You will learn the art of Regulus, and it will be the key to your power."
"How do I open my own gate? Like she did?"
Aries giggled at such a bold question. "That will take years of practice, Leo. Only the Zodiac are powerful enough to do that, and even for us, it takes a lot of strength."
He smiled at her, wondering if his fangs would ever rival Leo's beauty. "Well, I'm not going anywhere."
