Author's Note: I begin this story at the end of episode 171. I just can't see Lucy losing in the sphere like that.

What It Means to be a Fairy Tail Wizard

Lucy felt every blow from Minerva like it was a sledgehammer battering her body, every breath becoming a struggle under the onslaught. Her keys, Minerva had taken her keys, and now she was left helpless, floating in water with no defense against a cruel beating. Minerva couldn't use her keys, the keys were useless to anyone but the contract holder, but she'd taken them. Taken them to make the fight unfair, taken them to prove a point, taken them to show that her guild, Saber Tooth, was better than Lucy's guild. As if Saber Tooth knew the first thing about Fairy Tail, could even compete with what Fairy Tail was: a family.

Second Origin had made Lucy powerful, had expanded her magical capabilities and made her become more in touch with her own magic core as a result. She could feel her magic, sense its depth and promise. Yet still, Minerva had captured her keys in the melee and now Lucy was struggling to find the will to continue with her hope taken. Oh, if only I had my keys! I'd show her a true fight, one where SHE would be the one wondering what to do next! Spending the party night in the spirit realm had eaten up three months of time; she didn't get to train as much as she had hoped for to prepare for the tournament, but she could still hear the words of the celestial spirit of the butler, helping her to train.

"You need to build up your spiritual strength and grow the depth of the container of your magic. Feel the land… the wind… energy… with your flesh. Then breathe, as if you're becoming one with nature."

Lucy came with Fairy Tail to the tournament for one reason. To prove that Fairy Tail was back, that the wizards in that guild were stronger than ever, that Fairy Tail was the number one guild in all of Fiore! How could she do that if she couldn't get her keys? How could she best Minerva in the water sphere and win the round helping to advance Fairy Tail in the rankings, how could she help her friends?

Her keys! A symbol of the contract held between her and each of the 12 zodiac celestial spirits she had a bond with, a connection that had saved her life… The contract! Her spiritual strength has increased with Second Origin, enough for her to summon two spirits at once! Now, if only she could call a spirit, call her keys! Surely it was within her newfound power, in the warm depths of magic she could feel ever since she awakened from the painful experience that was Second Origin. The key is nothing but a symbol, just a talisman for the bond I have with each spirit. The true power of the summoning comes from me, comes from the strength of love I have for each of the members of the Zodiac! I don't need the keys to call them, I just need the will, the heart and trust that they'll answer my call!

"AQUARIUS!" Lucy yelled, gasping through the pain of each breath. "AQUARIUS!"

"What's this? Lucy is calling for her spirits, even though Minerva has her keys?! She must know…" exclaimed the announcer, emceeing the match for the tournament audience.

Minerva stopped her onslaught against Lucy, laughing. "You can't summon your celestial spirits without your keys! Everyone knows that!"

"AQUARIUS!" Closing her eyes against the pain, Lucy reached for her magical core, for the feeling inside of herself that could open the celestial gate. Feel the energy… Slowing her breathing, Lucy felt.

As if you're becoming one with nature… The pain was nothing, the pain was nowhere. Minerva was nowhere. Sinking further into herself, the butler's words echoed again.

Release a little bit more magical power… Lucy was inside of her magical core; she could see her magic! A brilliant pink all around her, her magic was molded into summoning, pathways carved to each celestial gate. It was brilliant, it was beautiful, and it was deeper and richer than anything she had ever thought she'd know. What was anything compared to this?

Laughing at her stillness, Minerva pulled back her arm, readying for another punch.

Breathe….

The water around Lucy began to move in circular motions. Faster and faster, the circle grew, a physical sign of her inner sight, her descent into where her magic was kept inside her.

"AQUARIUS!"

A bright light flashed throughout the sphere, centered around Lucy Heartfilia. The emcee started talking again, faster than before, speculating on what it could be. Could Minerva have used magic to hurt Lucy even more? Could Lucy have fallen out of the sphere and ended the round? What on earth was happening? The entire audience waited with baited breath for the light to fade, to see what was happening inside the light.

"Oh my wizard! Aquarius is in the sphere! Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail summoned her celestial spirits even though Minerva has taken her keys! This match has definitely taken a turn for the…" burst out the emcee, standing on his chair in his excitement while Minerva and the entire audience looked at Lucy in shock.

"Aquarius."

The spirit looked at Lucy, never having heard such a tone from her before. It was otherworldly, it didn't sound like Lucy. There was a depth there… it resounded throughout her head. Aquarius heard Lucy and only Lucy echo throughout her consciousness. Lucy spoke again. "Retrieve my keys, and send this scrap of a wizard outside the sphere. Now." Opening her eyes, her pink-filled irises pierced Aquarius and for once, Aquarius did as she was bade. No threats, no glares, only the echo throughout her head, the force of Lucy as she directed the spirit to do what needed to be done to finish the round.

"What on earth is happening in there folks? Lucy Heartfilia, what has happened to Lucy Heartfilia? She is staring at her spirit, she hasn't said a word, what on earth is about to happen?" burst out the emcee, desperate for something to happen.

Aquarius lifted her jar and Minerva looked on in shock as the water gathered around it and she was ejected from the sphere in mere moments by the jet of water that was summoned. Held aloft, Aquarius didn't let her fall to the ground, thereby ending the round but rather sent tendrils of water creeping along her body, looking for the keys. A curious sight, and Minerva wiggled under the questing streams, trying to escape from their vice-like embrace so she could retaliate. Finding the keys, small jets of water wrapped around them and sent them rushing back along the tendril to the sphere where Aquarius had her hand stretched out, waiting. Releasing her power on the tendril, Aquarius let Minerva fall.

"And that's the match folks!" blabbed on the emcee, while Aquarius turned to Lucy. Opening her mouth to make an ending remark, Aquarius stopped when she saw the look on Lucy's face.

Heartfelt gratitude was sketched upon her features, as she held her hand out for her keys. Aquarius dropped them in Lucy's hands without a word and paced back, waiting for what Lucy had to say.

"Thank you, Aquarius, for answering my call." whispered Lucy for Aquarius alone, the thanks a murmur throughout her consciousness, a low voice that bounced back and forth across her mind.

Staring into the still pink irises of her wizard, Aquarius replied, "It was an honor." Turning away, Aquarius began to fade, traveling back to the spirit world.

"Though, now that you can summon two spirits at once, I would like to have my date with Scorpio!" yelled Aquarius back through the spirit gate as it began to close. Quiet laughter filled her vision and she heard a flutter in her ears. "Consider it done." responded Lucy, right before the gate closed, finishing the conversation for them both.

The water sphere began to dissolve, and Lucy slowly drifted back to the earth. Pink began to disappear from the iris of her eyes, and she turned to face Minerva, who stood, glaring at her descent. Feet touching the ground, Lucy looked at Minerva with a look that bordered on pity. Shocking Minerva with the conviction she conveyed through a single sentence, Lucy opened her mouth to say one simple sentence before turning away.

"You have no idea what it means, to be a Fairy Tail wizard."