Lucy hurried into the Guild early in the morning. She wanted to check the library to see if there were any books on Mares and how to protect oneself from them. Last night had really spooked her and she felt very hesitant to tell anyone about it. To make sure no one would ask about the mark; she was wearing her Magical Games outfit with the long sleeves. Not even saying hi to Mirajane, she hurried down the steps into the library.
"Let's see, History of Magic, How to Conjure up Animals, 10 Different Ways to Magically Grow Hair? Gross!" Lucy shuddered putting the book back. Climbing the ladder she started going top to bottom looking for anything about beasts, creatures, or even monsters. Guildmaster Markov claimed Fairy Tail's library had the most diverse collection of any guild. She should have been able to find a book on what she wanted. "How can there be nothing on those topics? Erza and Gildarts have encountered several monsters on jobs. Even Gray mentioned once fighting a monster before he came to the guild. Ugh." She slid down the ladder to the floor and hurried up the stairs.
When she arrived upstairs Mirajane was busy talking with Marcao and Wakaba about their latest job. Elfman was seated at a table with Reedus, Nab, and Vijeerter giving tips about how to improve their magic. Team Thunder God ate breakfast with some of the girls. There was no sign of Team Shadow Gear. Sitting down at the bar, Lucy contemplated her next move.
"Good morning Lucy, how was your night?" Lisanna asked brightly as she placed a blueberry muffin and orange juice in front of her friend. When Lucy didn't respond, Lisanna's eyes furrowed. She gently touched Lucy's arm scaring the girl a bit. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay, you look a little unwell?"
"I'm fine, I just had a nightmare last night. Hey, do you know if someone took books from the guild library? I was looking for books on creatures or monsters and I couldn't find any."
Lisanna frowned, turning she looked at a sign out sheet on the back wall. No one had taken any books out and the inventory showed all books accounted for. "There should be at least ten books on the subject. I'll talk to my sister and the master. Maybe they can find out where the books went. Do you need them soon?"
"Um, I'm not sure, it's just a personal matter. Let me know when they turn up okay?" Finishing her breakfast she headed over to the job board. Being a Star Maiden and a Princess didn't come with the perks of endless cash and her rent was due next week. Suddenly Lucy got bowled over by Natsu. They fell to the floor with their faces inches apart from each other. Natsu face started blush before he scrambled off her. "You should really watch where you're standing."
"Yeah Lucy, why did you have to trip Natsu up like that?" Happy wanted to know.
"Excuse me, Natsu ran into me and knocked me to the ground. He should be apologizing," she snapped angrily, her eyes flashed gold briefly before turning back to her normal angry brown eyes. Seeing this the boys quickly apologized.
"Sorry, I was just excited because I found a job that sounds like it just for us! See look." She snatched flyer reading it silently. The job asked for a Dragon Slayer, preferably a fire one, a hyperactive Exceed, and lastly a powerful Celestial Mage. The assignment was to get rid of an unknown shadowy pest that was terrorizing workers as they tried to restore an old manor to its former glory in a nearby town. The reward was enough money to cover her rent while feeding Natsu and Happy for days. The picture on the flyer showed an old house with a big shadow of some creature in the background. "Doesn't sound exciting! It will be just like the old days when it was just the three of us!"
"Are you sure this is legit, it just seems too good to be true," Lucy stated skeptically. Unconsciously she rubbed her right arm where the mark from last night was hidden. "Do you really think we can handle this job on our own? Maybe we should get the rest of the team."
Happy informed her that everyone else was out doing jobs with other people. Natsu was practically begging to go on this job. Igneel had left to gather the other dragons, so he was bored. Seeing this as a chance to work with one another to get over whatever problem there was Lucy agreed. Natsu and Happy cheered running off with Lucy right behind them yelling at them to slow down.
By early afternoon the team arrived in Ironwood. It was a beautiful town full of sprawling bungalows and beautiful trees that were the color of iron. A nice big lake was on the edge of the town. Dotting the down were historical landmarks to visit. A relaxing place to spend the holidays at. "I could spend a nice weekend here. It would be fun to spend some time exploring the old sites wouldn't it Natsu?"
"Bunch of dumb ruins, come on let's move those feet. I want to get this job done already!" A short time later they arrived at their destination. It was a halfway restored three-story purple brick building with fuchsia covered tiles covering the roof and wrapping around the four turret points. Several of the windows were restored as the construction workers worked to first and second floor as the grounds men worked to reclaim the yards. A man in a suit and a hard hat was sitting in a tent going over some blue prints. When he spied the trio he gestured them over.
"Thank you for coming so soon. My name is Mr. Stone. I'm glad to see you three I could really use your help." After offering them something to drink he explained what the problem was. "The town sold us this property hoping we could restore it to its former glory. They wish to turn it into a museum to show their history. My crew was halfway through construction when about two weeks ago something started attacking the site at night. All the progress we made would be undone, some of my men went missing. Our attempts to capture the pest have failed. All we know is that the creature is about six or maybe seven feet tall with weird footprints."
They looked at the footprints, they were large, deep, and didn't resemble anything they knew of, something was off about them. Mr. Stone went on to say they had observed some a few weird thing about the creature. A worker who had been attacked had survived when his wife's silver key fell out of his pocket. The creature took one look at it and ran the other way. Two nights ago the creature had taken off when they mimicked the sounds of a Dragon Roar and did a shadow puppet of an Exceed.
"We can't be sure that this pest is afraid of these magical talents, but we have hope it is. I'm losing money every day this project is delayed and the town is really counting on the museum bringing in extra tourism. Can you please help us?"
"Of course sir. Don't worry about a thing. We'll have your problem solved by tomorrow morning," Lucy assured him. Her friends nodded as they got ready to face the pestering creature once night fell.
While waiting for night to fall, Lucy decided to explore a bit. She knew that Natsu and Happy would be occupied trying to figure out the most destructive way to beat the pest. Walking on one the completed areas of the house she stopped to admire the beautiful mantle over one fireplace in a room that must have been a study at one time. There were bookshelves around the room along with some desks stand. A beautiful crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling with candelabra's attached to the wall. Glancing over at the mantle she opened her eyes wide in surprise. There was a faded outline of what had been a giant portrait that wasn't there anymore.
"The portrait was too damaged for restoration, so we had to throw it out. A real shame, it was a picture of the family who used this manor as their summer cottage," Mr. Stone explained. Lucy hadn't even noticed him come in. The foreman gave her a small smile. "It's always nice to find someone else who appreciates the beauty and importance of restoring historical sites."
"This place feels very inviting. I can imagine how everything looked when this house was filled with family love. Everyone so happy and proud to be with each other," she whispered. Memories of her past when both her parents were alive tickled the back of her mind. At one time they had been happy.
Suddenly a woman's horrible wailing could be heard from outside. The ground shook the foundation causing the furniture to overturn. "I don't understand, the creature shouldn't be attacking until after dark!" Mr. Stone shouted, struggling stay on his feet. Glancing outside there it was still several hours before sunset.
"Maybe it wants to finish the job once and for all. Look out!" she shouted as pieces of the chandelier fell towards the man. There was no time to protect his face. Mini seconds before contact they disintegrated. Startled he looked up at the girl whose hand was still outstretched. "Get your men and evacuate from here! My friends and I will deal with your pest problem," the girl ordered. Nodding he followed her commands getting to his men as fast he could.
After casting a barrier spell behind her, she followed the noises of battle coming from the edge of the property near the forest that bordered the lake. What she saw halted her in her tracks. Happy was flying around with Natsu, who was repeatedly using his Dragon Roar against a six foot female monster. The creature had ratty hair, a muscular frame, and a thousand limbs with grabby hands! Those prints had been of hands, not feet! As she lunged at Natsu, she nearly sank her teeth into his leg. Only one creature fit this description. "A Kojin!"
What in the world is Kojin doing destroying buildings? They eat and devour children's flesh in their cave until presented a doll for them to care and love, changing them from monstrous ogres to protectors of children. I wish I had a doll and an enkio tree shrine right about now, Lucy thought as she pulled out her Fleur de Lese.
"Hey over here you ugly lady! I'm tastier then that mince meal of a cat and boy!" The Kojin slapped away the boys as several hands came towards her. Standing her ground, Lucy waited until the last second, before snapping and slashing with her Fleur de Lese. The second it touched the hands burns appeared or deep cuts that festered. Jumping up and over several arms Lucy wrapped her weapon around the Kojin's arm pulling tightly.
"Come on, come on go down." It was no use as the Kojin broke free sending the weapon flying miles away. The Celestial Spirit Mage eyes grew wide as she saw those hands come after her. Scrambling she ran around dodging the arms and avoided being kicked by one of the Kojin's legs. Kojin moved close at loping pace roaring loudly. Before she knew it the Kojin had grabbed her feet from under her and dangled the teen over her open mouth.
"You can't eat me here! This isn't a cave and I'm not a kid!" Lucy wailed loudly as the female ogre lowered her towards her jaw. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" A massive explosion filled the area injuring the left half of the Kojin. It roared in pain as it flung Lucy towards the lake. At the speed she was going; she could possibly break her neck or die from the impact. Clenching her fist together, her magic started to form into the shape of a silver key. "Open the Gate of the Playful Dolphin: Delphinus!" A series of clicks echoed up from the lake as a swirling gate opened in the lake below.
A large dolphin shape leaped into the air twisting in midflip to catch the Star Maiden before diving back into the water. An air bubble helmet covered Lucy's face as she struggled for a few seconds disoriented by the impact. Delphinus held her tight clicking at her to relax. Calming down she looked at the Celestial Spirit she had called out for.
Delphinus looked like a cross between a speckled dolphin and human. His overall shape was that of a dolphin, but his face had human features and he had arms and hands attached underneath his flippers. There was even skin covering hidden legs under the tail. "Click, whistle, clickety click whistle" As he spoke his dolphin language translated to English in her ears. "Princess, are you alright? You're summons sounded frantic. I appeared as fast as I could."
"Thanks for the help Delphinus, I would have become part of the lake without your help. Can you get me to shore? I have to help my friends deal with a Kojin." The dolphin man nodded as she grabbed his dorsal fin. They torpedoed through the lake arriving at the shore in minutes. Shaking off the water she closed his gate sending him back. Taking a deep breath she hurried back to the battle for round two with the Kojin.
Natsu and Happy had driven the Kojin further away from the house towards the lake. Several arms were burned off and scratch marks covered the face of the Kojin. She let out a high-pitched wail causing both Exceed and the human to cover their ears as blood started to seep out.
"It's so loud! My ears feel like they're being eaten from the inside out!" Happy exclaimed. His claws scratched at his ears drawing blood. Natsu grunted and pushed through the pain. "No stupid monster is going to stop me from doing my job! Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Setting himself ablaze, he charged forward head butting the Kojin at high speed setting the female ogre on fire. The Kojin back up, stopped, dropped, and rolled. Most of the fire went out, but she lost more arms.
Bringing her remaining hands she clapped her hands sending a concussive force through the air. Natsu grabbed Happy who flew them in the air. Powering up his Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow, he ordered Happy to toss him. Dropping like a missile he drove his fists her face breaking her teeth. Before he could do any more attacks, the Kojin grabbed Natsu in her arms and started playing roughly as if he was a toy doll. Flicking her fingers she got rid of Happy. "Let me go you slimy ahhh! You don't know owwwwwwwww, you're messing with! Fire Dragon oooom."
Bursting through the forest onto the battle field Lucy whipped three keys from her belt calling out. "Open the Gates of my friends; Taurus, Horologium, and Pig!" The Kojin smiled upon the sight of the giant axe wielding Taurus mooing in delight at the thought of fighting. Ling the Pig grunted as she stood to his right and on his left was Horologium. "LUCY! It's been so long since I've seen your sexy body. How are you doing?"
"Knock it off Taurus, we've got a real problem right in front of us!" Ling snapped at him. The Kojin was striding over to them, hunger plain on its face. Natsu was still being played with some of the massive appendages.
"Your orders Miss Lucy?" Horologium questioned. Truth be admitted, he wasn't comfortable being in a fight against a Kojin. It was taking all his willpower not to run in the other direction.
"Ling, find a weak spot to attack. Taurus, once it's found strike hard and fast. The Kojin will let go of Natsu, I want you to keep him locked up and safe in your body Horologium. I'll finish this off with a spell. Go!"
Ling was pretty fast on her hooves as she raced closer and leaped over fallen logs. Her eyes glowed as she let her enhanced sense take over. She could hear the creature's heart beating strongly. Ignoring the smell of burning flesh she focused her eyes on the Kojin searching for a weak spot. "Found it! There's a weak spot on the first set arms near her right shoulder. Hit it, and all her nerves will numb up!"
"MOOO I'm on it! Make way for my blade!" Rampaging forward he spun his axe deflecting the female's arms. Leaping into the air, he hopped from one arm to the next before bringing the axe down on the right spot. Kojin let out a monstrous wail, her arms going limp. Natsu started to fall, but Horologium caught the boy and wobbled out the way.
"My turn! Celestial Magic: Dimensional Space Gate Void!" The spell was more powerful than she imagined. Magical energy rushed out of her body and it wasn't all Celestial. To her surprise and horror a wormhole contain inside an elaborate gate made of crystals appeared. The void started sucking everything towards it. Lucy tried to stop the spell, but couldn't as it got bigger the more it sucked in. As she lost her footing she started flying towards the void only to be caught by Taurus and placed under his body. Everyone held on as the door's power increased.
The Kojin tried to avoid being sucked in, but it was too late. It passed through the void, the gate shutting behind it and disappearing. Natsu freed himself from Horologium and hurried towards Lucy just as Happy ran out of the woods. "Lucy, what the heck was that? You better ahhhhh, hey quit it, ah!"
Magic sparks flew off her body as the Celestial Princess thrashed about. She kept switching from Star Maiden Princess to regular Lucy. Her power was in flux as her keys glowed brightly. The air around the Celestial Spirits was changing, becoming that of the Celestial World. "Her powers are overwhelming her perfect body!"
"Shut up and help our princess already. Her parents are the only ones who can help!" Ling stated hurriedly. Horologium scooped the girl up into his chest. "Princess Lucy shall return to her apartment once the crises has passed. Until then good day." Just like that Natsu and Happy were alone wondering if their friend was okay.
Unbeknownst to the duo they were being watched from a lacremeia screen in the throne room of the underground castle. It was a huge room with several tapestries and curtains hanging from the ceiling or covering the entrances. The viewing screen hung in the center of the room. Several members of court had assembled along with the royal family. Everyone had witnessed the battle between the Star Maiden Princess and Chief Advisor Taro's champion. As the captured glowworm lamps brighten the entire court whispered about the fight. A decision on how to proceed with their plans would be decided now.
Sitting in polished obsidian thrones on, with mother of pearl in lay, and extremely comfy cushions on a raised dais, sat King Mortain and Queen Brighgantia. King Mortain was an extremely handsome Nain. He was a black skinned dark eyed dwarf, wearing a stylized vest of crimson red and gold buttons. His white pants ended at his knees to allow his goat legs room to maneuver. Tilting his head, he tapped the arms of his throne with his cat claws as he looked over to his wife.
Queen Brighgantia was the loveliest Aguane anyone had seen. Her long brown and blue hair fell to her waist in bunched up curls. Her gossamer fairy wings hung down forming a kind of train for her plum colored off the shoulder dress. Her skin was light until you reached her horse feet, which were gray. Her cool gray eyes gave nothing away.
The last royal was not sitting in his throne, but standing up. Daichi by his side the shadow figure stepped into the light. He appeared to be a youth in his late teens with a tall and solid stature. His dark brown hair combed neatly except for a few stray bangs. His sharp features, including his yellow eyes, curved nose, and perfect smile, would send any girl to her knees. He looked like a Japanese prince in his regal stylized kimono. Attached to his waist was a belt with several padlocks and a katana strapped to his back.
"As you saw Chief Advisor Taro, your champion fell to the power of Star Maiden. Clearly, she is not some dumb human girl as you proclaimed. Using her brain and understanding of the Kojin species she was able to defeat Koshi," Kentaru, (for that was his name), spoke respectfully and calmly. He was not even phased when Taro growled at him.
Adviser Taro was a Donestre. He had a human body in a fine suit leaning on a cane. His head though was of an Asian lion, his mane fell just below his shoulder. Per his species he could speak any language. When he killed at that was left was a severed head that he would weep by for a few days before moving on to his next victim. That is, if he was living out of the realm. Taro was well educated and extremely prideful about his skills. His eyes bore into the prince with great disdain. He would lose his entire mane before he accepted the boy as one of their own.
"Your Highness, I acknowledge the Star Maiden is powerful and is more intelligent than your average human, but she didn't defeat Koshi on her own. Her pet Dragon Slayer and Exceed servant assisted in the battle. It's unclear to any member of the court if this "Star Maiden" is the one we need. I still believe that we should look harder, perhaps even try to discover a way to resurrect a few dead Celestial Spirit Mages to test them."
Kentaru opened his mouth to debate his point, but his "father" beat it to him. "I hope that you are not saying you fallen champion lost to luck Adviser Taro? Have you forgotten how many times we've waged war with our enemies? One person must be the leader, commanding loyalty and respect. Without one those who challenge our might would throw their stupid lives away," King Mortain stated in a mincing tone.
"Peace my husband, Adviser Taro is merely stating his observation. Obviously we don't want to take on our enemies without the right girl," Queen Brighantia said in a passive voice. "I also agree that the Star Maiden, while extremely powerful, is out destine one. The loss of her control indicates a lack of discipline that is required for our needs."
There was a buzzing as a few court members whispered their opinion. Some agreed with the Queen and others supported the King's statement. Taro used this to his advantage pointing out flaws in Lucy's personality, her magic, and her status. Daichi saw his master twitch in anger and placed a hand on his shoulder. The teen looked at his majordomo, who tilted his head slightly, mouthing something to him. Nodding in understanding, the boy cleared his throat and spoke again.
"Pardon my interruptions I feel that you are all forgetting something. Ever since our beloved Seeress Corvusina came into her full powers, her prophecies have never been wrong. Her prophecy about myself proved true. Has she not predicted the future accurately for all our kind?" He said gesturing to the left side of the room. An older woman with slack skin, beady black eyes and beaked mouth stood there; wearing a simple robe before stepping forward. She undid her hood and straps on her arms. Her raven black hair was made of dazzling feathers and her feather arms provided her flight. She stretched her old bird feet. An aura of mystery surrounded her.
"My Majesties', your son speaks truth. My powers of foresight are unmatched in our realm. Who dares to doubt my magic? Forget your personal feelings and disgust for a moment! Have we not used humans before to aid us? While there are many Celestial Spirit Mages, this one fulfilled a prophecy that caused a rift in our enemies for a millennium! The rulers of the stars have made her their child, just as we brought Kentaru into our monstrous family." Taro muttered something about her being senile and the boy wasn't the one of prophecy. In turn the Seeress stepped hard on his foot making him jump and roar.
"Seeress, once again you speak truth. I admit doubting my son for a time, but he's exceed all our expectations. I declare this Star Maiden as the one of prophecy!" King Mortain declared loudly. The entire court shouted agreements as Kentaru smirked. Once more he had succeed in getting his way and soon he would reap the rewards of his efforts. Composing himself he joined his parents as they discussed the best way to bring the Star Maiden to them.
A few days had passed and Natsu was starting to get worried. He hadn't seen any signs of Lucy returning to her apartment. He went there every day trying to get inside, but nothing defeated that deadbolt she had installed on the door. It must be enchanted to prevent unwanted guests. Natsu returned to his home in the forest where Happy was playing cards against Gray, who had just returned from his job. The half undressed man looked up as Natsu plopped to the ground unhappily. "The door defeated you again? I hope you didn't try burning it down this time."
"How was I supposed to know that the door would retaliate by covering me in anti magic dust? I miss the times we could just stop by whenever we wanted to and she got all upset," Natsu whined. He looked at the ground dejectedly not saying anything. This concerned Gray because Natsu was known for not knowing when to be quiet.
"Come on Natsu, don't look so gloomy it makes you look stupid" The Ice Maker user smiled as Natsu growled looking up in anger. "There, you look like yourself again. The Celestial Spirits promised she would be coming back once they found a way to help her."
"It's been more than three days, how long does it take for spirits to fix their owner. What if they refuse to let her return? Right now they could be doing something horrible to her! It's their fault this happened in the first place!"
"Natsu you're going to blow your top and we'll have to rebuild our home again!" Happy warned, looking at his friend with wide eyes. The Fire Dragon Slayer had started shooting flames everywhere as he got more upset. A stray spark landed on the lawn in front of the house. Happy removed his backpack as he frantically tried to beat the fire out. Natsu continued his ranting oblivious to the problems he was causing. Gray reacted quickly covering the ground with ice before trapping Natsu in a block of ice.
"You need to chill out now Natsu. Do you really want to set your home on fire?" The fire user shook his head and calmed down. Slowly the ice melted around him. He took some calming breaths relaxing a bit. Gray looked him over and muttered under his breath, "I swear, if you were anyone else, I wonder if you were jealous, with all the time Lucy was spending with her spirit friends."
Before a fight could break out, there was a few coos and a weird bark. Looking down they saw Plue standing their wobbly as ever. He started making his plu plu sounds. Natsu's eyes lit up. "Lucy back! What are we waiting around her for? Let's go see her!" Before the others could protest Natsu was racing through town reaching the apartment in mere minutes. He was so excited to see Lucy he ran straight into her door falling down the stairs and landing in a heap with Gray and Happy.
"Get your foot off my face Natsu!" "I can't feel my tail!" "Stop trying to choke me Gray!"
"Ahem!" A female voice said from the doorway. The boys look up in fear as Erza stood there frowning. "I'm willing to let this slide if you three get in here now and act with your best behavior." They hurried in through the door into apartment as the door shut behind them. They felt a weird pressure on them for a few seconds before their bodies adjusted. Apparently the apartment was half in the Celestial Spirit World and half in Earthland.
The boys joined Erza at the table where Wendy and Carla sat with Cheung, (the Rat Year Spirit), who was placing treats on the table. Seeing as his human form was that of waiter on skates, he was pretty good at serving well-made snacks. The spirit kept glancing towards the kitchen curtain door. His mistress was in there talking with Capricorn. Judging how loud their voices it was a heated argument.
In the kitchen Lucy sat on a stool next to her sink. She was kicking her legs angrily, her arms folded in anger, with a scowl on her face. Capricorn stood a few feet from her, keeping his calm persona. "I understand that you're frustrated and angry, but I assure you my lady that you will remain sequestered for only for a few days, a week at the most"
"I already spent enough time in recovery. I don't understand, what is the point of returning to Earthland is, if you won't let me leave my apartment?" She shouted before covering her mouth. Her magical aura flared again. Capricorn placed a hand on her, dispersing the magic again. "Why is this happening to me? How can I be losing control?" she cried into his arms.
He stroked her hair calming her down. Cheung skated in the room to check on her as Plue hopped into her lap. Cheng touched the plates on the counter, animating them to life. He ordered them to serve the humans as he started to prepare a special treat for his princess. He started to talk over his shoulder.
"You know Mistress Lucy, you're not the first Star Maiden whose lost control. The blessings you received are powerful gifts bestowed to you and you alone. You returned the power that Fairy Tail had given you, but it's impossible to completely undo a blessing if the originator is not the one the powers returned to."
The teen nodded understanding she partially given some of her potential Space Magic to Hoshi, but the rest remained deep in her second core. Her instincts had tried to combine Celestial and Space as one, which is why her spell went out of control. Her adoptive parents had helped heal her and restore her control, but it was very fragile at the moment.
Capricorn straightened up, reminding her that she'd been allowed to return home to help her regain her equilibrium between her Celestial Spirit life and her human one. Having her friends visit while he taught her better control would boost her confidence. After confirming she was fine, she went to talk to her friends to inform them what was going on. The next few days would be very long and tough.
Lucy's sequestering began on Sunday. After informing her friends about what was going they had promised to visit her during the week to check on her. They even would be willing to teach her some control techniques to help with her problem. Wendy promised to tell her class she was out sick this week so they understood why she wouldn't be teaching them. That's what broke Lucy's heart the most, it was her favorite responsibility as a Star Maiden. Capricorn suggested she spend the day resting and relaxing. It would help her regain her strength and will to handle everything.
On Monday Lucy control training began. Erza asked to attend as a consultant. The Knight watched as Lucy, under Capricorn's instructions, started to gather her magic. "Keep your mind clear of any distractions. Don't think about it, just trust your instincts. Feel the magic deep inside your body. Let it flow slowly through your body," Capricorn spoke, walking around the small table as Lucy sat on her pillow.
Doing as instructed, Lucy took a deep breath, letting the air go all the way to her toes and released it back out. Slowly her magic spread across her body creating glowing marks. Erza eyes narrowed as she stared intensely as the magical aura started to fluctuate. "Discipline Lucy, strict discipline is needed. The same dedication and love you show your spirits, must be applied to your own magic. You have more power so you need to channel it so it obeys you. Don't let it control you, you control it!"
Hearing her inspirational words the Celestial Spirit Mage did exactly what her friend said to do. Her face schooled in an exact copy of Erza's face. The aura stopped flickering, thinning around her until it was a simple outline around her. Capricorn instructed her to hold out one hand and form a ball of celestial energy. She did so, before performing the same trick in her other hand. Bringing the balls together she tapped them together causing them to collapse, which was exactly what Capricorn wanted.
"You did well today. Remember, you need to remain disciplined at all times. The magic responds to your instincts. Make your first instinct to restrain the magic until it's the right time to use. Thank you Erza Scarlett. The lesson is over now." The warrior mage nodded, staying long enough to have lunch.
Tuesday, it was Loki and Gray's turn to help her. Loki would have her practice her summoning, testing her limits so she knew when to stop. Gray's job was to distract her by any means necessary forcing his friend to think on her feet. "Ice Make: Ice Senbons!"
"Open the Gate of the Chisel! Caelum!" The robotic spirit appeared, another summons without a key, she instructed it to blast the ice senbons away. Doing so the beam still traveled towards Gray who felt Loki push him down as Lucy forced the gate closed. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she asked how her friends were only mildly unhappy that Gray had stripped again.
"No one can doubt your abilities to summon spirits and force close the gates my lovely Lucy. I would recommend that you practice the special summon more after you've become more acquainted with the others spirits," Loki told her giving her an easy smile. He started to wrap his arm around her, but she ducked picking up Gray's fallen clothes telling him to get dressed. Sitting on her bed she closed her eyes tapping her feet. Loki's words rang true. All spirits would protect and obey her with their immortal lives. Still if she made friends with them it would be easier to summon them in a dire need.
Wednesday she worked with Wendy and Carla, along with her Animal Zodiacs. The entire day was devoted to get use to Space Magic. It was very different and strange than regular Celestial Magic. Anytime she started to lose control Wendy would enter the Dragon Force by eating the magical air around her before forcing Lucy to the ground. The Zodiac Animals gave her helpful tips, such as correct stance or enunciating the spells clearly. Hu reminded Lucy that she would need to read more books on the subject so she truly understood the risks of using this magic.
Thursday left Lucy wanting to bolt from her apartment and lock herself in the ladies bath at the guild. Happy and her silver spirits decided that fastest way to learn control was to test her emotional control in mock situations. Happy pretended to be a Celestial Spirit Mage in different scenarios and she had to act accordingly. The stress of the situation combined with the personalities of everyone became too much causing her to quit for a while. It took hours to convince her to get back to practicing.
Friday with Natsu tested everything she had learned. He attempted to be careful not wanting to wreck the apartment. At least her home only suffered minimal damage. They spent a lot of the afternoon putting things back together. Lucy stopped putting her bed together, looking out the window longingly. She placed her hand against the glass a slight frown on her face.
"Hey Lucy, are you okay?" Lucy nodded, wrapping her arms around herself as she sank on the bed. "Um, I know I'm not exactly the listening type, but I'm here for you, you know that right?" The fire Dragon Slayer spoke softly as he joined her.
"Thanks Natsu, I appreciate all the help everyone's given me this week. My control is better. You don't know how badly I want to go on jobs with you and have fun, it's just I don't think I'm ready to return to my normal life now." Natsu asked her to explain what she meant by that. Lucy shook her head telling him not to worry about it. She would leave her apartment tomorrow and join everyone at the guild.
Saturday morning came and everyone was waiting anxiously. They all missed seeing Lucy and wanted to make sure she was okay after what happened. It was nearly ten in the morning and still no sign of her. Natsu was about to declare a search party when a crystal flower appeared on the bar. Mirajane picked it up and a message started to play in front of the guild.
"Hi everyone, I know that all my friends are worried about me. I feel really bad that I'm not there now with all of you having fun. As you know I had to be sequestered after an incident on my last job. According to my friends and Celestial Spirits, I'm fine to return to the guild and take on small jobs, but I'm not ready yet. I need to prove to myself that I'm not a hazard to everyone. That I truly deserve the great blessings and titles given to me. So I'm going on a trip for a while to find myself. I promise not to be gone too long and I will contact the guild periodically. All my love Lucy."
The message ended leaving everyone a bit unsettled and worried. They hadn't realized how much Lucy was struggling with all her new powers and responsibilities. How they wished she confided in them, but there was nothing they could do now. They hoped some personal time would help their friend find what she was looking for.