On the wall opposite her, the large clock's pendulum gleamed gold as it swung back and forth while Lucy tapped her pen against the handle of her desk drawer.

With a brisk knock, Jeremy opened the office's double doors and walked in from his adjoining office, his eyes fixed on the papers in his hands. "I've looked over the numbers we got from FioRail."

Lucy straightened in her cushioned chair and slid the scattered papers on her desk closer.

"We might need to find another supplier..." Jeremy pushed his glasses up with ink stained fingers, looked up and paused. "You're still looking at the contract?"

Lucy glanced down at the papers she was 'working' on. "Yes."

Jeremy nodded and his peacock blue coat sleeve shimmered as he put his papers down on her polished desk. "I suppose it's best to be extra careful with this job. We've never done anything like it before."

"Right," Lucy agreed.

"I don't envy all they reading you've had to do since you came in this morning," Jeremy said with a grin. "At least I only have to deal with what I already know. The numbers."

"Right," Lucy said.

Jeremy's grin faded, his grey eyes glancing between her and the scattered contract on her mahogany desk.

"Sorry," Lucy cleared her throat with realization. "You were saying something about a..."

"Supplier," Jeremy offered, his grey eyes narrowing in concern.

"Right, a supplier," Lucy said, mortified at her blunder. "That we need. Tell me more about it."

Jeremy stared at her for a long moment.

"I'm fine," Lucy said.

"I didn't say anything," Jeremy replied. "But if I was going to say something, I'd say, maybe you should take an early lunch break."

"That's not happening. I told Killian to prepare lunch at the outdoor pool today. And considering his preparation standards..."

Jeremy nodded. "You don't want to go there ahead of time before everything is perfect because he'll cry."

"Killian doesn't cry," Lucy snorted as she stuck her heavy pen in it's crystal stand.

"Not on the outside," Jeremy smiled. "But I'm sure that old-fashioned relic cries on the inside when his plans go astray."

"He's been the butler on this property for decades," Lucy said with an admonishing look at her assistant. "He's just doing his job. Just like I need to be doing my own job. My work time is scheduled till one."

"The world won't end if you ignore the schedule once."

Lucy opened her mouth to protest.

"Especially if you can't get any work done either way," Jeremy added.

Lucy looked between the handful of pages that she had worked on and the stack of untouched pages she still had to look through. "Just for today," Lucy conceded.

"Really?" Jeremy's eyebrows rose. "You'll actually take a break during work time?"

Lucy stared. "You suggested it."

"I always suggest breaks but you never listen," Jeremy said and cleared his throat to add, "There's nothing wrong with your strict work ethic, of course. Just like there's nothing wrong with an occasional break."

Lucy rolled her eyes as she rose from her cushioned chair. "I'll go check on Bella until it's lunch time."

"Meeting with your estate manager is not a real break," Jeremy pointed out with a frown.

Lucy tilted her head. "Then maybe I should just sit here..."

Jeremy raised his hands in surrender and walked back to the main doors. "All right. I won't tell you how to use your break as long as you don't sit here stuck with that contract! "

The moment Jeremy closed the office door, Lucy opened her desk drawer and grabbed the colourful magazine that she had stuffed inside earlier. Rolling it into a tube, Lucy walked around her mahogany desk, her boots sinking into the plush blue carpet that filled her office.

Not wanting to disturb Jeremy in his office by using the main doors, Lucy opened the side door nestled between the ceiling-high wall bookcases and walked into the narrow servant's passage.

After many twists and turns in the narrow passage, Lucy stepped out of an unmarked door and into the mansion's main hallway a few feet away from the thick opaque sheets that cordoned off the mansion's west wing.

A woman clan in dusty construction overalls held one of the sheets up as a group of workers went into the west wing with large boxes.

"Lady Lucy," the woman greeted in surprise, as construction sounds and paint fumes trickled past the raised sheet. "Did you not get the fabric swatches I sent to your office?"

"I got them Bella," Lucy said. "I just... wanted to see how the renovations were going."

Bella blinked, her brown eyes confused only for a moment before she nodded and removed her hard hat to reveal braided hair. "We're fitting and painting the finished woodwork well ahead of our proposed schedule."

"So everything will be ready when the tours start next month?"

"More than ready," Bella said with a grin and let the opaque sheet fall into place. "Visitors will get the full estate experience everywhere they look. Our restored paintings and sculptures will be the perfect finishing touch. Would you like to see what we've managed with them?"

Lucy nodded and followed Bella into the makeshift art restoration studio, unable to reconcile the vibrant paintings in there to the old faded ones that she had grown up seeing.

An hour later, a solemn voice interrupted their animated discussion. "I apologize for the interruption Miss, but it's time for lunch."

"Right, of course. Thank you for coming to get me, Killian." Lucy turned to Bella. "We'll discuss those gold frames in the upcoming estate meeting."

With a brisk pace that belied his old age, Killian led Lucy to the outdoor swimming pool at the very back of the property.

Under a glittering purple canopy, a table covered with mouthwatering dishes, sparkling cutlery and elaborate flower arrangements, looked fit for a large formal party.

Even though she would have preferred something simple, Lucy said, "It looks wonderful as always, Killian."

Killian bowed, his crisp grey suit as pristine as ever. "Very good, Miss. Would you like me to stay and serve?"

Lucy shook her head and placed the rolled up magazine on the table. "My answer is the same as every other day, Killian."

"Very good, Miss." Killian bowed again, his snow white hair glinting in the sunlight.

The moment she was alone, Lucy rolled up a sleeve and dipped her gold key into the swimming pool. "I am the one who connects the Celestial World. Spirit answer my call. Open, Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius."

With a drain of her magic and a spray of water, Aquarius appeared through a crystalline gateway.

"Crab?" Aquarius said, her eyes fixed on the table. "It's been ages since I've eaten crab."

"You mentioned you wanted crab yesterday," Lucy said with a shrug as she sat on the only chair at the table. "So I told Killian."

Aquarius floated to the other side of the table. "You know that you don't have to keep doing that."

"It's not a big deal," Lucy said. "Besides, I think the kitchen staff like getting requests."

"They want your requests," Aquarius said as she grabbed an appetizer. "Not mine."

"It's the same thing." Lucy opened the bright magazine that she had brought along. "Here, look at this."

"A magazine? I though we were finally going to look at curtain swatches for the west wing today."

"That," Lucy cleared her throat and pushed the magazine forward. "That's not important right now."

Aquarius chewed on another appetizer and took the magazine with a raised eyebrow. Her blue eyes stayed impassive as they read down the length of the article. When she reached the end of the page, she said, "They're slow with the news. It's been two weeks since you encountered those sand monsters, right?"

Lucy nodded.

"And they didn't even mention you. I doubt they even knew you were the celestial mage there. What rubbish reporting," Aquarius said with a disdainful look at the article as she tossed the magazine on the table and grabbed another appetizer.

The article title, 'Celestial Spirit Aquarius Sighted.' stood out vividly from the magazine's glossy pages.

"You're kind of a big deal in the Magic Community, aren't you?"

Aquarius swigged down a mouthful of cider. "I imagine most zodiacs are topics of interest among those who bother with celestial spirit magic. We are rare."

"I'm sorry," Lucy said. "Because of..."

The water in the pool splashed as Aquarius interrupted her. "You don't have to keep apologizing for him. I told you the first time you summoned me, kids shouldn't apologize for their idiotic parents' actions."

"You might have been able to see mama before she... you could have had a summoner instead of being locked away for three years," Lucy said.

"Stop it," Aquarius raised her voice, pool water churning with every word. "While I despise how your father dishonoured the wishes of both my previous owners by hiding my key, I have a summoner now. So there's no need to apologize for the past."

"But things would have been different! Things could have been better," Lucy said, her eyes fixed on the magazine.

The water in the pool stopped moving and in the ensuing silence, Aquarius said, "What are you saying?"

"You looked really happy destroying those sand creatures with your water magic," Lucy said. "That's what you were meant to do. Not be summoned like this to keep me company over lunch."

"Are you joining a guild? Becoming a full time mage?" Aquarius asked, leaning forward with intense eyes.

"No," Lucy exclaimed. "I can't. I have to take care of the business."

Aquarius was silent for a long moment. "Then what are you getting at?"

Almost faltering at the intense gem blue eyes staring at her, Lucy took a deep breath before she said, "I can find an active celestial spirit mage for you. A guild mage who does missions and..."

Aquarius's words came out as a more of a hiss as she said, "Find me a mage?"

"Someone better than me," Lucy said, clenching her fists tight under the table. "Someone who will take you on interesting adventures all around Fiore. Maybe even outside of Fiore. A proper mage." At the heavy silence from her spirit, Lucy said, "I don't want you to be stuck here in the Heartfilia estate."

"What about you?"

"Me?" Lucy asked in confusion.

Aquarius' expression twisted with fury while her voice stayed dangerously even. "Don't think you can make decisions about what I want or need."

"Aquarius," Lucy tried to keep the hurt from showing in her voice. "I just want you to be happy."

The water in the pool rose and glowed blue as Aquarius snarled. "You should think of your own happiness first."

Lucy looked between the churning pool and her spirit. "I..."

"I wasn't the only one happy that day!" Aquarius grabbed the large plate of food and rose up in the air as her gate materialized above the pool. "Don't summon me until you've cured your stupidity."

The pool water fell with a heavy splash as Aquarius disappeared through her gate.

Lucy blinked until the insistent prickle of tears in her eyes disappeared, took a deep breath and reached for the food in front of her. Every bite tasted bland and took a while to swallow, but Lucy couldn't let her staff's hard work go to waste.

"Miss, was today's menu not to your liking?"

Lucy looked up from her half filled plate. "No, it's lovely. I just haven't had enough time to eat."

Killian stared at her from beneath his bushy white eyebrows. "It's half past three, Miss," Killian said, holding up his pocket watch as though she needed to see the time.

"I'm late for work." Lucy laid her fork down, pulled the napkin from her lap and stood.

"Miss," Killian said. "What shall I do with this magazine?"

Lucy took the proffered magazine with an unsteady hand. When she reached her office, Lucy shoved the magazine in one of her wall bookcases so that she wouldn't have to look at it and remember.

But the article and Aquarius's words lingered in Lucy's mind.

They sprung to the front of her mind when she combed through law books for her contract.

They haunted her few hours of sleep and persisted well into the next morning when she opened her mail during breakfast.

Ignoring the letters on the silver tray, Lucy grabbed the small palm-sized parcel addressed to her. Using the enamel letter opener on the tray, Lucy opened the box and pulled out a crisp cream letter.

Lucy read the beautiful cursive handwriting multiple times, feeling more confused with each re-read.

"Sorry I'm late, you would not believe how..." Jeremy paused as he sat at the breakfast table. "What it is? Has the railway deal been cancelled?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Then why are you looking at that letter like that?"

Lucy gave the letter to her assistant.

Jeremy read the letter slowly and grinned when he reached the end. "So you've decided to become a mage. I knew you would."

"What?"

"We'll have to figure out the logistics of getting the paperwork done through mail so that we can meet our deadlines." Jeremy pulled out his notepad. "Maybe Killian knows some troublemakers who we can keep busy with daily mail work."

"Jeremy, you think I'm joining a guild?"

Jeremy stopped writing, his hand hovering over his notepad. "You're not? Then, are you starting a guild?" He frowned. "I'll have to look up the requirements but I'm sure it can be done."

"No Jeremy, I'm not becoming a, why would you think that I'm becoming a mage?"

"You were restless after Luin." Jeremy lowered his notepad. "And you subscribed to Sorcerer Magazine. You even ordered those magic journals."

"That doesn't mean I want to be a guild mage. I was curious. And I thought investing in magic items could be a good business venture," Lucy said, feeling defensive.

Jeremy shook his head. "It that was the case, you would have put those ideas in your management diary like always. You're so meticulous with recording new possible venture that you need a new notebook on a fortnightly basis."

"I wasn't completely sure about it."

"You weren't sure about investing in those farms either but you jotted the idea and two months later you acted on those notes," Jeremy said in a matter of fact tone. "And more than your distraction, you had your gold key out a lot."

"I was thinking of finding another mage for Aquarius," Lucy said in mortification. "A proper guild mage."

Jeremy's mouth was wide open with shock. "Oh, I didn't consider that. I'm sorry I assumed..."

Lucy shook her head. "Don't apologize. You couldn't have known what I was thinking."

After a moment of silence, Jeremy motioned to the box in front of her. "Then what are you going to do with those? Your mother's successor sent them to you because he thought you were becoming a mage. Since he's retiring from being a merchant guard, he won't take them back, right?"

"I don't know," Lucy said as she looked down at the letter, it's words joining the other chaotic thoughts in her head. "So everyone thought I was going to be a mage. Did you think I would just abandon the business. When so many people depend on it?"

"Of course not, you're not that irresponsible," Jeremy said and handed her his notepad. "I thought you've be both. A guild mage and our reliable owner."

Lucy snorted. "I don't think that's possible."

"There's no rule saying that you can't have a job outside of guild mage work. And with careful planning and scheduling, we can shift company business and duties around. The rough plan I made shows that we can be just as effective as normal even if you aren't here full time."

"You've really thought about this," Lucy said as she looked through his mock schedule. "You really think I could do it. Be a mage and keep all this running."

"Lady Lucy, you've accomplished so much since you took over after your father's death. Being debt free and profitable after your father's mistakes," Jeremy winced as he said that bit but continued, "That was all your work. You worked twice as hard where other people would have given up."

Lucy shook her head as she remembered the past months. The long hours pouring over books, forgoing sleep for meetings and always struggling to keep her newly inherited business afloat. "I was very lucky," Lucy said. "I did a lot of risky things."

"Luck only works if there's something it can work with," Jeremy said. "Don't sell yourself short. I know what you've managed. Even though I was just a lowly clerk when your father was alive, I've seen the books. And the numbers don't lie."

Before she could stop herself, she said, "Do you really think I could be a guild mage?"

"I'm sure of it," Jeremy said without hesitation.

Lucy reached for the box and pulled out three keys with a trembling hand. Two gold keys and one silver key glinted in her hands.

Though it had been years since her mother had taught all the constellations and celestial key markings, Lucy had no trouble naming the keys, "Taurus, Cancer and Hologorium."

"Are you..." Jeremy hesitated to complete his sentence.

Lucy said, "I don't know. I really don't know what to do."

Sympathetic and understanding as ever, her assistant said, "Why don't you take the day off to deal with this?"

"A day off," Lucy said, looking up from the keys. "I don't think I've had a proper day off. Normal weekends don't count, right?"

Jeremy's eyes softened. "No, they don't."

Desperately in need for clarity, Lucy roamed the mansion, lingering in the quiet areas her mother had frequented.

Areas like the solarium in the east wing where her mother had tended to the potted plants that she loved. The piano room where her mother and her had laughed more than they played any music. Even the reading room where she had taught Lucy long before the numerous tutors were hired.

Lucy sat at one of the reading room's low tables and laid out the three new keys and closed her eyes to concentrate. "What should I do, mama?"

In Lucy's faded memory, her mother's soft perfume enveloped Lucy as she declared her wish to be a celestial spirit mage.

"It that's what you want, then I'm sure you'll be a wonderful celestial spirit mage," her mother had said and kissed Lucy's cheeks with a wide smile.

Lucy shook her head at the phantom memory and said, "I have a duty here. I can't abandon the business, not when so many people's livelihood depend on me and my choices."

"If that's what you want..." the memory replayed unhelpfully, no matter how much Lucy tried to recall other memories of her mother.

Unsatisfied, Lucy strode away from the room with the keys and only stopped when she reached the large doors of her father's sick room.

The room that he had spent his last days in.

It had been more than a year since Lucy had gone anywhere near the room but she felt compelled to enter it. To see if it would provide her the answers she needed.

Even though bright sunlight and airy colours filled the room, Lucy had no problem remembering the pungent smells of medicines, the constant doctor visits and her father's laboured breathing as he moved restlessly in his sleep.

She sat on the new bed that had been put in and took a steadying breath as the unbidden memory washed over her.

"I regret many things," her father rasped while his hands trembled in her grip. "So many things," he said in a soft voice, a voice that was nothing like his usual strong voice. "I wish I could change them for..."

Lucy gasped for breath and ran out of the room, unable to let the memory play out. Unable to relive that moment of her life again.

It was still too soon.

It would always be too soon for her.

Emotionally spent but no closer to resolving her dilemma, Lucy walked towards the lone cottage a little away from the mansion.

Lucy knocked on the small wooden door, much louder than was considered polite.

But even so, it took almost five minutes before the cottage's inhabitant finally opened the door.

"Miss Lucy, you've finally come to visit." The old hunched man at the door smiled wide as he straightened the pink mage hat she had gifted him years ago. She'd offered to get him a blue one to match his robes but he always declined. He squinted at her hand. "Oh my! You've got new keys. I didn't know you were collecting keys. You have to treat them right."

"I'm not..." Remembering Bero's deafness, Lucy raised her voice, "One of mama's successors sent them to me. He thought I was becoming a mage."

"Mage, yes, yes, you're a good mage," Bero said, his staff clanking as he hobbled away from the door. They'll be happy to have you as their mage. Just like Aquarius and my old friend Crux."

Lucy sighed and raised her voice some more. "Aquarius isn't happy with me, Bero."

The old man waved away her words as he sat in his armchair. "She's the envy of all the other spirits in the celestial world! You treat her to expensive meals and summon her just to enjoy her company. Who wouldn't like being treated so specially?"

"Wouldn't she be happier if she went on actual missions?"

"Oho, you're joining a guild for her?" Bero chuckled. "Now she'll definitely be envied by the other spirits."

To Lucy's dismay, the conversation with her old magic teacher continued in the same vein.

"A spirit has pride too you know, they don't answer anyone's call. If they're not defeated or won in battle then it's hard for mages to summon celestial spirits and form contracts. Spirits are really picky," Bero said. "Now why don't you make a new contract. Let me see if my lessons have stuck with you."

"I..."

"Now, now, don't be shy." Bero leaned back in his armchair. "It's always good to see the dying art of celestial summoning magic being used."

Did she want to summon the new keys' spirits and make a contract with them when she was so unsure of everything.

Was that fair to the spirits?

She looked down at they keys. At the very least, Lucy wanted to talk with Cancer. He had been her mother's spirit so he might share some old stories about his time with her.

And she could ask him what he wanted in terms of the new summoner that she would find him.

Decision made, Lucy grabbed Cancer's key and pulled on her magic. "I am the one that connects the pathway to the Celestial World. Hear my call. Open Gate of the Crab, Cancer."

The key buzzed, her magic twisted away from her and her scalp tingled as strings of magic meshed into a solid gate that gleamed like the edge of a blade.

Cancer stepped out of the ground level gate, his dark skin, red cornrows and small green sunglasses flashing from the gate's light.

"Hello Cancer, I am..."

"Layla's child," the spirit said, his voice soft and measured.

"Yes, uh," Lucy said. "I called you here to talk."

"To make a contract?"

"No, I mean, I don't think you'd want to make a contract with me." Lucy blurted out in a rush. "Despite what your previous owner might have said, I haven't become a full time guild mage. And I don't take any interesting missions so... you don't have to make a binding contract with me."

Cancer stared at her for a long moment. "I am not concerned with how interesting or boring a summoner's life is. I didn't undertake missions or battles with all my summoners. One was a librarian, another was a farmer. I stayed with them because they were good people who liked to summon me."

"So you wouldn't mind if I never become a real mage who joins a guild and takes on interesting adventurous missions? If I just summoned you to talk?"

"It is more than enough for any spirit to be wanted and summoned," Cancer said, the six red crab legs on his back twitching. "Especially outside of battle."

"Really?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Cancer said. "Even if you only summon me to talk, I would be proud to make a contract with you, daughter of Layla."

Lucy considered the spirit's words for a long moment before she said, "My name is Lucy and I'd like to make a contract with you Cancer."

Cancer nodded. "I accept, Lucy Heartfilia."

Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat at his easy acceptance. "What days are you free to be summoned?"

"I shall follow Aquarius's schedule."

"She said I could summon her everyday but I don't know if that's still..."

"I am fine with that," Cancer said. "If Aquarius gave you permission to call on her everyday then I am willing, as well."

Lucy blinked and then felt almost shy as she said, "Would you like to stay for tea?"

Cancer smiled and pushed up his sunglasses as the gate behind him turned a translucent grey before becoming invisible. "Yes."

At the sound of a soft snore, Lucy turned to Bero's armchair. She grabbed the knitted throw and put it around her old magic teacher.

The teacher who had even taught her mother before.

When she was done, she led Cancer to one of the mansion's shaded outdoor tables. With a quick word to one of her staff, Lucy and her new spirit sipped on tea and ate a wide selection of pastries.

Somewhere along the way, Lucy told Cancer about her troubles with Aquarius as he styled her hair.

"I think she'd be so much happier working with a guild mage. She tells me all about Mama but the only work I can offer her is decoration choices in the renovated wings," Lucy mumbled as Cancer snipped and combed her hair.

Even though he didn't tell her what to do, Lucy sat at the tea table long after Cancer had returned to the Celestial realm and felt more at peace as she watched the sunset and combed through her silky smooth hair.