Lucy stopped when she sensed herself get close to a door. Opening her eyes, she looked at Taurus' gate with surprise and not a small hint of nervousness. Here's to hoping he can keep his perverted comments to a minimum during this exchange. Gathering her courage, she knocked on the door and took a large step back. Moments later, the door burst open, revealing Taurus mid leap with his axe raised. "Who has threatened the perfect body? Point me in their direction and I will show them what happens to anyone who dares!" Taurus roared and cast his eyes about wildly, looking for a threat.

Lucy quietly stood and waited for him to realize where he was.

It didn't take long.

"Lucy? You're not in danger. What has happened?"

"Have you not had a conversation with the Spirit King?"

"I did, yes. Did you really…" he trailed off and took a longer look around before turning to face her completely. Dropping to one knee, Taurus bowed his head and reverently reached for her hand. "I would be honored if you would renegotiate our contact. We spirits have waited for you, please do me the honor of accepting my service."

Smiling indulgently, Lucy hid her surprise well. That certainly didn't take long. It seems he knows how to be serious even when I'm not being threatened. How refreshing to see. "Of course we can renegotiate the contract; I would be honored to learn from you about your magic."Gesturing with her free hand toward the expanse of her core and the thriving greenery, she gently tugged on Taurus' hand. "Please stand up, and walk with me. Where would you like to start?"

A solemn expression on his face, Taurus rose gracefully and kept Lucy's hand firmly in his own. Placing it in the crook of his arm, he began to guide them as they walked. With a critical eye, he soaked in his surroundings and began to guide them towards the center of Lucy's core, stopping as they drew close to the fountain. Quietly, he spoke. "This is new."

"Yes. I spoke to Virgo before you. She showed me how to speak to Earth."

"Ahhh," he said noncommittally.

"When I focused, when I asked the Earth what it would like, how it would like to be represented, this is what my magic brought forth."

"You asked? You asked the Earth what it would like?"

A confused expression crossed Lucy's face. "Of course. It's not my place to tell the Earth, or any other element for that matter, how it should represent itself."

A disbelieving look crossed Taurus' face. He looked almost… humble. "I too have ties with Earth. Virgo and I work with the same element, we just interpret it differently."

"Oh? I didn't know that. You normally seem so tough."

Taurus grinned. "I am tough. That will never change. The earth is tough. Another truth that will never change. It is constant, always there and always changing and that is part of it's power. I can take the strength of the earth and channel it. The constant power and force that is there, beneath the surface, that is how I work with Earth."

Awed, Lucy could only whisper to herself, "Whoa…" With a stronger voice, Lucy asked him, "And you can teach me? How to channel the strength of the earth? How?"

"How do you think I jump so high? Swing my mighty axe with such strength? Go on a rampage to vanquish every foe? The earth!" Grinning even wider, he continued. "I can take the strength of the earth and infuse it into my very being. My arms are mountains, my legs are volcanoes that push with force into the sky! My rage is an earthquake! All the forces of the earth can be tapped into, by me, and used to protect you."

Fearing that he would start talking about her body, Lucy quickly spoke again. "That sounds absolutely amazing! Teach me how?" Oh my goodness, if I can do this, if I can master this… nothing could stop me. I could save everyone! With the ability to move through earth, and tap into it's strength, to be able to fly and summon the power of the stars… This is HUGE. Now I see why they were all so shocked. I'm shocked. There is so much potential here, so much power. Ohhhh, so much to learn. Working with these elements, working with my spirits, is going to be a challenge and a privilege and I need to focus. I can jump as high as the stars if he teaches me, and then I can use the stars' light. Returning her focus to his face, Lucy saw a patient spirit waiting for her.

"Yes Lucy. I can teach you how to merge the earth's strength with your own." He enthusiastically grabbed her hand again. "Then you really will have a perfect body!"

~oooOooo~

Leaving the hospital room, Levy went in search of Gray. Well, if I find Juvia I should find Gray so I'll keep an eye out for both. Walking down the hall, she left the arena area and starting walking towards their hotel. Seeing blue hair in the midst of the crowd, she changed directions. Spotting Juvia, not so subtly behind a tree, she followed the direction Juvia was staring and found Gray. Walking up to him, she smiled as he turned to face her.

"Hey, Levy. How's Lucy doing?"

"I actually think she's feeling a lot better. All this rest, it seems like she's getting her energy back. I was thinking we might invite her out tonight? She'll probably be ready to leave soon, and would like a night out with her friends."

"Yeah, sounds good. Bring her with you to the pub?"

"Sure! I'll let the others know where we'll go for dinner."

"Good plan, see you then." Finished, Gray turned back to the stall he was browsing at before Levy walked up.

Satisfied, Levy walked back towards the hospital, stopping every time she saw a guild member to tell them where they'd meet for dinner.

~oooOooo~

Resisting the urge to smack her celestial spirit guide, Lucy settled for a glare. "Can we please NEVER talk about my figure again? I want to train!"

Still grinning, Taurus calmed down and released her hand. "For now, Lucy, I will. Now, have you spoken with Leo? He has great tips on how to fight!"

Smiling, Lucy let her body shift into a ready fighting stance like Leo had showed her, balancing her weight between her two feet and leaning forward slightly. Her hands came up in front of her and made perfect fists. Seeing her, Taurus grinned again and copied a stance similar to her own. "Gooooooood!" he exclaimed in a moo to the sky. "Now, we fight!" He lunged at her and Lucy, shocked, moved to dodge him automatically. "Good! Good! Again!" Taurus moved his arm as though he was preparing to strike her, and Lucy's face settled into a grim expression. Alright, this is part of training. Time to learn all I can! Moving her fists away from their defensive stance, Lucy punched at Taurus and when he expertly dodged her small fist, she retaliated with a kick. Back and forth they went, almost exchanging blows and dodging each other's hits. Smooth and calm, they sparred, and after some time Lucy began to feel a pattern, almost as though they were dancing. Sensing the beginnings of the awareness in her, Taurus spoke while moving. "Can you feel it Lucy? The rhythm of the fight?"

Not stopping in their assault, they continued to punch and kick and circle each other, always reaching forward, looking for an opening. "Open your senses Lucy. Open them like you do when you meditate or speak to earth. Open them while you try to strike me." Eyes wide, Lucy struggled for a moment to follow instructions. Whenever I speak to a flower, or work with my magic, there's nothing to interfere! It's just me in my core and focusing! He wants me to focus while I'm fighting? Lucy continued to spar and kept thinking, trying to open her senses. Struggling, she couldn't seem to figure it out. How do you open senses? Aren't they always on?

Wait a second! This is NO different from when I open a celestial gate! I do that in the heat of battle all the time! I know I have that focus, that ability! Now, I just need to turn it on!

Reaching for the memory of what opening a gate felt like, the surety and power in her magic, her sense of self, Lucy blinked and kicked and exhaled and remembered. Suddenly her senses were on and she didn't know why she ever turned them off.

Taurus, watching every expression on her face, cheered as he struck at her when he saw the change in her eyes. "Keep them on, never turn them off. Now, fight me. And try to feel the rhythm of our blows. Find it." Lucy tried. They continued to circle and fight and strike and kick in the same way as before and Lucy used her senses to feel the leisurely pace with which they struck. After a time, she closed her eyes and continued to move, lost in the 'music' of the fight. Taurus, seeing this, truly grinned for the first time, his whole face transformed by the expression. No perversion on his face as he looked at his wizard, Taurus actually looked like the celestial being he was.

Keeping pace, the pair continued to strike and kick and Lucy evaded every blow, sensing with her closed eyes his movements, his gestures, his dance. "Now," he whispered. "If you truly wish to strike me, change the beat. Find the beat of our dance, and then make a new move. Strike to a new tempo and see if you can hit me!"

Eyes still closed, Lucy moved and flowed with her fists and felt her hips shift for a kick. Sensing, Lucy lunged forward instead and struck Taurus with her elbow, right across the face. Stopping, Taurus looked at her and she was looking back at him, eyes open, senses open and he could tell she was truly seeing for one of the first times. "YES! THIS is how you fight! This is how you WIN! You have figured it out!"

Smiling herself, Lucy stood with her new awareness and looked down at her fists. "I really can do this, can't I?"

"Of course you can! But that was only the first step! Keep your senses open, keep them open! And come at me. Try and strike me again! There is more for you to learn!"

Smiling, Lucy playfully narrowed her eyes and raised her fists again. "Alright!" she exclaimed as she lunged forward.

~oooOooo~

Wendy opened the door to Lucy's hospital room, and poked her head in. Carla, who had been standing watch motioned her to come in. "It's alright, she's still sleeping. Though, I think she's alright, if not completely better. Would you want to get the doctor, or check her bandages to see if we can bring her home?"

Nodding, Wendy agreed. "Yes, I do think she is looking better, let me do a quick scan to see the progress."

~oooOooo~

Lucy and Taurus circled each other, fists flying. Kicks landed and blows were exchanged and Lucy didn't even seem to notice as she focused on striking her partner. Here, her wounds hurt but seemed to heal as she fought.

~oooOooo~

Hands raised over Lucy's form, Wendy closed her eyes and began to search Lucy's wounds for progress. Opening her eyes in shock, her hands raised up a fraction with her surprise. "Carla, her wounds are completely healed! She's fine." Activating the scan once more and lowering her hands, Wendy probed deeper. "In fact, she's in better health than she was before the fight! I have no idea…"

Stopping, Wendy pushed her magic, trying to learn more. "What… what do I feel here?" Gently, Wendy moved her magic deeper and came against a wall. "Whaat?"

Concerned, Carla moved closer and looked back and forth between Wendy and Lucy. "What is it?" Flashes of the dark premonition played in her mind as she looked at Wendy nervously. "What's going on?"

Puzzled, Wendy dropped her hands and replied. "I have no idea Carla. But Lucy is fine." Reaching forward, Wendy began to softly unwrap the bandages from Lucy. Continuing, Wendy said, "Lucy is better than fine, her health is the best I've ever seen it. We can take the rest of these bandages off, she doesn't need them anymore. When she wakes up, she's perfectly ready to go back to the guild."

Confused, Carla shrugged and began to help Wendy take the bandages off. "Well, at least it's good news!"

"Yes, there is that."

Casting a sharp look down, Wendy frowned as she worked.

~oooOooo~

Senses flaring, Lucy continued to circle Taurus. As they fought, fists flying, she was able to visualize the tempo of their fight, and adapted her blows to counter his movements. Taurus also changed the beat, refusing to fight simply. They sparred in earnest now, and the air around them was charged with power. Crackling around them, blows went back and forth with increasing ferocity. Stepping to the side, Taurus spoke as he dodged. "Lucy, can you feel it? Can you feel the earth beneath your feet?" Smiling grimly, Lucy also stepped to the side and swirled with a ready kick to catch him in the gut. Exhaling swiftly, she struck again. "How do you mean?"

"Remember the feeling of earth when you meditate? Remember how it responds when you have your senses open? Can you feel the earth beneath your feet? Can you feel the strength of mountains available to you as you exchange every blow?" Taurus said as he retaliated with a hip check and a swift fist to her side.

Lucy's eyes widened imperceptibly as she dodged his blow. THIS is why he wanted me to open my senses! Not just to fight better and smoothly, but to actually feel the earth! Lucy widened her focus, straining to feel more than just the rhythm of the dance. Feeling overcame her and she stopped moving as information rushed in and she realized just what strength was beneath her feet. Nodding at Taurus, she whispered. "Yes. I can feel it."

"Good. Now, take it! Take it and use it!"

Taking doesn't feel right to me… maybe this is another test. Probing for the strength at her feet, Lucy did not take. Lucy pushed her consciousness forth, as a supplicant before the earth. There was no other way to describe her mentality. Her consciousness, her power stood before the might of Earth and Lucy sent forth what felt like a tiny question before a giant. Please?

Her meek and humble question was answered with such force, that the entire magical core glowedwith the strength of it. Lucy could do nothing but stand helplessly as something more potent than adrenaline coursed through her veins. Closing her eyes, pulse after pulse, wave after wave, Lucy stood, shaking with the effort to contain the force of the Earth. Taurus paused as well, watching Lucy sparkle surrounded by her glowing magical core. When she didn't continue her strike and begin the fight again, he tilted his head in confusion, before realizing just what Lucy was trying to do. "Lucy! Don't try and contain the earth! Let it flow through you, in and out. Strike at me with it!"

Opening her eyes, Lucy obeyed. Moving, her body sparkled, while her eyes were glowing again. Pink, the exact same shade as her guild tattoo, shone forth from her eyes and sparkled around her violently. Striking at Taurus, her senses open, Lucy fought. She could feel the rhythm of their dance, she changed it with the force of a landslide and struck. Senses open, feet and fists flying, Lucy attacked Taurus with a vengeance. Strength, so much strength, poured through her. In from the earth, out through her blows, and still it went. On and on, Lucy could feel the freshness of the earth, the vitality and the strength of it all was there, at her fingertips, and she fought. Taurus fought back, no longer tempering his blows; he opened himself up to Earth as well, and the strength of their strikes increased. Fast and furious and hard, Taurus fought back with everything he had, determined to train his wizard. "Not everyone will have access to Earth, but that does not mean they will be weak! You must train, hard, to be sure you can always succeed! Now, pace yourself! You are flinging Earth energy around, recklessly and without focus. It's there and you have it and this is good! Now, control it! Mountains in your fists! Earthquakes in your feet! Focus your energy and send it forth in controlled bursts!"

Smiling grimly, Lucy continued.

~oooOooo~

Levy knocked and opened the door to Lucy's hospital room, prepared to see a bandaged guild mate and ready to coerce the nurses to let her leave. Widening her eyes in surprise, she walked in to a bandage-free Lucy and Wendy and Carla finishing as they put up the remains of the bandages. "What? I thought she might like a trip out this evening and went and got the guild together, but I didn't expect this? What's going on Wendy?"

"Honestly, I have no idea Levy. But she's fine, she's better than fine. Resting, but when she wakes up she can leave whenever she likes. She's totally and completely healed."

Smiling, Levy couldn't contain her excitement. "Well, that's great news! Dinner tonight is going to be fantastic!"

Concerned, but understanding her friend's excitement, Wendy smiled, nodded and said nothing.

~oooOooo~

Senses open, Lucy used the lent strength of the Earth to dodge another blow from Taurus. Barely sliding past where she meant to land, she took the earth's energy and let it release in a pulse from her fist. Panting with the effort, she punched again, releasing more earth energy in a controlled burst. Taurus didn't dodge the blow successfully. Seeing him fly, Lucy smiled. Landing not so softly, Taurus slowly got to his feet and walked back to where Lucy stood. Unsure of whether he was going to attack again or not, Lucy kept her fighting stance.

"You have learned a lot today, Lucy. No need to remain on your guard, I think we've accomplished quite a bit." Relieved, Lucy dropped her fists and relaxed. Releasing the Earth magic contained within her, Lucy sent a prayer of thanks and felt a gentle rumble in reply beneath her feet. Smiling, keeping her senses open, Lucy eyed Taurus, waiting for him to continue. Seeing that she remained alert, with her senses open, Taurus smiled before he went on. "Not only did you truly learn how to fight, you connected with earth in a fantastic way. It is one thing to fight. It is another thing to sense how to fight, to find the rhythm in the blows and then change the tempo to land a strike. That is difficult in and of itself. You opened your senses and did this. Then, you opened them even further and connected with earth. Then, you connected with earth while still dancing in the fight. You've come so far already Lucy!"

Smiling at the praise, Lucy couldn't contain her happiness and burst out, "Taurus, I would never have been able to do any of that without you showing me. Thank you so much!"

"Lucy, I wasn't finished. You sensed the dance, connected with earth, danced some more, and then you used the earth while dancing and controlled it to hit me!" Taking a knee once more, Taurus bowed over her hand and looked up at her with adoration. "You really are the wizard we have been waiting for Lucy, and I am honored to be your teacher! Please, take my lessons to heart, and call on me again when you want to train! There is always more to learn, always more ways to express the Earth!"

"You have been a fantastic teacher Taurus. Thank you for teaching me how to tap into the earth like this. It's so amazing, I never realized how much magic there really was. In myself, in the earth, there's magic everywhere and I can finally see it and it's wonderful!"

"The magic has always been there, Lucy. You, this you, the one who fights and learns and taps into the magic? She has always existed and has always been there, with the magic, waiting for you to see. And now that you do, you can become a master celestial wizard, Lucy. Don't forget that."

Nodding firmly, Lucy agreed. "I won't, I promise I won't. I'll never forget and I'll never take for granted what you, and the other spirits have shown me." I'll never let myself forget, and I'll never let someone save me again, especially when I can do so myself.

"Then we can indeed be done for the day. Call me again when you want to train or learn something new!"

"I will!" Walking with Taurus to the gate, Lucy waved as he closed the door behind him. Sensing some lingering earth energy about her core despite her previous thanks, Lucy took a moment to breathe. Calming her mind, her body softly raised into the air and then sank gently back down as she reached for a simple meditative state. She positioned herself to sit on the grass of her core and she tried to quiet her mind. Senses open, accepting whatever was near, but not pushing.

Once she was calm, and her heartbeat had slowed, Lucy moved. Opening her hands, Lucy softly made a motion that would capture all of her core. Pushing her thoughts out, she breathed. Thank you for your help today, and for teaching me. Senses open, she felt the remaining energy from the fight began to depart. Feeling her core settle, Lucy opened her eyes. Looking over what was now her core, she smiled. Wanting to play, she had so much energy still, Lucy stepped forward to the center and was about to take off and fly and play with the sundrops when she stopped. Senses open, she looked up and felt her guild mates in the hospital room and the concern of Wendy. Deciding that there would be time to explore the flowers later, she began to float up to the roof of her core. Passing through the stars as she woke, Lucy smiled and yawned as she stretched herself awake in the hospital room.

~oooOooo~

Seeing Lucy shift and stretch, Wendy watched her carefully as she woke up. Levy, was not so careful.

"Lucy! It's so great to see you back and awake and Wendy says you're better so you can leave when you want!"

Halting mid-stretch, Lucy looked over at Wendy. "Really? I'm free to go?"

Looking back, Wendy quietly replied. "Yes, you're fully healed."

"Great! Let's go then!" Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Lucy enthusiastically stood. Or, she tried to. Knees crumbling, Wendy and Levy leapt forward to stand on either shoulder while Lucy tried to get her feet under her. "Oh! Well then. I guess it'll take my legs a moment to adjust to not resting."

Seeing Lucy stumble, Wendy felt some of her suspicion leave her. Whatever it is that healed her so quickly, it's not as though it's evil. And, she's still acting like our nakama. I need to calm down. Lucy is fine. Smiling, Wendy told her, "I know you're excited, but not too fast. How about we take a quick walk around the room and the hallway to see how you do?"

Looking at Wendy, and feeling the suspicion leave her, Lucy smiled at her in gratitude. "That sounds great Wendy, thank you! One lap or maybe two to adjust and then let's get out of here!" I shouldn't have stayed in bed so long. Still, if this is what it is like to leave my senses open and be able to tell everyone's emotions… I wonder what else I can learn now that I know how to truly listen?

~oooOooo~

"What was that, jackass?! Say it once more!" Natsu screeched to the back of Gray's head.

"Jeez. I said you're too frickin' noisy, Natsu." Turning to face him, Gray leveled a glare up at the dragon slayer. "You're stifling me!"

Leaning closer, Natsu pushed again. "You wanna make somethin' of it?!"

Happy did a cheering dance in the background, "Go for it, Natsu!"

"As always, they've got more energy than they know what to do with." Stated Carla, as she looked over at the bickering pair. "Right, Wendy?"

"One's a wizard who controls fire and the other's a wizard who controls ice, so…"

Juvia looked on, ecstatic at the boldness of Gray.

Walking in to the pub, Lucy extended her hand at the pair and pointed at them commandingly. "Alright, that's enough!" Unintentionally taking the fighting stance that Leo taught her, Lucy continued as Gray and Natsu both stopped trying to strangle each other and looked at her in surprise. "Any more, and you'll destroy another pub!"

Ignoring her, they continued to fight, and Happy got hit in the crossfire, with his fish burnt beyond edibility and flung into the cake Erza had quietly been eating at a different table. Wendy rushing over to heal Happy said, "It's okay, I'll heal you."

"I don't care about me, just get my fish back to the way it was."

Furious, Erza stood from her table and turned, determined to smash Gray and Natsu's heads together to teach them sense. Stopping in shock, she saw that Lucy had waded in between the pair.

Lucy, furious and with her senses open, reaching forward and grabbed Natsu with one hand and Gray with her other. Feeling the earth magic rise with her emotions, she channeled the way that Taurus has shown her and lifted them both by the scruff of the neck into the air. Shaking them violently, eyes a vivid pink to match her tattoo, proclaimed, "Idiots! We're right in the middle of the Grand Magic Games, to decide the strongest wizard guild, and the final game is right before us. We made a great comeback, from last place to this, but none of the other guilds are pushovers..." Before she could continue, Erza interrupted.

Walking forward, Erza looked up at the two dangling and agreed. "Yes! At a time like this, when we need to be focusing our energies, you jackasses… smooshed my cake! Lucy, put them down. Sit up straight; I'll have your heads!"

"Erza, I hardly think that's…"

Scrambling, Natsu and Gray dodged away from Erza as a sword materialized mid-air next to her.

"Don't run away, you bastards!"

The door to pub burst open and Gajeel looked at the scene with a glare. "Yeesh. I finally made it, for cryin' out loud."

"Where have you been?" asked Happy, as he floated in the air next to Natsu, ready to save him from the cake fury of Erza.

"That's right! You blew off the match!" Natsu exclaimed.

Stalking forward, Gajeel leaned in. "Hey, I wouldn't… Look… Because of your idiocy during the match, I fell underneath the coliseum!"

"Is that right?"

"You forgot about that?" asked Gray, as he smirked.

"That must've been rough."

"Like you had nothin' to do with it!" exclaimed Gray, as he balled his fists.

"Forget about it. More importantly, come with me, Salamander. There is something I wanna show you."

Lucy released the earth energy in her arms, and unnoticed by those around her, her eyes went back to their natural brown. Walking forward, she stopped when she reached Gajeel's side. "Yes, let's all go take a look." It'll be good for us all to get out of here before they break things.

Shrugging, Gajeel turned around and walked back out of the entrance he had just walked in, with his fellow Fairy Tail members trailing behind him.

~oooOooo~

Author's Note: Here we go! More words and lots of effort! If there are typos, etc. please excuse them. I'm trying to keep things proper, but it gets difficult to be grammatically correct when you get excited and wanna get the words out and on the screen. Regardless, here's the next chapter – I hope you all like it!