A door was slammed open and the blonde groaned at the ruckus, attempting to muffle out the sound with one of her pillows.
Flipping over, she tried to go back to the sweet land of sleep, and was so close to being able to, when a sharp dose of cold overran her body as her blankets were roughly yanked off of her.
Shrieking, she shot up faster than a bullet, resulting with her tumbling off the bed, face first.
Rubbing her sore everything, Lucy reluctantly sat up.
"Mama...?" grabbing at the clock that lay on her nightstand, she squinted at the numbers that read 10: 15.
Slapping a hand across her face, she gripped the corner of the bed, lazily hauling herself back onto it.
"What's going on...?"
Yawning, she cuddled back into her warm sheets, waiting for the elder woman to leave.
5 minutes passed.
1o minutes.
15.
"Lucy."
Looking at her mother, Lucy could see the serious edge they held, now that her blurry eyes had adjusted.
"Mama...?"
Slowly pulling the sheets off her daughter, Layla stood authoritative.
"Get dressed and then meet me at the castle entrance."
Blinking, the blonde stumbled out of bed and unconsciously pulled on a pair of black exercise leggings, a white fitness tee, and a light blue jersey jacket.
Hurriedly tying the shoelaces of her blue and white running shoes, she ran after her mother and into the courtyard.
After seeing her arrive, Layla hurried forward, Lucy practically running to meet her pace.
It seemed as if hours had passed before the older Heartfilia finally stopped.
'Thank Mavis for exercise.'
Lucy hadn't even broken a sweat after chasing her mother for god knows how long.
'4 months of non-stop training does that to a girl, no?'
Turning her attention to her mother, Lucy opened her mouth to ask the question of what exactly was happening.
Her question was answered soon enough though.
"Lucy."
A thick and ancient looking book lay in Layla's hands.
It was a shimmering dark blue that had all the constellations in a bright silver and golden edges and lock.
"It starts today, if you will accept it."
Start what? Accept it?
"If you accept this journey- a journey that may destroy all you love, we will start the carving of the 88 Constellations."
Brown met brown.
"But if I don't... everything will still be gone, no?"
Layla's lips pursed.
"If you choose not to go... everything at this manor, I will be able to protect it. We will live through it."
"But... to you, my daughter, surely, you wouldn't really count that a living?"
Layla read right through her.
"Let's start."
"We will carve the 88 Constellations into your soul, so that you may become one with the sky."
Lucy nodded, staring at her mother that stood 50 feet away.
"Urano Metria, chant it."
"Eh?"
"Urano Metria is the Ultimate Magic of the Stars. Why? Because it allows you the path to achieving the greatest celestial magic."
Lucy stared in shock, thinking about what had just been said.
Taking a deep breath, she swallowed down her fears.
"Start."
She would become one with the Heavens.
She would gain the ultimate powers of the stars.
"Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens...
All the stars, far and wide...
Show me thy appearance...
With such shine.
Oh Tetrabiblos...
I am the ruler of the stars...
Aspect become complete...
Open thy malevolent gate.
Oh 88 Stars of the heaven...
Shine!
Urano Metria!"
A giant golden magical circle spread out under her, and she gasped for air at the strength of the spell.
The spheres began plunging down from the unseen heavens, and she narrowed her eyes.
Her arms flung forward and she took the deepest breath before concentrating.
"Andromeda,
Antlia
Apus
Aquarius
Aquila
Ara
Aries
Auriga
Bootes
Caelum
Camelopardalis!"
A shining magical circle formed in front of her bosom, and the 11 spheres flew into it, finding their way to her soul.
Lucy screamed as she felt the magic imprint itself into the core of her being, desperately forcing herself to withstand the impact and pain it was causing her.
Sweat poured down her paled face, and she grit her teeth down onto her lip, drawing blood.
She couldn't let the magical circles close until the constellations had bonded with her magic.
Panting, she roared out, forcing the last of the celestial magic to become one with her, desperately keeping the magical circles open at full strength.
The light faded, and the galaxy around her became the soft view of the woods.
She gasped, sweat pouring across her entire kneeling figure.
Looking up, Lucy swore she saw the stars twinkle, almost as if greeting her, before black faded her vision.
Drowsily looking into her mother's creased eyes, she smiled, proud.
This was her resolve, and nobody would ever be able to break it.