SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! I told you I have a lot going on, but I haven't given up on this fic, no freaking way.

Remember Faux Tales – Atlas? Check out Dystopia. It's perfect for the scene.

Also, a special thanks to KuroiAoiShishio for beta reading.

"Stupid Eira, who won't help Luce," Maya growled, stuffing her face with french fries.

"It's alright," Lucy assured, fingering the straw on her fizzy drink. "I can understand why. I just joined the guild, she doesn't trust me yet."

"That's not an excuse," Ivy spat, eyes narrowed. "She's seen how we all get along with you and that your magic aura feels anything but dark. Now, she's just being a cunt."

"Ivy," Lucy chastised. "She doesn't want to help, and you don't need to call her that, she's only fourteen."

"Doesn't matter!" Maya hissed. Suddenly, her hand smacked their lunch table at the guild hall, startling many mages at her outburst.

"Sheesh, Maya," Tulip whispered, scowling. The ginger Exceed was ignored.

"She's being a fuckin' brat!" Maya shouted, almost purposefully.

Lucy winced when her voice came out in a sing-song tone.

"Keep it down, she's going to hear you!" Lucy hissed, a glare in her cocoa eyes. Boy, Maya was starting to seem like a female version of Natsu to Lucy. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel relieved or panicked.

"I don't give a damn, I'm getting you a microphone," Ivy snorted. There was something evil in Maya's grin that put Lucy uneasy.

"Look, guys," Lucy sighed, "I really appreciate you defending me and all, but you of all people know how Eira is. From what I've seen, she seems to be a girl that doesn't rely on her feelings. She just doesn't trust me yet."

Maya pouted, crossing her arms stubbornly. "It's just unfair."

"Life isn't fair, Maya," the blonde stated, shrugging as she bit down on the delicious hamburger Ellia had prepared for her.

She grimaced when encountering cold meat and bread, a scowl on her face. It probably had gone cold while the trio discussed. Lucy eyed the burger for a second, before her lips rounded and she blew hotly on the food, intending to heat it up. Upon feeling it warm up quite fast beneath her fingers, the mage smirked, and took a bite, now hot and savory on her taste buds. Ivy sputtered at the scene.

"That's one way of using and respecting the Fire," he said, sarcastically. Maya snorted when Lucy stuck out her tongue childishly.

"Go get a mermaid pregnant and then we'll talk."

Maya burst out laughing, nearly choking on her soda when Ivy glared at Lucy. A smirk inched its way up his lips.

"Go ask Dragneel to unleash his dragon on you."

Out of all mages in the hall, Maya was the one that laughed the loudest when Ivy was sent flying to the bar counter—courtesy of Martis Vis.

"She refused?"

Lucy could swear she had never pictured Sam to be this disbelieving. She had come across the Snow mage when she was exploring the guild's surroundings, to find him practicing with his magic in yet another clearing of the Forest Groove. His white snow had briefly tapered on the vivid colors of May, before he allowed it to fade back into his hands when he spotted Lucy's presence. They had chatted quietly, and when Lucy touched on the subject of Eira's denial, it looked like Sam's eyes received a bite from a mosquito flying nearby.

"Is it that surprising?" she questioned, frowning. Sam parted his lips, rubbing the back of his head.

"Not surprising, just disappointing," he sighed, slumping his shoulders. "For some reason, my sister has never showed any emotions for many years. She's never smiled, never laughed… we've been all cheering for her to open up sometime, but you saying that she refused to help you…"

Lucy's eyes saddened when Sam ran a hand through his smooth brown hair, as he sat down on the ground.

"I'm worried."

She smiled gently, joining him in the dirt.

"You should be. After all, you're her brother."

He sighed, a melancholic frown overriding his face. Lucy leaned her chin on her knees, a similar expression beginning to show. Eira was definitely the rare teenager, without displaying so much as a hint of happiness or sadness. It was difficult to read a teen's mind, even more so with a character like hers. But if even her brother wasn't aware of why she acted so indifferent, how could Lucy understand why Eira wasn't willing to help her?

As if to break the tension, Sam inhaled and told Lucy about what seemed be causing Eira's somber behavior.

"When we were kids, our parents got killed by a hideous monster, while protecting us," he said, in a husky voice, almost as if talking about it would evoke tears. "The responsibility of watching over Eira was suddenly on me. I did my best to smile at her, despite our condition."

Sam closed his eyes.

"We had no food, nowhere to go in that gods' forsaken winter, and we were scared. Terrified. We traveled around Fiore in hopes of finding kindness, people who would help us. But no one did," he suddenly chuckled darkly. "That's how life is. It doesn't matter your condition, the people out there are self-pretentious arrogants who won't lift a finger to do a good deed."

Lucy frowned, about to retort on how that wasn't entirely true, but Sam just smiled at her.

"That was what I thought until we found Dragon Claw. At the time, I fully expected Master Danny to turn his back on us like all the others did. He didn't."

Sam's frown had erupted in a nostalgic smile, a look of gratefulness in his eyes.

"He took us under his wing, fed us, and gave us a home. He was such a powerful mage, and he still is, so we felt at ease with him. Like our long lost uncle."

He suddenly chuckled.

"That's when we met Maya and Ivy. Holy Anna, I had never seen such an untamed pair. But I'm glad for that, because they were somehow like a gift from the Master. He gave us food and a home, and introduced us to friendship and family love."

Lucy smiled warmly as small tears pooled in her eyes, touched by the sad story of the Shilga siblings' past, and yet somehow reminded of… Gray.

She frowned, tilting her head sideways slightly in thought.

"Sam," she whispered, "was the monster that killed your parents by any chance called… Deliora?"

Sam flinched, gritting his teeth in rage.

"It was..."

Just as I thought, Lucy echoed in her mind, her breath hitching. Her eyes closed as Gray's heartbreaking words resounded in her memories, kindly placing her hand on his left shoulder. She could somehow share his pain. The pain of losing both parents too early.

"Unfortunately, you're not the only victimized by that beast," she whispered, and squeezed his shoulder, her lips tight. "I don't really want to give you information that isn't mine to share, but I know someone that suffers from the same pain."

Sam jolted slightly at her words, frowning at her. His blue eyes, which, Lucy noted, held a tinge of lilac now, conveyed surprise, sorrow, and mutual understanding. She smiled sadly, her own shoulders slumping as unwanted flashbacks flickered in her mind. Yes. She understood very well what it felt like to lose a family. She'd experienced it twice.

"I also lost my mother when I was young, and my father passed away last year. I guess I somehow can understand you, too."

Sam smiled for a second, looking less stressed. But he still seemed tense.

"Perhaps… losing our parents triggered some kind of trauma in my sister," he suggested, and he clearly didn't like that idea. Lucy felt the same, but she had to admit that the theory was valid.

"Then it's your job and the guild's to restore her faith in life, if that's how she feels," she advised. He remained silent.

Giving him a brief hug, Lucy bid goodbye with a wave and began walking away from a distressed and thoughtful looking Sam. However, the blonde stopped, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"If Eira ever reconsiders helping me, tell her I'll be in that clearing nearby the guild," she said softly. "Also, I already told Ivy and Maya that I'll be away from the guild for a few days, to finish the spells. See you around, Sam."

She didn't check for his reaction, and broke in a light run towards the depths of the Forest Groove. Tears were starting to flow down her cheeks as the spring breezes blew her braided hair and clothes, and Lucy was unable of containing a sniffle. It was all starting to come together in her head, how her life was a mess. She had lost her mother, her beloved mother and the one she could trust the most. Her father kept his distance, and when he began redeeming himself, Lucy lost him too. Then Natsu opened a door to happiness, gave her a family, before he forgot her entire existence. The pain only doubled when Lucy was reminded of her feelings for him, and she felt like she'd been slapped, upon remembering he definitely did not reciprocate them. Natsu was like that, not into love.

Lucy let out a hybrid of a trembling sob and a yelp when her foot was caught in a sprouting vine on the ground. She fell down heavily, groaning at the impact. She was so overwhelmed though, so depressed and desperate that she didn't bother to stand up to her feet. Her back shuddered while she cried silently, and she crossed her arms beneath her forehead. Her life sucked. She could very well admit that. Why couldn't Natsu just love her? Why did he have to toss her aside? And, despite the selfishness of the question, why did Lisanna have to come back? She had just found happiness, a true friend and confidant in Natsu, and then it was all stolen from her grasp. Mavis, Lucy just wanted to curl into a ball and disappear off the face of Earthland. It was all so unfair.

"Lucy?"

Her eyes burst open wide. No. It couldn't be. It just couldn't. It was impossible.

"Luce."

That voice. This had to be a prank. Maybe she was missing him so damn much that her brain was going delusional and she was imagining his voice.

"Lucy, get up."

Still, that hot, calloused hand on her shoulder felt too real, and too good. She wasn't imagining things. He was right there, next to her, touching her, talking to her. She felt like her chest would explode with enthusiasm and despair.

"Natsu?!" Lucy cried out, and lifted herself off the ground as fast as an arrow in motion.

He was there. He was right there, those salmon strands and white scarf fanning in the wind. He was kneeling so close to her, grinning at her with those onyx eyes sparkling, and cupping her face with those overly warm and soft hands. Lucy laughed breathlessly in disbelief while he wiped her tears with his thumbs, clutching at his wrists like her life depended on it.

"You're here, you're really here," she breathed, grinning back at him. "Is it really you, Natsu?"

The cheerful mood died at that question. Natsu's grin immediately faded, and an expression that radiated guilt took over his face. Lucy's eyes frowned, but there was still a smile on her lips. That only seemed to make it worse for him.

"Natsu?"

He breathed in, closing his eyes.

"No."

And then, her heart shattered. She could form no words. She could form no response because when his eyes reopened, they were inhumanly black, covering even the white muscles around the irises. Lucy knew right then and there.

Gemini.

The blonde's arms dropped to her sides and her hair fell over her face, an almost dark expression in her eyes. Gemini, still as Natsu and with his eyes onyx once again, frowned at her with slumped shoulders, and moved 'his' hands to her shoulders.

"We feel all of your pain, Lucy," they said, in his voice. Lucy just wanted to cry. "We thought… we thought that maybe if we showed up like this, you'd cheer up."

She didn't answer, merely allowing a shaky sob to escape her lips. Gemini grimaced, tightening the grip on her shoulders and closing 'Natsu's eyes. Just as they decided to dispel the cover, to not make their mistress cry even more, Lucy shook her head.

"Please, don't," she hiccupped, and moved to rest her head on 'his' bare chest. "Just… let me have this moment. Let me be fooled just this once."

Gemini blinked, but when the Celestial mage sniffled and curled up to their current form, they smiled gently and wrapped 'his'arms around her trembling form.

Lucy was in heaven. There was nothing better than Natsu's hugs when she was sad. Even though this wasn't him, even though it was just to soften her chagrin, it would do. The hot arms around her tightly and the feel of the smooth spikes of his hair were awfully convincing. The only things missing were his comforting, sunny scent, and his actual being. Lucy inhaled, fighting back the tears that wanted to pour down. She just had to savor this moment.

After what seemed like eons of being cocooned in the warmth of Gemini's flawless embodiment of her Natsu, Lucy moved away. She gulped as she stared into those bottomless noir eyes. She wished it was really him and his eyes looking at her. Her heart was at the verge of exploding and all she needed was Natsu.

But she had to be strong. Wasn't that what she promised herself to become? She was a Celestial mage, and as such, she always kept her promises.

"Thank you, Gemini," she said, hoarsely.

They smiled at her, and as if reading her innermost wishes, a pair of rough lips was pressed to her forehead in a lingering kiss. Lucy started to shudder, struggling to not cry. She couldn't cry anymore.

Eventually, those heavenly lips were gone, and in a burst of white, Lucy was left alone in the woods. As she slowly raised her chin to see through the thick foliage of the trees, those burdensome tears left her eyes anyway. Her vision was glassy and wavy, and through the frame of warm liquid, Lucy could see shades of red, orange and purple behind the dark green dots of the forest pinnacle. Sunset. She didn't bother to count the hours she'd lost.

Staggering to her feet, the blonde mage headed for her favorite clearing, with slow steps and a heavy heart.

It's no use, Lucy thought, sighing.

For the past few hours, she had been meditating, lost in herself and her inner vessel of magic as she sought for the spot of Ice within her, the key that would unlock the gates to Neptuno Glacie. So far, she was failing. She wasn't certain why, but her uneasiness had something to do with either the lack of aid from a fellow mage or the fact that she had been so close to Natsu, who was revealed to be... not Natsu. Be it one or another, they weren't letting her concentrate or find peace.

Lucy fisted her hands, head hanging down to her chest as another surge of sadness went through her. The treacherous tears spilled to her cheeks again and her chest bounced when she hiccupped violently, her Dragon Claw marked hand moving to palm her face.

"I'm pathetic," she breathed, laughing humorlessly. "I'm this messed up because of a boy."

It truly felt ridiculous to her. She'd always consider herself to be untouchable when it came to being in a relationship, that she could handle anything because no boy could ever get to her this much. But Natsu Dragneel was not an ordinary boy. No, he was a man, the man that contradicted these rules. And Lucy both hated and loved him for that.

She was starting to grow desperate. She wanted, no, needed to master the Grand Spells in order to become stronger. And Natsu, somehow, wasn't letting her. She felt weak. Weak and useless, and as lonely as she had felt in those three months of isolation. What could she do?

The sound of leaves rustling and the outline of a figure caught Lucy's attention. Squinting her eyes and wiping her tears with her sleeve, she tried to make out the presence through the darkness of the night. By the stars and the rising moon in the sky, Lucy assumed it was practically bed time.

The figure, short and feminine, approached her in steady steps, and the blonde murmured 'Venus Lucem' under her breath to spark a light in her right hand. She blinked in confusion and surprise.

"Eira?" she muttered. Her voice was raspy from crying.

Eira merely blinked, and looked at her own feet, almost in shame. Her tiny arms were crossed over her chest and she was donning a long sleeved lilac dress, flowing just above her knees and perfectly blending in the night. Her bright blonde hair was gently fluttering with the wind and covering her downcast eyes.

"I'm sorry."

The words were so soft and timid, so easily wandering through the night, but Lucy heard them nonetheless. She parted her lips, yet no words slipped out. She took a deep breath, and rose from the ground, hands outstretching to touch Eira's narrow shoulders. The petite girl flinched at the contact, a pained smile passing Lucy's lips for a split second as her body began to shiver with sobs. Eira made no attempt to step back from Lucy's tight hug.

"I know how you feel," she whispered over the little blonde's ear. "I know your pain. I know it so well that you couldn't imagine."

At this point, Eira was the one consoling a sobbing Lucy in her arms. Both girls held tight onto each other, sharing their pains through a meaningful silence. Lucy felt at ease. Eira reminded her so much of Wendy this way that her heart somehow calmed down.

"They might be gone, Eira," Lucy suddenly whispered, and moved back with her arms still around her. "But they died loving you. They left wanting to protect you and your brother. And even though they're gone, they'll always be…"

She leisurely moved her hand to Eira's left bosom, smiling motherly like.

"… In here."

Eira's lower lip trembled with a hiccup, but then her face broke in a gesture that both shocked and elated Lucy.

She smiled. It was framed by tears and red puffy cheeks, but it was still there. Lucy returned the gesture a thousand times wider.

"I'll help you, Lucy," Eira stuttered, as the aforementioned blonde brushed away her tears.

"Thank you, Eira."

They joined hands, smiling at each other with newfound kindness, and Eira saw Lucy's chestnut colored eyes disappear beneath a layer of skin.

"Follow my lead, Eira. Seek out your inner Ice, share it with me." The small blonde nodded briefly, mimicking her. Immediately, Lucy felt a cold and yet inviting aura seeping into her fingers, slowly spreading to her arms and eventually nestling into her entire body. The speed of their connection only proved of how powerful Eira was and, perhaps, Lucy herself.

She filled her head with memories and moments spent with her favorite Ice-Make mage. She remembered his spiky night hair, his smirk, his courage, kindness, confidence… the way she thought of Gray was like he was her older brother from different parents. She could never imagine life without him, and Lucy put that fact into consideration while she willed her own inner Ice to come forth.

A bright blue erupted from both girls' bodies, hair and clothes fluttering with the intensity of the magic they were handling. As their immense power began increasing, Eira and Lucy were too absorbed in their casting to notice the male presence watching them from behind a tree. Their hands tightened around each other, a frown and a cold sweat forming on both, but then a soft and knowing smile was drawn to Lucy's lips.

"Now, Eira," she said, in a whisper, over the thick waves of magic radiating from their bodies.

Eira's lips stretched into a similar smile.

And their eyes opened. A visit from winter was fitting to describe the consequences. As cold blue designs and characters were encrypted in Lucy's eyes, a storm of ice and snow invaded the clearing and coated trees and plants in milky white. The ground was suddenly buried under a thin and flawless layer of ice that had originated from Eira and Lucy's feet, spreading out to whatever corners of the forest it ventured to. The harsh winds and cold snow blew their clothes and hair into a pandemonium of twirls, Lucy's side braid becoming undone and locks of golden blending in the silvery snow. The blonde adopted a more serious expression, signaling she was determined to call upon one of the strongest Greek Gods, Poseidon.

"I search within the depths of wintery Neptune,

Its power cold and headstrong, waiting to be dominated,

I shall take its shapes into battle,

Be it a sword, be it a spear,

Be it the bow with arrows made of the coldest ice, and with the strength of the almighty tsunamis,

Be it the weapon shaped of water or blizzard that will guide me to victory.

I call upon thee, oh holy Poseidon,

God of the Sea and Winter!

NEPTUNO GLACIE!"

At the end of her magical words, the scenery around Eira and Lucy that it was morphed into, was the living proof that Ivy had been right all along. Ice was water, therefore Poseidon was not only the God of the Sea, but also the God of Winter, as the words Lucy chanted defined. In the half Eira stood in front of, remained the whirlwinds of ice and snow, but on Lucy's side, all cold and snow vanished, giving way to heavily pelting rain and waves of water dancing around the trees and Lucy's glowing body. Meanwhile, the designs in her eyes had split into two, the same ones for Ice in her left eye and a whole new set that conveyed mirages of water, waterfalls, dangerous tsunamis and everything related to that element in her right eye. Lucy felt more powerful than ever, and Eira was astonished.

The snow and water then disappeared, as a figure materialized in front of the two blondes. Cautiously stepping to the side and keeping their hands together, Lucy and Eira were met with the stern face of the God of the Sea and Winter. He was bare chested and visibly muscled, his skin easily compared to the moist color of caramel. His eyes were of a unique tint of turquoise, framed by locks of long silvery hair that matched his long beard. Just as legends and myths told, he was not human and held a golden trident in his engorged right hand. From his waist down, he was like Aquarius. His merman tail was of a silvery white with details of cold blue around his hips, the fins at the tip matching the color. Unlike Aquarius, he didn't hover in the air, but was supported by a swirling wave of water around his lower half.

Lucy almost felt intimidated by his glare. Almost. As Capricorn and Loke always advised, she had to look respectful yet confident in the presence of the gods, and confident she would be.

"Art thou Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of Layla Heartfilia?" he inquired. His voice was so thick and rough that Lucy was reminded of the Spirit King.

"Yes," she responded firmly. "I have summoned your Ice and your holy Water, and wish to share the power and domain you possess over thy elements."

He seemed rather pleased with her brave tone, despite the frown in his old features. He raised his chin, and Lucy gulped slightly when he positioned his sharp trident inches away from her face. Eira squeezed her hand, clearly troubled by the weapon aimed towards her, but Lucy seemed quite sure of herself.

"Then my powers are at thy service," he bellowed, and both water and ice began forming at the tips of the shimmering trident. "Thou has begun mastering Neptuno Glacie, the Ice spell, and Neptuno Aquolium, the Water spell. Thou art bound to this holy embodiment of mine."

The two farthest tips of the trident glowed, the right blue and the left white. Water and shattered Ice left their respective ends, turning into thin swirls around Lucy's body. Poseidon nodded slowly, as if approving of her, and began disappearing with both elements. In slow motion, the clearing went back to normal, leaving no traces of the elements that had previously been on the forest, except with Lucy. She glowed a mixture of blue and silver, and Eira was wearing a shocked expression.

As the glow subsided from Lucy's body, she turned to the young blonde. "Thank you again, Eira."

"That was…" she began, and raised her chin, just to widen her eyes in disbelief, "divine."

Lucy blinked, following Eira's astounded stare to the night sky. It turned out she had quite the good reason to be shocked. What had been previously a dark sky with just a few bright stars surrounding the moon, was now a myriad of colors throughout the skies, the most prominent being shades of purple, blue, orange, red, green, yellow and so many others that Lucy couldn't count. Those few stars had multiplied endlessly, and combined with the promiscuous colors, created a perfect illusion of the vast cosmos. Lucy was speechless.

"And that," a male voice echoed, "is proof that you've earned their trust."

Lucy and Eira turned abruptly at the intruder. Intruders. Along with a smirking Master Danny, were Maya, Ivy and Sam, who gawked at the sky Lucy's power had changed. Sam broke out of his trance, and stared at his sister. Eira blinked, frowning briefly, before she gave him a heartwarming smile. The three teenagers widened their eyes, shocked, and Sam reciprocated the gesture with tears in his icy eyes. Eira ran to her brother, hugging him tightly, and over the little blonde's shoulder, Sam glanced at Lucy and muttered a 'thank you'. She smiled, nodding, and turned to a smiling Master Danny.

"Their trust?" she repeated. Master Danny approached her, the others not far behind.

"Have you not noticed that your body is still glowing, Lucy?" he pointed out.

She eyed herself at his words, and gasped upon discovering the truth in them. Her body was still engulfed in a gleam, but it was pure golden, like her hair.

"You're not done," he said, and looked intrigued. "They want you to master the remaining two spells now, at once."

"Two spells at the same time?" Ivy suddenly piped in, shocked. "She won't make it, Master. She's mastered two spells today, and one of them turned out to be a double."

"You can do it, Lucy," Master Danny assured, "You have more power than you imagine. How do you think Gemini was capable of impersonating Natsu Dragneel?"

Lucy's eyes widened at his observation, mouth open to ask, rudely, as to how he knew, but he held his hand to stop her uttering a word.

"That is part of my magic, Lucy. I can read people's thoughts."

She closed her mouth, suddenly uneasy with this bit of information. She had to be careful with her mind around Master, from now on. He smiled, amused at her thoughts.

"Now, I know quite a lot about this magic you are learning," he said, "I've studied about it when I was a young traveler, through resources I won't reveal. Of course, nobody knew about this magic because it is, along with Dragon Slaying magic, the oldest Lost Magic there is."

"If it's part of Lost Magic, how come Lucy-chan found it?" Sam asked, curious.

"Because she was meant to find that book," Master clarified, and smirked when Lucy raised an eyebrow with wide eyes. "That book belonged to your mother, Layla Heartfilia. Your father didn't tell you to keep you safe, but he mastered the majority of these spells along with your mother. To summarize, while your mother Layla relied mostly on her Holder Celestial magic, your father was secretly a Caster Celestial mage."

"Say what?!" Lucy screeched, her high pitched voice echoing in the night. Her eyes were wide to the point of resembling an owl's, and her jaw threatened to collide with the ground. Master Danny chuckled lightly at her reaction.

"It's true. Before he met your mother, he had all of the spells mastered except for Neptuno Glacie and Aquolium, Saturn Malgae, and Jupiter Fulgus. These are the hardest to master. Aestus Mercurius is just a bit easier, though almost as difficult; however, seeing as you have it in your domain already, I don't need to elaborate any further."

He gestured to the obnoxiously starry night sky above them.

"By beginning the process of mastering the Water and Ice spells, you've proved yourself to the gods, and now they trust you. They want you to master the remaining two spells at the same time," he then eyed her carefully. "Do you remember when you passed out and Maya brought you to the guild?"

Lucy nodded. He smirked mischievously.

"Loke's theories aren't entirely correct. Right before you were attacked by her, you started the process of mastering the Fire spell. This spell was the most powerful spell you had attempted to master, and therefore, your brief contact with it was enough to open another vessel of magic within your body. Only this time, this vessel's magic," he paused quite dramatically, "is infinite."

The whole gang fell silent. Lucy stared at Master as if he had grown a second head, her brown irises like a pair of small caramel candies surrounded by white. The others mimicked her reaction, though in her direction. Master chuckled briefly.

"So, what you're trying to say is," Sam muttered, blinking in disbelief, "that Lucy-chan can never run out of magic in a battle?"

"To put it simply, yes."

"HOLY HELL!" Maya blurted, gawking at Lucy. The Celestial mage was utterly shocked and confused.

"B—But how is that possible?" she asked. His eyes gleamed with faint enthusiasm.

"The creation of an endless vessel of magic is what people believe to be a myth," he explained, "though, as you can see, it's not. You've begun mastering two related types of Lost magic, Lucy: the Eight Grand Spells of the Solar System, and Begalinis Magija, the possession of an endless supply of magic power."

"That still doesn't explain how Lucy was able to create a vessel of infinite magic," Eira reminded.

"Ah, the million jewel question," Master Danny smirked.

"We're getting lectured here," Ivy muttered, to which Sam chuckled faintly.

"The gods have been watching you, Lucy. They have examined your feelings and your way of logic, to see if you are worthy of sharing their domain over the types of magic the eight spells consist of."

He took a breath.

"You see, when you made contact with Aestus Mercurius, however brief it was, Hephaestus was able to sense the strong bond you possess with another fire mage."

"Natsu!" Maya exclaimed, but Lucy's warning glare and pinkish cheeks shut her up. Master laughed gently, but then his face turned serious.

"That devotion you possess towards Natsu Dragneel, combined with your compatible magic, undying determination and the bravery required to wish to become stronger, was basically the last proof they needed to know that you are indeed bound to become one of the most powerful mages that ever lived, Lucy."

The blonde kept quiet, the information processing in her head becoming so incredibly unbelievable that she had no words for him. He took it as a sign to proceed.

"That bond between your and Natsu's heart is so strong and practically unbeatable already, that Hephaestus made Begalinis Magija trigger in your body," he continued, smiling knowingly.

"That is so cliché and so awesome at the same time," Maya commented, and laughed in wonder.

Master bent slightly to stare right into Lucy's soul through her widened eyes. "You might as well be an invincible mage, Lucy. If you participated in an S-Class Rank trial by now, you'd win with your hands behind your back."

"Then why don't you give her that title?" Eira suggested. He smiled.

"I'd very much want that, but I'm afraid that's not how it works."

Maya pouted, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Why not?" she whined. "She's the awesomest mage and person I've ever met."

Lucy blushed lightly at the praise, beaming when the midget brunette hung an arm on her right shoulder with her trademark grin. Ivy smirked as Sam smiled, nodding in agreement, and Eira's smile and somewhat shy position proved she agreed with their perspectives. Unknown to her, all of these encouraging friends slowly brought back her confidence and pride in herself. The grin she sported reached her eyes this time.

"Thank you all, really."

Ivy gestured to her body, raising his brow. "You're still glowing."

"Seriously?" she asked, eying herself and frowning. Master Danny smirked.

"They're ready, Lucy. They want you to master Saturn Malgae and Jupiter Fulgus, and become the most powerful Celestial mage they've ever seen."

Maya grinned even wider, clasping her hands with Lucy's excitedly.

"What are you waiting for then, Luce? Show us how strong you've become."

THIS SHIT IS THIRTEEN PAGES LONG.

SUPER. LONG. FILLER. CHAPPIEEEEE.

This is by far the longest chapter of this fanfic, and whew, I must say I'm proud. I tried so hard to split it into two, but it would lose its meaning and timeline if I did so. And it's one of my favorite chapters, too, to tell the truth. What'd you think of Lucy's new magic range and my super weird made up Lost magic spells? Don't ask where I got the endless vessel one, I have no fucking idea.

So, this was basically a way of making it up to you guys. Sorry for the long wait.

REVIEW! OR I'LL SET YOU ON FIRE!