Five hours had passed and Lucy was getting off the train in a town called Stelix. She wandered the streets looking for the house belonging to the client. She came to a very old large looking house which was exactly what was described on the poster, 'the oldest looking house in the town'. She walked down the path to the front door, and up the steps. She was about to ring the bell when the door opened. A short old man looked up at her and smiled.
"You must be Lucy," he said.
"Yes, I am," she smiled warmly.
"Come in come in," the man said. He walked her in and sat her on the couch and sat in front of her. "now for some more context of the job. Fectom has been slaying celestial wizards for years and taking their keys. He was the son of a close friend of mine. His father was a celestial wizard and when he died Fectom inherited his only celestial gate key," the man strained his memory to try and recall what the key was. "It was a canis minor if memory served me correctly. His father's entire life was taken by the kingdom. All except that key. Fectom's magic power just didn't seem compatible with celestial spirit magic. He tried and tried to summon that spirit. But nothing." The man looked down sadness on his face recalling his memory. "Not being able to use the one thing his father left for him turned that boy bitter, he began lashing out. I remember the last time I saw him. He was covered in blood, standing over the body of a dead celestial wizard holding her keys in his hands," with pain in his voice the man said, "I still remember the words he uttered, 'If I can't summon a spirit why should anyone else.' I informed the royal guard about him but he vanished. He has slowly been killing celestial wizards all across Earthland."
"I'm so sorry to hear all that, I promise I will make him pay for his crimes. Do you have any idea where he might be?" Lucy sounded strong in her conviction. Certain that she would make him pay.
"He'll be around here somewhere, I found his death threat on my door just yesterday. I predict in the woods somewhere,"
Lucy stood and left the house she trekked her way through the city to the edge of the woods. She pulled out a key and summoned her canis major. Appearing beside her was a larger than Plue looking spirit.
"hey Plumie, I need you to find someone in these woods for me, his name is Fectom. Can you do that?" the spirit nodded. It looked around for a little bit before taking off into the woods. His path was constantly changing, never direct. The sun began to set but Lucy was determined to find the monster. The bright twinkling stars filled the moonless night, Lucy felt comforted by this, and strangely empowered by the stars. It was as if the power of the stars was seeping into her core.
Twigs snapped under Plumie's feet as he did a little dance pointing at a bush. Lucy nodded understanding and closed his gate. She crawled silently into the bush, peeking through the tightly woven branches. On the other side sat a man by a fire, he was a rather burly. Big hulking muscles and a fat neck. As she inched closer she rustled the bush, he turned to face the bush and snapped his fingers. A swirling vortex swallowed the bush. Lucy was left exposed on her hands and knees. A second click and her clothes were gone. She reached for her keys to summon Leo and activate her Taurus star dress, but there was nothing he had taken them. The man began looking through her clothes.
"ah, a celestial wizard. And a strong one at that judging by the number of units you've collected," he plucked her keys off her belt and pocketed them. "You're not going to need these where you're going,"
"Give them back to me, you monster!" Lucy screamed still on her hands and knees looking down. Slowly she raised her head looking the beast in his eyes. There was nothing, no remorse empty of all emotion.
"no," he responded casually. With a flick of his wrist, Lucy went flying through the air, bashing into tree after tree. Blasts of magic came flying at her, burning, freezing, stinging. Lucy cried out in pain, blood and dirt covering her body; the smell of death would soon be in the air. Even after receiving multiple gifts from her spirits and the King if she had no keys she was useless. I should never have taken a job without my team, I'm the only one who can't support them self, Lucy thought. Tears began to drip This is where I die, the words of the king began rattling around Lucy's head "make Celestial magic your own... this may entail the re-writing and breaking of Celestial law. You have my blessing."
Lucy was shaking in fear and pain, but she felt empowered by the star in her soul and the stars in the sky. She shakily came to her feet "I've faced your kind before. You're afraid of losing, so your magic takes a form to ensure that you won't. Territory. But I am a Fairy Tail Wizard. YOU WON'T BEET ME!"
"What do you plan on doing," the bulging man said, "I have your keys, we're done here. You can't win."
His right I can't win, Lucy thought. There is nothing I can do he has my keys. No! I can't afford to think like that. I am a Fairy Tail Wizard… But he does have my keys… There has got to be something I can do. Only if I had time to activate a star dress. My keys I need them back. My keys, my keys. Keys. Celestial Gate Keys are required to make the initial Contact. But after a contract is made they just become a way to easily unlock the gate and magic power required to summon a spirit. If I can just go deep within myself find my magic core, find the magic I use to summon my friends, then maybe I can force their gate to open.
"Aquarius!" Lucy shouted. "Aquarius! I need you!"
"What?" Fectom said laughing. "A Celestial Wizard needs their keys to summon a spirit, everyone knows this."
"Aquarius! Please, I need you!" Lucy called. She reached deeper and deeper into her core finding the path that leads to the gate of the Water Bearer; she knocked with three hard taps. And called again "Aquarius Please!"
Line Break
"Aquarius Please!" Her voice rang out around the celestial world. All heard. Scorpio and Aquarius were sitting opposite one another on their date when they heard Lucy's plea.
"Go to her," Scorpio said. Aquarius nodded but before she could react she was already being transported to Earthalnd.
Line Break
Lucy began to glow with a golden light more brilliant than any star. She was a star. Glittery gold sparkles appeared next to Lucy, and Aquarius emerged from them.
"What?" The vile man said stepping back preparing to run.
Lucy was exhausted and was about to pass ou.
"Aquarius, I'm glad you came. Now please, get me my keys," Lucy collapsed. Aquarius obeyed, she raised her urn and blasted a raging flow of water at the man, sending him straight into a boulder knocking him out cold. She floated over to the man, picked up her master's keys and placed them in Lucy's hand. It was obvious that Lucy had exhausted herself. Both physically and magically. In the history of celestial magic, there has never been a wizard who was able to force a gate open without a key. Summoning me like that must have required more magic power than the recompense summoning. You're lucky you didn't kill yourself. Aquarius thought. What else are you capable of Lucy?
"Aquarius," Loke said. "You can go back, Virgo and I take care of Lucy and the brute."
"Thank you," Aquarius, still shocked at the events that had just transpired, disappeared in golden light and let Leo take over. He walked over to Lucy. He began dressing her in clothes he brought from the celestial spirit world. He tucked her keys into her pocket, picked her up and whispered in her unconscious ear. "I don't think you know that you've gone above and beyond what is possible with Celestial Spirit Magic." Virgo chained the man and dragged him back to town. She brought him to the local jail and bound him in magic sealing stones. Leo carried Lucy back to the old house. He rang the doorbell and the old man answered.
"Lucy got a little hurt on the job, do you have a spare bed she can use?"
"Oh, yes, yes of course, right this way," the man led Leo up the stars of the house and into a spare bedroom where he lay Lucy down on the bed.
"Lucy completed the job. Fectom should be in the local jail by now," the man's eyes began to water when he heard this.
"Oh thank god, too many years have pasted of him being free, so many lives lost. I know he's my friend's son but he needs to be punished for his crimes." Leo smiled at the man. The two sat on the couch and began to chat. Virgo arrived after a few minutes and Leo instructed her to head over to the Fairy Tail guild and alert Wendy, Erza, Gray, and most importantly Natsu about what has happened.
Line Break
Lucy's eyes blinked open and standing before her was her team.
"Lucy!" they all called with excitement as they tackled her in bed.
"We're so happy your safe!" Wendy cried.
"Yes, we were all very worried when Virgo showed up at the guild and you weren't with her," Erza said.
"Damn straight," Gray chimed in.
"See Luce, we could have avoided all this if you had of just let us come with you," Natsu said absent-minded. Lucy's eyes began to water. Then she started to ball.
"I'm sorry I should never have taken a job with any of you. I was so helpless."
"Quit talking like that Lucy," Leo said grinding his teeth. "You were amazing. If they had come along you would never have done what you did." The others looked from Leo then to Lucy, and then back to Leo.
"What did Lucy do?" the all asked in sync, "You said she completed her job when we arrived."
"More than anyone would think possible," is all he said before he vanished.
"What is Leo talking about Luce?" Natsu asked. Hesitant at first Lucy began to speak.
"I forced Aquarius's gate to open, without a key." They all stared at Lucy blankly waiting for the information to process, one beat, two beat, three beat. They all began to talk over one another asking questions, confused as to how it was possible, but then they were interrupted by the old man. He knocked on the door.
"Excuse me. May I please speak with Lucy now that she is awake?"
"Yes, of course," Erza stood, she dragged Natsu and Gray out with her and Wendy followed with Carla and Happy.
The man sat on the bed and looked Lucy in the eyes kindly. He had a large tome and small envelope sat on his lap
"Lucy Heartfilia," he said letting the name roll off his tongue, he wasn't addressing her, he was just saying the name. "Heartfilia, with a name like that you must be a descendant from the great Heartfilia clan, yes?"
"Indeed I am. My ancestor was Anna Heartfilia," Lucy responded.
"I myself am a descendant from the Amarefilia clan. Just as your clan was the first to use Celestial Spirit magic, mine was the first to use Heavenly body magic. When our clans met we learned from one another, and the Metria spells where developed." He taped the tome in his lap. "The problem was that my clans magic wasn't compatible with the spells, but your clan didn't have enough magic power to cast the spells. Many from each clan tried. No one from my clan could cast them, and everyone from your clan passed out, many died from magic deficiency disease. So, it was decided that the spells would be sealed away in this tome. Though it is not directly celestial spirit magic, it requires a celestial wizards magic; and it is my belief that the more spirits a wizard has contracts with, the stronger the spells. I hope that you have the strength to cast these spells." He handed her the big tome. Lucy began flicking through the pages. She noticed two spells, 'Urano Metria' and 'Gottfried.'
"I know these spells," she said pointing to them. "I've cast them before."
"Then you will bring our ancestors magic to life," he smiled at Lucy. "And this is your payment for the job." He handed her the envelope. Lucy shook her head refusing the money.
"This is all I need," she grasped the tome to her chest. "You've already done so much for me. It's the only thing I can do to repay your generosity." The man smiled at Lucy, he lent in and gave her a hug.
"Please, when you're well enough to leave, come back and visit me," he whispered in her ear.
"Of course,"
Line Break
Lucy bid the kind man fair well, her and her friends made their way towards the train station.
"So," Natsu said, "What's with the giant book Luce?"
"It's full of secrets for celestial wizards," she responded. Smiling she continued walking, head in the clouds thinking What else could celestial spirit magic do?