Once the guild was better sorted out, it had started taking more and more job request and soon the board was flooded with them. Team Natsu had gone on a job to catch a pack of bandits in a town on the other side of Fiore of magnolia called Aridina, who had last been spotted near the woods. The local guard forces would be able to handle it if the bandits weren't mages, and strong ones at that. The mayor explained the situation to them, but Lucy was only half listening. As soon as the mayor had said one of them was a celestial mage though, Lucy got a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Oh, Mavis, please, no.

When she and her team neared the woods, she felt it again. They had waited in a clearing until five people entered, surprised to find their 'hideout' invaded. Erza was the first to react rushing at two of them, catching them off guard. One of the other mages, ran at Lucy, unsheathing a rapier and jabbing at her. Lucy dodged, as gracefully as the other girl fought, the scene looking like a dance, with Erza landing blow after blow re-quiping as needed, and the two bandits she was fighting struggling to defend themselves. While she was distracted, her opponent struck, kicking her out of the clearing and towards a river, Lucy recovered quickly, jumping up, and landing kick after kick only to be deflected by a thin blade. The other mage had Purple hair and brown eyes, and fought with a rapier, making it look more like a dance. It seemed to be normal metal, and Lucy had that to be thankful for, because even after getting stronger, there were still stronger people. Lucy hadn't brought her magic in yet, and didn't plan on it until she had to, or her enemy did. After forcing Lucy left, and cutting her a few times, the opposing celestial mage pulled out a gold key, and Lucy choked on her own air.

"Gate of the Water Bearer, I open thee, Aquarius!"

Aquarius froze. Lucy froze.

The other mage scowled. "What are you waiting for? Attack her!" She jabbed her Rapier towards Lucy, in a demanding manner.

Aquarius stayed silent.

Lucy sucked in a breath. She opened her eyes with a new fierce determination. She would not stand for her first friend to be treated like this.

"Here we go!"

She pulled out Fleuve d' étolies, extending it and flicking it towards the other mage, snapping it back and pulling out a key and swiped the key through the air, summoning Virgo.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo! Virgo, distract her!"

"Yes, Hime."

The other mage pulled out two silver keys, and being a celestial mage herself, Lucy recognized them immediately.

"Caelum! Vulpecula!"

The Chisel and the Fox appeared in a golden flash, the chisel, however falling immediately due to gravity, and the whole Virgo had dug.

Didn't Angel have Caelum? Oh, right. She uses angel magic now. Must of sold her silver keys.

"Now! Science Aquarius obviously won't, Attack her!"

The fox lunged, and Lucy dodged and kicked, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other mage cackling at how stupid she probably looked. Lucy narrowed her eyes.

"Stardress, Aquarius form!"

The other mage had dragged her away from her friends, and into a forest. Lucy's mind flashed back to another time in a situation like this; Ninerva, and how she had fought Angel. She wouldn't be able to use a full powered Urano Metria right now, but… that gave her an idea. She was the first one to be able to use star dress since her late ancestors back when the Heartfilia's had all 12 zodiac keys, so she didn't have much to work with, but she could always create. Lucy glaneced around, not leaving herself open again, and noticed that Aquarius had disappeared and the purple haired girl had a scowl etched on her face.

Aquarius…

Her mind drifted back to the blue haired spirit, giving her an idea. She let the fox push her into the water, landing on her feet in the mid-shin deep water, closing her eyes.

"Aqua Metria!" She pushed her power into the attack. A blue-green magic circle appeared over the surface area of the water in front of her, glowing with the power of both Lucy and Aquarius' magic. The enemy mage, having never come across another celestial mage, waited impatiently for the circle to do something, before swinging her rapier into its sheath in a way to show off, however, Lucy wasn't looking. The other mage realized with a start, she was building up magic power, and Aquarius, her own spirit was helping her. Her own spirit, helping her enemy, she thought, scowling. The magic circle glowed brightly, before a giant tidal wave of glowing water crashed over her, jetting in all directions.

When the wave stopped, Lucy stepped cautiously over to the unconscious enemy mage, before sighing in relief, and slipping Aquarius' key back into her key pouch, running to where her friends were.

"There you are, Lucy! We've been looking everywhere!"

She smiles sheepishly. "Sorry, guys. You'll never guess what happened!"

"What is is, Lushee?" Happy asks appearing behind Natsu.

"Well…. The other mage just happened to have this on her."

She held up the retuned golden key, practically glowing.

"I'm going to summon her."

Lucy placed the tip of the key in the river she had followed to get back to the clearing.

"Open, gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"

Aquarius appeared and Lucy jumped at her arms wide, and Aquarius did not complain.

"Just so you know, I still hate you, girl." Aquarius whispered in her ear.

Lucy laughed through her tears, letting the spirit go as she disappeared into the spirit world.

"Let's go eat! I'm starving!"

"You're always hungry, flamebrain!"

"What was that, ice princess!"

"Is that a fight I hear!?"

Lucy laughed.

Like I said, this one's a bit shorter, but whateves. Hope you enjoyed! Again, if you see anything, please tell me, and honest reviews! It was a little rushe and I'm sorry but I can't think of anything to add at the moment. Thanks for reading!
-3t0