Why can't Earthland magicians use magic in Edolas without the X-balls?

Question

When Natsu, Wendy, Happy and Carla went to Edolas they couldn't use magic at first. Later Natsu and Wendy were given the X-balls to regain their magic usage. Yet even without the X-balls, Exceeds could use their magic. This is according to the wiki because they have their Magic located inside of their bodies just like the Mages of Earth Land.

Presumably, this is due to the fact that they are the only beings in Edolas whose Magic is located inside of their bodies, just like the Mages of Earth Land.

If both have their magic located within their bodies, then why are only the Exceeds able to use their magic, but Mages need those X-Balls?

Also related to this question, I was wondering why the Exceeds even lost their magic usage to begin with. It was said that they need to have the right mind-set to be able to use their magic, but when they entered Edolas for the first time, they didn't know magic was limited, so they were supposed to have the "right mind-set" at that time right? So why did they lose their magic usage when they arrived?

Answer 1

To answer your first question: because it's said so. (Possible explanation could be that exceeds were laid there so their bodies has some mechanism that they just needed to awaken but mages needed the X-balls for that. But this is just a speculation as we only know as much as it's said: mages needed the X-balls, exceeds didn't.)

To answer your second question: they were not supposed to have the right mindset. They were pretty much in doubt about everything especially about themselves. What are they, what are they for... what they knew so far changed quite drastically in a few hours of time. While it's not stated explicitly in Fairy Tail, in most of the other universes (including RPGs) using magic needs quite some concentration, so that "right mindset" thing can be more crucial than you think.

Answer 2

I only have an answer to your second question It seems like the "right mind" was all about knowing who you are as a person. The only real evidence I have for this theory is the fact that when Happy and Carla jumped off of Lucky's island Happy was talking about them not being exceeds sent to capture the dragon slayers they were fairy tail wizards who were going to do everything they could to save their friends. Right after that they got their magic back. My only other option would be that they couldn't doubt themselves in anyway they had to be confidant in what they were doing because right after they got to Edolas they qould obviously be doubting themselves as to what they were doing why various things then they got confidant again and regained magic. I don't know if either of these are right but they are my theorys

Answer 3

Earthland mages both generate and absorb magic from the surrounding area's but in Edolas it is rare to find Ethernano there as there is a limited supply. Think of it like this, gold now a days is not found like in the movies in large chunks. But instead it is a massive amount of dirt dug up and refined into gold. It is the same there in Edolas the exceed evolved to generate their own magic but since it was in limited supply humans did not learn to absorb it or generate it so they have no magic of their own. On the other side Earthland mages generate and consume magic of their own. Making it so that they need both to use magic the X-balls allowed them to just generate their own to use magic, so it is like H2O but the X balls let them just use O.

Now Happy and Carla is because they thought they used magic the same way and thus learn how to as they used magic, since they believed they need to absorb magic from the surrounding they did but once there was no magic to draw on they had no idea how to use magic. But once they found out the truth and they knew they could use magic without absorbing it. It was mostly psychological as in like Superman he believed he needed to eat, sleep and breathe so he did but once he found out he did not need to he no longer worried about it, sure he would do those things, but that does not mean he had to.