Beautiful Dreamer

Prologue: Beautiful Dreamer

Author's Note: This takes place after the show ended but before the 100 year quest. 

No one noticed the strange mage walking into the guild, or perhaps they noticed, but hey, strange mages walking into the fairytale guild isn't all that unusual. Plus the only strange thing about her was that no one in the guild seemed to recognize her. She had long gray hair pulled into a ponytail that reached down to her waist, and had matching gray cloaks covering everything but her face which had a sunken look to it, as if she hadn't eaten in a while. Still she walked in with a confidence that did not leave room for question, so most ignored her, thinking, well she must know someone here.

Something eerie about the woman made Lucy track her as she walked to the bar and ordered a drink from Mira, as if she'd done it a million times. "Who's that?" Lucy asked, stopping Gray and Natsu in their usual bickering with her serious tone.

Erza turns to look over her shoulder, "No idea." Her eyes come back to focus on Lucy, "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," Lucy shrugged, "there's just something off about her."

Gray looks over at the woman as well, "she looks normal to me."

"Like you'd know normal." Natus taunts.

"What was that fire breath?" Gray turns back to confront natsu.

"Well if you feel somethings off we should keep an eye on her." Erza says all too seriously, ignoring the boys.

Lucy smiles awkwardly, "I'm sure it's nothing, Erza, really."

"Perhaps," Erza agrees, "but in all my years of fighting I've realized trusting your instincts is crucial for survival."

"I'm sure it's not that deep." Lucy says, trying to wave off the idea, worried she now sent a poor woman into the trenches of Erza's laser focus. She looks back at the woman in pity, only to see she's gone. "Where did she go?"

Erza stands up, scanning the guild. "There." She points, the woman stands in the middle of the guild now, smiling at... nothing. Not talking to anyone, just standing there smiling. Her smile made Lucy uneasy as it stretched the skin on her face making her look more like a skull.

Erza seemed to have enough curiosity for today and marched up to the woman. Once again gaining Natsu and Gray's attention. "Can we help you?" Erza asks.

"Not yet," she replies. "But I can help you."

The woman, faster than Lucy's eyes can follow, reaches up and places her hands on Erza's forehead. Erza's eyes go wide, she opens her mouth to speak but then her eyes slowly droop closed, and her body falls backward, hitting the ground with a thud that rings through the guild as everyone now stares at the woman and an unconscious Erza on the ground.

Everyone jumped into action.

Lucy didn't act right away, watching first to see exactly what she was dealing with. Elfman was the first to reach the woman, throwing a punch that the woman easily leapt over, her hand briefly grazing elfman's forehead, and elfman too fell to the floor. The same fate met everyone she faced after that.

Lucy grabbed her keys, "Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!"

"Hey gorgeous," Leo says, before taking in the situation, many guild members lay unconscious on the ground. "Can't say I ever saw the guild this quiet."

"No time for jokes," Lucy says with her whip gripped tightly in her hand, eyes focused on the woman who took down her entire guild in minutes. "You ready Leo."

"Always." he smirks, "let's do this."

"Great," Lucy replies, running at the woman, "and don't let her touch your forehead!"

"No worries," Leo says, not running next to Lucy but behind her. "Regulus light." The light shines on her back, and the woman had to shut her eyes as Lucy approached.

"Lucy kick!" Lucy kicked the woman on her butt, but when she landed the woman was gone. "Where did she go?"

Leo's light stopped and Lucy turned in horror to see the woman behind Leo, hand on forehead, as Leo fell to the ground. "This can't be happening."

The woman was suddenly in front of her, hand on her forehead. "It's happening. And it's been a long time overdue."

The last thing Lucy saw was the ceiling of the guildhall as she fell unconscious.