Once Upon a Fairy Tail {A Fairy Tail Fanfiction}

Chapter Three: Sleeping Beauty

When Lucy came to, she was sitting in the middle of a lush forest, a peasant dress adorning her body as she sat comfortably in a clearing.

And if she hadn't yet gone insane, there seemed to be birds perched upon her lap. Surprised, she jumped up, startling the birds away with a squeal.

"A forest... could this be Snow White?" Lucy bit her lip, trying to recall the tale. "Ah, wait... it couldn't be. I probably wouldn't still be dressed like a commoner if I were." Lucy wrinkled her nose; her recent experience while wearing rags hadn't been a pleasant one, certainly.

Then this was... Sleeping Beauty?

Lucy glanced warily at the assortment of animals surrounding her, who seemed cautious now that she was hopping around like a maniac in frustration. Singing, the blonde thought. Shouldn't there be singing?

Opening her mouth shakily, Lucy let out what she thought to be a few notes.

Instead, what came out was something akin to a dying cat's screech, or perhaps a baying donkey. The animals, who had gone from entranced to cautious, immediately scrambled away to avoid this clearly insane madwoman.

"H-hey," Lucy growled. "I'm not that bad-!"

"Not that bad?" A deep voice groaned from behind her. "Woman, even my horse could sing better than you."

Turning slowly, expecting a Prince Charming (or perhaps just a very, very amused Natsu), Lucy instead saw Gray, who was wearing clothes for once, and very fine ones at that.

Upon looking at her, his eyes widened slightly. Lucy blinked and assumed a pose.

"Now what are you doing?" Gray deadpanned. "First you're wailing away in the forest while I'm trying to nap, and now you're pretending you're a..." he glanced at Lucy's lips, which she was trying to push out in what she thought to be a cute pout. "Fish?"

"You idiot!" Lucy seethed. Of all the princes to be stuck with, it had to be Gray? Even Loki would have done better. And where the bloody hell was Natsu?

"Oi, oi," Gray seemed affronted now. "What did I ever do to you?"

"Exactly," she shot back without stopping to think of a proper comeback, and stomped away into the forest, leaving an incensed Gray behind. "Get lost."

So what if he was the Prince? Surely she could find Natsu and they could tweak the ending like they did in Cinderella... she pushed a few bushes away huffily, surprised that her feet seemed to know where she was going.

Which was good, because she certainly didn't.

She knew nothing of her surroundings as the forest grew thicker, but Lucy found herself feeling as if she had walked this path a thousand times before, and found herself in front of a cottage. Almost hidden by the trees, and covered in moss, it exuded a rather fairy-tale feel, which Lucy thought was entirely appropriate.

Sleeping Beauty. Lucy cocked her head, cranking the gears in her mind in an effort to recall the tale. If I'm not mistaken, this must be where the princess was taken by the good fairies?

Taking slow, hesitant steps, the young wizard slowly walked forward and gently nudged the door open.

"WELCOME BACK, ROSE-CHAN!" A small, blue girl tackled Lucy, and Lucy barely had time to recover before two other dainty figures had pinned her against the wall of the cottage.

So it was Rose, huh? Briar Rose, the Sleeping Beauty. Well.

Looking around in mild surprise, Lucy found herself greeted with what seemed to be Juvia, Levy, and Mirajane- all three sporting small, wooden wands twisted with age, and large, ethereal wings.