Author's note: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters! This fan fiction was made only for the fun of it. I do not charge anything from people to read or comment on my fics! They will always be free, by fans for fans!

This fan fic SCREAMED to get out of my head after a rather gruesome dream I had about Gajeel and Levy (I was seeing through Levy's eyes...) Anyway, the second chapter is about the dream I had, so stay tuned! I'll be working on The Dragon Tamer as well, for I intend this fic to be a sequel to the (happy) ending of The Dragon Tamer. Also, there will be some crying involved...

Thank you, as always, for the support you guys have shown me!

Chapter 1: Mission start

It was supposed to be a simple mission. They were hired to lift a simple sleeping curse. Simple, especially with Levy in their team. Erza said they were going to be back home by the end of the day. In and out, nothing more, nothing less. It was supposed to be simple! Levy's cheeks were red and her eyes puffy from all the crying as she held Gajeel's hand. Natsu and Gray were pulling the magical cart Levy summoned for an unconscious Gajeel. My love... You protected me again... Levy's mind replayed the battle over and over again.

The whole town was sound asleep.

"This is weird... If everybody's sleeping, who sent the request?" Happy was the first to break the eerie silence. Erza looked around, straining her senses for any youki or dark magic.

"You're right... Everyone, stay guarded! Let's go to the town center, maybe we'll find some answers there. And don't get separated! I have a bad feeling about this..." Erza and her bad ass team, together with Levy kept silent all the way to the town hall, where they found more people lying on the ground, sleeping. Erza checked them all for pulse.

"They're alive, but if they keep sleeping, they might die from starvation. Let's hurry!"

""Aye!"

"Gajeel, Levy and Natsu, you go down stairs. It looks like a library down there. Maybe you can find something there. As for Gray, Juvia, Lucy and myself, we'll go check the rooms, hopefully we'll be lucky to find someone awake. Go!" Each team went to the designated area, Levy quickly rummaging through the huge library for a book that might help them lift the sleeping spell. Gajeel hovered protectively behind her, looking around the huge room. Natsu and Happy checked each of the monks that were slumped over their desks.

"It's the same. They're alive, but they're sleeping. Hey! Wake up!" Natsu took one of the monks by the scruff of his neck and started shaking him. Seeing he wasn't doing any good, he placed him back on his desk and looked around. As soon as Natsu looked away, the sleeping monk grabbed him by the wrist and started yelling. At the same time, the whole building was echoing with gurgling screams of horror, making Levy clasp her hands over her ears.

"Help! Save me! She's coming... She's coming!" Another scream ripped through the man as Natsu was trying to unclench the monk's hand from his wrist. Then, there was silence. A silence that chilled them to the bone.

"Shrimp, hurry up and let's get out of here." Gajeel went closer to his wife, preparing for an attack. Levy did her best to search for some clues to help them lift the curse and, after a couple of minutes, she found what she was looking for.

"Yes! I got it! It's dark magic, no surprises there. It's a nightmare spell that makes the user steal magical powers and life force." The two Dragon Slayers approached the bluenette and listened intently. "Well, crap... It gets better... We have to lift the spell on a full moon, at midnight..." Gajeel and Natsu looked at each other.

"Tomorrow it's the full moon." Happy hovered over them with ease.

"We should get back to Erza and the rest." Gajeel grabbed Levy by the hand and pulled her back to where they came. They were soon greeted by the rest of the team.

"What was that screaming earlier?" Gray looked around the imposing room.

"It came from the sleeping people. It seems that this is a nightmare spell. Very powerful, S-Class." Levy showed Erza the book she found.

"It makes sense now... Okay, team. Let's camp in the forest for the night. I don't like this place." Erza kept a firm scowl on her forehead as she lead her nakama out the building and back to the forest.

They finished preparing camp, Natsu being in charge of gathering fire wood and Gray searching for water. Levy, Lucy and Happy were in charge of food. Before night fall, they were resting I front of the fire, Levy cuddling next to Gajeel with a content look of her face.

"I think it's an appropriate hour to sleep. Good night, everyone." Erza lied down on the ground and made herself comfortable. The rest followed soon after.

"I'll take the first guard shift." Gajeel pecked Levy on the lips and went to patrol the area.

"Wake me up next." Gray shouted after him as he was taking his shirt off and made himself comfortable on Juvia's leg. Natsu was already snoring loudly next to Lucy, so Gray kicked him hard enough to make him chance his position. It was quiet after that.

The almost full moon was shining down on them, Gajeel keeping his eyes wide open as he rested next to a tree. Suddenly, the quiet night was filled with horrible screaming that made everyone jump.

"The hell is that?" Natsu looked around him, trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.

"It's coming from the city. Come on!" Lucy was the first to answer. Erza equipped her Tiger armor and sped ahead, followed by the others. The screaming got louder as they approached the cursed city. Once they got there, everyone could see the townspeople crouching from whatever pain they were feeling. Some were pulling their hair, others were bent in weird positions. All they had in common was the screaming.

"What's happening to them?" Levy looked with horror at a 10 year old boy, who was crying and screaming at the same time. "Who did this to you?" Levy tried to take the little boy in her arms and soothe his pain, when he snapped his eyes open and let Levy see the horror in his eyes.

"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Levy was unable to do anything. She was captivated by his eyes. The boy had some sort of glass on his eyes, changing the color from brown to light grey. Gajeel saw some sort of shadow reaching for Levy as she sat entranced with the boy in her arms, so he hurried to his wife and yanked her away.

"Are you OK?" Gajeel shook Levy back to reality.

"Uhm... Yeah..."

"What happened?" Erza caressed her head.

"I'm not sure... It felt like I was... drowning in darkness..." Levy shuddered, making Gajeel put his arms around her.

"Everyone, stay away from the townspeople! We need to lift this curse as soon as possible!" A laughter made them all turn.

"No one can lift the sleeping curse from the Book of Zeref." A shadowy figure was sitting on top of the church.

"Are you the one who did this?" Erza took and offensive stance, followed quickly by the rest.

"I'm also the one who sent the request, Fairy Tail." The woman jumped down from the building and landed with ease some meters in front of them.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Lucy prepared the Lion key.

"Isn't it obvious? I want power!" She cackled again, filling the silence after the townspeople stopped screaming. "And with the Book of Zeref mine to command, I will get it. All I need to do is to get rid of the bugs that keep getting in the way. Time to squash some Fairies!"

The hooded woman threw what looked like a hand on the ground in front of them, making the ground crumble. The team moved quickly out of the way, dodging attacks from under them.

"Akumu will have fun sucking the life out of you." The woman shrieked with laughter and opened the old looking book. "Rise, my nightmares! Consume the power of Fairy Tail!" Dark shadows rose from the book, going for each Fairy. Before even one could hit their targets, Lucy summoned Sagittarius, who shot the book, making the shadows disappear. Natsu and Gajeel used the distraction and jumped high in the air, planning for an air attack, but the woman dematerialized just as they were about to touch her, hitting the ground hard.

"Natsu!"

"Gajeel!" Levy and Lucy yelled in the same time.

"Move!" Erza saw the woman hovering above them, chanting something. She lunged to them, equipping her Adamantium Armor just in time as a purple light hit the three. Everyone looked in horror as the purple light from the Book of Zeref covered the two Dragons and Erza. Gray wasted no time and sent his Ice Lances Akumu's way, making her stop her spell.

"Do not interfere!" Akumu swished her hand in the air and sent Levy, Juvia, Gray, Lucy and Happy flying, tumbling on the hard ground. Levy grunted, feeling all the scratches on her hands and back, but she got to her feet and swished her hands in the air.

"Solid Script! Element collide!" Levy attacked the hooded woman with the five elements, her attack hitting the target head on. Erza, Natsu and Gajeel emerged from under the Adamantium armor, looking rather shaken. Erza's feet were trembling and she was supporting her weight on the sword. There was a rumbling sound from under the rubble Levy's spell left in Akumu's place. Before the three could react, they were blown away by the enemy.

"Solid Script mage? Perfect!" The woman chanted something from the book and materialized a shadowy hand. Levy wasted no time and took action.

"Solid Script! Shield!" The bluenette protected her team mates, but the shadowy hand passed right through her shield, heading for the petite mage. Crap… No time… Levy was too shocked to react and move before the shadow attacked her. Everything played in slow motion once Gajeel made his move and lunged for Levy with a concerned look on his face. Half a yard in front of her and Gajeel threw himself in front of the attack that was directed to Levy, stopping abruptly with a horrified look on his face. Levy looked in horror as the shadowy hand went through Gajeel's head and yanked him hard from within. Everyone gasped, the silence that followed being broken by the sickening crunch that came from inside Gajeels' skull. He rolled his eyes in his sockets and blood started pouring from his ears, nose and eyes. Gajeel yelled in pain once Akumu's hand retracted back in the Book of Zeref.

"GAJEEL!" Levy ran to her husband with a horrified expression. "No… Please, no! Gajeel!" The whole team dispatched to protect Levy and the Dragon Slayer. Natsu came next to Levy and checked for pulse.

"He's alive… We need to move fast! He needs Wendy!"

"Happy, use your full speed and get Mira and Guildarts here! I'll hold her off, you guys get the hell out of here!" Erza ordered, parrying each blow the woman sent their way. Happy looked at Natsu and nodded, disappearing after another moment.

"Solid Script! Magical vehicle!" Levy metamorphosed a magical cart with straps to hold the Iron Dragon Slayer. Everyone helped him on the platform and Levy started binding him, strapping his head into place in fear he had anything broken. Gray and Natsu grabbed a hold of the handles and sped ahead once Levy was next to Gajeel, holding tightly on his hand. Please… Let us be in time… After they exit the forest and found the main road, Natsu used his Fire Magic to push the cart faster to the city, where they rented a magical vehicle. Levy strapped the SE-plug on her wrist and off they went, hurrying to Magnolia. After about half an hour, Gray noticed they were going slower and looked at Levy. She was slumped and breathing heavily when she felt a cold hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't you let me drive for a while?" Gray placed a hand over her wrist, but she yanked him off.

"No! I'm fine!" Levy's eyes clouded and she almost lost control of the magical car.

"Are you trying to get us all killed? Get back there with him and LET ME DRIVE!" Gray stopped the car and helped Levy inside, slumping on the soft couch.

"You didn't have to be so rough with her, she wants him home." Natsu grumbled from the top of the car as the car started with a screech.

"I want him home, too, but that doesn't mean she should push herself so much. We have to get him to Wendy in one piece." Natsu didn't say a word and let Gray push the SE-plug to its limits. They were back at the guild in less than an hour, the Master already having Polushka summoned at the guild. Mirajane and Guildarts were already on their way to the cursed city, so they could rest assured the townspeople were on good hands, especially with Levy's counter-spell in Erza's pocket. They had to concentrate on Gajeel now.

TBC

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