Natsu sat at the counter of the bar in Fairy Tail, his spirits were dimmed and his usual happy mood was diminished.

"Hey Natsu."

"Oh, hey Gray."

Gray sat down beside his friend and cast him a worried glance. Although Gray hid his feelings he missed Lucy very much.

"It's been over a month…"

"I know, but I still don't know why she-"

Natsu stopped his sentence and looked at the door when he noticed the dark aura that suddenly entered the room. He turned to the door and looked at a cloaked figure and by the shape of the body it was a girl.

"Who are you?" Gray asked, trying to let his calmness spread to the rest of the members of Fairy Tail as they glanced wearily at the stranger.

"My name is of no importance; all I need is to speak with your master."

"You'll do NO such thing!" Yelled Loki, who had appeared beside Natsu.

"SILENCE!"

Lucy kept her hood over her face but turned to look at the old geezer as he appeared on a rail his eyes were calculating, "Thank you. Now what is it you wish to speak with me about?"

"Apologizing…" The figure lifted her delicate and smooth looking hands to her hood and let it fall, her black hair framed her face and her crimson colored eyes gazed mysteriously at every individual in the room.

"…for leaving you."

Erza took a step forwards and stopped when she noticed a mark on her hand, it seemed like an outline to a symbol. Upon looking at it further it was the outline of the Fairy Tail symbol!

She grabbed the girl's hand and shock covered her face before her eyes melted into tears, "Lucy!"

She engulfed the girl who smiled and wrapped her arms around Erza, tears falling from her own eyes. The rest of the Fairy Tail members looked at the scene in shock as the two girls cried in the embrace of one another.

Erza broke apart, "What happened to you? You look absolutely-"

"Dark? Depressing? Evil?"

"-I was gonna say sexy but those work too."

Lucy smiled slightly before turning to look at Natsu, Gray, and Happy. Their faces were covered in shock and confusion and Natsu looked like he was going to pass out.

"…T-There's no way you're Lucy."

Lucy gazed sadly at the talking cat whose words had stung her before looking at Natsu who also had the same look in his eyes.

"Natsu! You idiot!"

"Erza. Its fine, I doubted that any of you would even recognize me, but apparently I was wrong. Only you do. It's no big deal; I'm kind of used to it by now." Her voice was still light was an undertone of sadness was there.

'Well… at least somebody recognizes me…' She thought as she turned to look at Fairy Tail's master. His eyes were calculating…again… and then suddenly they lightened up.

"Well, Erza it seems that you are right." He muttered as he leapt down and appeared in front of Lucy.

"Although, I would love to know why you look so…so..."

"So…darkish?"

"Yes."

"Fine, I'll explain it to you to seen as how everybody else looks like a bunch of idiots the way they are staring at us."

Erza smiled and chuckled lightly and Marikov nodded his head and the three walked up the stairs and to his room. Four hours had gone by and no one had even heard a noise come from upstairs. Natsu, Gray, Happy, and Loki still doubted that this girl was Lucy.

"First of all, Lucy would never ever look like that in a million years and for another her skin is too pale to be Lucy's!"

"Aye."

"Well its-" Gray stopped and turned around and his eyes widened. Marikov was standing with Erza and beside Erza was that girl. Marikov looked slightly upset but nodded when she and Erza asked him something.

"Gray?"

"She's out."

They, as in everybody in Fairy Tail, watched as she and Erza headed for her bag that was resting on the ground beside her cloak which Erza had brought down a little while ago. She grabbed it and opened the top and grabbed an item from it; an old piece of paper.

Marikov walked over, "Is this it?"

"Yes, but I doubt it will work, his magic is stronger than it was before…" Her eyes held sadness as she talked and Erza placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Marikov unfolded the paper and read the script over and gave a frustrated sigh, "I'll try but you may have to convince him to change you back."

The girl gave a brief nod and bit her lip as Marikov placed the same finger as Marcus had on the mark between her breasts. The words that past through his mouth were unknown to any member of Fairy Tail and suddenly from the mark a red light appeared through her skin and spread over her body, tears slipped from the girl's eyes and finally a scream of absolute pain ripped through her throat.

Happy winced at noise and Natsu held onto him as he watched with terror as the light began to release its hold on her skin. And then…

Her hair began to become shorter and the streaks and the dark black color were replaced with blonde and the piercings vaporized from her body. Her skin became a much richer color. And then as fast as it had happened, the light disappeared and on the ground was Lucy.

Just about every member of Fairy Tail watched in utter shock and in silence as she stood. She winced and Erza placed a hand on her shoulder to help her steady herself.

"L-Lucy…?"

Her eyes opened and she closed them again, shuddering as the pain grew heavier. 'Damn… I-I can't…feel my… … …body.' As those final thought crossed through her mind her world went black.

Loki sat beside Lucy as she slept, her face was covered in sweat and her breathing was heavy. 'She's exhausted.' He smiled softly and brushed her bangs from out of her face.

He turned to leave the room to get her a new facecloth for her forehead when a soft noise caught his attention.

"Nhnn… L-Loki?"

He turned and ran to the bed and helped her sit up. He smiled and a one matching it came from her face.

"I'm here Lucy."

She smiled again, "H-How long have I been out?"

"Two days…"

She looked at Loki and noticed his exhausted face she smiled sympathetically and lifted a hand to his face; placing it on his cheek, "You didn't leave my side, did you?"

He shook his head and the tiredness on his face began to show. She giggled softly and blushed when she felt his head on her shoulder. She brushed the bangs out of his face like he had to her and kissed his forehead softly.

"Sweet dreams, my Leo."