A Chance Encounter
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The incessant, annoying sound of an alarm blared throughout the room, until a fair-skinned hand harshly slammed on the 'off' button.
"Just five more minutes, please…" A young, blonde haired girl said, closing her brown eyes and attempting to go back to sleep…
Unfortunately for her, the door of her room opened and an older woman, quite similar looking to the sleeping girl, entered, smiling at the girl, who was covered from head to toe in her pink comforter.
"Lucy, dear." The woman sighed. "I know it's early, but you have to get ready for school. It's your first day of your junior year; aren't you excited?" She asked, opening the blinds in the room and turning off a sound machine.
The girl, presumably known as Lucy, groaned. "Mom, I haven't been excited for a first day of school since elementary!"
"Ah, well, Junior year is when I met your father, y'know." Lucy's mom smiled. "Perhaps you will be just as lucky!"
Lucky tore her comforter off of her and gave her mother a disapproving look. "Highly doubtful, mother. All the boys at my school are either dumb as a doorknob or way out of my league..."
Lucy's mom chuckled. "You'll find the one, Lucy, I promise. Just give it time." She encouraged. "Speaking of time, shouldn't you be getting ready?"
Lucy frowned, glancing at her clock. "...Yeah, I guess so." She sighed.
"Well then, I'll leave you to it." Lucy's mom smiled, slowly leaving the room and closing the door.
Lucy sighed once again. This totally blows… She thought.
It's my Junior year and I couldn't be anymore unprepared for the future! I have no idea what I want to do with my life, and I haven't taken a single college placement test…
Lucy's nickname at her school, Fiore Prep, was 'Belle', named after the character from the classic fairy tale, The Beauty and the Beast.
Like Belle, Lucy was certainly beautiful on the outside, and had brains to boot, but she was lazy and immature, and had a slightly awkward personality that has stopped her from forming friendships with most of her classmates.
When asked what she wanted to do when grew up, Lucy would say that she planned on relying on her father, the rich and powerful Jude Heartfilia, to provide her with the funds necessary to go on trips to the foreign countries Lucy longed to visit.
"Well, here's goes nothing." Lucy mumbled.
She crawled out of bed and immediately entered her bathroom, where she undressed and took a shower.
After she was done, she put on her school uniform and tied her hair up in her signature style: down but with a little side pony tail. If there was one thing Lucy prided herself on: it was her appearance, even if she made insecure comments at times.
Once she was done getting ready, Lucy grabbed her bag and started to leave her room.
She took one last look at her surroundings, before closing the door with a sigh.
"Lucy, I expect you'll meet with your guidance counselor today to discuss registering for college placement tests, yes?" Mr. Heartfilia questioned as soon as Lucy entered the dining room.
Lucy sighed and took a seat next to her mother. "Yes, father...as you wish."
"Good." Mr. Heartfilia nodded. "With any luck, you'll be able to get into my alma mater!"
"Your alma mater?" Lucy repeated. "But I wanted to go to the same college as Michelle. She's planning on going to Starry Heaven Uni-"
"You will not make any decisions about your future based on your friends." Mr. Heartfilia exclaimed, setting down the newspaper he was currently reading. "They only hold you back."
Lucy averted her eyes, and bit her lip. "Yes, father…"
"Now, now, Jude." Mrs. Heartfilia pleaded. "Don't plague Lucy's mind with the future right now. She's only just now a junior, so she has plenty of time to decide!"
"I'm simply making sure she's prepared, Layla!" Mr. Heartfilia argued. "We don't want our daughter to end up like one of those Lobsters, who rely on acting in prescription commercials to stay afloat! No, she will take over the family business just like I did when my father retired."
Lucy said nothing, instead poking at her breakfast and drowning out the conversation.
If there was one thing Lucy hated about her life: it was the fact that her father tried to dictate it for her.
"Finally, Lucy!" Michelle giggled, standing outside the school gates. "I was beginning to think you'd never show up!"
Lucy's closest friend, Michelle Lobster, was a pretty girl, with fair skin and light brown hair.
"Sorry," Lucy sighed. "My father gave me yet another lecture! Ugh, I swear, he thinks it's the end of the world if I don't follow in his footsteps!"
"Well, if you don't want to follow in his footsteps, then what do you want to do?" Michelle inquired, walking with Lucy into the school.
Edolas Prep was a grand, ornate academy, where only the richest of the rich studied.
"I have no clue," Lucy groaned. "But I still have time, Michelle! We're still juniors, y'know, it's not like we're seniors or something."
Michelle nodded. "True. Although, plenty of our classmates have already chosen what careers they're going to do for our career research class. Ooo, last night, I decided on being an actress, just like my parents!"
"That's great, Michelle…" Lucy unenthusiastically said. 'Just like my parents' was the common phrase heard around Edolas Prep: Everyone just fell into whatever business their parents were in, not bothering to venture off into unknown territory.
It was all so boring to Lucy, who desperately just wanted to do something exciting with her life.
The problem was, she didn't know exactly what that was…
Lucy and Michelle continued to walk towards their first class, when they noticed they were the only ones in the hallway.
"I wonder where everyone is." Michelle said. "I don't think we're that late."
Lucy frowned, taking a look at her watch. "Yeah, no, we're not...so why is it so empty?"
Without any warning, Lucy felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Hm, running late, are we?" A voice said.
Lucy quickly turned around to find Minerva Orland, Fiore Prep's resident mean girl standing in front of her with a conniving smirk.
"Ugh, what do you want, Minerva?" Lucy asked in an uncaring tone. "It's the first day of school and you're already tormenting me?"
Minerva rolled her eyes. "Please, you're not that important. I'm just wondering where the hell everyone is."
Michelle raised a brow. "What are you saying? You haven't seen anyone else here?"
Minerva shook her head. "No, and it's totally weird. Everyone should be here by now."
Lucy narrowed her eyes. What the hell is going on…
Suddenly, the lights in the hallway went out. There was no windows, making it completely dark.
"What's going on?!" Michelle asked in a frantic tone.
"Did the power shut off?" Lucy wondered.
"No way, Edolas wouldn't be so trashy to forget to pay the electric bill." Minerva scoffed. "And there's no storm anywhere so that can't be it either…"
"Let's get out of here." Lucy encouraged.
The three slowly walked to the exit of the school. The only light that helped guide them was a sky light.
"This is so weird…" Michelle commented.
"If this is some sort of prank, I'm going to kill somebody." Minerva frowned.
Lucy ignored both of them.
She was starting to get a bad feeling…
Like something was off.
Where is everyone?
The three were just about to reach the front door, when the lights switched back on…
And a hooded man stood right in front of them.
Minerva screamed. "Ah! Who the hell are you?!"
"Hoodies are against dress code." Michelle frowned.
Lucy couldn't bring herself to speak. This man was radiating some dark energy, and he terrified her to the core.
Minerva, however, was way too cocky.
"Are you going to answer?!" She sneered, walking closer to him. "Or are you just going to stand there like a creep?"
The man did nothing.
"Move out of my way right now before I kick you in the balls!" Minerva threatened.
The man did nothing.
"OK, that's it!" Minerva snarled. True to her word, she raised her leg, prepared to kick the guy right in his family jewels.
But she stopped.
The expression on her face turned from cocky to horrified.
"Minerva?" Lucy called. "What's the matter?"
Minerva didn't answer, and instead fell to her knees.
"Minerva!" Michelle gasped, rushing to her aid.
She lifted up Minerva's face, to reveal a terrifying sight.
Minerva's eyes were now pitch black, and black blood was trickling from her mouth.
Michelle almost dropped her in shock.
"What the hell is this?!" Lucy shakily said, backing away.
She knew the hooded man had something to do with this.
But he was completely still. He hadn't even touched Minerva.
Minerva suddenly started to convulse uncontrollably, and she was making strained attempts to try and speak.
Lucy and Michelle could do nothing but helplessly watch. Their bodies were paralayzed in fear.
All of a sudden, a beam of light came out of nowhere, and the hooded man fell to the ground.
After Michelle and Lucy recovered from being blinded, they were astounded to now see a short old man standing in front of them...with the hooded man nowhere to be seen.
"Damn it all!" He yelled. "He got away!"
"W-who are you?" Lucy inquired, her voice shaky with fear.
The old man turned to look her in the eyes, and then grinned. "I'm Makarov Dreyar, my dear! And I'm here to rescue you from this tragic life of yours!"
…
…
…
"What the hell is going on?!" Lucy cried.
"I'd like to know that too." Michelle added, still holding Minerva, who was now still.
"Ah, shame about your friend." Makarov frowned. "Though she was rather foolish to stand up to him of all people."
"What do you mean shame?" Lucy asked.
"Hm? Well, she's dead." Makarov explained.
…
…
…
"AHHHH!" Lucy and Michelle screamed. Michelle quickly leapt to her feet and backed away from Minerva.
"W-what do you mean dead?!" Lucy gasped. "S-she was fine just five minutes ago! And that guy didn't even lay a finger on her!"
"He didn't need to lay a finger on her considering he has magic." Makarov said in response.
"M-magic?" Michelle repeated.
"You're nuts!" Lucy realized, backing away from the old man.
Makarov chuckled. "I can understand why you'd say that, and hey, it might be true! But Lucy Heartfilia, you must come with me."
"How do you know my name?!" Lucy frowned. "And I'm not going anywhere with you, creep!"
"You must." Makarov sighed. "You're not supposed to be in this place. You belong in the world of Fiore."
"Fiore?" Michelle repeated. "I've never heard of such a place!"
"That's because it's a world unknown to those here in Edolas." Makarox explained. "Or in other words, the land without magic."
What the hell is this old geezer talking about?! A land without magic? Magic doesn't exist in the first place!
"I-I'm not going anywhere with you!" Lucy protested. "We need to call the police! To report Minerva's death!"
"The police can't help your friend." Makarov frowned. "I'm afraid Zeref made sure of that. Now, please, Ms. Heartfilia. Come with me." He held out a hand.
This is nuts, there's no way I'm going with-
"Come on, Lucy." Michelle suddenly smiled, putting a hand on my shoulder. "It's time."
"Time for what, Michelle?" Lucy frowned. "Do you know what's going on?"
"I think deep down, I knew…" Michelle sighed. "I was sent here to keep you company, to protect you until it was time for you to return back to Fiore."
"Michelle, what are you talking about?" Lucy pleaded. "You're scaring me!"
"My family...memories...and existence are all a fabric of imagination." Michelle continued. "My sole purpose was to make sure you made it to today, and I've achieved that."
"Thank you, Michelle." Makarov nodded. "Your assistance will never be forgotten."
Michelle smiled. "Of course, master."
Then...she vanished.
What. The. Hell.
Lucy's eyes were wide in fear. She had no idea what was going on, and she felt totally helpless.
"Take my hand, Lucy." Makarov encouraged. "Come with me back to Fiore, to discover the life you were always meant to have!"
Lucy was shaking like a leaf...she didn't want to go with this creepy old man. She wanted to run back home and tell her parents what happened to Minerva and Michelle. Then, she wanted to be seen by a therapist to make her forget.
But despite her wishes, her body moved of it's own accord.
"W-wait!" She exclaimed.
But she couldn't do anything to stop herself. It was like her body was under a spell, and being forced to take Makarov's hand…
The moment she did, everything went black.
A/N: Yeah, I have no idea either.
I came up with this idea today, and decided to just write *shrug*. I'm not super proud of this, but I hope to make something of this series. Fairy Tail has always been a love of mine, and I've been meaning to put my own spin on it for awhile.
Please, let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions. Criticism is always appreciated, especially given my amateur writing skills (in short, I need your guys' help).
Thank you for reading.