Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy tail go to Hiro Mashima!

It was already 11 pm. Gray sat on the door threshold, he wasn't able to watch Lucy suffer anymore. She was shivering and murmuring like she always did. But this time it didn't stop. He sighed. It was going to be a long night. Wendy had taken care of Lucy's wound, but she was still caught up in her coma-like sleep. Wendy was now trying everything to relieve Lucy's distress, but it had already been more than an hour. Gray was getting impatient. What if Wendy wasn't as good as they say? She was still a little girl. What if Lucy stayed in her nightmare forever? It was already hard enough for her to see whether she was in a dream or in reality… Gray sighed again. He took the bottle of medicine out of his pocket and wondered if it would help. He could try it if Wendy wasn't able to help. He didn't know if the effects would be different if she got it when she was already asleep, but it can't get worse right? Natsu opened the front door and Gray put away the bottle before he noticed.

"So here you are, shouldn't you be with your girlfriend?"

A blush appeared on Gray's face when he heard the insinuation. It sounded nice, even if it wasn't true.

"She's not my girlfriend, we know each other for a very long time."
"Is that so? Well, lucky you."
"Yeah I guess."
"So what brings untrained mages to this city? She couldn't fight, but she looked brave enough trying."

Something triggered in Gray about the way Natsu said that. Yes, Lucy was brave. He remembered all those nights she couldn't sleep. And if only this guy wouldn't exist... Anger coursed through his veins. Lucy would still be her joyful self without those cursed nightmares if this guy was gone. It could be that the dream was more vivid because she knows Natsu exists in real life. He can hurt her. Gray stood up and looked at Natsu, trying to figure him out.

"What game are you playing? Putting her in danger and then caring for her? Try one of those two you moron, not both."
"Hey for an ice mage you need to cool down."
"Yeah? What if she doesn't wake up? What if she stays like this because of you? You've done enough already!"
"Hey! It wasn't my fault Jellal had her in his line of attack! I protected her you asshole! She would be dead if I didn't!"
"Then why didn't you?"
"I'm a dragon slayer, I can handle it, she can't!"
"She will die either way if you stay near her!"
"What's your problem with me dude? I don't remember pissing you off."
"Blame it on natural opposites flame brain."

Gray didn't know if this dragon slayer was playing a trick on him or if he told the truth and didn't want to harm Lucy. They scowled at each other for a long time. Wendy interrupted them. They both turned to her, trying to disguise their worry for the blonde girl asleep on the couch.

"Can you two stop bickering already? I figured it out, the thing causing Lucy's nightmares is her own magic."

Gray frowned at the girl, not knowing what she wanted to say. He looked at Natsu, but he seemed as clueless as he was. So he asked Wendy what she meant by that.

"Well, she's the one doing this to herself, so she is the one to get it to stop."
"Why would she do this to herself? So you're saying you can't do anything?"
"There are ways, but I'm not skilled enough in the understanding of celestial magic to help her right now."
"Damnit. Alright, I've had enough. That leaves us with one option…"

Gray pushed Wendy aside and walked towards Lucy on the couch. Wendy treated her wound well, but sweat still trickled Lucy's skin. He took the bottle from his pocket and opened Lucy's mouth a bit, giving her two drops of the medicine. Wendy and Natsu were immediately at his side, wondering what he was doing. When Wendy saw the bottle, she took it from Gray. But it was already too late.

"Where did you get this?!"
"I bought it in an apothecary.. It's medicine for her nightmares."
"The council forbid this magic, do you know what-"

Lucy stopped mumbling and a peaceful expression was on her face. They all looked at her. Tension creeping up on them, wondering if it helped. Gray and Natsu wondered what Wendy had meant by forbidden magic, but she was too occupied to look at her patient. There was one clear sentence Lucy spoke before her eyes flew open.

"Vakna eldunarí."

A yellow iris replaced her brown one. Around her iris, her eye was orange with twelve small yellow dots. Natsu looked at Gajeel and Wendy in distress and confusion. Gray was still occupied with Lucy's eyes. They seemed so unnatural... Was this his fault? Did he put her at risk by giving her the medicine? He looked at the dragon slayers for a translation of the sentence. Something that could help him understand the situation they were in. But they almost didn't want to tell him.

"Well? What did she say?"
Natsu didn't even look at Gray, but asked Gajeel: "I thought it was only a myth… Does this mean it exists?"
"Natsu… Anyone can have ravings when they're sick, she could've heard about it somewhere."
"Yeah you're right, but what if it's out there? What if we can find it?"
"I wouldn't put my hopes up. It can be everywhere. We don't even know if and how it works."
"We'll ask her when she wakes up."
Wendy interrupted their conversation: "If she wakes up. What she's doing now is dangerous. I hope her magic can take it. If not…"
"Can everybody stop being mysterious and tell me what the f*ck is wrong?!"

Surprised by Gray's outburst, everyone looked at him. A moment passed and Wendy tried to find words to explain it, but she couldn't find any. Levy walked towards the books she had brought and took one small one out of it and gave it to Gray with a wink.

"She's speaking of eldunarí, it's a dragon legend. I've learned a thing or two by living with a dragon slayer. It's a gem and legend says a dragon can store it's conscious in it. So it can be that the memories of the dragons are in that gem. It's a fair share of old knowledge..."
"But it's only a legend, right?"

Everyone's attention went back to Lucy when her keys jingled. They tried to free themselves from her belt. No one dared to move an inch. When the keys got loose, they floated above her, lighting up the 9 golden keys on their ring Lucy had in her possesion. She talked again and even if it was but a whisper, all dragon slayers heard it loud and clear.

"Eka kausta eom ono, ládrin gata abr du weldenvarden."

And with that, a ray of light blinded everyone for a split second. When Gray looked at the couch he couldn't believe it. She was gone. She left a lot like her spirits always do but he didn't even know where to…

"What… what happened?"
Natsu concluded what Wendy said: "She used her magic when she was asleep. She said she was going to the guarding forest."
"And where the hell is that?"
"I don't know popsicle. Stop asking questions and try to figure something out for yourself alright?"
"I'm sorry I don't speak dragon, ash breath!"
"Well, you know her longer than we do, do you know where she would go?!"
"I… I don't know alright!"
"Fine, then trust us to find her. Stay here, we'll be back."
"I'm going with you."
"Not with me you aren't."

Natsu stormed outside and the others followed. Levy and Erza stayed in the mansion in case Lucy would come to her senses and came back. Gajeel went with Juvia, Gray with Wendy and Natsu insisted on going alone. They would go in all directions and the dragon slayers would pick up her scent if they were close enough. They had lacrima's to contact each other in case they found her. When Gray calmed down, it surprised him that these people were searching for a girl they don't know. But he could use their help.

Her nightmare was continuing for the third time, over and over again. She realised it after the second run. It was as if she couldn't wake up until she remembered something. Something to free her from this loophole. Why did she have to fall asleep?! Her fear overwhelmed her when the claws of Natsu closed around her neck. But this time it didn't start all over again. She was still here. His claw was still around her neck. Struggling, she begged herself to wake up. This couldn't go on any further... She couldn't get any air and her mind was becoming fuzzy due to the lack of oxygen. Why didn't she wake up?! Her nightmare had never gone further than this point. She had never been this close to death and it scared her. What if this was reality? What if she was going to die right now? She struggled harder, but his grip only tightened. She tried to speak with the little breath she could muster and she hoped he would hear it.
"Please Natsu, it's me."
His eyes flared and anger covered his whole face: "Stop it!"
He threw her away with the massive force of an enraged and dangerous dragon. She stopped in her flight by a tree and she heard a loud crack before she fell down on the ground. For a minute, everything turned black... As peaceful as that darkness was, her eyes opened again and she saw Natsu flaring in the distance. His flames as hot as hell and his black tattoos lighting up from his red hot dragon scaled skin. The flame he was, seemed to come towards her. She tried to catch her breath, but her throat felt on fire as every breath failed to clear her fuzzy mind. Coughing, she tried to breath.
"You can't trick me!"
She didn't know what he was talking about, but she needed more time... more time to catch her breath... more time to figure out what he meant... more time to let her broken bones heal... just... more time to think on how to survive. She was glad he had thrown her a considerable distance away from him. He walked towards her, knowing full well she wouldn't be moving any time soon. But she couldn't let it end here. She couldn't die here. This was only a dream, it could be reality, but nothing of that mattered if she were to die here. Adrenaline coursed through her body. She gathered her courage. She forced her muscles to move her arms and legs, falling back down as pain shot through her body. Come on Luce, get up! Trying again, she got up in a sitting position and felt agonizing pain in her back where she had hit the tree. She didn't know if she could walk… Wouldn't it be easier to let him end it? If this was the meaning of her dream, then he wouldn't stop. Anger and rage engulfed Natsu's sight. What did she ever do wrong to get him to change into this? She could already feel the heat, even though he was still far away. Her pain numbed her sences, making her sleepy as she saw the irony of sleeping within a dream. The pain eased away... A figure was standing in front of her, more like floating mere inches above the ground. It was a young woman with beautiful blonde flowing hair. Her hair was so long it almost covered the woman's whole length. Two odd little wings stood on her head and she was smiling. Lucy couldn't pinpoint why, but she immediately felt at home. That bright smile dismissed all the pain still left and before she knew it, Lucy was standing up. The young woman pointed towards the forest and took hold of Lucy's hand. Lucy was so mesmerised by this being who looked so innocent and perfect. She almost forgot Natsu, almost.. She looked over her shoulder to see him enraged behind her. He was yelling something, but she didn't hear it. She followed the peaceful woman with the long blonde hair, hoping he wouldn't follow. She dared to break the silence and the moment her voice spoke, it seemed unworthy of speaking to this wonderful being, apparition or whatever serene image the young woman could be... "Where are you taking me?" The woman didn't say anything but led her through the forest to a small river. Everything was so peaceful here. She could stay here forever. They walked past the little stream and stopped a bit further at the entrance of a cave. It was a dark cave, but with the young woman on her side it didn't look threathening at all. The woman went in and Lucy wanted to follow, but when th woman let go of her hand, the heat came back. A claw grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. There was Natsu, he had tracked her down and now he grinned at her in a wicked smile. "Gotcha."

Lucy woke up in anguish, sweat a loyal companion after waking up. She looked around in panic and she hoped no one was there in the dark. She hugged herself and remembered her dream. This time it was a close one. Her hand touched her neck where his claw had been and it hurt like hell. Scared is an understatement. If it was a dream, wounds and death should stay in it and wouldn't follow her into reality right? She looked around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Although it was dark and she only had the light of the moon, she concluded she was in a forest. Grass under her body, trees in her sight. She found her keys lying next to her and put them back on her belt where they belonged. How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was being hit by that unknown powerful mage's attack...

When her adrenaline level lowered and she was a bit calmer again, she stood up. Looking around, she heard the sound of a small river and followed it. When she got there, she immediately recognised the river. It was exactly the same as the one from her dream, the one she crossed with that beautiful young woman... For the first time she wondered if her dream was trying to tell her something, guiding her somewhere... Panic overwhelmed her again as she remembered the outcome of her dream and all the dreams before. If this was real, then the other ones also were... She looked around, but there was no sign of any dragon-like Natsu here. She heard crickets and the rustlings of leaves, but no footsteps nor did she feel any heat. It seemed to be a normal forest. With normal sounds. And no floating people nor murderous dragon slayers. She didn't even know where she was... She could get lost. It seemed quite late in the night to try and move between bears and other animals. She could better stay in her spot. Gray would come and find her and she could go back to wherever they're going. Shadows moved and she wondered why it didn't scare her, the dark had always scared her when she was young. It could be because her recent dreams were darker than this shade of night, who knows? After a couple of minutes Lucy started to get cold and decided to trace back the same steps she took in her dream. This could be a dream in a dream, but she had to know what was in that cave. And a cave meant shelter for rain and wind, so that would be much better than standing here in the open. If some animal or rover would try to hurt her, she still had her keys to defend herself. It would be alright. She started moving and noticed her fatigue. She felt exhausted. It was a weird feeling, as though her dreams started to get control over her body in reality... This hasn't happened before...

Title: Ruelle – Bad Dream

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