As I've done with Promise Light, I got the urge to rewrite the chapters of this story and will do so when I have time whilst keeping up with my other stories so I hope these chapter versions will turn out better :)

Endless Nightmare

Chapter 1; To Ashes

Dark night-kissed waves lapped against the sides of the stone grey cliff face. White froth bubbling over the sharp jagged rock peaking from beneath the waves. Brown eyes stared up at the white orb in the sky, unyielding to give away its light to the darkness of the night. She took in a deep breath, the salt-licked air rolling over her tongue, feeling the cool air reach all the way down to her toes. It was refreshing, rejuvenation and what she needed. Her muscles unwound, heart relaxed and shoulders slumped, tucking her flickering hair behind her red-tipped ears.

She felt her worried slip from her- if only a momentary illusion of peace. She didn't think of the pressing deadline of her rent, nor bear the responsibility to pick the next mission, or remind herself that it was her turn to help reorganize the guild library. She allowed herself to think of nothing, just listening to the waves crash against the rock as if it was a lullaby from nature. She imagined the stress of life being pulled out of her like the receding tide. But she couldn't ignore the inevitable.

She looked down at her watch. Three hours had passed -gone in the blink of an eye. She heard the wave come crashing back against the shore and sighed. If only she could stay here forever...

But alas, a second wave hit the stone and Lucy turned, leaving the salty air for the still street musk.

Her silver keys jingled as she dug them from her bag, snatching them from their hiding place behind her small notebook. She turned the right one in the lock and like a puzzle, they clicked together. She swung the door wide, striding in with sluggish steps. She was tired, and not all too caring about where things ended up as dumped her bag and jacket here there and everywhere. She slipped into pajamas, brushed her teeth and tied up her hair with wearing thread of energy before she tucked herself under the embracing hug of her duvet.

Her eyes peered half-open at the room, a frost of white moonlight seeming to cover everything in an ashen glow. She would smile at the content feeling from seeing it had she had any energy, but settled for tucking the sheets under her chin and closing her eyes with a soft sigh.

Heat raced up her leg and Lucy stiffened. Her sheets moved and rustled. But that wasn't her. Before she could even think to screech she had thrown herself from her bed and hit the floor with a hard thump. She scrambled to her feet to peer over at her bed, ready to strike, but ended up speechless. Not with fear- but with fury. Pink hair. Blue fur. The only answers she needed. A low guttural growl rose from the depths of her throat and she reached to grab a fist full of the sheets and-

Hesitated.

A soft breath rolled from Natsu's lips, teasing a stray pink spike dropping across his lips, a small blush on his heats from the nipping cold of her bedroom's draft. Happy shivered and his small ball cocooned even tighter at the foot of the bed.

"I'll beat you, ice pick." Natsu grumbled through his sleepy daze and Happy made a chewing noise followed by similar actions. It was too easy to guess the dreams they were having. She sighed in defeat, almost mocking herself at her weakness to their cuteness- it was limited time only. Curse herself and cruse her too soft heart.

She felt a brisk shiver run up the back of her shirt and she shivered. Her muscles ached with tiredness and she couldn't be bothered to fetch her spare sheets to make a bed on the couch. She held her breath and sneaked under the sheets again. As soon as the sheets dropped around her she was enveloped in a wave of heat that made her muscles loose and limp. Maybe she didn't mind Natsu being near her -only on chilly winter nights, of course.

Lucy was running. Heart pounding, mindless running as she drove left and right without thought, trying as best as she could to avoid them -the purple flames. The old city around her was unfamiliar and strange but as it came crashing down around her, the horror of destruction didn't make it matter. Screams and cries and wails rang through the air like a siren, a sharp horrifying, terrible siren that made Lucy want to cover her ears and scream too. Scream to block them out because as she ran to find them, to help them, she knew she never would. It was deserted. But the screaming didn't stop. It would never stop. Not until the world burned.

Burned down with purple flames.

Lucy gasped, her body gasping hungry breaths of air, cold sweat rolling over her shivering skin. She forced herself to blink, to unravel her hands from where they dug into the sheets. Her fingers hurt with the force she had to use to straighten them. But even as she laid there still, she couldn't work off the terror. It was so frightening Lucy had awoken to her room that didn't seem like hers at all. She couldn't place things as her own, couldn't find the familiarity, her sense of safety -it wasn't her house. Her mind was disorientated and even though she had fixed her body, her mind refused to come back down from the battle between her fight and flee responses. Her hands were numb, her legs snatching the blood to prepare to run but before she could act, she felt a warmth tingle over her skin.

She turned to the window and blinked once, twice and again before managing to see the sunlight staring through at her. It was pale and she could tell the rays were newborn to the day. Nevertheless, their greeting was reassuring and they lit up the room like a light switch in her momentary lapse of darkness. She was home.

That dream -not a dream, a nightmare- had been the worse thing she'd felt in a long long time. Her heart still shuddered despite her will not to remind herself of what happened, not to recollect it. She would leave it alone- more for the sake of her fear, than any calm rationality. It had been far too real and no part of her was ready to relive it.

So she settled for comfort in the physical and dove deeper into her sheets, seeking warmth. She found it in a blast as it encompassed her just like the night before, a docile face of calmness following it. Lucy stiffened, all too conscious of the mere inch between them. She turned and then BAM!. Cute innocence that had come too early for a morning like the one she was having.

To her relief the innocence died as fast as it had come along with the hand snaking across her bare stomach UNDER her shirt.

She was in the bathroom a moment later, head under cold water and dressed only twenty minutes later; black frilly skirt, pink shirt and flower belt and a small black rose necklace she'd gotten as a gift during one of her missions by a flirtatious Barron, but he was too old for her, his son had given her another gift- not quite as nice, and although he was similar in age, and good-looking, Lucy couldn't bring herself to accept his.

She hooked her celestial keys onto her belt and swung her head over her shoulder at the doorway. Their cute faces snuggled into the quilt, breathing soft whispers. She shook her head as Natsu seemed to claw at the empty space where she had laid, and left through the door, locking it behind her. They'd climb out the window.

They always did.

…

Natsu woke with a beaming smile, his pride overwhelming after his successful defeat. His body looked up at the ceiling and his confusion was washed away with cold realization. "It was just a dream!" He growled. So much for finally beating Gray...

"Natsu." Happy groaned from down by his feet. "Give me back my fish."

"Fish?"

Happy's head lifted to look down at the dragon slayer then around the room. "Why are we-" A familiar dawning upon Happy's face made Natsu chuckle along side Happy's stomach's growl.

Natsu dropped his bed back onto the soft pillow and stretched, taking in a deep long breath. Soft vanilla scented the air and Natsu felt his lungs expand to their limits to breath in as much as he could. He almost felt reluctant to breath it out. His hand stretched into the empty space beside him and he looked down at it with narrowed eyes. The warmth had seeped out the mattress enough so Natsu knew Lucy had been gone a while.

"Where's Lucy?"

"Not here." Happy replied with a wide cat-grin before shrugging. "Maybe she went to the guild?" He turned to look out the window, squinting at the warm rays of sunshine beating through the window. By the looks of it, it was already afternoon.

"Alright, let's go." Natsu leapt from the bed, tugging on his vest from where he'd left it on Lucy's couch. He was hungry and they'd already depleted Lucy's fridge the day before so they had to settle for the next best thing -guild food; though Mira's cooking wasn't something to be criticized.

He approached the sunlit window, opened it and jumped through, knowing his feline friend was behind him- not even bothering to send a glance to the door.

…

Natsu strolled into the bar before collapsing down on the bar. "Mira, I'm hungry." He whined, rubbing his face against the wooden bar, looking pathetic and needing to be pitied.

He waited for a moment before he accepted no one was listening to him before he lifted his head again. The group of ignorants huddle at the far end of the bar, whispering and muttering, throwing occasional glances over their heads. Happy had beaten him to the group as the dragon slayer dragged his empty stomach from his stool to shuffle a few seats down.

"What are you talkin' about?" Natsu inquired, invading their little circle.

"Natsu, be quiet." Erza snapped, making Natsu's mouth snap shut on pure instinct.

"Why?" Happy asked, ignoring Erza's snap -Natsu couldn't decide if that was fearless or stupid.

"Do you think she might have just wanted to read the books really bad?" Mira suggested, ignoring the cat's attempt for answers.

"Maybe she's researching the mission?" Gray countered.

Natsu felt a pout rise on his lips. He didn't like being left out. "What are you all talking about?" He ask again, or rather demanded.

"Be quiet and we'll tell you." Erza growled, her voice low and promising pain if he ignored her a second time. He quietened down as the Scarlet-haired mage leaned in. "It's about Lucy..." She said, giving her chin a shrug over her shoulder. Natsu followed her gesture and found the blonde haired girl sitting in a corner, a strange quirk on her lips as she flickered through page after page. But it wasn't that she was reading that was the surprise; it was the sheer amount of books she had towered, stacked and piled around her like a fortress of words, pages and hardback covers.

"How many does she want to read?" Natsu exclaimed, still keeping his voice low. Even for Lucy that was a lot of books.

"She's been here all morning -even before I arrived." Mira added.

"Hmm... Actually, I don't remember her coming to bed last night, and she wasn't there this morning." Natsu thought allowed, Happy nodding along, both with their fingers pressed against their chins in thought. When Natsu looked back at the group, their faces were still as stone. They stared at him. Just stared.

"What are you talking about Natsu?" Erza growled, her eyes narrowing on her face. "You slept with Lucy? Did you hurt her?"

"What? No. I'd never hurt Lucy!" Natsu snapped back in upset. "I fell asleep at her place last night waiting for her to come home!"

The mages all gave a deep sigh, heads falling into palms and shaking and sighing.

"What?" Natsu growled.

"Nothing." Gray dismissed him, looking over his shoulder. "Rather, we should- oh."

The group followed his stiffened stare to the empty table and the abandoned piles of books.

"Hey! Where'd she go?" Happy exclaimed.

"What you chatting about?" A cheerful voice interrupted from behind their backs. Their whole bodies went still, and for a moment they stayed frozen until some will from the Gods – or rather the devil- made them turn their heads. Lucy looked down on them with her big and curious brown eyes, a book in her hand with the top resting on her shoulder.

"Hey Luce." Gray startled, far too chipper for his personality. "Didn't see you there."

Lucy narrowed her eyes on each one of them, but they lingered longer at Natsu, a challenge in her eyes that made him cower. Small trickles of sweat ran down his skin as he fought to keep her gaze. After a moment, her challenge faded as she looked up to address the rest of the Team Natsu members. "I picked out a mission, since it's my turn this time. But don't worry I didn't pick out anything boring." After her report, the group gave quick nods and watched as Lucy began to walk away.

They all let out a soft sigh, relief flooding through their guises.

"Oh, and since you were wondering," Lucy called back. "I was researching the mission."

The group stood there in silence, shame washing over them in a thick wave.

"Busted..." Happy purred. Too right.

"Come on guys!" Lucy's voice called. They turned their heads to see her silhouette cutting through the golden sunlight washing past her, an arm waving towards them. "We don't want to miss the train!"

Natsu gave her a bright smile and the feline took off with him, racing towards her. Gray and Erza watched the two go and each gave a shake of their heads, following after the pair with their own sly smiles.

…

"What time did Lucy say the train was coming?" Wendy asked her exceed.

"Train…" Natsu grumbled, a pale shade of green washing over his face.

"You're sick at just the word 'Train'!" Gray exclaimed as if it was news. His face fell darker as they green shade deepened into Natsu's pallor.

"What an idiot." Gray huffed, and Natsu didn't miss a beat.

"What did you say, Ice brain?" Natsu growled, the fire lightening up his temper in a flash and Gray didn't disappoint.

"I said you're pathetic, you hot head." Gray snapped back, butting heads with his rival.

…

Lucy let out a long sigh, turning her head away from the fight breaking out only a minute after she'd left them. "Seven, please." Lucy said to the ticket master in the booth, watching as she pulled out the strips of paper and took her money. Lucy thanked her and made a show of slowing her walk as she waited for Erza to diffuse the two's squabbling before she got there. She didn't want the tickets being frozen or incinerated like last time. She shook her head and looked down at the tickets in her hand.

A flash of cold raced up her arm as the tickets caught fire, flickering flames of purple leaping from her fingers, closing in on her hand. Lucy dropped them with a gasp, the tickets alight with flames fluttering to the ground. Her feet wouldn't move, her body was frozen, her heart like a rock crushing down on her lungs as she watched the dark flames come to life. She could do nothing as they grew and grew to a size no flame could do on its own as it raced across every inch of ground. Soon, the train, the station, the people, they were all swallowed in a sea of purple flames, devouring everyone and everything until not even ashes were left behind.

"Excuse me." A voice came from behind her, startling her so much she let out a small squeal.

The flames disappeared. The station stood erect, the train awaiting departure, people bustling all around her. Nothing had happened. Nothing.

A cold sweat raced down her skin and she shivered. She hadn't even realised she'd been shaking. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms furiously, trying to warm herself and rub away that feeling of terror glued to her body like a second slimy skin.

"Um…"

Lucy flinched and whipped around to the person stood behind her.

"You dropped your tickets." The beautiful stranger said from behind her. Her own eyes widened as they fell on his face; flawless pale skin, dark black hair falling covering his right eyes; but what intrigued her the most was the eye she could see; it was a dazzling, almost hypnotic purple that seemed to glow in the shadows of the light. A smile pulled on his lips and his face only got better. That smile should be illegal. She didn't realise she had been so shamelessly staring until she saw the flicker of amusement in his eyes.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, a flush of embarrassment painting her cheeks red. "I'm so sorry, I was in my own world." She babbled, still unable to take her eyes off of his. They were so pretty…

He leaned in close enough that his breath rolled across her cheeks, looking deep into her eyes. "Don't worry about it." He whispered making her breath hitch. Her heart beat steady in her chest and she couldn't help the feeling of something familiar was over her.

"Do I know you?" She blurted then quickly added. "It's just- you look familiar." It was his eyes, something about his eyes she couldn't remember. She wanted to look away, but their allure wouldn't let her.

A flicker of something passed across his face and then disappeared too fast for her to decipher it. "No, you don't." He said, pulling away. "I don't think I'd forget such a pretty face." He gave her that grin that just ruined her mind before he leaned in close one last time. "I think your train has arrived." He whispered.

Lucy jumped and whipped her head around just as a train was pulling into the station. Cold fingers brushed hers, paper pressed into her palm. She turned to thank him but-

He was gone. A brush of wind pushed across her cheeks, but the man was nowhere to be seen, no matter which direction she looked. She looked at her hand and unwound her fingers.

Seven tickets.

"Lucy!" A voice bellowed far too loud across the station. She let out a small growl and snapped her head at the dragon slayer from across the station. His mouth snapped shut, his flailing arms shut against his sides.

The small air dragon slayer who had paused mid-way towards the celestial mage continued her walk and gave Lucy a gentle, slightly amused smile. "Train's here."

"So it is." Lucy sighed. She turned over her shoulder and saw the crowd surging towards the train in a big wave –no purple eyed man in sight. She didn't even get to thank him…

She shook her head, accepting that it would be likely she'd never see him again, and turned towards the train. She walked into step besides the air mage and made their way to their group.

"Let's walk." Natsu puffed, and began to walk with absolute seriousness.

"Train. Now." Erza commanded.

Natsu's skin went a deep sea green, slumping into a pile on the floor, a sob near-forming from his mouth.

"Pathetic." Gray grumbled under his breath. Natsu ignored the ice mage making him even more enraged. Carrying Natsu, the team made it abroad before it gave its final whistle for departure.

…

Lucy's fingers splayed through the soft pink spikes, twirling and petting each strand with a soft gentle touch. Natsu's green face became a softer pink as his mind and body relaxed on the blonde's lap. Brown eyes stared out the window, a distant expression on her face, watching the scenery disappear in a blur or green and gold. Her mind was still as the train station, searching for the familiar man, his purple eyes carved into her mind.

A soft hum came from her throat before she even realised she was singing it. It was soft and calming at first and silence fell on the rest of their booth. They looked at her with surprise at first but they soon drifted into a half-trance state, listening to her voice. It was a lullaby, the humming in time to the clacking of the train on the tracks. It blended in with the movements, with their heart beats, their thoughts, their breathing. It seemed to touch all of them and hold them, wrapping them up in threads of silk to keep them grounded.

Natsu's breathing on her lap began to slow and calm into a near sleep when the lullaby finished. The silence was like an awaking as the train jerked on the tracks, waking them from their trance. They each looked startled and caught up in a daze as they turned their heads to the blonde. The silence seemed loud without her music, the railway tracks a sharp clicking rather than a steady beat.

"Where did you learn that lullaby?" Wendy asked.

"Hm?" Lucy turned, seeming to come back to her own consciousness as she looked away from the window. "The lullaby? I learnt it when-" Lucy paused, her eyebrows furrowing. Her hands twisted in Natsu's hair as her mind tried to recall. "I don't remember, I don't remember learning it either. It's the first time I sung this." Her confusion registered in her hands as she fiddled and parted the dragon slayer's hair in this way and that as if it materialised as her mental puzzle she was trying to solve. She sighed and her hands relaxed in the softness of his hair again. "I must have heard it somewhere."

…

The group seemed to accept it, a peaceful contentment controlling the atmosphere. Lucy's eyes drifted back to the scenery, the world even further beyond the distance.

The rest of the train journey was quiet and Natsu slept most of it away on her lap, breathing softly with the occasional wriggle. Everyone else discussed things in quiet conversation with each other. And Lucy returned to the window.

Small clustered of villages were passing on the other side of the glass, scattered throughout the hillsides. A screech so close to her ear, so clear, so real shot straight through her and Lucy's head snapped towards the villages. Flames, not orange, or red or gold, but that deep, freezing purple swallowed the city like a harrowing mouth. The stone and wood collapsed into ash in the seconds she could have blinked. But she didn't dare blink, not as felt the blood run cold in her veins, that heavy weight pressing down harder and heavier on her chest, unable to breathe, to think. The shrieking the cries rained down from the hillside, slamming into her like a thousand swords. She gasped, her hands slamming against the glass as she reached for them. But she couldn't do anything. Couldn't help them. Couldn't save them. She just watched them burn.

"Lucy?" Erza's voice came from her side, concerned. "What is it?"

She turned towards Erza, words stuck at the back of her throat. Erza's eyes widened at Lucy's expression as the blonde turned back to the window and-

Nothing was there. The small villages still remained on the mountain side, talls and sturdy, no flames, no screams... "Nothing." Lucy murmured, forcing her hand to pull away from the now-warm glass. Natsu's body felt like a burning inferno on her lap while everything else had gone numb, her skin as white as moonlight.

"I thought I saw something…apparently not." She sighed. Lucy had felt so sure. It had felt so real, sounded so real. Her imagination was strong, but to hallucinate that an entire village was being devoured by those huge, dark, cold flames...

Lucy shook her head forcing herself to look away from the city, pinning her eyes down at Natsu.

She felt Erza and Gray's eyes still linger on her, but after a long few moments they looked away, picking up a soft murmur between them.

It was just a lack of sleep. Nothing more.

…

Two hours more passed in a turmoil of her own thoughts before the train had stopped. Natsu's feet hit the concrete and the green flew straight out of his face to a natural pink. His dark eyes glittered with adventure as he scanned to new and unfamiliar surroundings. "Which one's the client's house?"

Lucy stepped off, and seemed to jump to life at Natsu's question. Faint dark shadows hung under her eyes but as she scanned over the soft fields of emerald grass and golden wheat, she smiled like life had been breathed back into her.

"That one." Her finger pointed beyond the small village to a mansion crested on top of a hill, expanding almost half a mile in either direction.

"That's a big house." Natsu's jaw dropped in awe and eh struggled to catch it.

"Aye sir…" Happy mumbled beside him.

"Our client is Hiro Nisaki." Lucy slung her canvas bag packed with things she probably didn't need as Erza loaded her trailer off the train. "He's a super successful and famous author."

"Wow." Wendy said from where even Carla was admiring the house.

Gray looked at it with similar shock before Erza –unaffected as ever- broke through their shock. "Let's go before it starts getting dark; we don't want to be late." Erza suggested and the group began their long walk up there. Lucy was quiet most of the way but slowly began to wake up the closer they got to the house, coming out of whatever deep thought seemed to bewitch her.

…

A man stood by the door. Well, a man might be an understatement- beast was far better suited. He was huge, covered in a tight black suits and dark shades, tattoos peaking from the edges of his shirt and blazer. He looked fierce.

"Anikibi!" Lucy squealed, and ran to the man with open arms that latched onto his neck as he swung her around, a huge smile on his lips as he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Lady Lucy." He smiled into her neck before he let go, lowering her back down to her feet. "You've grown."

"Yes, but I see you haven't changed at all." Lucy said, releasing her grip with a critical scan of his attire. He responded with a deep, thunderous laugh that was so many layers of gentle, no one knew what to think.

"Master Nisaki is awaiting you're arrival in the grand library." He reported and the big doors swung open. "I hope you haven't forgotten where it is."

She gasped, feigning insult with a hand over her chest. "Never!" She exclaimed. "Come on," She waved to her friends still stood away from the giant pillar structure of the building with its elaborate gargoyles perched on the roof and spires and big arched windows. "I'll show you the way." Despite their curious glances at the man and Lucy's sudden friendliness, they followed after her, the bear-man giving them a mile of space to pass under the big doorway.

The inside didn't disappoint with lavish furnishing, marble floors polished so well you could see your face in and white and succulent red walls and carpets that seemed to cushion your every step. The team wanted to ask Lucy how she knew the client but the girl wouldn't slow down for the world as she spun through every hallway and corridor with grace and confidence.

When she finally did stop, they were in front of another set of doors- though they were much smaller than the front pair. Two identical men; platinum blonde hair, glass-blue eyes were stood either side it. One in a white suit with black gloves, the other in a black suits with white gloves. "It had been too long Lady Lucy." They both said in unison and bowed. "Mister Nisaki is expecting you."

A little creepy? Yes.

"Nokami, Nikami." Lucy grinned from ear to ear and the twins repaid her with a gentle smile on their placid faces. "I would ask you to tell him we've arrived, but I suppose he could tell I was here from the second I stepped through the door." Lucy conceded and the twins took that as their signal. They moved with such fluid movements they were like water as their gloved hands wrapped around the handles and parted aside.

Light began to stream through the crack and the mahogany doors moaned in greeting, welcoming them inside.

They stepped through the doors.

Next: Chapter Two: To See

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-A-ccentric