Erza gets caught in an act

The next day, Erza was the first of the group up. The sun had just barely risen as she finished her breakfast and headed out the door. However, her eagerness had backfired as most places had yet to open, leaving her disappointed as she ventured through the mostly empty streets. She rounded a corner and entered a wide alley with colorful signs hanging all over, advertising various pubs and parlors. Unfortunately, these places all seemed closed too. But as she strode down the cobblestone, she saw one place where the window had an actual light on and the door was open.

Intrigued, Erza entered to find herself in a lounge. A multi-terraced room, sloping down to a stage, each level fitted with a variety of recliner couches, club chairs, and ottomans. Along the far wall of the top level was a small bar. The place was completely deserted, aside from a lone man on stage who seemed to be playing with the lighting. Erza realized this place was also not actually open either but decided to approach the man, figuring he might be able to give her some directions or advice about the town.

"Excuse me," she called out in her usual formal tone as she made her way down the stairs.

The man stopped what he was doing and turned around to see the source of the noise.

"Ah, welcome!" He greeted with a tired wave. "Perfect timing."

"What do you mean?" asked Erza, confused.

"You're the replacement, right?" He asked hopefully as he ran a hand through his short navy hair.

"Sorry, you must be mistaken, I don't know anything about that. I was just walking by and-"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he interrupted with his own apology, his optimistic expression fading. "It's just my assistant called in sick and I need someone to fill in for her for tonight's show, and I thought you were here about that."

The redhead's eyes lit up.

"If an assistant is what you need, look no further! I'd be more than happy to help you put on your show!" she exclaimed excitedly, and rather forcefully, having already forgotten about her own dilemma.

Naturally, she was more than ready to offer aid in any way she could, but spying an opportunity to get to perform on stage got her truly excited.

"You will?" he responded, elated but clearly taken aback a bit by her eagerness.

"Absolutely, I'd never turn away someone in their time of need. And-" she nodded before her face turned somber as she glared off into the distance, like she was reliving a traumatic memory, "-I need to redeem myself from the last time I was on stage..."

The performer gave a confused laugh.

"Haha, well there's no need to be so dramatic, really," he tried to assure her. "But I really am grateful for your help. Thank you, this is a load off my mind. I'm Anton, by the way."

"Erza," she politely replied.

They shook hands.

"Then it's settled," she declared. "Now, what's the first thing you need me to do?"

"Oh right, I haven't even told you what kind of show it is," he remarked.

"Yes, I suppose that would be helpful to know," she noted with a chuckle.

"Well, it's a hypnosis show," he stated.

Now it was Erza's turn to be surprised.

"I've never been to one of those," she admitted. "What would I be doing as your assistant?"

"Nothing too complex," Anton assured. "You'll be in the crowd when I start the show but I'll choose you as my 'volunteer'. You'll join me on stage and we'll do a brief act of you getting hypnotized. After that you'll remain on stage, fetching props when I ask and helping other volunteers come on stage. Simple enough."

Erza gave him a skeptical look.

"So are you actually expecting to hypnotize me or am I supposed to fake it?"

"Oh, my hypnosis is very real, I'll simply put you in a trance on stage to show others who might want to try it there's nothing to worry about."

Erza began to look a little uneasy at what he said.

"I'm not sure I'm too comfortable with letting a stranger be in control of me," she commented as she shifted in place. "Also I don't think I'd be that easy to hypnotize, so maybe I wouldn't be the best to be your assistant."

"Erza, please," he urged. "There's no need to be worried, you can trust me."

Erza's eyes widened momentarily, finding what he had said strangely familiar. Her vision began to blurr. Her head drooped ever so slightly forward as she felt a soft pressure build around her forehead. The more she thought about it, the more she had to try to remember....something... Something she needed to remember. She had to...had to...

"Trust-yes...I will trust the citizens of Shamballa. I will trust you...." she sighed as her voice trailed off.

Anton gave a sigh of relief. It seemed even the great Erza couldn't resist the magic of the hot springs.

"So, Erza," he announced rather loudly, bringing her back to her senses, "do you perhaps have a change of heart?"

"Well, after thinking about it, I do trust you. I was probably just getting worked up over nothing."

"Just to help put your mind at ease, how about I give you a little demonstration of my hypnotic abilities?"

Erza considered the offer briefly before giving a quick nod.

"Why not? But don't feel bad if you're unable to hypnotize me, I have a magical eye that makes me resistant to illusions and other such tricks," she informed him, not even contemplating why she'd divulge that to him.

"Really?" Anton responded, intrigued. "That is interesting, but shouldn't pose too much of a difficulty to me, since this isn't an illusion."

Erza calmly wondered what could he be planning then, as he escorted her over to one of the lounge chairs in the house.

"Please, take a seat," he offered with a smile. "Now, let's get started."

Anton closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He exhaled and opened his eyes, staring right into hers. He looked at her with intense concentration, Erza felt an urge to match his stare. For the next several moments their eyes were locked. The longer she gazed back, the more she noticed what seemed to be a warmth and sincerity to his eyes. It was strangely comforting to her, putting her mind at ease, as if he was silently assuring to trust him, which of course she did. And she'd feel bad if his little trick failed, and figured she might as well help him by lowering her mental guard.

Suddenly, Anton's hand came into view. He held it at her eye level and pointed squarely at the spot between Erza's brows. He then spoke slowly in a calming, but commanding, voice.

"Look at this finger, you cannot look away from it."

She noticed his tone had changed. Similar to his gaze, there was now something so compelling, yet comforting, about it now. He spoke with such a smooth authority that what he said didn't come off as a request or even an order, it was more like he was simply stating a fact to her. And sure enough, what he said was quite true. She couldn't look away.

"It is a magical finger. It makes your eyes want to follow it," he said as he began to move the finger around slowly.

Erza couldn't keep herself from following it with her eyes.

"You can't look away. You must keep looking at the magic finger."

Erza was now completely transfixed on his finger.

"The magic of this finger allows it to suck out a person's thoughts," he stated casually, as if it was merely common sense. "From this distance, you can already feel some of your thoughts being pulled away by my finger."

My thoughts flowing out? That...doesn't seem...right... Erza thought to herself. And yet, the more she looked at the finger, the less she thought about what he said and just absorbed it, believing it. But she wasn't worried, she trusted him. Her expression slowly began to go slack as she continued to watch.

"The closer this finger is to your forehead, the more it will affect you. The more powerful it's pull on your mind," he asserted. "When this finger meets your forehead, every thought in your mind will be sucked away."

The last of Erza's dwindling awareness knew what he was saying was true. That if he touched her, her mind would be sucked away.

"Now then," he said matter of factly.

Erza watched, as if trapped in slow motion, as the finger moved closer, feeling her mind dissolve more and more away. Her eyes began to cross as inch by inch as it moved closer. The lone remaining thought in her head was knowing that as soon as he touched her, she would be empty.

Boop.

He gently pressed his finger right above the middle of her brow.

"Sleep," commanded Anton.

"Yes...." Erza obeyed.

Her eyes drooped shut as she fell backwards onto the couch with a gentle thud. Anton knelt down and brushed her bangs aside to admire her face. This is why I became a master, he thought to himself. I followed the rules, I paid my dues, but never could I have imagined that I'd get a chance to claim Titania as my own, much less have her be my first! I really am the luckiest master in Shamballa. He caught himself, he hadn't claimed her yet. He had to still focus on the task at hand.

"You are in a comfortable and very pleasurable, deep hypnotic sleep," he told her.

Erza didn't show any visible reaction as she continued to lay in her entranced slumber.

"From now on, when I snap my fingers, you will wake up, still hypnotized, but aware of your surroundings. My finger will still be magical to you and when I touch your forehead, your thoughts will be sucked out again and you will fall into an even deeper sleep."

He paused momentarily to let the command sink in.

Snap.

Erza's eyes snapped open.

"Huh? What just-" she wondered out loud as she began to sit upright.

Anton interrupted her.

"Watch the finger."

"Hmm?"

But the second Erza spotted the finger pointed at her forehead, she became captivated by it as her thoughts began to slip away. Anton moved the finger closer. Erza went cross eyed again as she followed it moving in.

Boop.

Her eyes shut and she collapsed back into the bed.

"Every time this cycle repeats, you will fall deeper and deeper into this pleasurable sleep. So pleasant, so relaxed, so open. And you will become more hypnotized than before."

Snap.

Erza stirred and sat up.

"Wha..umm-"

"Whatch my finger."

Her eyes instinctively locked on to it.

Boop.

Thud.

Snap.

"Mmm...I feel-" she cut herself off as her eyes spied the magical finger, Anton's commands already engrained enough into her mind that he didn't need to say anything.

"What happens to you when this finger touches your forehead?" he asked innocently enough.

"When the finger touches my forehead, my thoughts are sucked away and I will fall into an even deeper hypnotic sleep," Erza answered automatically in a dreamy tone.

"That's right," he gently confirmed. "But this time, when you fall into your sleep, you will remain sitting upright, your eyes will remain open, and you will follow any command I give you."

There were no objections from Erza as she merely watched the finger move toward her forehead again. With another boop, she let out a hushed gasp. Her eyes turned glassy, but remained open, as she went under.

"Stand up," Anton ordered.

Erza obeyed.

"You are so deeply hypnotized, but we can go even deeper. Your thoughts have been sucked out but there are still things like memories and emotions in your subconscious that we need to purge before I can truly begin molding you. Luckily, I know how to handle that."

Erza simply kept staring ahead.

"Repeat after me: 'Erza's mind is blank'."

"Erza's mind is blank..." she echoed in an emotionless voice.

"Again," he ordered, "let what you say fill your mind, let it flow into every nook and cranny of your soul and wash everything else away."

"Erza's mind is blank." she repeated, the words ringing through her mind. Erza's mind is blank. Erza's mind is blank.

Anton pulled up a chair for himself.

"Keep repeating it, with every time you say it, the more true it will become."

"Erza's mind is blank," Erza's mind is blank. "Erza's mind is blank," Erza's mind is blank...

"What you say is becoming your reality. Your mind is becoming blank," he told her as she continued reciting. Her mind accepted it with no resistance. "When your mind is perfectly and completely empty, say: 'Erza's mind is spotless' and when you do, your mind will completely submit to me."

"Erza's mind is blank." Erza's mind is blank....

"Erza's mind is blank." Erza's...mind....is blank...

"Erza's mind is blank." Erza's.... mind....is.....blank...

As her monotoned mantra continued over and over again, the words in Erza's head began to fade more and more. It was not long before the red head had completely succumbed.

"Erza's mind is blank." Errr-..za's....mind...

"Erza's mind is blank." Err...................blank.....

Her subconscious crumbled into an abyss.

"Erza's mind is blank."..............

Erza ceased her mantra for just a second, as she briefly became deathly quiet both inside and out.

"Erza's mind is spotless."

The hypnotist stood up and stepped in close to Erza and gazed into her eyes, seeing them completely glazed over and vacant. She was clay waiting to be molded.

"Now that your mind is spotless, I can begin filling it up with my words. From this moment on: you are my hypnotized ****, Miss Scarlet. But actually, you aren't her anymore," he mused. "When you are in this hypnotized state, this deep sleep, you are not 'Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail'. Your name is 'Deep Sleep Erza'. That is your true identity. The real you. Deep Sleep Erza is my personal hypnotized **** who serves me above all else. Obeying me is your ultimate purpose. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master. I am no longer Erza. I am Deep Sleep Erza. Your hypnotized ****. Obeying you is my ultimate purpose."

"Your awake self will be unaware of your new, true identity. Awake Erza will not remember that she is my hypnotized **** and will continue to believe that she can't be hypnotized. However, Deep Sleep Erza knows who she belongs to. And when Erza's awake, Deep Sleep Erza will always be there, hidden in Erza's subconscious, and will guide Erza towards total enslavement to her master. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master. I will not allow Erza Scarlet to become aware of me. But I will exist in her subconscious when she is awake and guide her towards becoming your **** too."

"That is exactly right."

He put two of his fingers together and sent a magical charge through them, causing them to glow softly as a cyan aura pulsed around them. He reached underneath Erza's skirt and pressing against her panties. While the entranced girl's face betrayed no reaction, her whole body shuddered slightly. He began to massage her through her panties with slow, rhythmic strokes.

"Erza Scarlet is strong and resilient. She would never submit to anyone freely. But, Deep Sleep Erza desires serving her master above all else. She feels pleasure when submitting to and serving me," pressing firmly into her with the word 'pleasure'. The redhead gasped but otherwise remained blank. "She feels joy knowing that she belongs to me. The more she submits and obeys, the greater the pleasure. She loves the feeling and she loves her master. She will seek to deepen her own submission to her master, desiring me to reinforce my control over her. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, Master," she answered dully, save for a waver in her voice as Anton continued to rubbing. "I feel pleasure serving you. The more I submit to you, the greater the pleasure I will feel. I love the feeling of obeying you. I love you as my master. I will seek to deepen your control over me."

"When I speak Erza's true name, the true Erza will awaken. Deep Sleep Erza will assume control. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master. When Erza hears her true name, I will awaken and Erza will sleep."

"Perfect. Now, when Erza wakes up, she will not remember being hypnotized and will not remember becoming my hypnotized ****. But she will remember agreeing to help with my hypnosis show. Now: awaken, Erza!"

"Yes, Master. Erza will awaken and not remember being hypnotized nor realize she is not the real Erza."

He removed his fingers and stepped back away from her. Her head bobbed down and back up and after a few blinks Erza regained consciousness.

"Oh, was I saying something just now?" she asked as she glanced down noticing a surprising sensation coming from between her legs. "Anyway, I can't wait to help with your show. But will it really be okay since I can't really get hypnotized."

"Don't worry about that," he replied playfully. "Do you think you can pretend?"

"I can do that."

"Good, the show is this evening at 8, but it'd be best if you show up here about an hour early for some preparations."

"Sounds good, I'll see you tonight."

"Bye......." he waved as Erza headed up the stairs.

He waited for her to almost reach the door before calling out: "Deep Sleep Erza."

Erza momentarily froze mid stride, before coming to attention. Anton made his way up to her and faced her. Her eyes had become dull and empty.

"What is your real name?"

"My real name is Deep Sleep Erza." she answered.

"You won't need to pretend anything," he grinned.

"Yes, Master."

"Now there's the issue of attire, can't have you showing up in such a plain outfit. Do you perhaps have any dresses for a night out?"

"Yes, Master. I have several hundred dresses I can requip into."

"That's too many to try out, how about you choose one. Doesn't need to be over the top, but it should be a blend of classy and sexy. Do you think you can do that?"

"Of course, Master."

"Can you show me it now?"

"Yes, Master," she answered before raising her hand above her head. "Requip."

In a blinding flash of light, Erza's blouse and skirt were gone and had been replaced with a glamorous black satin dress and matching gloves that highlighted both her cleavage and legs.

"Wow, and I thought you couldn't get any more beautiful, it's perfect," Anton complemented.

"Thank you, Master."

"Now, before you leave to come here for the show, Deep Sleep Erza will awaken. She will influence Erza Scarlet to come to this residence one hour before the show. Erza will not be suspicious of any of it."

He pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to her. She opened it to reveal a map with a circle around one of the addresses. It was on the far side of town from the Inn but only a couple blocks away from where they were currently.

"Yes, Master. I will be at that location an hour before the show.

"Excellent, now put your normal clothes back on, you won't need that dress again till I tell you."

Deep Sleep Erza quickly changed back with another requip.

"Erza, awaken."

She blinked and Erza was back, again, looking a little confused, though she smiled when Anton extended his hand.

"Just wanted to say: thanks again for your help!" he said jovially as they shook.

"My pleasure, I'll be sure to be early like you said. See you tonight!" she replied as she headed out the door.

"I'm looking forward to it."

---

(Author's note: Hello, hope you've been enjoying this story so far. Juvia is next and her chapter should be out later this week or weekend (probably be another couple days, sorry if you were checking in and waiting). I'd like to credit and thank Kamen Writer MC from twitter and Xlmpth from hypnohub for this chapter. Adapting this scene, and one other, for the Fairy Tail universe is what inspired this whole Shamballa story. But after Juvia, this story will go on a pause as I switch my focus back to Naruto Love Potion for a bit. I've told a couple readers this but, so I'll make it more public: this route does have over 15 more chapters planned, maybe more if people want a second arc, so I'm not abandoning Shamballa if that's your concern. Feel free to leave a comment or message me if you want.)