Phantom Lord

Natsu lay face down on the table, groaning to himself. It had been two weeks since the whole body switching fiasco, and things had abruptly become very boring. Currently, the family was at their house, preparing to head out to the guild hall.

"So bored!" he lamented, banging his head once.

"Take a job if you're that bored," Erza said as she polished her sword. The Dragneel family was currently at their house getting ready to go back to the guild.

"All the jobs at the guild are boring!" Natsu said, before looking up at his wife and asking, "Can't I go on an S-Class mission with you?" His answer was a fist on the head.

"You never learn, do you?" Wendy asked her adopted brother.

"He wouldn't be Natsu if he did," Happy said. He was currently in his human form, eating a fish.

"Could you please turn back if you're going to eat like that?" Carla, also a human, demanded.

"But you're in your human too!"

"But I'm not being a complete slob."

"You know I can't let you take an S-Class job," Erza said.

"But we're a team!" Natsu protested, "We have to go on missions together!"

"Not S-Class ones," Erza said as she rose to her feet, "Now let's go to the guild."

"I swear," Natsu muttered, as he also stood up, "If something doesn't happen soon, I think I might have to go into the mountains to find some Vulcans to beat up." With that, they all started heading out to the guild. As they were walking through the streets, they attracted the gaze of several townspeople, who were muttering behind their backs. While Erza couldn't get much, Wendy and Natsu's superior hearing allowed them to pick up more of what was being said. From what they could all assemble, there were words of sympathy and pity.

"They're talking like something bad recently happened," Wendy noted.

"Is that so?" Erza asked, "Why would that be?"

"Who knows?" Carla said, "Townspeople are always gossiping, so chances are its probably something minor." But when the group arrived at the hall, she was promptly proved incorrect.

The guild hall was in ruin, barely still standing, with massive iron poles jutting out all around it.

"The… the hall?" Wendy stuttered in horror, covering her mouth.

"What in the hell happened here?!" Erza demanded out loud.

"Who did this?" Natsu growled, his fists starting to smoke slightly.

"It was Phantom." The group looked to the side, and saw Mirajane standing before them, a sad, despairing look on her face.

"Phantom did this."

(in the basement)

The guild's basement was being used as a temporary base for the Fairy Tail members to nurse their wounded pride. Everyone down there was in a state of complete misery, as they sat under the rubble of their once proud guild hall.

"I know that our two guilds were never on the bed of terms, but this is going over the line," Jet said.

"I for one say that we go back their guild hall and tear it up," Droy said with a snort.

"Come on, lay off," Levy said, "Doing that won't make things any better for us."

When Lucy saw Scarlet Fire coming down the stairs, she ran over to them.

"I'm sure glad to see you guys!" she said, "Did Phantom Lord really do this?"

"Most likely," Erza said solemnly.

"Why would they do this?" Wendy said as she fidgeted with her skirt.

"Because they're dicks that's why," Gray answered as he walked up, "Phantom Lord will take any opportunity just to spite us."

"This is just being downright immature," Carla said, folding her paws.

"Yeah, if they got a problem, say it to our face!" Happy piped up. To say Natsu was absolutely fuming would be a gross understatement. Steam was leaking out of the edge of his mouth, and his fists were starting to glow lightly.

"Yo!" a drunk as hell Makarov shouted with a wave, "Welcome back!"

"Master!" Erza said, "How much have you had to drink?"

"I'll answer that if you answer this question: how's your guys' sex life?" If he hadn't been Erza's guild master, she would've cut off his head then and there.

"Master!" Mirajane scolded.

"Don't you understand the gravity of the situation?" Erza said, "This goes far beyond just the trading of insults between our two guilds."

"They completely destroyed our guild hall!" Natsu said, "We can't let this slide!"

"Of course I understand," Makarov answered, "But what does it matter? This just shows how cowardly Phantom Lord is. Vandalism with nobody around is noting to be proud of."

"Nobody was here?" Wendy asked.

"It was after everyone had called it a night," Mirajane explained.

"It always is, isn't?" Lucy said.

"Well, then let's take solace in the fact that nobody got hurt," Carla said, "This could have ended far, far worse."

"Let's not get all worked about this," Makarov slurred, "What's the point of getting mad at guys who don't even have the guts to challenge us face to face?" Finally, Natsu couldn't hold it anymore. He let out a cloud of fire from his maw.

"Screw all of that!" he yelled, "We can't just let this go! We've got to take payback! We've got to beat them up!"

"Natsu!" Makarov yelled, "You know that conflicts between guilds is forbidden by the Magic Council! I"m not going to hear anymore of this!" He then jumped down from his seat, and scurried off.

"Now I've got to go take a leak!" he announced. The group watched as he left.

"What's with him? Why isn't he taking this seriously?" Natsu said.

"Don't misunderstand his behavior," Erza said, "No doubt this is hardest on him."

"But there isn't really anything to be done," Mirajane said, "The Master was right, large scale conflict between guilds is strictly forbidden by the Magic Council."

"But what about Jellal?" Natsu asked, "Couldn't he get the Council on our side?"

"Jellal is just a member, he's not the Council's leader," Erza responded, "For now, we must respect our master's decision, and not retaliate against Phantom Lord."

(that evening)

"Man," Lucy said as she strolled down the road back home, her trusty Celestial Spirit Plue, "I knew Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord were rivals, but I never thought the animosity ran that deep."

"Pun."

"Honestly I was tempted to join up with them before I met Natsu and Erza," she continued as she approached her door, "From what I hear they're just as crazy as Fairy Tail. But I'm still glad I joined our guild. I mean its almost like my fami…"

"Hey Lucy!" Happy piped up.

"Welcome home!" Wendy said. The entire Dragneel family, plus Gray and the cats, were in her room.

"The hell are you doing!" Lucy cried out.

"It stands to reason that Phantom Lord members are in Magnolia," Erza explained, "As a result, we have to stick together."

"Strength in numbers and what not," Gray added.

"So everyone is having a slumber party!" Happy said, raising a paw.

"Sorry to barge in on you like this," Wendy said.

"We shouldn't be lounging around!" Natsu, who was sitting on the floor pouting, shouted.

"We would've brought you to stay at our house, but chances are that's where the Phantom Lord members will first look," Erza elaborated, "So I figured we'd be staying here for the n right instead."

"Where are you even going to sleep?" Lucy demanded.

"On the bed, where else?" Gray said.

"The hell am I letting you sleep in my bed!" Lucy countered, though she paused briefly, "Wendy can sleep with me on my bed."

"Thank you!"

"But the rest of you will have to find somewhere else to sleep!"

"Well, I guess I can sleep on the couch," Gray said.

"Natsu and I always sleep together," Erza said, "And we've learned to rough it, so we'll just sleep on the floor."

"And Carla and I can sleep in the laundry basket!" Happy said, as he jumped into said basket, "Right Carla!"

"Absolutely not!" Carla countered.

"Do you have anything to eat?" Natsu asked, "Maybe you can get the fire place burning?" Then he noticed Plue get into Lucy's candy basket.

"Plue!" she yelled.

"Thanks!" Natsu said, as he started snacking as well.

"Look Erza and Wendy!" Happy said, as he dug through Lucy's laundry, "Look at Lucy's panties!"

"It covers so little!" Erza said in shock, a she picked it up. Carla turned into a human, and covered Wendy's eyes.

"Look, I'm going to get some shut eye," Gray said, as he lay back on the couch.

"I guess I don't need to tell you to make yourself at home?" Lucy commented with a sigh.

"Alright boys!" Erza spoke up, as she looked at her husband and friend, "There is no way we're going to let you stay here with your current hygiene!"

"But I'm already in couch," Gray whined.

"And I'm eating," Natsu also whined, "And you never complain about this while we're at home."

"Well we're not at home," Erza said, before wrapping her arm around Natsu's neck, "Come now, we can shower together like we often do."

"That's just kind of creepy!" Lucy said.

(in Magnolia)

"Shouldn't you be back in Fairy Hills with the other girls?" Jet asked.

"You kidding?" Levy responded with a smile, "We're a team, we got to stick together!" Both Jet and Droy doubled over in swoon, their eyes hearts.

"Yes Levy!" the two said in unison.

"Think of this like a time we can go over our team formations," Levy explained, and as she continued, she failed to notice the dark figure descending upon them.

(at Lucy's place)

As Lucy exited her bathroom, she looked over her guests.

"Natsu, its your turn!" she called, only to notice how the Fire Dragon Slayer was snoring, "Gray?"

"Meh."

"Why not?" Erza said, still in her towel, "Its so nice."

"It is!" Wendy said, now in her pajamas, "It felt so good after a day like today!"

"Well you're taking this phenomenally well," Lucy said, rubbing her temples, "Geez, you're going to give me a migraine."

"Well, I should change," Erza said, as she stood up, and with a flash, re-quipped into her pajamas.

"Is that how she always changes her clothes?" Lucy asked.

"Every night," Wendy confirmed, "She even re-quipped into her wedding dress."

"So, any idea why Phantom Lord just attacked us out of nowhere?" Lucy asked, as she sat at the table, across from Natsu.

"Can't say I do," Erza said.

"If the old man wasn't so scared, we'd go and force it out of them!" Natsu said as he stirred, glaring.

"Good evening I guess," Lucy said.

"Come on!" Wendy said, "You know the Master isn't afraid!"

"Wendy's right," Gray said, as he looked up from the manuscript he was looking at, "Don't forget he's one of the Ten Wizard's Saints!"

"Who said you could read that?" Lucy said, snatching it out of his hands.

"Ah, come on, at least tell me what happens next," Gray said.

"No way," Lucy answered, "I promised Levy would be the first to read it." Erza opened her hand.

"I'll take a look," she said.

"Didn't you just hear what I said?" Lucy answered.

"What about me? Can I be second?" Wendy asked. Lucy was going to turn her down, but then she looked at Wendy's big hopeful eyes. So cute….

"Alright," Lucy relented.

"Thank you!" Wendy said, smiling.

"So who are these Ten Wizard Saints?" Lucy asked, as she sat back down, setting the papers on the table.

"They are a group of wizards recognized by the Magic Council as the strongest on the continent," Erza explained, "That's not a title that they thrown around."

"The Master of Phantom Lord, Jose, is also one," Carla explained.

"Isn't Jellal also one of them?" Wendy asked.

"He is," Erza answered.

"Who is this Jellal, by the way?" Lucy asked.

"He's a friend of Erza's," Happy answered, "He's also a part of the Magic Council. Often times he helps us out when we get trouble."

"More often than not, Jellal has kept Natsu and I out of prison," Erza explained, "But this time around, I don't think he'll be able to get the Council on our side."

"Makarov is afraid!" Natsu said, standing up, "He's scared Phantom's got too many members!"

"You know that isn't true!" Gray said, "The consequences aren't worth it!"

"Are they really that strong?" Lucy asked.

"Indeed," Erza answered, "If our two guilds truly warred with each other, both of us would be annihilated. As said earlier Master Jose Porla is one of the Ten Wizard Saints, and is magic is therefore on par with that of Makarov. On top of that, they have four elite members known s the Element Four. And what's worse, is Black Steel Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer." At the mention of that man, Natsu and Wendy tensed up slightly.

"They have a Dragon Slayer too?" Lucy asked.

(at the Phantom Lord guild hall)

"So Gajeel really did a number on the Fairy Tail guild hall, didn't he?"

"Oui! My regret is not being there to witness it!"

"Yes, it is very sad!"

"Drip drip drop. We can't let our own grudges interfere with our mission, even if its a just grudge."

"Weill you all shut up! I'm trying to eat here! Besides, I did more than just destroy the building. I felt that I had to do more to get the message across."

"You've done done well Gajeel," a dark figure said as it approached on the balcony overlooking the hall. Everyone looked up at the figure. A tall, muscular man with long, spiky, black hair, and a body and face covered with piercing stood up.

"I can't believe you decided to wait this long, Master," the Iron Dragon Slayer said, "We should've done this ages ago."

"Trust me, I know," the Master answered, "And let me just say, this is only the beginning."

(in Magnolia)

A crowd of people was assembled in the park, around the large tree in the center. They were whispering to each other about what as on the tree.

"Make way!" Natsu yelled.

"Please, let us through!" Erza instructed, as she and the rest of her group navigated their way through the crowds. But when they reached it, they wished they hadn't.

"Levy!" Lucy and Wendy cried out together. The whole of Team Shadow Gear had been bolted to the tree, and branded on Levy's stomach was the symbol of Phantom Lord. Suddenly, a ring of singed earth appeared around where Natsu was standing.

"Phantom Lord," he hissed. At that point, Makarov marched his way through the crowd, until he stood before his guild members.

"Master," Erza said, "This…"

"I can take the destruction of our guild hall," Makarov said dangerously softly, "Buildings can be rebuilt, and pride nursed. But when they do this…" The staff he was carrying then snapped in two.

"Contact everyone in the guild!" he yelled, "We're going to war!"

Note: I'll be honest, I really didn't want to do this arc, but there was no other way to properly advance the story. I figured there would be nothing new to it. It would progress almost exactly as it did in canon, with only maybe a couple minor changes. Unless someone has a brilliant idea (I'd settle for a decent idea; and also, there's no way I'm having Wendy do battle with Gajeel, she's way to young), I'm afraid I'm either going to completely skip this arc, and just ay it proceeded as it did in canon later, or just rehash this whole arc.

Just for the record, I'm actually a guy who likes Lucy. So my hope is to give her her due.