Lyla sat in a wooden chair with team Shadow Gear, three wizards that had formed into a group in Fairy Tail. There was Levy; a small girl the same height as Lyla with blue hair and brown eyes, Jet; a young man with orange hair and a brown coat with fur trimmings and a matching hat, and Droy; a tall and slim young man with a strange black hairstyle. With Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza, and Happy gone on a quest, Lyla ended up talking to Shadow Gear.
Everyone else in the guild was rather quiet. And if they were talking, it was about the attack on the guild… A guild called Phantom Lord had attacked the guild hall overnight. Now, Fairy Tail wizards resided in the first underground floor of the building. It was once a storage room, but is now a temporary pub.
Lyla managed to get out of punishment two days ago when they returned from Galuna. The master wasn't at the guild when they arrived, so she snuck off to do a job while Erza was distracted. She finished late at night and went straight back to Lucy's place, so she couldn't be there when Phantom Lord last night…
"We've always been on bad terms with Phantom…" Jet spoke.
"Wanna go crush 'em?" Droy suggested.
Levy didn't approve, and the others agreed not to go. It was obvious when Lyla first met Shadow Gear that Jet and Droy had a thing for sweet little Levy, so they would listen to her without a second's hesitation. They would also fight over who got to help her when she needed them to complete a task.
Lyla had her mask pulled down, eating some of the food on her plate. While on her job yesterday, she used the money she earned to buy a new mask instead of keeping the beige cloth she borrowed from Galuna. It looked like the same black cloth mask as her old one.
She only noticed that the team was back when Natsu slammed his fist into the wooden crate beside him.
"I can't agree with that! I won't feel satisfied until we've destroyed them!" He shouted in fury. He and the others were talking with Master Makarov and Mirajane, being informed on what had happened. Natsu didn't seem to be taking it lightly.
By nightfall, Lyla walked behind Lucy and one of her bondspirits: Plue. They were heading back to her place, and Lyla didn't feel like talking, so she just trailed behind the blonde the whole time.
Lucy opened the door to find Erza, Gray, Natsu, and Happy gathered around a table full of seafood.
"There's too many of you!" Lucy freaked out, throwing her suitcase she had to unpack from their job at Salamander.
"Mira said it'll be safer if we all stick together." Gray said.
"And that would be because…?" Lyla asked, finally deciding to say something.
"They've come all the way to this city, meaning they probably know all our addresses, too." Erza explained.
Lucy jumped in fear.
"I don't mind beating the shit out of a few of those Phantom punks…" Lyla growled, a dark look on her face and her shadow magic burning from her hand.
"You two are young ladies." Erza said, "I would feel uncomfortable letting Natsu and Gray sleep here unattended. So I decided to stay here as well."
"So Natsu and Gray were already going to stay here?"
"Why this house, though?" Lyla was all business at this point, her voice low and menacing, "There's already me and Lucy living here. Why not just you three live in the other's houses?"
They all ignored the girls. Natsu started eating food with Plue, Gray laid on Lucy's bed to sleep, and Erza was searching through Lucy's underwear.
"You guys are making yourselves at home a little too much…"
Lyla chortled, lightening up a bit as she said, "I feel better now that I actually don't own anything in here."
"That said… you guys reek of sweat." Erza said to Ice boy and Salamander, "We're sleeping in the same room. You can at least bathe."
"Yeah… if you guys are gonna bathe, imma go first before you ruin the bathroom." Lyla announced to her new roommates. She grabbed her backpack and closed the door before filling the tub to clean herself.
When done, she dressed herself in some night clothes Lucy bought her a while back since she didn't have any when joining the guild. Erza bathed next, then Lucy.
Lyla spent her time reading a book she had with her while letting the warm air dry her hair.
"Hey, Natsu. Why don't you go in next?" Lucy suggested when she was done and dressed. Salamander was asleep, drooling over the dining table.
"How about you, Gray?" The Ice boy didn't respond.
Erza requipped into some pajamas. She only had her towel on since she got out the tub.
Lucy sat down at the table with Natsu. Erza sat on the bed, Gray was reading some papers at Lucy's desk, and Lyla sat on the top of the fireplace that was off as she read, so the steel flue wasn't too hot to lean against.
"Why did the Phantom suddenly attack, anyway?" Lucy asked Erza, who was the only one paying attention to her. Other than Lyla, who would like some more background of the history between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord.
"I don't know. We've had many brushes with them in the past, but there's never been such a direct attack as this…" Erza explained.
"Gramps should quit being a wimp and just kick their butts!" Natsu grumbled.
"You were awake?"
"You know he's not afraid of 'em." Gray stated, "He is one if the Ten Saint Wizards, you know."
"Wait, why are you reading that so nonchalantly?!" Lucy freaked.
"Oh, you didn't notice?" Lyla asked, "You didn't say anything before, so I thought it was fine for him to read your book."
"No, it is not fine!"
Lyla learned her first night here that Lucy was writing a book, but it hasn't been finished yet and she's too shy to show anyone. She has, however, promised Levy that she would be the first to read it once it was finished. Lyla never touched it since she actually respects people's privacy.
"What are the Ten Saint Wizards, anyway?" Lucy asked, clutching her novel to her chest so no one else could read it.
"A title given to the ten most skilled wizards on the continent as determined by the head of the Magic Council." Erza answered.
"Phantom's master is one, too." Happy added.
Angered, Natsu slammed his hand on the table, shouting, "He is afraid! The one thing Phantom has is lots of members!" There was a dark and wild look on his eye.
"I'm telling you, he's not." Gray retorted, "The master and Mira are trying to avoid a fight 'cause they know what'll happen if our two guilds clash."
Erza reminded them that Phantom Lords guild master was also titled one of the Ten Saint Wizards, and that they have a group called the Element 4, which were equivalent of Fairy Tail's S-Class wizards. The one considered most dangerous of all was named Black Steel Gajeel, which Lyla snorted when trying to hold in laughter.
"I'm unable to see what's so funny." Erza said, annoyed.
"'Black Steel Gajeel'? Really?" Lyla placed her book down beside her, "It sounds like such a childish name! It's more of something you'd call your pal to jokingly make fun of them."
"I can assure you he is far from childish. Not only is he the most dangerous, but he's an Iron Dragon Slayer…" Erza informed. Everyone fell silent.
"Dragon Slayer?! So Natsu isn't the only one?!"
"There weren't only fire breathing dragons way back when." Lyla said, "I just find it surprising that there's another dragon slayer so close to us.
"Does that mean he eats iron and stuff…?" Lucy asked.
Lyla shrugged, "It would only make sense since Natsu can eat fire."
When the team was heading back to Fairy Tail the next day, they noticed a bunch of people crowded around a large tree in South Gate Park.
To their horror, Team Shadow Gear were hung onto the tree, iron bolts around their arms to keep them from being able to get down. They were badly injured and unconscious… On Levy's bare stomach was the Phantom Lord's emblem painted in black.
Lyla heard footsteps approaching and looked behind her. It was Master Makarov, and all the townspeople were clearing the way for him.
The old man stood there, tensed and furious, yet his voice showed only a hint of it.
"I can stand the place deteriorating into a run-down beer lounge…" He said, "But no father can stand idly by when the blood of his children is spilled."
Lyla flinched when Master crushed his wooden cane into splinters with just his bare hand. So this was the wrath of a heartbroken father?
Oak Town was in the North-East of the Kingdom of Fiore. Standing in the center was the Phantom Lord Guild.
Lyla wished she could throw the first blow, but Natsu exploded the front doors with his fire magic first.
Rubble fell all over, and as the smoke cleared out, the wizards on Phantom Lord saw it was Fairy Tail who had attacked them.
Every wizard spread out. There were at least 20 Phantom wizards fighting a single Fairy Tail wizard, but the fairies were stronger.
Lyla would've preferred to fight with all she had, but the Master specified that no one shall die in this war.
There were phantoms coming from all around Lyla.
"Shadow Guard!" From the ground, fists made of shadow wrapped around to create a barrier in front of her. She spun around and attacked the man closest to her with a spinning hook kick, then created shadow rope from her magic to wrap around everyone else; She spun them around simply with the turn of her wrist. Lyla let down the barrier so those wrapped up would be thrown into the other Phantom wizards charging at her. The phantoms in her immediate surroundings were cleared away.
With time to breath, she studied the area. She noticed a man crouching on the rafters above. She couldn't see much more than his silhouette due to the shadows covering him.
Lyla pretended not to notice him, and hoped he hadn't noticed her. She grabbed a man from behind her by the arms and swung him over, the breath knocked out of him when his back his the cobblestone floor. She then dodged a blast of magic by merging into her own shadow.
Shadow Shift: A spell that allowed Lyla to merge into shadows and travel around by them. She could even turn herself into a shadow, but the building was so large with such little lighting that she didn't need to.
She hopped across her opponents' shadows until she reached the dark corner of the wall. Traveling up it and onto the ceiling, she placed herself on the rafters behind the man. She could tell he had long, spiky black hair and wore a black sleeveless tunic and loose beige pants tucked into studded black boots.
The man watched specifically Master Makarov, who used his magical power to enlarge himself and become a living giant. Lyla has read about this kind of magic: Giant Magic, which is pretty self explanatory.
"Jose, show yourself!" His voice made the whole building shake. Jose was the name of Phantom Lord's guild master.
The man in the rafters was distracted, so he wouldn't notice if Lyla emerged with the shadows around her and slithered right behind him. She grew from the shadows like a plant. Her feet were still merged with the shadows on the wooden beam above the man's head, so she had an upside down view of the world.
If she could reach the pressure point just behind his ear, then he would pass out. Lyla had no intention to fight this guy. All the other wizards were pretty easy to fight, but he seemed different. Judging by all the iron studs he wore on his outfit, he might be the Iron Dragon Slayer, but it was simply a hunch Lyla had.
Lyla cautiously reached her hand out, aiming for the hollow of his head.
"So that's the Titania Erza." The man spoke to himself. Lyla froze.
"Laxus and Mystogan are staying out of the spotlight, huh? Arrogant bastards."
The girl suddenly felt like knocking off. A little blast of magic should sending him pummeling to his doom.
"But things are actually moving according to Master Jose's plan."
"What?" Lyla spoke out. She gasped and covered her mouth.
The man spun around, finding no one in sight. Lyla had merged into the shadows. The only way to harm her in this state was to break the wood she clung onto.
She could see that the man had red eyes and sharpened teeth like Natsu's. His eyebrows were just iron studs.
So this shit is Gajeel…
The man spun around when he heard Master Makarov busting through the wall. He must be looking for Jose.
"With the most troublesome one gone, maybe I'll join the fray!" Gajeel said, forgetting about whatever he heard.
"Get back here you little shit!"" Lyla yelled as Gajeel leaped down. She hopped out of the shadows, falling after the Iron Dragon Slayer. He spun around as he was falling. Unprepared for what kind of attack he would use, Lyla was defenseless when his lower leg turned into an iron club, extending and hitting Lyla in the gut. She was slammed into the wooden pillar above her and began falling.
Gajeel resumed to what he was doing and safely landed himself to the ground, destroying whatever was beneath him.
"Lyla!" She heard someone shout her name, but she couldn't tell or cared who it was.
Someone had caught her before she hit the stone flooring. It ended up being a girl around Lyla's age name Laki. She had long and pale lavender hair with brown eyes and a red bow.
Laki let Lyla stand herself. She seemed fine at first, but almost fell again when coughing up blood.
"Do ya mind if I lean on ya for a little bit?" She asked Laki weakly, in a joking manner.
They watched as Elfman -A large man with white hair and a scar going down the right side of his face- and Gajeel fought, then Natsu butted in. Gajeel and Natsu demolished the place more and more with each attack.
I guess that's what you get when two dragon slayers fight.
A while later, the building began shaking, pieces of rubble falling to the floor. Everyone said how it must be Master Makarov.
Lyla tried standing up again. She could maintain balance, but it still hurt to walk. She could manage, though.
Suddenly, something fell from the upper floors of the building. Everyone fell silent when they found it to be Master Makarov.
Lyla's clad fists clenched, "You fucking bastard!" She shot powerful blasts of shadow magic at him in the rafters. He simply turned his arms into clubs and blocked her attack.
The Phantom wizards gained their spirits back, knowing that the fairies' master had been defeated. The phantoms were winning now, but if Lyla could defeat Gajeel, her guild might stand a better chance.
She climbed using Shadow Shift to attack Gajeel from behind. She reached the pillar he was on. A lance through his heart should do the trick.
"Shadow Make: La-!" Before Lyla could finish casting her spell, Gajeel caught her by the throat.
She gasped for air as he spoke, "You have some nerve attacking me a second time, you fairy ass."
His devilish grin and wild eyes portrayed a monster able to kill without a second thought…
He turned his head back to the battle below. Fairy Tail was retreating.
"Oh my? Turning back already?" Gajeel said in a voice of mockery. Lyla wasn't sure if it was to make her angry, or just to make fun of the guild as a whole.
Lyla attempted to pry his hand around her neck open, but she didn't have enough oxygen to do so. If only the Master hadn't forbidden her from going all out.
"I suppose you want to join your little fairies?" The only response was her gasping for breath. "Tch." He scoffed. "Since you're so weak, all your little friends are abandoning you."
"All too sad!" A large man said simply. He wore a green coat loosely over his yellow shirt and pale red shorts. The man had suddenly appeared beside the other wizard. Most likely a spell he can cast due to his type of magic.
"Aria?" Gajeel ignored the choking girl in his grasp. "You're always creeping me out. But anyway, good job getting the old man."
"It was all Master Jose's plan." The imposing man refuted the praise. "H-How wonderful." He began crying from underneath the bandages over his eyes.
"Don't cry at every little thing! You're annoying…" Gajeel rolled his eyes. "So, did they catch Lucy?"
Lyla, who had been holding herself up in order to breath, began to wildly smash at his arm and trying to curse at him.
"Eh? You're still conscious?" Gajeel asked in surprise. "What tenacious fairy scum." He laughed.
"It is sad. The girl named Lucy is being held in our headquarters."
"So we gave her a 'warm welcome', then?"
"Gajeel!" The girl heard Natsu scream. He must have overheard the two men. Blackness was fast encroaching on her vision as she fought to listen.
"-one day, Salamander!" She made out what Gajeel said. Everything began to dance before the darkness sealed her in.
It wasn't long before she could see again. Gajeel dropped the girl to the floor.
"Oops. We brought her along." He commented carelessly. The girl couldn't do anything but gasp for lifegiving air.
"Oh my!" Someone said. "What do we have here?"
"Some fairy that kept attacking me. I was teaching them a lesson when we left. Aria musta brought them along too." Gajeel said flippantly.
"How sad…" Aria spoke.
Lyla took this moment to shoot a beam of shadow magic at Gajeel and Aria, but couldn't attack whoever else was there before Gajeel turned his lower arm into an iron club and hit her up her jaw.
The dragon slayer leapt in the air to send a powerful blow to the girl, but she used Shadow Guard to block before using Shadow Shift to sneak behind him. Gajeel dodged before she could hit him.
"My, my! What a surprise!" The third person in the room said. Lyla had forgotten about him.
"Such a powerful magic for one so young! This is a very surprising development." They grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to her feet. Lyla focused on him and saw what looked like a court jester's outfit with wizardly flair.
"I am Jose, guild master of Phantom Lord, little shadow mage." The man spoke. Jose was a tall, slim man with long and straight, black hair reaching down to his shoulders and a thin mustache with a dark reddish tone. He had a long and sharp face, vaguely pointed ears, prominent eyelashes and dark-colored lips. He was so tall the girl had to crane her neck to look at him.
"What…" she gasped before wincing. Her throat was already ringed by bruises from Gajeel. "...do you want from me?" She managed to croak.
"Why do you suppose that I want something, dear girl?"
"People… always… do!" Her words were pained.
"How wise of you, child." He chuckled. "But all I wish to offer you is power. That magic of yours, I could teach you to wield it. You could have anything you want."
The other two men both made sounds. Aria began sobbing again. Gajeel protested, "She's Fairy Scum!"
"What?" Her mind was obviously still messed up, because she had no idea what Jose meant.
"All you have to do is join my guild. Then anything can be yours." He offered everything on a silver platter. The only thing was, she would have to abandon her friends.
"Ok," the girl shrugged in agreement. "The name's Lyla." It was becoming easier to breath.
In a few moments, she had a new guild stamp on her left hand. The hand of secrets and treachery.
"Welcome to the guild."
