Chapter 19

Natsu stood outside Oak Town, his gaze lingering over the devastation that was caused in the battle.

The front walls were destroyed, and any parts that remained standing were cracked and crumbling. The force of a stone slamming into the ground sent tremors through his body. He took a step over a chunk of rubble, stomach churning. The smell of blood was overwhelming, and he kept an arm up to block the smell, but there was so much that it was a fruitless endeavor. It was all he could do to continue stumbling through the carnage back towards the Fairy Tail camp.

The air was filled with the sound of Jupiter Cannon recharging. Jose's laughter filled the air, taunting the Fairy Tail mages as they ran back through the town. Gray had taken Erza a while ago, although Natsu couldn't remember exactly when through the fogginess of his mind. It had seemed to be going well at first, but then, all it had taken was that second strike from the Jupiter Cannon for everything to falter.

Gramps had called for everyone to retreat. He didn't want to, and his heart urged for him to push forward to fight the guild that had kidnapped and hurt his friends. But all it took was another look at the blood and tear streaked faces of the rest of his guild for his resolve to crumble. There was nothing they could do to stop such a weapon without needing to run through the rest of the city, and without Erza, or a clear way to stop it, they wouldn't be able to block it for a third time.

The gateway was nonexistent as he made his way through the ruins of the grand arch. He thought back to the moment when Gramps had broken through, and that brief moment of hope that he had felt. He couldn't believe that things had gone downhill so fast.

The Fairy Tail camp was in shambles, with tents propped up or collapsed, and crates of supplies still left around sporadically. The guards had already begun to run, clearly not even attempting to take anything with them as they sought to get away from the cannon. Natsu couldn't blame them, as when he turned to glance at Phantom Lord one last time, his heart skipped as the barrel of the cannon began growing brighter once more.

"Natsu!"

He glanced around, searching for the one that had called him. He couldn't see anyone through the chaos, and for a moment, he thought that he had perhaps been his imagination.

"Natsu!"

There it was again, closer this time. He glanced up, only to find Happy descending on him from above. The small cat quickly grabbed onto his shoulders, lifting him into the air. He didn't even try to fight it and allowed for his companion to begin carrying him away. From above, he could see that the rest of their camp was truly abandoned. He was immediately grateful for that fact, as the Jupiter Cannon had finally finished recharging and fired on the camp. Jose's laughter continued ringing in the background, and all he could do was watch everything was destroyed. The earth cracked, spewing dirt, trees and rock high into the hair. He winced as a bit hit his face, but kept his eyes on the ground, nonetheless.

"Yes! Run, Fairy Tail!" Jose's voice was taunting, and Natsu clenched a fist. "You won't be able to run forever! Run and hide behind the walls of Magnolia! It'll only be a matter of time before we come to finish this!"

The words faded as Happy continued to carry him away. It took a few minutes, but eventually, he spotted the trail end of the Fairy Tail group. They had slowed, attempting to regather themselves. He could no longer see the walls of Oak Town, nor any of the remaining buildings. Only the peaks of the Phantom Lord guild hall. They had made it out of range of the cannon.

Happy brought him down beside a group of guards, who only gave him a weary glance as they slumped on the ground, resting against the trunks of a few trees, boulders, or whatever else they could find. His feet were shaky once Happy dropped him, and like them, he felt like he just wanted to collapse himself. The adrenaline was finally dissipating, and it left him feeling drained. He would need to find a fire to eat later.

He heard Happy muttering a few things to some of the guards, but he just slowly made his way through the blob of Fairy Tail members. Everyone was disoriented, and many were treating the injuries that they had been dealt. Off to one side, he could see Mira helping a few guards with Elfman. The larger man's arm was decorated in a mess of black and purple. Whatever had happened to him, it must not have been easy.

Natsu sat on a fallen tree, resting his head in his hands. The fact that they had failed to save Levy, Jet, and Droy plagued his mind. He wanted nothing more than to go back there and continue fighting, but he fought that urge. It would be pointless, not when Phantom Lord could continue firing the Jupiter Cannon like they were. They needed someone that could stand against the power, and with Erza down, no one else here could.

Gramps probably could, Natsu mused, but if it took a toll on him as much as it did Erza, then it wouldn't matter anyhow. It was well known that Jose was a Wizard Saint, just like Gramps, and so he was the only one that could stand up to the Phantom Lord guild master when it came down to it. If Gramps fell, then Fairy Tail would fall for sure if they didn't receive help.

"Natsu!"

Gray's voice pulled Natsu from his thoughts, and he looked up to see the ice mage standing just a few feet in front of him. The raven-haired mage had his shirt off, and he was tugging on the edge of his pants like he was thinking about removing them too.

"What?" Natsu grumbled, turning back to the ground as he ran a hand down his face. He really did not want to deal with his fellow mage right now.

"The master wants to see you. He's at the front."

Gray turned to leave, but Natsu quickly called out to him to get him to stop. "How's Erza?"

The ice mage was silent for moment, before glancing at Natsu out of the corner of his eye. "We don't know yet. She hasn't awoken, but once we get closer we will go get Porlyusica."

With that, he was gone, and Natsu stood up with a sigh. His eyes roamed over the group one more time, and he felt his chest tighten. He hoped that the master had a plan, because if he didn't, he wasn't sure how much longer they'd be able to last for.


Lucy frowned, looking at the back of Cobra's head as he rode in front of her. Cubellios followed beside them, occasionally hissing or slithering away to chase some small creature. They had left the Heartfilia Estate just over an hour ago, if she was reading the sun correctly. She had no clue where they were going, and she hadn't dared spoken a single word to them. Racer had left a while ago, going off to do who knows what at the request of Brain.

Brain himself sat on another horse behind her, having been silent much like herself the entire time. Every so often, he would quietly mutter to himself, but it was much too low to hear. She just hoped that they arrived at wherever they were taking her soon, for she didn't know how much longer she could stand this silence.

"Would you shut up?" Cobra spoke, clearly annoyed. He didn't turn to face her, but she could imagine the picture of annoyance on his face. "All you do is think and think and think. Just stop already, it's giving me a headache."

As if sensing her master's annoyance, Cubellios turned her head briefly to hiss in her direction. Lucy just pulled her feet up on her horse a bit higher.

"You…" Lucy's words faded away as she heard him sigh. Nonetheless, she continued with her question. "You can hear my thoughts?"

"If that wasn't clear enough, yes, I can hear your thoughts. And they are just as loud and annoying as your true voice."

She frowned but fell into silence anyway. She didn't really care if he was annoyed, but the fact that he could read her mind irked her to no end. If he could do that, just how long had he been listening in for, and what kind of things had he heard while at the estate. There had to be a way to stop him from listening.

"I could stop listening if you would just shut up. The more you yap, the more I listen. Simple. So, just be quiet."

She felt the heat rise to her face and looked back down at the ground. The small group continued onwards, soon approaching on the edge of a thin forest, with small patches of farmland growing on the outer frays. There were a few small houses built sporadically across the land, with cows and sheep roaming freely. But no matter where she looked, she couldn't spot any other people.

Her fingers lingered on her key ring, slipping through one ring to the next before repeating. She had long since realized that she would stand no chance against the two if it came down to a fight, but just having them brought her a sense of comfort. If she was being truthful, it was almost like she felt a sort of calming energy radiating from the rings. It was something she had desperately missed.

They took their first few steps into the forest, before the path in front of them began to shiver and mist began to sputter from the ground. Lucy's breath quickened, and she glanced back at Brain warily, but he gave her no heed. Their horses just continued moving into the mist.

Cobra entered first, and she started when he suddenly vanished, with Cubellios soon following. Before she had any chance to question it, she was entering the mist herself. A wave of fresh air washed over her, like the days she would spend standing in the gardens with her mother, but just as soon as it had arrived, it was gone. The heat of the forest quickly returned, and Cobra was waiting on his horse for her to appear.

"The gardens with your mother, huh?" Cobra taunted. Now that he was facing her, she could see the slight smirk tugging on the corners of his mouth. "Must've been nice, I suppose. I couldn't bear to be in a place like that; would make my senses go crazy."

Lucy frowned, already beginning to berate the cocky man before her when Brain appeared behind them. He gave the two a serious glance—one that made Cobra quickly avert his eyes and continue moving down the path. Cubellios hissed softly again, before taking off after her master.

"Ignore Cobra, Miss Heartfilia." Brain's words were grating, like stone clashing against stone. It pierced her ears with a level of power that she hadn't felt in many people before. Whatever he was planning to do, he truly wasn't doubting himself.

He rode up beside her, and she tensed as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do not fret. Everything will be explained soon enough."

They continued trotting forward. Brain moved ahead of her, joining Cobra. The trees began to part, and soon enough, they were standing in front of a small, rundown shack in the middle of the forest. Cobra hopped off his horse, before flinging open the door and moving inside. Brain sat patiently, but before long, returned. He did not come back alone.

Cobra threw the man forward, and he grunted as he slammed into the ground. A girl appeared from the shack, with short, straight white hair and an outfit that made her look like what Lucy could only describe as an angel. The girl stared down at the man in disdain.

"This, Miss Heartfilia," Brain spoke. The man looked up, and Lucy could the fury in his eyes. While mud coated the top of his hair, she could now make out the bright orange strands that almost seemed to glow. The remains of his suit were all but torn, with his legs and arms bound and a cloth tied around his mouth to keep him silent. "Is Leo the Lion. And unless you want him to die, you shall help us."


Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!

We have now reached the middle of the Phantom Lord Arc, along with the beginning of a new one with Lucy...I wonder what shall happen.

Thanks for the favorites, follows, and reviews(FireShifter, Dragon Lord Draco, Amanny, Lord Jaric, CathJorda, Awareness Bringer).