When I Met You

by SashaNXR

After her dragon disappears, Lucy is forced to live on her own. At a young age, she finds Erza Scarlet and becomes friends. As the years pass, Lucy still searches for her dragon while becoming a feared mage across Fiore. Fulfilling an old promise, Lucy joins Fairy Tail and begins a new adventure. Pairing ErzaxLucy (Erlu/Luza). Stronger and smarter Lucy.

11. Pride and Honor

Well, the chapter's finally here. I apologize for the long delay between this one and the last one. I had trouble coming up with a sufficient way to prolong the arc in my perspective. I didn't want to copy it off the Canon. Plus, there were a few things I disliked from the original. I also didn't want it to feel rushed and unread.

I also have a few good friends who are willing to help me with the story, so thanks to them. I've somewhat improved my fight scene writing, but it still has a long way to go before I could be proud of it.

The rest of the arc will be in the Omniscient POV. I'm rewriting the first few chapters along with the last one to be in this POV. The rewrites will be done with the upcoming chapters, so don't worry about it coming later. I wanted to come at it with a realistic approach than something peculiar. Don't worry about it losing the humor, it wouldn't be Fairy Tail if it didn't have it. I want to apologize ahead of time if this looks similar to a specific type of writing. I just started reading a few mature types, so it came out like this. I'm still a novice when it comes to this. So forgive me if you can. I promise I'll try to make this story unique.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

---

June 15th, X784, House in the Eastern Magnolia Forest

"The old fool did want to end up on his deathbed." Porlyusica sneers. She prepares a special herb that slowly heals the human body. She keeps muttering angry curses to herself as she heals Makarov. Her disliking of humans further increases. She may be a healer, but that never meant she liked being one. She turns around and glares at her guests. "So, which one of you convinced him to go to war?"

"Uh! We didn't we swear!" Bisca stutters in fear. She and her partner, Alzack, came by Porlyusica's house to learn the conditions of their Master. Bisca nervously rubs her hands together and avoids eye contact with Porlyusica.

"Futile. All this worthless fighting never leads anywhere! Why can't you stupid beings use your brains instead of fists!" Porlyusica bellows at them. She finishes preparing the medicine and makes Makarov drink it. His pale complexion worries her, but she knows to relax. Judging from the drain of magic in his body, Porlyusica deduces that a powerful wind draining spell is used. The cure is quite simple by gathering the user's lost magic before it thrust into the winds forever. But Makarov's condition is quite unlikely merely for the fact that they failed to gather his magic.

"Sorry. But what is his condition?" Bisca whispers timidly. Being in Porlyusica's house is nerve-racking. The woman is known for her violent tantrums towards humans, but she is quite skilled.

"The old fool needs rest. Since his magic was drained by a powerful wind spell, his magic will take some time to be recovered. If only you had gathered his magic before, then he would've recovered much faster." Porlyusica faces away from her guests and eyes Makarov worriedly.

As Bisca and Alzack carefully process the information, Porlyusica slaps Makarov gently in frustration.

"What's the big deal? We wanted you to heal him, not hurt him even further!" Bisca hisses.

"It's all his fault. A man his age shouldn't be involved in such fights or wars, yet here he resides within my residence, seeking medical attention." Porlyusica closes her eyes. "Nevertheless, he should make a good recovery."

Bisca breathes easier but still feels tense.

Porlyusica opens her eyes and snaps at them. "What are you still doing in my house! Leave now!"

Alzack and Bisca race out the door without much persuasion.

Some time passes when she notices the color return to his body. She checks his temperature and vital signs to notice them return to a steady-state. She sighs in relief and sits down in a chair. She closes her eyes once again. She already had lost one friend, she was in no mood in losing another one. All she could hope for is everything will be resolved soon, and the tranquility would return.

She senses someone near and opens her eyes to come face to face with Mystogan.

"I hope he is doing well," he says. He takes a step back from her and nears the bed. "I managed to capture his magic before it fully drifted off."

Porlyusica frantically gets out of her chair and eyes him."How'd you know in the first place? You're rarely around." She keeps her distance from him.

"I was coming back to the guild to pick up another mission when I heard what was going down." He moves away from the bed and heads for the door. "I'll be back soon. Please make sure he will recover soon." He disappears before she could answer.

Porlyusica huffs in frustration and goes to a shelf. She picks out a blue book on healing ailments. Judging from the speed of Makarov's recovery, she estimates it will take a little longer before he wakes up. She gets the ingredients for the potion and mixes them in a bowl. She rereads the recipe a few more times to make sure everything is in order. She then slowly pours it in Makarov's mouth. According to the recipe, the potion should speed up the process of a faster recovery time. It attracts the ethernano in a wizard's body to course faster within their system, essentially allowing the magic to flow faster to fill magical stamina.

---

Fairy Tail GuildHall, Magnolia

"Let me help you patch those wounds." She looks up and sees Erza holding a roll of bandages. "If you do it by yourself, then you might not much success with patching it up."

Lucy smiles and nods. Erza wastes no time and quickly works to patch the cuts and bruises. Lucy grimaces a few times and bites her lip to stop the pain. After a few minutes, Erza finishes closing the wounds and warns Lucy to take it easy.

"You wanna take a bath?" Lucy offers. "It might help. I mean you're also reeking." She smiles cheekily.

Erza refrains from commenting but walks into the shower.

"Also Erza," Lucy stops when she sees Erza turn around and continues, "it isn't your fault everyone is hurt. I know how you can be, so just know it isn't yours."

Erza has a small smile on her face and walks into the shower. She turns it on while she remains silent. The sound of splashing water fills in the grave mood. She hangs her head low and places her hands against the wall. She bites lip to stop tears from spilling. She put on a brave face and encouraged Lucy, but that was a facade to convince herself. Erza punches the wall lightly. "I'm a failure. If I was just.." she trails off. She takes a deep breath and turns off the shower. If she dwells on this any further, it would be a waste of energy.

She walks out and immediately gets a towel thrown to her face. "And it hit for the face. I'm gettin' better at aiming." Lucy laughs.

Erza looks baffled before striking Lucy in the head.

"Hey, I was just trying to cheer the mood." Lucy bitterly grumbles.

"And how does hitting me lift the mood?" Erza threateningly asks.

"Because then you won't act sad, but angry," Lucy retorts. Soon, both girls start a scuffle. Pulling on each other hairs and punching before stopping. "Look you're not sad anymore." She grins proudly at her companion before sitting on the floor. "So, what's the plan now?"

Erza sighs but feels better than before. She requips into her armor and ushers Lucy to get up."Now, we need to come up with a different plan to attack Phantom. But with everyone injured, any plan of a frontal attack might be near to impossible," Erza replies.

"Okay, maybe we don't need a frontal attack." Lucy holds her chin and closes her eyes. "Since Phantom has about 50 smaller branches across the kingdom, we could start by eliminating those," she suggests.

"It'd be tricky. All of them are spread out and by separating our numbers, we would be more vulnerable when they attack us." Both girls take a seat at one of the tables, away from everyone. "It'd be easier to cut off the stronger members then deal with the weaker ones."

"But the weaker ones outweigh the stronger ones. We would need more support on our side if we did put this into play." Lucy puts her arms behind the chair, tilting it. She closes her eyes. "Mystogan would probably help us if we knew where he was. But what you told me about Laxus, he'll need more persuasion, or he won't help at all."

"Erza could you help with contacting Mystogan and Laxus," Mira asks sweetly. She watched from afar both of their conversation, finding it surprising how Lucy thinks. She has heard from Natsu about Lucy's intelligence but seeing it upfront, it had a whole new experience. As smart as Lucy is, Mira needed someone authoritarian to get convince Laxus.

"Of course." Erza gets up from the table and follows Mira. They get to a secluded part of the basement, where Erza sees Cana working with a few cards. "So, did you find any luck in locating the two?" Erza crouches beside Cana.

"I found Laxus, so you two could start on getting ahold of him. Mystogan is a whole different story. He somehow masks his destination with some sort magic spell," grumbles an exhausted Cana. She stretches her back before drawing her attention on the cards. "Even with my card magic or fortunetelling, he is near to impossible to find."

Erza encourages Cana before getting up. She sees Mira with a communication lacrima and takes a deep breath.

Mira calls Laxus on the lacrima. They wait a few seconds before Laxus shows up. "What!" Laxus rages at them. "I'm busy if you haven't noticed. So, hurry up and spill." He runs his hand on his hair with an agitated expression.

"Sorry to disturb you, but the guild is in trouble," answers Erza, "Phantom Lord attacked Levy and her team. Master decided to attack Phantom in return, but he is injured along with many others." She takes a breath and closes her eyes. "All we ask is that you and your team please help us."

Laxus chuckles aloud. "That geezer drove himself into a grave. And now, we have to clean up his mess." He stops talking. I can't let this argument between Gramps and me destroy the guild in the end. It's only fair if I help them out now. They did a lot for me in the past. Besides, I owe the old man. He thinks. "Fine, we'll help. But, I'm only helping because of my reasons. Don't even think about twisting my words to the others. Got it?" he demands roughly. He cuts the call and walks over to his team.

"Something of the matter Laxus?" Freed asks. The young man has long green hair, extending to his back. He wears a red suit with grey pants and black boots. He has a sword hoisted to his waist.

"Yeah," Laxus grumbles, "Phantom picked a fight with us, and Makarov retaliated. He is injured with many others. So, we have to help them finish off those jerks."

"So, we have to clean up after them?" Evergreen scoffs. She fixes her glasses and brushes off any dirt. She has light brown hair paired up in a sidewards ponytail. She wears a green dress with navy blue stockings and white sandals. The back of her dress, she has detachable wings, which allow her to fly. She pulls out a hand fan and stands beside Bickslow. He wears a metal visor to cover his eyes. He wears fitting clothing with white vertical lines extending all over to his hood. Large armbands followed by skull shoulder blades. His waistband is a dark cloth, which holds four light-colored pieces of clothing reaching down to his knees. In each cloth, adorns an 'X' shape. He wears a pair of black baggy pants, each with an 'X' formation, and some armor greaves.

Laxus huffs in frustration before turning away from his group. The situation is rather awkward, considering how none of them spend too much time in the guild. But deep down, they did care for the guild whether or not they had the guts to admit it. They were near Magnolia for once, so traveling there would be no problem. "Yes. But, we owe the old man," he says after some time. He turns around with a wide grin on his face. "Besides, those Phantom scums have been getting too high on their pedal stool. It wouldn't hurt to take them down a peg or two."

The others agree and discuss plans. After a few minutes, they come with an efficient strategy to defend the guild and attack Phantom at the same time. They quickly take off to head to the guild. It took a few hours, but they had arrived at the guild. The shock on their faces at the guild hall's destruction sends a shiver their spine. Laxus controls his electricity before he accidentally shocks anyone. He has a dislike of how things run in the guild, but it works. The only reason he ever desired to become a guild master, so he could protect his members. He knows he has a funny way of showing love to them, but that never meant he never cared.

They walk downstairs to be greeted with surprised gasps. Many of the other members strangely looked at the group, but Laxus pays no heed them and walks over to Erza's table. "Laxus, you're here?" Natsu sputters in shock.

"What's wrong, cat catch your tongue?" Laxus teases. He sits at the table with his group. That is when he notices Lucy. He had personally not seen the girl but heard tales of her power. The name Unova is rather famous, namely due to the destruction she tends to leave behind. But, her power is no joke. Though Natsu and Lucy were similar, he would say Lucy is more of a tactical fighter than Natsu. "So, you're the famous Unova I've been hearing about?" He looks at Lucy directly in the eye.

Lucy freezes and barely manages out a nod. She never liked the name but it was starting to become more of a common occurrence. She may have been called that by other people but coming out of Laxus's mouth, makes her feel uneasy. "Why do you ask?" She barely manages out.

"Well, it's not every day you hear a woman with cloak and scarf join the guild." Laxus puts an arm around Lucy's shoulder, bringing her closer. "Besides, you're quite feared and famous. I'd love to know why someone of your class would join us."

She says nothing. That uneasy feeling starts to rise again in her stomach. Why the hell am I so scared Laxus? It's like the guy is starting to get a rise out of me. But for what? She thinks.

"Aw c'mon. I didn't know you were so shy." Laxus teases.

"Laxus, that's enough," Erza orders. She watched the scene play out carefully. She knows Laxus simply wants to get something out of Lucy. Though she has no clue what it could be, the looks and tone from Laxus was enough to stop anything else from happening. "I'm happy that you and the Thunder Legion decided to help."

"How could I not? You and Mira were practically begging for it." Laxus sneers.

Erza glares at the man for his choice of words. Over the years, she has noticed Laxus's personality change drastically. But she always minded her own business to go ask why. Now she wonders if asking why would have been a better option.

Lucy gets out of Laxus's grip and stands up to face him."So you did it out of pity?" She asks, brawling her fists.

"Well, of course. I mean who wouldn't. You have two of the most prideful girls in the guild asking for your help. You'd be an idiot not to take it," Laxus explains happily. He loved seeing how Lucy changed from a timid to a menacing attitude. He had to admit he liked the girl more upfront than in rumors. He smiles when he sees Lucy clench her fist tightly. "Looks like I hit a nerve."

She stays silent and glares at him. They both tensely glare at each other before Lucy pulls away and sighs. She walks next to Natsu and Gray.

Evergreen fans herself with closed eyes. She stands beside Laxus with superior expression. "Not to interrupt anything, but why is Phantom attacking us?" The rest of the Thunder Legion nod and wait for an answer.

"They're targeting Lucy. Turns out she's the daughter of a rich guy named Jude Heartfilia." Gray says.

"Why would he target her? I mean isn't the guy her pops?" Bickslow asks. Lucy bites her lip tightly and looks away from the group.

"Because the pretty little rich princess ran away without telling anyone." Everyone nervously eyes Laxus and his words. They can feel his magic slowly radiating at lethal levels. He stands and moves between Natsu and Gray. Lucy is forced to stare at him. She silently gulps as cold sweat pours down her forehead. "So, it's your fault that our guild is under attack." It is no question but merely a statement. He gets closer to her, where there is no space between them. "I heard about a Heartfilia runaway. I didn't think it'd be you."

"What are you going to do about it?" She is anxious but her curiosity beat her to ask the question. Laxus pulls back his right arm and electrifies it before swiftly aiming for Lucy's face. Her eyes widen rapidly and quickly counters with her right hook charged with energy. The impact causes a minuscule explosion, temporarily blinding everyone but the two. Lucy falls onto the ground from the awkward position she was forced into when countering. She admits seeing the strength of Laxus's power, however tiny, amazes her. He is one guy she would have a hard time dealing with.

"Looks like you're not all talk after all." He grins.

Everyone around the pair looks at them in astonishment. Natsu quickly snaps at Laxus.

"Quit your yapping Natsu. She needs to know it's her fault everyone is hurt." Laxus says and pushes Natsu to the side. He stands over Lucy dauntingly. "This scum is nothing more than a selfish fool, who only looks out for herself. She doesn't belong in our guild."

Lucy silently puts her head down in shame. No matter how she would look at it, Laxus is right. She could pretend that everyone is fine with it, but the world is not colorful. In truth, it is her fault and her mistake. But if Celeste had taught anything to her, it is to always make up for your mistakes. No matter how unforgivable or impossible it is, an attempt to fix it is better than never trying to.

Other people speak out and defend Lucy. Natsu, Gray, and Erza remain silent, watching Lucy slowly get up from the ground. Laxus quirks an eyebrow at the girl but keeps his glare. He wants Lucy to understand the consequences of her actions. He has no idea how she acts, but that did not mean he could go easy on her. Anyone who dare hurt his guild under his watch would pay hell if not death. It had not even been a few minutes, and he already grows a resentment for Lucy.

"You're right it is my fault," Lucy says loudly for everyone to hear her. She slowly looks at Laxus in the eyes with pure determination. "I did hurt my friends and family. There is nothing in the world that could change that. But, I'm not gonna stand around and wallow in self-pity. I'm gonna do everything I can, even breaking my body in half, if it means I can fix my mistake." She looks around before closing her eyes. "I never got to say this, but I'm sorry for causing the guild so much trouble."Everyone looks at her but remains silent.

Laxus hisses through his teeth and just looks at Lucy. Something about her pisses him greatly. His team looks at her superiorly while everyone gives her a pitiful look.

Lucy bawls her fist and opens her eyes. She says nothing but walks away from the situation. She had no intention of adding fuel to the burning fire between Laxus and her. She sits in one of the broken tables upstairs in silence. She needed to reflect on everything. No one blames you. Erza's words ring in her head. She sighs and hangs her head lowly. She had many options to sift through, but returning home was not one. She knows within her heart that she would need to talk to Jude in the long run. But the fear of running into unwanted people keeps her mind in a standstill.

"Lucy?" She looks up to see Happy flying to her with a solemn expression on his face. "No one hates you. I know Laxus said those bad things, but he does care."

"It's not that Happy." She forces out. "I need to go back home after this. I need to tell Jude the truth for once. If I go back now, there will be more hell to pay with the Council and Phantom." The frightful expression on Happy's face makes her soften. She pulls him into a hug lovingly. "You don't have to worry pal. I'll be back, but it'll be a while." She feels him nodding. They stay like that for a little while before Happy pulls away.

"I know a way to make you happy." Happy rummages through his little green knapsack and pulls out a fish. "Wanna have a bite of my fish? It's better when it's raw."

She laughs aloud and turns him down. She feels her spirits lifting thanks to him.

"Hey, can you do me a favor?" she asks him.

Happy nods and giving his full attention to her.

"I can smell and hear a lot of people outside. Almost like an army. Can you go check what it is?" Lucy watches Happy fly off without an answer.

Happy wanders through the town swiftly and finds Phantom mages raging towards the guildhall. He feels a shiver down his spine when he notices their vengeful expressions. He also notices the town's people hiding inside their homes, away from the Phantom mages. He wastes no time in getting back to the guildhall.

"What's wrong Happy?" Lucy observes the troubled look on his face.

"Phantom mages are coming to the guild right now! And they're mad!" Happy sputters out in fear. Lucy's eyes widen and she dashes to the basement with Happy. He tells the others about the danger and everyone gets out of the basement and heads into town. Lucy almost joins them when her team pulls her back.

"Hey, what's the big deal?" Lucy asks frantically. That is when her eyes widen again. The ground begins to shake heavily. The four of them head to the back of the guild along with a few other members. They all witness the Phantom Guildhall walking towards their own. The guildhall is designed to become a giant for mobile transport. Each step it takes becomes more magnifying than the rest until it stops. It pulls out a canon and a dark growing ball glows out. Lucy starts to panic as it grows bigger and bigger.

Not waiting any longer, Lucy charges ahead to the cliff of the ground and readies her magic. The Jupiter Cannon was no frickin' joke! But they seriously had to pull this out! Are they trying to kill us or what?! Lucy ponders quickly. She sees Erza running requipping into a new armor.

Requip! Adamantine Armor!

What she sees, amazes her. Erza wears a bulky dark blue armor. The armor consists of two parts. The first part consists of the bulky armor. Atop her head, lies a spiked headdress. Her shoulder blades are massive with spikes coming out. Connecting to the arms, white metal covers the entirety with blue gloves. Her chest consists of a dark blue plate followed by white spikes, which reach over to her collars. Her midsection is with a skirt, following several more spikes. Her leggings imitate her arms with knee caps being a dark shade of blue. The second part of her armor consists of her shield. Attached to her arms, the shield is big. In the middle of the shield is a navy blue color. Outlined with a white appearance, big spikes come out of the middle of the shield.

"What the hell are you doing!" Lucy bellows at Erza.

"You'll waste all your magic with that spell. If we combine our defenses, we can stop it." Erza quickly says.

Lucy lets the words sink in. Nodding rapidly, she turns her attention at the canon. In a second, the cannon shoots an extensive flow of gloomy energy towards the dismantled guildhall. Reaching swift speeds, both girls start the spell.

Celestial Dragon's Star Shield!

Erza connects her shield and forms a vast magic barrier with Lucy's shield. The foreboding clouded mist of dark energy attacks against the barrier. An intense brush of light blinds everyone instantly. The pure resistance of both magical sides starts to fracture the ground into dust. Lucy's magic starts to diminish tediously the longer she strains it. But with Erza's help, she manages to maintain a little longer. Soon, the conflicting force dies down. Lucy is about to speak but collapses immediately. She feels Erza catching her as short breaths intensify. Her magic feels completely drained, but she can maintain consciences.

"Are you okay?" Erza asks softly.

"Yeah," Lucy breathes out, "I guess even with your help, I'm still completely drained."

"At least your conscience. You would've fainted if it weren't for my help. Plus, thanks to you I'm still standing as well as everyone." Erza smiles at her while the boys come running to them. "Eat the sunlight. I'm sure you'll feel better then."

Lucy nods and slowly munches on the sunlight.

"Hey, you guys are okay?" The boys crouch down to Lucy's level. "Lucy, how are you?" Gray asks while Natsu looks at both of them.

Lucy smiles brightly and nods. Feeling her magical energy returning to her, she stands up with Erza's help.

"Those bastards are gonna pay for that. Let's kick their butts!" Natsu cheers, flaming his hands.

Everyone around the area also applauds in agreement. However, their moment of encouragement comes to an abrupt halt. Mysterious eerie shadows of darkness flows out in numbers toward the small group. Lucy eyes them carefully, disliking the aura of the murderous magic. As one of the members goes to attack it, the shadow phases through his body. He drops to the ground completely disoriented.

Lucy's eyes widen. "Whatever you do, don't let them touch you! It drains your magic!"

Everyone nods and starts to attack carefully. Each member dodging and attacking at the same time.

Lucy gets out of Erza's hold and looks at her team. "So, who's ready to send them packing home?"

Agreeing proudly, the four glance at the giant and frown slightly. "Not to ruin the mood, but how are we getting there?" Natsu asks.

The others freeze temporarily before Gray pitches an idea. "I'll freeze the water while Natsu flies on Happy."

They reluctantly agree while Elfman comes up to the group and decides to join them.

"Now listen, you guys have to be careful walking across the ocean. I'll try to make as smooth as possible, but I can't promise anything." Gray says.

Ice-Make: Ocean!

In a split second, the water is frozen solid. To everyone's surprise, the ice seems easy to walk on. The tides made the giant earlier seemed to have slowed down, originating back to normal. Elfman and Gray waste no time and starts sliding toward the base. As Erza is about to follow, Lucy stops her. "Hey, you okay? I mean that spell should've drained ya'."

Erza calmly explains, "It didn't as much as yours. I contributed a little bit. Mainly added a small boost to your magic. Hence, I'm not extremely depleted or fatigued."

Lucy nods and jumps down with Erza, and they hurry to catch up with the boys. After a few minutes, all of them are at the foot of the giant.

"I'll make some stairs. Just get ready to fight." Gray says. He turns his back to them and focuses his magic in his hands.

Ice-Make: Stairs!

A railing of clear crystal ice trails to the building's wall. Lucy is the first to run up the stairs carefully while the others follow. She wastes no time in destroying the wall with her magic and walks in. "Y'know their guildhall looks like something out of a cheap knockoff villain." Lucy comments. They walk around the empty hallway in silence. "What do you think Natsu's up to?"

"Knowing him, he's probably tryin' to destroy the cannon." Gray shrugs, taking off his shirt.

"Oi pervert, keep your clothes on for once," Lucy demands.

Gray grumbles something under his breath and puts his shirt back on.

Lucy glances ahead and smiles. She hears Natsu raging at someone while blowing something up. "Something tells me that the pyro is about to do something to the building."

---

Happy and Natsu fly atop the cannon in attempts to break it.

Something about the way it is still positioned gives Natsu a bad feeling. Happy drops Natsu at the top. Natsu attempts to break the cannon with his fists but to no avail. It barely makes a dent. The cannon is made of a special type of steel that makes it impossible to break with puny hands. He punches it one last time in frustration before looking at it. If I can't break it from the outside, then I can try to blow it up from the inside. He ponders and smiles. He heads inside with Happy and stumbles upon a giant lacrima.

"What the hell is this?" Natsu stares at it stupidly before dropping to the ground level and dashing for the lacrima. Even though he has no clue what it does, he realizes that the lacrima might be powering the cannon. As he dashes at it, he is suddenly kicked across the face. He hits the ground and grunts in pain.

"Well, what's this," Totomaru calls out, stepping closer to Natsu, "Did you think I'd let you destroy the Jupiter Cannon this easily?"

Natsu stands up with a scowl.

"That lacrima powers the cannon? Sweet! You just made my job a whole lot easier." Natsu is about to attack when he recognizes the guy in front of him. "Are you the Element Six or something?"

Happy flies close and whispers, "Natsu, that's Totomaru. That guy is in the Element Four."

"Element Four, Nimwit," Totomaru says. He runs his hand through his hair. "Just because I told you the lacrima is important, doesn't mean you can destroy it." He puts his hand on his katana and smirks.

In the blink of an eye, the sharp edge of a katana is pressed against Natsu's chest.

Natsu knocks the blade away with the palm of his hand, then flips to safety.

Fire Dragon's Roar!

Totamaru, with the swipe of his hand, pushes the flurry of orange flames away.

Natsu looks at him in shock. Feeling uneasy at the revelation. He shakes his head and charges at Totamaru. He attempts to hit Totomaru in the face but fails. Totamaru counters faster and kicks Natsu in the kidneys. Natsu grabs Totomaru's arm and knees him in the gut repeatedly before being blown away by his fist.

"I must say, you are stronger than you come off as. However, I will win." Totomaru says while summoning his magic and sending a wave of blistering heat towards Natsu. In a breach of seconds, Natsu eats the flames and smiles. He decides to take a different approach and looks around. The room is bigger than usual with several steps to an outer ring, which is higher than the floor. In the center of the room lies the giant lacrima, with several magic-circles around it.

He jumps onto the outer circle and runs behind the lacrima. Using his fire magic as a boost, he attempts to crack the lacrima. He strikes it, only to be zapped with electricity. He falls to the ground groaning in pain. "What the hell was that about?" Mumbling the words as he stands.

"The lacrima is protected by a barrier. It can't be destroyed by the mere use of your body." Totamaru says.

Totamaru lunges for his opponent, noticing Natsu has failed to dodge. He places a foot on his fallen opponent's chest, "Give up, fool!"

"Never," says Natsu, throwing Totamaru's foot away from him.

Totamaru steps on Natsu's foot, locking him in place. Natsu takes an elbow to the stomach and falls to the ground, gasping for air.

Natsu reaches out. Totamaru grabs Natsu's hand and knocks him in the chin.

Leaving no room for a counter, Totomaru goes for the neck. Natsu gets up quickly and dodges. Totomaru swipes his leg against Natsu's kidney causing him to fall back down.

Falling off guard, Natsu is forced to take on the barrage of hits. He tumbles backward, hitting the wall in enormous strength. Pushing himself up, he wipes some blood from his lips and glares at the man in front of him. He decides to light his fists and charge at full speed. Using his magic as a booster, he skids to a halt when Totomaru dodges out of the way. Using his magic once again, he manages to get behind Totomaru.

Fire Dragon's Roar!

A boisterous flow of unimaginable heat attacks Totomaru, only to have it surrounding his body. "You still haven't figured it, huh? I control every aspect of fire. Your flames do not affect me," Totomaru says, "It may be true that you're Fairy Tail's dragon slayer, but you will lose against me." He curls his hands into fists and sends a wave of blue fire as a distraction. He watches Natsu eat them and lunges forth. Gripping his katana, he leashes at Natsu's chest. He hears the dragon slayer cry out in pain.

"Ten minutes until the activation of the Jupiter Cannon." A voice ushers over the speakers.

Natsu freezes hearing the words. He bites his lip and faces Totomaru. He's clever. My flames are nothing against him. Plus, he is good with that sword. Ugh! Think! He ponders bitterly. He decides to give up the usage of his flames for now and focus primarily on hand-to-hand combat. He decides to run-up again and retracts his fist, aiming at Totomaru's stomach. Seeing his plan, Totomaru catches Natsu's fist and kicks at the chin. Following up with another attack on Natsu's kidney with his left hand. Sending a good wave of barrages at Natsu, Totomaru finishes off the attack with a fist coated in flames.

Natsu gasps when he senses a fist connect his gut painfully. Blasting back against the wall, he bounces off it and lands on his stomach, coughing up blood. He breathes uneasily but gets up in determination. He notices his Totomaru coming and dodges to the left. Ducking his attacks, he jumps into the air to avoid another one but notices Totomaru in the air with the katana positioned to kill. Twisting his body, he uses his leg to launch the katana in a different direction. In a split second, he uses the opportunity to send a right hook to Totomaru's left cheek. He steps on Totomaru's foot and lights up his right fist.

Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!

Upon impact, an explosion of flames blow out, increasing the damage. Totomaru cries out an agonizing scream. He rolls onto his back completely in short of breath. Stomach drowning in burns and pain as well as minor burns across his body. He uses his left arm to slowly lift himself. Every inch of his body pleading him to stop. What are you fighting for? His mind asks him. A simple job to take out the Fairy Tail Guild and retrieve the Heartfilia girl, but how did that go so wrong? He shakes his head gently and glares at Natsu. Putting his fists together, he creates an imaginable amount of heat.

Flames of Retribution!

Powerful waves of colorful blistering heat storms toward Natsu. He opens his mouth to eat it when he notices the attack splitting into smaller in different directions. Widening his eyes in shock and fear, he lurches forward as fast as he could to block the attack from reaching Happy, who barely could escape from the proximity. Managing to take most of the damage, Natsu doubles over on his knees from the pain. The attack managed to leave him stung.

"I figured flames don't burn you, but there are special types of fire. My green fire has a specialty of stinging anyone it touches. The magic enters into your bloodstream from the contact and immobilizes the Nervous System." Totomaru states proudly.

"Five minutes remaining until the activation." The voice ushers on the speaker system.

Natsu closes his eyes and feels the magic taking over. He had no control over his body. But the bitter idea of someone else controlling his flames makes his blood boil. He has no time to sit around and mope. He needs to destroy the lacrima and take out Totomaru within five minutes. If he physically has no control over his body, maybe he could try his magic to burn off the magic in his system. Pouring sheer amounts of heat throughout his entire body starts to kill the poison like a virus. In two minutes, he burns off the remaining poison.

Totomaru notices the fire surrounding the body. He gulps in fear from the hidden amount of power Natsu has. He stares in fright as Natsu stands up with an unbearable amount of heat. Totomaru tries to hide his fearful expression and charges at him with green flames. He tries for a right hook, only to be blocked. Natsu lowers his body when Totomaru kicks for his head. He counters with a right uppercut in the chin and a strike in Totomaru's gut.

Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!

A burst of flames knocks the air out of Totomaru's body. Bouncing off the wall like a ping pong ball, he struggles to get up. He coughs up blood as the several burns start to sting all over his body. He sees Natsu sending another fire attack and dissipates the flames in several directions. He glances around and picks up his katana.

"You're an absolute jerk. I promised everyone we'd take you pathetic saps down. I plan on doing it. I don't care if you can control my flames because I'll beat you with them." Natsu growls. He stomps the ground and lights his hands in fury. I have three minutes to take this idiot down. Question is, how do I go about it? He thinks.

Totomaru barely has any remaining physical strength for a large counter-attack. The best option he has is to stall for the remaining time. He lunges at Natsu with his katana.

Natsu throws the katana into the lacrima. It barely penetrates through the lacrima, but enough pressure to cause a bigger crack. Natsu glances at it and back at Totomaru. Whenever I catch him off-guard, my flames burn him harder. But when he sees it, they never touch him. So, I have to catch him by surprise. He plans. He puts his fist together and creates a large spiral of flames.

Totomaru tries to disperse the attack, but he fails because of the large quantity of magic put into it.

"I'll never let a bastard like you control my flames ever again!" Natsu howls, throwing the flames towards Totomaru, who dodges to the side. The flames turn into a fist, which pushes the blade further into the lacrima.

A vast explosion levels the entire room in a flash. Totomaru uses the majority of his magic to divert the oncoming blast from hitting him. After a few moments, the explosion dies down, and the room is in pieces. Totomaru huffs from both the physical and magical exhaustion. He jumps onto the debris for a better position. He truly is more powerful than I could've ever hoped for. If I take one more hit, then I'm down for good. He ponders.

"Nice job, Natsu!" Happy cheers. He held onto his partner when the explosion occurred, making sure neither of them were hurt. They stand flying in the shattered cannon room.

Natsu smiles happily at his partner. "Yep. Now let's take him down for good."

Happy spots Totomaru and throws Natsu at him.

Natsu kicks Totomaru's face and drops a few centimeters away from him. He notices his opponent not getting up and walks over.

"You win," Totomaru mutters weakly, "I can see why dragon-slaying magic is a lost magic now."

Natsu looks at him in sympathy. "You lost because you didn't have a purpose to fight. I don't care what my magic is as long as I can protect my friends with it," he says. He watches Totomaru pass out. Natsu turns to his friend. "Well, time to go help the others."

"Aye, sir! So, are we helping out in the building or going outside?" Happy asks.

Natsu puts a hand on his chin when he hisses in pain. "Crap, I forgot about my chest." He stares at the wound. The strike of the blade cuts deep, but not enough for a fatal wound.

"Oi Natsu!" a voice calls out.

Natsu turns around and sees the others running toward him. He smiles and gets closer to them. "Hey, whatcha' guys doin' here?" he asks.

"Lucy heard a massive explosion, so we came running this way," Gray replies. He notices Natsu's wound spilling slowly. He tears open his shirt and hands it to Natsu. "Looks like a nasty cut. Use my shirt as a bandage for now."

Natsu uses it and temporarily patches the wound and thanks his friend. "So, what are you gonna do now?"

While the others discuss, Lucy glances around and notices Totomaru's damaged body. She gets closer to inspect and thinks. Sol, Totomaru, and possibly Juvia is eliminated from the equation, which only leaves Aria. He's more powerful than the rest of them, but that also leaves Gajeel. Jose set this up like a big chess game. He has the pieces in place, but they're also falling apart. If we take out the king, then the rest of them lose. She turns around and walks back to her teammates.

Natsu says, " I still say we storm to that Jose jerk and kick his butt."

"Natsu, are you forgetting Jose is one of the Ten Wizard Saints? He's as powerful as our master." Erza comments. She and the others hear thunder and see Laxus in behind them with his team.

"Is that you're way of admitting you're weaker than the rest of us?" Evergreen taunts. She pulls out her fan and cools herself. "I'm sure you've all realized how many opponents are left. Two members of the Element Four are down, and two more to go. including, Gajeel and Jose. Not to mention the other members. I'm surprised there smaller branches haven't made it to Magnolia."

"That doesn't matter now. I'm gonna fly down with Happy and help the others out. There are a bunch of those idiots. And who knows, maybe I can find Aria or Gajeel," says Natsu.

The others swiftly agree to his idea and bid him farewell. They make a plan to split into groups and take out the remaining mages. Suddenly, the building starts shaking violently, causing Lucy to grunt over. Soon, it stops trembling and becomes stable.

Laxus grits his teeth in frustration and asks, "What is it now?" He asks Freed to fly outside and check the conditions.

Freed uses his enchantment magic and creates some wings and flies out. What he finds utterly shocks him. The giant slowly moves its arms, creating a large magic circle for an Abyss Break. But the thought troubles him greatly. To activate a forbidden spell of this nature, it must require the four basic elements: fire, water, earth, and air. With two out of the four elements, the enchant still seems to be moving faster than intended, hinting someone else is filling in for Sol's place. Freed returns back and informs the others.

"Well, that's great. Are they so desperate that they wanna kill us in the process." Gray grumbles.

"In this case, we must quickly defeat the remaining members. Laxus and I will head for Master Jose. The rest of you make sure to take out the rest of the Phantom mages along with Juvia and Aria." Erza orders.

Almost everyday decides to split up into groups of two, apart from Lucy, who decides to fly solo. She dashes out of the room and heads for a random hallway. She wastes no time and finds some Phantom mages and starts to attack them. Taking them out easily, she moves onto the next set of targets. She had figured even though a significant amount of the mages were keeping her guild busy, there was bound to be a few more left behind. Dashing through many hallways, she takes out many of them while keeping an eye out for the main targets. An aching pain growing worse in her stomach from uncertainty. I hope everyone's okay. She prays.

---

In a different room of the Phantom Giant, stands Jose.

He clenches his teeth and stomps the ground. His eyebrows twitching and magic radiating. He bellows, "Can someone tell me what the hell went wrong?"

Nobody in the room answers him, simply trying their best to avoid the rage. They quickly maintain the spell and remain silent as Jose keeps yelling at everyone. In the corner of the room, Juvia enters silently. Ever since her visit with Lucy, she had been rather silent about the ordeal. Finding herself being questioned about her choices and purpose. Refusing to take any more of her active mind, she goes to Jose for answers.

She walks further in and stands there. "Master Jose, may I speak to you in private?" she asks politely.

Jose turns around and glances at Juvia. "Fine. You seem to be more useful than any of these lumps." They walk out of the room and head to a different one. "Now, what is it you wish to speak to me about?"

Juvia nervously twiddles her thumbs and looks away. "Is it worth it to go after the Heartfilia girl? I mean she seems so happy at her guild. Wouldn't it be wrong to take that liberty away?"

Jose stares at the woman in silence. He feels his blood boiling and his nerves cracking. "Let me ask you something. Did those fairies corrupt you with their idealism?"

Juvia mutters weakly a response and stays silent.

Jose continues, "Sounds to me like you've forgotten who's saved your life from being killed a few years ago. Your life is in my hands. I can easily send you back to that wretched place if you want to help those deplorable mages. They aren't innocent. I heard their might Titania is involved with several crimes. They aren't exactly your typical pity crimes."

Juvia's eyes widen in shock. "What do you mean?" she mumbles out.

Jose happily grins. "I don't think that's important now. Unless you want to go back, I suggest you follow my orders." He leaves the room without an answer.

Juvia glances at her hands. Jittery and sweaty with the added heat coursing through her body, the feeling worsens. She slowly walks to a window and watches the droplets of rain slithering against the pane. She closes her eyes, but nothing works to slow down her heartbeat. Geez, can't you do anything! It's always raining and I'm getting tired of it. I wish you'd just hurry up and get better at using your magic already. Her friend's voice booms inside her head. She bites her lips to suppress the need to wail out. Water seeps from her eyes as she opens her eyes to stare at her reflection.

She wipes them away and leaves the room. The looming feeling worsening within her heart. I'm never going to be free. Not from this rain, or Master Jose's grip. Lucy Heartfilia truly is a lucky woman. She's hopeful her guild win blindly. I wonder what's it like to see something like that. The glistening waves of the sun raining down on your skin to show a path of hope. She thinks solemnly. She walks back into the control room, away from the majority of the people. Out the corner of her eye, she sees Master Jose smiling at her.

"Now, tell me the status of the Abyss Break?" Jose demands.

A member speaks up quietly, "With Totomaru out, it will take a little longer with the activation. But with the last three elements, we should be able to pull it off."

Jose grins wickedly. "I'm sure those plucked fairies know about this spell. Just make sure to keep the weapon intact" He turns to face Juvia. "Also Juvia, just make sure you and Aria don't lose, or they'll be hell to pay from both of you."

Taking it as her cue to leave, Juvia rushes to find Aria. A team of two is always better than one. I just hope this ends soon. She prays.

---

Elsewhere in Fiore, June 15th X784

Horrified cries echo the surrounding area. Mystogan stands in the middle of five mages. He ducks away from the oncoming attacks and stands still. The Phantom Lord building is in shambles after a catastrophic attack. Most mages are lying unconscious on the ground or fighting him. One of the members wipes some sweat off her forehead and stares at the man.

"Why are you attacking us? We're a legal guild." a woman says. She looks around at her guild members and grimaces at the situation. Their building is on fire while half the other members are lying on the ground. Ever since the day their master decided to attack Fairy Tail, everything had been rather chaotic. Everyone had been either aggressive or destructive. She almost feels happy about being beaten down. The guild's pride had taken a drastic turn in the wrong direction.

Mystogan looks at them with narrowed eyes. He says nothing in return but remains vigilant. He could have chosen to walk away from this entire battle and not get involved at all, but that would shove his feelings. He is always out of town and rather secretive. His name started gaining popularity after gaining a prestigious title. He never liked or intended to have it, but it did have its share of perks. Dangerous jobs with high paid rewards, but most of all, a lead into the underbelly of Fiore. He has been spending years trying to find something that had been a threat to others. Going so far into his searches, often led him into unique situations.

The woman grits her teeth and sends a pile of rocks toward the man. He simply phases through them and gets behind her. She is on the ground in seconds as her comrades watch in shock. The man sighs softly under his mask and charges for the remaining mages. Moments pass and the rest of them fall. He heads to the top of the building and grabs the Phantom Lord Flag and leaves.

Mystogan moves rapidly through towns and heads to the next one. He uses his Mist Body to become the wind and carefully move to the next one. As he reaches the next branch, he is forced into hiding. He follows his eyes on the members. Seems his activities might have been reported to the rest of the smaller branches than he had hoped. A few members stand outside as guards. Each of their eyes peer over the area, never letting down their guard. They have sweat running down their foreheads as they stand. Mystogen turns his body into a mist and lunges at the guards. As they fall to the ground, he walks into the building.

Mages up stand up in line. In the middle of the crowd, a woman stares lazily at the man. "Well, it's about time you showed up. I've waiting to play with you damned fairies for a week now," she says. The woman stands up and walks closer to Mystogan. "Now, c'mon. Show me why Mystogan is considered one of the mighty members of the guild."

Mystogan stands silent. Narrowing his eyes at every member in the room. "I didn't come here to show you my strength," he finally says.

The woman grits her teeth in frustration. "Are you sure? You've been going around destroying our other branches. If I'm right, then you would've destroyed 49 by now. Making us you're 50th." She closes the distance between closer. "Tell me, how did you take out the rest of our S-Class mages?"

Mystogan pulls out one staff and grips it tightly. He takes a step back, furthering narrowing his eyes on the woman. "Who are you?"

She smiles and answers, "Joslin Ryn. I'm an S-Class Mage." Joslin turns to her guildmates. "You guys might need to give us some space. Things are going to get messy."

Everyone backs away from the group, some even running out. Mystogan positions his body to fight while Joslin yawns. He lunges forth and punches Joslin's head. In return, she jabs his stomach, but only to hit air. He tries to hit her face again, but she blocks with her arms. He backs away from her and uses his staff to send a wave of magical energy towards her. She ducks the other way and lunges for him. Mystogan blocks the oncoming attacks with ease and pushes her away to create some distance.

"You failed to meet expectations." Joslin murmurs. She decides to go in for the attack, putting more strength and speed at the same time. Mystogan tries to block, but he gets jabbed in the stomach swiftly. He tumbles back but on his feet. He uses his leg to aim at her head and hits the air instead. Joslin grabs his leg and uses her leg to swipe him off balance. He turns his body into the air quickly and backs away.

This woman's magic is unique. She hasn't even one spell. I need to bait her into using it. Mystogan thinks calmly. He puts his staff away and positions his footing. Joslin charges for him while he ducks beneath and scores an uppercut to her chin. Following with several more attacks all over her body. She takes on every hit before managing to stop one from her face. She uses her fist and quickly hits his stomach and backs away.

Gesture Mirror!

A bind of wind blows into Mystogan. He hits the wall forcefully and lands on the ground. He stands up slowly to notice is woman gone. He walks forward slowly only to feel her presence behind her. He quickly turns his body into the wind but gets knocked to the other part of the hall. Wind Magic? But I haven't seen anyone with that kind of wind usage up this close. It has to be something else. He ponders. He tightens the mask and tries to sense the woman again. Feeling her coming another back attack, Mystogan sends a wave of magic in her direction. Every single ray of magic beam is shot back at him. He dodges quickly and look at the woman in shock.

Joslin wickedly smiles. "Looks like I hit a nerve. I had a hunch about your body. Seems you do turn into a Mist Body. I've only seen this with Aria, but it's good to know you have it too." She once again sends a breeze of wind in Mystogan's direction, except she widens the range of her attack. Mystoagn narrowly dodges the attack only to be smacked across the head. He lands on his feet and jabs her sides. Following up with a right hook, he gets blocked by her arms. He uses his legs and throws her balance. She quickly blasts the wind in his direction to prevent him from hitting her.

Mystogan blocks the attack with his arms and skids back. He sighs softly and smiles under his mask. He makes a few hand signs and smashes them into the ground. It lights up with energy and shoots directly at Joslin. She simply waits for it and deflects it back at him. Dodging swiftly, he gets close to her and throws a fist in her face. She catches it and smiles again.

"I think I let you hit me one too many times." She says. Once again, she uses her magic and blows him away. Then, she smashes her fists into the ground and sends a pillar of the ground at him. Widening his eyes, Mystogan feels the pillar attack his body forcefully, ramping him into the ceiling. His back hits the ceiling, making him reach the second floor. He slowly stands up, checking to make sure his staves are in place. He sighs satisfaction.

That was too close for comfort. I need to find a way around her magic. He thinks. He feels fine without any major injuries. He looks below the hole and jumps down cautiously. He hears laughter and turns around to see Joslin smiling. Not a single scratch or bruise present anywhere on her body. He frowns while thinking of a strategy.

Rebound!

Both elements of earth and air come hurdling at him. He ducks and quickly gets behind her. She senses him but her reaction is slow. His leg swipes her back, causing her to cough and lurch forward. Using this opportunity, he pushes her to the ground forcefully. She tries to use her magic to send two pillars at him, but he uses his magic to phase through them.

Mystogan bends down to her ear and whispers, "I suggest you give up. You're simply outmatched. It may be true you have powerful magic, but you messed with the wrong guild and mage. Anyone who dares to hurt my family will pay hell. Not to mention, you're going after Lucy Heartfilia. You should be lucky to leave out alive. I don't tolerate anyone hurting her."

Her eyes go wide in surprise and fear, but she refuses to show it. Instead, she bubbles all of her magic and blasts everything within the tiny space between them. Mystogan simples ducks away and waits for the woman to stand. Joslin clenches her teeth and hand in frustration and decides to stop playing around. She charges at him faster and aims for his neck. He blocks the hit with his arms and ducks to hit her sides. Both opponents go back to back before backing away. Mystogan sends a few more waves of energy at her, but every single one hits him instead. Using this chance as a smokescreen, he goes in for the attack. He jumps out and sends a right straight into her face.

She loses her balance before grimacing. That hurt. He's toying with me. He hasn't used any of his bigger attacks until now. She thinks bitterly. She blocks another attack with her hands and knees him the gut. She attempts to swipe her leg down on his back, but he catches her. He uses his legs and throws her off balance. She uses her hands to support her body and lands a blow to Mystogan's head with her leg. Getting back on her feet, she sends a jab to his stomach and face. He turns into the wind as the attacks phase through him. He gets closer to her and uses to send a wave of energy into her.

She crashes into the wall as debris falls all around her. She coughs up blood as she clutches her wounded stomach. She slowly gets back on her feet with clenched fists almost turning white. As she is about to use her magic, her eyes widen. Her movements are stuck under a spell as the light grows brightly. She sees Mystogan's staves all drawn out in front.

Three Layered Magic Circle!

Three different elements spawn above her head and come crashing down upon her. She uses her magic to divert the attack in several directions. Some hitting her guildmates in the process. The attack leaves the room in pieces. Joslin breathes heavily after dispersing the attack. I need some time to regain to do a move that big again. I have to rely on small and planned attacks. She thinks. The gray clouds become crystal clear as she fully realizes the extent of the damage. A few of her guildmates are lying on the ground unconscious while the others looked with wide eyes. They were physically shaking and backed away.

"What the hell Joslin? Were you trying to kill us?" growls a member.

She narrows her eyes and answers, "It wasn't my plan, but at least I'm not dead."

The member looks at her with broad eyes. "So, you don't care that we're hurt?"

"Not really. I'm starting to see why Master Jose wanted to kick some of you wasted mages out. You're not useful, but y'all sure as hell give us a large member count." Joslin chuckles lightly.

The member purses his lips and glances at the ground. "If that's how everyone thinks about us, then maybe it's better if we leave."

Joslin smiles brightly at him. "You and the rest of you idiots will be doing us a major favor. Not like any of you can even stand up against those worthless fairies."

Every conscious member looks at them with a frown. They carry the unconscious on their back while glancing back at the building. They feel their heartstrings marching to a different rhythm than they had a few weeks ago. The member looks back at Joslin with a frown. "If you're expecting to win that fight, think again. You'll never beat someone like that if you don't care about your family." He turns his back and walks away with everyone.

Joslin glances at them. Her eyes furrowed and lips closed shut. She feels a sense of relief they had left, but her heart grows slightly heavier. Who the hell I needed them or their help? I'm an S-Class Mages. I can handle anything that can come my way. She reasons with herself. She looks around and sees Mystogan standing a few feet away from her. She has a hard time telling how he feels, but the tense atmosphere around them keeps her quiet.

Mystogan's stoic aura gradually creeps around the room. He glances at the woman with a piercing gaze. "So, you'd rather save your own ass than save your comrades?"

Joslin smiles maliciously, betraying her inner thoughts. She returns the gaze at him. "Well, of course. They were useless and a pain. They knew what they were getting into the moment they signed up to be a legal wizard. So, they should know how to save themselves."

Mystogan feels his patience slipping and body heating up. "Then perhaps your comrades were right about one thing. You'll never win against me."

She loses her cool and throws a right hook at him. He catches it and blocks another attack. Blocking several more, he headbutts her. She backs away with her surroundings starting to spin slowly.

Mystogan stands in his place and calmly says, "Your guild will never win against us. We'll beat you down to your lowest point and prove to why we thrive. I don't care if you're guild ranking is higher than us. I've just proven I can take care of 50 of your sub-branches with ease. To me, power can size strength so far. But with family and friends, you'll never be able to compare."

She smashes her fists into the ground to send pillars to him. Using it as a diversion, she lunges at him and throws a left straight to his face. Instead, she hits through him and blocks an oncoming hit to her face. Mystogan swipes his leg to her sides and leaves her dazed in pain. He grabs a hold of her and sends a few more straights to her head and back. She drops to the ground, grunting. Her head pounds on her like a hammer while her back tries to maintain itself. She curses underneath her breath. If it weren't for that stupid big attack, I'd have the upper hand on him. I can't let him figure that out.

Mystogan feels rather odd. He senses a deep wealth of relief in his heart, but watching the woman struggle for her title makes a knot his stomach. He bends to the woman's level and whispers, "Looks like you're all talk and no game." He copies her exact words from before the fight.

Joslin rolls away and gets up. "You're one hell of a lucky bastard. I haven't had a big challenge like this for a while," she says, "I can't wait to put you down to size." She smiles brightly as an idea forms in her head. "Tell me Mystogan, who are you under that mask? There have been many rumors, but none of them have ever been true."

Mystogan stiffens sharply. He feels the heat rising within his body as his fingers slowly shake.

Joslin sees his hesitation and continues, "Let's make a bet. If I win, then I find out who's under that mask. If you win, then you can decide whatever you want."

Tempting. He thinks. The offer could both ways. But for him, winning is the only option. His identity and guild is on the line. She's cunning. He answers, "I accept."

Joslin loses her smile and asks, "Aren't you going to tell me what it is?"

Mystogan looks at her skeptically. "Why does it matter to you? Like you said, I can choose whatever I want as long as I win. It's my decision if I want to tell you or not."

"Yeah, but it's more fun if you say it now. It brings more tension and drama into this fight." she retorts.

"So, this entire fight has been a funny sitcom for you?" He senses his blood rushing.

"Now, when you put it like that, I suppose it does." She crosses her arms. She feels her magic returning to her. "I don't understand why you're getting so frustrated about it."

Mystogan says nothing and simply throws a right straight into her face. She falls back with widened eyes. He ignores her expression and attacks. Exchanging a few hits, Mystogan decides to use fire magic to attack her. I don't generally use this, but she keeps deflecting my attacks. I need to find an opening. He ponders. Joslin keeps deflecting all the attacks that she forgets Mystoagn's position until the last second. He grabs her shoulder and blows a devastating blow into her stomach. She gasps and coughs up blood. She lurches forward as the blood drips like rain into the ground.

Rebound!

Pillars from the ground and waves of air attack Mystogan at lightning speeds. He narrowly dodges and stands far away from his opponent. In a matter of seconds, the entire building starts to shake violently. He runs out for his safety when he notices parts of the building shot at him. He dodges most of the attacks when a pillar hits him. He is blown back with the breath knocked out of him. He notices several more and jumps onto and makes his way to his opponent quickly. He sends some of the surges of energy at her, only to hit some pillars.

He pulls back and stands on a pillar. He stares at the woman, who seemed to be completely fine. A few minutes she was gasping for a breath, now, she's fine. The time between the last attack and now was just a few minutes. Don't tell me. His train of thought stops when ducks another attack. When she was making that small talk, she was gaining back the energy to attack again. If I'm right, then I need to send a large attack her way to tire her. Then I could counter take her down. He thinks calmly.

Joslin watches the man dodge every attack. She clenches her teeth and decides to end this quickly. Sending another pillar, she dashes towards him quickly. She sends a right hook in his face. Mystogan blocks with his arm and hits her face. He grabs ahold of her dazed state and knees her gut. She manages to do an uppercut to his chin and backs away. She keeps blocking his attacks with the wind as much as possible before kicking him away. She gasps for breath and stands still as she watches the man stand up. Eyes widen when she feels a large surge of magic below her.

Five Layered Magic Circle!

Five elements: fire, water, air, earth, and darkness, appear above her. She pours all her magic into diverting the magic. The magic disperses in several directions like rainbows. She drops to the ground, panting heavily. It'll take a little longer to recover my magic. If I distract him long enough, I could have enough. She thinks.

Mystogan waits for the woman to stand up to test his theory.

Joslin stands up. "You're truly a formidable opponent."

Mystogan says nothing and pulls out one of his staves and places it in front of him.

Skyscraper!

The pillar beneath her shatters like crystals. In a sudden ray of light, a surge of energy shoots her into the sky. Fragments of the ground twist around her as ropes, binding her to her fate. She struggles to be free. She hears an ear-shattering growl, which makes her freeze. She watches a demon coming out while sweating and shaking. A demon breaks apart the sky and slowly reaches out for her. She struggles even more against the binds. She attempts to use her reflector magic but to no avail.

"Please let me go!" She closes her eyes shut as she feels the demonic hands swiping her up. She suddenly slides down something and lets out a scream. Her tears cascade down her cheeks, pleading to anyone to save her. "I'm so sorry! Just let me live please." It is a futile attempt, but she had no choice. If the smallest prayer could be received, she would throw away all of her riches and pride to be given one last chance on life.

Instantly, Joslin senses the breeze of air touch her skin. She hears birds flying off and opens her eyes. She frantically touches the pillar to feel if it is real.

"Do you understand why you should've never messed with my guild?" Mystogan asks.

Joslin turns to the man. She was busy with being alive, she failed to recognize he was still there. She nods and says, "I'm so sorry. Thank you for letting me live."

"Fairy Tail doesn't kill its enemies." He walks closer to her. "Your life was never in danger."

She feels the breath knocked out of her. She stutters, "What?"

He sighs and begins to explain. "After I used one of my big attacks, you were left on the ground. After our conversation, I had a hunch on your limits. I tried it again, and it seems to have worked. I merely used my illusion magic to leave you rendered down.

She looks at the man with a faint smile. "Thank you nonetheless. I think I see why everything is the way it is."

Mystogan nods and turns his back. "Take this time to reflect."

"What about the bet?" she asks.

"I have nothing to take or ask of you. Just live your life." He heads to the top of the building to grab the flag and leaves the town. That battle took too long for my liking. I need to be more thorough of how I use my time. She was close to figuring out my identity. He thinks. Mystogan makes it back to Magnolia in a few minutes. He finds a reasonable solution for his next plan. First I'll check with the master then observe if the situation gets out of hand.

He heads back to the forest and enjoys the day. Despite the severity of the crisis, it is hard to sometimes miss out on the simplicities in a conflict. He makes it to the house and picks out one of the apples from Porlyusica's basket. He sits down near a tree and eats it while watching the house. He watches Porlyusica walk and stand near him.

Porlyusica notices Mystogan and leaps back. "You're back." she hisses.

"I hope you don't mind me taking one of your apples." He gestures at the apple.

She glares at him. "I'm surprised you're not helping the guild. I thought you were a loyal member."

He softly sighs under his mask and pulls out every single flag of the 50 branches he eliminated in a short time. He watches them float around the forest before standing up. "I hope this is enough to help them. If they ever need any more assistance, they'll know I'm watching from ahead." He leaves and nears the town. He finds a suitable spot to watch from and waits patiently.

---

Middle of Magnolia

Citizens flee to a secure part of town to avoid the attacks. Several buildings and other services in ruins.

"What the hell. There are so many of them." Wakaba says as he takes out a member and phantom.

Cana strikes some of them with her cards. She answers, "If it wasn't annoying enough with the members. Now, we have those phantoms on us." She dodges to avoid getting shot and attacks a few more members. She has her back against Loke.

Loke kicks a member in the face and knocks out the other with his ring magic. He faces his opponent while talking to Cana. He asks, "Taking out these members is easy now. The horde slowed down somehow."

She uses her cards to electrocute a few of the members at the same. "Yeah, kinda' does. I think they were coming from the smaller branches."

He ducks and delivers a blow to his opponent. "I'm surprised they could get here that fast."

"That doesn't matter right now. Do the job and ask questions later," she orders.

Loke turns to face Cana. "We've heard tales about Lucy's powers. Do you think she's capable of doing something like that?"

Cana looks away and whispers, "We need to have faith in her and the others." Nothing else is said between the two. Both of them focus their energy to take out the remaining mages with barely any strength. After some time, all of the remaining Phantom Lord mages fall. A few Fairy Tail mages let out a breath of fresh air. Some drop to their knees while others catch their breath. Cana sits on the ground, patting some dust. She looks to her side and notices most of her guildmates fighting off the phantoms.

Loke almost says something but quickly grabs Cana and shifts to the side. He narrowly avoids the strike of lightning hitting Cana head-on. He looks up and glares at a woman, who walks closer.

"And here I thought that would hit." She pouts like a child.

Loke's glare hardens. "Who are you?"

Synthia smiles at him greatly. "Why, you're meeting the Synthia of Phantom Lord."

Loke almost chokes on his saliva. He gets back on his feet with Cana. "I'm surprised you're not in the giant right now."

Synthia rolls her eyes. "Master Jose is powerful enough to take care of himself. I'm here to take out the remaining bunch."

"Cana, get out of here. I'll hold her off." Loke readies himself to fight.

"Are you crazy? You can't take her on like this. Besides, she's not exactly an easy opponent." Cana chastises. She stands beside him, ignoring his shocking expression. "Whether you like it or not, we're taking her out together." Two others see the duo and decide to join in. Strength in numbers is better than nothing at all. Cana smiles at everyone. "Now, we have everyone with us."

Loke says nothing and fixes his glasses. "I guess you're right."

Synthia looks at the bunch and laughs. "Are you all so pathetic? You need four people to fight one person?" She says nothing more and grins. A person to her right comes and she simply dodges. The three do the same while she keeps dodging. Their stamina hangs loosely. Fighting off the members and phantoms left a big gap in their system. Two people charge at her from the opposite direction. She gets back and grabs them by the back and slams them into each other. She pushes them down and lunges for Loke and Cana.

Cana throws some lightning cards at her opponent. But to her surprise, it doesn't faze Synthia. Cana sees the mischievous grin and backs away hesitantly. In a second, a bright light covers the area. She covers her eyes while putting up her guard. Soon, she cries out in anguish and falls. Currents of electricity bind the four people. Cana feels her body going numb and her eyes closing.

Synthia walks up to Cana and bends down. "I'm not sure if you have heard me about. I'm a lightning mage. Your cards don't affect me, specifically anything made of lightning." Synthia says. She grabs Cana's hair and pulls it up. Cana cries out louder. Synthia smiles and shoves Cana's head down into the ground forcibly. Cana loses control of her body and closes her eyes, losing her senses.

Loke tries to get up to help Cana, but he helplessly watches her being mocked. He feels his blood boiling and fists clenching. He pushes himself up and attacks Synthia, who stops his attack. She stares into his sunglasses, trying to figure out the ominous aura he is giving off. She knees him in the gut and electrocutes him. He drops like a fly.

His breathing becomes uneasy, but he manages to ask a question. "Do you torture everyone you come across as a threat?"

Synthia chuckles and smiles. "I'm a nice person. You could've handed the girl over and all of this would've never happened."

Loke laughs at her. "My guild will never hand her over unless you want to kill us. Besides, your guild will never win."

She grabs his head and keeps smashing him into the ground until someone stops her.

"Stop!" Mira yells while catching her breath. She almost breaks out in tears from her friends' conditions. "Please, don't hurt them anymore."

Synthia quirks an eyebrow. "And why shouldn't I? He insulted my guild. I have every right to do what I want to him." She sees the desperate look in Mira and decides to give up. Synthia stands up and walks closer to Mira. To her, Mira looks familiar. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mirajane Strauss," Mira says without taking her eyes off the woman.

Synthia's eyes widen. "You're the S-class mage that retired?"

Mira looks at her with some confusion and nods.

"What are you doing here? I mean you can't fight."

Mira is taken aback from the words. The words themselves had truth to it, but she couldn't stop herself from coming. She hates feeling helpless and useless when everyone is fighting with everything. If she could do the littlest bit, she would take her chance. For some reason, staring at Synthia gives her a different feeling. Something that was lost long ago. Mira knows she and everyone is in danger, but something else is at play here. She musters up the courage to talk. "Even if I can't fight, I'll do what I can to help my family."

"Family?" Synthia mumbles underneath her breath. The word felt foreign on her tongue. She takes a step back in confusion. Family. Her mind repeats.

Mira sees Synthia backing away. The retired woman takes this time and helps her friends away. She calls over a few people to get the injured back into the guildhall, leaving her alone with the Phantom mage. Mira tries to talk but stops when she catches Synthia's gaze.

"Tell me. What is it like to have a family?" Synthia asks.

"It's an inseparable bond that ties people together." Mira answers quickly. The words are true. Fairy Tail had given her and her siblings a home and a new family. She had grown up rather rebellious, but no one treated her any differently. She loves the guild with all her heart, no matter the cost.

"The last time I had something like that was when my little sister was still alive." Synthia answers.

Mira's eyes soften. "I know what it's like to lose a sibling. I lost my younger sister two years ago." She still remembers the day clear as crystal. Her final moments with her sibling before death came. It was also the day she had given up wanting to be a mage. The cost took too much out of her and her brother. She wonders now if it was worth giving up as a mage. If she was still one, maybe she could still help her family more. It has been a long time since such questions had begun swirling around her mind.

"Maybe that's why she always admired Phantom Lord as a family," Synthia mutters aloud, "That alone gives me enough reason to fight you and your guild."

Mira swallows her breath and stands still. Is she ready to fight? Would using her magic dishonor her way of living? She glances around the battlefield. The determination in her family's eyes gives her a force to keep moving forward. Maybe, she could avoid the use of magic if she plays her cards right.

With a sharp look, she declares, "I'm fighting for my family. I refuse to lose or back down. I may be a retired mage, but that doesn't stop me from helping my family and friends."

Synthia looks at Mira. "How can you fight to protect someone who you just met? Don't you know the things she has done? She is a monster wh-"

"Lucy Heartfilia isn't a monster. She never wanted violence or bloodshed. Fairy Tail never turns their backs on someone who needs help. Lucy isn't innocent, but she isn't evil. She tries her best to move on from her mistakes and live every day to the fullest." Mira says proudly.

Synthia looks at her wide-eyed. She never in her life seen someone other than her sister, talk about someone with such praise. More shocking, Fairy Tail was willing to take in a monster to help her grow to a better person. People change for the betta' sis'. Ya' just have to wait. Got it? Suddenly, her sister's words circle her mind. She clenches her teeth tightly. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to win!" She lurches forward and attacks. Mira meets her halfway as both fists come to a standstill by the other.

---

Lucy runs through the empty hallways.

The interior designs suited the theme of the castle structure. Large carpets and expensive paintings alongside knight statues. Lucy glances at them, looking for a door to find any other opponent. Sheesh, these punks are loaded. They kinda remind of the stuff back in the mansion. She thinks with a bored expression. She finally comes across a door and kicks it down. Much to her annoyance and surprise, on the other side, stands Aria and Juvia. She walks in and knits her eyebrows.

Lucy says, "Two versus one doesn't fair. Can't we fight one by one?"

Aria smiles. "I do hope you understand who you are Unova. A mage of class and level isn't normal."

Lucy frowns and glances at Juvia. "I thought you were on our side."

Juvia bland blue eyes stare above Lucy's side. "Just because I agreed with you doesn't mean I'm on your side."

Lucy's eyes fall out of their sockets. "What? You were asking if we would accept you. What happened to that!"

"Nothing," Juvia says, "It was a simple question I was curious about. Rest assured, you will be able to take the three of us on."

Lucy's confusion further ensues. Three? She questions herself. She senses something coming at her and ducks away. She turns to see Gajeel giving her a malicious glare.

Gajeel smiles. "Let's see just how powerful you are." He turns his arm into a metal pole and aims for Lucy's face. She dodges and feels someone behind her. She quickly blocks with her arms and gets pushed back an enormous amount of water and air. Not wasting a second of her time, she dodges another attack from Gajeel and charges for Juvia. She throws a right hook at Juvia, who phases through it. Lucy backs away and grabs Gajeel's fist.

Celestial Dragon's Roar!

A luminous light of energy hits Gajeel, sending him back a few steps. Lucy takes this opportunity to attack Aria, who is completely missing from her vision. She dodges another Juvia and keeps her eyes peeled for any surprise attacks. Lucy feels the tension building up in her body as she sees only Juvia. Luckily, Lucy doesn't wait long for an attack to come at her. She quickly runs around the room to avoid the oncoming wind magic. Once she sees Aria and Gajeel, she goes for them. Gajeel meets her halfway, and both of them try to gain the upper hand on the other. Lucy lands a blow to Gajeel, leaving him dazed. She grabs him and pushes him towards his guildmates with the help of her magic.

Aria and Juvia move away but catch Gajeel, who seems furious. He glanced at Lucy with his blood boiling. She didn't have any major injuries from him or her fight with Sol. He glances at his guildmates, who are waiting on his next actions. He sighs in frustration and decides to for her, hoping to create a diversion for his guildmates. He aims for Lucy's, but she blocks with her arm and attacks his neck. He blocks and uses the opportunity to knee her. Lucy blocks it and swipes him off balance with her leg. He puts one hand on the ground and turns one of his legs into a metal pole. He swipes her in the gut, but she sees it first.

It hits her gut, but she catches most of the hit. Lucy smells Aria behind her and panics. She gets out of his magic field, only to land into Juvia, who sends scalding water. Lucy puts a guard up with her hands to prevent any damage. She feels the hot water on her skin, giving her an idea. She heats the water with her magic and makes the entire room into a foggy area. Though this limits her abilities to a small extent, she has a total feel over the area.

Gajeel cracks his knuckles and makes his arm into a metal pole. Quickly using it to get rid of the fog, he smells Lucy behind him. He positions his footing and sends a metal rod at her. She dodges and energizes her fist. She throws a right straight into Gajeel's face. The magic disperses upon impact, pushing him away.

Water Slicer!

Lucy dodges Juvia's attack and gets away. Lucy feels Aria sending a wave of air into her, throwing her off balance. She skids back and glares at her opponents. They're toying with me, but they're getting frustrated. I need to find a hole in their teamwork and use it against them. I need to step my game and scare them a little. Lucy thinks calmly. She lights her fists and stands in a battle position.

"Do you think you can take the three of us on your own?" Gajeel asks.

"I don't think I can. I know I can." Lucy answers confidently.

Gajeel grits his teeth in frustration. We need to end this soon. We're playing with each other now. But if I know anything, we're gonna fall for her trap. He thinks. He leaps forward while Lucy meets him halfway. Once again, both dragon slayers are in a power struggle.

---

In the control room, Jose smiles brightly.

On the lacrima screens, he has a complete view of the battles within his guild and Magnolia. The activation of the Abyss Break is closer, but he as a hard time keeping down his excitement,

A member slowly walks up to him. "Sir, I have some news." They slowly say. Seeing Jose's nod, the member continues, "It appears our smaller branches have been wiped out."

Jose smashes his hand against the handle of his chair and stands up. "Are you telling me 50 our smaller branches have been annihilated in a few minutes?" He sees the member nodding weakly and walking away. He feels his nerves twitching but calms himself. There's no point in getting mad. Besides, it doesn't matter. In the next 20 minutes, Lucy Heartfilia will be in our hands. He thinks mischievously.

In a split second, a part of the wall is blown up. The debris hitting in several directions as everyone scrambles to find safety. As the smoke clears, Laxus and Erza's figures appear. They both walk in and glance at Jose, who is standing proudly. Laxus sends some waves of electricity toward the members, knocking them instantly while Erza takes out her side.

"I must say, I'm impressed. You managed to take down 50 of my smaller branches without much trouble. And you seem to be giving my guild trouble." Jose says.

Erza summons a sword in her hand points it at Jose. She says, "You attacked our guild. We won't let you leave freely or unharmed."

Jose chuckles loudly. "I don't see the big problem with it. I'm doing Makarov a favor by taking away that wretched monster."

Erza tightens the hold of the sword while her eyes sharpen. "Lucy is not a monster. She is a member of Fairy Tail."

Laxus grins hearing those words. "As much as I hate Unova, she isn't a monster as you idiots make her out to be. Besides, it won't be fun without her around. I mean who else can take a hit from my lightning and move instantly."

Jose furrows his eyebrows and asks, "Are you threatening me with that lame power?"

Laxus's grin becomes wider. "It's not lame. I don't care if you're on par with my Gramps, we're taking you down like tomorrow's trash."

Jose hears enough of their talk and snaps. "When I'm done, you'll ever regret talking back to me!"

---

End of the chapter. A total of 15k words.

The major changes I've made are pretty obvious, but I need to clarify a few things before moving on.

-As it stands, Lucy is stronger than Natsu by a mile or two, simply because of her training and her time spending taking out dark guilds and such. I'm not making her an overpowered character as most fanfiction I've read makes her out to be. She is strategic to take on several members by herself, even if they are S-class. But that doesn't mean she one-shots them. She is a smart and powerful person. So, she thinks before she acts. I know this changes what I said earlier, but seeing this from a different point, it makes sense for her to be powerful. Does that mean she is more powerful than Laxus or Erza? Eh. Not every individual is the same, so it comes down to the battle itself. That being said, the others do catch up to her strength or near that in due time.

-Erza's character is different from her Canon version, both physically and mentally. I'll explain the changes in the rewrite a little bit, but most of it will be in the coming chapters.

-I've changed Mira's character. I love her as a character, but I hated how she was used in the show. The thing with Lisanna happens, but things aren't played out the same. Elfman can already turn into his Beast Soul form without many problems because he has practiced a lot after "Lisanna's death." So, the main focus will be on Mira

-Juvia doesn't change much. I'll just expand on her character and adding how she kinda met with Jose.

-Laxus isn't going to try to take over the guild. I know in chapter six he makes a comment about it, but that's just to scare the members into leaving him alone. Fantasia will be a filler arc between this and the next one. After the end of this arc, Laxus, and the Thunder Legion will stay around the guild more because of this experience.

-I changed a little of how the fights play out with the Element Four. I mean they made a big deal out of the guys, but they got defeated easily. So, they're actually somewhat fighting like S-class mages.

-I know there wasn't much shipping and more arc building, but I promise you there will be some development soon. Just hold on.

-The Tower Of Heaven Arc will be done perhaps after the Edolas Arc because Erza doesn't use her strongest armors in before. The arc will be changed possibly drastically but not entirely. The sequences of events will play out differently. So after Phantom ends, Fantasia (break between the chapters) will happen. Then Oracion Seis.

I want to thank everyone for the amazing support. I might just thank everyone at the end of every chapter because why not. Y'all are reading my questionable story.

The next chapter might take some time depending on how I write it. Plus, I need to relax, so I don't overload.

Cya for now. Stay safe and at home! We'll all get through COVID-19 together! :)