Italics indicate thinking

Bold is for attacks.

Kanji's POV

"Can't say I've ever seen anything like it before." Kage said "I've got no clue how to dispel it, sorry."

After leaving the forest we headed back to the guild, We gave the stone to Kage to study but the results were less than positive.

"It doesn't look that dangerous." Kage mumbled "But it does feel dangerous, Phoenix stones, it sounds familiar…"

"Maybe breaking the stone will break the curse." Happy suggested.

"Yeah!" Natsu snatched the stone from Kage and threw it into the air, he jumped up and punched the stone "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!"

The stone fell to the ground unscathed.

"Natsu you dumbass!" I yelled "Think before you act!'

"If it was that easy to break don't you think Kalard would have done that?" Erza added.

"Great job…" Gray mumbled.

"This would be easy for me to figure out how to break it if I had both halves." Kage said "Do you know where the other piece is?"

"I'm not sure I think…" Éclair was clearly in thought "It was stolen in a raid by…Veronica?"

"I've heard of that place before." Happy spoke up "It's a country north of Fiore, it's supper tiny."

There was a sudden booming noise and the sides of the guild blew in on us.

"Static Shield!"

I put up a field to block everyone I could from the falling debris. When the smoke cleared I saw four people. A woman with blonde hair, Next to her was a man with a yellow Mohawk and some kind of backpack. There was also a man controlling the cannons and another blue haired man.

"Who the hell are you?!" Natsu yelled.

"We are Carbuncle, the garnet beast the stalks from the shadows." The blue haired man said "and you may call me Dyst!"

The debris lifted up and shot at Natsu.

Telekinesis!

Natsu was throwing across the room like it was nothing.

"You bastard!" Gray got up and the man with the cannons pointed his gun at him.

"Hey pretty boy…You're just in time for a date with the Cannon."

"You will never win the heart of my beloved!" Juvia yelled.

"Uhh I think you got the wrong idea…" Cannon said confused.

"LIAR!"

Juvia threw a torrent at the man but he shot through it.

"Juvia they're magic bullets!" I yelled.

Gray and Kage each put up a wall to block the shots but the wall broke under the might of the stronger guns.

I charged my arm up "Lightning Dragon Demolition Fist!"

I shot my attack at the gunner but it suddenly bent at a ninety degree angle.

"Lightning from a Dragon." The man with the Mohawk laughed "I always wondered if I could steal it!"

Two batons shot out of the backpack and into the man's hands. They were charged up with lightning.

"He absorbed my magic?!" I gasped.

"Surge do it!" the woman yelled.

"Feedback Loop!" He shot my own magic back at me.

I avoided the first shot with ease by simply jumping to the side.

"Dodge this!" He shot off another blast but it wasn't at me.

I looked to the side and saw the bolt was screeching towards Asuka, who was crying by an unconscious Bisca and Alzack.

"Asuka!"

I jolted across the floor and covered her and the bolt dug into my back.

"GAAAHHH!" I screamed; the lightning was burning me.

It's burning me?! Impossible I'm immune to lighting based magic did he change it somehow with that backpack of his?

"Ugh." I groaned and fell forward.

I felt Asuka squirming trying to get out from under me.

She's still moving…I made it…

"Asuka stay still." I mumbled "I need you to stay calm…"

"o…okay." She whispered.

I looked back and saw Mira and Elfman try and rush forward. Michelle wasn't too far behind. The woman jumped forward and flicked her wrist and their take over's vanished.

How did she?

Erza came out from her hiding spot and changed into her Black Wing Armor, againthe woman flicked her wrist and Erza's armor vanished.

No way!

"It seems even the Great Titania knows her place to kneel before the great Coordinator!"

The woman dashed at Erza with a sword and then her armor changed.

She can Re-quip like Erza?!

"BOW DOWN!" the woman kicked Erza across the room like it was nothing.

"Erza!"

We were getting out asses handed to us. I saw the others left standing get lifted off the floor and thrown around the room. The floor opened up and that man from the other night appeared and grabbed Éclair.

Natsu dug himself out of the floor and tried to get back in the fight but Dyst lifted up the floor and buried us in a pile of rubble. By the time I threw the dirt and rocks off me Carbuncle was long gone. Those of us who were still conscious got to work digging the other out. Wendy immediately got to work healing everyone she could

"Step aside kiddo." I told Asuka who was using her tiny hands to try and get the stuff off her parents "I'll take care of it."

After I dug the two out and got Wendy over to help calm Asuka down I went to go help the others.

I barely got another person out before Wendy stopped me.

"Stop doing so much." The little girl scolded pulling at my jacket "let me see your back."

"I'm fine Wendy worry about the others." I told her.

"I said let me see." She said pulling on it as I walked away causing the coat to fall to the floor.

I heard Wendy gasp.

"What?" I said "It's not that bad."

"Stop moving! You're burns are terrible." She said starting to heal my back.

"Save your magic." I said walking away but when I tried to stand, I couldn't move.

"Let her help." Erza said holding my shoulder from getting up "Let me see."

When I heard Erza gasp at the sight I knew it had to be bad. I had felt blood dripping down my back and the skin felt raw but I assumed it wasn't so bad, I hadn't been burnt in years. I gave up the fight and let Wendy patch me up. Once she was done she headed to help some more but not before telling me to relax.

"Why could he hit me." I wonder out loud.

"And why could that woman dispel my re-quip?' Erza wondered.

"Not only you but Mira and Elfman, even Michelle's form was forced back." I added.

"Quite the sorry state." Gramps said alerting us to his return.

He wasn't alone; he was accompanied by Gajeel, Lily and Lauren.

"You guys look like crap." Lauren sighed.

"I'm not in the mood." I told her "Sorry Gramps but the new hall got wrecked."

"Master did Jet find you?" Droy asked.

"Umm no why?"

We send for help and he doesn't even get there.

Gramps told us to follow him downstairs so he could explain what had happened.

"We were out investigating signs of unusual magic energy." Lily said.

"We ended up in a puny little place called Veronica." Gajeel added.

"Éclair was talking about that place." Happy said.

"She thought that's where the other Phoenix stone was" Gray said.

"You guys were attacked by a group of mercenaries called Carbuncle." Lauren explained "They were hired by Duke Cream to get a girl named Éclair and bring her to him."

"Also Veronica is planning of throwing a 400th birthday party and the Duke want's to unite the stones." Gajeel added.

"What will that do?" Erza asked.

"Found it!" Kage yelled throwing a book on the table "I know why it seemed so familiar. There's a legend about uniting those stones. The Phoenix will spring forth and grant the user eternal life. The magic coming off those stones, I can't begin to imagine the destruction. If I can find out how Kalard did it I can just dispel Éclair's half of the stone and everything should be fine."

"If Cream succeeds, he'll have the Phoenix's power and Eternal Life." Gajeel said.

"The Phoenix will rampage and destroy everything…except Cream." Lily said.

"Let me go." Lucy begged "I want to save Éclair…she was crying…so I held her…"

"I see." Gramps said "Alright you can go…Kanji chose who goes with her. Keep it small and efficient"

"Wendy I'm gonna need your Troia spell." Natsu said.

"I guess I'm going to then." Wendy smiled.

"Where Big Sis goes I shall follow." Michelle nodded.

"Erza, Scruff and I will go with you." I told them.

"I'm going to." Gray said.

"If Gray is going so am I." Juvia begged.

Gajeel and Lily raised their hands to volunteer.

"If those two are going I'll hang back at the guild." Lauren said

"We'll look towards the best while assuming the worst." Gramps said "I'll go to the council to make a report, Kage you'll be coming with me."

"Yes Sir."

"Let's not waste any time." I said grabbing my jacket "Let's head out."

AN

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