Our group ran as fast as we could, passing a couple people here and there, but as we neared the Guild Hall, more people appeared and the scent of iron got closer and closer. Natsu then gasped. "You smell it too, don't you?" I asked. Natsu's face fell into a mask of calm and he nodded.

"Yeah." He said. We glanced around at the people of Magnolia as they whispered, pointing to us.

"Why is everyone staring at us?" Gray questioned.

"It's not the good kind of staring." Happy admitted.

"It feels like pity." Erza commented. I lifted my gaze and I froze, my eyes widening. I was right, the iron scent was coming from the Guild...which seemed to be impaled with what looked to be iron clubs from almost every angle. "What...why does the Guild look so bizarre?" We eventually made it to the Guild, and...it was destroyed…

"No way…" Gray trailed off.

"What's happened to it?" Erza demanded.

"No, I don't understand." Lucy trailed off.

"Our Guild…" Natsu growled. "Someone did this to our Guild!"

"But who would do such a thing?" Erza asked.

"It was Phantom." A voice said from behind us. I turned to see Mira looking at us with sad eyes.

"Are you serious?" Gray demanded.

"You mean Phantom did this?" Natsu asked, a murderous look crossing his face.

"We couldn't do anything to stop them." Mira admitted softly. "They got us good." She lead us downstairs into Fairy Tail's basement where everyone had gathered. Lucy was clutching my arm, and she was trembling a little. I set my hand on hers to give her some comfort as we approached Master Makarov who greeted us warmly.

"Yo." He said. "Wassap kids?" He was drunk.

"Sorry we weren't here sooner." Erza apologised.

"Why the heck are you all just sittin around down here!" Natsu demanded with a clenched fist.

"Oh, your right." Master Makarov slurred. He seemed to collect his senses for a moment. "You people stole an S-Class Quest and went off without permission! You will be punished! I will dole out your punishment! Prepare yourselves!"

"There is no time for that!" Master Makarov extended his hand and chopped each of our heads, except Lucy, who I realised Master Makarov was about to slap her butt, but I caught it before it could reach her, gripping it tightly. Master Makarov grimaced, and retracted his hand once I had released it.

"Master, stop that right now." Mira huffed.

"Master, do you understand the gravity of the situation?" Erza asked.

"The Guild Hall has been completely destroyed." Natsu reminded him.

"There's no need to get yourselves all worked up." Master Makarov informed us, his slur returning. "It's not the end of the world or anything." Master Makarov took a big gulp of his beer.

"What?" Gray breathed.

"Just goes to show you how cowardly those dunderheads in the Phantom Lord Guild really are. They struck when no one was here. Is that anything worth bragging about?"

"So the Guild Hall was entirely empty?" I confirmed.

"It was after everyone had already left for the night." Mira said.

"I suppose we can be thankful for that." Erza muttered. "At least no one in our Guild was hurt in the attack."

"We shouldn't trouble ourselves worrying about people who don't even have the guts to face us head on." Master Makarov stated. "Forget about those fools!" Natsu punched a hole in a crate.

"Aint gonna happen Gramps." He declared. "We can't just let them trash our place and get away with it!"

"I'm not talking about this any longer. We'll handle Job Requests down here 'till the upstairs is repaired."

"We shouldn't be worrying about Jobs right now!"

"Natsu! That's enough out of you!" Master Makarov tried to slap Lucy's butt again, but my glare stopped him short. Master Makarov then jumped off the crate he was on, claiming he had to go pee.

"I don't understand why he's being like this." Natsu admitted.

"Listen, this is just as hard on him as it is on you." Mira reminded us. "He's mad, but conflict between the Guilds is strictly forbidden by the Council."

"It's not fair! Thone Phantom creeps started it!"

"I understand how you feel, Natsu, but that's not important." I told him sternly. "If Master Makarov doesn't want us to go after Phantom, then we sit tight and follow his orders."

TIMESKIP

As night fell, Mira advised everyone to pair up for protection. Because Fairy Tail was attacked, we could only assume that they knew where we lived. My sleeping assignment was with the other girls in Fairy Hills, but I was adamant to stick with Lucy, who didn't object. "Well, this is a pretty big mess right now, isn't it Yami?" Lucy asked me softly. "I didn't know Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail had such a rivalry between them."

"I don't have a clue how it started." I told her, my arms crossed as we walked side-by-side. "It seems that for as long as Fairy Tail has existed, Phantom Lord was right there to rival us."

"Honestly I thought about joining them before I met you."

"Really?" I asked softly.

"Yeah." Lucy admitted. "But I love our Guild, I don't regret my decision at all." I followed Lucy up to her apartment, "Fairy Tail is kind of like my family." As Lucy opened up her door, I saw Narsu, Happy, Erza and Gray longing in the middle of Lucy's bedroom. A murderous aura surrounded me. I had hoped that Lucy and I would have some alone time, but it seems not.

"What the hell?" I snarled. "What are you doing here!" I threw a punch and clocked Natsu across the face.

"Since the Guild's been attacked, we can assume there are Phantom Lord members in town." Erza started.

"They've probably found out where everyone in Fairy Tail lives by now." Gray added. "And you heard what Mira said, hold up together, you know stength in numbers."

"That's why everyone in Fairy Tail is having a slumber party tonight!" Happy cheered.

"Yeah, but I have Yami already." Lucy said. "Far as I'm concerned, she's the only 'strength' I need." I flushed at Lucy's comment.

"We understand, but we're a team." Erza told us. "I do have to concede that Yami is the strongest female in Fairy Tail, which is why we're here too. We're the strongest team, so it's best that we have each others backs." My arm snapped out, my hand shaping a finger gun and I shot a small beam of Magic at Happy, which hit him on the end of his tail. He wailed in pain.

"Don't go through other people's things." I ordered.

"I need to get some shut-eye, so can you try and keep it down?" Gray asked.

"We have a serious problem here." Erza stated, "You boys, hygiene. I refuse to sleep in a room that reeks of sweat."

"I don't wanna take a bath right now." Natsu moaned.

"But I already got into bed!" Gray complained.

"Come on boys, do we have to take a bath together like we did when we were kids?" Erza inquired.

"What kind of relationship do you guys have?!" Lucy asked hysterically,

"They're the strongest team!" Happy chirped,

"More like the strangest team!"

TIMESKIP

After everyone had cleaned up, we gathered around as none of us could sleep. "Do you have any idea why Phantom attacked us out of the blue like that?" Lucy asked.

"I'm afraid not." Erza admitted. "We have had our fair share of scuffles with them in the past, but never anything on this sort of magnitude before."

"If Gramps wasn't so scared on 'em, we could wipe out those punks once and for all." Natsu grumbled.

"Come on, you know Master isn't afraid of them Natsu." Gray said, looking up from Lucy's papers. "You seem to be forgetting he's one of the Ten Wizard Saints."

"I never gave you permission to read that!" Lucy exclaimed before yanking the papers from his hands.

"You can't just snatch it out of my hands without at least telling me what happens next!"

"Yes I can. I promised Levy and Yami that they'd be the first to read it so you're going to have to wait." Erza reached a hand out for the papers. "You're not getting it either! So what's with these Ten Wizard Saints anyway?" Lucy asked.

"The Ten Wizard saints are Wizards who have immense magical power." I told her softly. "They're the Ten most powerful Wizards on the continent.

"Really?"

"Master Makarov and Phantom Lord's Master, Jose, are both holders of the title." Natsu slammed his hand on the table.

"He is afraid." Natsu stated. "He's scared that Phantom has too many members for us to handle."

"Can you please use your inside voice." Lucy requested.

"That is not true and you know it." Gray retorted. "It's just like Master and Mira said before, the consequences of us going to war with Phantom are nowhere near worth the fight. The order of the Magical world is at stake here."

"Plus, an all-out Guild War could end in both Guilds disbanding." I reminded them softly. "That's hundreds of Wizards out of jobs, unable to provide, and who knows if other Guilds would take them in once they realise."

"But I don't understand why." Lucy said. "Are they that strong?"

"They ain't got nothin' on us." Natsu stated. "We can take those clowns."

"No." Erza argued. "If we were to engage them in battle, neither Guild would survive. Their strength equals ours. Phantom's Master, Jose, is also one of the Ten Wizard Saints, which means he's on par with Makarov. They also have an elite group of Wizards similar to our S-Class, known as the Element Four. However, their biggest threat may be Black Steel Gajeel. I believe he's the one most likely responsible for the Guild Hall's destruction. He's known as the Iron Dragon Slayer."

"He's a Dragon Slayer too?!" Lucy asked. "I thought Natsu and Yami were the only ones."

"There were a lot of Dragons when we were kids." I explained. "There was Natsu's father Igneel, and…my father. It's not too far of a stretch to think that other Dragons took on Humans and taught them Magic."

"So if he's the Iron Dragon Slayer, does that mean he eats Iron?" I met Natsu's gaze, a curious look passing between us.

TIMESKIP

Early the next morning, Natsu, Happy, Gray, Lucy, Erza and I found ourselves called to Magnolia Southgate Park. "Move it people!" I barked, pushing my way through the people of Magnolia. "We're in their guild!" I smelt the iron before I saw it. My breath caught in my throat at what I saw. Levy, Jet and Droy were all pinned against the large tree in Magnolia Gate Park. On Levy's exposed stomach, the Phantom Lord guild mark was drawn. I snarled, my eyes narrowing at the Dragon scent that was covering the two.

"Levy!" Lucy gasped.

"Jet...Droy." Gray added.

"Phantom Lord did this." Natsu growled. I heard Master Makarov approach us. I turned to him, my eyes ablaze with fury.

"Master." Erza greeted

"I can take our headquarters being reduced to rubble...but I will not let harm come to my children without taking revenge!" Master Makarov shouted as he gripped his staff so tight it broke in two. "We have no choice but to go to war."

"Let me lead the assault Master." I growled. Master Makarov looked up at me, and he paled a fraction at the murderous look in my eye. "They hurt my Brood, they shall pay in blood!"

TIMESKIP

Master Makarov wasn't kidding, the entire Fairy Tail Guild marched out of Magnolia and to Oak Town, where the main Phantom Lord Branch was. The second we got there, my fist lit up in black Magic and I punched the door of it's hinges. "Fairy Tail has come calling!" Master Makarov declared. Phantom Lord charged, and Natsu sent a good portion of them flying with a single attack.

"Alright!" He called. "Who wants to play with Fire!"

"Charge!" Someone ordered, and Fairy Tail advanced, fighting the Phantom Lord Members. We had the upper hand, and I was gleefully hurting those who dared attack our Guild.

"He's a monster." One of them groaned.

"And you dared to lay your hands on this Monster's children!" Master Makarov bellowed. He had to have transformed. "Are you foolish enough to believe Human Laws would protect you from my reach! Jose! Show yourself!"

"Tell me, where can I find the Element Four!" She demanded.

"Show me to Black Steel Gajeel!" I roared, my hair flying around my head. No Magic attack hit me, I was able to eat them before they even touched me.

The Fire users were of little consequence to us, Natsu and I ate their attacks easily, and the Earth users were overtaken by Minnie soon after. We made quick work of the members, but I turned to Master Makarov who had shrunken and was walking upstairs.

"Yami! I'll leave the rabble to you." He stated.

"Yes Master!" I said, punching my fist into my palm. "They won't escape my wrath."