So, I rewatched the Phantom Lord arc...

It was pretty friggin' awesome. Plus, I took some quotes directly from there, and sprinkled it in this chapter for you guys.

Anyways, this one will be pretty exciting. The WAR BETWEEN PHANTOMS AND FAIRIES!

Enjoy!

Little Levy McGarden was Fairy Tail Academy's number three student. Smart, organized, and friendly, she was loved by everyone at the academy. When students didn't know the answer to something, she always did. All of the books she read made her a walking encyclopedia of knowledge.

Levy always arrived to Fairy Tail Academy early, so she could enjoy the sunshine of the morning. Sometimes, she'd go to the library in search of a new book. It was a peaceful time for the blue haired girl.

She walked happily along the dewy grass of the school, listening to birds chirping in trees nearby. Yep, it didn't get more peaceful than this, she thought.

"Rustle, rustle."

Levy's head turned curiously to the source of the noise. It was probably a rabbit in the bushes over there or something.

"Gihi." Something chuckled.

Alright, that definitely was NOT A RABBIT.

But before Levy could think anymore, a dark figure swept in front of her, charging at light speed. She almost screamed, but something whacked her in the face. She felt strong arms wrap around her as she fell to the ground.

Dizzy and aching, she sagged in the attacker's grip. She had no time to process what was going on, because something hit her again, this time in the stomach!

The aching pain brought tears to her eyes and knocked the wind out of her. She coughed a few times. Breathing heavy, she lifted her head weakly to look at her attacker. Blurry vision from the hits stopped her from seeing a clear figure, but she could make out the shape of a really huge boy, with the most piercing red eyes she had ever seen. They were SCARY AS HELL. The rest of his figure was faded, but she saw those two eyes clear as day. Like crimson rubies, they glinted in the light. She felt like they were burning her, dissolving her into mush.

"S-stop... please..." She mumbled, curled up in pain. But she couldn't say anymore, as a giant stick looking thing struck her in the head hard.

With a whimper, Levy fell totally unconscious, without a clue as to why this guy had beat her up.

She was just walking, for god's sake!

"Man, how pathetic."

Gajeel stood right in front of the girl he had just attacked. She was lying in a crumpled heap at his feet. The girl was a lot smaller than he had thought- she probably didn't even come up to his chin. Her wild blue hair had fallen out of its hairband during his attack, and was blowing free in the early morning wind.

Right. Now to tie ya to that tree over there where everyone can see ya, little shrimp, Gajeel thought. He strapped his iron pipe to his back, and carried the tiny girl to a large oak tree in the center of the school. With the rope he had held earlier, he tied her to the trunk of the tree. The poor girl's head sagged as the ropes coiled around her.

Silently, Gajeel took out a jar of purple paint. Purple was Phantom Lord's school color. Dipping a finger into the jar, he started to trace Phantom Lord's symbol onto her stomach.

He was so caught up in his task that he didn't realize how entirely awkward it was.

Seriously, lifting up a random girl's shirt and painting a symbol on her stomach? What would bystanders think of that?! They'd accuse you of sexual harassment and throw you in the slammer!

Soon, Phantom Lord's snakelike symbol was tattooed in plum purple onto Levy's middle. She hung limply from the tree like a leaf, almost ready to break.

"See if you like this, ya damned Fairies."

And like a panther in the night, he ran off.

Bottom line- Fairy Tail did NOT fuck around with their friendship. They went hardcore with that shit.

Levy's best friend Lucy was the first to find her unconscious and tied to that tree. The blue haired girl's head was bleeding, and scrapes lined her arms where Gajeel had manhandled her. Screaming, she had alerted everyone in the school. Other students rushed to her side immediately. Even Dr. Makarov, the principal of the school, had come at Lucy's call, hobbling at full speed with his walking stick.

When they saw Levy, bruised and hurt, it was no doubt that they were enraged. Every one of her friends-and she had many-were out for revenge on the person who had done this to their sweet Levy. Furiously, they untied her from the tree and cursed her attacker. She was taken to the infirmary quickly, and when they lifted her shirt to check for injuries...

Phantom Lord's symbol was revealed to them.

Makarov was so infuriated, he snapped his walking cane into splinters.

"No parent can stand idle while the blood of his children is spilled..." He said, eyes flaming with fury and determination.

"They want a fight!" Natsu hollered, baring his sharp teeth.

"We're going to get them back for what they did to Levy-chan!" Lucy said, making a fist.

"If it's a brawl they want, they'll get it!" Levy's companions, Jet and Droy, yelled.

"TO WAR!" Makarov roared.

Gajeel leaned against the cold brick wall of Phantom Lord High, basking in the light of his success with attacking that blue haired girl.

Or, as much as one could ''bask" in a dark place like Phantom Lord.

"How sorrowful for those Fairies!" Aria cried, glistening tears trickling down his cheeks.

"Pfft. They're a pretty sad bunch, aren't they?" Totomaru scoffed. Juvia said nothing, but just stared blankly at the clouds in the sky.

''Wish I could have gotten in on some of that action, Gajeel," Totomaru said, "I've been itchin' to dish out some Fairy punishment."

''Heh. Jose chose me, he said I was the only one who was strong enough to do it."

"Yeah, well-"

"PHANTOM LORD!" Someone bellowed in the distance.

The posse's heads whipped around to face the noise. They could hear the sound of thumping feet far away. Then, huge masses of teens came into their view. At the front of the giant horde, there was a short old man with white hair that was shaped like the horns of a beast.

"YOU HAVE HURT MY CHILDREN! NOW I SHALL PAY YOU BACK!" The man yelled, wielding a shiny metal walking stick. Howls of anger came from the giant group behind them, and they all charged faster at Phantom Lord.

Snickers and jeers rose from the Phantom Lord students, and they began to run at the incoming teens, ready to lay the smack down on the intruders. Gajeel squinted at them, and saw that they were all wearing a symbol on their shirts.

The Fairy Tail symbol.

"IT'S WAR!" Gajeel roared, swiftly grabbing his iron pipe. "WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?! GET UP AND FIGHT, YOU BASTARDS! CREAM THOSE FAIRIES!"

Gajeel surged forward, smiling with savage glee. This was what he had been waiting for. The grand battle between the Fairies and the Phantoms. Who would come out on top?

There was no doubt Jose was watching. Always watching, he thought in amusement. Gajeel could picture Dr. Jose standing in front of his window with his hands behind his back, staring down at the fighting students. Well, Gajeel was going to put on a good show for the principal. Jose's plan was working just as he had thought.

He laughed as his iron pipe connected with a Fairy's head. The student was sent crashing back into his friends, who were yelling in rage. The pierced boy just sneered and whacked them away with a big "THWONK!"

Gajeel's crimson eyes were glinting with beastly energy, and he beat many Fairies mercilessly with his dangerous iron weapon. It was like making music to him- he could have sworn that he heard the tune of 'Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star' as he hit 7 teens in a row with his pipe.

He looked around him. Juvia had already pulled out a hose on their asses, and was blowing them back with a thick stream of water. Totomaru seemed to be having just as much fun as Gajeel, swinging a pole like a makeshift sword at the huge group of Fairies. Aria, with his giant hands, was indeed crushing heads like he had promised at the beginning of the year. And Sol- Sol was probably twisting around through the enemy, taunting them.

The iron pipe struck countless other kids, singing a metallic note every time it hit. Suddenly, he heard a voice.

"WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HURTING LEVY MCGARDEN? COME OUT, YOU DESPICABLE ASSAULTER!" Someone roared. It was Dr. Makarov, principal of Fairy Tail Academy.

Gajeel smirked proudly. "We're always watching you, Fairy Trash! From the shadows! And you can't do anything to stop it!"

Suddenly, Phantom Lord students began to fly in all directions. They were strong, sure, but the absolute rage from the Fairies from having their friend hurt beat them all. Phantom Lord's teens were about to run out, and many lied on the ground, beat up.

"YOU FIGHT US, WE FIGHT RIGHT BACK!" Someone howled, and Gajeel could swear that he saw a flame erupt from the Fairy mass. "YEAH!" Another agreed. "LET'S GIVE YOU A TASTE OF YOUR OWN MEDICINE!"

"WE DO IT FOR OUR FRIENDS!"

"Bah!" Gajeel said, rolling his eyes. 'We do it for our friends'? What was this, Barney the Dinosaur?

"YEAH, I DID IT TO YOUR FRIENDS TOO!" He yelled back, baring his unnaturally sharp teeth.

"WHAT?!"

Phantom Lord students began dispersing around, clearing the path for a short man with a mustache and a scary looking walking stick. Makarov whacked a Phantom kid in the face with it, and shot a menacing glare at Gajeel.

"You did it?" An enraged voice yelled from behind him. He turned around to face another Fairy, with violent pink hair and a scaly white scarf. The boy had canines equally as sharp as Gajeel's, and he displayed them as he gritted his teeth in anger.

"Nobody hurts our friend and gets away with it." Two other boys appeared next to Pink-hair, one wearing a brown hat and the other with a strange fish-tail looking hairstyle. They balled their fists, getting ready for a final brawl.

"Heh. Damn right I did. I beat your little 3rd-place princess, Fairies. You want me?" Gajeel taunted. More Fairy Tail students appeared, crouched in fighting stances. Their eyes burned with hot, intense fury, and they looked like bombs about to explode the place. Gajeel just gripped his iron pipe, and swung it around his head.

"Come get me."

Immediately, he knocked out one of the unlucky Fairies in front of him with his pipe, and did a lighting-fast 360 to hit anyone within a foot of him. The move worked well, but not well enough.

Pink-hair caught the pipe and held it in an iron grip. Gajeel jerked at it, but the Fairy growled and wouldn't let go.

"Let's see if this'll loosen your grip, Pinkie." The pierced boy said.

And with that... He kicked 'Pinkie' in the balls.

Ouch. With a capital O-U-C-H.

The pink haired boy gasped in pain, and sagged. But he still held onto the pipe, breathing heavily.

"DAMN YOU...'' He choked.

"Oi! Let go, ya cotton candy haired bastard!" Gajeel barked, tugging at his pipe angrily. This dude was still holding on, after a solid kick to the nuts? Damn!

"The... Name's... NATSU..." He huffed, bending over a little. "N...NOW, LUCY!" He hollered into the air.

"LUCCCCCY... KICKKKK!" A voice shrieked. Suddenly, Gajeel felt a hard heel strike him in the middle of his back. The force of the blow made him stumble forward, and temporarily lose hold of his iron pipe. With a clang, it fell on the pavement.

"SHIT!" Gajeel cursed as he reached for it, but Natsu kicked away fast. He had seemingly recovered from the hit earlier, and a new aura of rage burned around him.

"Nice job, Lucy!" He said to a girl with blonde hair. She nodded, and stepped back into the mass of Fairy Tail students.

"Gramps!" Natsu yelled to Makarov. "I'll deal with this guy, you go find Dr. Jose!"

"I'm going to destroy him!" The old man roared, knocking Phantom Lord kids out of the way like they were pinatas. He entered the school and began his search for the principal.

''Oh, you're going to deal with me, eh?" Gajeel mocked, rubbing his well muscled arms. He brought himself up to full height, and towered several inches above Natsu. "Deal with me, the infamous Kurogane Gajeel?"

"Yeah, you bastard. I'm the infamous Salamander Natsu." He retorted. "And you ain't so mighty without your iron pipe."

"Oh, like you've got any more than me."

"I do." Natsu said, glaring.

"And what would that be?"

"The will to protect my friends from jerks like you!"

"SHUT UP!"

Gajeel threw a punch at Natsu, and he blocked it hastily. The pierced boy landed a kick in the leg on him, but Natsu got him right back in the stomach. The two exchanged blows, circling each other like furious dragons in the sky.

They both lunged to push the other over, but both had about the same strength, and were thrown back. Skidding on his, feet, Gajeel panted. This pink haired dude wasn't shabby.

"What'cha gonna do now, SALAMANDER?" The pierced boy smirked.

Suddenly, Natsu reached into his pocket. Inside, Gajeel began to panic slightly.

What if it was a fucking gun? Sure, taunting the dude was amusing, but I don't wanna kick the bucket just yet! He thought.

Gajeel crouched a little, getting ready to evade any bullets that could be shot at him. But, a gun never came out of the guy's pocket.

It was a single bottle of hot sauce.

"Hot sauce?" Gajeel mocked as his lips split into a grin. "That's what you protect your friends with?" The pierced boy threw his head back and cackled. "GIHI! How pathetic!" He continued to guffaw, not realizing that his mouth was wide open.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Natsu had sent spicy red sauce flying into Gajeel's open maw. He swallowed it through intense fits of laughter.

"GAAAAAAAHHHH!"

That hot sauce burned like hell! It scorched his throat, and Gajeel felt like his tongue was dissolving in his mouth. The pierced boy started to choke violently, trying to get it out. That damn hot sauce blazed like a wildfire, and it began to burn his lips as well.

"SWALLOW THE FIRE, METAL FACE!"

"WHAT'D YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

"ARE YOU DEAF, IRON HEAD?"

"OI, SHUT THE FUCK UP, PINKIE!"

"STEEL-FOR-BRAINS!"

''COTTON CANDY HEAD!"

"PIERCING CITY!"

Gajeel hissed, the pain from the hot sauce becoming worse. He gnashed his sharp teeth, wanting the terrible taste OUT.

"I hope you shit fire for many, many weeks." Natsu growled, and sprayed Gajeel in the eyes with his hot sauce.

"AGHHHH!"

If it was possible, this was MUCH FUCKING WORSE than getting a shot of hot sauce to the mouth. It felt like his eyes were eroding in their sockets- the burn was THAT BAD, for god's sake! Gajeel writhed in agony. He'd probably be BLIND by the time this was over. But he was soon put out of his misery as something whacked him in the head, knocking him unconscious.

And as he lied there like a sorry-ass heap, his iron pipe clattered next to him. Natsu had given him a solid hit in the head with his own weapon.

"COME ON, FAIRY TAIL! AVENGE LEVY!" He howled. The Fairies roared in agreement, and they stormed Phantom High School like an enormous pack of furious lions.

Needless to say, Dr. Jose had gotten his ass kicked. The ENTIRE 9th grade class had stood up for Levy and beat up both Gajeel and the principal.

"JOSE!" Makarov howled, pointing his mighty walking stick at the principal of Phantom Lord. Jose smiled evilly, and pulled out a weapon of his own.

"Your damned Fairies should stop flying in the sky," Jose spat, twirling a small knife, "and bow to the Phantoms.''

"Never." He hissed in reply. "Never, EVER, to scum like you!"

"You don't deserve to be at the top when your students can't even defend themselves from any attacks."

The Fairy principal's eyes glowed in anger.

"Oh, did you enjoy our little gift, old man?" Dr. Jose smirked, shooting Makarov a condescending glare.

A vein popped out in Makarov's head, and he gripped the walking stick even tighter. "Old I may be, but I am still strong enough to defend my children!" Jose laughed mockingly.

"Still going on about 'friendship' and 'family'. are you?"

"That's something this damn school needs."

"Nonsense. Our students are ten times stronger than yours because they fight for THEMSELVES."

The Fairy principal growled, preparing to charge. "Keep dreaming, Jose."

And the old man surged forward, and brought the walking stick down hard on Jose's face, knocking him back.

"THIS. WILL. TEACH. YOU. NOT. TO. HARM. MY. CHILDREN!" Makarov roared, punctuating each word with a whack of the weapon. In moments, Jose was reduced to a dizzy, knocked-out mess.

"Phantom Lord's FINISHED!" He yelled at their principals unmoving body.

Suddenly, the Fairy Tail students stampeded through the office door, gritting their teeth and waving around weapons stolen from the Phantom Lord students. They saw Dr. Jose lying unconscious on the ground. Cheering, they chanted a single line with their blue-haired friend of their minds.

"WE DO IT FOR OUR FRIENDS!"

They emerged victorious, and Dr. Jose was forced to shut down Phantom High by Magnolia's Board of Education at the end of the school year.

As for Gajeel's posse, they separated over the summer. Totomaru moved away, and Aria ditched high school. Juvia disappeared like a drop of rain into the ocean, and was never heard from again. Sol probably transferred to Blue Pegasus High, where they would appreciate his French accent.

And Gajeel... He was nursing a pretty bad bump on the back of his head for weeks. Bruises from his brawl with Natsu stayed on his tan arms for quite a while. Every time he looked in the mirror and saw his own face, he wanted to take his iron pipe and shatter it. Because every time he looked in the mirror, he saw a face that had LOST.

To Fairy Trash, no less.

During the summer, Gajeel did nothing more than hang around at Phantom Lord.

Alone.

Just thinking.

He always brought his iron pipe with him- it was a piece of the past, after all.

Almost his entire summer was spent at his old high school. But now, it was nothing other than a run down building.

There was also the problem of which high school he would attend for 10th grade. It wasn't like he could ditch- what would he do if he didn't have school?

Strangely, he had spent his summer pondering what he had done with Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail. And Gajeel wasn't really one for 'pondering', but thoughts constantly poked at his brain and he was almost forced to hear them out.

Dr. Jose's plan was to enrage the Fairies by attacking one of their most well-loved students. Knowing that Fairy Tail students had iron bonds between themselves, targeting Levy was the best way to pick a fight. And if Phantom Lord came out victorious, it would show Fairy Tail that they didn't deserve to be the top in Magnolia.

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

And now, Phantom Lord was beaten and out of the school district. The students had split up.

Your damn plan backfired, Jose. Gajeel thought bitterly. Think things through for god's sake.

The pierced boy continued to think for the summer, pondering and pondering.

And over three months, Gajeel had come to a solid conclusion.

Picking a fight with Fairy Tail Academy was definitely, MOST DEFINITELY, a big...

Fat...

Hulking...

MISTAKE.

Levy was in bed, lying on her back. She stared blankly at the ceiling.

After she had woken from that attack, her friends told her that they had gone to Phantom Lord and beaten the shit out of them. Phantom Lord High School was shut down for good. But she was still so scared. She didn't remember much... Just overwhelming pain and deep, deep red eyes.

They were in her dreams- or more like nightmares. Levy would walk outside sometimes, and randomly flinch whenever anything touched her. The blue haired girl lived in fear of the red eyes' return. To beat her mercilessly again.

Her summer was turned to complete crap. Slowly, over the three months, she WAS able to heal physically and emotionally, but the memory of that brutal ambush still lingered at the back of her mind.

But at least those piercing red eyes were slowly fading away.

It was only a matter of time before they were completely gone.

...Right?

"Clang!"

Gajeel kicked an empty beer can across the dirt pavement of Phantom Lord High. It landed with a dull clatter a few feet away. Eyes as cold as steel, he began to stare at the building in front of him as he had for the past three months.

Nearly a year ago, he had been so stoked to be going here. The dingy hallways, the countless items of trash littering the ground, the dark teens shuffling around everywhere- that was what he loved most. He loved walking around with his posse behind him, scaring the hell out of other students nearby. He had ruled the school with his iron pipe in hand.

The famous weapon that had made him 'Kurogane Gajeel' was still in his grasp right now.

He looked at the school.

Now, it was a deserted junkheap. The little life it contained had disappeared.

It was a pretty big blunder, deciding to come here. Gajeel had thrown away a good education and friends for danger and trouble.

But he didn't know that.

To him, Phantom Lord would always be his high school. No matter it's state, it would forever be his high school. Sighing, he remembered the fond days of scaring others with his mighty iron pipe.

"YO!" Someone rumbled from behind him.

Gajeel almost jumped, and quickly whipped around to face the source of the noise.

"D-Dr. Makarov!'' He yelped. The old man was draped in a grand white cloak, with Fairy Tail's symbol on the back. Gajeel's eyes narrowed. "Why're you here?"

Makarov closed his wrinkled eyes.

"For a little chat."

Gajeel gritted his teeth. Makarov continued, his white hair blowing in the wind.

"Juvia transferred to Fairy Tail the other day." He said.

"SHE WHAT?!" He stared at the master in disbelief. That water wielding woman had joined FAIRY TAIL?!

The pierced boy's fingers squeezed tight around his iron pipe, irritated at Juvia's betrayal. If it could be called that.

"She's pretty worried about you, you know. She considers you a friend."

"What the hell is she thinking?!" He yelled, almost chucking his weapon into the shadows nearby. The fact that Juvia had been worried about him and thought he was a friend brushed right over his head.

Makarov stayed silent through his little outburst. Then, he finally spoke.

"What are you going to do now?"

"Beats me. I ain't decided."

Both men were quiet, swimming in their own thoughts.

"What were you thinking when you attacked Levy?" the old man asked. "Did you do it for Jose? Did you do it out of hate? Did you do it just for fun?"

"Tch." Was Gajeel's only response.

Makarov stared at him thoughtfully.

"How about you come to Fairy Tail?"

"Huh?"

"Come to Fairy Tail." He repeated.

Gajeel could only stare uncomprehendingly at the old man. He had just gotten a bomb dropped on him.

"But... I hurt one of your students."

"That is something that will never be forgiven." Makarov said severely, his eyes glowing with anger from the memory of that incident. The pierced boy gulped.

"But..." He continued. "If I left a boy in the darkness, I could never forgive myself. You've been walking on the wrong path."

"..." Gajeel's eyes widened.

"I'm not rescuing you. I'm just showing you the road to tomorrow. A new, bright one." And with that, he raised his wrinkled old hand to Gajeel. "Fairy Tail can give you the way."

Moments passed. But finally, Gajeel took Makarov's hand and shook it.

Looks like...

Looks like I'm becoming a Fairy, bitches.

Alrighty!

Another chapter for you all! I hope you like where this is going. The REAL GaLe goodness will come in the next chapter.

The moment where Gajeel joins Fairy Tail is kinda taken from the original in the anime. But this isn't some boring fic where everything that happens in the anime is transferred into the story, but in High School. Juice will come!

Leave some feedback, favorite, follow, anything you wish. I strive to please, so I go on being my crazy self. But if you'd like to see anything added, I'd be happy to hear it.

Bye for now!