Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. I should have the next two chapters out fairly quickly, so be ready for that. This chapter will start the Phantom Lord arc, which I've been itching to fight. I have to good shit planned for the later portions of this arc, especially the Natsu vs. Gajeel fight; so look forward to that. Well not much else to say, thanks for the continued support, so let's get to the fic.
"Speech"
"Thoughts"
Magic
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, or any of its characters. They are still owned by Hiro Mashima.
(Fairy Tail Guild Hall)
"What happened here?" Erza asked, as rage filled her body.
"Who could have done such an awful thing?" Lucy asked, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"I don't who did this, but whoever did is going to pay dearly." Natsu said with a snarl, as he angrily wiped away his tears.
"Phantom Lord did this." A quiet voice said from behind them. Turning around, the fours mages were surprised to see Mirajane. "It's simply awful. But we were done in."
"Mira." Natsu said, releasing a sigh of relief. The dragon slayer pulled the white haired barmaid in for a hug. "Thank God you're alright. Was anyone hurt?"
"No, everyone is fine." Mirajane replied, returning Natsu's embrace. "I'm so glad to see that you're alright too, Natsu. You had me really worried."
"Sorry I made you worry Mira, but I just wanted to show Laxus that I worth fighting." Natsu said, releasing Mirajane from the hug.
"It's fine Natsu. I know that you were just looking out for Erza." Mirajane said, giving Erza a quick wink. The scarlet haired knight's face burned red, as she looked in the other direction. "Come on, everyone is in the basement." Mirajane led everyone through the rubble of the destroyed guild hall; down into the guild's basement. As the mages descended the stairs into the basement, they noticed that the room was ripe with tension. Guild members sat at makeshift tables, drinking or murmuring amongst each other.
"Hey look, Erza, Natsu, Gray and Lucy are back." Wakaba announced after taking a drag from his cigarette. Everyone turned around to watch the mages descend the stairs.
"Did you guys see what happened to the guild?" Nab asked, pointing towards the floor above.
"It was kinda hard to miss." Lucy replied with a sweatdrop.
"Damn Phantom Lord! How dare they do this to our guild!"
"We've always been on bad terms with them."
"Let's go and wreck their guild!"
"Calm down! This is Phantom Lord we're talking about."
The basement soon filled with loud shouts, as guild members argued amongst each other. Some of the guild members wanted to storm over to Phantom Lord's guild hall, and burn it to the ground. While others were more reserved, and wanted to plan out a strategy to strike back at Phantom Lord. Mira ushered Natsu, Erza, Lucy, and Gray through the basement; towards where master Makarov sat. The old man was sitting on a table, with a drink his hand.
"Yo." Makarov said in a happy tone, as he waved at Natsu's team. "Welcome back."
"Ji-chan! This isn't fucking happy hour!" Natsu shouted, letting a throaty growl briefly escape his throat.
"Oh, right you are." Makarov said, as he nodded his head. The guild master huffed, and pointed an accusing finger at Natsu. "But! How dare you go on an S-class quest without proper permission!"
"Eh?!" Lucy exclaimed, her mouth hanging open in surprise.
"Punishment!" Makarov exclaimed, as he held up his had. "You'll receive your punishment now! So prepare yourselves!"
"It's not the time for that now!" Natsu growled, as he felt flames build up inside his body.
"Bad." Makarov said, as his arm extended and smacked Natsu upside the head. The master repeated this process with Happy and Gray, but when he got to Lucy; he quickly spanked her.
"Master! Behave yourself!" Mira scolded, as she shot Makarov and upset look. This wasn't missed by Natsu. The dragon slayer quickly grabbed Makarov's arm, and shot him a fierce glare.
"Ji-chan, I don't care if you're the master. I'd advise you never do anything like that to Lucy ever again." Natsu said in a low tone, as he bared his large canines.
"Hmm, whatever you say." Makarov said, causing Natsu to release his arm.
"Master!" Erza exclaimed, her patience at its breaking point. "Do you understand our current situation?!"
"Yeah! They destroyed out guild!" Natsu roared, as his previous anger returned.
"Jeez, calm down." Makarov said, tapping a finger on his knee. "It's not something to really fuss over."
"What?!" Gray and Lucy exclaimed, as their eyes widened.
"It was Phantom Lord right? This is as far as those idiots will go." Makarov said before he took a drink of his beer. "I don't see why they even bothered to attack an empty guild."
"Empty guild?" Erza repeated, quirking a scarlet eyebrow.
"It seems that they attack in the middle of the night." Mirajane replied, earning a nod from Erza.
"There's no need to fight with someone that resorts to surprise attacks." Makarov said, as he waved dismissively. "Just leave them be." However Makarov raised an eyebrow when Natsu slammed his fist onto the table next to him. The table was destroyed Natsu's powerful strike.
"I can't just leave them be!" Natsu screamed in Makarov's face. The dragon slayer was beyond furious, and he accept Phantom Lord getting off unscathed. "I won't feel right until I burn their guild into a pile of ashes!"
"This discussion is over." Makarov said sternly, trying to end the argument. "We'll take job requests down here until the first floor is fixed."
"We don't have time to be messing around with fucking jobs!" Natsu roared, as he glared at Makarov.
"Natsu! Cut it out!" Gray exclaimed, grabbing ahold of the dragon slayer's shoulder.
"We're done talking about this for now." Makarov said, as he hopped of the table. "I'm gonna go take a leak."
"*Growl* How can he be so calm." Natsu said, angrily crossing his arms over his chest.
"Natsu..." Mirajane said in a sympathetic tone, as she gave the dragon slayer's shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sure master is is just as shocked as everyone else." Mirajane's sweet voice instantly began to calm Natsu. "But warfare between guilds is strictly prohibited."
"But they attacked us first!" Natsu exclaimed, slamming his fist into a wall.
"That's beside the issue Natsu." Mirajane said, releasing a light sigh.
"If this how the master feels about it..." Erza said, gritting her teeth. "We'll just have to stand down." The rest of Natsu's team seemed rather upset that they couldn't retaliate. A solemn mood had fallen over the group, except for Natsu. The dragon slayer was still extremely angry, and his fury didn't appear to be going away any time soon.
"Well I'm gonna head home." Lucy announced, as she began to ascend the stairs. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"Alright, stay safe Luce." Natsu said, his voice still carrying an angry undertone. The dragon slayer gave Lucy a quick forced grin, before he returned to his thoughts.
"See you tomorrow Lucy." Erza said after taking a bite of her strawberry cake. With a quick smile and wave, Lucy exited the guild hall. "Maybe all three of us should go on a mission tomorrow Natsu. It will help you take your mind of this whole mess." When Erza didn't receive a reply, she shot the dragon slayer a quick look. Natsu was staring intently at the wall, appearing to be in deep thought. One of hands lay on the table, idly clenching and unclenching; causing sparks to occasionally shoot off his knuckles.
"Until that time, you do your best to protect Fairy Tail, okay?"
"Protect Fairy Tail."
"Protect."
Lisanna's words kept repeating over and over in Natsu's head. The dragon slayer couldn't help but feel like he had somehow betrayed Lisanna. He had let their home be attacked and destroyed. Maybe if he hadn't been such an idiot and gone on that S-class mission; maybe he could have done something to stop this from happening. He could have easily found another way to prove himself to Laxus, but he wanted to do something quick. As Natsu's mind wandered his eyes gradually left the wall, and eventually fell upon Mirajane. The white-haired barmaid had a blank look on her face, as she wiped down a table. Mirajane flashed some of the guild members a bright smile, but Natsu could see that it was forced. He knew Mira was just as upset as him, and that she wanted to act. The dragon slayer felt like he had also let Mira down, as well as Lisanna. Natsu could faintly hear Erza speaking to him; something about the three of them going on a mission to help clear his head. But Natsu didn't want to go on any missions, he wanted revenge. Before Natsu's mind could dwell on the topic too much, he felt Erza squeeze his shoulder.
"Did you hear me Natsu?" Erza asked with a slightly worried look, as she grabbed Natsu's shoulder. The scarlet haired knight was worried about the dragon slayer. He was being uncharacteristically quiet, and it was really starting to worry her. She could tell that Natsu was bottling his anger, and that was never a good thing. Natsu was very driven by his emotions, and it was not a good idea for him to keep them locked away.
"Yeah, I heard you Erza." Natsu said quietly, standing up from his seat. "We'll talk with Luce about missions tomorrow, okay?" Seeing Erza nod her head, Natsu cast another glance at Mira. "I'm gonna talk with Mira real quick, then I'm gonna head home."
"Alright Natsu." Erza said, as she stood as well. The knight walked over, and pulled the dragon slayer into a tight embrace. "Don't keep your emotions all bottled up inside Natsu, it's not good for you." Erza's voice was shaky, as she tightened the hug. "I'm worried about you Natsu, so please don't do anything reckless."
"Hey, when have I ever done anything reckless?" Natsu joked half heartedly, earning a slight chuckle from Erza. "There we go! I knew I could make you smile. Don't worry Erza, I'm fine. I won't run off and do something stupid."
"You better not." Erza warned, releasing Natsu from her embrace. "Because if you do you're in for the scolding of a life time."
"Then I definitely won't try anything." Natsu said with a toothy grin, as he began to walk towards Mira. "Goodnight Erza!"
"Night Natsu!" Erza called out with a small smile. But as soon as the dragon slayer turned around, Erza's smile quickly changed to a frown. "I hope you're really okay Natsu." Erza said quietly, as she bit into another forkful of cake.
"Hey Mira." Natsu said softly, walking up behind the eldest Strauss sibling.
"Oh, hello Natsu." Mirajane said sweetly, as she finished wiping off a table. "I'm so glad you, Erza, and Lucy are back safely."
"Yeah, it's great to be back." Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. Mirajane picked up on this, and quirked a white eyebrow. "Can I talk with you in private for a moment?"
"Sure thing Natsu." Mirajane replied in a confused tone. The barmaid was befuddled by Natsu's sudden nervousness, as she followed him into a secluded corner of the basement. "What's on your mind Natsu?"
"I...I...I-I'm so sorry Mira." Natsu finally said, surprising the white-haired woman. The dragon slayer clenched his fists, as self loathing tears formed in his eyes. Natsu hung his head to avoid Mirajane's gaze. "I let you and Lisanna down." Mirajane's eyes widened at the mention of her deceased younger sister.
"W-What are you talking about Natsu? You haven't done anything wrong." Mirajane said in concerned tone; she was surprised to see a few tears streak down Natsu's cheeks.
"Yes I have!" Natsu hissed angrily, now looking Mirajane in the eyes. "If I hadn't run off on that S-class mission none of this might've happened. If I was back in town, I could've possibly done something to stop this. I even might have been able to catch the person who did this to our home. And when I did that S-class mission I dragged along three more of our nakama. If Gray and Erza were here they might have been able to stop whoever did this." Mirajane stood speechless, listening to Natsu fall deeper and deeper into his self hatred. The white haired barmaid had never seen Natsu act like this before, and it was seriously starting to worry. "Two years ago, when you went on that S-class mission with Lisanna and Elfman; before you left Lisanna asked me to keep Fairy Tail safe. But look at the guild now! Our home has been wrecked by those Phantom Lord assholes. Because I couldn't protect our home, I let Lisanna down. I've let those bastards disgrace her memory." Natsu was so caught up in his rant that he didn't register that Mirajane had slapped him until he felt the stinging pain. The dragon slayer stared at Mirajane wide eyed, as he placed a hand to his red cheek. Natsu's heart ached when he saw tears streaming down Mirajane's face.
"Don't you dare blame yourself for this Natsu." Mirajane said, choking back a sob. "And don't you dare think for one second that you let Lisanna and I down. You had no way of knowing that this would happen Natsu, so please stop putting yourself down for something that was out of your control." Mirajane stopped briefly to wipe away her tears. "Do you remember what you said to Elfman two years ago?" Natsu's eyes widened when Mirajane said this. "Lisanna wouldn't want you blaming yourself." A soft smile graced Mira's face, as she placed a hand on Natsu's cheek. "You'll have your chance at revenge Natsu. You'll just have to be patient, and wait for master to come up with a plan. Until then...please stop thinking this was your fault."
"T-Thank you Mira." Natsu said, pulling Mirajane in for hug. Mirajane could feel tears landing on the back of her dress. "I will make these bastards pay for wrecking our home." Natsu gave Mirajane a quick squeeze before he release her. Mirajane couldn't help but smile when she saw the grin on Natsu's face. "But you're right, Lisanna wouldn't want me acting like this. Gray's usually the one to act like an emo crybaby." This earned a giggle from Mirajane. "Well I'm gonna head home now."
"Actually Natsu." Mirajane said, stopping the dragon slayer in his tracks. "Master said he wants groups of guild members staying together. He wants you, Lucy, Erza, Happy and Gray to stick together, just in case Phantom Lord tries to attack again. Gray, Erza, and Happy are probably heading to Lucy's apartment right now."
"Oh, thanks Mira." Natsu said with a wide smile. "I'll head over to Luce's place right now! Night Mira!"
"Good night Natsu!" Mirajane called out, as she watched Natsu run off. When Natsu was out of sight, Mirajane sighed and slumped into a nearby chair. Mirajane closed her eyes and lowered her head. "Lisanna, please watch over Natsu."
(Strawberry Street)
"*Sigh* Things have gotten really serious." Lucy said to herself, as she strolled down the street towards her apartment. The blonde celestial spirit mage was walking on the edge of the canal with Plue right in front of her. "Phantom Lord is know for not being on good terms with Fairy Tail." Lucy sighed again, as she opened the front door to her apartment building. "I'm really worried about Natsu. He seemed really out of when I left the guild. I think he may be blaming himself for what happened." The blonde chuckled, as she began to ascend the stairs. "I remember when I first started out on my journey, I couldn't decide on whether to join Phantom Lord or Fairy Tail. But thanks to Natsu I made the right choice." Lucy smiled, as she opened the door to her apartment. "Because Fairy Tail is..." However Lucy went wide eyed when she saw that Natsu, Erza, Happy, and Gray were all in her apartment. "THE BEST!"
"Welcome home." Gray said with a wave.
"You have a very nice home Lucy." Erza complimented, as she took a sip of her tea. The knight was no longer wearing her usual armor, but was instead dressed in more casual clothes. "Natsu was right when he said this place was an amazing deal."
"Hey Luce." Natsu said with a small smile. Lucy couldn't help but notice that Natsu seemed to be in a slightly better mood. Although his tone still had a slightly upset edge to it.
"What are you all doing here?!" Lucy exclaimed, as she dropped her bag.
"Seeing that Phantom Lord attacked our guild it's possible that they might have all our addresses." Erza replied, causing Lucy's eyes to widen in fear.
"I don't think it'll happen, but they might attack us when we're alone." Gray said, as he leaned back in his chair. "That's why master said we should stay in groups for a while..."
"R-Really?!" Lucy asked in a slightly scared tone, as she approached the table.
"Everyone's having a sleepover today!" Happy cheered, raising his paw.
"Since your a young and beautiful girl...I wouldn't feel right if only Natsu and Gray were here." Erza said, shooting Gray a quick glare. "That's why I joined Gray on his way here."
"It's just for a little while Luce." Natsu said with a grin.
"Well I'm gonna hit the sack, so keep it down." Gray said, stretching in his seat.
"Erza. Looook, I found some really kinky underwear." Happy said, as he dug through Lucy's drawers.
"I-I can't believe you'd w-wear something like this." Erza managed to say, as she peaked into Lucy's underwear drawer as well. The knight's face was a fluorescent red, as she gazed at the erotic undergarments. "You're so brave for wearing these." Erza couldn't help but picture herself wearing a pair of these for a certain pink-haired dragon slayer. "Maybe I can borrow a pair from her. We look about the same size."
"Jeez, you're already making yourself at home." Lucy said with a deadpanned expression.
"Natsu, Gray...you two stink." Erza said, finally able to control her raging blush. "Since we'll be sleeping in the same room; I suggest you both take a shower."
"I don't really feel like it." Natsu said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"And I'm too sleepy." Gray said, stifling a yawn.
"I guess there's no choice..." Erza said, wrapping an arm around Natsu's neck. "Natsu and I will have to shower together like when we were younger." The dragon slayer's eyes widened when he heard this, and his face burned red. Now Natsu was totally open to the idea of a nice shower; as he gave Erza's generous bust a quick glance. "Gray you'll just have to wait for us to finish."
"What kind of relationship do they have?" Lucy thought, as her eyes narrowed.
(30 Minutes Later)
After some encouraging from Erza, everyone eventually took a quick shower. Although Natsu seemed a little upset that he wouldn't be showering with Erza, Lucy made absolutely sure of that, he took a fast one anyways. "Hey..." Lucy asked, as she began to dry her hair off. "Do any of you have any idea why Phantom Lord attacked us out of the blue?"
"I don't know..." Erza, now dressed in Heart Kruez pajamas, said as she crossed her arms under her chest. "We've had a few scraps with them in the past, but this is the first time they've attacked us directly."
"Ji-chan should stop pissing around, and just blow them all away." Natsu said, resting his head on Lucy's kitchen table.
"I don't think Ji-san is pissing around." Gray said, as he set Lucy's novel down. The blonde's face burned bright red as she quickly snatched the unfinished book of her desk. "After all, he's on of the Ten Wizard Saints."
"Ten Wizard Saints?" Lucy repeated in a confused tone.
"It's a title given to ten strongest mages in each continent; they're decided by the chairman of the magic council." Erza explained, causing Lucy's eyes to widen.
"Oh wow!" Lucy exclaimed in an excited tone.
"But master Jose of Phantom Lord is also one of the Ten Wizard Saints." Happy pointed out, raising his paw.
"So is he." Erza thought, as an image of Siegrain appeared in her mind.
"I still think Ji-chan is scared, because Phantom Lord has a lot of members!" Natsu said through clenched teeth, as he slammed a fist down onto the table.
"Have you even been listening, ash for brains? I'm telling you that's not it." Gray said, earning a throaty growl from Natsu. "Both master and Mira-chan know what would happen if two guild fought, so they're trying to avoid it. In order to protect the magical order in the world." Lucy gulped audibly when she heard this.
"Mira wants to fight, I know she does. She's just waiting for master to give the order to attack." Natsu thought, as he clenched his fist. "You don't know anything about Mira, ice princess."
"Is Phantom Lord really that strong?" Lucy asked in a concerned tone.
"They're not strong at all." Natsu replied, earning him a smack upside the head from Erza.
"Don't listen to him..." Erza said, as she turned to look at Lucy. "In reality, if our guilds fought we'd both be wiped out...Our fighting potential is about equal right now." Erza released a light sigh, and closed her eyes. "Master Jose, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, who's said to be as powerful as master Makarov. Then there's the Elemental 4, the equivalent to our own S-class mages. However, they say the most formidable is the iron dragon Gajeel. Apparently he's the one who attacked our guild. He's the iron dragon slayer."
"Dragon slayer?!" Lucy exclaimed, shooting Natsu a quick look. The pink-haired dragon slayer had an annoyed look on his face, as he stared in the other direction. "T-There are m-more besides Natsu? Th-Then does he...eat...iron and stuff?!"
(Phantom Lord Guild Hall)
"Gajeel, I heard you attacked Fairy Tail, huh? Good job!" A Phantom Lord guild member said, as he approached the iron dragon slayer. Gajeel was sitting at a table, eating a handful of iron screws and bolts. "I bet theirs spirits are pretty crushed right now! Serves them right!" Before the man could say anything else, an iron club extended from Gajeel's arm; sending the man flying across the guild.
"What did I say about disturbing me while I'm eating." Gajeel said in an annoyed tone, as his arm returned to normal. "You scum." The iron dragon slayer stood from his seat, and glared at the other guild members. "Who cares about those Fairy assholes? Our guild is stronger than theirs."
"The wheels have been set in motion." Jose said, stepping out of the shadows. "Excellent work, Gajeel-san."
"You were too lenient master." Gajeel said with a wicked grin, baring his elongated canines; his red eyes filled with amusement. "Those rat bastards won't be lured out of their cages just by destroying their guild. So I left them another present, geehee."
"My, my..." Jose said with a dark chuckle. "Thought...you mustn't kill that person, no matter what." Gajeel's evil grin only grew wider.
(Magnolia; Southern Park)
A large crowd had gathered around the tree in center of Magnolia's southern park. The townspeople murmured and whispered amongst to themselves. On the tree before them were three crucified figures. They were Fairy Tails Levy McGarden, Jet, and Droy. The three mages were seriously injured; their bodies covered in numerous bruises and lacerations. Iron bindings held Levy, Jet, and Droy in place above the ground.
"Out of my way!" Erza exclaimed, as she pushed through the crowd of people. "I'm from the guild." When Erza reached the front of the crowd she gasped in shock at the gruesome display.
"Levy-chan..." Lucy breathed, as tears fell from her eyes. The blonde couldn't control her sobs, as she watched blood slowly drip down from Levy's forehead.
"Jet! Droy!" Gray yelled, his voice laced with concern. The two male members of Team Shadow Gear were even more beat up than Levy.
"Until that time, you do your best to protect Fairy Tail, okay?"
"Phantom Lord..." Natsu said barely above a whisper, spotting the Phantom Lord guild mark painted across Levy's stomach. The dragons slayer's whole body began to shake in rage. Veins bulged all along Natsu's arms and forehead; his breathing becoming more and more ragged with each breath. Suddenly intense flames exploded off the dragon slayer, causing those near by to take a step back. The crowd behind Natsu separated to allow Makarov, who had just arrived, to approach the tree. "Ji-chan..." Natsu's voice was uneven and shaky, as he barely contained his incredible rage. "I don't care what you say, I'm going to burn their guild to the ground. Then I'm going to find Gajeel and melt him down into scrap metal."
"This time...you're right my boy." Makarov said, as he too began to shake in unbridled fury. "Destroying out shoddy bar I could deal with...But no parent shall remain silent upon seeing their child's blood spilled..." The walking stick Makarov had been using exploded under his clenched fists. "THIS MEANS WAR!" Makarov then turned to Natsu, his eyes full of fury. "NATSU! You're leading the charge!"
"I'M ALL FIRED UP!" Natsu roared, as the flames surrounding his body grew even more intense. With one last shout of anger, Natsu sprinted through the crowd in the direction of Phantom Lord's guild hall; with most of his nakama following closely behind his blistering pace. Erza re-equipped into her normal armor, and Gray threw off his shirt as they caught up to the dragon slayer. The three of them lead Fairy Tail's assault on Phantom Lord. One thought on each of their minds. Revenge.
"Lisanna, I'm done standing around! I'm gonna stop these bastards before they can hurt any more of our nakama!" Natsu thought, as he reached the outskirts of Magnolia. Once Natsu was clear of the city limits, he encased his legs in fire. Seconds later a loud boom was heard, as Natsu began to fly towards Phantom Lord's guild hall. "I promise you that Lisanna!"
Okay I know this is a pretty short chapter, but it's just meant to introduce the new arc. If I would have continued I would have had to start Fairy Tail's attack on Phantom Lord. I figured that this was a good stopping point. Then next chapter we can really get into the meat of this arc, and get some fighting and Lucy's kidnap done. So you have all that to look forward to next chapter. So what did you guys think? Please remember to follow/favorite, PLEASE REVIEW(The amount of reviews last chapter was kinda disappointing, so let's try to bring up this chapter), and PM me ideas you have for this fic. Like I said before, the next chapter should be out soon and it will definitely be much longer than this one. So until next time, I'm outta here.