The group is in Magnolia and their walking back to the guild. 

Natsu laughs.

Natsu:"Was that an awesome job, or what?"

Happy:"Well, the client sure seemed to think so."

Gray:"Face it, you guys are just lucky that I decided to come along."

Natsu:"We're lucky that you begged to come with us? How do you figure?"

Gray:"Because you were about as helpful as one of Erza's suitcases."

Gray and Natsu butt head toghter.

Natsu:"You better watch your mouth or I'll pack you like a suitcase, pal."

Gray:"That doesn't make any sense."

Alice pulls their head appar tna dgets between them.

Alice:"That's enough, boys."

Alice looks to Gray.

Alice:"Now please get dressed."

Gray looks down and notices that he's mostly naked. 

Gray:"For crying out loud! Why does this keep happening to me?"

Alice shakes her head.

Happy:"A bit of advice, here, Gray, never get in a fight in your underwear."

Lucy comes over.

Lucy:"Hey, sorry to interrupt your conversation, but..."

Natsu:"What's up?"

Lucy holds up the quest paper.

Lucy:"When I took this job, I was originally thinking it'd be more of a solo mission, you know? So why'd y'all have to come along?"

Natsu:"Aww, come on, isn't it obvious?"

Lucy:"No, I don't think so."

Natsu gives Lucy a thumbs up.

Natsu:"We're Fairy Tail's strongest team, so we gotta stick together."

Happy:"Aye, sir."

Gray:"And don't you forget it."

Alice:"We make a good team."

Erza chuckles. 

Lucy:"Yeah. we are."

Natsu:"No job is too tough, Not for me, Happy, Alice, Erza, and old droopy drawers here."

Gray:"Don't call me that."

Erza:"Hmm, we are quite a capable bunch."

Happy:"True that."

Lucy:"You forgot about me!"

The group resumes walking.

Natsu:"Lighten up. I'm just messing with you, Loopy."

Lucy:"Well, I don't appreciate it and that's not my name."

Erza:"Please forgive me. I truly didn't mean to upset you. I let myself get carried away. It will not happen again. If you would like, you may strike me now."

Lucy:"That's okay. I really don't think it's in my best interest."

Natsu/Gray:"Smart move."

Alice puts a hand on the pommel of her sword and the other over her heart.

Alice:"I also apologize." 

Happy then gasps and he notices people whispering about them and staring at them.

Gray:"Why is everybody staring at us?"

Alice puts a hand on her sword.

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

Erza:"It feels like pity."

Alice:"I don't like this."

Alice then looks ahead and notices the guild has metal rods coming out of it and she gasps.

Alice:"What?!"

Erza:"Why does the guild look so bizarre?"

The group rushes to the guild and when they get their the guild hall is a mess.

Gray:"No way."

Erza:"What's happened to it?"

Alice:"No, I don't understand."

Alice is shaking and shadows are covering her eyes.

Natsu:"Our guild..."

Natsu becomes pissed.

Natsu:"Someone did this to our guild!"

Erza:"But who would do such a thing?"

Mira:"Ir was phantom."

The group, except Natsu and ALlce, look to Mira.

Gray:"Are you serious?"

Natsu turns to Mira.

Natsu:"You mean Phanton did this?"

Alice grips her sword tight.

Mira:"We couldn't do anything to stop them. They got us good."

Mira takes the group inside and they head down stairs to the basement.

Jet:"We've never been on the best terms with those Phantom jerks, but come one."

Droy:"Want to teach them a lesson?"

Levy:"Back off, you guys. Don't you think we're in enough trouble already?"

Mira takes the group over to Makarov and he's shit faced drunk.

Makarov:"Yo, what's up, kids?"

Lucy:"Uh, hi."

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

Alice:"Sorry, Master."

Makarov takes a drink from his mug.

Natsu:"Why the heck are you all just sitting around down here?"

Makarov:"How'd it go, Lucy? You finish the job like a good girl?"

Lucy:"Yeah, I guess so."

Erza:"Master, do you understand the gravity of this situation?"

Natsu:"The guild hall has been completely destroyed."

Alice:"Our home as been attacked."

Makarov:"There's no need to get yourselves all worked up. It's not the end of the world or anything."

Makarov takes another drink from his mug.

Gray:"What?"

Makarov:"It just goes to show you how cowardly those dunderheads in the Phantom Lord guild really are." *He sets his mug down.* "They struck when no one was here. Is that anything worth bragging about?"

Erza:"Nobody was here?"

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

Alice sighs in relief. 

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

Makarov:"We shouldn't trouble ourselves worrying about people who don't even have the guts to face us head on. Forget about those fools."

Natsu punches a wooden crate and it cracks and wood splinters are sent flying.

Natsu:"Ain't gonna happen, Gramps! We can't just let them trash our place and get away with it!"

Makarov:"I'm not talking about this any longer. We'll handle job requests down here until the upstairs is repaired."

Natsu:"We shouldn't be worrying about jobs right now!"

Makarov:"Natsu! That's enough out of you!"

Makarov spanks Lucy.

Lucy:"And you spanked me because?"

Mira:"Hands to yourself, Master."

makarov chuckles and he jumps of his crate and walks away.

Natsu:"Where're you going, Old Man?!"

Makarov:"Ah, keep your dress on. I got to take a leak."

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

Mira:"Listen. This is just as hard on him as it is on you. He's mad, but conflict between the guilds is strictly forbidden by the council."

Natsu throws a tantrum.

Natsu:"It's not fair! Those Phantom creeps started it."

Mira:"I know, but that doesn't matter."

Alice grips her sword.

Alice:"If the Master's decision is to not retaliate, then we must respect it."

Natsu growls. 

 

 

Lucy is walking home and Plue is walking beside her.

Lucy:"Well, this is a pretty big mess we're in right now, isn't it, plue?"

Plue makes a noise and a boat floats past her.

Boatman:"Watch out, Blondie. You're about a step away from swimming."

Lucy ignores him.

Lucy:"I had no idea the Phantom Lord guild and Fairy Tail had such a rivalry between them."

Plue:"Uh-huh."

Lucy:"Honestly, I thought about joining them before I met up with Natsu. They've got a reputation of being almost as crazy as Fairy Tail. But I love our guild. I don't regret my decision at all."

Lucy arrives back at her apartment and she opens the door.

Lucy:"Fairy tail is kind of like my family."

Inside is Natsu, Happy, Erza, Gray and Alice sitting at a table eating. Erza's in more casual attire. Alice is still wearing her armor and she has Fragrant Olive on her lap.

Erza:"Very nice place you have."

Gray:"Welcome home."

Alice:"Hello."

Lucy:"They like to show up without asking first!"

Lucy throws her luggage at Natsu and it hits him in the face.

Lucy:"Why are you here?!"

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

Gray:"They've probably found out where everyone is Fairy Tail lives by now."

Lucy shudders and freaks out.

Lucy:"'Where we live'?"

Gray:"Mira said it would be safer if we holed up together. You know, strength in numbers."

Lucy:"I guess she's right."

Happy:"That's why everybody in Fairy Tail is having a slumber party tonight."

Alice:"You are an attractive teenage girl, after all. As a knight I wasn't entirely comfortable with you just being here alone with Natsu and Gray."

Gray:"You just wanted to have a slumber party."

Alice punches Gray in the stomach.

Erza:"I felt I could only relax if I stayed here as well."

Natsu:"it's not time to relax."

Lucy:"So it was already decided that these two would stay with me? Why'd they have to come to my place?"

Happy is going through Lucy's clothes and she panics and Plue is eating a lolly Pop.

Happy:"Wow, you sure have a lot of dirty clothes."

Lucy:"What are you doing? Get out of my stuff! You better stop that right now or you're both dead meat!"

Natsu:"Hey, Plue, did you find something to eat? Don't go hogging it all."

Happy:"Look, Erza, Alice, I found some frilly panties you might like."

Alice and Erza Look at the panties and they blush. Erza is holding it.

Erza:"I can't believe that you'd actually wear something like this, Lucy."

Alice:"These are not comfortable with armor."

Gray is laying on Lucy's bed. Natsu and Plue are eating candy and Happy is eating a squid plushie. 

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

Lucy:"You guys are taking this 'make yourself at home' thing a little too far."

Erza then looks back at the others and grabs the panties and stretches them a few times.

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

Natsu:"I don't want to take a bath right now."

Gray:"But I already got into bed."

Erza grabs Natsu and Gray.

Erza:"Come on, Boys. Do we have to take a bath together like we did when we were kids?"

Alice:"Please, no."

Lucy:"What kind of relationship do you guys have?!"

Happy:"They're the strongest team."

Lucy:"More like the strangest team."

 

 

 

Erza and Alice are sitting back to back in the bathtub.

Erza:"What do you think?"

Alice turns her head a little.

Alice:"About what?"

Erza:"About Phantom Lord."

Alice looks forward and hugs her knees.

Alice:"I have to respect Master's decision."

Erza washes her arm.

Erza:"I know that, but what do you think?"

Alice tightens her grip around her legs.

Alice:"If it was up to me. Phantom Lord wouldn't be a guild anymore."

Erza just hums.

Alice:"If only I was at the guild when it was attacked. I could have stopped it."

Erza:"You can't protect everything." 

Alice looks at her reflection in the water.

Alice:"I can at least try."

 

 

 

Lucy exits the bathroom.

Lucy:"Okay, Natsu, you're up. I'm all done with my bath."

Natsu is sleeping.

Gray is reading some papers he found on Lucy's desk.

Lucy:"Want to take his spot, Gray?"

Gray:"Hmm?"

Erza is on Lucy's bed still in her towel.

Erza:"You should. It was so relaxing."

Alice is sitting on the floor next to the bed and she's back in her armor; her sword is in her lap and she is meditating.

Lucy:"Geez I'm glad you're all feeling so comfortable here."

Erza:"I suppose I should get dressed."

Erza casts Re-quip and now she's in a pair of pajamas.

Erza:"Is this a bit more appropriate?"

lucy:"Is that really how you change your clothes?"

Lucy sits down at the table and Alice finishes meditating and she opens her eyes.

Lucy:"Do you have any idea why Phantom attacked us out of the blue like that?"

Erza:"I'm afraid not. We have had our fair share of scuffles with them in the past,"

Alice hands curl into fists.

Erza:"But never anything on this sort of magnitude before."

Natsu:"If gramps wasn't so scared of them, we could wipe out those punks once and for all."

Lucy:"Since when are you awake?"

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

Lucy notices that Gray is reading her Novel Drafts.

Lucy:"I never gave you permission to read that."

Lucy grabs the papers from Gray.

Lucy:"Gimme!"

Gray:"You can't snatch it out of my hands. Without at least telling me what happens next."

Lucy hugs the papers to her chest.

Lucy:"Yes, I can. I promised Levy she'd be the first to read it. So you're just gonna have to wait."

Erza holds her hand out.

Erza:"Hmm."

Lucy:"You're not getting it either! So what's with these Ten Wizard Saints, anyway?"

Alice:"It's an honor bestowed by the magic council. An extremely coveted title shared by the ten most powerful wizards on the continent."

Lucy:"Really?"

Happy:"Phantom Lord's Master Jose, is one of them too."

Gray:"When Alice was younger, was bragging about how she was going to become one of the Ten Wizard Saints when she's older."

Alice gains a tick mark on her head and she hits Gray on the head with her fist.

Alice:"Shut up!"

Natsu slams his fist onto the table.

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

Lucy ties to calm Natsu down.

Lucy:"Could you please use your inside voice?"

Gray:"That is not true and you know it. It's just like Master and Mira said before. The consequences of us going to war with Phantom are nowhere near worth the fight."

Alice:"Even my connections in the Magic Council can not get us out of trouble."

Gray:"The order of the magical world is at stake here."

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

Natsu:"They ain't got nothing on us? We could take those clowns."

Erza:"No, if we were to engage them in battle, neither guild would survive. Their strength equals ours."

Alice:"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 know as the Element Four. However, their biggest threat may be 'Black Steel' Gajeel. I believe that he's most likely the one behind the guild hall's destruction. He's known as the Iron Dragon Slayer."

Lucy:"He's a dragon Slayer too? I thought Natsu was the only one."

Natsu scoffs.

Lucy:"So if he's the Iron Dragon Slayer, does that mean he eats iron?"

 

 

 

The next morning at Magnolia Southgate park. There is a crowd gathered around the tree and Team Natsu pushes their way to the front.

Erza:"Excuse us. We're from theri guild. Places let us through."

They get to the front of the crowd and See Jet, Levy and Droy hanged by their arms from the tree. Levy has the Phantom lord symbol painted on her stomach. The three of them are beaten up.

Alice puts a hand on her sword and she becomes pissed off.

Civillain:"Why are they still up there? Somebody get them down, already."

Civillain:"Whoa, do you see that mark on her? We better not get involved."

Lucy:"Levy!"

Gray:"Jet! Droy!"

Natsu:"Phantom lord did this!"

Alice shakes with anger.

Alice:"How could they!"

Makarov walks up behind them and he's wearing his Wizard Saint cloak. 

Erza:"Master."

Makarov:"I can take our headquarters being reduced to rubble. But I will not let harm come to my children without taking revenge."

Makarov crushes his staff in anger.

Makarov:"We have no choice but to go to war."

 

 

 

Over at a Phantom Lord guild in Oak Town.

Phantom member:"Oh, yeah! That's priceless!"

Phantom Member:"Those Fairy clowns got what they had coming to 'em."

Phantom Member:"I heard Gajeel went and took out three of them, himself."

People keep chatting and drinking and suddenly the doors to the guild ar blown open.

Natsu is the one who blew the doors open and the rest of the Fairy Tail is behind him.

Makarov:"Fairy Tail has come calling."

Everyone starts to battle.

Alice takes out her sword and points forward.

Alice:"Charge!"

Fairy Tail charges forward.

Alice rushes forward and slices a few fairy tail members.

Alice:"World Call: Generate thermal element. Form element,  giant arrow shape. Fly straight. Discharge."

A giant red arrow flies from Alice's hand and blows up a group of Phantom Lord Members. 

A Phantom Lord member tries to get behind Alice and she quickly turns around and kicks them in the face.

Makarov:"Jose! Show yourself!"

Alice rushes forward and attacks a group of Phantom lord Members.

Phantom Member:"She's too strong!" 

Alice grabs a Phantom Member and throws him at another one and they both are sent flying.

Alice:"Where's Gajeel!"

Alice grabs a member and head butts him and he falls to the ground.

Alice looks around and sees Fairy Tail kicking Phantom Lord Butt.

Makarov is heading up some stairs.

Makarov:"Alice!"

Alice kicks a Phantom member away.

Alice:"Yes, Master."

Alice runs over to Makarov. 

Makarov:"Erza! I'll leave the rabble to you."

Erza:"Yes, sir!"

Makarov and Makarov head up stairs to find Jose. Alice sheaths her sword.

Makarov:"Jose must be lurking on the top floor. When I find him, there'll  be hell to pay."

Alice:"We'll get our revenge, Master."

Makarov and Alice make it to a door and Makarov blows it open.

Alice:'I'll make you pay, Jose! I don't care how strong you are, I will take you down!'

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03-03-2022

2439 words