Their declaration of war

Between two streets was a flowing river, elegant and gentle with no subtle movements other than an average man who was boating there. 

On one of the streets called Strawberry street a blond haired woman walked while pulling a suitcase behind her. 

Next to her was a little snowman so cute yet so fragile looking that even a little hug may crush it. This woman was, of course, Lucy. 

The little snowman next to her was one of her most useless yet most adorable celestial spirits called Plue. 

They surprisingly understood each other's conversations as they talked back and forth. 

Lucy still recalled the state she and her friends had found the guild in when they had returned and couldn't help but scrunch up her eyebrows with a sense of hatred flooding her clear and beautiful eyes.

"I just can't believe it…" She sighed and shook her head. 

Quickening her steps with Plue hastily trying to catch up, she hurried to her home. 

She arrived at her apartment and reached her room with Plue now panting heavily. 

Opening the door she had a deep and happy gaze laced onto her face, immediately reminiscing about the time she had first met Natsu. 

*Sigh* "It's honestly the…"

Creak

"BEST!!!!!"

She exclaimed loudly. She couldn't help it since what she saw was immensely scary and shocking to her.

"Yo."

"Welcome home!!"

"I approve of your apartment."

"Yellow haired woman, how are you?"

"Hi there!!"

Swoosh

"To many people!!!"

Lucy screamed in annoyance as she threw her suitcase towards a pink haired man's face. 

As it approached however, a bright red blur shot passed everyone and kicked it out of the way. 

It changed directions with great efficiency and speedily shot towards a wall, piercing it in the process. 

BANG

"Kyaaa!!"

"YOU DAMN BASTARDS!!"

A woman who seemed to be the owner of the room that was rudely intruded by the suitcase, cursed loudly already having a general idea of who was responsible for such an incident.

"Hahahaha!! Flare that was epic!!" Natsu laughed at the outcome of such an event. 

Flare smirked but hid it underneath his serious expression. He then turned towards Lucy with an even scarier face, frightening the blonde in the process.

His flames then surged out and shone onto his face, a resplendent light which he used to make his appearance even more scarier. 

"Woman.. attack again and I'll eat you. I haven't eaten a human in a while… hehehe!" 

He laughed maniacally adding to the nightmare fuel. Lucy's already pale face got even paler as she shuddered at the mere sight. 

"EEEEK!!!" 

Her reaction squeezed out multiple laughs from the group. Even Flare broke his psychotic character and chuckled. 

After a while she sat down by the table as the atmosphere lightened. Gray decided to look towards the hole in the wall and instantly regretted it after. 

What he saw made him cold sweat.

He saw a beautiful young woman with a towel wrapped around her body and head glaring at them with immense anger. 

"F-Flame plushy, look at what you've caused!!" Gray stuttered while at the same time hastily signalling for Flare to look over. 

Flare followed the direction that Gray's eyes were glued onto and he too started to cold sweat. But at the same time a determined look overtook his shivering face.

Focusing himself he slowly walked up towards the woman with his head lowered in guilt. 

Tears were puddled up at the corner of his eyes before raising it to meet the woman. She widened her eyes with stars glistening at every angle. 

'So… cute!!!!' She felt as though her mind was about to malfunction from the sheer cuteness the tiny little bear had portrayed to her.

"I-I'm so sorry Onee-chan… I-I didn't mean to…" *Hik* 

Flare stutteringly said with guilt and regret evident on his face. 

The young woman panicked. She waved her hands through the air as she hurriedly replied. "No, no! It's okay, it was just a mistake right? There's no need to cry, look, Onee-san here will go now okay? So just don't let it happen again!"

She said the last part with a faked sternness which was so badly portrayed it almost made Flare lose character. 

He smiled brightly and shouted excitedly, "Really?! Thank you! Thank you so much Onee-san!! I promise it won't happen again!"

Flare cutely reassured with a bright and adorable smile. The young woman felt her world melt as she replayed that adorable smile countlessly within her head. 

She smiled lightly, turned around and walked off with one thought in her head. 'I need to have my boyfriend give me a child now!!'

Flare, proud of his work, walked back to the group who all looked at him with disdain. 

"To think you'd use such a trick. How low." 

"Mn." The rest all nodded as they heard Erza's comment. "You're just jealous because you aren't as cute as me. You red haired monster!"

'DOES THIS IDIOT HAVE A DEATH WISH?!'

Lucy, Happy, Gray and Natsu all questioned Flare's sanity while cold sweat started drenching their bodies. 

"You…" Erza gritted her teeth but calmed down, shocking everyone around as she sipped her tea elegantly. 

"Heh, that's what I thought!" Flare exclaimed with a whisper. They all settled down before Erza spoke. 

"The reason why we're here is to discuss the matter of, Phantom Lord. The fact that they came to this town means that they may have discovered the addresses of our personal residences."

"Eh?" Lucy was creeped out after hearing that. Gray scrunched up his eyebrows with his head slightly tilted upwards.

He then said, "I hope not. But, there may be a possibility that they may attack any one of us the moment they find us alone or get the chance to."

"That's why Mirajane said that it'd be safer if we stuck together for the time being." Happy added. 

"So we'll be staying here for the night!"

"I-Is that so..?" Lucy painfully replied back

"Mn! You are young so it's inappropriate for you to stay with Gray and Natsu, I will be accompanying you!"

"Who decided that Natsu and Gray were staying…?" She questioned with a deadpan face.

"We're only doing it unwinded!" Natsu retorted.

"Puun!!"

The group started to converse but quieted down almost immediately after Erza pushed away Gray and Natsu complaining about their smelly attire. 

They complained saying that they were "too tired to take a bath" which left Erza no other choice but to forcefully have them bathe with her. 

Lucy was beyond red hearing such a statement. She even started to question their "friendship". 

{5 minutes after bathing}

Erza equipped herself in pajamas whereas Natsu and Gray kept on the same clothes. 

Lucy, who was drying her hair, suddenly questioned. "Hey, why would Phantom attack so suddenly?"

"Who knows? We've had some scruffles with them in the past but this was the first time they had been so direct with their attacks." Erza said with a contemplative look creeping onto her face.

"Che! Wish the old man would stop being so much of a scaredy cat and just fight them!" Natsu raged.

"The old man isn't scared, flame brain! But I heard that their master is a wizard saint." Gray retorted.

"Wizard saint?" Lucy confusingly asked.

"It's a title granted to the ten greatest wizards on the continent by the head of the Council."

"Wow! That's incredible!"

"Master Jose is his name!! He's the wizard saint!" Happy shouted.

"Damn it! He's scared I tell you!!" Natsu slammed his hands onto the table in rage.

"Oh dear…"

"I told you bastard, he isn't scared!! Both the master and Mirajane know what would happen if the two guilds devolved into open war. They're trying to avoid it.. for the safety of the entire magic world!!"

*Gulp* "I-Is Phantom really that powerful?"

"They ain't nothing special!!"

"War and mutual destruction seems unavoidable. Both powers are after all too well balanced. Master Makarov versus their master, Jose, who is said to be his match in magical power.."

"They also have four S-Class members known as the four elements and the one who is the most troublesome, Kurogane Gajeel the Iron Dragon Slayer!"

"Iron dragon slayer?!" Lucy shouted out in surprise. "Then.. Natsu and Crimson aren't the only ones…?"

"But.. doesn't that mean he.. eats iron and stuff?!?"

{Within the hall of a well designed guild}

Crunch

Crunch

A man with long black spiky hair, crimson red irises that had vertical slits in them and metal piercings over his eyes and nose devoured several pieces of iron with haste. 

Another man who seemed to be his colleague walked up to him and said, "Gajeel! I heard what you did to Fairy Tail man! Incredible that was so co-"

Swoosh

BANG

"Gah!!!"

"There it is."

"Heh, bastard had it coming." 

Gajeel didn't allow the nuisance to continue with his ass licking words. 

His transformed arm reverted back to normal while he still laid his eyes disdainfully onto the guild member he took out. 

"Tch! I've said many times not to fucking speak to me when I eat! And what's so good about Fairy Tail?! Just like you lots they too are a bunch of trash!!"

"Besides, our guild's got way more power than their trashy guild!!"

…

"The spark has been struck.. excellent work Gajeel." 

A sudden voice rang out from the side of the room. A tall and horrendous figure came into view. 

Gajeel smiled menacingly and turned towards the direction of said voice. "It was nothing master, really. 

"Those pieces of trash wouldn't have moved even after we attacked their guild. That's why I left another present for 'em."

"Well done, however you mustn't murder that one even by accident."

"Geheh!!"

{Magnolia, around a giant tree}

Chatter

Chatter

Chattering endlessly sounded within the area. A large group of people circled a giant tree with faces drenched in sweat. 

They were nervous, scared and anxious of what outcome such an unexpected event they had all just witnessed would unravel. 

"Excuse me!! Let me pass through!!"

*Gasp*

A pink haired man widened his eyes scarily. A darkness colder than ice and blacker than an abyss dawned onto his face. 

Natsu's eyes shone murderously. A thick and heavy killing intent leaked out. 

At the side of him a dark blue haired man clenched his fists till his nails bled him. Gray had his eyes blinded by hatred. 

A blond haired woman on the other hand gasped aloud with tears welling up within her eyes. 

Lucy couldn't believe what she was seeing. A red haired woman on the side of her who was wearing thick silver armor shook with bulging veins surging with heated blood of rage. 

Erza didn't even look towards the sight in front of her. Only down to the ground with hatred heavier than Gray's own. 

Next to her was the blue cat Happy who had tears in his eyes.

"Levy-chan…" Lucy and Happy both whispered with a mourning tone. 

From the center of the crowd a short and stout old man walked out.

Everyone within the crowd seeing the old man got so scared the speed that they split apart was unimaginable. 

He was enveloped in a misty darkness. Veins bulging with a single intent. 

Destruction.

His body shook once before he looked up to get the best view of what was portrayed in front of him. 

He saw Levy, Jet and Droy all injured and bloodied, hanging like clothes on the tree. On the center of Levy's stomach was a Phantom Lord guild mark. 

Seeing it made Makarov's eyes turn bloodshot with rage. His grinding teeth made the people cover their ears as their own blood began to crawl. 

"This means war." He said with glowing eyes. However something in the next moment happened which shocked all of them, even Makarov. 

A sea of flames ripped out from behind Makarov. Within the sea of flames a golden hue flickered momentarily. 

The mere heat of the flames almost burned through all of the feet of the gathered people; they had no other choice but to evacuate the area. 

Makarov, Erza, Natsu and Gray were slightly affected whereas Lucy and Happy had to run away from the endless amount of flames.

"Kill…" Flare who now had seas of flames spiraling around his little body softly yet menacingly spoke aloud. 

"Flare..?"

Erza was a bit hesitant when she called out his name. She was a bit scared too. 

"I'll kill them all..." This time he said it so clearly that it all just felt like a dream. 

Just as Erza was about to ask him if he was alright, Flare clenched his paws into fists and loudly roared towards the sky. 

"I'LL FUCKING KILL THEM ALL!!!!!"

VOOOM

BOOOOOOOM

The earth cracked underneath his feet as a pair of bright orange flame wings shot out of his back. 

He pierced through the air with his flames burning madly. Makarov panicked seeing one of his children rushing towards the enemy's base alone. "Erza, Happy, Natsu!! Go with him!"

"Mn!!" 

Swoosh

Natsu and company nodded their heads whilst suppressing their hatred. With a single blur, their bodies faded out of existence leaving behind the lonely leaves of the tree. 

Makarav then pointed towards Gray and instructed, "Gray go gather our strongest force from within the guild and meet me right here!" 

Gray nodded with firm determination and ran off abruptly. Finally, Makarav reached towards Lucy. 

His expression was beyond the term serious causing Lucy who had noticed this to shudder thinking about the graveness of her task. 

He then spoke. "Lucy, take Levy, Droy and Jet back to the guild and have Mirajane treat them. Look out for Crimson, if he returns by the time we reach Phantom Lord and notices Levy's injuries do not try to reason with him! Tell him directly where the guild is located!"

"M-master.. Why do you sound so stressed when mentioning Crimson… i-is he terrifying..?" 

"More than terrifying. I've noticed something about him and it's been bugging me ever since the first time I've seen him. There is something sleeping within that boy… something beyond terrifying. I don't know why but he feels like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any given moment and this… this is one of those moments! Do you understand your mission Lucy?!"

"Yes but master I don't even know how he looks!" 

"Don't worry you can just ask Mirajane for the details, now go!"

"Y-yes, master!!"

"Gate of the Bull I open thee, Taurus!!"

Lucy chanted as a bright light appeared, stretching about with a majestic luminance. 

"MOOOOOO!!"

A tall and muscular humanoid bull appeared out of nowhere. His eyes were hearts as he glimpsed at Lucy but seeing the grave expression on her face he immediately read the situation. 

Lucy signalled Taurus who nodded heavily. Taurus threw both Droy and Jet over his shoulders whereas Lucy gently carried Levy on her back.

Tok Tok Tok

Both of them then hastily ran back towards the location of the guild. The crowd had long since dispersed leaving behind the lonesome figure of Makarov. 

His expression of rage from earlier was once again unleashed. Gazing intently towards the sky he shivered with his eyes almost popping out of his sockets. 

"Phantom Lord.. this old man is going to bestow upon you judgement the gods of Ishgar should have done long ago."