Erza, Lucy, Natsu, Gray and Happy arrived at Magnolia station and made their way back to the guild. Erza and Lucy was walking behind the boys. The boys in general had been sweating bullets, mostly because they could feel the murderous intent coming from Erza.

The walk was silent. All that could be heard was their footsteps, and occasional murmurs from other people, because even they could feel the murderous intent coming from the redhead. But Lucy and Erza swore that there was another reason for their murmurs.

Once they arrived at the guild, the boys saw this as an opportunity to run away. However....Erza was close enough to grab them by their shirts and drag them into the building. Lucy timidly followed after them.

"Is master here?" Erza called out, while having a death grip on Natsu and Gray. They squirmed under her grip, paled from the impending punishment, and cried tears for their lives.

"Is master here!?" Erza repeated after receiving no responses.

Then Makarov appeared from the second floor. "Ah. Glad to see you back unhurt." Makarov said calmly, but in his mind, he was still thinking of ways to punish them.

"Master. I leave these to you for their punishments." Erza said, while throwing the boys close to where Makarov was. Natsu and Gray started crying waterfall and held onto each other for dear life.

Makarov looked at Erza, then at Lucy. "What about Miss Lucy?" Makarov secretly wanted to punish her too, he wanted to see her in a maid outfit.

Erza looked at Makarov and narrowed her eyes, as if she could understand what the master was thinking. "Lucy was forced to the job."

Makarov sighing, seeing how protective Erza was being with Lucy, even if she did break the rules. Guess he would have to let Lucy go without a punishment.

"Very well. Thanks for your efforts." Makarov smiled at Erza and Lucy, and frowned at Natsu and Gray.

Erza decided to leave and Lucy followed her.

They walked silently to Fairy Hills. Erza was debating how she would ask Lucy about why she would want to get stronger, and Lucy was thinking of other ways to become stronger.

After Erza closed the door behind her, and then  she decided to ask Lucy for the truth, better now than never.

Lucy was walking to the bedroom when Erza suddenly called.

"Lucy."

Lucy paused and turned to Erza who had her arms crossed.

"Yes?"

"We're alone now. So tell me. Why do you want to become stronger?"

Lucy silently gulped at her tone. "Everybody wants to be stronger."

"For you, I think there is a reason."

Lucy sighed. "I want to be able to protect myself."

"I don't think that's the truth."

Lucy clenched her fist and took a deep breath. "I-I..." Lucy couldn't find the words. She didn't want to hurt Erza's feelings. She knows that Erza means well...but, she wanted to...

Erza saw Lucy's hesitation and sighed. "Lucy. Whatever reason there is, I can help you with it."

"That's the problem. I don't need your help!" Lucy finally said, raising her voice a little

Erza's heart constricted painfully. "What do you mean?"

Lucy sighed and sat down on the bed. "I don't want to be protected forever. I don't want to rely on you forever."

So that's why Lucy had gone with Natsu? Erza glanced at Lucy, whose head was hanging. You wanted to prove yourself?

Erza sighed. "I wanted to protect you for personal reasons."

"...But...what if something happens and you're not there?" Lucy asked, knowing that it's not always guaranteed that Erza will always be there.

Erza clenched her jaw. "If you want to become stronger. You can, and I can train you. But it will not stop me from trying to protect you."

"What are your personal reasons? And please don't say that I relate to you."

"Because I love you." Erza confessed.

Lucy smiled. "You said something about us being family and we should love each other and be there for each other."

Erza sighed. That's not she had meant. She meant it. She loved her. But that will have to do for now.

"Well...for now. I think we should sleep. It's been a long day for you. And I am exhausted."

Lucy laughed. "Well then, let's go to bed."

Lucy moved to the other side of the bed and laid down. Erza laid on the other side.

"Night Erza."

"Sweet dreams Lucy."

Erza and Lucy drifted off into slumber, and the breathings was all that could be heard.

...

The next morning, Erza and Lucy walked to the guild to hang out and take a break from the jobs after their S-Class job that Natsu had stolen.

However...

On their way to the guild, people were watching them. Whispering about them. And it had set Lucy off, scaring her, causing her to clutch onto Erza for comfort. She doesn't like the attention.

"Erza. What's going on?" Lucy asked.

Erza was wondering the same thing. The whispers, their glances. Something was up.

Then she paused, causing Lucy to bump into her.

"Erza?" Lucy called out, while rubbing her nose which had bumped into Erza's hard armor.

"The guild...doesn't look right..." Erza trembled...angrily.

Lucy titled her head in confusion, until she looked where Erza was looking and paled.

The guild had giant metal rods wedged into the building. It was a mess.

"What...happened here?" Lucy loved this guild. To see it in shambles made her angry.

"Phantom..." A voice called out.

Erza and Lucy turned to the source of the voice. It was Mira. And she looked sad.

"Huh?" Lucy asked, not sure if Mira had said what she think she had said.

"It's frustrating to admit, but they got us good." Mira sadly said.

Erza was angry. But she held it in, especially since it was Phantom that was responsible. Lucy was trembling. Someone wanted to fight Fairy Tail, and she wants no part in it. Mira was sad, a guild full of memories and it's in shambles, well, damaged slightly.

Mira and Erza went into the destroyed building, and Lucy followed. They walked to a basement of Fairy Tail, where it is now a temporary pub. Members of Fairy Tail lounged around, drinking booze, and just talking to one another.

Makarov sat on a table, already drunk. "Yo! Good morning!" Makarov said through his drunk breath.

Natsu then came running into the room, fire spewing out of his mouth. "Gramps! Let's take them out now!"

Lucy jumped and ran behind a crate near her. Erza instantly punched Natsu in the face, knocking him out cold. Gray then walked into the pub, already naked. Lucy sighed tiredly. Is there one normal person here?

"Master! Do you understand the current situation?" Erza asked, when Natsu was down for the count and made sure that Gray now had clothes on.

Natsu regained conscious and ran to Erza's side. "The guild's been demolished!" Natsu was angry. He would not let this go.

"Now, now. Calm down. It's hardly worth fussing over." Makarov said, drinking his booze, becoming even drunker.

"Huh?" Lucy wondered if Makarov was angry.

"Phantom, huh? Is that the best those fools could do? Don't know what they're so happy about, attacking an empty guild like that." Makarov slurred.

"Empty?" Erza repeated.

"They apparently attacked at night." Mira added.

"Then on one was hurt? I guess that's one thing to be thankful for." Erza was relieved.

Natsu was becoming angrier. He smashed a table besides him, "I won't feel satisfied until we've destroyed them!" Natsu roared.

Lucy continued to hide behind a crate, peeking to watch and listen what was happening.

"That's enough of the subject." Makarov said, still drunk. "We'll handle our job requests down here until things are fixed upstairs."

Before Natsu could say anything else to protest, Erza punched him in the stomach, causing Natsu to be knocked out cold, again.

Lucy sighed. "So...what will happen next?" Lucy asked, while looking at the lump of meat that had just passed out (Natsu).

"Nothing. We will do things normally. And also be on your guard just in case." Mira said.

Erza agreed. "Very well."

XoXoXoX

The next day, there was a commotion at a park. There were commotions of fear, anger, confusion, and as the Fairy Tail mages made their way to the center of the commotions, tensions were high and rising.

Natsu was burning with rage. Gray was angry, Erza was murderous. Lucy cried for her fallen friend in front of her. And Makarov snapped.

Levy, Droy, and Jet were pinned on the tree. They had been attacked, and there was a Phantom mark on Levy's stomach.

Natsu's hair violently stood up with rage. "Phantom!" Natsu gritted his teeth hard.

Makarov stepped forward, holding staff, while looking at the fallen. "Having our pub demolished was one thing. But no one can remain quiet after seeing their children's blood!"

Makarov's staff snapped in half as Makarov begun to shimmer a bright light in rage. "This means war!"

The rest of the guild agreed as they cheered bloody murder.

The guild worked to release the three and transported them to the hospital to recover. They were in bad shape.

Erza approached Lucy with a slightly angry look on her face. "Lucy. Would it be too much for you to stay with Levy and her team and watch them? In case Phantom decided to attack them again?"

Lucy eagerly complied. She was angry that her friend suffered, but she did not want to fight. She couldn't. The least she could do was to take care of her fallen friends.

"Lucy. I know that you are afraid of them, but at least take one to defend yourself, should something happen." Erza summoned a sword and handed it to Lucy to take.

Lucy looked at the sword, then at Erza, then back at the sword.

"Why can't you stay?" Lucy asked.

"I want to avenge them. And I will fight for them."

Lucy sighed. She knew that once Erza makes a decision, no one can change her mind. Lucy takes the sword.

"All I have to do is swing it and I'm good?" Lucy asked.

Erza chuckled. "You should be fine. I doubt that anyone would target you."

Lucy sighed. "Hopefully."

"I have to go now. Go back to the hospital and watch Levy and the others." Erza said before leaving to join the others on avenging their fallen comrades.

Lucy was now alone. She took a deep breath and started walking to the hospital. Lucy reluctantly tightened her grip on the sword Erza had given her.

To be cut down, or to cut others. Is that what the swords are for? Can they really protect? Lucy was halfway to the hospital when it started to rain all the sudden.

Shocked, Lucy looked at the sky. It was cloudy above her, but was sunny at the horizon. It was just sunny moments ago! Lucy wondered...is this a mage's work?

Then a woman with blue hair walked toward Lucy. Something about her made Lucy shiver in terror. Lucy tried to find a place to hide...

"Drip, drop. Yes, Juvia is a rain woman. Drip, drop."

Lucy was dumbfounded. Why is this person talking in third person? "Huh?"

"What kind of person are you?" Juvia, the rain woman asked.

Again, Lucy was dumbstruck by the random question of this woman. "Umm...who are you?"

The woman ignored her and kept walking past her, "Drip, drop."

Lucy watched as the girl walked pass her. Then Juvia brought an umbrella and held it above her head.

"That was enjoyable. Take care."

Lucy...was speechless. Lucy had never met a weird person as Juvia the rain woman.

"Non, non, non! Non, non, non." Another voice called out. Lucy looked around to find the source.

"Non, non, non! Non, non, non." A man begun to rise from the ground... a man made of earth? "Bonjour, with a 3-3—7 non!"

Lucy whined. Another weirdo!?

"Lady Juvia! You know better than to neglect your work. Monsieur Sol! My monocle is whispering to me that this mademoiselle before us is our lovely cible." The earth man said, while dancing back and forth.

"Oh, my. It was her?" Juvia said, with no emotion on her face.

Lucy had a bad feeling about this...guess she would have to either run away...or use the sword from Erza and her celestial spirits.

"Pardon my late introduction. My name is Sol. I am one of the Element 4. I am also known as 'Sol of the great Earth.' You may call me Monsieur Sol."

"Phantom!?" Lucy cried. Weren't they supposed to be at their guild? Why are they here? Lucy was in a dilemma where if Lucy should run away or fight. Before Lucy could make a decision, she was encased in water.

She couldn't breathe, but, she could hear the mumbling of the enemy, and she had somehow dropped her keys and sword. The last thing Lucy remembered was hearing her full name.

A/N: Again, more than 20 chapters that had yet been uploaded here are already on FF.net. I'm just trying to post them on here as well.

Please vote and comment. They are must appreciated

Toodles!~~