Countdown to Doomsday

Hidden deep in the east forest lives an old friend of Master Mavis, Porlyusica, a skilled healer who lives a life of solitude due to her hatred for humanity; she's most adept at treating ailments caused by magic.

Porlyusica is seen mixing potions and standing over an asleep Mavis in the house. She sighed, sensing the events going on in town. She sighed as she finished her potion.

"Those children of yours seem to be causing trouble." She sighed.

"I wonder." She stopped looking at Mavis, who had yet to move, placing a hand on her head. *'Each day, I wonder how long you will keep this up.'* She looked at a picture where a younger her was standing with a large group along with Mavis. "Your children deserve to know the truth Mavis." She sighed. *'Holding this form will only cause you more pain by the day."*

"Master."

**Countdown to doomsday**

The wizards were planning their next attack in the basement at the fairy pub, which was now bordered up. Many of them were injured or gathering supplies. Macao stood over a map. "Since their headquarters is over here, we should hit them with long-range spells from here."

"I'm bringing all my explosive Lacrima this time." Wakaba stated as he filled his bag.

Natsu, Happy, and Lucy stood next to the wall since the trio had returned. They were silent, Natsu refusing to leave Lucy's side again, which worried most of the wizards since he was their best fighter, and currently, the man in charge. Lucy's face was full of sorrow. She stared at the floor, refusing to look at anyone, still thinking she was the cause. Gray and Elfman stood close by. Gray looked over at his friend and smiled.

"Don't worry. We will get them back for this." He said, trying to cheer her up.

"I know, but-" Lucy stopped, not knowing what else to say on the matter as she looked down, not wanting to face her friend's gaze. "All my fault."

"Being targeted by dangerous people is one of the downsides of being rich." Elfman said in a smug tone.

"You're just lucky a real man protects you." He boasted, getting a groan from Gray.

"Would you knock it off." He muttered.

"I gotta say I was shocked when I learned the news," Happy said, looking at the blond girl. "Why you'd hide the truth from us, Lucy," he asked.

"I wasn't trying to hide anything." Lucy admitted. "It's not like you can bring your runaway in casual conversation." Lucy told them.

"I've been gone for over a year, and my father hasn't cared," Lucy explained. "Now, all of a sudden, he wants me back; he did all those things just to get me to go back."

Elfman scoffed. "It's not your fault. Your dad's the one to blame."

"Idiot." Gray sighed.

"It's Phantom's fault." Elfman said quickly.

"No." Lucy said as she looked around, noticing everyone down or injured.

"I brought harm here due to selfish reasons." She said, tearing up. "Maybe if I go back, all this will stop."

"I don't know." Natsu told her. "I mean, I can't see you playing the pretty princess up to her mansion." Natsu said, now standing in front of her.

"Laughing with us in this filthy pub, going on adventures even though you freak out all the time, that's who you are." Natsu told the girl who looked him in his eyes as he smiled. "Why would you go back to the place you ran away from, who are trying to kid." Natsu then placed a hand on her shoulder and smirked.

"No more running, where your family now." He said getting a nod from Gray.

Tears filled Lucy's eyes as she stared at her friend. She's only been here for over a month, yet they make it feel like they've known each other forever as Lucy starts crying. Natsu and Gray began to comfort her as Elfman muttered that real men are weak to women's tears. Loke looked from afar; he let a sigh as he walked away.

Cana was seated on the floor, a flask on her right and a small table next to her; she turned a card and flipped it over, groaning. She flicked the cards over.

"I still can't get a clear idea where Mystogan is." She admitted as Mira stared at a communication Lacrima; she played it again as Mystogan appeared briefly and mumbled something.

"Mystogan, where are you." She muttered as she shut it off.

"Damn it!" She screamed.

"All the time for him to be a recluse." She called as Mira placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't think we're going to be able to get him, boss."

"I know." Mira admitted.

"Then maybe I need to fight too." Mira said.

"I need to help. I feel entirely useless here." Mira said, tears filling her eyes.

"I know." Cana said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Even if you're an S-class wizard and the chosen daughter, you'd probably get in the way as you are now." She sighed.

"As Natsu said, you'd be best holding the fort here." She smiled. "We can handle it."

Meanwhile, in the shower, Erza sat on the floor, letting the waterfall down her face; she let out a sigh as she remembered the battle, but it wasn't what was distracting her mind was on her actions during the Galuna Island incident

*'how could he trust me knowing I was trying to take him away from his home.'* Erza thought to herself.

*'True I had apologized, but he doesn't treat me any differently, why.'* Erza wondered as she looked at the ceiling.

*'I wonder-'* Erza was interrupted when she heard a large bang outside getting everyone's attention.

Everyone ran outside to see the Phantom Lord Guild hall approaching the Fairy pub.

"What is that!" Someone shouted

"It's a guild hall with ginormous legs!" Happy shouted as the guildhall approached them.

"How are we supposed to fight that thing?" Wakaba asked as the guildhall sat inside. Jose looked at the town. An evil smirk grew on his face. "The magic focusing canon Jupiter." A large cannon formed out of the guildhall and pointed directly at the fairy pub as magic power formed inside a giant Lacrima.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Natsu asked as the cannon began to charge Erza looked down.

"I have an idea!" Erza shouted before running in front of the group. Her body is enveloped by bright light; she appeared with a very bulky armor.

"Is that Adamantine armor?" Happy asked as Erza nodded.

"She's crazy." Gray said. "Erza, get back; the blast will kill you."

"I need you to trust me." Erza shouted as the Jupiter cannon fired Erza closed her shield and formed a larger one, which hit the cannon, causing a large explosion Erza was blown back and Landed on the ground. Shockingly, everyone saw her body lay on the ground.

"I don't believe it." Macao said.

"Yea, Erza's a real man." Elfman said as Erza's armor disappeared, leaving her in her regular clothing Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Gray ran up to Erza.

"Erza!" they all shouted as Natsu bent down to pick her up; he checked her pulse and sighed with relief. "She's okay."

"Listen here, Wizards of Magnolia." Jose's voice rang.

"Erza has fallen, and soon your precious Salamander will as well." Jose bragged. "Any chance of victory has slipped through your fingers, turn over Lucy's heartfilia."

"As if!" Bisca shouted.

"Lucy's staying right where she is!" Macao shouted.

"I won't ask again." Jose said, irritated at their actions. These pests started getting on his nerves.

"Turn her over now and submit to the Phantom Lord!" He screamed. "There is no outcome in this where you win."

As everyone shouted, Lucy started walking back.

*'Maybe I should turn myself in.'* She thought as people kept telling Phantom to leave. *'This is all my fault.'*

"We'd never betray her like that." Erza said, trying to stand up.

"You'd have to kill us first!" Erza shouted

"You heard our answer!" Natsu shouted at the guildhall. "No way in hell I'm going to let you guys take Lucy away; I'll take every one of you jerks down."

Inside, Jose started to become even more agitated. Standing up from his seat.

"Fine, and if that's what you want, I'll give you a second helping of Jupiter; you have fifteen minutes to ponder the folly of your actions!"

"They're going to fire that thing again." People started to panic as strange figures began to fly from the guildhall.

"There are two ways this goes." Jose said. "Either my phantom soldiers tear you apart, or Jupiter blows you away."

"No way." Macao called out. "If they do that, he'll hit his men."

"He's gotta be bluffing." Wakaba stated.

"He's going to do it." Cana said, getting a shock from the other two men.

"Those Phantom soldiers are a part of Jose's shade magic; it won't matter to him if there torn apart." Cana explained. "We need to find a way to stop that thing."

**[##Salamander theme##]**

Natsu stood beside her and smirked; "I'll have to go with old plan-k."

Cana laughed as she nodded to Natsu.

"Go get 'em." She said, smirking as Natsu ran off.

Ccome on, Happy!" Natsu shouted as the blue cat flew in behind him

"Aye, sir." He called as he picked Natsu up and passed the pair off to the guildhall. Gray and Elfman ran behind the team.

"Don't worry, Natsu, I have your back!" Gray shouted as he ran after the pair.

"Good." Cana said.

"Then we'll hold the line here." She said as the Phantom troops flew over them and attacked most of the wizards; some started going into town and tearing it up.

"Damn it!" Cana screamed.

"A few of you get to the speaker tower!" Mira shouted.

"We have a code thirteen, I repeat, a code thirteen!" She screamed as she fired a red and green flare into the sky before turning to Lucy, who had started to back up.

"Lucy, I need you to come with me." Mira said as she dragged Lucy away, as the sirens rang through the streets. "We have a hideout; I want you to stay there until this ends."

"What, no, I won't run away while my friends fight." Lucy told her as she backed up. "This is my problem. I need to face it." Before Lucy could finish, Mira cast a sleep spell on her, and she passed out. Mira caught her.

"I'm sorry." Mira muttered as she handed Lucy to Reedus. "Take care of her." He nodded and created a wagon with his pict magic, leaving Mira behind. *'I may not be able to help out combat-wise.'* Mira then transformed into Lucy with her transformation magic. *'But I can buy them some time.'*

As the group attacked the Phantom soldiers, Natsu and Happy started to shoot the magic canon "Bring it on you." before Wakaba could finish. A Phantom soldier flew through him, causing him to fall.

"Wakaba!" Macao shouted as his friend fell to the ground, "what the hell."

"Whatever you do, don't let them touch you!" Loke shouted.

"That's right." Jose bragged. "A single touch from my Phantom soldiers will slowly drain away at your life force."

"So we can't let them touch us." Alzack remarked as he stood back to back with Bisca.

"Then let's give them a show of what we do." Bisca commented as they attacked. **Guns Magic: Sunlight Shot** Alzack shot a blinding blast which caused the ghost to evaporate behind him. Bisca re-quipped two machine guns and fired at the blinded ghost.

"Nice shooting, Lady."

"That's more like it."

Soon the Phantom soldiers regenerated and began attacking again, causing the wizards to jump back. "We can't catch a break, can we."

Loke stepped back; a sudden feeling washed over him as he looked back.

*'Why do I have a bad feeling.'* He thought to himself.

Natsu had landed on the cannon and attempted to punch it.

"Damn it, this is getting us nowhere." He said.

"Then I guess I will have to destroy it from the inside." Happy told him, getting a smirk from Natsu. The pair jumped into the cannon and ran to find the giant Lacrima powering it.

"That's one big Lacrima." Natsu admitted.

"It's because magic-firing canons don't fire regular ammunition." Happy told him. "Instead, they fire highly concentrated magical power."

"So all we have to do is break the thing, and the cannon would overload." Natsu told him as a smirk grew on his face.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." A voice called out. They looked down to see a young man standing before the Lacrima. His name was Totomaru of the Element Four.

"Then I'll have to get you out of my way!" Natsu shouted as he jumped down before his fist collided with his face.

"Natsu, why'd you hit yourself?" Happy asked.

"I don't know. My fist just went crazy." Natsu admitted as he landed, and Totomaru smirked and turned to face him. "It seems like you're getting in your way."

Outside, the wizards held their ground against Phantom Lord's phantom soldiers inside the pub. Erza was lying on a table as Mira, still disguised as Lucy, watched over her. "Only nine minutes until Jupiter fires again; please hurry, Natsu."

**[##Fist of Flame ost##]**

"Get out my way." Natsu said as he faced the man. "I've got a Lacrima to break."

"Seven minutes until Jupiter fires."

"Oh really." Totomaru said as he smirked again, and Natsu punched himself, causing him to fall over.

"Natsu!" Happy screamed.

"It's the cannon." Happy told him. "Forget about that guy and break it." Natsu ignored his friend and attacked Totomaru again, only for his fire to spin out of control Totomaru then jumped in and kicked him from the side.

"I am Totomaru, one of the Element Four, and I have complete control over fire." he said as he and Natsu faced down.

"I see." Natsu said, standing up.

"Well, you ain't controlling my fire, so you better get ready for the beat down of your life." He said as he got into a fighting stance.

"Natsu, just forget about this loser." Happy screamed. "We need to stop the cannon from firing again, or it will blow our friends away." Happy said; the two, however, ignored his cries.

"This won't go well for you." Totomaru bragged. "My dear fire wizard." as the Lacrimas on the side began to power up magic energy, then brightened the room as the cannon began to charge up.

"Oh no, it's starting to activate." Happy screamed as Totomaru smirked at their predicament; as long as he was here, it was over.

"Five minutes until Jupiter fires."