Present day:

A man in a lab coat runs past the group in full sprint. Despite the questions on the journalist's mind, he fears the worst and his heart sinks. Colby runs after him on instinct, causing the group to give chase.

They are led through the winding halls of the hospital, and with every step, Colby seemed more desperate. It didn't take a genius to know that they were drawing closer to Aveline's room.

Finally, the medic took a hard right into an operating room, causing Colby to shout in confusion and agony. Colby proceeded to hit the closing door hard enough to knock it off it's hinges, and ran in the room to a sight that caused his heart to plummet.

A young woman, in her mid teens, was laying on the only bed in the room, her head shaved, hooked up to a machine that was reading her heart beat. It was getting slower by the second.

"Hey! You can't be in here!" one doctor shouted.

"Get him out of here!" another shouted as two men burst in and grabbed Colby.

"NOT ON YOUR LIFE! THAT'S MY DAUGHTER!" The journalist roared with the passion only a father could muster.

Simultaneously, the staff eased up and let him toward the bed. He cleared the room faster than a man possessed, and began talking to his daughter.

"Aveline! Aveline! Talk to me baby, don't you dare leave me now!"

The rest of his group ran in, and joined the bedside. Mar was recognised, and the staff put up no resistance.

Slowly, the woman on the bed stirred, "Dad….dy?" she asked weakly.

Everyone but Colby was deathly silent. Mar especially knew this voice well. Aveline was not long for the world.

"I'm here!" The worried father said. "I'm here! Don't you dare leave me!"

"Dad…dy…" she said as she lifted her hand to her father's face. "I'm….sorry…I….can't stay…dad…dy? I…don't want to….I'm…scared…."

The world itself was devoid of sound as her head slumped to the side, motionless.

The machine she was hooked to blared in alarm, before being silenced by staff in the room.

"Aveline? AVELINE!" Colby shouted. "No, come on baby!" he said as he started compressing Aveline's chest. "I am your FATHER! You have no right to leave me damnit! I came first, it is YOUR responsibility to bury ME! IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THIS!"

Mar stepped forward and grabbed his arm after a few seconds. When Colby looked back, Mar simply shook his head. It was only now that the situation sank into Colby's psyche. His only daughter was gone. His emotions ran rampant, and he began to scream in agony while punching the nearby wall. Tears poured from his eyes like a river.

"No…" Noa rasped out between tears.

"So young…..it isn't right." Mavis added.

Mira couldn't speak, she was so choked.

Lang turned away to disguise his perceived weakness, his tears.

Mar simply stared into Aveline's now closed eyes as her father cried out his heart on her chest. The old mage walked to the doctor, who was waiting for everyone to calm down. Probably to do his best to explain what had happened.

Mar asked him personally. "Doctor, what unholy force robbed us of this young woman?"

"We don't know. A strange mutation on the cellular level. We don't know the cause, nor how to treat it. We don't even have a name for it."

Mar once again looked over the body, focusing on certain parts of her, almost scanning for something. He stopped his gaze upon Aveline's forehead.

"I see….an anomaly." He stated. Only the doctor took notice, everyone else was still stricken by grief.

"Mister Strauss?"

"I'll fix it. I'll give you all the details later, but I've encountered this before. The word for this is Cancer. A terrible thing from here on in time. Young Aveline here must be one of the first patients."

"Contagious?"

"No, like you said, a mutation. Simple enough to fix for me."

The second time he said it, Colby took notice. Wiping away his sadness for a moment, he managed to ask, "Fix it?! You can fix my baby girl?!"

"It will take time, and I'm not sure if I can for sure, but you can be damn sure I'm not letting her story end like this if I have a say in the matter." Mar said as he placed his hand on the woman's head, and began channeling Magic through his arm. His eyes began glowing gold, and everyone in the room took notice.

"Honey, are you sure about this?" Mira asked.

"Positive. She'll still go out of NATURAL causes, after all."

Colby caught on. "Wait, are you transferring-"

"Yes." The mage interjected. "She will still age, and die of natural causes, but something like this….or any illness….or even injury will not kill your daughter again. I will make sure of that. It has been some time though, and I'm being very specific in what properties go over, so, I suppose I may as well keep talking."

X784

That morning I got out of bed before Mira, then grabbed her regular clothes and laid them out for her. I dressed myself then stepped out into the hallway and went down to the kitchen to find Elfman with a bottle of what I assume was scotch.

"Regularly, if I saw someone with the hard stuff this early in the morning, I'd beat some sense into them, but I'll make an exception today."

"Ha, good morning to you too bro."

"Throw me a glass, I feel your pain. May not be the same person entirely, but I feel your pain."

"Thanks Mar, it helps to have company. Mira up yet?"

"No, I let her sleep. She deserves it today of all days."

"Thanks again." Elfman said as he drained the contents of his glass. "Mar, I don't bring this up often, if at all, but I'm proud Mira picked you. I'm proud to have you as a brother. You're a damn good man."

I smiled and drained my glass as well, letting a thought shift to Mavis for a brief moment, then to Lisanna. "Thanks Elfman, that means a lot. It may not mean much coming from me, but you're a damn fine brother as well."

"Bah, why wouldn't it Mar? The whole 'You still have no idea where your brother is' thing?"

"Oh hell, Wendy told you?"

"Yep. I haven't told Mira yet, that's your job. I'd recommend putting it off till tomorrow though, it sounded…..dark."

"Fair enough." I said while pouring us both another drink. "To friends and family, past, present, and future!"

"May they forever be in our hearts!" Elfman said as he raised his glass in support.

After we finished our drinks, I shook my head at the odd taste, then stood up and said, "Well, better put this away, I have an odd feeling my wife will kick our asses if she sees us drinking this early."

"Ha, I'll get the glasses."

I put our sinful liquid away just in time for Mira's bedroom door to creak open once more, with Mira walking out, rubbing her eyes.

"Morning to you both, are we already ready to go?"

"Wow, not even breakfast?" I asked.

"Not hungry. I have a feeling neither of you are either."

"Huh, she's good." Elfman said while shooting me an off grin.

I shrugged and then accompanied my siblings to Fairy Tail. It was tradition for them to visit Lisanna as the sun set, some sort of symbolism I thought.

As we arrived, a loud alarm was raised, and I remembered that Magic Power I had felt when I woke. Could it be an enemy? Could I be wrong about Gildarts returning today?

The town began to shake and stir, then the entire city shifted to create a walkway straight through the center, a walkway leading straight to Fairy Tail.

I was in absolute awe. A single man came walking down that path. A tall man, likely in his late thirties, early forties, with a black, torn cloak and brown hair. I could feel a tremendous power coming from him. I felt my sensory ability begin to cause me pain, so I ratcheted it down, eventually turning it off completely.

I let out a sigh of relief, Master had warned me about my senses overloading like they did with Nirvana when Gildarts returned. At least I knew he was actually Gildarts now!

Gildarts walked through the door and looked around, a mild note of concern on his face at the new guild, but it quickly faded.

Natsu almost immediately tried to fight him, but he was thrown into the roof as a result. Gildarts didn't even use Magic!

Gildarts walked up to Makarov and told him, "Sorry Master, not even I could do it. I quit this job."

Jaws hit the floor, mine included. Three years he was on that job, and he had just quit. The strongest mage in Fairy Tail, quit.

Later, he got Natsu down and told him to swing by his place, saying he had something for him, and that he may have some information on dragons.

The word "Dragon" caught my complete attention. I began to think of my old mentor, and how great it would be to see him once more.

Before Gildarts left, I used lightning to dash across the room and grab him by the shoulder as he turned.

He calmly turned his head and said, "Hey, a new recruit! Gildarts Clive, at your service, now, what can I do for you?"

I smiled at his general friendly nature. I could already tell he had a heart of gold. I told him, "My name is Mar, I'm a Lightning Dragon Slayer, and I'm interested in that information."

"Well, then come over WITH Natsu! Brief me on the other newbies here too while you're at it!"

"You got it!"

"Excellent!" Gildarts shouted before turning around and blasting through the wall instead of using a door.

Later still, Natsu led me giddily through the city streets. I kept trying to make sure he didn't get his hopes up, but I was having no luck at all. I ended up JOINING him by the time we got there.

"So, Natsu? I haven't had much opportunity to talk to you since that chat we had before all that crap with Laxus. Do you remember that conversation?"

"Every word. I'm still clinging on to that hope, you know? Even despite how far fetched it is."

"Good. Now, I don't have any proof that Lisanna is indeed over there, but I think I met a person from Edolas."

"WHAAAAT?! Who?!" Natsu shouted excitedly.

"Mystogan."

"...you're not kidding, are you?"

"Not in the slightest. I SAW his face. That face WAS Jellal's! I also felt no inherent Magic from him. He used Magical weapons in his spat with Laxus, I'd assume."

"No Magic in him? Is that even possible?"

"None. Not in the slightest. Even regular people have a level of Magic in them, but Mystogan was...empty."

"Wow, and wait, what does him having Jellal's face have anything to do with it?"

"I have my own theory on Edolas. It's more or less a wish at this point, but seeing Mystogan's face gave it SOME merit. I think that we each have a double in Edolas, someone who looks exactly like us, but different, somehow."

"Wow, it would be interesting to see an Edolas Fairy Tail! I wonder what I'd be like over there?"

"God forbid! You might be a speedster!" I said jokingly.

Natsu laughed very loudly. Clearly, he could see it as vividly as I could. "Bah, alternate world or not, I don't think I could get over motion sickness! It's my one Achillies heel!"

My eyes widened and I turned to Natsu. "Did you just reference Greek mythology?"

"Of course! I may not read much, but that sort of thing fascinates me!"

"Huh. Never would have thought you the type."

"Ha, anyway, Gildarts' house is right over here."

"Hold up Natsu, one last question." I said, grabbing him by the collar. "Are you okay today? I am a pair of ears and a shoulder should you need them."

Natsu stayed silent for a moment and stared at me, them turned his head forward and sighed. "Honestly Mar? No, I'm not. I miss Lisanna with all my being. I loved her Mar, I promised to make her my wife. It was a silly promise we made when we were kids, but never the less. I learned to love her as a woman, but I never even asked her out officially. I never had the chance. I was going to when she came back, but..."

"I know. Don't say it. Now, Natsu, I'm going to start working on a way to crack Edolas open, and when I figure it out, you're coming with me to get some closure, one way or the other, you got me?"

Natsu smiled and wiped a tear from his face, then said, "I got it. You know, I can see why Mira fell for you."

I smiled as I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment, and we entered Gildarts' house.

Gildarts sitting at a small table. Clearly, he didn't care about this place too much, then again, he was never here anyway.

Gildarts almost immediately brought up Lisanna to ask how Natsu was progressing with her, and his head sunk.

Mildly angered, I stated firmly, "Lisanna Strauss was….killed during a job two years ago." I had decided not to overcomplicate things, and just went with the popular story. I tapped Natsu to let him know that wasn't what I believed in truth.

"Oh fu- I'm so sorry Nat-"

"Just drop it." Natsu told him coldly. "The only one who married into that family was this guy." Natsu said while pointing to me.

"Wait, if she's gone, then the only option left is-"

"Mirajane." I said. "Best decision I've ever made." I added with a smirk.

Gildarts was still shocked. "M-Mirajane got hitched! Holy hell, what kind of a saint are you?!"

"Bah, I'm no saint, and it would take far too long to explain right now. I actually have a bit of my past that I still need to tell Mirajane, so I'll just give you both the full rundown later. The story always gets better with a sexy assistant who knows the words. Now, you said you knew something about Dragons?"

Gildarts took a moment to regain his composure then stood up. "I saw one you two, hell, I fought it too. It was nowhere near friendly."

Natsu jumped up at the thought of his "Father". "Igneel?!" He yelled.

"No, I remember you telling me Igneel was red, this one was pitch black."

"He might know where Igneel is! Where did you find him?!"

"Natsu, I'm not letting you go after him, you neither Mar."

"I thought so." I said. "I thought you were walking funny."

Natsu looked at me, puzzled. Gildarts smiled and said, "You figured it out already? Sharp kid."

"I'm older then I look my friend." I said with a devilish grin, causing Natsu to snicker.

Natsu asked me again, "Mar, what is going on?"

"Gildarts was injured by this Black Dragon. It's likely what caused him to quit his job."

"Whaaaaaaat?! Gildarts is injured?!"

"It's true." Gildarts said, opening his coat.

"Oh my god..." Natsu and I muttered at the sight.

Gildarts' left leg and arm were missing, replaced by prosthetic limbs. He also had bandages wrapping around at least half of his torso and around his shoulder. His mark was still visible among various other scars on his chest.

"Holy shit Gildarts, what the hell happened?" Natsu asked.

"Like I said, I fought that dragon. It tore off my left limbs and likely destroyed my spleen. I would have died if it wasn't for some people who witnessed my fall who saved me. That, and the big black bastard flew off when it took my limbs. Probably thought it finished me."

I was in awe. I didn't think any man could survive that kind of abuse. I briefly thought of giving my regeneration over to Gildarts, but then shook the thought from my mind. I seemed to re form instead of regrow when I regenerated, and if that dragon ATE his limbs….wellllllll, let's just say I wouldn't want that ON me, let alone INSIDE me.

Regardless, I still asked Gildarts if he wanted to try, and once I explained everything behind my ability, he simply patted me on the shoulder and told me, "Nah. These limbs have their benefits too!"

Natsu leaned in and whispered in my ear, "It's true. He's a daydreamer, and with Crash, he tends to walk into things and destroy them completely."

"Suddenly, this explains the town morphing into a giant walkway." I thought aloud. "Guess that COULD be a positive."

"Hey! What are you two talking about?" Gildarts asked jokingly.

"Oh, just how you can turn into a human wrecking ball." Natsu replied coyly.

"Hey! Just because I space out here and there-"

"Like at the guild? Makarov's gonna want a new wall, you know." I threw in.

"Gaaaah! Forget it! You people are bothering a sick person now!"

"Ha, he's right on that. Come on hot head, let's get out of here." I said as we walked to the door.

"Stop calling me hot head!" Natsu shouted.

"Stop acting like one!" I shot back with a laugh as we walked into the city streets.

When we started walking, however, I started to feel….strange. Like something was in the air. I looked around, yet there was nothing.

"What's up Mar? You're looking a bit jumpy." Natsu asked with concern.

"I don't quite know." I replied honestly. "There's something tripping off my Magic Sense, and yet, I can't seem to find it!"

"Maybe it's on the fritz?"

"Doubt it. I'd have been able to detect that."

"Ah, no need to worry either way, I don't feel a thing, so it can't be dangerous one way or another!...Say…..did you….you know….-"

"Hot head, you're about five seconds from a shiner if you're implying what I think."

"What?! No! Did you get Crash from him?!"

"Oh! Thank god, I almost thought you were growing a perverted side, Natsu."

"Hey! You called me Natsu!"

"That I did. You deserve it at least once for being so observant. That I did!"

"Wow, even from a fake limb?"

"It still had his Magic on it, even if it was just a trace."

Natsu smiled devilishly. "Can we go test it out?"

A devilish smirk spread across my face at the thought. "Oh hell yes."

Natsu took me to a clearing in a forest outside of town, and as I stepped through the tree line, I realised this was the section of trees I blew down with an Ebony Charged Shot. The only difference was that there were no more tree trunks, Natsu had likely incinerated them and used this place to train himself.

"Alright, let's see what I can do!" I yelled at Natsu before letting Crash flow through me. The power was absolutely intoxicating, I could immediately see why Gildarts' Magic was considered the greatest in Fairy Tail!

I let Crash run it's course and produce a brief pillar of light and energy, before dissipating, revealing me with crimson glowing eyes and in a calmed stance.

Natsu smiled at my apparent ability to control Crash to some extent and charged at me, striking repeatedly, but with me dodging every blow. Natsu then brought a fire charged hand up from my side, in a blind spot. I noticed it only after it had made contact with my ribcage, and I used the momentum given to me by the punch to return the favour, right into the same area on Natsu. To my surprise, however, when I struck Natsu, Crash activated on it's own, and sent Natsu to the ground so hard that it created a small crater.

"Oh shit, Natsu! Are you okay?!" I shouted, concerned.

Natsu groaned and sat up, "I'm fine, but what was that? It felt like you hit me with a wall of bricks!"

"Crash. It seems to act as both a method of destruction and an impact amplifier."

"So you and Gildarts hit harder, AND you can disassemble an entire building by day dreaming?...Well, at least it will bring the title of 'Most Destructive Mage in Fairy Tail' away from me!" He said with that goofy grin of his.

"Ha, I know right? You still okay to go?"

"Absolutely fine! It's just getting fun!"

We continued training for most of the day, with Natsu leaving looking almost like someone had taken a shovel to his head. Poor bugger just didn't want to give up. I picked his ass up and shifted him onto my back, despite his protests and continued on back toward town. I would have kept training with Natsu, but I noticed the sun was beginning to set, and I needed to meet with my wife and brother to pay respects to my younger sister.

Natsu picked up on my darkened mood, and realised what it was about, then said, "I'll come with you guys this year. I figure you need all the company you can get."

I turned my head and said to him, "That's very kind of you Natsu, I accept. I'm sure Elfman and Mira won't mind an extra face either."

We arrived just in time to find Elfman and Mira leaving, so I just turned back out the door, Natsu still on my back.

"What happened to him?" Elfman asked.

"He got CRASHed pretty hard." I joked, causing the hot head to chuckle. I decided not to just come out and say "I stole Gildarts' magic." just yet.

I looked back at my companion, his swelling was going down significantly, but he was going to keep that shiner I gave him for a couple days at least.

We arrived at the church as the sun began to sink over the horizon, causing it's light to become a deep orange. We stepped into the back and to Lisanna's stone, where Natsu got off my back.

We all bowed our heads and prayed for her. We didn't care that we weren't religious, we found the thought of our prayers reaching Lisanaa to be settling.

I looked to the sky and opened my eyes, as if scanning to find this "Edolas" world among the stars. Rain was beginning to fall, and the sky was bleak with dark clouds. The sun…it was then I realized. We had seen the sun set. Seen its beautiful light as it went down. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

I was puzzled at the strange weather pattern, but quickly more so by an odd feeling I was starting to get. That residual magic I had been detecting earlier was growing, QUICKLY. The blackness of the sky combined with the rising phenomenon was sending a chill up and down my spine, accompanied by a horrendous amount of dread.

I looked back down, and nearly fell over from surprise. The scenery before me was distorted! Twisting, bending, and even changing colour! It also seemed to be getting more transparent, like if it was fading away! I looked to my companions, and in horror, I saw that both Elfman and Mira were effected as well.

I started speaking to them, quickly growing into shouting that got Natsu's attention. He joined in my panic as Mira and Elfman turned around to face us, calmly. It was if they couldn't even hear us! Mira looked me dead in the eye, and it was then I felt my humanity begin slipping. She saw me, panicking as I was, and her expression turned from confusion, to concern…..and once she saw herself, to fear.

The world went silent for a brief moment, and it will be the moment I never forget. Mira tried calling out to me, to no avail. No sound escaped her lips. Only through reading the movements of her mouth could I tell what she was trying to say. "I can't go now! Mar! I'm-"

She was cut off before she could finish, and she was sucked into the sky, along with Elfman, and the very town around us. Only Natsu and I remained.

The rain stopped immediately, as I fell to my knees in the sand that was once Magnolia.

I didn't need to hear the rest of what she had to say to know what she was going to say. My hands gripped my skull as the reality finally sunk in. My guild, my friends, my town, and my family were gone. Worse yet…..she was…she was…..!

"Pregnant….." I said aloud, quietly.

Natsu was beside himself at what had just happened, trying desperately to put some sort of reason to it.

I heard footsteps approach as I fell to the ground, landing in a fetal position. My spirit….I felt it break. My humanity, I felt it lose all purpose.

Mavis…Noa….Mira….Elfman…Master….They were all gone. Everything I had fought for, everything I had achieved…..gone in an instant.

I was lost in my grief as Natsu tried getting information out of the new arrival. I vaguely recognized the voices through the ones in my own head as Wendy and Carla.

However, that all came to a point when Carla said she was a creature from Edolas, and Edolas is where everyone was taken.

What little of my humanity remained was disregarded completely as I slowly got up, letting Raiden take the reigns completely, and shifting into Archangel.

"Cat…." I heard myself say in a voice that was not my own. "Our family….was taken to Edolas?"

"Yes, it seems li-AAAAHHHH!"

Carla screamed as my body grabbed her by the throat. "How do we get there?" it asked in a sadistic rage.

Natsu shouted at me, "MAR! What the hell are you do-"

"Crash." My shell said aloud as Natsu was forced to the floor, creating an impact crater in the sand at a mere touch.

Wendy began crying, as she knew she couldn't do anything else. Strangely enough, it helped me regain some level of control over my body.

I forced myself to let go of Carla, allowing her to breathe and fly freely again.

Raiden began fighting me for dominance. "THAT BITCH IS FROM THEIR WORLD! THEY TOOK EVERYONE! SHE DOES NOT DESERVE TO LIVE AFTER WHAT SHE DID TO YOU!"

"Then we'll get them back!" I retaliated. "I'll kill everyone in the way if I damn well need to, but she is a friend! You WILL NOT touch her!"

"LIES! You don't have the guts to do what needs to be done!"

"JUST WATCH ME!" I said as I drew Yamato and brought it to my stomach.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU-"

"BEGONE, DEMON!" I shouted as I stabbed myself clean through, impaling myself on my own sword.

I was snapped back to my senses and my human state at the sudden pain as Raiden was forced back into my subconscious. I pulled the sword from my midriff and let it bleed for the ten minutes before it closed.

The entire time, everyone was dead silent. I felt horrible, I had just exposed Wendy to my inner demons, and worse, I had hurt Carla. Natsu, I at least knew could take it. My shame was the only thing that managed to keep my anger at bay.

As I healed over, I turned to Carla, and, unable to find he words to apologise, I only asked, calmly this time, "How do I get to Edolas?"

"….The sky. Everyone was sucked through a great spell in the sky. Fly towards the heart of the storm, and you will pass through the boundary between worlds."

"…..Thanks." I said plainly as I took flight, bound for the clouds above us.

There was a great flash of light, and I had to cover my eyes. When I opened them once more, I sure as hell wasn't in my world anymore. Islands were floating in the very sky I now soared through.

I looked around, briefly marvelling at the plant life, before my eyes set on a peculiar sight. A large tree, with the Fairy Tail emblem on a grand cloth draped on the front.

I couldn't have already found my friends and family, that would just be far too easy. Though, I decided to check it out anyway, and dove down, trying to dismiss my wings as I did.

Now, the reason I said trying? It was because I failed to! When I tried to put them away, or even use any other magic, I found myself unable! In panic, I tore my shirt over my head, feeling it rip to shreds when it resisted me on something, and looked to my back. What I saw nearly made me vomit! The wings were no longer protruding from a seal on my back, but from my back itself! In shock, I reached up and grabbed my newly attached wing, and when I squeezed, I genuinely felt it! Before, I could break them in half and not feel a thing!

Without much mind for my surroundings, I ended up whipping myself into a panic. I thrashed around, trying desperately to convince myself that the wings on my back were fake, or I was dreaming and this whole ordeal was one big nightmare, or ANYTHING!

Before I knew it, I heard a male voice, vaguely familiar. "Um, sir? Are you alright?"

I stood straight up again and faced the direction of the voice, and to my surprise, another winged man stood before me! His, however, were whiter than the gates of heaven, while mine remained black as a killer's heart.

The man looked eerily like me, to almost minute detail, save for his wings and his hair. His hair cascaded to his mid back, even longer than Mira's!

The man seemed to share my surprise, and we stared at each other in shock until the silence was broken by another, who had come to see what was wrong.

"Big bro? What's going on over here?" came a feminine voice as she rounded a corner….and nearly stopped my immortal heart.

Lisanna…..there could be no mistake! The woman before me was Lisanna Strauss!

Without thinking, I slid past my doppelgänger and hugged Lisanna before anyone had a chance to act. "I found you…" I said, happiness returning to me at last. "I actually found you!"

"Lisanna, do you know him?" The winged man asked.

"Ummm, no. But he doesn't seem like someone from the kingdom, and he certainly seems friendly! Also, do you have to be so informal, Mar? Call me little sis!"

"Right, sorry little sis." The other Mar apologised.

I let go of Lisanna and held her at arms length. I had an odd feeling that something was off. Then it struck me. "Big bro" over there….the one who looks exactly like me, was named Mar.

I turned completely and asked, "Hang on, Mar? As in Mar Strauss?"

"That's the name I got when I born into the family, yep." He replied with pride.

I extended my hand for a greeting to which he accepted, and I told him, "My name….well, it happens to be Mar Strauss. Married to Mirajane Strauss in another world. We're not related, though, haha."

"Yeah, that's a relief." He said with a chuckle. "Hang on, did you say another world? Earthland?!"

"Is that what you guys call it? Yep! I'm from Earthland. I guess that crackpot theory I had about alternate versions of ourselves was a bit more than just that!"

"Ha! Clearly!" The Edo me replied heartily.

I sensed some sort of gasp behind me when I revealed my nature, and nothing after, before Lisanna dismissed herself and walked away, into the forest from whence she came.

I scratched the back of my head and asked the other me, "Hey, to tell the truth, I'm a bit lost. Mind if I come in and explain myself to everyone? Why I'm here and all that, I mean. Oh, and about these wings, are they permanent? Does everyone have them here?"

"For coming inside? Sure! I wasn't going to let you outta here without talking anyway! For the wings, you got me. I was born with mine. You weren't?"

"Used em to travel here and they kind of didn't leave."

"Ah, that's right! Magic is different in Earthland!"

"Different?"

"Yeah! Magic is like an invisible power in your world, right?"

"This is true. I haven't been able to use it since coming here though, and the spell I had active at the time….well, you can see what happened!" I said as I tapped my right wing.

"Ha, don't worry about them, other me! You get used to em, heck, even LIKE em after a while! But, anyway, to explain it quick, Magic is more of a THING here in Edolas. A physical object, with magical properties!"

"A thing…..wait a minute!" I said as I grabbed my locket and attempted to change it. No luck. I figured it was like a blow torch in that regard. Needed a little help to light.

"Hey, I have one of those too!" The other me said as he pulled a locket from his shirt.

Ha, even here my bond with Mavis persists…..good." I commented.

"Mavis? As in our first Master?"

I raised an eyebrow at the odd question, then remembered. No way he could know and use Arc of Time, that would violate the laws of the world. He was born in the current time.

"I got this as an anniversary present! Mavis lived 150 years ago." He continued. "Is it different over there?"

"Nope! I just had an interesting couple of years is all, ended up in the age of the third master, even though the first was my adopted sister."

"Adopted? Rough, man."

"Don't dwell on it! I'm glad my life turned out the way it did….well, for the most part."

"Good on ya!...Say, something's been bugging me."

"What's that?"

"Why are your wings black? Seems kinda odd when I look like an angel."

"Guess I'm just the Archangel." I replied with a knowing smirk.

"I like it!" he said with a chuckle. "Light and dark, yin and yang and all that!"

"Exac-"

*Crash!* a sound came from inside, akin to a man getting thrown through solid wood.

Silence followed the commotion from inside, with my double just shaking his head in what seemed to be disappointment.

"…..Here too?" I finally asked.

"…Here too." My double replied as we walked through the doors. "Though it's odd, Natsu was out last time I checked."

The two of us walked into a heck of a scene. Everyone was gathered round a group of two people and two animals in the middle of the room. An overturned table betrayed the source of the commotion.

As I recognized the people in the center as Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Carla, I felt my eyes wander around the room. Duplicates of all my friends were here as well…..with some noticeable differences. Lucy appeared to be much more into black, Mira seemed to have a more dominating look and air about her, Elfman seemed more passive, Mavis was nowhere to be seen, as was Makarov, Cana seemed to be dressed in white and abstaining from alcohol, and another Wendy seemed to show her age, in that she was a good foot and a half and three cup sizes larger.

My mind snapped back to the center of the room at the mention of my name by Wendy. She said "A friend of ours came here too, named Mar Strauss. He has some darker traits, but he's a good man! Has anyone seen him?"

I raised my hand and called from the back of the crowd, "I think I might know something!"

The crowd looked back to me and parted to clear my path to my friends. I walked to them with regret plaguing my mind, but happily regardless. As soon as I got to them, I noticed Natsu was smiling, about to say something, but I stopped him, telling him, "Not yet. Sorry hot head, I have to kill the mood a little." With a slight smirk and a tilt of my head.

I kneeled down to get on equal height with Wendy, and I rested my hand on her shoulder. "Wendy. What you saw come from me, no friend of mine should ever see. There was no excuse for what happened back there, nor was there any reason for you to have seen that. For exposing you to that part of me, I am truly sorry. Same goes to you Happy."

"Aye." He acknowledged solemnly.

Wendy just looked straight into my eyes, dumbfounded for a moment, then shook her head. "You shouldn't be apologising to me, but I forgive you anyway."

"….You're right." I said as I turned to Carla, noting the two new bruises on her neck. "Carla….I don't even know where to begin."

"Then don't." The cat replied, stunning me. "You had just lost your family, your life. I would have been more concerned if you didn't feel rage. I'm just glad you got it under control before you did any lasting damage. These will fade." She told me as she rubbed her throat. "Just….try not to resort to such drastic measures next time, okay? You had me worried!"

I remembered briefly how I impaled myself, and snickered at the memory. I guess it WAS a bit excessive. I focused back on Carla and said, "Well, regardless, I still wish to make amends. I'll figure out something good when we get back to Earthland with our friends, but for now, you get free shoulder rides until our business here is done!" I said as I lifted Carla up onto my left shoulder.

My group and everyone around us burst into laughter, Carla included! It was good to see her smile especially, she was far too uptight for a damn cat!

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a figure at the door, peering in. Lisanna no doubt, her breathing was erratic, akin to someone crying. Poor girl. I told Natsu and Wendy to find out where we might find our friends before dismissing myself.

I began walking toward the door with Carla on my shoulders, announcing that I forgot something where I had landed and needed to grab it. I knew Carla could keep a secret if it came down to that.

I slowly opened the door as to not hit Lisanna, and walked around the door, grabbing her and pulling her aside, away from listening ears.

"Mar, who is this? I've never seen a woman like this before…although…..she does look a bit like Mir-" Carla stopped herself as the realization donned on her.

"Yeah. It's exactly what ya think Carla. Figured I'd need some support on this one."

"Mar…..thank you for trusting me like this. I know it's important to you."

"Of course it's important to me, she's my little sister."

Lisanna replied quickly, stating that, "I'm sorry Other Mar, I belong in this world."

"You're more terrible a liar then your sister, Lisanna." I told her with a gentle smile. "I already know your secret."

"!"

"You're wondering how? I can sense internal magic much better and at much farther distances than most people. Near useless in this world, unless…."

"….You're not from this world." Lisanna affirmed.

"Precisely."

Silence fell over all of us.

"So…..my sister married you?" She finally said with an awkward, sad grin. "That's really good…." She said as she started tearing up. "I'm….p….proud" was all she got out before launching into tears. I walked over and hugged her again, using what control over my wings I had to wrap them around her. This time, however, she hugged back, and cried onto my chest.

When she calmed down, I asked, "Lisanna, a question, if I may?"

"Shoot."

"Are you coming back with us?"

"No." she replied coldly.

"Why not?" I asked in shock.

"My life is here now. I died two years ago."

"You're willing to abandon your siblings just like that?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Lisanna Strauss, I am sorry to have to say this, but your life here is a lie. You belong back with your real family, with your new brother and his two sisters, and with the man I know you love."

"…"

"Lisanna." I started while hugging my sister harder. "I swore to Natsu that we would bring you back if we ever got to Edolas, he loves you damnit! I'm want…..no, I NEED to make good on that promise. Lisanna, please."

She was quiet for a long time, and then she spoke up once more, "I can't just abandon my family again. Give me time."

"Take all the time you need, we need to save our friends anyway, or there will be no happy reunion." I said, grim thoughts plaguing my mind.

Lisanna picked up on my doubt like a pro, and told me, "Knock them dead big brother! Save our family like the Hero you were meant to be!"

The image pierced my mind, in an oddly pleasant way. Me, a Hero? The thought actually caused me to smile subconsciously.

I let go of my sister and put her to arms length, remembering there was one more piece of business for us to go over.

"Now…..Now we just need to get Natsu on board. Shouldn't be tough, but I don't want him causing a scene when he sees you again. Can you just hang back, outside the doors while I retrieve my friends? Just wish us a safe journey as we leave. I'll keep the hot head close."

"Alright!" she agreed with a determined smile. I could certainly see the family resemblance in her face. When she smiled, she was cute as a button.

We passed my friends as we walked back to the guild, blowing my idea clean out of the water, so I just dragged Natsu away as he pleaded with me. When we finally got far enough away and he had calmed down, he asked me, "Mar…..was it her?"

"That would be telling." I said with a smile.

Natsu knew me too well, he picked it up immediately and tried to go back into the guild before I stopped him.

"Not now. She needs time to say goodbye. She won't get another chance."

"...oh right, it completely slipped my mind that she would have a life here...are we doing the right thing in bringing her back?"

"Of course we are Natsu. She belongs in Earthland, and in Earthland she shall stay. Besides, I have an odd feeling that everyone here already knows. Now, let's go. If we don't save Mirajane, Elfman, and everyone else, Lisanna will likely murder us."

On the way to a nearby town that had been pointed out to Natsu and Wendy, I decided to find out what they knew.

"So, any idea where our friends ARE anyway?"

"In the royal city, capital of Edolas. They're going to be sacrificed by the King somehow to extend the life of Edolas' Magic." Natsu told me.

"A delusional goal at best." I said with a snarl. "I'll sooner tear down the city with my own hands!"

As we walked through the sands, a large frog like thing burst from beneath the dunes and darted for Wendy. Before I could react, a streak of blonde hair and black clothing flew through the air, knocking the monster the heck out.

As the woman landed, I recognised her at the same time as my friends.

"Hey Lucy!" I yelled to her. "Or, should I call you Edo Lucy?...God this is going to get confusing."

"Hah, my last name is Ashley, does that help?"

"Immensely actually, our Lucy's last name is Heartfillia."

"Oh wow, that's kind of a corny name." she said.

I laughed and then asked, "So, why'd you decide to come with us?"

"I couldn't leave you guys alone in a foreign world, it's just not right. Plus, you are all pretty cool people on this side, and from what I have on you so far, not TOO much is different over in Earthland. Well, except for you Wendy, you're about two and a half feet shorter and several cup sizes smaller then I'm used to."

Wendy just lowered her head and blushed. As we continued I asked, "What's your relation to all of our counter parts over here anyway Lucy?" I asked.

"Well, Wendy and Natsu are damn good friends, you...uhhhh...I really don't want to say."

Sensing her nervousness stoked my curiosity even further, so I leaned in close to her and asked her to whisper it in my ear. The answer immediately made my nose bleed like a faucet and had Lucy stay in front of the group in embarrassment for the rest of the trip to Luen.

Natsu and Wendy finally worked up the courage to ask me what Lucy had told me, and I replied honestly. Hesitant, but honestly.

"Friends with b-b-benefits..." I stuttered out.

Wendy immediately blushed at the thought and Natsu started laughing. Happy seemed to remain neutral and Carla couldn't look me or Lucy in the eyes for the rest of the trip, despite sitting right by my head for most of it!

When we arrived in Luen, Lucy bought us some Magic Weapons. When she turned to give me mine, I remembered my guns, and un-holstered them and tried to shoot outside of the store. To my joy, both Ebony and Ivory were fully capable of firing! The power was reduced, sure, but I had weapons, regardless of my magic being with me or not!

Edo Lucy told us that the only people in Edolas who used Magic like Earthland Mages were a race known as Exceed, cat like creatures with the ability to fly, very similar to Happy and Carla. At the news, Carla and Happy attempted to use Aero, and it worked for both of them without flaw! They decided to go on foot though, just to lower suspicion on us.

However, people were rather shocked to see a MAN with wings walking through town, a couple of kids even asked if I was "Fairy Tail's Angel." I would smile at the kids and say, "I'm no angel, just a guy with horrible luck. Or great luck, depending on your view."

It wasn't long before soldiers began marching on us for suspicious activity, citing that the crown's power was absolute, and that we were guilty of "Matching the description of Fairy Tail mages."

They drew their weapons as I got my friends behind me, drawing my guns as I did.

"Do not resist! You will be taken in and given fair trial and appropriate punishment!" boasted one soldier.

"Really? You're going to take in an Archangel?" I mocked as I raised my guns to firing level. "Try me!" I shouted as I ran toward the crowd.

The soldiers put up their shields, forming a wall in front of me. I heard one of them thinking aloud, saying "What the hell is he thinking? Charging an armed battalion is suicide with a mob, let alone by yourself!"

Right as the nearest soldiers brought back their lance like weapons in preparation to strike, I leapt through the air, going upside down above them.

In the brief moment of shock that ensued, I pointed my guns straight toward the soldier's heads and smiled a devilish smile.

I began spinning in mid air and firing at any head I saw, knocking guards out through even their helmets every time I impacted one!

Their ranks quickly broke apart as I landed in a gap between soldiers, dodging lances and firing in all directions. A spear glances my face, and I feel a slight electric shock as I lean back to avoid it. The shock is sudden, but it awoke an idea.

I get close to the ground and sweep my leg in a full circle, knocking over all the soldiers near me, and I steal two of their lances, throwing my guns in the air as I did.

In shock and awe of everyone around me, I turn the lances on myself, and strike both of them into my chest, releasing a massive electric current through my body. I let the lances drop as I begin sucking the electricity to my mouth, causing the soldiers nearby to start quivering.

I feel a familiar sensation overtaking my body, as if I was standing in my own world. When I tried to summon lightning however, it still failed, yet, I felt energised! I knew that if I used my guns….

I caught them as they fell back down to me.

…It was gonna hurt.

The soldiers rushed me all at once, so, I grabbed one and used him as a shield. When they retreated, I threw my shield to the ground and pointed my guns in opposite directions, shouting the word "Jackpot!" before firing. The blasts this time were huge, ripping apart the earth under them, and carrying the soldiers they hit away on the wind. Like a tidal wave had just washed through their numbers, there were now two gaping holes in their ranks where my bullets had travelled.

The soldiers began backing off in fear as I silently pointed my guns at their remaining numbers. Their commander barked at them to show some spine, and so, to retaliate, I landed a bullet between his eyes, knocking every soldier between me and him to the ground, taking his helmet clean off his head and sending him flying into a wall on the other side of the street.

I stood straight, relaxing my guard as the guards began dropping their weapons in terror. "My suggestion to all of you? Run." I said coldly as the remaining soldiers took my advice and booked it as far away as fast as possible.

I calmly stepped over the unconscious forms of the soldiers I had hit back over to my friends, of whom stood there, gaping at the spectacle they had just witnessed. I only noticed after she settled down that Edo Lucy had been cheering me on, much to my chargin.

"What?" I asked non-chalantly. "You think Bisca and Alzack would give me these without a lesson or two?"

It was at this point Wendy dropped her Magic, causing the lid to open while she reached down to grab it. This, in turn, released a tornado that blew the soldiers away and sent us flying across the city.

When I regained my form in mid air, I spread my wings and decided then was a good time for my maiden flight with my new appendages. I grabbed Edo Lucy and Natsu out of mid air so they wouldn't hit the ground too hard, while the cats got Wendy. Of course, from the weight, I still ended up hitting the ground back first, to save my friends the pain.

Edo Lucy and Natsu got up off of me, and helped me to my feet.

I put my hands on my back and cracked my pelvic bone to reduce the discomfort I had begun feeling, and brushed the sand off my back and wings. I guessed that my Regeneration was probably stifled as well, and deigned to be careful thereafter.

We heard more patrols coming, so we hid out in a nearby building. To my joy, I found a trench coat red in colour, in great condition, and just a tad over my size! I slid it on over folded wings, and it disguised them perfectly! I could at least eliminate the one thing that would get us spotted immediately as long as I wore this!

I left a note with a substantial amount of money on it, stating that it was an emergency, and that I needed to take it. Suddenly, the guards ran down the street one way, then came tumbling back down, like if something had hit them. I opened the door and peeked my head out to see OUR Lucy fighting off the royal guard with what I assumed was Scorpio! She had her Magic, even in Edolas! Though, I had never seen her with Scorpio. She must have got him in the previous mission.

I turned from our Lucy to Edolas' Lucy, then back again, then said, "Yeah, you're right. This IS going to be weird." as I stepped out of the door. We all ran out to go help our friend, but by the time we got over to her, she had already cleared the soldiers out.

"Lucy! How the devil did you get here?" I yelled at her.

"No time to explain, here come more guards! Run!"

I turned my head, and sure enough there was an entire battalion coming down on us. We all ran as fast as we ever had, with me firing shots at the army when I could.

We eventually evaded them in the same nearby forest we had used to enter town. Edolas' Lucy started leading us to another nearby town while we caught up with Lucy, and briefed her on the situation.

Turns out Lucy had felt some weird distortions as well, and had hid inside of one of her spirits, so the magic vacuum couldn't get to her. Mystogan eventually came to her, identified the magic as "Anima", and gave her a red pill to swallow that unlocked her magic in Edolas, and one more if she found someone else on our side.

At the announcement, Natsu, Wendy, and I looked to each other.

"Only one, huh?" Natsu affirmed.

"Only one." Lucy said as she nodded.

I remained silent, stroking my chin in thought.

"I think Mar should have it!" Wendy said enthusiastically. "He might be able to get rid of those wings!"

"Wings?" Our Lucy asked.

"Ah, right." I said. "Forgot you hadn't seen the newest addition to my body." I started as I took off my coat and turned my back to Lucy. "They decided they liked me a bit too much when I crossed over. Haven't left me alone since."

Lucy was concerned at first, but once I reassured her that I had complete control over them, it subsided. She agreed I should probably get my Regeneration back, if only to deal with the extra extremities.

I swallowed the pill and felt it's effects immediately. It felt as if the chains binding my soul had been shattered, and a great power came back from the recess of my soul. My Magic had returned in full!

The scrapes on my back from my hard landing sealed immediately, and I felt my pelvis become comfortable again. However, as I looked back, my wings were still present.

Silence gripped the group as I stroked my new wings…..they were with me for life if Regeneration thought that they were a natural part of me.

My head swam with thoughts, some negative, but most brilliant. Through the panic ensuing in my mind, the very first word that escaped my mouth was, "…..Awesome!"

The group looked at me in surprise, and I responded plainly, "I always wanted to soar freely through the skies, without the aid of Magic or aircraft…..I have that now! I have a dream upon my back!...Let's just hope my wife can tolerate it, haha!" The group joined in my joy, laughing at nothing in particular.

"Oh!" Lucy said, remembering something. "Mystogan said he sent Gajeel over too!"

"Gajeel?" I asked, a pattern emerging in my mind. "So….myself, Gajeel, Natsu, and Wendy were all unaffected by this….spell? This absorption technique?"

"Yeah, I guess that's right." Natsu nodded.

A smile spread across my face. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think I just figured out something important."

"Please tell!" Wendy asked.

"The four of us have one very distinct trait in common, and nothing else, really. Natsu, can you guess this one?"

"Ummmm…..we're all from Fairy Tail?"

My face hit my palm, and out Lucy began giggling at his typical denseness. "Natsu, we're all Dragon Slayers!"

The gears in his head turned, and the light bulb shone, "Oh! You're absolutely right!...What does that mean?"

"Simple, really." I started. "They put a filter on that….thing to keep us out. Why would they want to do that unless Dragon Slayer Magic could foil their entire plot? If their aim is infinite Magic, I have to say we would have been a good addition!"

"H-Hang on, you people are all DRAGON SLAYERS?!" Edo Lucy exclaimed.

"Well, not me!" our Lucy added.

I chuckled at Edo Lucy's reaction, and explained, "I'm Lightning, Wendy there is Sky, and Natsu is Fire. Gajeel is Iron."

"I-I've been traveling with a bunch of Dragon Killers?"

"None of us have ever fought a dragon for keeps, let alone killed one."

"Oh thank go-FOR KEEPS?"

I started laughing at how hyper Edo Lucy was acting, then said, "Yeah, we were all trained or raised by actual Dragons at some point in our lives. I think I have the least exposure actually."

"R-Raised by dragons...are all Earthland Mages this amazing?"

"Not all of them, Fairy Tail in our world is just home to a lot of….interesting people. None of us would want to make an enemy of our Gildarts, for example."

"Gildarts? He died in an army raid a few weeks back, he was never THAT strong..."

"He is literally capable of disassembling buildings with his mind in our world."

Edo Lucy's jaw dropped, but she shook it off and started talking, "The kingdom has said that a special magic is needed to be to convert lacryma into Magic. You think it could be Dragon Slayer?"

"It seems likely." I said. "And if it can be used for acceleration into Magic, it can be used to return the lacryma to its former form as well."

Natsu butted in this time, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, lacryma? Someone catch me up."

"It seems likely that our friends have been converted into lacryma form. If we pass a Dragon Slayer Magic current through the crystals while thinking of our friends, they will come back."

"Alright, good to know. At least they'll be easy to find."

We came into the second town shortly afterwards. Edo Lucy called it "Sikka".

Our first night in Sikka, Edo Lucy tried slipping out without us noticing. I caught her outside the door of the hotel, and pulled her aside. She struggled, so I bear hugged her to hold her still. Didn't want her hurting herself. The moment she saw my wings under the moonlight, she calmed down.

"Leaving so soon?" I asked suavely.

"I'm going back to Fairy Tail, you guys are going to need help if you want to change the world."

"Ha, you think we can change this world? I'm flattered. I guess we COULD topple a corrupt government or two while we're saving our friends." I said with a smirk.

"…..Thanks Mar…..I'm sorry for using you like this." When I felt she calmed down, I lessened my grip to a comfortable level.

"Bah. I have no love for kings Lucy. If I was here under different circumstances, and didn't have a time limit, I would gladly regale you, but sadly, places to be, people to save."

"Haha…That reminds me Mar, the people are in unrest as well. A kingdom is built on trust and support of the people, King Faust is likely telling the people that Anima gets it's Magic from somewhere other than Earthland, and if he is telling them that, he certainly isn't telling them about the human element. Show them that he is lying, and the people, maybe even the soldiers, will be on your side. Here's the bonus, if Fairy Tail is host to so many powerful mages as you say, the lacryma is going to be BIG. REALLY big. There will likely be a parade celebrating the 'Future of Edolas' so Faust can strut around his prize like the peacock that he is. If someone were to, say, turn it back in front of every man, woman, and child in the capital city…."

"Well, aren't we the little revolutionary? That's a real good idea Lucy. We just have one minor problem."

"Your friends don't have their Magic, right. You should find this Gajeel that was sent over here, and maybe the man who sent him as well. If he has those pills, he could help you a lot!"

"That he could!" I agreed, as I let Lucy go. "I'll stop him Lucy, don't you worry about that. This Archangel isn't one for failure, when avoidable."

"Archangel?" she asked, curious.

"Ahhh, right. Sorry. It's strange seeing the face of a friend, you think they know everything. Anyway, Archangel is the moniker I earned over in Earthland. Partly due to my attitude, and partly due to…..well, this." I said as I let the change come over me, slowly. My veins and my hair shone under the moonlight, glowing softly in the beautiful light.

"Unreal!..." Lucy said as she touched my face, and even slid her hand through my hair. "Hee hee! It's warm!" she said as she pulled my head into hers. She pressed her forehead to mine, and told me, "Don't you dare die. Don't any of you dare die. I'll be back, I promise it." Before letting me go.

She turned to the darkness before her, and once I said, "Be safe", she was off. I smiled warmly as she disappeared into the night. I knew she was coming back, she had my friend's face, after all.

I walked back up to our room to be greeted by Carla.

"Good evening Mar, you can't sleep either?"

"Nah, I just needed some air. You?"

"I've been having weird visions."

"Oh lord I can relate, come here." I said, beckoning to my shoulder. Carla sat on it and we started talking.

"What have you been seeing?"

"A tunnel. A secret way into the castle, I think. I know where it is in the Royal City as well."

"Good, that's something we can go on. You and everyone else should head for that tunnel the moment we arrive to see if it's there, and if so, take it."

"Everyone else? What will you do?"

"I'll catch up, I just need to check the city out, learn where the lacryma is. It should be easy enough, there will likely be a parade to celebrate. If I see it, I'll return our friends to flesh form."

"What if the army catches you?"

"They won't take me alive." I said with a coy smile, while raising my right hand, the arm Carla wasn't sitting on, and passed some electricity through it.

"Ha…I keep forgetting how….resilient you are, Mar." Carla said with a knowing chuckle.

Deciding to try and get a reaction out of my friend, I outright stated, "Also, Carla, I just promised Edo Lucy to start a full blown rebellion."

"Huh." She replied, non chalantly.

"No freak outs?"

"No, I figured this would happen. Didn't know we would get struck into a contract, but I somehow knew this would happen. I didn't exactly need foresight to see that we'd do the right thing, you know?"

"Hah, I can believe that. I don't think our friends will take it as well though."

"Haha! Think we should just hold off on telling them until it happens? I'll say you set off on a 'Special Mission' if you want."

"That sounds just about perfect. Now, we just need to find a way to get to the capital."

I woke up early the next morning, donned my coat, and took a brisk walk to get my bearings on the town. As I explored, I felt something eating at my Magic Sense. Small, at this point, but far away. Definitely coming from a single direction. That was when it donned on me. The only things in this word that could even register would be my friends or…..

"The lacryma!" I said aloud, in a hushed yell as a smile spread across my face. My target was now within range, and that gave me at least SOME note of relief. I didn't relax, however, I knew they were all still in danger.

I met my friends outside of the hotel, all of them garbed up, not wanting to be recognised.

"Mar, cover your face! What if a guard sees you?" Lucy yelled.

"Then he'd notice that I'm not naked from the waist up and I don't have a large pair of wings. I figure those were my most defining features."

Lucy sighed, she knew I was right. "Hey, where did my double go?"

"Back to Fairy Tail to get everyone. She left last night, so we should be receiving help soon. In the meantime, lets try to find a way to get to the capital, fast."

"How about that?" Natsu asked.

I turned to see an amazing sight! An airship, large enough to transport an army and just as much worth in food! And the bonus was that it was docked at the top of a large tower. Perfect.

A toothy grin spread across my face. "We have our ride!" I then clicked into something, and turned back to Natsu, "You? Suggesting transportation?"

"With Wendy's Troia spell, I can handle anything!"

"Umm, Natsu? I can't use Magic..." Wendy said.

"New plan, we walk!" he shouted back.

My face hit my palm and I beckoned my friends to follow me. "Does anyone know how to fly an airship?"

"One of my spirits might!" Lucy yelled excitedly as she swung a key through the air.

"Oh shit! Lucy, don't!" I yelled in vain. Virgo appeared, apologising for Leo's absence.

As she finished with the apology, the guard was already on its way. Turns out, "Large chested blonde woman who can summon things" doesn't apply to a lot of people.

I tore out Yamato, making sure to take out any lightly armored foes with the blunt end of the blade. I DID promise not to kill anyone, after all.

Lucy and Virgo worked with Wendy and Natsu to take out anyone protected as we backed out way to the airship dock.

Soon, we found ourselves at the locked doors to the dock, they knew we were coming, and the royal guard was closing in. There were far too many for us to handle, and they were closing fast. I looked around, desperate for a way to get out without snuffing out any souls, and I made a realisation. The ground around the tower was dirt, but the ground we were all standing on was made of metal. An idea sprang through my head. I told everyone to get on the wooden steps leading up to the tower.

Meanwhile, I walked onto the metal plating and let the entire battalion of guards after us surround me as I put my hands up.

I could sense concern from my friends focused on my head, so I gave them a signal, the Fairy Tail sign! A single finger pointed toward the sky was all it took to calm them down.

"Any last words?" a guard asked as he pulled a spear back, preparing to stab me.

"More than I can think of now. I think I'll settle for….you're all idiots." I taunted as I channeled lightning into the floor, conducting to every soldier standing on metal. In this lucky case, it was all but two of them. All of the affected dropped like metal dominoes, and I approached the remaining two, who had become scared out of their minds.

"D-Demon! What the hell are you?!"

"…..Justice." I replied plainly as I shocked one of the remaining two into a wall behind him.

The remaining soldier fell to the ground, terrified. I slowly walked toward him as he scurried backward across the metal and into the dirt. He happened upon a weapon, which he wasted no time in thrusting into my chest.

"Mar!" I heard Wendy shout from behind me. Right….poor girl hadn't seen me get overly injured yet.

I grabbed the spear plainly, and snapped it in two, causing the soldier to tumble backwards.

As he looked at me with widened eyes and breathing that I had only heard during a seizure an old friend had once. The man was terrified beyond rational thought.

"P-P-Please d-don't't kill me!" he stuttered out.

I leaned in close to him, so I could whisper straight into his ear. "No promises." I said as I pulled my hand back, and draped it in lightning.

I didn't even get to lunge forward before the man had screamed at the top of his lungs and passed out! Bloody cowards, all of them!

I sighed and walked back to the group, pulling out the spear head as I did.

When I got to them, I noticed that Lucy was deep in thought, Natsu seemed relieved, and Wendy was shouting at them both for not being concerned for me!

"Wendy, it's alright. I put myself back together, remember?"

"B-B-But, that would have killed-!"

"Anyone but me. Wendy, I meant it when I said I can't die. Bullets, bombs, fire, and ice can not destroy me permanently, I'll just reform and join the fray again."

Wendy was simply staring at me in shock, so, to help her calm down, I ruffled the hair on the top of her head a bit. "I'm not going anywhere, Wendy. Remember that."

Her shock faded, then turned to a smile, then to joyous tears as she hugged my waist. Poor girl must have still felt bad about Cait Shelter.

I lifted her up and told my friends to get up the tower while I ascended like a hawk, touching down by the ship's wheel. Lucy summoned Virgo again and asked her if there was a spirit that knew how to fly one of these things, yet alas, fortune did not favour us. None of the spirits except Leo had spent enough time in our world to learn of an airship's existence, let alone how to fly one.

Cursing under my breath, I looked over the edge of the ship to notice my improvised Taser was wearing off, and we had to go, FAST.

Without thinking, I started throwing levers near the wheel, hoping to get SOMETHING moving! Almost as if it was sensing my desperation, the ship began moving forward!...before a rope attaching it to the platform started pulling, stopping us from advancing.

The soldier's armored boots thundered up the stairwell of the tower as we scrambled to find where the rope was attached, eventually pinpointing it to our lower deck! We had no time left to get down there, the soldiers were already spewing forth from the tower!

I did the only logical thing I could think of, and drew my blade, jumping across the gap between us and the dock, and engaging the soldiers in the choke that the narrow platform allowed me.

The first soldier was a man with a lance, and his first thrust saw him over extend and give me an idea. I stepped into his personal space and knocked his front hand down, colliding the spear with the ground and snapping off the tip. As the tip flew through the air, I let the momentum I gained turn me around, back facing the man, until my right hand could reach around.

I formed a gun with my hand and pointed to his chest plate, letting magic flow through me. Specifically, Crash.

"BANG!" I shouted as the soldiers were blown back down the stairs from the sheer shockwave. Behind them, the tower began to collapse, and after one more Crash blast, it was crumbling outright. The rope swiftly tore itself loose from the tower, and the ship began moving away.

As the floor caved beneath me, I turned and got a brief sprinting start before jumping at the rope as the very floor fell out from beneath me!

I fell much farther than I would have liked, but I managed to catch onto the rope and hold it tight near the end of the free flying length.

After climbing my way up and greeting my friends, even Natsu, who was currently on the deck with his ass in the air, they immediately started pelting me with questions like "Why didn't you just cut the rope? Why didn't you fly to us after freeing the ship? And, my personal favourite, Do you know how to stop this thing?"

In order, my answers were, "Because I was having fun, because I always wanted to re enact a movie stunt in real life, and I have no idea how I STARTED it!"

Needless to say, our "Maiden Flight" didn't end very well. A couple miles out of town, we crashed the thing into a cliff, setting the whole thing on fire when the engine ruptured! I grabbed Natsu and Lucy before jumping off and taking flight, while the cats grabbed Wendy.

I knew I couldn't keep our combined weight airborne for very long, so I touched us down just outside of range of any shrapnel flying from the wreck.

Upon touching down and letting go of my friends, the sudden weightlessness I experienced caused me to flap my wings far too hard, causing them to cut through the air instead of catching it, and sending me head first into the dirt.

After getting up and examining what was left of our "Grand Idea" from a safe distance, I just chuckled and said, "Well, it went better than I EXPECTED!"

"And what were you EXPECTING?!" Lucy shouted.

"Fiery wreck IN town of course! At least we got away from the guards! For now!"

With a collective sigh from my friends, we continued toward the capital on foot, using my natural draw to the lacryma as a guide.

It wasn't long, however, before the guards set upon us with horses, twice as many men as we had seen back in town.

"This is bad…." I thought aloud. I could defeat them quickly, yes, but they were between us and the town, and we were walking across flat plains! If I used that level of force, there was no guarantee I wouldn't hurt someone behind them! If I didn't do that, they would get to my friends before I beat them, and would use them against me, or worse yet, hurt them!

I had no choice in the matter. Our mission was too vital to fail.

I threw my friends behind me, putting myself between them and the oncoming army. Using Crash, I blew a large hole in the ground and told them all to take cover, giving me an idea.

I turned toward the army once more and outstretched my hands, aiming for the ground before me.

"CRASH!" was all I shouted before trenches appeared instantly for several yards on both sides of me, extending in front of the ditch my friends were in.

Alright, step two. "BURN!" I bellowed as the trenches caught fire, causing the horses closing in to reel, and run. The soldiers were forced to abandon their mounts as they became unruly and ran from the scene.

I at last directed the flame to ignite the area directly in front of me, and went Archangel. The fire would protect my friends, I would handle these guards the same way I did the last.

I closed my eyes and slowly walked through the flames, letting my dark form come through the red light bit by bit. When the wall finally lay behind me, I opened my reddened eyes and asked, "Who feels like dying today?"

The nearby soldiers began backing off slightly, fear clearly working. They were likely the same people who tried apprehending us earlier. Calmly, I cracked my knuckles and let lightning course through me violently, causing my body to spark and arc electricity to the ground.

I spied the commander from our previous encounter when he bragged about them not being able to lose, them being on dirt instead of metal this time around, and so I jumped over the crowd to land on his shoulders, grip his head with my feet, and fall backwards, doing a backflip as I went to plow him into the dirt. Once again, an incapacitated commander lowered their morale, though did not stop them.

They began rushing me, to which I replied with lightning and gunfire. A man behind a shield thrust his lance at me, so I dodged to the side of his shield, kicked the top of it, causing him to recoil backwards, and then jumped on top of him, riding the shield on top of him and shooting in all directions, watching the bodies fall.

Even as the soldiers landed their blows on me, I did not slow down for any theatrics. I just let the sight of my form pierced by innumerable spears be the intimidation.

"W-What the hell?! He's not dead?!"

"He's a demon! A FUCKING DEMON!"

"Pin his arms down then! If he can't die, we'll immobilize him!"

A twitch of excitement spread through me. They were getting smart…good!

Sure enough, the next spear that hit me was clean in the muscles and tendons that connected my right arm, causing it to go limp and Ebony to hit the ground. Until I got that spear out, I wasn't moving that arm again!

And sure as the sun, when I reached for it, my other arm felt a brief sting, then fell to the ground, dropping Ivory, and becoming useless.

Shit, shit! I thought, I'm nearly out of options here!

I looked back to the fire wall, proud that it still held true, and happy that my friends couldn't see me right now.

My attention turned to the soldiers before me, I saw one of them come forward with a metal contraption, with four rings attached by lengths of chain and another chain extending from the center. Shackles. Like. Hell.

I smiled a devilish grin as they put the device on my arms and legs, exposing teeth and told them, "You shouldn't have done that!"

"He's bluffing! Just cuff him and let's get him back to the Capital!" a nearby officer shouted as he walked over and yanked on my chain. I did not move. "Move it demon! Your life is over, now accept it!" he shouted as he yanked again. I refused to give an inch. "Alright, now you're pissing me off!" He said as he walked over to me and drew a sort of club, then struck me across the head as hard as he could. I did not budge. Again and again he hit me, and again and again I did not move.

He wound up for what he figured would be the blow to knock me out, and hit me hard enough that my jaw shattered, sending my teeth into the dirt.

"Oh….."I started, "You really, REALLY shouldn't have done that." I said as my voice began to deepen.

"What th-"

Fire surrounded me like a blanket, sending their commander ass over tea kettle backwards, and flared skyward as I roared an inhuman roar. The spears inside of me quickly turned to ash, and the tips to molten slag, falling out of my body.

I grabbed my guns and watched as the chains that bound me warped and fell apart, link by link. I began laughing maniacally as I aimed both my guns down the lines of soldiers, charging power into them.

The soldiers were agape at the supposed "Hellfire" before them, and they were backing off, part from the heat, part from fear.

My guns finally flashed to signify they were holding their maximum charge allowable, so, I crossed my arms, putting my guns horizontally over each other, aiming right down the middle of the soldier's lines. Remembering the town, I crouched down and aimed upward, hoping to go right over it.

"CHARGE SHOT: MAXIMUM!" I shouted as the bullets tore from my guns, sending my arms over my head in recoil. The bullets themselves combined into one gigantic mass shortly after they were fired, and ripped through the enemy lines. The shot was black as night, roughly the size of a large boulder, and had ten times as much stopping power. People who were nowhere near the shot passed out from the sheer power. The lane it travelled, however, was cleared completely. The soldiers were either blown all the way back to town or off to the sides.

I paid close attention as the flames surrounding me subsided, watching the shot as it travelled through town. It hit a single building, just skimming the top, but otherwise shot into the sky, and exploded in a gorgeous display.

I holstered my guns and watched as any remaining soldiers turned tail and booked it, causing me to laugh.

I dispelled Archangel and let the flames protecting my friends fade, then ran over to them to ensure their safety. Of course, Lucy's first statement went something along the lines of "Mar! Are you o-WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED UP HERE?!"

Looking back at the destruction, I rubbed the back of my head in embarrassment. The shot had actually left a half circle trench dug four feet in the ground leading from where I fired it right to the outskirts of town! Combined with the soldiers littering the ground in piles, it WAS a pretty different place than it was just a few minutes ago!

"I got carried away?" I said with an innocent smile.

As we recovered ourselves and continued on, we began to hear the sound of a revving motor, and turned just in time to see a car skid to a stop next to us, and the doors fly open. A voice from inside said, "I'm not even going to ASK what happened back there, but get in! I'm from Fairy Tail!

Lucy ran around the other side of the car and got into the passenger seat as I helped Wendy in the back before crawling in myself. When Natsu seemed hesitant, I just reached out, grabbed his arm, and yanked him in. Once the cats were secure, I told the driver to punch it.

We tore away from the scene of my stand as fast as the car would allow, and once we were clear of sight, I breathed a sigh of relief and talked to the driver.

"Thanks, that could have gotten a lot worse if you didn't show up when you did. What's your name?"

"Natsu! Natsu Dragneel!" He replied cheerily.

"Hang on, wha-" In that instant, I caught a glimpse of the man's face. Sure enough, he wasn't lying! Edo Natsu was driving! A car of all things!

I couldn't help but crack a smile at the sheer irony, and I looked back at my own Natsu, sick as a dog beside me.

"Good to meet you Edo Natsu! I'm the Earthland Mar, and these are Lucy and OUR Natsu. I wouldn't talk to yourself right now though."

"Why? What's w-" he started to ask as he adjusted his rear view. "Oh. Yikes. Motion sickness?"

"Motion sickness."

"Nasty. Oh! Lucy told me to tell you guys something when I caught up! Fairy Tail will be with you when the time comes, count on it!"

"And that explains how you found us, but how did you find us so fast? There's no way Lucy got back to Fairy Tail earlier than a few hours ago!"

"ONE hour ago, actually!" He replied with a smirk.

"Then ho-"

"I broke a LOT of speed limits is how."

We laughed at Edo Natsu's joke, and sighed with relief that we had Fairy Tail watching us if things got hairy. When we finally pulled up just outside of the royal city, we hopped out, thanking Edo Natsu, and wishing him the best of luck. He smiled back at us as we hauled his counterpart out of the back and then he sped off, back to join his friends for their assault.

Natsu recovered upon hitting the ground and asked me, "What did...I...the other me mean by 'They'll be with us?'"

"Ladies, gentlemen, we are officially Edolas revolutionaries. We are going to topple this king who thinks it is OK to steal our friends, our families, and our homes. Carla, lead everyone through that tunnel you told me about, I'm going to cause an absolute stink in town, get the public with us, and when the king retreats to his quarters? Grab him. See if he has any way to turn our friends back to normal, because honestly? I don't think my power alone will be enough."

Lucy perked up at this and said, "Gemini! I could use Gemini!"

"Gemeni...the twins?" I replied.

"Yep! They can copy a person exactly, down to even their memories! If they can get even one hand on the king, we'll be golden!"

"Good plan, now go!" I said as I took off my new trench coat and began flying.

I scanned the city, looking for signs of festivity, eventually coming across a massive road in town that was clear on one side. I stuck to the shadows and followed the road, eventually coming across a humungous lacryma on a float moving down the street, and a man giving a speech in front of it. The King, I figured.

I listened in, curious to see what kind of lie he was feeding these people. As I slipped my coat back on, I heard him say, "This is our new power! This lacryma was granted to us by your very own god king! With Anima at our side, we will forever be basked in glorious Magic!"

He couldn't have taken any more than ten seconds with those lines, and I already hated him. I began to walk out of the shadow just in time to see him strike the lacryma, breaking a piece off. "ETERNAL MAGIC!" he shouted.

I felt my heart beat as the blue crystal fell to the ground. That bastard just struck my friends! My family! MY VERY HOME TOWN! He knew, and he didn't care!

That was the end of my patience. I forced my way through the crowd, and onto the street in front of the float.

"Get this idiot out of the road, he's blocking the parade!" the King barked as two guards ran out and grabbed my arms.

I slipped my hands through the sleeves of the coat, leaving them holding it as I slipped out, drew my guns, and shot both of them in the face, taking them down. The crowd began screaming before I fired a shot in the air to shut everyone up.

"Listen to me, people of Edolas!"

"Someone, seize h-"

*BANG!*

My shot destroyed the podium the King was standing at, and sent him backwards.

"YOU shut your lying mouth!" I shouted. "People of Edolas, you have been deceived!" I roared as the crowd began to pay me attention, even in the forms of rocks hastily thrown. I took every blow with patience.

"This man tells you that he gets these lacryma from Earthland, from MY WORLD!" The announcement of my origin temporarily stopped the stones from being thrown, like if the crowd suddenly became more inclined to listen.

"This much is true, but I can guess he has FAILED to tell you what PART of my world they come from!" I said as I began marching up the float in front of me, toward the lacryma.

"What are you idiots doing?! SOMEONE ARRE-"

"Take a hike, your highness." I said before grabbing him by his regal coat and throwing him into the crowd, where he was caught.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Behold the truth! Behold what you have been sacrificing for your own gain! What your King has made you do!" I roared as I touched the lacryma. Here goes nothing. I thought as I passed Lightning through the crystal.

It began shining brightly, and shrank as it glowed. Down and down it went, until the light was only two figures, passed out on the floor. I smiled as I recognized two of my friends, Erza and Grey! From that moment, I knew the rest of the town would have had to be a truly GIGANTIC lacryma, and I found myself studying my surroundings briefly.

I stood tall, helped my friends to their feet, and bellowed to everyone listening, "These people are living beings! They are my friends! Look upon them now! Grey Fullbuster and Erza Scarlet, two people who were to be sacrificed for your sake! I would sooner die than to stoop so low!"

"Then have your wish!" a voice came from behind me before a dagger pierced my heart.

The King walked in front of me and shouted "This changes nothing! I will give this land Eternal Magic, no matter the cost!"

The crowd fell silent. No booing, and no cheering. They were all simply horrified at what they had done, what they had SUPPORTED! My job was as good as done.

I stood tall, with a smile on my face, causing collective gasps as I pulled the dagger from my back. It was at this point I noticed a familiar face in the crowd. Gajeel was watching me, and I saw him flash a bottle of red pills and a smirk to me when he noticed I saw him. Good man!

"You waited until I wasn't looking. Fitting for the coward that you are, My Liege."

"You! How?!"

"Who cares? People of Edolas! THIS IS YOUR KING! He is a spineless worm, willing to kill if it means he can achieve his goals! RISE, PEOPLE OF EDOLAS! THROW THIS IDIOT OUT, AND BRING AN END TO HIS REIGN OF DESTRUCTION!"

The crowd was again silent for a time, but a murmur started, and that murmur evolved to a noise, which rose to a chant. "DEATH TO THE KING! DEATH TO FAUST!"

Noting that the mob would kill him at this rate, I grabbed him by his regal collar and flew upwards, causing the crowd below to cheer and devolve into the rioting I had hoped for. That would keep the guards busy.

It wasn't exactly the plan we had set in motion, but it was working regardless. When my friends broke into Faust's room, they might find some sort of clue as to how our town could be returned to normal. Meanwhile….I had the bastard himself in between my fingertips, and we were at least a hundred feet off the ground by now, well over terminal velocity.

"Demon! How DARE you try and usurp me! Your friends will be sacrificed one way or another, you can't help that fact!"

"I disagree." I said with a smirk as I stopped on top of a spire, high up atop the royal palace. I then switched my hold from Faust's arms to his throat, and held him over the drop below us both.

"Do it! See if you can ever turn your friends back to normal!"

"Ah, so there IS a way?"

"Ugh!" Faust grunted in response. Clearly, he was feeling a lot more fear then he let on He was getting careless!

"Let's see…..there's a crowd of people down there chanting for your head….and honestly? I want it myself. Which would you rather go out on?" I said in a sadistic calmness as my skin slowly began darkening.

Faust's eyes began to widen in horror as my veins cracked through the surface and my hair was set ablaze. "I'm a lot more of a demon than you know, Faust. Once you die, you will land in MY domain! Then, we can have fun for the rest of eternity!"

Faust's eyes were dinner plates, and he was both sweating and shaking uncontrollably. Terrified. Good.

"Unless…..I could make all of this go away." I said while stroking my chin with my spare hand. "If…If you let my friends and I go. Give me the lacryma, give me the means to turn them back, and I will crush the rebellion myself. You'll stay in power, and you'll have the support of a demon for your next Anima target."

Faust seemed to calm slightly, considering his options. His eyes briefly darted upward, then returned to mine, so I followed where they had looked to find an amazing sight. A crystal, larger than the very royal city itself, sitting atop a floating island! How I had not seen it, especially when flying up, I don't think I'll ever know.

"Ahhhh. My town then? Now, how do I turn it back?"

Faust smiled at me. Damn it all, I had given him too much leverage. "I'll. Never. Tell."

Keeping my cool, I sighed and smiled back. "So close. I guess you won't live to see this 'World of Infinite Magic' then. I'll see you in hell, Faust." I said as I slowly opened the hand with Faust's throat in it.

Faust regained his horror and began screaming as he fell. I waited for a couple seconds, then dove down after him, catching him by the leg less than twenty feet from the concrete below. The crowd began roaring in excitement at the sight, even if I WAS a little darker than I was a few moments before. I pulled him as high as I could and asked, "Willing to talk yet? I don't think I can catch you again. Plus, those people look rather angry."

I could almost FEEL Faust's heart racing as he shouted, "THE CANNON! HIT THE LACRYMA WITH THE DRAGON CHAIN CANNON!"

"Was that really so hard, your majesty?" I asked sarcastically as I pulled him up and flew to a balcony of the palace, dropping him off a little less than gently.

I flew away quickly, not wanting to hear another word from that liar's mouth.

Yet, this chain cannon…no doubt it served the purpose its name suggested, a grappling chain. Yet, why would they want to pull the island? They would have to have something to ram i-

It was here when I noticed another island, smaller than the lacryma island, coming from around the royal castle. Even from here, once I saw it, I could distinguish several different magical energies coming from it.

Horror enveloped my mind. That sick bastard! He was going to ram them into each other! I had to make sure this chain cannon didn't connect to the lacryma island!

I had no time to tell my friends, my actions had likely hastened Faust's plan, and I had to act now! I flew up to the lacryma island as fast as I could, hoping to just turn the thing back manually!

Holy shit that thing was a lot bigger up close. I had absolutely no idea how I was going to release all of it. I just decided to go for it, and I started charging the lacryma with everything I had.

Nothing. I wasn't strong enough. No! I refused to accept that! I tried again, and again, and again, still to no avail. I was sweating and breathing heavily, my wings had even drooped from the exhaustion brought on from over exerting myself, when a voice came from behind me. "Fool. You have no chance, give in!"

I turned to see a rather large armored panther, flying, and carrying a sword at least seven times his size. He swung it at me, slicing through the island like tissue paper.

I took flight as well, engaging the panther in a mid air sword duel. To my surprise, his blows were much easier to counter then I had anticipated, it was like all he had behind his blows were martially trained brute strength.

I locked Yamato with his sword, redirecting the weight away from us both long enough for me to ask, ""Name, if you would."

He smiled at me and said "Panther Lily, yours?"

"Mar Strauss."

"A good name. And a good swordsman too. I kind of wish we had met under better circumstances."

"Same to you!" I said as I broke free from our clash and went on the offensive. He didn't move often to block my blows, the sheer size of his sword saw to that. "Why do you fight Mar! For your friends? Family? They will all betray you some day!"

"Bullshit! The bonds I have forged with these people will last the rest of my eternal life, that much I can see for sure!"

"Keep believing that! I thought the same thing! Before my own nation threw me out for saving the life of a human! My friends and family spit upon my memory, should they even still live!"

I grabbed his sword this time, using its weight to throw him into the ground near the crystal. I pinned him to the ground and yelled in his face, "Bullshit they do! Your friends and family never stop caring, regardless of who you are! Regardless of what you become or what your very nation says about you! You are still their brother, their son, and their dearest friend! Now, I ask you, why do you fight!"

"I fight for my king!"

"Your king is a liar and a disgrace!"

"How dare you!" he yelled while breaking an arm free and socking me across the head.

I stopped his arm and asked, "You don't know what this lacryma is made of, do you?"

"Magic from your world! Magic that you are trying to take back, despite US being the ones in decline! And you're starting a revolution on top of all that!"

"Lily, I am not the fool here, yo-" before I could finish, the island was impacted by something attached to a large chain.

"Ha! It's already started! Code ETD is already started! You've failed Mar!"

"Code ETD! What is it!"

"We are going to ram this island, lacryma still on board, right into my home nation! Extalia will die, and Magic will pour down from the sky, granting Edolas an era of Eternal Magic!"

"You FOOL!" I yelled while punching Lily, "My friends are in there! My family, my wife!"

"What?!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"This lacryma isn't Magic from my world, it's made of MAGES from my world! You are killing innocent people!"

"You lie!"

"I turned two of them back to normal myself! I have seen it with these very eyes!"

"Your voice...it shows no sign of dishonesty."

"Because there is none!"

"Either way, it's too late now, we're already moving. There is no way to stop it now."

"Bullshit there's not! I will stop this! I WILL STOP THIS!" I roared with all of my soul behind it as I flew to the side of the moving island, and began pushing against it with all my might.

I knew there was no way I could do this alone, but I kept trying anyway. My feet eventually made contact with solid ground, I was the only thing between the lacryma and Extalia! SHIT!

As I pushed as hard as my body would let me and then some, my friends joined in. Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Happy, Natsu, Erza, and Gajeel all joined me.

We still weren't enough. The ground crumbled underneath us as the lacryma inched ever closer. I found myself thinking, "This is it? This is how I will finally die? A failure, just as I had been in my last life?..."

It was then that cats, just like Happy and Carla began flying out of Extalia behind us, first in the dozens, then in the hundreds! They all began pushing with us, doing their best to save their home! Their strength of heart inspired me, and I felt a last surge of power welling up inside of me.

"THIS IS IT! NOW IS THE TIME TO CHOOSE! DIE AND BE FREE OF PAIN, OR LIVE AND FIGHT YOUR SORROW! EVERYONE! YOUR FATE IS IN YOUR OWN HANDS!"

My words brought out the strength everyone present didn't know they had, including myself. Magic began pulsing around me involuntarily, giving power to everyone around. The ground behind us seemed to slow in its destruction, and then stop completely! We pushed and pushed, and when we were tired, we ignored it and pushed some more!

A loud creaking filled the air, followed by a gigantic metallic SNAP! I looked below the island to see a joyous sight! The chain had SNAPPED from over exertion, and the island was moving away from Extalia! And then gravity caught up to us.

The cats caught everyone I couldn't before they could fall, and set us down on the solid ground of Extalia. There was heavy breathing and exhaustion all around, but once it wore off, laughter erupted through our crowd! We had done it! Extalia was saved! OUR FRIENDS were saved!

I got my friends to some less precarious footing by the crystal, and as I set Lucy down, it disappeared!

Mystogan showed up behind us, saying, "Thank you for keeping the islands safe while I tore open Anima. Everyone is back in Earthland now, I doubt they will even remember what transpired here, though it will make for a hell of a story."

I was overcome with emotion. I dropped to my knees, then over to my back, a huge grin on my face. I looked over the edge of the island, and I could see Fairy Tail beating back the royal guard that weren't surrendering. We had won. I don't know how, but we had won.

"Thank you Mystogan...Jellal...whatever I should be calling you."

"How about Prince?"

That statement caught my full attention, along with my friends'. We almost simultaneously said, "You're the PRINCE?!"

"Yeah. Hard to believe, I know."

I didn't get long to relax. There was a terrible rumbling, followed by someone yelling "Scarlet!", followed by Panther Lily getting shot in the back. I looked over the edge of the island, noticing Edo Erza riding on a dragon straight for us, along with the remaining royal troops. To my surprise, however, she only tackled her Earthland self off the edge of the island! The dragon buggered off without its rider.

Realising they were in trouble, I jumped off as well, and caught them both, taking them to some nearby solid ground on a big floating island. I knew they were going to fight one way or another.

I turned to Edo Erza and said, "Suicide is a cowards way out, even if it is to take down an opponent."

"I'm aware, thank you for correcting my mistake. Yours will be quick."

I shook my head and flew off, just as the sky begin to run dark.

A large beamed attack flew at my friends, but Mystogan deflected it back to the sender. Before the smoke had time to clear, another beam rang out, and took Mystogan down. I checked his pulse, he was down, but not dead.

I noticed the shape of what had fired at us. A dragon, or at least, something in the shape of a dragon. Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel were already gone, going to fight that thing I assume. I flew down to join them, our friends could handle a few incompetent guards.

I arrived just in time to get in range of a spell Wendy used that she called "Vernier". I immediately felt my body lighten and my muscles harden. Stronger and faster, I soared straight for the abomination, Natsu and Gajeel beside me. We pounded on the thing as hard as we could, until we heard a voice from inside, "Dorma Anim! Fire!"

I recognised the voice. The king was in this thing. Stupid bastard.

Missiles flew from Anim, headed for Wendy! Natsu intercepted most of them, but one was going to make it through, so, acting on impulse, I dashed in front of it and let Crash loose to knock it away with sheer Magical Power. I didn't even use any spells, the sheer force of Crash coming out so quickly knocked it aside.

The action gave me an idea, and I switched back to Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic, then dashed back at Anim.

A second set of missiles was nearly fired, but Gajeel hit them while they were still in their chambers, causing them to detonate IN Dorma Anim. The king lashed out at Gajeel, striking him with Anim's tail, then firing a final round of missiles at Natsu.

I jumped in front of this barrage, and focused Crash's sheer earth moving power into my arms.

"SHINRA TENSEI!" I yelled as Crash deflected a majority of the barrage, but still leaving a significant few headed for Natsu.

Before Natsu could hit them, they detonated around him, enveloping him in fire. I started laughing at the king's actions, he had likely just damned himself.

Natsu ate the flames, much to the king's surprise, and Gajeel was munching on Anim's tail. The king shook Gajeel off and Dorma Anim changed colour, with a massive increase in power to boot.

The tide was swiftly reversed, the king, proclaiming himself, "Bringer of Eternal Magic, King Faust", was beating the hell out of us. Vernier or not, we were getting slaughtered.

Dorma Anim readied a massive weapon, that reminded me of Phantom Lord's Jupiter cannon. I realised that attack could not hit a single one of my friends, or they would die. When it fired, I jumped in front of the massive beam, and let Crash come out in its entirety. I put my arms in front of me, and ignored the pain I was feeling in every cell of my body. I slowly proceeded forward, the beam intensifying as I did. I had Faust scared, that's for damn sure.

"DORMA ANIM! FULL POWER! WIPE OUT THIS PLAGUE!"

The beam easily doubled in strength, and I was forced to my knees by the pressure. The ground cracked around me. I looked behind me, but didn't see what I wanted. Wendy was probably unable to move, and Natsu and Gajeel didn't even look conscious anymore. If this attack got through-!

NEVER!

My Archangel form overtook me instantly, and I began to push back with renewed vigor.

"Finally! The demon reveals itself once more! You will die here, alongside your friends!" Faust shouted as Dorma's arm raised above its head.

I had no choice but to try and catch the arm single handed. Even with my Archangel form, this proved disastrous. My arm splintered like dry wood, though the attack was stopped. Unfortunately, this left the beam time to press against me unbridled.

I was now bearing the brunt of the beam, with only my form between me and my friends. Crash had stopped working, and I couldn't concentrate enough to bring it back!

The beam began to subside, leaving me to drop to my knees, and dispelling Archangel. Looking over myself, I noticed that I was badly burnt, and it was retreating much slower than usual. I was low on magic!

"Even hell spawn will not stop my dream! You have no right to deny this land what it deserves!"

With whatever strength I had left, I shot back, "I have every right to deny what is not yours."

"INSOLENT CHILD!" he shouted as the arm came back around for a second hit.

I don't remember the moment of impact very well, but I remember tossing and turning across the dirt, launched by a massive force. I stopped when I hit a stone pillar.

"Ha! Are you REALLY a demon? You were nothing but an annoyance!" Faust gloated as he turned to my friends.

Through my darkening world, I saw a vision. Our struggles in vain, and my friends and family dead, all at the hands of this madman. My past life not atoned for, my mistakes and failures haunting me for my eternal life. But worst of all, I saw my friends in danger, right here, in the present, and I could do nothing of it!

I cursed weakly under my breath. I couldn't even move. I couldn't fight in this state. Was I really doomed to live a second life of regret?

"Don't you DARE give up!" a voice from within told me.

"…..Raiden?"

"COME ON! You've been in worse scrapes than this! Pull through, like you always do!"

"No…..not Raiden…..someone else?…..I can't move…..how can I-"

"Release! Release the power of your Archive! Show them what power an Archangel truly commands! What a SHADOW truly commands!"

"Release…Release…..RELEASE! THAT'S IT!"

A great power surrounded me, blowing the pillar behind me away like a leaf on the wind, and staggering Dorma Anim.

"What devilry-?!" Faust tried to get out.

My body mended, and I stood tall over where I had just laid. My eyes began glowing the gold colour associated with Archive, and I felt myself raise off the ground, suspended by the power rushing from my very soul.

Like releasing Deliora's soul from my Archive had once given me great power, I had made to release another…and another, and another after that!

Natsu's flames, Grey's ice, Gajeel's iron, Wendy's wind, Juvia's water, and even forcing my own lightning to follow suit. All of Fairy Tail empowered my body, sending energy waves through my very bloodstream.

Faust attempted to fire a lesser energy beam at me, and I simply let it strike me this time. The power coursing through me saw it detoured harmlessly to the sky.

"What the hell?!" he shouted in frustration.

Finally, my feet touched the ground, and everything was quiet for a brief second. Even the wind seemed to lay still before one last wave of power erupted from my core.

"UUUUUUUUUUUUURYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" was all the coherent speech I could get out as a golden wave of energy blew outward from my body, covering the entire battleground. Dust flew out everywhere as I felt myself change into Archangel…..and then, even further.

My clothing turned to steel, bladed sections of golden plate armor, and my hair, while no longer ablaze, flew as if the wind was carrying it regardless. Underneath the armor, a hooded undershirt. My wings flew out the back, and increased in size. Able to stretch across my body a time and a half when unfolded.

Finally, my skin, cracked with orange veins as it always was in this state, burst open. Energy exploded outward from my very core, blowing the blackness off of my body. Underneath, my skin was much lighter than usual, with glowing blue lines running across my flesh, though in mystical patterns, and just a shade darker than the sky on a clear day. With these, the scales I adorn when in Dragon Force had appeared.

As the dust cleared, I noticed what that wave of energy had done. My friends lay encased in golden balls of light, protected from any outside contact. Even the dust had not touched them.

Knowing there was no need to hold back with whatever new power I now possessed, I reached into the shirt and grabbed my locket, and attempted to turn it into Yamato. What I GOT, was a little…..awesome.

Yamato appeared for a moment, however quickly began expanding. It grew and grew until I was holding greatsword, single handed. It was a deep yellow in hue, with a ram's head adorning the hilt. Runes we glowing on the blade.

"W-What are you?!" Faust stuttered out.

Without my consent, my body took over and replied, "I am Retribution! Come, corrupt king, face the Justice mete out by Justice himself!"

Dorma Anim fired it's beam attack at me once more, and I simply put my hand up to block it. The energy split when it touched my hand, and avoided my body completely.

As the beam was letting up, I took to the sky and approached Anim at a break neck speed, sword at the ready. Faust attempted to strike me out of the air, so I swung my new runeblade at the oncoming arm, slicing clean through it, and sending the bladed part of the arm flying.

Anim recoiled as I followed my instincts, and threw the runeblade into the sky, going instead for Anim's severed arm. I caught the hunk of metal in mid air, and began spinning it to gain momentum. Before Faust knew what was coming, I slammed Anim's severed arm through it's good one, rendering the metal beast armless.

Anim began leaking fuel at a rapid rate, and I could see the loss of movement in its remaining joints.

I caught my runeblade as it fell back from the sky, and spun it around my body as I turned to face away from Anim. With victory in my sights, I plunged the blade backwards, through the chest of Dorma Anim.

The beast immediately ceased all movement, and I backed away from the machination.

"W-What the hell?! Dorma Anim's systems are-"

"Failing. Stopped. Dead in the water. Everything that made that machine powerful is now being drained into my blade."

"What?! There's not an object in the world that could hold that much magic!"

"In this world, maybe…..but, in MINE….."

"N-No!"

I dashed back across the distance between us, and grabbed my sword. Upon contact with it, I felt a surge of power run through me, grand in scope. All of Dorma Anim's power now rested within me. When I gripped the blade, I swung it and everything attached around and around, and then slid Anim off, causing it to sail into the sky.

While it was airborne, I struck my blade into the ground beside me and began charging the final blow. Within my palm appeared a ball of light, large at first, but it quickly shrunk to half the size of my palm.

Thrusting the ball toward the sky, the newly compressed energy exploded outward and upward, causing a blinding wave of light and energy to crack through the sky, splitting the darkened clouds, and exposing the sun.

By the time Dorma Anim hit the ground, it had been reduced to little but ash, with Faust atop, perfectly unharmed but scared beyond rational thought.

He desperately crawled away from me, doing his best to get away while terrified. It wasn't long before his back hit a stone pillar. Day began to break over us as he begged for his life like a coward.

I felt my blade rise into the air, petrifying the king at my very feet. I wanted to kill him. I wanted him to suffer for what he had done to my friends and my family!

Strangely, Raiden was silent. He did not attempt to force me into doing it, nor did he even voice pleasure at the idea. It was almost like he didn't exist…well, you get the idea.

It was then I heard a voice, barely audible, calling my name in confusion. I turned my head toward my friends, and saw that Wendy was looking to us, though, from this distance, how could I even?...The shields?

"Mar?...No…..don't give in…that's not you…..please…."

Barely even conscious and she was more worried about my mental health then her own injuries. Silly girl. Silly, brilliant girl.

I lowered my arm, and dropped my sword.

"I don't need to kill you." I thought aloud. "Doing that out of rage would pollute Justice with Vengeance. I've won, Faust. WE'VE won."

I turned and walked toward my friends, and as I did, I heard a scraping sound, and that of feet stepping quietly through the sand. Some idiots just never gave up.

"DIE DEMON!" Faust roared behind me as he brought my own runeblade down on my head. The blade stopped dead when it touched my skin, unable to go any further.

I turned casually, causing sparks to emit from where the blade had made contact with my scaled skin. "Thanks." I said calmly, "I shouldn't forget that." I told as I grabbed the sword by its blade and wrenched it away from Faust.

Thinking for a brief moment while looking at the stunned king, I shrugged and thought, "Ohhh, well it couldn't do THAT much harm." Before giving Faust a right hand uppercut, sending him to the dirt, unconscious.

"Worth it." I said aloud before checking on Wendy.

"Mar?..." I heard her ask. In response, I smiled, and dispelled her shield.

"You are a remarkable one, Wendy. If my little one turns out to be half as caring as you, I will be a proud father indeed."

Wendy smiled warmly at me, seemingly drifting off to sleep, before hers, Gajeel's, and even Natsu's eyes shot open, and they shouted at me in synchronous, "MIRAJANE IS PREGNANT?!"

Whoops! I thought. Handled that one with the subtlety of an ox. I couldn't think of any real response, so I just smiled and scratched the back of my head. It was all I could really do!

I felt my body return to normal when my friends got to their feet, yet, the blade and the armor stayed as they were, and my wings didn't shrink down either! I took one of the gauntlets off, and noticed that it was the same as any other armor at this point, no enchantment, no inherent magic, just a fancy paint job and some vaguely gothic inspiration in design. The sword was the same deal, it had lost its hue, and the runes no longer glowed.

I checked to see if my locket was there, and sure enough, it was, confusingly enough. I attempted to transform it, but instead of the locket transforming, my runeblade appeared in my hand, having transported itself from the ground.

I shrugged at the development. "At least I can't lose it." I said aloud, earning some chuckles from my friends.

Soon after, a cat named Nadi came to us, and told us of how Mystogan was planning to throw Anima in reverse, draining Edolas of all Magic, and then take the fall for it, allowing Panther Lily to kill him and become king. The news of Lily's survival was good news to all of us, but we needed to stop Jellal, no matter the cost. He had saved us all, after all!

Natsu came up with the idea we went with, to become villains ourselves, and pretend WE were the ones responsible when Anima began draining the world's magic. Everyone agreed that it was the best idea, since having inborn magic ourselves almost assured us to be sucked through the breach as well.

I began to remove the armor, noting that my coat appeared underneath as I did. I voiced a thought, "I can't participate in the so called 'Destruction' of this world. I ignited the fires of revolution that saved it. You'll have to tie me up. Faust too, we can play him off as a defeated hero. Jellal will have the people behind him, a hundred percent!"

Everyone nodded in response, and tied me GENTLY, to make sure my wings didn't get too constricted.

Our plan went off, more or less without a hitch. We might have done a bit more property damage then what was needed, though. Natsu disguised himself as a demon lord, and claimed he was the one responsible for Edolas' vanishing magic. Wendy, Lucy and Gajeel tore up the streets...and the buildings...and pretty much anything else they could to get the point across. I stayed next to Faust to make sure he didn't try anything or attempt to say anything.

Eventually, Mystogan showed up, and Natsu got into a fist fight with him. No Magic, no fire, no weapons, just a demon and a future king slugging it out. Natsu told me that he rattled off the Fairy Tail Farewell ceremony, and then took a dive when Mystogan hit him one final time.

Shortly after, the Anima began sucking us through the breach, and I couldn't help thinking of Lisanna. I hoped she turned up somewhere close, it was going to be a hell of a surprise for my wife and brother, that was for damn sure.

We woke up just outside of Magnolia, on a green hill overlooking the city. I stood up in amazement, then slunk back to a sitting position, and said to my friends, most of them still regaining consciousness, "We did it! We actually did it! Look! The towns back!"

Everyone got up and looked the same way I was. Before us, in all its glory, was the town of Magnolia, the same as it had ever been. I reached my hand out to Fairy Tail, barely noticeable from here, and closed my fist.

"Now and forever, your guardians." I proclaimed quietly.

"What was that Mar?" Wendy asked.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." I replied with a smile.

My thoughts drifted to the voice that encouraged me when we were at our darkest hour…..it was male, that much was certain, and he certainly sounded familiar, but I just couldn't put a finger on it….

"Hey, what about us?" a voice came from behind me. I turned to see a rather shocking sight, hundreds, if not thousands of winged cats, just like Happy or Carla. Their queen explained that she saw the destruction of Extalia years ago, and as a result, sent over 100 eggs to our side to prevent the extinction of her Exceed race. The idea of a "Dragon Slayer Extermination" was just a cover up so no one would know her nations ultimate fate. She also swore now that they were out of mortal danger, that she would find each and every one of them.

The Exceed left with a final apology, and a hand to paw shake between me and the queen. I admired her specifically. She had such an enormous burden, and she carried it admirably on her single wing.

I turned to Carla and noticed her and the queen looked oddly similar, but I dismissed the thought. I smiled as the Exceed set out, and waved goodbye to them with my friends. Of course, shortly afterwards….."Panther Lily!" I heard Gajeel shout in glee, spurring me to turn toward him. Lily was there alright….although he was a lot shorter and a lot cuter. He had taken the same form that Happy and Carla enjoyed.

"Ah! There you are Mar! Let me ask you something, do you know this person? I found her skulking around the bushes and tied her up." He explained as he yanked on the rope he was holding, pulling a woman into our clearing.

As if fate itself had twisted in our favour, Lisanna lay before us, and wasted no time in getting up, and tackling Natsu to the ground for a hug, taking Lily along with her!

She greeted both Grey and Erza, and recognised Wendy and Lucy as Earthland couterparts of the people she knew.

When she recognised Grey and Erza, Grey started stammering, "D-D-Don't tell me that you're OUR Lisanna?"

"I am." She replied. As Natsu went to hug her again, Erza stopped him.

"Lisanna died two years ago." she stated.

I walked over to Lisanna, and said, "Sis, I think we have some explaining to do."

Erza's face sank into one of shock, "Mar...can you sense Magic in her?"

"That would be telling." I said with a wink.

Lisanna and I explained the whole story, how she was nearly dead, but was instead sucked through Anima around the same time Edo Lisanna fell from a high place, ending her life. Edo Mirajane and Elfman were so happy to see their sister again that she couldn't tell them otherwise, and she decided to live with them. She continued with how our arrival gave her an impossible decision, but one that was made thanks to a "Mysterious Winged Man". And yes, as she said that, she gave me an odd look.

It was then I remembered about my wings, and that I was in Earthland now. I checked to see if they were there, and when they were, if I could be rid of them. Of course, they stuck around. Not that I minded.

Just to be sure I wasn't dreaming, I briefly took to the skies. They were still enlarged from when I had broken my limit, and it made maintaining flight MUCH easier. I could probably carry two people for a long time now!

Lisanna explained she didn't tell Natsu everything while they were there because she didn't want to hurt her siblings. As she began glowing while Anima was taking her once more, she tried explaining, but her Edolas siblings revealed that they already knew. They told her she was very much like their Lisanna, and because of that, she shouldn't let her real siblings cry anymore.

Erza asked me one final time when Lisanna concluded, half-heartedly, with tears of joy forming in her eyes, she asked "Mar, are you sure it's her? This is a lot to take in."

I smiled and replied, "Positive. Now come on, we're headed to a special place."

I lead everyone to the Chaldea Cathedral, where my wife and brother were about to leave.

"Where were you!" Mira said, with a rare note of anger in her voice. She didn't remember anything, that's for sure. Good thing too, she told me something important under a time of stress, she deserved a second shot.

"It's a long story Mira, but the bottom line is, we averted another crisis. We also found someone I'd like both of you to meet. Come on in, sis."

"Another sister Mar? How big was your family?" Mira asked with genuine curiosity.

Lisanna began walking out of the darkness that had concealed her, slowly.

"This one wasn't related to me, Mira." I said with a knowing smile.

As I said my last statement, Lisanna ran forward and hugged both her sister and her brother, tearing up as she did.

Shock gripped my wife and my brother as they stared at the figure. Dumbstruck, baffled, and confused as all hell, they asked slowly, "L-Lisanna! How?"

"I found her in the other world. Like I said, it's a long story. Just enjoy knowing that that woman in your arms right now is your sister."

Elfman even burst into tears here, just as overwhelmed as the rest of us.

I stayed away from the family hug until Mira invited me over, it was a very emotional reunion for them, but I had never met Lisanna before Edolas. I thought I might cheapen the experience for them.

As we embraced, I Mira and Elfman told their sister, "Don't ever leave us again."

Lisanna then turned her head to me and said, "Thank you Mar. Thank you for helping me make the right choice."

I couldn't smile any further then I already was, or I would have. I let my siblings cry themselves silly, then we all got up and went home when it started to rain.

On the way back and once we were home, we caught Lisanna up on the events that had happened since her departure.

The whole time she asked a question only once, and it was almost immediately upon our leaving the cathedral. "Mira, did you really get married?"

She blushed at the question, and slowly answered, "Y-Yeah. Yeah I did."

"Can I ask to who?" she said. I knew she was just messing with Mira now.

"H-How did you find this out anyway?"

"You're wearing a ring." Lisanna said with a goofy smile.

Mira paused for a moment, then turned to me and kissed me on the cheek. "This guy right here. Your new brother's name is Mar."

"Ha! So he did tell the truth!"

"I don't like lying Lisanna." I said rather straightforwardly.

We arrived at home at god knows what hour. Elfman and Mirajane went to their respective rooms and went to sleep, while I told Lisanna of the two new family members she would have when she awoke in the morning. I wore my coat to bed that night, just to make sure the mood wasn't altered by my "New Additions"

Later on in the night, I awoke far too early, and I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. I carefully wriggled out from Mira's arms and went to the kitchen to make some coffee and sit for a while, only to find Lisanna already boiling water!

"Evening young miss. Can I get mine black?" I asked humorously.

I had scared her slightly, so she jumped, almost sending hot water everywhere.

"Jerk!" she said in a hushed yell.

"I love you too sis." I said, earning a warm smile from her. It was right then I saw a bit of her sister in her. They had the same goofy smile. Reminded me a bit of Natsu even.

We sat down with our coffee and continued talking the night away, and it wasn't long before I told her, "You know, they offered me your room so I could stay here."

"But, aren't you married to Mira? Wouldn't you guys sleep together?"

"At the time we weren't even romantically involved. We built a companionship, the three of us, over time. One thing led to another later. Anyway, they offered me a place to rest my head the first night I was in Magnolia, and I just ended up sticking around!"

"Ha!...wait, why would yo-"

"I was a drifter, Lisanna. A homeless, drunken, violent drifter. Your sister made me who I am today."

Lisanna was obviously taken aback by the sudden comparison going on in her head. I guess the way I was now, it was hard to imagine my old self if you never met him.

"I refused your room, instead I slept on that very couch!" I said as I pointed to the living room. "I knew you meant the world to them, and I wasn't going to desecrate your memory. That room hasn't even been entered for any other purpose then cleaning in two years."

Lisanna snapped back to it, "Ahhhhh…..say, how DID you two get involved? I want details!"

"Well, funnily enough, it was after that mission we told you about? The minotaur?"

"Oh, right!"

"Yes, Mira and I got involved that night, it was essentially the boiling point for emotions we had felt since well before minotaur mission. We shared a pretty emotional moment after all was said and done, and I became very close to the family. But, the night me and Mira got together, I remember it well."

"So do I." Mira said from across the room. "Mind if I join in?" she said, sitting on the opposite side of Lisanna that I was on.

"By all means! You can probably tell the story better then I can."

"I invited Mar to my room that night, since we had admitted our feelings. I figured we may as well share the bed, it was a lot more comfortable than the couch! Mar slept in nothing but pajama bottoms that night, his chest was visible for everyone to see. He has so many scars, it's amazing! I'll admit, I kissed him first, and…..well-"

I interrupted with a loud cough, and then stated, "Mind your audience, please."

"You two became intimate that night, didn't you?" Lisanna asked.

Mira nearly passed out and I turned as red as an apple. "Y-Yeah." I stuttered out.

"Mar!" my wife yelled.

"Sorry!"

Lisanna just started laughing.

We told her everything. trips we had taken, things we had done, releasing Mira's Magic, and even making her immortal. Finally, we told her about the aftermath following the Tower of Heaven. How I proposed to her, right on the beach, and how my friends were right there to support me. We told her of the ceremony and how I literally flew my new wife home.

That reminded me of something rather important. I stood up and said, "Mira, I was injured in that last adventure. Help me with my coat please."

Both Mira and Lisanna got up and helped me get my coat off, revealing my wings, attached to my back directly.

"What happened?!" Mira asked.

"I think going through to the other world might have fused the wings to my back. Regardless, I think I'm stuck with them. Not that I'm complaining really, I love these things."

"I do too, Mar. They suit you."

"They really do!" Lisanna said.

"Ha, that's good to hear." I said as I sat back down with my family. "Hey Elfman! You still awake? Get out here!"

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming."

He sat down with us, and then Lisanna and I stood up. "Lisanna? You can start. I think our family deserve to be the first to hear of our adventure in Edolas!"

"You got it brother!" she said enthusiasticly.

We talked through the very night itself, by the time we were done, it was morning.

We all looked out the window to the rising sun, a new day was dawning. A new day was dawning for everyone in the town of Magnolia.