The S-Class Mage Chapter 25: Live Together, Die Together, a fairy tail fanfic

Hey all! This is my first ever Fairy Tail story. Introducing... a tough, confident version of Lucy Heartfilia!

NOTE: Guild Master Lucy now wears Lucy Ashley's manga outfit (except for the shoulder guard).

Credit for story image goes to pl. fairytail. wikia. com and to whoever posted it there.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters!

Faust turned towards the large door as it swung open. "Erza!" He called. "Is it true that you've recovered the key?"

"It was destroyed, but there's no need to worry." The redhead replied, nudging Gray awake with her foot. "This one can create a key."

Faust glanced at the boy in wonder. "He can? "

"He's a mage of Earthland, a friend of the Dragon Slayers." She told him. "He's also behind the disappearance of the lacryma from the town's square."

"That's fine." Faust waved it off. "Hurry and have him activate the dragon chain cannon!"

"Stand, ice mage." The woman commanded Gray, holding up Natsu and pressing a sword to his neck. "Don't try anything funny. You're going to activate the dragon chain cannon now."

Gray grit his teeth in helplessness, before slowly turning to the large machine. So this is the dragon chain cannon. I only have one chance... once I activate it, I can quickly adjust its' aim...

He stepped forward, forming a key in his hand and pushing it into the hole in the control system. I'll have the dragon chain cannon strike the lacryma directly. If I can do that, I will save my friends!

"Yes!" Faust exclaimed as the machine began to hum. "That's it!"

Gray's eyes widened in panic. Shit! How do I re-aim this thing?

"Fire!"

The watching redhead grit her teeth and lowered her head. "This is where it ends..." She whispered. "Now, Natsu!"

Natsu grinned. "Finally!"

The king paled in fear and shock. "W-what?"

"Fire Dragon's..." Natsu charged at the guards with fire around his arms. "Wing Attack!"

Faust watched in confusion as his guards fell to the rampaging boy. "Just what is this?"

"Halt the firing sequence!" The red-haired woman commanded, immobilizing Faust and holding a sword under his chin.

"What is the meaning of this, Erza?" Faust demanded furiously.

Jaws dropped when the woman lit up and her clothes changed into a suit of armor, revealing a prominent Fairy Tail mark on one side of her chest. "My name is Erza Scarlet." She announced. "Earthland's Erza!"

A now conscious Lucy smirked. "That was too close. Thanks for letting yourselves be fooled."

"Change the target to the lacryma." Erza commanded sharply.

"Don't listen to her!" Faust ordered, ignoring his predicament. "Fire immediately!"

The guards exchanged uncertain looks. "Uh..."

"What should we do?"

"This is cowardly!" A lieutenant shouted. "To think you'd take a hostage!"

"And what of it?" Gray scowled.

Natsu gave a feral grin. "We'd do anything for the sake of our comrades!"

Erza's grip tightened. "Do it now!"

"Dammit..." A guard paled.

"Do it!" Another yelled. "His Majesty is in danger!"

"Don't worry about me!" Faust countered. "Fire now! For the sake of destroying the Exceed!"

"Ra-aiming!" A technician called. "New target is the giant lacryma!"

"You fools!" Faust roared. "Are you going to throw away eternal magical power?"

"Scarlet!" A furious woman screamed, leaping at Erza from a high railing.

Erza's eyes widened. "What?"

"Knightwalker!" Faust grinned. The grin faded rapidly when Lucy Ashley blurred out of thin air in Knightwalker's path and swung savagely at her, knocking her off-course. Furious, Edo-Erza changed her spear and blasted Edo-Lucy with a whirlwind, knocking her into Erza and freeing Faust in the process.

"His Majesty is safe!"

"Quick!" The lieutenant yelled. "Change the target back!"

"This isn't over yet, Ashley!" Edo-Erza roared, charging at her two opponents.

"Erza!" Lucy called hurriedly. "Toss me a sword or two, will ya?"

Erza nodded and two swords appeared in her hand briefly, before she threw them to her girlfriend. "Here."

"Thanks."

"Three of you now, huh?" Edo-Erza grinned crazily, staring down the three girls.

"You have the worst sense of timing, Knightwalker." Edo-Lucy spat in retaliation.

"Fire!" Faust shouted and a technician punched the release button, much to Natsu and Gray's horror.

A huge chain tipped with a dragon's head shot out of the machine and slammed into the island with the lacryma, anchoring it firmly.

Gajeel scowled when the ground shook from the impact. "What the hell?"

"Finally..." Pantherlily gave a tired smirk. "The dragon chain cannon's been attached."

"Link complete!" An overseer shouted.

"Smash it into Extalia!" Faust ordered. "Do it now!"

"STOP!"

"You guys!" Coco shouted, swooping into the room on one of the winged monsters. "Get on!"

"Coco and her Legion..." Faust's eyes widened. "Have you betrayed us?"

Coco ignored them and motioned to the others to climb on. "I don't know if the Legion can stop the chain, but we'd better leave now!"

The Legion gave a mighty roar and smashed its tail into Knightwalker, allowing her three opponents to disengage and jump on the creature.

"Scarlet..." Edo-Erza glared furiously at her counterpart. In a flash of rage, she sheared off most of her hair, leaving it barely long enough to reach her neck. "All members of the 2nd Magical War Division, after them! All members of the Legion Corps, assemble!"

"I'll go as well." Faust told the guards. "Prepare the Dorma Anim."

"That's forbidden!" The lieutenant objected. "By article 23 of the Imperial Charter-"

"Prepare it!"

"What is this?" Gajeel scowled. "Why are we moving?"

"This is our military's plan." Pantherlily smirked. "We're going to smash this lacryma into Extalia and destroy them both."

Happy teared up in horror and disbelief. "How... how can you do such a horrible thing?"

Gajeel's eyes narrowed when the island seemed to speed up. "We're going faster now?"

"We can't let it collide!" Natsu roared as the Legion crashed heavily into the island.

"It's no good!" Gray frowned. "It doesn't look like it's going to stop at all!"

"We'll release magic too!" Erza ordered.

Natsu gave a feral roar, sprinting up the Legion's head and ramming his forehead against the island.

"Natsu!" Happy shouted, flying down to themselves.

"Heh..." Natsu looked up and grinned. "Help me out, partner."

"Aye, sir!"

"I'll see ya later, black cat." Gajeel chuckled, preparing to jump after Happy.

The Exceed grit his teeth in anger. "You're planning on fleeing?"

"I won't run or hide." Gajeel countered. "I"m gonna settle things after I stop this island."

"Stop it?" Pantherlily shouted in disbelief. "That huge island attached to the dragon chain? It's useless! There's no way you can do it!"

"After this, I'm bringing you back to the guild, even if I have to drag you." Gajeel looked back and smirked. "Then you're gonna become my cat..."

"It won't work! It's gonna hit!" Gray shouted as the island neared Extalia. "Brace yourselves!"

"Gajeel!" Erza shouted at the new arrival. "Why won't you turn everyone back like you did with us?"

"Because the black cat was getting in the way!" Gajeel shot back.

"Either way, it would take too much time at this point!" Gray came to Gajeel's defense.

Pantherlily watched them in shock, focusing on one figure in particular. "What are you doing here?"

"So you noticed me!" Coco chirped. "I don't need infinite magic... what I want are unfading smiles!"

"What are you blabbering about?" Pantherlily roared at her. "Hurry up and get out of here! We won't be able to stop this island no matter what!"

"I'm gonna stop it!" Natsu shouted in defiance. "Even if it crushes my body, I'll just stop it with my soul!"

Pantherlily took a step back in shock.

Sirens began to ring throughout Extalia.

"The humans are attacking!"

"They're going against Exceed?"

"It seems our visitors were telling the truth after all." A calm, older Exceed observed, standing next to Angel and observing the events unfold. "If the Queen chooses to fight back, I'd rather she did so soon."

Wendy paled when sounds of collision reached them and Extalia shook.

"Everyone!" Charle shouted urgently. "Please listen to me!"

"You're still here?" An Exceed snarled, taking advantage of Angel's distracted state to pick up a rock and throw it. "Damn Fallen!"

Nadi stepped in front of Charle with outstretched arms, taking the hit meant for her. "It's dangerous... to throw rocks..."

The mutinous Exceed paled as he realized what happened.

"These people informed us about the danger!" Nadi began, waving both arms from nervousness. "But no one believed them, and look what happened!"

"I'm not scared!" Someone shouted. "As long as we have the Queen's magic, we'll be fine!"

Nadi opened his mouth to protest again.

"That's enough, Nadi." A sad voice interrupted him. "The time has come."

Everyone turned to a softly smiling female Exceed clad in extravagant robes and flanked by four older Exceed.

"Your Highness!" Nadi bowed before the newcomer. The crowd of Exceed and the visitors quickly did the same, with the exception of Angel.

"Huh..." The woman looked the Queen's robe over with curiosity. "I like your style."

"Thank you, dear." The Queen laughed briefly, before sighing. "Right now, Extalia is in danger of being destroyed. We can no longer decide our fate, and so I have decided on something." She shrugged off her robe and threw a heavy bracelet down, before focusing her magic and showing everyone that she was missing a wing. "And what I've decided is to tell you the truth. I... am a mere Exceed."

Gasps and shouts of disbelief rang out through the crowd. A few Exceed fainted.

"I am not a queen, and certainly not a god. I am an Exceed, just like all of you." She announced. "I have no power to use against the humans."

"I am deeply sorry for hiding it from you." She told the still masses, before turning to her guests. "Angel-san, Wendy-san, and Charle, was it? I apologize to you three as well. Please do not hold any grudges against everyone else."

Angel gave a curt nod.

"Apologize?" Wendy repeated. "What do you mean?"

"It was the responsibility of us elders to create the identity known as the Queen." One of the old Exceed took over. "We're a very weak race and long ago, the humans did many horrible things to us. That's why, in order to protect ourselves, we made the humans think we had some sort of powers. And in order for all the Exceed to regain confidence, we even made Extalia believe in the power of a god."

"Humans who doubted it at first were eventually convinced and came to fear that power." A second elder explained. "However, it was not godly power but part of a bluff we created. For example, the so-called human management is all made up afterward. We aren't choosing which humans to kill since we have no such power. The only power at work is Queen Shagotte's ability to see flashes of the future, including deaths of humans. We made people believe that those people were killed based on the Queen's decisions."

"I'm not feeling much sympathy for you, to be honest." Angel scowled. "A society so arrogant and convinced of its own superiority that it would condone throwing rocks at a child deserves to be extinct if you ask me!" She spat.

"Angel-san!" Wendy protested.

Shagotte looked down. "You're right. It seems that the humans considering us higher beings might have gone to our heads. I have no right to ask this of you, but could you consider forgiving the offenders?"

"Only one tried as far as I know." Angel pointed to an unconscious cat. "I threw the rock right back at him, so consider the matter settled."

"I still have something to say. "Charle scowled. "Whether or not you really have power, you ordered us to kill our friends! That is the truth!"

"Shagotte never gave such an order!" One of the elders protested. "It was probably made up by some human abusing the Queen's existence-"

"No, it wasn't!" Charle yelled. "Strange memories were implanted into me, confusing and muddling up my feelings! You ordered me to carry out the Dragon Slayer massacre before I was even born!"

The Queen looked away in shame.

"N-no, she didn't!" Nadi cut in. "There's a long, deep story behind this!"

"I don't care!" Charle screamed. "I will not forgive her for that!"

"I understand." The Queen took out a small sword and tossed it to the ground in front of Charle, before kneeling. "You are innocent, and yet I hurt you the most. Please judge my sin with your hand. As one who loves both humans and Exceed, you have that right."

She turned to the panicking crowd as Charle picked up the weapon. "Get everyone away from here! I will go down along with Extalia!"

Protests began to ring out.

"We don't want to leave! I'm staying here!"

"Our history is over now, so it's alright for the Queen to explain everything..."

"I want to be with the Queen!"

"No, you can't!" Shagotte objected vehemently. "This country is destined to die!"

Charle grit her teeth. "Don't just give up whenever you feel like it!" She shouted, stabbing the sword into the ground and shocking everyone. "This is your country, isn't it?" She spun towards the Exceed masses. "Can't you do anything without a god or a queen? Even though it was a lie until now, I still lived my life with all my might! How can you give up so easily?"

Shagotte watched in amazement as Charle began to tear up.

"It's ok to be weak!" The Exceed proclaimed. "If we all put our strength together, we can make it! This country will not be destroyed!" She took a deep breath. "This is my homeland, after all. It will not disappear!"

"I will not give up!" Charle screamed, shooting off. "I will stop it no matter what it takes!"

"Charle!" Wendy shouted after her.

"I... I'll go up with her." Nadi announced, spreading his wings and gaining a tearful queen's attention. "Because I love this country..."

"Ngghhh..."

"Stand firm!"

"We're gonna stop this thing, no matter what!" Erza shouted with clear determination.

"It's useless!" Pantherlily roared, watching them. "I'm telling you that it's not something that can be done with mere human strength!"

Happy's eyes widened when Charle crashed into the rock next to him. "Charle!"

"I'm not giving up!" The female screamed. "Fairy Tail and Extalia... I'm going to protect them both!"

"Waaah!" Nadi wailed, smashing into the hard rock headfirst.

"You..."

"I want to protect it too." The official explained as a horde of Exceed closed in on them, the one who threw the first rock now carrying Wendy as he flew. "And I'm sure everyone else does, too."

Pantherlily watched in shock as more Exceed than he knew existed shot towards the lacryma.

"One should protect one's own country!"

"For the sake of the Queen who gave so much to protect this country and its' people!"

"Everyone!" Wendy shouted. "Let's do something about this!"

"Yeah!"

"Shagotte!" One of the advisors exclaimed, watching the Queen struggle to keep up. "It's impossible with one wing!"

Shagotte shook her head defiantly. "We've got to do all we can!"

From below, the farmer Exceed and his wife were staring at the scene in shock.

"Kaah!" Is this some kind of dream?"

The female rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "Extalia... was unified?"

Pantherlily's gaze softened as he watched his people flock towards the chained island and push against it.

"Lily!" The chiding voice of an elder resounded throughout the throne room. "Why have you saved a human child?"

"It was badly wounded..." Pantherlily explained, kneeling before a sad Shagotte and her advisors.

"Idiot!" The same old Exceed snapped. "How inappropriate, bringing something like that to Extalia!"

"Have you forgotten the law, Lily?" A second advisor asked angrily. "No matter. You are hereby banished from Extalia as one of the Fallen!"

"What?" Pantherlily looked up in shock as the queen grit her teeth and looked away sadly. "For something like this?"

An elder screamed as Shagotte's wing gave out and she began to fall.

"Shagotte!"

"Your Highness!"

Pantherlily swooped over the falling woman, snatching her up and securing his hold on her.

"Lily..." Shagotte looked up in confusion.

"Your Majesty..." Pantherlily started sardonically. "Has creating fate tired you out?"

"I'm sorry." The Queen teared up. "I just..."

"Me too." Pantherlily's voice softened as he began to cry. "No matter how much I may despise it, Extalia is my homeland."

"Lily..."

"But it's too late! Even with this mass of Exceed, it can't be stopped!" Pantherlily choked out. "I'm sorry! It's my fault! I could have stopped the humans!"

"That's ok." Shagotte smiled softly. "I appreciate your feelings..."

"STOP!" Natsu screamed, straining against the rock.

"Keep it up, everyone!"

"Push!"

"We can do it!"

"Shit..." Gray grit his teeth as the lacryma island forced him, Erza, and Lucy backwards.

"We have to push too!" The kind housewife growled at her husband.

"Kaah!"

"Make room!" A new voice shouted. "This is gonna be big!"

The Exceed watched in shock when Angel and Draco crashed into the island full-force, causing it to quake, stop, and began to slowly move back.

"No way..." Lily looked up in shock. "The lacryma's being forced back..."

Everyone pushing the rock was thrown off-balance when the lacryma on top of it vanished and the mass of land became considerably lighter.

"The lacryma... it's gone?" Gray wondered, held up by a similarly confused Exceed.

"But how? What happened?" Lucy asked, unable to understand this new development.

"It's returned to Earthland." A masked man carrying several staffs announced calmly. "I apologize for taking so long, but I was searching for the traces of the giant Anima to re-open it and send the lacryma back. And I couldn't have done it without everyone's strength. Thank you."

Erza gaped up at the man. "Mystogan!"

"Sent it all back?" Natsu repeated hopefully.

"That's right." Mystogan nodded. "Using the Anima once again, the lacryma has been returned to Earthland once again. It's all over."

Cheers erupted at that declaration.

"Lily..." Amidst the celebration, Mystogan looked down at the Exceed and pulled his mask off, remembering a large black cat treating his injury until he healed. This is the life you saved...

"I'm glad to have protected your homeland." He called to Lily.

"Yes..." The army captain nodded with a large smile. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"The Prince has returned!" Coco gasped tearfully, much to everyone's shock.

Pantherlily's eyes widened as a lance of energy tore through his stomach, causing the celebration to stop and everyone to pale in fear.

"Lily!"

"Not yet..." Knightwalker growled, flying towards them and holding her spear in a cannon-like form. "It's not over yet!"

Mystogan looked down at the angry woman dispassionately. "Do you intend to point your blade at me, the Prince of Edolas?" He challenged her. "Erza Knightwalker."

Edo-Erza grit her teeth in frustration.

"I do not think of you as my son." A loud voice boomed around the area. "After having concealed your whereabouts for seven years, you choose now to brazenly return?"

Lucy looked around. "That's the king's voice!"

"Where is he?"

"I am well aware that you were traveling around Earthland and sealing off the Anima, you traitor." The voice continued.

"Show yourself!" Natsu challenged.

"Your Anima plan has failed." Edo-Jellal observed. "There is no longer any meaning in this battle, is there?"

"Meaning?" The voice sounded amused. "Meaning in battle, you say? This is no battle. This is retribution against those who would declare themselves enemies of the king. This... is unconditional extermination."

A huge metallic form made its way towards them slowly. "If you intend to stand in my way, I will erase even you and not leave a single trace behind."

Mystogan grit his teeth. "Father..."

"I am not your father. I am the King of Edolas." Faust countered. "Come to think of it... if I just finish you here, the one closing the Anima in Earthland will be gone. I'll be able to create giant lacryma and try to fuse them with the Exceed as many times as I please!"

"Nothing is impossible before the might of the king!" Faust cackled as the metal dragon stood ready to attack. "The power of the king is absolute!"

"Dorma Anim..." Mystogan gasped. "In the language of this world, it means 'Dragon Knight'."

"So it's got the reinforced armor of a dragon?" Coco asked to be certain.

Natsu stared at the huge machine. "Now that you mention it, that shape is..."

"What do you mean, reinforced armor?" Charle shouted.

"It's Wizard Canceler, a man-controlled armor that negates any magic coming from outside!" Coco explained hastily. "His Majesty is piloting it from inside!"

"Come, my army!" Faust ordered. "Capture the Exceed!"

"Yes, sir!"

"This is bad!" Mystogan shouted at the Exceed. "Run for it!"

"Don't let them escape!" Knightwalker countered, watching as the cats began to flee. Soldiers standing on Legion mounts aimed large beams of dark light at the escaping Exceeds, causing those engulfed in the light to turn into small lacryma with two points resembling cat ears.

"Run!" An Exceed panicked. "If you get caught you'll get turned into a lacryma!"

"Everyone retreat!" Shagotte commanded as one of her advisors supported her during flying. "Survive!"

Edo-Erza pointed at the escaping cats. "After them!"

On top of Coco's Legion, the mages were having a quick debate. "We've got to protect the Exceed from the Royal Army!" Erza insisted. "Let's go after Knightwalker's group."

Lucy and Edo-Lucy nodded in unison. "Right!"

Gray glanced down at the Dorma Anim. "What are we gonna do about that huge thing?"

"It's useless to oppose it, since magic won't work on it." Coco sighed.

"It can't be avoided. We have to go!" Edo-Jellal declared. "The Exceed are defenseless right now. We have to protect them!"

"Alright, let's go!" Natsu shouted. Coco nodded and nudged her Legion, prompting it to fly after the retreating Exceed.

"I will not let a single person escape. Every last one of you will perish here!" Faust yelled, shooting a huge beam of magic at them. "Disappear!"

Mystogan swooped down towards the attack, spreading his staffs in a semi-circle as he did so. The attack crashed into a protective barrier, unable to get past it.

"Mystogan!" Erza shouted after the man.

"Mystogan?" Faust grinned crazily."Is that your name in Earthland, Jellal?"

"Erza!" Edo-Jellal yelled back. "Go now, while you have the chance!"

He glanced back at the attack slowly destroying his barrier. "Three-Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water!" He intoned, causing a new magic circle to deflect the beam of energy back at the Dorma Anim.

"Magic doesn't work on the Dorma Anim!" Faust cackled, emerging from the resulting smoke unharmed and shooting Mystogan out of the sky with a second attack. Erza screamed in fear as Edo-Jellal crashed into a forest below them.

"Crawling on the ground suits you!" Faust laughed maniacally. "You should die on the ground, just like that!" The machine turned towards Coco's Legion. "You bastards are next!"

A fiery fist smashed into one of the mechanical dragon's heads, knocking it into the ground. A clang of metal on metal later and the second head was knocked off-course.

"What?" Faust growled in disbelief. "Who is inflicting damage on my magic-proof Dorma Anim?"

"Sky Dragon's..." Wendy took a deep breath. "Roar!"

Faust screamed as the large dragon was pushed back and skidded several meters along the ground.

"Hey, that's pretty good, Wendy." Natsu observed, smashing a fist into his palm.

"Not at all..." Wendy landed in a crouch after her attack. "You two inflicted more damage."

"You bastard..." Gajeel growled, ignoring the other two. "How dare you touch my cat..."

Natsu looked up at the others. "Go. Protect the cats."

Lucy looked at Erza worriedly. "Will they be alright with just the three of them?"

"Nothing to worry about." Erza reassured her lover. "Their opponent is a dragon. They're the only ones who can defeat it... the mages who hunt dragons... Dragon Slayers!"

Natsu glanced back and sighed when he noticed Gajeel. "Damn... we're fighting together again."

"You brats..." Faust growled, trying to re-orient himself.

"I'll back you up!" Wendy announced, throwing her arms out to her sides. "O swift wind that dashes through the heavens... Vernier!"

Magical auras engulfed Natsu and Gajeel and they shot forward, augmenting their speed enough for them to easily dodge Faust's next attack.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

"Iron Dragon's Club!"

Faust grit his teeth when his scanner beeped, signaling damage. "The Dorma Anim that doesn't let magic go through... it's being damaged?"

"O strength of arms that cleave the heavens..." Wendy chanted. "Arms!"

Gajeel examined his arm, suddenly feeling a lot stronger than earlier. "This is..."

"It's a magic that improves your offensive ability!" Wendy shouted by way of explanation.

"Alright!" Natsu cheered, jumping at the Dorma Anim and smashing it with his enhanced fist, knocking it back again.

"Dam brat..." Faust growled as the machine shook. "Fire: Dragon Rider Missiles!" A score of cylindrical bombs shot out of the dragon towards Wendy.

"Dammit!" Natsu glanced back in alarm. "Look out!"

"I'm ok." Wendy eyed the approaching projectiles calmly. "Vernier!"

Faust grinned when she shot backwards hastily and the missiles ricocheted off the ground following her. "Ahahaha!"

Wendy screamed as the missiles closed in on her, only to get destroyed by Natsu's flaming leg.

"Natsu-san!" She cheered in relief.

"Here's some more!" Faust yelled, opening another hatch of missiles.

"As if I"ll let you do that!" Gajeel snarled, slamming an extended iron club into the opening and destroying the entire set of bombs.

"What an annoying fly." Faust scowled, batting him away angrily. With a grunt, he shot two new missiles at Natsu.

"Natsu-san!" Wendy screamed when the boy charged towards them. "Those are different! Look out!"

Faust laughed as the bombs lit up in mid-air and exploded, engulfing the fire user in two large explosions. His laughter faded and he leaned in to make sure his eyes weren't lying when he saw Natsu calmly sucking in the fire from the explosions.

A sensor beeped, alerting him to a new problem and he glanced back hastily, his jaw dropping as he watched Gajeel eat the tail of the Dorma Anim.

"That one swallowed the fire from the explosions... and this one is eating the tail..." He quivered in rage. "This is bullshit!"

"It's strong..." Natsu observed. "Worthy of being called a dragon."

"Although he's the king of a country, he doesn't have any guards with him." Wendy realized, looking around. "He must have a lot of faith in this machine."

"Heh..." Natsu smirked. "I'm all fired up now!"

This is a Dragon Slayer... All remaining sanity fled from Faust's eyes. However, that's why I must have them... as long as I have them, I can carry out the Anima project once again! He laughed, pressing a large button on the operating console.

"What now?" Natsu growled in exasperation as the Dorma Anim began to shift and change color.

"It's changing..." Wendy whispered.

I'll capture those three for the sake of eternal magical power... Faust's face lit up with gleeful madness. No, they're no longer humans, but weapons! It's plunder! It can't be helped if there's damage on some parts...

"First of all, I'll drain all of your fighting spirit!" He bellowed from the now black machine. "Using the power of the Black Heaven Dorma Anim!"

Mystogan glanced at the scene from behind a tree. "I'm sorry, Natsu..."

"Prince..." Pantherlily grunted. "What were you thinking? You got defeated on purpose just then?"

Edo-Jellal gave him a knowing smile.

"You did it to save me?" Lily asked, his eyes widening in realization.

"How's your injury?"

"This is nothing..." Pantherlily flinched in spite of his words.

"There's no other way but to let Natsu and the others to take care of the Dorma Anim." Mystogan explained. "We have some other business to take care of."

Lily frowned. "Other business?"

"The last thing necessary to do." Mystogan observed."And something I'll need your help with."

"We've caught up to them!" Gray shouted. "It's the Royal Army!"

"But there's so many of them..." Coco was afraid. "What are we going to do?"

"There's no chance but to go there!" Erza declared. "If we don't see this through, the Exceed will be wiped out!"

"I was waiting for you, Scarlet." Edo-Erza observed, hovering in their path.

Erza frowned. "For me?"

"Enough with your creepy fascination with yourself." Edo-Lucy stepped in front of Erza, taking a quick drink of water. "This seems like a good time to settle our differences, wouldn't you say?"

"That suits me just fine as well." Knightwalker shrugged."Either way, I'll get rid of one of you today."

A multitude of attacks crashed into their Legion's underside, causing it to shriek and spiral towards the ground.

Lucy glanced around her and frowned in confusion. "Where's Edo-me?"

Above them, Lucy Ashley had secured a grappling hook around a soldier's Legion and was now hanging on it. "Shall we end this now, Erza?"

Edo-Erza smirked. "Everyone go ahead and land!" She commanded. "I'll handle this one by myself!"

"Understood!"

"You've hurt my Fairy Tail too much." Edo-Lucy scowled, drawing her enchanted swords. "After seeing their Erza, who fights her hardest for her Fairy Tail, you're just an eyesore."

"You, on the other hand, have been a continuous thorn in the side of the one I serve." Edo-Erza countered. "One of us has to go. This eternal enmity won't be over until one of us dies!"

Gray sat up and rubbed his head, wincing. "Something's wrong... where's Erza?"

"I'm here." The redhead groaned, jumping down from a tree. "More importantly, where's Edo-Lucy?"

"She's where the other Erza is." Charle observed, looking up and paling when an attack crashed in between them.

"Enemies?" Gray scowled, dodging another shot. "Where are they?"

"There!" Lucy spun towards a large contingent of soldiers running towards them. "So many... I guess we have to fight again." She sighed and held up a key.

"Eep!" Happy panicked when a beam of light streamed towards him and he barely dodged. A second attack flew at Charle, almost grazing her.

"Bastards..." Gray growled, knocking a group of grunts away with a hastily formed ice sword. "Why are they only aiming for Happy and Charle?"

"We've turned most of the runaway Exceed into lacryma!" A soldier explained. "Those two are the only ones remaining! Surrender and become our country's magical power!"

"I will never become something like that!" Happy shot back, pushing Charle out of another shot's path.

"For your own magical power, you don't care about who you hurt..." Two swords formed in Lucy's hands and she surged forward. "Is this the way of humans in this world?"

"Let's see..." Knightwalker grinned, dodging another swing. "Against your swords and their properties... I think I'll use the magic sealing spear, Rune Save." The weapon in her hand transformed into a long white-gold spear with a yellow glow on its' blade. "Since it cuts through magic, your cloak and weapons will do you no good. You'll just be an ordinary sword user and-"

Edo-Erza screamed in shock when her free arm detached itself at the elbow and fell off, leaving the nerves hanging from the stump.

"Less talky, more fighty." Edo-Lucy chuckled, reappearing safely out of her opponent's range. "Or did you think I'd stand still and listen to you gloat?"

Edo-Erza growled at the blond. "Don't get cocky. One arm is all I need to beat you. After all, you couldn't overwhelm me even with two others of similar strength aiding you, remember?" And with that she charged forward.

True to her word, the blue-glowing lacryma in Edo-Lucy's nerve-cutting sword shattered when Rune Save crashed against it. "One down." Edo-Erza commented, spinning and slamming the spear into Lucy's other sword, causing the red-hued lacryma to dissipate as well as the sword became a normal weapon. "Two down."

"Now who's cocky?" Edo-Lucy rasped out, taking a quick drink as she leapt back. "I don't need a sword that doesn't let you feel pain. I intend to make you suffer as much as possible!"

And with that, the two shot forward and their weapons clashed again.

"Ahahaha!" Faust cackled as his three opponents flew back. "The Black Heaven Dorma Anim is a special armor that multiplies the output of magical power by several times! There's no chance of winning for you guys!"

"Everyone is suffering from lack of magical power..." Natsu grunted, pushing himself to his feet. "And yet you, the king, have so much of it."

"It's natural for a king to charge a national tax from his people." Faust countered smoothly. "Dorma Anim is an ultimate mage weapon that keeps draining magical power from the whole world! Thus, using it is forbidden! For the sake of the world, it's my responsibility to win with it!"

Wendy grit her teeth. "For the world?"

"Tch." Gajeel scoffed. "He says that when he selfishly took magical power from others."

"We joined a guild to live, that's why I don't care about the outside world." Natsu scowled angrily. "But I'll defeat you, for everyone who lives in this world."

Gray's eyes widened when a hail of energy bullets crashed into Lucy and sent her flying back. "Magic bullets?"

Happy screamed when Charle pushed him out of the path of a stray bullet and got hit herself. "Charle!"

"Idiot!" A soldier growled at the shooter. "The Exceed will soon be our magical power! Don't shoot them!"

Erza held Lucy up and took a step back when several Legions landed next to soldiers and roared at the group. "We cannot win here..."

"We're going to die here..." Happy sobbed, watching as the soldiers took out Gray and Coco while Erza retreated, fending off attacks while unable to use her hands. "Somebody help us..."

A seedling sprouted from the ground slowly, before thickening and shooting out at a Legion, crushing its neck.

"What is this?" A soldier shouted, taking a hasty step back.

"A tree..." Another man paled. "It's as if it's alive..."

More branches shot out of the tree, taking out the surrounding Legions and knocking soldiers flying.

"Don't tell me..." A lieutenant yelled in fear. "The ones who always just run away..."

The tree finished rising from the ground, revealing a Fairy Tail flag strapped to its' trunk.

"Let's go!" Gray Surge shouted, wrapped in multiple layers of clothes and swinging an arm in anticipation.

"We don't just keep on running away!" Edo-Levy declared, holding up a glowing wrench.

"Let's show them the bonds of our comradeship!" Edo-Droy added, scowling behind his shades.

"You must be Earthland's Lucy-chan." Sorano observed, holding a med-kit and smiling as she shook Lucy awake. "Sorry it took us so long."

"Sorano..." Lucy smiled back. "Edo-you is over there..." She pointed weakly at Angel, who'd been unconscious ever since she and Draco rammed the giant lacryma.

"Earthland's Fairy Tail is fighting..." Natsu Dragion muttered, holding up what looked like a fuel gauge and trembling. "We must fight too!"

Sorano glanced at Angel briefly, before helping Lucy get up. "Can you stand, Earth-Lucy-chan?"

"Yeah..." The blond woman giggled at the name. "Thanks."

"Put some clothes on!" Edo-Gray shouted at his counterpart.

"Take those off!" Gray countered angrily.

"Look, Charle..." Happy smiled, sitting down next to the unconscious female. "Fairy Tail's come to save us. Our feelings... they're stirring this world up..."

"There are two Grays!" Edo-Juvia grunted, knocking a soldier away with her umbrella. "Juvia's in a pinch!"

Edo-Gray was wide-eyed. "I... I'm so jealous..."

"Huh?"

"Natsu." Lisanna slapped Edo-Natsu lightly, calming him down. "Pull yourself together!"

"Right..." Edo-Natsu gave a shaky smile. "Thanks, Lisanna-san."

"We're the strongest!" Angry Droy announced.

"Shadow Gear!" Scary Jet chimed in.

"Get a grip, you guys!" Tough Levy ordered them. "We have work to do!"

"Al-Al!" The green-haired woman stepped up next to Edo-Alzack.

Edo-Alzack nodded. "Let's go, Bis-Bis."

"Wherever we may go..." Charle smiled tearfully, waking up. "We sure are one noisy guild..."

(AN: In Edo-Erza's flashbacks, the two girls will be just Erza and Lucy. No 'Edo-' prefixes.)

"Cy-chan!" Young Erza Knightwalker ran up to her best friend. "Guess what?"

"Yeah?" The blond turned to the excited girl. "What's up? The Royal Army finally accepted you into their ranks?"

"You're no fun, Cy-chan." Erza pouted. "Must you always know everything that's going on?"

She shook the pout away and took out a letter. "Here, see what they wrote!"

"May I?" Layla Ashley asked, smiling when Erza held out the paper eagerly. "Wow, it says your weapon skills are worthy of a Lieutenant and they're giving you the rank based on that. Congratulations, Erza-chan! I've never heard of anyone becoming a Lieutenant as soon as they get drafted."

Erza beamed with pride. "Jude-oji-san, you wanna see too?"

The kind man shook his head. "No need, I trust your words." He observed. "I heard something about the kingdom planning to ban the free use of magic, though. I suppose you'll be enforcing those laws, won't you?"

"I guess..." Erza looked down. "But I don't want Jude-oji-san and Layla-oba-san to go to jail because they trade magic! So I'll tell you about it as soon as I can so that you can hide!"

Jude burst into hearty laughter. "Much appreciated, Erza-chan."

"Erza Knightwalker." Faust started, glaring at the kneeling redhead. "You have brought dishonor on the Royal Army. You have placed personal feelings before your orders. Tell me, what were you told to do?"

Erza lowered her head in shame. "I was ordered to kill Jude and Layla Ashley for repeatedly breaking the law regarding magic trading."

Faust nodded. "And what did you do instead?"

"I tricked my forces into searching an empty house while I let them escape through the back." Erza muttered, looking anywhere but at Faust.

"I will give you one more chance." Faust decided. "You will go after them again, alone this time, and you will kill them without hesitation. And as punishment for your earlier failure, you are to kill their daughter Lucy Ashley as well."

"What?" Erza shot up, forgetting herself. "But Your Majesty, I-"

"Silence!" Faust boomed. "You WILL do it, or you'll be the one dead! Understand, Lieutenant?"

Erza grit her teeth. "Yes... Your Majesty." She spat bitterly.

"So you're back." Jude Ashley observed calmly, while his wife kept sending Erza sad glances and Lucy cowered in a corner, scared. "I take it the king wasn't happy with us escaping."

"I'm so sorry, Jude-ojisan..." Erza sobbed, her hand shaking as she held a spear pointed at him. "He said he'll kill me if I don't dispose of you!"

"That's alright." Jude gave a deep sigh. "I knew this would be a risky business ever since the king banned free use of magic. I suppose it's only human to place one's own life above those of others. No, what I'm annoyed about is that the king forced an inexperienced teenage girl to kill the only people she considered family." He spat on the floor, before turning to Erza in sad acceptance. "Do it, Erza-chan. And may that monster king of yours rot in Hell someday."

Erza gave a shaky sob and nodded, before closing her eyes and swinging her weapon forward.

"Y-you..." Lucy glanced between a shaken Erza and her parents' bodies in horror. "You killed them... Tou-san and Kaa-san are dead because of you..."

"Cy-chan..." Erza started, only to get harshly cut off.

"Shut up!" Lucy screamed, terrified of her once best friend. "I don't want to hear it from you! You... you're nothing more than a monster!"

Erza froze in shock. "Is that what you really think?"

"Yes!" Lucy shrieked. "What kind of demon would kill those closest to her?"

"I had no choice!" Erza protested. "The king was going to kill me if I didn't do it!"

"Then you should have died!" Lucy shouted, before both girls froze at those words.

"I see..." Something in Erza's eyes changed and she held up her spear calmly. "If that's how you really feel, then I guess we're not friends anymore. And since the king made it part of my mission to kill you too..." She left the rest unsaid.

Lucy paled and pressed herself deeper into a corner as Erza approached. "No! Stay back! Don't come near me!"

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted a monster." Erza asked, slashing at Lucy's throat and causing blood to spurt out. "Well then, I guess you got one." She sent one last uncaring glance at the blond, who was now gurgling on the floor and struggling to breathe. "Farewell, Lucy Ashley." She muttered, leaving the room with a trail of blood in her wake. "Unlike your parents, you will not be missed."

Both fighters were now cut and bleeding sluggishly from several places.

"There!" Edo-Erza spun on the spot and flung her spear out, blocking an attack from an invisible Lucy.

"I see your ring is still functioning." She observed calmly. "I suppose it truly is a masterfully created magical item. Too bad it's wasted on you."

Edo-Lucy frowned. "We're long past the stage of friendly banter, Erza."

"Don't mistake my intentions." Edo-Erza shot back. "Both of us have gone too far regarding the other to just reconcile now. No, I'm just going to kill you once and for all here."

"I'd like to see you try." Edo-Lucy gestured at Knightwalker's stump of an arm. "Taking your arm seems to have made us about even."

"Even?" Edo-Erza laughed. "That's funny. I haven't even used the final form of my Ten Commandments, or have you forgotten?" The weapon shifted into a long and thin spear with a sword-like end. "Saint Spear, Ravelt!"

"That's right..." Edo-Lucy growled. "I made that thing for you as a celebratory gift for making it into the Royal Guard. I suppose it's a small comfort to know you used a different weapon to kill my parents."

"This attack carries ultimate destructive power that'll make all creation tremble." Knightwalker observed. "How fitting that I'll get to use it to destroy its' creator!"

"Oh, you think so?" Edo-Lucy smirked. "You were right when you called my ring 'masterfully created'." She shifted the small jewel embedded in it and the ring began to glow, creating a translucent shield in front of Lucy. "The Light of Sanctuary. That's the true name of my ring. When unlocked, it can create a shield of pure light that nothing can break through."

"You're saying this is your ultimate protection?" Edo-Erza cackled. "Interesting!"

"Bring it!" Edo-Lucy held up her swords in preparation.

Edo-Erza roared as she brought Ravelt crashing down onto Light of Sanctuary. The weapon groaned in protest and the shield bent from the impact, before both spear and shield shattered.

"No way..." Edo-Erza panted, eyeing the broken shaft in disbelief. "Ravelt's been..."

"The lacryma in the ring is useless too." Edo-Lucy scowled and threw the ring away, before the island they were on shook.

"The force of that attack caused the floating island to lose its buoyancy." She realized, wincing in pain.

"Neither of us has any magic power left." Edo-Erza panted, holding her side. "Even so... I'm going to defeat you!" She declared, grabbing the metal shaft of the broken spear and surging forward. Edo-Lucy held up her swords and did the same.

"LUCY!"

"ERZA!"

Blood spurted out across the crumbling ground.

Fighting between the soldiers and Fairy Tail stopped when something crashed into the ground,causing it to shake.

"What was that?" Lucy glanced at the smoke rising from the object, which landed conveniently between them and the soldiers.

"Something fell from the sky..." Sorano observed.

Everyone's eyes widened when the smoke finally cleared. Before long, screams and wails of terror split the air.

"Stay back!" Edo-Erza commanded, noticing several soldiers and mages starting to rush towards them. She spat out a large amount of blood and looked down at the sword rammed through her stomach. "I wouldn't have had it any other way... Cy-chan."

"Heh..." Edo-Lucy smirked, impaled on Ravelt's remains and coughing up blood as well. "It's been so long since I heard you call me that, Za-chan. What brought this on?"

"A promise..." Edo-Erza muttered wistfully, causing Edo-Lucy's eyes to widen in shock and remembrance. "Remember, Cy-chan? That thing we used to always promise each other regarding our friendship?"

"Live together, die together." Edo-Lucy quoted. "I never forgot. I just ignored it, since it held no meaning to me for many years..."

Edo-Erza raised an eyebrow. "And it does now?"

"Well..." Edo-Lucy gave a teasing smirk. "We did get the second part right, didn't we?"

"Indeed..." Knightwalker chuckled grimly. "So we did..."

"Hey, Za-chan." Edo-Lucy started slowly. "Remember that other thing we used to do every year?"

Edo-Erza's eyes widened. "You mean..."

"Yeah." Edo-Lucy nodded. "That."

"I'm so jealous of you, Cy-chan." Erza grumbled. "You have a nice, happy family. I never even knew my parents' names."

"Oh, is Za-chan moping again?" Lucy asked teasingly. "You know you can call Kaa-san and Tou-san your parents, right?"

"It's not the same." Erza objected. "They're not my blood family."

Lucy sighed and walked off, coming back a moment later with a kitchen knife. "Hold out your hand." She commanded.

Erza frowned, but did so. She watched and gave a small hiss of pain as Lucy sliced her palm, leaving a shallow bleeding cut on it. Lucy then turned the knife towards her own palm and did the same thing.

"There." She muttered, pressing her bleeding hand against Erza's. "That's done with. Blood sisters?"

Erza smiled in realization. "Blood sisters." She agreed happily.

"It happens to be today, you know." Edo-Lucy observed, using a sliver of Ravelt to cut her palm open. "A re-affirmation is in order, wouldn't you say? So, blood sisters?"

Edo-Erza gazed at the outstretched bleeding palm in shock for a moment, before using the sword embedded in her to pierce her hand. "Blood sisters." She agreed, pressing it against Lucy's hand.

Edo-Lucy smiled. "Good." She observed, reaching weakly for her flask of water. "I'm glad. I hated hating you... all this time..."

The last thing Erza Knightwalker saw in her life was a drink bottle falling from a limp hand to the ground.

Pantherlily looked around the large chamber. "This is the room that produces the Anima." He realized, following Edo-Jellal to the middle. "Your Highness, just what are you-"

"I've observed Earthland for a long time." Mystogan interrupted him. "Though there's conflict there as well, it's an abundant world. Surely they'll manage to take it all in..."

"You couldn't..." Lily's eyes widened in shock. "No matter the circumstances, that's absurd!"

"There's no other way to quell the conflict of this world. I'll create a new world in which people can face each other properly." Mystogan eyed Lily solemnly. "I'll open a reverse Anima, and annihilate all of this world's magical power."

"Ahahaha!" Faust cackled, looming over three beaten bodies. "Fall to earth, Dragon Slayers! As long as I have Dorma Anim, the ultimate magical weapon, my army will be immortal!"

"Gather more magical power!" He shouted victoriously. "Ye sky, ye earth! Give your magical power to Dorma Anim!"

"Salamander!" Gajeel barked, pushing himself up. "Let's use our breath!" He glanced at Wendy. "You too, kid."

"The three of us at once?" Wendy asked, uncertain.

"We've been holding back since we don't know what will happen." Gajeel explained. "But we've got no choice now!"

"Understood!" Wendy nodded. "Sky Dragon's..."

"Fire Dragon's..."

"Iron Dragon's..."

"Roar!" The three yelled in unison, spitting out a colossal beam of energy at the Dorma Anim and creating a giant explosion.

"Ahahaha!" Faust laughed, having jumped above the attack and emerging unharmed.

"No way..." Wendy shook from exhaustion. "Our three-man roar didn't even hit..."

"One more time!" Natsu roared.

"I will not permit it!" Faust declared. "Dragon Rider's Spreader Cannon!"

A shower of magic bullets fell on them, knocking them flying back.

"This is bad..." Gajeel rasped weakly. "No magic left..."

"It appears you've run dry." Faust smirked. "Once you've run out of magical power, it won't return for a while. You may assume that your treatment will depend on your behavior. Now, come quietly and become the source of my world's magical power."

"Don't give up..." Natsu growled, forcing himself up. "It's not over yet... bring it on, bastard. I am standing right here!"

"Just how obstinate a child are you?" Faust yelled, slamming a leg down on Natsu, who bent under its' weight.

"You idiot..." Gajeel watched the scene with wide eyes. "Without magical power, there ain't nothing we can do."

"I'll summon it!" Natsu protested angrily. "I'll summon up tomorrow's share!"

Faust's eyes widened when Natsu spun and kicked the leg away, knocking the entire machine over. "Don't underestimate Dragon Slayers!"

Gajeel narrowed his eyes. Tomorrow's share...

"Know your place, you little shit!" Faust roared, blasting Natsu away. "Who the hell do you think I am?"

"Looks like we need to join forces..." Gajeel mused, leaping at the Dorma Anim with an iron club in place of his arm. "Our strength... our hopes... we've just got to unite them!"

He rammed his arm through the dragon's foot and turned it into a lock, pinning the machine to the ground.

"Go, Salamander!" He screamed, ignoring Faust's attempts to shake him off. "You're the only one! Do it!"

Natsu nodded and spun in mid-air, turning towards Wendy. "Send a roar at me! Hurry!"

"Got it..." Wendy panted, struggling to stay on her feet. "Sky Dragon's..."

"You impudent..." Faust growled. "Let me go!"

"Like I'd let you go, you piece of trash!" Gajeel shouted in defiance.

"Roar!" Wendy finished, sending her attack at Natsu and causing him to spin rapidly as he charged a flaming fist.

Gajeel grinned crazily. "You punk... using the rotation of the girl's breath..."

Faust paled and his jaw dropped in horror. This is... a fantasy?

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Natsu shouted, tearing a hole through the Dorma Anim and dragging Faust out with him through the back. Gajeel and Wendy grinned when Natsu and Faust crashed into the ground and the large machine collapsed.

Faust looked up at a demonic-looking Natsu, trembling with terror. Those are the things... I wanted to possess?

His eyes widened and he attempted to move back when the three Dragon Slayers seemed to turn into real dragons. "S-save me..."

With one final yelp, he fainted.

"Finally!" Natsu smirked. "We beat the king! Is this what they call 'checkmate'?"

"That's what you say before you take the king, idiot." Gajeel sighed.

Natsu frowned when the earth began to shake. "An earthquake?"

"It's not army reinforcements, is it? You gotta be kidding me..." Gajeel grunted tiredly. "I'm really out of magic..."

Wendy looked up and paled. "That's not it... look there!" She pointed at the sky, where every visible floating island could be seen falling to the ground. "The floating islands are falling!"

Lucy blinked to make sure she was seeing right. "What's going on?"

"It's a disaster!" A soldier shouted.

"The floating islands of Edolas were supported by this world's magical power." Queen Shagotte explained, leaning against a rock. "If they've begun to fall, it can only mean one thing. Shortly put, magic power is disappearing from this world."

Pantherlily watched wisps of greenish energy dissipate into the sky. "Your Highness..."

"This is for the best." Mystogan sighed. "It's because there's magical power that people fight. As such, I will eradicate magical power from this world." He looked up at the swirling vortex of energy. "Using the Anima that I reversed, Edolas' magic power is being swept into Earthland. There it will be vaporized and become part of Earthland's natural ambient magic. For the sake of the new world, I'll destroy the old Edolas."

"Waaah!" A soldier wailed. "Our weapons have suddenly become useless!"

"What the hell happened?"

"Our weapons too!" A random Edo-Fairy Tail mage shouted. "What are we gonna do now?"

Lucy looked up at the vanishing energy. "Magic power is being taken away... what the hell happened?"

Gray Surge held up his rod-like sword. "My... my weapon..."

"Get it together!" Gray ordered him.

"It's all over..." Coco mused sadly. "The world is ending..."

"R-retreat!" A lieutenant shouted, as the army threw their weapons down and fled. "We can't fight if our weapons don't work!"

"The Royal Army..." Sorano watched them flee in shock, ignorant of her own magical weapon crumbling. "They ran away..."

"Hey, we won!" Gray turned to Edo-Gray and scowled, noticing the overdressed boy huddled and trembling.

"The magical power is disappearing..." Edo-Elfman observed in shock.

Edo-Cana flinched. "Magic is vanishing from this world..."

"What are we gonna do?" Edo-Jet wailed, Edo-Droy crying next to him. "What do we do now?"

"It's over..." Edo-Natsu fell back on the ground. "We won the battle, but the world itself has defeated us..."

"This is what we feared the most..." Edo-Juvia looked down. "The exhaustion of magical power..."

Happy and Charle looked around the panicking mages. "Wait a second..."

In the palace, Pantherlily watched as the Royal City descended into turmoil. "I didn't think you'd actually do it..." He whispered. "It's true that there won't be any fighting for a while, but..."

"The citizens are all in a panic. There's no one who could adapt to such a rapid change in the world." Mystogan observed. "That's precisely why they need a new leader. A new king for the new world. A king who can lead a nation trapped in fear and terror to happiness and prosperity."

"I see..." Lily sighed in relief. "As the prince, you'll..."

"No, it's not me." Edo-Jellal smiled sadly. "It's impossible for me, as I haven't walked the paths of this world. And neither do I have the right." He fixed Pantherlily with a stern gaze. "In order to calm the panicked masses, we need a villain and a hero."

"A villain and a hero?"

"The person who exposes the evil responsible for destroying their world and executes it becomes the hero." Mystogan told Lily. "The hero can unite the people and become king."

"And just who are that villain and that hero?" Pantherlily asked, already fearing the answer.

"Surely you've realized by now." Mystogan turned to him solemnly. "I, who have rebelled against the king of Edolas and stolen all of this world's magical power, am the villain. And you, who can bring harmony out of the prejudice and conflict between races, will be an appropriate hero."

Pantherlily stared at him in shock.

"You must execute me, as the traitor who destroyed this world." Mystogan announced. "And then become the king of this world."

"Right before the eyes of the people in chaos, you must execute me, the culprit behind this madness." The prince continued. "As a soldier of the Royal Army, and as one of the Exceed... if I wasn't prepared for the outcome, I wouldn't have done this."

"I refuse!" Pantherlily growled. "That's nonsense! Why do I have to kill the Prince? There's no way!"

"You can do it." Mystogan observed.

"What the hell do you know about me?" Lily roared.

"Though you're an Exceed, you saved my life when I was a toddler." Mystogan responded calmly. "Without being influenced by your tribe, you're a man who recognizes the value of life."

"You're telling me to bear that burden for the rest of my life!" Lily protested.

"You're the only one with enough strength to overcome that." Mystogan told him. "Please understand. Someone has to do it."

"Then do it yourself! You're a perfect choice for king!" Lily shouted.

"I caused the destruction of this world..." Mystogan looked away.

"Yeah, for the sake of hat same world!" Pantherlily loomed over Mystogan in anger. "It's precisely that strong will, which led you to put your own life on the line for Edolas' sake, that we need right now! If you're the one who destroyed this world, then take responsibility for it! And not by dying! By leading this world!"

"The chaos won't be settled that way." Mystogan countered.

Lily clenched his fists. "I'll be the villain then."

The farmer and his wide watched in fear as Extalia began to crumble. "Extalia is..."

The female gasped. "Our house..."

"The house for him to come back to..." The farmer teared up. "Damn... damn it all..."

"After being banished from Extalia I've walked alongside humans." Pantherlily observed. "But in this case, I've betrayed the nation. I have no place to return to. I'll undertake the duty of being executed as the evil behind all this."

"Unacceptable!" Edo-Jellal exclaimed, showing emotion for the first time in a while. "You're the one who saved me! I will not let you die! You must attain happiness!"

"I'd like to say those same words right back to you." Lily countered. "Whichever one of us dies, all it will bring is sorrow..."

"Then how can we quell this panic?" Mystogan grit his teeth. "What a stupid idea this was..."

"Pantherlily-sama!" A guard rushed in. "Terrible news!"

"I already know about the Anima." Lily sighed. "As you can see, we're-"

"I see you've been trying to stop it." The soldier observed.

"No..." Lily shook his head. "That's not what I'm saying."

"That aside, there are people rioting near the castle!" The man explained. "They're destroying one neighborhood after another!"

"Looks like the panic is worse than I expected." Mystogan mused. "We've got to do something quickly."

"Our first priority should be stopping the insurgents." Lily decided.

"Right." Edo-Jellal nodded. "We have to take measures before this spreads any further."

The guard eyed Mystogan in confusion. "Um... and who is this?"

"That doesn't matter right now." Lily declared, leading Mystogan and the soldier out on a balcony. "How many insurgents are there?"

"Three." The man sighed.

"Just three?" Mystogan frowned. "Why haven't they been arrested?"

"They're very strong." The soldier explained, pointing them out. Pantherlily took one look and his jaw dropped.

"Ahahaha!" Natsu cackled, dressed in a ridiculous outfit containing a cape and horns. "I am called the Great Demon Lord Dragneel! I'll be helping myself to all of this world's magical power!"

"What the..."

"Natsu..."

"I've defeated your king!" G.D.L. Dragneel declared, indicating a tied-up Faust. "Though I've decided to spare his life!"
"Your Majesty!" A panicking civilian screamed. "How terrible!"

"Redfox! Marvell!" The Great Demon Lord waved his arm over the city. "Destroy the town, my servants!"

Gajeel grinned and smashed an arm-turned-sword into a building, knocking it down.

"Graarr!" Wendy growled, jumping at a kid out of nowhere and trying to scare him. The effect was amplified when Gajeel appeared behind her and scowled at the confused boy.

"What are you doing?" Mystogan hollered. "Stop!"

It couldn't be... Pantherlily was wide-eyed. They...

"They're the ones who stole Edolas' magical power!" A merchant shouted. "Great Demon Lord Dragneel!"

"We;ll never forgive you!" A mother declared vehemently. "Return our magical power!"

"Nah." Natsu smirked darkly and spat flame into the sky. "It's pointless to oppose me!"

The citizens panicked. "What the hell is that?"

"Fire is coming out from his mouth!"

"M-monster!"

"Stop it, Natsu!" Mystogan ordered, getting everyone attention.

Natsu grinned. "I'm the Great Demon Lord Dragneel." He corrected Edo-Jellal.

"Stop this foolishness." Mystogan sighed. "The king has fallen, there's no further need to attack the Royal city..."

Natsu ignored him and spat out more flames.

"Stop it!"

"I wonder if you'll be able to stop me." Natsu chuckled darkly. "Eh, Prince of Edolas?"

"Prince?" Someone gasped. "Did he say Prince?"

"Prince Jellal?" A woman was shocked. "He went missing seven years ago... is it really him?"

Pantherlily frowned. "Why are they here? Did they figure us out?"

"I told them..." Nadi explained, appearing behind Lily. "I overheard your conversation."

"Nadi-sama..."

"Come on!" Natsu beckoned Mystogan forward. "If you don't, we won't leave a trace of this town behind once we finish."

"Natsu!" Mystogan leapt over the railing towards him. "Stay right there!"

"I'm not Natsu." The boy countered. "I'm the Great Demon Lord Dragneel!"

It looks like they want to make people think of the Prince as a hero... Pantherlily realized. But if they pretend to fall and get discovered, it'll all be over. Could it be... do they intend to die?

"You should get ready too." Nadi warned Lily. "For what we're gonna do..."

"You idiots..." Mystogan scowled, running through a shocked crowd. "I know what you're trying to do, but there's no way it will bring the situation under control."

He thrust out a staff towards Gajeel and Wendy, who stood in his way. "Sleep." He commanded. Magic energy swirled around the staff and promptly shot up towards the reversed Anima, doing nothing to the two Dragon Slayers.

"What's wrong?" Natsu cackled. "You scared without your magic?"

"Tch." Mystogan scoffed.

"You are, aren't you?" Natsu exclaimed, igniting a fist and smashing it into the building he stood on, destroying it. "Magic is power!"

"Stop it!" Mystogan yelled.

"Natsu-san, you're overdoing it!" Wendy protested.

"It's fine." Gajeel held her back. "This way it's set up so that the villain with all the magical power fights the hero, who doesn't have any."

"That's enough, Natsu." Mystogan announced, confronting him amidst the rubble. "I can't be the hero here and you playing dead will not fool anyone."

"It's a showdown!" Natsu grinned, slugging Mystogan in the face.

"Your Highness!"

"That guy's on a rampage!"

"What a farce!" Mystogan shouted, swinging his arm in retaliation. "There's no way you'll fool anyone like this!"

His eyes widened when Natsu easily caught his punch. "You'd better bring it on." The Dragon Slayer told him.

Mystogan grit his teeth and spun, kicking out with his leg and nailing Natsu in the face, sending him sprawling back.

"Good going, Your Highness!" Someone cheered.

"Beat him down!"

"Idiot!" Mystogan chided Natsu. "This is all fake anyway, just stay down."

"Not a chance!" Natsu growled, eliciting cries of outrage as he smashed his fist into Mystogan's stomach. "This is my way of doing the Fairy Tail farewell ceremony. Anyone leaving Fairy Tail has to be taught the three laws."

"First." He slammed a second fist into Mystogan's chin. "You must never, for the rest of your life, reveal any tactics which could prove a danger to Fairy Tail. Second..." Mystogan smashed a fist into his nose. "What was it again?"

"You must never contact past clients for personal gain." Edo-Jellal filled in.

"Yeah, that's it." Natsu ducked under a kick. "Third, though our paths may have diverged, you must never consider your own life to be of little value..."

"You must never forget about your friends who loved you." Mystogan finished as both fighters smashed a hand into the other's face.

"Got it?" Natsu grinned, falling backwards limply. "There's nothing you can't do as long as you have the spirit of the guild! I hope we meet again..." His face lit up in a wide grin. "Mystogan."

"The Prince has won!" Someone cheered, causing cries of joy to erupt around Mystogan. "You're awesome, Your Highness!"

Mystogan frowned when Natsu began to glow. "You... your body..."

"What's going on?" A civilian panicked. "The bodies of the Demon Lord and his men..."

Pantherlily frowned when he and Nadi lit up. "What the..."

"The reversed Anima is removing all magical power from Edolas." Nadi explained. "In other words, those of us with unlocked internal magic, like the Exceed and the Dragon Slayers, are all being sucked into Earthland."

Lily's eyes widened. "What?"

"I think Her Highness was aware of this as well." Nadi smiled.

"It's alright..." Shagotte soothed as the Exceed began to slowly rise. "There's nothing to be afraid of. There's no longer any need for gods in Edolas... we too must bravely take a step forward."

"I guess we're going home..." Lucy observed, studying her glowing body before turning to a similarly shining Sorano. "And you're coming with us too, huh, Sora-chan?"

"Sure looks like it." Sorano smiled and turned to the guild she spent eight years in. "Take care, everyone! I'll miss you!"

"We're being pulled into the Anima..." Charle grunted. "We're being taken out by the Anima because it's taking away all magic power..."

Gray looked over the worried faces of Edo-Fairy Tail members and grinned. "Don't look so disappointed. You think you can't have a guild without magical power?"

He smirked and punched his Fairy Tail mark, before pointing at them. "As long as you have your friends... that right there is your guild!" He announced proudly. "Sorry about stealing Sorano away from you, though."

A few of them actually laughed at that.

Erza turned her gaze off to one side and gave a sad smile. In the last moments of her life, Erza Knightwalker had pulled Edo-Lucy's body in close and held on to her as the islands collapsed. "Erza... I guess you were a good person after all..."

Mystogan watched in shock as Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy put on a show by giving off fake wails of pain. To think even people would get ejected...

"The Demon Lord is getting sucked into the sky!" Someone cried.

"His Highness saved us!"

Your Highness... Pantherlily crossed his arms and smirked. There's no need to rush with changing everything... it's fine to take your time.

Elsewhere, Hughes and Sugarboy were observing the proceedings in awe.

Even if it's at a walking pace, people will take steps forward. Pantherlily glanced at the remaining army captains. You're all headed towards the future, after all.

"So long, Fairy Tail!" Lucy waved as she flew upwards, her gaze focusing on one unaffected friend. "Take care, Angel!"

"You too... Guild Master!" Angel saluted, throwing Lucy her key-ring. "Say hi to Fairy Tail for me!"

Coco saluted. "Bye, Ma'am!" She called to Lucy.

Happy waved at the cheering crowd of mages. "Later, everyone!"

"What are you saying?" Charle scoffed. "We'll never see them again!"

Happy's eyes widened in realization. "Waaah!" He wailed. "Goodbye!"

Pantherlily looked down on Mystogan one last time and smiled. "Farewell, Your Highness."

"Farewell, Lily." Mystogan saluted, smiling tearfully. "Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy... Guild Master, and Fairy Tail..."

His smile faded and he turned to the cheering masses. "I have defeated Demon Lord Dragneel!" He announced. "Even though we lack magical power, we humans will continue to live on!"

A small vortex opened in mid-air and the seven mages and three Exceed fell through it, collapsing in a heap in a large puddle.

"We're back!" Natsu roared, shooting up happily. "We're home!"

"Wait! What about Fairy Tail?" Gray rushed over to the cliff edge and looked down on a restored Magnolia, sighing in relief. "It's back to normal! Magnolia town too!"

"It's too early to celebrate. First we have to make sure everyone's alright-" Erza turned and her jaw dropped at the multitude of Exceed hovering above her. "What the..."

"They're fine!" An Exceed chirped. "We reached Earthland a step ahead of you and flew all around. The guild and everyone in the town is all right!"

"It looks like no time has passed here. No one even realizes they were trapped in a lacryma." Another Exceed grinned. "Earthland is awesome! It's overflowing with magic!"

"How..." Charle watched the scene with disbelieving eyes. "How did the Exceed end up in Earthland?"

She scowled at the cheering cats. "This is no laughing matter!" She declared angrily. "These guys are dangerous! We should return them to Edolas!"

"Now, now..." Sorano soothed her. "Extalia's gone, Charle-chan. Let's leave them be."

Charle frowned. "No way." She snapped stubbornly.

The Exceed exchanges sad glances. "We apologize for throwing stones at you." One of them said. "But we have nowhere to return to... we're going to change our ways. Please forgive us."

"I don't care about that!" Charle shouted. "You sent us to Earthland with a mission to kill the Dragon Slayers!"

"That's right! The Queen stole our eggs!" The farmer added angrily. "Don't you dare tell me you've forgotten! Kaah!"

"We still haven't explained ourselves clearly, have we?" An elder asked, stepping in front of Shagotte. "This is a tale from six years ago."

"We've already told you of Shagotte's ability to see the future." Another advisor said. "One day Shagotte saw an image of Extalia crashing into the ground. In hindsight, it's clear it fell because of lack of magic power, but at the time we thought it was a result of human actions. We realized we would never win a war against the humans, so after talking about the issue, we created a plan to let 100 children escape from Edolas."

"Escape?" The farmer growled.

"We kept it a secret, even from the citizens of Extalia." The third elder took over. "But the official story was that they were deployed to kill beings called Dragon Slayers in a parallel universe. Of course, we had no quarrel with the Dragon Slayers."

"I see..." Wendy gave a reassuring smile. "You just needed the setup."

"If we had spoken the truth, it would have caused panic." The Exceed continued. "Using the humans' Anima, we succeeded in our plan. However, there was one thing we had not accounted for."

"That was your power, Charle." Shagotte sighed. "You have the same power of prediction that I do."

"Eh?"

"But because it activated while you were unconscious, it jumbled up your memories." Shagotte lowered her gaze. "Among the 100 Exceed that escaped, you were the only one with this power. It's likely you foresaw bits and pieces of the future in Edolas, and you probably mistook those impressions for you mission."

Charle paled. "It can't be..."

"Then the rest of us..." Happy started.

"There never was any such mission." Shagotte nodded. "It was truly a misfortune... you created your own imaginary mission."

"We thought it would be better for you not to know about your power, so we said those things to manipulate you." Nadi added.

"It was a stupid ploy to display the majesty of the Queen." Nichiya saluted. "I truly apologize."

"The bluff I used to confront the misfortune facing my people and the humans caused you great suffering." Shagotte spoke again. "No... it caused great sorrow to the families who had their eggs seized. That's why I've surrendered my sword to you. It is not all Exceed who are evil... it is only me."

"That's not true, Your Majesty!" A burly Exceed protested immediately. "You did everything with all of us in mind!"

"We were overconfident in ourselves..." A small female observed. "But since we've made it to Earthland, let's go look for the kids who escaped six years ago!"

"Yeah!" Another cat cheered. "We've got a new goal now!"

"Let's get along with the humans this time!" One of Nichiya's guard decided. "It's a new beginning!"

Natsu looked up at the cheerful cats and grinned. "They're a forward-looking bunch, aren't they?"

"Everyone..." Shagotte wiped a tear away.

"Alright, I'll let it go." Charle crossed her arms and frowned. "But why do I have the same power as you?"

Lucy and Sorano exchanged knowing glances when two of the advisors gave obviously fake coughs.

"I... I wonder..." Shagotte mused, looking away suspiciously.

Happy walked over to the farmer. "Hey, Mister."

"Huh?"

"Don't Charle and Her Majesty look kinda alike?" He asked.

"You think?" The farmer frowned in thought.

"Aye!" Happy nodded. "I mean... like the way they move!"

"The way they move?" The farmer repeated.

"And look..." Happy pointed something else out. "That part..."

"Kaah! What part?"

The farmer's wife tried not to laugh as she watched them unconsciously mimic each other's movements.

"Thank goodness everything ended up alright!" Natsu grinned, shaking his arm Nadi-style.

"Yes!" Said Exceed nodded happily.

"Hey!" Gray laughed, waving his own arm the same way. "It's contagious, Natsu."

"Not you too..." Lucy sighed, not notching that her and Sorano's arms were also twitching.

"That aside, what beauty..." Nichiya spun towards Erza. "What a lovely aroma..."

Erza paled. "This guy..."

"We're thinking of settling down in this area for now." Shagotte told Wendy.

The girl smiled. "We can come see you anytime, right?"

"That's right..." The Queen knelt down and pulled Charle into a hug. "You can see us anytime, Charle."

Charle's eyes widened before she hesitantly leaned into the hug. Warm...

"Come over and play anytime, Happy." The blue housewife told him.

"Aye!"

"Kaah!" The farmer protested. "You don't have to come!"

Happy looked up at the pair and smiled. "I really like your smell, Mister, Ma'am... I wonder why?"

The housewife gasped and her eyes teared up in happiness.

"Kaah!" The farmer exclaimed, blinking back tears. "You're a hundred years too young to be smelling us!"

"Thanks, everyone!" An Exceed shouted as the entire group began to fly off. "Let's meet again. Take care!"

"See you soon!" Natsu waved after them. "Bye for now!"

The farmer turned to Shagotte. "Why didn't you tell her you were her mother?"

"Until we find every escaped child from six years ago, I won't have the right to call myself that." She observed. "Come to think of it, what about you, Lucky?"

"Kaah!" Lucky shouted. "A kid that green couldn't be my son!"

"We can see them again whenever we want, after all." The housewife smiled, supporting Shagotte's wingless side as they flew.

"Marl..."

"Anyway, why... um..." Marl hesitated. "I didn't know your daughter was among the eggs sent off."

"The word 'Queen' is just a title." Shagotte smiled. "Every parent thinks of their child as the most precious."

"Kaah!" Lucky yelled. "You got that right!"

"We should head on back to the guild too." Natsu observed, still shaking his arm.

"I wonder how we're going to explain this." Gray frowned.

"No worries." Lucy told him. "Supposedly no time has passed here, so no one will notice anything amiss."

"But we can't keep quiet about what happened to Mystogan." Erza countered.

"That's right." Sorano nodded. "People will notice Mystogan-kun is missing."

"Everyone..." Wendy sweat-dropped. "Your hands..."

"Wait a second." Gajeel frowned. "Where's Lily? I don't see Pantherlily anywhere!"

"If you're looking for me, I'm over here." A small black cat announced, causing jaws to drop. "It would seem Earthland didn't mix well with my constitution."

"I want to join the guild that His Highness was helping out." Pantherlily pointed at Gajeel. "As promised, you'd better let me in, Gajeel."

Gajeel glanced at Lucy, who nodded.

"You're in." The Iron Dragon Slayer smirked.

"Right. You're the guild master." Lily realized. "That aside, I caught a suspicious-looking person." He tugged on a rope he was holding. "Come."

"Wait!" A female voice protested. "I am not really... anyone suspicious..."

Lucy's eyes widened in shocked recognition when a white-haired girl crashed out of the bushes.

"I'm a member of Fairy Tail too!" The captive protested.

Natsu paled in disbelief. "Lisanna..."

"What's up with this cat?" Lisanna glanced at Lily. "Is it an Exceed?"

"I'm Pantherlily." The Exceed told her.

"Who the hell are you?" Gajeel scowled. "You picking on my cat? Huh?"

"It can't be..." Gray rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing right.

"Lisanna?" Erza muttered in disbelief.

Happy was wide-eyed. "How..."

"Could it be Edolas' Lisanna?" Charle wondered.

Sorano and Wendy exchanged looks. "She got sucked over here?"

"What are we going to do?" Wendy panicked.

Lisanna turned towards Natsu and her eyes widened. "Natsu!" She exclaimed, leaping at him and knocking him over to the ground. "I finally get to see the real Natsu again..."

Natsu looked up at the tearful girl. "Eh?"

"Happy!" Lisanna cried, pulling the cat in a crushing hug. "It's me, Lisanna!" She glanced over him at the others. "Erza and Gray, it's been a long time! How nostalgic!"

She turned towards Lucy, Sorano, and Wendy. "I never forgot Lucy-nee, and Sorano-san I expected to come here... and that must be a little Wendy!"

"Wait a sec..." Gray's finger shook as he pointed at her. "You couldn't be... Earthland's Lisanna?"

The girl smiled sadly. "Yup."

"You cam back to life!" Natsu cheered.

"Aye!"

"Wait." Erza commanded, holding Natsu and Happy back. "You were supposed to have died two years ago!"

"I didn't die or anything like that..." Lisanna looked away sadly. "Two years ago I was on a job with Mira-nee and Elf-niichan... I lost consciousness. I was probably sucked into the Anima at that point. I think there was a bunch of them all over Earthland at that moment..."

"When I awoke in Edolas and found Fairy Tail, I was surprised." She continued. "Everyone was a little different, but there were people who knew me there. In addition, everyone thought I was the Lisanna from Edolas. I figured the real Edo-Lisanna was probably already dead. That's what felt the most different when I entered... Edo-Mira-nee and Edo-Elf-niichan were so happy to see me... I couldn't tell them the truth. I pretended to be the Lisanna from Edolas. It was only made much harder because they all knew about Earthland thanks to Sorano-san, who never hid her origins."

"It was confusing at first..." Lisanna sighed. "But by matching everyone's pace and hiding my own magic, I got used to life in Edolas. And then after two years, six days ago, Earthland Natsu and Happy showed up."

"Why didn't you tell us the truth then?" Natsu demanded, wide-eyed.

"I couldn't say it..." Lisanna looked down. "Even though you were quickly acknowledged by the guild as guests from Earthland, I was too afraid to say anything. I didn't want to make Edo-Mira-nee and Edo-Elf-niichan and the others sad again, so I decided to live the rest of my life in Edolas. But when the reverse Anima took all magic in, I was affected too."

"Everyone!" Lisanna wailed, waving her arms frantically as she began to glow. "It's not what you think!"

A pair of hands reached out and grasped her flailing hand. "It's ok." Edo-Mira smiled sadly. "We already knew."

"Eh?"

"We realized it, but couldn't bring ourselves to say anything." Edo-Elfman pulled her in close. "Sorry."

"You're a sweet girl, just like our Lisanna, who passed away." Edo-Mira observed. "So you can't go on letting your real sister and brother suffer..."

"Mira-nee..." Lisanna wept. "Elf-niichan..."

"Go back to your own world, Lisanna..." Edo-Mira smiled tearfully. "Give our love to our Earthland selves."

"Mira-nee!"

"We should get going, Nee-chan." Elfman observed, holding his umbrella over himself and the crouching woman.

Mira nodded. "Just a little while longer..."

The grave in front of them read 'Lisanna – X768~X782'.

"Mira-nee!" A voice cried out to them. "Elf-niichan!"

The two older siblings turned and watched in shock as Lisanna ran over to them.

"It can't be..." Mira teared up, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Lisanna..." Elfman sobbed, watching as Lisanna crashed into Mira in a hug.

"I'm home..." The younger sister whispered.

Elfman stepped over and surrounded them both with his arms. Mira's sad expression slowly turned into a smile as comprehension set in.

She took a step back and gave a wide tearful grin. "Welcome home."

"Looks like the guild has changed too." Lisanna looked around. "And you're totally different now, Mira-nee. You're just like Edo-Mira-nee now!"

Mira smiled. "Really?"

Lisanna nodded. "But I guess Fairy Tail is Fairy Tail, after all."

"Lisanna's come back!" Macao cheered, one arm around Natsu and the other around Wakaba. "Party!"

"I ain't working today!" Nab announced. "Let's eat! Let's drink!"

"Welcome home, Lisanna!" Jet and Droy shouted, getting knocked away by Elfman.

"It's a happy day, baby!" Bixlow grinned.

"It's truly a relief to see that you're alright." Freed observed, smiling widely.

"Raijinshuu!" Lisanna's eyes lit up. "It's rare to see you in the guild!"

"That's not true." Evergreen countered, spreading two fans and striking a pose. "After all, I am the Fairy Queen!"

Sorano glanced at a distraught Juvia. "What's with the miniature rain cloud over Juvia-chan?"

"The version of you over there..." Gray glanced at Cana and laughed. "I can't... even thinking about it..."

"Spit it out already!" Cana shouted. "You're making the beer taste bad!"

"Juvia wants to go to Edolas..." Juvia muttered, clenching the pillar she was hiding enough with enough strength to make it crack.

Sorano and Wendy nodded in understanding. "So that's what it was..."

"And who are you?" Someone shouted, looking at Sorano.

"I'm Sorano Aguria!" The white-haired woman waved at the speaker. "Angel-chan was Edo-me!"

"So that's why Angel stayed over there..." The speaker mused.

"Being home at the guild is the best after all!" Natsu roared, upending a table.

"So noisy..."

"Is the other Natsu like this too?"

"Ah, well..." Lisanna turned to the one who asked that. "I... I got bullied by Levy." She quoted. "He's more like that."

"Ahahaha!" Someone laughed. "I wanna see that!"

"Sure is a noisy guild..." Pantherlily observed, scowling at the party.

"Everyone thinks that at first." Charle added.

"So everyone here can freely release their internal magic..." Lily mused.

"That's right." Erza nodded, walking up to them. "That's how it is with Earthland mages."

Lily looked up at her in wonder. "Erza..."

"What's important isn't the magic itself, but what's in the hearts of the people." Erza smiled. "Right, Lily?"

"You may be a different person." Lily smirked. "But it's comforting to see just one familiar face around." He glanced at Lucy, who was drinking with Mira and Sorano while Wendy and Lisanna watched them. "Taking orders from someone I considered an enemy in Edolas will be an interesting experience, though."

"Hey, Salamander!" Gajeel jumped over a group of mages. "Girlie! Let's have a showdown between my Lily and your two cats!"

"Looks like you're one of the greats now, Wendy." Lucy deadpanned, causing Sorano to giggle.

Wendy slumped in her seat.

"Sure!" Natsu perked up. "Whatever you want!"

"I tell you this in advance." Gajeel grinned, slamming his forehead against Natsu's. "My Lily is the strongest of the strong!"

"Yeah, well... Happy is the cattiest of the cats, you bastard!"

"Um..." Happy whimpered. "I'd lose in a second, you know..."

"How disgraceful." Charle teased him. "How can you give up before you've even tried?"

Happy perked up. "She believes in me!"

"Stop it." Lily threw a hand out, stopping him. "I may looks like this now, but I was a division commander over there. If you start a senseless fight, you'll just get hurt."

"You're more mature than I expected." Erza nodded approvingly.

"It's they who are childish." Pantherlily countered, before smirking and holding his hand out. "Anyway, let's get along, Happy, Charle."

"Lily!" Happy cheered.

"Hmph." Charle scoffed and turned to the side. "And why are they the ones fighting?"

"Even Gray and Elfman got sucked in." Happy observed, watching the brawl.

"Body upon body, clashing violently together!" Juvia grinned, pulling her fur coat off. "Juvia wants in!"

"Been a while since the last ruckus!" Cana grinned, spinning an arm to warm up.

"Go for it, Natsu!" Nab cheered.

Lucy grinned and flexed her arm, before leaping into the fray. "Bring it on!"

Gildarts laughed, observing the fight from his seat at the bar table. "Your successor prefers entering fights to stopping them."

"It's too bad about Mystogan." Makarov sighed. "Let's hope he's in high spirits over there in Edolas."

"I'm sure he is." Gildarts smirked. "He grew up in this guild. I'm sure he's in high spirits."

Makarov grinned. "Gildarts... you gonna stay in town for a while?"

"I might..." Gildarts swilled his drink. "Why?"

Sorano blinked and picked herself up, looking around at the unconscious and groaning forms of guild mages. "Just how noisy can they all get?" She wondered as Lucy stood up next to her.

The woman's gaze landed on the three Strauss siblings. "Good for them..." She observed. "Wow, Mira-chan looks so much like me..."

She smiled and crouched over Natsu, who was grinning in his sleep. "F..."

"I'd get away from him if I were you." Lucy warned Sorano.

"F..." Natsu grinned, throwing a fiery hand into the air. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

Lucy batted the hand away and smashed her foot into his stomach. "Lucy Kick!" She countered as the Dragon Slayer coughed and bent in half around her leg.

"Seriously?" Sorano watched the scene with wide eyes. "He's that eager to fight people?"

A black-haired teen gulped down a drink of river water and gasped in relief. He frowned when he heard a growl. Turning around, he noticed that a pack of wolves had surrounded him and was slowly closing in.

"You shouldn't come near me." He warned, throwing a hand out in an attempt to make them stop advancing. "Stop. I'm not your enemy."

The alpha wolf leapt at him and the teen stepped back, cowering. Several meters away and in mid-air, the wolf gave a short rasp and fell to the ground, dead. The rest of the pack followed suit a second later.

"You shouldn't come near me." The boy trembled. "It's not like I want to steal anyone's life... this world rejects me."

"I want to hurry up and see you..." He looked up at the sky sadly. "Natsu."

I figured that if both Erza and Edo-Erza can be really strong, then Lucy and Edo-Lucy can be the same way, instead of one being strong and one being weak.

Next time: That Time of Year. That might take me a little while to put up, so please remain patient.

Thanks for reading!