Hey, guys ! Feeling good, I hope. I'd like to apologize before starting as I took a bit more time to write this. To be perfectly honest, I suffered a bit of a writer block at some point, which could explain why this chapter is a bit shorter than usual.

I hope you'll still like it. Enjoy !

Chapter 53 – No more magic

Finally, the fight was coming to an end. After a thorough battle, Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel and Haruto finally managed to defeat Faust, the Kind of Edolas, as well as destroy the feared and powerful mechanical dragon he controlled, Dorma Anim. Natsu, after ripping through the beast, threw the king to the ground as he landed not far from him, his three friends kneeling close-by grinning as the king sat up, his eyes locked onto the fire mage whose magic was still off the chart, the old man eyes' wide as saucer as he realized that he wasn't looking at simple mages, but real beasts.

- "S… Save me…" was all he could utter, shaking as he felt as if he was about to be devoured by four threatening dragons that towered above him before finally toppling over, knocked out by his own fear.

- "KAAAAHAHAHA ! We beat the King !" Shouted Natsu while raising his arms high, laughing like a mad man. "What was it they called this situation ? Checkmate ?"

- "Usually, you say it BEFORE taking the King, Natsu." Corrected Haruto with a smile, Wendy giggling and Gajeel snickering at his comrade. They were all in a pretty good mood, but it was short-lived as suddenly, the whole ground began to shake. "Hm ? An earthquake ?"

- "It… It couldn't be enemy reinforcements, could it ?!" Wondered Gajeel. "You've got to be kidding me… I'm really out of magic, man."

- "Th… That's not it… There…" Said Wendy, looking and pointing at the sky with wide fearful eyes. And indeed, the reason of those shaking came from above, namely from the floating island which were starting to fall raining down on the kingdom.

- "Wh… What the hell is happening ?!" Wondered Natsu, a question everyone had in mind all over Edolas. A question Haruto knew the answer, feeling something happening all around them, his eyes going wide.

- "They are falling because what kept them floating is fading." He said cryptically, making the Slayers look at him, wondering what he meant and encouraging him to explain more concretely. "It's the Magic. It's… it's disappearing from this world…."

- "That's exactly what's happening." Said a voice that cut him and made them all look at the newcomer, which Wendy recognized as she already saw him back on Extalia.

- "Nadi ?! What are you talking about ?"

- "This is the prince plan." Explained the cat, waving his arm up and down repeatedly. "But there is also something else… and I think you might want to hear about it."

/- Meanwhile, with Mystogan -/

Reverse Anima. For Mystogan, there was no other way to solve the conflict of this world. To create a world in which people can face each other properly, he had to annihilate all of this world's magical power and to do it, he decided to open one last Anima, heading the other way, to send all the magic of Edolas to Earthland. And this is exactly what was currently happening.

- "This is for the best." Stated Mystogan as he looked at the Anima doing its work. "It's because there's magical power that people quarrel. As such, I'll eradicate magical power from this world. For the sake of the new world, I'll destroy Edolas this one time." And destroy it did. All over Edolas, every single item working on magic stopped working. The floating island crashed down to the ground, street lights turned off, and weapon stopped working. This meant that the royal guard were now defenseless, the whole army fleeing because of that but they weren't the only one despairing from what was happening. Every single one of Edolas inhabitant began to panic, despair filling their heart as they witnessed their world collapse on itself, an event they all described as the end of the world.

- "I… I didn't think you'd actually do it…" Said Panther, standing behind Edo-Jellal, his whole body shaking. "It's true that there won't be any fighting for a while, but…"

- "I know." Answered Mystogan. "The citizens are all in a state of panic. There's no one who could adapt to such a rapid change in the world. That's precisely why they need a new leader now." As he said that, his face became much more serious, fist balled at his side. "a new King for the new world. A king who can lead a nation in bondage to fear and terror to happiness."

- "I see… So as the prince, you'll…"

- "No… It's not me." Interrupted the blue haired man with a smile, cutting Panther mid-sentence. "It's impossible for me, as I haven't walked the paths of this world and neither do I have the right. In order to calm the panicked masses, we need a villain and a hero. The person who exposes the evil that's plunged this world into chaos, and execute it, becomes the hero. The hero can unite the people and become king." As he said that, Lily's eyes widened, as well as those of a black cat who was listening to them from afar.

- "And just who are that villain and that hero ?" Asked Lily, fearing for the answer.

- "Surely you've realized it by now ?" Explained Mystogan. "I, who've 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 misunderstanding between races, would make an appropriate 'hero'. You must execute me, as the traitor who destroyed this world, and then become the King of this world."

- "I refuse !" Growled Panther, not liking this plan at all. "Why do I have to kill the prince ? There's no way !"

- "You can do it." Assured Edo-Jellal which only unnerved Panther even more.

- "What the hell do you think you know about me !?"

- "Though you're an Exceed, you saved my life when I was an infant." Said Mystogan. "Without being influenced by your tribe, you're a man who recognize the preciousness of life."

- "You're telling me to bear that cross for the rest of my life !"

- "And you're the only one with the strength to overcome that. Please understand, someone has to do it."

- "Then do it yourself ! You're a perfect choice for King !" Proposed Panther, which Mystogan refused.

- "I caused the destruction of this world."

- "You did it for the world's sake ! 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 bear the responsibility for it ! And not by dying ! By leading this world !"

- "The chaos won't be settled that way." Simply said Edo-Jellal. Or was there ?

- "Then I'll be the villain." This took Mystogan by surprise, looking at Panther with wide eyes. "After being banished from among the Exceed, I've walked alongside humans. But in this case, I betrayed the nation. I have no place to return to. I'll undertake the duty of being executed as the evil behind…"

- "UNNACEPTABLE !" Shouted Mystogan, interrupting him. "You're the one who saved me ! I will not let you die ! You must attain happiness !"

- "And I'd like to say those words right back to you." This made Mystogan stop dead in his track, realizing they were stuck. "Whichever of us takes responsibility and dies… all it will bring is sorrow."

- "Then what can we do ?"

The situation was dire and neither knew how to solve it. They were still trying to find a way when a soldier walked into the room.

- "Panther-Lily-sama ! Terrible news !"

- "I already know." Cut Panther, pointing at the Anima. "If it's about the anima…"

- "In fact, it's about something else ! There're people acting violently near the castle, destroying one neighborhood after another !"

- "Looks like the panic is worse than I expected." Said Mystogan. "Before doing anything else, we have to take measure before this spreads any further." They walked to the balcony and could see that indeed, something was wreaking havoc in the city, spreading chaos as it goes.

- "How many insurgents ?" Asked Panther as they reached the balcony.

- "Four !"

- "Just four ?! Why haven't you arrested them ?!"

- "W… Well… They're very strong…"

- "GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !" when that laugh reached Panther and Mystogan's ears, their eyes shot wide opens, finally seeing who was at the origin of this madness. "I AM CALLED GREAT DEMON LORD DRAGNEEL ! I'LL BE HELPING MYSELF TO ALL OF THIS WORLD'S MAGICAL POWER !"

- "Natsu…" Mystogan and Panther were completely taken aback by what they were seeing. Standing on a roof was Natsu, his best demon face on as well as a dark mantle and two obviously fake horns, laughing like madman, people running away from him.

- "I've brought your precious king down !" He then pointed at Faust, who was tied up to what seemed to be a tree trunk, standing next to him. "Though I've seen fit to spare his life, Gahahahaha ! Redfox ! Wizard ! Marvell ! My servants ! Destroy the town !"

Following his orders, his 'servants' began to do as he told. Gajeel, covered in iron and with both arms changed into swords, was slicing his way through the town, having a blast destroying absolutely everything around him. Further away, Haruto, who agreed to play the role as well, was in All Dragon Style, flying around the town setting many houses ablaze, feeling weird doing this kind of things. Even Wendy tried to scare the inhabitants, and she did, but only because Gajeel was behind her to scare them for her. Anyway, they were spreading chaos across town and while Mystogan tried to ask them to stop, Panther's eyes widened, feeling like he just realized something.

- "All who oppose me… Shall be destroyed !" Said Natsu, fire seeping out of his mouth as he tok a deep breath, readying himself for his roar when…

- "STOP ! NATSU !"

Mystogan's voice pierced through the chaos and reached the fire mage, making him stop and turn to look at the palace, imitated by the citizen who finally took notice of the man standing on the balcony.

- "Natsu ? Who's that ? I'm the great demon Lord Dragneel !"

- "Stop this foolishness… the King has fallen, there's no further need to attack the royal city…"

- "FIRE !" Not listening to the blue haired man, Natsu unleashed his fire at the house in front of him, almost charring down people ho stood in the way. "I wonder if you'll be able to stop me… Prince of Edolas…"

Murmur began to rise from the crowd as they all turned to the blue haired man, wondering if this could really be the prince that went missing 7 years ago. While the people began to wonder whether he was the true prince or not, Panther was still trying to understand what was happening.

- "Why are they here ?"

- "I told them." Panther turned around and saw, much to his shock, Nadi standing here, looking up at him. "I overheard your conversation."

- "C'mon !" Meanwhile, Natsu was turning to look straight at the prince, a confident grin on his face. "If you don't come and fight, there won't be a trace left of this town when we're done."

Edo-Jellal was apparently trying to decide on what to do. This was the exact same hero and villain scenario he imagined, but the way it turned out was something he wasn't ready for. Could it really work ? He didn't know. But either way, he had to stop Natsu from destroying the town, so he jumped over the railing and onto the street, running toward Natsu.

- "You idiots. I know what you're trying to do. But there's no way it'll bring this situation under control." He then grabbed his staff and thrusted it at Natsu. "Sleep !" But nothing happened. He had been so perturbated by the situation that he forgot about the Anima who had taken his magic as well.

- "What's wrong ?! You scared without your magic ?" Taunted Natsu as he set his fist ablaze, Mystogan glaring at him. "You are, aren't you ?! Magic is power !" He then slammed his fist on the house he was standing on, breaking it down completely, the house now nothing more than a pile of rubbles.

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

- "It's fine." Said Haruto, standing with the two Slayers. "This is all set to make him look like the 'villain' that got all the magical power, whose confronted by the 'hero' who doesn't have any."

- "That's enough, Natsu." Said Jellal. "I can't be the hero here. And you playing dead won't work on this mob."

- "It's a showdown !" Was al he got as an answer, as well as getting punched in the face by Natsu. Which only unnerved him even more.

- "what a farce ! There's no way you'll fool even one among them like this !" He said as he threw a punch that Natsu caught effortlessly.

- "You'd better bring it on."

Mystogan stayed still a moment before starting again, taking Natsu's advice to heart, spinning on himself to land a revolving kick on the fire mage head. And just like that, the crowd was starting to push behind him, cheering on him, asking him to take down the demon.

- "Looks like the peanut gallery's along for the ride too !"

- "Idiot ! This is all fake anyway, just go down."

- "Not a chance !" Roared Natsu as he punched him in the guts. "This is my way of doing the Fairy Tail Farewell Ceremony." Mystogan's eyes widen at what he just said. "Anyone leaving Fairy Tail has got to be taught the three laws. First !" He then punched Jellal. "You must never, for the rest of your life, reveal any tactics which could prove to be a handicap to Fairy Tail. Second…" This time, it was Jellal who punched him to the face. "…What was it again ?"

- "You must never contact past clients for personal gain." Reminded Jellal as they kept fighting, the blows getting stronger with each new one.

- "And third… Though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might. You must never consider your own life to be of little value and you must never…"

- "Forget about your friends, who loved you…" Finished Jellal as they both punched each other at the exact same time, time that stood still for a moment, before they both staggered back, the pink haired one literally toppling over, a large smile on his face. "You got it ? There's nothing you can't do as long as you have the spirit of the guild ! I hope we meet again. Mystogan."

And with that, he fell to the ground and the crowd exploded. Jellal simply stood there, looking at his friend who was laying there calmly while all around him, people praised him for defeating the demon that took their magic. In the end, his plan worked.

The villain had been slayed but the hero wasn't the one he thought it would have been.

It was him.

Suddenly, Natsu's body began to shine, much to everyone shock. But Natsu wasn't the only one. All of the people that had magic within them began to shine, as well as many Riders, namely the ones who had special abilities like Haruto or Takeru. Even Panther Lily and Nadi back at the castle were shining.

- "What the… What's happening ?"

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

- "What !?" Panther had a hard time believing it. This was clearly not what he was expecting.

- "I think… her Highness was aware of it as well." Said Nadi, Shagotte actually surrounded by many Exceed, all of their bodies shining. Many were afraid of what was happening, but not their Queen.

- "It's alright… There's nothing to be afraid of." She said with a smile while comforting two frightened younglings. "There's no longer any need for gods in Edolas. We, too, must bravely take a new step forward."

- "We're being pulled into the Anima." Said Carla, holding onto a rock as she and the Earthland mages shone and began to feel the pull of the whirlpool in the sky.

- "I see… That Anima is taking all the magical power in Edolas and basically it's kicking us out too." Resumed Lucy. Meanwhile, Gentaro approached Emu and gave him a pill.

- "What is that ?"

- "Something Mystogan gave us." Answered Fourze, gesturing at Sento and Shinnosuke who were gulping one down too. "This will give us temporary magical power so Anima can send us back to Earthland. We wouldn't like to be stuck here, right ?"

- "So… All magical power is really being removed from this world…" Said someone among the Edo-Fairies, looking at the sky with distress in their eyes, which made Gray turned and addressed them.

- "Don't make such sad faces. You think you can't have a guild without magical power ?" Eyes widen among the 'mages', Edo-Gray looking at his doppelganger who was smiling at them. "If you have friends, that right there is a guild."

And then, it began. The Anima grew in intensity and started to suck them all to the sky. Many tried to resist, mainly Exceeds who weren't aware of the situation, but they quickly had to let go. As for Natsu and his 'servants' they all began to pretend to suffer as they got sucked, staying in their 'bad guy' persona as long as they could be seen by the citizens who were all cheering, thinking this was all thanks to their prince who was looking at them go with wide eyes as he didn't expected people to get ejected by Anima. Among them, he saw Panther who was looking down at him with a smile, his arms crossed, both of them understanding that this was probably the last time they saw each other. In a matter of minutes, magic disappeared from Edolas as Anima closed up, letting Jellal alone to lead his people toward the future. Toward a new world.

/- Meanwhile -/

It was raining in Earthland when a hole opened in the sky, spitting out the Earthlanders who landed in a heap, Natsu being the unlucky one who began the pile and as such got crushed by everyone else. They stayed like that for a few seconds before finally getting up, realizing that…

- "WE'RE BACK !" Shouted Natsu, his arms raised to the raining sky.

- "Yeah… But did the town came back too ?" Asked Shinnosuke.

- "It did !" Cried Lucy, pointing at the town, down the hill they were on. "Everything's back to normal !"

- "Well, it's all cool and all, but before celebrating, we must make sure everyone is okay." Said Sento, trying not to jump to conclusion. Then, a bunch of flying cats appeared before them.

- "They're fine. We reached Earthland a step ahead of you so we flew all over and everyone in the town are just fine." Said one, people looking at them all with wide eyes.

- "And it seems like none of them even realized they were turned into a Lachryma." Said another, people still looking at them in shock.

- "Earthland is overflowing with magic ! It's awesome !" Said a third one.

- "How… How'd the Exceed end up in Earthland !?" Cried Carla as indeed, every single Exceed was here, hovering above them with happy faces, Shagotte appearing among them with the Elders.

- "Well, if the Anima took us back because of the magic inside us, then they had to be taken too as they also have magic in them." Reasoned Takeru, which didn't seemed to calm Carla down.

- "This is no laughing matter. These guys are dangerous ! We should return them to Edolas."

- "Come on, Carla." Said Wendy, squatting down next to her friend. "Extalia's gone, too. Let's leave them be."

- "No way." Was Carla's answer, adamantly refusing to let what they did pass. Despite their apologizes about what they did and them begging to let them stay, Carla refused to listen.

- "I don't care about any of that !" Shouted Carla, clearly furious. "You sent us to Earthland with a mission to kill off the Dragon Slayers !"

- "That's right !" Came Lucky's voice from the back of the group. "The Queen stole our eggs ! Don't you dare tell me you've forgotten !"

- "We still haven't explained ourselves clearly, have we ?" Said one of the Elders before starting to explain everything, everyone listening closely. "This is a tale from 6 years ago. We've already told you of Shagotte's ability to see the future, have we not ?" Not everyone did, but they let that slide to focus on what matter the most. "One day, Shagotte foresaw an image of Extalia crashing to the ground. In hindsight, it's clear that it fell naturally as a result of the depletion of magic in Edolas, but… At the time, we thought it would come as a result of human actions. We realized that even if we went to war with the humans, we would never win. After convening a meeting, we established a plan to allow 100 children escape from Edolas."

- "Escape ?!" Repeated Haruto, making many people's eyes widen.

- "We kept this plan a secret, even from the citizens of Extalia. But the official story was that they were send to destroy beasts called Dragon Slayers in a parallel universe." Continued the Elders. "Of course, it's not that we had any grievance with the Dragon slayers."

- "I understand." Said Wendy with a small smile. "It's just that you needed that 'setup'."

- "And if you had spoken the truth, it would have certainly caused a panic." Understood Lucy.

- "Borrowing the humans' Anima, we succeeded in our plan." Continued Shagotte. "However, just one thing occurred that we did not plan for. That was your power, Carla… You have the same power of 'prediction' as I do." Carla's eyes widen as she learned and listened attentively. "But because it activated while you were unconscious, it jumbled your memories. Among the 100 escaped Exceed, you were the only one with this power. It's likely that you foresaw bits and pieces of the future of Edolas and you probably mistook those impressions for your 'mission'."

- "It can't be…" Was all Carla could say, her voice wavering as she realized what that meant.

- "What you're saying is that… she imagined all of those things ?" Resumed Emu, thinking back to how Carla knew all those things, like the way to the castle and how she sounds so convinced when she spoke about her mission. Those were all prophecies.

- "We thought it would be better for you not to know about your own power." Jumped in Nadi, addressing Carla and Happy. "So we said those things to manipulate you… Sorry."

- "It was all a stupid ploy to display the majesty of the Queen. I truly apologized." Added Nichiya to a dumbstruck Carla.

- "The bluff I used to confront the misfortune facing both my people and the humans caused you great suffering." Continued Shagotte. "No… It caused great sorrow to all those families who had their eggs seized. That's why I've surrendered my sword to you. It is not all the Exceed who are evil. It is only me." Silence fell for a few seconds, Shagotte letting her words sink in everyone's head only to get reaction she wasn't really expecting.

- "That's not true, your Majesty ! You did everything will all of us in mind." Said one.

- "We were overconfident in ourselves. We've made It all the way to Earthland, let's go find those kids who escaped 6 years ago !"

- "Yeah ! We've got a new goal, now ! Let's get along with the humans this time ! It's a new beginning !"

- "Everyone…" Shagotte was on the verge of crying as she looked at her people all forgiving her and feeling ready to go onto something else. As for Carla, she was looking at her through squinted eyes, arms crossed.

- "Alright… I'll let it go." She finally said, agreeing to let them off the hook. "But why do I have the same power as you ?" Neither Shagotte not the Elders answered but they were all looking around, looking clearly embarrassed.

- "I think the reason is pretty obvious." Smiled Belt-san, the Riders nodding but saying nothing.

- "Hey, mister." Began Happy, addressing Lucky who was standing by his side in the exact same position.

- "Huh ?"

- "Don't Carla and her Majesty kind of resemble each other ?" Said the blue cat to the other, moving in perfect synch.

- "You think ?"

- "Aye ! I mean… like the way they move."

- "The way they move ?" Repeated Lucky, all happening with Marl chuckling at the two for being so oblivious.

- "Thank goodness everything ended up alright." Said Natsu as he was squatting down next to Nadi, his arm doing the same kind of shaking as the cat.

- "Yes !"

- "Hey ! It's contagious, Natsu." Said Gray, his own arm doing the same thing.

- "This is like some weird kind of disease." Noticed Emu… not noticing his arm doing the exact same thing.

- "We're thinking of settling down in this area for the time being." Finally said Shagotte, Wendy squatting down next to Carla with a big smile on her face.

- "We can come see you anytime, huh ?"

- "That's right…" Said Shagotte as she got closer and hugged Carla, much to her shock. "You can see us anytime, Carla." The younger white cat stayed in shock, before letting herself go in the warm hug. As for Happy, he was busy talking with Marl.

- "Come over and play anytime, Happy."

- "Aye !"

- "KAH ! You don't have to come !" Cut in Lucky.

- "I really like your smell, mister, ma'am… I wonder why ?" This brought tears to the couple's eyes thought they didn't let anything appear.

- "KAH ! You're a hundred years too young to be smelling us !" Shouted Lucky, making Happy run away in fear while Marl wiped her tears off with her apron. Soon after, the Exceed all left, leaving the mages and Riders behind, looking at them fly away to find themselves a new home. And speaking about home…

- "We should head on back to the guild, too." Said Natsu, shaking his fist without even realizing it.

- "How're we going to explain all this ?" Wondered Lucy, doing the same.

- "No worries… Nobody will have noticed anything this time, right ?" Reminded Grey in the same situation.

- "But we can't keep quiet about what happened to Mystogan." Reminded Erza, her hand doing the same as the others, much to Wendy's slight embarrassment. As for the Riders, they were all turned to Gentaro, Sento and Shinnosuke with the same question in mind.

- "How did the three of you ended up with Mystogan ? I thought you were on a mission at Mount Katalto ? " Asked Kouta.

- "We were, but it had to be shortened as we got found." Explained Shinnosuke. "When we came back, the town was gone and Mystogan was about to go to Edolas so we decided to come along for the ride."

- "And what did you learned ? About Shocker's plan, I mean ?" Asked Emu.

- "They are working on something huge. Something that, according to the data we found, could wipe this world off as much as our." Said Sento, making the Riders frown. "We'll have to go back there soon, but we'll need to prepare. It's going to be a lot of work."

- "W…Wait a sec." Came Gajeel's voice, pulling everyone out of their conversation. "Where's Lily . I don't see Panther Lily anywhere !"

- "You're right. He's an Exceed, he should have been send to Earthland, too." Said Gentaro.

- "If you're looking for me, I'm over here." Came Panther's voice as he stepped out of a bush… shrunk down to be the same size as Happy and Carla.

- "You sure got a lot cuter." Commented Happy.

- "It looks like Earthland didn't mix well with my constitution." Said Panther, not that disturbed by his new appearance. "Anyway, I want to join the guild that his Highness was helping out. As promised, you'd better let me in… Gajeel."

- "OF COURSE !" Shouted Gajeel as he tackled Panther and pulled him into a hug, crying his eyes out. "MY CAT !"

- "What is that rope for ?" Wondered Takeru, looking at the rope Panther was holding in his paw.

- "I caught a suspicious looking person." Said Panther as he pulled on the rope. "Come."

- "Wait…" Came a girl's voice that made some eyes widen amongst the mages. "I am not suspicious…" The girl came out of the bushes, her wrist bound as she fell to her knees, making the same widened eyes widen even more. "I am a member of Fairy Tail, too…"

- "Huh, guys ?" Began Kouta whose eyes began to widen slightly, looking at the white haired and blue eyed girl in front of them. "Doesn't she looked familiar to you ?"

- "She does… That's the same hair…" Agreed Haruto. "Don't tell me… She is…"

- "Lisanna…" finished Natsu, too shocked to move as the white haired girl looked at her captor.

- "What's up with this cat ?! Is it an Exceed ?"

- "Who the hell are you ?!" Seethed Gajeel. "You picking on my cat, huh ?!"

- "It can't be…" Said Gray in what was barely more than a whisper, not believing what he was seeing.

- "Could it be… That Anima sucked her from Edolas ? But it can't be…" Said Lucy only to be interrupted by Sento.

- "Unless she wasn't from Edolas to begin with."

The white haired girl turned her head to look at everyone else, her eyes landing on Natsu before she leaped to her feet and threw herself on him, dragging Panther along with her.

- "NATSU !" She cried as they both landed on the ground. "I finally get… To see the real Natsu again." She then turned and grabbed Happy, hugging him as much as she could with her bounded wrist. "Happy ! And Erza and Gray too ! It's been so long !"

- "Wait a sec… You… You couldn't be… Earthland's Lisanna ?!" Asked Gray, his whole body trembling. And as soon as she confirmed it, everyone began to shout their disbelief. Natsu and Happy were about to jump on her but were held back by Erza.

- "Wait… You're supposed to have died 2 years ago." She reminded, prompting her to explain how she could still be alive.

- "I… didn't die or anything like that." She explained. "2 years ago, while I was on a job with Mira-nee and Elf-niichan, I lost consciousness and…"

- "You go sucked into the Anima." Deduced Shinnosuke. "Mystogan had been roaming the kingdom looking for the Anima to close them, which meant they were probably all over back then."

- "Yeah. When I awoke in Edolas and found Fairy Tail, I was surprised. They were all different, but there were people who knew me there. In addition, they thought I was the Lisanna from Edolas. I figured the real Edo-Lisanna was probably already dead."

- "And you didn't tell them the truth as not to hurt them more than they were already. So you pretended to be their Lisanna." Understood Takeru.

- "Everything was pretty good. I hid my own magic and I got used to live in Edolas. That is, until 6 days ago…"

- "When me, Natsu, Wendy, Carla and Happy came to Fairy Tail." Realized Emu. "But, why didn't you told us the truth then !?"

- "I couldn't…" She simple said, making them all gasp at her. "I… Couldn't be found as I didn't wanted to make Mira-nee and the others sad ever again. I decided to bear with it and live my life in Edolas… But when the magical power was sucked in by the Anima, it included me. And that's when they told me that they knew all along that… I wasn't their Lisanna. They knew but they didn't say anything. They even asked me… To give their love to their Earthland selves…" Tears pooled in her eyes as she saw about her second family that she left behind in Edolas but she quickly wiped them off. She was home, that was all that mattered.

- "Give their counterpart their love, huh ?" Said Kouta, everyone turning to him to see his mischievous grin. "What do you guys think of a little stroll in the cemetery ?"

/- Kardia Cathedral -/

Rain was pouring down on Magnolia. With this kind of weather, no one was outside, preferring staying in the warmth of their houses. Only two people were outside right now. In the cemetery right next to the cathedral, the Strauss siblings, Elfman and Mirajane, were currently bracing the rain to go and pay their respect to their deceased sister. Mirajane was currently squatting down in front of the tomb, Elfman standing by her side, holding an umbrella to protect them from the rain as they looked at the tomb with sadness filled eyes.

- "Nee-chan, we should get going." Said Elfman to her sister.

- "Just a little while longer…"

Alone in this quiet place, they both mourned peacefully, when suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of someone running in puddles, shouting at them.

- "Mira-nee ! Elf-niichan !"

The two aforementioned mages looked up, eyes widening slightly as they heard their sister's voice, wondering if in their sorrow, they were imagining her calling for them. But they turned around despite their doubts and their eyes widen even more, filling with surprise and shock as they saw that girl with unmistakable white hair and blue eyes running at them. They were really starting to feel like someone was toying with them, until they noticed their friends behind her, looking at them with smiles on their faces, realizing that they weren't dreaming. Out of shock, Elfman let go of the umbrella who fell to the ground with a splashing noise as they began to break, tears pooling in their eyes, their body shaking as they tried to process what was happening.

- "It… It can't be…" Muttered Mirajane, breaking down as tears streamed down her and Elfman's faces, only now fully realizing that they weren't dreaming. "Lisanna."

And the girl, as tearful as her brother and sister, jumped on her sister, hugging her as if her life depended on it. Face in her hands, Mirajane cried as Lisanna hugged her, try to fill out the 2 years spend away from each other.

- "I'm home." She said, her head buried in her big sister's shoulder. Soon, Elfman joined them, the Strauss siblings finally reunited after so many painful years, all under the smiling faces of their friends who looked at the scene, happy for them. And it's with a smile on her still crying face that Mirajane finally uncovered her face, happier than ever before as she answered her sister with two words she never though she could say to her.

- "Welcome home."

/- Later, Fairy Tail -/

And welcomed back she was. When they all ran back to the guild, they were welcomed by a deafening silence as every single member stood in shock at the sight of the white haired girl who, in their head, just came back from the dead. Of course, this led to the riders and mages to explain everything that happened : Lisanna's 'death' two years ago, Edolas, the fact that they got turned into a Lachryma, their journey in this other world, the truth about the Exceed and of course, their new member Panther Lily as well as Mystogan's new life. But once everything had been said, every single ounce of shock disappeared and a massive party began, everyone cheering at Lisanna's return. Every one was feeling the joy of seeing their old friend being back home. Well, almost everyone.

- "Hey, Takeru." Lucy said, inching closer to the Rider. "What's wrong with Juvia ?" Indeed, the blue haired mage was looking particularly gloomy and down, back in her old clothes and hairstyle.

- "Well, I think Happy told her about how Edo-Gray was feeling for Edo-Juvia." He explained and suddenly, everything made sense to Lucy, sweat dropping as she looked at Juvia who was hiding behind a column, looking at Gray who was sitting by the bar, talking to Kana.

- "The version of you over there... Pffft ! I can't… even just thinking about it…"

- "It was far more healthier version for sure, but it was so different I'd rather prefer this one." Added Emu with a nod.

- "What do you mean ?!" Growled Kana, hugging a barrel as usual. "Spit it out ! You're making the liquor taste bad !"

- "Juvia… wants to go to Edolas…" Whispered the water mage, her fingers digging into the wooden pillar.

- "M… Me too…" Added Alzack and Bisca sheepishly, both also knowing the way their astral twins acted with each other.

Amidst the chaos, there was one person, or rather one cat, that simply stood there and looked at the joyous chaos with a neutral expression on his face.

- "This… sure is a noisy guild…" Said Panther, sweat dropping.

- "Don't worry. Everyone feel the same when they first come to the guild." Said Shinnosuke, sitting at the table with the Exceed.

- "So… Every last person here has internal magic…" To Panther, even if he knew he wasn't in Edolas anymore, it still felt weird and slightly frightening.

- "That's right. That's how it is with Earthland mages." Said Erza, appearing by their table, Panther looking at her in shock. After all, he had yet to truly meet and talk with the one who looked so much like his previous colleague. "But what's important isn't the magic itself, but the hearts of those who wield it. Isn't that right, Lily ?"

- "You may be a different person… But it's comforting to have even just a single familiar face around." Answered Lily with a grin.

- "HEYY ! Salamander ! Girlie !" Shouted Gajeel as he jumped from the crowd. "Let's have a showdown between my Lily and your blue and white cats !"

- "Why do I feel this is one of the only reason Gajeel wanted a cat ?" Muttered Haruto as he and the others sweat drop as Natsu agreed, Happy not really feeling like it. But it was Panther who put a stop to it.

- "Stop it… I may look like this now, but on that side I was a division commander. If you engage in a senseless fight, you'll just get hurt."

- "You're more mature than I expected." Said Erza with a touch of pride.

- "I think it's just that they are the immature ones." Corrected Gentaro as he pointed at the massive brawl that just started in the middle of the guild, people joining and adding to the chaos, Makarov and Gildarts looking at the scene with smiles on their faces.

- "My, my…" Simply said Makarov, tired by their antics, his mind wandering to his other preoccupation. "It's too bad about Mystogan, but… Let's hope he's in high spirits over there in Edolas or whatnot."

- "I'm sure he is." Answered Gildarts, smiling as he looked at the massive brawl. "He grew up in this guild. Of course he's in high spirits." Makarov smiled broadly at that, arms crossed before turning to Sento who was typing at his computer next to them at the bar. "What about you, Sento ? Did you discover something during your little mission in Mount Katalto ?"

- "More than we though. And it's not good news." All trace of smile disappeared of Gildarts and Makarov's faces, looking at the scientist who looked to be pretty worried. "We didn't get as much informations as we would have liked, but this is enough to know they're working on something huge. The kind of thing that could assure their victory, no matter the world."

Makarov and Gildarts looked at each other, worried about what this could mean, before looking back at Sento.

- "I guess you won't let them do as they please, am I right ?" Said Gildarts.

- "Yes you are. We won't let them finish whatever they are doing. But that's not just that. There's also something else."

- "And what is that thing ? You can tell us. We'll help you in any way we can." Assured Makarov, which made Sento smiled.

- "Thanks, but we have yet to know everything about what they're doing. Let me dig into those data a bit more and I'll tell you if you can help." The master of the guild and its strongest mage both nodded and smiled, which only internally pained Sento. "I'm thankful that you want to help us, but this might not be possible. After all… This will probably be our last mission here. Our time in this world is running out."

There we are. I have to say that we're nearing the end. I'm gonna give a bit more details in the next chapter, but I'd like to at least warn you about it, mainly because I have many things to decide about what's going to happen in the future chapters so I'm probably going to need more time to write. Anyway, I hope you liked that chapter. Follow, fav and review if you liked it. See ya !

Next time : The final fight is approaching. The last mission begin. A worrying message.